Torquay United Fans Forum

I imagine most League clubs have a more extensive scouting network than we do. Although it's a great idea in principle, I really think if finding these 'hidden gems' was so straightforward, everyone would be doing it. I fully expect it's a route we've considered, but either the talent isn't there, or the players with the necessary talent don't want to swap their current situation for full-time football.

Forest Green have just signed Sierra Leone international Alhassane Bangura the former watford man. Why couldn't we go in for somebody like this?

McPhee also scored a lot of penalties. I think seven of his 17 goals last season were from the spot.

NA Gull Chris McPhee scored 32 goals in 101 games for Kiddie. Good but not prolific.

Sign that pony tailed geezer, Allen White! Nice finish.
Oh! Wait a mo... it's Ellen White. Damn my eyes!

Haven't we just signed a non-league striker who scored 18 goals in the BSP?

[quote="portugull"]Just the sort of striker I had in mind. However just signed a new deal at Cmbridge City .[/quote]

True, though I don't think he'd cost that much regardless of having a 1 year deal?

i think it's worth a punt. at the very least, we should be scouting these clubs on a regular basis. DJ Campbell is another example. Played for my old club Yeading (pre Hayes & Yeading Utd), got his break on TV when they played in the FA Cup (tie played at Loftus Road against Newcastle), and is now a reasonably established Premiership player.

in the modern day and age, it's not hard to track the progress of these players. i think when you look at the success of the BSP clubs coming up, the days of teams dropping straight back down, seem long gone. the players are moving up, and coping. At the end of the day, look at the established league clubs that have dropped down - are stockport & lincoln players more worthy signings because they've Div2 experience, or do you look to sign players on the up, playing well, regardless of current club ?? Another reason i think the criticism from some of Chris McPhee is out of order. i'm convinced he's going to prove a good signing for us.

Just the sort of striker I had in mind. However just signed a new deal at Cmbridge City .

One who I would like us to sign is Craig Hammond. Very prolific striker, strong, decent in the air. He had a trial at QPR earlier in the season but obviously he's not quite that good, but I think he'd be more than worth a punt at league 2.

He plays for Cambridge City, so I imagine Ling may have heard of him.

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Sport/Craig-Hammond-on-target-again-as-he-bags-award-31052011.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a good example. Mike Norton of FC United of Manchester scored 32 goals from 52 starts last season. Evo stik League. Might fancy League football. Devon is a lot nicer than Manchester!

[quote="Southampton Gull"]

I disagree, Chris. We're in exactly the position where that kind of thing has to be tried.[/quote]

Granted there may be 9 duffers for every true gem but show me a player in the basement who when approached by a league club, even a lowly one like ours who would not bite the hand off to get two or three games to show what they can do.
Bristol Rovers did that some years ago with a non league player Called Mark johns. I remember him playing at Twerton Axteca. and he scored a brilliant goal. only played 2 games and then decided he didn't want to play proffesional football after all. But he had a go.
We must have had a few like him. I can't name one right now but I bet some of you could. Many didn't make it but some may have.
There are hundreds out there who would love to have a go. and many of them would want to be proffessional if they could see they had it in them. it wouldn't cots us much at all. If they were no good then let them go back to whence they came. No harm done and thanks for the effort.
we can only try!

SG thats harsh :~D I have said a million times before thats if we are not in a position to pay the BUCKS (see what I did there) then we need to trawl th non leagues for a gem or two. They are there they just need to be found. Chris Smalling is another example of a fine find. We need to find a player like Smalling so we can sell him for 10k and a packet of chewits.

It's definitely an area we should look at. It's not Football Manager though and just because Torquay are a league club doesn't mean they can pick and choose who they want. Lots of lads in non league like playing football as a second job and aren't willing to commit full time. Especially for a club where they could end up earning less money than they'll be on now doing 2 jobs coupled with the fact they may well have to move to Devon etc.

There is talent out there, the examples are endless and there would be some interested naturally.

You may think you're right but what would a Yank know about football anyway? ;-)

When I played for Eastleigh I came across a lot of good players, players that were plucked out of non-league and went on to have good careers. I had 4 stuck past me by a player who was obviously too good for that level, later went on to sign for Oxford and ended up playing for a host of League Clubs. There were plenty about like him who never got the opportunity but could just as easily have succeeded if given a chance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Moody_(footballer" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;-)