Hi everyone I am visiting England in mid-to-late October for a month or so, with trying out for some clubs in and around the Greater London area in mind. I live in South Africa, but was born in England. I play right wing cum midfield, am very fast, and am 5'10" and 72 kg. I have done research on clubs there and seen that there are quite a lot, including Leyton Orient, Woking, Brentford, Barnet, etc. I would like to find out if anyone could help me with contacts or ideas on how I can approach clubs. I am aware that the clubs have websites with contacts, and have looked at them, but I do not have an impressive footballing CV (which you generally need send via post anyway), just my ability to work from unfortunately I recently went for trials with a second division side here in SA (University of Pretoria), but the trials were very unprofessional in my opinion as there were many people, and consisted of 20 mins of 11-a-side football, where we were split up into positional groups and the goalies chose teams. To cut a long story short, I didn't see much of the ball at all, playing on the wing. I would prefer clubs in the third or fourth division as I am looking to play professionally (assuming that a professional salary means that the pay is enough to at least live on without another job, as opposed to semi-pro?) Sorry for the long post and thanks for any and all replies!
Without wanting to sound rude the chances of you getting a trial at a proffesional club with what sounds like no football experience are very, very slim, realistically they may well be impossible. Your best bet is to look further down the leagues, there are loads of teams in the London area and if you're realistically looking to carve out a career in football you'll have to go to the semi-pro ranks first, get yourself into a club and try and get spotted by a proffesional team with your performances there. How old are you, if you don't mind me asking, if you still qualify as a youth team player and can be signed onto a youth contract you'd stand more of a chance of getting a proffesional club?
Hi. Thanks for the swift reply. Your post doesn't sound rude at all, just realistic. I'm 22 years old, so I won't qualify for a youth contract. I don't mind playing lower league football at first, but just wanted to find out if there may be any chance of starting higher, around the fourth or fifth division. I realise that clubs are businesses and they want players with good track records, but it doesn't hurt to find out. Just a few more questions for those who know, in addition to my first post: I believe that the cut-off for professional status occurs somewhere in the Conference National, with some teams being pro, while others are semi-pro. Is this the case? Would some lower league salaries possibly be enough to live off initially while I establish myself at a lower division club?
What's your nationality? Are you South African? You said you were born in England, but that doesn't necessarily make you a British national. If you are South African then you have absolutely no chance as you'd need a work permit to play, even for leagues low down. Unless you are a regular in the South African national team, which doesn't sound likely, it would be illegal for any club to let you play for them.
Hi. I am a British national, and have South African permanent residency, so it wouldn't be a problem. Cheers.
Again, without trying to be rude, if you were any good you'd have found a way to have made an impact in any 'trial' you found yourself in. The only exception to that is if they stuck you in goal (which they didn't). The football pyramid in this country is massive and it's easy to underestimate the strength of teams and the quality of players five or six levels below the Premier League. In all honesty you're most likely to end up like the rest of us: paying your subs on a sunday morning.
Even getting into a part time club at any level whether it be Conference South or a few levels below is quite unlikely but there's no harm in trying if you want it bad enough, which you seem to. However there are loads of people who want the same as you, from all over the world and if you've got nothing to help you stand out it'll be hard to get a shot. I'd say your best bet is to write to as many clubs as possible and see if you get responses from any. I doubt very much you'd be able to find a club at a level you'd be able to get straight into that will offer you a wage you can live off on it's own. Good luck and everything, I think all you can do is ask around and see if anything comes up.
I wouldn't listen to this guy, Energizer. If you have a dream and you're confident that you can hack it, then go for it. There are all sorts of stories of players going over to England with little professional experience, signing on to a lower division side (6th, 7th or 8th divison of the pyramid) and then impressing and moving your way up. American Jay DeMerit moved over to England with no legitimate professional experience and hooked up with a 7th division side. After impressing in a scrimmage against Watford, he was offered a trial and eventually a contract. It may be rare, but it does happen. Get your name out to as many clubs as possible. Be persistent. Good luck!
I'd believe that, because I've been to trials and never found a way in, but a friend of a friend from York was playing works team football, before he had the cheek to pester a club for a trial (Matty Kilgallon). You never know until you try. Micah Richards was also rejected by two or three clubs.
Go for it. You're 99.9% likely to not be offered terms with anybody, but if you'd rather try and play professional football than work in accounting, go for it. Lower your expectations though. SA football IS crap, so a League One or League Two side is probably above your level. Try a non-league team. Also extend your boundaries to outside London. A non-league team in London is innudated with guys like you from Commonwealth countries who turn up at their door and said they were great in Nigeria or Trinidad and 99% of them turn out to rubbish (as you may be, to be brutally honest). A team in the West Country or the North East or even Wales may not get these calls and might be more likely to give you a tryout. If you've got some money saved up to try this, you'll spend less of it there than London as well. And you will probably have to take a part-time job. Big deal, you've got a British passport so it won't be hard finding one. Good luck.
Because nobody has ever managed it before? Just because you're shit doesn't mean he is. Take your chance and go for it. The worst that can happen is you end up where you are right now.