Hurst starts his clear-out

Joey Hope released today

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2021/march/hope-leaves-the-mariners/

    Feel for all the lads who get released, if GTFC go as previous years nears all the youth will be released, its a tough tough life/world to get into.

Bit harsh on the young lad to label this as the start of a "clear-out"

Can see a few more going, the likes of Painter, Curran, Starbuck all being released before the seasons out.
I'm in doubt Hurst is in the planning for non league now

Well that's done it, now we've got no Hope...

Quoted from WayneBurnettsJockstrap

Joey Hope released today

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2021/march/hope-leaves-the-mariners/

A young lad come through the academy as opposed to releasing some of the excrement both Holloway and Hurst have signed.

Not much of a start to a clear out.

Thought he looked ok against Harrogate at the start of the season.

Quoted from Ruston AT

    Feel for all the lads who get released, if GTFC go as previous years nears all the youth will be released, its a tough tough life/world to get into.

Yes especially at that young age. Really hits you when your released as a youngster from pro clubs. Ive spoken to one or two at other clubs who havent made it and its real hard on them . Schoolboy dream of making it at a professional club at your boyhood team shattered.

Lets face it, Hurst will offload every U19 pro at the club unless they are first team ready, back to the days of signing journeymen who if they have a good season will leave the club at the first hint of a better contract having no allegiance to anything but their wallet

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Lets face it, Hurst will offload every U19 pro at the club unless they are first team ready, back to the days of signing journeymen who if they have a good season will leave the club at the first hint of a better contract having no allegiance to anything but their wallet

I would like to see youngsters kept on that have a bit passion for the jersey. Of the top of my head I use to like watching Bradley Wood. Really liked the guys determination and hunger of the few times when I saw him . I think he was pretty standard for a lower league player but made up for it with passion.  Shame he took the wrong road with the gambling fiasco he got himself into which in  effect destroyed his career .

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Lets face it, Hurst will offload every U19 pro at the club unless they are first team ready, back to the days of signing journeymen who if they have a good season will leave the club at the first hint of a better contract having no allegiance to anything but their wallet

yeah coz those released by him went on to have such good careers at clee town and GY boro didnt they


effig hell another Hurst Myth that he didnt give youth a chance, here's the answer, they wernt good enough!!!

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Lets face it, Hurst will offload every U19 pro at the club unless they are first team ready, back to the days of signing journeymen who if they have a good season will leave the club at the first hint of a better contract having no allegiance to anything but their wallet

Those days are here already.

Quoted from arryarryarry

Those days are here already.

Hopefully with the consortium we’ll be able to renew the good ones their contracts rather than get rid of them like we usually do under Fenty.

Quoted from BenBB

Hopefully with the consortium we’ll be able to renew the good ones their contracts rather than get rid of them like we usually do under Fenty.

Are there that many good ones?

Quoted from Tommy

Bit harsh on the young lad to label this as the start of a "clear-out"

But Hurst has obviously decided he is not of a good enough standard to play for 'us' team or he wouldnt have released him.

Hopefully Hurst has a list as long as his arm after this seasons fiasco.

Quoted from Hagrid

yeah coz those released by him went on to have such good careers at clee town and GY boro didnt they


effig hell another Hurst Myth that he didnt give youth a chance, here's the answer, they wernt good enough!!!

I sort of understand why you'd come to that conclusion but maybe the reason our youth players didn't amount to anything after leaving us was because they stopped getting professional coaching and weren't training full time?

I get it — those who really dig in can come back stronger. But at that age it's a huge knock to your confidence.

I'm of the firm opinion that if you train around good players you'll improve your game. You go from training with a League 2 side to (no disrespect at all) a side like Clee Town who play about 4 steps lower. I know they have some ex-pros but it's not the same.

The truth is, in a parallel universe, you could keep Hope for another season; he could step up and really impress in a couple of cup games, improve his development from there and have a modest career in professional football. Same person, same ability, just different time, different place.

Don't necessarily expect fans to agree with me on this, but I think about my profession and how, if they stopped me from working with like-minded people, whose skills I can learn from, I'd go backwards. Put me in a room with better people and I'll up my game.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Lets face it, Hurst will offload every U19 pro at the club unless they are first team ready, back to the days of signing journeymen who if they have a good season will leave the club at the first hint of a better contract having no allegiance to anything but their wallet

Fill the team will local lads, Celtic won the European Cup with 11 players born within 6 yards of the ground, get scouting at Bradley pitches,  blah, blah, blah.

