Professional Footballers from Sussex

[The Wookiee]

It's just not a football area. Never has been.

Doesn't Sussex have the biggest Sunday football league in the country ?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Josh Dickens - b. Crawley (Released by Aldershot at the end of his scholarship last summer, he is now playing for Deportes Concepcion in the Chilean Primera B)

Cool!



(Hall is Spurs, btw)

 

[Hove&Albion F.C]

I don't agree at all. Football is as popular in Sussex as anywhere in the UK and its young players are no more or no less talented.

True, we don't have the pro clubs or the footballing infrastucture of London and big northern cities but the grass roots game has always thrived, the county league has traditionally been strong, and the level of participation must be on a par with most of the rest of the country.

I watch youngsters most weeks in junior football and there is some real talent on display. Some of these kids I've watched come through the ranks have been snapped up by Brighton or the London clubs and many others will go on to play at a respectable level. The Lancing facility will hopefully give more of these kids a chance to develop their full potential, with minimal disruption to school and family life ... I know some parents have had to drag their kids up to London and even further afield for midweek training and games and it's a huge drain on time, money and enthusiasm.

To anyone who thinks that Sussex isn't a football county: start by looking at the crowds at the Amex, then look at the way Crawley and Eastbourne Borough have progressed, take a look at Lewes, Whitehawk and Bognor, maybe Burgess Hill and Peacehaven, see how much people care about the county league, then the smaller leagues like the East Sussex League, and the town leagues, the Sunday leagues, and the many youth leagues and tournaments. The level of participation, whether that means players, fans, coaches, admin people and families, is frankly phenomenal.

Completely agree with this. I play in the north west counties league and in pales in comparison in terms of interest and facilities compared to the sussex county league (same level of football and I think the nw counties premier is one step above). Although of course there are many more professional clubs in the region which will be a part of the reason for less interest. But it does always strike me when I come back home that football fans in Sussex are far more aware of and interested in grass roots football such as the county league and even local like mid-sussex league than up here. That's a really good sign, I think, and shows that the passion for football is no less in Sussex than anywhere else.

To say sussex isn't a football county is simply not true - people are just as interested in and passionate about football as anywhere else and just as many people play - I agree that is mainly that the facilities for professional development aren't up to the same level as other areas. Will be interesting to see if and how that changes when our academy opens!

 

[AZ Gull]

(Hall is Spurs, btw)

I know - playing on loan at Swindon.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I know - playing on loan at Swindon.

Ah - apologies - I read it as 'Brighton (playing on loan as Swindon)'.

 

[BensGrandad]

Players coming from poorer areas obviously wouldnt have included Adam and James Virgo didnt t they both go to Ardingley College hardly a poor school.

 

[GT49er]

My Sussex National XI... How far would they get in this year's World Cup?

View attachment 52511

Further than England?

El Abd ineligible, I'm afraid - plays for Egypt.

 

[Harry H]

Bad scouting and bad coaching!
Many,many excellent players were lost in the 70's and 80's when youth players were in the hands of people like Mick Fogden and John Shepherd.
Glen Geard,whilst pretty brain dead,was as good as Wilshire,Ramsay,Rooney and even Gazza.
He needed decent coaches and mentors and he got dumb and dumber.
So much talent was lost at that time.
The problem with youth coaches at the Albion over the years is that they have seen themselves as the focus of attention rather than the young players.

 

[doug7126]

Scott Ramsey?

 

[A fish called Glen Ponder]

A bit obscure...but Matt Smith (Australian national) of Brisbane Roar was born in Chichester. Top of the A league.

 

[tip top]

Bad scouting and bad coaching!
Many,many excellent players were lost in the 70's and 80's when youth players were in the hands of people like Mick Fogden and John Shepherd.
Glen Geard,whilst pretty brain dead,was as good as Wilshire,Ramsay,Rooney and even Gazza.
He needed decent coaches and mentors and he got dumb and dumber.
So much talent was lost at that time.
The problem with youth coaches at the Albion over the years is that they have seen themselves as the focus of attention rather than the young players.[/QUOTE

Very true. Fogden and Sheppard were two of the most inept pair of coaches I've ever come across. Brighton really were at laughing stock amongst other clubs during that period with their youth set up. Thankfully times have changed.

