It Wasn't My Job To Tell Rangers Managers That Youth Players

[Ace 3,556]

THE former Rangers Head of Youth insists he did a good job at Murray Park but says it wasn't his place to tell managers that a kid was better than an experienced player.

IN Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to a life pushing a giant boulder up a steep mountain, only to have it roll back down every time. A lesson in frustration at the futility of endless effort with no reward.

Welcome to the one-time world of Jimmy Sinclair. Where failure is measured on a scale you dont control and success determined by factors you cant influence.

The ex-Rangers Head of Youth spent 
eight-and-a-half years at the apex of the 
Murray Park system, serving managers Paul Le Guen, Walter Smith and Ally McCoist before finally falling victim to their post-liquidation 
financial frailty in December.

Now back in the game as the head of Queens Parks vibrant youth set up after a six-month hiatus, the 58-year-old has spoken for the first time about life under the microscope trying to provide for Rangers future, and the pressure and judgments which accompanied it.

Despite constant criticism from the stands at the lack of top-team talent emerging, Sinclair insists he can still look himself in the mirror every morning over a job he considers done to the best of his abilities.

Asked about the theory of a conveyor belt built to provide a constant supply and a first team brimming with home-reared talent, up against the practice of a squad of senior pros like Lee McCulloch, Dean Shiels, Kris Boyd and average foreign 
talent such as Seb Faure and Marius Zaliukas, he shrugged: Youre talking about Utopia.

All the points made are valid but I was there, I went to some of the games and watched Coisty on the 
touchline, and the scoreboard is reading 1-0 to Annan or something like that.

And the heaviness of the place, the expectation, the 
discontent who could argue, because there it was.

You have a job to do and I remember Martin Bain saying to me, Jimmy, well expect two players a 
season, and I had to stop him and say, Those targets wont be determined by me.

Ill work as hard as I can until you tell me its not good enough but I wont have a view and I still dont on any manager, particularly at Rangers , who decides to play a senior player ahead of a young player.

Because unless youve stood there, and I havent, thank God, then who am I to say, 
Gaffer, you need to play the weans.

Maybe I should have tried to do things 
differently, cultivate a relationship with the manager where I could say, I think Tom Walsh can do better than David Templeton or 
whatever but I didnt.

I saw it as my job to set about producing as good a player as I could for Rangers first team. And the managers and coaches were at games and training sessions. In my mind it would be insulting for me to say, Do you not think Walshy could do you a turn?

The gaffer will decide for himself if Danny Wilson, Jamie Ness, John Fleck, whoever it might be, is ready.

I understand the mechanics of how it 
should work to say we need at least a player a year coming through as its part of the 
fundraising ethos of the club.

Thats great in a boardroom but stand out on the touchline and deal with the sh**e 
raining down on top of you, with the head of youth sitting at your back, shaking his head?

I dont see that happening.

Sinclair was well acquainted with various online campaigns questioning his strategy for the club but only because others made him aware. He sighed: I stay well away from social media but the criticism filters down.

And its frustrating. Tam Wilson used to come and say, Sinky, have you seen this website? Id just look at him and say Tam, why would I do that? It wont make my day any better, will it?

I refused. Why use energy worrying about it? I can also say hand on heart that the parents of kids in the system were great.

But bottom line, the 
circumstances around the Old Firm are unique. Its difficult, and its always going to be difficult, for me and Chris McCart or whoever occupies the seat at either club.

If theres a big budget, and there generally always will be, it would take a brave manager to give kids consistent opportunities.

Other aspects of the job were just as unique, according to Sinclair.

A former educator with a 
degree in sports psychology, his experience stretches well beyond 40 years in the game and medals in every league outside the top 
division as a player.

But despite trying to prepare his 
players for every eventuality, he insists there are some things attached to the clubs which will be eye-openers for even the hardiest of souls. He said: Its a shame not enough get a chance for various reasons but part of it is dealing with a mentality needed to play for Rangers.

The Glasgow Cup Final at Firhill before I left, for example, was a disgrace helicopters, seats ripped up, it was just 
mayhem, and you could see a couple of the kids looking wide-eyed up at the stands. What else would prepare them for that?

Vietnam, maybe?

Preparing kids for the first team isnt easy, 
its compounded by 
everything else that goes on. Some are built for it and some arent.

Sinclair believes the reasons for the latter are more complex than simply a Rangers or Celtic issue. In his previous roles as the 
SFAs Technical Director and Head of Youth 
Development he could see the socio-cultural changes affecting the national game.

He said: Theres a lack of drive. Kids expend a lot of time and energy coming to training, as do their parents, but theres a lot of sacrifice and discipline as they get older that a lot arent prepared to put in.

They train three times a week but is that the only time they have a ball at their feet?

How do you ever make up that time? Its a well-worn argument and its quite boring now as I was having it when I was sitting in the seat at Hampden as well all these years ago.

There have been great efforts made to up the contact hours but no amount of money can recreate the natural environment that existed before. Its better organised now, theres better coaches, better facilities and yet the organic way the game used to develop, you cant replace it.

