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On Sky Sports just now:


Category One status for City

Premier League champions take step forward in development plan


It confirms the Premier League champions as one of the first clubs to achieve the top level under the new Elite Performance Player Plan (EPPP) and fundamentally allows them to recruit young players between 12 and 16 from across the country, rather than a limited area at present.

Whilst the announcement had been expected given the enormous training complex planned for a site across the road from the Eithad Stadium, it is an important step forward in City's intended development.

Although he has lavished in excess of £1billion on City since his takeover in 2008, owner Sheikh Mansour has always had the aim of a twin-track approach, with the aim of the Blueseventually nurturing their own players.

"As part of our academy development plan, we've invested money, time and expertise into ensuring that Manchester City can provide young footballers with the absolute pinnacle of footballing educations," said City's Chief Football Operations Officer Brian Marwood

"The development plan was born before the advent of EPPP as we continue to recognise a need to evolve not only talented football players but also well-rounded young men who will prove to be ambassadors for the club in the coming years."

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11679/7958434/

the new Mark (Blue Army)?

I hope we can get Jim Cassell back to be some sort of overlord.

bobadji wrote:the new Mark (Blue Army)?

:-)

bobadji wrote:the new Mark (Blue Army)?

Woah, back up there, no-one cuts and pastes like our Mark, you take that back.

Am I reading correctly in that we are the only club in England with this status? If so, that's quite the advantage. Wow.

Great news but shame the tabloids have not printed this story yet. It would help all the window lickers realise that Sheik Mansour is in it for the long haul rather than get bored and drop the club.

Brenen has written about it this morning ... and headline says it all :)

I really don't want us to spend this summer, it will so shut up everyone, the papers, baconface and even platini ... United and Chelsea spend more than us, even Arsenal and hell how will they make all these claims then? Actually, I am sure they'll find new figures to quote over last 3 year period instead of one or 10, whatever shows them 'poorer' than us ...

Here's the link to Brenen's piece:

Kids are alright: Manchester City Academy award provides the perfect riposte to Fergie jibe

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... um=twitter

AG7 wrote:Brenen has written about it this morning ... and headline says it all :)

I really don't want us to spend this summer, it will so shut up everyone, the papers, baconface and even platini ... United and Chelsea spend more than us, even Arsenal and hell how will they make all these claims then? Actually, I am sure they'll find new figures to quote over last 3 year period instead of one or 10, whatever shows them 'poorer' than us ...

Here's the link to Brenen's piece:

Kids are alright: Manchester City Academy award provides the perfect riposte to Fergie jibe

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... um=twitter

I agree with your sentiments, but if we win fuckall next year it means nothing

Wonderwall wrote:

AG7 wrote:Brenen has written about it this morning ... and headline says it all :)

I really don't want us to spend this summer, it will so shut up everyone, the papers, baconface and even platini ... United and Chelsea spend more than us, even Arsenal and hell how will they make all these claims then? Actually, I am sure they'll find new figures to quote over last 3 year period instead of one or 10, whatever shows them 'poorer' than us ...

Here's the link to Brenen's piece:

Kids are alright: Manchester City Academy award provides the perfect riposte to Fergie jibe

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... um=twitter

I agree with your sentiments, but if we win fuckall next year it means nothing

It's not about next season, it's about the future of the club for decades, perhaps even centuries, to come & at last we are starting to do it right.

Someone said he wants Jim Cassell back here, why ? He's working setting up progammes abroad & seems to be doing well at it. He's a good organiser, not a top football coach. It's time we had the best people involved in the football side of things.

Ted Hughes wrote:

Wonderwall wrote:

AG7 wrote:Brenen has written about it this morning ... and headline says it all :)

I really don't want us to spend this summer, it will so shut up everyone, the papers, baconface and even platini ... United and Chelsea spend more than us, even Arsenal and hell how will they make all these claims then? Actually, I am sure they'll find new figures to quote over last 3 year period instead of one or 10, whatever shows them 'poorer' than us ...

