Jamie Searle (Eastbourne Borough | England)

I think a stint in the A League would do him wonders.  Crocombe did it and things are certainly on the up for him now.

Given that FGR are going down like the Titanic, I imagine that everything around the club now is very acidic.  Best get out of there for a physical and mental reset.

If there are rumours (unfounded or otherwise) he's a lazy trainer or whatever, then the only thing to do is sign for a 5th/tier club, and have a solid season where he trains his arse off, doing all the right things. He's got a big GK build & obviously some talent to be at Aston Villa, Swansea & Barnsley. Even got a League One start for Barnsley. Capped by the AWs at that OFC tourney in UAE in 2022.

But really he's almost entirely played youth football until now. Time to go down to the lower tiers, into the UK rough & tumble and graft out a quality season. Tzanev & Crocombe did it. Henry Gray is doing it now. Pro football ain't easy. All but the very elite will have career knockbacks. As others have said that desire to really want it & having tough mental fortitude, is huge. 

FGR (24th/last) travel to Mansfield Town (4th).

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/04/09/england/league-two/mansfield-town-fc/forest-green-rovers-fc/4088379/

From the pine Searle watches a 1-0 loss.

FGR (24th/last, 36 pts, -30 GD) have 3 games left and realistically need 4 pts to survive and, hope Sutton United (22nd, 39 pts, -25 GD) lose every one of their final 3 games.

Sutton are the only team FGR can catch to avoid the drop. They will also need Colchester (23rd, 38 pts) who have 5 games left, not to do very well.
Really FGR look proper toast now.
Only the bottom 2 teams (23rd & 24th) are relegated from L2.

https://us.soccerway.com/national/england/league-two/20232024/regular-season/r76359/

FGR (last) travel to TV starlets Wrexham (2nd)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/04/13/england/league-two/wrexham-fc/forest-green-rovers-fc/4089416/

Edit - Searle on the pine. No A-Rod

FGR spanked 6-0.

FGR with be out of the EFL next season. They need a miracle to surive now. 

Need to win both their final 2 games, and need Sutton to lose both theirs, and then Colchester to lose all 4 of their remaining games.

If Colchester (22nd) who play Grimsby Town (21st) overnight, win, FGR (24th/last) confirmed as relegated down to the National League. Even a draw for Colchester (massively superior GD to FGR) likely condemns the vegetarians to the 5th tier.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/350245466/ryan-reynolds-and-rob-mcelhenney-cry-tears-joy-wrexham-promoted

While Wrexham can look forward to League One football next season, Forest Green remain rooted to the foot of the table and facing the very real prospect of relegation.

Boss Steve Cotterill was in no mood to defend his players.

“That 90 minutes sums up our season, I can’t tell you how disappointed I am with that,” he said.

“They’re better than us, let’s make no bones about it. We know they’re better than us – if you look at the league table every team is better than us – but fundamentally that dressing room hasn’t functioned properly all season.

“For a time I managed to breathe a bit of life into it. I definitely think that the fixtures we’ve had of late have been really difficult, it’s been really tough and we haven’t been good enough to beat those teams.

Colchester beat Grimsby 2-0, and so Forest Green are confirmed as relegated out of the EFL down to the National League, with 2 games left.

Hopefully the FGR manager now gives Searle a game or two in goal, give he's sat on the pine all season long.

But yeah to me Searle needs to find a starting gig at a National League (5th tier) or even National League N/S (6th tier) club, and grind out a solid 40 game season somewhere. He's obviously got some ability, but he's really only played age group/boys football up to now. Time to have a season in the hurly burly mens game somewhere, and show he has the hunger and ambition to play the pro game. That's given the rumours at FGR that his attitude was questionable.

Pride only left for relegated FGR (24th/last) who travel to Morecambe (15th).

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/04/20/england/league-two/morecambe-fc/forest-green-rovers-fc/4089422/

Edit - that sucks. Searle stay on the pine even though FGR are relegated and conceded 6 goals last time out at Wrexham.

FGR won 2-1. They finish the season hosting mid table Notts County.

You just know you're never going to get a shot, when even in an already relegated side, the on loan keeper gets the start.

Screenshot_2024-04-28-07-22-29-62_955f68c4df44ad6a86e46b05cf65099a.jpg 214.49 KB

Out of shot - Jamie Searle, riding the pine once more. FGR won 1-0, but they've been relegated for a few weeks now, so to not even give Searle a game pretty much tells you where he stands at the club.

Next stop, well hopefully some new pastures... Because they obviously don't rate him at FGR.

Forest Green Rovers can now confirm our 2023/24 retained list.⤵️#WeAreFGR💚

— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) April 30, 2024

Searle makes the retained list - FGR having to slash their wage bill going from League Two to National League. Will be a good chance for him to establish himself as a #1 for a season.

Cue the emergency loans and seven day loan transfers next season too....

Odd that he was retained given how just about anyone who could catch a ball had a chance to start in goal ahead of him.

