Are Academy Programmes Working In The Premiership? - 28/11/2004

Considerable emphasis is placed on Academy programmes in modern football. Thousands of youngsters sign up each year in the hope that one day they will tread the hallowed turf of a great club. It has always been known that only a few will make the grade. However, a survey for The Times suggests that Academy progammes may be working even less well for top clubs than has been thought. After fourteen rounds of matches in the Premiership, only 24 trainees have made the starting line-up in at least half of their side's league fixtures. Given that there are 20 clubs in the Barclays Premiership, that is about one regular player per team from the youth schemes.

Manchester United lead the way with four former trainees playing frequently this season. Portsmouth are one of seven clubs without a former trainee in their regular squads, perhaps reflecting Harry Redknapp's preference for wheeling and dealing in the transfer market. Portsmouth did well enough under his guardianship without trainees. Apparently, one Premiership club wanted to scrap its academy, only to be talked out of the idea by its manager on public relations grounds. Certainly, government sees football training schemes as a way of keeping youngsters out of trouble, although many of these are 'community' programmes that are not designed to recruit the future stars for which scouts are always on the look out.