I've had a bit of an idea for Football Manager 27. A rather big one, actually.

Welcome to One Club. Two Teams.

The idea is to bring Sheffield Wednesday's men's and women's teams together in one Football Manager save. The men's side will start from their existing position in the game, while Sheffield Wednesday Ladies will move into WSL2 and become a playable team.

But I don't just want to add a women's team and get on with the save. I want to build something that feels like one wider football club. Two teams, their own players and challenges, but sharing an identity, a footballing philosophy and a common vision for the future.

There's quite a bit of work involved before I can even get started. Player research, squad ratings, finances, staff, facilities and the wider club structure all need attention.

I've already got the spreadsheets out, which is definitely a sign that things are getting serious.

Why Sheffield Wednesday?

Well, I'm a Sheffield Wednesday supporter. That probably makes this an obvious choice, but there's more to the idea than simply managing my own club again.

I've always enjoyed the research and database side of Football Manager, particularly when it comes to women's football. Over the last couple of years, I've spent a lot of time researching players, creating spreadsheets, building resources and finding ways to make the women's game a bigger part of my FM experience.

I've also spent time researching Sheffield Wednesday Ladies and looking at how the real team could be represented in Football Manager. The more I've explored, the more I've wanted to bring the club into the playable game and give them a proper place within the wider Wednesday setup.

This project brings all of those interests together. It gives me the chance to combine my love of the club with the database work I enjoy, while taking on something a little different from a typical Football Manager save.

There's also something appealing about having two teams to develop at the same time. The men's side have a long road back to the top, while the women's side have the chance to grow from the second tier.

Why Bring Women's Football Into It?

One of the things I enjoy most about Football Manager is the chance to tell stories through a save. Bringing two teams together gives me an opportunity to do something a little different, while putting the women's side at the centre of the project.

Women's football deserves more attention, and I'd love for this save to introduce some Wednesday supporters to the women's team who might not otherwise follow them.

I'm realistic about what one Football Manager save can achieve. It's not going to solve the visibility gap or suddenly bring thousands of new supporters through the door. But if the project gets a few more people interested in women's football, encourages someone to look up the real teams or gives people a reason to follow new players, that's a positive.

It also gives me plenty to explore as a creator. There will be player profiles, recruitment decisions, squad development, tactical changes and the challenge of building a team capable of competing at a higher level.

Most importantly, the women's team won't be an afterthought. They're a central part of the save, with their own ambitions, challenges and a long-term journey to follow.

One Club, One Identity

The central idea is to bring Sheffield Wednesday's men's and women's teams together as part of one wider club. I want both sides to feel connected, rather than simply existing as two separate teams that happen to share a name.

The men's team will remain largely untouched. Their squad, finances and existing football structure will stay as they are at the start of the game. I'm not planning to give them extra money, replace players or make changes that give them an advantage.

Their challenge should begin from the same position as the original database.

The women's side will need more work. Sheffield Wednesday Ladies already exists in the Football Manager database, but isn't playable without modifications. I'll be using the existing team and moving them into WSL2, giving them a place in the playable league system and the opportunity to work their way towards the top division.

Both teams will have their own squads and managers, but I want them to follow a shared footballing philosophy. The aim is to create a recognisable Wednesday identity across both sides, with a similar approach to how we want our teams to play and develop.

Exactly what that philosophy looks like is something I'll need to work out as the project develops. The players available to each team will naturally influence the decisions, but I want to find a style that can work across both the men's and women's setups.

I also want both teams to play at Hillsborough and use the club's training facilities. Having the men's and women's teams based in the same place is an important part of the idea. I want Hillsborough to feel like home for both sides, rather than having the women's team treated as a separate project.

There is one fairly big limitation to work around, though. Football Manager treats the men's and women's sides as separate clubs, meaning I can't have one board directly overseeing both teams in the way I'd ideally like.

My workaround is to create matching board structures, using the same fictional people for both sides. They'll have the same names and roles, giving the impression of one wider leadership team looking after the club. It's not quite perfect, but it's the closest I can get within the game's limits.

Building the Database

A big part of this project is bringing the real Sheffield Wednesday Ladies squad into Football Manager.

I don't want to simply create a first team and fill the rest of the squad with generated players. The aim is to include real players from the senior first team through to the development squad, giving the club a proper structure from the start.

I've spent a lot of time researching the squad, gathering player details and building profiles based on the information available.

Some of the main sources I've used include:

• Sheffield Wednesday Ladies official website - club information and available player details.
• FA Full-Time - fixtures, results and match information.
• The Wednesday Word 2026/27 Player Guide - additional information about the club and its players.
• Historical and archived club information - helping fill in gaps where current information is limited.

I've also been researching individual players, looking for details such as dates of birth, positions, squad numbers and playing backgrounds.

Finding that information hasn't always been easy. At this level of women's football, player profiles and career histories aren't always widely published. Details can be spread across different sources, while some information simply isn't available publicly. That means a lot of searching, cross-checking and piecing together whatever evidence I can find.

Research Before Ratings

Researching the players is only part of the job. The next challenge is turning that information into Football Manager attributes.

There isn't enough information available to confidently assign every attribute for every player. Where I have enough evidence to make a reasonable judgement, I'll manually enter attributes based on match reports, manager descriptions and other available information about their performances and playing styles.

Where there isn't enough evidence, I'll leave the attributes blank and allow Football Manager to generate them randomly.

Setting the Benchmarks

I'll also need to make sure the players are rated appropriately for the level they're starting at. To do that, I've been comparing existing WSL2 clubs and players in Football Manager to establish a set of benchmarks.

These cover:

• Current Ability (CA) and Potential Ability (PA).
• Individual player attributes.
• Squad strength and potential.
• Overall club ratings.
• Financial strength and transfer budgets.
• Wage budgets and wider club resources.

The aim is to create a squad that reflects the available evidence while fitting naturally into WSL2. I don't want to create an instant promotion-winning team, but I don't want to make the women's side artificially weak either.

The goal is to give Sheffield Wednesday Ladies a realistic starting point, with enough room for the players and the club to develop.

There's a lot of research involved, and I'll be sharing more of that process as the database comes together.

Two Teams, Two Challenges

Although both teams will share a club identity and a common vision, their starting points and ambitions are very different. Each has its own journey ahead, with two very different targets to chase.

Whose Journey Will Be Faster?

One of the things I'm most interested in is seeing how the two journeys compare. Both teams will have their own challenges, but there will always be a bit of friendly competition between them.

• Can the women reach the WSL before the men return to the Premier League?
• Will one team progress much faster than the other?
• Could one side end up stealing all the attention?
• Can we build a shared footballing identity across both teams?

There are two promotions to chase, two squads to develop and plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. Hopefully, there will be a few unexpected twists along the way, too.

Let's Have a Hoot

There's a lot to get through before the save is ready, and the database work is only one part of the project.

I'll be sharing updates as things take shape, from the player research and squad building to the club setup and, eventually, the football itself.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the two teams develop, whether the shared philosophy works and how much of the original idea I can actually bring to life within Football Manager.

And, to be completely honest, there's a very real chance I get halfway through one season of managing two teams, decide it's far too much work and abandon one half of the project.

The plan is One Club. Two Teams. But don't be surprised if that changes.

One club. Two teams. A whole lot of WAWAW.

Let's have a hoot.