[Devongone]

Non-league scouting, picking up the most likely-looking rejects from even successful academy systems like Southampton (big systems always run the risk of making mistakes), and yes open trials not only find the odd talent, but also raise the profile of the club ....... so yes they'd have my support. As does the whole idea of a reserve team providing a bridge between age-group football and the real mccoy.

You can create a reserve team which is virtually useless to the club. We had one for years, but when significant talents broke through (Ernie Moss, Kevin Davies) they leapt from the Northern Intermediate as it was then to the first team, largely by-passing the reserves. If we have a reserve team it needs to be used wisely. In our current manager we have pretty much the ideal kind of man at the top to use it to take the club forward. (Maybe the Hump could get involved in its development.)