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Interview with Postigod, Winner of the Craig Wozniak Cup

Written by LarryPampushky

An interview with Postigod, manager of Jol-lification, who has just won this season's edition of the Craig Wozniak Cup. (555396572)

You joined Hattrick in March 2005. How did you hear about it?

Through someone on a Spurs message board that I post on - I think 5 or 6 of us started around the same time, although the only other person left is stooboy, manager of Malaz City (61140).

Am I right in thinking that your team name is something to do with Martin Jol? And what's the deal with the name Postigod – do you run the Royal Mail?

You are indeed - when I started playing, I didn't think I would still be here 11 years later, so my team and user name were based on "key" Spurs figures of the time. I think Jol will always be fondly remembered at White Hart Lane for getting us back into Europe, and almost the Champions League had it not been for 'Lasagne-gate' (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/tottenham-hotspur/10804881/2006-remembered-The-food-poisoning-bug-that-cost-Tottenham-Hotspur-their-Champions-League-dream.html), but Helder Postiga's likely contribution will be to a "Spurs best flops" XI, starring up front alongside Rebrov and Rasiak.

After being knocked out of the main cup you were parachuted into the Craig Wozniak Cup. At that stage did you plan to win it?

I always play to win, so I was certainly aiming to get as far as I could, although the League was definitely the priority. A few other decent sides went into the Wozniak at the same time as me, but I figured that if I could get into the neutral ground stages, I should make at least the last 8 and then would see what happened.

In the final you were up against Ville Warriors. What were your thoughts going into the match?

I expected to be stuffed, to be honest. I don't have a great record against Ville and we play the game in very different ways - he plays the cyclic 'hoard then spend' strategy that the game design promotes, which is clearly the best way to win titles, whereas I have never sold up my team and rebuilt, preferring instead to try to gradually rejuvenate as cash allows. I also knew I was coming off the back of a PIN against benno in a top of the table clash, whilst Ville was already relegated and had PICed his League game. So I expected him to win midfield comfortably and in Hattrick, that is way more than half the battle!

According to your logo your team's motto is 'Consilium habemus,' meaning 'We have a plan.' Given that you've spent 12 seasons in the Premiership and haven't been below II in living memory, it must be an amazingly cunning plan. Would you be willing to outline the details here?

I alluded to it in my last answer - basically to rebel against the 'boom and bust' approach to team management. Whilst it undoubtedly isn't the best way to win titles, my goal has been to get as high as I can in the cumulative Premier standings - I am now third of active managers behind only Ville and Saif, and I think 7th in the all-time standings. It does mean I miss out on the training side of the game, but the introduction of second teams has really helped here, as I can use 'Bill Nick's' to fulfil other sides of the game such as training U20 players like Irving Ingram (402717162), currently trying to help fetts get us to Round IV. I think the only thing that would make be sell-up 'Jol-lification' would be if 'Bill Nick's' became the better team (which should happen in about 6 seasons, if Hattrick is still around then, and I keep shelling out for Platinum supporter, neither of which I would bet on!).

The capacity of your stadium is 61,565, which seems a little small compared to other stadiums at your level. I'm sure you've thought about it, so what mistake have your rivals made?

No, mine is definitely too small - it is a casualty of my strategy, where all cash generated goes into upgrading and/or rejuvenating my players. For a side yo-yoing between II and the Premier, it should be 80-85000, I think, so I am definitely missing out on revenue. But particularly since I can't get home Cup games any more, the 'cost' is not as much as it used to be.

You have been the NT England manager twice. Do you enjoy the international side of the game?

Absolutely, although I am still embarrassed by how bad my second term was. Although there were some RL issues that took me away from Hattrick a lot, particularly in the second season, there is no real excuse for failing to arrange friendlies or conceding walkovers, as I did on 2 or 3 occasions. The NT side of the game can also be very frustrating though - we don't have as close-knit a community in HT-England as in some other territories, or much interest in the NT outside a hard-core group of managers, so although we produce a few really good players, we have a number of weak areas and very little strength in depth. I think defunked, who is one of the top 2 or 3 English managers, has been hit particularly hard by this, although even more so by some really unlucky results. Hopefully he will run again.

Your second team is also based in England. Were you ever tempted to set it up in a different country?

No - I always wanted to use it to produce more potential England players and to train a more home-grown team, so it was never even a consideration.

If your team had a song to run out to, what would it be?

Hmmm, tricky one. Probably something cheesily football-related - maybe "Substitute" by the Who. (https://vimeo.com/81157182)

What was the last book you read and would you recommend it?
I'm currently reading Julie Welch's 'Biography of Tottenham Hotspur', which I would recommend to Spurs fans (and to everyone else, but I suspect with less success!). (http://shop.tottenhamhotspur.com/product/the-biography-of-tottenham-hotspur-by-julie-welch/51679)

Please tell us about how you met your other half (or last conquest), and how they feel about your Hattrick addiction?

I met my other half at uni almost 20 years ago (through rowing - I coxed/coached her when she was learning to row) - we've now been married for 11 years and have two amazing daughters. She doesn't understand why I "waste time" on Hattrick (to which my defence is simply "So, Facebook then...")!

What question should I have asked you that I haven't? (And what would your answer have been?)

Oh, so many choices... best film? Shawshank redemption (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/). Favourite song? Elbow - My Sad Captains (https://vimeo.com/92258428). Best TV? House of Cards (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Cards_(U.S._TV_series)). But probably the one Hattrick-related question you didn't ask... will you still be here in another 12 years? To which the answer is that I'll likely be here as long as Hattrick is here, however long that may be! Thanks for taking the time to interview me...