Had an interesting chat with a former employee of the Club recently, quite a high profile one at that. Now this is what I have been told, so dont have a go at me, but I found it quite worrying as a fan of Leeds. It concerns the Clubs Academy: To qualify for Academy status from the FA there are certain criteria that has to be met to receive Academy funding from the Football Association (which is about £1.8m). If this criteria is not met, the funding stops & the Club loses Academy status, as simple as that. Now due to Mr Cellino getting rid of numerous coaches (such as Richard Naylor for example amongst others), the Club currently does NOT meet the F.A's criteria for funding or Academy status.(Ithink there has to be about 2 coaches per age group) Premier League clubs are already starting to circle like vultures ready to pick off our best young talent, which would be a disaster for our Club. After initial reservations about Cellino, I have come to thinking he is a breath of fresh air after the dark days of Bates & GFH. Having found this out, I am having serious doubts (yet again) about the future of our Club. As my contact bluntly put it... "the Club is about to implode yet again" and these sources arent bitter ex-employees, they are true Leeds fans. I hope for my sanity this does not happen, we have been a pantomime Club for too many years. Does anyone else have doubts about Cellinos methods? He has promised to re-purchase Elland Road & I think the day of reckoning on that front is fast approaching. Do people think he will actually keep his word? Is buying Elland Road more important than retaining the Academy? Thoughts please gents.........
Unless you name your source many like me will just see your post as the whining of one of"the legends" who were in my opinion leeching off the club. We couldn't afford to pay them any more and the cuts had to be made. In fact I would go further and suggest your source is Dom Matteo LIVERPOOL LEGEND or they are just recycling his bitter rants.
So according to yours source, the club would lose 1.8 m funding. That doesn't mean wed lose the academy, just the status. Cellino has said how important the young players are. Its not like it'll be closed down, just likely to be run more efficiently than before. And whats new about big clubs circling to try poach our young lads. Thats ten years going on and will do as long as were not in the pl. Ive said from the day Cellino arrived, Id judge him on his actions and how the team progressed or not. At this point in time, he's doing fine. Doubt if many of his ex employees are likely to be found singing his praises though
I would suggest that MC knows exactly what hes doing so lets leave it at that I am delighted with what he has achieved so far
At Watford we decided to downgrade from category 1 to 3 (http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/9873025.Watford_Academy_to_downgrade_to_Category_3/) Our owners felt the funding you have to pay in to be a Category 1 (about £2m) really wasn't worth the money you'd get back. The differences in compensation is pretty negligible considering what you have to pay out (http://clients.squareeye.net/uploads/sd/The_Elite_Player_Performance_Plan.pdf) and doesn't really stop the big teams poaching your players - if anything, being a lower level takes these players out of the 'shop window' as you don't have to play all the top teams, but arrange friendlies against other lower-category teams. It may be seen as a cost-cutting exercise by some... but the EPPP is Premiership-driven so they can poach all the youngsters with potential, flood their own academies, and not having to pay too much to do it - no matter which category your academy is in! The hope is that the youngsters have a good head on them, and good advisors around them, to know where is best for their development!
GQUOTE=SalisburyKev;7180600]At Watford we decided to downgrade from category 1 to 3 (http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/9873025.Watford_Academy_to_downgrade_to_Category_3/) Our owners felt the funding you have to pay in to be a Category 1 (about £2m) really wasn't worth the money you'd get back. The differences in compensation is pretty negligible considering what you have to pay out (http://clients.squareeye.net/uploads/sd/The_Elite_Player_Performance_Plan.pdf) and doesn't really stop the big teams poaching your players - if anything, being a lower level takes these players out of the 'shop window' as you don't have to play all the top teams, but arrange friendlies against other lower-category teams. It may be seen as a cost-cutting exercise by some... but the EPPP is Premiership-driven so they can poach all the youngsters with potential, flood their own academies, and not having to pay too much to do it - no matter which category your academy is in! The hope is that the youngsters have a good head on them, and good advisors around them, to know where is best for their development![/QUOTE] Good points well made. Can you have a word with your fellow Warford supporters and tell them to sort out their difference with the supermods. Minxy and BRB are currently giving up supermodding as aresult of the actions of some of your fellow fans (and a few makems). With no supermods the place will go to the dogs in a short time. I am no particular friend of the mods but they volunteer to run the boards and they should have to put up with some stuff thrown their way. Cheers.
