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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 13:48:02 GMT 1
There seems to be a lot of threads regarding the academy and the young players in the reserves, these might be born out of boredom but I like to hear about the kids we have at Town.
I just wondered if those who have seen the academy play could shed some light on who the most promising looking kids are? I know of Nightingale and Spencer are highly rated.
What about Dave Heagney? I haven't heard much talk of him on here but he is U-18's top scorer and I'm sure I heard he is a physical centre forward.
Could anyone offer opinions on Dave Heagney and also any of the other starlets who they feel could play at higher levels or even internationally?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 13:51:32 GMT 1
from what i ve seen of luke durham i like.younger wise jed rashid,owen smith theres a rake of talent below 14's
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 14:10:45 GMT 1
Do you see a lot of our academy games then? You seem to know a lot about the younger ones, whereas the O/S doesn't mention below under 18's level.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 14:15:25 GMT 1
i get over once a month but my forte is 6 to 12,well thats what i m going on mastermind with lol {how do i do a smiley face thingy} well twice a month but once for games
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 14:22:13 GMT 1
i ve seen the 18's 2 or 3 times,at the dingles and against unibond opposition was impressed,i like dave heagney but for me luke durham ran it
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NookTerrier
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Post by NookTerrier on Feb 20, 2009 14:29:29 GMT 1
At 14 though the build is not needed in football but loads are dropped out post 16 not because they haven't got the talent but 'cos our football department team have said they are not big enough, even though you see the likes of febian brandy, leon knight etc all small players making it or made it.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 14:36:14 GMT 1
its nothing to do with size gazza its to do with strength,eg maradona, zola,keegan,beardsley,matty young.all small ,all strong......well except young
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 14:36:36 GMT 1
At 14 though the build is not needed in football but loads are dropped out post 16 not because they haven't got the talent but 'cos our football department team have said they are not big enough, even though you see the likes of febian brandy, leon knight etc all small players making it or made it. They've got balance and strength though  |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 16:21:41 GMT 1
At 14 though the build is not needed in football but loads are dropped out post 16 not because they haven't got the talent but 'cos our football department team have said they are not big enough, even though you see the likes of febian brandy, leon knight etc all small players making it or made it. I think most would agree that releasing a kid just cos they are small is a crap idea. In some cases - i.e. centre backs or keepers it is fair comment but for a winger or centre forward its a load of tosh. I played with a lad when I was younger, he was a little centre forward and he was clinical in front of goal. Finished top scorer in junior league every season... usually with about 60+ goals from 20 odd games. He was on Bradford City's books from about age 11 and scoring goals regularly for Bradford's youth teams but he got released at 15 for being too small. He went back to amateur football, scoring goals for fun still and then got to the age where going out boozing with mates took over and plays pub football but isn't as good cos he is usually hung over. My point is, he was quick off the mark, pacey, good in the air for someone small, had a good first touch, strong for a small lad, hit the back of the net ridiculously often at every level they played him.... but wasn't tall. Is that the key aspect to whether you can make it or not? |
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Post by HTFCwillo on Feb 20, 2009 16:38:50 GMT 1
when i was in the academy i was in the same year group as the likes of heagney, durham, harris, nightingale etc. i remember dave heagneys debut at under15 level and i was playing in centre midfield against man utd. u just new heagney was going to be good he was strong for his age and he scored to goals on his debut, we beat man utd that day 5-4 and im not braggin but i did get the winner that day! sadly i was released a year later but 5years in the academy isnt bad really! anyway gerry murphy said at the time that this age group coming through the ranks now isprobably better than the worthington, holdsworth and clarke age group and he said this a few years back so we could be expecting big players to come through the academy very shortly! i rate lewis nightingale the best hes got great vision and will develop and get stronger maybe the next james berret!
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Post by HTFCwillo on Feb 20, 2009 16:41:13 GMT 1
not the only one to get released at 15 cos i was to small and light weight for a centre midfielder. now im nearly 6ft! wonder wat collins looked like wen he was 15!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 17:28:06 GMT 1
no one gets released for being "small" its poor terminology and shows a lack of vocabulary on the coach s part.my jokey post earlier about mssrs zola ,keegan et al was meant to highlight that.its true some people develope late(ian wright good example) andy holdsworth and young tibby have shown that.whats been missed is the d n d factor,drive and desire.we could all name scores of lads who could ve been,you ve only to read biographys of players to see even the big names get knocked back,its how you turn negatives into positives.i ve known countless pro s over the years n still do.they ve all one thing in common.....they d eat their grannys to be where they are.!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 17:30:47 GMT 1
did you play with ben brooke-lawson willo? and who are you with now?
