The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Royals and Racers]

No PL 2 fixtures yet but Youth Hawk are reporting that we have North and South Divisions this season.- TBC.
Re-reading it this could just refer to U 18 league rather than PL 2. Confirmation definitely needed !
South
Bournemouth
Brentford
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Birmingham
Brighton
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Fulham
Ipswich
Norwich
Reading
Southampton
Tottenham
West Brom
West Ham

Fixtures also out for PL U 18 league which is confirmed that we play the other 15 South teams twice.
Early fixtures
Saturday 15th August away at Tottenham
Saturday 22nd August home to West Ham
Saturday 29th August away at Chelsea
Saturday 5th September home to Brighton

[Royals and Racers]

Talk about keeping a secret !!!
The U 21’s are playing Bristol City away in the PL Cup Group G tonight !!!!
KO delayed as Reading arrived late- match should be live on Bristol City’s You tube channel
T Borgnis
Saint -Louis
Cliff
Harrison
Duah
Howard
Dashi
Booth
Ntege
Sackey
Jones
SUBS
Welland
Irish
Lonmeni
Coke-Miles-Smith
Dove

[Royals and Racers]

Remaining PL Cup fixtures have dates
Monday 7th September v Bristol City Home at Farnborough.
Friday 9th October v Norwich Home at Farnborough
Monday 2nd November v Exeter away
Monday 23rd November v Exeter Home at Farnborough
Friday 4th December v Norwich away

[Royals and Racers]

Talk about keeping a secret !!!
The U 21’s are playing Bristol City away in the PL Cup Group G tonight !!!!
KO delayed as Reading arrived late- match should be live on Bristol City’s You tube channel
T Borgnis
Saint -Louis
Cliff
Harrison
Duah
Howard
Dashi
Booth
Ntege
Sackey
Jones
SUBS
Welland
Irish
Lonmeni
Coke-Miles-Smith
Dove

Now 8pm KO- You tube link now up Bristol City FC you tube channel
Bristol City 1 Reading 0 37 mins
H-T 1-0
Readjng down to 10 -Sackey sent off 53 mins
2-0 56 mins
3-0 81 mins
4-0 90 + 1
F-T 4-0

[Stranded]

Talk about keeping a secret !!!
The U 21’s are playing Bristol City away in the PL Cup Group G tonight !!!!
KO delayed as Reading arrived late- match should be live on Bristol City’s You tube channel
T Borgnis
Saint -Louis
Cliff
Harrison
Duah
Howard
Dashi
Booth
Ntege
Sackey
Jones
SUBS
Welland
Irish
Lonmeni
Coke-Miles-Smith
Dove

Is there a 3rd Ntege then?

[RG30]

Completely unrelated. Ironically the twins are set to sign for Nottingham Forest as per the Daily Mail.

[Royals and Racers]

Talk about keeping a secret !!!
The U 21’s are playing Bristol City away in the PL Cup Group G tonight !!!!
KO delayed as Reading arrived late- match should be live on Bristol City’s You tube channel
T Borgnis
Saint -Louis
Cliff
Harrison
Duah
Howard
Dashi
Booth
Ntege
Sackey
Jones
SUBS
Welland
Irish
Lonmeni
Coke-Miles-Smith
Dove

Is there a 3rd Ntege then?

Yes Torin aged 20 and no relation to the twins- he is ex-WBA and was on trial with us at the back end of last season, and then signed fairly recently. He came on as a sub when we played Huddersfield at Farnborough in the PDL/PL 2 play-offs.

[Royals and Racers]

Shay Spencer has joined Slough Town on loan until 12th October.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Whenever I see a kid on loan to NL North/South, I get a bit disappointed as realistically they're not going to make it here. It's 3 tiers beneath us and semi pro - the gap they would need to bridge us huge. Obviously there may be exceptions to the rule - but it's only that, exceptions. If Spencer has reached 20 and it's the best loan he can get, it's hard to see him being close to our 1st team next season when he's 21.

NL is different. There are some ambitious, well funded clubs there, nearly all the teams are full time professional, and arguably there's little quality difference between the top half of that division and L2. If you can hold your own against the likes of Oldham, Carlisle, Southend, Hartlepool, Harrogate, Forest Green etc., as a youngster then you have a real chance of making it as far as L1. But going as low as the 6th tier feels too far to drop.

[Stranded]

Whenever I see a kid on loan to NL North/South, I get a bit disappointed as realistically they're not going to make it here. It's 3 times beneath us and semi pro - the gap they would need to bridge us huge. Obviously there may be exceptions to the rule - but it's only that, exceptions. If Spencer has reached 20 and it's the best he can get, it's hard to see him being close to our 1st team next season when he's 21.

NL is different. There are some ambitious, well funded clubs there, nearly all the teams are full time professional, and arguably there's little quality difference between the top half of that division and L2. If you can hold your own against the likes of Oldham, Carlisle, Hartlepool, Harrogate, Forest Green etc., as a youngster then you have a real chance of making it as far as L1. But going as low as the 6th tier feels too far to drop.

Whilst I get your point, we seem to be using a plan to loan young players out short-term to local(ish) clubs, like Slough and Bedford.

As you rightly say, both those clubs will be part-time and probably only training on Tues/Thurs. So by loaning them there, it allows them to train with us the rest of the time (and possibly still play the odd u21 game) whilst training with their loan clubs when required and more importantly, getting a regular taste of senior football at a decent level.

[Brogue]

Whenever I see a kid on loan to NL North/South, I get a bit disappointed as realistically they're not going to make it here. It's 3 tiers beneath us and semi pro - the gap they would need to bridge us huge. Obviously there may be exceptions to the rule - but it's only that, exceptions. If Spencer has reached 20 and it's the best loan he can get, it's hard to see him being close to our 1st team next season when he's 21.