Good points well made. Can you have a word with your fellow Warford supporters and tell them to sort out their difference with the supermods. Minxy and BRB are currently giving up supermodding as aresult of the actions of some of your fellow fans (and a few makems). With no supermods the place will go to the dogs in a short time. I am no particular friend of the mods but they volunteer to run the boards and they should have to put up with some stuff thrown their way. Cheers.[/QUOTE] If the mods were doing their job properly, you'd have been banned years ago........ morning by the way...
If the mods were doing their job properly, you'd have been banned years ago........ morning by the way...[/QUOTE] If you weren't picking on me you would be picking on someone who can't deal with you! They know that by keeping me here you won't get banned. I posted a chewn for you yesterday.
If you weren't picking on me you would be picking on someone who can't deal with you! They know that by keeping me here you won't get banned. I posted a chewn for you yesterday.[/QUOTE] That's slander Glory, I've never picked on anyone ........ and up until recently I never ventured outside the Leeds United board. I won't be viewing the tune because you're only trying to wind me up...
That's slander Glory, I've never picked on anyone ........ and up until recently I never ventured outside the Leeds United board. I won't be viewing the tune because you're only trying to wind me up...[/QUOTE] its very funny, not seen it before and you will agree with the most of it especially the last line. Not winding you up, taking the Mick (pun intended). BTW for it to be slander it would have to be untrue.
its very funny, not seen it before and you will agree with the most of it especially the last line. Not winding you up, taking the Mick (pun intended). BTW for it to be slander it would have to be untrue.[/QUOTE] Which is why it is slander because you know it's not in my nature to pick on people, I will react though if I feel being picked on........anyway I'll humour you and look at the video...by the way I loved those Leprechaun films, they were crap but I enjoyed them..
I missed the apology, where yet again youwrongly thought I was winding you up. #Insert smiley or other suitable item
The source of my information wasn't sacked by Cellino, he isnt a bitter ex-employee of Cellino. He left before Cellino's reign began. And like I previously stated, he is Leeds thru & thru. I am sure Shaks will vouch for my integrity. Does anyone think he will buy back Elland Road? Originally he was going to buy it cash, now he is going to use the McContract money. I have no beef with Cellino & what he has done so far, infact I have been pleased with the style of footy we are playng at the moment, but i feel there is more than meets the eye with the situation. Look at GFH, people were so blinkered with them because it meant the end of Capt. Birdseye. I am not a doom monger, but I dont view the world thru rose tinted specs either. As i said in my original post "I hope I am wrong" MOT
I met BYL at the Sheff W match the same game I met Glory and I can say he was a genuine supporter and a nice bloke. I doubt BYL would bullshit. I hope to meet up again and introduce him to Glory ............
Ive spent near on a decade reading tons of stuff that was going on behind the scenes to the point I almost lost track of the reason I supported Leeds at all in the first place. Thankfully the on field stuff is improving at last. Its not that I dont care whats happening behind the scenes but at my age, I want to get back to the football. Ive no say or control over what Cellino or GFH does or did with the club anyway
As far as I understand the new academy system that the FA have put in place it doesn't work like that anymore. Basically the club's with the best academy categories get free reign over everyone else to easily take youngster's on the cheap. That's why I thought there was the huge uproar from FL clubs when the system was brought into place. I'm probably wrong but like FFP there is a lot of confusion on the subject particularly from fans not in the know (like myself).