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Post by ritchie on Feb 20, 2009 17:39:58 GMT 1
At 14 though the build is not needed in football but loads are dropped out post 16 not because they haven't got the talent but 'cos our football department team have said they are not big enough, even though you see the likes of febian brandy, leon knight etc all small players making it or made it. I think most would agree that releasing a kid just cos they are small is a crap idea. In some cases - i.e. centre backs or keepers it is fair comment but for a winger or centre forward its a load of tosh. I played with a lad when I was younger, he was a little centre forward and he was clinical in front of goal. Finished top scorer in junior league every season... usually with about 60+ goals from 20 odd games. He was on Bradford City's books from about age 11 and scoring goals regularly for Bradford's youth teams but he got released at 15 for being too small. He went back to amateur football, scoring goals for fun still and then got to the age where going out boozing with mates took over and plays pub football but isn't as good cos he is usually hung over. My point is, he was quick off the mark, pacey, good in the air for someone small, had a good first touch, strong for a small lad, hit the back of the net ridiculously often at every level they played him.... but wasn't tall. Is that the key aspect to whether you can make it or not? What was his name? I used to play against a kid who I think was called Devon, he was tiny but very good, got trials for barnsley I think but had a heart murmer and failed medical if I remember correctly. I'm 19 by the way. |
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Post by HTFCwillo on Feb 20, 2009 17:49:34 GMT 1
no i no1 called ben brooke lawson! i played with a lad called stephen brook who is still the academy now! i remember alex smithies a game 4 us away at sunderland everybody knew he was going to be special! my coach at huddersfield b4 i left was simon ireland and billy legg! they reffered me to halifax town and i was there for 2years and in was enjoying football but everyone knows wat happened now s i left and was picked up by semi pro club thackley in bradford if anybodys heard of it? i play for under19s pushing for the reserves. yea i understand about the terminology small but really it was th physical side of the game which let me down because all the others players had grown earliar than me and i only started to grow properly when i was 16! but the likes of dave pickering spencer harris jack hunt etc were more developed than me! but on the ball simon ireland saidi had real tallent and he said my vison was excellent and i trained well every week but physically and mentally i wasnt strong enough back then!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 19:36:27 GMT 1
so how old are you? and where you from? i know thackley,i could set you up mate if you like? unless youre happy over there mate
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Post by yt08 on Feb 20, 2009 19:44:57 GMT 1
Didn't we once have a six figure bid for one of our lads in the academy ? But we turned it down ?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 19:46:53 GMT 1
yea jimmy spencer,its on another thread about him mate
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Post by LordyOfTheManor on Feb 20, 2009 19:47:02 GMT 1
Didn't we once have a six figure bid for one of our lads in the academy ? But we turned it down ? Last summer for Jimmy Spencer who's currently injured. Manchester City were the club interested in him. Hope he's fit soon. Sounds like a right talent! |
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Post by Captainslapper on Feb 20, 2009 19:47:24 GMT 1
My father in law used to play in the same Bradford schools team as Billy Legg and reckons he would have gone on to be a real top drawer player had it not been for an accident of some kind, Think it was a car crash.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2009 20:01:03 GMT 1
billy is at burnley now and a real gentleman,he had a bad car crash that affected his speech
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Post by w415hy on Feb 21, 2009 9:02:15 GMT 1
There seems to be a lot of threads regarding the academy and the young players in the reserves, these might be born out of boredom but I like to hear about the kids we have at Town. I just wondered if those who have seen the academy play could shed some light on who the most promising looking kids are? I know of Nightingale and Spencer are highly rated. What about Dave Heagney? I haven't heard much talk of him on here but he is U-18's top scorer and I'm sure I heard he is a physical centre forward. Could anyone offer opinions on Dave Heagney and also any of the other starlets who they feel could play at higher levels or even internationally? I played against him for Northern Ireland schoolboys vs Rep. Of Ireland schoolboys (u18s) personally i didnt think he was good at all, reasonably physical, but not as much as i would have thought being about 6ft, whether he makes it at town or not im unsure, he does score for the academy, but there is a big difference between the level of u18s and reserves let alone first team. We'll have to see later in the season when hes playing regualry for the ressies. |
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