Official Site : Bobby Hassell Appointed Academy Head of Recruitment

I think you're right though I also think there has been something wrong with our setup for a while. We seem to be missing a link between the academy and the first team. I don't think the under 21s or under 23s or whatever its called works because at the end of the day it's still kids against kids. I think a proper return to reserve football where a 17 year old striker could (last season) have found himself up against the likes of Mvoto and Peter Ramage who would naturally have been playing in our reserves at points.

I also think that there has been a failure in communication and/or motives in the past. Have the academy staff been pushing hard enough for players to make the breakthrough or have they been happy to keep them in their sides?

 

Sign em up i say. Play em in the first team in a year or two, that way, in comparison we will have some very experienced older players alongside.

 

To some point i agree, but first of all well done bfc for the appointment of both bobby h and martin d

I had to smile though when i read the head line..re bobby...
My first thoughts were....suppose if we go down this season pound to a penny bobby gets the managers/ head coach job
that then appeases the fans....lol
Method in madness dont you think....

Or is it me whos too cynical

 

Just what I thought.. Plan B is in place. Look no further, than a Disco/Bobby management team. Good move I say, and one the fans would back am sure.

 

That's not true.

Bree & Brown were our right backs for the season.

Holgate was a centre back for the youth sides so wasn't in contention for a right back spot early on in the season.

Brown started the first few games I'd imagine because Bree was 16. Bree got his chance early on in the season & kept it until he got injured, keeping Brown out of the side.

After Bree's injury, Cranie played a few games there before Ramage got injured & moved to centre back & then Holgate got a chance at RB over Brown & kept his spot there.

He had plenty of chances to keep picking Brown over our kids but didn't

 

I believe it was 14 players that made their competitive debuts under Wilson. Think Cowgill, Oates & McHale from our academy on top of the ones you mentioned.

But apparently he wouldn't give youth a chance.......

 

Chuffed to have Bobby back involved.

We need to sort out what we do with our academy players between 18 & 21. The key years for development. What we've seen with Rose, Clark, RNL & now Digby & Abbott is that we didn't get them out on loan or involved in our first team enough.

I think when you consider that Rose & Clark spent the crucial years of their development in our reserves they're both doing well in establishing themselves as league one players right now. Hopefully Noble-Lazarus can do the same if he ever gets over his injury issues.

Abbott & Digby should've both had loan spells this season. Especially at the start of the season when he had a boat load of central midfielders & they never got a look in

 

Hope they register him as a player.

 

I sincerely hope not