12 year old sold to Utd for £180k. Any ideas?

[Father Jack]

According to Mike Duff at a Cheltenham fans forum this week.
Has this already been covered?
Anyone aware of the circumstances?

[Devils_Advocate]

I heard we were in for him but refused to meet his pocket money demands

[ontario claret]

Bobby Orr was 13 when the Boston Bruins signed him (that's NHL ice hockey). No child labour laws in those days, apparently.

[ClaretTony]

The likelihood here is that the kid was in our academy but wanted to move to Man U and we got some compensation for him.

[tybfc]

The likelihood here is that the kid was in our academy but wanted to move to Man U and we got some compensation for him.

And he would have been better staying at Burnley.

[bfccrazy]

And he would have been better staying at Burnley.

He would but mummy and daddy couldn’t say their son played for Man United.

John Cofie is currently at Derry City after his £1,000,000 move at 15.

[ClaretTony]

And he would have been better staying at Burnley.

But we've seen it before. It was pushy parents that saw John Cofie move to Man U and that didn't work out for him although, in fairness, it was injuries that caused him a lot of problems. But we've seen a lot of examples in recent years where players have been snapped up by the big clubs at a young age and have achieved basically nothing in the game. But that's how it has always worked and will continue to do so when the big clubs want, they tend to get.

[Paul Waine]

I heard we were in for him but refused to meet his pocket money demands

No pocket money if you dont keep your room tidy!

[Dyched]

LOL. People talking like we produce players for fun at a good standard

[Claret Till I Die]

We used to have a conveyor belt of talent

[ClaretAndJew]

We used to have a conveyor belt of talent

In the last 20 years who have we produced?

[Claret Till I Die]

I didn't say that we still did..

Jay Rod is the obvious one though

[ClaretAndJew]

I didn't say that we still did..

Jay Rod is the obvious one though

20 years ago would be used to, wouldn't it?

I'm struggling to think of anyone in the last 30 years, let alone 20 years.

[Claret Till I Die]

20 years ago would be used to, wouldn't it?

As would 40 or 50 years ago.

[Claret Till I Die]

As I didn't qualify my original post with a timescale, I'm struggling to see your argument.

[ClaretAndJew]

As I didn't qualify my original post with a timescale, I'm struggling to see your argument.

It's not an argument, per-se, just an observation. We also used to win the top league.

At one point history either becomes irrelevant or every part of it stays relevant.

So we should either be annoyed at not producing quality academy products, or accept it for what it is.

[TheFamilyCat]

In the last 20 years who have we produced?

As well as Jay Rod, Chaplow, McCann and Lafferty all had decent careers. You could also add Pugh even though he didn't break into our team.

Agree, it's not exactly a conveyer belt but to say we produced nobody is wrong.

[ClaretAndJew]

As well as Jay Rod, Chaplow, McCann and Lafferty all had decent careers. You could also add Pugh even though he didn't break into our team.

Agree, it's not exactly a conveyer belt but to say we produced nobody is wrong.

I didn't say we'd produced no one, just not this plethora of talent that people seem to think.

5 players in 25+ years.

[Billyblah]

LOL. People talking like we produce players for fun at a good standard

But we surely never will do if mummy and daddy fail to see the bigger picture and encourage their darling children towards the lottery that is the 'big six'.

After producing a conveyor belt full of youth players back in the sixties and seventies I'm struggling to count a handful in the last thirty years.

[claptrappers_union]

I remember going to Gawthorpe about 10 years ago, some of the staff, who were members on this forum (ClaretsMad) took me to some pitches to see some of the youngsters.

One of the players was a relation of Paul Scholes, and you could tell. Another one was Jimmy McIllroys great-Grandson (I think).

They’d be between about 18 and 21 now, I presume they no longer involved with us anymore.

[TheFamilyCat]

I didn't say we'd produced no one, just not this plethora of talent that people seem to think.

5 players in 25+ years.

I'm struggling to think of anyone in the last 30 years, let alone 20 years.

You could forgive me for thinking you'd said we'd produced nobody.

[ClaretAndJew]

You could forgive me for thinking you'd said we'd produced nobody.

When does struggling to think of equate to we've produced nobody?

[Dyched]

But we surely never will do if mummy and daddy fail to see the bigger picture and encourage their darling children towards the lottery that is the 'big six'.

After producing a conveyor belt full of youth players back in the sixties and seventies I'm struggling to count a handful in the last thirty years.

So what did the big 6 have to do with 30/25/20 years ago? If there good enough they’d make it at some level. Youngsters going to Utd, City etc have more a chance making it to a decent league level imo.

[Cleveleys_claret]

Regardless of what has gone on before I think we need to look forward. I think with the facilities we now have we should be looking at emulating the likes of Them down the road, Leeds, Forest who with similar facilities have produced some good players over the last 5 years. I think with another upgrade of our facilities when we are able to (Premier League status permitting) then we will reap the rewards it will just take time.

[NottsClaret]

Even if Phil Foden was born and raised in Rosegrove I imagine City would still have swooped in, wowed his parents and taken him off to their mega-academy.

[Spijed]

Even if Phil Foden was born and raised in Rosegrove I imagine City would still have swooped in, wowed his parents and taken him off to their mega-academy.

Will be interesting to see if he turns out as good as Paul Scholes. He's the benchmark in that respect.