Here's the link to Brenen's piece:

Kids are alright: Manchester City Academy award provides the perfect riposte to Fergie jibe

http://menmedia.co.uk/manchesterevening ... um=twitter

I agree with your sentiments, but if we win fuckall next year it means nothing

It's not about next season, it's about the future of the club for decades, perhaps even centuries, to come & at last we are starting to do it right.

Someone said he wants Jim Cassell back here, why ? He's working setting up progammes abroad & seems to be doing well at it. He's a good organiser, not a top football coach. It's time we had the best people involved in the football side of things.

so you have changed your opinion and joined the camp of those who would like to see a top sporting director taking care of relevant matters at the Club?
I ask also because I'd have loved to read a reply to my post on the other thread, even if You could have considered it inflated... :-)

dazby wrote:Am I reading correctly in that we are the only club in England with this status? If so, that's quite the advantage. Wow.

No. You're not.

AG7 wrote:It confirms the Premier League champions as one of the first clubs to achieve the top level under the new Elite Performance Player Plan (EPPP) and fundamentally allows them to recruit young players between 12 and 16 from across the country, rather than a limited area at present.

What I want to know is who has developed this EPPP? The government? The FA? UEFA? FIFA? Sport UK? John68?

It's all fine & good us being handed this, but unless it's by someone with actual authority and relevance, it means diddly-squat...

BlueinBosnia wrote:

dazby wrote:Am I reading correctly in that we are the only club in England with this status? If so, that's quite the advantage. Wow.

No. You're not.

AG7 wrote:It confirms the Premier League champions as one of the first clubs to achieve the top level under the new Elite Performance Player Plan (EPPP) and fundamentally allows them to recruit young players between 12 and 16 from across the country, rather than a limited area at present.

What I want to know is who has developed this EPPP? The government? The FA? UEFA? FIFA? Sport UK? John68?

It's all fine & good us being handed this, but unless it's by someone with actual authority and relevance, it means diddly-squat...

It means we can take on young players from anywhere in the country not just from the local area so how can that mean diddly squat?

BlueinBosnia wrote:No. You're not.

What I want to know is who has developed this EPPP? The government? The FA? UEFA? FIFA? Sport UK? John68?

It's all fine & good us being handed this, but unless it's by someone with actual authority and relevance, it means diddly-squat...

It's more than just a badge on the wall though - it allows us to pick up players from more than 90 minutes away (although that covers most of England anyway) and to have them in for training more each week. If the scouts and coaches are good, it should give us an advantage until other big clubs catch up in being allowed to take some of the very best youngsters from anywhere.

Clubs may have got round this in the past by employing a parent, moving the family and then 'realising' that they had a really talented child who could join the academy. This just simplifies that whole process

Socrates wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

dazby wrote:Am I reading correctly in that we are the only club in England with this status? If so, that's quite the advantage. Wow.

No. You're not.

AG7 wrote:It confirms the Premier League champions as one of the first clubs to achieve the top level under the new Elite Performance Player Plan (EPPP) and fundamentally allows them to recruit young players between 12 and 16 from across the country, rather than a limited area at present.

What I want to know is who has developed this EPPP? The government? The FA? UEFA? FIFA? Sport UK? John68?

It's all fine & good us being handed this, but unless it's by someone with actual authority and relevance, it means diddly-squat...

It means we can take on young players from anywhere in the country not just from the local area so how can that mean diddly squat?

Local Area = 90 minutes' commuting distance

High speed rail London-Manchester proposed route = 66 minutes. Currently 128 minutes.

So that means that Northampton and Nottingham probably count as the "Local Area". In future, everywhere except Cornwall, pretty much.

Haven't we just relocated players in the past to circumvent this rule?

Just read the MUEN article: it's us, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, West Ham and Wolves who've been awarded this status.

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Socrates wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

dazby wrote:Am I reading correctly in that we are the only club in England with this status? If so, that's quite the advantage. Wow.

No. You're not.

AG7 wrote:It confirms the Premier League champions as one of the first clubs to achieve the top level under the new Elite Performance Player Plan (EPPP) and fundamentally allows them to recruit young players between 12 and 16 from across the country, rather than a limited area at present.

