The Academy

Some interesting points there, look at how many youngster are signed by larger clubs at a very young age, Defoe left Charlton for West Ham as a youngster before he made any first team experience and you have to question why?

A friend of mine does some coaching at the Middlesborough academy and they have strong competition or their players in the area and they have invested heavily in youth setup as a long term project (look at how manay players they have in the 1st team squad), they would prefer to produce their players and give them a chance to help entice the lates players but at the same time they have the money to do so and are in better positions than others to take that risk, it says it all when he told me about a 17 year is buying a Range Rover sport as a first car for passing his driving test!

He has been to the Barnsley setup a few times and mentioned it is a better one than he has seen but each club has a catchment area and when we are competing with Leeds, Sheff Utd and Sheff wed to an extent it makes it much more diffcult for us but is definately not worth shutting down purely as it give the foremention club a strong hold on youth players!

 

The Chairman at Middlesbrough Football Club has a dream that they could one day field a team of Academy produced players in their 1st team in the Premier League. They have had a long term committment to the Academy programme and as you say they have invested heavily in it. Every time the club has changed the 1st team manager each replacement has had to "buy into" the Academy policy. They have produced 13 players who have played in the 1st team in the last five seasons. A fantastic record! Last night 6 players in their starting line up at Chelsea were the product of their Academy set up. If you believe in something strongly enough and you are committed to it, then it can succeed.

 

The Chairman at Middlesbrough Football Club has a dream that they could one day field a team of Academy produced players in their 1st team in the Premier League. They have had a long term committment to the Academy programme and as you say they have invested heavily in it. Every time the club has changed the 1st team manager each replacement has had to "buy into" the Academy policy. They have produced 13 players who have played in the 1st team in the last five seasons. A fantastic record! Last night 6 players in their starting line up at Chelsea were the product of their Academy set up. If you believe in something strongly enough and you are committed to it, then it can succeed.

 

Is Red Rain not adding a comment on this?

 

Some very well made points,but the Academy stands or falls on producing players who can either play in the first team or be sold at a profit to the club,if its not doing that its failing

 

This is one of the best posting on this site ever. I couldn't agree with you more. The Academy and the players need a chance. Too many people come on here and slag off the Academy and I bet they have never seen them play. I accept that you can't go on forever throwing money at it, but it doesn't sound like we are chucking too much at it anyway.

 

F.ck me; someone actually read one of my posts?

I'm amazed.

 

So the Coaches at the Academy are good then ?

 

Fine post, however...

... as Chef as stated, only conjecture and fantasy have a place on here. Hard facts are very difficult to come by and as a result there seems to be, amongst the small minded, an open season on "mekkin stuff up".

Every transfer window it gets like star trek.

"Pass the f**kin ball Data, you white faced, hyper-intelligent f**kwit!"

 

I don't know this bloke from Adam

Much as I don't know many other people on this BBS. What I do know is that he writes very well. Because of this it seems that everyone has decided that what he has written is fact and what everyone else writes about the academy is "conjecture and fantasy". I'd love to know how you all know this. Me, I haven't a clue, I think it's an interesting piece and valuable addition to the academy debate, but I certainly wouldn't instantly come to the conclusion it's the last word on the academy and 100% spot on just because it's well written.

 

I agree and personally I admire Middlesborough for taking up that position, I really hope they come good and stay up this year becasue they have some great players coming through, look at David Wheater he was on loan at Darlington the season before last and even Ross Turnbull has broken into the team and does not look out of place!

 

Nice piece.

I wouldn't pretend to know the accuracy of the data you put forward, but as one of the critics of not just our academy but the academy system as a whole, I'd still argue it's a waste of time, money and effort. It's meant to produce players to go into your first team. It isn't, ergo it's failing. The methodology, mechanics and standard of coaching can be argued from now until the end of time, but until I see players regularly 'coming through the ranks' and establishing themselves at the standard the club is playing in, I remain to be convinced.

 

Fair point.

But he gets credit for at least sounding credible amd putting over a reasoned argument. I'm well aware of the "my mate told me" line but, hey ho.
£150k does seem more plausable than a mill - does it not?

 

I don't think they call him Ergo. nt

 

I don't think they call him jeff either

 

which once again illustrates why there is never any real news on here anymore.

 

An excellent argument and really well articulated. I am happy to take the numbers on trust and the sense of perspective offered adds further weight. You have explained the difference between Centre of Excellence and Academy set ups very well but still people want to get rid of all the Academies!
If nobody has an Academy or Youth set up of any kind, then where on earth do you get the players from?

 

Malta.

 

A well written piece.

Notwithstanding the costs of running an academy and the quality/qualifications of the coaches therein, which we could debate all day, even after all you've said - how many 1st team regulars has the Barnsley Academy provided for Barnsley FC since its conception ?</p>

Also, have a chat with parents who have taken their children along to trials at our academy, Leeds Academy and Sheffield Utd's Academy. We aren't talking about facilities or badges of the coaching staff, but the ethos of the respective academies and how they are managed and how Barnsley deal with people. Or should I say certain people at Barnsley's Academy deal with people.</p>

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Very interesting

and some good points.

But - "unrealistic expectations", I think most people have expectations that the academy produces players that break into the first team, surely it's not unrealistic to expect 1 or 2 per season to be coming through to make the grade?