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The Nowhere Men: The Unknown Story of Football's True Talent Spotters
Winner of The Times British Sports Book Award 2014. A fascinating insight into the enclosed world of football scouts in the UKA teenaged boy plays football in a suburban park. His name is Raheem Sterling. The call is “Get down here quick. This is something special”.Another boy is 8, going on 28. His name is Jack Wilshere. The referee, an Arsenal scout, spirits him away from Luton Town.A young goalkeeper struggles on loan at Cheltenham Town in League Two. His name is Jack Butland. Within months he will be playing for England.Welcome to football’s hidden tribe. Scouts are everywhere yet nowhere, faceless and nameless, despite making the informed decisions worth millions. Award-winning sportswriter Michael Calvin opens up their hidden world, examining their disconnected lifestyles, petty betrayals and unconsidered professionalism of men who spend long, lonely hours on the road.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
March 28, 2016
In Nowhere Men, Michael Calvin takes a look at some of the most undervalued and overworked professionals in all of football-- The scouts. The author examines scouting at all levels and illuminates the different problems faced by clubs at each. He also examines the way technology has and will continue to affect the future of scouting, and chronicles the way in which the older generation of scout is adapting – or not. Calvin's usual thoroughness is on display here.
My only criticism would be that because he tried to cover so much territory and so many issues, the book felt a little more disjointed then his others. Still a must read for anyone interested in the past or future of football.
My only criticism would be that because he tried to cover so much territory and so many issues, the book felt a little more disjointed then his others. Still a must read for anyone interested in the past or future of football.
August 11, 2017
Dull and meandering with no defined story throughout. Just wanders from one scenario to another, bombarding the reader with insipid anecdotes from a constantly changing cast. A real disappointment.
October 8, 2020
A nice book for football lovers, the author does a nice job of interviewing and spending time with a variety of scouts around the UK football circuit. Some nice background and insight to the start of data analytics in the beautiful game also which I found interesting. Recommended for football fans.
May 19, 2021
Calvin still might be my favorite soccer/football writer, but this one never quite clicked for me. Final chapters about tech and moneyball-type stuff dragged, and then it still felt like it ended suddenly.
December 24, 2024
Really interesting book about scouts in England and some really good insights into the things that they look at when trying to discover the next professional footballer: here are the best bits:
They know if the coach isn’t good enough, the outstanding players in the group will regress to the level of the others.
Character is also extremely important, but the problem is that if you aren't paying much money for a player, there's sort of a trade-off. You can have the character or you can have the ability.
You can't have both, because otherwise they re not available cheaply. They're big money.
If you show the footage to a room full of people, they all go away with the same view of the player because they influence each other. So and so says "cor, that was good" and the others will go "oh yeah, it was"; or "I don't like that. ... no, it was crap". But if you get them to watch it individu-ally, they'll each go away with different views.'
A multi-cultural society produces multi-faceted prob-lems. The stated ages of some young players, particutarly those of African descent, are unreliable. Rios is acutely conscious of the danger of causing offence, but asks them, in a light-hearted manner, to smile, so he can check surreptitiously whether they have milk teeth.
This kid was quick. His close control, running with the ball, was the best I'd ever seen. He had fantastic balance, and didn't mind leaving his foot in. He had that nasty streak you need, had such a will to win. He tore us apart. As soon as the game had ended I asked one of their parents who he was.' Jack Wilshere, a graduate of Knebworth Youth and Letchworth Garden City Eagles,
It might be a little turn of pace, or an unusual type of pass. Now he's got your eye. You are watching that boy, looking for something that makes you turn your head. I'm not talking about beating nine men, or scoring from fifty yards. Far from it. I'm talking about comfort on the ball, the kid who always wants the ball. He might be physically smaller, but is he at ease? Can he evade the bigger boy who tries to clobber him? Now you are really starting to look. You are ticking off your mental boxes. Does he receive the ball well? Is he two-footed? Does he move quickly? Has he a low centre of gravity?
Has the full back got good energy levels - aerobic and anaerobic? Has he got a good turn of pace over five yards, is he good over sixty yards, can he do recovery runs? Technically, what is he? Has he got a good range of pass, a good first touch? Is he comfortable taking the ball from the keeper or is he going to hide? Does he attack the ball well, does he volley well? Mentally, how does he deal with things? When they go one-nil down with ten to go, what's his reaction? When they go one-nil up with ten to go, what's his reaction? Does he still want the ball? Does he hoof it? Does he respond to criticism well? Tactically how is his pitch geography? Does he squeeze at the right time? Does he drop at the right time? Is he aware of distance between units? Does he communicate well with his teammates? Does he look to act as a leader or is he more of an individual who has to focus on his own game to get the best out of his own abilities?
