The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Royals and Racers]

Whole of Int cup final match on Dortmund’s you tube channel.

[Royals and Racers]

2 results of interest last night.
Sunderland 1 Burnley 2 in the PL cup final
Manchester City 2 Man Utd 1 in the FA Youth cup final

[Royals and Racers]

Huddersfield v Everton Monday 11th May
Notts Forest v Norwich Monday 11th May

Results
Huddersfield 1 Everton 1 gone into Extra time- Everton down to 10 95 mins
Huddersfield score 2-1 105 mins
E-T H-T 2-1 3-1 108 mins
E-T F-T 3-1

Nottingham Forest 1 Norwich 2

Final Norwich v Huddersfield on Friday 15th May KO 7pm Carrow road.

Result
Norwich 2 Huddersfield 4
Scoring went
1-0 29 mins
1-1 49 mins
2-1 74 Mins
2-2 86 mins
2-3 90 mins
2-4 90 + 7 pen

[From Despair To Where?]

H-T 0-0
Real Madrid 1 Zagreb 0 72 mins
1-1 79 mins
F-T 1-1 into ET
2-1 95 mins
ET H-T 2-1
ET F-T 2-1
Real Sociedad v Borussia Dortmund for me tomorrow at Aldershot.
H-T 0-0
Real Sociedad 0 Borussia Dortmund 1 68 mins
0-2 90 mins
F-T 0-2 Dortmund looked a really decent team and should win the final which might be at Wycombe.

Final confirmed at Adams Park High Wycombe on Tuesday May 12th KO 7pm- i will be there.

Should be a decent crowd in as the stand i’m in (Origin stand) is sold out.
Whiff away stand available ( away stand normally)

I'm rather hoping the other 3 stands are called, the Elm Park Disease, Taking The Biscuit and Off At Eleven Stands.

[Royals and Racers]

Man City are playing Man Utd at the Joie stadium on Friday 8th May.
Tottenham v Brighton on Friday 8th May at their main stadium.

Results
Man City 3 Man Utd 4
Tottenham 1 Brighton 3

Final on Saturday 16th May
Brighton v Man Utd KO 7.30pm at the Amex stadium.

Result Brighton 1 Man Utd 0

[Royals and Racers]

20 year old Harrison Rhone has signed a new 2 year contract extension.

[Clyde1998]

20 year old Harrison Rhone has signed a new 2 year contract extension.

Good to see. Hopefully he gets a good loan next season and will be in the first team in the second season once Stevens' contract expires.

[Sutekh]

20 year old Harrison Rhone has signed a new 2 year contract extension.

Do we really need Rhone, Rowley & Norcott? Are they all good enough to challenge Pereira & Stevens? Think all 3 need to get out for lengthy loans somewhere decent.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

20 year old Harrison Rhone has signed a new 2 year contract extension.

Do we really need Rhone, Rowley & Norcott? Are they all good enough to challenge Pereira & Stevens? Think all 3 need to get out for lengthy loans somewhere decent.

I'd rather we kept them on and binned Stevens if we can....not impressed what I saw of him and feels like a Bouzanis type signing stopping youngsters getting valuable first team experience on the bench/cups etc.

[tidus_mi2]

20 year old Harrison Rhone has signed a new 2 year contract extension.

Do we really need Rhone, Rowley & Norcott? Are they all good enough to challenge Pereira & Stevens? Think all 3 need to get out for lengthy loans somewhere decent.

I'd rather we kept them on and binned Stevens if we can....not impressed what I saw of him and feels like a Bouzanis type signing stopping youngsters getting valuable first team experience on the bench/cups etc.

I'm of the opinion of being pro Stevens if he takes the bench spot and it allows our young keepers to go out on loan.

[Clyde1998]

Appears Matt Pullinger has left the club: https://x.com/Matthew62273044/status/20 ... 3945433486

[Royals and Racers]

Appears Matt Pullinger has left the club: https://x.com/Matthew62273044/status/20 ... 3945433486

That’s because the club forgot to put the U 18’s departures in the article !!

[Clyde1998]

Don't think this has been mentioned anywhere. Miles Obodo joined Farnham Town: https://farnhamtownfc.co.uk/2026/05/far ... m-reading/

Farnham are in the National League South next season after being promoted from the Southern League Premier Division South via the play-offs.

