Nothing ‘Brave’ in sticking with flawed system
THE names have been omitted to protect the innocent but an Under-14 youth team sent an email to parents last week.
It read: “Due to the number of players, the playing squad will be named on a Wednesday at training prior to the Saturday match.
“Unfortunately, your boy hasn’t been selected this week. He is, however, more than welcome to come along to support the team on Saturday.”
And so it comes to pass, official confirmation that Scottish football’s grassroots is struggling to meet the demand. And it’s going to get worse.
The news that Forth Valley Football Academy is being disbanded comes after Dumbarton decided last May to tell parents of the 60-odd boys in their pro-youth system to find somewhere else to play.
Affordability and lack of value from their outlay have academies folding at an alarming rate.
The new model is one of patience. Clubs now focus on scouting kids at Rangers and Celtic’s development teams then wait for them to be discarded before cherry picking the best.
Proof it works came last season as Ross County got Dylan Dykes and David Brownlie, let go by Rangers, and Reghan Tumilty, surplus at Dundee United. The Staggies promptly went out and won the SPFL Development league.
Feeding off the scraps from bigger clubs is now the way ahead.
Rearing their own talent through younger age groups is now a waste of resources – but it comes at a cost.
Boys’ club football in this country has been decimated due to Pro-Youth, a perverse creation which deems a child not with a pro club not good enough.
Falkirk have also pulled the plug, priced out of Elite Academy status with Project Brave. It’s all to do with something called Measurable Performance Outcomes.
Clubs are ranked on a criteria-based grading which allows entry or not to their academy set-up.
Eight clubs have elitelevel status to date but someone needs to press the button and go with the nuclear option if we are to save our game.
Club Academy Scotland has decimated grassroots football. It’s far too big, has failed and should be scrapped in favour of rejuvenating boys’ and schools football to ensure anyone who wants to play can get a game.
The SFA appear to believe salvation comes in shrinking opportunities for kids to get involved in organised football.
Fewer players equals
Feeding off the scraps from bigger clubs is now the way ahead
the height of nonsense which is usually the rule when elitism is at play. It’s pretentious and a coach job creation scheme.
The brave option would be to take control from the SFA to generate an all-inclusive approach at boys’ club level. Sadly, it will be more of the same rhetoric about it being the right way ahead.
Tell that to the next Harry Cochrane at Forth Valley who has not been discovered yet or the kids of parents who have just had the email to explain why they’re only good enough to go along and watch the game.