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

[midlandred]

I am more concerned with an article in my free rag today (Solihull News)

Solihull Moors have announced plans to expand their academy and launch an Under 21 team in the Midland Football League. This will raise the number of Academy teams Solihull Moors run to eight. Moors will also enter a team in the Reserve League and a Floodlit League side. The reason why they the have launched an 18-21 Academy side is due to losing their best young players at 18, now they have the opportunity to watch them blossom over a further 3 years and will allow the them to continue their development and be able to play the type of football that Solihull believe in.

How come a team with a smaller budget than Wrexham can afford to run a successful Academy and a Reserve side? The club was only founded in 2007, yet appear to be investing in their youth. Their scouting system seems to be better than ours. Spotting Afolayan at Loughborough Univ, (he scored 26 goals in 38 games, before they sold him to West Ham on a 3 + half year. Some of the profit was used by Yates to strengthen the team to fight off relegation. Storer was a mid-field player we couldn't afford.

[Haruki]

Originally Posted by Prodigal Dragon

We might not be able to compete with Swansea's financial clout but there should be scope to use it to our benefit by identifying those kids deemed not good enough for a Premiership club, but who the potential for us.

Hopefully, someone from the club will speak to Lee Jones, provided we haven't burnt our bridges with him.

He burnt his bridges with us. He will never work here again

[jonesfach]

Originally Posted by Prodigal Dragon

We might not be able to compete with Swansea's financial clout but there should be scope to use it to our benefit by identifying those kids deemed not good enough for a Premiership club, but who the potential for us.

Hopefully, someone from the club will speak to Lee Jones, provided we haven't burnt our bridges with him.

I think he burnt his bridges with us. Let's at least get the facts straight.

[Parry52]

There’s academies up and down North Wales, if it means more children get access to quality coaching it can only be a good thing. How good is the Wrexham Academy anyway? I’ve heard rumours of parents choosing Connah’s Quay over Wrexham.

[jonesfach]

Originally Posted by Foxy

Not with Lee Jones running it.

Exactly. Not the brightest spanner in the box

The thing is getting away from the mud slinging, the idea is to develop young players, with that comes an amount of cast offs th we could pick up.

So many of those youngsters could become good players who might never of been given the chance to progress.

At the end of the day we haven't got the money, if we had we wouldn't be moaning about their plan, to take over North Wales.

Let's be honest if it lasts more than 3 years we will all be very suprised.

[Rob Edwards]

Originally Posted by jonesfach

Exactly. Not the brightest spanner in the box

The thing is getting away from the mud slinging, the idea is to develop young players, with that comes an amount of cast offs th we could pick up.

So many of those youngsters could become good players who might never of been given the chance to progress.

At the end of the day we haven't got the money, if we had we wouldn't be moaning about their plan, to take over North Wales.

Let's be honest if it lasts more than 3 years we will all be very suprised.

The thing is in reality will not last more than 3 years if Swansea do not get back to Premiership as by then the parachute payments will have ended.
Surprising move given pending cutbacks with relegation. Might be targeting more youths to come through given their diabolical recent transfer record.
Ryan Hedges only Northern youth I can remember them signing in last few years-Neil Taylor Wrexham 1st teamer when purchased.

[stevewxm]

Originally Posted by midlandred

I am more concerned with an article in my free rag today (Solihull News)

Solihull Moors have announced plans to expand their academy and launch an Under 21 team in the Midland Football League. This will raise the number of Academy teams Solihull Moors run to eight. Moors will also enter a team in the Reserve League and a Floodlit League side. The reason why they the have launched an 18-21 Academy side is due to losing their best young players at 18, now they have the opportunity to watch them blossom over a further 3 years and will allow the them to continue their development and be able to play the type of football that Solihull believe in.

How come a team with a smaller budget than Wrexham can afford to run a successful Academy and a Reserve side? The club was only founded in 2007, yet appear to be investing in their youth. Their scouting system seems to be better than ours. Spotting Afolayan at Loughborough Univ, (he scored 26 goals in 38 games, before they sold him to West Ham on a 3 + half year. Some of the profit was used by Yates to strengthen the team to fight off relegation. Storer was a mid-field player we couldn't afford.

Agree this is much more of a worry and most wxm fans will not have a clue it is happening, needs a thread of its own !

[Ugolini]

Originally Posted by Bryn Tirion

As the title says Swansea are setting up an academy in North Wales and Lee Jones has been appointed as the develop manager.

He said “ My job will be to recruit from Aberystwyth all the way to Holyhead. Swansea has ambitions to look for players across the whole of Wales rather than just the south and west. I have come across a lot of talent in these areas over the years. My aim will be to introduce players into our (Swansea) academy system.”

May as well pack in our Academy then. This is grim news and another nail in the coffin.

NOT HAPPY!!! What are you doing to the club that gave you your chance Lee?

[REDGOG]

Originally Posted by Inside Left

Not sure how it is Wrexham's patch. What about other non league clubs like Colwyn Bay and Bangor. What determines a clubs 'patch'.

We are supposed to be a north wales club, that's what makes it our patch.

Doesn't stop it being Bangor's patch as well, but we are talking about Swansea.