Rams fan in Peace

My boy is coming to Grimsby for further trials. We've already been once. 2  questions -

(i) what is the youth set up like at Grimsby? Many players coming through?
(ii) what has gone on at Grimsby? I had to look twice when I saw your were in the conference. I'm not being funny but it doesn't seem that long ago when going to Blundell Park was a really tough away fixture.

Wish you better fortune in the future whether my lad joins you full time or not.

It definitely seems a long time ago since we won 3-1 at Pride Park on Boxing Day even though it was actually only the 2002/03 season.

How olds your lad mate

Robbie Stockdale is running the youth as you probably know, he recommended upto 5 of the previous team (i think it was 5) to be offered contracts for this season at the end of their Y.T last season.
The gaffers only offered two and kept two back for pre season make or break chance to further impress.

Players in and around the first team at the close of last season and beginning of this, which have progressed from youth at some time, currently stand at Wood, Thanoj, Mulready, Southwell, Marshall, I'anson, Freeman, Dawson although of those Wood is the only regular starter of late.

So 7 of the current 25 in total.

Quoted from mr viv

How olds your lad mate

Quoted from flash1

???? just wondered as i run a u14 side and know a bit about the gtfc u14 set up

Our youth set up is very good, we was the second best team in the whole of the football league for bringing through kids who became pros  

Quoted from Super Clive

Our youth set up is very good, we was the second best team in the whole of the football league for bringing through kids who became pros  

and we ended up in the conference

As an outsider looking in (ie. I've no knowledge of youth football or the GTFC youth setup), it seems to be between 18-21 when our youngsters 'lose their way'.

This was something Chris Casper was brought in to look at, but sadly doesn't seem to have been on the agenda of anyone since he left.

  local lads normally go to other local clubs which i think is a worrying trend,i can understand say drury going to city and  barlow and topliss at hull but do scunny and lincoln have so much to offer?

He is 15 now. (Goalkeeper)
Has a number of clubs after him, but I've got to try and get it right in terms of his development and who will, hopefully, bring him through.
He had half a game for Grimsby against Doncaster Rovers late last season, when he was still in the under 15s. Very windy day, quite sunny in Clee in the afternoon and nice fish 'n' chips at Steeles.
Win, lose or draw or always enjoy a trip to Steele's

Btw we are not local.We live in Burnley.

Quoted from Rams62

He is 15 now. (Goalkeeper)
Has a number of clubs after him, but I've got to try and get it right in terms of his development and who will, hopefully, bring him through.
He had half a game for Grimsby against Doncaster Rovers late last season, when he was still in the under 15s. Very windy day, quite sunny in Clee in the afternoon and nice fish 'n' chips at Steeles.
Win, lose or draw or always enjoy a trip to Steele's

tricky decision hope you get it right but seeing as though you live in the north west i doubt very much our set ups come close to the likes of pne,blackpool,blackburn,bolton,wigan

I read John Burridge's auto biography.He started at Workington. He said he got a head start as he was training with men at 16, not kids.Like he would have done at Arsenal, Man Utd. etc.
We also like the fact the trainers at Grimsby say they like what they see in him.

Owen Coyle has told us unprompted, at least 4 times he rates him. (His own son has played in teams against mine) but we've never had an approach from Bolton. Probably Owen doesn't dirty his hands in the youth set up.

Others have told us the youth set up at Grimsby is really good. Any club with little cash needs a first rate youth system. Grow your own!

Goalkeeper is a very difficult position for youngsters to be brought into professional clubs first teams. As a big aspect of their game is decision-making which is a skill enhanced with experience. That said, a keeper is more likely to be blooded at first team level at a club like ours (if good enough obviously).

One thing I will say is that (with the exception of this year until Arthur's contract runs out) most small clubs like us will have one senior keeper and one younger pro as the number two keeper. So if your lad got offered pro terms he would at least be making the bench whilst he adjusts to senior football.

And I'm not sure about the youth set up but we do have a dedicated goalkeeping coach in the senior set-up.

If he came 2 years ago he'd have been made 1st choice  

good luck where ever he ends up

Thanks for all your best wishes. Well, we are treating it as a marvellous opportunity and we are all excited by the opportunity it presents. (It's an added bonus to him that he's going to get day release from school too).
And we are certainly going to enjoy our long weekends in Cleethorpes.
Whatever, Grimsby will rise again - football is cyclical - you'll see.

Quoted from Rams62

Thanks for all your best wishes. Well, we are treating it as a marvellous opportunity and we are all excited by the opportunity it presents. (It's an added bonus to him that he's going to get day release from school too).
And we are certainly going to enjoy our long weekends in Cleethorpes.
Whatever, Grimsby will rise again - football is cyclical - you'll see.

indeed we are. iirc we have been promoted and relegated more times than anyone, which means we'll play you again in the league before too long then disappear from your radar

Don't let him get too into his football Rams62, he should always have a back-up plan! GCSEs, A-levels, trade or an apprentiship. When I was a YTS looking to make it as a pro I was also doing my A Levels. I was released but luckily I had the grades to get into Uni!

