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Another academy prospect poached

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  • There's now 29 category 1 academies in England. 

    Be interesting when the next audit is available and how close we are to joining that top list. 

    While not knowing the full criteria, does it help that we are now a Championship side or does that not come in to consideration? 
    Technically being in L1 shouldn’t make a difference but politically it did. Hopefully a year or two of being a solid Championship club should help 
  • One of the biggest differences is in recruitment catchment area - it is restricted geographically to a 1.5 hour drive time for Cat 2 whereas Cat 1 can recruit kids nationally. 
  • One of the biggest differences is in recruitment catchment area - it is restricted geographically to a 1.5 hour drive time for Cat 2 whereas Cat 1 can recruit kids nationally. 
    This is the biggest problem and how we lost a CB to Newcastle last season. Can't remember his name but he was another very highly thought of prospect. 
  • The category of academy is a red herring.  Kids don’t care.  If they get the chance to play for an academy for a high level premier league club, they are going to switch no matter what the category of our academy.
    Not true.

    Being Cat 1 brings a lot of advantages.

    You  can recruit earlier, you are seen as the top standard when recruiting so more desirable to parents and players as well as coaches.

    It harder and more expensive to poach players although it still happens.

    If it didn't matter why did Birmingham go for and get it?

    Yes, a big name premier club will still have that advantage but us being Cat 1 closes the gap.

    Last season a board member said in private that Cat 1 was a priority.

    Where that is now I don't know.
    Totally agree. The whole system is a mess but if you're in it you want to be Cat1. Valley Gold supported the club's last (failed) attempt very significantly, but being in L1 made it an uphill struggle even without the, er, challenges of recent years and club management teams. 

    Until the system is sorted Chelsea will still be poaching players for next to nothing and ruining their careers in the hope of the occasional Cole Palmer. But Cat1 at least means you have a chance of getting a little more dollar when they come knocking. And Premier League means it's generally only the top clubs that have a genuine chance of nicking your best. 
  • MarcusH26 said:
    One of the biggest differences is in recruitment catchment area - it is restricted geographically to a 1.5 hour drive time for Cat 2 whereas Cat 1 can recruit kids nationally. 
    This is the biggest problem and how we lost a CB to Newcastle last season. Can't remember his name but he was another very highly thought of prospect. 
    Lesecond Yeutembip, he was 14 at the time and since the move has played for England U15s.

    So that's him, Gokah and Nduka all poached within a year before the age of 16.
  • Surely the best way to reform it would be to limit how much each club can pay scholars. Abit like the MLS system you could you could for example a cat 1 academy have live five players you can pay the player whatever you want and the rest on a strict salary cap that's the sameish for all academies. Cat 2 have two, cat 3 have one. 
  • MarcusH26 said:
    One of the biggest differences is in recruitment catchment area - it is restricted geographically to a 1.5 hour drive time for Cat 2 whereas Cat 1 can recruit kids nationally. 
    This is the biggest problem and how we lost a CB to Newcastle last season. Can't remember his name but he was another very highly thought of prospect. 
    Lesecond Yeutembip, he was 14 at the time and since the move has played for England U15s.

    So that's him, Gokah and Nduka all poached within a year before the age of 16.
    That's crazy. Hopefully there's still some very good players from that age group that will stick around. 
  • Surely the best way to reform it would be to limit how much each club can pay scholars. Abit like the MLS system you could you could for example a cat 1 academy have live five players you can pay the player whatever you want and the rest on a strict salary cap that's the sameish for all academies. Cat 2 have two, cat 3 have one. 
    They are all under 17 so not on wages, not officially anyway.
  • Showcasing our youngsters to Man Utd the other day…





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  • Maybe United will bid 10m for Dixon........
  • edited July 27
    Maybe United will bid 10m for Dixon........
    This particular comment about our U21s stood out in particular. This is Man Utd after all and this is how they view our U21s, or am I reading it wrongly ?

  • Amass is seen as the next big hope by a lot of Man U fans and there were a fair chunk disappointed Amorim didn’t take him on tour. Sounds like Dixon was still the standout 
  • fenaddick said:
    Amass is seen as the next big hope by a lot of Man U fans and there were a fair chunk disappointed Amorim didn’t take him on tour. Sounds like Dixon was still the standout 
    He didn't go on their pre-season tour as they're looking to loan him out. He's only 18 and they have Dorgu and Shaw (until he breaks down again)
  • Godwill Kukonki sounds like a player Nathan would talk about a lot.
  • The biter bit. From The Guardian “Ngumoha is not eligible to sign a professional contract until he turns 17 on the 29th of this month but showed why Chelsea were livid when Liverpool tempted him away from their academy last summer.”. 
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