Surely we would be better off closing it down. Why? Because it has never produced an end product that is of a quality that is required in the championship / premier league. Let other teams school players through academies and then take them when they are close to first team standard. I don't think our coaches at academy level are good enough end of. Let the premier league / established championship teams do it for us. Get the best technical young players from overseas when they are at a level that we require. Concentrate on getting the best overseas scouting network that is possible.
Probably because when we achieved cat b status 2 years ago would only make a majority of the ones to fully benefit from it about 14 now. But hey if they ain't breaking in the team yet it's obviously not working after all some 14 year olds clean chimneys
What a belter. Surely we would be better off closing it down. Why? Because the money it would save could be put towards signing? Not a lot and money used to fund academies is exempt under ffp so it makes bugger all difference to the transfer kitty. Nada zilch. Let other teams school players through academies and then take them when they are close to first team standard. And they wont cost buttons. Let the premier league / established championship teams do it for us ... And then pay them millions to buy the players. Get the best technical young players from overseas when they are at a level that we require.?? What costing millions?
What ever you have a mind to say if it fails to produce an end product of the quality required, it isnt worth it. Lets just see what it produces over the next few seasons before you tell me I am wrong. Kodjia cost 2million pound and I am sure there are players in europe that could be picked up for far less money with equal ability. Wake up, average championship players cost millions, so if you had to shell out 1 million plus for a talented overseas youngster big deal. We are in the championship and will have to spend millions to stay up this year. Answer this one, if academies are so fantastic why is the premier league full of foreigners the majority of which are signed from overseas clubs. All I am saying is it can only be judged on its end product and that is to produce players good enough for the championship /premier league.
Answer this one, if academies are so fantastic why is the premier league full of foreigners the majority of which are signed from overseas clubs. Easy. TV money. Clubs can spend hundreds of millions on players and still run Cat 1 academies in the hope of finding the next Bale. Your point about average championship players costing millions, is a good reason to invest money in the academy. City can still look oversees and run the academy. Do you know what the annual cost of running City's academy is? it is hardly a drain on resources. What you are suggesting is perverse an XI and club that aspires to have NO local players, and has a structure that will not develop any runs against the nature of what a football club is and what Mr Lansdown intends it to be. Perhaps the club name should be changed to represent whoever you can find to fund it all?
If their cat 1 academies were that good they would'nt need to spend millions overseas, tv money or not. Cat 1/2 academies measure a process of development it does not measure the quality of players who go into it and the quality that comes out of it. As sad as it is most teams do not promote players through their academies and any with any real talent are picked off by the premier league clubs. I understand the academy costs 1 million a year to run. While we would all like a team of locals in it the reality is that most clubs do not have locals in them. I do not advocate scrapping the under 21 team but the players must be able to make the step into the first team. BCFC is a business that has to generate money and lives or dies based on the success of its first team, sadly not the club we all remember as kids. This debate is going on otib at moment.
If their cat 1 academies were that good they would'nt need to spend millions overseas ...Strange view. The most successful academy in the UK at Southampton has generated seventy million plus to buy new players as well. Its a circle that sustains the club and prevents it carrying the debt past its income BCFC has suffered from. Lots of teams in the top level promote players through their academies. Liverpool, Palace, Man Utd, Southampton, Spurs, Swansea spring instantly to mind.. City's academy cost circa 800k to run annually. A cost that is exempt under FFP, it is not a drain in transfer resources. While we would all like a team of locals in it the reality is that most clubs do not have locals in them ... Can you evidence base this? The examples being used here do, and that caries on throughout the leagues. I do not advocate scrapping the under 21 team ... You may as well do because in an instant you are creating an environment where young talent will lok elsewhere. BCFC is a business that has to generate money and lives or dies based on the success of its first team ... BCFC is a football club. If it ran solely as business it would not generate the losses it does, and require frequent restructuring of debts via Steve Lansdown and associated companies. Academies can be used to create more sustainable business models x transfer dealings x other variables such as sponsorship x non match day revenue - Think Bristol Sport. and lives or dies based on the success of its first team ... The next annual accounts will show another loss in the millions v a successful XI. See above. Winning does not pay all the bills anymore, not even close.
