Question Non league scene in Essex

[Shrimper]

I do have to ask why we aren't looking towards the non-league scene in Essex when we're short on funds? Be a lot less expensive than league clubs and the wages are likely to be a lot less as well.

Latest to move is Richard Brindley from Chelmsford City to Chesterfield. 19 years old defender.

 

[Pubey]

Where is the evidence to say that they're cheaper in terms of fees and wages? The word on the street for a long time is that often good non-league players are too expensive for a L2 team, especially an unproven/young player.

 

[Fairport]

Gary Hooper, Freddy Eastwood, Dean Austin, all signed from non-league. John Still keeps Dagenham alive by signing non-league players and selling them on. His latest is Gayle, signed from Stansted. Our current regime seems to have a policy of signing older journeymen who will not command a transfer fee. We are in an area with lots of non-league clubs playing at a decent level but do not appear to have contacts now that Tilly has gone.
I cannot see how clubs like us can survive without selling ex non-league and homegrown players. Thankfully Ricky Duncan is doing a great job and has produced Ferdinand, Bentley, Woodyard plus the lads who were sold on to Fulham and Liverpool.
Now that Sturrock has been here a few years he should surely have made some sort of contact with the local non-league scene?
Most non-league players will jump at the chance to join a league club and are usually on part-time wages with their current club. They should not be on costly contracts when they sign for a Football League outfit. Obviously, many of these guys do not make the grade but the expenditure is minimal.
Of the eleven players who started the game at Brentford this week, how many will be sold on for a transfer fee? Just possibly Barry Corr, but the rest, most unlikely. Given our financial situation it is a bit worrying!

 

[Jam_Man]

Dagenham may stay alive by signing non-league players and selling them on, but we are aiming higher than just surviving.

If there are non-league players better than what we have then great, we have Clohessey as evidence it can work, but its more likely to be successful if you get a player released from above with league experience, although that too can end up not working out as well.

As for players who could be sold on, Clohessey and Hurst could be, but these days there arent many actual players bought and sold at this level, most rely on free transfers and thats fairly normal now. We have also just sold Kane and Ryan Hall (and could have sold Mohsni if things had gone better)

 

[Uncle Leo]

I've heard mention of Jason Hallett at Concord Rangers who has been banging them in this season - albeit mainly in the Isthmian League Cup.

However, having watched Concord on Boxing Day I can confirm that although he may able to give Redbridge a lesson or two, he's built like Micky Quinn.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Each and every transfer made carries an element of risk, but signing a player from the non-league scene, particularly someone so young, is ultimately riskier as there's no guarantee that they'll take to League football in the desired time frame. We don't particularly need players who could make a difference in 6-12 months, we need players who stand every chance of hitting the ground running now.

Alex Ferguson made a great point recently about how managers in modern football can't look towards the future to build as they're not given the time to do so anymore. Instead, they're forced to contend with the here and now. Sturrock comes under unbelievable pressure from certain factions of our support each and every time we lose a game, so who's he more likely to spend what little budget he has on? A completely untried and untested teenager who's performing for Braintree, or bringing in someone with League experience from Brentford?

That isn't to say we should completely neglect the non-league scene, far from it, but there needs to be a balance. As Pubey says, the success of the likes of Hooper, Eastwood, George Boyd, Mackail-Smith et al has driven the price of non-league players up to such an extent that there's very little value any more, and more extensive groundwork has to be done to find anyone of real quality that's affordable. The required scouting network to pull something like that off is probably an expense that could be done without in our parlous state.

I guarantee that if tomorrow Sturrock came on BBC Essex saying something along the lines of, "Yes, we've signed such and such from White Ensign this morning. He's a young, exciting talent that's very much one for the future, so I wouldn't expect him to feature much this season", there would be more than few grumbles that he wasn't addressing what was needed for this weekend's fixture.

 

[tia]

I've heard mention of Jason Hallett at Concord Rangers who has been banging them in this season - albeit mainly in the Isthmian League Cup.

However, having watched Concord on Boxing Day I can confirm that although he may able to give Redbridge a lesson or two, he's built like Micky Quinn.

I see Hallett score 6 goals for Concord against Takeley in senior cup,he is as strong as a ox and bullies defenders for fun.I think he is around 30 so may well be too old but very good at ryman league.

 

[Silencer]

We have missed out on quite a few in the past decade, I don't buy the idea that wages is a factor, I think it's just a case of never quite taking a punt. Saying that though, he have profited from a couple under Sturrock - Clohessy and Ryan Hall spring to mind.