It isn't a charity. Good enough, old enough.

Quoted from WayneBurnettsJockstrap

But Hurst has obviously decided he is not of a good enough standard to play for 'us' team or he wouldnt have released him.

Hopefully Hurst has a list as long as his arm after this seasons fiasco.

He signed Payne in January  for 'us' team and he is not good enough and has had years of experience, unlike youth who have only had reserve team football. How can you know if an 18 yr old is going to be good enough if he never plays or gets the extra couple of years to mature (ah like a good cheddar) and get to the required level. We needc to be keeping these lads till they are 20 to see if they will develop and get them loaned to just a level or 2 below. Hell we only need them to be at BananaRama level for the next few years.

Quoted from smokey111

Fill the team will local lads, Celtic won the European Cup with 11 players born within 6 yards of the ground, get scouting at Bradley pitches,  blah, blah, blah.

It isn't a charity. Good enough, old enough.

Really??  I find that very hard to believe.

Hahaha 6 yards from the club, where did they play in a car park of the flipping maternity ward

Quoted from smokey111

Fill the team will local lads, Celtic won the European Cup with 11 players born within 6 yards of the ground, get scouting at Bradley pitches,  blah, blah, blah.

It isn't a charity. Good enough, old enough.

Not quite!

Quoted Text

The Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional near Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967, defeating Inter Milan 2–1. All but two members of the 15 man squad were born within 10 miles of Celtic Park in Glasgow, Scotland ( Bobby Lennox, who was born 30 miles away in Saltcoats, and Tommy Gemmell, who was born in Motherwell 11 miles away, who were both in the starting XI).

Quoted from 123614

Really??  I find that very hard to believe.

No, honestly!?!?!?!

Without decent quality reserve team/u23 fixtures I get the impression that this will happen up and down the leagues. The lad was probably not given a chance as we’re not in the right place in the league to give young  players game time. It’s a shame as we all want to see local/youth players do well.

Good luck to the lad and all the others that will no doubt be released

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Lets face it, Hurst will offload every U19 pro at the club unless they are first team ready, back to the days of signing journeymen who if they have a good season will leave the club at the first hint of a better contract having no allegiance to anything but their wallet

Hurst is known for being pragmatic but he does play youngsters. He did at Ipswich if I remember right. But if the challenge is instant success then he will have to look for first team players not developing players and waiting for their maturity. So it will be out with any player young or not who will not fit that bill.

I always think young players are more likely to get a chance in a mid-table team where there is much less pressure.

Feel for any of the young lads who get released but at 18/19 for me they have to be 1st team ready at this level. Also with only 5 subs in conference think its gonna be a 21/23 man squad next year  and we've got quite a few with deals for next season already signed up.

Quoted from Ruston AT

    Feel for all the lads who get released, if GTFC go as previous years nears all the youth will be released, its a tough tough life/world to get into.

Just seen this on the  BBC site. Very apt for this thread. I know it only refers to the premiership but in the lower leagues even down to conference level its still tough to make it. I know from talking to people in professional  youth set ups at lower level eg league 1 down to league 2 on average very few will make it .

It simply read ‘0.012%’ and was a reference to findings that only 180 of the 1.5m boys playing organised youth football in England will ever play a single minute in the Premier League

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/extra/hfe5e1289y/The-Impossible-Dream

Quoted from Les Brechin

Not quite!

Whoosh.........just trying to add a little humour. I will get my coat.

I love this thread, 1 youngster gets released and it sparks off how sh1t Hurst must be because he doesn’t play youngsters.

He may night have played them apart from the odd appearance here and there but he was clearly in charge when Clifton & Max came through the system that as manager he would have been ultimately accountable for even if he didn’t assume day to day responsibility.

I stated on here weeks ago that the youth players should start to look elsewhere, and that includes Mattie Pollock, under Paul Hurst. No snide remarks about Mattie Pollock please.
Paul Hurst has never had faith in youngsters.
Paul Hurst should start to look at his own recent signings to release, Payne, JLL, Habergham.
I know this won't be well received by the Paul Hurst lovers, but I doubt any of them have witnessed the good times, and I don't mean Non League play offs.

