One of our own

[Rez1862]

Although the sentiment is great for fans, there is very little point in having an academy at the minute. Under the EPPP, top clubs can essentially poach any promising players for peanuts - if it works, great. If not, they can just sell them on to Championship/L1 for a small profit. There is very little risk for high reward for them.

And as others have mentioned, we are the least attractive proposition for the local talent pool. We can't compete with Forest, Leicester, Derby or even Mansfield anymore. It's quite clear our business plan is to sign young up and coming players either from the leagues below or this one and move them on for a profit and re-invest. Whether we like it or not, that's the direction our owners are taking and we have to respect that.

[Bernard_Bresslaw]

Pretty sure those three players would have still left.

Without a doubt, but you'd think we'd be in more of a position to get a decent deal instead of settling for as many pound coins would fit in the incumbent owner's pocket

[SwalePie]

It's a bit chicken and egg IMHO. Players like Wildin, Bishop and, to a lesser extent, Gibson all came through during years of turmoil when we were periodically in freefall. The revolving managerial door meant that the new guy always wanted to bring in his own players and, given the triggerhappy state of the place, no manager would take a prolonged risk on kids unless they really had to.

In the last six or so years we've 'sold' Jack Bearne, Dongda He and Etete, all to Premier League teams. I assume we didn't have a sell on clause for Etete as I haven't heard one mentioned and it would fit in with the fact that we were financially at death's door when each one left, hence having our pants pulled down each time.

If the current owners had been here at the time and we had the 'stability' we have now (whatever you think of it) then we could be having a very different conversation.

We do have a sell on for Etete which could 'potentially' make him worth approx. £800k to Notts in total if my interpretation of that part of the Notts accounts is correct.

[Bernard_Bresslaw]

We do have a sell on for Etete which could 'potentially' make him worth approx. £800k to Notts in total if my interpretation of that part of the Notts accounts is correct.

It'd be great if we did and would help to justify the academy. I don't know that much about how such clauses work but now that he's left Spurs permanently wouldn't it be limited to a percentage of whatever 'undisclosed' fee they got for him plus a percentage of any sellon benefits payable to them if he leaves Cardiff?

[SwalePie]

It'd be great if we did and would help to justify the academy. I don't know that much about how such clauses work but now that he's left Spurs permanently wouldn't it be limited to a percentage of whatever 'undisclosed' fee they got for him plus a percentage of any sellon benefits payable to them if he leaves Cardiff?

Naturally the details are not in the accounts in full but here's hoping we have benefitted.

[keldsyke]

But how many of those youth who are put on the scrap heap go on to make it?
The other issue we as a small, non-league club have is that even if we have a fabulous talent who is 11/12, they will soon be poached, for no money.

Or you could use them in exchange to finance a deal for the first team to use a neighbours training facilities

[magpie_mania]

Montel Gibson scored today for Ilkeston. Playing alongside Remaye Campbell.

5 ex Notts players in their squad today, including Ben Turner.

How did they get away!

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Although the sentiment is great for fans, there is very little point in having an academy at the minute. Under the EPPP, top clubs can essentially poach any promising players for peanuts - if it works, great. If not, they can just sell them on to Championship/L1 for a small profit. There is very little risk for high reward for them.

And as others have mentioned, we are the least attractive proposition for the local talent pool. We can't compete with Forest, Leicester, Derby or even Mansfield anymore. It's quite clear our business plan is to sign young up and coming players either from the leagues below or this one and move them on for a profit and re-invest. Whether we like it or not, that's the direction our owners are taking and we have to respect that.

I agree. We have to look where we are and who is around us. We've got two premier league clubs academies in Forest and Leicester. Then in league one there is Derby County and Lincoln. Then in league two Mansfield.

The unpalatable truth is that we are bottom of the pecking order for any prospective good youngsters in the area.

The Young Elizabethan League (YEL) is where any good local youngsters will play at Grassroots level between the ages of 7 and 14 and the Forest and Leicester academies will no doubt be hovering around waiting to cherry pick the best of those kids from those age categories. Maybe even Derby.

An example is Clifton All Whites. Well known because of the amount of players who started at local grassroots level and played for that club who then went on to become professionals of which some ended up playing for Notts such as Michael Johnson, Devon White, Richard Liburd, Pedro Richards, Tony Cuthbert and David McVay.

We also have the stigma of being non-league. So it has to be understood and respected as to why our owners want to go in a different direction as you say which is getting the best young non-league players and also taking on young players who have had a good education at premier league academies. Although I'd like to think that in time we may see a former Leicester or Forest academy player who will be good enough to do a job for us.

On this thread we have seen mentions of our former young players littered around non-league clubs in the area so we should take the opportunity to pick up those that the likes of Leicester, Forest or Derby release from their academies because if they are good enough for tier five or league two then they may also be settled in the area.

[DaveSmithRules]

Montel Gibson scored today for Ilkeston. Playing alongside Remaye Campbell.

5 ex Notts players in their squad today, including Ben Turner.

How did they get away!

If Campbell and Gibson are getting games up front ahead of Jamie Ward and Chris O'Grady they must be doing something right.