Tall and athletic, like most of the Inter team, Spendlhofer had a nervous habit of sweeping his hand through his luxuriant hair at any opportunity. This offended old school sensibilities. It summoned images of Hugh Grant, never the most reassuring characteristic in a game of muck and nettles.
I remember working with the England under twenty-ones and watching Ferdinand, and saying to Pete 'I'm not sure about him on the old defending.' West Ham weren't at the time, to be fair, but he's gone on to be a top player. Top players have an aura about them. It's the way they turn up for training.
We should be training psychologists to understand the game and the players, because we know talent can be a state of mind. How can players be so hot and cold? How can they be so sound for ten days, and lost for five?'
He loves the game, but there are all these people around him. They all want a piece
of him- 'What chance has he got? It is all about coping with pressure. The anxiety of the coach might be killing the players. If our kid is lucky, he might not be the biggest or the quickest, but he will have the best attitude. Performance follows attitude. He won't dwell on setbacks.
All great athletes fight themselves, fight the loss of belief, but they prevail. That's why I say that calling any kid talented is a very dangerous thing to do.'
His 'high intensity output', his ability to reach a speed threshold of seven metres per second, is regarded with the reverence afforded holy writ.
The concept of player archaeology. This involves a retrospective longitudinal research which attempts to place pivotal moments in the Footballer development into perspective.
'But I'm standing there, when the teams run out. As they did so, I went, "Why has nobody told me about this fella?" It was Stan. You just knew by his movement, by his athleticism, by the way he walked, even, that he was a player. Within five minutes I knew I was going to sign him, just knew it. I really believe if you're a good scout you can honestly walk out after half an hour, and know what player you could take.
These boys are all quite nice footballers, but we're looking for that little something that separates those who make it, and those who don't. Some struggle to understand this process. This is about the individual, not the team. We have somehow to identify the character of those who will work with us.'
"The stats wouldn't tell you he is a player, but you knew you were looking at one when you watched him in the Bundesliga. In Antalya I basically stalked him for four days, watching everything he was doing. One thing, a small incident, stood out. He tried a shot which went spinning into orbit, way behind the goal. They had two old boys there, whose job was to collect the balls. Не saw them turn to go and fetch his shot, and stopped them. He waved them away and got his ball himself. It was a simple, selfless act. Very respectful. That taught me a lot about him.
What catches my eye is someone doing something that's a bit different. I concentrate on him, to see if it was a one-off. Then I consider the opposition. You want to know whether he could do well, given less time, against better opposition.
In one good group at Arsenal we had two players in the same position at thirteen, coming up to fourteen. We just wanted to keep one. This one was sharp, good movement, got forward. He was a full back. We decided to keep him and he bombed, captained the reserves, but dothing more. He hit that peak where he needed to work harder to get through it. He didn't or couldn't do it. The lad's name was Robbie Johnson. He's a taxi driver now, I believe.
Players reach peaks and the higher they climb the harder it is to take the next step.
David Rocastle was once recorded talking to a group of young players. His advice echoes down the years from beyond the grave. He told the boys: remember who you are, what you are and who you represent.
It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.
Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.
Battier, the Miami Heat forward, is the No Stats All Star of the NBA. They call him 'Lego', because when he is on the court the pieces start to fit together. His job is to harass, block, steal, dive and draw fouls. He needs acute peripheral vision, anticipation and intestinal fortitude, to take a charge from the best offensive players in an aggressive, relentless sport. So far, so obvious; but every team in which he has played, even supposed basket cases like the Memphis Grizzlies, acquired an uncanny ability to win.
'Barry was my Italian scout. We went out and spent four or five days, on the back of two years' worth of work, watching Alexis. We saw Udinese train, looked at his house, met family and friends. We went into town at one point, sat down and had a coffee, and we actually followed him walking around with a mate of his. We weren't trying to be private investigators but it's only a small place. We were noticing who he was with, what he was doing. At one point we went into a hotel and pretended to be fans. We asked for an autograph to see what the reaction was like.
Rio Ferdinand isn't a natural defender, Nemanja Vidic is.
He puts his head into a challenge, while Rio turns his away. The head is so important, because it determines body shape.
They know if the coach isn’t good enough, the outstanding players in the group will regress to the level of the others.
Character is also extremely important, but the problem is that if you aren't paying much money for a player, there's sort of a trade-off. You can have the character or you can have the ability.
You can't have both, because otherwise they re not available cheaply. They're big money.
If you show the footage to a room full of people, they all go away with the same view of the player because they influence each other. So and so says "cor, that was good" and the others will go "oh yeah, it was"; or "I don't like that. ... no, it was crap". But if you get them to watch it individu-ally, they'll each go away with different views.'
A multi-cultural society produces multi-faceted prob-lems. The stated ages of some young players, particutarly those of African descent, are unreliable. Rios is acutely conscious of the danger of causing offence, but asks them, in a light-hearted manner, to smile, so he can check surreptitiously whether they have milk teeth.
