Our lost generation

[Our Kids Dad]

SWP played against us in 1999 for Man City, but he would be the last ear example.

A teacher I work with has a son who was in the same generation of the academy. Huddlestone's dad took him to Derby because they did not like the academy head (I think Marshall) and they thought he would get a better chance at Derby.

McGugan's dad tried the same but couldn't find him a better club offer.

Hughes I believe was similar

Pretty common in academy football..... if a parent doesn't feel suitably loved and little Johnny isn't the superstar, they try elsewhere.

As I said - there are always some that get away..... we have/had Cash & Brereton as recent examples, the latter we made a very tidy profit on!

Very few have the mindset/appreciation that only a tiny percentage of footballers make it & that you learn from the experience while you can & ideally make best use of the opportunity.

- Academies are notorious for taking youngsters from local football teams at 8, keeping them for a years & then releasing them, quite often that's enough to see them stop playing or lose the love and it takes a massive effort to get them back on track!

 

[Our Kids Dad]

I believe Joey Barton was at the academy here.

Darren Huckerby?

I would guess we've let just as many good players away from the academy over the last 20-25 years than we've produced.

Almost certainly.... our biggest issue was the 3 years in L1, when we just could not compete with most other local sides!

 

[Basha73]

Those 3 years probably should have set us back by about 10 if it wasn’t for the great work they were doing. As it was it still probably set us back by 5.

 

[Apollyon]

Who was it who said on here, that we were going for cat 1? It was about 4-5 years ago, maybe longer? Hilarious

 

[Pope John XXIII]

I believe Joey Barton was at the academy here.

Darren Huckerby?

I would guess we've let just as many good players away from the academy over the last 20-25 years than we've produced.

That's what I'm saying.

I don't think we have.

Both players you have mentioned are well before the millenium

 

[paz1967]

I would also say that in the last 20 years we have a very good record at not "missing" anyone.

I can't think of any academy players of ours that we have released or believed not good enough who have gone on to make us really regret it.

Thats kinda my point I guess :)