FA Youth Cup draw - They must be played by Saturday 20 January 2024

1 Wolverhampton Wanderers v Burnley or Birmingham City or Queens Park Rangers
2 Gillingham or Oxford United v Sunderland or Middlesbrough
3 Newcastle United or Leyton Orient v AFC Bournemouth
4 Grimsby Town v Millwall
5 Everton or Stockport County v Leicester City or Chelsea
6 AFC Fylde or Hull City v Plymouth Argyle or Crystal Palace
7 Brighton & Hove Albion v Norwich City or Leeds United
8 Swansea City v Cardiff City or Fulham
9 Sheffield United v AFC Wimbledon or Blackburn Rovers or Cheltenham Town
10 Bristol City or Stoke City v Huddersfield Town or Charlton Athletic
11 Luton Town or Swindon Town v Manchester United or Derby County
12 Fleetwood Town or Liverpool v Arsenal or Crewe Alexandra
13 West Ham United or Southampton v Watford or Manchester City
14 Coventry City v Barnsley
15 Sheffield Wednesday v Reading or Rotherham United or Hemel Hempstead Town
16 Burton Albion or Aston Villa v Tottenham Hotspur

Quoted from Grantham_Mariner

4 Grimsby Town v Millwall

Arrivederci Millwall!

Is there any sort of coherent league structure at under-18 level that gives some level of indication of the respective strength of youth sides?

Quoted Text

Millwall U18s progressed to the Fourth Round of the FA Youth Cup edging an entertaining tie 5-3 after extra-time against Barking

https://www.millwallfc.co.uk/news/2023/december/05/report---millwall-under-18s-v-barking/

What level are they at compared to us?

Do they have 3-way games at youth level these days?

v Reading or Rotherham United or Hemel Hempstead Town

Quoted from Poojah

Is there any sort of coherent league structure at under-18 level that gives some level of indication of the respective strength of youth sides?

Nottingham Forest U18 seem higher up than Millwall from what I can make out
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=nottingham+forest+u18+football#sie=t;/g/11g9g4wstl;2;/g/11b6rh6xxp;st;fp;1;;;

Millwall U18
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=willwall+u18+football#sie=t;/g/11f08rpkhz;2;/g/11f541zgm7;st;fp;1;;;

Grimsby U18
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=grimsby+town+u18#sie=t;/g/11g9qd3c1t;2;/m/03d5w5q;st;fp;1;;;

Quoted from Poojah

Is there any sort of coherent league structure at under-18 level that gives some level of indication of the respective strength of youth sides?

We play in the regional EFL Youth Alliance (North East Conference) and are 2nd. 46 teams total at this level.

Millwall play one level up in Professional Development League (Southern) and are mid table. 21 teams total.

Forest play above this in the U18 Premier League (Northern) and are mid table 26 teams total.

Quoted from bedders78

We play in the regional EFL Youth Alliance (North East Conference) and are 2nd. 46 teams total at this level.

Millwall play one level up in Professional Development League (Southern) and are mid table. 21 teams total.

Forest play above this in the U18 Premier League (Northern) and are mid table 26 teams total.

Thanks Bedders. Appreciate that.

FairPlay to Hemel Hempstead must have some youth setup.

Quoted from Knut Anders Fosters Voles

Arrivederci Millwall!

Southerners on a cold Tuesday night at Blundell Park - should give us a decent chance https://www.waterstones.com/book/tuesday-night-in-grimsby/barrie-stradling/9780953592050

Quoted from Meza

FairPlay to Hemel Hempstead must have some youth setup.

Maybe not! Their tie says Reading or Rotherham United or Hemel Hempstead Town so they've probably only got to the round 2 rounds before the one we've just won.

Millwall 3-3 with Barking at home not exactly a great endorsement of quality.

Saturday 6th jan is free

Does any team play in a comparatively lower league than its youth setup?

We are playing in one of only 2 ties in the draw where the opponents are known.

We are ahead of the game.  Maybe fixture backlog and/ or bad weather will impact adversely on any possible future opponents.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

Southerners on a cold Tuesday night at Blundell Park - should give us a decent chance https://www.waterstones.com/book/tuesday-night-in-grimsby/barrie-stradling/9780953592050

And 5 hours on a bus is a long time to be watching Tik Tok on your phone, listening to grime, drinking Prime and engulfed in a haze of vape....they'll be off their heads by the time they arrive.

Police will be insisting on a 12 o’clock kickoff!!!

Lets hope the team can play at BP again.

Good luck in their cup progress !

I hope that over the next couple of years, the Academy set up can find and develop more "of our own" players with good scouting, better conditions with any new training facilities ongoing for all player levels.

