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Bristol Rovers - Kozzy's back...

Written by Kozzy1701

As we move toward the sharp end of the English Cup, tonight's matches will see 32 teams become 16, and the lowest ranked side left in it is Bristol Rovers SMK representing IV.59, and managed by Kozzy1701, who has kindly taken time out to answer a few questions ahead of kick-off.

You've become the lowest ranked manager left in the Cup this week thanks to an unexpected win over Premiership side Paignton Dynamos in R7 (615075489) and good use of home advantage and AoW against Div II.2 long shots specialists Beta Broncos in R6 (614977471). You've made the last 32 twice before back in s48 and s51 (losing out to Alie Land United and Metheringham Mill (the Shakhtar Donuts manager's previous team). How does this run compare to those two?

It's been a lot more exciting this time around. I have always been a buy, train and sell sort of manager, and have been happy enough season in, season out battling to try win my series, and to get as high up the pyramid as I can, but I've always seemed to hit a wall, unable to go any higher than level III.

I got a little impatient, with my last set of trainees, and sold them all before they were finished, and decided to try something different for a change.

I decided to invest in experience. The better experienced players you can buy are ex internationals, who are coming toward the end of their careers, but still have really decent skill sets, and this has been the underpin for my relative success this season.

As well as being a hattrick manager you are also a poker player. Do you think good poker players make good hattrick managers or vice-versa, and whats the most /exciting game/you've ever won in a game of poker?

The only thing Poker and Hattrick have in common is patience, which you need in spades if you want to enjoy and succeed in Hattrick, and you also need this attribute in order to be successful in tournament Poker. I've been moderately successful playing live poker, finishing in the money on numerous occasions, and winning tournaments a few times at my local casino in Bristol.

I remember winning a massive pot on the cash tables, a few months ago. Having been dealt AA with hearts and diamonds, I raised, was re-raised, and needless to say all my money, and his ended up in the middle. Low and behold he had AA spades and clubs, so a split pot then looked favourite, but a flop of Diamond Heart Diamond and another Diamond on the turn and River left me with a flush, and approx £900 richer.

You acquired your team 11 years ago this week, congratulations! You obviously love this game and have diamond supporter with a second team in Cape Verde as well as a hattrick international team. There's plenty of people that moan about supporter prices, what's your take on this?

The prices are what they are, if you can afford them, and are happy to pay them, then good for you, if you cannot afford them, stick at it, as you do not get any in-game advantage by having supporter. People's circumstances change, there may come a time when I decide I cannot justify the expense, at which time I will end my supporter.

Your manager page tells us that you are a Bristol Rovers supporter. Apparently a woman punched a police horse after the team lost to Oxford this weekend (http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/woman-seen-punching-police-horse-628590) Whats the worst reaction you've ever had to a defeat?

I'm quite placid, so a shrug of the shoulders is the best answer I can give you.

Bristol Rovers are my team, my first game was at Eastville Stadium on the 14th September 1974, a 2-0 home win against Aston Villa, I been hooked ever since - Thanks Dad. (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/79/0b/74/790b74788f736c870b35f2135c1693be.jpg)

(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/97/96/2d/97962d9503a315377fdf22060e4f2423--bristol-rovers-s.jpg)

Have you read any good books recently that you'd like to recommend to your fellow managers?

I recently went on holiday to Skiathos, and bought 2 books at the airport to read. I like crime, detective, or spy thrillers, and they were both very good, the first books I have read in about 20 years. I now have the bug again, and cannot read enough. I'm currently reading a book called "Skinners Mission" by Quintin Jardine, and yes I would recommend it if you like detective fiction.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Xb7pLIVVL.jpg)

You've used a few ht credits to ensure that every player in all 3 of your teams has 'Kozzy' as their middle name, and the unpredictable Kozzy Karankevich (366378017) is in the Latvian National Team. Please tell us a little bit about this and your interest in the NT side of the game?

The "Kozzy" middle name, was driven by pure boredom one Sunday, as I was waiting for my game to start, but the nicknames are actually part of the Diamond supporter package, so they don't cost anything extra, and now it's stuck, and every player gets the "Kozzy" stamp of approval.

It's nice to own an international player, or players who have previously played international football, but that's where my national team interest ends. Having said that, for anyone who is keen to lead theirs or other countries national teams (NTs), it must be a real buzz to lead them on to success.

Have you a favourite building or architectural design?

Being born and bred in Bristol, I would have to say the Clifton Suspension Bridge, built by Isombard Kingdom Brunel, it's a masterpiece.

(https://visitbristol.co.uk/imageresizer/?image=%2Fdmsimgs%2Fsuspension-3.jpg&action=ProductDetail)

Please could you provide us with a link to any music that you'd like your fellow managers to appreciate?

Anything from the 1980's, but Will You by Hazel O'Conner, and Vienna from Ultravox are a couple of my favourites of all time. Though Careless Whisper from George Michael and True from Spandau Ballet are my Karaoke specialties.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou96vLl--e4)

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37w42Bfsv3E)

Are you single or married, how did you meet your partner (or last conquest) and what do they think about your interest in this game?

I've been married to my long suffering wife, Helen, for 17 years. She would have done less time for murder. She puts up with me and my Hattrick life, and is happy enough for Hattrick to be the only "other woman" in my life.

Your twitter account describes you as a bald, fat, ugly polish bloke. You'd probably fit in very well with a few of us that attend hattrick socials. If we arranged one in Bristol would you turn up?

I don't see why not, working commitments aside, two of my closest friends also play Osborne AFC (60512) and SDLBIRMINGHAMCITY (955834), so I will see if we can't persuade them to come along as well. Osborne AFC set up his team on the exact same day as me, so we've both been going at it for quite a while now.

The latest evolution of hattrick has been announced, and will include some interesting changes to specialities and their effect and contribution from the start of next season. What are your thoughts about all of this, and do you think it will be make the game more fun to play?

The recent tweaks and changes, have definitely improved the game, and I hope the upcoming changes do the same, but I'm a bit of an old fashioned HT manager, and I have to admit that many of the changes pass me by, and I sort of grasp them several months after they have been implemented. It's fine. Hattrick will always be a fun game to play, whether you commit to 10 minutes a week, or are online 24/7 you still have a chance to win.

What was your first car/bike and what happened to it?

My first car was a bright red Mark III Escort, I bought it for £25 in 1983, I was scrapped not long after, and I don't want to talk about it anymore....

What changes would you personally like to see Hattrick make?

I would love to see Hattrick improve/evolve both the league structure, and the cup format. I'd prefer bigger divisions with more matches per season and therefore a longer season, meaning that players wouldn't age so quickly, and perhaps this could facilitate making training easier (and more fun) [ed. everyone likes pops at the training updates].

It would also add excitement, if the Cup matches were decided by a random draw, or even (as I have managed to do this season), amending the current format so that in the event of you knocking out a higher ranked team, that you take their seeding in the draw system. This, I really believe, would add to the day to day excitement of the game.

Kozzy