The Academy - why?

[percyvarco 0]

What is the point of chucking cash at an academy set up when our present management has no intention of using any of them?

I have heard all the old arguments regarding "if we make a million pound player then its worthwhile". But to make these players we need to bring them on through the first team. Worthy won''t or cannot nurture youth. We lost a man who could in Boothroyd.

[0peteddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

Percy are you psychic or something I thought this whilst going for a run an hour ago.

I have heard cost of Academy £1m per year, who has it produced last 4 years young Shackell, surely could have bought a replacement for the £4m cost.  Worthy does not believe in the development of young players or the development of the older players.  Unless young players make your first team noone will pay £m''s for any of our youngsters and Worthy will give them away e.g. Danny Crow.  Ryan Jarvis will go the same way.

[Citizen Journalist Foghorn 0]

the guy on radio norfolk had it right the other day, Worthy does NOT use youth (very much)

[gazzathegreat 0]

Percyvarco

I support the Academy completely, and will be financially next season (through sponsorship).  I completely agree with everything FONCY and the youth team set up are doing, not in the way you mention, ie to produce a player we can sell for millions, but for the chance it gives younsters in our area and beyond to play for our club and to nuture young talent.  I think, especially after seeing what''s happened this season and last, that we, as a club, should concentrate more in this direction. 

It seems we have moved away from our tradition of bringing on young players (remember the times of Fox, Bellamy, Green, Eadie, Sutton etc).... How we need to bring on talent like that now.  Yes, given the new constraints all academies now have to work under, it will be harder, but with a more enlightened management team on board (as will happen eventually, hopefully next season), I think we can progress. 

Look at Ipswich yesterday.  If they can do it, so can we.  We must, as a club remembder our footballing traditions and encourage that throughout the club.  We have an able ally in David Williams and Ricky Martin also who work with the academy now.    Time to get the youngsters back and carry on being a footballing club and give up with the current first team quick fix loanee and journeymen mentality. 

[0peteddMMyyyy0Falseen-USTrue 0]

If they can do it, so can we, obviously Boothroyd didn''t think so.  But we need to get back to producing the talents of yesteryear and providing the coaching, tactics and opportunities they require to flourish.

[gazzathegreat 0]

I think that Boothroyd could see that Worthington was not going to use his youth players, however, Worthington is unlikely to be around for much longer, and you never know, Boothroyd maybe returning.... Just a thought.  I see no reason not to think long term in the case of the Academy. 

[percyvarco 0]

gazza,

As a vechile to give youngsters in the area an opportunity I agree, but don''t NCFC have that with FITC and the Player Development Centre (PDC) that they run now. Both of these are financially lucrative in their own right.

If Worthy is not goiung to use the boys who progress past FITC or PDC then why fund the expensive next stage?

The club could reach more children by expanding the FITC and PDC which are self financing.

Gazza, don''t get me wrong, Academies can work but only if the manager is prepared to use the product, which ours isn''t. so therefore what return are we getting?

[gazzathegreat 0]

Percy

I maybe wrong, but hopefully not, I think the academy is going to produce some great players in the future, have seen some great individual performances in the reserves and youth games the past few years.  Yes, we currently have a manager who can''t see the talent, or is too stubborn to be told that he might be wrong shipping in mercenary loanees or wrecked journeymen.....  However we all know Worthington is not forever... the academy will still be here, like our great football club, long after Worthington is just a distant memory.  I hold onto that thought Percy, almost every day now, I can tell you.  As I stated in another post, I will be sponsoring the academy next year (advertising for my business too, so I will get something out of it!), and be watching them, in preference to the first team should Nigel still be here. 

I understand the frustration yourself and others are feeling, and I suspect some of the trainees feel it too, especially after Sunday, but we can''t not fund our future players just because we have a manager, (who isn''t forever) immune to their talents.  Our club is.  That is the reason I will carry on supporting the work of the academy. 

[percyvarco 0]

Fair play to you Gazza, I hope that our next Manager uses your cash wisely

[Sing up the river end 0]

The only problem is we can no longer scout the entire country for

players and have to scout in our area alone.Not to many big names

spring to mind over the 37 years i have been following Norwich.Gone are

the days we can go to Wales and get the likes of Bellers :(

[Sing up the river end 0]

oops should of been 27 years i aint that old just yet :)

[gazban 0]

I agree we need the Academy, but will it continue to survive as it is? Worthy is wasting our millions on crap and once the parachute payment stops I doubt we will be able to continue to afford £1m a year to support it. We''re trying to raise £250000 for a tatics centre Is it for Worthy or the Academy?

[apprentice 0]

Most of the Academy payments come from the FA if Norwich are spending a million on it a year I would like to see the accounts of where it is going, they run on the minimum payments to scholars and minimum amount of scholars hence the boys playing twice a week and even travel expenses and trips abroad are funded largely by FONCY.  Im sure the coaches in the younger age groups aren''t paid the earth as they are only part time positions  I know they do kit the boys out well with tracksuits training kit etc, but even so 1k a year seems awfully excessive to me.[*-)].