Scouting

My brief Scouting!!!

I am now 33 and scouting was never something I thought I would do.

It’s not a full time job; it’s not even a part-time job... unless you are one of few big players at pro clubs.

I first Started scouting as I believed I had talented young players in the club I was working with, I contacted a few pro clubs, and set up a few meetings.

My first club happened to be Charlton Athletic, a brief chat with the then head of scouting Gary Karza we got the ball rolling. He was interested in a U17 player I had, the boy had just arrived from Beleneses FC in Portugal, the kid was 6ft3 and had showed good football for the standard we were playing. He was finally invited for a trial at Charlton which never materialised and neither did my offer from Charlton so was time to seek other avenues.

After taking some time off and just concentrate on coaching I was soon approached by Reading FC about setting up a base in west London. Trial dates were arranged and I soon picked 2 players to take down, 1 was my brother in law (not at the time) who had shown a lot of promise in his 2 seasons with me and the other was a young player called Stefan Bailey (went on to play at QPR) whom was playing his first match for Willesden Constantine 1st Team, at the age of 15, I rang up Reading FC straight away and told them they had to get this boy in. On the same match i saw a young Enoch Schwommi (now Tranmere and 18 at the time), both Stefan at 15 and Enoch at 18 were by far the best players on a Middlesex County Premier clash. Stefan who was outstanding in his trial and by far the best player on the pitch until he injured himself, Reading tried to sign Stefan as they told me, but news from Thea bailey camp they opted fo QPR as closer to home. Danny Silva (bruv in law) was also injured during the trial but not offered a second trial.
I carried on doing some scouting for Reading but it proved hard to commute from London to Reading and players found it hard to get there also.

I approached Chelsea about a getting involved in scouting and a very interested man (who’s name I won’t mention) gave me a date to come down to one of my sessions so we could talk it over. Little did I know the wife would give birth the day before. After the hospital without any sleep I attended my session, to my disappointment no Chelsea representative showed up or bothered to call which bothered me for a while.

Soon after my contact at Reading Keith Stiles moved to Fulham FC and contacted me about working with them.

Fulham’s Eugene Dwaah came into one of my sessions and we worked out ways of getting players into Fulham...I spent 2 and a half years with Fulham and have had a good scour for talent from north to south west and east London, some good and some average players, butatthe omet most too young to mention names.

Recently as from late 2010 I have been asked to Join Brentford FC, an old contact who had been trying to getme to work at Arsenal had moved over to Brentford fo a higher position. With the changes at FFC academy I felt the time was right to move on and join a club with a tight and organised programme, Working along with Shaun O'Connor and Miguel Rios.

Along the years I have sent and recommended players to clubs and some have slipped through the net and landed in other places, but so long as they get the chance it’s all I care.