Move our training ground to London?

[Trigger Blade]

I think FMBlade1 is being given an unfair ride on his OP. I can't find it now, but Oliver Holt did a full back page article in the MOS (I know, I know) a couple of weeks back on exactly the subject of northern clubs moving their training ground to within the M25. If I recall, it was being considered by one of the north eastern clubs because they were finding it difficult to recruit the players they wanted and ended up paying more to attract them than if they were a London club.

The idea would be that they'd live and train around London and presumably fly to home games, then home again straight after. The thrust of his article was that this would be another nail in the coffin of football as the working man's game, and it really would. I hope it doesn't happen, but I can see why it might.

One of the really uplifting aspects of the aftermath of Sunday's euphoric celebrations for me was reading that the players were out and about locally and mixing with fans. They walked from the ground to London Road and there must be only a few clubs where that could happen. Bolton certainly didn't do that from the Macron stadium into Bolton, that's about a four mile trek for starters, and I doubt it'll happen at H*llsborough Corner if the unthinkable happens in a few weeks.

 

[fuerstenberger]

I would argue that teams don't need to look so far to get good players. Iceland finds some very good players from a population smaller than Sheffield. The biggest issue is scouting and coaching players. Scouting in England is very poor, probably because old paradigms of what constitutes a good player, still prevail. Maybe there is also a problem with the standard of coaching? Of course, Sheffield born players will understand the meaning of playing for their club. I think, in Alan Knill, we have a coach who is capable of polishing turds, so to speak. That's why I hope he stays with us for a long time.

 

[Yoonited]

Before people start spitting feathers, I'm NOT suggesting that we do this.

To add context,last week Neville and Carragher were commenting on Sky about how its getting harder and harder for northern clubs to attract players compared to their southern counterparts. They said that this could explain in part why northern clubs are in the decline (Edit: mis-remembered, they didn't actually say that exactly), and that it has been muted by some to move camp to London and just travel up for 'home' games.

Hopefully the Samir Carruthers rumours are not true (that he wants to move to London because of family reasons), but if they are it lends support for this line of thinking.

If this is the way that football is heading, namely that there is a clear and unarguable hindrance to northern clubs and this idea was a workable solution would we be in favour of it? It wouldn't really affect the fans so much, more of a case of city pride, but if it was for the benefit of our club I'd be reluctantly inclined to support it for us as sad as the situation would be.

Interested in what others think as always

UTB

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[Yoonited]

I somehow cannot imagine Chris wanting any player that is not prepared to make sacrifices to play for our Club,be it a journey up the M1 or whatever. Seems a daft idea to me.
Who thinks these little gems up do we think,TV producers who love a Jackanory to promote controversy and therefore revenue.?
"Here Gary,got another great headliner this morning that'll keep em glued to their armchairs"

Shall we change our name while we're at it. Walthamstow Sheffield United?

 

[Sirius]

See my post MATCH DAY, we played on Sunday, do keep up!

Please concentrate and re read my post. Does it not read Sunday? So catch up