SFA and Uncle Roy carving up the Elite Youth set up

[Caballero]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

A stunning plethora of young players to prove how good your youth system is. 

Its almost a decade since they were at your club, whos come through since then?

Tony Dingwall....lolz

[Illgresi]

11 hours ago, TheScarf said:

From clubs like Ross County who bring through, well no one. They all get released at 19 and sign for Elgin City or Brora Rangers.

Inverness are a well known powerhouse of youth development yourselves... You've managed one good Shinnie. Enlighten me as to how you have the position to slag County?

As to the OP, it's a horrendous idea. The youth systems in this country are mostly being invested in, and at least from an Aberdeen point of view, heavily so, and being fruitful.

I have no problem with the SFA setting up development schools. In fact, I think it's a great idea. The so called 'elite' teams can have our own systems, and the players who fall through the cracks can be picked up by the SFA system. However, the notion of dividing youth systems on the basis of how 'big' their parent club is, is horrendous.

[Staggie52]

32 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

A stunning plethora of young players to prove how good your youth system is. 

Its almost a decade since they were at your club, whos come through since then?

I never said that we were prolific, I just pointed out that your post wasn't exactly right, and you're right we did let it go for a while but we're now looking a bit better and will hopefully improve, but feel free to slag us off if it makes you feel good.

[Caballero]

To be honest, the highland teams are absolutely pointless.

I would shut the A9 and tell them to get to Fochabers

[Staggie52]

8 minutes ago, Caballero said:

To be honest, the highland teams are absolutely pointless.

I would shut the A9 and tell them to get to Fochabers

Bless....

[Cyclizine]

If we want talent concentrated in fewer centre, why do we not just go down the route having SFA funded 'elite' academies, like the French do. If clubs want their own, they can find them themselves.

[RandomGuy.]

29 minutes ago, Staggie52 said:

I never said that we were prolific, I just pointed out that your post wasn't exactly right, and you're right we did let it go for a while but we're now looking a bit better and will hopefully improve, but feel free to slag us off if it makes you feel good.

Its not about "feeling good", its questioning why Ross County should be included as part of the "elite" when they have a hilariously bad record in youth development.

[Staggie52]

Not very bright are you? We're not in the Elite section, if we're selected it will be the Highland Academy which as you probably know is a joint venture with ICT, Highland Council and Ross County . It's not about County it's about the Highland Academy, do try to keep up.

[Illgresi]

How about this:

We leave the development league as it is, provided each club puts in a set minimum amount per year. The other 26 clubs dissolve their youth systems, and can then focus their finances on their first team.

Below that we have a centralised SFA run youth system, focused at both providing players for the lower leagues, and also a safety net for players released by the big clubs. Naturally, there will be some players who excel at this level, and first refusal is given to the clubs who are at the lower level.

[HibeeJibee]

16 hours ago, Staggie52 said:

The SFA appointed a group to come up with proposals. They don't make the decision, the SFA does.

 

10 hours ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Who will have the final say on this?

According to press reports, the criteria required to get in could be set as soon as next month with the bids decided at the end of the season. At least one newspaper claimed one or more clubs likely to be left out were obtaining legal advice on whether that's permissible - can the executive decide on such a matter as their own prerogative, or does it require club ratification. There's a whole raft of press reports on the topic with various tit-bits of info - at least some appear to have seen the 'Project Brave' materal itself:

http://plzsoccer.com/news/131859/mcghee-concerns-over-project-brave/
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/14925993.Mark_McGhee__It_d_be_a_disgrace_to_overlook_Motherwell_for_elite_youth_league/

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/sfa-spark-civil-war-stewart-9291119
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/opinion/sport/project-brave-innovative-good-game-9296181
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/dundee-united/316552/concerns-dundee-united-impact-new-project-brave-proposal/
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2016/11/23/spfl-championship-clubs-meet-sfa-chief-executive-stewart-regan-project-brave-discussions/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38043081


SFA Board consists of Regan, Topping, Petrie (Hibs), Mulraney (Alloa), the SFA President (Cove), the Juniors secretary, plus 2 unaffiliated. However there's also a Professional Sub-Board which consists of the first 5 of them plus Regan's subordinate, Fraser (Aberdeen), Robertson (Rangers) and reps from HL (Lossiemouth) and LL (Preston). Unclear which it is.

Given SPFL run U20s Development League and the proposed alteration turns it into an SPFL Trophy presumably that wouldn't be an SFA decision. May just be SPFL Board, though.

[RandomGuy.]

Not very bright are you? We're not in the Elite section, if we're selected it will be the Highland Academy which as you probably know is a joint venture with ICT, Highland Council and Ross County . It's not about County it's about the Highland Academy, do try to keep up.

