City’s Academy / u23s - less than 4 years ago

[Charlie BCFC]

38 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I certainly wanted him to remain around the first team squad that season to see how he developed…rather than be carted off on loan.  I’d have like him to be watching and trying to copy Bobby Reid every week.  Whether he’d have made it or not I dunno, but it went rapidly downhill.

Performed decent for City but not great on his loans. Infamously made the squad in LJs final game

[cidered abroad]

37 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

I certainly wanted him to remain around the first team squad that season to see how he developed…rather than be carted off on loan.  I’d have like him to be watching and trying to copy Bobby Reid every week.  Whether he’d have made it or not I dunno, but it went rapidly downhill.

Also there is perhaps a lack of personal discipline with some youngsters away from home or a settled life at the club who they belong to. Many late teenagers are liable to go off the rails. George Best? It took Matt Busby all his time to keep George out of trouble.

[frenchred]

2 minutes ago, cidered abroad said:

Also there is perhaps a lack of personal discipline with some youngsters away from home or a settled life at the club who they belong to. Many late teenagers are liable to go off the rails. George Best? It took Matt Busby all his time to keep George out of trouble.

That's simply not true!

George was homesick for Ireland as a youngster but certainly not in trouble

That developed later in life as fame took hold

[Kid in the Riot]

In terms of most games played at the highest level, the big success story must be one Bobby Decordova Reid. 

[petehinton]

7 hours ago, Bristol Rob said:

So the ones who didn't make it, where are they now?

I think that team sheet shows just how difficult it is for any young player to go from highly promising youth player to first team.

 

And exactly why Tinnion was spot on with “the first objective is to make them a first team footballer with us, the second is to make them a league footballer somewhere else”. 
 

Is why I lose no sleep over the likes of Towler and Low being ‘let go’ ‘early’. They’re out forging careers and establishing themselves as very competent league one footballers aged 20 & 21. Fantastic. Really brilliant stories.
 

Is that better than Joe Morrell being handcuffed to the club, making ONE league start for us, spending 4 seasons on loan at different clubs, and then finally settling in league one aged 24? Every day of the week. 
 

The goal should be as much having players talking about as “they came through at Bristol City’s academy? Wow they must be decent then”, as it is “wow Bristol City have a load of academy players in the first team, don’t they?”

[George Rs]

2 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

In terms of most games played at the highest level, the big success story must be one Bobby Decordova Reid. 

At the moment I’d agree, could easily see Lloyd Kelly surpass though if this january move that’s been touted around actually happens. Would like to seem him go to this new look spurs personally, understudy for Ben Davies for now and succeed him soon. 
 

Alex back in the squad for Bournemouth as well who are looking better this last few games, before he got injured I saw a couple of Bournemouth fans on Twitter saying “enjoy him well he’s here” already! 
 

Will be interesting to see how far Tommy goes in the game as well. I still think it’s safe to say the money made from our academy over the years surpasses many at our level though, and completely trumps other clubs who have yet to get prem football. 

[Bristol Rob]

14 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

In terms of most games played at the highest level, the big success story must be one Bobby Decordova Reid. 

Which is pretty amazing, considering he'd been in and around the first team for what seemed to be years, and only when LJ decided to make him a striker did he start to look like a player.

Prior to that, I think most people were coming to the conclusion that he was a waste of a wage and that he was never going to be a starter. 

[TinMan's left peg]

9 minutes ago, Bristol Rob said:

Which is pretty amazing, considering he'd been in and around the first team for what seemed to be years, and only when LJ decided to make him a striker did he start to look like a player.

Prior to that, I think most people were coming to the conclusion that he was a waste of a wage and that he was never going to be a starter. 

Bobby is an interesting one.  You could see he had technique but he didn’t seem to physically develop for ages which probably delayed his progress.  LJ discovered his super power (? by accident) when he moved him up front - he’s one of the best pressers I’ve ever seen.  

[Gillies Downs Leeds]

35 minutes ago, TinMan's left peg said:

Bobby is an interesting one.  You could see he had technique but he didn’t seem to physically develop for ages which probably delayed his progress.  LJ discovered his super power (? by accident) when he moved him up front - he’s one of the best pressers I’ve ever seen.  

Definitely by accident. He was on his way out of the club and was used as a striker in pre season as a filler as we had no one else available.

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, cidered abroad said:

Whether it is a modern Academy or the Ground staff boys of prehistoric days, it is extremely rare for more than one youngster breaking into being a regular in the league team.

