Ian Lanning and the Progression of Radstock's Under 18s

On the latest episode of the Podcast, Ian Nockolds talks to Ian Lanning about the Miners successful Under 18 side. The two Ian’s talk weather delays, youth integration into the First team and how their Wiltshire Under 18 Floodlit League campaign is shaping up. Ian Lanning also reflects on his experiences of working in professional football and how that has helped him to be the coach he is today.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome back to the Sounds of thec podcast with me Ian Knockols, and
I'm delighted to be joined on theline by our under eight teams manager Ian
Lanning. Ian, thank you verymuch for taking the time to speak to
the podcast. Now. Your lastgame was back on October the twelfth,
and that was a rerun of theWiltshire Cup Final that sadly you lost to

(00:22):
Calmtown last season, so you musthave been pleased to get the win in
that game. It was very importantto get a positive start again after having
a bit of a breakof for acouple of weeks. We've had tough games
against carn in many of the games, obviously in this league game, the
league game at the end of lastseason which we won a week or two

(00:44):
after the Cup final, as wella lot of mitigation obviously on the Cup
final what we were missing one ortwo players within the squad that wire ont
orginistration. I had senior games onthat evening as well, But we knew
what to expect from Calm going tothe league game. We prepped obviously on

(01:04):
what we do. We have gameplan of how we set ourselves up within
many of our games. I meanit's been a month since that game.
So has it been frustrating that you'venot been able to play again for so
long? It has been. Thegroup have been coring because we've got a
lot of lads to play in seniorfootball across the board with ourselves and other

(01:25):
clubs as well, so they aregetting game action. But we've been able
to train within that period. Wehave our weekly session where numbers we're getting
twenty two to twenty four players probablyregularly to our training sessions as well,
where it also gives us an opportunityto integrate current under fifteens on under sixteens

(01:47):
players that are new to the groupthat we're molding in, so they're not
rabbits and the headlights and we wantto utilize them within the league games.
Now, for interviews like this,we often reflect on league position. That
feels a little bit unfair to dothat to you. I mean, you
are officially mid table in Wiltshire Undereighteen flaglet League, but you haven't played

(02:07):
very many games, have you.No, we haven't our partly with the
weather and other competitions. We hadobviously the Cup a couple of games there,
and also we've had someset under eighteencups, which was the first year
this has been introduced by some CEFE. So we've also had one game against
Fries. Last week we were dueto play vicious Lydia at home which unfortunately

(02:30):
for foul to the weather. Soagain it's not been ideal preparation, but
again we keep preparing for each gameas every week goes on. We make
sure within training we train and weactually trained the night before games, so
if we've got a bit of anincasion, the game may be in doubt.
The following day, the intensity ofthe session may increase. That we

(02:53):
set up with the whole plan ofthe session and progression for the season on
what we need to work on asa group and the integration of younger ones
getting up to Campo. Really now, the only defeat you've had in the
league so far this season has comeat the hands of the current league leaders,
Bristol Mani Farm. From what yousaw of them on the day,

(03:15):
do you think that they're the teamto beat this season. We've actually won
a few clubs that supported their entry, partly because we want more games and
the opportunities for players and tougher games, especially having teams of Manifarm stature with
good facilities compared to some of theteams within the competition, so it was

(03:36):
all we always knew it was goingto be a tougher. U has a
paul of players that he has travelingin from all of hands Somerset. They
drafting from Gloss or down even downas far as the Taunted area as well,
so we knew they were going tobe a challenge. And I'd watched
them the week before in their REFUYouth Cup game at Bradford and we probably

(03:57):
we were in the game until verylate on. We had a very young
team on the evening and it wasjust probably a bit of naivety within that
within that performance and with them havingseveral older players in their final years,
a little bit more strength and depthand I know how how to win a
game, really just got them overthe line, which was quite pleasing me

(04:18):
because I think teams give us therespect because we actually go into a game
with a game plan and identity andthey know what we're going to do.
And when we saw them, wesee teams celebrating at different levels up following
a victory, but MANI Farm werevery respectful and very mellow because I think

(04:40):
they knew they had been in atough game. Knowing we've got to play
each team twice, We've got tostill travel to the Creek later in the
season, so we know we'll bein a battle in that. Obviously this
league, obviously being farm they'll havea lot of traveling to go as far
as place a like Kindtbree as well, So having that experience and knowledge behind

