Rioch: Cat 2 status confirmed (2 Viewers)

[skyblu3sk]

SISU STUMPING UP CASH TO KEEP CITY ACADEMY ON TOP OF THEIR GAME

GREGOR Rioch has welcomed Coventry City's on-going commitment to youth development by investing half a million pounds in the club's Academy.
The Sky Blues have achieved Category Two status to ensure that they continue to compete with the top two tiers of English football in terms of recruitment and development, as well as guaranteeing set levels of compensation should any young talent be poached by bigger clubs. City's owners Sisu have stumped up £480,000 * a figure that will be matched by a Premier League grant * to provide just short of £1million in annual investment in all age groups from seven to 21-year-olds.

The club could have opted for the lesser Category Three which would have seen a fraction of the investment with a total figure, including a grant, of just £315,000 a year.

But the commitment to Cat Two status ends months of uncertainty surrounding the future of the Academy and secures several full and part-time coaching jobs.

“This is a huge signal of intent from owners, without a doubt,“ said delighted Academy manager Rioch.

“It enables us to provide a better game programme, have more contact with our players and protect what we have got. And that attracts players locally, rather than them going to a rival club.

“If we were chasing a kid and were Category Three we'd be playing Walsall, Northampton and Cheltenham throughout the age groups rather than established Championship clubs, so from a recruitment point of view it was crucial.

“We're still competing with Championship and Premiership clubs for bringing players in because of the players we have progressed through the club. Last season we had 141 appearances in the first team from Academy graduates that were under 21.

“There's only one other club in the country that can better that and that's Crewe Alexandra who were doing it in League Two and we were doing it in the Championship.

“On top of that we've had youth internationals in Jordan Willis and other lads in other age groups, as well as Apprentice of the Year in Gael Bigirimana, and hopefully that success will continue.“

 

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[Deleted member 4232]

Some more welcome news. Cat 2 sits us at the same youth development level as Newcastle surprisingly, who missed out on their Cat 1 status this season.

 

[Sky Blues]

I'm not knocking the Academy, because the staff are doing a great job, but I can't help notice some great spinning by Rioch: "We're still competing with Championship and Premiership clubs for bringing players in because of the players we have progressed through the club. Last season we had 141 appearances in the first team from Academy graduates that were under 21. There's only one other club in the country that can better that and that's Crewe Alexandra who were doing it in League Two and we were doing it in the Championship."

It had nothing to do with us being broke and unable to afford senior professionals then?...

 

[Astute]

And selling some to make a profit.

We will get young playes come to us as they will see they can get into our 1st team, play for England and also get noticed by bigger clubs and get dream moves like Bigi has and Thomas nearly did until his injury.

 

[Sky Blue Sheepy]

Wow that's cynical. Whatever the motovation im happy to hear it. Tbf clubs like Watford survived by selling academy players at one point so if it keeps us going and develops some good players for a season or 2, then I've no complaints

 

[sw88]

There goes Bigi's transfer fee

 

[aodea]

Clubs sell yountg players to keep a float. the money to run this academy was opaid for essentially by the sale of Bigi. if the Academy produces a few more it would be great regardless of whether we see them long term or they are sold. This is the realty of where we are. If we produce good youngsters im happy. yes they should not be playing in our first team so much but thats the reality of where we are.

if the academy can show p[layers playing for England, our first team and getting moves to Bigger clubs we will attract good young talent and this is only benificl to the club.

 

[@richh87]

The academy is crucial to our future. Producing home grown players is much better financially than paying for players.

Must everyone at the club be accused of 'spin'?!

 

[sky blue john]

I will be the cynical one today !!!
It was a no brainer nothing to do with the Bigi money !!!
Our academy probably normally costs half a million to fund anyway when you take into wage costs and facility costs and because of this the football league have given us a grant of 480k kerrr ching !!
I'm not saying its a bad thing but its obvious you would do it for a 480k grant !!

 

[torchomatic]

You've still got to stump up the other half yourself though. Of course, it's not a "no brainer". They could've spent £150K less.

I will be the cynical one today !!!
It was a no brainer nothing to do with the Bigi money !!!
Our academy probably normally costs half a million to fund anyway when you take into wage costs and facility costs and because of this the football league have given us a grant of 480k kerrr ching !!
I'm not saying its a bad thing but its obvious you would do it for a 480k grant !!

 

[Sharpie83]

But look at crewes hit rate on bringing stars through David Platt, Robbie savage, Neil Lennon, dean Ashton, Seth Johnson, Danny Murphy, Rob jones, Geoff Thomas, dele adebola, David vaughan and Nicky Maynard so its not a bad list of players to produce over the years

 

[sky blue john]

You've still got to stump up the other half yourself though. Of course, it's not a "no brainer". They could've spent £150K less.

