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Buyers and Sellars: Arbroath recruitment guru Barry Sellars opens up on transfer window trials and tribulations

Sellars has been involved in 18 deals in just 10 months as Arbroath's head of recruitment.

Barry Sellars is Arbroath's head of recruitment. Image: Gareth Jennings / DCT Media.
Barry Sellars is Arbroath's head of recruitment. Image: Gareth Jennings / DCT Media.

Barry Sellars has been Arbroath’s head of recruitment since November 2022.

The ex-Arbroath player has worked through two transfer windows and helped seal 18 deals in that time.

And ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline day, Sellars has offered Courier Sport a unique insight into the stresses, strains and successes of recruitment in football:

Barry Sellars: Transfer deals were simple when I played for Arbroath

When I was a player at Arbroath transfer deals were easy.

The gaffer Dick Campbell signed me for Forfar from Arbroath and I remember him having a quick chat with me to tell me his plans and asking me to sign.

Job done.

Gavin Swankie was the same. It was all so simple back then.

Barry Sellars played almost 200 games for Arbroath. Image: DCT Media

The manager didn’t have to go near an agent, let alone a head of recruitment or sporting director.

But you can no longer call a player for a quick chat over coffee at Costa.

It’s a different era and we are operating in a completely changed environment.

We’re trying to get established players – ones who have played at this level or have the ability to really shine in the Championship.

Some of the players we talk to are also in talks with Dundee, Dundee United, Ayr United, Raith Rovers and Partick.

To get to them you need to speak to agents, heads of recruitment, loan agents, sporting directors.

Then when you get the green light the hard work starts.

Barry Sellars: Getting deals over the line takes time

Arbroath head of recruitment Barry Sellars often plays waiting game on deals. Image: Gareth Jennings / DCT Media.

The reference checks, the profiling, the finance check. The calls to the gaffer and Ian Campbell.

They all take time.

Often this can go on for a week back and forward. At any point, the plug can be pulled on a deal

I suspect the majority of the public don’t really know what my role entails.

When you are a player or a coach your work is on public display but 95% of what I do is behind the scenes.

And often a lot of hard work doesn’t ultimately pay off.

There have been about half a dozen deals where we’ve competed really strongly for players and not got them.

I have devoted five or six days work to them each but they haven’t got over the line.

It can happen for a whole multitude of reasons.

But Arbroath are my club and I’m absolutely determined to get the very best players here possible.

Ultimately, as it should be, the gaffer will have the final say.

If he wants a player or doesn’t then it’s down to me to try and sort out the details or drop the chase.

It can be a very intense and stressful job and every person I speak to in football recruitment says the same.

Emotions and signing scenarios

Jay Bird of Arbroath FC.
Jay Bird joined Arbroath in the summer. Image: Ewan Smith

It plays havoc with your emotions.

I sometimes lie awake at night thinking of different signing scenarios and you can do a lot of work that ultimately comes to nothing.

I can often spend a full week of phone calls on one player – talking to agents, doing background checks, researching his career, talking to Ian Campbell, getting clearance from the gaffer.

It’s a part-time role on paper but, in reality, I’m on it seven days a week.

My phone and MacBook are always with me and always on. I can barely afford to miss a call.

If I do, it could be the call that would have opened the door to our dream signing.

The world of football moves so quickly.

A player who was available and eager to come to you a few hours ago, may have had his head turned by someone else and be off.

Arbroath FC manager Dick Campbell at Gayfield.
Dick Campbell has the final say on all Arbroath transfers. Image: SNS.

You’re naive if you think you are the only club the players has ever wanted to play for.
In reality, if they are talking to us then they are on the phone to a whole load of our competitors.

But you can’t shut the door on any player.

You can’t write it off and think it will never happen because it might, with the right level of persuasion.

If you do shut the door too early he could emerge at one of your rivals.

We’ve worked really hard in this window so far.

Nine players have come in but the amount of people we have considered or spoken to far outweighs that.

Keeping an open mind to unearth the next Joel Nouble

Joel Nouble will return to Gayfield on Sunday
Joel Nouble was a hero at Arbroath. Image: SNS.

Some people will say: ‘Why haven’t Arbroath tried for this player or that one?’

In reality, we probably have. We’ve probably already done our homework on them and pushed for a deal or ruled them out.

No door is shut by us right away.

Joel Nouble was playing several levels below league football. Look at how well he turned out.

Look at Dipo Akinyemi at Ayr United last year. He was the same.

As a club we always want to try to compete and convince players that Arbroath is a great club for them.

I played here and I know it is. I know how much it has grown and the kind of platform it offers.

Players can come from that level of England, shine and make a name for themselves.

There are half a dozen players that we competed on right to the end and they didn’t happen.

Then there are players you think you’ve got on a pre-contract and their head is, almost, turned by a more lucrative deal.

Nothing is done until the player signs the deal, is registered and pulls on the jersey for the first time.

It’s stressful but the emotional high you get when a player makes an impact on the pitch is indescribable.

Barry Sellars loves getting deals over the line. Image: Gareth Jennings / DCT Media.

That makes every call, every minute watched, every airport pick-up or sleepless night worthwhile.

I got a call from the gaffer after the win over Morton. He was delighted at the way some of the new players played.

I put the phone down and smiled then went straight onto a spreadsheet to input data for the next player.

It never stops.

I’ll never rest until I know I’ve done everything I can to try and support the gaffer in continuing to bring success to Arbroath.

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