NL is different. There are some ambitious, well funded clubs there, nearly all the teams are full time professional, and arguably there's little quality difference between the top half of that division and L2. If you can hold your own against the likes of Oldham, Carlisle, Southend, Hartlepool, Harrogate, Forest Green etc., as a youngster then you have a real chance of making it as far as L1. But going as low as the 6th tier feels too far to drop.

Agree

[linkenholtroyal]

Whenever I see a kid on loan to NL North/South, I get a bit disappointed as realistically they're not going to make it here. It's 3 tiers beneath us and semi pro - the gap they would need to bridge us huge. Obviously there may be exceptions to the rule - but it's only that, exceptions. If Spencer has reached 20 and it's the best loan he can get, it's hard to see him being close to our 1st team next season when he's 21.

NL is different. There are some ambitious, well funded clubs there, nearly all the teams are full time professional, and arguably there's little quality difference between the top half of that division and L2. If you can hold your own against the likes of Oldham, Carlisle, Southend, Hartlepool, Harrogate, Forest Green etc., as a youngster then you have a real chance of making it as far as L1. But going as low as the 6th tier feels too far to drop.

Agree

You’re alive brogue. Was starting to get worried.

[Brogue]

Whenever I see a kid on loan to NL North/South, I get a bit disappointed as realistically they're not going to make it here. It's 3 tiers beneath us and semi pro - the gap they would need to bridge us huge. Obviously there may be exceptions to the rule - but it's only that, exceptions. If Spencer has reached 20 and it's the best loan he can get, it's hard to see him being close to our 1st team next season when he's 21.

NL is different. There are some ambitious, well funded clubs there, nearly all the teams are full time professional, and arguably there's little quality difference between the top half of that division and L2. If you can hold your own against the likes of Oldham, Carlisle, Southend, Hartlepool, Harrogate, Forest Green etc., as a youngster then you have a real chance of making it as far as L1. But going as low as the 6th tier feels too far to drop.

Agree

You’re alive brogue. Was starting to get worried.

I’ve been keeping a low profile after couhigs goons tried to finish me off…

[linkenholtroyal]

Agree

You’re alive brogue. Was starting to get worried.

I’ve been keeping a low profile after couhigs goons tried to finish me off…

Is it like Bugsy Malone at the SCL at the moment?

[Clyde1998]

Whenever I see a kid on loan to NL North/South, I get a bit disappointed as realistically they're not going to make it here. It's 3 tiers beneath us and semi pro - the gap they would need to bridge us huge. Obviously there may be exceptions to the rule - but it's only that, exceptions. If Spencer has reached 20 and it's the best loan he can get, it's hard to see him being close to our 1st team next season when he's 21.

NL is different. There are some ambitious, well funded clubs there, nearly all the teams are full time professional, and arguably there's little quality difference between the top half of that division and L2. If you can hold your own against the likes of Oldham, Carlisle, Southend, Hartlepool, Harrogate, Forest Green etc., as a youngster then you have a real chance of making it as far as L1. But going as low as the 6th tier feels too far to drop.

There was an article of The Athletic a week or so ago discussing the issues about Scotland's youth development which gets to the very heart of the issue for most youth players, even at Category One level:

The sad thing for Scottish football is that, generally, academy staff in England, who spoke under the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, concede that, in many cases, they are not buying these teenagers from Scotland in the belief they have discovered a future Premier League star. They are simply padding out their squads through the transition age, ruthlessly plucking players who represent an upgrade on what they already have to ensure the very top talents are surrounded by the best quality possible.

The harsh reality for most players playing for our U21s regularly beyond the age of about nineteen is they're probably only there to make up the numbers (aside from the goalkeepers).

Anyone who had the potential to become a first team player at that age is already going to have been pushing into the first team squad or they're out on loan at a decent level.

The standard of the U21 league is no better than National League level at a push, albeit probably more technical and less physical. The U21 players from the bigger clubs who are beyond that level are almost all out on loan at an EFL club.

The current development set up in England allows for the bigger clubs to stockpile young players for younger, enabling them to rack up development years to maximise any sell-on/solidarity payments going forward.

It's not beneficial to the game and English football should be looking to go back to a reserve team system for players on professional contracts, imo.

[Clyde1998]

Aldershot are currently under a transfer embargo for "Non-compliance with League Financial Regulations": https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/po ... -decisions

I don't know if that impacts the ability of our young players to go out on loan.

[Gordzilla]

Whenever I see a kid on loan to NL North/South, I get a bit disappointed as realistically they're not going to make it here. It's 3 tiers beneath us and semi pro - the gap they would need to bridge us huge. Obviously there may be exceptions to the rule - but it's only that, exceptions. If Spencer has reached 20 and it's the best loan he can get, it's hard to see him being close to our 1st team next season when he's 21.

NL is different. There are some ambitious, well funded clubs there, nearly all the teams are full time professional, and arguably there's little quality difference between the top half of that division and L2. If you can hold your own against the likes of Oldham, Carlisle, Southend, Hartlepool, Harrogate, Forest Green etc., as a youngster then you have a real chance of making it as far as L1. But going as low as the 6th tier feels too far to drop.

Agree 100%

[Sutekh]

Shay Spencer has moved to Slough on a 2 month loan.

[Royals and Racers]

Shay Spencer has moved to Slough on a 2 month loan.

Keep up - i posted that very same information on Wednesday on this very page

[Royals and Racers]

The draw has been done for the PL U 18 Cup. We are in Group A along with
Bournemouth
Everton
Leicester
Details of fixtures TBA- we play each team in the group just once. Last season we had 2 home and 1 away.