Scott Pollock: Ex-Hashtag United player swaps season ticket for spot in Northampton side
- Published
Scott Pollock receives instructions from Northampton manager Keith Curle as he prepares for his Cobblers debut
Some fans give up their season tickets to save money, others to spend more time with family. A few even throw them at managers or rip them up in fits of pique over their club's latest defeat.
But teenager Scott Pollock has the best reason of all for forfeiting his Northampton season ticket - he's now wearing his beloved Cobblers shirt on the pitch, not off it.
The 17-year-old midfielder made his debut in Town's 3-2 League Two defeat by Cambridge United, and he's certainly no stranger to the spotlight.
Pollock emerged as one of the stars of online football team Hashtag United, whose YouTube subscribers number almost half-a-million people, before joining Northampton's youth team.
So, surely, coming on as a 44th-minute substitute in front of a 4,849 crowd at Cambridge's Abbey Stadium must have been a doddle?
"It was earlier than I thought it was going to be," Pollock told BBC Radio Northampton, having replaced the injured Shaun McWilliams.
"It's a big change from youth football but I have had a couple of games on loan at St Neots, which was good experience in men's football.
"It's what everyone dreams of as a kid - to become a professional footballer. All the boys were great for me, giving me encouragement, telling me what to do, little tips on where to be."
Northampton-born Pollock's debut was so unexpected he had no relatives in the crowd to see him make his debut.
"Hopefully I'll get another opportunity, maybe at Sixfields, and get the family down to watch," he said.
But it wasn't that long ago that Pollock was in the stands himself, falling in love with everyone's favourite lower-league hero.
He smiled: "When I first got a season ticket it was all about Adebayo Akinfenwa.
"Not that I play in any similar way to him! But he made me want to go to the games just because of his presence and what he could do."
Trending towards success with Hashtag
YouTube personality Spencer Owen (left) set up Hashtag United in 2016
Akinfenwa's role in inspiring Pollock is somewhat ironic because the two came close to being team-mates two years ago.
The burly veteran striker reportedly almost signed for Hashtag United, the online club where Pollock rose to prominence.
While Pollock came through the Cobblers ranks to a degree - first through the club's BTEC education scholarship then the youth team - it was with Hashtag that he gained his first experience of senior football.
Set up by YouTube personality Spencer Owen in 2016, the club - which was granted entry into the non-league pyramid last summer - gained followers mainly through exhibition matches against celebrities.
Perhaps their highest-profile game was at Wembley Stadium in October 2017 when Pollock was man of the match against a Tekkers Town team that included Steven Gerrard, David James and Emile Heskey.
Pollock impressed that day, but was he as happy with his performance against Cambridge?
"I've still got to adapt but I think it was all right," he said. "The manager was happy with me; I think the boys were happy too."
- Attribution
- Published26 August 2017
- Published6 September 2016
