Swansea City Academy in North Wales (& our youth setup)

[Haruki]

Originally Posted by Todd Sweeney

How do you suggest that the club pays for the CoE Fezbob? We get zero external funding for it.

As for Bagger. I do not wish to cast aspersions, but I do wonder about his motivation and apparent hostility to the current youth set up, now that he is no longer involved. There are 22 players on the West Kirby Panthers roll of honour for being involved with Wrexham. Fair play to Bagger, that’s some record for a club not in the immediate area. In fact I doubt there’s a Wrexham based youth side who’s served Wrexham AFC so well in terms of supplying players. Why were we developing players from Bagger’s club at the expense of local lads? Player Honours Board – West Kirby United Panthers

I happen to have met and spoken to Bagger a few times. To question his motivations and use lines like "he's not a fan" (your previous post) is disgusting. The man has put thousands of hours into our club, more than you and I and most others and deserves thanks and respect for it. I'd suggest that his motivation is the hurt of seeking all that hard work being wasted and ruined by the clubs current policy, surely you can see that would hurt him? I'd also suggest that as a decent bloke he feels for youngsters and their families who were effectively kicked out of the centre on economic grounds, and for those who remain and now pay for a poor product.
As for West Kirby Panthers supplying great numbers to our CoE, perhaps you would rather he sent their best players to Tranmere Rovers instead of Wrexham FC? And if as you suggest they are here instead of Wrexham youngsters it purely highlighters that the CoE is not Scoiting Wrexham teams so Bagger is Scouting himself ?

You are bang out of order here Todd and should apologise to Bagger

[blackbrookred]

Originally Posted by Todd Sweeney

How do you suggest that the club pays for the CoE Fezbob? We get zero external funding for it.

As for Bagger. I do not wish to cast aspersions, but I do wonder about his motivation and apparent hostility to the current youth set up, now that he is no longer involved. There are 22 players on the West Kirby Panthers roll of honour for being involved with Wrexham. Fair play to Bagger, that’s some record for a club not in the immediate area. In fact I doubt there’s a Wrexham based youth side who’s served Wrexham AFC so well in terms of supplying players. Why were we developing players from Bagger’s club at the expense of local lads? Player Honours Board – West Kirby United Panthers

We should developing the best talent we can, whether they be Wrexham based or from further afield.
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[Todd Sweeney]

Originally Posted by Haruki

Look, your Red Passion stance of defending the club and the board against any accusations is admirable and on many points is fair and justified but on occasions like this you let yourself down, digging a bigger and bigger hole and making yourself look like a foolish politician in the process which undermines your stance on other points when the board require defence.
Regardless of Bagger providing you with evidence you want it is clear to every interested Wrexham fan that the club has eroded away our youth team structure. Look at the evidence,
- no reserve team to give the likes of Leo Smith adult football
- no youth matches (other than fa youth cup) to bridge the years of 16-18
- no coach aimed at 16-18, when I have stopped at 9 acre to watch, everything is on the first team with the young players on their own in the corner.
- not one opportunity to sponsor the CoE within an 8 page glossy sponsorship document sent to all sponsors (I am a sponsor)
- last year must have been a record low for appearances in the first team by home developed players
- dwindling numbers of youngsters in Wales age group squads
- Spencer Harris himself saying "everything is on the first team"

Maybe you agree with that policy where as most of us on this thread don't but to simply deny it is happening and to take an attitude of "prove it" is really making you look foolish.

I didn’t deny things. I’ve already said that there have clearly been cutbacks and, because we have lost all funding for the CoE, that is, sadly, inevitable. I also haven’t said that there aren’t issues with our youth set-up. Others would know far better than me.

What I specifically asked for was evidence of unqualified coaches and “mates of mates” being employed, in place of qualified coaches.

[Jaded]

Originally Posted by Todd Sweeney

I didn’t deny things. I’ve already said that there have clearly been cutbacks and, because we have lost all funding for the CoE, that is, sadly, inevitable. I also haven’t said that there aren’t issues with our youth set-up. Others would know far better than me.