Out of interest and I keep hearing that Hurst doesn't play the youngsters which youngsters didn't he bring thru last time he was here that you thought he should have given a chance too.

Every season apart from this year obviously but I always take in a few youth team and reserve games and I honestly can't remember anyone that I felt was unlucky not to make the first team during his last spell.

Quoted from cannylad68

I stated on here weeks ago that the youth players should start to look elsewhere, and that includes Mattie Pollock, under Paul Hurst. No snide remarks about Mattie Pollock please.
Paul Hurst has never had faith in youngsters.
Paul Hurst should start to look at his own recent signings to release, Payne, JLL, Habergham.
I know this won't be well received by the Paul Hurst lovers, but I doubt any of them have witnessed the good times, and I don't mean Non League play offs.

really....

The youngsters ARENT Good enough

Plenty of people living in the past thinking we can turn out a load more Drinkells, Moores, Fords & Wilkinsons. The game has moved on, we’re about to become a non-league side and haven’t finished higher than 4th in League 2 for fifteen years.

Any youngster with even the chance of being worth a few quid is snapped up and hoarded in a Premiership/Championship academy.  At our position in the food chain, we’ve done well to pick up some decent cast-offs from this level (Pollock, Bennett).

Probably the same people who want the players running up & down the beach, or stood on the fish docks at 4am every morning.

The Celtic story is true incredibly,  I even watched their epic 1967 final.  

Quoted from ska face

Plenty of people living in the past thinking we can turn out a load more Drinkells, Moores, Fords & Wilkinsons. The game has moved on, we’re about to become a non-league side and haven’t finished higher than 4th in League 2 for fifteen years.

Any youngster with even the chance of being worth a few quid is snapped up and hoarded in a Premiership/Championship academy.  At our position in the food chain, we’ve done well to pick up some decent cast-offs from this level (Pollock, Bennett).

Probably the same people who want the players running up & down the beach, or stood on the fish docks at 4am every morning.

Just once  a week will do for me...............

.although if we sink much lower the players might have part time jobs down there and train in the evenings

Quoted from ska face

Plenty of people living in the past thinking we can turn out a load more Drinkells, Moores, Fords & Wilkinsons. The game has moved on, we’re about to become a non-league side and haven’t finished higher than 4th in League 2 for fifteen years.

Any youngster with even the chance of being worth a few quid is snapped up and hoarded in a Premiership/Championship academy.  At our position in the food chain, we’ve done well to pick up some decent cast-offs from this level (Pollock, Bennett).

Probably the same people who want the players running up & down the beach, or stood on the fish docks at 4am every morning.

Unfortunately for clubs like us this is the harsh reality. While we are bottom feeders kids and their parents will never choose gtfc over the lure of bigger and more lucrative opportunities.
Brentford recognised this a few years back and scrapped their youth set up for a more efficient method of picking up rejects with potential from the big club academies and developing them . Maybe Neil Woods would be better employed going down this route and maximising his talents with young players .

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

rejects with potential from the big club academies and developing them .

When you see the likes of the academy's like Barcelona and Real Madrid you realise that youngsters there are very lucky in being developed the way they are. At La Masia Barcelona's youth academy everything is structured from how long they train, what they eat to even how much time they have to spend on line. All this coupled with excellent coaching faculties and the Barcelona way grounded for a long time in the Johan Cruyff way of total football helps shape players for the best. Traditional values are also taught eg integrity and what it means to be a model citizen in wearing the shirt with pride. The likes of Andres Iniesta credit their phenomenal success in the game to the way they were reared as players there. Hence had Iniesta been at a lower league club where the money isnt there and youth players live in digs /less control over what they eat/ drinking habits can go astray chances are he wouldn't have been the player he became.

Quoted from Hagrid

really....

The youngsters ARENT Good enough

Neither are most of the frigging 1st team squad.

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

Unfortunately for clubs like us this is the harsh reality. While we are bottom feeders kids and their parents will never choose gtfc over the lure of bigger and more lucrative opportunities.
Brentford recognised this a few years back and scrapped their youth set up for a more efficient method of picking up rejects with potential from the big club academies and developing them . Maybe Neil Woods would be better employed going down this route and maximising his talents with young players .

That is the route I would go down.

