Should Grimsby follow Wycombe's model?

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/21/gareth-ainsworth-wycombe-wanderers-league-two

Let's be honest here. Our club doesn't have a lot of money. So why do we bother with a reserve and youth team?

When was the last time a good player came from our youth team? I'anson? If you consider him good.

Wycombe yearly spend nothing on transfers picking up young players  released from clubs higher up. They also offer great prices for match tickets. £13 For adults. £7 for 11-18. Under 11s go free.

Looks like it suits them a lot. Why not us also?

Quoted from SheepGTFC

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/21/gareth-ainsworth-wycombe-wanderers-league-two

Let's be honest here. Our club doesn't have a lot of money. So why do we bother with a reserve and youth team?

When was the last time a good player came from our youth team? I'anson? If you consider him good.

Wycombe yearly spend nothing on transfers picking up young players  released from clubs higher up. They also offer great prices for match tickets. £13 For adults. £7 for 11-18. Under 11s go free.

Looks like it suits them a lot. Why not us also?

I completely agree. All the best youngsters travel to other clubs from an early age anyway, or nearly all. Maybe re visit it in years to come post Fenty when we have the infrastructure in place to support it. Much easier in my eyes to pick up youngsters from big clubs that don't make the grade.

Been saying the same for ages. We still think we are a big club that can attract league standard managers and players, but we end up with the ones no-one else wants. Should have invested the Bogle money in a few more Bogle's. If one makes the grade, it pays for itself.

Quoted from ginnywings

Been saying the same for ages. We still think we are a big club that can attract league standard managers and players, but we end up with the ones no-one else wants. Should have invested the Bogle money in a few more Bogle's. If one makes the grade, it pays for itself.

Bogle Economy 101 by Ginny

Am going to disagree on the academy part. For me, having the chance to not only play in your local clubs academy is a privilege, it is also vital for the area. The youngsters aren't just potential players, but important supporters.

The reserve team, IS a bit of a waste of time though. It's not like years gone by when 6000 supporters would pile into blundell park to watch the likes of Liverpool. Or those that worked shifts could sit in the main stand with 200/300 others on a Tuesday night to see the newbies/youngsters/Trialists.

Am all for making savings (having a squad of 30 is terrible) but not to the detriment of potential supporters.

We need games for the extended squad when we have 30+ players. Whether that is formal games in a reserve league or friendlies behind closed doors, does it make much difference?

I still think the location of Grimsby means we should be getting local kids coming through. It's not as though we are surrounded by football giants. Maybe it's a bit naive but I'd be loathed to scrap the youth team, it would be a sad day indeed.

Get Akinfenwa in up front would be a good start.

We binned the reserves when we were in the conference

Quoted from supertown

We binned the reserves when we were in the conference

And then reinstated them because it was a hassle to keep organising friendlies. A ready-made fixture list is much easier  

Quoted from SheepGTFC

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/21/gareth-ainsworth-wycombe-wanderers-league-two

Let's be honest here. Our club doesn't have a lot of money. So why do we bother with a reserve and youth team?

When was the last time a good player came from our youth team? I'anson? If you consider him good.

Wycombe yearly spend nothing on transfers picking up young players  released from clubs higher up. They also offer great prices for match tickets. £13 For adults. £7 for 11-18. Under 11s go free.

Looks like it suits them a lot. Why not us also?

I'Anson made a career for himself at Spain. Played most games in Valencia B's play-off campaign last season earning a transfer to Segunda side Granda but has sinced moved to Real Murcia in January. He also played for Real Oviedo and several matches for Elche in La Liga. Not bad if you ask me.

People missing the point though when they think of how much can we sell for? It is about getting players into the first team and them playing for us. On that note, players like North, Wood and Bore were good value for money because we got 50+ i.e at least a season of first team football from them. Further to that when you have lads who have come up through the youth set up it creates a bond between the fans and the time because the players are invariably local or living locally. I can see why Wycombe do it, they are so close to London it must be difficult to compete, and whilst we don't have a huge catchment area we can attract players from as far down as Boston (Butterfield is from Butterwick) and as far across as Lincoln/Scunny/Sheffield and over to Hull rejects if we want to. The potential is there but it needs to be run properly.