Below are four strikers that have successfully made the switch from the lower leagues for large fees (in most cases) and two more that are expected to do the same soon. My point is that the transfer fees sky-rocket when a Championship team comes along, so why don’t we have a policy of buying the best talent from the grass-roots teams (at minimum cost) then loan them out to 1st and 2nd division clubs for a year or two to get experience? We might then get players like Mackail-Smith and Maynard for peanuts instead of millions. Charlie Austin; Signed for an undisclosed fee from Hungerford Town on 2 October - On 28 January 2011, Austin signed for Burnley on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee (Our offer of £1.2 million was turned down) Craig Mackail-Smith; Signed for Peterborough from Dagenham & Redbridge on 29 January 2007 in a deal where Dagenham retaining 15% of any future transfer fee. - On 4 July 2011 Mackail-Smith joined Brighton & Hove Albion for an initial £2.5million, possibly rising to £3.25million. Nicky Maynard; Given his first professional contract by Crewe in the summer of 2005 - On 31 July Maynard signed a 4 year contract for Bristol City for a fee of £2,250,000 - Leicester have had bids of £3m and £4.75m turned down. Adam le Fondre; Signed for Rotherham on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee from Rochdale on 11 August 2009 - On 27 August 2011, le Fondre signed a three-year contract with Championship side Reading For a fee of around £350,000 (Bargain) Gary Madine; Signed a two-year contract with Carlisle on 13 December 2007 On 15 January 2011 he signed for Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £800,000 - Will be targeted by Championship and possibly Premiership clubs for a substantial fee. Jordan Rhodes; Signed for Huddersfield Town from Ipswich Town on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 31 July 2009 - Will be targeted by Championship and possibly Premiership clubs for a substantial fee.
Maybe it takes a striker to spot a striker? Or a defender to spot a decent defender .... Dudgeon/Chester/Rosenior. I know their backgrounds are not necessarily non league, but the amounts we are told they were signed for, and what they could eventually go for, sort of puts them into the bargain buy you refer to - albeit not as strikers.
I agree. The link with Man U has been very successful and there's no reason why it shouldn't continue, but if we also had a long term policy of searching those sources where lower league teams find their talent we could get some real bargains. Just imagine if we had talked to Dagenham about Mackail-Smith in 2007. I think the player would have definitely picked us ahead of Peterborough and we would now have him for a minimal cost.
It's not possible for every club to scout every player. It's not possible for clubs (other than the top clubs) to hoard players in the hope they'll come good one day. It's not possible for scouts and managers to see the potential in every single player. Players don't play well every single week either. There's a massive amount of luck involved in scouting and picking players. Clubs at the bottom end take chances because they have to. They are at the bottom end because more often than not, the players they pick up aren't great and any that are are taken from them. It's the natural food chain. I'd love us to find quality players in non-league and nurture them but it's a big investment and one you have to be sure of.
City missed out on Adam La Fondra for sure. Then again a few were reluctant to pay the £500,000 for him. At the moment he looks a snip at that price. But Reading did have the Sean Long money to spend.
Theo sort of took the words out of my mouth(fingertips - you get my drift): 'I'd love us to find quality players in non-league and nurture them but it's a big investment and one you have to be sure of'. Maybe that's why so many clubs do go back to previous players (Hobbs, Fryatt & Waggie). Having said that maybe McLean is just starting to hit the sort of form that may leave us reflecting that £1m - ish wasn't such a bad outlay afterall. We seem to have got a real character (good for team spirit which can't be bought) + a real willing tryer + a pain in the arse for opponents + and someone who is now finding the net regularly. Plus with Steve Walsh, maybe the chances are greater that he will unearth a bargain striker at some point. I'm sure I read somewhere that when he was at Chelsea with Mourinhio, he was the one to spot Drogba, and the price the paid for him by Chelseas standards was peanuts.
It wouldn't be a great cost if we immediately loaned them out to lower league teams to get experience. Those teams would pay the player's wages (which wouldn't be high) and if they were successful we would take them, if not we would sell them at something close to the initial outlay. I also bet there are kids out there that have already been spotted as very good potential players for the near future, they are the ones we could be targeting.
I heard an article on the radio recently that said that scouts no longer go to watch kids football. All the outstanding youngsters have already been signed by the big clubs who do not let them play for schools, junior leagues etc so scouts are (wrongly) believing that there is nobody good enough to watch.
well if what you say is true then no wonder england cannot produce quality players. the PL clubs can seriously damage all kids futures. i dont see the FA allowing such a thing to happen. There is much quality and un-tapped talent un-signed, you see it on most sunday leagues and park pitches. Clubs cannot stop a kid playing for a school or jnr league.
That was the point of the radio piece. They had junior club managers saying that they had players that would easily make it as a pro footballer but scouts will not come out. And clubs do prevent players playing for school and junior teams!!
City take all the kids they want at Under 12. So I'd imagine they don't spend much time scouting the old age groups.
It was reported on these threads that our yougster Max Clark is going to Man U, does it sound at if NP has a 2 way cooperation with SAF concerning young talent?
Unfortunately that's exactly what happens. My wife's cousin was quite a handy goalkeeper when he was younger, and was signed by East Stirlingshire (don't laugh, I'll get to my point). He was basically told that whilst his mates (and less good players) were allowed to play for their school side and win tournaments etc, because he was signed by the club that he couldn't play/compete in those tournaments. He soon gave up life as a footballer because of that and became a chef
well blame the parents then for allowing it to happen. this is one area that should stay sacred. until the age of 16 at least. the FA should act as well.
