Up until the end of August i had scouted for the 1st team at Town for nearly four years,with great pride in my job, until i resigned along with a number of others,mainly due to being undervalued by Mr C.
Today i received my final payslip,delayed from August as our expenses sheets had gone missing mysteriously for the first time ,ever since problems had arose with Mr C and his disregard of the scouting team.
Now i appreciate i was fortunate to do what i did,but briefly let me explain a typical week for a scout.
Thursday-asked to do team report
Friday evening-Find as much info as possible on said team,loans,previous line up,individual details (left foot/right footed/height) etc-a good hours research.
Saturday-set off for selected venue eg around lunchtime.
Arrive at venue and possibly grab some lunch(own expense,not many provide more than a cuppa if that)
Collect tickets and asked to buy half time draw tickets,usually quite a few as we are getting in free.
Observe match making numerous notes,every detail of teams play.
Return home 6-6.30 on average.
Saturday evening/Sunday morning-compile report in detail,usually taking 4-5 hours in total.
Sounds okay doesn't it ?
Fortunate to be getting paid for a days work you may say for watching and writing about football,fair comment.
But would you do it week in week out for £20.
Yes we were paid average mileage, but the actual return for the time and effort put in for a decent days work minus match day expenses,half time draws/food etc,and the tax man usually left you with around a tenner.
But still we did it because we loved what we did.
Still sound good?
Lets skip to the last month of the season.
No invite to end of season players event for all scouts-always previously invited.
Requested tickets for play off home semi-none allocated,asked to pay if we wanted any as we were part time staff.
A few days before the final we surprised and grateful to be allocated a ticket each,but provide our own transport ,fair enough, and duly paid £30 for the coach down with some mates.then arrived at the services with the masses and discovered there were actually two free coaches put on by the club for staff!(full time of course,allegedly).
Anyway ,got to Wembley 5 minutes before like many others, and had a great day with my fellow scouts from all over the UK ,from a decent view in the corner by the tunnel at the Town end.
Cue the celebrations at the the end,on came various Town staff from the executive area,including Mr C(and others who had been with the club a matter of weeks),prancing on the pitch like a penguin on speed.
Fair do,let them have their moment,always thought those moments were for the 1st team squad/staff and owner myself ,but never mind.
Anyway,travelled back with much joy on the way home.
Later found out there had been a celebration party and bonuses paid to staff,guess who didn't see any of either.
No member of the scouting team received a single word of thanks from anyone at the club regarding the promotion,say what you will about the previous regime,but they were always forthcoming in their appreciation of our contribution to the 1st team
Sounding bitter?
Be positive,new season i said.
Football Director?,recruits two senior scouts(£20 a game,i think not), okay,onwards and upwards.
Did two player and one team report in the early weeks of the season,things are going alright,talks about improved rates ongoing.
Then came the moment that the toys flew out of the pram as far as i was concerned.
"Can you watch these three players on Saturday,but only claim for two as the earnings on player reports are having to be capped(£10 pp)"came the request from our new supremo.
Guess who was behind the capping,yes ,Mr C.
These are only a selection of the incidents of conflict attributed to Mr C in recent years with the scouting team,and it was an accumulation of these that eventually led to my genuinely sad decision.
Had anyone even had the courtesy to say "thanks lads" ,for our important i feel ,input into the first teams success last season,i would likely be still doing my bit for the club.
But nothing.
So MR CLIBBENS if you read this,please appreciate the part that :
: EVERYONE involved played last year.
And also explain why one of those who has resigned was the Chief Scout,and why hasn't this being mentioned on the Town website?
A disgusting disregard for a man who has given 24 years loyal service to the club.
Perhaps i should have gone on your Twitter page Mr C, i hear that's where you can get lots of info these days.
Reap what you sow Mr C, I was like my colleagues, privileged and proud to work for what is a good club,staffed in the main by good people,cared for by a lot of good fans.
Appreciate that.
: EVERYONE involved played last year.
