I wasn't at Wood's 2-1 loss away to Staines on Bank Holiday Monday (bad fan), as I travelled to Tooting and Mitcham to see the home side take on Kingstonian FC. After Kingstonian's 4-1 win and in keeping with original theme of the blog (Arsenal and Non League), I spent twenty minutes with their skipper and former Arsenal midfielder Ian Selley to discuss life in Non league, life at Arsenal and the difference between the two. The chat came the day after Arsenal's mauling at the hands of Man United, so the topics of strengthening the side and where they had gone wrong the day before were up for serious discussion. This is what Ian had to say:
Having started at Arsenal, what was the biggest difference you noticed when you started playing at this level?
It's a tough league, people expect the players who have played at the highest level to come in and for it to be easy for them, but it's not. Y'know, you've got to work hard, it's quite physical and it's tough. It takes a while to adjust really, it took me 6 months to fully adjust, and if you come with a bit of a reputation teams just want to boot you all over the place.
For you though, was it hard coming down to a level where players aren't as good as the ones you are used to playing with?
I think the lower you go down the leagues after the premiership, where you have two or three options to pass it, and if you give away the ball you're a bad player, whereas lower down the leagues you can take a touch, look up and you might only have the one option, and at this level sometimes you won't have anybody and you've got to take another touch and another touch and that's when you probably give it away. It's hard, it's not an easy league and you just have to be consistent really - the teams that have done well have just ground out results.
The thing I have noticed about this level is that if you have a decent, organised team then you are going to get a result, and the better teams tend to be able to shut up shop.
Yeah, you really have to work hard for the 3 points.
You played some really good stuff today, is that the sort of play encouraged?
It is, the management likes ball players, but even though we haven't started too well, we've played some good football, created chances but they haven't gone in, but now it's starting to click. It's a new team, it takes time to gel and if we can carry on from today, touch wood we'll be in the playoffs.
One thing that we noticed today was Martin Tyler on the bench! What's it like having him on the sideline?
He's enthusiastic, he cheers the lads on and obviously he knows the game obviously with how many Premiership games he has covered so he knows what he is talking about, and in the changing room he is a great help, particularly for the young boys out there.
Have you ever heard him lose his rag?
Errrr...touch wood not yet, no! He's gone close a couple of times but I've not quite seen him throw the cups around the changing rooms just yet!
So what's your weekly routine like, because you're coaching over at Woking as well aren't you?
Yeah, the manager sorted us out 3 days a week over at Woking academy, for the 17-19 year olds, as well as the work over at Kingstonian, so just filling my week up really.
Do you enjoy it?
I really enjoy it, it's one of those things that when you come towards the end of your playing days you think, 'Are you going to be any good at coaching?', and I think if I gave up football completely the missus would start to hate me! (laughs)
Gets you out of the house!
Yeah yeah, I've enjoyed it, and as well I've had a lot of injuries in my career so that's why I'm trying to get into coaching as well now, and as long as I can get through games as well now it's good.
So how's it been going trying to play regularly? Because you've had a couple of really, really bad injuries...
I've broke my leg, I've done my achilles so..
90 minutes is a good run out then?
Yeah, I'm at the age of 37 now, so I take each game as it comes now, and as we play Saturday and Mondays it's obviously quite hard, so with the coaching side of it, it stops you from just standing about and loosens the body up a bit.
Good lads down at Woking?
Yeah, they have a really good set up, with 90 kids over there so lots of coaching.
Their first team won 6-3 today
Oh really? They've had a decent pre-season and I expect them to do well.
Bamos - One of the things I noticed today was that compared to Tooting, your players had a good two inches on them. The subs you brought on really helped with their size.
Yeah, I think it's useful to bring those lads on if you are chasing a game as they are a real handful. We've got two ways of playing - we can knock it about a bit but if we need to go direct we can. We haven't scored that many but we are creating more and more chances.
It was never really in doubt today though
No, but I think they'll be there or there abouts at the end of the season.
How about the set up down here? Obviously you don't have the day in, day out facilities that you had before - what's your normal training week like?
