Finn Seemann wrote:

US 4th tier club - pardon me for not getting overly excited.  Suspect the wee Indian lad is more likely to unearth us a player.

 
I wouldn't be surprised if a 4th tier club in the USA would beat the current UTD 1st team.

I would see it more as an enticement to young players to join our academy with possible exchange trips for the youngsters.

Welshie's made a $ or twa over there then.

AlwaysUnited wrote:

It'll be almost impossible for us to sign players from them now, unless they happen to have a UK passport. They certainly won't be of the requisite quality to get a work permit, and the dual citizen German/Italian etc passport route (e.g. Sporle who has a Argentinian and German passport) is now closed due to Brexit.

So I can only guess its more of a marketing thing, with maybe a few zoom calls between coaches to discuss ideas and techniques.

Not sure the dumplings in charge will have figured this out...

Morphman wrote:

AlwaysUnited wrote:

It'll be almost impossible for us to sign players from them now, unless they happen to have a UK passport. They certainly won't be of the requisite quality to get a work permit, and the dual citizen German/Italian etc passport route (e.g. Sporle who has a Argentinian and German passport) is now closed due to Brexit.

So I can only guess its more of a marketing thing, with maybe a few zoom calls between coaches to discuss ideas and techniques.

Is that actually the case? I know it was supposed to be stopping with Brexit but I've honestly no idea how half of these things work since the 'Brexit deal'. You would think that given English football's, reliance on foreign players that the UK government will make some change of rules for football players to get in easier, and since immigration isn't devolved Scottish football would 'benefit'  from these changes also.

This is just me putting in conjecture btw, it'll take brighter mind than mine to work out Brexit rules 

 
At the moment, no. The new criteria is very strict, and based on international caps and/or games played in the top 50 leagues, and the Champions League.

This link explains it - https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/dec/28/football-and-brexit-a-guide-to-the-new-rules

Scotland got an exemption from the Home Office for the last transfer window, but it doesn't apply moving forward. The SFA may be able to negotiate some sort of softening of the rules moving forward, but the days of freely signing anyone with an EU passport are over.

Obviously the USA isn't in the EU anyway, but I can't see any realistic scenario whereby any United player signs for North Virginia United or vice versa, unless they have any dual British citizens (like Harkes is). Similarly its unlikely any United youth player would be granted a USA work permit, but ultimately that would be up to the US Immigration Dept. Powers or Harkes could obviously go, but not sure they'd fancy the big step down.

Last edited by AlwaysUnited (24/3/2021 10:27 pm)

Have kept in touch with big Welshy since he done the Q+A on here 2 or 3 years back. Spoke to him over the weekend regards this link-up and he is absolutely delighted about it and very positive about what it can mean for both sides on each side of the Atlantic.

I asked him how the link-up came to fruition and he said he'd put the feelers out to the club a few times over the past few years (this before even the Ogren's reign i think) regarding a potential link-up and partnership.

Though North Virginia are a small 4th tier club over there he informed me that the catchment area he lives in is absolutely huge, population wise. Around 3 million people apparently live in the suburbs of DC in a catchment area of no more than 40 miles away. So, that alone tells you the potential of the quantity and calibre of young player they can attract in time.

He is excited that the club (NVU) now has a genuine pathway to 'European Football' and the huge carrot that will be when trying to entice a better standard of player to the club. European football is (correctly) seen as the Mecca of football to American's. 

Players can be sent both ways and the benefits as he see's them are.

1) Young Scottish players sent to the US get to experience a different culture, climate and 'way of life'. This is not only a great life experience for them but can help them prepare for life away from home and potentially playing football and living in a different country later in life. As a lot of Scottish players are ill-prepared for such eventualities, whereas other nationalities seem to adapt to this way of life much easier.

2) The best young American players being sent to Utd on trial early in preparation for eventually becoming first team Utd players at some point i.e. probably learn their trade via our Academy firstly.

He raved about the skill level of young American players to me, describing their talent in that regard as 'frightening' and far superior to their Scottish counterparts. 

But feels the American players can be too soft and lack the aggression and spirit of the Scottish players. So a marriage of the two styles from an early age could help prepare these American players into very good players over time.

