GOOD, BAD & UGLY
Former Millwall man Scott Barron on his career highs and lows
PLENTY of players have lost their careers to a gruesome leg break, snapped cruciate or mangled knee. Scott Barron lost his to a run-of-themill knock.
The former Millwall man had just turned 27 when he tweaked a hip playing for Brentford in December 2012. He saw out the 90 minutes, before returning to action a month later. Yet, he would start just four more games before specialists told him to call it a day, something he finally did in August 2014.
Little wonder, then, that Barron cites early retirement as his lowest moment in the game, yet the 30-yearold, who now runs a sports management company, enjoyed plenty of highs, too.
From his debut with Ipswich to winning promotion with Millwall and playing with a future England star, Barron packed plenty into his curtailed career.
FIRST CLUB
Ipswich Town, when I was about 11years-old. I was playing for Cambridge county and we had Sylvan Ebanks-Blake in our side.
He was hot property at the time and I remember, every time we played, there’d be loads of scouts at our games.We naively thought they were watching us because we had a great team but, looking back, they were obviously just there for Sylvan, who got picked up by Man United in the end.
Still, it gave the rest of us a chance to impress and I was spotted by a scout called Malcolm Moore, who invited me to Ipswich for a trial. It all went from there and I ended up making my debut under Joe Royle in 2004.
BEST MANAGER
Joe was brilliant. He gave me my break and was a fantastic people person. He’d put his arm around you, make you feel a million dollars. For a young lad, he was the best manager I could have had.
But the most successful period of my career was under Kenny Jackett. I spent six years under Kenny at Millwall and he was just someone who knew how to win games.
We were fourth from bottom of League One when he came in and ended up finishing ninth in the Championship, which tells you how much he achieved.
He managed the fans cleverly. He never got too high or low. In six years, I never saw him fall out with anyone.
There are two ways to man-manage. You can put your arm round people, try to be a fatherly figure or a friend. Or you can be more businesslike and keep a professional distance.
That’s what Kenny did. He was nobody’s best mate and never got close enough to a player that he’d feel any qualms about leaving him out. Only after I’d left did I realise how astute he was.
BEST TEAM-MATE
I’ve got to say Harry Kane, just because of what he’s become. We had him on loan at Millwall for half a season in 2012 and he actually won young player of the year.
You could tell he had something special about him in training. His finishing ability, for such a young lad, was incredible.
It reminded me of Darren Bent, who I played with at Ipswich.When Benty was 18-19, he was frightening – ridiculously fast, awesome movement. He’d get on the end of everything and was really hard to play against. If you gave him a sniff, he’d finish it and was far too good for the Championship.
He was a great player who proved himself in the Premier League, but in terms of all-round game I’d say Harry just edges it.
FIRST PROMOTION
With Millwall to the Championship in 2010. We’d beaten Huddersfield in the semis and, in the second leg, I’d had one of my best games for the club at left midfield.
But Alan Dunne was out and then Jack Smith got injured the Thursday before the final. Kenny pulled me after training and said ‘Can you do a job at right-back?’
It was typical Kenny. No pep talk, no extra information or instructions. He basically just played it down and made it sound like no big deal, even though I’d hardly played there in my life. It obviously worked because we beat Swindon 1-0 in the final.
FUNNIEST PLAYER
Gavin Williams at Ipswich was a really good laugh. Kevin Horlock, the old Man City player who finished his career at Ipswich, was another. I was a young kid at the time and it was my introduction to dressing room banter.They were quite extreme and I quickly learned that nothing was off limits.
FUNNIEST INCIDENT
At Ipswich, we’d just signed a lad from Non-League. He had this bright red Audi TT, a few years old but his absolute pride and
joy.
Gav decided to spray it with silly string, which sounds quite innocent. But what nobody realised – including Gav – was that silly string contains a lot of chemicals. This guy went to the car wash and the dried string basically acted like paint stripper. It ripped all the paint off the car.
This poor guy was only on about £200 a week and Gav ended up having to fork out about two grand to repair the damage. It was a pretty expensive prank! But that was Gav. He’d nick your car and park it on a roundabout in town.
Another time, my mate Billy Clarke opened his boot to discover a rabbit, complete with food and a load of straw. Gav had been to the pet shop and basically turned his car into a nest.
BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT
Making my debut for Ipswich was a big moment. To have made it through the system from 11 is something I’m still proud of. But the best was that Millwall promotion in 2010, especially given that I was miles out of position!
LOWEST MOMENT
Retiring at 28. I was playing in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy game for Brentford and completely wrecked my hip.
I’d ripped the labrum, a ligament that goes round your hip joint. It’s something footballers do quite regularly, and it normally ends up repairing itself. Unfortunately for me, this one didn’t.
I made a comeback here and there, but I was never more than 80 per cent. It was basically bone on bone and I was in constant pain. I eventually went back to the surgeon and he said ‘I think you’ve had enough’.
That was the lowest moment because I’d been convinced it wasn’t a serious injury.That really brought it all home.
TOUGHEST PLACE TO GO
Going to Upton Park was huge for Millwall and it was never more hostile than the infamous Carling Cup game in 2009.
Driving in was reminiscent of the Man United video, with things being launched at the bus. Once you were in the ground, it was even more intimidating.
Our fans weren’t afraid to travel anywhere, so we packed out our end. They were full to the rafters. There were people running on the pitch, and I got confronted by a couple of fans. It actually got suspended for a while.