QPR Academy

Someone please help, I know there are hundreds of requests to our club asking for trials for their sons etc.
I watched a teenager today 16 years old.
This kid can play on any wing or up front, his speed is phenomenal, and he scores for fun against players 3 and 4 years older than himself.
I wont give too much detail at this time but I watched him playing for a team that are trying to poach him and he was running rings around them in a training session.
He has said that he will stay where he is for now as his present club have offered him a Scholarship and the opposition in this training session didn't come anywhere near his ability.
I need a contact for someone from the academy who will just go and see this kid play.
Watford invited him in when he was 13 for trials but didnt pursue because he wasn't greedy enough with the ball, go figure that one.
This kid will go far and his father and Uncle have asked me to try to get him a trial.
He will be better than Taraabt in my opinion.

 

Mmm................I must have seen at least a dozen 16 year olds who fitted this description in the Allied Counties League. Some were on semi-pro club books,whilst others were at academies, but to get the attention of a professional club is another thing all together.
It's very difficult to predict that he'd be a professional, let alone as good as Taarabt.

 

I think if he was really that good he'd be at one of the Top Six academies, their tentacles permeate every level and they rarely miss a trick. They can be signed up from 9 years old and once they're in that system the top clubs quite simply poach all the best ones before they even become teenagers, the 'incentives' offered to parents are mind-boggling.

I recently had a job picking up a couple of 17 year olds from Stamford Bridge taking them home to Harrow and they were chatting about their agents and how much they were getting from kit deals and they were trying to arrange loan deals at Forest Green and Yeovil. These are players who are nowhere near the first team there talking about kit deals that are paying probably twice as much as the players at Forest Green and Yeovil earn per week. The Premier League is quite simply drowning in money whilst everyone else scrapes the barrel...

 

Loveitupthebush..................................................Out of interest, what level is the lad playing at now? Which team was it?

 

Very true I'd be surprised if not been scouted. Even when I was playing 30 odd years ago we had someone join Chelsea's academy but dropped by 17 & another offered a trial at Spurs having been scouted.

 

Thanks for your input, as pointless as it was. I am astounded that you can make such remarks having not seen the kid play. I have watched thousands of hours of football and played a bit I think my opinions carry some weight.

I mentioned Taraabt because people have remarked on the similaritys including build apart from being 3 stone overweight.

My knowledge also enabled me to tell my son to forget about football and study at school as he aint good enough so you see I have no illusions of what it takes.

 

He is playing for a team of Semi Pros who get paid for playing. Same league as Aldershot where he lives.

 

During the WWII period my Dad crossed paths with both Joe Mercer and Matt Busby. I recall in the early 1960's Dad re-established contact with Matt Busby and mentioned to him that I played on the primary school football team (right back and captain). Dad received a response on Man United letterhead informing him "if your boy is any good you know where to send him". Wish I still had that letter.

 

No need to get pissy.

I was only trying to introduce some realism. Look up how many youngsters make it into professional football, even when they've been at a club till the age of 20.

This lad is playing at a similar level to the one I have been watching with my lad. I have seen many outstanding youngsters being tipped for great things. I hope this lad makes it.

Perhaps you should email the club?
(Not sure Stroller will "like" this post)

 

Loveit...PM me your details - I've passed the link to this thread to a pal who is involved in the youth set-up at QPR and is fairly local to you (think he's based out Basingstoke way) - no promises it will come to anything....

 

As I get a mention, Col, I'll respond to that. When I saw this thread I was disappointed on Loveitupthebush's behalf that the responses were pretty dismissive and unhelpful. I wasn't going to say anything, but when I saw Loveit's reply to you I thought it warranted a 'like'. You are undoubtedly right that this lad's chances of signing pro are extremely slim, but it's worth a go isn't it? I tried to get a contact number or e-mail address for the academy or scouting department without success, so I assume Loveit had already tried that himself and was looking for some help. Seems Steelmonkey has come up with this now.

 

Good luck to you and this Kid, LiutB!

 

I'm not getting pissy I asked for a contact name to try and contact direct rater than a letter addressed to QPR Sth Africa Rd W12 attention of a scout.,
I did not ask for a lecture and realism on how hard it is for kids to break into football.

 

Good luck with this Loveit, thanks for the PM - details now passed on, and I've been assured that they will be put forward to the club - where it goes from there, who knows.....

 

Very good of you, thanks for your time.

 

I never said it wasn't worth a go.
Best you and I avoid much contact I suspect.

It wasn't meant as a lecture and if it came across that way then I apologise. I've seen a lot of this kind of thing over the years.

It's great that you're taking an interest and I hope the lad gets somewhere.

 

WTF???

 

We're nearly always at odds with other so It's probably best to avoid each other on here where possible.

???

 

****ing hell Col, all I did was 'like' someone elses's post. Don't be so ****ing precious.

 

Oh **** off.