Issue 15 - September 2011 News from League Football Education Touchline Inside: Transfer Watch | Pre-season Tours
Big moves for former Apprentices
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WEB @LFEonline TWITTER Got a story? Want to share news with other WEB EMAIL www.lfe.org.uk PERSON VIDEO LFE partners? email: [email protected]
You Said, We Did EMAILBLOG news blog.lfe.org.uk PERSON LFE would like to remind all Apprentices and Clubs that PHONE your feedback is valuable to us. BLOGPHONETWITTER We are committed to continuous improvement for the HOME benefit of Apprentices and Clubs and listening to the views TWITTERVIDEO HOME of Apprentices, Clubs and Education Providers is a critical Apprentice EMAIL part of this. OpportunitiesVIDEO Board Goal of the You Said, We Did, which is available in the Apprentice LFE is continuing to provide currentEMAILPHONE and former Apprentices with Month/Season of the Month Info section of our website, hosts a summary of results gathered in stakeholder feedback questionnaires. relevant and more importantly realistic opportunities via our Goal of the Month will continue to operate The Apprentice of the Month award will kick off later this PHONEHOME These results will be updated throughout the season Opportunities Board. throughout the 2011-12 season. All Clubs month for the 2011-12 season. and LFE would like to thank all that take the time Found in the Progression area of our website this one stop shop for should submit their nominations for August Working in tandem with LFE’s Regional Officers, Club’s will be asked to HOME to respond. Without this assistance it would be difficult ex Apprentices planning their next move hosts the very latest to LFE in the usual fashion. These should nominate their chosen players in the last week of each calendar month. to know how satisfied you are and know what needs be received by 7 September. opportunities in sport, education, employment and training. An LFE panel will then decide on the winner based on the merits of further improvement. Last season’s Goal of the Season winner was each individual’s progress on the ASE programme. It has been visited over 2000 times since its creation last year. Charlie Taylor (Leeds United). His fantastic The winner will be presented with a trophy and feature on www.lfe.org.uk/WEB strike against Newcastle Utd in April saw apprentice-info/you-said-we-did www.lfe.org.uk at the start of the following month (e.g. The winner off the challenge of five fellow Apprentice www.lfe.org.uk/progression/recruitmentWEB of September’s prize will receive their award at the start of October). PERSON players who were all respective Goal of the Month winners. PERSON BLOG To watch any of last season’s goals please visit www.lfe.org.uk/goal-of-the-month or BLOG TWITTER watch LFE TV on our homepage. The roll call of honour for the TWITTER 2010-11 season is as follows: VIDEO
September EMAIL VIDEO Adam Thompson, Watford
October PHONE EMAIL Dale Jennings, Tranmere Rovers
November HOME PHONE Haydn Hollins, Notts County
December HOME Mauro Vilhete, Barnet
January WEB Connor Goldson, Shrewsbury Town February PERSON Gerald Mulholland, West Brom
March BLOG Teddy Nesbitt, Southend Utd
April TWITTER Curtis Nelson, Plymouth Argyle
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VIDEO Development Fund Got a story? Want to share news with other EMAIL news LFE partners? email: [email protected] Safeguarding PHONE If any Apprentice feels at threat, or unsafe and wants to speak to someone HOME in confidence you should contact your club Designated Safeguarding Officer. Alternatively you can always call your LFE Wrexham’s youth-team have taken part in Regional Officer, their number can be an adrenalin fuelled white-water rafting day. found in the contacts section of Held at Llangollen Nr Clywd in North Wales, the LFE website. the outward bound trip was fully subsidised by WEB www.lfe.org.uk/contact/ League Football Education’s Development Fund regional-officers PERSON which is provided to help Clubs enhance their individual Apprenticeship programmes. Youth Alliance & BLOG TWITTER River Rafting for Academy League VIDEO EMAIL WEB
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ead of Youth, Andy Davies, noted: “It was Burnley started the season in confident In the South East, Southend Utd chalked up a 5-1 win at Eighteen players took part in team building H Adrenalina worthwhile Junkies day to take the lads out of theirPERSONTWITTER Wimbledon and they will be keen to close the gap on last Wrexham’sexercises before braving the rapids on the 2km fashion in the North West Conference. kind of examination to the ones that are year’s Champions QPR. course that is notoriously difficult to navigate. comfort zone and try something new. They kicked off the campaign with a 5-0 regularly faced on the pitch: BLOGVIDEO In the Academy League Group A Southampton will be Fully kitted out in safety gear and wetsuits