We train Monday evenings and Thursdays, we train at Kingston College which has good facilities, the pitches are nice etc. Kingstonian try and do it the right way, I think they are trying to run it as full time a professional outfit as they can but it's difficult - you do your Mondays and Thursdays but when the games start coming in, Thursday you work on your set pieces and get yourself a bit loose really. I've been around the Conference and Non League for a while now, and the clubs I tend to go for are ones that are obviously run the right way. I went to Croydon because one of my friends was running it down there, and even though it was a lower level league it was run the right way in terms of facilities - lots of clubs don't have the money so they try and do the best they can to run it the right way, and if they do that then they'll attract the bigger players anyway.
In terms of your Non League career, what's been the highlights?
Probably the time I had at Woking, I spent four years there, and with me being from the area we had some good times, it was a good squad and the team always socialised together, it was good times and I had a lot of friends there.
Do you get more of a team spirit down here? More camaraderie?
Yeah, that's what the manager is trying to get going down here, he wants the team to go for a curry every two or three weeks, let the lads have a night out and it goes a long way. I think a team needs to go out and have a social side to them, when it gets to winter and you know you are up against it, you know you'll want to be able to rely on a mate.
Going onto Arsenal - yesterdays result....
It was shocking, I've watched it again now and there just doesn't seem to be the passion there. They have the privilege of putting on the Arsenal shirt and they should be going out there and fighting, do what ever they can. I know they had a lot of players out and it's against Man United, but it's 11 vs 11 out there.
No disrespect but I wouldn't expect Kingstonian to go up there and lose 8-2..
Exactly, it was just the way they did it, a lot of the players just looked disinterested. It's even more disappointing as someone who has played there, you now what is expected and you at least go up there and get in someones face and make yourself a nuisance.
It's completely different from your time at Arsenal, I mean, there seems to be a real lack of character there. As someone who played under George Graham, obviously the team wasn't known for being the best in terms of style but they were always tough to play against and got results when it mattered.
That's it.
Do you keep in touch with any of the lads from that team?
I keep in touch with a few of the old boys, yeah. We play a charity game every now and again on a Sunday, lads like Paul Davis, Chris White and Perry Groves, even Ralf Little turns up every now and again (at this point you can hear me groan). It's fun, we get a few trips away and the club tends to look after the old boys a bit. Brian Hornsby runs the team, and he always has some tickets when we want to go up there and see a game, so I've gone with the wife quite a few times.
Been up recently?
Yeah, we normally get box tickets. We were in the directors box and that's a different world in there!
I went once to a match and sat in a box and when I came out I said the first thing I'd do if I won the lottery would be to get a box there!
(laughs) exactly, it's a lovely stadium and you're not going to find any better than that.
In terms of your career highlights at Arsenal - Parma in 1994?
I think Parma, beating Spurs in the semi final of the FA Cup at Wembley in 1993, and it all came so fast as I broke into the team when I was 18.
I was actually at your first game against Blackburn. I was seven years old.
Oh was you? Blimey (laughs) - cheers for that (laughs). Blimey, long time ago.
Any stories that you can commit to tape? Did you used to go out with the Tuesday club?
Well I was only young, so I was in and out of it, not really a regular like Tony Adams and Ray Parlour!
Do you think that sort of thing is missed now?
The thing is, when the boys used to go out you could pretty much do what you wanted, but nowadays there is too many press about, too many kiss and tells and to be fair you have to be fit nowadays because the game is totally different. When we used to play at Highbury, win lose or draw Tony would come in with two crates of beer down on the bench and you'd tuck into a few cans of lager, and then you would go upstairs to the lounge to see your family and friends and you would have another few beers and then you would normally end up going out. You'd never see that now, it's completely different.
You were there when Arsene Wenger came in, weren't you?
Yeah I had six months under him, and even though I left the club he was always fair with us - I knew deep down that with the players he was bringing in I wasn't going to be a part of his plans, he was up front and said Fulham have come in and made an offer for you and we've accepted.
What was the main difference when he came in?
The training. No disrespect to George Graham because he gave me my chance, but he'd do work on keep ball for an hour, hour and a half and after ten minutes the lads would lose interest. Under Wenger took over it was five minutes, stop, get a drink, five minutes etc. At the peak you'd be flat out, whereas George would drag it out. Arsene changed the game when he came over.
Do you think it's gone too far now with Arsenal? I mean, you see all the injuries they pick up..
