Academy Status

[Barry the bird boggler]

Given there is talk of us going for Academy A Status, is there anyone out there who knows what we have currently and what changes would need to be made to achieve A status? Is it just employing more coaches and welfare people and having more training pitches or is there more to it than that?

[melonhead]

on top of what we have, i think they just need to have accomodation on site. and have more coaches- the cost is 2.5 million a year i dont know if that is stipulated, or if thats an estimate based on what is stipulated

[Extended-Phenotype]

I think this is one of the most exciting things about the take-over.

I mean, our Academy is allready pretty decent. If we can make two siggy's a year instead of one, we'd be laughing... well... like f///ing lunatics.

[NR_Royal]

I'm excited by the idea of bringing in more international players to our academy.

[Z175]

Also this status will only be obtainable by wealthy top end premier league clubs as the full costs would be too great for most clubs. The new EPPP rules will mean we can steal players from lesser academies. Given the elite focus on global scouting, we should be well placed for attracting the top English talent if this comes off.

[ZacNaloen]

I suspect Southampton will also go Category A, they have the money for it as well

[Simon's Church]

Apparently you need at least 18 full time coaches which seems like a lot, although I'm not sure if that's in total or 18 dedicated youth coaches.

[largetrousers]

I think I read somewhere that category A scraps the travel time for the ages of players (e.g. current rules for under 9s is within an hour of the club, as you get older it goes to 1.5 hours etc) so opens up scope to get players from all across the country. But yes it'd involve accomodation etc, but from what age this takes affect im not sure - but they take over the complete academic side of the player so they would live, go to school and train under one outfit - but thought this may have been the case now? Quite interested myself as my boy was involved with the Reading FC Advance development centre, which is one of 3 feeds into the academy (Development - Advanced Development - Elite - Academy), although i'm not overly convinced that the pressure at young ages is a good thing.

[peterroyal76]

Does anyone know how many Academies have catagory A status?

[melonhead]

none at the minute i thought, isnt this part of the new plans for soon/the future?

[Simon's Church]

none at the minute i thought, isnt this part of the new plans for soon/the future?

I think so. Maybe next season?

[Wimb]

Know I've whored it about a bit but this on TTE gives a bit more of an idea about how relevant it will be.

http://thetilehurstend.co.uk/2011/10/24 ... ppped-off/

[FiNeRaIn]

when prem clubs can take them for 50k anyway now, who cares? lol

[William Oddie]

Clubs with category one status will have programmes that vastly increase the contact time with young players, with the aim of ensuring the most-talented youngsters have the best opportunity to fulfil their potential.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15381652.stm

basically all you need to no in the BBC article

[ZacNaloen]

when prem clubs can take them for 50k anyway now, who cares? lol

As I understood it, if we have a cat A academy they won't be able to poach our players for 50k?

[postwhisperer]

when prem clubs can take them for 50k anyway now, who cares? lol

true

[URZZZZZZZZ]

when prem clubs can take them for 50k anyway now, who cares? lol

As I understood it, if we have a cat A academy they won't be able to poach our players for 50k?

Correct.

Another stipulation of Category A is that we have to school the players too.

[ZacNaloen]

We already school them, but perhaps now with better facilities.

Sound an awful lot like a boarding school, but with lots of football.

[rfc2001]

this explains each category

http://www.footballacademytalk.com/foot ... plan-eppp/

[Friday's Legacy]

I suspect Southampton will also go Category A, they have the money for it as well

are they still being funded by their dead owner? very strange events there. unless something has changed, they don't know where the funding comes from... the world we're entering, possibly...