the “At this time of year a lot of the new lads who win at Morecambe before edging an “I think for a few of the lads it was respite have joined us from school are still getting eager to start well after losing out to Fulham last season players had four runs down the steep and rocky from what is a tough time of year physically – EMAIL East Lancashire derby with Accrington mountain river which was a stark contrast to used to full-time training so a day like thisTWITTER is by a single point. Q. especially on the legs. the gruelling pre-season work they have been perfect for camaraderie and team bonding.” in Week 2. Leicester City will also be keen to make amends in PHONE carrying out at their Colliers Park training H “Players are a lot fitter these days when they VIDEO Meanwhile last season’s NW champions Rochdale have Group B after Aston Villa stopped their bid for a third title come back for pre-season but running is a “It was a really good experience and one 0870 458 9250 endured a mixed start. A 5-0 defeat at Carlisle after an in four years last time out. necessary evil if you want to be right come the EMAILHOME opening day draw will leave Chris Beech with plenty to that most of the lads were happy to throw In the North West Crewe Alexandra will once again go first day of the season. [email protected] work on at Spotland. themselves into literally,” said current second toe to toe with Premier League giants Man Utd, Man City, year Apprentice Stephen Tomassen who has “The rafting just broke up the work we’ve been PHONE In the North East Conference Hull City and Lincoln City Liverpool and Everton. already made his first-team debut. doing and gave us a different type of challenge both took maximum points from their opening two fixtures. that I think everyone responded to really well,” HOME In the eastern Group D, Nottingham Forest will be looking After appearing in the club’s first-team last he continued. Swindon Town will be hoping to retain their title in the to bridge the gap between themselves and last season’s April, Tomassen, who is keen to push on this South West but may face pressure from Yeovil Town group winners Sunderland while Sheffield Utd will also be term, admitted the day threw up a different after they made an extraordinary start to the season. eager to build on their FA Youth Cup exploits of last season. The Glovers hit Hereford for nine on the opening day. (Please note: At the time of going to print the Academy www.lfe.org.uk WEB fixtures had not commenced)
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HOME Pre-Season Tours Football The two weeks gave us the chance to ADO Den Haag hosted us in week one so it work on things that might take two or was good for our players to get the chance three months to develop back in England, League to work with their coaches and vice-versa. particularly the social and cultural aspects. We were able to learn about them and they You’re with your players for 24-hours a day learned about us. Clubs Go over a fortnight so you can take much more out of it than just football.
Nick Cox Richard Dobson Dutch Watford, Academy Manager Wycombe Wanderers, Head of Youth LFE’S pre-season tour programme took Coaches at state-of the-art facilities. Their place again this year with Apprentices from schedule’s also included visits to the Arnhem Scunthorpe United, Walsall, Watford and War Memorial and day trips to Amsterdam, Wycombe Wanderers hosted by top Dutch Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Arnhem. The tour provided our youth team players with a unique opportunity to sample a sides Feyenoord, FC Utrecht, ADO Den Haag The 74 Apprentices were also keen and NEC Nijmegen respectively. different type of football and experience spectators at the Amsterdam Arena as they playing and training on mainland Europe. The two week tour provided plenty of watched FC Twente beat Ajax 2-1 in an opportunities for the players to sample entertaining Dutch Super Cup Final. The lads were under no illusions; it was a a different football culture, and to tough two weeks as we needed that to LFE Project Manager Dan Jolley said: build on our other pre-season work, but at broaden their horizons both personally “On a professional basis it’s a great and professionally. the same time it was nice for them to get a opportunity for them as players to taste of a different culture. As well as competing in a youth team experience different styles of play, coaching tournament, the teams were taken for and tactics while on a cultural level it should Neil Woods training sessions by some of Holland’s top help them all to develop as individuals.” Walsall, Head of Youth Scunthorpe Utd youngster Charlie Megson, added: “I enjoyed the trip. I have learnt a lot of things on and off the pitch and different aspects to team play. It has also improved It was a fantastic two weeks that many of the players here will remember for the rest of the partnerships within our side and will their lives. give us a good platform to build on from the start of the season.” Feyenoord were brilliant with us. Their first-team players and the Manager Ronald Koeman all Dalton Harris (Scunthorpe United), Jon made time to chat to our lads after they’d trained Haynes (Walsall), MichaelWEB Kalu (Watford) and so it was a great experience for our boys. Max Kretzschmar (Wycombe Wanderers) told Overall the trip was great for building the their own stories about the trip via LFE’s Blog. PERSON camaraderie in the group ahead of the new season. blog.lfe.org.ukBLOG Tony Daws Scunthorpe Utd, Head of Youth
