Steve Lansdown (owner) and Steve Cotterill (manager) are doing a Q&A tonight. One thing I have seen pop up via Bristol City's official Twitter is... Q: What is your view on Southampton's Academy stealing the Bath patch? SL: I think it's a Prem club doing what they want and I don't like it. They are cheating but what can we do about it? SC: If we want a 16-year-old kid you hope will be the next big thing, do you pay 250k to buy his parents a house? That's what goes on. Thoughts on this...? DTLW
I believe we have special dispensation due to half our catchment area being in the sea. Shame for Bristol it's near them, but they're lucky it's only us and they're not located in the north west or London with most of the other clubs!
Curious what player they're suggesting this happened with. Best I'm aware, the only currently player with a scholarship/professional contract that originated in the Bath Academy is Dan Demkiv, and I doubt that we bought any houses for his parents. If it's Bale, he joined on scholarship in 2005, but was training at the satellite academy from the age of 9 or 10, IIRC.
Think they should worry about playing in League 2 next season. I understand we were allowed the Bath satellite academy because half our catchment area is in the sea. I'm sure our presence in the area does not stop them going for the same players. Just as well we were there or Gareth Bale might be working down a mine now
As we all know, Bristol owns Bath. Everything that comes out of Bath is immediately under the ownership of Bristol.
Jake Sinclair came from there didn't he? Probably a few others. We seem to get most of our youth players from Plymouth these days
Actually, I think they have a valid point. This will never happen, because life isn't like that, but it would be good if local clubs didn't have lads plucked from under their noses by bigger clubs. For me, a lad in bath should fall under either Bristol or Swindon at a push. There is an argument that facilities and coaching will be better at bigger clubs or 'better' academies, but smaller clubs won't invest in these facilities if they know the bigger club will take the cream. I think it is in Germany where they all have to filter up within a region (not 100% on this though).
I'm actually somewhat on Bristol's side, but it's a little harsh to call it cheating. I think the EPPP is crap, and pretty much does allow the big clubs to snatch up all the young players. OTOH, if it weren't us it would be Man City or Man U. They are never going to hang on to their best talent. We at least can make an honest argument that the kids who we "kidnap" really do get the best training and schooling at our academy compared to other clubs. And Cotterill is just talking out of his ass. Did we buy Gareth Bale a house?
Apparently we might have to close it soon anyway since with the EPPP the 90-minute catchment areas don't apply anymore.
What about having a stop and think Tom. The current system is balanced in favour of the premier League clubs with decent academies; they have decent academies because they can afford to and the smaller clubs can't. One way for them to address that is to bring local youngsters through and sell them for decent money; they can't do that because the bigger clubs take them from their regions. It is tough and within the rules, but I feel it is unbalanced.
He called us cheats. We're not cheating, we're just exploiting the rules. If he wants to moan at someone, moan at the FA. Then I won't call him a twat.
