Academy

PeakieRocket

Now that we have much less funds available this season, what are peoples opinions on carrying on paying the large amounts of money involved to keep the academy going?

Since we set the academy up in 1998, we haven't produced a single player who has made his way into the first team on a regular basis (both Parker and Konchesky came through the original youth set-up).

We've spent millions on the academy with no real results - yet for a few hundred thousand each we've bought a highly rated young danish winger, and a french youngster rated as the next Willy Sagnal. Perhaps it would make more financial sense for us to use the money to extend our international scouting network and buy more highly rated younsters for small fees.

I personally don't want to see the academy go, but if its eating up masses of money and not producing anything then how can we justify keeping it.

LenGlover

If cost and profitability are the sole criteria ,as the decision to axe the women suggests, then it is hard to disagree with you.

Being a feeder club for Gravesend And Northfleet doesn't say a lot!

F-Blocker

I believe that "in theory" we could do away with it whilst we're a Championship team, but once we go straight back up (think positive here guys & gals!) we'd need to re-instate it as Prem clubs have to have an academy.

I may be remembering that completely wrong and I'm quite happy for someone to correct me, but that's the way I remember hearing it...

AFKABartram

At Championship level, the chances of us seeing youngsters come through is far greater than it was in the Premiership.

If we continue to remain outside the Premiership for a number of years, entirely possible, then what is produced by the academy over the next five years becomes increasingly vital. In a couple of years time, we might not be in a position to buy a highly rated french or danish youngster. To me, the academy has become more important now than less so.

Plus the dream always for me is to see a local lad one day run out of that tunnel having been brought up a Charlton fan and come through the ranks.

mart77

i still think the academy is very important and hopefully arter and wright will show just what our academy can produce. our academy could also be even more important as the possibility of a foreign player cap is not totally impossible, and we need to trawl for as much home grown talent as possible.

AFKABartram

i really struggle see with the power EU bodies hold now, how a foreign player cap could ever be introduced now. But that's a question for another thread...