Youth policy

[terry ball]

Since the takeover, why has the club not seriously addressed the youth set up?

This is an area that i feel needs to be seriously looked at, for a club of our size, it's important to bring players through. This both saves us money on transfer fees and gives us an opportunity to make money from selling them on.

People keep going on about investing in the team and spending £2m on Beckford or whoever, but for me, i would like to see us heavily invest in the development of the youth set up. Foundations need to be built so we can start producing our own again, for me i will get more of a buzz watching sterling make his debut than say Kitson

Like it or not, we will need to be a selling club with the gates we get in order to stop ourselves falling further into debt and keeping the books balanced

[Nodge70]

No money to be made it in short term. Ergo no investment.

[W12_Ranger]

This is an one area which IMO should be the Director of Football's responsibilty, to the best of my knowledge we've made no improvement or investment in this area.

We quite easily could have invested Fitz Halls wages in the youth set up from day 1.

[QPRacademy]

totally agree- spend money on the best academy in the country and buy the likes of Hooper or Jackson to fill in gaps.

[sirpiechucker]

This is why I believe Paul Hart is good to have at the club. He brought players like Dawson and Jenas through at Forest. Even if he is replaced as first team coach he should be kept on to nuture our youth team.

[terry ball]

This is an one area which IMO should be the Director of Football's responsibilty, to the best of my knowledge we've made no improve,ment or investment in this area.

We quite easily could have invested Fitz Halls wages in the youth set up from day 1.

This is what a director of football should of been banging on flavios door about from day one and i'm surprised that Falv and Bernie have overlooked it themselves, especially if they are here for the "long haul"

[NewarkR]

This is why I believe Paul Hart is good to have at the club. He brought players like Dawson and Jenas through at Forest. Even if he is replaced as first team coach he should be kept on to nuture our youth team.

Agreed.

[hhrangers]

i know an under 13's player who got scouted at a scheme in hertfordshire where they had open trials within districts and the best got selected to go further, showing they are looking to find local talent therefore making progress after missing out on some talent like beckford and a few of the young chelsea lads.

also the rule for the kids is they have to wear black boots, no white or any other colour.

[qblockpete]

Kids are definitely being scouted and coming through, look at Balanta who has made it and Raheem Sterling. Does anyone know the good kids at our club, apart from Sterling??

Only premiership clubs have every good academy systems. If we cannot be patient with seasoned pros , doubt we will wait 6 years for the young kids to come through.

[hhrangers]

Kids are definitely being scouted and coming through, look at Balanta who has made it and Raheem Sterling. Does anyone know the good kids at our club, apart from Sterling??

Only premiership clubs have every good academy systems. If we cannot be patient with seasoned pros , doubt we will wait 6 years for the young kids to come through.

i saw the under 18's play in pre season and michael doughty a centre midfielder shone out in that game, he won the ball in tackles, got it, head up play it out wide.

adam francis was meant to be good, josh parker who has been on the bench a couple of times is meant to be nifty

[NewarkR]

Frankie Sutherland is coming along nicely, I believe.

[terry ball]

Kids are definitely being scouted and coming through, look at Balanta who has made it and Raheem Sterling. Does anyone know the good kids at our club, apart from Sterling??

Only premiership clubs have every good academy systems. If we cannot be patient with seasoned pros , doubt we will wait 6 years for the young kids to come through.

Is this not where we are aiming to be then? Should of had this started in year one of the project

[sirpiechucker]

Kids are definitely being scouted and coming through, look at Balanta who has made it and Raheem Sterling. Does anyone know the good kids at our club, apart from Sterling??

Only premiership clubs have every good academy systems. If we cannot be patient with seasoned pros , doubt we will wait 6 years for the young kids to come through.

What has Balanta actually done then at this level? Same with Sterling what has he achieved?

Crewe have a fantastic youth academy - Players who passed through the ranks at Crewe include the England international players Geoff Thomas, David Platt and Rob Jones, Welshman Robbie Savage, and Northern Ireland internationals Neil Lennon and Steve Jones (Platt was the most successful, totalling more than £20 million in transfers and captaining the England team). All these were youngsters signed from other clubs, but Gradi also had considerable success in nurturing Crewe's own trainees - notably full England internationals Danny Murphy, Seth Johnson and Dean Ashton and Wales international David Vaughan.

[Nodge70]

What has Balanta actually done then at this level? Same with Sterling what has he achieved?

Crewe have a fantastic youth academy - Players who passed through the ranks at Crewe include the England international players Geoff Thomas, David Platt and Rob Jones, Welshman Robbie Savage, and Northern Ireland internationals Neil Lennon and Steve Jones (Platt was the most successful, totalling more than £20 million in transfers and captaining the England team). All these were youngsters signed from other clubs, but Gradi also had considerable success in nurturing Crewe's own trainees - notably full England internationals Danny Murphy, Seth Johnson and Dean Ashton and Wales international David Vaughan.

I think only Ashton actually came through Crewe's Academy system. The other players were brought in upon release by bigger sides. Savage was in the same Man Utd FA youth cup winning side as Neville, Beckham, Scholes etc. Platt was at Man City, Jones and Murphy at Everton IIRC?

[writtler]

Our youth have progressed & won titles despite the efforts of our senior set up - Might be worth checking the arch enemies site for stories of GP bullying kids, insulting parents and hiding behind minders...

FACT - we will never progress under the set up as it is.