Interview with Chris Boocan and Ant Witheyman

Some have described Football Manager Live as more addictive than Crack Cocaine- how did it get to You?

CB: Well I used to spend most of my time in run-down heroin shacks, pushing off with ferral city raccoons. My mates staged an intervention and introduced me to FML. Victorian Queue manger Ian Bush pulled me over to the "Champy" way of life. Things have never been better.

AW: I was involved in Beta testing at an early stage and to be honest I thought it was a little bit dull. A few years later and here I am secretly playing at every opportunity. Hiding the game behind 'work'. Popping into other rooms where my computer is just to see how the auction is progressing, or to fit another sneaky game in. My wife already calls it the other woman!!!

CB: My woman called FML the other woman too. Clare is no longer with the club... Guess I can't complain though- my 'work' is playing FML. Can you believe they pay me to do that?

AW: I am not sure that FML is the best form of rehab. Where do you go from FML.......the only place is the gutter!!!!

Many would regard you as one of the worlds more eccentric and flambouyant managers- how do you feel about that?

CB: I suppose I feel normal about it. Let's not try to fool anyone, I'm a F&*#ing madman.

AW: I take it as a compliment!!! I like to play attacking football.....I play an unusual formation that has served me well throughout the years of playing FM games. I would rather win 5-4 than 1-0. It's what the fans would want and I like to keep them happy. I also have another strange addiction. Strikers......I just cant help buying them!!!

CB: I'm totally with Ant on this one. I too am an attacking manager. Although Ant's goals are a bit shy. I prefer to win 9-0 than 5-4. Ask Gre's SK all about that...

AW:You do tend to get a little stressed playing the game Chris. You need to calm yourself down a bit....it's only a game......except when I beat you and is far more than a game!!!

The obvious question- everyone has ambitions in FML..what are yours and what would you say are your key strategies for fulfilling them? What in your own makeup do you think is most likely to prevent you from getting there?

CB: I entered this game society with no ambitions or high hopes what so ever to be honest. My starting lineup was...less than satisfactory. Guess i just didn't know how to pick 'em, hahaha. After my restart I managed to pick up Patrick Helmes and a few other tasties. I spent all of first season in the top 10 in the GW! Who'd have seen that coming? My goals have now
been clearly defined, after falling through the rankings I now find myself trying to claw back my star rating, my fans and my dignity. So, goals for the current season and coming season are to breach top 10 and win the XFA Championship....Then on to dismember everyone in the Premiership. The only thing standing in my way are my lazy defenders. My key strategy for completing my goals is simple: Buy a bunch of world class attackers and make them hurt people. Strategy 1: Make Asamoah round all 11 opposition players and kick the ball in. Strategy 2: Make Fabio Quagliarella longbomb 35 yard goals in (maybe the occasional bicycle kick) Strategy 3: Hard tackle the bejesus out of my opponents, leaving them crippled, demoralized and (more often than not) with soiled britches.

AW: One of my ambitions when I switched over to the XFA was to make the top100. I did....it lasted a day!!! I will settle for a top 10 finish in the Championship this season and then I will push for promotion. The non-prem cup is another ambition of mine. Key strategies involve playing attractive football, resisting the temptaion to buy yet another striker and trying to keep wages relitively low. My obsession with strikers does not really help with this aim!!!

CB: Great goal for the championship Ant. I would love to see you come top 10- just stop sapping my freaking points away to achieve your goal!

AW: I think you take this a little too seriously!!!

If you had one tip for 'noobs' in FML what would it be and why?

CB: I've been known to pour advice on anyone who wants (or sometimes doesn't want) advice. And each time I say the same thing: "new guy- don't let your squad inflate over 17 players. You can only field 11 at a time, and no one is gonna suffer 6 injuries all at the same time!" So again, keep the squad sizes down people!

