For context, as the hooter went in came my two young daughters from playing in the garden and asked me to get them something or other, to which I essentially told them to sod off and go back outside. The fact that I was a bit of an a.rse with the two people who mean more to me than anything else on earth makes me damn sure that if I'd had a microphone in my face immediately post match I'd have been an absolute d1ck.

So as a human with the capacity to be an utter muppet I'm inclined to accept Jimmy's apology, and I'd hope the others he apologised to will as well.

Well yes he did, but he also said we'd have fewer in the squad and I'm guessing he didn't mean just a couple?

We've got [on my reckoning] 27 currently signed for next year. If we take the 27 and add 6 currently 'lined up', that's pretty much the same as the season just past. Our average number [iregistered[/i, at any one time, what with players leaving or going out on loan and arriving late in the season would have been around 33.

Last seasons' full list, with not all here at the same time, has 36 names on it though 4 of those never actually pulled a shirt on.

A squad of around 30 is more than plenty, if (a) all of them are at least good enough to offer something and (b) we actually fekkin play them

Would agree with that.

We do seem to be getting mixed messages from the club though. Smaller but stronger, another six "lined up"...which is it?

Also, we are all one year older, uglier and wiser - which includes our academy lads. Are any of them anywhere near a chance in the first team squad, does anyone know?

We missed the boat in recruitment for iur U19s last year due to the off fiel issues so all of the highest rated lads were snapped up by other clubs.

Despite that our U19s have come on a lot. Whether they're ready for 1st team I don't know. Prob not yet.

Our U16s were recruited in happier times and we have some good prospects. Some have moved up to the 19s now.

It might be a year or two before we see any top prospects in the first team.

Yes, I seem to recall this being explicitly said, perhaps at one of the fan forums or gatherings.

I think it was said that most of the U19s are at the younger end of the age group, so we'll probably not see anyone pushing through into the First Team squad for a while yet.

But I'll stand correction on that if anyone knows better...

However, don't we need 8 homegrown players in the squad? As far as I can recall, we only have 5 (Addy, Crossley, Mellor, O'Brien and Olbison), so unless we re-recruit some of our homegrown products, we'll need to promote 3, even if only in name.

Yes I suppose that's another downside of offloading Brook, Conroy and Bates.

Is Crossley 'home grown'?

Yes. He came through our academy set up before being offloaded to Dewsbury.

would imagine academy lad that had a run out in one of last league games will get promoted next year so thats six. Homegrown rule is 8 for SL. is it same figure for championship given some clubs dont even run academies?.

Doesn't Lauaki count? Looks like at least 10 stone of him is home grown?

Good question. We do [me included] get into a habit of quoting twelve month old SL rules as thought they do apply to our current position.

Quite damning from the departing Harrison really: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... est_of_me/

Quite damning from the departing Harrison really: www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/s ... est_of_me/