Another fantastic evening for a club re-birthed and reconstructing
processes learning protocol to run football matches off the pitch whilst we
replicate that on the pitch.
So it started with a haircut…I thought, I’m looking a bit ‘Gordon
Strachan’ (in his heyday) or maybe Cilla Black here. Going to have to get the
groundsman on it if I don’t tackle it.
So I sat in the chair, who would have thought football
frustrations would come out here? “You’re the Dunstable Town manager now aren’t
you”? Yes I am. “I would love to be a football coach” he said. “Well why don’t you
then”? I replied. He said, “Well, I did my badges but I gave it up. I really
want to do the big stuff”. I responded again, “So….why don’t you then”? He said
“Well nothing came up. Really I would want to be the Luton Town manager”. At
that point a lot of frowns appeared on my head along with confused eyebrows and
shocked eyes. “Really, Luton Town? fair play mate, maybe I would suggest you
learn your trade for a few years, keep learning. Go and coach a kid’s team and
start learning”? He said, “Well I only want to coach at pro level and it’s hard
to get in so I left it”. I thought to myself, wow, I coached for years in grass
roots, I coached senior amateur teams and spent over a decade coaching in
academies as well as working in senior pro environments. This guy wants to bypass
all of that? I wanted to go from that shocked emoji to the one of the monkey
with its head in its hands, but I feared it could ruin my rapidly improving
appearance. Then he continued, “well I
also want to be a scout, that’s where I really see myself, scouting players”.
For a split second my ears pricked up, I actually could do with some help
scouting, this is a young keen guy maybe. So I asked, “oh, fair play. Do you go
to a lot of games?” He replied, no, I haven’t been to a game for years”. “Oh,
but you want to be Luton Town manager, when was the last time you watched them?”
He said “I can’t remember, years. The last actual game I went to was at craven
cottage, Fulham v Man Utd and Ryan Giggs scored with the outside of his foot
volley” I did another shocked face. Now in my head I’m thinking, that’s years
ago. I remember the goal. A quick check when I got home it's 10 years ago. I
rarely go 10 days without seeing a live game! So, my head went a bit “You do
know that the current Luton Town manager has done all the things you are refusing
to do, as well as played a lot of games”? I’ve also coached for 20 years and
been at several pro clubs and studied hard and now I’m at club 'beneath him'.
As I left I was thinking how that attitude was consistent with
a lot of footballers. They want all the lavish lifestyle and celebrity life,
but are not willing to do the hard part in between. Then they wonder why they
fail. Is this there fault or simply a culture of young people gaining celebrity
status on fast-tracked reality TV shows? Why go to acting school? Why bother?
Why write great comedy? Why bother? Why work on great presenter skills with
knowledge? Why train in professional entertainment? You don’t need to go through
all that, you can bypass it. I wonder if many young people now think football is
the same. Do they think there will be a reality TV show football club that
takes people out of there lazy lives and thrusts them into stardom and all they
need to do is act stupid, talk without any amount of respect and decency and
parade around half naked and be promiscuous. Bingo, I’m a footballer or a
football manager.
 |
| Andy Millman (Ricky Gervais) addresses show makers |
I think this was brilliantly illustrated and so well written
in the series Extras by Ricky Gervais with the character Andy Millman having a
realisation of his life having been on celebrity Big Brother pointing at the
camera saying “f*ck you, the makers of this and you lot for watching” after
describing how desperate you must be to want to be famous so much you hand in
your dignity at the door.
I think this is one of my favourite speeches of all time Extras Speech It makes me think about football and how its changed with so many quitting after they don't 'make it'. So why did you play in the first place? Was it to be famous or becasue you loved football?
Anyway, the Football…
I must extend a huge thank you to the ground staff at Creasey
Park because the pitch is looking tremendous. Overall as we go through pre-season you can
see the new bunch of lads learning about each other. We are on a very steep
learning curve and I have to say a unique situation for me. But that is the challenge
I relished. Perspective is something we have to keep reminding ourselves of. We
are a very young team, they are impressionable. In some cases they are lacking
a bit of confidence and they don’t realise how good they are. But it will come.
