Jim McLean's Ghost Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Mark McGhee was talking about this at his press conference so I think we need a thread. The SFA want to introduce a two tier system that will remove at least 5 (and probably more) Premiership teams from the top level of Youth development in Scotland. It will allow the preferred clubs to have the pick of better players and make money down the road on development fees (10% of a transfer paid out to a player's former club starting at 13 years old) And it will have a knock on effect on the clubs that miss out in terms of bringing players into the first team and selling those players on. The proposal spearheaded by Roy McGregor plans to cut the number of clubs in the top level from 16 to 8. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ross-county-chief-roy-mcgregor-9299754 Quote There’s not too many complaints on those issues but the prospect of an eight-team elite group as part of a reduced 16-club academy has several clubs worried they will be on the wrong side of the split. Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs and the SFA’s Forth Valley hub which includes Falkirk, would be nailed on to be in the top division – leaving just two spots up for grabs. Renowned talent factories such as Motherwell, Dundee, Dundee United, Kilmarnock and St Mirren could be in the lower tier, along with the likes of Ross County’s Highland Academy, and several of them are preparing to form a coalition to fight any proposed split. Since Uncle Roy wrote the proposal you can be sure his Highland Academy will be making the cut Quote “Clubs may feel they are being left out. At the moments the criteria is about facilities. We are fortunate at Ross County that we have the facilities but it’s not about that. So that leaves a fight for one spot between Hamilton, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, St Mirren, Dundee, Dundee Utd, Partick Thistle, Fife Academy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Is it not the Highland Football Academy rather than Ross County? I know that might have changed n the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radford Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Dundee are mentioned above but like Saints, are already outside of the elite group, having been turned down for admission a couple of years ago. The SFA wanted the two clubs to form a Tayside coalition I believe but both rightly felt they could successfully run their own programmes. Unsurprisingly, they were then overlooked for elite spots, despite spending six figures (in the case of Saints anyway) trying to and successfully meeting the criteria. Of course, if the SFA weren't run by incompetents and didn't have an incompetent in charge of the national team, we might actually qualify for something and there wouldn't be such a financial squeeze on youth development. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mantis Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 The HFA is a 3-way venture between ICT, RCFC and the Highland Council and includes the Charleston Academy site. Uncle Roy has previous with this, showing tv crews round and providing interviews while not making any effort to deny any inference that the whole thing is a part of Ross County FC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 22 minutes ago, Radford said: Dundee are mentioned above but like Saints, are already outside of the elite group, having been turned down for admission a couple of years ago. The SFA wanted the two clubs to form a Tayside coalition I believe but both rightly felt they could successfully run their own programmes. Unsurprisingly, they were then overlooked for elite spots, despite spending six figures (in the case of Saints anyway) trying to and successfully meeting the criteria. Of course, if the SFA weren't run by incompetents and didn't have an incompetent in charge of the national team, we might actually qualify for something and there wouldn't be such a financial squeeze on youth development. So what do St Johnstone do with youth development when they are outside the elite group. Do you have youth teams lower than the development league U17, U15 etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radford Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Saints run teams at every age group from U11 upwards. The quotes from the club when they were excluded was that they'd run the academy as if it was deemed elite, finances allowing. Seems crazy to me that the SFA would want to prevent a club that can (i.e. have facilities, coaches etc...) from trying to develop young players to be the best they can but it's the way they want to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairWeatherFan Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 The carve up of elite level doesn't seem fair in relation to development fees in particular. A single club would presumably get the entire fee for themselves, but a joint venture would split it. Might as well just force 8 regions in to being. Ayrshire, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Forth Valley (maybe incorporate Fife for the sake of an 8 region solution), Highland, Grampian, Tayside & Lanarkshire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staggie52 Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 47 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said: Since Uncle Roy wrote the proposal you can be sure his Highland Academy will be making the cut So that leaves a fight for one spot between Hamilton, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, St Mirren, Dundee, Dundee Utd, Partick Thistle, Fife Academy. Except he didn't write the proposal, it's not his Highland Academy, it's a joint venture with ICT and Highland Council, he's part of a group that produced the proposal and if your conspiracy theory was right the last spot goes to Hamilton because they've got someone on the group as well. Non story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HibeeJibee Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Tbf other reports have implied that Roy