Burnley Academy star joins Man City

[Claretfanatic1982]

Not heard of him before but 14 year old academy star Will Stanley -Jones has joined Man City in a £500,000 deal.
Allegedly one of the best strikers in the country for his age.

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/man-ci ... dc33f9a71c

[jdrobbo]

When you go back in time, 20 years, that sort of money for a child down the ages, would’ve been unbelievable, but now it just saddens me.

For most academies, their prime talents are just big fish jumping out of the water to be seen…sadly though, the elite clubs don’t come with their fishing rods, they just throw their nets out abs grab what they want. It’s sad.

[Conroy92]

When you go back in time, 20 years, that sort of money for a child down the ages, would’ve been unbelievable, but now it just saddens me.

Around 20 years ago we got a million quid for John Coffee.

[ClaretTony]

Not the first time we've done this recently - a couple of young lads around the same age moved to Manchester United not that long ago

[Juan Tanamera]

Around 20 years ago we got a million quid for John Coffee.

Let's hope this young lad's career path doesn't follow the same trajectory as as John Coffee's.

[FCBurnley]

Are we that desperate for 500k ? If he is good as reported he will be worth way more in 3 or 4 years.

[NewClaret]

Really disappointing to read things like this. We have some good lads in the Academy, I’m told, but what’s the point if we have to sell them to clubs like City and United?

Wonder whether this type of deal come with sell-ons, if they turn him in to the next big thing?

[NewClaret]

Are we that desperate for 500k ? If he is good as reported he will be worth way more in 3 or 4 years.

Guess there’s an element to it that if City come knocking the parents will want him to go and there’s probably a high chance they leave for nothing a few years down the line if you don’t say yes.

[ralph8]

Seems like a sad state of affairs - is it compensation monies after the boy and his parents have been tapped up by a bigger club and we have no choice but to let them go. It must be quite demotivating for the group of players in his age group still remaining in the team.

[Juan Tanamera]

Are we that desperate for 500k ? If he is good as reported he will be worth way more in 3 or 4 years.

Is it possible that someone saw bright lights and dollar signs?

[DCWat]

Is that a benefit of us now being CAT1, a greater level of compensation?

I don’t like it, but taking my Claret tinted specs off, it’s probably financially very beneficial to the lad and has family, whilst also, presumably, sees him trained and developed by some of the best around.

Putting my Claret tinted specs back on, does he now become a smaller fish in a much larger pond, with possibly less chance to make it to first team level, by joining one of the bigger academies?

[Mattster]

Are we that desperate for 500k ? If he is good as reported he will be worth way more in 3 or 4 years.

Due to EPP the club doesn't have a choice. If we weren't a Cat1 academy we'd be entitled to significantly less.

[ŽižkovClaret]

On the bright side, it shows players who maybe haven't quite made those academies that we can develop them.

Also, if players are leaving those top tier academies, there are players there now that will help sell Burnley's academy to them.

Maybe we get the next McNeil?

[Clive 1960]

So sad to see but it's been happening for year's and nothing you can do about it unfortunately, hope the lad goes on to big things...

[Goliath]

Is there a possibility of additional.add ons or sell on clauses with these deals?

[ecc]

I find paying money for a 14-year-old immoral.

But then I don't think it's right a 15-year-old should be playing professional football

[equinox]

Is it wrong to hope he doesn't make it?

[ChrisG]

I find paying money for a 14-year-old immoral.

But then I don't think it's right a 15-year-old should be playing professional football

Surely if they are good enough, they are old enough. Rooney was playing in the premier league at 16

[Enola Gay]

Is it wrong to hope he doesn't make it?

Well, yeah?

[dogwith3legs]

Is it wrong to hope he doesn't make it?

It's disappointing for us clarets to see talent leave, but these are all just young lads chasing the dream. It can be a very cruel game for some. You have to take the opportunities when they come. The very best of luck to him and hope he makes it.

[Boss Hogg]

They will throw loads of incentives at the parents and the player. They will be ruthless if they decide he’s not good enough though. They cast a wide net with very few making it.

