BOSSES DON’T GET THE SAME BREAKS
FUNNY how things operate in football. Someone gets wind of a player whose boots are sprinkled with stardust and a club’s scout list on Saturday afternoon suddenly triples in size. “Find us the next Jamie Vardy,” all the big clubs order their talent spotters. One at Reading I spoke to a few weeks ago said the Royals had the hump they didn’t beat Arsenal to the punch for Hednesford Town’s Cohen Bramall. The scouts up north are said to be kicking themselves that Scott Hogan slipped through their net. A few years ago he was playing for Woodley Sports, then FC Halifax, Stocksbridge Park Steels (remember them from the Vardy story?), Ashton United and Hyde. Somebody did notice him, eventually. Catching a glimpse of him at the Tigers, a favour was called in and a trial was arranged at Rochdale. It snowballed. Brentford brought him up a league and in January, Aston Villa wrote a cheque which is said to be in excess of £14m. Andre Gray and Dwight Gayle were both playing at Step 5 for peanuts back in 2012. In today’s crazy market, it is likely both would cost over £20m to be prised away from Burnley or Newcastle United.
Missing out
The big find could be worth big bucks now. The indignity of taking a risk on a Non-League footballer is no more. So why then are our managers not playing a part in this Non-League boom? I asked Hungerford Town manager Bobby Wilkinson. “To be honest, it amazes and frustrates quite a few of us,” he said. “The first sign of a talented player, he doesn’t even have to be a teenager, and the phone doesn’t stop ringing. “There’s a scramble not to miss out, and that’s gone supersonic since Vardy has become a household name. “But in terms of managers and coaches, we’re not thought of in the same way. It’s sad really as so many of them are doing great things in Non-League football, but I struggle to name the last manager who was given an opportunity in the Football League before Grimsby handed Marcus Bignot his opportunity. “That’s not me fishing for a better job. I love it here, but you wonder why what’s good for players at this level is not good for the managers.” If clubs had any sense, they would put their head around the door at Hungerford’s scarily named Bulpit and listen to their story. Wilkinson has a chuckle to himself when I tell him there’s every chance that little Hungerford could be hosting Leyton Orient, Tranmere Rovers and Wrexham next season on a level playing field. How he deserves that to be a reality. Hungerford, who attract crowds of around only 200 even when they are so close to the top of the National League South, want promotion again. They could go from the Hellenic League to dining at Non-League’s top table inside seven short years. “I took over when the club was 20th in the Southern League South & West, and we had to rebuild everything,” said Wilkinson, who works closely with Jaap Stam at Reading. “I started with literally no players. What we’ve achieved so far is incredible as a club. “Where will it end? Who knows! That’s the exciting thing. I want to go as far as I can in football. Would a massive opportunity help? Of course it would. Who is to say I couldn’t run a team in the League? What’s the actual difference? I’m doing all I can to make myself the best manager I possibly can, but it’s up to other people to decide. “I’m not the only one doing OK. There are so many great managers in Non-League who work so hard and deserve to be recognised.” The ‘closed-door’ of the Football League needs to be looked at. Considering the turnover of bosses in the second, third and fourth tier of the game, what they’re doing is clearly not working. Time to give other ideas a go.