nwgull
Well-known member
Did I misunderstand the Cat 1 academy status, that allows us to go and get promising young players from lesser academies like Palace and take them on knock down prices?
More or less. If a player turns down an offer from the club he is registered at, that club is due compensation (payable by the new club) for every year that they have been at the club. For a player from a Cat 1 academy, it's 40K per year; for Cat 2, £25K per year; and for Cat 3 £12.5K.
A more significant thing is that players in Cat 1 academies play in the 'Premier League' of their respective age groups regardless of the status of the senior squad. Along with the better facilities that being Cat 1 entails, this should make a club like Brighton more attractive to the best young players.