This kid was quick. His close control, running with the ball, was the best I'd ever seen. He had fantastic balance, and didn't mind leaving his foot in. He had that nasty streak you need, had such a will to win. He tore us apart. As soon as the game had ended I asked one of their parents who he was.' Jack Wilshere, a graduate of Knebworth Youth and Letchworth Garden City Eagles,
It might be a little turn of pace, or an unusual type of pass. Now he's got your eye. You are watching that boy, looking for something that makes you turn your head. I'm not talking about beating nine men, or scoring from fifty yards. Far from it. I'm talking about comfort on the ball, the kid who always wants the ball. He might be physically smaller, but is he at ease? Can he evade the bigger boy who tries to clobber him? Now you are really starting to look. You are ticking off your mental boxes. Does he receive the ball well? Is he two-footed? Does he move quickly? Has he a low centre of gravity?
Has the full back got good energy levels - aerobic and anaerobic? Has he got a good turn of pace over five yards, is he good over sixty yards, can he do recovery runs? Technically, what is he? Has he got a good range of pass, a good first touch? Is he comfortable taking the ball from the keeper or is he going to hide? Does he attack the ball well, does he volley well? Mentally, how does he deal with things? When they go one-nil down with ten to go, what's his reaction? When they go one-nil up with ten to go, what's his reaction? Does he still want the ball? Does he hoof it? Does he respond to criticism well? Tactically how is his pitch geography? Does he squeeze at the right time? Does he drop at the right time? Is he aware of distance between units? Does he communicate well with his teammates? Does he look to act as a leader or is he more of an individual who has to focus on his own game to get the best out of his own abilities?
Tall and athletic, like most of the Inter team, Spendlhofer had a nervous habit of sweeping his hand through his luxuriant hair at any opportunity. This offended old school sensibilities. It summoned images of Hugh Grant, never the most reassuring characteristic in a game of muck and nettles.
I remember working with the England under twenty-ones and watching Ferdinand, and saying to Pete 'I'm not sure about him on the old defending.' West Ham weren't at the time, to be fair, but he's gone on to be a top player. Top players have an aura about them. It's the way they turn up for training.
We should be training psychologists to understand the game and the players, because we know talent can be a state of mind. How can players be so hot and cold? How can they be so sound for ten days, and lost for five?'
He loves the game, but there are all these people around him. They all want a piece
of him- 'What chance has he got? It is all about coping with pressure. The anxiety of the coach might be killing the players. If our kid is lucky, he might not be the biggest or the quickest, but he will have the best attitude. Performance follows attitude. He won't dwell on setbacks.
All great athletes fight themselves, fight the loss of belief, but they prevail. That's why I say that calling any kid talented is a very dangerous thing to do.'
His 'high intensity output', his ability to reach a speed threshold of seven metres per second, is regarded with the reverence afforded holy writ.
The concept of player archaeology. This involves a retrospective longitudinal research which attempts to place pivotal moments in the Footballer development into perspective.
'But I'm standing there, when the teams run out. As they did so, I went, "Why has nobody told me about this fella?" It was Stan. You just knew by his movement, by his athleticism, by the way he walked, even, that he was a player. Within five minutes I knew I was going to sign him, just knew it. I really believe if you're a good scout you can honestly walk out after half an hour, and know what player you could take.
These boys are all quite nice footballers, but we're looking for that little something that separates those who make it, and those who don't. Some struggle to understand this process. This is about the individual, not the team. We have somehow to identify the character of those who will work with us.'
"The stats wouldn't tell you he is a player, but you knew you were looking at one when you watched him in the Bundesliga. In Antalya I basically stalked him for four days, watching everything he was doing. One thing, a small incident, stood out. He tried a shot which went spinning into orbit, way behind the goal. They had two old boys there, whose job was to collect the balls. Не saw them turn to go and fetch his shot, and stopped them. He waved them away and got his ball himself. It was a simple, selfless act. Very respectful. That taught me a lot about him.
What catches my eye is someone doing something that's a bit different. I concentrate on him, to see if it was a one-off. Then I consider the opposition. You want to know whether he could do well, given less time, against better opposition.
In one good group at Arsenal we had two players in the same position at thirteen, coming up to fourteen. We just wanted to keep one. This one was sharp, good movement, got forward. He was a full back. We decided to keep him and he bombed, captained the reserves, but dothing more. He hit that peak where he needed to work harder to get through it. He didn't or couldn't do it. The lad's name was Robbie Johnson. He's a taxi driver now, I believe.
Players reach peaks and the higher they climb the harder it is to take the next step.
David Rocastle was once recorded talking to a group of young players. His advice echoes down the years from beyond the grave. He told the boys: remember who you are, what you are and who you represent.
It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.
Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out.
