FOCUS ON CAMERON STUART, THE COLESHILL TOWN MANAGER...

FOCUS ON COLESHILL TOWN MANAGER, CAMERON STUART…

Huge thanks to Cameron Stuart for finding the time to answer my queries for this article which is being posted on the eve of his birthday…

He was a Scottish Under 18 international twice (v Belgium and Ukraine) but it was unlikely that he would represent Germany with a name like Cameron Stuart, I guess…

I believe that Aston Villa paid a tribunal fee of £50k for his teenage services from York City but in 2000-01 he made just two Reserve appearances from the bench, scoring one goal in 23 U17 games.

In 2001-02 came 23 starts and a goal for Villa’s U19 outfit, then in 2002-03, he made 3 substitute appearances for the Reserves but 30 appearances for the U19 team, netting twice. He was part of Villa’s squad which won the FA Youth Cup in 2002… 

Villa released Cam and nothing came about from trials at AFC Bournemouth, Oldham, Cheltenham, or Conference outfit Scarborough and thus his real non-league career began…

I managed to video a few of Cam's goals and they are viewable in a short movie on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheMowdog34/videos and watch out for Cam's face when Coalville's Martin Clunes, er, Martin Thompson gets sent off at Westfields and listen to the comments of injured Barwell player Adam Wykes, who was sitting next to me when Cam scored a fine free-kick against his team...

Enjoy!

Cameron was asked which pro-team he supported as a kid, about which teams he represented as a youngster and how he came to play non-league football… 

"When I was younger I followed Aberdeen as my family was from there, although it was strange being an Aberdeen fan living in York with everyone seemingly supporting Leeds and Manchester United. I did go to watch York City’s home games for a couple of years but only as a neutral.

I played for York City from the age of around 8 until I was 16 then I signed a 3 year contract with Aston Villa, hence the reason I now live in the Midlands and support the Villa. After I was released from Villa at 19, I moved back to York for 2 years where I played for Harrogate Town, Selby Town and Goole. 

I then moved back to the Midlands and had a brief spell for Bedworth where I picked up a groin injury which needed operating on and that kept me out for 7 months. On my return I played briefly for Sutton Coldfield, then a year and a half at Atherstone. After that I played over 300 games for Coalville, with a brief spell at Belper Town, Quorn, Studley and finally Chasetown."

I asked Cam about where he was most successful as a player and also where he was happiest…

"I played for Coalville for a long time under Adam Stevens and absolutely loved it. He was great for me and helped restore my love for the game. I played my best football there and when he left I was just beginning to struggle with injuries and felt it was time I dropped down a level so that Coalville could continue to progress as a club. It was hard to leave the Ravens as I loved the place and still do because it brought me my best memories in non-league football and I met some amazing people at the club along the way. Playing for Coalville and Adam Stevens was when I was at my happiest. He had some great assistant managers there, including Danny Martin and Dave Stringer, who both helped get the best out of me."

Managers and coaches who have influenced Cam?

"I’ve tried to take bits from Adam, Dave and Danny as I’ve moved into management and for me, at the level I’m managing, it’s massively important that the lads enjoy themselves. It’s not a full-time job and if they are looking forward to coming on a Saturday and Tuesday night, you have a better chance of them playing at a good level. 

It was certainly enjoyable for me at Coalville. It’s important you know how to manage your players because they all react differently and it’s important you as a manager understand that. I’m a winner and always wanted the best from my team-mates, so I expect the players I manage to go on the pitch with a will to win and to give everything they have got.

We had a mix of players at Coalville which made us successful, it’s a fine balance and one I’m trying to find with Coleshill. I have plenty of quality in the final third in my side but I also have battlers and lads that will give nothing less than 100% and are willing to put their bodies on the line."

Players Cam has admired during his career?

"I’ve played with and against some very good players in my non-league career. Leigh Everitt, who’s now my assistant manager, was one of the best players I’ve played with and although he was getting to the end of his career when I played with him, he was still immense. He wasn’t quick but his reading of the game was unbelievable and he always seemed to be in the right place, as well as talking people through the games. I would have loved to have played with him when he was in his 20’s. 