Football now is at training, they jump in the car, go to Murray Park, Lennoxtown, but its completely alien to them to throw the 
jackets down. I dont want to despair but how do you get that back? Its a societal thing.

The best ones will still have the hunger. A lot of youth international players wont make it because theyre not driven enough but there will always be exceptional examples.

Its just a shame football now has become so organised and dependent on adult 
supervision. It has become institutionalised.

The game is determined by someone else, not by you and your mates.

Sinclairs stint at Ibrox eventually ended that same fateful weekend in December which saw Ally McCoist go following the defeat to Queen of the South at Palmerston.

Dealing with Derek Lambias, his contract was squared up and he walked with no regrets. He said: I was expecting it. I actually thought I might be relieved as the uncertainty at the end made it a bit sh***y but thats not how I felt.

I can look myself in the mirror as I couldnt have tried any harder. I did the job as well as I could. If the perception is it wasnt successful, I cant help that. I also cant criticise the club for its support of youth development. In difficult times they kept up a high level of support.

Unlike the websites, Im comfortable with the job I did. Guys like Danny Wilson, Jamie Ness, Rhys McCabe, John Fleck, Kyle Hutton, Gregg Wylde and a host of others, they played in league winning teams.

Hutton played in the 
Champions League against Man United. I dont have any sleepless nights that I short-changed Rangers I worked as hard as I could and there were enough 
boys brought through.

http://www.<No links to this website>/sport/football/football-news/jimmy-sinclair-wasnt-job-tell-6349102

[Creampuff 22,628]

Coward.

[Nemesis 277]

Reading that is frightening. He was meant to be Head of Youth. Championing his young charges. Instead he couldn't tell 'Coisty'

Thank god for Warburton and Mulholland.

It was clear from their first press conference together that Mulholland has a big part in the overall decision making process as you would rightly expect.

How could Jimmy Sinclair honestly say his job was to produce the best player for Rangers if he had no relationship with the managers thus had no idea what type, style or mentality of player they required?

A criminal waste and I for one am glad we are now using Auchenhowie properly.

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,504]

Another one of the "it wasnt my fault" brigade

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

Well considering I've read that the players thought he was a wank and their parents too, I'll take this with a pinch of salt.

Ally and Sinclair are peas in a pod.

Good riddance, pair of dinosaurs.

[TheLawMan 6,240]

Coward.

Agreed.

[1873bear 192]

Full of poor excuses I was delighted when we got shot of him our youths have thrived ever since his departure, bin the bus driver & that puts the icing on the cake for me.

[tannerall 25,935]

"who am I to say, 
Gaffer, you need to play the weans."

Er, you're the one who knows the "weans" deserve to play. Why wouldn't you tell the boss ? Mental

"Maybe I should have tried to do things 
differently, cultivate a relationship with the manager where I could say, I think Tom Walsh can do better than David Templeton or 
whatever but I didnt."

So does his new bosses at Queen's Park know this clown is frightened to communicate with senior management ?

[plymouthranger 3,863]

Another yes man. Christ it's a miracle we had anyone at the club making decisions.

The players that progressed through our youth probably made it despite him, not because of him

[bluepeter 5,627]

Wow. I didn't even get through all of that, unbelievable excuses. Head of youth development doesn't think his job is to promote the involvement of youth in the first team...?

[smitzer007 198]

That is a pitiful read. The difference between us now and then is night and day.I can imagine any future McCoist autobiography reading in a similar vein!

[pcbear 10,913]

Wisnae me shocker, what a shitebag

[Clemdog 39,389]

Whose job is it then?

[Tumshie 205]

Couldn't believe what I was reading. We always suspected that Sinclair was simply picking up a wage. This article pretty much confirms it.

[Gary Wilmot's Wedding Brek 299]

Sounds a fucking twat. As mentioned, it's his responsibility surely to direct a manager's attention to a talented youth (although the manager should have been capable of watching them and deciding himself). Imagine the head of youths having no relationship whatsoever with the manager!??!? It defies belief.

[sammy cox 664]

Just another one who got plenty for doing fuck all.

[harlands plater 16,959]

Pathetic buck-passing.

[Zulu 981]

Another fukin dumpling

[Spider pig 8]

It's just sad that from top to bottom we were embarrassing - the head of youth development couldn't be bothered to promote youth development ? How the fuck did he get the job in the first place !? It makes my blood boil.

[Hamie 4,831]

Thank fuck he's gone.

[Creampuff 22,628]

This is honestly the most embarrassing thing I've ever read.

No surprise the record were more than willing to try and make it sound credible.

[Laudrup1984 25,100]

That does not make for good reading at all. I wonder if this thread will filter it's way back to him....

You really have to wonder the thought process of people at our club and what was actually going on at times with regard to recruitment, development, communication, evolution, looking ahead etc....

[Courtyard Bear 41,357]

A man that failed in every aspect of his job and still manages to blame everyone else.

[Orange&Blue 130]

Pathetic, he should be thoroughly embarrassed with that. Everyone's fault but mine.....

[A Gallant Pioneer 555]

Why has this tim been wheeled out in the press? He stole a living at Rangers.