 

[BigGully]

Bad scouting and bad coaching!
Many,many excellent players were lost in the 70's and 80's when youth players were in the hands of people like Mick Fogden and John Shepherd.
Glen Geard,whilst pretty brain dead,was as good as Wilshire,Ramsay,Rooney and even Gazza.
He needed decent coaches and mentors and he got dumb and dumber.
So much talent was lost at that time.
The problem with youth coaches at the Albion over the years is that they have seen themselves as the focus of attention rather than the young players.

I agree to a point when talking about scouting and coaching, but I am sure Geard bypassed Shepherd and Fogden.

Wasnt he lifted in from Lewes and probably became an apprentice or pro and into the arms of George Aitkren, Craggs, Ken and even Mullery.

I think if we are looking for blame for Geards underachievement, its a little unfair to blame Shepherd and Fogden.

 

[BensGrandad]

Peter Bonetti grew up in Worthing and played for Chelsea and England.

Lived at 34 Christchurch Rd and went to St Marys School In Cobden Rd but was born in Putney.

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

Charlie Horlock. Reserve Keeper for Wycombe comes from Ashurst Wood, due to make his debut if they're safe from relegation

 

[Harry H]

I agree to a point when talking about scouting and coaching, but I am sure Geard bypassed Shepherd and Fogden.

Wasnt he lifted in from Lewes and probably became an apprentice or pro and into the arms of George Aitkren, Craggs, Ken and even Mullery.

I think if we are looking for blame for Geards underachievement, its a little unfair to blame Shepherd and Fogden.

He played in the Youth team under Shepherd and Fogden.He played in the ressies under Gutteridge and Aitkin who were about as good as Shepherd and Fogden.
Mullers was a good manager and Ken Craggs was a good number two,but scratch the surface at that time and there was some real crap dealing with the kids.
Frankie Howard was groundsman and the young players related more to him than those I have menttioned.Billy Boston (Glenn Wilson) as well.Who was the physio.
There were players who should have made it and didn't.Geard is just the one who springs to mind the most.

 

[BigGully]

He played in the Youth team under Shepherd and Fogden.He played in the ressies under Gutteridge and Aitkin who were about as good as Shepherd and Fogden.
Mullers was a good manager and Ken Craggs was a good number two,but scratch the surface at that time and there was some real crap dealing with the kids.
Frankie Howard was groundsman and the young players related more to him than those I have menttioned.Billy Boston (Glenn Wilson) as well.Who was the physio.
There were players who should have made it and didn't.Geard is just the one who springs to mind the most.

I suspect that Shepherd with his assistant Fogden was involved in recruiting Geard.

Thats not a bad start if you subscribe to the view that he was a talented kid.

I am still sure he didnt go through the normal pathway, including that embryonic youth system, I am sure he was playing for Lewes.

Perhaps he then played games for the youth team, but his progression was neither impaired or improved ( he might personally agree or disagree ) because of his involvement with these coaches.

Your own view of Craggs, Mullers and the others are wholly interlinked, so with such limited staffing, perhaps they are all culpable as each other, or perhaps Geard was never really good enough.

I happen to agree the levels of coaching and development are key, but I suspect that those that progress see its benefits whilst those released quickly see its weaknesses.

 

[Harry H]

I can only think of one person who made reasonable progress through that youth system and that was Micky Ring who had far less ability than Geard,but a far better attitude.
Geard was undoubtably his own worst enemy,but I think that if he was in the system today,things have progressed so far in terms of mentoring etc,he would not have slipped through the net.
He really should have been a top player.

 

[BigGully]

I can only think of one person who made reasonable progress through that youth system and that was Micky Ring who had far less ability than Geard,but a far better attitude.
Geard was undoubtably his own worst enemy,but I think that if he was in the system today,things have progressed so far in terms of mentoring etc,he would not have slipped through the net.
He really should have been a top player.

Well Ring's progress at BHA was very similar to Geard's.

I think both only played a singular game, but Ring went on and had a semblance of a career playing for a few clubs where Geard went on and strutted around the non league arena here in Sussex.

I do agree that both and others might of had a fairer crack of the whip had there been a policy at the club where local youngsters were supported and preferred through the clubs system.

I do not share your enthusiasm for the current system ahead of those times, I shudder each time a player is imported from Iceland, Ireland or from where ever !!

 

[BensGrandad]

Didnt Mullery once say that Geard woukd captain England.

 

[thisistips]

Watching football focus, five England internationals from the wallsend boys club, plus loads of others. Iam certain that if I hadn't come from such a wealthy area I too would have been a professional footballer. Probably rush goalie.