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Jordan Henderson (Sunderland to Liverpool) Henderson made huge strides after coming through his Other Apprenticeship at Sunderland in 2008. He made his England Transfer debut in November 2010 but his club couldn’t resist the overtures Movers of Liverpool when Kenny Dalglish came calling – the fee a cool £20m. Patrick Lacey – Sheff Wed to Bradford City Watch Connor Wickham This summer has seen a number of former (Ipswich Town to Sunderland) Kayne Mclaggon – Salisbury City to Bristol Rovers Apprentices on the move. From those making their Another player to graduate from the Apprenticeship at the end of last term Wickham was identified as a star Danny Batth – Wolverhampton Wanderers to way to the very highest echelons of the game to in the making in 2009 when he became the youngest Sheff Wed (season-long-loan) ever player to appear in Ipswich’s first XI. After much those in more modest surroundings. Touchline runs Aaron Cresswell – Tranmere Rovers to Ipswich town speculation Sunderland won the race for his signature the rule over this summer’s activity to date. in a deal that could top £12m after add-ons. Jack Werndly – Norwich City to Glasgow Rangers
Joe Mason Dale Jennings Josh Egan – Cheltenham Town to Blackpool (Plymouth Argyle to (Tranmere to Bayern Munich) Tommy Spurr – Sheff Wed to Doncaster Rovers Cardiff City) The Wirral Wonderkid had much to shout Republic of Ireland U21 about last term, named League One International Mason Apprentice of the Year he also scored some Liam Bellamy – unattached to Brentford joined Malky Mackay’s memorable goals including a fine sole effort new look Bluebirds in against Plymouth Argyle. Thought to be Gareth Evans – Bradford City to Rotherham Utd July for an undisclosed on the radar of several Premier League and fee. He will now hope Championship Clubs, German giants Bayern Oscar Gobern - Southampton to Huddersfield Town to be part of a Cardiff Munich took him to Bavaria this summer team eager to return the in an initial £600,000 deal that could rise Chris Atkinson – Huddersfield Town to Darlington (loan) club to the top flight of to £1.7m. English football for the Alex Oxlade- first time in nearly Danny Holmes – TNS to Tranmere Rovers Chamberlain 50 years. Carl Jenkinson (Southampton to Arsenal) (Charlton Athletic to Sam Belcher – Wycombe Wanderers to Nuneaton Town The son of former England Arsenal) Miles Addison - Derby County to Barnsley (loan) winger Mark tore it up “If he grows into the right- in League One last year back we all feel he could be, while still a second year we could be talking about a Matt Done – Rochdale to Barnsley Apprentice. Named in the player playing at the highest PFA Team of the Year the level for a long time,” said Ryan Taylor – Rotherham Utd to Bristol City youngster hit 9 league Charlton Manager Chris Powell goals as the Saints marched after the young defender Luke O’Neill – Leicester City to Mansfield Town to promotion. He signed for completed his move to the Arsenal in a deal reportedly Emirates for a fee believed to worth8 £15m in August. be in excess of £1m. 9 Images courtesy of P.A. Image courtesy of P.A. of courtesy Image Club Focus Sheffield United
Blades youngsters provide hope for future The 2010-11 season was not a vintage year for Sheffield Utd. Manchester United proved a step too far in that two legged “We have a fantastic set of youth players. both now established first-teamers, he will hope that In fact it was anything but. Financial difficulties, four different encounter but the Blades ran them close. With good coaching and management.” the club’s newest Apprentices hit the ground running. Managers, an ever evolving first-team squad that saw over 40 A 2-2 draw in the first leg in front of 29,977 set up a compelling “I expect to see many being first-team “We worked a lot last year with our first year players players used and relegation to League One just about sum up a second game at Old Trafford. And although the Blades were and many were involved in the Youth Cup run,” chaotic campaign. defeated 4-1 on the night and 6-3 on aggregate the score-line players for Sheffield United,” he added. said Pemberton. However out of the turbulence came hope in the form of the flattered the hosts. Last season’s youth squad relied predominantly