The Academy Racket

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The Bohemian

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A thoroughly demoralising James Shields piece highlighting the complete folly of the FA/Premier League's, Elite Player Performance Plan. This gives a mandate to the so called 'big clubs' to cherry pick the best young talent from any other Academy - however well run - paying only a pittance in compensation. How is this fair? How does it incentivise lower league club's to invest in young player development?

The Blades Academy has been outstandingly successful in bringing through young talent to the professional ranks and readying several to play at International and Premier League level. This talent has been either spotted locally, e.g. the Kyles or rejected by other clubs, e.g. Jags. Why should we be penalised for this success?

As things stand a Category One Academy can go and watch any player at another Academy, giving 48 hours notice and then sign the player for as little as £3k. There are enough daft parents around, dazzled by the bright lights of The Premier League, willing to sell their kids for thirty pieces of silver and the opportunity to brag about chatting to Sergio or Eden at the training ground.

Let's not forget that the new system was only voted in as a result of The Premier League blackmailing Football League clubs with a threat of removing all youth development funding unless they complied.

The criteria for Category One effectively excludes clubs from Leagues One and Two from achieving the highest status and consequently makes the likelihood of The Blades unearthing, developing and keeping another Jags or Kyle remote at best (this is another big reason for getting out of Div 3 quickly). So what is the point in even trying? Several clubs including Wycombe and Yeovil decided there was no point and promptly shut down their Academy in the aftermath of EPPP

For all its financial success I am developing an increasing loathing for The Premier League and everything it stands for.

http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/shef...d-a-blades-education-at-your-peril-1-7504426?
 

A good read, it is disgusting how the clubs with power can just do as they please. Parents need to have more sense and knowledge in my opinion when it comes to letting their child leave to join the bright lights of a top PL club. The issue need to be addressed & brought to the light by lower league clubs, then maybe parents would know better before agreeing.
 
Although it's been successful in the past, you do get the impression the academy has just about petered out of any sort of continuum of that. Producing the world beaters that are Little Louis, Conor Dimaio, and Diego. I just don't know why all the big clubs aren't scrapping over them.
 
This is not just at Premier League level, but operates throughout the whole league structure.

My family and I are involved at junior / boys / girls level and whenever they want BIG clubs like Lincoln City, Grimsby Town, or Boston United can come a poach players whenever they want, even mid-season.
 
I know which club in particular, our entrepid Mr Shields is on about, and the lads involved, but sadly that horse has bolted.

Its a shame its took him 3 years to recognize the folly of the EPPP, its mandate and its damaging consequences.
 
I've long thought that we should scrap the academy and let other mugs such as Barnsley do all the leg work. The bigger clubs are simply doing what us lower down the ladder are doing - Che Adams etc. I don't suppose our visitors tomorrow were too chuffed when we got Matt Done.
 
Our academy needs to look at itself though as I have heard some horror stories over the years including young lads being signed in squads of 20+ then cast to one side to play in-house games or only picked to play the long away trips.

Also 4 lads out of 18 in the squad finding out that they were not going on an end of season tour of Norway by not been given a letter at the end of training session in front of the whole squad, these were 10 year old boys and surely being left out would have been hard enough to take without been made to look a fool in front of the rest of the lads or is that a lesson in how hard Academy and Football life is ??

EPPP is as Sharrowblade states is purely developed for the richer Premiership clubs and our Academy's are now basically holding areas until they come and take the best with little consideration for club or player.
 
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Just another consequence of being in L1, or the third tier.

We came in here due to various errors in management/board level structure.

What we see again is another reason for us to get out - and quickly.

What we should also remember is the UK is quite unique in having 4 professional leagues - it is not conincidence that countries like Germany only have 2 professional leagues. What we ideally need in this country is Premier league 1 and premier league 2 - perhaps funded 70/80% in the top league and 20/30% in the sencond league, but the ability to still get in from the lower leagues. We might then get a game that suits both a decent England team/structure and kids getting the correct level of professional coaching.

UTB

PS: we NEED to get out of this effing shit agricultural league !
 
Since we had the Academy in 2001, we have spent 9 seasons in the Championship division, only one season in the Premier league and now we are in our 5th season in this tinpot division, I think it is a waste of time in continuing in having an Academy. We should only keep our u21s team
 
barnyblade said:
Although it's been successful in the past, you do get the impression the academy has just about petered out of any sort of continuum of that. Producing the world beaters that are Little Louis, Conor Dimaio, and Diego. I just don't know why all the big clubs aren't scrapping over them.
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Eerily enough yet another opinion straight out of Lenners " knock the club" scripts.

