The Future

Quoted from arryarryarry

Are they that attached, with so many coming from out of town surely their main interest is in watching their son play and if they end up getting released will they want to stay and watch the first team?

I'd guess you're probably referring to the intake of scholars for next season that are mainly from out of the area.

I'd suggest this is an exception to the norm and isn't a reflection on the rest of the age group sides. Neither will it be a reflection of what they want the make up of first year YT's to look like every year.

Personally just think the system starts at too young an age which is detrimental financially for clubs our size and psychologically for kids involved.

We have to remember that once a child is part of this system at the age of 9 or younger in some cases they are no longer allowed to play for their school. Their region or for clubs with their mates. I have a lad of 11 and 2 of his mates have just withdrawn from academies at Lincoln & Forest because of this very reason plus the level of commitment they need to give at such. A young age.

I would much rather see the clubs start taking on kids at the under 15 stage when there is much more evidence of how their potential has developed and would allow them the “ freedom” to develop their talent naturally rather than have it coached into their psyche.

Actual results for having a youth process suggest it is from a professional stand point not great value for money but also accept it may have some community benefits, that said no reason why a professional club should not run community projects anyway funded by the FA.

Certainly remember in the mid 1970’s playing against Louth Reserves in the Lincs League and their team included a young Terry Donovan and Glen Cockerill and they certainly did ok coming up via that route although local soccer leagues unfortunately are pretty non- existent nowadays.

Quoted from Cloudy

Where do the 4000 or so Pro footballers come from? Yes, nowadays some come from overseas but a fair number are English lads, many of which have played up through academies. Why can't GTFC produce a player or two now they have a proper set up for the first time in years.

Personally I would be horrified if we didn't give local lads the chance to dream of playing for Town. Football is cyclical and maybe Town will have a run of producing players again

In the nearly 60 years I have been going to BP there has been a mere handful of very good local players. Most of them were donkeys years ago well before the big club academy systems came into being, and before the road network system made it easier for the better youngsters to get to those clubs.

The practical experience tells you that virtually all the better players in their age groups will be snapped up by bigger clubs, with better facilities and more of a pull factor. It is just a fact of life.

No doubt there will be youngsters who are Town through and through who will pull a first team shirt on in the years to come, and good luck to them but I think the argument centres on how we get those players - and is it worth having teams of varying age groups that in the end produce next to no first team material?

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Personally just think the system starts at too young an age which is detrimental financially for clubs our size and psychologically for kids involved.

We have to remember that once a child is part of this system at the age of 9 or younger in some cases they are no longer allowed to play for their school. Their region or for clubs with their mates. I have a lad of 11 and 2 of his mates have just withdrawn from academies at Lincoln & Forest because of this very reason plus the level of commitment they need to give at such. A young age.

I would much rather see the clubs start taking on kids at the under 15 stage when there is much more evidence of how their potential has developed and would allow them the “ freedom” to develop their talent naturally rather than have it coached into their psyche.

Actual results for having a youth process suggest it is from a professional stand point not great value for money but also accept it may have some community benefits, that said no reason why a professional club should not run community projects anyway funded by the FA.

Certainly remember in the mid 1970’s playing against Louth Reserves in the Lincs League and their team included a young Terry Donovan and Glen Cockerill and they certainly did ok coming up via that route although local soccer leagues unfortunately are pretty non- existent nowadays.

This is the point I was trying to make, albeit you have said it more eloquently. We can be a community based club doing all sorts of community projects for youngsters playing the game, without having the formal youth structure which produces next to no first team material. In this regard  we are light years behind clubs in our catchment area and sadly virtually all of any outstanding youngsters will be lured to bigger clubs with better facilities.

There are thousands of young players all over the country who dream of being a professional, but only a fraction make it. In my eyes it would be better to judge them when they are coming up to early manhood by inviting players who have been deemed not quite good enough for bigger clubs.

Only sixteen reserve team games this season. Over thirty full time pros on the books that need game time. There's hardly any opportunities for our youngsters to prove themselves to be ready for first team football. Gone are the days when reserve leagues had nearly as many fixtures as the first team. As first team squads have had to increase massively due to rule changes in the transfer market, reserve team games have been cut back. The EFL have found the funds to help out Premier League U23 teams get more game time, yet due to lack of funding, lower EFL League clubs have been forced to cut back on travelling costs for their reserve teams. The old reserve leagues of twenty years ago used to be a breeding ground and conveyor belt for young talent. Sometimes I think we coach our youngsters to death rather than letting them prove themselves in real game time situations..

If under the rules he can not play can he train or does that mean he can not be paid ?

I am a bit confused about all this,

Are we paying him a wage ? if so why can't he play ?

If we are not paying him can he walk away or do we have him on a contract if so we must be paying him,

So if we are paying him why can't he play,?

If anybody knows the answers please help a confused old man.