Academy report - Tony Pulis

[LongsightM13]

Tbf his report is about young people’s welfare post football rather than anything to do with coaching.
Most kids in academies are little more than human training cones, there to develop the skills of the three or four per age group who might have a genuine outside chance of making it

 

[cheekybids]

heard about this earlier and could not believe that anyone in their right minds would decide that Tony Pulis was the right man to have anything to do with academies. In fact I don't think that he should be anywhere near a modern football club. For him to influence football coaching for academies would be like asking Bernard Manning to revise rules on sexism. For the first time in decades the Premier Academies are providing world competitive players to England's young teams and now someone wants to change it! Why?

Tony Pulis delivers plan to reform youth football to Premier League

Stoke City news: Tony Pulis has spent a year researching and drafting a proposal to look after boys coming through the academy system

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

Its quite interesting what he’s saying there. He probably sees so many kids that have dedicated their childhoods & in his opinion never had a chance but were needed to have them in a system for the few to develop. How do they look after them?

 

[117 M34]

He mentions his grandson being at a Premier league academy where the facilities are probably the best in the world.
Wonder if he is at City?

 

[solley attwell]

He mentions his grandson being at a Premier league academy where the facilities are probably the best in the world.
Wonder if he is at City?

Christian Pulisic

 

[Bobby the blue]

To be honest I read that with a bit of interest. I think it may be a good idea to take a look at stock piling etc that goes on at academy level. The impact it can have on you and future life can not be under estimated. It can be brutal and is very non forgiving.

I signed at a pro club at 14 was at the centre of excellence for two years. Was a really tough environment but was to be expected. My last year at school I was playing and training really well. Had a few premier league teams looking at me and went on trail at one of them.

For a good three months I could do no wrong. Got called in half way through the year by the youth development manager and told I would be getting a yts contract and how well they thought of me. I played a few reserve games and played in the u18 side and also played in the fa youth cup. Got to train with the first team and made to feel like part of the club. Consequently my school work became second thought as at that age all I thought I was going to do was be a footballer.

Then I got a little issue with my knee. Carried on as I didn’t want to stop playing. Form went downhill a bit then a new keeper turned up for a tr. He did really well and my mindset just went. Just couldn’t deal with the pressure and just before the end of the season was released. No empathy no words of comfort just names read out at the end of a training session. The car park after was just a mass of boys sobbing into their dads arms. Looking back it was pitiful how we were treated. I remember in the car home just being crestfallen.

a little while later I got a trail at another club and did well and did my apprenticeship there. However had to move away and didn’t really enjoy it being away from family and friends. Also I was just bored after training. I even watched titanic twice in one day at the cinema back to back I was that bored.

Suffice to say it didn’t work out and I can back home and messed about in non league for a few years before knocking it all on the head.

my best mate was at Charlton. Was a yt and then got a three year deal but never made the first team. I remember him ringing me when they binned him. He was 20 and was saying he had nothing to do or any qualifications apart from gsce. He played one game for a conference team and never played proper football again. I know of so many really really good players who packed it on or couldn’t deal with the rejection and aftermath. Some players who I played with or against I was sure would make it and others who I thought had no hope did make it.

So yes I do hope that the false hope and stock piling stops because I’m not sure people realise the impact it can have on someone. I know football is a business and a multi million pound one at that but the human cost and toll has to be taken into consideration more. How is it fair to keep someone on and give them hope when you know they aren’t good enough. The problem being as well as most parents won’t tell their kids the truth and admit they aren’t up to it. Most will believe they are protecting their son or hope against hope they will make it when sometimes you need to step back and face reality.

I did a few years ago and admitted to myself that at the end of the day I just wasn’t good enough. It’s hard at the time as everyone tells you how good you are etc. I was just missing that extra quality you need to make it. A few months ago I was chatting to a guy who ran out local shop. He knew I was bang on the football as a lad and had been at a few clubs and it didn’t work out. He asked me how I dealt with it and I replied that I just accepted I wasn’t good enough.

He said it was very rare for some one to admit that and most of the time it is blamed on other factors injuries etc but I learnt to accept it. However not everyone can and it can lead to a lifetime of what ifs and sliding doors moments.

Sorry for the ramble early doors but it wa something I read with interest and hope some reforms are made.

 

[waspish]

He was in talk sport caught a bit of it and was saying that they need to be educated that they need another caterer in the world and should be told you will probably won’t make it. Not entirely sure but don’t city tell all there players this plus educate them? Unless he is talking about the very young players say under 14? He also said there should be a scholarship mark 2 for the the young players who get released.

