Hurst starts his clear-out

Quoted from immariner

You can be a pedant if you like bud but I wouldn't say 2 lads who grew up 50 miles away before joining Town at U15s can be classed as Grimsby's own. Croft has a Staffs accent with a bit of a Grimmo twang but again, he didn't join us until U15s.

I was making the same point, only I misread your post. It was late at night.

We’ve had this notion for a long time that our academy/system produces a rich vein of talent for managers to pick from but I don’t see that we’ve been that productive in reality.

We had that purple patch in the mid/late 70s early 80s where we produced several players who between them amalgamated 1000‘s of first team professional starts even after deducting Tony Ford’s numbers.

Since then we’ve probably had the same convention rate as any other under invested small town basket case of a club in what is now a merry go round transfer market.

There has been and currently is some good people involved in the Youth set up and though it must be difficult to accept if you’re rejected I’d be confident that the slim chance of making It is made clear from the off.

Also worth noting that when we’ve filtered youngsters in successfully it tends to be when they’re integrated into a stable side something in reality we’ve not had in ages.

Hope and Joe Starbuck were the ones I think a lot of people had high hopes for from last years 'graduate' crop.

I thought both looked very good in the reserve games I saw.  Eager, full of running, direct, confident, technically decent and athletic.    

They've then looked totally different when I've seen them in the first team.   If anything the confidence looked to have been sucked out of them.  Now it's easy to blame that on the previous managerial set-up but it does make you wonder what impact a shambolic pre-season had on the lads who were making the step-up from boys football to the professional game.  

In regards Hope, it's pretty telling that he's the only left-back in the building that's fit and yet we're letting him go.  We can argue all we like about Hurst giving youth a chance, but if he had any inkling that he was capable I'm sure he would hold onto him in for the rest of the season.  If Clifton picks up an injury or a suspension we're probably putting Matt Green there!

A genuine question, which I'm sure someone will clarify.

If Mattie Pollock decides to move to another club at the end of the season, which I think he will, what happens?

Has he another year of his contract to run? would we get a sell on clause?

No snide comments please, just an honest question.

Quoted from cannylad68

A genuine question, which I'm sure someone will clarify.

If Mattie Pollock decides to move to another club at the end of the season, which I think he will, what happens?

Has he another year of his contract to run? would we get a sell on clause?

No snide comments please, just an honest question.

think if we offer him a contract we are entitled to a fee?

Pollock's contract is due to expire this summer.
https://www.grimsby-townfc.co.uk/news/2019/february/-pollock-signs-first-professional-contract/

My understanding is that as he's under 24 and providing we offer him a suitable contract, i.e. matching his existing one, then we'll be entitled to compensation if someone picks him up.

The compensation is to recognise our contribution in developing the player, it has no reflection on his perceived market value.  As Pollock only spent a limited amount of time in our Academy set-up, it's fair to say we'll probably get peanuts.  

I think at best, we'd look to get a sell-on clause installed but I don't think this is mandated, more at the discretion of any club picking him up.


That's just how I see it, it might not be accurate and very happy to be corrected.

Quoted from Rick12

When you see the likes of the academy's like Barcelona and Real Madrid you realise that youngsters there are very lucky in being developed the way they are. At La Masia Barcelona's youth academy everything is structured from how long they train, what they eat to even how much time they have to spend on line. All this coupled with excellent coaching faculties and the Barcelona way grounded for a long time in the Johan Cruyff way of total football helps shape players for the best. Traditional values are also taught eg integrity and what it means to be a model citizen in wearing the shirt with pride. The likes of Andres Iniesta credit their phenomenal success in the game to the way they were reared as players there. Hence had Iniesta been at a lower league club where the money isnt there and youth players live in digs /less control over what they eat/ drinking habits can go astray chances are he wouldn't have been the player he became.

I can't imagine one of the best midfielders in the world would have been playing for a non-league outfit. Not to say that Barcelona's system isn't good, but they are able to attract the very best youngsters from all over the world, and the talent is already there.

Quoted from pen penfras

I can't imagine one of the best midfielders in the world would have been playing for a non-league outfit. Not to say that Barcelona's system isn't good, but they are able to attract the very best youngsters from all over the world, and the talent is already there.

Yes but talent can only get you so far .Its effort and sacrifice that enables people to stay at the top.

Technically speaking I feel the country with the biggest population should have the best football players but a multitude of other things get in the way from that materialising. How much focus is given to other sports, funding and interest in the game. Look at India for one. Large population but most of them play cricket traditionally.  Even in this country how many Indian football players have there been in the premiership?.

I personally know of youngsters who were quite good at professional  academy's but sadly fell by the wayside due to lack of discipline.

More young players are expected to follow Joey Hope out of the exit door at Grimsby Town, manager Paul Hurst has confirmed.

Hope’s departure was confirmed earlier this week less than a year after the defender had signed his first professional contract with the Mariners.

Hurst has confirmed it was his decision to move the 18-year-old, and more are set to follow between now and the end of the season.

The Town boss revealed he has spoken to other younger players to inform them their contracts will not be renewed at the end of the season, although he hasn’t confirmed which players are set to leave.

“It was my decision,” Hurst told GrimsbyLive.

“I’ve spoken to a couple of the younger players and told them my thoughts moving forward.

“I feel for these lads in quite a lot of ways. With Covid, with how the season’s been, the reserve games have been very few and far between, and then they were cancelled not long ago.

“The change of manager doesn’t help them, and it’s been a tough year from that point of view, especially for those lads.

“But at the same time, I have to make decisions. I can’t just keep all the players that have been here, and I’ve said that from day one.

“Joey was one I didn’t unfortunately see in my plans moving forward, so he was told the decision to try and be fair on the players and not just leave it until the end of the season.

“I’m trying to give them the best chance, albeit again that’s difficult, but I think some clubs are at least training so he can hopefully get something sorted and progress his career that way.”

It’s been an especially tough season for the club’s younger players, who have had the difficult task of trying to stand out in a large squad, while their options to go out on loan have been dramatically cut after the curtailment of much of the non-league season.

“We had a separate group at one stage with the younger players and one or two other lads, and that’s sort of changed now with decisions being made on a couple of lads,” Hurst added.

“Just getting them out on loan would have given them a better chance. It’s not a nice part of the job, it never is, but it’s one that ultimately, that side falls on my lap, and those are the decisions I’ve made.

“I wish Joey the best, and it’s not to say it has to be the end for him, it’s maybe just a different route that he has to take.”

On the other players he’s held discussions with, Hurst added: “They will move on. How they do that is partly down to them.

“We’ve tried to do it in the right manner, they’re never the easiest of conversations, but it gives the players a choice of how to come to the end of their contracts, but they know they won’t be renewed for next year.”

Quoted from cannylad68

A genuine question, which I'm sure someone will clarify.

If Mattie Pollock decides to move to another club at the end of the season, which I think he will, what happens?

Has he another year of his contract to run? would we get a sell on clause?

No snide comments please, just an honest question.

With new owners, we offer him the same money (or even more believe it or not) and trigger an automatic extension which will mean he has another year and somebody has to buy him.

If we don't get new owners then Phil Day offers him £25 a week less, thus leaving him able to leave for a free. After that i think the process is we blame the EFL for our incompetence and fans praise Phil for his refreshing honesty and tell everybody we won't go down because the season isn't going to finish anyway.

I think that's right (based on experience)