Category One status

[Pepe the Horseman]

Feel free to merge with a relevant thread, but our Cat One status has been approved. Gr8 news.

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 10172.aspx

[Royal91]

YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN YES GET THE oxf*rd IN

[Pepe the Horseman]

Huge boost for our Academy

Reading Football Club are absolutely delighted to announce that our Academy has been awarded the highest possible rating of Category One.

Achieving Category One status was a strategic goal for the club, and achieving that goal ensures that our Academy is at the forefront of youth development in this country and further afield.

This categorisation recognises a number of major criteria including the level of our facilities, standard of coaching, education, and our ability to produce players for the first team. Only a small handful have been given Category One status which now ensures we have fixtures against the very best Academies in the country, the ability to attract and retain the very best players nationwide, and far more contact time between our coaches and players.

When the new Elite Player Performance Plan was announced, the club made the strategic decision to invest a huge amount of time and effort in ensuring we gained the best possible grading, and it is credit to all concerned that we are now a Category One club. Our Academy has already grown beyond all recognition since the start of the EPPP with the addition of new staff, facilities and plans for a new training ground, and confirmation of Category One will see the development continue at great pace.

From day one, owner Anton Zingarevich has placed huge emphasis on our youth setup, and this categorisation gives us the best chance of maintaining and building upon the fantastic successes from within our youth setup. Since Sir John Madejski introduced our Academy, under Nick Hammond and Eamonn Dolan's tutelage we have produced a fantastic crop of players: Jem Karacan, Alex Pearce, Simon Church, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Simon Cox, Hal Robson-Kanu, the list goes on and on; and our Academy was taken to another level when Alex McCarthy was called into the full England squad this summer.

Congratulations must go to every person who has made his happen, each devoting an extraordinary amount of time and effort and working incredibly hard to achieve this ultimate goal. From top to bottom, this has been a team effort and everyone at the club is extremely proud that we have now been named as a Category One club.

[Royal91]

WHERE IS SANDMAN NOW. WE HAVE CAT 1.

ANTON HAS DONE WELL

[jonboy29red]

i thought we missed out on this befor

[Pepe the Horseman]

Na, that was just a bunch of retards on twitter spreading rumours.

[Elliott]

Does anyone know how many other/which other clubs have a Cat 1 status?

[jonboy29red]

Does anyone know how many other/which other clubs have a Cat 1 status?

think there`s only about 20 or so

[winchester_royal]

As important an announcement as any this club has made in the last 10 years. If any reasonable and understandable doubts still remain over Anton's commitment, both financial and emotional, towards this club then this should quash them emphatically. Massive news, and while I know I am prone to engaging in hyperbole with regards to this club's successes, the importance really can't be stated enough.

What a fantastic summer this has been so far.

[Royal91]

Does anyone know how many other/which other clubs have a Cat 1 status?

Not sure, probably 90% of the PL and a couple champ. I don't think Newcastle got cat 1 although I might be wrong.

[winchester_royal]

Newcastle, Blackburn, and Palace were all denied Cat 1 status last year.

[jonboy29red]

As important an announcement as any this club has made in the last 10 years. If any reasonable and understandable doubts still remain over Anton's commitment, both financial and emotional, towards this club then this should quash them emphatically. Massive news, and while I know I am prone to engaging in hyperbole with regards to this club's successes, the importance really can't be stated enough.

What a fantastic summer this has been so far.

when Anton came in he said he wanted the Acadamy to work and this is the first piece of the jigsaw

[winchester_royal]

We also maintain a games programme against the best teams in this country, develop a European programme as well, which will expose our young players to other top teams

http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... fXxO01e.99

Interesting

[Pepe the Horseman]

Apparently not big enough news to go on the Team Board. Booooo.

[SPARTA]

Can we join in the WBA youth team r8pe?

[Barry the bird boggler]

Nick [Hammond] on major Academy boost

Director of Football Nick Hammond has reaffirmed that achieving Category One Academy status is a huge step forward for the club.

Reaching the top category required a huge investment in terms of time, effort and finance, and all of that work has paid off as our club has been confirmed as one of the very best in the land.

