Ball Sup Blog... SUFC Academy v Derby County (a)

[Silent Blade]

#BrianGayle

Good captain!

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

A few years ago a friend of mine who is a Derby fan was telling me how Derby being a Category 1 Academy keep producing players for the first team. My reply was "Your first team have achieved "Fuck all" for many years!"

Remember. I've not come here to fall out with anyone. I've come here because I think a great deal about this sort of stuff. And I like posing alternative views, to tease out other people's ideas, and listen to them, and learn from them. I may not be particularly wedded to ideas I detail. They're just ideas.

Maybe your Derby friend is right. If "Derby" hadn't been able to produce Academy players in the way he describes, then one of a few different things may have happened.

Derby may have had to jump more into the conventional transfer market, even to remain in their lane. Spending more money, that they don't have, moving further away from a sustainable model, putting the finances (again) in jeopardy, risking the future of the Club.

It's a tough call to tell fans of a particular club that their achievement level is "fuck all". But there's a reality there for many, many clubs.

Academy Graduates may ratchet up the achievement levels of a Club. But, they may also "just" make the club sustainable. The Dividend can come in different ways.

My views are a minority view, I know, and I'm comfortable with that. But I think there's a pride in having an Academy that produces players for your own team. I hear you. I hear you. You don't get points for pride. Pride doesn't count for Cups. You don't get £10m for pride.

But what you do get is a football club, a proper football club, something to see, something to believe.

I understand lots of fans see it as points, as league position, as fucking pound signs. I get that. I won't say they're wrong. But I will say - that's not what a football club is all about, for me.

 

[Silent Blade]

Remember. I've not come here to fall out with anyone. I've come here because I think a great deal about this sort of stuff. And I like posing alternative views, to tease out other people's ideas, and listen to them, and learn from them. I may not be particularly wedded to ideas I detail. They're just ideas.

Maybe your Derby friend is right. If "Derby" hadn't been able to produce Academy players in the way he describes, then one of a few different things may have happened.

Derby may have had to jump more into the conventional transfer market, even to remain in their lane. Spending more money, that they don't have, moving further away from a sustainable model, putting the finances (again) in jeopardy, risking the future of the Club.

It's a tough call to tell fans of a particular club that their achievement level is "fuck all". But there's a reality there for many, many clubs.

Academy Graduates may ratchet up the achievement levels of a Club. But, they may also "just" make the club sustainable. The Dividend can come in different ways.

My views are a minority view, I know, and I'm comfortable with that. But I think there's a pride in having an Academy that produces players for your own team. I hear you. I hear you. You don't get points for pride. Pride doesn't count for Cups. You don't get £10m for pride.

But what you do get is a football club, a proper football club, something to see, something to believe.

I understand lots of fans see it as points, as league position, as fucking pound signs. I get that. I won't say they're wrong. But I will say - that's not what a football club is all about, for me.

During the 1960s John Harris produced a lot of youth players to play in the first team and we did very well in the League. Our fans were frustrated that Harris rarely went into the transfer market. Very difficult to make this happen nowadays

 

[Norwood's 6 iron]

A few years ago a friend of mine who is a Derby fan was telling me how Derby being a Category 1 Academy keep producing players for the first team. My reply was "Your first team have achieved "Fuck all" for many years!"

I can't think of anyone of real quality that has come out of Derby.

 

[Silent Blade]

I can't think of anyone of real quality that has come out of Derby.

Will Hughes

 

[Norwood's 6 iron]

Will Hughes

Good shout, but not in the same league compared to Jags, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker, Ndaiye etc

 

[Ball_Sup (Phil)]

? Liam Delap ?

 

[Silent Blade]

? Liam Delap ?

Didnt realise, I thought he started at Man City. Checked his career details, left Derby at 16. Compensation fee or was he released?

 

[Ndiayewillalwaysloveyou]

I can't think of anyone of real quality that has come out of Derby.

Tom Huddlestone

 

[Surrey Blade]

Will Hughes

 

[Silent Blade]

Tom Huddlestone

More than 20 years ago!