Then and now : Sun Dec 10, 2017 5:59 pm
It was interesting to read how Wally Lewis met his new teammates and was struck (and humbled) by the fact that they had clean faces, having had a quick wash before coming to training, but the rest of their bodies were black with the grime of a hard day's work on the coalface or construction site. These were men who played either because of the love of the game or because it offered the chance of a few more quid into the house. Either way, "King Wally" turning up might eke out a few wins but someone would be losing out financially to this man who was paid more for 10 games than the rest of the team got between them for the season.That's a difficult bridge to build and looking at the reception and welcome Wally is being given now, it's something he must have succeeded with.
So when did everything change so dramatically or are we really still very close to those dark days. Professionalism is not just being paid but having the right mindset and environment. How much harder must our management team be having to work to maintain this professional environment than such as Warrington or Hull with all their financial advantages.
Has the academy structure made such a difference and is it an essential factor in bringing through young talent? It seems that the current generation do nothing more than slump lifelessly in front of their screens and our Community teams is charges with the task of engaging with these kids and inspiring them into physical activity. The community clubs seem to do a remarkable job in unearthing a prodigious stream of natural talent but it can only be coming from a small, and shrinking, pool of kids who they have managed to reach. Then of course, we have the pro football clubs who hoover up and buy every child with matching feet and greedy/ ambitious/ pushy parents into their system, ban them from any form of unauthorised exercise without specific permission then spew them onto the scrapheap in their early teens where they are disenfranchised from football and lacking the basic awareness of other sports such as rugby or cricket.
It would be fascinating to hear from those involved within our Community team about the challenges they face and how they are delivering such outstanding results at Wakefield. Perhaps it's because Trinity has the least to offer in terms of facilities so has to make up for this with attention to the detail of treating these kids well and helping them to buy into our club's ethos.