Because we are not lacking ability.
 |
| Tyeeeq Bakinson along with Freddie Hinds now Bristol City & Cameron McJannett now Stoke City |
I had a very warm chat with Andy Awford as he shared some of
the work they do from a holistic view of player development at Luton Town. It
would be wrong to go into detail but I was really impressed with the approach
to ensure young chaps are afforded equal opportunity. He also spoke about the importance of creating good people with life skills. Well done Andy and thanks
for bringing them to Dunstable Town. Although it is a reality check to be
looking young men in the eye that I coached when they were 11/12/13/. It fills
me with personal pride to see them doing so well. I remember a young Arthur
Read and complimenting him only for my fellow coaches to remind me that I
always rate the ginger haired players. Well I don’t think anyone that was at
last night’s game would disagree that I think I have been proven right as he
pretty much dominated midfield with very clever movement and rotation and use
of good first touch and passing range. Good to also have Tyeeq Bakinson also come to me and say hi, such a nice humble well mannered young man. I recall his parents well and I know they will love to hear that. I wish him and all them other lads huge
success and nothing would fill me with more delight than to see one or two take
the field in the football league, let’s hope in a gleaming new stadium and
gleaming new era for our professional neighbours.
One of the challenges we face with our brand new crop of
players is self-belief and confidence. We have to remind ourselves that we also
were a very young team. Dare I say, not your typical Step 3 Southern league semi-professional
outfit currently. Added to to that we have had 9 training sessions, in our lives as a
team. In those 9 sessions we have had to fit in a recruitment program, followed
by a pre-season. When most of our competitors were starting pre-season games in
gleaming new kit, we were still drilling down on a new squad selection after rustling
together some footballs. So, this is very much a fledgling outfit. All things
considered then I feel we are in exciting times when you consider that against
two excellent similar level teams we have more than held our own and have put
fear into team’s defenses. These lads have got a load of work to do, but I’m so
proud of them already. We had two 17 year olds on the pitch yesterday. I’m so
confident in their ability, they are not filled with that confidence yet, but
they should be, they were terrific. When I see Aaron Hudson whipping down the
line, beating his opponent, showing great skill I couldn’t help but smile. The
score didn’t bother me one bit in moments like that. Brandy Makuendi in centre
midfield also, you wouldn’t believe he is just 18 as he demands the ball and
shows great ability to stay on it. That’s bravery. Nimmy up front, 17, hangs on
every word you tell him. I think if I asked him to make his runs from the
defending corner flag he would do it. These young men are learning fast and we
will watch them mature as young men as we go. In the next bracket we have a
group of 19-23 year olds desperate to learn and willing to work hard to
improve. That leaves some pressure on our experienced ‘old’ players, Scott Betts
(24) and Skipper John Sonuga (28). These chaps have shown great calmness.
Fantastic role models.
Overall Luton Town dominated this game. That statement is
not an embarrassing one to make. Tactically we needed to place ourselves in
better positions to be able to make contact and we know that now and will work
on it. A shift in shape helped with that and for the first time it allowed us
to get forward in a sustained attack. There keeper made a good save from
electric Ryan Young (he will terrify teams this season), that would have been
1-1. Instead a combination of errors from us allowed them to tap in a second.
Of course we still have a lot of questions to answer as to
who and where so from that point we had to remind ourselves that we are
preparing for a season and therefore we have to put preparation ahead of the
result as we moved personnel around and tried some different things.
So, full credit to Luton Town lads and another good work out
for our lads as we get nearer to the season.
We should give a mention to the guys off the pitch. The
people who volunteered to save this club and now work tirelessly to get the
club prepared for genuine football matches. We still have kit to sort out, we
are rustling together water bottles for the lads along with many other things which they are sorting and have sorted. But the ladies and gentlemen
behind the scenes are all on the same page in that we want to create a
togetherness and professional approach from here in. There is a real solution
and can do approach and it has created a buzz around the pitch and place. The
fans have been brilliant to the players, they understand the dynamics and there
patience and support is hugely appreciated. The amount of young children in
Dunstable Town and Luton Town kits enjoying a night out was also great to see.
Ive got to thank all the people that have stepped forward to
help me and the club already. Like my old colleague from west London Justin Lucas-Hill.
He has been provided professional medical support for us as well as helping
with staff recruitment. He hasn’t asked for one penny so I feel obliged to tell
people how wonderful he is and if you feel you need treatment please visit http://www.sportspt.co.uk/ He might even
be able to meet you at the club moving forward
 |
| DTFC - The Jackals - No Fear |
When I look in the eyes of the people running the club I see
such decent transparent people, guys discussing ways to improve things for the
lads well post 10pm. I even got a nice bit of homemade cake. When I walked back
to the changing rooms I left a chairman sweeping it out in his suit. That is
the ego free football environment I’ve always striven to work in, all hands on deck. As
I walked back to my car with the stadium lights off and loaded with equipment I
reflected on what I had just seen and thought to myself…
This is going to be a long hard season, with many ups and
downs. But, one thing I know for sure, I want to do everything I can to give these
great lads, fans and people running the club a glorious football day they will
never forget.
#coyb
Tony McCool
@antmccool7
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