15-10-2020, 09:46 AM
(This post was last modified: 15-10-2020, 09:47 AM by Jean_claude_killy.)
(15-10-2020, 09:12 AM)Salvatore Matrecano Wrote:(15-10-2020, 08:38 AM)Sniffer Dog Wrote:(14-10-2020, 05:24 PM)Salvatore Matrecano Wrote: Long overdue promotion for Gary and long overdue application for Cat 1.
Great news though and very positive indeed.
Not sure if it's long overdue. There were certain things that needed to be put in place frst unless you want your application rejecting. There was no point applying just for the sake of applying. There was a lot of work to do. Those things take time. Now that everything is in place the application is in.
You are correct Sniff, you cannot just bang in an application on a whim, my comment was more a long term one, we should have been working towards this when the new academy system was introduced 10 years ago but of course we had the wasted years until recently.
I was trying to find a summary list of requirements for Cat 1, cant see one but basically there is an 80 page document around policy for youth development which gives you an idea of the complexities which feed into every level of how the club operates.
A quick summary
Cat 1 This is the highest classification awarded to an Academy. It is an elite environment where Academy Players are provided with additional access to coaching and the potential of full time education from U12. Category 1 Academies can recruit nationally from U12 provided the Academy Player is guaranteed access to a full time education programme.
Cat 2 This is an elite development environment where Academy Players are typically recruited locally but gain access to additional coaching opportunities and education support.
Unless things have changed very recently the situation is as follows:
The application process for Cat 1 takes place over a three year cycle; fail or miss the application and it is a three year wait for the next opportunity - this will be the first opportunity for the current ownership to submit a credible application.
The problem we had in the past related to not being able to house the education centre on the Academy site; it looks like this has changed.
There is also the small fact that we must ringfence around 3m per year to fund the Academy at that level, although the recent sales of former Academy players more than covers that