attracting young talented players

[pushpinpussy]

We are in the best position we have ever been in to be able to attract the best young talent in the country.

We have now opened a state of the art training centre and our players are getting international recognition.

Other young talented footballers must be looking at this and thinking what an opportunity I might have if I choose Burnley over other clubs.

[ClaretTony]

Are you talking about young first team players or young kids for the academy?

Regards the latter, I had a really positive meeting yesterday with Geoff McDougle & Tom Reeves who are the two responsible for recruitment up to age 16.

[pushpinpussy]

i was meaning young kids and/or teenagers who might have a few choice of clubs. we must be in a very good position now.

What was the meeting about Tony if you dont mind me enquiring?

[ClaretTony]

Don't mind you enquiring at all - it was a preliminary meeting with them looking at ways we can help the club's academy both from this site's point of view and the supporters clubs too. I'd not met either of them before but, as said, was a positive meeting.

The academy has been in a real mess, the damage done by Blake over five years was horrendous and it is difficult to believe that he was allowed to continue damaging it for as long as he did. It will take a lot of work over a period of time to get us back to even competing with clubs smaller than ours in terms of recruitment. Certainly the progress of the first team will have helped but when Blake finally went we'd hardly an academy scout at the club worthy of the name. It's a big rebuilding job and, having met Jon Pepper too recently I've no doubt that finally we've got some good people in.

Moving on, we were audited recently for EPPP Cat 2. if we get that then that will also be a massive step forward. But we are playing catch up. There's a lot of competition in the area and we've allowed them all to get a few strides ahead of us.

But, there's only one way you can go when you've got as low as we have and that's upwards. Finally, we've started to do that.

[KRBFC]

Don't mind you enquiring at all - it was a preliminary meeting with them looking at ways we can help the club's academy both from this site's point of view and the supporters clubs too. I'd not met either of them before but, as said, was a positive meeting.

The academy has been in a real mess, the damage done by Blake over five years was horrendous and it is difficult to believe that he was allowed to continue damaging it for as long as he did. It will take a lot of work over a period of time to get us back to even competing with clubs smaller than ours in terms of recruitment. Certainly the progress of the first team will have helped but when Blake finally went we'd hardly an academy scout at the club worthy of the name. It's a big rebuilding job and, having met Jon Pepper too recently I've no doubt that finally we've got some good people in.

Moving on, we were audited recently for EPPP Cat 2. if we get that then that will also be a massive step forward. But we are playing catch up. There's a lot of competition in the area and we've allowed them all to get a few strides ahead of us.

But, there's only one way you can go when you've got as low as we have and that's upwards. Finally, we've started to do that.

why aren't we applying for cat 1? what exactly is the difference?

[ClaretTony]

why aren't we applying for cat 1? what exactly is the difference?

Huge difference in running costs. Much higher staff levels required, more coaching hours required, and we are talking millions per year to run it. Ultimately it would be brilliant for us to get there, but the step up to Cat 2 is a big one for us.

There are no facility differences so if our facilities become Cat 2 level then they are also Cat 1 level.

[Sidney1st]

I think we'd need better staff for starters for Cat 1, or improved qualifications.
We'd probably need to show we can actually run the academy for Cat 2 as well, considering the mess it's been in.

[Sidney1st]

Millions per year?

The Venkys have to cough up £2.3million don't they?
That's the lowest bracket for Cat 1 last time I saw something.
Is that just an entry fee or the expected funding costs?

[Bordeauxclaret]

Can anyone list a few things this Blake character did so wrong rather than just saying he caused damage.
Be good to know.

[ClaretTony]

Can anyone list a few things this Blake character did so wrong rather than just saying he caused damage.
Be good to know.

It's pretty obvious given the serious decline in the department during his tenure that a lot went wrong.

I think it was reported that over 40 staff went during his time, some very good people in there too. He ended associations with local junior clubs (something we are now trying to get back) and also with Lancashire Schools FA, banning any kids in our academy from playing for their school. He sent all the kids parents letters to tell them, it cost us some good players.

He wouldn't listen to people who actually knew what they were doing and that cost us some very good young footballers. He bullied some staff too from what I'm told and I'm fully aware he was reported for bullying a young player.

We had some very good staff working in our youth department which was improving and moving forward. Many of those staff are now working at other clubs, certainly including Blackburn and Liverpool, both Cat 1 academies.

[ClaretKent]

How on earth was this allowed to happen? Over 40 staff went.

[randomclaret2]

What were his employers doing during this 5 year wrecking spree ?

