Academy yes or no

[Scorpion]

http://www.torquayunited.com/news/artic ... 97195.aspx Interesting...

So parents will have to pay to get their chidren coached by Torquay United. Were they paying before? I'm not sure how these things work.

[numpte]

UP here in the shires parents have to pay. A couple of my team ( U10's ) attend the local pro clubs weekly training sessions and they pay £50 for a term.

If they carry on past the age group they continue to pay but have to travel further for the sessions.

All in the hope of living the dream!!!

Play to enjoy.

[Dave]

No, the parents would not have paid a training fee before, that's what the funding was there to cover, that would have been the same at all academies, some provide kits, and travel, others do not, depending and the size of the club and what they can afford to do, I believe our parents were paying for kits and travel.

[chunkygull]

I have read the new article on the OS and if I am seeing it correctly, we are still going to have some fashion of youth set up but they are looking to develop local youth more, more quality over quantity or the cream of the crop so to speak and eventually the best young lads from the area could step up and become part of something similar to the old fashioned apprenticeship set up, like it used to be, am I right?

So instead of an overblown, over-rated, over expensive, over-complicated academy system we are going to strip right back to basics and actually give the over-looked and ignored local talent a chance to shine and develop, whilst not spending a fortune. Looking at some comments from Deano I think it was and working out what this new set-up will be, does this mean the kids will play their normal local league football and play for their schools, getting actual match time and playing experience, to develop this way with a hope this will bring out the best in them and they get to have a high standard of coaching from TUFC as well without all the fuss and expense to the club.

I have got very annoyed at times when many on here have declared that we have to keep bringing in talent from outside the area, or that there is no talent around here, when our local lads never even get looked at much for years, yet surely there must be a few players every few years at least who can be taught, nurtured, developed and have the right attitude instilled. I know there have been some really good players down the years and normally the best ones or really good ones go out of the area to bigger clubs anyway, but surely there are a few left who are good enough to be given a chance. I have read on here a few times also that scouts from all the other regions clubs have been seen at games or tournaments to run the rule over the local talent but never TUFC, well that baffles me, so hopefully this new way will change that sort of attitude.

I was thinking the other day when rumours were rife of the academy closing down and I couldnt help but feel in all the years I have watched TUFC that the times we have had more fruition from the youth set ups, more of our own graduates in the first team and dare I say sold a few for a fee was when we had a more basic old fashioned apprentice set up. I know that was late 80's and 90's Bateson era so money was tight and we probably didnt have much choice but to play the youth but quite often it paid off.

If I have read things right I am really happy with this new development and really hope it pays off, I really think it could, but I am sure from other things I read on here, those in the know about youth football matters as such will probably shoot me down in flames but it would be great to see local talents getting a chance and then one day we could see a few lads from the area putting on the yellow and blue with real passion and together we could have a team to really be proud of. I know the team doesnt have to be local players to be proud of them, but it does always give it that little bit extra when a few of them are.

[stevegull]

I couldn't offically say it in this article... but I think this so-called 'watered down' youth system is an incredibly poor effort to try and retain some of the talented youth players in our youth system.

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Tor ... story.html

[Dave]

Steve it's the only way, no matter how poor. £250,000 would have be the actual cost to the club to retain a cat 3 status, £100,000 for a cat 4 set-up, if we want a competitive first team, how else ? who was going to fund it ?

[RussianGull]

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/T ... story.html

[dcorbs]

Spare a thought for the talented youngsters who were either going into their second year or just about to start their scholarship. They have been left high and dry by the club, as nearly all clubs already have their scholars sorted. These boys have been left with next to no chance of finding a club. It is disgraceful timing by the club who should have notified these lads earlier, and definitely should not of offered, scholarships in February. There were some very talented young lads who were dedicated to the club, yet they have now been dumped without a care, who is going to take responsibility for this? and where do you think all your players are going to come from, for £200 a week, its a joke and so is the club.

[Dave]

Sit down and behave dcorbs. It's great shame for the staff some I know, it's great shame for the players know a few of those as well, if you're that concerned about the U18's why haven't you rung the club offered to cover the £100,000 it cost to run the U18's on a cat 4 set-up.

Those who appear to have I.Q less than 2, who can not seem to figure out TUFC have new owners, the out going chairman should never have given assurances about the youth set-up, that is the fault of Bill Phillips. The club was never going to able to afford to keep it going regardless.

So enough is enough already, put up the money to run a youth set-up, or shut the fork up.

[Richinns]

Spare a thought for the talented youngsters who were either going into their second year or just about to start their scholarship. They have been left high and dry by the club, as nearly all clubs already have their scholars sorted. These boys have been left with next to no chance of finding a club. It is disgraceful timing by the club who should have notified these lads earlier, and definitely should not of offered, scholarships in February. There were some very talented young lads who were dedicated to the club, yet they have now been dumped without a care, who is going to take responsibility for this? and where do you think all your players are going to come from, for £200 a week, its a joke and so is the club.

