Matt Taylor on Grecian Gossip

[John William]

As for the relocation problem, the other thing we don't tend to see because we live down here is the cost of buying a house. For the price of our standard three beds down here you can buying rather plush four beds in some areas in the north. Is it any wonder that some players think twice before coming down?

I suspect L1 / L2 players who are not on big money tend to fall into three broad groups - younger ones who are happy to rent / share a flat; mid-career ones who are maybe settling down with young family etc. but are still relatively mobile; and later career players who may have kids at school and are thinking longer term. Didn't we read that both Moxey and Stockley (and maybe their other halves) were in part motivated by getting kids settled in pleasant places to live etc.

It's the middle group who we may have the hardest job to attract?

 

[The Proper Chap]

As for the relocation problem, the other thing we don't tend to see because we live down here is the cost of buying a house. For the price of our standard three beds down here you can buying rather plush four beds in some areas in the north. Is it any wonder that some players think twice before coming down?

It's swings and roundabouts though, 300 - 350k won't get you much in the south east, it will only get you a **** hole in London.

A lot of lower league / conference players in London and the south east must be house sharing or living in pretty basic homes.

For 350k you can get a decent place in and around Exeter.

The average price of a property in Exeter comes in at around 280k.

 

[Jason H]

It's swings and roundabouts though, 300 - 350k won't get you much in the south east, it will only get you a **** hole in London.

A lot of lower league / conference players in London and the south east must be house sharing or living in pretty basic homes.

For 350k you can get a decent place in and around Exeter.

The average price of a property in Exeter comes in at around 280k.

In fairness Ian was being pretty specific (as were others in this instance) about attracting players from oop North. £350k in Accrington (for example) would buy you a mansion (I know, I looked at prices there a couple of months back!).

The London thing is more a "bubble" issue in that players in the London/SE area see Exeter as being practically the other side of the world. I remember a few years ago we tried to get Ben Strevens (I think), he was quite specific in saying he hadn't realised just how far from home Exeter was (despite having played at the Park a few weeks previously!).

 

[The Proper Chap]

On the subject of location Plymouth have signed yet another player from Scotland, they don't seem to have many issues attracting players from one end of the UK to the other.

 

[The Proper Chap]

The London thing is more a "bubble" issue in that players in the London/SE area see Exeter as being practically the other side of the world. I remember a few years ago we tried to get Ben Strevens (I think), he was quite specific in saying he hadn't realised just how far from home Exeter was (despite having played at the Park a few weeks previously!).

One player hardly makes it gospel.

Plenty of players will move to the south west from London.

 

[John William]

On the subject of location Plymouth have signed yet another player from Scotland, they don't seem to have many issues attracting players from one end of the UK to the other.

They are a mid-table L1 team with at least 2X our budget and can presumably pay their players a lot more than we can.

 

[The Proper Chap]

They are a mid-table L1 team with at least 2X our budget and can presumably pay their players a lot more than we can.

The players still move and did so when they were in league 2.

Someone like Forte is from Sheffield and most recently played for Notts County which is obviously quite close to Sheffield.

He was obviously happy to make the move, he scored 10 goals last season so I'm pretty sure he could have found clubs much closer to home.

Every player is different, for some moving to the south west will be seen as a big plus, it's not strictly a negative.

 

[edwin_price]

I think its going to depend on the player... there's no one size fits all. Some players will be attracted to the area, others won't care about moving... others won't consider it. Its the same as any other line of work. Would you take a job if it had a good salary attached and was a good professional opportunity if it was based in Newcastle, for instance? There'll be plenty on here who'd be happy to, if they liked the job. Newcastle has plenty to offer... Other's might recognize that the area's got a lot to offer, but not even consider moving, even for a good salary bump and a great job. People's lives are entangled with partners, friends, kids, etc. There are definitely players who'd be up for the move, but they are people... they're not all attracted to the same thing and lives are complex.

 

[Red Monster]

The point is Matt Taylor has said it’s a big issue.

I’m sure lots of players can stay put around the Manchester area without moving house and sign for lots of clubs within a 80 miles radius ,not to many clubs like that around here.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

It's swings and roundabouts though, 300 - 350k won't get you much in the south east, it will only get you a **** hole in London.

A lot of lower league / conference players in London and the south east must be house sharing or living in pretty basic homes.

For 350k you can get a decent place in and around Exeter.

The average price of a property in Exeter comes in at around 280k.

Now try and live in the real world around here. For a reasonable sized three bedroomed house, and by that I mean where the third bedroom is big enough so that you can't kill the cat if you swing it around by it's tail and not a walk in wardrobe and presuming we're talking players with families, around Exeter you're talking at least £300k plus and more likely talking £325k plus.