Torquay United Fans Forum

Gullscorer wrote:New owners, new manager, new team, new era. What's not to be optimistic about? Be positive and look on the bright side; whilst we shouldn't be expecting miracles or immediate success, if at least 2000-3000 supporters can't turn up and support the team in these circumstances, why would decent players want to bother to join the club in the future? Spread the word, bring a friend or neighbour, and get up to Plainmoor on match days.

New owners, new manager, new team, new era. What's not to be optimistic about? Be positive and look on the bright side; whilst we shouldn't be expecting miracles or immediate success, if at least 2000-3000 supporters can't turn up and support the team in these circumstances, why would decent players want to bother to join the club in the future? Spread the word, bring a friend or neighbour, and get up to Plainmoor on match days.

Gullscorer wrote:Plymouth Argyle too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33236964
So that's it then, for the foreseeable future: Academy closed, and (most) players gone to other clubs.
It only remains for supporters to turn up at Plainmoor and support the first team. Crowds of 2500-3000 are initially not impossible, and will give the club a chance to acquire funds for the future.

Jeez, I thought I was optimistic! Would love to see 3000 at Plainmoor each week!

Plymouth Argyle too: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33236964
So that's it then, for the foreseeable future: Academy closed, and (most) players gone to other clubs.
It only remains for supporters to turn up at Plainmoor and support the first team. Crowds of 2500-3000 are initially not impossible, indeed should reasonably be expected, and will give the club a chance to acquire funds for the future.

Some very good points made on this thread both for and against having an Academy.

I can't help thinking that the real problem here is that there are too many clubs at Conference level spending well beyond their means in a bod to "chase the dream" and get promotion in to the Football League. I think we're all roughly aware of the vast drop in TV money from League 2 to "National League" level, yet we still see clubs with an average attendance of barely 1,000 going professional. This hasn't raised the standard of football at this level, it has simply raised the cost of running a club. And that, I suspect, is why clubs end up having to close Academys.

It would be nice to see the FA take ownership of this issue and simply stop any club being promoted that had spent more than it earned - at all levels. That would force a dramatic reduction in costs as there would no longer be any point in overspending as you could no longer profit by it.

Exeter City offer trials to our ex-Academy youngsters: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33236964

I do agree to a certain extent that this thread is pointless.

Stevegull - you are talking rubbish. Nearly every player in the academy hasn't got a "career" in football as you put it.

I have experience of Exeters youth system as my eldest son was there for two years between the ages of 14-16 years. You might be interested to know that during this time I also used to take another two lads from this area to training - one was a certain George Friend and he did alright for himself. He is actually a great lad and as far removed from the sterotype footballer that you will ever see.

All three lads that I mentioned were actually signed by Exeter without actually being seen playing football. They were signed purely on the recommendation of a Man Utd scout.

My own view of it all though is that most of the parents of the kids think that their kid is the next George Best and have totally unrealistic expectations. Most kids just havn't got a chance of becoming a pro - the clubs know full well which of the odd one or two they are interested in. The rest are just making up the numbers.

lucy6lucy wrote: The academy is closed, I wish someone would close this thread. In other news 7 people killed in a church in USA, and no I'm not CH

I suspect this thread has almost run its course now but as has already been pointed out, this is a Torquay United forum. If you wish to discuss the crass stupidity of the gun laws of the Disunited States of America or any of the other terrible things happening in the world (mostly unreported if not in America), I am sure there are plenty of sites you can get on. Sorry - feeling grumpy tonight !!

I appreciate the debate. And it's not boring me, but most debates have an outcome, but we already have it. I wish to offend no one, but the decisions been made to enable what I think is the main priority WE HAVE A FOOTBALL CLUB TO SUPPORT. And I'm so grateful for what the new consortium/ owners have done. The point I was making is there is more to life than football.

Whilst I feel very sorry for the victims and families and they have my deepest sympathies in the latest and by no means the last gun tragedy in the U.S.A, this is a football discussion forum. Why do we want to suppress debate ? It was right to have a good discussion about our former academy set up, why, and what led to it's closure.

Surely the focus now switch's, to what sort of youth development scheme the club will run, and how it can grow, sometimes some very good ideas come from these threads and the club do and have always read the forums.

As sad as seven people being killed is, this is a forum about all things Torquay and so this thread is fine right here.

No need to close it (unlike the academy - I know, I know, I crack myself up sometimes ) and if you find it so annoying, just don't read it, or stop posting and it will slowly fade away into oblivion.

brucie wrote:Interesting that this thread seems to be twice as long as anything else (including the one about us having a new manager)
- it seems to be bolstered by some seriously bitter and twisted parents.
The closure of Torquays academy ultimately will not stop any child/youth becoming a professional footballer. If they are good enough a pro club will want them.
However what some parents cannot seem to grasp is that in almost EVERY case, their offspring are NOT good enough to be pro footballers.
Some parents just are not living in the real world and need a reality check.

The academy is closed, I wish someone would close this thread. In other news 7 people killed in a church in USA, and no I'm not CH

forevertufc wrote:Possibly we've got confused in translation. The club is not going to be running a youth team as such, I think we're more likely looking at young players coming in for training and development with out a games programme.

That does sound better than nothing at all and perhaps games could be arranged with Exeter and Plymouth. Academies are long term Torquay need short term fix at the moment.

Possibly we've got confused in translation. The club is not going to be running a youth team as such, I think we're more likely looking at young players coming in for training and development with out a games programme.

forevertufc wrote: Very good points Tommo and I fully agree, but must point out that Monk and Williamson both came through the old apprentice style system run by the club, the very same type of system we've gone back too, so it doesn't have to mean the end of the very best young players making it at TUFC, one bit, however I do agree with midDevon the youth system now employed by the club, will stop the club from taking on 30 odd new lads every year, who have not got a cat in hells chance of making it, and the club pretty much knowing that, only the very best will make it, into this new "old" style youth system now run by our club.

So what I was asking, are we running a youth team or set up could happen, we could run an old style youth set up. So not so daft after all. This was happening before the academies which with a good local scout network could get the best local players to Torquay.