I was just thinking...what would be our best line-up of former youth team players...

...................Provett........................

Craddack........Lee..................Ingram...........Robinson

Halliday...........Miller...........S Turnbull................Robson

.................Boyd.............Foey.............................

Talking about players still playing? Do we have a list to choose from?

Off the top of my head:

Provett Craddock Brackstone Jones Lee Brown Miller S.Turnbull Robson Foley Boyd

Bit dodgy on full backs!

..................................Provett..................................

Craddock...........Jones..................Lee..............Robinson

Maidens.............Miller...............Sweeney.............Robson

.......................Boyd.................Brown.........................

Subs:
Foley, S.Turnbull, Brackstone, Istead, J.Wilkinson

Istead came from newcastle's youth team did he not?

James Brown was signed from Cramlington when he was 17 wasn't he?

I completely forgot about Sweeney - I suppose he might get a game ahead of S Turnbull.

No there was fierce competition for the left back slot, Robinson just got the nod over Tony Skedd.....

He was released by them at 16 I think and we signed him on as a two year YTS.




Same with Brown, I think he signed for a one year YTS at the time when he came from Cramlington.

provett
john linacre
barry stimpson
roy hogan
andy linighan
davy linighan
tommy miller
tony sweeney
kieth houchen
adam boyd
paul staff

i'm not sure Andy Linighan should get in ahead of Denny Ingram.......

But Istead played for the first team before the youth team didn't he?

I partnered Andy Linighan in central defence the school B team. He was never good enough for the A team which I think was 5th year. I also progressed at that stage - to the C team!

I was thinking about that myself.

We signed Steve Howard from Tow Law Town when he was 18/19ish and he immeditley played most of the season for us skipping the youth team. However, I'd still say he was a product of our youth, even though he wasn't a product of our youth team (for propaganda purposes).

It's very difficult to draw the line.

What I was thinking when I made the post was where would be if we'd have somehow managed to keep all our young players rather than losing them...

Mark Venus came through Pools youth ranks, did well for himself in the game.
Did Jon McCarthy start as a youth teamer here? I know he made one sub appearance before moving onto better things.
Kenny Lowe was another - great player but Pools were poor at the time.

Well I only went for current day players but I still managed to miss some biggies didn't I!
I'll revise my team to

Provett
Craddock Lee Jones Robinson
Brown Sweeney Miller Robson
Boyd Foley

Looks like a decent fourth division team to me

How about Steve Fletcher as an experienced old head who knows how to score goals Mr Head?

I didn't realise he was still playing but I just looked at Chesterfield's site!

P.S. I didn't realise Chesterfield were in the 4th division now either!!

Surely Don Hutchison should make the team?

John McGovern anyone!?

I suppose it depends how far we are going back here but as Kenny Lowe & Mark Venus have been mentioned, what about Roy Hogan, he went on to play about 350 first team games for us and at the back of my mind didn't Lee Todd come through the youth team ranks and went on to have a fair future in the game.

was Alan Walsh a youth prodigy before signing for Darlo?

daft as it sounds, Tony Barrass went on to become a regular player in what is now the Championship league

When Stockport had a few successful seasons and got to the Championship, Todd was part of it.
Also I remember David Robinson (Spike) being well-liked at Peterborough (although I think he played for Halifax in between, under a certain Mr Billy Ayre)

John McGovern didn't come through the Youth Team. I don't think we had a Youth Team then, I don't think we had much of a reserve team either. I think he was signed after Manchester United hoofed him.

He was only 16 when Cloughie gave him a chance though wasn' t he?

I think it should count!!

He was that PJ yes. He never looked that special to be honest.

Pools actually had a 'youth team' back in 56 it started.

there was no true northern network of youth leagues back then and it wasnt until the mid70s that they joined the northern intermediate league.

as far as i can recall without checking noted as work beckons they did play in either the district or church league and on the whole were established and funded by what was at the time a very proactive supporters association (which could lead to a new thread......)

I concur what Kev said. John McGovern just sort of signed up one day, got a lot of publicity in the local papers, and started playing for the first team ... and no he didn't seem like owt special.
But we did have a youth team at the time, which if my memory serves me well produced the likes of Eric Tunstall, whom we sold to the skunks, John Honour, and Peter Blowman.