Youth Team

[The Red Baron]

Saturday 13th August. Hartlepool United Youth 4 Doncaster Rovers Youth 1.

Must admit, with all the stuff about the Loan Star, the stadium and Lewis Dunk going on I clean forgot to ask John Ryan about the youth team. Basically, how much longer can we afford to run a youth set-up that seems to produce hardly any professional players for Doncaster Rovers (although we seem to develop a few players for the likes of Brigg and Frickley!)

Maybe it would be more cost-effective to pick up 17 and 18 year olds from other clubs, like we've done with Baxendale, and run a reserve side so we can look at and develop those sort of players (as well as using it to bring back our established players after injury.)

[craigdrfc]

When SOD came into the club I had high hopes for the Youth set-up and was expecting to see, after a few years, some improvement but it actually seems that it has, at best, stood still.

I dont want to be too critical as its been many a year since i took the time to go and watch the young lads (i used to go quite a bit back in the day) so ive no idea what the stabndard is but going on a results basis then it doesnt look to clever.

Not sure if anyone on here, who makes the effort to go and support, or is ITK  , can shed a bit more light on whats going on at the Youth level.

Its something id be interested to know more about in terms of where Youth development fits into the big DRFC plan.

[AbsolutDRFC]

These things take time, but it's not as if Wilson & Stancliffe have only been there 5 minutes either.
We can point to being in a difficult catchment area, yet Barnsley are able to produce home-grown players, despite having the Sheffield clubs & Leeds on their doorstep too.
Rotherham (appreciate they're 2 divisions below) also seem to have a few that come through every season too.

[DRFC-PERKINS]

Its because all the best young players in Donny go elsewhere, Danny Rose to Tottenham for example, There will be quite a few lads from donny at leeds and both sheff clubs as well.

[intake rover]

with rovers having u7 and upwards teams now it might improve but the likes of man city are even sniffing round here now.

[Filo]

Its because all the best young players in Donny go elsewhere, Danny Rose to Tottenham for example, There will be quite a few lads from donny at leeds and both sheff clubs as well.

Danny Rose was snapped up by Leeds as a schoolboy, as was Sam Hird and James Baxendale, Ben Muirhead went to Man Utd. These are just names off the top of my head, the question needs to be asked, how are these youngsters slipping through the net? We have the largest junior league in the country, our scouts can`t be up to much can they? I just wonder how much contact the youth set up has with the coaches in the junior leagues!

[PACMAN]

Its because all the best young players in Donny go elsewhere, Danny Rose to Tottenham for example, There will be quite a few lads from donny at leeds and both sheff clubs as well.

Danny Rose was snapped up by Leeds as a schoolboy, as was Sam Hird and James Baxendale, Ben Muirhead went to Man Utd. These are just names off the top of my head, the question needs to be asked, how are these youngsters slipping through the net? We have the largest junior league in the country, our scouts can`t be up to much can they? I just wonder how much contact the youth set up has with the coaches in the junior leagues!

Paul Wilson usually comes and speaks at the leagues AGM but IMHO he's talking to the wrong people as most of the attendees will be the club secretaries not the managers. I'm afraid the Rovers are now suffering from years of neglect and broken promises so tend to get cold shouldered by many. I was running a team until two years ago and I regularly had scouts from Leeds, Sheffield Utd & Weds, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Rotherham and Scunthorpe coming down. Only once in over ten years as a UEFA licensed coach did I see a scout from the Rovers and that was just before I finished. TBH the guy could barely string a sentence together and wouldn't have inspired me to send anyone down.
Paul Wilson's a good bloke and given time he'll get it right but it'll take plenty of patience to build the bridges that previous Rovers regimes have burnt down prior to JR's time.

[PACMAN]

Saturday 13th August. Maybe it would be more cost-effective to pick up 17 and 18 year olds from other clubs, like we've done with Baxendale, and run a reserve side so we can look at and develop those sort of players (as well as using it to bring back our established players after injury.)

Do you not think they do this?? Every year Mickey Walker and the two Paul's will be attending the Premier League \"release trials\", but so will every other club both in and outside the top division. Sadly, if a bigger club shows an interest you can't blame the lads for not looking at Doncaster Rovers. We seem to be able to pick up lads like Hird and Baxendale because they have some affinity with us being local lads, simple as.
I'd also like to see some sort of development squad structure at the club but ultimately it costs and takes money away from other areas so unless revenues improve it's a non starter unfortunately!!

[DRFCBRADFORD]

in my opion on this subject its all to do with money and the young kids dont want to come to doncaster rovers .the last 2 were the snodin brothers,pugh,harle they wanted to play for donny.