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Clyde's Youth Set Up


billko
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Heard today Clyde have scrapped their youth set up and they must be in a bad way to go down this route.

 

It's a shame for all the boys who will be released at all the age groups who will now be looking for clubs to continue their development.

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A bad move. I know way back in the past when Thistle would run into trouble they almost always dumped or cut back on the youth policy - such as it was then - first. Should always be the last thing IMO. Luckily we have the Weir deal which lets us maintain our current good setup even with our recent financial set-back.

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Nightmare.

 

Your boy sorted with a new club at all, billko?

Trained with Morton and done well but he still would have the same problems with the dual age group and probably won't get decent game time.

We left on good terms and he can go back in again in the future if we want to.

The travelling is difficult and it's a big commitment to take on to be honest.

 

We were waiting to hear from Clyde to go in for pre season training but that's also now a non starter, so I think his best bet is boys club football for a season at U16's then see where he is with his physical development to maybe get back in next season at U17's pro youth level

It's a tough choice between getting little game time but training at a higher standard in the pro youth set up or getting game time at boys club level where the standard is not so good.

Obviously I get his thoughts on what he wants and I need to protect him a bit from getting too many rejections in case he loses all interest in playing and to be honest at the age he is at it's easy for that to happen.

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A bad move. I know way back in the past when Thistle would run into trouble they almost always dumped or cut back on the youth policy - such as it was then - first. Should always be the last thing IMO. Luckily we have the Weir deal which lets us maintain our current good setup even with our recent financial set-back.

 

Lack of SFA funding is being blamed for it and can see more clubs struggling if funding has been cut yet again.

 

Thistle are very lucky to have the Weir's backing and that generosity should see the Academy continue to thrive in the future while other set ups struggle or have to fold like Clyde's have done which means around 120 kids from Clyde are looking for a place to play football now.

 

I think it's quite sad that youth footballers are suffering in this country at a time when it they should be developed as much as they can for the future of the game here.

 

Investment needs to be made at all clubs up and down the country so they can develop the talent that will help our game thrive for years to come

Edited by billko
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Trained with Morton and done well but he still would have the same problems with the dual age group and probably won't get decent game time.

We left on good terms and he can go back in again in the future if we want to.

The travelling is difficult and it's a big commitment to take on to be honest.

 

We were waiting to hear from Clyde to go in for pre season training but that's also now a non starter, so I think his best bet is boys club football for a season at U16's then see where he is with his physical development to maybe get back in next season at U17's pro youth level

It's a tough choice between getting little game time but training at a higher standard in the pro youth set up or getting game time at boys club level where the standard is not so good.

Obviously I get his thoughts on what he wants and I need to protect him a bit from getting too many rejections in case he loses all interest in playing and to be honest at the age he is at it's easy for that to happen.

 

I agree with most of your points but would also point out there are plenty of fantastic boys clubs out there and some with excellent facilities. One of the clubs I set up is pretty much a pro youth set up without being called that...if you see what i mean,.

Where abouts are you based Bilko?

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I agree with most of your points but would also point out there are plenty of fantastic boys clubs out there and some with excellent facilities. One of the clubs I set up is pretty much a pro youth set up without being called that...if you see what i mean,.

Where abouts are you based Bilko?

 

Having been away from the BC scene for a few years I have lost track a bit on it to be honest

I know alot of good folk are involved at BC and the ones doing things correctly should be applauded for doing so.

I was meaning the standard of training he would get by playing/training with boys older than him at the dual age group 16/17's at pro youth rather than the standard of coaching he would get.

 

My son has been training for a team from the the east end (not celtic :D ) and been involved in a couple of friendly matches.

In both games it's been a total eye opener on the negative things at this level with the antics from the sidelines which I hope isn't what it's going to be like every week.

 

For me the coaching is the important thing and then the facilities is the next thing I would be looking at.

In the two games I seen very little football was played and never seen so many long balls played in the games

For me my sons game won't develop much in this type of enviroment but the team he is training with like to play it more on the ground which is more suited to his style.

 

I have looked on Youth Football Scotland for possible teams for him and also had some teams recommended to me but I was waiting to see what was going to happen with Morton and Clyde before taking anything further and it's also the end of the season just now.

He has been asked to play in a couple of summer tournaments with the club he has trained with but there is no pressure being put on to sign.

 

I would also say he has lost a wee bit of confidence just now and it wil be important to get the right club for him so he can kick on again and I think that will be at U16's at a good boys club.

 

We are based in Cambuslang but are willing to travel for the right club / set up for him to keep progressing.

Edited by billko
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The best young players in central Scotland are going to plenty of other clubs before they choose Clyde. A huge unnecessary expense for a part-time 3rd division club. They already pay 3k per game for the first team to use Broadwood.

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The best young players in central Scotland are going to plenty of other clubs before they choose Clyde. A huge unnecessary expense for a part-time 3rd division club. They already pay 3k per game for the first team to use Broadwood.

 

This kind of attitude is what holds back Scottish football. Every club should absolutely be focusing on bringing through young players into their team, and Clyde are no exception.

 

Also, there's a number of reasons why a young player would choose a club, not just size of the club. Perhaps Clyde would be attractive to a youngster who thinks he'd have a good chance of lots of game time quickly at Clyde which he wouldn't get elsewhere?

 

Bringing through youngsters from very early in their careers to eventually getting into the first team and (if they're good enough) selling them on for a profit is obviously the way that clubs in Scotland should aim to operate.

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This kind of attitude is what holds back Scottish football. Every club should absolutely be focusing on bringing through young players into their team, and Clyde are no exception.

