having seen the BFC U18S a few times this past 12 months it seems to me have we some fantastic defenders coming through the ranks Bree, Holgate, Cowgil, Templeton All four are going to have fantastic careers if they continue to progress as they are, but everyone seems to be raving about Bree and after Tuesday Holgate too, now Holgate looks class at centre half, but the one that's going to earn us the most money is Matty Templeton he looks to be the real deal to me, once he grows in to a adult he'll be a fantastic player he's a long road ahead of him to get in the first team but if he progresses like he is doing in the U18S he'll be a class act in the future, we just need to start producing players higher up the field where the real money is,
Left back, both feet, seen him take free kicks and corners with both feet, like Holgate happy to pick players out with which ever foot it lands on
Its good that you are so enthused about the prospects emerging from the academy. However, there is a big slippery step between graduation from the academy and securing a place in the first eleven. I could quote you umpteen players that I watched at that level, who I was sure would go on to have brilliant careers, but who in the end, for one reason or another did not make the step. This is the problem for our academy, plenty of promise up to 18 years of age, but most of it gone before the age of 21. It costs the club approximately £1m per year to run. We must have had it 15 years now. Have we had £15m of talent out of it?
Wile others have mentioned rose Digby RNL Oates and others in recent years bigging them up I've alway said they're ***** and won't cut it above league one level even though others always disagree I've stood by my assessment of them and still I don't rate any of the under 21s at the minute, so I'm not one of these that are blind sided because I want them to do well, I really rate the back four in the under 18s because they look class at the level they are at and if they carry on as they are they'll be very good players at some stage
I think we have some good individual players like McHale for example looks very good, he has played off the bench a couple of times and looked fast and skillful
It always makes me wonder why people such as yourself, with such obvious clarity of vision and judgment, aren't running the club. Why do we put up with the fools currently in charge? We obviously also need to consider a place for you in the England set up given they are consistently messing about with '*****' like Digby.
Just shows you how ***** the England set up is they keep picking Digby when Abott is higher up the pecking order at club level but doesn't get a look in, because they rated him highly as a young in and got him in the England set up they continue flogging the dead horse instead of getting a new one
As I was saying, if only they would take more notice of people like you. For my part I'm trying, without success as yet, to get George Osborne to listen to my ideas for reducing the deficit.
I agree, how does Bree not get called up to the U18's when hes played more games at 16-17! Really dont understand
Does the Academy actually cost £1m per season? I know they have to spend that on it to be classed as a Cat2 academy under EPPP rules but sure it must generate some income from development schools and Saturday clubs etc so just wondered if anyone knows the actual cost to the club?
I'm too good for the job sorry, waiting for Real Madrid or Bayern to come and get me. Dont go with miniscule teams :biggrin:
We've had seemingly hundreds of kids who look like world beaters until they hit 19. Its a bit of a coincidence that now we've one or two ex pros in the set up there are more forcing their way into the first team set up...