It reflects very well on the lad himself how keen he was to come here.

Sunderland are in an absolute mess though they look nailed on for relegation they have an awful squad.

Bloody hell I haven't been following the tables. Sunderland and Bolton with as many points between them as the 17th club.

How dare you go to a game! You're in the trust board remember so you're not allowed to.

Ahhhh..but you are all going to go anyway cos u need 2 increase your yoof connection...

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I struggle to get my head around professional clubs, or any clubs for that matter, and their seeming inability to run a decent academy or youth set up.

My lad plays with lads who are signed to Hull, Scunthorpe and Leeds. The way they treat the lads at Hull is just silly. One of the lads who's good mates with my lad and plays the same position CHOSE to leave. Fucking CHOSE to leave. Now this is a lad who plays football all the time and is a decent lad and player. He left because of the intense pressure they put him under and the absolute hidings he got for fucking things up, they absolutely kicked the arse out of the fun part - he's only 14 for fucks sake.

And I absolutely don't buy the bollocks about they need to have a strong mentality and ruling with an iron fist. Fuck off. Motivating kids does not come from dishing out bollockings all the time. Odd occasion, maybe, but give them confidence to go out and perform. I'm no youth coach but I have kids and I know how they react to different types of discipline.

Man City on the other hand sound superb. They pay for the kids education and even if the player(s) get released they continue to fund their education until they leave school. How good is that?!

Amazes me that something so fundamental to the future of all clubs hasn't yet been mastered by all of them.....by mastered I don't mean having top facilities, just the right coaching.

I was there also.

My grandson, aged 6 plays for Peterborough pre academy. The coaches instil respect and certainly at this early stage look after their welfare. Football standard is rather variable. When they play local teams they usually score into double figures but when up against the academies of Man City, Arsenal etc they struggle! No different to the senior game

At least Peterborough sound like they have it right.....although at 6 bollockings would mean tears in a lot of them so probably save it for the teenage years....hopefully not

I left a North East professional club at 14 for the very same reasons, and that was around 17 years ago so obviously things haven't changed at a lot of clubs. I hated football by the time I had the courage to say enough was enough. Interestingly enough, one current Pools coach was in the same team as me and another was one of the coaches. Relatively easy to work out who I am referring to.

its not so much about kids being used and abused by the system its how they leave it in the end. some receive injuries where they quit the game and others due to starting at a young age and thinking they have made it pack the game in a lot earlier than they should. unfortunatly with the system if a lad is not involved or ever had been with these acadamy set ups he wont even get a trial for a non league club and i do not mean pools. the late developers in the game or those who play rugby at schools are basically not given much chance. my lad was told by a southern league manager you,ve no chance for a trial if you have not had acadamy experiance no matter how good you are. seems the system is bigger than any individual.