Well yeah, but the game is a lot quicker these days and you have to be the elite of the elite really. He's under pressure to bring players in at the moment and I don't think there is anything else he can do at the moment, when he is quizzed on it he seems to stutter, I know he has signed a lad from Monaco, but you look at someone like Cahill and they are offering 7 million below his valuation and sometimes you think just give them what they want. Normally he is spot on but I don't know if he has played it right this time..
Bamos - where do you think they'll finish this year?
I still think they'll be in the top six, but they need to get started really - I think the fans are getting despondant, and when they start to turn it's trouble. If he starts pulling players in and out then fair play, but I don't now what players are out there to bring in.
If you had to sign three players for Arsenal now, who would they be? Ian Selley from Kingstonian?
He's past it (laughter) I don't know to be honest, the whole Nasri and Fabregas thing got dragged out for far too long, there is no point having players there who don't want to be there. I don't understand why he dragged it and dragged it.
As someone who has played for the old guard, what's your opinion on the modern premiership footballer?
It's totally different - like I've said you have to look after yourself and you can't get away with anything.
Think they get paid too much? I suppose we would all like to earn it....
We all say it but if someone offers you five times your salary are you going to tell me you would say no? It has gone mad, but if clubs can pay it and can afford to pay it, then it's up to them. You can't blame the players for demanding money, everybody wants a payrise. The real problem is that there is no loyalty at clubs anymore.
Look at Jack Wilshere, young lad and a local, loves the club.
There is a lot of weight on his shoulders, he's a quality player and will be a world class player one day. He's only 19 and people are expecting him to run the show.
Did you feel much pressure when you came into the team?
Not really, it was more of a shock. I went to Norway in pre-season, did well, and after some lads went down with injuries George threw me in. I didn't play particularly well on my debut, but George was always fair with us. If I played well in the reserves and did well in training, he always gave me another chance. It was a good club to be at, hopefully they can turn it round now. I'm pretty sure they can, but it's going to take a lot of hard work and a few new players in.
Do you think there will be another time when you'll have so many local lads in the team?
I think they should limit it to the amount of foreigners they do play to help the young talent come through. It's hard because do you want to go out and spend or let the talent come through? The easy option is to go out and spend it on getting someone else in when there is talent in the squad already.
Any crazy gang stories from your time at Wimbledon?
A lot of the boys were leaving when I first got there, but there was still fires in the changing rooms and tires let down, and that was the sort of stuff you would expect when you first joined a club like Wimbledon back then. But I don't think it would happen anymore.
Any other highlights outside of Parma and beating Spurs?
I think it was just the privilege of playing for Arsenal, I was never the best of players but I always had a good attitude and I always worked hard at what I did, and that's what frustrates me when you see players in the team now - they have the quality but their attitude doesn't seem to be there. All the fans want is someone who'll run around, smash a few people and take an interest in who they are playing for.
I've never been to a Non League game before - sell me on coming to Kingstonian.
I think it's a club that is going to go places. The manager has done a lot of work for the club getting sponsors and finance in, and it's nice family club. It's a nice setup, we are obviously renting the ground at the moment. I think they are getting free rent on the ground after selling it to AFC Wimbledon, but in the next 2 or 3 years they'll be hoping to buy it back.
What do you feel about AFC Wimbledon?
Well, it always means the pitch is nice (laughs), and the grounds looked after.
We'll round it up now! Toughest opponent?
John Moncur, believe it or not. He wasn't a hardman, you just couldn't get near him! People are always surprised when I say that. Desailly was a decent player, but John Moncur was such a tidy player on the ball I couldn't get near him!
Outside of Highbury, best ground you've played at?
San Siro, definitely.
Non League? Kingstonian aside.
Woking, actually. Lovely set up.
Well, we'll wrap it up there. Thanks very much Ian, it's been an absolute pleasure.
Cheers.
I just want to thank Ian again for being an absolute gent in accommodating us for a chat and being nothing but honest. I wish him and Kingstonian all the best for the coming season, and who knows, maybe at the end of the season we can have another catch up to talk about how both Arsenal and Kingstonian have got on during the season. Ian can be found on twitter @Ian_Selley, and from first hand experience I would suggest a day at Kingstonian as they play some great stuff, and you could even meet Martin Tyler!
Hope you have enjoyed this read, please share with your Arsenal or all other footballing friends. I'm on twitter @wearethewood , and all RTs, feedbacks, reposts and comments are welcome. I'll be back with a Wood update before Saturday's game with Truro. Until next time..
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