A pitiful few players make the grade after years of nurturing in the various age groups, and the only age groups that really matter is when they are ready for the first team.

Then you have the managerial problem; each manager has his own ideas on what makes a player. Hurst did not fancy many of what Holloway left him, and the same applies to youngsters - different managers want different attributes so years of hard work often goes out of the window as managers look elsewhere for their type of player.

When a really talented lad does come along, he is snapped up for nowt, or next to nowt dependent on the age group, so what is the point?

To keep the local youngsters interested in the Mariners I would concentrate on soccer schools for fun, but leave the signing of youngsters to a later age group of those released by clubs higher up the pyramid and when they are nearer first-team age.

It will be interesting to see what model the new owners pursue; if they continue with the current set up or change to a Brentford type model. Whichever way they go, I am sure they will be astute enough to get the maximum from it.

I'm not anti-Hurst but have been critical of him so far in his current reign.

However, when talking about young players, it must be pointed out in his defence that there wasn't the same quality coming through the Academy in his previous spell as there is now.

And if what someone posted about him giving some young players a chance at Ipswich (we know at least he got El Mizouni involved with their 1st team), maybe he's not as averse to giving youth a chance as some might think. Time will tell.

I think if the player is good enough then Hurst would definitely utilise them

I know that he wasn't our own but he never had any problems playing Conor Townsend did he?

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

That is the route I would go down.

A pitiful few players make the grade after years of nurturing in the various age groups, and the only age groups that really matter is when they are ready for the first team.

Then you have the managerial problem; each manager has his own ideas on what makes a player. Hurst did not fancy many of what Holloway left him, and the same applies to youngsters - different managers want different attributes so years of hard work often goes out of the window as managers look elsewhere for their type of player.

When a really talented lad does come along, he is snapped up for nowt, or next to nowt dependent on the age group, so what is the point?

To keep the local youngsters interested in the Mariners I would concentrate on soccer schools for fun, but leave the signing of youngsters to a later age group of those released by clubs higher up the pyramid and when they are nearer first-team age.

It will be interesting to see what model the new owners pursue; if they continue with the current set up or change to a Brentford type model. Whichever way they go, I am sure they will be astute enough to get the maximum from it.

Just with reference to the bit in bold.....

It's been 5 years since we were promoted. So realistically, it's probably only been about 4 years since the current structure of the Academy has been in place. With the funding received helping it expand massively from what it was during the non-league years.

So there are no kids yet who have gone from under 9s all the way through to the Youth Team, having spent all their time in the Academy while it has been in its current form. So I don't think the true results would be seen until another 2/3/4 years yet.

That's not to say players aren't being produced already. Christ, one of the u16s is off to Man Utd, so if that isn't developing and producing quality. I know thats another point of discussion around the shite compensation fee system, but I'm just talking about players going through the Academy for now.

Name the best current footballer raised in this area? Clifton?

Who is the last really good player this area produced? Haven't had one in years. Our current best prospect, Mattie Pollock, is not a Grimsby lad. Ryan Bennett is the only player from memory we have received a decent fee for (from sell on) and he wasn't a Grimsby lad. There was Jack Barlow but he never amounted to anything. Rumarn Burrell, most recently sold, but again not a Grimsby lad and only a nominal fee. Before Bennett it was Oster, Croft and Butterfield, but none were Grimsby lads. This area hasn't produced a really decent pro in a long time.

I think Brentford's model is the most viable option. Or find oit what Exeter are doing and replicate it!

Quoted from immariner

Name the best current footballer raised in this area? Clifton?

Who is the last really good player this area produced? Haven't had one in years. Our current best prospect, Mattie Pollock, is not a Grimsby lad. Ryan Bennett is the only player from memory we have received a decent fee for (from sell on) and he wasn't a Grimsby lad. There was Jack Barlow but he never amounted to anything. Rumarn Burrell, most recently sold, but again not a Grimsby lad and only a nominal fee. Before Bennett it was Oster, Croft and Butterfield, but none were Grimsby lads. This area hasn't produced a really decent pro in a long time.

I think Brentford's model is the most viable option. Or find oit what Exeter are doing and replicate it!

