St. Georges Park

[Dicko]

Not sure how you can mock Howard Wilkinson. Responsible for Leeds' youth system in the 90s and recommended all this stuff to the FA 20 years ago. He knows his stuff when it comes to youth development.

 

Pulis on the other hand.

 

And also responsible for the absolutely risible academy system.

[xerxes]

But he is. He manages the national team. This whole project has been set up because the national team hasn't won a scrap for almost 50years and look as far away from doing so now as any time since 66. What's the point of training world class players through youth level if by the time they make the grade and reach the full squad they're going to be asked to sit deep with two banks of 4 and hit the big man up top? I recognise that this as a long term facility could be a great investment in English football far beyond Hodgson's tenure but at this time and maybe for the next few years players will be trained and schooled in an attractive brand of expansive modern football which is totally at odds with what they'll be asked to play once they reach the pinnacle.

 

I am the biggest critic of the FA over decades- but I am not myopic. The shortcomings of the FA and the England set-up are many, but when something substantial is done to rectify that, it is churlish not to acknowledge that.

 

Hodgson is in charge of the England team, not St Georges Park, or any part of it. He is at the far end of the conveyor belt, England qualified players at the end of the system, a failed system. The whole point of St Georges Park is that in ten or fifteen years, when aspiring ten year olds are twenty, when aspiring eight year olds are twenty three it has the capacity to make a difference. The England team now, and who is in charge of it, is irrelevant.

 

Dan Ashworth, Director of Elite Development, has done a fine job at West Brom and is very well regarded throughout the game. David Sheepshanks is a rarity- a good administrator. Together they stand a chance. France, Italy, Holland , Spain and Germany all have their own versions. Much time has been spent borrowing the best bits from all. Are we late arriving at the party? Yes. But that is no reason to knock joining it.

 

Two issues hamstring our youth development. Firstly there are far too few qualified coaches (half of France and Spain). Secondly our coaching has failed to embrace continental and world developments in coaching. SGP addresses both issues. It is not a silver bullet. It is not a quick fix. It is a step in the right direction.

 

At Anfield we have yearned for leadership prepared to invest, modernise, and take the long view, that is exactly what SGP represents for the national game.

 

Hodgson, and his two successors will not see the benefits of SGP. our assumption that the game will be unchanged in a decade is, I believe, flawed.

Brendan Rodgers, Martinez, Steve Clarke, Paul Lambert, Nigel Adkins and AVB are all part of a new wave of PL management. That is almost a third of the PL now. Not all will succeed, others will come through.

 

Hodgson proved himself to be yesterdays man when he was here.SGP looks far beyond that, and is exactly what you have to do, start at the bottom- and I applaud the FA for doing so ( a first!).

[Bjornebye]

more footballs and less computers for kids. more footy at school from a young age and PE in general. just look at education and parenting to get sportspeople not investing fucking millions in pish like this. there are plenty of footy pitches. kinell tevez learnt to play footy with a brick in a scrap yard. (probably)

[Magic Sponge]

They can build as many shiny new buildings with state of art facilities as they want but the simple fact is that it won't change the overall mentality that this country has got regarding the way the game should be played. And it won't change when you've got twat hat wearing managers of Pulis's, ilk in the game.

[therevivalist]

I saw a clip on the BBC, very impressive indeed. But what English football rather needs is a syatemic change, a sort of revolution at the grass roots level that, simply put, lays the emphasis on possession, dribbling, passing...instead of huffing and hoofing. Kids in South America and Africa hone their skills in the streets, bare foot with balls stiched out of pieces of cloth.

[xerxes]

They can build as many shiny new buildings with state of art facilities as they want but the simple fact is that it won't change the overall mentality that this country has got regarding the way the game should be played. And it won't change when you've got twat hat wearing managers of Pulis's, ilk in the game.

 

Agreed. Which is why SGP has adopted, adapted, and improved on the best and latest coaching and sports science methods from the established centres of excellence around Europe to produce the next generation of coaches with a commitment to increase the number of coaches by 800 in five years over and beyond the current number and allowing for natural wastage.

 

This is a long term job.It is to the FA's credit that they have been prepared to put the money,resources and time for something which will pay back beyond when many who are currently involved, are no longer involved. In an era of the quick fix, that is pretty refreshing.

[xerxes]

Agreed. Which is why SGP has adopted, adapted, and improved on the best and latest coaching and sports science methods from the established centres of excellence around Europe to produce the next generation of coaches with a commitment to increase the number of coaches by 800 in five years over and beyond the current number and allowing for natural wastage.

 

This is a long term job.It is to the FA's credit that they have been prepared to put the money,resources and time for something which will pay back beyond when many who are currently involved, are no longer involved. In an era of the quick fix, that is pretty refreshing.

[christhered]

I reckon £110 million would have been better spent on the hundreds of different boys and girls teams who play on total crud pitches most of the year round with abject facilities to boot added to a subsidised coaching scheme instead of wasting it on fancy dan over hyped training complex to make the F.A look good when various officials and football dignatries from around the world visit on a football jolly.

[xerxes]

I reckon £110 million would have been better spent on the hundreds of different boys and girls teams who play on total crud pitches most of the year round with abject facilities to boot added to a subsidised coaching scheme instead of wasting it on fancy dan over hyped training complex to make the F.A look good when various officials and football dignatries from around the world visit on a football jolly.

 

A central flagship facility has been integral to the success of Dutch, German, French and Spanish football development, your suggestion merely perpetuates decades of failure.

 

What is the point of spending money on pitches when there are not enough qualified coaches and the coaching is behind the times?

 

SGP provides the facilities for the best in coaching and sports science in an aspiarational setting, that is something to be admired, not sneered at.