The City under 18 team of 1960 gave us FOUR forwards, Brian Clark, Lou Peters, Terry Bush and Jantzen Derrick.

AD was the next one between 1968 and 1973, to bring a lot through and of course Terry Cooper had a few in 1982, although it's probably fair to say that the only one to stay in the first team beyond one season, was Rob Newman.

It looks as if we have managed three in two years with Scott, Conway and Bell. And look at how long it took Vyner and O'Leary to become regulars on the team sheet. 

So to get another one or two by end of next season will be very good. Don't expect miracles from our Academy.

Andy Llewellyn certainly stayed in the first team beyond one season, as he played about 300 games for us.

O’Leary, Pring (before anyone says it I know he spent some time in Cheltenham’s academy) & the unfortunate Benarous have also come through relatively recently, the first two definitely becoming regulars.

[cidered abroad]

20 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

Andy Llewellyn certainly stayed in the first team beyond one season, as he played about 300 games for us.

O’Leary, Pring (before anyone says it I know he spent some time in Cheltenham’s academy) & the unfortunate Benarous have also come through relatively recently, the first two definitely becoming regulars.

Of course he did. I stand corrected as he made his debut quite early in the season after The Eight left.

[trickytimes]

I think possibly the best output we had from the youth / academy was in the late 1990s / early 2000s when Hill, Brown, Coles, Docherty and Burnell were regular members of the team.  

[SecretSam]

14 hours ago, GrahamC said:

Andy Llewellyn certainly stayed in the first team beyond one season, as he played about 300 games for us.

Rob Newman?

[pongo88]

18 hours ago, Winterstoke toad said:

I can’t be the only one who thought Hinds was gonna go on to be a championship regular after his performances in the cup ? 

I can remember that game, and he was good.  Unfortunately it was just a flash in the pan. A lot of players are like that - they produce one brilliant game now and then but just haven’t got the consistency to forge a successful league career 

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, SecretSam said:

Rob Newman?

The post I replied to from @cidered abroad mentioned Rob as the only one.

[Mr Popodopolous]

5 hours ago, trickytimes said:

I think possibly the best output we had from the youth / academy was in the late 1990s / early 2000s when Hill, Brown, Coles, Docherty and Burnell were regular members of the team.  

Adjusted for the level, last season we had in no particular order O'Leary, Vyner, Pring, Scott, Semenyo, Conway and Bell latterly joined.

Appreciate some are older than others, some have gone upwards but..This season for periods we had O'Leary, Vyner, Pring, Bell, Conway.

Then we get onto how many are strictly home grown and how many came from other O'Leary and Pring do fall into that category.

[GrahamC]

5 hours ago, trickytimes said:

I think possibly the best output we had from the youth / academy was in the late 1990s / early 2000s when Hill, Brown, Coles, Docherty and Burnell were regular members of the team.  

How many of those ever became regular players above League One standard?

Just Matt Hill.

For context Sam Bell has taken a bit of flak on here recently, but at 21 he’s probably featured in more Championship games already than all of the others named.

Those we produce now are having to establish themselves one level up.

 

 

[Mr Popodopolous]

Just now, GrahamC said:

How many of those ever became regular players above League One standard?

Just Matt Hill.

For context Sam Bell has taken a bit of flak on here recently, but at 21 he’s probably featured in more Championship games already than all of the others named.

Those we produce now are having to establish themselves one level up.

 

 

Exactly and a good few in the last 5-10 years have gone upwards to the PL. Not always worked out, see Bryan but.. 

Kelly, Bryan, Scott, Reid, Semenyo.

Yes I know Scott and Semenyo were found at Guernsey and SGS but is also impressive scouting by us.

[bcfc01]

Few stats from the Academy (not up to date and many more to add)

A huge amount of Academy products have made over 100 league appearances as professional footballers:

Over 100

Joe Burnell, Clayton Fortune, Joe Anyinsah, Elliott Benyon, James Wilson, Chris Ribeiro, Rob Stambolziev (mainly in Greece), Luke Wilkinson and Zak Vyner.

Over 200

Aaron Brown, Damian Spencer, Ryan Harley, Jennison Myrie-Williams, Joe Edwards and Bobby Reid.

Over 300

Tommy Doherty, Matt Hewlett, Kevin Amankwaah, Darren Jones, Liam Rosenior, Leroy Lita, Dave Cotterill, Scott Golbourne and Joe Bryan.

