Thetownend.com

Never before has the effort involved in putting up a poll outweighed the interest so much. BBC don't even have a match page for this and every other source I found has player initials at best, so I have to be honest guessed first names for most of the youth players. Apologies to anyone I got wrong, but rest assured your place on Rich Banyard's site for eternity is now secure.

Whatever the game for me an essential part of the "match day experience"😄
Liam Kinsella. Gray, best of the rest for me

They were all very poor none above a 3 or 4, Kinsella was attrocious 1st half but got better in the 2nd.

None worth a vote.

I don't know exactly how many kids Reading had out last night, but from what I saw I couldn't actually tell who was youth and who was first team. For me this shows the level that Reading's youth players are at. I obviously knew who our youth players were, but they really looked like rabbits in headlights, even Minturn who is now a fringe first teamer made a couple of absolutely awful passes straight out of play, that were nowhere near a Town player. I didn't get to see the subs in the second half but based on the starters, they are miles off it. (which is totally understandable)

I suppose it would be lovely to have 1 or 2 youth players who are exciting and are expected to make it, I can't see any so far.

I agree totally BO.

Reading are a category 1 academy, which is the highest level of academy so can attract the best players locally.

Swindon are a category 3 academy which is the 2nd lowest level.

Just a shit stirring reminder that one of Clem's minimum aims for the club, as stated over two years ago, was "to have the best academy outside of the Premier League."

San Marino Premier League!

He also said he didn't want to be an "aloof owner on the other side of the world" but hey...

We do have the best academy in Pakistan at least.

As for getting players from this part of the world on the cheap...
The American who owns Bournemuff has just put his money where his mouth is and appears to have purchased the new Australian team to be located in Auckland.
Really think that we as STFC supporters need to understand and realise we are where we are and get used to it.

I think we do. But I think that it would help if our owner(s) was straight with us. There is no competitive budget, we won't have the best academy outside the Premier League, he is an aloof overseas owner etc etc.

I think most fans get where we are off the pitch but are justifiably unhappy at that.

But as far as our league position goes and without trying to be snobby (and they’ll no doubt beat us this season to make me eat my words), the day I get used to and accept regularly being the same level as teams like Harrogate and Barrow is the day I cut ties with football.

For me there are  questions that I would like to ask that are a concern with the ownership situation and would put off any astute possible investor / part owner shareholder director.
Where is and what is Michael Standings contractural
and financial links to STFC.
When is the court case between Michael Standing and Lee Power being heard and what does this actually involve. Who is charging who and for what?
Is the FA  or any governing body really interested in the outcome of this supposed court case ?
No one in their right mind would get involved until these basic questions are addressed.
Because of the lack of trust and transparency between so many parts of the club it will never move on.
The frustrating part is that we are only three or for players away from being a very good footballing team and to get out of this division.
Trouble is what happens then?

As many have said before... it's the hope that kills you.

This is where some of what Clem says is either Bullshit or complete ignorance and naivety.

The cost to maintain Elite Cat 1 status for an Academy is well beyond seven figures a year - that is just the operating costs.  You also need a sizeable Capital outlay to get the facilities in place to house all the Academy Coaches, staff and players, including training facilities.  You are talking 8 figures to get that off the ground.  It was never going to happen.  So far, the only real changes we have seen are a couple of new coaches and some scaffolding being sponsored by a local company so they can video the training sessions.  The only reason we get Cat 3 status is because we have lower age groups on the books.

It's fantasy with no strategic plan to make it happen.

The Australia thing will be more about setting up local soccer clubs than a proper Academy that we will source players from.  I believe their approach is much like the USA, where parents pay thousands of dollars each year to have their kids in Competitive Academy teams.  That just means they get to play a similar standard to the UK local Youth leagues, which you pay subs and that is about it.  There could be some money to be made, but again, you need the facilities first.

BTW, I am fairly certain the local club where I live, and volunteer to Coach 'Rec League" (which is basically for kids who never played before) have more professional coaches on their books than Swindon's Academy.  They go from U6 to U19 and have coaches for each age group within, for both Boys and Girls and two facilities with 20+ pitches.

I know I'm the numbers guy but I wonder if this is the first MoM thread with more posts than votes!

Well Brewitt wasn't playing was he  ;) :D