Transfer Rumours T'other Transfers

I think it always was, I had a work mate who was cut by Brian Clough in his Derby County days - he was heart-broken when Cloughy told him he wouldn't make the grade as he was too small for the professional game; icing on the cake for my mate was when he signed Archie Gemmill, who was a full inch smaller, a month after he'd sacked him off.

 

That is why I advise against it. We had scouts at a match recently and I made my feelings very clear on how academies are run. Players they take too young, too many and the players aren’t prepared for the very likely point of rejection down the line.

 

So GLP, serious question, what do you think is the better route, work your way up the non-league system and try get a break by being spotted there? An honest question as I'm curious what viable options exist as surely players released by professional academies are flowing downwards into the lower leagues/non-league system as well making it harder to move up that same ladder?

 

Just wait, continue in grass roots and join 13/14. The churn of players and the amount of 8 year olds being signed up by academies only to be spat out for a variety of reasons, is ridiculous. If they are good enough - they'll still be good enough as they enter their teens. But they'll be a bit more rounded have a bit more experience and ability to cope with success or failure.

 

Excellent post.

 

Cheers - I said the exact same thing to an academy scout that was at one of our games.

 

Not as miffed as someone I knew who was told he was very skillful but too small by Bobby Collins at Leeds back in tbe 1960s. Bobby Collins FFS!

 

When Curtis Woorhouse was 12 and 13 he had scouts from all over offering him trials. 5'8 Kevvin Keegan said he was too small.
I remember someone involved in local football telling me about doing his coaching badges at Lilleshall when John Barnes was having his rehabilitation there after a bad injury. Barnes was watching the young players there and remarked on how tall they all were and asked if there weren't any good small ones about. He was told that if they were small they wouldn't get in. Barnes remarked that would have been tough **** for Maradona then and walked off shaking his head. That was back jn the days when Charles Hughes (a name to send a shudder down the spine of lovers of the beautiful game) and his theories held sway and set football development back years.

 

He's a horrible little bastard.

 

Agreed. Diving little twat. Skillful mind.

 

I fully agree with you, I'm secretary of my Grandsons club, and you see players who at say 10 don't look anything special, but they grow and improve beyond recognition. Players and people develop at different pace, so let them develop naturally and when they are 14/15 that is the time to see whether they can make the grade or not.

 

I spoke to a City scout at the Weekend who said they are now taking them into the academy at 6!! 6!! Ridiculous I gave him a piece of my mind as well.