Academy

paulus the woodgnome and a side salad · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2010 7:35 pm

Without wanting to be over-critical, Mickey Barron on the youth teams defeat the other night said:- "They are an academy, they've spent a lot of money, and I think that showed".

The Mail:- "It's no secret Watford put a lot of focus into their youth academy, and have invested several million pounds by bringing some of the country's best talent and coaches in".

Does this mean unless you have an academy at your club you cant compete, what are the requirements which allow a club to set up one, what do we have at Pools, and how do you attract the countrys best "academy" coaches?

Trapper · **Joined:** Fri Aug 18, 2006 7:43 am **Posts:** 508

Pools have School of Excellence rather than an academy

http://www.soccerscoutsuk.com/pages/faqs.asp

BillinghamPoolie · **Posted:** Fri Jan 22, 2010 11:49 pm

chip fireball wrote:

watford were very good the other night. they have a pretty big catchment area and are clearly prepared to invest long term in players they believe they can sell on.

pools on the other hand, lose most of the towns best players to the boro and sunderland as trapper will confirm.

probably doesnt help that for the last few seasons young players have been given zero opportunity to play first team football at pools. johnny rowell being a classic example. sadx

First team experience should be Pools selling point, when it comes to trying to attract young talent to the club. We should be telling parents that the progress their kids will make, with earlier experience with the senior pros, will beat their slower progress through the Acadamies of the 'bigger' clubs. Shame we don't actually do it that way.

Academy

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