Congratulations beat Blyth in the cup last night 5-1, currently second in the league to Burton.

Good that the OS has started giving the Academy side decent coverage. Couple of canny interviews with Gucky before and after the game, though the new interviewer's questions are almost as long as Gucky's answers

Wonder if any of the second years like Stephenson and Kitching are any closer to stepping up?

Wouldn’t do any harm to stick a couple of them on the bench.

Highlights, no commentary,
https://youtu.be/6VVcSqYR6BQ?si=92OSMI4cxlEEL3lW

Impressive performance, especially going forward.

I thought our number 11 looked decent: fairly quick and not afraid to take on the defenders. I think he scored a couple.

I would put the whole youth team om the morrow.

well they cannot be worse than some kids from other teams have been. at least you can see em putting in far more effort if they got a chance even though it might be a bit too early for them.

Boydie was around 16 years old when he was in the first team a squad and scored the goal against Shrewsbury Town from an impossible angle on the byline when he was 17 years old.

Cooper sent him out on loan to Boston to get the experience of playing with men.
That tactic might benefit our youngsters nowadays,
At the time of Boydy's loan to Boston it was rumoured that Boston asked a price to get him permanently and were allegedly quoted £5K but couldn't afford it !!!!!

Fans should bare in mind that on our previous relegation the club stopped the academy as soon as the league finished their backing. The ones who have backed the youth team over the last ten years for equipment and strip and sponsorship is the Supporter's club the trust and the college.
Well done lads.

Cooper sent him to Boston to shake him up, not toughen him up.

Just watched the highlights and wow what a player we have in no11 ( someone mentioned him on this thread ) he scored 2 and made the other 3. Not sure how old he is but must be worth a squad number. If your good enough you're old enough

Unfortunately, some fans don't think they should step up, as they just want to see the same old faces and players that are over the hill, slow and slow. I learnt from a lot of fans I've talk to, say the same. Won't be good or strong enough to play.

I seem to remember words from Sir Matt Busby when questioned by his own players about playing a skinny 8 stone 17yr old George Best " forget his age this boy is ready he's good enough therefore he's old enough " or something along those lines. And that was at a time of crap fields and dirty b*stard footballers who would happily chop you in two the rest is history

He's called Max Storey and yes, based on those highlights he looks to have a lot of potential. Is he 'good enough' right now though? That's a question for John Askey and the coaching staff.

It's not that youth doesn't get a chance at Pools - Zak Johnson has only just turned 19 and he's gone straight into our back four. Sunderland were pretty excited about him even before the season started:
https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/2023/7 ... -2023-2024

It's hard to imagine that if one of our own young lads looked equally ready for men's football he wouldn't be getting a chance. Our crap OS doesn't give the ages of the Academy lads, but Storey is probably a 2nd year because his name wasn't included in a list of 8 new scholarships awarded in July.

If he keeps improving he could be a proper player if not for now for next season possibly

He,ll be taken away before then.
And go if he has any sense.

How long will the youth team exist ?

I don’t wish to pour cold water on this but wait a minute we have just seen highlights of one game where a young lad who nobody had ever heard of looked an exciting player. To say he would never be given a chance at Pools is rubbish I could fill this page with youths given a chance but found not up to it besides the, Boyd’s,Linighans,Miller etc

Just a reminder that the Supporters Association are holding a Quiz Night in the Corner Flag on Wednesday 11th. October. Proceeds from the evening will be used to buy equipment for the youth team. Everybody welcome, come along and you could win cash and beer prizes.

Yes only one game but I know a player when I see one

in recent years though apart from grey there has not been any. on the other hand we have had many more from other clubs who showed they were never up for it. if we have not a kid better than trusty was we might as well pack in the youth team.

I wouldn’t get rid of the youth side because we always hope that we can find a gem. I do agree most of the loans we get from big clubs are generally not up to league football and are only sent to us to get experience of ‘men’s’ football.

what actually does it cost having a youth team in a season. add all that to the seasons since we found a gem or even a player who was a regular average player is it really worth it. we are not exactly top of the wish list for an up and coming top NE young lads. if you are not producing the future for the club i just cannot see the point of it at all.

I agree with what you say but sadly I’m speaking with my heart instead of head. I know that mostly we only get kids who have had trials with the big clubs and turned down or released. As for cost I don’t know exactly how it works but do we not get grants for academy whilst in league and one year after relegation that’s why I understand we only reintroduced the youth team when we got back into the league.

The Yoof team have Guiseley away in the next round, which is no easy game as looking at the FA site Guiseley have played 3 games already to get to this stage and won 4-0, 10-0 and 7-0 so far, good luck lads.

True, he needed to get his head focused and concentrate on his game and reap the rewards… a cold water treatment that worked.

guiseley aint far from me. any idea when the game will be played and the KO time. hope we have no big boned lads in the team as they have the smallest dressing rooms i have ever seen for a squad of players. at least the pitch is good there though so that cannot be used as an excuse. reffed and run theline numerous times there and there is one of their fans i,d like to meet again. sorry officer it was just an accident.

Yeah it's a week tonight (Monday 16th Oct) a 7pm k.o.

Now Wednesday 18th a 7pm k.o.

cheers. any advance on wednesday 18th though.

On OS,
https://www.hartlepoolunited.co.uk/news ... youth-cup/

Anyone watch the series on youth players at Crystal Palace from ages 8 to 18. A good insight in to the way these professional clubs operate.

The elder son has 3 boys 10, 8 & 7 with the 8 year old already signed to Fulham's Academy, whilst the other 2 are training with Chelsea & Charlton.

They live in Bromley, so him & his wife are forever driving from one academy to the next.