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Mick Wadsworth of Gretna - CSA Technical Director?


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Wow. This was hidden at the bottom of the story about Gretna possibly going in to administration with their owner ill in hospital and missing payroll...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/g/gretna/7253673.stm

Meanwhile, Wadsworth has reiterated his commitment to the club's cause despite revealing he is to be interviewed for another job.

"Brooks' health has made it a testing time for everyone at the club," he told the Gretna website.

"There are many issues to be dealt with and many problems to solve but rest assured everybody is committed to improving the current situation.

"With regard to my personal situation, and with Brooks' permission, I have been interviewed by the Canadian Soccer Association to become their Technical Director.

"It is only an interview and I haven't been offered the job. Suffice to say, Brooks knows that I am committed to Gretna for the foreseeable future."

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Here is his wiki profile: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Wadsworth

A bit of mixed bag as far as his career history, not unqualified for the post but not a top-notch candidate either. The optics of yet another English technical director aren't exactly good. Does the CSA even look anywhere else? It seems to me that we could probably get some stronger candidates for cheaper from some countries that are producing a larger number of technically skilled players than England, ie. South America, Czech Republic, former Yugoslavian states. If he does become TD I will give him a chance just like I believe Mitchell should be given a chance. Yet considering reports that the cost for Simoes and his assistants was similar to the cost for a cheaper coach (Mitchell) and a separate TD, I would have preferred Simoes and his team as I think they would have done much more to reform the present system (which is probably what the CSA does not want).

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Here's another bio on a Norwich fan site:

http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/wadsworth.htm

He's coached under Bobby Robson at Newcastle. He was also NT Manager for DR Congo.

I wonder if he worked with John Carver at Newcastle? ...and perhaps Brennan at Norwich?

He seems to still be heavily involved in day-to-day coaching. I wonder if he's prepared for more of a desk job?

I agree we need to look further afield from the UK for our TD. Richard Bate was an exception to that for me... but I'm not so sure whether Wadsworth fits the bill.

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Just what do you guys think a technical director does ?

The job is to teach coaches not to produce players.

In fact in Canada the real job is to help define a functional structure for the game to allow a flow of participants to higher functional levels... that most likely properly constituted includes coaching development and movement, including how to get coaches to move to professional teams in other countries to develop as coaches.

So it means finding young coaches and aiding them in progressing to higher levels of coaching.

It also means getting the National Association aware of the tools individual coaches need to develop players in the elite stream, that of course includes the creation of viable competitive environments on individual teams within clubs.

This is where the Technical Director needs to understand the rules and regulations that function in Canada... and to understand organisational structures to make changes.

Quite frankly a second grade coach/manager from Scotland just does not have the skill set to see the issues let alone manage a change process in a complex organisation.

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quote:Originally posted by Trillium

Just what do you guys think a technical director does ?

The job is to teach coaches not to produce players.

Yeah you idiots! Stop going on and on post after post about the TD producing players. If I read it one more time, one more time, I'm going to vomit. I bet you dumbasses think footballers are delivered by Englishmen dressed as storks.

Too bad Trilium is busy showing us how incredibly mentally deficient we all are. He would be a fantastic technical director. This guy is a superstar! Trust me, I'm an internet expert on recruiting other internet experts such as internet technical directors.

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quote:Originally posted by Eric

Give me a break!! more kick and run? what we need is to find none british coaches with a british accent, then we can move on.

Can't they find some local Torontonian with a scottish accent?. Hey I am all for hiring guys with socttish accents. I mean, they produced nothing here so far so why would we want to change anything? But please, please, let's hire a local coach with a scottish accent and not let an incompetent foreigner steal jobs from our own incompetents!!

Geez.

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quote:Originally posted by Trillium

Just what do you guys think a technical director does ?

The job is to teach coaches not to produce players.

What is written in the posts above that make you assume we don't know this? Beyond perhaps the A License program I don't see the TD directly delivering coaching education. The job will be about developing standards, policy and educating the coach educators. Where an opinion is expressed in the posts above it is pretty clear that the people in this thread want much more than Wadsworth seems to be able to offer.

quote:Originally posted by Trillium

In fact in Canada the real job is to help define a functional structure for the game to allow a flow of participants to higher functional levels... that most likely properly constituted includes coaching development and movement, including how to get coaches to move to professional teams in other countries to develop as coaches.

So it means finding young coaches and aiding them in progressing to higher levels of coaching.

It also means getting the National Association aware of the tools individual coaches need to develop players in the elite stream, that of course includes the creation of viable competitive environments on individual teams within clubs.

This is where the Technical Director needs to understand the rules and regulations that function in Canada... and to understand organisational structures to make changes.

The job should be about developing better coaching education programs and training the course instructors (or bringing in better course instructors) to deliver that program. That person is also going to have to sell their ideas to the provincial associations (given the current situation). That is why I wondered whether Wadsworth would be ready for more of a desk job. IMO, more important than an immediate understanding of the various rules and regs is that the person has an open mind. They also must have excellent European or South American qualifications and good experience doing the job somewhere else.

I agree that this person needs to have a long look at our current competitive structure. This means sitting in meetings and convincing people why their system will be better.

quote:Originally posted by Trillium

Quite frankly a second grade coach/manager from Scotland just does not have the skill set to see the issues let alone manage a change process in a complex organisation.

Good. So you agree with us then?

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quote:Originally posted by Daniel

I wouldn't be surprised if the CSA hadn't a clue on how to start looking for a non-English speaking TD (and would it want one?).

Too clarify what you probably meant. I think we do need a TD who speaks English because otherwise how would he communicate what changes should be implemented in our system. However, I don't think that there should be any requirement that English is his first language.

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quote:Originally posted by The Ref

Can someone refresh my mind as to who was the TD before Osieck who had a dual job?

Bill Thomson was appointed the first full time Technical Director of the CSA in 1974 and during his tenure to 1985 was responsible for the design and implementation of the coaching certificate program for soccer in Canada.

http://www.insidesoccer.net/?p=164

Following Thomson I thought Tony Waiters took the position for a time but he doesn't mention it on his web site.

http://www.worldofsoccer.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=40&Itemid=51

I can't find any reference to Canada having a TD between Bearpark and Osieck????

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I think I played with Bill Thomson in the early 80's on a rec team that was mostly UK ex-pats. A few known soccer people were on that team, Bill, Ed Donagher (who brought Lindon Hooper into the picture), Chris Bellamy.

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Here is what I found out on the TD.

Dick Howard late 80's early 90's---- What was his contribution. Has Dick Howard ever coached a team in his life, boys girls, club, Provincial, National. No record anywhere

Gary Miller 90's

Holger Osieck 99-2005

Dick Bate 8 months resigned to take over the reserves at Watford

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Now that you mention it I had heard that Dick Howard was the TD at one point. A quick look at Wikipedia (for what it's worth) reveals that he was a Youth National Team coach in 81 and a National Team Assistant (edit) Coach in 82. He was CSA TD from 86 to 92.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Howard_(soccer)

Gary Miller is now Academy Director for Bryst. It says on the SAAC site that he was the Canadian 'High Performance' Director from 90 to 92. So, if Wikipedia is accurate, Miller was never actually the TD as he was there the same time as Howard and had a different (if not very similar) title. Since Bryst is a member of SAAC I assume the guys involved in the CSF movement know him quite well.

http://www.academysoccer.ca/index.php?page=profile&pick=002

We still have a big gap from 92 to 99 though...

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