It's always nice to see a player make it from non-league into the (relatively) big time. Have any of the regular attendees at South Shields seen Wouter Verstraaten play? Has he got what it takes? https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/20...indhoven-defender-wouter-verstraaten-on-trial
I know someone who goes to a lot of Shields games if not all of them I'll ask him next time I see him at the match. I've got no doubt at all that there are many gems in non-league they just need digging up.
Clubs in the league don't seem to want to take a chance on them for some reason. Not from that level anyway, so I'd really like to see us do it. I've seen a handful in non-league down here who I believe could make the leap, but they're more likely to be picked up by southern clubs if they ever do make it.
Might see a few more in the future, I don't know what constitutes a network but I remember a club statement that they'd invested in new national scouting networks not long ago.
I don't know why more are not picked up even ones that have been previously released by clubs. In any walk of life you get people who develop later than the norm, Kevin Phillips and Jamie Vardy spring immediately to mind.
Having just spoken to two mates who have season tickets at 'Sheels, they both say that Wouter's very good and they both also think that he should be playing at a much higher level
We get a 10 million loan to invest in things like a scouting network, and it buys bus tickets to South Shields hope it works out, but he left Eindhoven for his studies? I guess Watmore completed his while playing for us.
The last one I can remember, when we tried this, was Barry Dunn. I think he was a Gas Fitter by trade and came to us from a local non-league side. His early first team appearances were electric. A winger he went past defenders like they weren't there. But it didn't last. Definitely 'a one trick pony'. After a short time he drifted down the leagues, then back to none-league. But we were just following NUFC in looking at the local leagues. They had earlier unearthed what seemed like a gem, but I can't remember his name.
When you think of how desperate we have been for a full back or striker over the last couple of years it amazes me that we didn’t take a chance on one or two. Would cost next to nowt too.
The last one that I remember like this is John McGinley, who was a brickie, I think. He was brought in as a winger but he was about 6' 2" and about 15 stone . . . . he only played a few times and he wasn't very fast
Many thanks. It's an age thing. I could remember quite a lot about him, but his name just wouldn't come. No doubt I'd wake up at three in the morning, (or one in the afternoon), and remember it. He did rather better at N/C than Dunn did here.
One of the big success stories though not with us. He joined us on trial, when he was released from prison and was given a Pro Contract. He only played a few games then was transferred. A few years later he got a League Cup Winners medal with Leicester City. But the real success was what he did with the opportunity we gave him. He turned his life round and became a real icon to the kids in his community. Amongst other things he set up a Soccer School for them to help keep them off the streets.
