1400 out of work!
So what now for the worried players left stranded by Covid-19?
SOUTH AFRICAN goalkeeper Dino Visser had a lucky break at 20 years old. His Rustenburg club side Platinum Stars were chosen to play England in a warm-up match before the 2010 World Cup, allowing the rookie to face Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.
‘I pulled off some good saves,’ he says. ‘I even stopped Rooney oneon- one, made myself big and blocked with my legs. He scored later with a volley. The Jabulani ball flew past me and England won 3-0.’
Visser, 31, went on t o pl ay at the top level of South African football for 10 years with clubs such as Polokwane City, Bloemfont ei n Celt i c and Cape Umoya United.
But t he i dea o f pl a yi ng in England, forged by his save from Rooney, never went away and last summer he travelled 6,000 miles from Cape Town with his wife Charne to follow that dream.
Signed first by Exeter, then Crewe, it l ooked a good career move until football’s coronavirus lockdown. Visser (right) is now in a similar position to hundreds of other professional players, out of contract and facing an uncertain future in the most challenging financial times the sport can remember.
‘We had a choice between continuing my career in South Africa where I’d always lived or putting everything in storage and having an adventure,’ says Visser.
‘There was no contract signed in England. I knew I’d have to do trials and impress. But I believed I’d have something to offer so we booked our tickets and flew out.’
Visser found an ally in Crewe goalkeeping coach Fred Barber, who let him train at Gresty Road. Exeter signed him for the first half of this season, where he played in the Football League Trophy against West Ham and saved three penalties in a shootout win over Oxford.
In March, he joined Crewe to help their League Two promotion push. Covid-19 was beginning to make headlines but there was no inkling he wouldn’t get to play.
‘ I signed for Crewe on March 7. The club were preparing f or their next game as normal and I had a reserve game to play against Wigan.
‘ Then t he League Two match got postponed, then the r e s e r ves, t hen t he game after that. Even then we were training every day at h o me, the club sending out video analysis on opponents.
‘We thought we’d be out for a month. Not for a moment did we think the league would be done and dusted.’
The ending of the League One and League Two seasons has left many players like Visser — whose deals ended on June 30 — vulnerable.
Clubs are unwilli ng t o hand out new contracts until they get confirmation about next season and whether fans will be allowed in stadiums.
It is estimated there are 1,400 released players — 50 per cent more than usual. Many will not find new clubs. With salary caps inevitable in the lower leagues, there could be wage reductions. ‘Some people see professional football as the Premier League, living the best possible life. But there are leagues below that where life can get difficult,’ says Visser.
A lot of his time in England has been spent living out of a suitcase, living in S u r r e y, Crewe, Warrington, Exeter and Nantwich.
His latest address is house-sitting for former Exeter team-mate Nigel Atangana. ‘ We have seen a fair share I guess,’ says Visser.
‘My wife has been amazing. If she was bothered by it, I don’t think we would be here, definitely not. It’s made t h e d e c i s i o n s a whole lot easier.’
Even so, there is no guarantee his English adventure won’t be curtailed due to the pandemic unless the phone rings. Plans for a summer trip back to South Africa have been shelved because quarantine restrictions at either end could make Visser unable to train with clubs or have trials.
Carlisle and Port Vale are among teams who may be interested but not yet ready to take the plunge.
‘ I am optimistic,’ says Visser. ‘Along the way, we have met some incredible people so it’s made everything worthwhile. We’ll just try to make the most of it.’