Freebie Friday: Uncertain times for all but who has the most to lose?

The season may almost over but a waiting time for some players

Welcome to the Friday Freebie and if you’re new to www.footballwriting.co.uk this is the free post coming at you every Friday as a taster of what you can find behind the paywall. If you like what you see and enjoy what you read please consider becoming a paid subscriber for just £5 a month which gets you 8 paid for blogs as a minimum and the 4 free ones also, not bad for your money!

This time of year is normally the most unsettled for a majority of the non-league game and also for those in the professional echelons. Managers leave, managers get appointed, club officials come and go, clubs change leagues either promoted or relegated and a step for some into the unknown.

Players of course also fit into this category, the dreaded retained and released lists start to venture onto social media as clubs finish their seasons and look towards the new one with the previous only 24 hours or so in the back view mirror.

The game moves fast all the time, on the pitch, off the pitch, and everywhere else, there is very little time for reflection unlike in the minds of supporters but for a huge majority of players this time of year is the most uncertain.

Going back a great many years, players didn’t tend to move around too freely, the ‘one club man’ is an absolute rarity these days at any level and it’s far more common to see anything up to 12 players departing and arriving at any club over the course of the summer.

Definitely over the period of the last three years clubs have been keeping much smaller squads, cost being one and wanting more for the wages paid out but without increasing the budget, quality over quantity.

Let me give you some context here. Next season there are just over 2,000 players contracted with Football League and the National League top division clubs, an average of around 24 players per club.

From the same levels there are just over 1,000 players out of contract this summer and if you add in the youngsters released from the Premier League Academies at their top level, it’s almost another 700 added to that list. That roughly works out excluding those extra near 700 players of 10 players per club released and looking for new work.

The question here is where do those players go? And how many are fruitful in remaining as full time players from the Championship down to the National League? Well, take Barnet for instance which are my club. Dean Brennan the manager there likes to hold no more than 26 players excluding any loan signings. If we had 24 players on the books then we’re looking to add just two more to the mix, as it is we released about 6 players plus 2 or 3 more left during the season, scope to bring in 6-8 over the summer.

Some clubs will hold more players the higher up the food chain and look to loan them out over the year, but even if they keep their level at 30 then it’s only room for 6 if they meet the average of 24.

So, what happens to these players then? From what I’ve seen happen progressively is players are being forced down the pyramid to Steps 2, 3, and 4 in order to keep playing football, not because they’re not good enough but because there is no room for them anywhere else.

Life measures will dictate some moves of course but for others it’s a dog eat dog world and these days recruitment isn’t just about football ability, it’s the length you run each game, it’s the mixing with a tight knit squad, it’s whether you can fit 1, 2, or 3 systems, you have to prove a lot to ensure you get a contract.

For clubs and supporters lower down it’s almost like having heaven descend and gift these players for you to watch week in, week out such is some of the talent, even those coming to tail end times in their career.

We haven’t even touched on the fact clubs higher up still look at non-league for gems and raw talent they can harness and develop further, add those players into the mix and in some cases they’ll be replaced by one of these Football League career guys because there is nowhere else to go.

Those 700 odd Academy players face a real shock when they leave the pampered lives they’ve been used to and aren’t prepared to be kicked across the pitch by the 35 year old journeyman whose been there, seen it all and worn out the t-shirt, it’s a reality shock for most.

It’s no surprise to me that many don’t last, it’s a completely different world from one end of the game to the other, some do have that ability to transform and be a success, some take a little longer to adapt and the rest drift out of the game or right the way down to Step 5 and 6, cut throat business is how it can be described today, someone else ready to take your place always.

So, whilst your off enjoying your summer holiday over the next few weeks and months spare a thought for quite a few of these guys, they’re not the ones on mega wages, they have the same bills we all face and for a lot of them no fallback career either, tough times take tough people however, we’ll see who survives……..