10 youth players sign pro

[Barrel of Fun]

Believe you me, there were a few scouts watching Lynch at Newcastle.

I thought there were a lot of scouts watching all the players, no?

 

[Yorkie]

Didnt Bristol say they would bounce back up?

Bounce back from where? They're still in the same division.
They sacked their manager and fared worse.

 

[Bromley shrimp]

Mass clear-out of the senior players in preparation for division One in the Summer then. And a big mistake.

We won't bounce back quick enough. The under-18s are, well, under 18, and there's a lot of Big Boys out there who will delight in kicking them off the park. Plus we're already selling the youth team off to anybody with a shiny penny in their pocket - G.Elphick to St.Albans this very day for an undisclosed, yet sure-to-be-pitiful, sum.

This sucks. The youth team won't be strong enough for next season. The season after, for sure, if there's any of them not been sold off to pay the leckie bill. But we'll be in serious free-fall in Division One next season. IMHO, like.

Most reasoned argument yet. The Gary Elphick comment says it all and Gatting has hardly been prolific - what is it now 0 from 6?

Anyone remember when DK got rid of McDonald, Baird, Maskell, Munday and Morris over night and brought in the likes of youngsters Andy Ansa, Westbrook (winger), Mahoney-Jones, etc, etc + Derek Allen from the reserves and we finished just above Donacaster in 23rd position of the fourth division? Johnson was the only ex-youth player worth a place, but this was in a struggling Div 4 outfit remember.

 

[Yorkie]

Most reasoned argument yet.

Even Tom himself doesn't think it is reasoned. He just loves a good rant now and again for entertainment value.

 

[enigma]

Maybe, was just sort of a guide really to what could be put out.

maybe not good enought for top 8 but to good to go down again.

This is pretty much what I think- I am a realist. I accept that chances are we probably wont go straight back up- but I dont see any reason for us to do a Rotherham.

Signing up the youngsters is a good move- some of them, ie Lynch and Gatting, have already proved themselves and will be stars of the future hopefully. Others may take longer to develop a la Virgo, hence keeping them on for a bit more. Others may not develop at all.

Whatever the scenario, its worth keeping them all as the small costs of signing these boys to pro forms mean its worth keeping them all on just to see how it all pans out.

 

[The Large One]

Once again, will some people please stop and have a reality check?

10 youngsters being given professional contracts DOES NOT equal mass clearout of current senior squad. Very few, if any, will get first team games here before the end of next season. How anyone can make that cosmic leap absolutely beats me. There are some people who find a major problem in even the best news.

Unbelievable.

This is purely an exercise in continuing their football learning experience now that their youth terms are up. There is no guarantee that all or any of these will make it (although I believe some will). If we hadn't kept them on, we would have had to let them go, and then they would have been lost to other clubs, or to the fabulous worlds of chimney-sweeping, or town planning or local Liberal Democrat politics.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Once again, will some people please stop and have a reality check?

10 youngsters being given professional contracts DOES NOT equal mass clearout of current senior squad. Very few, if any, will get first team games here before the end of next season. How anyone can make that cosmic leap absolutely beats me. There are some people who find a major problem in even the best news.

Unbelievable.

This is purely an exercise in continuing their football learning experience now that their youth terms are up. There is no guarantee that all or any of these will make it (although I believe some will). If we hadn't kept them on, we would have had to let them go, and then they would have been lost to other clubs, or to the fabulous worlds of chimney-sweeping, or town planning or local Liberal Democrat politics.

not sure many people are suggesting this

 

[Theatre of Trees]

but with no left back it would still be a problem - and ckr still needs a partner to play along side.

It could be a little easier finding a striker of League One calibre than now.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

It could be a little easier finding a striker of League One calibre than now.

But a good one? IF the club look to get promtion again they dont want to be in the same situation again.

 

[Brovion]

not sure many people are suggesting this

I think you'll find that's precisely what Bromley Shrimp believes despite many posts pointing out the opposite.

 

[Bromley shrimp]

I think you'll find that's precisely what Bromley Shrimp believes despite many posts pointing out the opposite.

"Believes" is too strong, but you have to interpret signals as best you can. The 10 signings cannot be ignored in the context of what might be in store next season and this could therefore be a preparatory move.

When you examine in tandem the events of Autumn 1997, which curiously no one's commented on, you have to consider the distinct possibility that history could repeat itself.