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True Grit

Scouting essentials

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[quote user="Number 9"]Mr Grit, is it important to use a toilet before kickoff so you don''t have to pop out during the game?

What are your thoughts on the half time number 1 or number 2? I heard that serious scouts are divided by this, some popping out and being ridiculed by the hard nosed ultra scouts.[/quote]

Get to know your services of you''re travelling far - Nothing worse than being caught short on a lonely road. In terms of when you get to the ground, You''re right, you need to be watching all passages of play and imo it''s unacceptable to ''pop out'' as you put it. I aim to be seated 1 hour before kick off where possible to watch warm ups and drills.

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More sound advice.

I note that packed lunches were mentioned earlier and we''ve now broached services.

Do you find it difficult to resist the Krispy Kreme donuts and KFCs? Or do you partake and then employ a rigorous exercise regime in order to maintain an athletically professional aesthetic for potential clients?

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[quote user="Duncan Edwards"]More sound advice.

I note that packed lunches were mentioned earlier and we''ve now broached services.

Do you find it difficult to resist the Krispy Kreme donuts and KFCs? Or do you partake and then employ a rigorous exercise regime in order to maintain an athletically professional aesthetic for potential clients?[/quote]

I generally eat clean, but there will be instances where you need to change your appearance if you''re revisiting a hostile club, who are suspicious of scouts tapping up their players. In which case I will bulk up for a week or so before using foods with high fat contents - I will stress that method-scouting is rare, but an essential skill.

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[quote user="True Grit"][quote user="Duncan Edwards"]More sound advice.

I note that packed lunches were mentioned earlier and we''ve now broached services.

Do you find it difficult to resist the Krispy Kreme donuts and KFCs? Or do you partake and then employ a rigorous exercise regime in order to maintain an athletically professional aesthetic for potential clients?[/quote]

I generally eat clean, but there will be instances where you need to change your appearance if you''re revisiting a hostile club, who are suspicious of scouts tapping up their players. In which case I will bulk up for a week or so before using foods with high fat contents - I will stress that method-scouting is rare, but an essential skill.[/quote]

Ah yes, eating fatty foods for a week would obviously make you practically invisible. I''m sure the 3 pounds you''d put on would make you unnoticeable.

Would you recommend drinking a coffee so you''re more alert?

Would you recommend asking a steward where your seat as as they can be difficult to find at times?

What''s your opinion on buying a program so you know who each player is based on their number?

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[quote user="Mark Fotheringham City Legend"]

Ah yes, eating fatty foods for a week would obviously make you practically invisible. I''m sure the 3 pounds you''d put on would make you unnoticeable.

Would you recommend drinking a coffee so you''re more alert?

Would you recommend asking a steward where your seat as as they can be difficult to find at times?

What''s your opinion on buying a program so you know who each player is based on their number?[/quote]

Being alert is essential - most important is good rest the night before, although some of the high end scouts are now using self drive Teslas, enabling high quality delta-sleep on the way to games too. I will sometimes go for a coffee as a pick me up - must say I''ve seen some of the younger scouts knocking back high velocity energy drinks, such as Rock-Star and Monster.

Never speak to stewards, you need to blend in, only raises suspicion as to why you''re there. You should know seat plans anyway, and especially player names/numbers - research is key.

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ah yes, you need to blend in so asking a steward where your seat is you''ll stand out like a sore thumb no one ever does that.

I''ve also been a matchday steward for York city and they have often told me to be on the look out for scouts and try and find them and eject them.

I thought I was just a man in a jacket but the power is great.

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[quote user="Rock The Boat"]Why are boy scouts but girl guides?[/quote]Because boys scout, and girls guide.

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Surely TG if you have the tablet why don''t you just video the game and enjoy it then write about it later,. Do this and you could progress to being a pundit on the telly.

Also when a manager wants to know about a player you can down load the recording and let him judge for himself - taking any criticism off you as a scout.

TGD

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Will be around to answer questions as much as I can, but next couple of days are busy. Off to Belarus to see Krumkacy Minsk host Boshina Bobruisk. Heard about a couple of prospects there which need looking at urgently.

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Hmmm, this gets interesting. I called my mate who works at the airport and he reports that a private charter plane left an hour ago with a flight plan logged for Barcelona via Belarus. I think this TG may be the real deal.

Further, my mate says the plane is hired to a Gordon somebody, the last name was illegible.

Could this be the eponymous Good News Gordon??