They signed Aaron Kuhl too: https://farnhamtownfc.co.uk/2026/05/far ... rnborough/

[Royals and Racers]

Bit of news from Watford. Their Academy is now CAT 3 after pulling their U 21 team out of PDL ( CAT 2)

[tidus_mi2]

Bit of news from Watford. Their Academy is now CAT 3 after pulling their U 21 team out of PDL ( CAT 2)

I mean that's pretty tinpot, Cat 2 should be a drop in the bucket for anyone Champ or higher surely?

[Clyde1998]

Bit of news from Watford. Their Academy is now CAT 3 after pulling their U 21 team out of PDL ( CAT 2)

I mean that's pretty tinpot, Cat 2 should be a drop in the bucket for anyone Champ or higher surely?

Found their statement:

Watford is further underlining its commitment to producing first-team players and generating long-lasting professional careers by outlining a progressive change to the Academy.

Following a lengthy and strategic review of the academy model, the Club’s technical department firmly believe a closer alignment between the Under-18s and the first team will improve overall standards and opportunities for our best Academy players.

The Club will focus its efforts on the Under-18s and creating a smoother and more realistic pathway to first-team football.

This key group of young professionals will either train with the first team and / or gain experience out on loan at a much earlier stage in their Professional Development League journey.

We are immensely proud of our record at Under-18 level, winning the FA Youth Cup competition in 1982 and 1989 when the core of those title-winning teams made the swift transition to senior football. The Club reached the semi-final more recently in 2018 and 2025 without the same pathway for the players thereafter.

The fast-tracking of the club’s best young players, some of whom have been with us since the age of nine, has been taken to enhance their prospects of a long-term future in the game.

The Club does not believe fulfilling the U21 fixture programme is in the best interest of its young players and their prospects, so it has notified the EFL of its decision to withdraw from the league for next season.

We once again reaffirm our long-term commitment to the success of the Academy and the club’s track record of producing players like Ashley Young, Adrian Mariappa, Lloyd Doyley, Paul Robinson, Tommy Smith and Ryan Andrews.

Essentially, they've decided having an U21 team isn't in their interest.

[Sutekh]

Bit of news from Watford. Their Academy is now CAT 3 after pulling their U 21 team out of PDL ( CAT 2)

I mean that's pretty tinpot, Cat 2 should be a drop in the bucket for anyone Champ or higher surely?

Found their statement:

Watford is further underlining its commitment to producing first-team players and generating long-lasting professional careers by outlining a progressive change to the Academy.

Following a lengthy and strategic review of the academy model, the Club’s technical department firmly believe a closer alignment between the Under-18s and the first team will improve overall standards and opportunities for our best Academy players.

The Club will focus its efforts on the Under-18s and creating a smoother and more realistic pathway to first-team football.

This key group of young professionals will either train with the first team and / or gain experience out on loan at a much earlier stage in their Professional Development League journey.

We are immensely proud of our record at Under-18 level, winning the FA Youth Cup competition in 1982 and 1989 when the core of those title-winning teams made the swift transition to senior football. The Club reached the semi-final more recently in 2018 and 2025 without the same pathway for the players thereafter.

The fast-tracking of the club’s best young players, some of whom have been with us since the age of nine, has been taken to enhance their prospects of a long-term future in the game.

The Club does not believe fulfilling the U21 fixture programme is in the best interest of its young players and their prospects, so it has notified the EFL of its decision to withdraw from the league for next season.

We once again reaffirm our long-term commitment to the success of the Academy and the club’s track record of producing players like Ashley Young, Adrian Mariappa, Lloyd Doyley, Paul Robinson, Tommy Smith and Ryan Andrews.

Essentially, they've decided having an U21 team isn't in their interest.

Thus increasing the numbers of unhappy players - or are they going to promote them all to the first team and not bother with any more transfers, while expecting loads of other league clubs to want to take their youngsters on loan?

[stealthpapes]

It’s far fewer players on the books, right, but seeking to push more 18 and 19 either through or onwards.

It’s a risk*. I think players develop a lot between 18 and 23, and that playing time needs to be tailored appropriately.

*what isn’t?