FM27 COMEBACK SKIN  v1.2
FM24's sidebar is back, in black and gold.
Free from FM Extra Time: https://fmextratime.com/downloads/comeback-skin/
==============================================================================


WHAT IT DOES
------------
- Brings back an FM24-style sidebar down the left of the screen.
  One click takes you straight to each screen, no dropdowns:

    Home, Messages
    Squad, Squad Planner, Dynamics, Tactics, Data Hub, Staff, Training, Medical Centre
    Schedule (opens the fixture list), Competitions
    Scouting (opens the Player Database), Transfers
    Club Info, Club Vision, Finances, Youth Setup

- Keeps FM27's own menus (Portal, Squad, Tactics, Recruitment, Training, Club)
  in the top bar, right where FM puts them, with all their dropdowns, so
  nothing is lost.
- Black and gold look: a dark sidebar, charcoal panels, gold highlights, gold
  tile titles and a gold Continue button, with your club's own colours
  across the top bar.
- Takes away the big competition wallpaper behind every screen, for a clean,
  flat background.
- A black loading screen, and a start screen to match: plain dark tiles with
  gold icons, no Video Guides banner, and the FM Extra Time badge.
- Fits any screen: pages are drawn a little smaller next to the sidebar, so
  they fit on 1080p, 1440p and 16:10 screens as well as ultrawides, and the
  sidebar fits short screens like the Steam Deck.
- Matches use the whole screen: FM hides the sidebar during a match, so the
  match screen, in-match Tactics, the team talk, half-time and full-time go
  back to full width and full size.


BEFORE YOU START
----------------
- Windows only. Made and tested on the Steam version of FM27.
  Epic and Xbox (Game Pass) use the same files, so they should work too.
  Players are using it on the Steam Deck as well.
- This version is for FM27 as it was in October 2026 (the free preview).
  When FM27 updates (the full release is on 10 November 2026), Steam replaces
  these files and the skin switches off. Grab the updated skin from our site.
- Install.bat checks your game version first. If it does not match, it
  changes nothing and tells you.


INSTALL (THE EASY WAY)
----------------------
1. Close Football Manager 27 completely.
2. Right-click the zip you downloaded and choose "Extract All".
   (Do not run anything from inside the zip.)
3. Open the extracted folder and double-click Install.bat.
   If Windows says "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
4. It finds FM27 by itself. If it cannot, it asks you to drag your
   "Football Manager 27" folder into the window.
5. Start FM27.

Install.bat saves FM's original files in an "Original files backup" folder
next to it, so keep this folder if you might want to go back.

Already using an earlier version? Just run this Install.bat. It updates
the skin in place. To go back to FM's normal look later, verify the game
files in Steam (it puts everything back in one go), or use Restore.bat from
the folder you first installed from.


INSTALL (BY HAND)
-----------------
1. Close Football Manager 27 completely.
2. Find FM27's game files:
     Steam:  right-click Football Manager 27 in your Library, Manage,
             Browse local files. Then open:
             fm_Data\StreamingAssets\aa\StandaloneWindows64
     Epic:   ...\Epic Games\Football Manager 27\fm_Data\StreamingAssets\aa\StandaloneWindows64
     Xbox:   ...\XboxGames\Football Manager 27\Content\fm_Data\StreamingAssets\aa\StandaloneWindows64
3. Copy these 5 files from that folder somewhere safe first (your backup):
     ui-styles_assets_common.bundle
     ui-styles_assets_default.bundle
     ui-visualtreeassets_assets_gameworldvisualtreeassetpreload.bundle
     ui-visualtreeassets_assets_globalvisualtreeassetpreload.bundle
     ui-visualtreeassets_assets_matchvisualtreeassetpreload.bundle
4. Copy the 5 files from this download's "Skin files" folder into the game
   folder and choose "Replace the files in the destination".


GOING BACK TO FM'S NORMAL LOOK
------------------------------
- Double-click Restore.bat, or
- Steam: right-click Football Manager 27, Properties, Installed Files,
  Verify integrity of game files. (Epic: Manage, Verify. Xbox app: Manage,
  Files, Verify and repair.) This only replaces the changed files. Your
  saves are not touched.


GOOD TO KNOW
------------
- Data Hub looks frozen the first time? FM shows a one-off tutorial popup
  there, and on some PCs it does not appear, which blocks every click. This
  happens without the skin too. Fix: FM menu, Preferences, reset tutorials,
  then open Data Hub and click Understood.
- Your own club's name in league tables stays orange. FM sets that colour in
  its code, so a skin cannot change it.
- On match days the Continue button shows the competition's own artwork
  (EFL, Champions League and so on), as FM does normally.
- Something look wrong at your screen size? Tell us on Discord with a
  screenshot.


HELP AND SUPPORT
----------------
Discord:   https://fmextratime.com/discord
Website:   https://fmextratime.com
Like it?   Everything we make is free. A coffee keeps it that way:
           https://ko-fi.com/fmextratime


THE SMALL PRINT
---------------
The Comeback skin is free and made by fans. FM Extra Time is not affiliated
with Sports Interactive or SEGA. Football Manager is their trademark. Please
share the link to our page rather than re-uploading the files, so everyone
gets the newest version.

v1.2, 31 October 2026. FM's own six menus are back in the top bar and the
      sidebar is just the one-click links, so it fits every screen, the Steam
      Deck included. The top bar shows your club's colours again, and the
      dressing room is back behind the half-time team talk.
v1.1.3, 31 October 2026. The sidebar keeps its names and icons when FM
      switches its menus to icons only (they disappeared on the Steam Deck).
      Slightly shorter sidebar rows, so all of FM's own menus fit on 1440p
      and ultrawide screens. In-match Tactics, set pieces, penalties,
      opposition instructions and the team talk use the whole screen too.
v1.1.2, 31 October 2026. Matches use the whole screen again (in v1.1.1
      the match screen was drawn smaller, with an empty strip where the
      sidebar goes).
v1.1.1, 31 October 2026. Pages now fit next to the sidebar on 1080p, 1440p
      and 16:10 screens (in v1.1 they slid under it and off the right edge).
v1.1, 31 October 2026. Black loading screen, start screen in the skin's
      colours (dark tiles, gold icons, no Video Guides banner) and the
      FM Extra Time badge.
v1.0, 31 October 2026. First release.
