Budapest or Walsall?

By Alan Stokes
November 5 2002

What has happened to all of the talented young footballers from the Black Country. Do they still exist or is our scouting network sadly lacking?

I have read with interest some comments on this site regarding possible changes to the number of foreign players a club can use. It has certainly provoked some thoughts.

Take a look at the names on this “Legends Eleven” team sheet I have made up from the 70’s and 80’s and think what they all have in common.

1. Green
2. Caswell
3. Marsh
4. Hawker
5. Ryder

6. Shakespeare
7. Childs
8. O’Connor

9. Kelly
10. Clarke
11. Cross


Apart from all having played for the Saddlers and contributing significantly to the teams they were playing for, all of these players were from the Black Country or Birmingham area.

It is not that long ago we were producing quality home grown players so where are they now? Where are the local players from Short Heath, Bloxwich and Darlaston? Where have we gone wrong?

I do not believe that the area has just stopped producing talented youngsters and I do not believe that all of the good youngsters have decided to go to Villa, Blues, Wolves or Albion at the expense of Walsall.

It is my belief that over the last 10 years we have been spending too much time scouring the outer reaches of some far flung obscure country trying to unearth cheap gems instead of spending time and resource on developing local talent. The talent is and always has been available locally. It is just a matter of looking, finding and nurturing it until it blossoms.
Instead, we have been wasting precious time abroad believing that a foreign player must be better than someone produced in this country. As a result of this we have certainly missed the benefits that come with producing local players. In my opinion, when a local youngster plays for his local team he will certainly give more to the club than a foreign journeyman or mercenary. When the chips are down the local youngsters will have more fight, team spirit, determination and desire to win than an imported “foreign star”.
This then leads me to ask the question - why do all of these foreigners come to this country to play football in our lower leagues. Is it because of our fantastic weather, climate and culture? If not, is it because they are unable to play at the necessary level in their own countries and come over to our country to earn a vastly higher wage than they would receive in their homeland? I would suggest it is the latter as no right thinking foreigner would ever dream of wanting to live and work in Walsall unless they were mentally ill.

Over the last decade we have lost our way in terms of developing local talent. However, with money now becoming increasingly scarce in the game it is of paramount importance that we change our policy and re-start nurturing the talent that is on our own doorstep.

In order to achieve this it is vitally important that we employ the right calibre of local scouts as lots of talented youngsters have slipped through the net of their local teams. Wayne Rooney for instance was rejected by Liverpool, and I am led to believe that Fulham's Zak Knight was picked up from Rushall Olympic of all places. We need to ensure that no stone is unturned in our search for local talent that can then be developed further in house.

With Colin Lee and Mick Halsall in charge I believe that over time we will see more and more local lads coming through. I certainly hope so.