The Academy Discussion

I attend last night’s fans forum following the Trust AGM in the new Legend’s Lounge, but it was pretty standard fayre to be honest.

Many of the questions were pretty much of a muchness, but two subjects struck me as majorly important. The first one Danny spoke passionately about was the academy.

I can’t quote ad verbatim, but the gist of Danny’s response was that the academy is developing every day and the aim was to get to a point where kids in Lincoln, such as Adam Crookes, won’t go to Forest or Manchester United, because Lincoln City will be an attractive option on their doorstep.

He acknowledged this can’t be done on a like for like basis, we have neither the resources nor the appeal to become another Chelsea or Nottingham Forest. Danny spoke of making our approach different, making it so that we offered something those clubs do not.

Quite what that might be wasn’t entirely clear, but one would imagine it would be by offering a more personal service, rather than simply loading up on young talent and seeing which stay and which wither away. That seems to be the plan at the top-level, just cast the net wide and assess everything until the select few remain. I can’t ever see Danny putting something as cold-hearted and results focused in place, he’ll want an academy that serves the player as much as the club.

He did speak of eventually wanting an Under 23 side, something Jamie McCombe is listed as managing, but again this is a way off. There is a desire to play three behind closed doors friendlies each month to keep fringe players match fit, presumably that will also to bridge the gap between the first team and the Under 18 side.

If you think Danny and Nicky merely manage the first team, listening to him for just ten minutes would have you realise that isn’t the case. He spoke most passionately about the younger players, the teacher and developer of young people in him oozing from every words, every syllable and breath.

He also spoke of Ellis Chapman and the immense pressure he is shouldering for the whole of the academy. He is the test pilot, he’s the player those currently in our youth set up must aspire to be like. You have to wonder if perhaps there’s an element of that in Adam Crookes, he’s a local boy and by bringing him to the club we’re showing that Lincoln boys can play for Lincoln City. I’m not saying that is the reason, Adam is obviously a good player, but it does take a little pressure off Ellis.

Then again, Danny said he knows Ellis is big enough and brave enough to shoulder that responsibility. He’s only a young lad and I know at his age I wouldn’t have had the discipline nor attentiveness to achieve first team football, even if I had talent. Again, I wonder about the influence of his Dad, Darren. He was an Imp as a youth and almost made it, but not quite. Will his experiences be the additional something that helps Ellis through the tougher times?

Whatever the way forward is, thanks must go to Vice Chairman Roger Bates for the excellent work him, Damian and the team did in keeping the academy going through the dark years. That focus on youth was something we supported wherever we could, financially and with practical help. Every single business, every single dinner and donation went towards ensuring we had something to keep working with once we got back to the Football League.

The last real output of good players came under Keith Alexander, we’ve had good players but nothing like that class of ’92 (ish) with Huckerby, Ben Dixon, Matt Carbon, Steve Williams, Steve Parkinson and Luke Dimech. Times have changed, recruitment has changed but the ultimate aim is for us to be bringing four or five players from Under 18 to Under 23 and then maybe two or three of those into the first team.

That isn’t to say we’ve had a bad academy, far from it. Scott Loach, Lee Frecklington, Jack Hobbs and Gary King all went on to play league football elsewhere, whilst Craig Stones played for us for a while. there’s others too, but somehow we’ve never seen the same amount come through as that golden season.

I tell you what, listening to Danny talk he wants to be here when it happen again. I wouldn’t bet against it either, because usually if Danny says something is going to happen, it does.

If you want to know more about the academy, it’s players and fixtures, please visit the website here.