I read an “article” recently about how the Scene used to be two years ago. As usual, it was seen through rose-tinted glasses - those which could only be worn by members of the bigger sites.

You see, while the scene was described in this article as a “thriving community”, in reality it, well, wasn’t. It was a very bitchy place to be. We would argue with those at the (now defunct) FM Centre. Those at Susie would argue with those at Throw-In. Those at Throw-In would argue with, well, everyone. And everyone hated RivalManager, which was about the only time the Scene was united.

Fundamentally, things are still the same from a members perspective. Members of the bigger sites still neglect the smaller sites. Members of the smaller sites stay away from the clique-ness of the bigger sites. And very few sites still don’t concentrate on Football Manager, instead they prefer to enlarge their virtual penises through huge post counts in various off-topic fora.

From some peoples point of view though, the Scene is much stronger now than it used to be. We now have two sites dedicated to Graphics, although one of these is still living off the reputation it gained two years ago. we also have the FM-Portal, a fantastic site which updates us all on the happening around the Scene. CM Frenzy is still going strong, but still doesn’t get recognised. Tactics are discussed at greater detail than ever before, and good old RivalManager finally gave in and closed.

So why then, do people still think the Scene is in a state and lacks innovation? In the past two years we’ve seen some innovative ideas - MyFMCV, the Community Downloads Project and the FM Portal to name but a few - yet only the Portal really took off. Which, funnily enough, was the only site that had the full support of every Webmaster and every staff member on every site. Why? Was it because it required very little effort from a users perspective while still adding to various sites precious hit counts? That looks the most likely to me. Or perhaps (no offence intended by this Rob) just reading the Digests at the Portal required very little thought and effort? Where MyFMCV required you to fill out a registration form, take several screenshots and have to remember your achievements, all you have to do at the Portal is click a link or two and read. The Community Downloads project unfortunately had failure written all over it right from the start, particularly when most staff demand that their members files be exclusive. Is it any wonder why very few people can be bothered to create something innovative any more?

I really wish people would stop complaining that the Scene needs to go back to how it used to be, particularly as these very same people are either too ignorant to know a good thing when they see it, or too lazy to read and understand it until it’s gone.

And finally, in the good old spammy, off-topic-y, ego massaging spirit that dons most sites, I’ll participate in this thread on a forum I feel more comfortable with. Why? Because last time I was involved in any sort of negative feedback on there I caught wind of the Admin offering points to humiliate somebody else who agreed.

The Current Football Manager Scene - Not as bad as some people claim it to be. Bitchiness is lower than I can remember, but with that comes less emphasis for the game we’re all here for.

The Future of the Football Manager Scene - More of the same. The old “superpowers” will rest on their laurels, the smaller sites will aspire to be the bigger sites and Rob will still have a headache from trying to encourage better articles from the community.

Throw-In - What happened to them? They used to produce at least two articles per week, now their only updates seem to come in the form of sites news or a list of topics from their forums. Get your finger out and stop living in the past I say. Either treat the site as a new site with the advantage of your old reputation, or start with a completely new site.

FMGlive - If any site has the potential to knock old Susie off the proverbial “Top Spot”, this is it.

Sortitoutsi - Still the same as it was two years ago. Except with less updates worth talking about. And all the concentration is still on the forums. Although by the looks of things they’re trying to change that.

FM Britain - One of the few sites where all the staff actually concentrate on FM. Do I detect a hint of irony here?

CM Frenzy - I actually like CM Frenzy. Mike seems to put more effort in than most other webmasters. The CM domain does him no favours though…

Manager Crisis - I rarely visit, but I hear good things. I only hear them though, even with my visits I’m yet to see them.

The Football Manager Portal - I like the Portal. I dare say, without Rob and the Portal, the smaller sites wouldn’t have a cat in hells chance of attracting visitors.

FM-View - A perfect example of a site where the Forum comes first. They seem to just update for the sake of updating.

Goal-Kick - Another site that was once full of promise, but has fallen away. Drastically.

One-FM - I always enjoyed reading articles on First Eleven, and I can now say the same about One FM.

Get-Sacked - Another site I enjoyed reading. It’s just a shame Jordan seems to have gone AWOL.

Inverness Metros - How does Caley keep coming up with these ideas? A brilliantly implemented, entertaining story/idea.