Nick said, "An enormous amount of work has gone in from an enormous amount of people, and it's really important that the supporters recognise what a big achievement this is, and what a big statement it is from the club.

"We'll be one of less than 20 Category One clubs in the country, there are all sorts of benefits but also all sorts of costs as well. I'm delighted from the club's perspective, from Anton and the board we've had that sort of support, because it's been a cornerstone of the club.

"It was a big decision to have an Academy many years ago, and people will realise that was a correct decision. The same point remains here, it's a big commitment by the club but it allows us to compete at the highest level in youth football, to attract players and to progress. I'm delighted.

"It's going to be the very elite of football development and there are an enormous amount of criteria to even apply for Category One. There's a large amount of investment behind that, whether it's facilities, staff, and it will continue to grow. Kids will now be on a fuller programme, with much more contact time with players. It's widely recognised and understood that more coaching time gives you a chance of better players. It's about practice, practice, practice. You need a large amount of staff, coaching, medical, sport science, analysis, and facilities of the highest level.

"We also maintain a games programme against the best teams in this country, develop a European programme as well, which will expose our young players to other top teams."

The whole EPPP has been designed to refresh and rejuvinate youth development in England, and Nick is delighted we will be at the forefront of that progression.

Reading's youth Academy has been hugely successful recently, and with proven first team opportunities for our youngsters, we can continue to attract the best talent. "Myself and Eamonn have been forceful and positive about EPPP because it gives us the opportunity to attract the very best talented young players in the country, not just within an hour's driving time.

"And the difference between us and some of the biggest clubs is that the opportunity exists to get into the first team at an early age, when maybe they wouldn't at other clubs. We're well-positioned to attract players locally, nationally and internationally.

"If you're a young player or a parent, you look at the club, facilities, coaching and the fixtures. It's hugely important for us to be playing Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal. And if you provide a path to the first team, it's very important in terms of attracting players. It's difficult for youngsters to make a breakthrough, especially in the Premier League, so you need a pathway."

It has taken many months to achieve Category One status, and Nick was keen to praise the gangantuan effort from our staff. "I can only complement everyone at the club for the work that's gone in, especially those in the Academy of course. The volume of work gone in is quite remarkable. For the club, we bought into youth development many years ago and this continues it now. We've been successful over the years, most recently with Alex in the England squad.

"For us, many players have come through to play their part. There are the names everyone knows, so too Simon Church scored important goals when we went up, Simon Cox we sold to Swindon because we had a bottleneck of strikers, but we realised very good money on him, first from Swindon and then West Brom. A youth development programme needs a return and that was a good return on a player who didn't play many games for us.

"I became involved in the management side of the Academy in 1999/2000, it has always been hugely important, it was bought into by Sir John Madejski at the very start and Anton has embraced it as well.

"Everyone is delighted and it's a massive, massive achievement for the club to go forward."

Read more at http://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/article ... 53oIC42.99


our Academy has been awarded the highest possible rating of Category One

Team board this thread immediately!

Questions

Which clubs currently have EPPP Cat 1 status?
Is there a limit on the number of clubs that can have Cat 1 status

[Cypry]

our Academy has been awarded the highest possible rating of Category One

Team board this thread immediately!

Questions

Which clubs currently have EPPP Cat 1 status?
Is there a limit on the number of clubs that can have Cat 1 status

Not sure which ones have CAT1 status, but only 23 applied...

There is no limit - it's simply an accreditation so if you tick all the boxes, you get CAT1...

[Who Moved The Goalposts?]

our Academy has been awarded the highest possible rating of Category One

Team board this thread immediately!

Questions

Which clubs currently have EPPP Cat 1 status?
Is there a limit on the number of clubs that can have Cat 1 status

Not sure which ones have CAT1 status, but only 23 applied...

There is no limit - it's simply an accreditation so if you tick all the boxes, you get CAT1...

I would also imagine that the costs involved are so high that only PL clubs or those still with some PL income can afford to do it. I don't think the numbers of Cat 1 clubs will go much past 25 or thereabouts.

[akranes]

Excellent.

[LoyalRoyal22]

Great news