All I have been reading about lately is headlines and articles about our 'Academy Players', ' Pathway to the first Team',' Premier League Interest'. What a turn around from recent years when we have had over paid ' Big Named' players with bloated reputations, 'High Fees' Big Heads' and below par performances compounding into over spend by Bristol City and leading us into huge debt. How refreshing and different is most of the news we read about our club now,' Better first team performances', 'New Stadium', New Training Facilities', ' Academy Successes', leading to incease in support, more involement in community activity, reduction in debt, although still high and critical, everything seems to be travelling in the right direction, there is no doubt the quality and reputation of our club has greatly improved. We are not there yet on or off the pitch but we are well on the way and I am confident things will continue to improve. Here are a few of links to recent articles about our club. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport...istol-city-academy-players-attracting-1387427 https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport.../theres-premier-league-interest-bobby-1386947 https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport.../steve-lansdown-bristol-city-finances-1371461
There are few guarantees in football, but having a good setup and facilities improve your chances of success. City aren't going to achieve success from outspending other teams, so I'm all for trying to achieve it by being savvy - I'll be very interested to see if Wolves' new owners bring genuine, long-term success, or whether in a few years time they're another QPR... In the past it seemed as though our academy wasn't really producing players good enough to genuinely threaten the 1st team (I'm thinking the likes of Kevin Amankwah and Tristan Plummer as false dawns), but now with successes like Joe Bryan and Bobby Reid, with Lloyd Kelly looking excellent also, with a handful more not far off (Vyner, Hinds, Morrell, Bakinson...) I think it's something to be proud of.
An academy will only be as good as its intent. Under Danny Wilson and John Laycock the academy became an intrinsic part of the FC. That focus was abandoned. And home grown players in the XI dwindled. This regression coincided with BCFC going along a path of buying players in and increasing debt via spending wildly past income. Mr Lansdown is seemingly now committed to a path of producing players and a semi sustainable financial path. If that is the intent the academy will produce players for the XI. Personally I would like to see even more focus on the academy and BCFC moving towards a regional set up of development centres and coaching hubs feeding into the academy.
Money may buy you lot's of good things but you can thrive and survive on a lot less if you use your smarts rather than your pocket book. I have often wondered what might happen to us if we went up and spent crazily to survive in a bigger pond and the answers I get boggle the mind. If you look at some of the clubs that have gone down that road and failed, leading us to believe that the Premiership was a bridge too far for clubs like us, and yet you only have to look at the success that some other teams have attained it makes me think that perhaps finally we are treading the right path. Has the time finally arrived when it will not be all about the signings, and the huge amounts of money you have spent, that bring success but rather the slow and steady building of an organisation that supports itself financially and by bringing in youth to sustain the future? Isn't there some guy hanging around Bristol who has always had that business model and some like me berated him for his beliefs? Ah well humble pie doesn't taste that good but I'm starting to stomach it on my new diet. My wife has always wanted to hear these words from me - you're right! (Steve).
Mr Lansdown has only for a short term started putting his wealth into the academy. It may be a case of well done Steve this has to be better than spending money on the likes of David used to play for England in goal. Hopefully he does stick to it, the proposed new facilities look like a long term commitment. It also requires commitment applied to the long term from the man in charge of the XI. The philosophy between academy, U teams and XI should be joined up. Watching some of these teams they are attempting to play in a obvious passing style ... The first team style is not so obvious of late.
It was Gary Johnson who got rid of the previous academy. Like he done at Yeovil now he’s at Cheltenham he seems to be using our academy.
Recent report of Bristol City expanding academy link into South Wales.~ Bristol City Academy secure link with development programme run by former Robins players The soccer school was founded by two former Bristol City youth players Bristol City Academy have secured a link with Parry & Jones Soccer School (PJSS), which has been set up by former professional footballers Paul Parry and Darren Jones. The development programme is aiming to find the new generation of talent in South Wales. Both Parry and Jones started out their youth careers with Bristol City, with Parry winning 12 caps for Wales. The pair got to know each other at Shrewsbury Town and set up PJSS in October and have recruited around 100 children already. Parry told the South Wales Argus : “Obviously Bristol City have seen the benefit of what we’re doing and I think they’ve wanted somewhere over here for some time. “They’ve been waiting for the right people to take it and they found out about us. “We jumped at it because it will be good for us and for the coaches to go over there and learn from their coaches and see how they do things in their academy. “Our end goal is to send people over to them and for them to come and take people from us because we are a development centre.” Parry and Jones are in the process of financing the conversion of a warehouse in Newport into a new indoor sports centre with two 3G pitches, as well as a café and conference rooms. With the use of these new facilities, the pair are looking to bridge the gap between grassroots and academy football. Jones explained: “We went over to the Bristol City academy to watch them train and the standard is frightening. “For grassroots players to get anywhere near that there needs to be somewhere in the middle. “It’s a pathway and if we can them up towards that standard then the academy is more likely to take children from us than from a grassroots club.” Jones, who is currently manager of Welsh League Club Chepstow Town, was keen to point out the good relationship the pair have with Newport County. Jones said: “I’m still close to (County operational chairman) Gavin Foxall, who has helped us a lot with planning, but nothing was there for us and Bristol contacted us.” The tie-up with PJSS stands the Bristol City Academy in good stead, with Parry adding that their loyalties now lie with City, and that they will recommend their best players to The Robins. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/bristol-city-academy-secure-link-1265293
Forget all this foreign money nonsense and let's go back to our grassroots because that's where we all started without expecting an Aston Martin in the driveway. Good stuff in my books and let's hope we see some longer term improvement and success.
Yep! That's me all over but eventually I wake up and smell the roses. I am so glad this board still has people who love to read the archives and then go at others for their comments. Keep up the good work ROD.
Probably best to bench him for this one. He's had two games for England recently and I thought he tired quite visibly in the Burton game. Impressed with him though, one for the near future, especially if Bryan goes in the summer!
