Quote Originally Posted by scum_triumphant View Post
We took Yates from the Doncaster Academy - I misremembered Shaun Barker - I thought we got a fee from Derby for him. I forgot all about him going to Blackpool for free before Derby.
Was it a free? Must have been out of contract?

There were a few examples like Yates ST (didn't we get Andy Monkhouse when he was released by Leeds academy) but the point was that we had a structure for apprentices/first year pros, whether they came through our youth system or not and even in those days, it was still a more regional game where less money meant it was a more local catchment for the vast majority of promising youngsters...