FA Youth cup 2023/24

[Royals and Racers]

When's the draw for the next round?

Possibly this Friday.

[Clyde1998]

Royals 1 Sheff Wed 0 Coke Miles Smith 27 mins
2-0 Coke Miles Smith again 41 mins
H-T 2-0
3-0 Coke Miles Smith 60 mins
4-0 Harris 79 mins
Attendance 254

Fantastic win - on to the last sixteen.

[Royals and Racers]

2nd team in the hat
Sheffield Utd

[Clyde1998]

Bristol City vs Charlton was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

So the teams in the fifth round are/will be (coloured by academy category):

• Reading (Cat 1; L1)
• Sheff Utd (Cat 2; PL)
• Bristol City (Cat 2; CH) or Charlton (Cat 2; L1)
• West Ham (Cat 1; PL) or Man City (Cat 1; PL)
• Gillingham (Cat 3; L2) or Sunderland (Cat 1; CH)
• Grimsby (Cat 3; L2) or Millwall (Cat 2; CH)
• Hull (Cat 2; CH) or Crystal Palace (Cat 1; PL)
• Swindon (Cat 3; L2) or Man Utd (Cat 1; PL)
• Burton (Cat 3; L1) or Tottenham (Cat 1; PL)
• Newcastle (Cat 1; PL) or Bournemouth (Cat 2; PL)
• Swansea (Cat 2; CH) or Fulham (Cat 1; PL)
• Coventry (Cat 2; CH) or Barnsley (Cat 2; L1)
• Everton (Cat 1; PL) or Chelsea (Cat 1; PL)
• Brighton (Cat 1; PL) or Leeds (Cat 1; CH)
• Liverpool (Cat 1; PL) or Arsenal (Cat 1; PL)
• QPR (Cat 2; CH) or Burnley (Cat 2; PL)

[SCIAG]

Our last memorable FA Youth Cup run was around 2014 I think? The wasted generation for whom plenty went on to have good careers away from Reading. Kuhl and Tanner sadly fell away, but it contained Dickie, Stacey and Fosu among others.

Let's hope we use this generation better.

Tanner was the year above. In fairness he, Tshibola, Cooper and Keown played with the core of that team to win the U21 cup the same season.

Big success for Reading in that side was Liam Kelly, but six of the Youth Cup eleven played for the first team at least once, which is very good.

That said, we had a good run a couple of years later thanks to a side containing Luke Southwood, Omar Richards, and Gabe Osho as well as Sam Smith. I think they got to the quarter finals before being knocked out in controversial circumstances by a Chelsea team containing Tammy Abraham, John Swift, and Mason Mount (sub). Southwood saved two penalties and Tyler Frost hit the bar with one. I think seven of that starting eleven played for the first team, plus Howe and Loader off the bench. Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qV_jTi0Gfo (Richards at fault for both goals!)

As for the present - Coke-Miles-Smith is a player. Hat-trick from midfield... last time we had a midfielder scoring that many goals was, erm, Lawson D'Ath.

[Clyde1998]

Our last memorable FA Youth Cup run was around 2014 I think? The wasted generation for whom plenty went on to have good careers away from Reading. Kuhl and Tanner sadly fell away, but it contained Dickie, Stacey and Fosu among others.

Let's hope we use this generation better.

Tanner was the year above. In fairness he, Tshibola, Cooper and Keown played with the core of that team to win the U21 cup the same season.

Big success for Reading in that side was Liam Kelly, but six of the Youth Cup eleven played for the first team at least once, which is very good.

That said, we had a good run a couple of years later thanks to a side containing Luke Southwood, Omar Richards, and Gabe Osho as well as Sam Smith. I think they got to the quarter finals before being knocked out in controversial circumstances by a Chelsea team containing Tammy Abraham, John Swift, and Mason Mount (sub). Southwood saved two penalties and Tyler Frost hit the bar with one. I think seven of that starting eleven played for the first team, plus Howe and Loader off the bench. Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qV_jTi0Gfo (Richards at fault for both goals!)

As for the present - Coke-Miles-Smith is a player. Hat-trick from midfield... last time we had a midfielder scoring that many goals was, erm, Lawson D'Ath.

The team that started the final second leg against Man City in the Premier Cup final:

Dan Lincoln
Sean Long - Niall Keown - Jake Cooper - Pierce Sweeney - Shane Griffin
Aaron Tshibola - Jack Stacey - Liam Kelly
Craig Tanner - Gozie Ugwu

Having a look at where those players' careers have gone: Dan Lincoln only ever made it at non-league level (much harder if you want to play regularly as a goalkeeper compared to other positions) and played one test as a professional cricketer!

