The dividend screen indicates the total available reserves (profits) from which a dividend can be paid, and also the cash available to make such a payment.  Determine the amount of the dividend by moving the slider and then clicking “Agree Dividend”, or pass on the opportunity by clicking “No Dividend”.

Remember that, whilst paying a dividend will make the shareholders happier (and add to your Game score), a dividend results in cash going out of the business.  Make sure you leave enough cash in the business to allow you to manage the business as you wish in the next season.

Your game score for each season is based on achievements in four key areas:

* Fans - points are awarded for league position and a cup run

* Shareholders - earn points by paying dividends

* Bank manager - points are added for keeping cash in the business, or lost for having too much debt

* Stadium development - earn points by investing in the stadium capacity and facilities

It is important to remember that there is no one way to manage Duncastle successfully.  Different management strategies can be employed to achieve high Game Scores.

For example, you could aim to maximise the cash position of the business in Season 1 and 2, and then look to invest in playing performance and stadium facilities in Season 3 &4.

You might focus purely on playing performance and keeping the fans happy, at the expense of shareholders and the bank manager.

It is up to you how to manage the business.

What is the maximum Game Score?  That’s a secret!

* The shortlisted players presented to you by the Manager will reflect the Manager’s experience and skills in identifying playing talent;

* Your choice of Manager will also influence the likelihood that shortlisted players will choose to come to play for Duncastle;

* Player disposals are a good short-term method of raising cash and reducing operating costs.  But taken too far, they damage team performance.

* It is tempting, and easy, to offer too much for a transfer target.  Make sure you really want the player, set an acceptable price and stick to it.

Transfers are important part of your management of the Duncastle business.  You can refer back to records of your transfer dealings in several ways:

* The Transfer Summary in the Financial Status section (Chairman’s Office: Desktop Screen)

* The Decision Tracker

* The detailed analysis of the profit or loss on transfer activities in the Profit and Loss Account

* The weekly bank statement

To add a player to the Duncastle Transfer List, click on the photo of the First team Playing Squad (Boardroom: Wall) and scroll to the player concerned. Then click on the “Add to transfer list” at the bottom/left of the player card.

This will bring up a mini-screen that allows you to set the proposed transfer fee using a slider. Use this to determine the price you are looking for and click “ok”.  This will add the player to the transfer list, and other clubs will be alerted to the availability of the player concerned.

Note: you cannot put all your players on the transfer list.  There is a minimum number of non-transfer listed players (by position) that must be maintained by the club.

You can change your mind about adding a player to transfer list.  Just click the “Remove from transfer list” option that will now show against the player concerned.  Use this method too if you want to adjust the proposed transfer fee.

Once players are added to the transfer list, it is a question of waiting to see if another club is interested in buying them.  If your proposed transfer fee has been set too high, be prepared for a long wait!

You will be alerted by email when an offer is made for a transfer-listed player:

When you receive an offer, you have two choices:

* Accept the offer: the transfer will be completed immediately and you will receive an email confirming the details.  The cash from the transfer will be added to the Duncastle bank balance.

* Decline the offer: the Chairman of the other club will email you to let you know whether a revised offer will be made or whether they are pulling out of negotiations.  If the deal is dead, your player remains on the transfer list and may be subject to offers from other clubs at a later stage. 

The options available to Board for making new signings are entirely determined by your choice of Manager.  From time to time, your Manager will email you to let you know about target players on his shortlist.  You can start the transfer process by clicking on the “Subbuteo-style” player icon on the Boardroom table (don’t forget to check the current bank balance before you get to the stage of making a bid for a player). This will bring you to your Manager’s Shopping List:

Click on “View Player Details” to see more information about the shortlisted player(s):

Take some time to assess the short-listed player before making an offer. 

* The “Transfer Value” is an indication of the likely transfer price.  Does this seem like good value compared with the stated ability of the player?
* Do you need a new defender?  Who would this signing replace in the Duncastle team?
* If you bought this player, is there someone else in the Duncastle squad you could sell to help finance the deal?
* Can the club afford the weekly wages of the target player?

When you are ready to make an offer (if at all) then move the two sliders to set the Transfer Fee and Wage you are prepared to offer and then click “Make Offer”.