[Holmechapel]

Hope we’ve put in a buy back clause if as other posters say he gets cast aside at City but still may be good enough for us.

[Woodleyclaret]

Moving for better coaching? Yeah right just like Manures first team coaches?

[randomclaret2]

Moving for better coaching? Yeah right just like Manures first team coaches?

He's signed for City

[IanMcL]

Are we that desperate for 500k ? If he is good as reported he will be worth way more in 3 or 4 years.

Doesn't work like that though. Little choice but 'entitled' to compensation, for work done in development.

He will probably never be heard of again.

[BurnleyFC]

Pep and co. will coach shooting out of him.

[Conroy92]

Is it wrong to hope he doesn't make it?

Wrong, maybe not.
Absolutely pathetic, yes.

[Mattster]

Is there a possibility of additional.add ons or sell on clauses with these deals?

Yes.

Wikipedia has some of the details under rhe "changes" section
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_P ... mance_Plan

[Ampth7]

Something is very wrong when these sorts of deals are happening.

It’s just plain wrong and as someone else alluded to, what’s the f****n point in having an academy when you’re a club our size surrounded by clubs like the United yanks and City Arabs?

I hope this lad doesn’t go on to regret his decision in the long term, because there is absolutely no guarantee that moving to City will improve his chances of making the grade!

[Cooclaret]

Are we that desperate for 500k ? If he is good as reported he will be worth way more in 3 or 4 years.

Christ on a bike! Or, he wants to go and play with the very best age group players.

Give your head a wobble. Manchester (both clubs) are huge pulls for anyone born in the NorthWest.

[Cooclaret]

Is it wrong to hope he doesn't make it?

And some people called me out for suggesting that some of the fan base on this board was toxic.

Awful comment.

[Cooclaret]

Something is very wrong when these sorts of deals are happening.

It’s just plain wrong and as someone else alluded to, what’s the f****n point in having an academy when you’re a club our size surrounded by clubs like the United yanks and City Arabs?

I hope this lad doesn’t go on to regret his decision in the long term, because there is absolutely no guarantee that moving to City will improve his chances of making the grade!

Because the three lads that have gone to Manchester and the one lad that’s gone to Liverpool likely pay for the entirety of the academy to stay open and provide a platform for more kids to come through, for community development opportunities and so on.

We’re not a big club, and we’ve always sold on our good academy players with the exception of one (that I can think of) and he is playing national league and scored against Morecambe at the weekend.

Bet he wished he’d gone when offered now.

[Andingle]

Because the three lads that have gone to Manchester and the one lad that’s gone to Liverpool likely pay for the entirety of the academy to stay open and provide a platform for more kids to come through, for community development opportunities and so on.

We’re not a big club, and we’ve always sold on our good academy players with the exception of one (that I can think of) and he is playing national league and scored against Morecambe at the weekend.

Bet he wished he’d gone when offered now.

Can't disagree with any of that apart from it's 2 players from the current U12s that Liverpool signed.
Agreed players have been picked from us for years now , it's just the nature of the bigger beast.
The player concerned in the original post has only been in the Academy for about 2 seasons so it's not a bad financial return in fairness.

[jrgbfc]

Good chance we'll never hear of this lad again. Can't really blame him for wanting to go, no doubt his parents have been offered all kinds of sweeteners.

[Bfc]

I wonder if the parents are offered an incentive to prise their child from the club, ie buying them a new car. In the 70s, an incentive offered to the parents for their son to sign for a club, after them leaving school, was to buy his Mum a new washing machine.

[Commy]

I wonder if the parents are offered an incentive to prise their child from the club, ie buying them a new car. In the 70s, an incentive offered to the parents for their son to sign for a club, after them leaving school, was to buy his Mum a new washing machine.

Spurs offered the parents a house when they were after one of our players.

[Guppyspotter]

Fair play to the player, he's benefitting from the years of hard work he's put in so far. I don't begrudge him one bit. hopefully it will inspire others having seen that you can turn your dreams into reality.

