Thetownend.com

Joining on trial.

Good luck to him...

What a refreshing change it is these days to know we have a decent scouting network and are looking to unearth some hidden talents.

Hope it works out for the lad.

See, this is why i love pre-season. I've said it in previous pre-seasons, but young unknown players always get me excited that we might unearth some talent.

Oops Peado alert...

Its what we want, young players who have played first team football.

Not players like Ben Hutchinson who have played their entire careers in youth and reserve football.

You realise this kid has only ever played in an amateur league and for a club with "Youth Club" as part of its name?

Newington Youth club is in north belfast i think, its a pretty dodgy area if im right and is right on the peace line, my uncle doesnt live too far from here....

No, but I like him already.

That's the attitude. I do as well, as sutton realised. :)

Me too. I reckon he's mint.

It looks like this league does have games against clubs with no youth restrictions?

So he has played plenty of amateur games against defenders who are men?

Reading have done well picking up Irish talent for peanuts...never know after all what lge was Charlie playing in.

Good to see the club are least searching for these types of players. Always looking for new talent, he's gotta be worth a go.

Indeed you don't know....but in the past we've had quite a few Irishmen over, with at best mixed results....I go back to the likes of Mike O'Hara and Eoin Hand....Hand did little with us but went on to be a bit of an Irish legend at Pompey.  Then the likes of Roy Walsh and Peter Dornan got a craic under Bobby Smith...Walsh was introduced to the side by Smith that lost the first 5 on the spin in 80/81and cost him his job. Dornan's 5 min sub appearance was for some time STFC's briefest league career.

 Lou Macari had Curtis Fleming over.....legend had it Fleming turned up pre season at the CG as agreed, found nobody around and fucked off back to Ireland. He later moved to MBoro and had a successful career.

More recently McMahon had Ricky Culbertson who was a youth international, but never played a 1 st team game, and Paul MacAreavy, who played a bit...scoring a good goal v Oldham, but wasn't quite good enough....he played loads back in Ulster.

McAreavey's had quite a decent little career back in Norn Iron.

I know he came from the Welsh leagues but Jimmy Quinn proved to be quite a decent punt.

Yep McAreavey has done rightly...dirty, dirty player even by Irish League standards. Limited player though, we never missed him. This lad Darren Murray, never heard of him as Newington Y.C. aren't exactly a big force in the Irish League (think they're in League one equivalent in English football) but they do have a past of bringing some decent young players through to being gems in the Irish League.

The gentlemen who said they are North Belfast is entirely correct. Rough area indeed so he will be physically very capable, but is he good enough? I would have my doubts...good luck to him though!

Can anyone who has seen this chap play give an indication as to his ability? Just that i have seen the adver describe him as a 'Starlet' and a 'Sensation' and feel these seem to be high praise indeed. How long is his trial? :hmmm:

I wouldn't read too much into those adjectives: "Starlet" in Adver speak just means "young player" and "Sensation" (usually "teenage sensation") just means "We've already used starlet in the last sentence so we can't use it again"

 :D

I've quite liked the look of him in the games he's played vs Supermarine and Ciren. Energy and willingness to chase the ball. Got a bit of pace and knows how to play, it would seem.

Yeah I was impressed with the lad last night as well. Was really unlucky with that shot that hit the post. The follow up wasn't amazing but you can't always score. Good touch and had a bit about him.

He's prolific as well isn't he? What was his scoring rate, I know it was Charlie like. Isn't he also only 18 or something?

If he's only 18 he's worth a go isn't he. Not expecting another Charlie Austin, but you never know.

Scored a cracking goal today for the 18s by all accounts.

I should've just read the first post.  :-[


And yes, in my opinion he's very much worth a go. Although I suppose not being local would mean more money as he'd have to support himself and wouldn't have parents here to do it for him?

houseshare with another player

Hi Everyone

I have been following your message threads for the last few weeks while keeping an eye on the progress that Darren Murray is making at your beloved club Swindon Town Fc.

I can tell from the message thread that some people are looking a bit of background on Darren ad I thought that I would register and help you out. Darren was born and breed in the New Lodge area of North Belfast, an area with extremely high socio & economic problems, high rates of unemployment, low school attainment and high suicide rates. Darren is lucky enough to have been born in 1991 which was not far away from the first ceasefire in 1994 and with relative peace from then as North Belfast had one of the highest rates of deaths caused by the troubles.

