coresportgib- Issue 5 05 | Page 27

CoreSportgib 4th February 2016 Europe's football market. Players from Africa, South America, and other far flung places, even Korea have sought to enter our league. Some successfully, others not with the same success. Their entry into Europe allowing them the first foothold towards their dreamed riches in Europe, for some, for others a rescue package to ensure they do not have to return home. For the clubs taking them on, a hope of success, not in the league, but in the cup, which is now where the money is as Lincoln stroll off with the title. As one manager said "its maybe time to learn from past mistakes, not everything that is claimed by players wishing to come to Gibraltar is necessarily true. It is time we did learn to ensure we ignore the CV's and look at the football. Too many people want to come to Gibraltar and play in Gibraltar. And they just ain't good enough." However, as a former first division coach pointed out to Coresportgib, the problem with Gibraltar is that even if we tried to develop our local players we would still have problems with attitudes. You get a team like Europa and their players get paid, and they play for that wage. Many of them know if they don't get that wage they are unemployed, so they will play for it. Here in Gibraltar most local players have other jobs, and better paid jobs than what football could give them. Whilst they might dream of football, their hearts are not in it as much as those others coming from outside Gibraltar. Their livelihoods are not at stake and it is not their priority, and unfortunately that is the reality today. Which is why we must start at looking at how we must start from the grassroots and provide those jobs for the younger ones to want to keep and dedicate themselves to the football." click here to see full gallery collection in our website