Over 400

Matthew Hill, Danny Coles, Olukayode Odejayi, Craig Woodman and Cole Skuse.

Over 500

Louis Carey.

There are many interesting stories among the 165 graduates (again, the list is out of date), but the bare statistics are:

• Gained professional contract = 78
• Played league football = 32
•  Played over 100 league games = 22
• Total league appearances (up to September 2017) = 6541
• University entrance = 30
• Current semi-professionals (as of September 2017) = 30

Shame its way out of date but the info is here https://www.bcfc.co.uk/academy/

 

[trickytimes]

On 17/12/2023 at 20:19, GrahamC said:

I know there has been a lot of angst on the other side of the bridge about Cardiff’s failure to produce any Championship standard players for years (I know they let Wes Burns go before he joined us, another master stroke). Harris at Oxford & Sang at Port Vale are the only two here even with a FL club.

In contrast not only the obvious but Wollacott (full international, now at Hibs), Towler (on the bench all season at Pompey) & Harper at Exeter are all making a living from the game.

Interesting that you are critical of me for using the likes of Tommy Docherty and Aaron Brown etc. as examples of youth success stories, because they did not play at Championship level, yet you use Towler and Harper as examples of success. 

[alexukhc]

43 minutes ago, trickytimes said:

Interesting that you are critical of me for using the likes of Tommy Docherty and Aaron Brown etc. as examples of youth success stories, because they did not play at Championship level, yet you use Towler and Harper as examples of success. 

But Div 1 was championship back in the days of Aaron Brown and Tommy D

[GrahamC]

1 hour ago, trickytimes said:

Interesting that you are critical of me for using the likes of Tommy Docherty and Aaron Brown etc. as examples of youth success stories, because they did not play at Championship level, yet you use Towler and Harper as examples of success. 

Not sure I would claim Harper as a “success”. He’s currently a squad player at Exeter.

Point I was making about the Wilson era team (where we must have had our highest % of local players in years) was only one of them ever actually established himself at a level above League One.

Tommy D & Aaron Brown played very little Championship level football in their careers.

Bryan, Decordova-Reid, Golbourne, Kelly, Semenyo, Scott & now O’Leary, Vyner & Pring have all established themselves at that level or above with Conway & Bell (each with 50+ Championship appearances) almost certain to.

That is the shift in standard.

[Davefevs]

On a tangent, I did not know that the Bristol bros on Gogglebox were called The Plummers, and this tweet alerted to me that one of them is Tristan Plummer!

 

[bcfc01]

9 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

On a tangent, I did not know that the Bristol bros on Gogglebox were called The Plummers, and this tweet alerted to me that one of them is Tristan Plummer!

 

Tristan was a cocky little bugger;

 

[alexukhc]

16 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

On a tangent, I did not know that the Bristol bros on Gogglebox were called The Plummers, and this tweet alerted to me that one of them is Tristan Plummer!

 

Whatever happened to Dwayne tho? He’s not in the show is he

[SuperDziek]

On 18/12/2023 at 17:29, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

Definitely by accident. He was on his way out of the club and was used as a striker in pre season as a filler as we had no one else available.

I think LJ (or the back room team) identified that his attributes were suited to playing up top, and he tried it pre season and Bobby never looked back.

Also, I think it was that close and pre-season that him and Joe Bryan worked with a personal trainer (who possibly was ex City academy as well) north of the river and they reaped the benefits of that as their fitness (and strength) went up massively. 

[bcfc01]

On 18/12/2023 at 17:29, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

Definitely by accident. He was on his way out of the club and was used as a striker in pre season as a filler as we had no one else available.

 

LJ was a massive Bobby Reid supporter and identified his potential as a forward player years before he returned as manager.

 

[Davefevs]

38 minutes ago, bcfc01 said:

 

LJ was a massive Bobby Reid supporter and identified his potential as a forward player years before he returned as manager.

 

You mean when Bobby was playing as a striker in the academy, when LJ helped with some coaching?

[trickytimes]

5 hours ago, alexukhc said:

But Div 1 was championship back in the days of Aaron Brown and Tommy D

I know that. I was referring to the 2nd level of the English leagues, and I think you knew that also.

[alexukhc]

41 minutes ago, trickytimes said:

I know that. I was referring to the 2nd level of the English leagues, and I think you knew that also.

Just re read what you said and what you replied to, my bad.