I remember reading a couple of years ago that our record of producing players who went on to have a career at professional level was second to only one other club amongst the Cat C academies. I'm guessing that the discarding of talent we have done since then means we are no longer that high.
However we have one academy product in the first team squad for next season at the moment (not counting Pack) so I don't think the current situation is a crisis. A development squad would seem a logical step, but it is expensive and the danger is that you still don't produce players for your own first team, only for other teams.
Currently we produce a lot of players for the local non-league scene as well, which is not an insiginificant contribution to the game.
But currently the academy is the one bit of the Guildhall speech that the Eisners have not delivered on yet.
However we have one academy product in the first team squad for next season at the moment (not counting Pack) so I don't think the current situation is a crisis. A development squad would seem a logical step, but it is expensive and the danger is that you still don't produce players for your own first team, only for other teams.
Currently we produce a lot of players for the local non-league scene as well, which is not an insiginificant contribution to the game.
But currently the academy is the one bit of the Guildhall speech that the Eisners have not delivered on yet.