Battier, the Miami Heat forward, is the No Stats All Star of the NBA. They call him 'Lego', because when he is on the court the pieces start to fit together. His job is to harass, block, steal, dive and draw fouls. He needs acute peripheral vision, anticipation and intestinal fortitude, to take a charge from the best offensive players in an aggressive, relentless sport. So far, so obvious; but every team in which he has played, even supposed basket cases like the Memphis Grizzlies, acquired an uncanny ability to win.
'Barry was my Italian scout. We went out and spent four or five days, on the back of two years' worth of work, watching Alexis. We saw Udinese train, looked at his house, met family and friends. We went into town at one point, sat down and had a coffee, and we actually followed him walking around with a mate of his. We weren't trying to be private investigators but it's only a small place. We were noticing who he was with, what he was doing. At one point we went into a hotel and pretended to be fans. We asked for an autograph to see what the reaction was like.
Rio Ferdinand isn't a natural defender, Nemanja Vidic is.
He puts his head into a challenge, while Rio turns his away. The head is so important, because it determines body shape.
April 28, 2019
I wish I liked this book more! The subject was definitely interesting - the making of a footballer has always intrigued me, and scouts play a very important role there. It is a topic that is rarely discussed - so I was really looking forward to reading this. And I loved the first few chapters - it was especially interesting to see how many of the players scouts identified as having "huge potential" in 2012 had actually lived up to it (Spoiler alert - very few! Which made me think about just how rare an achievement it is to play regularly in the Premier League, and helped me understand why so many of my favorite young players say they are playing for all those who were with them in their academy years, but didn't make it. That was the only 'profound moment' I had with this book, which probably says more about me than about the book).
It was clear the author was genuinely empathetic with the scouts' woes, and the sheer novelty of this shadowy breed coming to light kept me hooked. For the first few chapters at least.
And then the short comings of the book hit me like a freight train. Each chapter was a collection of anecdotes from a different person, with little insight into the scouts' thought process (the modus operandi seems to be, we are looking at everything, and you just know if you know) and even lesser character building. A couple of days after finally finishing this book, I can't remember a single man whose story made the book. They remained the nowhere men. And after the fourth or fifth chapter, the material starts feeling extremely repetitive - the rush of finding a player with great potential, the pitiful job security of an average scout, "big bad technology" encroaching on the scouts business, yadda yadda yadda. By this point I didn't even care that much.
I kept reading (on and off) because I think the topic deserves attention (and also because as a technocrat I might have taken some perverse pleasure in how many of the 'sure shot stars' the scouts identified didn't really pan out). But I probably should have given up.
In short, read it if you're looking to nerd out on the intricacies of English youth football. If not? Read something else.
Read for the challenge prompts -
PopSugar Reading Challenge - Your favorite prompt from a past PopSugar Reading Challenge (A book revolving around a sport - the prompt helped me realize I actually love memoirs and sports books, two genres I avoided fot very long!)
Around the Year in 52 Books - A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy (I have recently discovered I really enjoy football books 🤷)
It was clear the author was genuinely empathetic with the scouts' woes, and the sheer novelty of this shadowy breed coming to light kept me hooked. For the first few chapters at least.
And then the short comings of the book hit me like a freight train. Each chapter was a collection of anecdotes from a different person, with little insight into the scouts' thought process (the modus operandi seems to be, we are looking at everything, and you just know if you know) and even lesser character building. A couple of days after finally finishing this book, I can't remember a single man whose story made the book. They remained the nowhere men. And after the fourth or fifth chapter, the material starts feeling extremely repetitive - the rush of finding a player with great potential, the pitiful job security of an average scout, "big bad technology" encroaching on the scouts business, yadda yadda yadda. By this point I didn't even care that much.
I kept reading (on and off) because I think the topic deserves attention (and also because as a technocrat I might have taken some perverse pleasure in how many of the 'sure shot stars' the scouts identified didn't really pan out). But I probably should have given up.
In short, read it if you're looking to nerd out on the intricacies of English youth football. If not? Read something else.
Read for the challenge prompts -
PopSugar Reading Challenge - Your favorite prompt from a past PopSugar Reading Challenge (A book revolving around a sport - the prompt helped me realize I actually love memoirs and sports books, two genres I avoided fot very long!)
Around the Year in 52 Books - A book that was nominated for or won an award in a genre you enjoy (I have recently discovered I really enjoy football books 🤷)
October 5, 2015
Really good piece of reporting into Britain's football scouts. Atmospheric, honest and lets the characters loose to tell their many stories in their own words. One memorable chapter's just a transcript of three of the senior members of the scouting fraternity in a roundtable-with-tea-and-biscuits discussion, and there's some fascinating discussion of the reception Moneyball-style profiling has received from English football, and what it's achieved so far...
A fair bit of football knowledge is assumed from the reader - stadium names, team nicknames and history and so on - but it's a rewarding read featuring many familiar names and faces from the recent and more distant past. The only letdown for me was some gushing, flowery recollections by the author about "his" club, which seemed out of place in this book.