I am one of the coaches with Newington YC U18s and had the pleasure of looking after Darren 'Duzzle' when he was 17. In his first season with our club Duzzle scored 48 goals in 26 games at Youth team level. He scored 5 consecutive hat tricks at one point in that season. We had a very good side in that particular year and believe it or not Duzzle was in and out of the squad at the beginning of the season for various reasons so he did not complete the full quota of games. Also as we had a big squad who were hammering teams week in week out players like Duzzle were substituted once they got 2 or 3 goals in any game. So I dread to think what his goal tally could have been!!

Duzzle moved up to the Senior team the following year even though he could have played youth team football still. Duzzle was banging goals in week in week out for the reserves awaiting his opportunity for a run in the first team To be honest it was around December/January time that he got his opportunity with the first team. He was getting the odd game here and there and coming on as a sub and getting a few goals before his real breakthrough. He was immense and scored 23 goals as he led Newington YC to the league title. Darren also represented the Northern Ireland Amateur league U19 squad with 4 other Newington YC players as they headed off to Italy to play the host nation and San Marino. Darren scored the NI teams only goal of the competition.

I have seen a massive development in Darren over the two years at our club. He is tall, very strong, very profilic in front of goal and has amazing ball control with plenty of fire in his belly. He certainly won't be a push over and is very competitive. He has scored some wonder goals during his time with Newington!!

The disadvantage that Darren has had going to Swindon is his fitness levels. Darren when training with our club would train max 3hrs per week now he is training 3 times a day with a professional club with fantastic facilities and the very best coaches including fitness coaches and nutrition coaches. Since the season ended in May Darren has been doing his own training trying to keep himself in shape but there is no comparison to the training he is currently doing with Swindon.

He is coming near the end of his trial this week and I hope that your club coaches and Danny Wilson see the huge potential in this young lad. He has lots of potential and I know he would give it 110% and could be a future bright star once he is settled at the club and is nearing max fitness levels. There is no question about his ability that's for sure!!

If things don't work out for him he has 5 Irish League clubs with offers sitting on the table and three other english league clubs keeping a eye on his progress. For his own personal development I would love to see him get an opportunity in England as the standard in NI is not great for the top league.

Regardless how things go for Darren over the next few days I know he will fondly remember his time at Swindon and I am delighted for him to be able to get a taste of how good it could be: to drive him on and give him more motivation to make a name for himself and be a success. He lives and breathes football and I have no doubt that whatever club he does sign for will reap the rewards with plenty of goals.

I wish Swindon the very best of luck for the season ahead and hopefully this year they get promoted having missed out last year.

Regards

Barney

He sounds like the Northern Irish Charlie Austin.

Assuming that his wage demands are going to be pretty low, he sounds like he'd be worth a 1 year deal.

Is there any youtube footage of him in action  ;)

48 goals in 26 games and 5 consecutive hat tricks? Why haven't we offered him a contract yet? Could be able to slip quite neatly in to Charlie's shoes when Charlie moves at some future point. Not that I'd want to Charlie to leave of course!

I honestly really hope we sign this lad up. I've thought he's looked good in each of the games I've seen him in. Pretty unlucky not to score vs Ciren and has had a hand in setting up 2 goals.

So he's a proven goalscorer!? Woo!

He does sound pretty decent though, and as others have said offer a 1 year deal and give him a chance.

48 Goals in 26 Games at Under 18 Level then 23 goals in as many games at Amateur Level.  His stats only tell of so much,  his presence, speed and eye for goal up front makes this lad a great prospect.

It hurts me that so many young great players like Darren from Northern ireland dont get opportunities like this when there is so much talent here.  The fact there is so much room for improvement in Darren must be an attractive deal for swindon to sign him...

I can fully agree with Barney above this lad has an unbelievable scope of ability lets hope the Swindon managers see that and give him his deserved chance.  Who knows could help swindon up to championship where they belong!!!!  

He has been on Trial there for a month so they must see something they like..........

Thanks for the info guys. Fwiw, he seems to have done well, most trialists only get a week or so, so the coaches must see something in him, be intersting to see if he gets some time against forest on Saturday.

thanks for info, i have had over the years a lot of experience with ni boys clubs, notably st micheals and star of the sea in belfast, some good people involved and friends for life.

Sorry, no youtube footage that I know of. I have been getting regular feedback from the scout in NI that got him over and the coaches like what they see and see he has great potential but it was his fitness levels that concerned them. Which is totally understandable considering he trained 3hrs max with Newington.

He would be a great signing for Swindon and I hope his last few days of his trial are successful.

Good Luck!!

Barney

Well fitness can be worked on, so sounds very promising.

Is he young enough to still play youth team football?

He's been playing for our U18 side, so yes.

Sign him up. He sounds ace.

He's surely worth a deal similar to what Billy Bodin/Will Evans are currently on?

Don't think he is being offered anything.