McGregor was simply one member of the 'working panel' along with reps from Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, possibly one of the Edinburgh clubs IIRC, Hamilton and maybe one or two others. If a thread like this has a purpose it's to scrutinise or debate the idea of concentrating the top grade of youth development in just 8 clubs - not to single out Roy McGregor particularly. It was reported in the Daily Record (I know I know...) that Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen were guaranteed places and Hamilton and Falkirk would secure places via their connections. That would leave 1 place. As I said on another thread: many of the proposals seem fair enough, though clearly there's an ideological issue when it comes to developing far fewer players but hoping that makes better elite players. However it's chopping a 16-club academy system into 2 levels of 8, and yet another rejig of reserves/U19s/U20s, which naturally raises eyebrows. It's no surprise teams like Dundee Utd, Motherwell - Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee labels it a "disgrace" in today's Scotsman - Kilmarnock, and many other clubs who play at or aspire to reach the top level are concerned about the impact on finances, recruitment, and therefore future prospects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 6 minutes ago, Staggie52 said: Except he didn't write the proposal, it's not his Highland Academy, it's a joint venture with ICT and Highland Council, he's part of a group that produced the proposal and if your conspiracy theory was right the last spot goes to Hamilton because they've got someone on the group as well. Non story. He sat on the committee that wrote the proposal. So when the 8 Elite Academies are announced and it is Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Forth Valley (SFA), Highland and Hamilton it will be too late to start talking about corruption of the process and cronyism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 After 2012 I didn't think Scottish football could get any more parochial but this is unreal. Lets get a set up that ensures the big boys are virtually guaranteed to get the cream of the young players who'll improve their first teams and then their finances when the player's sold. Good grief. I take it too many of the big boys have been getting relegated combined with, horror of horror, diddies actually winning trophies so steps have to be taken to minimise it happening again. The fact this set up is even being considered shows what a small minded farce Scottish football is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimter-boys Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 34 minutes ago, Radford said: Saints run teams at every age group from U11 upwards. The quotes from the club when they were excluded was that they'd run the academy as if it was deemed elite, finances allowing. Seems crazy to me that the SFA would want to prevent a club that can (i.e. have facilities, coaches etc...) from trying to develop young players to be the best they can but it's the way they want to go. It must work mate people who were at PHS same time I was there played for Scotland youth set up as well as SJFC under 17s, 15s etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staggie52 Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 6 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said: He sat on the committee that wrote the proposal. So when the 8 Elite Academies are announced and it is Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Forth Valley (SFA), Highland and Hamilton it will be too late to start talking about corruption of the process and cronyism. It won't be too late because your already talking about it even although the Elite Academies haven't been announced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dons_1988 Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 I haven't seen all the detail behind this but certainly I'd feel quite uncomfortable about Aberdeen being guaranteed elite youths purely because we're a "bigger club" in Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted November 25, 2016 Author Share Posted November 25, 2016 29 minutes ago, Staggie52 said: It won't be too late because your already talking about it even although the Elite Academies haven't been announced. I'm talking about it now because it is in the paper now, because Mark McGhee is talking about it now. Your response was 58 minutes ago, Staggie52 said: Non story. Meaning you don't think now is the right time for discussion. So when is the right time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeTillEhDeh Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Does this not contravene a whole raft of Employment legislation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caballero Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Roy McGregor should stop putting his money into Ross Cty, then see if they are financially sustainable. Then comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizfit Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Utterly Abysmal Idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 Fucking horrendous idea that completely shafts 95% of clubs in the Country for no discernible reason, theres not even an example they can use to justify it. I look forward to reading this thread again in four months, when its approved, and then again in 18 months when its scrapped as a "rip it up and start again" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH33 Posted November 25, 2016 Share Posted November 25, 2016 2 hours ago, The Mantis said: The HFA is a 3-way venture between ICT, RCFC and the Highland Council and includes the Charleston Academy site. Uncle Roy has previous with this, showing tv crews round and providing interviews while not making any effort to deny any inference that the whole thing is a part of Ross County FC. This was certainly the case when my dad was running it and as far as I'm aware hasn't changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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