Chris Casper

[burnmark]

Our new Academy Manager according to Nixon.

[dougcollins]

Apples don't fall far..

[agreenwood]

Not much on his CV that warrants such a crucial role at a top-end Championship club.

[FCBurnley]

What age is Chris ?

[Claret Till I Die]

What age is Chris ?

49

[123EasyasBFC]

Not much on his CV that warrants such a crucial role at a top-end Championship club.

I would say sporting director even at a league 2 club is probably a bigger role than academy manager

That’s not to say he has the correct cv for the role

[randomclaret2]

Not much on his CV that warrants such a crucial role at a top-end Championship club.

He's been a Youth team coach, Reserve Team coach , First Team Manager and Director of Football , all at League clubs, as well as working for the Premier League.

[aggi]

Not much on his CV that warrants such a crucial role at a top-end Championship club.

Didn't he spend quite a while doing academy development or something for the Premier League before going to Salford.

[Walton]

Screenshot_20241014-223239.png (719.08 KiB) Viewed 4438 times

[Vegas Claret]

played against him a few times in school games, best player I've ever played against by some distance. Such a shame he got so badly injured. Good luck to him in his new role

[boatshed bill]

Not much on his CV that warrants such a crucial role at a top-end Championship club.

CVs are rubbish.

[Burnley1989]

3rd reply before someone writes him off.

[agreenwood]

3rd reply before someone writes him off.

Have I written him off or just pointed out that he’s never run an academy at a club towards the top end of the football pyramid? The only job he’s had at a football club in the last decade, has been working for his best mates at a non-league/L2 club.

Given we’ve had about two academy products break into our first team in the last 15 years and the facilities we now have, I don’t see any harm in having high expectations.

I hope he’s brilliant and that this is the start of a production line for our first team.

[Row x]

Have I written him off or just pointed out that he’s never run an academy at a club towards the top end of the football pyramid? The only job he’s had at a football club in the last decade, has been working for his best mates at a non-league/L2 club.

Given we’ve had about two academy products break into our first team in the last 15 years and the facilities we now have, I don’t see any harm in having high expectations.

I hope he’s brilliant and that this is the start of a production line for our first team.

Looking at his employment history posted above, I would say he's exactly what we need if we want to move the academy forward, gain the top status, which attracts better players who hopefully move to the first team

[blatherwickstattoos]

Someone who gets the club. Supports the club. Born in Burnley. Has all the right background and pedigree. Yet someone writes him off on here already.

[ClaretTony]

Looking at his employment history posted above, I would say he's exactly what we need if we want to move the academy forward, gain the top status, which attracts better players who hopefully move to the first team

Gaining top status, something we should have never lost once we’d attained it.

[Row x]

Gaining top status, something we should have never lost once we’d attained it.

putting someone in place who is qualified to get us back there, is surely something that should be applauded

[ClaretTony]

putting someone in place who is qualified to get us back there, is surely something that should be applauded

That was the problem, they got rid of the person who did get us up there. When we lost Cat 1, we were told that we would be pushing to get back in the next year but there has been no attempt to do so and we are now in year three.

I think Chris will be a good appointment though


as long as he doesn't use WhatsApp

[bfcjg]

I think what also helps for young footballers is to see that there are examples at the club of player progression into the first team,something sadly lacking for a few years, hopefully the owners now realise that and are putting things place.

[Bordeauxclaret]

I think what also helps for young footballers is to see that there are examples at the club of player progression into the first team,something sadly lacking for a few years, hopefully the owners now realise that and are putting things place.

I think it helps for them to see examples of players who have gone on to be professional footballers, not just with our club.
There have been plenty of those recently.

[ClaretTony]

I think what also helps for young footballers is to see that there are examples at the club of player progression into the first team,something sadly lacking for a few years, hopefully the owners now realise that and are putting things place.

I think it helps for them to see examples of players who have gone on to be professional footballers, not just with our club.
There have been plenty of those recently.

A number of players have made first team appearances in recent years although admittedly most have clocked up very few appearances. But I'm more with Bordeauxclaret here. There are a healthy number of players who have played for our academy teams now playing in the Football League.

[Quickenthetempo]

Someone who gets the club. Supports the club. Born in Burnley. Has all the right background and pedigree. Yet someone writes him off on here already.

Fair play if he's a Burnley supporter, after all the abuse his dad got when manager and all the years away at Utd.

[NewClaret]

That looks a perfect CV for the role to me: worked for the premier league, helped get a number of clubs cat one status, DoF at a L2 club achieving a couple of promotions, presumably also well linked in to the Manchester player development scene (which being realistic is probably our best bet in terms of attracting players released by United/City).

Thats before you consider his links to the town/club. We’re always saying we need people who “get” the club, so well done to the club on a perfect appointment as far as I can see.

[bfcjg]

That's the issue, not enough appearances, we need another iconic player who has come up through the ranks and made a place in the starting 11 his own.

