How long have you guys been on here for. Any hints you could share?
For 5 years, and still having fun
Most important hint for beginners: don't buy any pro players for the first few seasons! Improve your team's strength with more experienced amateur players (a 15/40 player is stronger than a 20/8 pro and costs less!)
Use all the money you have to improve your arena. Don't waste time, build as fast as you can, and as much as you can. Expand seating capacity as fast as possible and have your periphery expanded to level three or better as fast as possible. You can expand seating and improve periphery at the same time. Don't waste time and money on standing, and don't build VIPs unless your periphery is on level 3 or better. The number of seats you can build per day depends on how many seats you order! Find the fastest way to expand to full capacity (0/20,000/5,000).
Don't forget the friendlies, they are the fastest way of earning money during the first two or three seasons. Choose clubs from higher divisions and play at their arenas. As a 8th division club, you can earn up to 30.000 playing in a first division arena, if you are in division 5 or 6, it's even more.
Forget the fan shop before your periphery is on a high level. The fan shop is a fun feature, you won't make a lot of money with it.