http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2011/10/football_league_votes_in_favou.html#299200 So the youth system, development of players to build a clubs future is now nearly over. Should've let Paul Hart go to Forest, he will basically be doing a useless job soon, no need for the 5 year plan. This new youth system would've have seen us lose Jonjo & Jenkinson for less than a combined £300k roughly without any argument. You can't stop it. What's the point in raising the likes of Cousins & Poyet, England youth internationals if they can't benefit the club? The premiership can now spend less on their squad, take more risks against the football leagues wishes, whilst putting less into Football League clubs to try and develop themselves. The pre-cursor to the ridiculous closed premiership system that got banded around this week
Robbie has a point. We would have to get our best youngsters to sign pro forms as early as possible so that the vultures would have to pay our valuation. Good youngsters in the past have signed pro forms early...Paul Walsh, Paul Konchesky, Robert lee, Lee Bowyer....the list goes on
Excellent news-dumping from the PL last week. It's astounding that the Football League clubs agreed due to the threat to withhold the £5m payment. Considering the main bargaining tool the PL have is the ability to stop handing over money, and they seem to use it for every big decision, it's kinda strange that the FL haven't called their bluff yet.
But these players wouldn't have likely signed pro terms with us, they would've been poached out earlier, a sniff of talent before 17 = signed to a premiership club
