Jamie Reid

Just to explain that I’m dismissive of the ‘Reid to Luton’ speculation, based solely on the lack of credibility of the website that seems to have originated the story. I hold it in such little regard that I wouldn’t bother ever clicking a link to the site, and am therefore more than sceptical that Luton are discussing anything at all to do with any of our players currently.

That said, the jump from non-league to a very successful career at the top level and even International football can and has been made, as Floridagull rightly points out, highlighting the excellent example of Jamie Vardy.

Billy Bodin of course, never dropped out of the Football league with us, let alone down to NLS level, and so numerically has had fewer ranks to rise through before being on the verge of topping the Championship as at present.


Good recent examples that fans remember are Angus MacDonald who made the transition from Non League to Championship, and looked quite at home until injury and ill health has curtailed his progress. Kieffer Moore, washed up and out on loan due to being unable to get into Non League Forest Green’s starting eleven, comes to The Gulls and has his career transformed and his confidence rebuilt, and was then off to Championship Ipswich, and currently in that same division with Wigan.

‘Ah, yes, but those players huge improvement only came about because of the sheer brilliance of King Kev’ I hear you say. ‘Nicholson’s transformative coaching recognised, developed, and brought out latent Championship quality abilities in those two players that the vast majority of coaches wouldn’t have even knew existed’ And while you may be quite right that neither Cap’n Angus or Kieffer’s careers were likely to hit the heights they have, had their paths not been lucky enough to cross with King Kev at a crucial time in their footballing lifetime, is there evidence to suggest that Jamie can go quite as far ?

Cap’n Angus, and Kieffer during his short stint with us, did well in poor Torquay teams, while being surrounded mostly by poor teammates. In contrast I’d maintain that scoring a hatful of goals at NLS level, where you would be acclaimed for scoring a hat-trick, and it could look churlish to draw attention to the other four gilt edged chances you fluffed, is unreliable evidence that you’d be a sufficiently clinical finisher at a much higher level where one or at the most two good chances might fall your way during a match, and there is far greater pressure to put them away. The same could be said of my favourite young Cornishman Psycho Janner, who may know that with our open, striker friendly style at Non League, you can miss a chance or two, in the knowledge that another 20 opportunities will come your way before full time.

We create well for our forwards, get plenty of men into advanced positions, and often win by creating more and scoring more than our opponents, taking the gamble that necessarily leaving ourselves a little frail at the back is a gamble that works for us.

How well would Reid or Janneh do at League 2 or League 1 level, in a team that doesn’t set up in anywhere near as an attacking fashion as they enjoy with us ? 'Bloody brilliantly hopefully', we’d all like to think, but I rather suspect that they’ll firstly both have to prove themselves at that sort of level before Championship football is a realistic possibility for either of them.

Possibles, though not probables are Mike Reid, because he's been dead for 10 years or more .....






..... and Mike Read, even if Luton only want to sign him up at Kenilworth Road to play the half time records. With an Election imminent I'd expect Mike to already be out campaigning. He's appeared at a Tory Conference in the past, but, as some of us do, he's become far more Right Wing as he's got older, and put his full support behind UKIP. Some may (fondly or otherwise) recall his 'UKIP Calypso' song of 5 years back. For those who'd appreciate the chance to enjoy it again, I'll add it to the Music section.






But more seriously, when it comes to the subject of strikers, and Chelstongull speaks, the rest of us would do well to shut up and listen. Chelston was not months, but years ahead of the rest of us in proclaiming the potential of Kieffer Moore. If Chelston should decide that a Championship level future most likely awaits young Jamie, then that'll be a good enough endorsement for me.

Jamie Vardy has certainly made the leap to the dig time from non-league. Some others off the top of my head to do likewise: Michail Antonio, Chris Smalling, Yannick Bolasie, Les Ferdinand and Ian Wright.

A happier parallel is Steve Bull for Wolves, took his club from the old Division 4 to challenging for the play offs in what is now known as the championship and good enough to have played in the premiership- he knew where the goal was!

If you are with a club where you are in a set up that works for you and are getting promoted and the fans love you, then less risky than starting afresh elsewhere where there is the pressure of expectation to perform.

As well as Carl Shutt. A move to the top division from Spalding United, and within the year scoring in an F.A Cup semi final for Wednesday. Then a few years later notching the winner at the Nou Camp for Leeds.

Cowley brothers at Huddersfield Town keeping an eye on Jamie apparently.