Read it while it's still current - several up-and-coming Premier League and England stars feature, with some fabulous insights into their background and character.
A fair bit of football knowledge is assumed from the reader - stadium names, team nicknames and history and so on - but it's a rewarding read featuring many familiar names and faces from the recent and more distant past. The only letdown for me was some gushing, flowery recollections by the author about "his" club, which seemed out of place in this book.
Read it while it's still current - several up-and-coming Premier League and England stars feature, with some fabulous insights into their background and character.
January 3, 2016
More than two years since I read this, but had to come back for a short review as I am shocked to see how poorly rated it is on this site compared to in the football world and media in Europe.
It won The Times British Sports Book Award 2014, and several other prizes.
It was very much appreciated by older and younger scouts and sport directors I know from many of the levels in this game from the top European leagues to local 3rd and 4th level leagues in Norway.
Don't be put off by some of these bad reviews. It is one of the best books on the football industry that has been published the last 20 years.
It won The Times British Sports Book Award 2014, and several other prizes.
It was very much appreciated by older and younger scouts and sport directors I know from many of the levels in this game from the top European leagues to local 3rd and 4th level leagues in Norway.
Don't be put off by some of these bad reviews. It is one of the best books on the football industry that has been published the last 20 years.
January 23, 2015
Good footballing journalism in telling us just who scouts are and what they do. A chance to look forwards and glance backwards at the same time. Quietly fascinating. I reckon that good scouts, like good sports journalists will see out the IT revolution.
January 12, 2015
A really well written and interesting look at a part of football I knew nothing about
November 15, 2019
The Nowhere Men by Michael Calvin is a deep dive into the world of football scouting. Calvin casts a sincere eye on to that slowly contracting world wherein the attrition is high and the payoffs are rare. Calvin’s polished and insightful writing takes us right smack-bang into the world of the beleaguered scout, who is increasingly becoming marginalised in the modern game.
The highlights of The Nowhere Men are certainly the conversations Calvin has with the scouts who have ‘put the miles in’ over decades in the business. Mel Johnson, Steve Jones, and especially John Griffin are warmly given the soapbox to give their take on their trade and reminisce on old glories. Of particular note is the conversation between Barry Lloyd, Allan Gemmell, and Pat Holland (the transcript of which is an entire chapter); Steve Jones’ scouting report on a Colchester side; and John Griffin’s catharsis at the end. These men are in their twilight, fighting against the technology that will eventually supplant them. Their stories alone could justify a spin-off series.
The final third of the book gets a bit ragged as Calvin spreads himself too thin and loses focus. The usual references to sabermetrics and Moneyball feature here, as well as the pervasive influence of statistics and video scouting. There are tenuous asides to American sport, too. Clearly the focus of the book is on the ‘nowhere men’ and their struggle to stay in the game. In this section, Calvin neither does justice to the scouts, nor the complex world of sabermetrics in sport.
There is no doubt about Calvin’s writing—it is refined, street-smart, and eminently readable. There are some memorable flourishes that may draw a smile or ire from the reader, some examples being:
The Nowhere Men was first published in 2013, and the references to then-tyros and youth-level starlets have naturally dated. Raheem Sterling, John Swift, Jeremie Boga, and Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill have all had varied levels of success, yet readers will undoubtedly enjoy the anecdotes and predictions laid down by the scouts about the above players and others. The Nowhere Men is sprinkled liberally with these little gems.
Modern football is an unforgiving shouting match wherein the little voices are drowned out. However, upon reading The Nowhere Men, the reader may come to realise that within the din lies the roar of the ‘mileage men’ as they rage against the dying of their profession. It is important to listen to that roar.
HIGHLIGHTED PASSAGE
STARS: 4/5
FULL TIME SCORE: 3-1 winners. The scout—who brought two of the game’s debutants to the club—is halfway across the country watching another game.
The highlights of The Nowhere Men are certainly the conversations Calvin has with the scouts who have ‘put the miles in’ over decades in the business. Mel Johnson, Steve Jones, and especially John Griffin are warmly given the soapbox to give their take on their trade and reminisce on old glories. Of particular note is the conversation between Barry Lloyd, Allan Gemmell, and Pat Holland (the transcript of which is an entire chapter); Steve Jones’ scouting report on a Colchester side; and John Griffin’s catharsis at the end. These men are in their twilight, fighting against the technology that will eventually supplant them. Their stories alone could justify a spin-off series.
The final third of the book gets a bit ragged as Calvin spreads himself too thin and loses focus. The usual references to sabermetrics and Moneyball feature here, as well as the pervasive influence of statistics and video scouting. There are tenuous asides to American sport, too. Clearly the focus of the book is on the ‘nowhere men’ and their struggle to stay in the game. In this section, Calvin neither does justice to the scouts, nor the complex world of sabermetrics in sport.
