Originally Posted by
Furberstreet
A six figure sum for an Academy graduate would seem to be about par these days. That said, Cooper has come through the Academy, played a fair number of first team games and has moved to a club in a higher division. In the same way the Academy bolsters the first team squad, so some of the graduates move on up and bring in badly needed revenue. Yes, the sale of Academy graduates does not necessarily pay for the cost of the Academy each season, but the graduates underpin the first team squad. Not all will make the grade and not all will progress beyond the division Crewe is playing in - a reality certainly not unique to the club.