Quoted from Abdul19

As an outsider looking in (ie. I've no knowledge of youth football or the GTFC youth setup), it seems to be between 18-21 when our youngsters 'lose their way'.

This was something Chris Casper was brought in to look at, but sadly doesn't seem to have been on the agenda of anyone since he left.

In fairness I think that's a bit of a general English malaise than something unique to GTFC.

I remember when Billy Kee scored something like 45 in 43 for our youth team against teams like Chelsea and West Ham and he was being tipped for big things. After spells at Accrington and Torquay, he's now at Burton Albion which seems a bit of a disappointment when you consider he was highly rated when he was 17 at Leicester. You could say similar things about Ricky Sappleton who went to Macclesfield for a while but is now without a club.

The step from youth team to first team is often one that is handled poorly in English football, and there are a variety of reasons for that in my opinion.

Well now it has been revealed he is a keeper then i would say that our record with youth keepers is not good. I think only possibly Croudson ( current goalkeeping coach) is probably the only one in my memory who has progressed to first team league action here or anywhere else for that matter. (Willing to be corrected on that one)
Also with the current regime we no longer have regular reserve team action so chances to impress against "men" will be further limited.
If i was you and as confident in his ability as you seem i would be contacting your local area teams with regards to trial opportunities for him. Knock a few doors down. You have Owen Coyles words, he is being looked at by us ( not the feather in the cap that might have been once upon a time but hey we are still a professional club) so anyone from Rochdale, Bury, Accy, Stockport etc.
Travelling does not help kids prepare properly for football and as everyone in the football world bemoans the global game and lack of local lads coming through then why not do your utmost to find him a local side.

The last young keeper we had here? Rob Peet, was thought to be an excellent prospect and even got a trial at Man Utd last season but didn't get offered a deal by the club as 'we don't have the funds to develop a keeper' basically...

Take a look at the link:

http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/United-unwanted-8211-Peet-released/story-11536270-detail/story.html

with him being a keeper if he doesn't reach the fringes of reserves or first team by late teens going out on loan is a possibility? think about it who would want a young loan keeper from gtfc? where as if you was a young keeper available for loan lets say playing for a championship side you have a strong possibility of going out too a league 1 or 2 club for experience also we currently don't have a reserve team.If i was you i'd go elsewhere.Our young teams may do well but the percentage of players too come through isn't very high in my opinion.

utm

I would look at GTFC as a good option for a young 'keeper especially with the current set up.

Steve Croudson as a full time keeping coach and Kenny Arthur who has a professional goalkeeping glove and training company as an aside. (kagoalkeeping)

I would imagine the contacts Kenny has could improve your lad's chances of making the cut considerably - e.g. Andy Goram wears KA gloves.

Oh, for the late 1970's / early 80's again, Drinkell, Moore, Ford, Donovan, Lund, Wilkinson, McDermott, Mawer, free transfers as well with the likes of Batch, Agnew, and Cumming brought on by the youth / reserve set up. Special days....

Quoted from BiloLCFC

In fairness I think that's a bit of a general English malaise than something unique to GTFC.

I remember when Billy Kee scored something like 45 in 43 for our youth team against teams like Chelsea and West Ham and he was being tipped for big things. After spells at Accrington and Torquay, he's now at Burton Albion which seems a bit of a disappointment when you consider he was highly rated when he was 17 at Leicester. You could say similar things about Ricky Sappleton who went to Macclesfield for a while but is now without a club.

The step from youth team to first team is often one that is handled poorly in English football, and there are a variety of reasons for that in my opinion.

Good points. I suppose it's a big jump from playing against other kids to playing against battle-hardened Guy Branston types.

Quoted from davmariner

Don't let him get too into his football Rams62, he should always have a back-up plan! GCSEs, A-levels, trade or an apprentiship. When I was a YTS looking to make it as a pro I was also doing my A Levels. I was released but luckily I had the grades to get into Uni!

I wish I could get him to have a plan b) m8, but he has no interest in school work; football, golf and girls. That's about it.

Quoted from Rams62

I wish I could get him to have a plan b) m8, but he has no interest in school work; football, golf and girls. That's about it.

Me too apart from golf! lol

Thank you to everyone for your advice and inside info.
We wrote to Burnley & Bolton - no response.
We took him to football cv trials at Sheff Utd and Man City last season. Me and his mum try not to view him with rose-tinted specs.In fact I am probably his harshest critic, however, he played in the under 15s last season and my honest opinion is he could have done the under 18s game as well and nobody would have known the difference.
We got interest from Sheff Weds, Leeds Utd., Barnsley, Huddersfield, Grimsby and Stalybridge Celtic.
He has trials coming up at Preston NE and Doncaster Rovers, plus I hope a week's trial at a Midlands club at half term.
I think (I hope) he can get an apprenticeship. I think he will progress rapidly with the right mentor to take him under his wing.I've noticed at school he responds better to male teachers; responds better to me than his mother too.He is 6' 2" tall and still growing; lean, good muscles and very agile.Catching crosses, punching, shot - stopping and one on one situations are his strong areas. Foot work and goal kicks need improvement.
Whatever.
Grimsby need to get back to the league. You must be the biggest club in the conference, surely?