[fanzone]

Is this not another form of child exploitation?

Surely selling children is illegal aswell as immoral

[Clive 1960]

They will throw loads of incentives at the parents and the player. They will be ruthless if they decide he’s not good enough though. They cast a wide net with very few making it.

They certainly do , I remember a lad who was decent from Burnley and our manager watched him but won't name and they bought him football boots and that's going back a bit ..

[claretonthecoast1882]

Is it wrong to hope he doesn't make it?

Yes

[ralph8]

Does not sit comfortable being the Utd, City and Liverpool academy feeder club. Wonder if Blackburn has the same issues.l ans they seem to produce a number of professionals. Also how do the relatively smaller London clubs Fulham, Palace,QPR and Watford tear the same issues with Chelsea l, Arsenal and Spurs.
In other words any way to nip this in the bud.

[daveisaclaret]

He's a child - totally appropriate that he can play football for whatever team he wants. Far from a perfect system but it's right that he shouldn't be treated as a commodity and the money transferred represents compensation for our efforts and not a fee for his labour.

That people on here would hold this against him or think he shouldn't be able to leave Burnley is frankly scary.

[ClaretTony]

Is this not another form of child exploitation?

Surely selling children is illegal aswell as immoral

We haven't sold him though, we have received compensation from Manchester City, the club he has chosen to join.

[fatboy47]

, we have received compensation from Manchester City,

Which, rightly or wrongly, I'd imagine BFC are delighted with.

[ClaretTony]

Which, rightly or wrongly, I'd imagine BFC are delighted with.

I would think so, getting money for players is how the club is structured now at all levels.

[Clive 1960]

I would think so, getting money for players is how the club is structured now at all levels.

Been like that for year's down there ....

[Claretfanatic1982]

Yes.

Wikipedia has some of the details under rhe "changes" section
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite_P ... mance_Plan

I knew it was easier for the elite cat 1 clubs to get the young players but I was quite shocked to read this on the wiki page

The new rules mean that a Category 1 academy can go to any other training ground to watch a player (giving 48 hours' notice) and effectively buy the player for a fixed fee starting from £3,000

No wonder a lot of the smaller clubs got rid of their academies.

[Andingle]

Does not sit comfortable being the Utd, City and Liverpool academy feeder club. Wonder if Blackburn has the same issues.l ans they seem to produce a number of professionals. Also how do the relatively smaller London clubs Fulham, Palace,QPR and Watford tear the same issues with Chelsea l, Arsenal and Spurs.
In other words any way to nip this in the bud.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/35624802 ... gning-fee/

[jlup1980]

At least we get fairly compensated now. There is still a hierarchy though, and we are small fry in the grand scheme of things. However, if you were a 14 year old kid and Man City came calling what would you do?!

Whether he achieves his potential is another thing, but you'd argue he has more chance at Man City as you'd expect that he'll be surrounded by a better standard of player and better coaches. Good luck to the lad.

Anyone complaining needs to understand that we very likely do the same thing to other clubs. A prospect at Blackpool would jump at the chance to join Burnley - but we won't pay anything like £500k for their services. Swings and roundabouts.

[Cooclaret]

In each years set up, there are a small few that the club has expectations to make the grade at the next level up 14<15<16 and so on up-to professional contracts.

The rest are there to facilitate those few and are given an opportunity to progress their careers and seek professional contract within the game. Occasionally a ‘filler’ player makes a break through.

There are the generational players that have been missed by the academy system (played grassroots/new to country/area) and appear in smaller academies and are then hoovered up to a larger academy.

We take from Arsenal/United etc and hope to progress them within our own academy. We recruit from lower academies such as Accy and Morecambe.

I have a child in the academy system who went from a smaller club to BFC and then to PNE and now back to BFC.

Players in academies move ALOT across all age groups. Coaches move ALOT and take players with them.

Players are released all year round. Watched an academy game recently against Morecambe (pre sale) and the majority of parents seemed to be Scouse.

You have to be an athletic machine to be in some academies, some focus on technical, and so on.