[NewClaret]

That was the problem, they got rid of the person who did get us up there. When we lost Cat 1, we were told that we would be pushing to get back in the next year but there has been no attempt to do so and we are now in year three.

I think Chris will be a good appointment though


as long as he doesn't use WhatsApp

Yes, that was really disappointing at the time.

I’d been wondering what was happening there. No knowledge whatsoever but from the outside it looks like we’re taking a different approach?

I’m sure we always did this, but I’ve just become more aware of us signing players released from other big clubs like Ryan, plus signing players like Mendes, Adewumi, Vetro (loaning the latter two) feels like maybe a change in strategy?

I read maintaining cat one is outrageously expensive? Maybe it’s been spending 2/3 years in the Championship that’s prevented us from reapplying? Or we’ve deliberately chosen a different path that we think offers better return on investment?

I don’t mind at all in some ways. It would make sense that the best talent is attracted to cat one but maybe there are some benefits of being cat two - lower level for younger players to develop more gradually, etc… then those that are of a higher standard get loaned vs developing in the academy?

Getting a result like we did against Brighton suggests we’re doing something right, but it’d be good to know the long term strategy is. Maybe this new appointment will mean we get to find out via an interview or something.

[NewClaret]

That's the issue, not enough appearances, we need another iconic player who has come up through the ranks and made a place in the starting 11 his own.

I do like the Cork move though. I think getting recent premier league standard players like Barnes and JRod involved in the academy is a really smart move. Would love to see Ben Mee back in some capacity at some point but it looks like he’s lining himself up for a TV/pundit career.

[Big Vinny K]

It’s hardly the “perfect CV” given he’s never run an Academy at a big club.
But that does not mean he can’t and he’s clearly had experience which lends itself to this kind of role. At that kind of level at a relatively big club like Burnley a lot of this will be around his ability to manage people, communicate, develop and implement a strategy etc etc. And looking at his roles so far he seems a decent fit.

The connection to the club is nice but football and these kind of roles is very much an insular industry and we will have people at the club who will know of his reputation and what he can bring. Given that none of us really even know the long term strategy of the club for the Academy you cannot assume that he is being brought in to regain our Cat 1 status either. One of the big problems with the club in the last few years (compared to say Blackburn and others) is that we keep on changing our minds about what it is we want from the Academy system which may be understandable to a degree in relation to our financial position but does little in terms of the ultimate goal of bringing players through to the first team.

[agreenwood]

It’s hardly the “perfect CV” given he’s never run an Academy at a big club.
But that does not mean he can’t and he’s clearly had experience which lends itself to this kind of role. At that kind of level at a relatively big club like Burnley a lot of this will be around his ability to manage people, communicate, develop and implement a strategy etc etc. And looking at his roles so far he seems a decent fit.

The connection to the club is nice but football and these kind of roles is very much an insular industry and we will have people at the club who will know of his reputation and what he can bring. Given that none of us really even know the long term strategy of the club for the Academy you cannot assume that he is being brought in to regain our Cat 1 status either. One of the big problems with the club in the last few years (compared to say Blackburn and others) is that we keep on changing our minds about what it is we want from the Academy system which may be understandable to a degree in relation to our financial position but does little in terms of the ultimate goal of bringing players through to the first team.

If his name wasn’t Casper and he wasn’t born in the area, I suspect most folk wouldn’t bat an eyelid that I’d queried whether a person who has never run academy before or held any prominent role at a club above L2 level was qualified to undertake a prominent and vital role at a Championship club.

Anyway, good luck to him. Hopefully this proves to be an astute appointment and not just another academy manager who departs with neglible achievements to his name in a few years.

[ClaretTony]

Anyway, good luck to him. Hopefully this proves to be an astute appointment and not just another academy manager who departs with neglible achievements to his name in a few years.

Not all have gone with negligible achievements. There was Blake who just about wrecked the whole youth system and then Pepper who rescued it and took it all the way to Cat 1. Interestingly, Casper followed Pepper into the role at Bradford City.

[Big Vinny K]

If his name wasn’t Casper and he wasn’t born in the area, I suspect most folk wouldn’t bat an eyelid that I’d queried whether a person who has never run academy before or held any prominent role at a club above L2 level was qualified to undertake a prominent and vital role at a Championship club.

Anyway, good luck to him. Hopefully this proves to be an astute appointment and not just another academy manager who departs with neglible achievements to his name in a few years.

Based on the last few years it’s probably going to be the latter. And it’s not likely to be his fault either.
The way football has gone makes it even harder for clubs like ours to bring through young players to the first team. We know which clubs attract the best young players and why they do. It leaves the rest of us with their rejects and a hope that we manage to develop late bloomers like Dwight McNeil. Of course there are isolated examples like Adam Wharton at Blackburn where people will put forward an argument for Cat 1 status but the counter to that would be how much as it cost them to maintain this through the years and also what good as it done the club overall ? The only time they had real success in the last 40 years was not because of their youth system it was simply because of money.

