05-06-2021, 08:14 AM
I ran youth teams for 10 years when my sons were younger. They both went through the systems at Southampton, Portsmouth and Millwall gaining youth contracts and continuing until the ages of 18 when they were released. One was scouted at 10 the other at 14. During that time, I witnessed all kinds of approaches, attitudes, behaviours and actions official and unofficial from the clubs and coaches. All three clubs were constantly looking at players from local leagues and further afield, from released youngsters being tracked to others established but wanting a move. All three clubs kept scores of youngsters in and around their official youth systems, tracking their progressions either within the system or at local clubs where they knew the standard of coaching to be of a good standard. The schools systems too, as they then were, provided some talent of interest.
Such an approach necessiated clear outs every now and again. I saw several where virtually entire academy years were released at 10 and again at 14 (when it starts to get a little more serious) and then obviously at 16 and 18 before contracts proper are more often signed.
There isn't one size fits all and good players can be snapped up at any stage (or similarly released). I once watched an U15s game when a lad playing upfront for an opposing team scored a hat trick but was then told at pitchside before he had even got changed that he was being released. I witnessed another lad trialling for two different teams at the same time get released as niether team liked the idea of him trying out elsewhere.
The problem for Pompey is that, as with all things these days, the rules have been amended time and again to allow the Premier League clubs to do what ever it is they want. They can nowadays scout further afield and offer terms to very young kids who lay far outside a team's traditional catchment area. Clubs like Chelsea hoover up vast numbers of kids (you only have to go to their Cobham training ground on Academy match day to see hundreds of kids being bussed in .....and that's only the kids playing at home that day).
These days, unless a player's family are ardent Pompey fans, a kid is always going to want to play for Chelsea or Tottenham before our club however long the odds of success....the draw is too great and the kudos at a boy's school amongst his class mates simply too much for Pompey to compete with.
The good news is that you are right and it is difficult to find the gem in the rough particularly when they are very young. Players who excel at 6 or 8 might simply not grow either physically or talent wise. Other kids who start off slower, weaker, lacking in knowledge of the game, can come through very strongly at 12 or 14.....hence the clearouts and replacements with those being tracked in the local leagues. It's a big investment by clubs in what is effectively....a 'punt' and perhaps Pompey simply no longer have the where with all to want to take that gamble?
Such an approach necessiated clear outs every now and again. I saw several where virtually entire academy years were released at 10 and again at 14 (when it starts to get a little more serious) and then obviously at 16 and 18 before contracts proper are more often signed.
There isn't one size fits all and good players can be snapped up at any stage (or similarly released). I once watched an U15s game when a lad playing upfront for an opposing team scored a hat trick but was then told at pitchside before he had even got changed that he was being released. I witnessed another lad trialling for two different teams at the same time get released as niether team liked the idea of him trying out elsewhere.
The problem for Pompey is that, as with all things these days, the rules have been amended time and again to allow the Premier League clubs to do what ever it is they want. They can nowadays scout further afield and offer terms to very young kids who lay far outside a team's traditional catchment area. Clubs like Chelsea hoover up vast numbers of kids (you only have to go to their Cobham training ground on Academy match day to see hundreds of kids being bussed in .....and that's only the kids playing at home that day).
These days, unless a player's family are ardent Pompey fans, a kid is always going to want to play for Chelsea or Tottenham before our club however long the odds of success....the draw is too great and the kudos at a boy's school amongst his class mates simply too much for Pompey to compete with.
The good news is that you are right and it is difficult to find the gem in the rough particularly when they are very young. Players who excel at 6 or 8 might simply not grow either physically or talent wise. Other kids who start off slower, weaker, lacking in knowledge of the game, can come through very strongly at 12 or 14.....hence the clearouts and replacements with those being tracked in the local leagues. It's a big investment by clubs in what is effectively....a 'punt' and perhaps Pompey simply no longer have the where with all to want to take that gamble?