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2nd semi for FC Claudia Bath

Written by C-Crabb

This week is semi-finals week in the English Cup, and the sole remaining Premiership team is F.C. Claudia Bath. We caught up with C-Crabb, Claudia's manager, to ask him a few familiar questions.

Your team, F.C. Claudia Bath is now the sole surviving Premiership team left in the cup, and you are facing Vince Hilaire's Afros in the semi-final. A couple of seasons ago, you were knocked out by Ville Warriors in the semi final, and this is your 6th straight season in R9 or better. This has to be the best opportunity you've had to go out and win the thing, but presumably a few teams will be thinking the same way, using the TI trick to boost TS and MoTs tactics. You seem to be in a position where you can PIC your league games (taking auto-relegation on the chin) in order to throw the kitchen sink at it?

Well, I have always tried my best in the Cup (any typical English side should do!!), but I also want to perform well in the league. I nearly got to the final couple of seasons ago – like you said – but a combination of injuries, red cards and the opponent’s monster team got in the way. On Tuesday I will have another chance, but to be completely honest, it looks less likely that I'll progress. I'm facing another super strong team and my midfield form is so worrying that it's keeping me up at night. My poor league form has not filled my team boots with much confidence, and I am not sure any "tricks" can even help me... On the other hand HT is sometimes unpredictable, and my team is very experienced so we will definitely give it a go... At the same time, we are going to do everything to stay in the Premiership for another season, as playing at this level was always my dream and it’s a privilege to be here.

If you have a favourite tune of 2014, please provide a link to vimeo/utube/soundcloud for us to listen, but an older classic tune would be just as good?

I absolutely fell in love with Waves by Mr.Probz! (http://youtu.be/0a5WyAjL1MM) ... What else... Oh yeah, I watched the TV series "Sons of Anarchy" and the entire soundtrack to it just rules, with my favourite being this Bob Dylan cover (http://youtu.be/AaPEe4EwTEU) (used in Episode 12 of season 1)

You took over your team on 31/01/07. You spent 19 seasons in V or lower, then took just 6 seasons to promote into the Prem this season. What did you do to turn the club around to make such incredible progress so quickly and what has been your template for success for managers stuck in the lower divisions to consider emulating?

When I joined I was really unsure how best to play this game despite actually reading the manual. Having to wait an entire week for a league game also put me off a bit, at first. As a result, training became my entire focus for some time, however, my training profits were terrible as I still did not really understand what I was doing. My first little light bulb moment happened toward the end of 2009. I'd been researching strategy tips from the forums, specifically on how to train with a view to making a decent profit, and at the same time my love for this game also started to develop. I trained scoring for 2 years, and invested cash from sales into my midfield (everyone was saying that midfield is king). Thanks to that tactic, and some really good luck I managed to pull off 3 promotions in a row. Thankfully, I got promoted to III.13 (season 51), and that’s where and when I really learned how to play this game. This was all down to the marvelous opposition in III.13:- The Last Eleven (951945), Glencoe Rovers (63539), Nicks Nobodys (60774), TB United (955697), followed by CF Aspen (64101) a season later, all of whom contributed to a very vibrant league forum. The game had by this point totally sucked me in. These guys (I consider them all as my friends now :)) shared knowledge, advice and a competitive instinct, which all helped me move up to the next level of managerial skill. Thanks to them, a few seasons later I got promoted to the Premiership (however lucky - haha), and so fulfilled one of my ht-dreams. My team has never the best one in the country, but –according to Htev and HTStats – it has statistically been rated many times amongst the top 10 teams in England, which makes me really proud!!!

If a fan wanted to buy you a pint, which pub would it be easiest to find you in, and what's your poison?

To be honest I am not much of the pub person. I'd rather have a beer or some vodka shots with my friends, at house parties or during a BBQ. If someone really wants to find me, I live by the Ricoh Arena, home of Coventry City. (http://www.devereatthericoharena.com/d/ricoharena/media/optimized_images/aerial_coventry-0357594d56bf.jpg) (Ed notes that this is nowhere near Bath)

This season, Postigod was voted in to be the England NT coach. After 9 matches England is struggling, holding 4th in Group 7, 3pts behind of Thailand in 2nd & 14pts behind a Total Football Dutch side that has won 9/9. Did you vote, and what do you make of our situation on the international stage?

I won’t lie, but as I'm spending much less time on here nowadays, it has limited my interest for the international side of the game. It is embarrassing to admit, but I didn’t vote during the last elections either. I don’t want to make too many excuses, but I have been very busy in RL (life).

What skill are you currently training and what stamina percentage are you currently using and why?

This season my primary training is playmaking and high stamina share of 35%. I want to maintain my golden oldies skills and stamina, as much as possible. It will most probably change by the start of the next season, as I want to start to train my academy graduates for a change.

You currently do not pay for supporter, what would the powers that be have to do with supporter to tempt you to sign up for it?

I did pay for supporter many years, however since the last round of price changes I now find it way too expensive.

Please tell us how/where you met your other half (or last conquest), and how he/she feels about your hattrick addiction?

I met my wife over 11 years ago. One of my friends had asked me to give her a lift home. A couple of months later we were together, and the following year we got married. On 31st July this year we celebrated our 10th anniversary. Regarding the bit about my Hattrick addiction (which is not as much as it once was), she did question my mental health many times haha. But to be fair, a few times when my internet was down, and I had to go to an ‘internet cafe’ to watch my league game live, she actually followed and supported me.

According to our internet research, Villa Claudia is a B&B in Bath, rated 34th among its peers on Trip Adviser. Claudia is also the first name of a certain Schiffer, and Bath's public baths are pretty much the best example of what the Romans have ever done for us, apart from the aqueduct, the sanitation, the roads, irrigation, medicine, education, health, wine and public order. So how often do you stay at the B&B?

I lived in Bath for many years, but in 2011 we moved to Coventry. I probably need to change my HT region soon haha. My club’s name is in honor of my wife’s name, hence FC Claudia Bath. Besides, I do love Monty Python sooo much, your question actually made me smile.

What good films have you seen recently?

I have watched few good ones: Prisoners, Thor: The Dark World, Gravity but my favourite was Tarantino movie Django: Unchained. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853728/) This is a Must watch!!!