Note: if your offer is accepted, this is contractually binding - there is no turning back!

After submitting the offer, you will get a response from the player’s existing club (regarding the transfer fee offered) and the player’s agent (regarding the weekly wage offered).  If both the club and agent agree to the offer, the transfer is completed and you will find the player added to the Duncastle First team Squad immediately.

If either the club or agent (or both) reject your offer, you may be given an opportunity to submit a revised offer.  Think carefully about doing this, particularly if you believe that your original offer was generous.  There are always other transfer targets that might come along in the future.

If your offer is rejected outright, the player may be taken off the transfer list and made unavailable.  In this case, your Manager Shopping List will be adjusted to remove the player.

Remember too that player wages are the most significant operating cost of the Duncastle business. Typically a top division football club will spend over 50% of its ticket revenues on player wages. If you want to make Duncastle profitable, then you need to keep close control over wages, although the risk is that this would be at the expense of performance on the pitch.

You start the game with a First Team playing squad of 22 players, split between Goalkeepers (3), Defenders (7), Midfielders (6) and Forwards (6). 

Duncastle also has a Reserve Team squad from which the Manager will select players if the First Team squad does not have enough players available. However, these players are unlikely to perform well given the demands of top-flight football, so it is sensible to ensure that the Manager has a sufficiently strong First Team squad from which to choose.

Take some time to look through the squad you inherit as the new Chairman. As you do so, you may want to ponder questions such as:

* Who are the stars that will bring success to the team and supporters through the turnstiles?
* Are there players who appear to be coming to the end of their useful playing careers in the top flight? 
* Are wages a good guide to playing ability?
* Who might you look to sell in the transfer market to generate some cash and to make a saving on weekly wages?
* Do you want to encourage a youth policy as the future for Duncastle, or will your strategy be to rebuild the Club around a core of experienced, hard-nosed professionals?
* Where are the weaknesses and gaps in the current squad?
* Do you have a Manager with the right skills and experience to make best use of the existing squad?
* Will your chosen Manager be able to identify new signings that will enable the Board to invest successfully in developing the squad and achieving success on the pitch?

These challenges arise periodically during each season.  As a Board, you have to decide what response is required, making a choice between the options offered.

Think carefully about the response - once committed to a decision, there is no turning back. You decisions will be recorded in the Decision Tracker and, of course, will have financial and playing implications too.

Each storyline challenge occurs at the same stage in each game, so that individuals or groups competing against each other are faced with similar management challenges.

When you are ready to send the team into action, click the “Next Match” icon in the top right-hand corner of the Chairman’s Office screen.  This takes you to the Match Day screen.

The Match Day screen shows the team that your Team Manager has selected from the available players in the squad, alongside the latest scores from all the other matches in League One that week.

In terms of Duncastle’s match, you have a choice.  You can watch the game in “real-time” (two choices of speed: x1 & x2) and see edited match highlights as they happen.  If you can’t stand the suspense, or don’t have the time, you can switch Match Time to “OFF” so that only the final result of the game is shown.

Once the match is over, click on “Continue” to return to the Chairman’s Office.

If Duncastle are doing well or perhaps safely nestled in the middle of the table, then you can relax a little.  However, the warning signs are there for you if Duncastle are near the bottom of the table, worse still if there are in a relegation position (shaded orange or red).

Please note: relegation at the end of any season results in the termination of your time as Duncastle Chairman (otherwise known as “game over").

The Club Website is also the place to go for:

* Latest club news
* A brief history of Duncastle
* The fixtures for the current season
* Background information on other clubs in the league
* Details of the current Duncastle First Team Squad

The most recent decisions will be shown at the top of the first page.

You can print or export data from the Decision Tracker.  This is a great way of using The Hot Seat to create some management reports or presentations on how you managed the club. 

Look out for regular emails from the

* Team Manager, keeping you up to date with team news, suggested transfer signings, team morale etc;

* Marketing Manager, reporting on the results of your advertising campaigns;

* Finance Director, summarising the results of recent accounts and other important financial information;

* Directors of other clubs, making transfer requests and confirming details of deals agreed.