[KRBFC]

It's pretty obvious given the serious decline in the department during his tenure that a lot went wrong.

I think it was reported that over 40 staff went during his time, some very good people in there too. He ended associations with local junior clubs (something we are now trying to get back) and also with Lancashire Schools FA, banning any kids in our academy from playing for their school. He sent all the kids parents letters to tell them, it cost us some good players.

He wouldn't listen to people who actually knew what they were doing and that cost us some very good young footballers. He bullied some staff too from what I'm told and I'm fully aware he was reported for bullying a young player.

We had some very good staff working in our youth department which was improving and moving forward. Many of those staff are now working at other clubs, certainly including Blackburn and Liverpool, both Cat 1 academies.

whatever happened to Pash and Vince? did Blake send them packing?

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Bizarre he was allowed to continue for so long given the damage he was meant to have caused.
Can certainly back up the scouting side of things my father in law was told by him not to bother scouting for the club anymore.

[ClaretTony]

What were his employers doing during this 5 year wrecking spree ?

Makes you wonder doesn't it? He reported to Lee Hoos who, it was believed, protected him and his henchman Scott. I wonder whether the situation ever really reached board level, I have my doubts.

The good news is that, although we are way behind where we were, we are getting in positive people now in the department again. I've met Pepper, McDougle and Reeves and all have come across very well indeed and I'm told Nicky Law has made a very positive impression so far. And we can't forget the impact Michael Duff has had in the department. He's helped to bring some professionalism back in there and I'm told has taken to his new role like a duck to water.

There is one other big positive coming too when the youth department move out of the building behind the Longside and return to where they should have always been, at the training ground. They move into the new building two weeks on Monday.

[ClaretTony]

whatever happened to Pash and Vince? did Blake send them packing?

Vince and Dobbo were sent packing by Eddie Howe in October 2011 with Blake immediately put in charge. I can't say for certain but I think there was big involvement there from Paul Fletcher and Brendan Flood. Interesting to see that Blake once again works for them with UCFB.

Pash remained as youth team coach until end of the 2014/15 season but then moved into the first team recruitment set up while Andy Farrell, who ha worked with Pash with the youth team, joined Michael Jolley with the dev squad.

[KRBFC]

Makes you wonder doesn't it? He reported to Lee Hoos who, it was believed, protected him and his henchman Scott. I wonder whether the situation ever really reached board level, I have my doubts.

The good news is that, although we are way behind where we were, we are getting in positive people now in the department again. I've met Pepper, McDougle and Reeves and all have come across very well indeed and I'm told Nicky Law has made a very positive impression so far. And we can't forget the impact Michael Duff has had in the department. He's helped to bring some professionalism back in there and I'm told has taken to his new role like a duck to water.

There is one other big positive coming too when the youth department move out of the building behind the Longside and return to where they should have always been, at the training ground. They move into the new building two weeks on Monday.

Certainly sounds promising, next step..... #AgyeiForEngland

[Bordeauxclaret]

So Fletcher and Flood didn't rate the old setup?

[ClaretTony]

So Fletcher and Flood didn't rate the old setup?

No idea, just that they allowed the manager to have control of the youth department which hadn't been the case with Cotterill, Coyle or Laws and isn't with Dyche.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Hoping we'll start seeing some positive results in the coming years with this new guard.

In terms of production of players able to challenge for the first team it seems to have been broken for a very long time.

[Clarets4me]

Vince and Dobbo were sent packing by Eddie Howe in October 2011 with Blake immediately put in charge. I can't say for certain but I think there was big involvement there from Paul Fletcher and Brendan Flood. Interesting to see that Blake once again works for them with UCFB.

Pash remained as youth team coach until end of the 2014/15 season but then moved into the first team recruitment set up while Andy Farrell, who ha worked with Pash with the youth team, joined Michael Jolley with the dev squad.

I take it Pat McKiernan's still in charge of " Education and Welfare " at the Academy, Tony ?

[DCWat]

I can't imagine any business where its board would not be aware of a major department losing 40 + employees and not asking questions, or being aware.

There must surely have been indications through unplanned recruitment, attrition reports, changing finances and budget variations. That's without considering that there must surely have been reviews of performance across this and other departments.

Questions really should have been asked and some blame must lay firmly with those at board level. It's negligent at best and it's to be hoped that alongside putting a new structure in place, processes have been implemented to ensure that there will be no repeat in the future.

[ClaretTony]

I take it Pat McKiernan's still in charge of " Education and Welfare " at the Academy, Tony ?

He is yes, spoke to him only yesterday.