Are you just a tribute act or the real thing?
 
I think we should keep the Academy

But, we need to sign up the Parents as well and the young players, all have to buy into this, including the Club

If stories get around about the Academy not dealing with Players and Parents fair and square, you may as well shut it
 
Fulwood Blade said:
Just another consequence of being in L1, or the third tier.

We came in here due to various errors in management/board level structure.

What we see again is another reason for us to get out - and quickly.

What we should also remember is the UK is quite unique in having 4 professional leagues - it is not conincidence that countries like Germany only have 2 professional leagues. What we ideally need in this country is Premier league 1 and premier league 2 - perhaps funded 70/80% in the top league and 20/30% in the sencond league, but the ability to still get in from the lower leagues. We might then get a game that suits both a decent England team/structure and kids getting the correct level of professional coaching.

UTB

PS: we NEED to get out of this effing shit agricultural league !
Click to expand...

Regardless of any future structure, cunts like Scudamore, Richards, Dyke etc. would continue their Platini/Blatter 'mini-me' model and ensure that England never win owt again. Not that I'm bothered. Watch England tonight or eat my own toenail clippings? Tough choice.
 
grafikhaus said:
Regardless of any future structure, cunts like Scudamore, Richards, Dyke etc. would continue their Platini/Blatter 'mini-me' model and ensure that England never win owt again. Not that I'm bothered. Watch England tonight or eat my own toenail clippings? Tough choice.
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Despise those c@@ts with a passion.
 
Makes you wonder where we go from here with the academy..any decent youngster coming through can be taken away for peanuts,then we're left with the kids who aren't quite good enough unless they develop late..the greed of the prem clubs is sickening.
 

Its the irony of how Greg Dyke went on the charm offensive to unveil his magical new plan of PL sides putting reserve sides into the FL or the conference to give the PL kids a chance, all in the name of making the England team a better team!

Perhaps, like many of us have already said (and the posts above back this up), they need to be stricter with the PL clubs, stop this poaching as far as possible and let kids develop in their local side until they have made it.

A great example is Che Adams, released by Coventry, picked up by Ilkeston, developed and then because he's scored a few in League one and in cup games, he's already being touted for the Premier League. Diego and his family of Baseball caps and Alloys had their heads turned at the dream of Juve... until the reality hit... he's not yet good enough. Players develop at different times, some take longer, some hit the first team and never look back. Lou Reed is once again finding his feet after bursting onto the scene and then going missing... These players will come good and once in their prime may well be in the PL. They may also be in the conference. They may not be in football at all by then.

You cant blame some parents/ players for taking the money for young Diego or Che. Some will make it in football beyond 25, some wont. I'd imagine that 2-3 years at Chelsea or Man City in the reserves is better than 6 or 7 at SUFC or Northampton.

Jose Baxter is perhaps an example of someone that didn't want to sit in the reserves, turned down a decent contract at Everton and went to Oldham and now the Blades to play first team football. Nowadays, he's not even guaranteed that.
 
Dnblade said:
can be taken away for peanuts,
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I am not sure how or what they are offerred in order to be lured away ..................... :eek:

But up to 16 you wouldn't have thought money would be entering into it, Parents dazzled by the PL ??
 
Worksop II said:
I am not sure how or what they are offerred in order to be lured away ..................... :eek:

But up to 16 you wouldn't have thought money would be entering into it, Parents dazzled by the PL ??
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Worksop, You'd be surprised mate.....
 
11 Year old

House
Private school
Parents £100k a year for next 7 years

Allegedly
 
Worksop II said:
I am not sure how or what they are offerred in order to be lured away ..................... :eek:

But up to 16 you wouldn't have thought money would be entering into it, Parents dazzled by the PL ??
Click to expand...
It's not just the money or the player though..I don't know how true it is,but I've heard of players parents being offered houses along with setting them up with a job that type of thing.
 
yamyamblade said:
11 Year old

House
Private school
Parents £100k a year for next 7 years

Allegedly
Click to expand...
When they find a kid from abroad, which technically they can't sign, they just buy the parents a house and sort a 'job' out for one of the parents. Then the family has a legitimate reason for moving to the UK and once they're here, the club is allowed to sign the player because he lives in the UK.
That's what I've heard on the radio anyway. And if it's not true, how are the big clubs getting these kids in the academies, because they're definitely there?
 
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