Regroup

[Furberstreet]

I am not entirely convinced that a discussion on the future of the Academy should run into the buffers as a moot point. It is clear that the sale of players from the Academy is not self-funding and nor is it contributing to the wider club finances. Is it because we no longer produce players likely to be sold for £1m+ or is because the market for home grown players is flat? Whatever the response, it is clear that the business model at the core of the club is no longer working. There have been a number of dangerous examples of domestic and foreign investors at League clubs and I would not want us to go the way of Orient, Macclesfield or Charlton. It will be a long and hard season and I hope we can kickstart our season against Swindon, but I cannot be confident.

[Gobstopper]

I am not entirely convinced that a discussion on the future of the Academy should run into the buffers as a moot point. It is clear that the sale of players from the Academy is not self-funding and nor is it contributing to the wider club finances. Is it because we no longer produce players likely to be sold for £1m+ or is because the market for home grown players is flat? Whatever the response, it is clear that the business model at the core of the club is no longer working. There have been a number of dangerous examples of domestic and foreign investors at League clubs and I would not want us to go the way of Orient, Macclesfield or Charlton. It will be a long and hard season and I hope we can kickstart our season against Swindon, but I cannot be confident.

I don't think the Academy is just about breaking even, it must also produce players who will make the first team and hopefully players with more potential than we can can get in the transfer market. That's the plan but it doesn't always work out, some players need time to develop and gain experience, some need more time and some will fail to make that step from professional contract to first team. We have always managed to develop these players its just that with the 24 years cut off we don't get a return when they leave and most younger players will not sign past 24. Rio was an exception we lost his services early but at least received a fee.