Add to that Akheem Rose (Walsall), Charlie i'Anson (Spain/forest) ,Andi Thanoj (Leicester?). Of the present crop Battersby spent time at Sheff U & Khouri came from West Ham

Just to provide a counterpoint here but surely the academy and youth team is more than just about producing first team players its about fully integrating the club into the community. Yes the aim and hope is to produce players that either we can sell on, or play within our team for an extended period  but there are many more facets too it.

Quoted from cannylad68

I stated on here weeks ago that the youth players should start to look elsewhere, and that includes Mattie Pollock, under Paul Hurst. No snide remarks about Mattie Pollock please.
Paul Hurst has never had faith in youngsters.
Paul Hurst should start to look at his own recent signings to release, Payne, JLL, Habergham.
I know this won't be well received by the Paul Hurst lovers, but I doubt any of them have witnessed the good times, and I don't mean Non League play offs.

I agree completely with the first sentence. In fact, unless I misread it completely, my interpretation of the Telegraph article was that Hope had chosen to leave and not been “cleared out”. On the evidence of their early season involvement, I felt that Joe and Duncan Idehan were the best prospects we’ve had for some time. I’m sorry that Hope has left, and, as I stated on another thread, I’d be very disappointed if we let Idehan go at the end of the season.

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Just to provide a counterpoint here but surely the academy and youth team is more than just about producing first team players its about fully integrating the club into the community. Yes the aim and hope is to produce players that either we can sell on, or play within our team for an extended period  but there are many more facets too it.

There are potentially more effective and efficient ways of integrating the club into the wider community than running about 10 highly selective squads of 20 lads before releasing the vast majority of them with a bitter taste their mouths.

Quoted from immariner

Name the best current footballer raised in this area? Clifton?

Who is the last really good player this area produced? Haven't had one in years. Our current best prospect, Mattie Pollock, is not a Grimsby lad. Ryan Bennett is the only player from memory we have received a decent fee for (from sell on) and he wasn't a Grimsby lad. There was Jack Barlow but he never amounted to anything. Rumarn Burrell, most recently sold, but again not a Grimsby lad and only a nominal fee. Before Bennett it was Oster, Croft and Butterfield, but none were Grimsby lads. This area hasn't produced a really decent pro in a long time.

I think Brentford's model is the most viable option. Or find oit what Exeter are doing and replicate it!

Not to be a pedant, but both Oster and Butterfield grew up in Boston, didn’t they? I think Croft was a local lad but even then he wasn’t born here if memory serves.

Quoted from Poojah

Not to be a pedant, but both Oster and Butterfield grew up in Boston, didn’t they? I think Croft was a local lad but even then he wasn’t born here if memory serves.

You can be a pedant if you like bud but I wouldn't say 2 lads who grew up 50 miles away before joining Town at U15s can be classed as Grimsby's own. Croft has a Staffs accent with a bit of a Grimmo twang but again, he didn't join us until U15s.

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

Unfortunately for clubs like us this is the harsh reality. While we are bottom feeders kids and their parents will never choose gtfc over the lure of bigger and more lucrative opportunities.
Brentford recognised this a few years back and scrapped their youth set up for a more efficient method of picking up rejects with potential from the big club academies and developing them . Maybe Neil Woods would be better employed going down this route and maximising his talents with young players .

Slipped my mind yesterday . This is what Glenn Hoddle done with his Nike academy as well  where Siriki Dembélé came from .

Good idea.

Quoted from immariner

You can be a pedant if you like bud but I wouldn't say 2 lads who grew up 50 miles away before joining Town at U15s can be classed as Grimsby's own. Croft has a Staffs accent with a bit of a Grimmo twang but again, he didn't join us until U15s.

I was making the same point, only I misread your post. It was late at night.

We’ve had this notion for a long time that our academy/system produces a rich vein of talent for managers to pick from but I don’t see that we’ve been that productive in reality.

We had that purple patch in the mid/late 70s early 80s where we produced several players who between them amalgamated 1000‘s of first team professional starts even after deducting Tony Ford’s numbers.

Since then we’ve probably had the same convention rate as any other under invested small town basket case of a club in what is now a merry go round transfer market.

There has been and currently is some good people involved in the Youth set up and though it must be difficult to accept if you’re rejected I’d be confident that the slim chance of making It is made clear from the off.

Also worth noting that when we’ve filtered youngsters in successfully it tends to be when they’re integrated into a stable side something in reality we’ve not had in ages.