Wild Bill Phillips should and you are right - the club was a joke under him.

I realise and sympathise with everything you are saying (apart from the club not caring as I am sure they care a great deal) but the truth of it is that there were only two options left when the consortium (eventually) took over which was fight on (and lose the youth scheme as the club cannot financially support it in it's current state) or fold the club. Both options would have had the same result for the youngsters I am afraid.

Promises made to you under the old regime, as well as openness and honesty about the state of the club, are entirely shameful but you cannot use this to beat the new consortium.

[Dave]

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/T ... story.html

This actually highlights the real problem. More clubs like TUFC will be relegated from the league and ultimately lose their funding and find themselves, in a position where by they can longer fund their youth set-up's, the problem is not a joke football closing it's youth set up, it's why does so little funding for youth academies filter down past League 2.

The F.A have got to find a way of getting more, ring-fenced funding down into the non-league so clubs like TUFC and others before us, and some still to come, will not have to close their youth set-ups to survive.

[tomogull]

Spare a thought for the talented youngsters who were either going into their second year or just about to start their scholarship. They have been left high and dry by the club, as nearly all clubs already have their scholars sorted. These boys have been left with next to no chance of finding a club. It is disgraceful timing by the club who should have notified these lads earlier, and definitely should not of offered, scholarships in February. There were some very talented young lads who were dedicated to the club, yet they have now been dumped without a care, who is going to take responsibility for this? and where do you think all your players are going to come from, for £200 a week, its a joke and so is the club.

Whilst it is generally accepted on here that finances (or lack of finances) has resulted in the abandonement of the Youth Scheme, I'm sure there are many like me who feel unhappy about its complete closure. Others have posted their concerns about how second year youngsters would be affected. I read Martin Golbourne's article in yesterday's Herald Express where he stated (quote) "TUST reluctantly decided not to invest in the Youth Academy" but did not adequately explain why not in my opinion. For the past three seasons, TUFC HAS been a basket-case, dcorbs - spare a thought for us long-suffering fans who have endured it ! We just hope the new regime will turn us into a well run club again but there are many who see the complete closure of the Youth Academy as a retrograde step.

[Motorman]

Whilst I totally understand the club needs to reduce expenditure in all areas they have given no consideration to current youth team players under contract
Some of these boys left the family home at 16 to follow the dream of becoming a professional footballer, my son had a choice of a number of clubs but as a family we decided on Torquay.
The management team of Geoff , Kevin , Robbie gave us confidence that my son would be cared for correctly, coached correctly and that he would mature from boy to man on and off the field
He had a great 12 months and apparently was on track for a pro, then within the last week his whole world has fell apart whilst on holiday.
The whole youth coaching staff and 1st team management are surplus to requirement , then the youth department is closed
No one left in the club that has a clue if they have a player within the youth team that could well be a future asset to assist the club back into the football league. They could have a hidden gem actually within the current ranks under contract that they are prepared to throw on the scrap heap
I made the round trip to Torquay which is 520 miles on many occasions last season and also travelled to a lot of the away fixtures to watch the youth team, one things for sure I did not see any of the current board of directors stood on the touch line

I have taken over and turned around many broken business units, yes i have had to cut the cloth accordingly , but I have also assessed what I have before I start to make decisions on people's futures

My point is that these boys are actually under contract and can't simply be thrown on the scrap heap, TUFC has an obligation to provide education, football and food and lodgings to them

I believe some of the youth team players were informed last night that if you are local you may be kept on as an old style apprentice but the boys from out of town would not be given this option.

These boys want to play football, they have more dedication and desire than the majority of the 1st team had last season, they are much fitter than the majority of the 1st team from last season

I speak for them all not just my boy

Give them a chance, you may have that hidden gem

[Dave]

The problem is, it was retrograde step the new owners could not avoid, and that's frustrating thing, I just can not understand, why that's not sinking in with a lot of people.

Keep the youth set-up and lose the club was the reality, then the youths et-up would have closed anyway, as Richinns rightly points out, at least the club is still here, and some time in the future when things have improved, the club could open it again, and don't listen to Dave Thomas spout off about if the close it you can't re-open it, look at Yeovil closed theirs, now re-opened and applied for CAT 3 status.

[dcorbs]

This reply is forevertufc.
My son is now left without a club, without a scholarship and without any education in place for next year. he was due to start his scholarship in less than 2 weeks and he has been dumped on from a great height. As for money, I have spent a fortune driving up and down the country for him to play for Torquay United yet they have not even had the decency to write or phone him to let him know. this has been really fair on a 15 year old boy who has just been trying to concentrate on his exams with all of this going on. What ever way you look at it, it is WRONG and there has been no help from the club for my son or the others in the same position. Also I could tell you lots of things about your club which would make you shat yourself!!