What I want to know is who has developed this EPPP? The government? The FA? UEFA? FIFA? Sport UK? John68?

It's all fine & good us being handed this, but unless it's by someone with actual authority and relevance, it means diddly-squat...

It means we can take on young players from anywhere in the country not just from the local area so how can that mean diddly squat?

Local Area = 90 minutes' commuting distance

High speed rail London-Manchester proposed route = 66 minutes. Currently 128 minutes.

So that means that Northampton and Nottingham probably count as the "Local Area". In future, everywhere except Cornwall, pretty much.

Haven't we just relocated players in the past to circumvent this rule?

Just read the MUEN article: it's us, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, West Ham and Wolves who've been awarded this status.

This means that City will be able to sign players from all over the country & coach them from a younger age. So basically, we can start to do what Ajax & Barca do.

Imo, it is ten times more important than signing some 29 year old cunt face from Arsenal.

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Socrates wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

dazby wrote:Am I reading correctly in that we are the only club in England with this status? If so, that's quite the advantage. Wow.

No. You're not.

AG7 wrote:It confirms the Premier League champions as one of the first clubs to achieve the top level under the new Elite Performance Player Plan (EPPP) and fundamentally allows them to recruit young players between 12 and 16 from across the country, rather than a limited area at present.

What I want to know is who has developed this EPPP? The government? The FA? UEFA? FIFA? Sport UK? John68?

It's all fine & good us being handed this, but unless it's by someone with actual authority and relevance, it means diddly-squat...

It means we can take on young players from anywhere in the country not just from the local area so how can that mean diddly squat?

Local Area = 90 minutes' commuting distance

High speed rail London-Manchester proposed route = 66 minutes. Currently 128 minutes.

So that means that Northampton and Nottingham probably count as the "Local Area". In future, everywhere except Cornwall, pretty much.

Haven't we just relocated players in the past to circumvent this rule?

Just read the MUEN article: it's us, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, West Ham and Wolves who've been awarded this status.

High speed rail link is due to be completed in 2033!! If you think opening up to players from the whole of the south of England 21 years earlier isn't important to the academy well no point even trying to argue with you. and relocation isn't an option for everyone,,,

Ted Hughes wrote:Imo, it is ten times more important than signing some 29 year old cunt face from Arsenal.

This.

Socrates wrote:

BlueinBosnia wrote:

Socrates wrote:It means we can take on young players from anywhere in the country not just from the local area so how can that mean diddly squat?

Local Area = 90 minutes' commuting distance

High speed rail London-Manchester proposed route = 66 minutes. Currently 128 minutes.

So that means that Northampton and Nottingham probably count as the "Local Area". In future, everywhere except Cornwall, pretty much.

Haven't we just relocated players in the past to circumvent this rule?

Just read the MUEN article: it's us, Fulham, Middlesbrough, Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, West Ham and Wolves who've been awarded this status.

High speed rail link is due to be completed in 2033!! If you think opening up to players from the whole of the south of England 21 years earlier isn't important to the academy well no point even trying to argue with you. and relocation isn't an option for everyone,,,

Sorry, thought it was 2018.

I'd say relocation is an option for 80-85% of people. And only a small portion of those 15-20% of people will be for genuine reasons- the rest simply won't be willing to support a promising football career, suggesting a not-so-brilliant family atmosphere. We've produced enough Joey Bartons, in my opinion.

Besides, how do we take 12 year olds without their parents being willing to relocate, anyway?

Tokyo Blue wrote:

Ted Hughes wrote:Imo, it is ten times more important than signing some 29 year old cunt face from Arsenal.

This.

Agreed, but I really don't think it changes our situation much, if at all.

Reading into it, the Category One status is given by the Premier League. However, 23 teams applied, and 'Boro (who have also been awarded it) are a Championship club. Not sure exactly how all this works, but I can't see how the Premier League are able to have the right to determine how Football League clubs are able to manage their scouting and recruitment setup...