It does frustrate me to see local-ish players that we miss out on the non league circuit. Dwight Gayle was at Stansted in the Essex Senior league two years ago. Paul Benson, Chris Whelpdale, George Boyd, Aaron Mclean, Craig Mackail-Smith, Ricky Holmes all spring to mind :sad:.

On the subject of Hallett, he scored 13 in two games (Both low level cup games against lower opposition), aside from that he is actually very average at that level, he was a lot better when younger (Canvey & Chelmsford when I played against him). Apart from these games, he struggles to even get a start at Concord.

 

[Mick]

I see Hallett score 6 goals for Concord against Takeley in senior cup,he is as strong as a ox and bullies defenders for fun.I think he is around 30 so may well be too old but very good at ryman league.

No, he's not. He's at the wrong end of his career, far from an automatic choice for Concord and only scored 3 league goals this season. Forget him.

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

I'm just pleased that some people on here aren't Southend United scouts.

 

[tallboyblue]

D

I'm just pleased that some people on here aren't Southend United scouts.

Do we have any scouts?

 

[Gremlin]

I do have to ask why we aren't looking towards the non-league scene in Essex when we're short on funds?

Do you know for certain that we're not then?

 

[Ricky Otto]

Chris Whelpdale, Cody MacDonald and Rob Edmans all Played in the pope and smith chelmsford sunday league in the last few years and went on to league clubs. Played with or against them all and could tell they were all very good players, perhaps I should tell luggy the next time i'm humiliated by someone on a sunday morning.

 

[tia]

No, he's not. He's at the wrong end of his career, far from an automatic choice for Concord and only scored 3 league goals this season. Forget him.

I wasnt saying we should sign him,He has had a good non league career and looks a handfull when ive seen him play,I think Tony Stokes is the main forward at Concord so Hallett is taking a back seat at the moment.There is defiantly a lot of talented non league players out there in Essex.

 

[Norwichshrimper]

I do have to ask why we aren't looking towards the non-league scene in Essex when we're short on funds? Be a lot less expensive than league clubs and the wages are likely to be a lot less as well.

Latest to move is Richard Brindley from Chelmsford City to Chesterfield. 19 years old defender.

Do you know for certain that we're not then?

Agreed - I'm sure we are looking at the non leage scene in essex.

Purely wild speculation on my behalf, but maybe the club have looked at this particular guy and come to the decision that he wouldn't be worth the investment.

I imagine fans of all the lower league West Country clubs were berating their clubs lack of local scouting when we stole the legend that is Mark Salter from under their noses.

 

[Mick]

I wasnt saying we should sign him,He has had a good non league career and looks a handfull when ive seen him play,I think Tony Stokes is the main forward at Concord so Hallett is taking a back seat at the moment.There is defiantly a lot of talented non league players out there in Essex.

You said he was "very good at ryman league". He isn't. But you're right about a number of talented players, I see a fair bit of non-league football and I've seen loads of players better than Benyon.

 

[shrimpled]

I wasnt saying we should sign him,He has had a good non league career and looks a handfull when ive seen him play,I think Tony Stokes is the main forward at Concord so Hallett is taking a back seat at the moment.There is defiantly a lot of talented non league players out there in Essex.

Speaking of Stokes, we could do worse.

 

[tia]

You said he was "very good at ryman league". He isn't. But you're right about a number of talented players, I see a fair bit of non-league football and I've seen loads of players better than Benyon.

We will have too agree too disagree on that one,Good you go too non league football i try and get too games round the county when i can.I find non league a great night out and like getting too all the different grounds around the county.Halstead and Saffron Walden are two nice quaint grounds.

 

[Norwichshrimper]

We will have too agree too disagree on that one,Good you go too non league football i try and get too games round the county when i can.I find non league a great night out and like getting too all the different grounds around the county.Halstead and Saffron Walden are two nice quaint grounds.

Agree that it's a nice ground to look at - but I played my first senior game there, and all I can remember is the bloody church bells behind the goal never stopped ringing. Did my head in!

 

[greyerfox]

In response to Shrimper's original question, if I remember correctly Luggy said well before Christmas that he thought we should be looking at local non-league for talent. It produced a thread on here. But all has been silent from him since I think. Perhaps a question to him at the next meeting as to what system is in place for spotting local latent?