Well yes, but ICT, and the whole "Highland Academy" still has an embarrassingly shite success rate, as does the whole of the "North" before the academy was even set up.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

The whole set-up stinks of a carve up between the top clubs.

The crazy thing is that going to Celtic/Rangers is probably the worst thing a young player could do to further their career.

[Brazilianlex]

27 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

The whole set-up stinks of a carve up between the top clubs.

The crazy thing is that going to Celtic/Rangers is probably the worst thing a young player could do to further their career.

 

It is a massive stitch up by the big clubs.

3 years ago, the 4 Fife clubs were encouraged by Mark Wotte to amalgamate academies so they could compete in the elite league. They were told there would be at least a 5 year freeze on any further changes.

So that's out the window now and to be allowed to play in the new elite league, you will have to be a platinum academy. That's a min £500k investment. Only the big clubs can afford it but they will trouser 2.2 million between them to help. Look at Hearts and Celtic current under 20 players to see where that money will go, on more foreigners !

The saddest part of this is that unless you live in a city or have well off parents, kids from rural areas of Scotland will have no chance of ever becoming top professionals.

As a Fifer, and part of the carve up, Craig Levein should hang his head in shame.

 

 

[Mr Romanov]

10 minutes ago, Brazilianlex said:

It is a massive stitch up by the big clubs.

3 years ago, the 4 Fife clubs were encouraged by Mark Wotte to amalgamate academies so they could compete in the elite league. They were told there would be at least a 5 year freeze on any further changes.

So that's out the window now and to be allowed to play in the new elite league, you will have to be a platinum academy. That's a min £500k investment. Only the big clubs can afford it but they will trouser 2.2 million between them to help. Look at Hearts and Celtic current under 20 players to see where that money will go, on more foreigners !

The saddest part of this is that unless you live in a city or have well off parents, kids from rural areas of Scotland will have no chance of ever becoming top professionals.

As a Fifer, and part of the carve up, Craig Levein should hang his head in shame.

 

 

I agree with most of your post, but the criticism of the Hearts 20's is unfair. We've had to fill the young team with short term signings as we have brought through so many young Scottish players in recent years that we have emptied the academy. Just yesterday another one made his first team debut.

[ICTChris]

Such as Don Cowie and Garrie McKay Steven?

Since those two were at County, ICT have had the following players get caps at Under 21 level

Rory McAllister
Zander Sutherland
Jamie Duff
Nick Ross
Graeme Shinnie
Ryan Christie
Liam Polworth

I'm not saying our youth system is brilliant or that all those players 'made it' but we have had some success getting players through. A good question might be why, given we share such great facilities, haven't we and Ross County had more players come through.

[Brazilianlex]

11 minutes ago, Mr Romanov said:

I agree with most of your post, but the criticism of the Hearts 20's is unfair. We've had to fill the young team with short term signings as we have brought through so many young Scottish players in recent years that we have emptied the academy. Just yesterday another one made his first team debut.

Hearts have produced young players but an American scored for the first team yesterday and we have 19 year old Todorov on loan. Are there no good young centre forwards in Scotland ?

Only time will tell if this produces better Scottish talent and I hope I'm proved wrong but this does smack of more self interest by the Clubs rather than the good of the Scottish game.

[Enigma]

If we want to go down the elite route then what would be wrong with doing regional academies: Lothian and Border, Ayrshire and Dumfries, Strathclyde, Forth Valley, Fife, Tayside, Grampian and Highlands. There's your eight. You could then have a MLS style draft system for SPFL clubs in the region once they come of age, though that would involve Rangers and Celtic not getting the first pick so will never happen.

[Brazilianlex]

2 hours ago, Enigma said:

If we want to go down the elite route then what would be wrong with doing regional academies: Lothian and Border, Ayrshire and Dumfries, Strathclyde, Forth Valley, Fife, Tayside, Grampian and Highlands. There's your eight. You could then have a MLS style draft system for SPFL clubs in the region once they come of age, though that would involve Rangers and Celtic not getting the first pick so will never happen.

That's far too sensible an idea ! And remember it has to be in favour of the old firm.

[StuartTaylor]

On Friday, November 25, 2016 at 18:38, ICTChris said:

Is it not the Highland Football Academy rather than Ross County? I know that might have changed n the last few years.

Not exactly sure what the current status is. It was allegedly on the point of bankruptcy a season or so back and Highland Council had pulled out, wasn't that in the local press?

[Gaz FFC]

On Friday, November 25, 2016 at 21:41, RandomGuy. said:

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"

The modern day 10,000 all seater criteria it is.

Great how Scottish clubs try to shaft each other rather than work together.

We are own worse enemy