The Development Squad thread

Thought would be a good idea to make a designated thread for all things related to the development squad for their upcoming season, as we do have an interest in them due to players breaking in to the 1st team last season. We can keep a close eye on them to see who will break through this season.

Squad details, interviews, signings, friendlies, league games, loans going out, highlights and anything else related to the development squad, can all be added on this thread

 

Our development squad fixtures have just been announced for the Central League that they are in, which we won the league last season, so we are looking to retain our title this season.

Here are their fixtures for the Central League. I am sure there will be friendly games added in a long the way, which we can add on here as and when.
(please note, fixtures/venues are subject to change).

September:
Tuesday 11th Vs Forest Green Rovers - Away - 1pm KO
Tuesday 18th Vs Cheltenham Town - Home - 11am KO
Tuesday 25th Vs Luton Town - Home - 2pm KO

October:
Tuesday 16th Vs Plymouth Argyle - Away - 2pm KO

December:
Tuesday 4th vs Exeter City - Home - 1pm KO

January:
Tuesday 15th Vs Forest Green Rovers - Home - 1pm KO
Tuesday 29th Vs Cheltenham Town - Away - 1pm KO

February:
Tuesday 5th Vs Plymouth Arygle - Home - 1pm KO
Tuesday 26th Vs Exeter City - Away - 1pm KO

March:
Tuesday 19th Vs Peterborough United - Away - 2pm KO
Tuesday 26th Vs Southend United - Home - 1pm KO

April:
Monday 15h Vs MK Dons - Away - 1pm KO
Tuesday 23rd Vs AFC Wimbledon - Home - 1pm KO

 

Current development squad players, although there will be more added as we have a lot of triallists involved in games at the moment. U18's will help bolster the development side as and when needed but I wont add them here.


GK's:

Alexis André

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Liam Armstrong

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DF's:

Alfie Kilgour

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Rollin Menayese

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Ben Morgan

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Michael Kelly

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Lewis Ludford-Ison

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MF's

Luke Russe

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Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist

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Connor Jones

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Cameron Hargreaves

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Mohammad Baghdadi

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CF's

Cameron Ebbutt

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Rhys Kavanagh

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I have watched the games at Yate and WSM in their pre season friendlies, one of the trialists a RB particularly impressed me as did one of the strikers also a trialist better not mention names. The players that got game time last season Russe Hargreaves played well as did Morgan and Josh Bailey at WSM. Dillon played at yate and also had a good game.
Other players played well during those games but their names are not known by me

 

Josh Bailey is on the list on our OS as in the development team but has no picture. When you click on his name, it says u18's so didn't include him. Its good for the u18's to get game time at development level too. It can only help improve them.

 

When I attended the WSM match I was chatting to 2 fellow spectators, one of them was the father of the WSM striker who was looking for a club to play for, he scored the first goal against the Rovers and played well for a very good WSM team. Said player played for Cardiff Youth but later joined Colchester when the Cardiff development squad wasn't used by the new manager after Paul Trollop was sacked, he played along side Rollin Manayese when they were both at Cardiff
The second spectator I was talking to was scouting Ossian Dillon for the Welsh 17-19 age group but Bailey and Morgan played the whole match so unless he came on in a defensive MF role the poor guy wasted his evening, though as he only lived at Flax Bourton he didn't have far to come.

 

Beat Salisbury 1-0 Leigh-Gilchrist volley wins it

 

Annoyingly the club has yet again failed to add anything about this. No match report and anything.

 

I find it very disappointing especially when the club state it wants to improve things for the fans

 

CJS I have just written a letter to Steve Hamer to see if he can get something moving re lack of reports, in the letter I received with my season ticket it said they wanted to improve communication lets see if actions speak louder than words

 

It would be good if some of these players made the main squad. Menayese has got to be worth a squad number, and Baghdadi did well at the end of last season. Are there any 6'+ strikers in the development squad?

 

Liam Armstrong, Cameron Allen, Alfie Clarke and Connor Jones all going out on loan.
Armstrong to Tiverton
Connor Jones to Mangotsfield
Alfie Clarke to Larkhall Athletic these deals run until end of December
Cameron Allan to Dorchester Town until middle of September

 

I read somewhere (not sure of true) that if you give a squad number to a player then that player goes towards the wage bill which the FFP rules effect. Again I dont know if true but if it is, it may explain why Menayese and also the likes of Russe too haven't been given a number yet as we may have to use what budget we have left with getting in some strikers.

Or if its not true, it could be a case of just the 1st team squad being announced what their squad numbers are. They may have given numbers to the development team too but just may not have bothered to announce it.

 

Received a letter by return from Mr Steve Hamer today

Goal scorers against AFC Totton were Cam Ebbutt and a trialist and as previously stated Lewis Leigh- Gilchrist against Salisbury. If the trialist was the same one that played against Yate and WSM then he might well be good signing for the future

My thanks to Mr Hamer for his very prompt reply and information supplied

 

Development side playing Yate on Friday KO 7pm at lodge road Ad prices £5 concessions £3 under 11 free

 

Development squad v Yate 0 - 0 26 mins

Trialist LB GK and on the bench

Team Trialist A Clarke Morgan Kilgour Trialist Russe Hargreaves Widdrington Baghdadi Spruce Leigh-Gilchrist

Subs Alexis Jr Ebutt Bailey Jones Ison Trialist

 

Connor jones scored last night in the 1-1 draw a report appears on latest news Bristol Rovers

 

Rovers development squad played Paulton Rovers last night in a friendly game.

Our starting 11:
Trialist (GK), Luke Russe, Michael Kelly, Connor Jones, Alfie Kilgour, Josh Bailey, Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist, Theo Widdrington, Cam Ebbutt, Cam Hargreaves, Mo Baghdadi.
Our subs:
Alexis Andre (GK), Lewis Ison, Ben Morgan, Alfie Clarke.

We won 6-0.

The goals:

1-0: Leigh-Gilchrist is played in on goal by Ebbutt and fired low beyond the keeper.

2-0: Ebbutt cuts in off the left and fires a powerful strike beyond the keeper and into the bottom corner.

Half time.

3-0: Cameron Hargreaves converts from the spot.

4-0: Leigh-Gilchrist finds the net with a well placed free kick.

5-0: Widdrington on target from the penalty spot again.

6-0: Ebbutt has his brace after racing through on goal and chipping the keeper.

 

Thanks for that CJS had family staying this week and computer is in their bedroom, not able to do much

 

Deon Moore a striker ex Peterborough has been singed by the development squad, Moore is a striker and in the matches I saw that ha was involved in looked to be a good player for the future, He joined Posh from Carshalton in 2015 and made 4 EFL appearances.
I wish Deon all the best for his future with us and look forward to seeing him in the first team squad in the future