Cubs Seek New Lair

Interesting piece from Chris Pinder on the academy situation...

With the recent loss of Harry Cardwell to Reading, an increased interest in the youth system and facilities at the club has arisen, but not a lot of positive views are to be found.

The introduction of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) has seen a lot of changes to youth football up and down the country, with classifications of academies now having a bearing not only on the level of coaching given, but the final fee clubs will receive for outgoing players. The fees clubs receive for players has been one of the biggest talking points in regards to the EPPP since it’s launch. Players moving between Category 1 clubs, only carry an initial fee of £209k, whereas the Tigers only received £75k for Cardwell due to the club being Category 3.

Although there are clearly certain issues still to be worked out with the EPPP, there is no doubting that the initial aim of the plan has the correct goals at heart. Several changes have been made to attempt to improve youth aspects at clubs such as training facilities, productivity rates and education. One of the biggest changes to be implemented was the abolition of the ’90 minute rule’, which stated that all clubs could only sign players under the age of 18, if they lived within 90 minutes of the training facility. The different category requirements have also been made such that any club wanting to be classified in the top bracket must put a concerted effort into their youth system, something which is currently being questioned around the KC Stadium.

With Hull currently classified as Category 3, we cannot coach any youngsters until the age of 11, whereas Category 2 clubs are allowed to take on players from the age of 4 (although not allowed to sign them until 9), giving the youngsters plenty of time around the club and coaches by the time they come to play in the competitive youth matches connected to the club. The step up to Category 2 would require an indoor training facility to be built, along with an increase of youth budget from £315k, to £969k. Some, including myself, would see this as a necessary step to ensure a steady flow of talented youngsters coming through the club.

The clubs that find themselves in Category 1 have to ensure a high level of coaching for all of their youngsters. A budget of over £2million is required, as well as a full time staffing level of at least 18 dedicated to the youth. This is all to ensure that each player is receiving enough contact time (set out at least 5 hours a week) to improve their game, whilst also seeing no drop in their education or welfare levels. With such a big commitment to youth players, it’s clear to see why there have been well documented issues with transfer fees. Both Aston Villa and West Brom have been very vocal in recent times over losing, and potentially losing, some of the best products for such a small amount.

Villa recently lost one of their brightest prospects, fifteen year old Dan Crowley, to Arsenal for the pre-arranged figure. Angered by the new rules, they’ve lodged a complaint to the Premier League, stating that due to Crowley having played for their Under 18 side, he should be classed as a 17 year old, and therefore his fee be decided by a tribunal. In a similar situation, West Brom have allowed starlet Izzy Brown to train with Chelsea, in an on-going transfer saga that saw West Brom reportedly reject a bid from Chelsea yesterday. Some clubs, such as Yeovil and Wycombe have even gone as far as to close down their academies due to the prospect of having youngsters poached. Any changes to the EPPP would require 14 Premier League clubs to vote. That means every club outside of the main clubs would all have to vote, expecting that the powerhouses of the league will be happy being able to fill their youth squads for small amounts.

You may be sat there thinking – “If we’re going to lose our best prospects for pittance, what is the point?” Well the point is improving our own facilities to give not only the club, but the youngsters at the club the best chance in future years. The Allam’s have been quoted as saying that any investment in the youth facilities won’t come until a firm foot has been planted in the Premier League, a 2 year stay until they will consider plans. But even this seems like too long, to try and solve a problem that has hampered the club for years. For a Premier League club to have a Category 3 academy is disappointing and sets us a long way behind not only other Premier League clubs, but also clubs in the Championship.

Currently situated at the Ideal Standard Centre of Excellence, the youth team would heavily benefit from improved facilities, both on and off the pitch. The site hasn’t had any improvements made to it since it’s refurbishment in 2006. There is no doubting the work that Billy Russell, Neil Mann and the rest of the coaching staff do, but an increase in their budget and coaching levels would give a clear path for players to follow to the first team. In recent years we’ve seen just 10 players given a chance in and around the senior squad, of which only 4 still remain with the club. Last year saw the inclusion of Joe Cracknell, Conor Townsend and Dougie Wilson on the bench for multiple matches, with the latter making his debut from the bench against Leyton Orient in the Cup.

The other member of the remaining quartet is a man who sprung into the limelight the last time the Tigers graced the Premier League, Tom Cairney. However, since breaking into the first team in the second half of our doomed PL season, recent injuries have seen the 22 year olds progress stall and doesn’t look like fulfilling the potential many fans felt he had a couple of years ago. Cairney has been one of several City academy products to go on to represent their country at youth levels. The highest profile of those is current Developmental left back Max Clark, who has made 3 appearances for England’s Under 17 squad. We’ve also seen national appearances for Alex Penny, Daniel James, Paul McElroy, Dougie Wilson and Eoghan McCawl.

One way many clubs seek new players is from their local boy’s league, and Hull are no different. The Hull Boys Sunday Football League (HBSFL) has produced several of the club’s past and present youth players, including Max Clark, recently departed Cardwell, and son of former Hull player and manager Nick Barmby, Jack Barmby who was signed by Manchester United – all of whom played for the HBSFL’s representative sides. The representative teams play games against City’s own youth team, as well as youth sides and representative sides from nearby Doncaster, Grimsby and York. The games provide a test for the youngsters against opposition they may know and have grown up playing against, and while you’d expect the professional club’s youngsters to dominate matches, results from recent times suggest this isn’t the case. Many would see these games as an opportunity for the youngsters to put themselves in the shop window for professional clubs, but due to this, several managers around the league are reluctant to let their players join up with the representative sides.

I can understand the frustration manager’s must feel at losing their best players to professional clubs, however, this will always be the goal of a young player. The dream of every youngster starting out kicking a ball, is to make it professionally for their supported club. Obviously, players can still be scouted during normal league matches, but by denying them the chance at playing on a stage against professional youth teams, they are shutting one door for those youngsters.

Now that we’re in the Premier League, it may now seem tougher for any of the youth players to break through into the first team. However, the hope is that Steve Bruce will be able to utilise some of the talent in the early cup rounds, and possibly allow them to use that as a stepping stone to greater things. With players such as Jonathan Margetts impressing with his goals last year and earning himself a new contract, fans must have hopes to see him push on towards the first team squad whether it be the bench, or starts in the Cup this year. Although clearly in a stronger position to do so than ourselves, Chelsea have shown that you can still integrate youth talent into the first team with Nathan Aké making his debut last year, along with Jamal Blackman, George Saville and Andreas Christenson making the bench.

With a lot of hopes for the current batch of youngsters and coming off the back of a strong showing in the FA Youth Cup last year, this season will be a vital year for the young players’ progression. After the club’s promotion to the Premier League, and an increased focus on the national sides disappointing showings in recent tournaments, at all levels, now seems the perfect time for the Allam’s to show a determination to produce higher quality youth players, and that must start with solid investment. We’ve seen empty promises like those made by former chairman Paul Duffen the last time we made it to the promised land, we now need positive actions.

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