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Clinging on!

Written by arkroyal

Another HT-Press interview for your delectation, this week with one of England's longest serving managers, Arkroyal.

"As the lowest ranked side somehow still in the cup, I was asked a few questions. Here are my rambling replies."

1. Your team, Rodley Whites, is now the lowest ranked team left in the cup, facing Premiership contenders & s49 Cup winners Low Fogrigg next. How does it feel?
I'm feeling slightly bemused. The match will be a fortnight before I 'celebrate' 11 real life years playing Hattrick and I'm rather too slow to adapt to change. Whilst my team will always bounce between crap and semi-decent, I'll never have the patience, time, knowledge and commitment to actually win anything. Low Fogrigg is different gravy, his ratings have been rather daunting lately and it will be a shock if he doesn't complete a league and cup double now. If I manage to keep it close it will be a modern day miracle. That said, with my previous record, there's no guarantee I’ll remember to select a team. Twice in recent years I've forgotten and handed walkovers, once in the 9th round. This season, against Moss Side in the last round, I only remembered 20 minutes before kick-off and then ran out of time. It's better to be born lucky than be born rich!

2. What is the last album/track you bought, please also provide a link to vimeo/utube/soundcloud for us to listen?
Can't remember the last album I bought but it was probably Half Man Half Biscuit's 90 Bisodol (Crimond). I listen to a lot of music (most of it godawful) as my last.fm profile indicates (http://www.last.fm/user/arkroyal/library). I tend to listen to a massive playlist on Spotify on random unless I'm off to a gig soon (expect me to be listening to a fair bit of The Wedding Present, Rocket From The Crypt and Gogol Bordello over the next few weeks).

There are a few new albums that I am listening to a fair bit. Future of the Left's new album is angry and brilliant, Melt-Banana’s Fetch is great but I'm really liking Joanna Gruesome at the moment. They remind me of the good old days of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine.

Joanna Gruesome, Sugarcrush: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdcvYuQstYA)
Future of the Left, Things to Say to Friendly Policemen: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MquXpi4-0v0)
Half Man Half Biscuit, Rock and Roll is Full of Bad Wools: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbw6HLqsd7E)

3. Who is your favourite ht-player and why?
Not sure whether you mean manager or player, past or present. I've met a fair few HT managers in real life and it’s impossible to name a favourite. Player wise, I'd probably go for an old striker I bought for £2.2m in 2006. Jeffrey Gibson (35568947) who went on to play 335 games for me, scoring 277 goals.

4. How much is a pint of beer in your local & what's your usual tipple?
I'm between locals at the moment – due to that fine company Enterprise shutting down The Owl at Rodley, Leeds (Ed. facebook page linky (https://www.facebook.com/theowlrodley) . I flit between two or three watering holes, but probably frequent a local social club most where Kirkstall Pale (http://www.kirkstallbrewerycompany.com/portfolio/kirkstall-pale-ale/) and Leeds Pale (http://www.leedsbrewery.co.uk/beers/) can be bought for £2.10 (with a 10p member's discount).

5. What's been your key to success in the cup so far?
Pure unadulterated luck.

6. What skill are you training at the moment and why?
Switching between PM and passing. Knowing why would suggest I have a plan. I don't.

7. Please list the contents of your glovebox/downloads folder?
Glovebox contents are odd. It neatly illustrates the transition of the car moving from Peg's use to mine. So at the bottom of the glovebox there are kids sweets, tissues, sticky lolly-sticks, with my sunglasses, a list of pubs I've not been to, an old tax disc and a league cricket handbook on top.

8. What's your view on 2nd teams?
Not for me, having one team is enough effort. Seems quite contradictory to the party line that's existed since day one from the HTs with respect to "cheating" and I'm not sure that it will be beneficial to the game long term.

9. Tell us how you met your OH (or last 'conquest' if single)?
I was working in a pub in Pudsey, Leeds supplementing my meagre local authority earnings when she threw herself at me over the bar. At least that's how I claim it happened, much to Peg's annoyance. That will have been way back in 1992. I convinced her to stay in Leeds (she was from Windsor and just about to graduate) and we got married in 1996.

10. In a resource management game, some say it is unacceptable to hoard resources. Discuss?
It's not against any rules but seems an awfully dull way of playing. Each to their own though. I'm not playing to win anything except the odd series title but I keep logging in regardless. Mainly because I don’t want to lose the team that I've had so long, partly out of habit and boredom but predominantly because of the interaction with other managers. Extending the number of Feds has actually made that worse in my opinion as posts are ever more diluted. Anyway back to the subject matter (us old un’s tend to ramble). Hoarding, like trading are/were legitimate tactics but surely too easy for established sides to get as much satisfaction?