Combine Artell's previous Crewe experience with Woods current work, and hopefully there could be parental and young player trust to send them here to get a fair chance to make a career at our level, instead of obscurity in higher levels who are just scooping up everyone, regardless of cost, to be cast out whenever convenient !.

Quoted from GrimPol

Lets hope the team can play at BP again.

Was told it’s a requirement of the competition that games are played at the club’s stadium not the training grounds

Quoted from acko338

Good luck in their cup progress !

I hope that over the next couple of years, the Academy set up can find and develop more "of our own" players with good scouting, better conditions with any new training facilities ongoing for all player levels.

Combine Artell's previous Crewe experience with Woods current work, and hopefully there could be parental and young player trust to send them here to get a fair chance to make a career at our level, instead of obscurity in higher levels who are just scooping up everyone, regardless of cost, to be cast out whenever convenient !.

The man we need to keep hold of is Callum Lester.. Artell n 1878 really need to keep him on board n give him some career progression

Quoted from Les Brechin

Maybe not! Their tie says Reading or Rotherham United or Hemel Hempstead Town so they've probably only got to the round 2 rounds before the one we've just won.

its Hemel Hempstead mate, what tier are they in again, yet have a youth team doing better than some.

Should be a decent crowd for this game I hope.

Quoted from forza ivano

The man we need to keep hold of is Callum Lester.. Artell n 1878 really need to keep him on board n give him some career progression

Callum is a great guy, very family orientated and very settled in the area. I expect he'll take the role of Woodsy or a role in the first team in the future.

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

Callum is a great guy, very family orientated and very settled in the area. I expect he'll take the role of Woodsy or a role in the first team in the future.

I hope you're right

Quoted from forza ivano

The man we need to keep hold of is Callum Lester.. Artell n 1878 really need to keep him on board n give him some career progression

I took a role coaching the Academy some years ago and was assigned to work with Callum in the U9s. I ended up being there for 2 weeks at the threat of divorce (I had three football teams on the go taking up every evening and all weekend.... something had to give and at the time it was the sensible option to give up, with hindsight I should have binned the others off), but in those two weeks I possibly learned more from Callum than I had in the previous 5/6/7 years I'd been coaching. Very detailed, very good communicator, sets himself high standards and expects those around him to meet them and a very knowledgeable and competent coach too. Despite it only being two weeks and not really having a deep and personal conversation during that time it hasn't surprised me how he has progressed through, it was immediately apparent that he has a future in the game.

Quoted from Meza

its Hemel Hempstead mate, what tier are they in again, yet have a youth team doing better than some.

Same as Slough, National Lge South.

Quoted from Poojah

Thanks Bedders. Appreciate that.

We played Millwall U18s pre season on tour in Italy.
We lost 2-1 but didn’t have Abo or Cribby then as hadn’t signed and also Cam Gardner, Cam Walsh wasn’t fit to play.  All four of those are in starting 11 if fit and an integral part of youth team this season.

The U18s won there Youth Alliance Cup group today beating Wrexham in 2nd 5-1. Only the winners of the 5 northern groups progress to the quarter final where all the regions combine.
Great season so far 2nd in the league 4th round of FA Youth Cup which I’m told is the furthest Grimsby have been, should they progress it will be the furthest a Grimsby team have been in the prestigous cup. Quarter Finals of the Youth Alliance Cup.

I think that’s 15 unbeaten today.

Quoted from bedders78

We play in the regional EFL Youth Alliance (North East Conference) and are 2nd. 46 teams total at this level.

Millwall play one level up in Professional Development League (Southern) and are mid table. 21 teams total.

Forest play above this in the U18 Premier League (Northern) and are mid table 26 teams total.

Category 1, 2, 3 & 4

I understand Cam gardener n brown were unplayable today

Quoted from JayF82

The U18s won there Youth Alliance Cup group today beating Wrexham in 2nd 5-1. Only the winners of the 5 northern groups progress to the quarter final where all the regions combine.
Great season so far 2nd in the league 4th round of FA Youth Cup which I’m told is the furthest Grimsby have been, should they progress it will be the furthest a Grimsby team have been in the prestigous cup. Quarter Finals of the Youth Alliance Cup.

I think that’s 15 unbeaten today.

Must be more scouts than supporters at their games recently. Hopefully we can get decent money for a few of them

Quoted from Wyberway

Must be more scouts than supporters at their games recently. Hopefully we can get decent money for a few of them

Trying to get first dib dib dib on our players?

Quoted from Wyberway

Must be more scouts than supporters at their games recently. Hopefully we can get decent money for a few of them

Did you used to live on Wybers Way, by any chance?! Well, if you did you were in good company - as a Wybers boy myself I remember Trevor Whymark lived on that road! I was very young at the time but remember a local town nut pointing him out to me, years before I started going. Unless it’s my mind that’s going?! But I don’t believe so.

