That is the exact conclusion Everton came to. The club authorities decided to sign a deal with Sports Interactive allowing the club’s backroom staff to use the enormous Football Manager 2009 database. They hope it will help them to bring young, talented players to Goodison Park. As gram.pl reports, one of the FM creators Paul Collyer commented on the matter, ’The data base is an exceptionally valuable source with highly developed football scouting system, so Everton has signed a great deal. Personally I am overjoyed with the agreement, because I am the Toffees fan myself.’

Sports Interactive Miles Jacobson has also taken the floor, ’For some time now we knew some clubs use the game to search for certain players, however this formal agreement with a Premiership club is just fantastic, and we can only ensure it will soon be very fruitful for Everton.’

Surely the co-operation between the club and the game will elevate the rank of the Sports Interactive product. A web of researchers the company has is but a massive scouting system. There is some risk involved, however, as many of the teams are developed by its fans and it can affect the objectivity in assessing players’ abilities. Will the decision of co-operation with SI turn out to be the right move? We shall see in a few years time.