But come on Torch even the penny has dropped with Sisu that its the only way forward of funding the club !!!

 

[Deleted member 4232]

I will be the cynical one today !!!
It was a no brainer nothing to do with the Bigi money !!!
Our academy probably normally costs half a million to fund anyway when you take into wage costs and facility costs and because of this the football league have given us a grant of 480k kerrr ching !!
I'm not saying its a bad thing but its obvious you would do it for a 480k grant !!

You're mistaken.

The academy was funded and assessed months ago. This is just the released results of months of investment and planning. The 480k grant goes straight into the youth set up. Much like an employer super-annuation contribution.

 

[sky blue john]

But look at crewes hit rate on bringing stars through David Platt, Robbie savage, Neil Lennon, dean Ashton, Seth Johnson, Danny Murphy, Rob jones, Geoff Thomas, dele adebola, David vaughan and Nicky Maynard so its not a bad list of players to produce over the years

Yes it is good, but also thats why Crewe have never progressed, they have always sold the players to fund the club !!!
I'm sure our supporters would be happy to sit in this league for ten or twenty years whilst the club is funded by the academy !!!

 

[sky blue john]

You're mistaken.

The academy was funded and assessed months ago. This is just the released results of months of investment and planning. The 480k grant goes straight into the youth set up. Much like an employer super-annuation contribution.

Yes !! so please enlighten me where I have been wrong in my comments ?

 

[skyblueman]

Makes perfect sense to me - biggest opportunity for the club to make money at the moment - it's not going to come from ticket & shop sales - guess it also adds weight to the argument for supporting the club properly so SISU can press for ownership of the stadium - it'll be a fine balance between lettling promising youth play for the club and moving them on for profit. I for one welcome this ...

 

[Mary_Mungo_Midge]

Yes it is good, but also thats why Crewe have never progressed, they have always sold the players to fund the club !!!
I'm sure our supporters would be happy to sit in this league for ten or twenty years whilst the club is funded by the academy !!!

Sorry - you're wrong. Crewe more than punch above their weight - to assert that they haven't progressed due to player sales is incorrect. It's s small town - not a city - with 60-odd thousand inhabitants; similar in size to Rugby. Their stadium holds less than 7K people.

They nurture talent well, sell at good prices and keep their squad tight in order to over-achieve; and have done so since the '80s.

Dario Gradi got them to the second tier of English football; which is a million miles from not 'progressing', given their raw materials at their disposal

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Well, the club is damned if it does and damned if it doesn't. Had we opted for the much cheaper Cat 3 there'd have been uproar for neglecting our youth setup so I for one welcome the news. Rioch has done fantastically well to do what he has done and I look forward to seeing what else he can do.

 

[ccfcway]

I'm sure our supporters would be happy to sit in this league for ten or twenty years whilst the club is funded by the academy !!!

well there is nothing in my lifetime to suggest that we wont anyway !

 

[pb2875]

You're mistaken.

The academy was funded and assessed months ago. This is just the released results of months of investment and planning. The 480k grant goes straight into the youth set up. Much like an employer super-annuation contribution.

I can tell you that the funding and assessment only happened in the last 2 weeks! As an employee of the academy, all the staff (Full & Part Time) were waiting all summer to try and find out if we were to keep the academy. The Football League only granted us Cat 2 after the club agreed to funding its half. Not planned and assessment months ago.....

But still, we have an academy, at Category 2 and that's the future of the club!

 

[covcity4life]

great news

well done sisu..........?

 

[sky blue john]

Sorry - you're wrong. Crewe more than punch above their weight - to assert that they haven't progressed due to player sales is incorrect. It's s small town - not a city - with 60-odd thousand inhabitants; similar in size to Rugby. Their stadium holds less than 7K people.

They nurture talent well, sell at good prices and keep their squad tight in order to over-achieve; and have done so since the '80s.

Dario Gradi got them to the second tier of English football; which is a million miles from not 'progressing', given their raw materials at their disposal

No your wrong MMM !!!
You can't tell me that if they hadn't sold the players they have that they wouldn't have progressed through the divisions.
It doesn't matter that the ground only holds 7k, its all about the tv money. If they started being successful on the pitch they may have atracted more supporters from surrounding areas. Which in turn may have required them to build a bigger stadium.

 

[italiahorse]

great news

well done sisu..........?

We need more people to stick up for the club and SISU.

Lets shout down these negative so called supporters.

 

[sky blue john]

I can tell you that the funding and assessment only happened in the last 2 weeks! As an employee of the academy, all the staff (Full & Part Time) were waiting all summer to try and find out if we were to keep the academy. The Football League only granted us Cat 2 after the club agreed to funding its half. Not planned and assessment months ago.....

