- Print Topic - Archive

Quoted from Sigone

Rumarn Burrell and Jock Curran are to be offered contracts for next season. On top of Buckley,Pollock & Battersby..well done lads and well done Neil Woods and coaches that have helped them.

Hear hear!

That's not bad going. Those five on top of Clifton and Wright. Let's hope they can all kick on and claim a place in the first team squad.

Obviously there's alot of different factors at work but can't deny that our youth seem to flourish with Neil Woods around, shame we ever made him manager we'd have probably produced a few decent lads while in the conference

It's an amazing achievement forsure producing so many pro players in such a short space of time.

I was hoping we'd see a bit more of Buckley and Pollock as the season draws to a close, hopefully the whole bunch will see some game time. Congratulations to Neil Woods and his team and the young lads too!

When was Brandon Buckley signed on pro terms? I must have missed that

Having these young players in the first team squad will hopefully free up wages for better players, if we're willing to depend on them as squad players.

Must be one of the greatest days of their lives. Full marks for putting all the work in to get to this point and wherever their career takes them Grimsby will be proud of them.

Absolutely another feather in the cap for Neil Woods and his crew.

I suppose it's easy (and I'm guilty of it too) to think that the large number of youth team deals are more a reflection of how weak our budget is/is going to be.  But from what I've seen, which is relatively limited, of all the young lads who've graduated - none would disgrace themselves in the first team.

They'll need a lot of work and a hell of a lot of hard work but it's great to see that the potential opportunities are going to be there for these lads.  I don't imagine Jolley will have given out contracts to buffer a 35-man squad.  I think it's likely that our matchday squad will feature these lads quite a lot next season.

Yeah, that's risky and yeah there's a danger that we'll lack experience.  But there's also some real positives in this too.  The club should market the season ticket sales on the back of this.  Every single one of the youth team graduates (including Rose, Clifton and Wright) as the poster boys of it.  This season may not have brought much to shout about but the one thing we have done is seen a lot of young lads get a chance.  The fans can relate to that, far more than they can a picture of Jordan Cook (absolutely no disrespect) celebrate one of the measly amount of goals we've scored this season.

The other positive is that this could be something really special.  I'm too young to have witnessed the late 70's/early 80's wave of local talent that came through the ranks together.  Since then we've had limited success with developing youth talent.  Buckley MKI did well out of Macca, Mark Lever, Tommy Watson, Chris Hargreaves to an extent and then later on Peter Handyside and Gary Croft. But since then it's really been slim pickings.

Do the coaching staff when successful receive any accolade's at the annual POY awards, if so I think Woods should get a special mention for his and his teams efforts

Seems like Woods is getting the plaudits here and maybe rightly so but dont forget its MJ that approves these. Whether or not these lads make it through is another thing but its nice that a manager has faith in the system and wont just discard players at the end of their YT days.

MJ's experience is more working with this level of player and he knows that the next step in their development is crucial and is prepared to sign the most promising talent up and give them a couple of years to develop them on. Bignot had stated a similar philosophy but obviously we never saw if he would put that into action as he was gone before he could set it up.

Hurst just wasnt interested in the youth...i seem to think there were a couple of seasons under him were none of the youth were offered a deal and all released.

The knock on from this is that we might start seeing local youth stay local, for quite a few years Scunny & Hull have been drawing local talent as it was clear a) - we were non league and the youth system was butchered b) managers were just chopping lads at 16/17 yrs ....with MJ showing faith in youth then the draw of professional contracts and a clear career progression route might build some momentum.

Makes complete sense to have youth in the squad to bolster numbers as opposed to journeymen. Hopefully the remaining money is spent on players who are going to have a real impact on the chosen first eleven, starting with some striking options and more flair in midfield.

Great news for the lads getting deals!

By process of elimination does can anybody work out the names of the 2nd Year YTs who will be released? I'm sure somewhere has a list of 2nd years and 1st years but I can't recall where I've seen this.

Quoted from moosey_club

Hurst just wasnt interested in the youth...i seem to think there were a couple of seasons under him were none of the youth were offered a deal and all released.

I think Hurst took the view that he simply couldn't afford to risk young lads. Be that the wrong or the right approach, that was what he felt his mandate was. He wasn't here to build something for the future, his job relied on getting the club back in the Football League. There was no long-term thinking, not even thinking beyond that season. Everything was geared up for one season. If he had remained at the club longer he may well have given young lads a chance here. We'll never know.

Quoted from diehardmariner

I think Hurst took the view that he simply couldn't afford to risk young lads. Be that the wrong or the right approach, that was what he felt his mandate was. He wasn't here to build something for the future, his job relied on getting the club back in the Football League. There was no long-term thinking, not even thinking beyond that season. Everything was geared up for one season. If he had remained at the club longer he may well have given young lads a chance here. We'll never know.

He had 5 years and never demonstrated any faith in younger players. Neil Woods is excellent in his role developing these younger players I don`t know him but have been told by people who do he is excellent with the parents of the youngsters and this has managed to stop the exodus of talent going to Scunny and Hull in recent year`s. This may well be why suddenly we have more youngsters coming through? For a League 2 Club it`s probably the only way to survive providing your own talent.

