Pre season trial sessions?

Would a short series of trial games for released players or those at the end of contracts with lower pay offers given by parent clubs provide Town with a practical chance to see players in action with a view to signing a known standard, not just the previous method of hoping that injuries stay away?

Too many mid to long injuries really affected any chance of sending out regular unchanged formations and all areas were affected.

So lucky that Rose stayed fit for so long in his lonely role up front.

Question - does Glenn Hoddle's Academy for released players still exist?

Just one rough diamond found would make the effort worthwhile, surely?

Exit trials are a thing, but is more catered to younger players.

Yeah the EFL facilitate them to a decent level of success too.

https://www.efl.com/news/2024/march/20/exit-trials--a-player-s-second-chance/

Hoddle's Academy has long gone, good idea and it brought a lot of decent players back into the game but financially it was never going to be a success.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Yeah the EFL facilitate them to a decent level of success too.

https://www.efl.com/news/2024/march/20/exit-trials--a-player-s-second-chance/

Hoddle's Academy has long gone, good idea and it brought a lot of decent players back into the game but financially it was never going to be a success.

And it was too southern based southerners don’t know there’s life after the Watford gap

Didn't Siriki come to us via Glenn Hoddles academy...or at least an attendee ?

Quoted from moosey_club

Didn't Siriki come to us via Glenn Hoddles academy...or at least an attendee ?

He came from the Nike academy, they've produced a lot of players over the years.

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

He came from the Nike academy, they've produced a lot of players over the years.

Yeah I was just going to mention Nike academy which gave us siriki dembele, Slade mK2s high point really. The same guy who spent over a year working with Sam Kelly at vale and thought he had it in him to be a league 2 level player and gave him a 2 year contract!

Quoted from toontown

Yeah I was just going to mention Nike academy which gave us siriki dembele, Slade mK2s high point really. The same guy who spent over a year working with Sam Kelly at vale and thought he had it in him to be a league 2 level player and gave him a 2 year contract!

Weirdly, I can remember where I was when we signed Sam Kelly (on a train from Euston to Milton Keynes, in case you’re interested). I can still recall the jibes from the Vale fans, and thinking: there’s no way on God’s earth he can be that bad.

And yet he was so much worse. I’ve seen some gutless cúnts in my time watching Town, but Christ, Sam Kelly will take some beating.

Quoted from Poojah

Weirdly, I can remember where I was when we signed Sam Kelly (on a train from Euston to Milton Keynes, in case you’re interested). I can still recall the jibes from the Vale fans, and thinking: there’s no way on God’s earth he can be that bad.

And yet he was so much worse. I’ve seen some gutless cúnts in my time watching Town, but Christ, Sam Kelly will take some beating.

Yeah I remember seeing him for the first time at chesterfield. The first time he got the ball and ran forward, as soon as a chesterfield player set up to oppose him he simply ran with the ball off the pitch rather than try and take him on. So so bizarre. He did similar a things in at least a couple more appearances rather than actually attempt to beat the man.

Unbelievably bad and a perfect example of why pro football coaches are sometimes exposed as being less effective at judging players than fans that just watch matches. The worst reviews of any player we've signed when I looked on their website when we signed him. The vale fans were right, Slade, despite all his experience, was dreadfully wrong.

I’ve always thought it would be good for the FA/PFA etc to have regional centres, maybe working alongside university’s/colleges, to help in reeducating or having centres that help players after contracts have finished. Loughborough, Leeds Carnegie, UWE and Hartpury come to mind as places that already have high sporting pedigree’s (am sure there’s many more) that could probably help in guiding players and make that transition over. It just reminds me of when scannell and coke were at town and the way they interacted with the younger players.