Youth in the Future

[sparkie]

I just found this little snippet in a couple of places (setanta & Eurosport!), makes for an interesting read.


Accrington Chief Executive Robert Heys has insisted that clubs lower down the Football League can offer more to young footballers than some of the larger clubs.

The comment comes after the Stanley Youth Development Programme beared a very fruitful return in its’ first season in the form of goalkeeper Martin Fearon, left-winger Robert Grant and right-winger Chris Turner who have all made the step-up to the first team this season.

Young defenders’ Peter Murphy and Jay Bell are also having a successful season on work experience at Unibond Northern Premier League side Prescot Cables after winning three games in five since their arrival.

Heys admitted: "We aren’t the biggest club in the Football League by a long way, we can’t afford to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on players.

"In the higher leagues all it takes is one South American star who costs tens of millions and all of a sudden you are surplus to requirements and looking for a new club. I think it’s fair to say that that’s just not going to happen at Accrington Stanley.

"Bobby Grant and Martin Fearon have already signed their first professional contracts with the club and we are hopeful of more coming through the programme in the near future."

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