Has our youth system every produced a really decent striker?

[Lady Whistledown]

Well?

Lots of average but never-going-to-set-the-world-alight centre halves over the last twenty years or so: Elphick, Virgo, Hinshelwood, Stuart Tuck, Paul McCarthy, Ross Johnson. The odd full back (Harding, Mayo) or inconsistent midfielder (Hammond, Cox), but barely a striker worthy of the name, unless I'm doing someone a grave injustice here.

-Joe Gatting?
-Scott Ramsay?
-Jake Robinson? (OK, he scored a few goals, but has found his level in the fourth division and is inconsistent at best still: was never going to be our 20 goal a season man or be the player other clubs were after)

There are probably loads more I've forgotten who are these days terrorising the defenders of the Sussex County League and living off the one League Cup first round goal they shinned in against Southend in the late 1990s ("I used to be a pro, you know"). Have we, in the last twenty five years, produced a single striker who has had the scouts queuing up, or the papers eagerly linking him to higher placed clubs?

Where are the good ones? Is Sussex football so bad that they just don't exist? Do our strikers start out OK but have all the ability coached out of them? I can't imagine Hampshire is a football hotbed but Southampton seem able to scout out (and steal if necessary) talented youngsters that other clubs are desperate to snap up. As do Palace, Watford, Crewe- historically- and others. Just wondering, like, and whether the Poyet influence will permeate deep enough to have a positive impact on our youth scheme.

 

[Icy Gull]

No, unless Ian Muir came through our youth system

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Southampton have an academy which is why we are starting one. Our youth team, like the first team has been operated on a shoe string up to now with coaches who are barely adequate.

 

[Gazwag]

You have to remember Jake is still very young, well that was always the excuse

 

[The Spanish]

nor a striker but welly is a big omission from the original list.

 

[gjh1971]

There has been a graveyard of 'next big thing' strikers that never made it - Chris McPhee, Simon Funnell, David Gipp, Simon Fox, Phil Andrews, Mike Ring etc etc - i cannot recall one striker we have produced that have gone on to greater things. Ian Muir came from QPR by the way

 

[bobby smith]

well?

Lots of average but never-going-to-set-the-world-alight centre halves over the last twenty years or so: Elphick, virgo, hinshelwood, stuart tuck, paul mccarthy, ross johnson. The odd full back (harding, mayo) or inconsistent midfielder (hammond, cox), but barely a striker worthy of the name, unless i'm doing someone a grave injustice here.

-joe gatting?
-scott ramsay?
-jake robinson? (ok, he scored a few goals, but has found his level in the fourth division and is inconsistent at best still: Was never going to be our 20 goal a season man or be the player other clubs were after)

there are probably loads more i've forgotten who are these days terrorising the defenders of the sussex county league and living off the one league cup first round goal they shinned in against southend in the late 1990s ("i used to be a pro, you know"). Have we, in the last twenty five years, produced a single striker who has had the scouts queuing up, or the papers eagerly linking him to higher placed clubs?

Where are the good ones? Is sussex football so bad that they just don't exist? Do our strikers start out ok but have all the ability coached out of them? I can't imagine hampshire is a football hotbed but southampton seem able to scout out (and steal if necessary) talented youngsters that other clubs are desperate to snap up. As do palace, watford, crewe- historically- and others. Just wondering, like, and whether the poyet influence will permeate deep enough to have a positive impact on our youth scheme.

yes gareth barry

 

[Lady Whistledown]

There has been a graveyard of 'next big thing' strikers that never made it - Chris McPhee, Simon Funnell, David Gipp, Simon Fox, Phil Andrews, Mike Ring etc etc - i cannot recall one striker we have produced that have gone on to greater things. Ian Muir came from QPR by the way

Ah, McPhee, that was the one I was trying to remember

Spanish- who is Welly?

 

[Icy Gull]

yes gareth barry

except he's not a striker

 

[bobby smith]

Sorry didnt read it correct, thought it said all footballers LOL

 

[Thunder Bolt]

yes gareth barry

is a midfielder as was Jake Robinson.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

yes gareth barry

He's not a striker. And of the two players that got snapped up by Villa at that time, typically our club thought it was going to be Michael Standing that would go on to become the big name which possibly says something.

 

[The Spanish]

Ah, McPhee, that was the one I was trying to remember

Spanish- who is Welly?

mr chapman

 

[Nottseagull]

Tony Towner? (although he was more of an old fashioned winger).

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Southampton have an academy which is why we are starting one. Our youth team, like the first team has been operated on a shoe string up to now with coaches who are barely adequate.

What does an academy do that a normal youth development scheme doesn't? I don't actually know.

I'm rather hoping that Poyet will have a positive impact on ours in the same way that the Spanish coaching system is now seemingly turning out technically brilliant players at all levels. It would be nice to see players- hopefully Forster-Caskey will be one- who are confident on the ball, can pick a killer pass, and always look to have time, rather than more run-of-the-mill average lower league journeymen that have gone before. Hopefully if he stays long enough and this academy thing gets off the ground, we might start to turn out some special players for a change. Particularly ones who know where the net is.

 

[tonymgc]

Southampton have an academy which is why we are starting one. Our youth team, like the first team has been operated on a shoe string up to now with coaches who are barely adequate.

Another thing to take into account with Southampton is when it comes to snapping up youngsters they don't really have any rivals in their catchment area. Portsmouth don't have any sort of quality training facilities & they are able to compete with the bigger teams because they have facilities equal to theres.

 

[Brovion]

Considering that for our entire history before Wilkins took over our youth system produced virtually no players at all* for the first team I think the progress over the last ten years has been astounding. No, no strikers yet, but give it time.

*I can't think of any, but I'm sure there must have been some.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Another thing to take into account with Southampton is when it comes to snapping up youngsters they don't really have any rivals in their catchment area. Portsmouth don't have any sort of quality training facilities & they are able to compete with the bigger teams because they have facilities equal to theres.

I know they have grabbed a few of their youngsters from other clubs- I'm pretty sure Lallana was with Bournemouth originally, and I seem to recall Theo Walcott might have been with Swindon or someone like that? But then if their academy has the right reputation then they're going to be able to do that. Pompey are no comparision, as their scheme is worse than ours. Most of their YTS players seem to wind up at Bognor Regis Town.

 

[bhaexpress]

No, unless Ian Muir came through our youth system

He did, pity he made his name elsewhere.

 

[8ace]

How many decent strikers can you think of that actually came from Sussex (whether they went through our youth team or not)?
Tudgay? Anyone else?