AW:Get involved, join in, dont give up. Dont post in the market place more than every 10 mins!!! My team were awful in my second season in St John. Finished bottom of the EEFA Premiership with only 3 wins to my name. I sold all of my best players, stockpiled money, moved to the XFA and have not looked back!!!

CB: I find it hard to tell new teams not to give up after thrashing them 9-0...maybe it's just me?

AW :I cant say fairer than that!

Everyone makes mistakes- what would you say is the daftest thing you have done so far in FML?

CB: Mistakes? what the hell are those? No, but seriously I think the worst mistake I made was the deal involving Arjen Robben. I cleared my entire youth team and 15-20% of my senior squad to get him. Bankrupted myself in the process.

AW: Posting in the market place more often than every 10 mins!!!!

CB: Barring the Robben deal, I would say losing to Godswill 2 consecutive times in the Championship was pretty daft.

AW: That was pretty crazy. I think it is amazing how people will throw everything including the kitchen sink to get an awesome player. There is no point playing Ronaldo and 10 other spanners...it will get you nowhere!! One man doth not maketh a team!!!

Utter fanatics like Dan Malone have 'burned out' playing FML and given it up- could this ever happen to you ?

CB: Certain 'fanatics' should have their 'fanatic' status re-evaluated. I can't get enough Champy to save my life. If I could F$!* this game I would marry it.

AW:I would like to think not....however my wife may confiscate my laptop. Sometimes I think she would rather I had an affair!!!!

CB: Ant you should read my chat logs talking about the joys of sex from behind. Just set the laptop up on your mistress' back and you can "pull and play". If your wife would prefer the affair, this way you're both winners!

AW: How sweet! A match made in heaven. I have heard they go for things like that in Canada. Marriage to inanimate objects!!!

Jonno Pereira is well known as my 'pet' player- do you have a pet or favourite player? Ramble wildly about them for a bit....

CB: I am a very sentimental manager. But I am also a brutal manager. Obviously every striker to work his way through my ranks meets my top list. Helmes was a great player, but I simply wore him out...now I hear he is rotting away on Pingvinen's payroll. Omar Bravo was a big favourite of mine, I was sad to see him age and go (but I was happy to take the 1.25mil for him <:emoticon#67>) Asamoah has won my hearts, and the hearts of my fans with his ridiculously speedy antics (picture Bravo...but younger and a bit less Mexican). Fabio Q- although moody at times, has always been my golden boy. I've tracked his progress since 3 seasons ago when Victorian Queue signed his sexy ***. Now he is mine, in all of his old, red arrowed, glory. I've never had a favourite defender that comes to mind, so I won't worry about them. Midfield is where my true passion has always been. A few season ago I had a midfield so strong it put Patrick Helmes out of business! Players like Alex maranhao, Mateus and Carlos Esquivel (whom I resigned for a short spell last season) are my favourite. I prefer a midfield full of sexy playmaking, longshot beast monsters. Luis Jimenez anyone?
And lastly, a special note about my favourite wingers. Kanga Akale, Alberto Medina and Javier Angel Balboa. All 3 were fast, great crossing and had their moments.

AW:I thought he was your love child!!! I was obsessed with Tobias Grahn for a season or two, I loved the way that boy took a free kick!!! At the moment my keeper is my favourite. He can't do wrong for me. Even when he does!!!! He loves playing against the bigger teams and pulls out an absolute stormer!!!! Then he plays like a bag of ****e and scores and OG or something against dross!!!

CB: my players can't do wrong for me either. If they do I beat them and then sell them. It's a love/hate relationship.

AW: I think you and Kylar take this too far!!! Pet names for your favourite players!! Fabio Q, Johno!!! Next it will be 'snuggles' and 'fluffy bum'!!!

You are having dinner and a few bottles of wine with Ov Collyer- what do you say to him?

CB: Fancy a match Ov?

AW:I hope you are paying for this because my wife has left me because of my addiction to your stupid game!!!!

CB: So Ov, I met this recently seperated woman the other day...