Hope and Joe Starbuck were the ones I think a lot of people had high hopes for from last years 'graduate' crop.

I thought both looked very good in the reserve games I saw.  Eager, full of running, direct, confident, technically decent and athletic.    

They've then looked totally different when I've seen them in the first team.   If anything the confidence looked to have been sucked out of them.  Now it's easy to blame that on the previous managerial set-up but it does make you wonder what impact a shambolic pre-season had on the lads who were making the step-up from boys football to the professional game.  

In regards Hope, it's pretty telling that he's the only left-back in the building that's fit and yet we're letting him go.  We can argue all we like about Hurst giving youth a chance, but if he had any inkling that he was capable I'm sure he would hold onto him in for the rest of the season.  If Clifton picks up an injury or a suspension we're probably putting Matt Green there!

A genuine question, which I'm sure someone will clarify.

If Mattie Pollock decides to move to another club at the end of the season, which I think he will, what happens?

Has he another year of his contract to run? would we get a sell on clause?

No snide comments please, just an honest question.

Quoted from cannylad68

A genuine question, which I'm sure someone will clarify.

If Mattie Pollock decides to move to another club at the end of the season, which I think he will, what happens?

Has he another year of his contract to run? would we get a sell on clause?

No snide comments please, just an honest question.

think if we offer him a contract we are entitled to a fee?

Pollock's contract is due to expire this summer.
https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2019/february/-pollock-signs-first-professional-contract/

My understanding is that as he's under 24 and providing we offer him a suitable contract, i.e. matching his existing one, then we'll be entitled to compensation if someone picks him up.

The compensation is to recognise our contribution in developing the player, it has no reflection on his perceived market value.  As Pollock only spent a limited amount of time in our Academy set-up, it's fair to say we'll probably get peanuts.  

I think at best, we'd look to get a sell-on clause installed but I don't think this is mandated, more at the discretion of any club picking him up.


That's just how I see it, it might not be accurate and very happy to be corrected.

Quoted from Rick12

When you see the likes of the academy's like Barcelona and Real Madrid you realise that youngsters there are very lucky in being developed the way they are. At La Masia Barcelona's youth academy everything is structured from how long they train, what they eat to even how much time they have to spend on line. All this coupled with excellent coaching faculties and the Barcelona way grounded for a long time in the Johan Cruyff way of total football helps shape players for the best. Traditional values are also taught eg integrity and what it means to be a model citizen in wearing the shirt with pride. The likes of Andres Iniesta credit their phenomenal success in the game to the way they were reared as players there. Hence had Iniesta been at a lower league club where the money isnt there and youth players live in digs /less control over what they eat/ drinking habits can go astray chances are he wouldn't have been the player he became.

I can't imagine one of the best midfielders in the world would have been playing for a non-league outfit. Not to say that Barcelona's system isn't good, but they are able to attract the very best youngsters from all over the world, and the talent is already there.

Quoted from pen penfras

I can't imagine one of the best midfielders in the world would have been playing for a non-league outfit. Not to say that Barcelona's system isn't good, but they are able to attract the very best youngsters from all over the world, and the talent is already there.

Yes but talent can only get you so far .Its effort and sacrifice that enables people to stay at the top.

Technically speaking I feel the country with the biggest population should have the best football players but a multitude of other things get in the way from that materialising. How much focus is given to other sports, funding and interest in the game. Look at India for one. Large population but most of them play cricket traditionally.  Even in this country how many Indian football players have there been in the premiership?.

I personally know of youngsters who were quite good at professional  academy's but sadly fell by the wayside due to lack of discipline.

More young players are expected to follow Joey Hope out of the exit door at Grimsby Town, manager Paul Hurst has confirmed.

Hope’s departure was confirmed earlier this week less than a year after the defender had signed his first professional contract with the Mariners.

Hurst has confirmed it was his decision to move the 18-year-old, and more are set to follow between now and the end of the season.

The Town boss revealed he has spoken to other younger players to inform them their contracts will not be renewed at the end of the season, although he hasn’t confirmed which players are set to leave.

“It was my decision,” Hurst told GrimsbyLive.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of the younger players and told them my thoughts moving forward.

“I feel for these lads in quite a lot of ways. With Covid, with how the season’s been, the reserve games have been very few and far between, and then they were cancelled not long ago.