 

Also, there's a number of reasons why a young player would choose a club, not just size of the club. Perhaps Clyde would be attractive to a youngster who thinks he'd have a good chance of lots of game time quickly at Clyde which he wouldn't get elsewhere?

 

Bringing through youngsters from very early in their careers to eventually getting into the first team and (if they're good enough) selling them on for a profit is obviously the way that clubs in Scotland should aim to operate.

 

And it's something the SFA (and the SPFL too) should be promoting. At all levels. OK they want an elite level but you need as many kids getting involved as possible to have a chance of really good ones coming through, But lower levels could very likely do something useful without needing all that much cash - and I'm sure it could be found.

 

Also if the SFA/SPFL provide cash to the wee clubs for this then they can have a say in the quality of coaching - and maybe even about those parents who still believe in kick and rush and kick the opposition.

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We are based in Cambuslang but are willing to travel for the right club / set up for him to keep progressing.

 

I doubt I'd be too far off the mark in saying that Cambuslang would've been not so long ago near the epicentre of Scottish football. By that I mean an area where you'd expect to have to travel the least distance to find a suitable club.

 

I note Clyde are favourites to win their league next season. Eggs all in the one basket perhaps?

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I would have thought scrapping their first team and using youths would have been cheaper no? The best players may go to the better clubs but there are ones who are cast off that will find their level and ones that always slip through the net !

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I doubt I'd be too far off the mark in saying that Cambuslang would've been not so long ago near the epicentre of Scottish football. By that I mean an area where you'd expect to have to travel the least distance to find a suitable club.

 

I note Clyde are favourites to win their league next season. Eggs all in the one basket perhaps?

 

Plenty of boys clubs LIB but it's important for me to get one that is coached correctly.

 

The SFA apparently have lowered the budgets they give to teams and probably would like to create more Regional Academy set ups across the country where teams merge set ups.

Clyde are struggling financially anyway but clubs like Clyde or any club for that matter need their youth set ups and all clubs should invest in their youth.(Imo)

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How many kids from Clyde's under 14s and 15s are going to make the first team, never mind becoming sellable assets? A very small number, if any.

That question could be aimed at most Academy set ups.

Alot of clubs have failed youth systems and in a country where little money exists in the game that needs to change..

I don't think you try to move the game forward by scrapping youth set ups.

Edited by billko
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Camlachie might be a decent bet if you're looking to play at BC level for a season. Admittedly lost track in recent years but Paul Harvey (ex-Hibs, Raith...and Man United!) was heading the youth teams there a couple of years back. Watched them a couple of times when Darryl Meggatt was playing for them before he went to QP. Could be a good pathway back to pro youth too if Harvey is still there.

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Plenty of boys clubs LIB but it's important for me to get one that is coached correctly.

 

The SFA apparently have lowered the budgets they give to teams and probably would like to create more Regional Academy set ups across the country where teams merge set ups.

Clyde are struggling financially anyway but clubs like Clyde or any club for that matter need their youth set ups and all clubs should invest in their youth.(Imo)

Have you had a look at EKFC Bilko?

This has an academy set up with progression to the 1st team but without maybe a wee bit of the pressure that pro youth brings.

message me on here or pm if you think your son would be interested

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Have you had a look at EKFC Bilko?

This has an academy set up with progression to the 1st team but without maybe a wee bit of the pressure that pro youth brings.

message me on here or pm if you think your son would be interested

I have heard of them and we actually both spoke about this team last night.

I know a little bit about them and it looks a good set up that train and play at a great facility.

PM sent

Edited by billko
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If they can even produce a handful of players that are good enough then it's worth it IMO.

 

Agree - with this caveat, that youngsters should be encouraged to make the most of school (it can be put to them as a way of proving their self discipline) or college which is important when many won't make it. But as you say you need to take a lot of kids into training to sort out the ones who are going to make it.

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Thistle Weir are now Elite status and competing in the Elite tier which should see them get the maximum funding available to them from the SFA

 

The tier they moved up from is the Club Academy section and the funding received is lower and from what I have heard has been cut yet again and the main reason Clyde can't continue.

 

It was really frustrating over the last few years that Thistle and other clubs couldn't compete at the higher tier and lots of hurdles were put in the way to make things difficult to move up to this exclusive group.

 

The SFA want more Regional set ups where clubs merge set ups putting foward their best players to make these squads up across the age groups.

This will save the SFA money and any merger will guarantee Elite status

 

Thistle through the Weir funding can keep themselves independent from any such merger and also put in place everything needed to get Elite status.

It's the place you want to be and once in I'm sure nobody is bothered too much with the teams struggling below them.

 

Clyde will probably now get heavily involved with community set ups and have teams playing in boys club leagues but other options that could come up is merging with Airdrie for instance.

I don't know Motherwell's position with regards the funding for the youths just now, but they were struggling financially for a few seasons there, and when you are struggling it's the youth set up that usually suffers.

 

A longshot but they could be the third team in this mergier creating a North Lanarkshire Regional Academy that the SFA would probably back and it would gain Elite staus right away.

Accie's still have the cash to keep their system independent but you could never rule them out joining it sometime in the future if a Regional set up was to be put together.

 

As for the Weir's I would expect them to keep funding the ThistleWeir set up fror years to come but I suppose a quality player /players that are brought through the system and sold on for big money would help too. :)

 

Thistle and Ayr Utd were given the go ahead to play in the Elie Tier this season with Dundee the team being edged out at the final hurdle of the selection process.

Edited by billko
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