CheLOLsea

[Toon Toon Blue army]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15755863.stm

12 year old turns down a move to Chelsea.

Silly boy. He may well live to regret that one day

[SpaceCruiser]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15755863.stm

12 year old turns down a move to Chelsea.

Silly boy. He may well live to regret that one day

Yeah, why would he want to stay in an area full of sheep-shaggers?

[exileinleeds]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15755863.stm

12 year old turns down a move to Chelsea.

Silly boy. He may well live to regret that one day

Don't be ridiculous. He is a child of 12.

A 12 year old child- no matter how talented, needs to be with his family, to have a normal life. He is being trained and his talent nurtured, and if he continues to work hard, avoid major injuries, he possibly could end up playing football professionally. He might even be good enough to play premier league. It is most small boys dream, but very very few make it.

If he were to go to Chelsea now, he would either need his family to commute to his training schedule, or re-locate. That means either disrupting all the family from their jobs, home, friends- or what- move into some sort of lodgings? At 12.
I can well understand why he wouldn't want to put the family through that level of disruption. He has a contract until he is 16. If at that point, he still wants to be a footballer, there will be other opportunities with bigger clubs, when he is more mature and ready to move on.

Irrespective of which club he is attached to now, it seems sensible to concentrate on having a normal grounded life, with the opportunities to develop his potential, and if he still wants it enough later, then he will still get opportunities.
On the other hand, if he proves not to have the drive/commitment/talent/physical prowess then it will not be at the expense of his family life.

There are hundreds of boys each year come through acadamies yet never get a professional playing contract. It is a massive step from child prodigy to prodigy.

Would Theo Walcott- in the World Cup squad at what, 17/18 and playing for Arsenal really have a better career if he had not spent his youth at lower league Southampton, but instead gone to Manchester?

[TheMaraudingDog]

Moving as a kid didn't do Becks any harm.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Just to add if yiure training with better kids and better coaches you're going to become a better playeseems daft to turn down such an opportunity.

[Terminal Boardom]

Same old Chelsea - always tapping up kids from other clubs. Obviously the parents were not in need of a new kitchen, conservatory or 4 wheel drive.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Yes, but that only works for the kids who are really the best ones - like Beckham, for instance.

A kid who is not quite so good may find themeslves in a PL squad and not getting the opportunities to play matches. Many kids are opting for Championship academies so they get to play games - knowing that if they make it they'll get match experience and then a move to the PL once they've shown what they can do.

Anyway, it all changes now under EPPP.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Same old Chelsea - always tapping up kids from other clubs. Obviously the parents were not in need of a new kitchen, conservatory or 4 wheel drive.

But instead of being coached decent football on decent pitches the kid Will be playing hoofball on bobby pitches where only the big kids Will win.

[TheMaraudingDog]

Yes, but that only works for the kids who are really the best ones - like Beckham, for instance.

A kid who is not quite so good may find themeslves in a PL squad and not getting the opportunities to play matches. Many kids are opting for Championship academies so they get to play games - knowing that if they make it they'll get match experience and then a move to the PL once they've shown what they can do.

Anyway, it all changes now under EPPP.

Where do you get this shit from? The lower divisions are full of Prem Academy rejects. There was a piece not so long ago in a United fanzine saying there were 40+ ex United playing in the football league.

[Svlad Cjelli]

Who's talking about the lower divisions? I'm talking about the Championship, where some youngsters prefer to sign because they know they will get games - as evidenced by the 40+ ex United playing in the football league.

At least 4 Championship clubs I know of have this as a key part of their youth development strategy - they compete with the bigger clubs (soon to be Category One EPPP Academies) for the signature of promising kids by showing they have a path to the first team for kids that the biggest clubs can't guarantee - and by showing examples of how kids have played for them and have prospered.
Southampton use Theo Walcott as an example, Ipswich use Connor Wickham - they suggest to parents that those players wouldn't have played and been successful if they'd been in the academies of PL clubs, because the competition for places would mean minimal opportunities to play.

[TheMaraudingDog]

For every example of a Walcott you've got loads like Eagles, Bardsley, Simpson, Richardson, P Nev who have left United to still play in the top flight.

[TheMaraudingDog]

PS Championship is part of the 'lower leagues'

[Svlad Cjelli]

Whatever .... all I'm saying is that Championship clubs *are* using the "lack of opportunities argument to get kids and parents to sign for them, and it *is* working.

Some people would rather be a big fish in a little pool than a big fish in a a big pool alongside lots of other big fish.

[TheMaraudingDog]

It works with some players and not others but how many of the current England squad came through a non Prem Academy? Hart and Walcott is about it.

[frimmers3]

kyle walker?

[TheMaraudingDog]

kyle walker?

Sheff Utd were in the prem when he joined the academy m8.

Maybe same applies to Walcott and S'TON

[RobRoyal]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but also Jagielka and Lescott?

[cmonurz]

David Stockdale.

Were Ipswich in the Premier League when Darren Bent came through their youth setup?

[Hoop Blah]

It works with some players and not others but how many of the current England squad came through a non Prem Academy? Hart and Walcott is about it.

Hart
Walker
Parker
Barry
Bent (just about a Championship side when he signed but obviously yo-yo'd around that time)
Lescott
Smalling (not in the current squad of course)
Sturridge spent a bit of time with Coventry I think
Baines
Zamora

Quite a few....

[M-U-R-T-Y]

Baines was at Liverpool's academy but agreed with all the others...