Harris comments on bringing through the youth | Page 3 | Vital Football

Harris comments on bringing through the youth

markinkent said:
It's a brilliant idea but requires money to implement. It'll pay for itself once it develops the first big money transfer but requires that initial investment and sustained investment until then.

I love all the talk of this long term project/plan.

Can scally resource the implementation of the plan?
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I've been lucky enough to be in and around both a category 1 and category 3 academy for several years now, and I'd dispute the model the Gills would need requires much in the way of money. What it does require is meaningful relationships and player care, some authenticity over transactionality and most of all - opportunity.

The academy system in England benefits the big fish, without doubt. It's actually a bit of a mess, in all honesty, but my experience of the system shows that with the right set up, smaller clubs at cat 3 can skim really effectively and prosper too. It doesn't need to be the "I was here since I was 10..." kind of story, which we all love.

We need a club USP (which really should be achievable with the right leadership, staff and vision) and a track record of opportunity. I know one club local to me that does it really well and their stock is firmly on the rise.

It's never just the lion who feeds from the kill to fill its belly.
 
The USP is Kent’s only league club.
Exploit it.
My mate’s boy was picked up by Chelsea before being released at seventeen.
They had to drive to Surrey three times a week after school. Nightmare.
 
shotshy said:
The USP is Kent’s only league club.
Exploit it.
My mate’s boy was picked up by Chelsea before being released at seventeen.
They had to drive to Surrey three times a week after school. Nightmare.
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The bigger academies don't usually flinch at arranging a driver to get the kids on site - especially at that age. ;) Liverpool were notorious for doing this - kids as young as 12.

No point in competing with that.
 
A good point made here is opportunity. It’s a massive gap for youth to league one however most other clubs bridge the gap with a development side. I realise this costs money and time however the successful ones have a pathway. I know we can’t play premier league B however there is also a professional development league separate to this. That’s what we need to aim to enter, however this does require a larger squad, something clearly we can’t afford at present.
 
Sorry to add to that last years youth team had a group of decent players, most of whom were released, probably as we could only afford to keep 2. Matt baker and Ronnie nelson, both centre backs went to stoke city and Leicesters under 23 squads on professional contracts.

it will be intersting in 18 months to see if they progress as well, or better than lintott and sithole.
 
One possibility is to try to promote the better youngsters more quickly than we have .
This would mean.
No more young loan players like Dickson-Peters and Kelman.
Small squad of senior players (high risk strategy.)
Having say 14 senior pros and 14 say 17 to 21 year olds .
Perhaps applying to join the Kent league.
Finding a League they can compete in on a regular basis would be difficult. Especially as games would probably have to be evenings and cancelled at short notice due to injuries etc..I feel this is a major reason why so many of our young professionals fail to make the grade.

The other way forward for team at our level could be combined teams .Difficult to set up but for example Wimbledon and Gillingham v Charlton and Orient sort of thing. Combined young professionals teams would be very difficult.It would depend on young pros have strict regulations as regards transfers and coaching.Possibly even detaching it from the clubs slightly.Each club providing funds towards it's expenditure .But it would mean sides could play regular football that could be competitive. Probably unworkable in my view.
 
MacAnthony said on his podcast (that again) Posh get good youth players into the building because there’s a clear pathway to the first team and they have a track record for letting them move on when the time is right
 
SE1_Gills said:
MacAnthony said on his podcast (that again) Posh get good youth players into the building because there’s a clear pathway to the first team and they have a track record for letting them move on when the time is right
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Scally could learn a lot from other clubs like Posh and their chairman.
 
shotshy said:
The USP is Kent’s only league club.
Exploit it.
My mate’s boy was picked up by Chelsea before being released at seventeen.
They had to drive to Surrey three times a week after school. Nightmare.
Click to expand...

It’s only a USP if that appeals to the parents, and most parents will go for Chelsea or Spurs or whoever if that appeals more. And location of where the player lives will probably play a part too
 
NH starts by sending youth striker Joseph Gbode to Margate on a one month's loan. Gbode played in the FA Cup against Cheltenham.
 
chris who said:
One possibility is to try to promote the better youngsters more quickly than we have .
This would mean.
No more young loan players like Dickson-Peters and Kelman.
Small squad of senior players (high risk strategy.)
Having say 14 senior pros and 14 say 17 to 21 year olds .
Perhaps applying to join the Kent league.
Finding a League they can compete in on a regular basis would be difficult. Especially as games would probably have to be evenings and cancelled at short notice due to injuries etc..I feel this is a major reason why so many of our young professionals fail to make the grade.

The other way forward for team at our level could be combined teams .Difficult to set up but for example Wimbledon and Gillingham v Charlton and Orient sort of thing. Combined young professionals teams would be very difficult.It would depend on young pros have strict regulations as regards transfers and coaching.Possibly even detaching it from the clubs slightly.Each club providing funds towards it's expenditure .But it would mean sides could play regular football that could be competitive. Probably unworkable in my view.
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The only thing I’d say about not having loans like Dickson-Peters is that it cuts us off for one route for permanent quality signings. There are lots of players in Premier academies that have very little prospect of first team football at their parent clubs. They come out on loan and they then decide to progress their career at a lower level. Ogilvie comes to mind but it’s also been a route for O’Connor who’s now decided to ply his trade at Wrexham. There are loads of other examples, particularly at League 1 level.
 
OneSirKeefy said:
Young Joe seems have made a very big impression on his debut.

All sorts a great tweets coming out of Margate FC and their fans. Well done Joe 👍
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I must admit when I saw him in 1st team action their was something about him that made me think he could do well.
 
OneSirKeefy said:
Young Joe seems have made a very big impression on his debut.

All sorts a great tweets coming out of Margate FC and their fans. Well done Joe 👍
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Agree with you and Chris - Joseph has a physical presence and has that something a little extra about him. I really hope that we help this lad along as much as possible - he could be really good for GFC..
 
HerrLjunga said:
Two more promising (very) youngsters in from a local side.

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A good age to be taking on lads who have promise.i would like to wish them well.
We definitely need to address the coaching side in the coming months.I am sure Brian Bull will continue to provide a great base for development into youth players. But it is between that and full first team that we have a problem. Harris had acted quickly to get lads out on loan to play men's football. But they also need time on the training ground with a coach that can make a real difference to them.
 
I am hoping the appointment of Mark Moss as under 18 manager has addressed this. He comes with a good background of Nottingham forest and lately Southend of getting players through. The key though is whether, as Harris has suggested we invest in a under 23 side or Gillingham B like a Brentford did
 
Cookiejar said:
I am hoping the appointment of Mark Moss as under 18 manager has addressed this. He comes with a good background of Nottingham forest and lately Southend of getting players through. The key though is whether, as Harris has suggested we invest in a under 23 side or Gillingham B like a Brentford did
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I don't remember reading about Mark Moss I stand corrected.
Investment in a reserve or B side sounds expensive. But if we have four or more youths that can be involved that would still mean having around a squad much bigger than today's. Let alone the extra coaching staff required.
The only way of paying for it would be extra sales of players cutting wages by having more home grown players perhaps. Or bringing more successful side upping attendances. Without a take over or similar bringing in funds I can't see how we could afford the three to five year minimum period of working with those funds. Certainly if we could start producing goalscorers for example it could pay for itself and even provide funds.But right now we can talk about it but without some sort of major financial boost we have no chance of it happening.
 
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