My travels are like scouting expeditions

I live in St Albans, Hertfordshire, my mum lives in Billingham, and my parents-in-law live north of the border in Perthshire, Scotland. This means my year is pretty much chopped up between those places, working on the hoof (have laptop, will travel) and keeping an eye on mum and the in-laws, whose combined age is now 267!

I mention this because my travels allow me the privilege of catching games here and there, whenever I can – Hartlepool United, of course, whenever they are down this way or whenever I’m in Billingham, Wolviston FC or Billingham Synthonia if I’m up north and Pools are away, and Dundee United or St Johnstone whenever I’m Perthshire. It’s a lovely mix which I enjoy, although my priority is always HUFC.

Part of the enjoyment is that, wherever I am, I pretend I am scouting for Hartlepool United. In my head, I make up scouting reports of players I think would serve Pools well, noting strengths and weaknesses, and on two occasions I have actually sent written recommendations to the club.

One of those endorsements was Shaun Jeffers, a centre-forward whose 98 goals in 195 appearances for St Albans City in the National League South made him, I thought, an attractive proposition, but I received no reply or response to that suggestion.

I’m not a scout, just an ordinary fan who watches as many matches as possible each season and can probably, after all these years, tell the difference between a racehorse and a donkey.

I would suggest it’s much the same with a lot of fans who have spent decades going along to games. We might not be professionals, and none of us would claim any special expertise, but most of us have seen more than our fair share of all sorts of players, for better or for worse. That might qualify us to pass at least a reasonable judgment. 

So, with a new season now underway, my travels

will continue. Likewise, my amateur scouting expeditions. The evening of writing this piece, for example, I am making my way to Totternhoe v Redbourn in a Spartan South Midlands Football League Division Two fixture, with one eye on spotting any potential options for Pools. Then, at some point, I’ll be up in Scotland again, hoping to unearth some Scottish gems who might one day shine at Victoria Park.