Young Swansea Lad Speaks Out

[Darran]

Read the thread.


https://twitter.com/lewisjreed10/status/1364656524883329025?s=21

 

[thefranchise]

I said at the time of the suicide that the academy system is horrible and majorly flawed. There are likely to be thousands of kids like this all over the country.

 

[Darran]

I said at the time of the suicide that the academy system is horrible and majorly flawed. There are likely to be thousands of kids like this all over the country.

I agree David.

 

[Pacemaker]

My neighbours grandson has gone to Ipswich academy from the Swans, I do wonder how he is coping up there, always seems happy when I speak to him but it must be tough at 15/16 to make that move.

 

[Darran]

My neighbours grandson has gone to Ipswich academy from the Swans, I do wonder how he is coping up there, always seems happy when I speak to him but it must be tough at 15/16 to make that move.

Is he a goalkeeper?

 

[MugfordsJack]

I went down to London a couple of years ago and presented to two directors of the PFA on this very subject ie a two session (6hr total) training event aimed at getting all Academy young players to think and work on something outside of football for when/if they ‘fall by the wayside’. Though they considered it to be perfectly ‘fit for purpose’ and absolutely agreed the need, the proposal died a death because:
1. The players are too self important (and potentially too stupid (their words)) to attend
2. The Clubs would not insist on attendance due to the way they treat their players
3. The Clubs don’t listen to the PFA
4. The Chairman of the PFA didn’t want to cause “ripples” with the clubs

‘Money’ was never an issue, just ‘willingness’.

 

[Pacemaker]

My neighbours grandson has gone to Ipswich academy from the Swans, I do wonder how he is coping up there, always seems happy when I speak to him but it must be tough at 15/16 to make that move.

Is he a goalkeeper?

Yes

 

[Darran]

Is he a goalkeeper?

Yes

 

[Dr. Winston]

I went down to London a couple of years ago and presented to two directors of the PFA on this very subject ie a two session (6hr total) training event aimed at getting all Academy young players to think and work on something outside of football for when/if they ‘fall by the wayside’. Though they considered it to be perfectly ‘fit for purpose’ and absolutely agreed the need, the proposal died a death because:
1. The players are too self important (and potentially too stupid (their words)) to attend
2. The Clubs would not insist on attendance due to the way they treat their players
3. The Clubs don’t listen to the PFA
4. The Chairman of the PFA didn’t want to cause “ripples” with the clubs

‘Money’ was never an issue, just ‘willingness’.

Been reading a book by Garry Nelson recently (it's about 25 years old, but you get the feeling that not much has changed). In his capacity as a PFA rep one of his jobs was to talk to the youth prospects about what happens if they don't get a pro contract. To a man they basically dismissed him. "Won't happen to me. I'm going to make it" sort of thing.

Think the clubs need to do more to hammer it home to them just how unlikely it is that any of them will make a living from the game.

 

[dickythorpe]

The parents can take some of the blame here. They bull their kids up.
It's like the auditions of x factor, some big headed twat sings like a drain and can't take being told they are shite......someone obviously close to them put stars in their eyes telling them they were good.

 

[Garyjack]

I obviously wont name him, but i work with an ex Swans youngster who actually briefly broke into the first team. He was told by coaches that he had a great career ahead of him and was destined for the Premier League. After suffering an injury, he received no support from the club, and was virtually discarded. He openly admits to having a drink problem and suffers from mental health issues 20 years on.

 

[magicdaps10]

I can tell you of 2 parents who have had kids in the Cardiff academy that were told when their kids were 11/12 that they would definitely make it and were both given a brochure detailing their track to professional footballer, listed all the players who made it with the academy(Ramsey,Gunter,Earnshaw etc etc) and how to deal with the every day lives of a pro footballer.....i remember at the time that myself and some of my friends saying that it is still to young to say that they will make it to be greeted with "he will make it, i have been told that they haven't seen a player of his ability for a long time, his left peg is like a wand"

Its crazy the things that the parents were being told let alone what the child was being told.......cut the story short there, one no longer plays football and the other joined Baglan 2nds prior to the lockdown, both kids just turned 20 and god knows where that brochure is now!

Its quite a sad environment and one that a child could easily get lost in when the walls inevitably start falling down in front of them.


PS-I remember a name put to me in that brochure of Nicky Fish(will never forget that name), was put in there that he would have gone on to be a premier league footballer if it was not down to a bad injury.

 

[Nocountryforoldjack]

Football is just a money machine, it will chew you up and spit you out if it doesn't need you.