SEEING THE WORLD

My picture shows local hero Scott Wagstaff being unceremoniously `tackled` by Southampton`s Jack Saville in a recent encounter between the Saints and Charlton, for whom Scott plays. Scott lives just a few doors down the road from us so it`s natural that not only his family but also the entire street are following his progress as he seeks to make his way in the uncompromising world of professional football.

And this week has been a difficult one for him....and it ain`t going to get a whole lot better. On Tuesday evening, Charlton made the long trip to Hereford to play in a Carling Cup First Round tie. Sadly for them, Charlton lost 1-0 in extra time, which I imagine gave rise to a long time in the Edgar Street dressing room after the game as Charlton manager Phil Parkinson carried out his post mortem. I`m told Scott eventually made it back home here at 4.20am on Wednesday morning. Wednesday was a day off, but he was back training yesterday and this morning boarded the coach with his team mates for the even longer journey to Hartlepool, who they play in a League One fixture tomorrow. I shudder to think what time they will get back from there but I`m sure we will be well into Sunday.

So it`s not easy being a young man in a fiercely competitive profession, especially in the `lower leagues,` where the excesses of wealth, fame and fortune of the Premiership must seem like a distant dream. The Premiership starts again tomorrow and I am going to make a determined effort to avoid it. There is so much of it which is distasteful. Not just the greed, the exceesses and the arrogance, but also the fact that there are far too many foreign mercenaries turning out for teams and that there are still `personalities` like Ferguson, Alladyce and `Arry Redknapp behaving as if they were at all important. Sky`s coverage continues to be graced by the awful Andy Gray, whose main contribution appears to be "I have to say," when all the time he doesn`t have to at all.

I`m more convinced than ever that `proper` football is played in the lower leagues, where ambition, effort and determination are tempered by moderate rewards. Maybe Scott is better off plying his trade at Hereford, Hartlepool and other provincial outposts. At least he`ll enjoy his football and see something of the world......even if it is Hartlepool.