12-02-2015, 14:56
I wonder if Kev realises quite how highly he is regarded in Chesterfield, especially by those of us waving goodbye to middle age. He should come back. Surely he'd like to end his playing career as a hero.
I'd heard about Ilkeston's educational and football combination before the Telegraph article. Though the very idea of education is at odds with my memories of Ilkeston, what the club is doing deserves massive applause.
I've always believed top clubs discard a great deal of talent just because players don't quite fit their mould. Players learn and develop at different rates. Some do lack the capacity to make it as professionals, but many others are simply kicked out to make way for the next batch. Their best hope is for a Chesterfield to pick them up, but they can be reduced to tiers below even Ilkeston in the pyramid, before they get a chance to impress. Certainly non-league is such a fertile scouting ground that you can't help but wonder about the systems that reject them at 16 or 17. Take Tyrone Mings at Ipswich was rejected as too small by Southampton ..... he's now a pretty impressive looking defender. And the favourite story about Kev is he was told he was too fat by the Blades ..........
Come the end of the season, there'll be some real talent discarded. Of course picking out the new Kev Davies isn't easy, but that level of talent will be available. I'm convinced it always is.
I'd heard about Ilkeston's educational and football combination before the Telegraph article. Though the very idea of education is at odds with my memories of Ilkeston, what the club is doing deserves massive applause.
I've always believed top clubs discard a great deal of talent just because players don't quite fit their mould. Players learn and develop at different rates. Some do lack the capacity to make it as professionals, but many others are simply kicked out to make way for the next batch. Their best hope is for a Chesterfield to pick them up, but they can be reduced to tiers below even Ilkeston in the pyramid, before they get a chance to impress. Certainly non-league is such a fertile scouting ground that you can't help but wonder about the systems that reject them at 16 or 17. Take Tyrone Mings at Ipswich was rejected as too small by Southampton ..... he's now a pretty impressive looking defender. And the favourite story about Kev is he was told he was too fat by the Blades ..........
Come the end of the season, there'll be some real talent discarded. Of course picking out the new Kev Davies isn't easy, but that level of talent will be available. I'm convinced it always is.