Is it time

To accept our current position and ditch the youth programme we seem to spend a lot of resources grooming young talent then year after year discard them. Surely the money spent could be used to allow ph have a bigger playing budget possibly get slaughtered for my views but when was last time we got any return for the clubs investment ?

A signoificant part of the cost is raised by the Youth section/PPAG themselves. That money wouldnt neccesarily be raised and given to the club for any other cause imo

Quoted from crusty ole pie

To accept our current position and ditch the youth programme we seem to spend a lot of resources grooming young talent then year after year discard them. Surely the money spent could be used to allow ph have a bigger playing budget possibly get slaughtered for my views but when was last time we got any return for the clubs investment ?

Without the sale of Croft, Oster, Bennett etc who knows where we would be? If 1 player every 10 years comes through and is sold for a six-figure fee, well worth it IMO.

Understand the thought but if we ever got the next Ronaldo/messi coming through it would bankroll the club for years to come. I think this coming season the youth and non playing pros should play every game of the trophy we play in to give some exposure.

Beat me to it Bax!

Quoted from bax

Without the sale of Croft, Oster, Bennett etc who knows where we would be? If 1 player every 10 years comes through and is sold for a six-figure fee, well worth it IMO.

This is true, but all the ones mentioned were given a long run in the first team to develop prior to transfer as were others like Danny North before they were released. The ones Town have let go in the past 3 years with the exception perhaps of Bradley Wood have had hardly any opportunity to play anything but youth level. They have been judged basically on training ground performance which makes it pretty pointless to put them on contract in the first place.

I'm a great believer in the youth system as a means of developing our own talent to rise through the leagues as well as raise transfer fees, but the way it is being used at present means it is a complete waste of money at the top end to give pro contracts to 18 year olds who are only there to make up the numbers for training. Keep the younger end but stop paying out good money and handing out hope to lads who are never going to get a chance to play.

I have heard from one or two parents who have kids in the youth set up that there are a couple of prospects at U14 level i believe it is, however i have also heard that bigger clubs have been sniffing around and said parents were waiting to see if Town got promoted ( immediate injection of youth funding and coaching to improve the set up) before deciding on weighing up if their kids should move.
Looks like the decision to stay may have taken a knock with the defeat.  

There's a lad in the u15 bracket attracting interest from bigger clubs (Leeds etc) and he was included in a Youth team game or 2 towards the end of the season with that in mind (Youth team involvement above his age helping us get higher tribunal fee).

What is worrying is the number of kids at the youngest age groups who are turning down GTFC and choosing to go to Scunny/Hull or even further afield.

Let's get back in the league and get some real investment in the Academy set-up.

I would continue with the youth set up then once those youngsters turn 18 or offered professional terms i would loan them out fir a season and the best way to do that is have an affiliated club someone like Harrogate Town etc.  Then if they do really well who knows what will happen but has to be a better option than not even given them any football well more than a months loan anyway.

Bennett came from Ipswich and he was on trial at Town when I was. I have lost faith in towns YT policy after they released some really good players a few years back. Ben Higgins was on of the best centre backs I had seen, captain the youth team and then just got let go. Same applies to most of our young ones. I personally don't think a YT is beneficial to any team below league 1.

Quoted from Laddy89

Bennett came from Ipswich and he was on trial at Town when I was. I have lost faith in towns YT policy after they released some really good players a few years back. Ben Higgins was on of the best centre backs I had seen, captain the youth team and then just got let go. Same applies to most of our young ones. I personally don't think a YT is beneficial to any team below league 1.

Not disputing Higgins' ability or lack of, but the fact that he didn't make it anywhere else hardly backs up the argument that GTFC were wrong to let him go. Big big difference between those who shine at local level or even youth level, and that step up to professional adult football.

Yes but you could argue the Grimsby Town youth team who won the Youth league cup were never given a chance at all.

And in the last 5 years none really have. The only one who had something of a chance was Andi Thanoj and he thought he was better than Grimsby and now look where he is,  Conference North with Alfreton.

But anyway.....Most aren't good enough which is why I think they could do away with the YT if it saves the club a lot of money.

If it doesn't cost all that much to run each year then there isn't much point in scrapping it.