FL dismiss PL Academy Proposals

The Football League has dismissed the Premier League's proposals for a re-vamp to the academy system as not being in the best interest of football.

In essence the PL is looking for youth systems, which would give youngsters more coaching, at every club to be put into one of four new categories starting from 2012.

They also want any club meeting the criteria to include a minimum of 17 full-time members of staff, along with the appropriate medical support and appropriate facilities.

Whilst that might be feasible for the Man U's and Chelsea's for this world there is no way many FL clubs could afford this.

Football League chairman Greg Clark disagrees with the proposals.

"This isn't in the best interests of English football. For many clubs it will become uneconomic to run the academies. Many will close and that cannot be good for the game.

"We mustn't screw up kids' lives. One minute they think they are going to be the next Wayne Rooney, the next they are being released by a Premier League club and dumped back on their council estate. Let's develop the hell out of our kids but let's not sacrifice them on the altar of football efficiency.

"If you have given up your whole life to move 200 miles away and you haven't got any mates or extended family, that's an issue that needs addressing. Because being dumped back on your council estate at 16 or 17, knowing nobody and having no career - that's a terrible thing to happen.

"We are concerned that 30 to 40 clubs would give up youth development.

"It's sabre rattling but Macclesfield and Hereford no longer have academies and if 25 more clubs go like that in two years' time then we will really have screwed up."

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