The side to take on Melksham this afternoon!👊#WeAreFGR💚 pic.twitter.com/eOB1CfYjs0

— Forest Green Rovers (@FGRFC_Official) July 13, 2024

Played 89mins 
Hopefully can get a start and find some consistency, he hasn't really had a full season in between the sticks 

Forest Green down in the National League now, travel to Aldershot Town

On the bench in a 3-3 draw

Niche Cache.
Paulsen, Tzanev, Crocombe, Henry Gray, Scott Morris, Searle & Gould - are the 7 UK Kiwi keepers I think.

Also, it’s below the EFL now after they were relegated but Jamie Searle was an unused sub for Forest Green Rovers in a 3-3 draw away to Aldershot. Searle got iced out all of last season as mulitiple loan keepers played ahead of him. Now, after a couple of promising signs in preseason, they’ve brought in Bristol City’s Jed Ward on loan to play ahead of him. Like, why is he even still there if you actually just refuse to play him?

In other National League (fifth tier) news, Matt Gould was an unused sub for Yeovil Town in their 1-0 defeat to Hartlepool but at least that one was expected (Gould is there as a hybrid player/goalie coach). So, of the seven NZ goalkeepers on the books of English top-five tier clubs... we got a grand sum of zero minutes between them this week.

Forest Green travel to Boston United

Searle on the pine.

Edit - FGR win 4-0

Forest Green travel to Barnet.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/08/20/england/conference-national/barnet-fc/forest-green-rovers-fc/4413163/

Got splinters again tonight. Time for him to get out of FGR. 

No point in warming that bench unless he sees himself as a lower/non league Tony Warner.

It is a strange one Searle's position at FGR. Their current starting keeper is a 21 yr old loanee from Bristol Rovers. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time, FGR have bought in a loan GK to play ahead of 23 yr old Searle.

So yeah why does he stay there? Love their vegetarian ethos?

FGR lost to Barnet 1-0 overnight.

coochiee

It is a strange one Searle's position at FGR. Their current starting keeper is a 21 yr old loanee from Bristol Rovers. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time, FGR have bought in a loan GK to play ahead of 23 yr old Searle.

So yeah why does he stay there? Love their vegetarian ethos?

FGR lost to Barnet 1-0 overnight.

Maybe he's hoping he'll be their starting keeper in the National League South!

FGR travel to Rochdale

Searle on the pine.

Edit - a 0-0 draw

FGR (12th) host Altrincham (11th)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/08/26/england/conference-national/forest-green-rovers-fc/altrincham-fc/4413243/

Matt Gould is similarily riding the pine at Yeovil Town (10th) in the National League fifth tier. Searle & Gould were both with the AWs at that 2022 OFC WC qualifying Tourney in Qatar.

Searle on the pine as FGR win 2-1.

FGR (6th) travel to Sutton (3rd)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/08/31/england/conference-national/sutton-united-fc/forest-green-rovers-fc/4413303/

Edit - Searle watches a 2-1 win, and FGR go 5th.

FGR travel to Solihull Moors
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/09/07/england/conference-national/solihull-moors-fc/forest-green-rovers-fc/4413334/

Searle on the pine as FGR win 1-0 to go 4th.

FGR (4th) host Fylde (20th)

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/09/10/england/conference-national/forest-green-rovers-fc/afc-fylde/4413357/

Searle watches a 3-0 win for FGR

Forest Green Rovers with a National League Cup game against Man United U21s.
Searle might get a go in goal.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/10/09/england/national-league-cup/forest-green-rovers-fc/manchester-united-under-21/4538395/

He has so far sat on the bench for all 13 National League (5th tier) games. FGR are 2nd, 3 points behind Barnet

Searle in goal for a 2-3 loss. Was actually  one of two players subbed off at 84 mins (2-3) which I presumes just means this Cup comp ain’t taken that seriously 

DP

Searle got a game in the FA Cup, as Forest Green lost 2-1 in ET at L1's Stockport County.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/11/02/england/fa-cup/stockport-county-fc/forest-green-rovers-fc/4546781/

Searle has sat on the bench for all of FGR's 16 National League (5th tier) matches to date. FGR sit 2nd, so in the early promotion mix back to League Two.

Top of the table clash. Forest Green Rovers (2nd) host York City (1st).

Only 1st in the National League is automatically promoted to League Two. Searle has sat on the bench for every FGR league game to date.

FGR win 2-0 to go top of the table. Searle on the pine.
Just 28 games to go!

Forest Green Rovers sit 3rd (46 pts) in a tight race to secure the one promotion spot to League Two, from the National League. York City (48 pts) are first, but FGR with a game in hand.

Searle has sat on the pine for all 22 league games.

He's either injured or now demoted to 3rd choice at Forest Green. Missed the recent Kiwi keeper 5th tier derby against Henry Gray's Braintree Town. Sat on the bench for 28 league games to date, but none since 26th Jan
https://us.soccerway.com/players/jamie-searle/625818/

Forest Green are 3rd in the National League. Only 1st is automatically promoted to L2.

Searle should consider trying to get a (backup) gig with one of the two NZ ALM clubs. Both might have keepers moving on in the off season - Paulsen & Josh Olu??

Unless he's a strict vegetarian it's hard to comprehend why he's still hanging around at Forest Green. As Josh Olu himself said earlier this year, as a young ambitious keeper, the best advice he got was go somewhere you have a good chance of playing.