Budding football/soccer managers everywhere will have to wait a few extra months before having the opportunity to hide themselves away in front of the glare of their computer screens, plotting their rise to trophy-winning glory once again. Eidos has announced that the PC Edition of Championship Manager 2009 has been pushed back from April 2009 to some point after June 30, 2009. “Some point”, of course, meaning “not a clue”.

“Eidos has a total commitment to producing the highest quality games and we believe by moving the release date of Championship Manager we will give the product the additional time needed to deliver a more polished and highly competitive game within the genre,” said Phil Rogers, Eidos’ Chief Executive Officer.

He added: “We will not compromise on quality and we are confident that this decision is right for consumers and will benefit the continued popularity of this franchise.”

To be fair, the “franchise” is a shadow of its former self. The Championship Manager series was originally made by Sports Interactive, who now develop Football Manager. Their departure left Eidos relying on the brand’s previous reputation to maintain this popularity, which it has done to some extent although the quality has never been the same. Here’s hoping the delay will help the game once again challenge the seemingly immovable Football Manager.