What I specifically asked for was evidence of unqualified coaches and “mates of mates” being employed, in place of qualified coaches.

So take Bagger up on his offer. That way if he’s wrong you can tell us everything’s fine, and the Trust get a 5 grand donation. Struggling to see a downside here.

[jonesfach]

Originally Posted by Haruki

Tom Crawford from Chester signs for Notts County.. For all the other obvious faults with their club Chester have made a success of their youth system. Last year Sam Hughes went to Premier League Leicester City for big money, now compensation will be agreed for Crawford plus they have blooded a handful of other talented young players, their under 19's are incredibly successful under a bright young coach and their youth system flourishing. My friends son is training with Chester under 8's, Wrexham don't operate at that age group and therefore are missing out on the first opportunity to sign talented youngsters. I am also aware that they run trials and actively scout Cheshire, Wirral and North Wales. They have partnerships with local youth sides including our own Brickfield Rangers.
I don't know their finances but I can't imagine they are putting huge sums of money in, just taking the time to do things the right way and are seeing results.

As an example, we must have 100's of fans who watch their children play youth football every week, why can't these people be engaged with to act as CoE Scouts identifying talented players to invite for trials? That is a simple initiative that costs the club nothing.

Good positive constructive post.

[Bagger Vance]

Originally Posted by Todd Sweeney

Fair enough.

I ended any promotion of links to Wrexham when I wasn’t comfortable pushing kids in that direction (for reasons explained). As an aside that website will disappear in July as the club has merged to form the 6th biggest club in the UK so it will be replaced - that player list is now well out of date and most have moved to other clubs bar 2 in the youth team and some younger ones.

On the charge of “he’s not a Wrexham fan” - I’m not from Wrexham but having invested countless hours, having travelled thousands of miles, having raised thousands in fundraising, tens of thousands from players I identified in transfers and never asked for a penny in return - what does that make me? And how many people have done the same?

[Hightown Brymbo Red]

Originally Posted by Bagger Vance

I ended any promotion of links to Wrexham when I wasn’t comfortable pushing kids in that direction (for reasons explained). As an aside that website will disappear in July as the club has merged to form the 6th biggest club in the UK so it will be replaced - that player list is now well out of date and most have moved to other clubs bar 2 in the youth team and some younger ones.

On the charge of “he’s not a Wrexham fan” - I’m not from Wrexham but having invested countless hours, having travelled thousands of miles, having raised thousands in fundraising, tens of thousands from players I identified in transfers and never asked for a penny in return - what does that make me? And how many people have done the same?

You don't have to justify yourself bagger especially to someone like TS who has come across as just a yes man for the trust

[podders]

Its clear that our youth system it something that is important to a large proportion of our fanbase. However whenever a player from our youth system has been sold, most importantly Danny Ward and Neil Taylor, the mere notion that some of the money would go toward paying for the CoE drew a huge negative response from another large proportion of fanbase. Without funding from being in the football league the club have been walking the tightrope of ensuring we maintain a CofE but it doesn't take resources away from the first team (which to the majority of our fans is the priority).


Given that our youth teams are now no longer allowed to play in the LFE Youth alliance leagues whats stopping the club having an academy under the FAW academy programme?

Originally Posted by FAW Academy Programme Regualtions

3.2 Clubs, based in Wales, whose first team is playing in the English pyramid system, may be considered to hold Academy Status under the National Academy structure, subject to the Application for Approval.

[Phils-an-alki]

Originally Posted by Hightown Brymbo Red

You don't have to justify yourself bagger especially to someone like TS who has come across as just a yes man for the trust

True. A nodding dog. I don’t get the motivation for someone to be like this. It’s pathetic to be honest. Seems to me he knows very little but speaks a lot. Defending something from a position of ignorance and blindness is never going to work.