Return of the Rev
Well-known member
At one point i was putting in over 200 miles per week for little revs training and games
Got something to say or just want fewer pesky ads? Join us... 😊
Player 'poaching' in kids football
- Thread starter 1066familyman
- Start date
John Byrnes Mullet
Global Circumnavigator
It's big money these days. If you scout a good youngster for a big club then it's all paid in tax free back handers. I know a couple of guys with talented youngsters and the tricks the kids coaches try to play on the parents into getting them to get their kid into signing for Chelsea, Charlton, Brighton, Palace are quite sad IMHO but it's money at the end of the day to these people they forget it's about children enjoying football.
I'm just about to enter my second season managing my sons team u11 next season, making the step up to 9 a side. My boys aren't the best technically but we have worked as a group on our togetherness and working for each other on the pitch, with absolutely no pressure on results in our 1st season and the emphasis on enjoying playing football.
Another (better) team from about 15 miles away unfortunately folded at the end of the season due to half the squad being a year younger so not allowed to play up a year from next season, with most of them going to their local rivals. The manager contacted me 3 weeks ago asking me to have a look at his son and another lad "because I'm so impressed with your attitude to your boys and the huge improvement they made between our 2 matches this season and that's the environment I want my son to play in". His son is quite honestly far too good for my team, so much so that the manager of our "1st team" at my club wants him, as do several other teams in our area.
There will be some emphasis on results in the coming season purely as I don't want my boys to see themselves bottom of the table as i believe that will be detrimental to their development but it will not be "win at all costs" by any means, and every boy that turns up on a Sunday will get at least a half each, in the same way that this season with 2 games on a Sunday every boy got at least a whole game each.
Our club is unusual in that I think there's only 2 managers that coach their teams on a Saturday out of 9 teams (I think) from u6 up to u12. Our head coach is taking his as assessors course meaning he can teach level 1 coaching in house from sometime this season. We have a team of about a dozen coaches ranging from 15/16 year olds upto early 40s, with our head coach being mid 20s and came through palaces academy but didn't make the grade to get into pro football. We have 2 x 1 1/4 hour sessions on a saturday morning with about 50 kids in each session.
Another (better) team from about 15 miles away unfortunately folded at the end of the season due to half the squad being a year younger so not allowed to play up a year from next season, with most of them going to their local rivals. The manager contacted me 3 weeks ago asking me to have a look at his son and another lad "because I'm so impressed with your attitude to your boys and the huge improvement they made between our 2 matches this season and that's the environment I want my son to play in". His son is quite honestly far too good for my team, so much so that the manager of our "1st team" at my club wants him, as do several other teams in our area.
There will be some emphasis on results in the coming season purely as I don't want my boys to see themselves bottom of the table as i believe that will be detrimental to their development but it will not be "win at all costs" by any means, and every boy that turns up on a Sunday will get at least a half each, in the same way that this season with 2 games on a Sunday every boy got at least a whole game each.
Our club is unusual in that I think there's only 2 managers that coach their teams on a Saturday out of 9 teams (I think) from u6 up to u12. Our head coach is taking his as assessors course meaning he can teach level 1 coaching in house from sometime this season. We have a team of about a dozen coaches ranging from 15/16 year olds upto early 40s, with our head coach being mid 20s and came through palaces academy but didn't make the grade to get into pro football. We have 2 x 1 1/4 hour sessions on a saturday morning with about 50 kids in each session.
I'm just about to enter my second season managing my sons team u11 next season, making the step up to 9 a side. My boys aren't the best technically but we have worked as a group on our togetherness and working for each other on the pitch, with absolutely no pressure on results in our 1st season and the emphasis on enjoying playing football.
Another (better) team from about 15 miles away unfortunately folded at the end of the season due to half the squad being a year younger so not allowed to play up a year from next season, with most of them going to their local rivals. The manager contacted me 3 weeks ago asking me to have a look at his son and another lad "because I'm so impressed with your attitude to your boys and the huge improvement they made between our 2 matches this season and that's the environment I want my son to play in". His son is quite honestly far too good for my team, so much so that the manager of our "1st team" at my club wants him, as do several other teams in our area.
There will be some emphasis on results in the coming season purely as I don't want my boys to see themselves bottom of the table as i believe that will be detrimental to their development but it will not be "win at all costs" by any means, and every boy that turns up on a Sunday will get at least a half each, in the same way that this season with 2 games on a Sunday every boy got at least a whole game each.
Our club is unusual in that I think there's only 2 managers that coach their teams on a Saturday out of 9 teams (I think) from u6 up to u12. Our head coach is taking his as assessors course meaning he can teach level 1 coaching in house from sometime this season. We have a team of about a dozen coaches ranging from 15/16 year olds upto early 40s, with our head coach being mid 20s and came through palaces academy but didn't make the grade to get into pro football. We have 2 x 1 1/4 hour sessions on a saturday morning with about 50 kids in each session.
Exactly. 'There will be some emphasis on results'. That sums it up. I've seen how they do it in France at a young age where a 'match' between two clubs is played without everybody in matching shirts shorts and socks (just bibs). The goals are two wobbly posts (no crossbar), there's no official ref, no league, and the coaches occasionally walk onto the pitch, stop the match and point something out. Also they have no problem in swapping players between the sides if they want to even things out. The kids love it, they still want to win the match (even if there is often a dispute as to whether a goal has been scored) but they're still learning skills. Plus with the external competitive element (the league) removed there's no pressure from parents to win matches and no pressure on coaches to give the better players more game time. And the concept of 'substitutes' doesn't exist. Compare it to our too-structured, result-based approach and you can see why as adults French players tend to be technically better than English ones.
aliakbanrafsanjali
New member
- Dec 29, 2012
- 117
I have been involved in youth football for 6 years and I can guarantee that every club and I mean EVERY club engages in some level of "poaching"
There are always some who are more prolific at doing it than others and at the moment I can think of three straight off the top of my head who are well known for it and two of which also have "academies" attached to them.