“The change of manager doesn’t help them, and it’s been a tough year from that point of view, especially for those lads.

“But at the same time, I have to make decisions. I can’t just keep all the players that have been here, and I’ve said that from day one.

“Joey was one I didn’t unfortunately see in my plans moving forward, so he was told the decision to try and be fair on the players and not just leave it until the end of the season.

“I’m trying to give them the best chance, albeit again that’s difficult, but I think some clubs are at least training so he can hopefully get something sorted and progress his career that way.”

It’s been an especially tough season for the club’s younger players, who have had the difficult task of trying to stand out in a large squad, while their options to go out on loan have been dramatically cut after the curtailment of much of the non-league season.

“We had a separate group at one stage with the younger players and one or two other lads, and that’s sort of changed now with decisions being made on a couple of lads,” Hurst added.

“Just getting them out on loan would have given them a better chance. It’s not a nice part of the job, it never is, but it’s one that ultimately, that side falls on my lap, and those are the decisions I’ve made.

“I wish Joey the best, and it’s not to say it has to be the end for him, it’s maybe just a different route that he has to take.”

On the other players he’s held discussions with, Hurst added: “They will move on. How they do that is partly down to them.

“We’ve tried to do it in the right manner, they’re never the easiest of conversations, but it gives the players a choice of how to come to the end of their contracts, but they know they won’t be renewed for next year.”

Quoted from cannylad68

A genuine question, which I'm sure someone will clarify.

If Mattie Pollock decides to move to another club at the end of the season, which I think he will, what happens?

Has he another year of his contract to run? would we get a sell on clause?

No snide comments please, just an honest question.

With new owners, we offer him the same money (or even more believe it or not) and trigger an automatic extension which will mean he has another year and somebody has to buy him.

If we don't get new owners then Phil Day offers him £25 a week less, thus leaving him able to leave for a free. After that i think the process is we blame the EFL for our incompetence and fans praise Phil for his refreshing honesty and tell everybody we won't go down because the season isn't going to finish anyway.

I think that's right (based on experience)

Quoted from WayneBurnettsJockstrap

More young players are expected to follow Joey Hope out of the exit door at Grimsby Town, manager Paul Hurst has confirmed.

Hope’s departure was confirmed earlier this week less than a year after the defender had signed his first professional contract with the Mariners.

Hurst has confirmed it was his decision to move the 18-year-old, and more are set to follow between now and the end of the season.

The Town boss revealed he has spoken to other younger players to inform them their contracts will not be renewed at the end of the season, although he hasn’t confirmed which players are set to leave.

“It was my decision,” Hurst told GrimsbyLive.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of the younger players and told them my thoughts moving forward.

“I feel for these lads in quite a lot of ways. With Covid, with how the season’s been, the reserve games have been very few and far between, and then they were cancelled not long ago.

“The change of manager doesn’t help them, and it’s been a tough year from that point of view, especially for those lads.

“But at the same time, I have to make decisions. I can’t just keep all the players that have been here, and I’ve said that from day one.

“Joey was one I didn’t unfortunately see in my plans moving forward, so he was told the decision to try and be fair on the players and not just leave it until the end of the season.

“I’m trying to give them the best chance, albeit again that’s difficult, but I think some clubs are at least training so he can hopefully get something sorted and progress his career that way.”

It’s been an especially tough season for the club’s younger players, who have had the difficult task of trying to stand out in a large squad, while their options to go out on loan have been dramatically cut after the curtailment of much of the non-league season.

“We had a separate group at one stage with the younger players and one or two other lads, and that’s sort of changed now with decisions being made on a couple of lads,” Hurst added.

“Just getting them out on loan would have given them a better chance. It’s not a nice part of the job, it never is, but it’s one that ultimately, that side falls on my lap, and those are the decisions I’ve made.

“I wish Joey the best, and it’s not to say it has to be the end for him, it’s maybe just a different route that he has to take.”

On the other players he’s held discussions with, Hurst added: “They will move on. How they do that is partly down to them.

“We’ve tried to do it in the right manner, they’re never the easiest of conversations, but it gives the players a choice of how to come to the end of their contracts, but they know they won’t be renewed for next year.”

Just as I said in an earlier post - rave reviews till a new manager arrives, he doesn't fancy him so is let go. All that effort for nowt.

This has happened for decades, and will continue to happen because it entirely depends on the manager in charge at the time they reach first-team age. Holloway may have thought Hope was the best young left-back he had seen, Hurst sees it differently, so it does not matter one jot what has gone on before.

For me, the best way forward would be for the manager in charge at the time to get youngsters in of the type he wants when they are older.

There are plenty of ways of getting youngsters interested in the club without the need for years of playing for the various age groups only to find the manager when you are 17/18 doesn't rate you.

You can be a world-beater between the ages of 8 and 15 and still not make it in the professional game. The only age that matters is when you are ready (or not) for the first team.

I’m afraid that’s football, it’s the situation even if they make it to the first team, but isn’t that what a manager is supposed to do, pick the players who he thinks have a chance of making it. If we had unlimited resources maybe it would be different but that’s the way it is.

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

I think if the player is good enough then Hurst would definitely utilise them

I know that he wasn't our own but he never had any problems playing Conor Townsend did he?

Talking of young players Hurst played, theres also Ben godfrey and Dean Henderson who hes had on loan and gone on to Prem success.

Quoted from pontoonlew

.

I think that's right (based on experience)

The problem with experience is that you usually get it just after you needed it

Quoted from ex-merseymariner

Talking of young players Hurst played, theres also Ben godfrey and Dean Henderson who hes had on loan and gone on to Prem success.

My memory may not be the best, but I didn’t think Hurst played Henderson. I’m of the opinion that didn’t happen until Bignot took over. Could be wrong.

I thought the under 18s where having a great season top of their league when Hurst came in. In previous years we have always struggled. Since Christmas results have been poor and the thing now looks like it’s disintegrating. So perhaps the ‘players are not good enough ‘ is unfair.

Quoted from NorthseaMariner

My memory may not be the best, but I didn’t think Hurst played Henderson. I’m of the opinion that didn’t happen until Bignot took over. Could be wrong.

I don't think he played a League game under Hurst, I think it was Bignot that gave him his debut.

At the time Henderson was better than McKeown and maybe PH didn't want to upset JM.

However PH signed Henderson again at the start of the following season for Shrewsbury and handed him the No.1 shirt,  

Quoted from arryarryarry

I don't think he played a League game under Hurst, I think it was Bignot that gave him his debut.

At the time Henderson was better than McKeown and maybe PH didn't want to upset JM.

However PH signed Henderson again at the start of the following season for Shrewsbury and handed him the No.1 shirt,  

I was referring to hurst taking young loanees, of which 3 are currently playing in the prem. Who cares if hirst played Henderson for Town, he took him to Shrewsbury and played him every game in a higher division  

Quoted from ex-merseymariner

I was referring to hurst taking young loanees, of which 3 are currently playing in the prem. Who cares if hirst played Henderson for Town, he took him to Shrewsbury and played him every game in a higher division  

Erm.......................I was answering North Sea Mariner and his comments regarding Hurst and Henderson.

You can argue the rights and wrong of the youth system until the cows come home but in truth, it’s been this way for years and doesn’t show signs of changing, even worse the higher up you get. May be that’s why these young lads get agents that push for crazy money without ever kicking a ball in anger?

These lads could be the next ronaldo but in reality if they made it they’d be another player to kick about the lower leagues. That’s not a bad thing but given the last year I’d imagine we’ll see more released than normal.

We’re a club that places little value on the real thing or the important things, that’s been proven time and again. We dismissed the notion of a fitness coach, archaic training facilities; furloughing the groundsman and so forth, why would we see value in funding a good youth system. Sad really Becauee I think Woods does wonders.

If you think about the lads that have broken through from our system, whilst nobody questions their work ethic or determination I’m not convinced people would be so excited about them had they not come through the ranks...if we’d brought Clifton in I don’t think he’d have lasted long. Not a criticism of him, more an observation given we’ve been more disgruntled at better players.

The youth system in football isn’t kind, it’s not really people centred and I guess it gives some false hope to kids and families...are other sports similar? I’ve no idea but surely there needs to be better ways of working...

Quoted from AussieMariner

The problem with experience is that you usually get it just after you needed it

Unless of course you’re us, in which you get that experience, ignore it, then wonder where it all went wrong when history repeats itself