Which kind of leaves me to the conclusion that whoever we appoint does not really matter much to the success of the first team. Where it does matter though is the culture of the club and Burnley being a good environment for young players to develop and enjoy their time here and where possible make a career from the game and where they cannot to be treated fairly and coached well.

[Clive 1960]

Best guy i can remember running school of excellence and helping out with youth team was Dean Ramsdale but he moved on and went on to better things with Man City and he was a great lad ...

[agreenwood]

Not all have gone with negligible achievements. There was Blake who just about wrecked the whole youth system and then Pepper who rescued it and took it all the way to Cat 1. Interestingly, Casper followed Pepper into the role at Bradford City.

The interesting thing about Pepper that I never quite got my head around is his next two jobs were at a club in Nigeria and then running Lincoln’s women’s section. Seemed a big step down from running the academy of a PL club, unless he was paid off and had to accept a non-compete clause.

[FeedTheArf]

Assuming his son is Charlie Casper then he should be familiar with the academy as Charlie has been there since the age of 11.

[blatherwickstattoos]

Best guy i can remember running school of excellence and helping out with youth team was Dean Ramsdale but he moved on and went on to better things with Man City and he was a great lad ...

Dean worked for Burnley in the community and was only a coach at the centre of excellence. Richard dinnis, Clive middlemass and Bob oats were all head of academy whilst he was there.

Think he went Sheffield Wednesday to run their academy before moving to Preston I think it was. Dean was a good guy though

[ClaretTony]

Dean worked for Burnley in the community and was only a coach at the centre of excellence. Richard dinnis, Clive middlemass and Bob oats were all head of academy whilst he was there.

Think he went Sheffield Wednesday to run their academy before moving to Preston I think it was. Dean was a good guy though

You are right, he was head of the community at Burnley, following Bob Oates when he went to Sunderland. Dean went to Preston first and then Sheffield Wednesday before moving to Manchester City.

[Clive 1960]

Dean worked for Burnley in the community and was only a coach at the centre of excellence. Richard dinnis, Clive middlemass and Bob oats were all head of academy whilst he was there.

Think he went Sheffield Wednesday to run their academy before moving to Preston I think it was. Dean was a good guy though

Richard Dinnis was there but rarely saw him when my lad was down there and Inchy was manager..

[blatherwickstattoos]

You are right, he was head of the community at Burnley, following Bob Oates when he went to Sunderland. Dean went to Preston first and then Sheffield Wednesday before moving to Manchester City.

Always liked Richard Dinnis myself. Very good guy. Clive was too. The appalling set up on the old Astro pitch we had back then has done a lot of ex players long term damage. We used to train on it 3 times a week and play games on there. Knees and ankles shot to bits!

The set up today must be like a dream compared to what we used to have.

[blatherwickstattoos]

Richard Dinnis was there but rarely saw him when my lad was down there and Inchy was manager..

Whats your lads name… I might have played on the same team

[ClaretTony]

Always liked Richard Dinnis myself. Very good guy. Clive was too. The appalling set up on the old Astro pitch we had back then has done a lot of ex players long term damage. We used to train on it 3 times a week and play games on there. Knees and ankles shot to bits!

The set up today must be like a dream compared to what we used to have.

Richard Dinnis must be getting on a bit now

[AGENT_CLARET]

Richard Dinnis must be getting on a bit now

81

[blatherwickstattoos]

Richard Dinnis must be getting on a bit now

He seemed old back in the 90’s lol

[ClaretTony]

81 - I thought he must be at least pushing towards 80. I had a few chats with him when he was on RL and I thought he came across as a good bloke. Clive Middlemass, mentioned above, was very definitely a good bloke.

[Clive 1960]

Whats your lads name… I might have played on the same team

Mathew, played down there from 94 for a few years...

[jrgbfc]

Bob Oates, thats a blast from the past lol. Can remember him from the soccer schools down there in school holidays. Is he still around?

[mikeS]

Good luck in your new job Chris.
UTC

[Blondeclaret]

Our new Academy Manager according to Nixon.

The best appointment Burnley have made in the Academy for many many years, at last a genuine football person with years of experience and a genuine interest in Burnley Football Club.

[beddie]

Good luck to Chris.

[ClaretTony]

Bob Oates, thats a blast from the past lol. Can remember him from the soccer schools down there in school holidays. Is he still around?

Worked at Sunderland in their community scheme for eight years after leaving Burnley. I’m assuming he will be retired now.

[ClaretTony]

The best appointment Burnley have made in the Academy for many many years, at last a genuine football person with years of experience and a genuine interest in Burnley Football Club.

He’s definitely that blondeclaret, a football person brought up in a football environment, over a quarter of a century in the game since his enforced early retirement and definitely someone with an interest in BFC although not old enough to have seen his dad play.

[bfcjg]

Looking at Chris's career progression and obvious in depth knowledge of the game could we some day have another Casper as first team manager ?
His dad is still one of my all time favourite Clarets.