Championship Manager starts a successful series of football management games, which means that you don't actually control your players during matches, but you're in charge of choosing the starting lineup and tactics. Matches are played out through a running commentary, with the chance to interrupt it to make substitutions or tactical changes. Each player's performance is rated out of 10, and these are among the many statistics stored throughout the game.

The game features all the most important British competitions, and the database 80 league teams (each with complete squads) and 380 non-league and European teams (who you will sometimes play against, but can not purchase their players - buying overseas players is dealt with elsewhere). There are 1500 players featured, each rated on attributes such as passing, tackling and creativity, and with details such as age and nationality also stored, and 650 managers, coaches, scouts and physios.

Between matches you can purchase or sell your players and trim your squad to suit your needs. When you approach a player, and both the club and player are interested, you put in an offer and see if the club accepts it - they may request an increase. The player will have demands for contract length and wage, before a deal can be completed.

The game follows the season by splitting each week into weekday and weekend, each of which may or may not include a match, and after you have done everything you press Done, and the game progresses in time.