What I would say is not to completely blame the coaches who give up their free time to want to put together a good team but also the parents who often have the win at any cost attitude and who desperate to see their children in a winning team.
I've lost two good players over the years to other teams. Even though one plays division 1 football, he has gone backwards in his overall development and the other now plays for Arsenal and is doing very well.
Anyway digressing - poaching is illegal but any laws preventing it are never enforced by the authorities. I've raised it as an issue with one of our teams and its very difficult to prove and even when it is proven, very little is done about it and so teams and parents will still continue to engage in it.
I need to disagree with you here! While I can't speak for the whole of my sons football club, I can speak for his under 1ss side who I help coach, we have never poached or tried to poach any player from another side! The core of our side have been with us since the under 6 age group and I know the manager and coachs take great satisfaction from the way the players develop and improve, to see these players gain in cofidence and enjoy the game is fantastic.
Through the seasons we have lost various player to other clubs by way of poaching and the offer of various sweeteners, as a coach this is dissapointing!but what I will say is that the parents have to accept a lot of the blame for this, we all want our kids to have the best oppotunitys. If the player is good enough to get spotted by a scout he will get spotted! But one of our players parents moved the player to a lower league team to shine! Now I understand why but surely the player should be wanting to play at the highest level of his capabilities? Alternatively we have had a few players move too a higher placed club which I do understand.
Two of the players who moved on have now returned and appear to be a lot more settled, and understand that the set up we have is solid and comfortable, the players all go to the sane school which really helps
I loathe poaching but do understand it is difficult to restrict, one way to control it and to stop disruption to sides would be to control registration transfers throughout the season, except for a half way window. Exceptional transfers ie moving house to a new area, or perhaps a bullying issue etc could be sanctioned
There are always some who are more prolific at doing it than others and at the moment I can think of three straight off the top of my head who are well known for it and two of which also have "academies" attached to them.
What I would say is not to completely blame the coaches who give up their free time to want to put together a good team but also the parents who often have the win at any cost attitude and who desperate to see their children in a winning team.
I've lost two good players over the years to other teams. Even though one plays division 1 football, he has gone backwards in his overall development and the other now plays for Arsenal and is doing very well.
Anyway digressing - poaching is illegal but any laws preventing it are never enforced by the authorities. I've raised it as an issue with one of our teams and its very difficult to prove and even when it is proven, very little is done about it and so teams and parents will still continue to engage in it.
I need to disagree with you here! While I can't speak for the whole of my sons football club, I can speak for his under 1ss side who I help coach, we have never poached or tried to poach any player from another side! The core of our side have been with us since the under 6 age group and I know the manager and coachs take great satisfaction from the way the players develop and improve, to see these players gain in cofidence and enjoy the game is fantastic.
Through the seasons we have lost various player to other clubs by way of poaching and the offer of various sweeteners, as a coach this is dissapointing!but what I will say is that the parents have to accept a lot of the blame for this, we all want our kids to have the best oppotunitys. If the player is good enough to get spotted by a scout he will get spotted! But one of our players parents moved the player to a lower league team to shine! Now I understand why but surely the player should be wanting to play at the highest level of his capabilities? Alternatively we have had a few players move too a higher placed club which I do understand.
Two of the players who moved on have now returned and appear to be a lot more settled, and understand that the set up we have is solid and comfortable, the players all go to the sane school which really helps
I loathe poaching but do understand it is difficult to restrict, one way to control it and to stop disruption to sides would be to control registration transfers throughout the season, except for a half way window. Exceptional transfers ie moving house to a new area, or perhaps a bullying issue etc could be sanctioned
Lush
Mods' Pet
It's hard to moan when it's the way football works these days, throughout the system. I don't remember many people complaining when we 'poached' Ulloa, after Almeria failed to get promoted, after work by scouts/agents and fees paid etc
Firstly this is not a new phenomenon.
I recall a good mate of mine rummaging through some old photos before producing a VHS tape that a cine film had been transferred onto.
I was reliably informed that I was watching Browdean Rovers versus Peacehaven in a cup final 1975 it was brilliant and Browdean won by a solitary goal.
However my mate pointed out quite indignantly that the goal scorer was an overaged Glen Geard, this had by all accounts stayed with the Peacehaven players and their parents for a generation they had been robbed !!!
But knowing most of the Peacehaven players I happened to point out that actually Peacehavens striker was overaged too, I knew him and he was in the school year above just as Geard was .......
So skulduggery was alive and kicking in the 1970's too ......
I recall a good mate of mine rummaging through some old photos before producing a VHS tape that a cine film had been transferred onto.
I was reliably informed that I was watching Browdean Rovers versus Peacehaven in a cup final 1975 it was brilliant and Browdean won by a solitary goal.
However my mate pointed out quite indignantly that the goal scorer was an overaged Glen Geard, this had by all accounts stayed with the Peacehaven players and their parents for a generation they had been robbed !!!
But knowing most of the Peacehaven players I happened to point out that actually Peacehavens striker was overaged too, I knew him and he was in the school year above just as Geard was .......
So skulduggery was alive and kicking in the 1970's too ......
Last edited: