Results are not a measure of successful youth policy. Putting a good team together to play in an age group is the easy part.

Making them into First Team players, now that's something totally different.

We did that until we got the right man
Seems we are going through the same situation at youth level.
Or are you saying we were also 'paying lip service' to getting into SL??

The league table bears very little relation into how successful your YD is.

As has already been pointed out, Rovers were becalmed in the National League, rather than yo-yoing between there and SL. Also when Cas came up last time, they didn't have the spectre of relegation hanging over them, as Rovers did in 2007.

That said, Rovers should now learn from clubs like Cas.

Esders, if he is to have a future in SL at Rovers needs some games. He might not make it though. The attrition rate is always going to be high - see players like Matty Dale and Nathan Freer at Hull. Golden generations like that at Cas or Hull's of a few years ago are the exception rather than the rule. Finding one or two SL quality players, ready for that level each year is what we have to be aiming for. If Welham counts for last year, Wheeldon is cheating and I'anson is still a question mark, then I suppose that this year has been a slight disappointment in that respect. There was always going to be a lag phase, but hopefully it is coming to an end. Watts and Spaven are still young enough to be being brought along slowly and several of the Reserves and academy players have a chance, by all accounts. I'm hoping we exceed the minimum quota for home-grown players next year.



That is not the same as not having a strategy, rather it is executing an important element of it poorly. Making occasional mistakes is different to not being commited.

Good and fair post as usual from Mild Rover.

Just thought I'd check FC's youth players with first team appearances in our third SL season - quite interesting considering 1-18 was packed with average overseas players.

King 21 aged 21
Horne 25 aged 18
Cooke 17 aged 19
Poucher 12 aged 18?
Fletcher 9 aged 19
Plus 3 each for Last, Farrell, Parker = 93 first team appearances. Not too shabby.

Fair enough, but it is more than the 'occasional' mistake.

One of the reasons Hull YD is so good is because of the continuity they have had in recent years.

Hull's recruitment of young lads is appauling compared to Rovers given what i was told last week by the father of a promising young player.

Craig is potentially World Class.. Id love him to sign for Rovers.

That would be great as far as Rovers were concerned provided they had the right coaching set up. Its not always how good the player is at Acadamy level is how good they become when given the opportunity and the right guidance.

The Hull amateur league is full of 'great' former acadamy players.

I agree in some regards.

Hull's recuitment of young players is based on picking out 3 or 4 potentially elite players and really focusing on them and to an extent neglecting other players. Say you talk to Danny Houghton about development at Hull and his experiences will be very different to some of the 'making up the numbers' players.

The clear paths that FC have to their first grade is to be admired but these paths dont get opened to everybody in their system though.

id take Craig Hall in an instant,
hes the kind of player who can make things happen, and knows where the try line is too, great versatility too.