He said more, but hopefully will get him on here again for a 2nd Q+A and you can all ask him more regards it all.

P.S. Brexit rules will have no effect on American's coming here. They can apply for a work visa for upto a year and a work permit thereafter.

From the horse's mouth Tek, great effort too.

Just to add to my above point, if anyone is wondering how we signed Powers (who although a talented player, is perhaps not of the "highest standard") , its because he has an Italian passport. We would not be able to sign him now.

Last edited by AlwaysUnited (29/3/2021 2:12 pm)

I'm with Always here - don't think this has been thought through.  The immigration rules are not going to be easy to navigate going forward and the chances of anyone being employed to come here to play Academy football is not going to happen.  They might be able to do it as some sort of reciprocal exchange for kids who are not professional, but why would we spend money coaching an American who we would have very little chance of signing and let our kids go and spend a year (with presumably lesser coaches) in the States?  Maybe Tony needs to speak to his lawyer....

kdyteejay wrote:

Tek wrote:

Have kept in touch with big Welshy since he done the Q+A on here 2 or 3 years back. Spoke to him over the weekend regards this link-up and he is absolutely delighted about it and very positive about what it can mean for both sides on each side of the Atlantic.

I asked him how the link-up came to fruition and he said he'd put the feelers out to the club a few times over the past few years (this before even the Ogren's reign i think) regarding a potential link-up and partnership.

Though North Virginia are a small 4th tier club over there he informed me that the catchment area he lives in is absolutely huge, population wise. Around 3 million people apparently live in the suburbs of DC in a catchment area of no more than 40 miles away. So, that alone tells you the potential of the quantity and calibre of young player they can attract in time.

He is excited that the club (NVU) now has a genuine pathway to 'European Football' and the huge carrot that will be when trying to entice a better standard of player to the club. European football is (correctly) seen as the Mecca of football to American's. 

Players can be sent both ways and the benefits as he see's them are.

1) Young Scottish players sent to the US get to experience a different culture, climate and 'way of life'. This is not only a great life experience for them but can help them prepare for life away from home and potentially playing football and living in a different country later in life. As a lot of Scottish players are ill-prepared for such eventualities, whereas other nationalities seem to adapt to this way of life much easier.

2) The best young American players being sent to Utd on trial early in preparation for eventually becoming first team Utd players at some point i.e. probably learn their trade via our Academy firstly.

He raved about the skill level of young American players to me, describing their talent in that regard as 'frightening' and far superior to their Scottish counterparts. 

But feels the American players can be too soft and lack the aggression and spirit of the Scottish players. So a marriage of the two styles from an early age could help prepare these American players into very good players over time.

He said more, but hopefully will get him on here again for a 2nd Q+A and you can all ask him more regards it all.

P.S. Brexit rules will have no effect on American's coming here. They can apply for a work visa for upto a year and a work permit thereafter.

Describing Ian Harkes to a tee.

"He raved about the skill level of young American players to me, describing their talent in that regard as 'frightening' and far superior to their Scottish counterparts."

Thats defo not Harkes
 

Canadian Arab wrote:

I live just outside Edmonton and was coaching with Edmonton Scottish, Smeds. I retired from coaching 18 months ago. It was a volunteer position but because I was coaching at what they call "Tier 1" level here (i.e. the top level of youth football) then there was a huge investment of time and money if you wanted to do it properly. Training 3 or 4 times per week plus a game and it was a 70 mile round trip for me every single time. I just couldn't keep up that level of commitment when you have a family and job etc. There was also a situation where a ref blatantly cheated to disadvantage my team. I don't mean a bad decision - I mean cheated, and he knew it. That was when I said "fuck this". I was putting in 25 hours per week of volunteering and this guy was being paid to cheat, and there's almost no way of holding refs to account (just like everywhere else). It wasn't good for my health, and that was the final nail in the coffin.

Sounds like you had your fill of it right enough. Maybe the cheating ref was a blessing in disguise, it let you get out with a 100% clear concscience. 25 hours a week, 70 mile round trip - I guess they might just be missing you! But you owe them nothing.