[randomclaret2]

Surely if Flood , Fletcher and Hoos were involved in Blake's appointment , they must then have monitored the " work " he was doing ? How can the Board not have been aware our youth set-up was being dismantled ? I don't doubt what you say about Blake's role in all this Tony, you know the ins and outs of it far better than me, but I just find it incredible that one chap single handedly , over a 5 year period, wrecked our youth system, including sacking numerous scouts amongst other things...and nobody on the Board knew ??
Incidentally , having watched a fair amount of our youths over the last 10 years or so, I can absolutely attest to how far we have regressed in the last 3/4 years ( prior to this ) but the idea that nobody at the club seems to have noticed seems bizarre...

[Dark Cloud]

It certainly appears that we're actively now recruiting young(ish) players who may have a chance of developing into first team regulars, whether that's for us or at other clubs and Agyei just seems the tip of the present ice berg. At present, however those players seem to be either lads who have had a real chance at other clubs and have been shown the door and we're hoping (not unreasonably because it happens a lot) that somebody has made a mistake and a player really makes great strides, OR they are already highly rated at lower league clubs and we have to pay quite serious money just to be able to take a chance and see what their potential is. The lad from Shrewsbury (Ginelly?) cost a fair bit and Agyei himself was bought from Wimbledon for a decent sum I think. It's when we are getting the really young talented lads signing up and choosing to come here first that we will really see the benefits.

[Ightenclaret]

Isn't it true that thousands of years ago, Burnley's academy was the envy of the known universe?

[maidenover]

Tony,You have correctly raised the alarm many times over the last few years about Blake's performance in wrecking the academy system. And you have been clearly proved right. I think people, including me, are asking who allowed this to happen on their watch. Surely, unless he was a supreme bullshitter, or had some confidant in the Burnley hierarchy knew he was failing but covered up or failed to take action. Who did he report to? Not firing him surely can't have been a financial decision: it must have cost us more to fire say, Brian Laws.

Perhaps you're not feeling easy about answering that, and I don't think there needs to be a witch hunt about this. I think overall we are a really well run club. What's done is done. But more importantly, is there a systemic change in place that will prevent this happening again?

[KRBFC]

Tony,You have correctly raised the alarm many times over the last few years about Blake's performance in wrecking the academy system. And you have been clearly proved right. I think people, including me, are asking who allowed this to happen on their watch. Surely, unless he was a supreme bullshitter, or had some confidant in the Burnley hierarchy knew he was failing but covered up or failed to take action. Who did he report to? Not firing him surely can't have been a financial decision: it must have cost us more to fire say, Brian Laws.

Perhaps you're not feeling easy about answering that, and I don't think there needs to be a witch hunt about this. I think overall we are a really well run club. What's done is done. But more importantly, is there a systemic change in place that will prevent this happening again?

I think from reading Tony's posts the main issue was giving the first team manager (Howe) the freedom to do whatever he liked with the youth setup. I can only gather info from Tony's posts but from what he says it sounds like we haven't given Dyche the same freedom to change the youth setup that Howe was given which certainly sounds like a step in the right direction and learning from previous mistakes.

[jurek]

I wasn't aware of the goings on with the youth system that has been pointed out in previous posts apart
from the fact that we'd hardly produced many, if any of our own homegrown over the last 5 years or so
- apart from possibly Rodriguez.

It does sound as if we've improved it and going in the right direction but it may be some time yet before we
do get any coming through.

It's absolutely essential, I believe, for a club such as Burnley to be producing their own young talent
who can make it into the first team alongside bringing in players from other clubs for reasonable fees
who can step up to the mark which is what we seemed to have relied on more recently (Keane, Mee, Trippier most notably
but a few others one could easily be included).
We're going to continue doing that for a number of years.

It's probably getting much more difficult to compete at local/UK level but hopefully we'll look a
more attractive option for some youngsters who previously may have gone to bigger clubs.
Time will no doubt tell.

I wonder if we're looking at bringing in some youngsters from overseas or tying up with a few clubs?
That may be our best option in finding good talent. It won't be cheap but if handled and developed well
could turn out very beneficial for all concerned and possibly save us a good few million in the long run.

We only need to bring on two or three who admittedly we may have to sell eventually but
who, whilst they're with us, make a positive contribution to the team.

[claretabroad]

If we have good quality coaching, good facilities and a recognised path to the first team we will become more attractive to young players (and their families). It seems like all 3 of these factors were severely diminished during Blakes reign. I'm glad we are now making strides forward but whether we succeed will be determined by first team appearances in the next 5 years.