The club statement read “We want to see more homegrown players like young Harry Clifton coming through the ranks at Blundell Park”.

I’m a big fan of producing young players and getting them through to become pro’s. But it’s a massive challenge when you look at the statistics.

Less than three quarters of 1% of professional football club academy players go on to make a living as a professional footballer.

This now places a whole new emphasis on those involved in the Academy. They can now operate in the knowledge that there is a strong desire to see young players make it to the first team. In fact, I suppose it puts a diffferent type of pressure on the Academy now, where there becomes a bit more of an expectation, which is healthy.

But it also highlights just how important it is to maintain Football League status. Because getting relegated would mean losing EPPP Academy status, along with around £300,000 of Academy funding. Plus losing EPPP player compensation protection and loss of an arranged Academy fixture programme.

Outside of the EPPP, we would also be a less attractive proposition to young elite level Academy players. It’s already difficult to harness the best young players with lots of good Academies within travelling distance.

For these reasons I truly hope we stay up, because only then will we see young players graduate from the Academy to the Youth Team and from there to the First Team.