You're absolutely right, he never had any faith in the young players.  Off the top of my head I can only think of Dayle Southwell who got anything remotely resembling a run in the first team.  To a far lesser extent Caine Winnfarah.

He much preferred to sign lads (maybe a year or two older or more developed) on loan from more established clubs to fill our squad out with.

It was disappointing to see.   But his job card was dead simple, get us out this league.  Had we finished 7th in the Conference but blooded a few youngsters in the process, he would probably have still lost his job.  I don't remember many fans calling for us to build a legacy when we were in the Conference.  It was all geared up towards getting back in the league.

Absolutely agree about producing youngsters our best bet for surviving and also progressing.  By all accounts the young lads coming through aren't without admirers either.  We're definitely doing something right!

Quoted from mariner chopper

Great news for the lads getting deals!

By process of elimination does can anybody work out the names of the 2nd Year YTs who will be released? I'm sure somewhere has a list of 2nd years and 1st years but I can't recall where I've seen this.

I know Emil Powles is taking up a scholarship at a University somewhere in the States.

The dynasty continues with Brandon Buckley been awarded a contact as well.
https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2019/april/trio-of-scholars-offered-professional-contracts/

I'm sure Hurst played a few youth players during his time. Trying to remember who....there was thanoj and the left winger / LB.

I remember Josh Venney playing about 6 minutes against Barrow

Caine winfarrah was another

Quoted from Abdul19

I remember Josh Venney playing about 6 minutes against Barrow

He looked good in the reserves and cup games he played in, but like others said, Hurst just didn't dare risk them, shame as Clifton has come on loads under Jolley and we might have lost a few potential players over the years

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

He looked good in the reserves and cup games he played in, but like others said, Hurst just didn't dare risk them, shame as Clifton has come on loads under Jolley and we might have lost a few potential players over the years

Well he was clearly right not to play him as he’s now at GY boro.....

Quoted from moosey_club

Seems like Woods is getting the plaudits here and maybe rightly so but dont forget its MJ that approves these. Whether or not these lads make it through is another thing but its nice that a manager has faith in the system and wont just discard players at the end of their YT days.

MJ's experience is more working with this level of player and he knows that the next step in their development is crucial and is prepared to sign the most promising talent up and give them a couple of years to develop them on. Bignot had stated a similar philosophy but obviously we never saw if he would put that into action as he was gone before he could set it up.

Hurst just wasnt interested in the youth...i seem to think there were a couple of seasons under him were none of the youth were offered a deal and all released.

The knock on from this is that we might start seeing local youth stay local, for quite a few years Scunny & Hull have been drawing local talent as it was clear a) - we were non league and the youth system was butchered b) managers were just chopping lads at 16/17 yrs ....with MJ showing faith in youth then the draw of professional contracts and a clear career progression route might build some momentum.

But MJ will only approve a deal for a youth graduate if he is good enough and that is totally down to Woods identifying the talent and then developing it. MJ's previous experience with young players included under 23's at Burnley but these will have been lads who had come through the youth system, already got contracts and being further developed. This would have been a totally different situation to Woods who would have been instrumental in identifying talent at schoolboy level especially those in the 12 to 15 age group.

Quoted from Jarmo.Is.God

He looked good in the reserves and cup games he played in, but like others said, Hurst just didn't dare risk them, shame as Clifton has come on loads under Jolley and we might have lost a few potential players over the years

Speaking of Clifton, to be fair to PH, he was offered a pro deal a year early.

Was just gonna say clifton was signed pro by Hurst tbf

Hopefully they will be loaned out as per Clifton rose and Wright in order to gain some proper experience

Re: Hurst' record with youth: Was Bradley Woods a homegrown player or did he just sign for us at a young age?

Then there was Charlie I'Anson, not homegrown but a yoot when he played for us. Mind you he didn't last long like all the others.

Quoted from rancido

But MJ will only approve a deal for a youth graduate if he is good enough and that is totally down to Woods identifying the talent and then developing it. MJ's previous experience with young players included under 23's at Burnley but these will have been lads who had come through the youth system, already got contracts and being further developed. This would have been a totally different situation to Woods who would have been instrumental in identifying talent at schoolboy level especially those in the 12 to 15 age group.

Sorry to be a pedant, but more people than Woodsy should get recognition here. NW oversees/manages the whole Academy and obviously coaches the YT's with Callum Lester, but recruitment at the younger ages and coaching/developing players at all the younger age groups isn't done by him, it's other members of staff.

The 18 Coaching (& support) staff, plus medical, sports science, performance analysis and a scouting network.

The Academy as a whole is doing good things, has big ambitions and is making great progress.

Quoted from Tommy

Sorry to be a pedant, but more people than Woodsy should get recognition here. NW oversees/manages the whole Academy and obviously coaches the YT's with Callum Lester, but recruitment at the younger ages and coaching/developing players at all the younger age groups isn't done by him, it's other members of staff.

The 18 Coaching (& support) staff, plus medical, sports science, performance analysis and a scouting network.

The Academy as a whole is doing good things, has big ambitions and is making great progress.

I agree it`s a team effort within the coaches but Woods is the figurehead and it`s right he gets the plaudits I`m sure he would be first to thank his staff though.