Quoted from devon mariner

https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2019/february/-pollock-signs-first-professional-contract

Chuffed to bits for him

Aye, well done Mattie. Sounds like he's made of the right stuff.

Codheads land Pollock. Headline writers dream.

Good lad Mattie! I know a lot of people have got high hopes for this lad.

Looking to the future - good news !

Nice one the lad proved his worth against Exeter with a great solid display when he helped ten men get a great battling win against one of the better sides in this division.

Could be one for the future.

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

Nice one the lad proved his worth against Exeter with a great solid display when he helped ten men get a great battling win against one of the better sides in this division.

Could be one for the future.

Exactly.

Hope he does well. Best of luck to the boy UTM

Wonder if he will go down the increasingly tried and trusted route of being loaned out to non league next season

Great stuff. Must be the first yoof to be a offered pro deal at 17 since Clifton? Decent length contract too, encouraging to see.

Great News!

Looks like we are finally getting away from signing journeymen, which never worked and got us in all sorts of bother. Clubs like ours need to be developing young talent and hopefully some of those will get us up the leagues and go on to bigger and better things.

Good luck Matty.

Started off his career brilliantly and Woodsy seems to have lots of good things to say about the lad.

Lots of young pro's at the club now, hope he gets a decent loan move soon.

Well done Matty.  Hope you give Jolly some selection problems

More great news and another example of the right direction we're heading in.

Credit to Jolley for having faith in the young lads but this is another massive achievement for everyone involved in the youth set-up.  Let's not forget that the development of these lads doesn't always start at 16, it starts a lot before and when you consider we're bringing lads through despite having spent six years (time which will have been crucial to their development) outside the Football League and the huge lack of youth funding that comes with it.

I still dream of us doing a Crewe and fielding a side exclusively of home-grown talent.  

Well done the yoof!!

Jolley is certainly putting a lot of trust in the youth set-up, which is great to see.

Managers are usually put under so much pressure that they daren't throw kids into the first team any more (unless they're top clubs' kids on loan).

Cost effective and it's what the fans want to see.

Quoted from RichMariner

Jolley is certainly putting a lot of trust in the youth set-up, which is great to see.

Managers are usually put under so much pressure that they daren't throw kids into the first team any more (unless they're top clubs' kids on loan).

Cost effective and it's what the fans want to see.

I think it reflects his early football coaching career in developing young players. Too many managers have followed the career path of player, coaching qualifications and then becoming either a manager or assistant manager. They too easily dismiss the youth set up and yet they have mostly come through such a set up.
I also think it reflects NW's approach to the youth. Obviously as a manager I think it was a step too far for him but in coaching/developing young players I think he has found his forte.

What a refreshing change from Slade's approach of signing players at the other end of their career. Most managers seem to start with young players and stick with them as they move from job to job, so I guess he's not that different in that respect, but still makes me even more convinced that the "young, hungry manager" is the route to go down.

Quoted from diehardmariner

More great news and another example of the right direction we're heading in.

Credit to Jolley for having faith in the young lads but this is another massive achievement for everyone involved in the youth set-up.  Let's not forget that the development of these lads doesn't always start at 16, it starts a lot before and when you consider we're bringing lads through despite having spent six years (time which will have been crucial to their development) outside the Football League and the huge lack of youth funding that comes with it.

I still dream of us doing a Crewe and fielding a side exclusively of home-grown talent.  

Well done the yoof!!

In Matty's case it wouldn't have affected him as we signed him as a 16 year old, like we did with Ryan Bennett. Good scouting though. And obviously credit to Woodsy's Finishing School.

Yep, same for Rose too.  But then there's Clifton, Wright, Battersby, plus Buckley Jr and the others chomping at the bit. who are more of a long-term project.  Definitely the fruit of a full and committed youth set-up.    

Long term or short term, it's all very positive for the youth and long may it continue.  The lad up top Burrell looks a real prospect in my eyes, dare I say it he looks a better long term bet than Rose.  Not as explosive but a lot more polished.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

Yep, same for Rose too.  But then there's Clifton, Wright, Battersby, plus Buckley Jr and the others chomping at the bit. who are more of a long-term project.  Definitely the fruit of a full and committed youth set-up.    

Long term or short term, it's all very positive for the youth and long may it continue.  The lad up top Burrell looks a real prospect in my eyes, dare I say it he looks a better long term bet than Rose.  Not as explosive but a lot more polished.  

Aye. Looking promising. And to coin a line from another post, the squad is beginning to look 'so 1970s' (in a good way).