As Tom Wade and Lee Picton mould their Blyth Spartans squad for the new season our new feature – Some Might Say – takes a look at their new signings by getting the opinion of those who know them best, the supporters of their former club.
First up is Sean Reid, and the man on the hand give his opinion on Sean is West Allotment Celtic’s excellent media officer Craig Dobson, one of the most highly rated press men in the Northern League. Here is what he had to say:
“Blyth Spartans have plucked more than their fair share of players from the Northern League, but in Sean Reid, they might just have found something truly special.
Those who attended Blue Flames at any point in the last four years could not have failed to notice Sean’s potential.
He arrived at West Allotment Celtic as a promising 19-year-old; within a year, he had become the fulcrum of Paul Stoneman’s side. More than just the first name on the team sheet, he was the man that made Allotment tick.
Reid spent two years with Barnsley’s academy as a rangy centre-half, but the eager prospect had been banging in goals with Wallsend Town and Ryton & Crawcrook Albion on his return to the North East. He possessed all of the technical hallmarks of a promising forward, and promptly bagged 16 goals in his first Allotment campaign, despite joining midway through the 2011/12 season.
Reidy clearly had the ability to make an impact at either end of the pitch, but that wasn’t enough. He wanted to run the game, and Stoneman duly obliged. Dropping Reid into a free-roaming berth paid dividends for club and player. His barnstorming runs and slick interplay gave fresh impetus to Allotment’s attack, and was a large factor in Celtic’s cup triumph and promotion in successive seasons.
The club’s fortunes were inextricably linked to the talents of their rising star. Sean had found the back of the net 96 times in four years, as well as laying on countless others. Barnsley didn’t know what they were missing.
Other Northern League clubs certainly did, but their advances were repeatedly brushed off by the level-headed Reid, who, in his own words, liked playing with his mates. Even when approached by the Spartans in February, he was unwilling to leave his teammates in the relegation mire.
A magnificent performance against Bedlington Terriers in the penultimate game of the campaign helped Allotment retain their Division One status. A fine player on the pitch, an unerringly loyal person off it.
Spartans supporters can expect to see a player who, at just 22, has all of the tools to make a pronounced impact on the EvoStik. He can beat his opposing number with sheer pace or a defence-splitting pass.
He has a penchant for the spectacular, too. Of those 96 goals, very few were tap-ins. A dipping 35-yard volley against Jarrow Roofing, struck first time with venom and swerve, was one of the best goals ever to be scored at Whitley Park. He’s equally dangerous from the dead ball, curling and thumping home free kicks from all manner of angles.
His versatility also gives Tom Wade a number of options across the pitch. Reid’s pedigree as a defender means that he is comfortable dealing with high balls in the heart of defence, but Sean is equally adept at the other end, powering in headers as a lone striker. He even kept a clean sheet amidst a goalkeeping crisis at Allotment. Just don’t expect him to challenge Nick Thomson for the number one jersey.
For all his other facets, it’s those runs – those lung-bursting, mazy, devastating runs – which should get pulses racing at Croft Park.
Can he step up? Many asked the same question when Allotment were promoted to the Northern League’s top flight. Reidy responded with 25 goals in 41 starts, earning a Young Player of the Year nomination in the process. There can be no doubting his ability or his temperament.
For almost half a decade, this young starlet has shone brightly in green and white. He has the potential to light up Step 3 when he trades the hoops for stripes”