But still, we have an academy, at Category 2 and that's the future of the club!

PB good to have your insight on here.

 

[Mary_Mungo_Midge]

No your wrong MMM !!!
You can't tell me that if they hadn't sold the players they have that they wouldn't have progressed through the divisions.
It doesn't matter that the ground only holds 7k, its all about the tv money. If they started being successful on the pitch they may have atracted more supporters from surrounding areas. Which in turn may have required them to build a bigger stadium.

A bigger stadium, and fill it with what?!? The town's too small to sustain Premiership football. The only way Wigan - which by population is 20K larger than Crewe - can sustain their continued presence in the top flight is via Dave Whelan's benevolence. And they still lost £7m+ last season.

For Crewe to to in the second and third tier of English football is an over-achievement, and testimony to a successful cycle of nurturing, reinvestment and prudence. To claim they haven't progressed is simply bananas

 

[sky blue john]

I'm not having a pop at our academy I think its great and Rioch should be the highest paid non playing member of our staff and kept at all costs.
I just think we should not be selling our young players until we have had at least the benefit of them playing in the first team for a couple of seasons. This way we would get more money for them and also not have to get in more expensive has beens that will not have any sell on value.
Im happy to let Keogh be sold if it means we can keep Willis and Thomas.

 

[sky blue john]

A bigger stadium, and fill it with what?!? The town's too small to sustain Premiership football. The only way Wigan - which by population is 20K larger than Crewe - can sustain their continued presence in the top flight is via Dave Whelan's benevolence. And they still lost £7m+ last season.

For Crewe to to in the second and third tier of English football is an over-achievement, and testimony to a successful cycle of nurturing, reinvestment and prudence. To claim they haven't progressed is simply bananas

Bananas don't be an idiot MMM !!!
We will never know how far they could have gone because they sold the players that could have got them further !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sky Blue Sheepy]

We need more people to stick up for the club and SISU.

Lets shout down these negative so called supporters.

Wouldn't go that far but, as I am willing to rightfully give them hell when they muck things up, they do deserve praise when making good choices. Only fair.

 

[valiant15]

The bad choices outway the good choices by miles. Sisu can go fuck themselves.

 

[Mary_Mungo_Midge]

Bananas don't be an idiot MMM !!!
We will never know how far they could have gone because they sold the players that could have got them further !!!!!!!!!!

Of course they couldn't. Have you had too much sun on your head?

They produce a really good player once every two to three seasons; with a value of, say £2 to 4m. They sell to fund their continued cycle. It works and it's facilitated them over-achieving as I've tried to explain to you.

With a town as small as it is, how - by keeping such players, could they have got any higher than they've already got - which would be into the Premiership?

 

[wingy]

Whatever side of the Sisu fence we sit ,it is recognition for CCFC's greatest current Asset. I Iust hope we're still able to attract the right level of player now we've made the drop!!

 

[Grendel]

Of course they couldn't. Have you had too much sun on your head?

They produce a really good player once every two to three seasons; with a value of, say £2 to 4m. They sell to fund their continued cycle. It works and it's facilitated them over-achieving as I've tried to explain to you.

With a town as small as it is, how - by keeping such players, could they have got any higher than they've already got - which would be into the Premiership?

You are of course correct. Crewe as a town is very small not really any bigger than Nuneaton. They have no real budget and of course it's not an attractive brand to get great players. In my youth they were one of those teams that you would laugh about saying "at least we are not playing Crewe" as they always struggled in the lower reaches.

In older days occasional sma teams made it for a short time. Carlisle being a good example but the gulf in rewards offered by TV makes this now impossible,

 

[Mary_Mungo_Midge]

Good Lord, Grenduffy agreeing with me; I think I may have to commit this day to my journal

 

[Grendel]

Good Lord, Grenduffy agreeing with me; I think I may have to commit this day to my journal

Sun must have gone to my head as well.

 

[Deleted member 4232]

I can tell you that the funding and assessment only happened in the last 2 weeks! As an employee of the academy, all the staff (Full & Part Time) were waiting all summer to try and find out if we were to keep the academy. The Football League only granted us Cat 2 after the club agreed to funding its half. Not planned and assessment months ago.....

But still, we have an academy, at Category 2 and that's the future of the club!

I'm sorry; I was under the impression, much like premier league clubs, CCFC would have these things planned a little more in advance than in the last 2 weeks.

Sky Blue John made it seem as though all of the Bigi money went straight to the academy. While it might have, I highly doubt as a business, everything would be done so 'last minute' as to wrap up a transfer and send the money straight into the Academy, and then have everything assessed. The admin alone would have taken weeks; as would the preparation of the assessments?

Any more insight into that would be great. What is it you do at the academy?