The Acadamy

[Loderingo]

Sorry if that has been posted before but just wanted to mention the academy. Last year a lot of people were saying that we couldn't afford it and that it should be scrapped. The 2m transfer will now if I remember correctly pay for the academy for the next 2/1/2 years. Hopefully there will be more million pound deals in the future and we'll also get the benefit of some talented young players.

[Mr Mosquito]

Sorry if that has been posted before but just wanted to mention the academy. Last year a lot of people were saying that we couldn't afford it and that it should be scrapped. The 2m transfer will now if I remember correctly pay for the academy for the next 2/1/2 years. Hopefully there will be more million pound deals in the future and we'll also get the benefit of some talented young players.

......I just knew this type of post was coming - stand by also for all the others that will rave about the BCFC academy and all the money that this club has sold its academy starlets for. Exactly how is the BCFC academy going to improve our league position if all its best talent is going to be sold on to the likes of Wigan and Reading?

[Cooter]

......I just knew this type of post was coming - stand by also for all the others that will rave about the BCFC academy and all the money that this club has sold its academy starlets for. Exactly how is the BCFC academy going to improve our league position if all its best talent is going to be sold on to the likes of Wigan and Reading?

The money can then be used to scout out for other players and positions that need to be filled quite urgently if required...

For example, only bad bit of business made tonight, was not signing someone else in Cotterill's place!

[Ian M]

Now don't get me wrong, there is no way I could consider us ever disposing of it I just get frustrated by the way it was(/is) portrayed in relation to our Club.

When we opened it, we were told it was the future of this club, that in years to come we would use it to put together a team capable of promotion to and then consolidation in the league above.

However, it hasn't exactly turned out that way has it?

Every time a decent-ish prospect comes along, we spend a season or two blooding them in the first team until they reach the stage that they could influence a promotion bid at Ashton Gate. It's at that point we sell to the highest bidder.

Lita, Golbourne, Rosenior, Hill, Coles, Anyinsah & now Cotterill have all gone through this process. That's over £3.5m worth of talent there. However, at least now NO-ONE can now claim the Acadamy is too expensive to run!

What we actually have is a money making machine to help offset our debts, so how about a bit of honesty from the Board? We have an Acadamy so that we can produce players that higher division clubs desire and pay for the priviledge which in turn helps reduce our debt levels.

It's just highly frustrating that we see these young raw players in our side and just as they start to look like the finished product and able to reward the patience we show in them, the club sells to the first club offering us a bag of cash

Anyway, here's to a season and a half of frustrating inconsistency from Jennison Williams before he too leaves after we receive an offer that's "too good to refuse".

Sorry if that has been posted before but just wanted to mention the academy. Last year a lot of people were saying that we couldn't afford it and that it should be scrapped. The 2m transfer will now if I remember correctly pay for the academy for the next 2/1/2 years. Hopefully there will be more million pound deals in the future and we'll also get the benefit of some talented young players.

I believe it now only costs around £400k a year so today's fee will pay for the next 5 years' running.

I'm still frustrated though.

We got £2m for Cotts as an relatively untested League One player & £1m for Lita as more proven League One player. Imagine how much we'd have got instead if we actually kept the brighter prospects and got promoted to the Championship.

One decent season there and you're looking to double those fees.

Now that would really impact on our debt levels and actually free up a lot more money to be spent generally that wouldn't be spent on repaying our debt/interest.

[samo]

Now don't get me wrong, there is no way I could consider us ever disposing of it I just get frustrated by the way it was(/is) portrayed in relation to our Club.

When we opened it, we were told it was the future of this club, that in years to come we would use it to put together a team capable of promotion to and then consolidation in the league above.

and to provide revenue, which it has in spades. there was never a point at which this was not made clear.

However, it hasn't exactly turned out that way has it?

well... yes, actually, it has. we still have many youth players in or around the first team. and although some seem set against, it we could still win promotion this year with them in the squad. plus we finished 3rd twice, with youth talent playing important roles, only missing out in the playoffs.

Every time a decent-ish prospect comes along, we spend a season or two blooding them in the first team until they reach the stage that they could influence a promotion bid at Ashton Gate. It's at that point we sell to the highest bidder.

and? if we bought a player from outside and did the same no one would bat an eye lid. at least this way we make a bigger profit. players don't stay around forever, they have hopes and dreams like anyone else. if they want tp move onwards and upwards it is difficult to stop them in our position. better we make our deserved profit off them. plus you forget the likes of arron brown, tommy doc and steve phillips. keeping youth players on isn't always wise. for example, would you still want lita, troubles and all, right now?

Lita, Golbourne, Rosenior, Hill, Coles, Anyinsah & now Cotterill have all gone through this process. That's over £3.5m worth of talent there. However, at least now NO-ONE can now claim the Acadamy is too expensive to run!

What we actually have is a money making machine to help offset our debts, so how about a bit of honesty from the Board? We have an Acadamy so that we can produce players that higher division clubs desire and pay for the priviledge which in turn helps reduce our debt levels.

again, and? i've never held the impression that this was not one of the academy's role for us. does a good job of it too, i'd say!

It's just highly frustrating that we see these young raw players in our side and just as they start to look like the finished product and able to reward the patience we show in them, the club sells to the first club offering us a bag of cash

i agree. but it takes two to tango. we might except the offers, but the players want to move. and if the money is, quite frankly, stupid like wigan's, then we'd be utterly foolish to say "no deal".

Anyway, here's to a season and a half of frustrating inconsistency from Jennison Williams before he too leaves after we receive an offer that's "too good to refuse".

i guess you must be a glass half empty kind of fella, huh?

I believe it now only costs around £400k a year so today's fee will pay for the next 5 years' running.

I'm still frustrated though.

We got £2m for Cotts as an relatively untested League One player & £1m for Lita as more proven League One player. Imagine how much we'd have got instead if we actually kept the brighter prospects and got promoted to the Championship.

One decent season there and you're looking to double those fees.

'imagine'? why? what use is it? imagine we didn't get relegated last time we were up a division. imagine wayne rooney was born in bedminster. imagine we struck oil in front of the ateyo. how does this type of prodominatly negative speculaltion help the team in anyway, shape or form?

Now that would really impact on our debt levels and actually free up a lot more money to be spent generally that wouldn't be spent on repaying our debt/interest.

yeah, and so would me winning the euro millions and pumping the funds into city, but thats pure conjecture. can't people on this forum ever look on the brightside? we've sold ONE player for a hugely inflated price, thanks to one Sky TV game and Norwich being blase about the whole deal. for once bristol city got a real huge break and everone here acts like we just sold a 15 year old Pele for a couple of peanuts to the sags! jeez, lighten up!

[Loderingo]

yeah, and so would me winning the euro millions and pumping the funds into city, but thats pure conjecture. can't people on this forum ever look on the brightside? we've sold ONE player for a hugely inflated price, thanks to one Sky TV game and Norwich being blase about the whole deal. for once bristol city got a real huge break and everone here acts like we just sold a 15 year old Pele for a couple of peanuts to the sags! jeez, lighten up!

Good post Samo. BTB - Is your avatar supposed to be John Humphries?

[samo]

Good post Samo. BTB - Is your avatar supposed to be John Humphries?

nope, it's a gent called Capt. Murphy from a cartoon called Sealab 2021. the misses once said i'd look a bit like him with gray hair, so it a bit of a joke amongst my mates!