I started playing a year after it was released. November 2002, a matter of weeks before Championship Manager 4 came out (I got that eventually too). It was 99p. Talk about depreciation! But the copy stayed with me and although I lost the disc, I still have the box (and bought another copy and then the disc broke in half). Thanks to Champman0102, I’ve been able to play with real-time updates and I’ve never enjoyed another football management game since.
Championship Manager 01/02 toes the line between minimalism and complexity. The GUI is basic but gives you everything you need with minimal clicks to the screens you need. Seasons can take a few days to get through, and with updates and patches, a few hours. You can change fonts and graphics, and live out your favourite player-related fantasies. No other game really compares. I’ve really tried with Football Manager but playing feels like a job. After 8 hours of one that actually pays, I need to relax. 01/02 gives that ease of play.
Have you not played in a decade? Do you play regularly but want a challenge or a change? Then this list is for you. Championship Manager 01/02 is for life, not just for Christmas.
The Game
You can pick up Championship Manager 01/02 on eBay or Amazon for a couple of quid but you can download it for free from champman0102.co.uk. The link comes with instructions on how to install.
Players Lists
Downloads
- Data Updates – You can find all the 01/02 updates created by the guys at Champman0102.co.uk in this list. We also wrote about the latest March 2019 update.
- Patches – Want to play the game a bit faster, with some added colours and fixed bugs? Try installing one of the many patches available. All of them come with instructions on how to install.
- Tactics – Loads and loads of tactics. Hundreds of them. Some are considered “cheat” tactics, exploiting inconsistencies in the game engine. But it’s not as plug-and-play as it used to be so you’ll need your inner 2003 Claudio Ranieri to tinker things to become the 2016 Claudio Ranieri.
Articles and other links
- The World According to Championship Manager 01/02 – A great book by Dave Black (aka @cm9798) where he runs a season of 01/02 and writes about what happens. I won’t give away any spoilers but the World Cup is very good in his alternate universe.
- The Set Pieces’s CM01/02 Everton Fiasco Save – That’s not the official title but the further you read, the more you’ll understand.
- The Daily Hilario: Guide to running Championship Manager 01-02 on Mac OS X – I play 01/02 on Mac with a piece of software called Crossover. Here’s how to do it.
- Championship Manager 89/90 – Ever wanted to travel back in time? Championship Manager 89/90 lets you do that. Simon Treanor has “updated” the game with players from the 1989/90 season which means you can relive Italia 90!
- Championship Manager: Season 01/02 retrospective – An undying classic – Written in 2014, this is a review of the game reiterating everything we already know – it’s truly the best.