City Youth Players ‘making’ it at Bradford City

What's Ipswich's youth set up like Kev? I'm guessing with their location juniors have a half decent chance of progressing as they don't have the competition close by like we at Bradford do.

 

It doesn’t really matter to me at what stage or via what amateur club they joined the youth set up in all honesty. If the came to City as early to mid teenagers and developed through the ranks I’d still liken them to “home grown” . Leagues like the Norther Intermediate years ago are badly missed imho.

 

A lot of lads Pointons age will have been around a far better standard of player and coaching set up and some will have been around international set ups too. Like players we've had here over the last few years like Callum Cooke and Harry Chapman, both played against top academy set ups for Boro and both played England youth level.
That's why we have temper out expectations for young Bobby and allow him to develop at his own pace.

 

According to the SiL , they have a large set up. I’ve only seen it from visiting the club , all weather courts outside etc. He said they have a number of outlying “camps” in various locations around East Anglia. As you say they only have , in that neck of the woods Colchester, and Norwich to contend with. The latter hoover up the best in their dozens, sadly spitting them out in equal numbers.

I went to a Kings Lynn game a couple of seasons back and they had a young lad on loan from Norwich….He was bloody good……Alfie Payne . Now at Braintree. Some stop developing too?

 

I know . 16 year old is a youth to me. I’m not really bothered if he didn’t come from junior school direct to City …it’s all tad semantic. 16 is a youth in anyones book Dennis.

 

that is a long drive for training after school

 

Yeah there's no direct science to gauge if a youngster will make it. Personally I think big academies churn out robotic kids, half of whom struggle to even do the basics. And some kids I see have been at these academies since before their teens yet are hitting the ages of 19/20 and don't have a nailed down position on the pitch. Are they a full back, a centre back, a midfielder? Those position specific skills should have already been developed by then, if a kid doesn't know how best position by that age he will not make it in the professional game. Take Staunton and Cousin-Dawson, it was clear early on that no one really knew what position they had been earmarked for, I dread any youngster by hit with the 'utility/versatile' tag.

 

Also add Andy O'Brien. Sold for over £1m and went on to play a lot in the top flight after leaving us.

 

Hope all turns out well for both of them.
Some polite advice, Keep the Car Fully charged, you never know where you will have to go to watch them..

 

Yeah, I thought Andy had been mentioned so left him out but reading back it was Luke O'Brien.

 

Simon Francis went on to have a good career at Bournemouth

 

I have a mate who was at Ipswich with the likes of Darren bent and a couple of others who made it big. Quite a good set up apparently

 

They are playing on Sunday for their local team. Thankfully it’s a 2.00pm kick off. 160 mile round trip!
Yes we are going. Car will do it easily without any charging…bonus!

 

Wasn’t his nickname apt ? Dead ringer lol!

 

It’s not bad for them , they don’t have to go to Ipswich, it’s one of the outlier camps… only 35 miles Storck.
They live in Essex!

 

I’m told the same Chippy.


Category Two Academy

Best practice is shared around the club using footage. The set-up is elite, both in terms of the number of training sessions and matches being filmed and the way the footage is analysed, which is particularly impressive when you consider that Ipswich are a Category Two Academy.7 Apr 2023

 

Joe Colbeck had one of the worst touches of a footballer I’ve seen.
Every attempt at controlling the ball was a 5 yard pass.

I’m still baffled how he won a player of the year award.
Definitely a “local lad” decision.
Even more so that he was loaned to Darlington during that season.

 

I remember he'd go past players by booting it against their shins and then get a lucky ricochet back off his own legs and his pace and momentum took him away. A very uneasy watch.

 

Story was,and I don't know how true it is,that Taylor offered £350.000 for sticks initially.When Dolan heard this he said Taylor must be joking,as he valued sticks a lot lower.When Taylor heard this,he thought Dolan must have thought the offer was not enough,and doubled it.