Diary of a Scout: Video games and trial days | OneFootball

Trying to keep up appearances

Another visit to the Gallagher Stadium was on the cards for Easter Monday. It was the big National League South derby between Maidstone United and Tonbridge Angels. A cagey affair ended with the honours even at one a piece and a defender I had watched earlier in the season was impressive yet again.

Defenders union

This strange attraction to the defenders of the ball was over taking me again! The performance from Temi Eweka was head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch. Strong in the air, confident and commanding on the ball, Eweka actually left Maidstone after the season finished.

His hard work has been rewarded with a move to Eastleigh FC. They play in the league above Maidstone in the National League. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the coming season and I wish him all the best of luck. If anyone wants to go back and read my JP Scouting player in focus on him, you can do so here in my 4th entry.

All quiet on the scouting front

The latest Maidstone match had an earlier kick off time of 1pm, so I was able to drive straight to my mums for a family event. However, after quite a hectic April, things seemed to go really quiet. It was nearing the end of the season and the attention was turning towards some time off for a lot of players.

There’s a phrase often used in football that goes “they’re already on the beach.” I think that rings true for a lot of us, not just footballers! Although they live a privileged life, it’s still a long and gruelling season. A lot of strain is placed on the body, both mentally and physically. So why wouldn’t footballers look forward to a holiday with their families? They’re only human after all! Rest and relaxation is definitely needed by all of us at certain times.

An intriguing invitation

There were a few video links to watch on Wyscout, but no live matches in May at all. Then somewhat out of the blue I received an invitation to a trial day on LinkedIn. It was due to be staged at the University of Northampton at the end of May and would showcase young players who had been released from various academies around the country.

Northampton was a three hour drive for me, but I felt like it was something I should go and check out. I hadn’t attended a trial day before and it would be a good networking opportunity to meet other scouts. Not only that there could be some raw talent on show that had somehow gone under the radar! With all this in mind I think I had made my decision and began planning for the long day ahead.

Trains, tubes and Ubers

I wasn’t really feeling the idea of driving for six hours on a Saturday, so I decided to get the train to Northampton. This included driving my van to the train station and getting on the first service up to London. Some underground travelling was needed to get to Euston and then another train to Northampton.

Upon arrival the walk to the university was a bit long for me so I booked an Uber and when I arrived I was one of the first people there. After a lot of waiting around there was a workshop from AFCAS, who I was familiar with, before the trial games started.

Let the games begin

There were three matches scheduled, with the halves being 30 minutes long. Three hours of football seemed a lot to me! So it was a relief that they changed it to just the two matches. These youngsters had already played some 5-a-side football as a ‘warm up’ so it was a lot of football for them in one day. Most of them were only aged between 14-18, so it must’ve been quite nerve racking for them.

The matches were played on a large all weather 4G pitch and it was a bit difficult to see the action through the caging. There was nowhere to sit and it was certainly a lot different to attending an official, live match. Some players showed flashes of talent, but I was struggling to maintain concentration. As soon as it was over I felt the need to leave as soon as possible. It had already been a long day and I still had to travel home.

Trial and error

I felt a bit frustrated with the trial day, but if I hadn’t attended I would have always of thought ‘what if.’ It was the first time the organisers had hosted this kind of day and they’re planning to make it an annual event.

With a few tweaks here and there, there’s no reason why it can’t become a success. I’m an open minded person and I’ll always consider attending something like this again. I was determined to remain positive and with the season winding down, I also felt like I needed a bit of a break myself.

This was my first season as a scout and I felt like I’d achieved some satisfying milestones. With normal life and work being ever relentless, I definitely needed a rest! There would be no beaches for me unfortunately. However, there would be more time to spend with my two children in the evenings and at weekends.

JP Scouting player in Focus: Jake Leake

A fairly quiet performance in a 0-0 draw I watched on Wyscout against Boston United. But his side kept a clean sheet and he didn’t make any big mistakes, just one poor mis-control in the 1st half.

I was impressed with his heading ability, as I think I only saw him miss out on one aerial duel. But he wasn’t really tested in a 1V1 by any one of notable pace, so it would be good to see him tested more.

Leake began his career with Hull City and since 2021 he’s had loans with Boston United, Scunthorpe United, Tranmere Rovers and now Oldham from January this year. He’s never played more than 16 games in a season, so with a run of 10 so far in 2025 it will be good if he can continue this until the end of the season. Since writing about Leake his contract expired at Hull, his loan finished at the end of the season and he has now signed permanently for Oldham after their promotion to League Two.

Preview Diary of a Scout Stories

Part Eight: April Scouting ShowersPart Seven: Hindsight SatisfactionPart Six: New Year; Same GoalsPart Five: A Taste of the Big Time