Sean Long is at Cheltenham; Niall Keown played for Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premiership before seemingly retiring at a young age(?); Jake Cooper is still at Millwall in the Championship; Pierce Sweeney is at Exeter. Shane Griffin is playing in the Irish top flight at Shelbourne.

Aaron Tshibola went to Aston Villa and has played in various European top flights. Currently playing for Hatta in the UAE top flight. Jack Stacey is at Norwich and has played in the Premier League for Bournemouth; Liam Kelly is at Crawley, but was a regular for us over a couple of seasons.

Craig Tanner had a season playing regularly at Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership, but is now at Ebbsfleet in the National League. Gozie Ugwu played for various lower league clubs in England and Scotland and last played for Saudi second tier club Jeddah.

Given not every youth player will make it professionally, I think that batch of players actually did fairly well. Basically all of them played professionally for prolonged period - and that doesn't include those who were in the squad who didn't start that day (Tarique Fosu; Lewis Ward; Harry Cardwell; Samuel Fridjonsson).

I think looking back it shows the club has been able to produce a consistent stream of good professional players - even if only a few have played consistently at Championship-level or higher.

[muirinho]

Niall Keown played for Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premiership before seemingly retiring at a young age(?);

Keown is now a youth coach at Oxford United, according to Wikipedia. Seems like he didn't find a club to go to after his contract with Partick expired in 2019.

[Sutekh]

Niall Keown played for Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premiership before seemingly retiring at a young age(?);

Keown is now a youth coach at Oxford United, according to Wikipedia. Seems like he didn't find a club to go to after his contract with Partick expired in 2019.

Sure I read something somewhere that said Niall had had to retire from playing due to injury.

[SCIAG]

Yeah Keown had injury trouble.

[Clyde1998]

Niall Keown played for Partick Thistle in the Scottish Premiership before seemingly retiring at a young age(?);

Keown is now a youth coach at Oxford United, according to Wikipedia. Seems like he didn't find a club to go to after his contract with Partick expired in 2019.

Sure I read something somewhere that said Niall had had to retire from playing due to injury.

I wondered if that was the case, but didn't find anything obvious stating that was why he stopped playing early; shame as he seemed like he'd go on to be a good pro. Glad to hear he's still in football.

[Jerry St Clair]

Sean Long is at Cheltenham.

I think looking back it shows the club has been able to produce a consistent stream of good professional players - even if only a few have played consistently at Championship-level or higher.

Is now in his sixth year at Cheltenham. Closing in on 200 appearances, Is club captain and becoming a bit of club legend. He's alternated between playing right centre-back in a back 5 and right wing-back. Is good in both, but has really blossomed as right wing back under Darrell Clarke.

I suspect League One is his level. Not sure he'd cut it at Championship so I think your analysis is spot on.

[Royals and Racers]

When's the draw for the next round?

Possibly this Friday.

5th round draw has seen us drawn away to the winners of tonight’s match West Ham v Man City( live on you tube). Matches to be played by 10th February.

[Royals and Racers]

West Ham 0 Man City 2 after ET

[Stranded]

West Ham 0 Man City 2 after ET

Tough game. City 2nd in PL u18 North.

[Sutekh]

West Ham 0 Man City 2 after ET

Tough game. City 2nd in PL u18 North.

Away too! But might well get a free live stream on YT or somewhere.

[Royals and Racers]

Might be of interest to one or two our neighbours and rivals Swindon beat Man Utd 2-0 at the County ground last evening in the 4th round.

[Royals and Racers]

Man City v Reading in 5th round fixed for Wednesday 14th February KO 7pm at the City Academy stadium(Joie)

[YorkshireRoyal99]

May we see Luca Fletcher play for City potentially? Is he a regular in their academy side at the moment?

[Clyde1998]

May we see Luca Fletcher play for City potentially? Is he a regular in their academy side at the moment?

Wouldn't be surprised to see him.

TransferMarkt has him down as featuring five times for Man City's in the U18 Premier League this season (he's still only sixteen). That doesn't include the most recent game against Derby which he scored in (and he got an assist) after coming off the bench at half-time.

Don't know if he's been injured, as he disappeared from their squad for a couple of months and he didn't play for England's U17s at the World Cup despite regularly involved prior to it.

[Hendo]

May we see Luca Fletcher play for City potentially? Is he a regular in their academy side at the moment?

Probably not super reliable, but Transfermarkt has him playing 5 u-18 Premier League matches (124 mins) with 1 goal.