Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 1:11 pm  

Gadger wrote:

Disagree, we were well down in attendances long before marwan turned up

It makes you wonder what happened to the vast majority of the 7200 that turned up on that cold February afternoon in 2014.

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 1:17 pm  

Gadger wrote:

Disagree, we were well down in attendances long before marwan turned up

6 points last season taken from the club & the fan base admittedly from just over 4000 went to under 2000 that in my book is one hell of a drop. I do not blame all this on MK, however to say he as not had an affect on the clubs long term supporters I don't buy.

[Bullseye]

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 1:50 pm  

theredshed wrote:

The entire sport has been poorly financed and managed for years. You mention that Hunte neglected talent playing with local Salford clubs but surely had this been 'genuine talent' other clubs would have signed and developed them. I'm not defending the club but it seems the blame for lack of local junior talent always seems to be apportioned to Salford Red Devils rather than accepting it's extremely rare to find them, let alone develop them. I'm not saying the local junior lads are poor it's just they haven't had the elite qualities a Superleague club is looking for.

At Bradford the local community clubs had been neglected/ignored for years. The actual number of Bradford lads making it with the Bulls has been minimal over the years usually just the odd one every few years. This year we’ve promoted double figures. The first time that’s ever happened. It is possible at Salford but it requires patience. It doesn’t require a fortune. If we’re managing it on our meagre income outside SL then I can’t understand why MK can’t afford it.

Sounds like he's lost interest to me.

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:00 pm  

Its a different Kettle promoting to a Championship squad than a SL one. My take on this is that Marwan needs the club to run as a business, currently that business's income is too low so either the fans/sponsors come back in sufficient numbers to allow better choices going forward or the clothe must be cut accordingly. A couple of extra players is tangible in keeping a club in SL, without SL the Academies will die anyway. I fully support RFL run regional academies outside the top clubs to stop this happening again

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:02 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

At Bradford the local community clubs had been neglected/ignored for years. The actual number of Bradford lads making it with the Bulls has been minimal over the years usually just the odd one every few years. This year we’ve promoted double figures. The first time that’s ever happened. It is possible at Salford but it requires patience. It doesn’t require a fortune. If we’re managing it on our meagre income outside SL then I can’t understand why MK can’t afford it.

Sounds like he's lost interest to me.

I don't think he's lost interest, it's more likely he's getting sick of bankrolling the club and not seeing the progress he wants on and off the field. It's pleasing to read how Bradford are developing academy players but I think you have traditionally had a much better catchment area than us.

[Bullseye]

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:12 pm  

Youth setups don't generally produce immediately. They need years before they bear fruit. You have to bring through talent and it takes time. A 16 year old that signs may take 3-4 years before debut and then a few more before they "make it". You might only get one or two a year so it takes time to build up a side.

Think the Doctor lacked patience in this regard.

[Bullseye]

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:14 pm  

maurice wrote:

without SL the Academies will die anyway.

Ourselves and London do alright. Same at Newcastle.

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 2:19 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Youth setups don't generally produce immediately. They need years before they bear fruit. You have to bring through talent and it takes time. A 16 year old that signs may take 3-4 years before debut and then a few more before they "make it". You might only get one or two a year so it takes time to build up a side.

Think the Doctor lacked patience in this regard.

I understand that but we've had an academy since year dot. The only academy players we have produced of any note are Jordan Turner, Stephan Ratchford, Theo Fages , Mark Sneyd and Niall Evalds. The problem is the few quality kids we develop over several years and give first team experience get snapped up by bigger clubs. To be honest I think we've had more success in the past picking up Wigan's youth players that couldn't break into their first team like Blakeley, Naylor, Reid, Gillfillan and Baines etc.

[Bullseye]

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 3:00 pm  

Think if your club had been run a bit better you may have hung onto the likes of Fages, Sneyd and Evalds. We're in the same boat. Where are Whitehead, the Burgesses, Bateman, Ferres, Kopczak, Atkins, Wardle, Cook, Patrick, Bridge etc now?

Despite that it's not a reason to give up. The conveyor belt has benefited us.

Re: Academy scrapped : Thu Oct 20, 2016 3:21 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Youth setups don't generally produce immediately. They need years before they bear fruit. You have to bring through talent and it takes time. A 16 year old that signs may take 3-4 years before debut and then a few more before they "make it". You might only get one or two a year so it takes time to build up a side.

Think the Doctor lacked patience in this regard.

You do realise that the club being rated as a C academy (most of the rating refer to before Marwan arrived) means we CAN NOT RUN A U 16 TEAM for a period of four years. The ruling also means a reduction in relation to funding for the academy setup