 

[give it to gordon]

I was at Gillingham as a youth when he was first team manager. To be fair i quite liked him but his whole coaching staff and set up was very basic. Emphasis on running and fitness. Nothing technical. He wouldn’t have five a sides or working touch or anything that. No rondos or anything I would say was fun. Got results in the lower leagues though and had a pretty decent career.

My mates lad was there from around 2011 for about 5 years. He told me they had to buy all his training gear, two sets of everything.

Than dropped like a lead balloon

 

[TonyM]

To be honest I read that with a bit of interest. I think it may be a good idea to take a look at stock piling etc that goes on at academy level. The impact it can have on you and future life can not be under estimated. It can be brutal and is very non forgiving.

I signed at a pro club at 14 was at the centre of excellence for two years. Was a really tough environment but was to be expected. My last year at school I was playing and training really well. Had a few premier league teams looking at me and went on trail at one of them.

For a good three months I could do no wrong. Got called in half way through the year by the youth development manager and told I would be getting a yts contract and how well they thought of me. I played a few reserve games and played in the u18 side and also played in the fa youth cup. Got to train with the first team and made to feel like part of the club. Consequently my school work became second thought as at that age all I thought I was going to do was be a footballer.

Then I got a little issue with my knee. Carried on as I didn’t want to stop playing. Form went downhill a bit then a new keeper turned up for a tr. He did really well and my mindset just went. Just couldn’t deal with the pressure and just before the end of the season was released. No empathy no words of comfort just names read out at the end of a training session. The car park after was just a mass of boys sobbing into their dads arms. Looking back it was pitiful how we were treated. I remember in the car home just being crestfallen.

a little while later I got a trail at another club and did well and did my apprenticeship there. However had to move away and didn’t really enjoy it being away from family and friends. Also I was just bored after training. I even watched titanic twice in one day at the cinema back to back I was that bored.

Suffice to say it didn’t work out and I can back home and messed about in non league for a few years before knocking it all on the head.

my best mate was at Charlton. Was a yt and then got a three year deal but never made the first team. I remember him ringing me when they binned him. He was 20 and was saying he had nothing to do or any qualifications apart from gsce. He played one game for a conference team and never played proper football again. I know of so many really really good players who packed it on or couldn’t deal with the rejection and aftermath. Some players who I played with or against I was sure would make it and others who I thought had no hope did make it.

So yes I do hope that the false hope and stock piling stops because I’m not sure people realise the impact it can have on someone. I know football is a business and a multi million pound one at that but the human cost and toll has to be taken into consideration more. How is it fair to keep someone on and give them hope when you know they aren’t good enough. The problem being as well as most parents won’t tell their kids the truth and admit they aren’t up to it. Most will believe they are protecting their son or hope against hope they will make it when sometimes you need to step back and face reality.

I did a few years ago and admitted to myself that at the end of the day I just wasn’t good enough. It’s hard at the time as everyone tells you how good you are etc. I was just missing that extra quality you need to make it. A few months ago I was chatting to a guy who ran out local shop. He knew I was bang on the football as a lad and had been at a few clubs and it didn’t work out. He asked me how I dealt with it and I replied that I just accepted I wasn’t good enough.

He said it was very rare for some one to admit that and most of the time it is blamed on other factors injuries etc but I learnt to accept it. However not everyone can and it can lead to a lifetime of what ifs and sliding doors moments.

Sorry for the ramble early doors but it wa something I read with interest and hope some reforms are made.

Great post BTB. That was a very insightful read.

 

[Blue Smarties]

heard about this earlier and could not believe that anyone in their right minds would decide that Tony Pulis was the right man to have anything to do with academies. In fact I don't think that he should be anywhere near a modern football club. For him to influence football coaching for academies would be like asking Bernard Manning to revise rules on sexism. For the first time in decades the Premier Academies are providing world competitive players to England's young teams and now someone wants to change it! Why?

Tony Pulis delivers plan to reform youth football to Premier League

Stoke City news: Tony Pulis has spent a year researching and drafting a proposal to look after boys coming through the academy system

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

Did you read it mate? He's not touching the football side - he's referring to the side nobody wants to talk about. The side where lads who have dedicated their childhood and teenage years in the hope of making it who are then cast to the side like scrap.

We absolutely need to sort that out and help the lads who can't handle the rejection and go off the rails. Getting colleges and universities involved to ensure lads who don't make it can still go on and have a career in something else they enjoy is much needed.

As you say, academies up and down the country are finally starting to churn out world class talent. There needs to be equally world class support for those that don't make it in the game.

 

[halfcenturyup]

Can we read the report somewhere? I would like to understand more about the current system, its failings and what the proposals are ....

I read with interest the personal stories on here. Bluemoon can be an interesting place sometimes. Not on matchdays, obviously.