Jerome Murdock is another one I loved playing alongside and he had the lot up front. There’s loads I could mention: Ant Carney, Josh Hill, Adam Goodby, Adam Wash, Lewis Dodds, who were all players I loved as colleagues but the best I played with was Mark Ford at Harrogate. He had not long finished playing for Leeds United in the Premier League, he was a class above everyone else and offered me loads of advice as a young lad.

Ant Danylyk at Leek was one of the best I’ve played against in non-league football, displaying real quality as a footballer. Craig Ruddy at Spenymoor and Steve Spriggs at Kings Lynn were probably the toughest opponents I’ve played against."

My choice XI I have played with in non-league, is as follows:

GK: Chris Gibson: (one of my best friends so I couldn’t not put him in…)

RB: Danny Jenno: (played with him at Coalville and he is a great 1 v 1 defender)

CB: Leigh Everitt: (great talker and reader of the game)

CB: Adam Goodby: (could have and should have played a lot higher)

LB: if not me, Matt Jackson: (played couple of games at Sutton with him, a very good non league left-back)

RM: Lewis Dodds: (unbelievable energy and always good for a goal)

CM: Lee Miveld: (did the stuff no-one else wanted to do and every team needs one)

CM: Mark Ford: (different class)

LM: Ant Carney: (loved playing with him, an unbelievable talent who should have done better for himself)

CF: Jerome Murdock: (had the lot, unplayable at his best)

CF: Adam Wash: (loved playing with him, was great at linking up the play and scored a fair few goals as well)…

Cam thought about his strengths and weaknesses…

"I was lucky as a player at Coalville, for they played to my strengths as a leftie, although defensively I was never the best or the quickest and I was lucky to have players around me who understood that and helped me out. I got away with it a lot due to my positional sense, my passing but my set-pieces were my strong points and as I say, I was lucky at Coalville as a lot of non-league clubs want fast, strong and good in the air full-backs."

Memorable goals?

"I scored a fair few goals for Coalville, nearly 90 in 300 games. My best ever goal was for Harrogate against Blyth Spartans and that was a 35 yard volley, although my most enjoyable tally was my one and only hat-trick for Coalville against Sheffield. My most important goals were definitely free-kicks against Bitton and Holbrook Sports in our run to the FA Vase Final and the second goal in a game against Alvechurch, in the last match of the season which put us on the way to winning the league."

Controversies?

"No real controversial incidents to report! I did spend a lot of time arguing with referees though and getting booked for dissent, stupidly a lot of the time. I never really learned my lesson as I got older either, I have to admit."

Favourite pro-players?

"Paul Scholes and Xavi are my favourite players of the past who I loved watching, along with the obvious ones like the Brazilian Ronaldo and also Zidane, but as a kid I loved Paolo Maldini and always wanted to be like him."

Who would Cam thank in the game?

"The biggest thanks for my career in non-league has got to go to Adam Stevens, for he got the best out of me and he and Dave Stringer got my love for the game back. Danny Martin also made me look forward to going training. Three top blokes there and I speak to Dave and Adam regularly as I venture into this, my first management job." 

Hopes…

"Hopefully I can continue in coaching/management for as long as possible, even though we all fall out of love with the game from time to time but I don’t know where I’d be without it. Some of my best memories in life have come on a football field…"

Amusing incidents?

“One of the funniest things I’ve seen on a football pitch was at Goole, when their centre-half got sent-off for a terrible tackle but he then tried to fight all our players, before jumping into the crowd to try and fight some of the fans as well. The game finally got restarted 15 mins after the tackle… 

I played at some great non-league grounds in my career: Kings Lynn, Bridlington, Spennymoor and Shildon which all harbour good atmospheres for non-league. But I loved playing at Leek, a real good old-fashioned non-league ground…

We had some characters in the dressing-room, sure, and there was none better than Danny Martin; I’ve seen him pour hot sauce in his eyeballs, drink a full bottle of hot sauce and constantly wind opposition fans and managers up. One never stopped laughing when he was about…

I loved playing in non-league and I wouldn’t have changed anything about it because the people that help out at these clubs are the heroes of non-league, real football lovers doing all they can to help their local clubs out. 

I am looking forward to hopefully having many more years involved in it…”

Thanks for your time Cam…

Pete Ray

(The Mowdog…)