TG/NGN not a million miles away.

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[quote user="TIL 1010"]Have you done any scouting for Vitesse Arnham lately True Grit ? [/quote]

Can''t name the club I work for (sorry).

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[quote user="Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB"]As you are travelling to foreign places make sure you have packed some Imodium, you really do not want to miss key moments because you are legging it to and from the bog.......[/quote]If you''re a proper scout, you stay in your seat, so as not to miss a moment of the action if you get my gist![;)]

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[quote user="Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB"]As you are travelling to foreign places make sure you have packed some Imodium, you really do not want to miss key moments because you are legging it to and from the bog.......[/quote]

Can we keep the thread serious please -There''s already been toilet talk. The point of the thread is to act as a hub of Information and good practice in relation to being a scout.

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[quote user="Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB"]I get the feeling True Grit forgot to pack the Imodium given his tetchy response. Any top scout will tell you that you prepare for all eventualities, Imodium is a key part of those preparations when scouting abroad.......[/quote]

Well in fairness he has got Rodent in his avatar, so maybe its his role model..

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Dear Mr Grit,Using your vast scouting knowledge, who would you recommend as an alternative to McCormack if it falls through? Any up and coming gems you have spotted on your travels within our price range?

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True Git has contractual obligations and is not at liberty to spill the beans. Please do keep up.

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I think there''s an impatient audience keen to know how your scouting trip went. What are the facilities like in Belarus? How warm were their sausage rolls?Also, I note Tom Cavendish is back posting. I for one would love to see some kind of "scout-off" to see who is the scout supreme of the two of you.

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[quote user="True Grit"]Hi,

As some of you may know I''ve been working for a major FL72 club (i cant name the club due to contractual obligations) as a scout for the the last year, which is why I haven''t been posting content on the forum (sorry guys). I have a number of prospects on my books and am looking forward to a successful transfer period before deadline day.

A number of users have messaged me asking about scouting so I thought I should share some knowledge and tips. The thread will be a platform for good practice in terms of how to be a successful scout.

If you have any questions, please don''t hesitate to ask.

To start here are some fundamentals:

1) wear appropriate clothing - you will be working outside a lot, pack a suitable jacket and keep a spare in your car.

2) keep your car serviced regularly - you will be doing a lot of milage. Check wheel nuts and tyre pressures every 100 miles. Carry oil and washer fluid to top up where necessary.

3) change your appearance regularly - clubs (especially lower tier) can be hostile towards scouts, at the end of the day they want to keep their best players. Grow a beard, shave it off, wear hats, different clothing, etc.

That should get you started, I will post more content over the course of the season and answer any questions I possibly can.

Best,

True Grit[/quote]

Compared to the serious issues at hand regarding Delia & Wynnie this is a very silly post.

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I was a scout for a football club once.

I used have multiple characters I could pretend to be.

I was really good at it. I found a secret training base in Asia, hidden under a dormant volcano. I was so good in fact that only the best wanted to hire me.

It all went tits up when I had used my cover to tap up players and managers wives and girlfriends, wags to the common man.

I tried management after that. Took me a while to come out of character but now I manage Crystal Palace.

The names Pardew, Alan Pardew.

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[quote user="Dr. Ink"]Dear Mr Grit,Using your vast scouting knowledge, who would you recommend as an alternative to McCormack if it falls through? Any up and coming gems you have spotted on your travels within our price range? [/quote]

Hey everybody, sorry for my lack of responses to the thread - it''s been a busy few weeks for me, mostly looking at players in eastern Europe.

I did know from my source from inside the club the McCormack deal was never going to happen but I couldn''t disclose that at the time as it wouldn''t have been within the club''s best interests. In terms of a striker which would suit us for a season in the championship I would go for none other than Martin Andreev Kamburov of Locomotiv Plovdiv. Yes, he''s 35 but he''s prolific and would be an excellent aquisition for this season.

Yesterday I had a rare day off from my scouting duties and went to the game purely long a recreational basis - let me tell you that while I was scanning the crowd I noticed a head scout from a major premier league club, I can''t name any names as it would be unprofessional, but this guys a serious player in the scouting world and ruthless to boot. Nicknamed the Pitbull, this fella doesn''t mess about - I''m. Sorry to say but there will be a major scalp from the team come deadline day - the Pitbull doesn''t just go to grounds for the fun of it, he means business. I saw Jez was keeping a very close eye on him, but even he is out of his depth here.

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