Quoted from Heisenberg

Did you used to live on Wybers Way, by any chance?! Well, if you did you were in good company - as a Wybers boy myself I remember Trevor Whymark lived on that road! I was very young at the time but remember a local town nut pointing him out to me, years before I started going. Unless it’s my mind that’s going?! But I don’t believe so.

Another Wybers boy.....same here Byland Grove.

Quoted from Wyberway

Must be more scouts than supporters at their games recently. Hopefully we can get decent money for a few of them

I’d rather they stayed here and progressed to the first team, more chance of making some proper money if they’re good enough, rather than just the usual 10-20 grand compensation at youth level.

Quoted from jimgtfc

I’d rather they stayed here and progressed to the first team, more chance of making some proper money if they’re good enough, rather than just the usual 10-20 grand compensation at youth level.

Wasn't £10k for Ben Grist!

Apparently Grist was £250k, which passes all the risk onto Leicester. If we could sell 2-3 of the youth squad for similar amounts, maybe with sell ons as well, then surely that’s the best option? Otherwise, I think they get lost between the youth team and the first team

Where did Gardner come from anyway? Understand he’s from the north east but seem to remember it being mentioned we signed him from a team in the north west - was it Morecambe?

Quoted from Wyberway

Apparently Grist was £250k, which passes all the risk onto Leicester. If we could sell 2-3 of the youth squad for similar amounts, maybe with sell ons as well, then surely that’s the best option? Otherwise, I think they get lost between the youth team and the first team

Agree with this; incidentally I think there are add ons with Ben's deal.

What's the old saying? ' you can't miss what you haven't got' ?
If we get decent money for players who haven't even appeared for the first team, we'd be stupid to turn it down.
And what we do have on our side is the vast amount of experience we have in the club viz-a-vis Academies, youth development etc. in Artell, Jennings & Woods, so I'd be amazed if anyone didn't trust their judgement.

Just on a slightly different tack, I heard that the under 16s are a pretty talented bunch as well.

Can you confirm Wybers, or any other youth-watchers on here?

Quoted from forza ivano

Agree with this; incidentally I think there are add ons with Ben's deal.

What's the old saying? ' you can't miss what you haven't got' ?
If we get decent money for players who haven't even appeared for the first team, we'd be stupid to turn it down.
And what we do have on our side is the vast amount of experience we have in the club viz-a-vis Academies, youth development etc. in Artell, Jennings & Woods, so I'd be amazed if anyone didn't trust their judgement.

Just on a slightly different tack, I heard that the under 16s are a pretty talented bunch as well.

Can you confirm Wybers, or any other youth-watchers on here?

There is one player in the U16’s that will make it . He’s a special player and head and shoulders above any player I’ve seen at that age .

Quoted from forza ivano

Wasn't £10k for Ben Grist!

Yep it was, I meant £100-200k. I still find it quite sad that some would rather these lads never kick a ball for the first team and just cash in, rather than see them play for town. Makes you wonder if that’s the actual point of the youth team as opposed to being a source of talent for the first team.

Quoted from It Bites

There is one player in the U16’s that will make it . He’s a special player and head and shoulders above any player I’ve seen at that age .

do tell more...

Quoted from forza ivano

do tell more...

Not fair is it ? All I’ll say is he reminds me of Mcatee

Quoted from jimgtfc

Makes you wonder if that’s the actual point of the youth team as opposed to being a source of talent for the first team.

There are benefits for the community like coaching and facilities for the youngsters 🙂

Quoted from ska face

Where did Gardner come from anyway? Understand he’s from the north east but seem to remember it being mentioned we signed him from a team in the north west - was it Morecambe?

He came from Gateshead, this team is mostly made up of players we've took from other sides with a sprinkling of local talent. Harvey Cribb has already played 15 games in L2 and is one of the most promising players we have. I'm lead to believe a few of these lads have deals on the table meaning that any fee we recieve would be substantial and obviously Cameron Gardner has already signed a 3 year deal.

Quoted from LocalLadGTFC

He came from Gateshead, this team is mostly made up of players we've took from other sides with a sprinkling of local talent. Harvey Cribb has already played 15 games in L2 and is one of the most promising players we have. I'm lead to believe a few of these lads have deals on the table meaning that any fee we recieve would be substantial and obviously Cameron Gardner has already signed a 3 year deal.

What do you mean by ‘deals on the table’? Are there youth players refusing to sign them?

Quoted from Wyberway

What do you mean by ‘deals on the table’? Are there youth players refusing to sign them?

No refusal, but obviously there's a lot of interest in certain players from clubs. Could be waiting to see how it plays out but most of the players are also first years.