There is no doubt about Calvin’s writing—it is refined, street-smart, and eminently readable. There are some memorable flourishes that may draw a smile or ire from the reader, some examples being:
“You can’t create a love letter out of numbers, or express beauty in an algorithm. There’s no sensuality in a sine curve, or warmth in a heat map. The neuron boogie, which causes tiny hairs to elevate on the back of a scout’s neck, is a timeless tune.” (pg. 371)
“You will be able to spot the football scouts, if you reach the celestial gates. To merge Hollywood images, they will be the angels with dirty faces” (pg. 270)
The Nowhere Men was first published in 2013, and the references to then-tyros and youth-level starlets have naturally dated. Raheem Sterling, John Swift, Jeremie Boga, and Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill have all had varied levels of success, yet readers will undoubtedly enjoy the anecdotes and predictions laid down by the scouts about the above players and others. The Nowhere Men is sprinkled liberally with these little gems.
Modern football is an unforgiving shouting match wherein the little voices are drowned out. However, upon reading The Nowhere Men, the reader may come to realise that within the din lies the roar of the ‘mileage men’ as they rage against the dying of their profession. It is important to listen to that roar.
HIGHLIGHTED PASSAGE
“Whether it is watching a park game on a Sunday morning, or Bromley, or Dartford, or Manchester United or Liverpool, you’ve got to be there. You’ve got to put the miles in. You’ve got to be there, because if you ain’t wearing those tyres out, you ain’t going to find that one.” (pg. 147) (Allan Gemmell)
“The Nowhere Men were an increasingly endangered species, but no one had found the magic bullet, the ultimate statistic which proved, beyond doubt, a player’s worth from a spread sheet rather than a stream of consciousness, scrawled on the back of an envelope by a scout who felt football in his bones.” (pg. 172)
STARS: 4/5
FULL TIME SCORE: 3-1 winners. The scout—who brought two of the game’s debutants to the club—is halfway across the country watching another game.
February 5, 2018
This was in many ways a rarity in football books, an in-depth study of an area that is rarely featured in the press, but still a vital part of the game. This is more than just a collection of conversations with those on the periphery of football; scouts at Liverpool to League 2 are covered, as well as an insightful interview with the Brentford owner.
There are two strands to the book, a look at the individual characters and a wider discussion of the changing nature of scouts to the more modern analysts. This is far from a fawning work, but Calvin is clearly favourable towards the scouts, and late on he admits this is in part due to similarities with his own profession. This adds a warmth to the characters described, and reading this a few years after publication, the youth prospects are generally better known, which made it more interesting for me (but also more surprising that the later edition mentions little-known upstart Raheem 'Stirling' on the back cover). In contrast to Calvin's later book on managers, this has more of Calvin's personal input, which allows him to question some of the interviewees a bit more, as well as offering another viewpoint to the scouting fraternity. He also varies the chapter styles, some featuring matches exclusively, and one which was just a dialogue between three scouts.
The format was clever too. Initially, there was a description of what a scout actually does, but later chapters put this in the perspective of a changing game, one which saw performance analysts replacing 'the flat caps'. Although some more modern voices still paid lip service towards the men who watch games live, multiple interviewees gave the impression that data is so extensive that the traditional concept of a scout is close to obsolete, at least in terms of discovering a player. But even the strongest advocates of data acknowledge its flaws; the exception in this book is Damien Comolli.
The message from this book was ultimately a sad one, however. It's clear that most scouts are paid very little, and are really doing it as a hobby with like-minded souls, clinging on desperately to still be part of football. As a result, they are seen as disposable by managers and clubs, and subject to the whims of a particular manager rather than being treated as long-term employees. Though many bristled at the idea they were going to games as spectators, it was obvious they still wanted to be part of the matchday.
There are two strands to the book, a look at the individual characters and a wider discussion of the changing nature of scouts to the more modern analysts. This is far from a fawning work, but Calvin is clearly favourable towards the scouts, and late on he admits this is in part due to similarities with his own profession. This adds a warmth to the characters described, and reading this a few years after publication, the youth prospects are generally better known, which made it more interesting for me (but also more surprising that the later edition mentions little-known upstart Raheem 'Stirling' on the back cover). In contrast to Calvin's later book on managers, this has more of Calvin's personal input, which allows him to question some of the interviewees a bit more, as well as offering another viewpoint to the scouting fraternity. He also varies the chapter styles, some featuring matches exclusively, and one which was just a dialogue between three scouts.
The format was clever too. Initially, there was a description of what a scout actually does, but later chapters put this in the perspective of a changing game, one which saw performance analysts replacing 'the flat caps'. Although some more modern voices still paid lip service towards the men who watch games live, multiple interviewees gave the impression that data is so extensive that the traditional concept of a scout is close to obsolete, at least in terms of discovering a player. But even the strongest advocates of data acknowledge its flaws; the exception in this book is Damien Comolli.
