|
|
Post by toughatthetop on Aug 16, 2015 11:52:18 GMT 1
Noticed a few of the youngsters have been put on loan where is this taking us as we now don't have a reserve team and we finish up our youths at the end of u17s
|
|
|
|
Post by Auldnick on Aug 16, 2015 15:08:47 GMT 1
While I think it was a mistake to do away with the development squad, putting the youngsters on loan is better than then getting "splinters" & if they get regular games at the junior clubs then they will certainly get toughened up by the experience.
|
|
|
|
Post by Livi News on Aug 16, 2015 15:52:43 GMT 1
Lack of Development League action could hurt young playersLivingston blogger David Stoker shares his thoughts on the club in his weekly blog for www.dailyrecord.co.uk and West Lothian Courier.Is Livingston FC still serious about youth development? The first team kicked off their league campaign last weekend, but for the first time in a while there will be no similar programme at Under 20 level. Livi are the only full time club that isn't fielding a side in the SPFL Development League or SFA Youth Cup this season, which appears to me to be a backward step. Instead, our young players (and fringe senior players) will be sustained on a diet of informal bounce games, or loan deals with junior clubs. I'm not against farming players out; junior football is highly competitive and could serve to become an effective School of Hard Knocks for Livi kids. But bounce games seem like less of a solution given that all other full time clubs are competing in the Development League. Not many carry a squad big enough to fulfil those fixtures and play friendlies against us. My main concern is the perception that the club are opting out of the normal player pathway to first team football, which could make recruiting youngsters a very hard sell in the first place. During my time on the club board, we prioritised youth development and I'd argue that investing heavily in our youngsters served the club well - plenty graduated to the first team and several were sold on for good money. The alternative strategy now being employed could stop that conveyor belt for good, which would be a tremendous shame. Our club has a hard earned good reputation for bringing players through over many years; my opinion is that it is essential that this proud tradition is not only maintained but strengthened. You can follow David on Twitter at @davidstoker_lfc.
|
|
|
|
Post by jonsnow on Aug 16, 2015 20:09:35 GMT 1
Can we afford to run youth teams? Don't know the cost but we've not exactly got what we should whenever we've sold players, other clubs have made a hell of a lot more than us developing youth players.
|
|
|
|
Post by orco on Aug 16, 2015 23:29:38 GMT 1
I was having a wee trawl through the leagues and among former Livi youth players still in the game I counted Gary Miller, Scott Boyd, Richie Brittain, Kyle Jacobs, Shaun Rutherford, Calum Fordyce, Kenny Adamson, Andy Geggan, Colin McMenamin, Scott McLaughlin, Andrew Russell all playing currently somewhere in the leagues. Another lot of former youth players who left the club in the last couple of years are nowhere to be seen. There are possibly others too.
We got reasonable if not spectacular money for Andy Halliday, Stefan Scougall, Mark McNulty, Col Donaldson, Graham Dorrans and Leigh Griffiths. Murray Davidson went for peanuts and all we got for Robert Snodgrass was a development fee.
When you compare what we got to what the likes of Hamilton and Falkirk have received in transfer fees in recent years you have to wonder why we have not made the same kind of money. If you can afford it and you know how to maximise return for what you have invested then a youth system makes sense. If you are regularly finishing the season having made a financial loss then you have to consider whether or not a youth system, no matter how desirable, is a bit of a luxury.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mr Angry on Aug 16, 2015 23:44:42 GMT 1
Lack of Development League action could hurt young playersLivi are the only full time club that isn't fielding a side in the SPFL Development League or SFA Youth Cup this season, which appears to me to be a backward step. Instead, our young players (and fringe senior players) will be sustained on a diet of informal bounce games, or loan deals with junior clubs. Sounds to me that there will still be a squad of younger players at Livi but just no organised league games for them to play in. If we're really the only full time team not to be taking part in the development league then it beggars the question surely why are we full time if we are that cash strapped? If the new board are putting all their eggs into one basket with our first team squad then we all know where that type of madness leads to.... |
|
|
|
Post by toughatthetop on Aug 17, 2015 7:54:05 GMT 1
I may be wrong in what I'm saying but don't we get payed to run a youth system
|
|
|
|
Post by Auldnick on Aug 17, 2015 18:55:44 GMT 1
Can we afford to run youth teams? Don't know the cost but we've not exactly got what we should whenever we've sold players, other clubs have made a hell of a lot more than us developing youth players. Agreed. We have a fantastic record for bringing through young players but sell them on for peanuts & a can of supermarket brand cola. |
|