(05:03):
us, we traveled very well onaway games last year. So I think
there's probably four or five teams atthe top of the division which are easily
capable beating each other as well.So as long as you beat the teams
around it and pick up the pointswhere you need to against some of the
teams at the lower end of thetable, you'll be there thereabouts towards end

(05:24):
of the season. And is thatyour expectation for this campaign? You want
to be sort of in with ashakeup of the title, you know,
getting into the last few games.Yeah. I think we start every season
with two expectations, probably to becompeting at the top end of the table
and in the cup competitions, butalso to have that progression of players towards

(05:46):
the reserves and the first team gettingthose opportunities and being utilized when they're called
upon. Because of where we are, we're having that constant development of players
we don't want where we want tobe challenging. Actually, it's not all
the beyonder and and all of whatour success is where you're seeing five or
six players each year getting first teamopportunities. That is partly a measure of

(06:09):
our success as well. Over theten years which as we reintroduced the under
eighteens, the high number of playersthat have had first three opportunities has been
considerable compared to other clubs nearby aswell, and I think there's other clubs
now starting to realize this close tohome as well and around the Western League
really by leaning upon the standards ofwhat players' abilities are actually on their doorstep.

(06:34):
I'm really pleased you said that,actually in because that's part of that
was a question that I wanted toput to you, because obviously, in
football, so much of football isdriven is a results business. But actually
I'm really interested to hear you talkabout the role of the under eighteens at
the club because I know that theclub have really embraced you and the under

(06:56):
eighteens and to be fair, thesuccess that you've brought, but it's been
in ten grew with the with thegood years for red Stocktown on the pitch
as well in the Western League,isn't it. Yes, I think we've
been I think we've been lucky evensince I came in. And it was
actually Lloyd ed Went really when hetook over as manager. It was the
first season of what we when weintroduced the under eighteens playing at Radstock under

(07:19):
the name of varsit years because ithad been a group of players that progressed
from the varsity youth teams and weknew we had a very good, strong
group that in that spell. Andit was Lloyd and Simon that really utilized
realized what benefit it would be tothe club by having that opportunity of exha

(07:42):
Paula players that they can call uponas and when needed. Then obviously when
Shane Brett, Nathan now even andeven Ryan and obviously now Ray has come
on board, it's been continuous soit only worked as if it's been some
at the top end as well,and I think all the managers have realized

(08:05):
that you can sustain your main squadand bolster it with quality from younger players
coming in. Not have you playedyou're ready for fussing football. It's just
making sure we provide opportunity for themas and when they're ready as well.
Some players may be ready as soonas they turned sixty goods first team football.

(08:26):
Some players it may be right atthe end of their third or final
season in under eighteen football. You'vegot many roles at red Stocktown Football Club,
some of which we might not evencover in the course of this interview,
but I know on a match dayyou are part of Ray Johnson's first
team squad as well. So notjust because of the progression obviously from your
own under eighteens into the first team, but I mean given the results that

(08:50):
the team have been getting, youmust be really pleased with the how the
team's performing this season. It's beena fantastic start and I think it rolls
on to from where we finished asa whole group last year. Even though
it was a struggle the number ofplayers we used throughout the course of the
season, it was a case ofbuilding everything towards the start of this year.

(09:11):
So we had a very good preseason in terms of training and the
preparation the games we played tough oppositionnearly all from divisions and levels above us,
so we were always committue where wewere. So we started the season
off and we just got a bitof momentum. We added one or two
players into squad and we just keptthat mentality going and win on a bet

(09:35):
of role winning games. It breedsconfidence amongst the group. We've had tough
games along the way. Okay,we've had the four defeats to the Look
at Away where we've got both ofthose we've lost getting down to nine men
and those occasions, then at defeatat home against Bittan earlier in the season

(09:58):
as well, and against strong Brislingtonteam who will probably be challenging towards the
end of the season. I meanyou are the mister Ben of Well.
I was going to say red StockI mean I think you're the the mister
Ben of non league football. Becausewe've obviously talked about your role with the
under eighteens, we've talked about nowyour role with Ray's first team squad.