Apart from Luton, I'd agree with that. Counts for very little though.

All the best whatever your lad does.

I believe we 'blooded' young Andy Pettinger in the 2003/4 season when Aidan Davison got injured/suspended and before we brought in that keeper from Hull (I forget his name now... he did well - Northern Irish bloke).

I thought Pettinger looked perfectly at home in goal for Town's first team after waiting a little while to get his chance. I don't believe he put a foot wrong but like most managers say, it wasn't the right time to be playing a youngster, i.e. in a losing team that was struggling against relegation.

We've had a few youth keepers given the odd chance in pre-season friendlies only to never see them again.

It is a tough route for keepers, limited opportunities, many teams at lower levels do not even have a keeper on the bench now. I think the youth and goalkeeping coaches at GTFC are pretty good and the youth team has performed well in recent times. Despite this first team opportunites are restricted and the club cannot afford to give young players a contract if they are not going to perfom in the first team. Down to funds as so many decisions are I am afraid. Good luck to your lad though but he really needs to think of a plan B

Quoted from Rams62

Thank you to everyone for your advice and inside info.
We wrote to Burnley & Bolton - no response.
We took him to football cv trials at Sheff Utd and Man City last season. Me and his mum try not to view him with rose-tinted specs.In fact I am probably his harshest critic, however, he played in the under 15s last season and my honest opinion is he could have done the under 18s game as well and nobody would have known the difference.
We got interest from Sheff Weds, Leeds Utd., Barnsley, Huddersfield, Grimsby and Stalybridge Celtic.
He has trials coming up at Preston NE and Doncaster Rovers, plus I hope a week's trial at a Midlands club at half term.
I think (I hope) he can get an apprenticeship. I think he will progress rapidly with the right mentor to take him under his wing.I've noticed at school he responds better to male teachers; responds better to me than his mother too.He is 6' 2" tall and still growing; lean, good muscles and very agile.Catching crosses, punching, shot - stopping and one on one situations are his strong areas. Foot work and goal kicks need improvement.
Whatever.
Grimsby need to get back to the league. You must be the biggest club in the conference, surely?

Is he single?  

Quoted from moosey_club

Is he single?  

LOL!!!, No, but he IS 15....  

Quoted from Biccys

LOL!!!, No, but he IS 15....  

i was asking for my niece  

My view is that if he is good eniough,he will come to the fore wherever he ends up and he could do a lot worse than come here.We have a very good youth team who seem to always go far in the youth competitions and won the thing not that long back.I assume youth games are scouted vigourously,so potential stars will be spotted.

A few people have commented that we don't have many players coming through from youth level but you could say that about any team.Very very few make it to pro and i believe we are second only to Leicester in producing players that go on to have a pro career,so i wouldn't be too hasty in dismissing our club.

Good luck to the lad wherever he goes.

Quoted from Biccys

LOL!!!, No, but he IS 15....  

actually........so your protest is on grounds of age not gender......15 being too high or too low? Growing tired of that closet Biccys?  

dean crombie  has some say at bolton youth team

Quoted from moosey_club

actually........so your protest is on grounds of age not gender......15 being too high or too low? Growing tired of that closet Biccys?  

I'm neither a paedo nor a bumder. Sorry!

Quoted from ginnywings

A few people have commented that we don't have many players coming through from youth level but you could say that about any team.Very very few make it to pro and i believe we are second only to Leicester in producing players that go on to have a pro career,so i wouldn't be too hasty in dismissing our club.

I think we're second only to Leicester for giving youth players debuts in our first team but not for them having a professional career. A lot are given a handful of appearances before being released (Andy Taylor for one).

Quoted from RichMariner

I think we're second only to Leicester for giving youth players debuts in our first team but not for them having a professional career. A lot are given a handful of appearances before being released (Andy Taylor for one).

Can anyone back this claim up? Not saying it's untrue just that my quick google search drew a blank.

Quoted from Richard

dean crombie  has some say at bolton youth team

kit man?

Quoted from RichMariner

I think we're second only to Leicester for giving youth players debuts in our first team but not for them having a professional career. A lot are given a handful of appearances before being released (Andy Taylor for one).

That's quite surprising really, I'd have thought Crewe would have been up there. Their academy since the Dario Gradi era has been outstanding for such a small club.

Lads who I have taught have had trials with Grimsby and ended up leaving having been scouted by Scunny. Talking to parents they say it is an excellent setup.  Might be worth knocking on their door as well.

Quoted from psgmariner

Can anyone back this claim up? Not saying it's untrue just that my quick google search drew a blank.

Yeah that's been widely reported over the last few years by the club. Don't forget alongside Pettinger and Croudson there was Andy Love who came through from the youth team, so three GK' s in say 15 years, I bet that's better than a lot of clubs.

In case the Derby fan is still checking back on this thread. Note the call up to the England under 21s squad today of Peterborough defender Ryan Bennett.

He was at Ipswich as a young lad but they released him at age 15/16. We signed him to our youth system, he signed a YT deal then a pro deal after breaking into our first team at 17. A £400,000 transfer to Peterborough followed and now he's in the England u21 set-up.

Well done Ipswich!