The message from this book was ultimately a sad one, however. It's clear that most scouts are paid very little, and are really doing it as a hobby with like-minded souls, clinging on desperately to still be part of football. As a result, they are seen as disposable by managers and clubs, and subject to the whims of a particular manager rather than being treated as long-term employees. Though many bristled at the idea they were going to games as spectators, it was obvious they still wanted to be part of the matchday.
July 7, 2024
Michael Calvin takes a look into the world of the football scout in English professional football. It is an interesting read for a footie fan. It explains the life, challenges and rewards of being a football scout, who are over-worked and under paid in the cash-rich world of modern football. It looks at how the modern game is moving to more computer-based analysis of young players, based on statistics, rather than simply watching them play. This presents an existential threat to the "old-school" scouts who stand on the touch lines of schoolboy and lower league matches across Europe to spot the next superstar of the game. The new approach is now threatening to make the role of "the Nowhere Men" a thing of the past. It is a warm tribute to the footballing men who dedicate their lives to scouting with little reward or recognition. They do it just for the love of the game and to stay involved. It was written 14 years ago, so it was interesting to read the speculation of the scouts about players who have now gone on to good careers (in some cases) or disappeared from view (in most cases).
April 1, 2021
As the Times sports book of the year in 2014, I expected much more. Michael Calvin condenses a series of interviews and stories related by scouts operating across the divisions in the UK in a book. While the stories are possibly interesting, the book lacked an overarching theme.
The biggest business in football is signing a player when he is an unfinished product, and then selling him on for multimillion dollar transfer fees. Scouting for this talent is the lifeblood of the football industry.
However, scouting is an inexact science. One cannot make a judgement on the long term potential of a player based on current performance. Thierry Henry was for example bypassed by many in his teenage years while Jack Wilshere was touted as the next big thing. A scout also operates in a competitive arena where he does not get the benefit of getting the know the player up close. If a talent is spotted, one must move fast as hundreds of other clubs will want his signature. So clubs end up taking chances. For every success there are one hundred failures.
Such is the life of a scout.
The biggest business in football is signing a player when he is an unfinished product, and then selling him on for multimillion dollar transfer fees. Scouting for this talent is the lifeblood of the football industry.
However, scouting is an inexact science. One cannot make a judgement on the long term potential of a player based on current performance. Thierry Henry was for example bypassed by many in his teenage years while Jack Wilshere was touted as the next big thing. A scout also operates in a competitive arena where he does not get the benefit of getting the know the player up close. If a talent is spotted, one must move fast as hundreds of other clubs will want his signature. So clubs end up taking chances. For every success there are one hundred failures.
Such is the life of a scout.
February 1, 2020
By sheer coincidence I finished ‘The Unknown Story of Football’s True Talent Spotters’ on the day the latest transfer window closed. This excellent book goes behind all the ridiculous hype and frenzy from Sky Sports and gives a voice to the football scouts who would’ve been mainly responsible for bringing the players involved in the transfers to the attention of the clubs. The author very generously allows these people to tell their stories and share their experiences, many of them now only receiving petrol money (‘the forty-pence milers) as payment from the clubs. With football in danger of being completely swamped by Moneyball inspired analytical technology the book is an eloquent and thoughtful reminder that nothing will ever effectively take the place of a talent scout with a trained eye watching games and making judgements and recommendations on players.
November 1, 2018
Fascinating
Michael Calvin has written a superbly researched, warts and all, sympathetic book about scouting in football. He also covers how this involving using technology and the concept of moneyball. If you want to read this book to read about big stars and how they were scouted, it think football starts and ends with the big 6 premier league clubs don't bother. This is a human story of passion, obsession and love of the beautiful game, it's about scouring the lower league's, the youth matches, getting paid in mileage and not caring about the lack of money. My only small criticism is that occasionally the stories from different scouts are similar to one another but that's not the authors fault and just goes to prove the authenticity of the research. A great read.
Michael Calvin has written a superbly researched, warts and all, sympathetic book about scouting in football. He also covers how this involving using technology and the concept of moneyball. If you want to read this book to read about big stars and how they were scouted, it think football starts and ends with the big 6 premier league clubs don't bother. This is a human story of passion, obsession and love of the beautiful game, it's about scouring the lower league's, the youth matches, getting paid in mileage and not caring about the lack of money. My only small criticism is that occasionally the stories from different scouts are similar to one another but that's not the authors fault and just goes to prove the authenticity of the research. A great read.
June 13, 2018
This book was highly rated by others and I could see why after the first few chapters.
The author brings across a detailed account of the sometimes harsh and underpaid lives of football scouts so that you began to feel sad about their lives away from home and on the motorways.
What let the book down for me was that it reverted back to the same characters and teams rather than spread the net wider to get a better view of the lives at different levels of the game.