(10:22):
Do you want to just run usthrough what Ell do at Redstock Town a
couple half of No, Obviously Igot the role of club secretary as well.
That was really partly because of myknowledge of the FA online systems.
I took her on when Shane andDebbs left. She was the previous club

(10:43):
secretary for a number of years whilehe was manager. So it was really
knowing the whole system of what wasrequired with what was the whole game system,
the club portal and the disciplinary systemsreally partly wide that has been pubsessed
with Varsity you previously to that aswell, and from my knowledge of some
of the systems within the professional gameseven just getting the process of international clearance

(11:09):
then the national transfer SIS certificates aswell over the years, but also even
for the flow where we're looking forplayers to progress, I've gone back to
the Boss City Youth and also runningthe under fifteens on a Sunday, even
the even Youth League because I wantto look to progress that group of players

(11:30):
in towards the under eighteens in theyear's time as well. And as if
you're not busy enough, you've alsoyou are also a qualified match official,
aren't you. Yes, I am. It's something I've been doing since I
was fourteen years old and I triedto go out and I usually do a
Sunday morning game. I was alsodoing Sunday afternoon games last year until I

(11:52):
took on the varsity youth team thisyear. I've always done it. I've
always enjoyed doing it, probably becauseof when I was working in Cardiff many
years ago. I'd probably do thereferee and partly if I had a weekend
off or an opportunity, I wasjust looking to play as much as I
could so the referee and took abit of a back burner really mostly in
youth football, doing various teams andleagues across the ball. But I also

(12:18):
utilized it almost as a way toget out and have a look at players
in the under fifties and under sixteensage groups to see what was coming through
locally, getting the perspective of thematch official, what they're looking for,
perhaps where the lines are a littlebit fuzzy, opportunities to exploit the laws
of the game. Did do youdo you take in your coaching from your
experience as a match official. Ithink I think some ways it can be

(12:41):
a tough one because playing a lotmore regularly it would I would be questioning
on the pitch actually in terms oflaw, laws of the game rather than
a decision so way openly questioning andcause it defend I make, I might
ask a question in term of thelaws of the game, which is sometimes
tougher, and I think some peoplefind that hard to accept, really because

(13:05):
I think everyone referees a game ina different manner. We all have different
thresholds on whether it's the send orwhat we are and those as a foul
and various other parts of the disciplineof the game. So it was something
probably was mostly used and more ofa benefit when I was back at Cardiff

(13:26):
with markol mckaib because he would utilizeme more to discuss the laws of the
game with beforeth official throughout those games. Really, I guess the final question
it's not really a question, isit. You've alluded to your role in
professional football in the course of thisinterview, and that's you know, although

(13:46):
I've found you through Radstock Town,you've had a fascinating career in professional football,
haven't you. I mean, Iknow, obviously you've mentioned Cardiff City,
but also you've worked at mil andkeenes Don's as well, and you've
visited pretty much every professional football groundin the country, haven't you. Yeah,

(14:09):
I think when I think when Istepped out of the game nearly three
years ago, I think I hadvisited eighty eighty four of the current ninety
two at that time, and Ithink it was teams that just recently entered
the league. But it was itwas a fantastic twenty years working and never

(14:31):
say never've maybe going back in intothat environment again, and you never know,
the right opportunity may be just rightin the corner, and things things
can develop very quickly. I enjoyedit and met a lot of very good
people, a lot of friends,worked with some very good managers and coaches,

(14:52):
and learned a lot from them,So there was there was always something
I was able to take each oneof those those things that even tho I've
learned from those, you can alsolearn from their mistakes as well. And
I think you always have to stillbe your own own management and coaching as
well, because sometimes you can walkout onto a training pitch, you have
an ideal session planned and then youfind out your numbers of some people suddenly

(15:16):
not made the session, or yourgoalkeepers injured, and you can't do the
session as planned. So sometimes havingto quickly think on the spot and adapted
session to meet the needs and purposesis one of the challenges. I thrive
on that sometimes. Actually, thatis when you can go to the back
of your mind and think of asession or use something that you've learned from

(15:37):
somewhere to box off what you needto do. Ian, thank you so
much for taking the time to speakto us. It's been fascinating, as
always talking to you, and Ilook forward to catching up with you again
later this season on the Sounds ofthe c podcast and to see how the
under eighteens are progressing. No,I look forward to it, Ian,
and hopefully we'll have a successful season, and we'll be hopefully showing a drink

(15:58):
over with a trophy nearby as wellat some point. Excellent, I certainly
hope so.