[christhered]

A central flagship facility has been integral to the success of Dutch, German, French and Spanish football development, your suggestion merely perpetuates decades of failure.

 

What is the point of spending money on pitches when there are not enough qualified coaches and the coaching is behind the times?

 

SGP provides the facilities for the best in coaching and sports science in an aspiarational setting, that is something to be admired, not sneered at.

 

Thats why I advocated for a subsidised coaching course throughout the country do go hand in hand with it, I think you improve the "grass root facilities" first then concentrate on the bigger picture.

 

Isnt that what Clairefonatine do? A central academy for the elite in addition to ten other smaller centres dotted around the country in which they pick from. Instead of throwing their eggs in one gigantic expensive basket.

[xerxes]

Thats why I advocated for a subsidised coaching course throughout the country do go hand in hand with it, I think you improve the "grass root facilities" first then concentrate on the bigger picture.

 

Isnt that what Clairefonatine do? A central academy for the elite in addition to ten other smaller centres dotted around the country in which they pick from. Instead of throwing their eggs in one gigantic expensive basket.

 

SGP is at date zero.Clairefontaine has been established for 24 years.

 

To date we have a history of ordinary facilties at grass roots level, too few coaches, and the quality of that coaching being behind our competitors.

 

The principle is that SGP will represent the zenith of best practise for the training of new coaches, who will then fundamentaly alter the quality of coaching in the locations they coach in. It is right that the hub of modern coaching should offer the best- all then benefit. At the point when sufficient new coaches have been trained in the the most modern methods, then you can start developing saatellite centres. Now, ther would be no point.

 

We have a long way to go, but this is a good start. £110m on the best in modern coaching ? That is the equivalent to the current contracts that Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez are on. It's good value.

[Lee909]

I genuinely do not know the answer to this but,

What is the point of this SGP?.Will the premier league clubs allow their best youngsters to go and play there or will they be kept at the academies.Why risk other clubs getting contact with your best youngsters and having there heads turned.You know Ferguson and the like will be tapping up every youngster he can.Id rather out players stated at the academy and continued under our coaches and system of play.

[christhered]

SGP is at date zero.Clairefontaine has been established for 24 years.

 

To date we have a history of ordinary facilties at grass roots level, too few coaches, and the quality of that coaching being behind our competitors.

 

The principle is that SGP will represent the zenith of best practise for the training of new coaches, who will then fundamentaly alter the quality of coaching in the locations they coach in. It is right that the hub of modern coaching should offer the best- all then benefit. At the point when sufficient new coaches have been trained in the the most modern methods, then you can start developing saatellite centres. Now, ther would be no point.

 

We have a long way to go, but this is a good start. £110m on the best in modern coaching ? That is the equivalent to the current contracts that Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez are on. It's good value.

 

I would like to ask why there is so few qualified to a sufficent standard around the country, ive heard many arguements that it is not so much the availabilty of courses but the cost of them.

 

Who is going to pay for all these sport science and coaching seminars in the age of financial austerity, where already a complaint is that they are to expensive in the first place, surely to justify the £110 million and to pay for the undoubtedly high running costs the burden will be placed on those using the centre who as I have mentioned have already complained about the cost of coaching courses.

[xerxes]

I would like to ask why there is so few qualified to a sufficent standard around the country, ive heard many arguements that it is not so much the availabilty of courses but the cost of them.

 

Who is going to pay for all these sport science and coaching seminars in the age of financial austerity, where already a complaint is that they are to expensive in the first place, surely to justify the £110 million and to pay for the undoubtedly high running costs the burden will be placed on those using the centre who as I have mentioned have already complained about the cost of coaching courses.

 

I don't have all the answers. I do know some pro-license qualified coaches including a current league manager , discussions with whom have moulded my thinking.

 

We have less than half the number of qualified coaches in England than there are in Spain, Germany and France. I don't think that cost has been an issue. I think that it has been an introverted island mentality that all that you ne is the "Up and at em bulldog spirit"- and time has moved on. Vialli summarised it well for me when he sai that in Italy football is a job- here it is a game.

 

There is more than enough money at the professional level to pay for coaching and sports science courses- if clubs want to. Below that I accept that no-one quite knows what will happen, which is why working out of one centre with accommodation seems a smart first move. The sports science facilities will be available to all sports too.

 

I don't dismiss the reservations that some have- any new project will raise questions as well as provide some answers. But I have no doubt that SGP provides a platform and opportunity for us to make up for decades of lost ground. What we make of it will be up to us.

[Anny Road]

xerxes. I never say this on this forum but you are doing my fuckin head in.

Fuck off or turn it in.

You are not an expert and certainly not 'I am the biggest critic of the FA over decades'

Turn it in or fuck off.

[Magic Sponge]

xerxes. I never say this on this forum but you are doing my fuckin head in.

Fuck off or turn it in.

You are not an expert and certainly not 'I am the biggest critic of the FA over decades'

Turn it in or fuck off.

 

A shrewd post.

[xerxes]

xerxes. I never say this on this forum but you are doing my fuckin head in.Fuck off or turn it in.You are not an expert and certainly not 'I am the biggest critic of the FA over decades'

Turn it in or fuck off.

 

I offer an informed opinon- take it or leave it.

 

If the pros and cons of SGP are too much for you, try a diferent thread.

[Anny Road]

I offer an informed opinon- take it or leave it.

 

If the pros and cons of SGP are too much for you, try a diferent thread.

 

For such a clever fella you can't spell opinion or different. Ah well.

Stop lecturing people and wind in your attitude. You have neither the intellect or facts to do so.

I don't want to insult you but you are ruining threads. I think it is because in life you are a bit of a tit.