Definitely worth a read but was glad when the end came.
The author brings across a detailed account of the sometimes harsh and underpaid lives of football scouts so that you began to feel sad about their lives away from home and on the motorways.
What let the book down for me was that it reverted back to the same characters and teams rather than spread the net wider to get a better view of the lives at different levels of the game.
Definitely worth a read but was glad when the end came.
October 9, 2019
A good insight into the life of British scouts and the evolution of scouting on the island. The book can be meandering at times, and suffers a little from a lack of editing. I thijo Calvin wanted to include a lot of personal stories about people who are often unacknowledged and forgotten, which is admirable, but detracts a little from the flow and readability of the book. It would have been interesting to see a contrast between scouting in the UK VS other top European and South American leagues, but I can understand that the research and resources involved in doing that might be challenging.
January 18, 2021
Even though it's a couple of years old I loved this book though it left me with 2 main feelings :
1) pity for these and other men and women trying to cling onto relevance in football when football takes so much more than it gives to everyone but the elite;
2) disgust at both the 'big clubs' for rigging youth player development in their favour at the expense of smaller clubs and the players but also to the supporters big clubs who with their blind allegiance enable such predatory behaviour - as shown in this book EP3
1) pity for these and other men and women trying to cling onto relevance in football when football takes so much more than it gives to everyone but the elite;
2) disgust at both the 'big clubs' for rigging youth player development in their favour at the expense of smaller clubs and the players but also to the supporters big clubs who with their blind allegiance enable such predatory behaviour - as shown in this book EP3
March 16, 2022
I was really disappointed by this book. On paper it is everything a football fan looks for- background gossip, a few famous names and most importantly a way of life that seems a lifetime away. However the structure was all wrong. It felt like a hodgepodge of stories thrown together without a clear narrative. One can’t help but feel better editing could have turned this into a great book which is a shame
April 6, 2025
An interesting, but slightly outdated look at the world of the football scout. It provides a solid overview. But if you're more than passively interested in football already, I'd say you know about 98% of what's covered in this book. It's much better when it focuses on the personal/human side of things.
Overall it's an enjoyable and easy read, just don't expect to have your mind blown or anything.
3.5/5
Overall it's an enjoyable and easy read, just don't expect to have your mind blown or anything.
3.5/5
December 30, 2018
Scouting the scouts
This is a fascinating insight into the scouting process that goes on in football. It's not an exact science, more of an art which is in the process of being made more algorithmic. At the heart of the story lies the battle between the traditionalists and the statisticians.
This is a fascinating insight into the scouting process that goes on in football. It's not an exact science, more of an art which is in the process of being made more algorithmic. At the heart of the story lies the battle between the traditionalists and the statisticians.
February 20, 2020
Very good insight into the hidden part of the world of football made interesting by the human stories of the scouts. Really shows the fickle and ephemeral nature of the football "industry". Only slight downside (it's very minor) is there's an awful lot of names of those involved to remember and track which I'm not great at.
September 6, 2023
This book addresses a topic that isn't very glamorous but still mysterious. How football scouts work, What their lifestyle is like, And mainly all the obstacles they face, especially in the modern computerized world. The chapters do drag on and the same idea seems to be repeated over and over. I often got lost in the chapters and didn't know where the author was going.
April 6, 2024
It is full of anecdotes and stories of old time scouts but I thoroughly enjoyed that. Hearing how little the life of an on the road scout has changed since this book was read is worrying but this book helps you appreciate the work that they put in, when usually the outside world wouldn't be aware of the work they do.
January 11, 2025
Published 12 years ago at a time when football anayltics was less well developed but already widespread, this is still a good read today. Many of the youth players mentioned are familiar with alongside the cautionary tale of those who are mentioned but go on to have less stellar careers. Raheem Sterling or Jordan Ibe.
January 30, 2018
Michael Calvin meanders slightly, and it's not always easy to keep track of whose sage advice he's paraphrasing at any one point, but this is an interesting insight into a side of the beautiful game that's as much a mystery to the average fan as anything.
January 6, 2021
Crap. A boring read about privileged people in an industry people would die to work in, moaning about nothing in particular. The book's structure is so bad, jumps all over the place, no flow, very repetitive.
Skip.
I wish I did.
Skip.
I wish I did.
October 29, 2021
Definitely a book for the football fans. It reads like a collection of anecdotes and stories than a book though.
Fascinating stuff, I'm firm believer that the eye test always prevails in football and this book really opens your eyes on how undervalued these scouts are.
Fascinating stuff, I'm firm believer that the eye test always prevails in football and this book really opens your eyes on how undervalued these scouts are.
November 11, 2022
The book goes through lives of different scouts and their philosophies. Gets a bit repetitive after a while. Interesting it know about the way how scouting works in general with no specific science behind it but gets boring after similar story done again and again.
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