Academy set for Category Two audit

Next big step for the club's youth setup.


City’s Academy aims to take a crucial step in its development today, undergoing its Category Two audit.

The club aims to make their youth setup one of the most attractive in the South West – and it’s already integral to their longer-term plans.

Academy and youth development is one of the club’s five key pillars, along with recruitment, financial prudence, community and facilities.

While relegation to League One on the pitch is heartbreaking for everyone associated with City in the short-term, a sound youth policy will certainly help the club in its ambition to bounce back stronger.

And a move towards a more productive Academy system, which regularly provides players for the first team squad or to move on to aid a sustainable future, can only be helped by gaining Category Two status.

The likes of Ipswich Town and Premier League-bound Cardiff City have already secured Category Two status, but other clubs have missed out – and City’s interim Academy director Amy Kington is determined the club will succeed.

“This is a key time and now we’re hoping all the hard work will pay off,” Kington said.

“The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) covers all sorts of areas, including coaching, education, sports science and welfare.

“It also focuses on the identification and recruitment of young talent, which we see as a key area for Bristol City.

“Gaining Category Two status would give us the recognition we feel we deserve and also enhance our potential to attract talented young players for the future.

“The long-term aim has to be to provide a steady stream of players who can make the grade at first team level, and that’s where Category Two status is key.

“We’ve some really capable, talented and hard-working people who have put a lot of time and energy into our Category Two application. We’ve undergone some dummy audits, which have gone well, but now it’s the real thing.

“We’re confident we’ve done all we can to be successful.”

By achieving Category Two status, City would receive more central funding than those in Category Three or Four, and would also face better opposition in league matches at Under-21, 18 and 16 levels.

With the likes of Wes Burns, Bobby Reid and Joe Bryan emerging this season as first team squad members, it is hoped the Academy is already taking vast steps forwards in its aims.

It is unclear when the club will hear the result of its Category Two audit.


http://www.bcfc.co.uk/news/article/20130418-amkcat2-779345.aspx


Think we definitely need this as a club, Just for the lift alone. We need to build for the future, Reid, Bryan, Burns, Krans, Ajala I feel will all have a big part to play next season. It will be like 5 new signings. They won't get better until we play them.

 

Arguably this our most important fixture this week

 

I don't think either of those names mentioned are good enough to play at League 1, excluding Joe Bryan on a good day.

I think the reason we've played some youth players is because Lansdown wants the higher academy status, and to get this we would need to show that we're eating our own dog food, so to speak.

Gaining the new category statuses is actually quite hard, with some clubs applying for Category 1 or 2 and failing because the club does not meet the facility requirements, or because the coaching hours to players is too low. Given our current facilities I wouldn't be surprised if we missed out on category 2 status.

If I remember correctly, the status sticks for three years, so I really hope that Lansdown sticks to his word and that we can see the club move towards being a category 1 academy in three years time.

 

I think reid, Burns and Bryan will do well in league 1. We need this though as it will help us out so much in the future, How great would it be to be like Southampton, 30+ Million for 2 of there youngsters. (Walcott and The ox)

 

Based on what?

 

You are clearly not familiar with the phrase "I think" Now had I said, "I know they will do well" I would give you an answer. Its just my guess. I can only give you 1 player I know will do well and that's Bryan. Looks good in the championship, Apparently having a great time in league 2 so on this evidence he should be a good player in league 1.

 

One decent game in the championship, one horrendous one against wolves and is doing an adequate job at the bottom end of division 4..

Some fans get the illusion we can just put in a bunch of young players and still be competitive in league 1, which is complete arrogance. We need players like marv in that league, strong and physical not 18 year olds who are 5 ft 8..

 

He's had more than 1 good game, and doing more than an adequate job in league 1. Some fans like to pick bad points when there isn't any. How are these players supposed to get better when we don't play them. They have to start somewhere and you need to realise we wont be splashing the cash on players so we will be forced to give the young ones a chance.

 

League 2, considering your saying on the other thread that it's a shocking league (which it is) then it doesn't mean much. I'm not picking bad points I'm just being realistic. Seems our young'uns have one good game and they're blown out of proportion. I'm all for playing the youth in our last 3 pointless games but if we play them in league 1 we will get eaten alive. We're not pompey FFS we still have some money, and when we sell our prized assets we will have a bit of a budget to spend.

 

you're*

It seems i say i think these players will do well gets blown out of proportion like i said they will score 20 goals get us promoted etc.... Yes we have money but we wont be spending it on well known players. It will be young players from league 1/2. We will bring our youngsters in as the season progresses and let them get some confidence. I mean Reid is 21 as is Ajala, Bryan is 20. They are young but they are at the age now where they should be in and around the first team. They should be good enough to challenge our current players, Cunningham is 21 and is arguably our best defender/player. We WILL see a lot more of there players next season, Whether you like it or not.

 

Not saying we won't, I'd rather see our youngsters than Kilkenny, foster, fontine and pearson.

I'm just making a point I haven't seen these players enough to tell me they're good enough for league 1. Yes we need a different policy, young players who can improve but I rather get young league 1 players who have experience playing at that level.


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I haven't seen enough either but like I said they have to start some where. They might all come in to the team and be brilliant, They might all come in to the team and be terrible. We wont know until we play them.

 

It all sounds like positive stuff shiny but surely our academy is a future breeding ground and not designed to give us instant success next season. I know that's not exactly what you said and the growth and development of our academy should be running in conjunction, and in the background, of our league squad.

Next season we will need some seasoned veterans who know what life is all about, and possibly some of the younger players can be offered a place in the squad as and when they show the desire and ability to succeed at a higher level. We are going to have our work cut out next season and anyone who thinks it is going to be a walk in the park need to get their heads out of the sand right now. Trusting in SOD to get that job done is critical to our future and the academy could be an important part of that belief.

 

Teams like Doncastor and Peterbrough prove you don't need to be physical to progress up a division. O,Driscoll wants to create a team of players not runners.

 

Surprised we haven't been told if we have passed yet?

 

I'm sure Donny and p/boro had physical players in their team

 

Teams based on passing v brawn. Peterborough had players of Kilkenny,s size and still do.

 

This is one of the reasons bought into Bristol Ladies as they have the better facilities. It's not just about the grounds it's also to do with the facilities to school these youngsters, which is in Filton High. I was told this by one of the fathers of the Bristol Ladies youth team.
His boy also plays for Cardiff City boys team, so he has his hands full sorting his kids out with training etc.
Also one of the other reasons was he had to do this before Rovers got UWE as they would then have the march on us.

 

I have actually seen enough of our new breed to know that they play a completely different brand of game to the current first team.

They DO play quick, incisive and joined up football...., you may have noticed an indicator of this against Birmingham in the last few minutes, Wes quick burst down the right, looked up and found Toby who couldn't quite work the space to get his shot off...

 

Thought they played on the wise campus of filton college which is next door to abbeywood community school I think filton high is called now