The Future

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

We have this argument from time to time and my opinion is always no we shouldn't bother with a youth team or younger teams.

Just let them enjoy their football in local leagues and invite some for trial games when they are 16/17/18, either from here or further afield.

For me there are far too many variables involved in young players. Some are fantastic at 10, rubbish at 14. Some are rubbish at 10, and pretty good at 14. They can go from being big and strong and scoring 100 goals a season in a certain age group yet can't score any when other kids catch them up in physical size.Very very few are good enough when it matters - between 18 and 24 and beyond. Any truly exceptional talent (or exceptional for that age group) will be lured by bigger clubs anyway, so we are often left with whats the best of the rest.

Then we have the problem of different youth coaches looking for different things, in accordance with the first team managers wishes; a Buckley will want all ball players, certain other managers might want pace and physique and wouldn't be too bothered whether he can trap a bag of cement. A change of manager and everything goes out of the window.

Some players go all the way through to first year pros yet the vast  majority of even those are rejected. Is it really worth it?

It is just a personal opinion but I think a series of trial games would probably yield better results. It doesn't matter how good a young player is in their formative years - all that matters from a professional clubs point of view is that he is good enough when it matters when he can break into the first team.

Quoted from lukeo

Imagine him getting the all clear before Fgr game and scoring a winner off the bench to keep us up  

Quoted from Tommy

Re: the bit in bold - I'm pretty sure the kids in academies enjoy their football too. In fact having seen plenty of games in local league's where coaches and parents are screaming their heads off at players and young referees, some (Not all) of the grassroots football doesn't actually seem that enjoyable.


A couple of clubs (Brentford and Huddersfield) have reduced their academies to just u18 teams. But I don't think it'd work for us. Their geographic situation is much different to ours.

If we did it, would we not be doing what people criticise us for doing at senior level every summer. Wait too long, penny pinch, and sign whatever's left at the end once everyone else has had their picks.

All the talented local lads would go to Lincoln/Scunny/Hull instead of them going through our academy.  They wouldn't just sit here in grassroots football waiting to be picked up by us at 18.

And as several posters often point out when this debate comes up - we'd lose the massive link to the community that it gives us. Keeps so many families involved with and attached to the club. Maybe making some fans for life.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I think Brentford and Huddersfield have got it right. I see the argument for the community factor, but I don't think the numbers are sufficient enough to keep a fully fledged youth system in place.

I reiterate - the only age group that matters (purely in terms of players ready for the first team) is at age 18 or so to keep players involved from a very young age is basically a waste of time.

I am trying to look at this from the point of view of a professional club and in this instance I am ignoring the community aspect and the joy of youngsters being involved with their local club. If other posters think this is a good enough reason to retain a youth system fair enough, but to invest time and money on kids that are great at various age groups but when push comes to shove at age 18 are not good enough seems a waste.

To put it at its most basic (despite having the requisite skill sets) the most important thing is that a player can take the physical demands of being a pro footballer and obviously that is not known till they are in the 17/18 age bracket, so why spend any amount of time on players that may not have the desired physical attributes or indeed the mental side?

Quoted from Tommy

He hasn't been playing for the Youths R.E.B.
He's 19 so can't play for the u18s. Don't think he'd be able to anyway without having permission to work.

Quoted from Tommy

Re: the bit in bold - I'm pretty sure the kids in academies enjoy their football too. In fact having seen plenty of games in local league's where coaches and parents are screaming their heads off at players and young referees, some (Not all) of the grassroots football doesn't actually seem that enjoyable.


A couple of clubs (Brentford and Huddersfield) have reduced their academies to just u18 teams. But I don't think it'd work for us. Their geographic situation is much different to ours.

If we did it, would we not be doing what people criticise us for doing at senior level every summer. Wait too long, penny pinch, and sign whatever's left at the end once everyone else has had their picks.

All the talented local lads would go to Lincoln/Scunny/Hull instead of them going through our academy.  They wouldn't just sit here in grassroots football waiting to be picked up by us at 18.

And as several posters often point out when this debate comes up - we'd lose the massive link to the community that it gives us. Keeps so many families involved with and attached to the club. Maybe making some fans for life.