Laying down the Law is key for talent spotter Nicky

NICKY LAW’S crack at football league management came more than a decade ago when Bradford City had finished ‘living the dream’ in the Premier League and were in a financial crisis.

‘The club had gone into administration and chosen not to pay the players so they were all free to go,’ said Law about the experience.

‘We started pre-season training with five players, those who were on 150 quid a week rather than those on £15,000 or £20,000. We had to put on a few trial games to see what else we could pick up.

‘The biggest earner was Benito Carbone on 40 grand a week. He’d refused to go on the bench in one game and ended up at Como. There were some good professionals there as well but on too much money. The club couldn’t sustain it.’

Law spent almost two years at Valley Parade under trying circumstances and that ability to cut his cloth has been invaluable at his current club Alfreton Town, based in an old Derbyshire mining town, and one of the smallest clubs left in the FA Cup.

Armed with an eye for talent and a tongue to deliver home truths, Law has led his National League North team to the first round for the second time in four years. They face League Two Newport County today hoping to attract double their average home attendance of 500.

Law, who had a successful playing career in the Football League having initially failed to make the grade at Arsenal, has been with Alfreton since 2007, an extremely rare achievement in non-League football.

‘We are a producing club. We have to get young lads in, turn them round and move them on. Half of it is having an eye for a player,’ he said.

Defender Kyle McFadzean was signed after being released at Sheffield United and is now in the Championship with Burton. Sunderland and England Under-21 goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was sent to Alfreton as an 18-year-old by Martin O’Neill to toughen him up.

‘A lot of managers will send players to us because they know the way I’ll deal with them,’ said Law. ‘They y aren’t goingg g to have their bellies tickled. If it’s good enough, fine. If it’s not good enough, they will be told the truth. Some managers do probably give me players for a bit of a test.

‘We get players who have been released by Premier League or Football League academies. I have had a lot come and a lot go. I don’t think they are prepared for life. I tell them when they arrive that the last thing they should think is that they’re doing us a favour. We are doing them a favour because we’re offering them football time. If they think it is going to be fairy lights, they are in for a massive shock.

‘They have to organise their food on the away trips, fend for themselves. They have to realise unless they get their backsides in gear, they are going down and down. And the lower you go, the harder it becomes, trust me.’

Pickford was different. ‘You could tell he had it, not only the ability but the mental attitude,’ said Law. ‘A lot of youngsters come and are mentally frail. They think it’s all about wearing the right boots. Nothing fazed Jordan, he had a great attitude.

‘I had a lad like that at Bradford — Simon Francis. He came to us at 16 from South Notts College and has now captained Bournemouth in the Premier League.’

Despite his development record, 55-year-old Law — whose sons Nicky Jr and Josh play for Bradford and Oldham — is still working in the sixth tier of English football.

‘Maybe people think I am going to ruffle too many feathers. If the modern-day manager says what they think, it is not what people want to hear,’ he said.

‘But it can’t carry on like this. I have got empathy as well. I’m in my 10th season with the same club so that tells you something. No matter how much the chairman likes you, if you’re not doing your job, you’ll be sent on your bike.’

Law’s players train once a week and in their last game, a 2-2 draw with Chorley, striker Paul Clayton was sent off and is suspended for today’s tie at North Street. Centre-back George Edmundson, on loan from Oldham, scored twice in that game and may have to provide goals again.

Either way, Law will still be on the touchline, telling it like it is.