on first “That’ll serve the lads well this season but the main club’s successful youth programme. Pemberton’s men more than held their own for an hour but an year Apprentices, including Captain Elliot Whitehouse, thing we are trying to drill into them all is to be Under Academy Boss John Pemberton the Club’s youth players untimely injury to Harry Maguire robbed them of one of their key keeper George Long and goal-scoring midfield man comfortable with the ball. Callum McFadzean. showed fine form in the League but it was in the FA Youth Cup players at a vital time in the game. “It’s their friend and not a hot potato. If we treat the that they really flourished. However, while the boys from Bramall Lane were unable to land that All will have an extra year’s experience this time out. ball with care and put the hard work and application Cheltenham Town, Millwall, Blackpool, Leicester City and Aston Villa trophy, the composition of their squad bodes well for the long-term And while Pemberton will no longer be able to call in then we won’t go far wrong,” he added. were all dispatched en-route to their first ever Final. future of the football club with Chairman Kevin McCabe tipping upon the likes of Jordan Slew and Maguire, many of them to reach the top:
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Former Macclesfield Town Apprentice of it was well worth a second look. He’s “It’s through my trial Max Lonsdale is hoping to earn a deal neat and tidy on the ball, passes it well at United that the with another professional club after and has a decent shot on him.” producing a fifteen minute video of his Doncaster link has arisen “It was always going to be tough for him best moments from last season. and I’m obviously just with the competition we’ve got here. Released by the Silkmen in May, The likes of Ryan Tunnicliffe and Paul keen to do well and take Lonsdale’s video has already attracted Pogba are coming through from last any chance given to me,” the attention of Premier League year’s youth team and there are one or he added. Champions Manchester Utd with two others pushing to get themselves in A Goal of the Month contender in Sir Alex Ferguson handing the player the senior squad.” a trial during pre-season after being February, Lonsdale’s progress since leavingWEB Doncaster Rovers have also shown impressed by what he saw. Macclesfield is a timely reminder to Clubs an interest in the youngster and he is and Apprentices of the benefits of using The midfielder spent three weeks at PERSON hoping for a further chance to show the E-Scout facility provided by LFE. Max makes Carrington with United’s second string. what he can do. During that time he featured in four For more information on this please BLOG “I’m usually quiet and shy so I stepped matches and while impressing Reserve see the Gamebreaker+ Guide in the out of my comfort zone quite a bit boss Warren Joyce with his attitude Downloads section of our website. TWITTER by knocking on Sir Alex’s door,” said it was ultimately not enough to earn Lonsdale. himself a dream move to Old Trafford. http://tinyurl.com/3ol2uja VIDEO “He was brilliant and gave me some time “Max did well while he was here. While to explain my situation before promising EMAIL his mark he was a player we were already aware WEB to watch the video. www.lfe.org.uk/downloads
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HOME Player Placements
LFE’s ForThirteen players have taken advantage of LFE’s playerei placement g“It’s helped massivelyn that Graham is coachingL here as he’se played England’sg exports continuei to growo and it is one figuren that David Beckham is in LA, Scott Carson recently made the move to Bursaspor and Marlon programme this summer. Nine are currently spread across six at the highest level back home. He understands the English system LFE is extremely proud of: Harewood recently swapped the Premier League Swedish clubs while the remaining four jetted out to Spanish side and has helped me adapt to a new country. Project Manager Dan Jolley said, “We started this programme Racing Portuense in the hope of earning a permanent deal with for the Far East when moving Shenzhen Phoenix. “My Swedish is far from perfect at the moment but it’s something 3 years ago and there are now nine young players who are making the Tercera Division oufit. I’m working on to make the most of my time here.” a living by playing football outside the UK. English football’s foreign legion is growing; from America to Troy Pennycooke-Morgan formerly of Sheffield Utd is one of those Craig Gladwin, Jason Woods, Tom Burgin and Toby Davis are four “That might not sound a lot but we are talking about nine young Azerbaijan; Albania to Australia, some familiar names now ply their in Scandinavia and he has relished the opportunity to work with Englishmen for who the Swedish season is now in full swing. All players who maybe wouldn’t have had this chance to try trade abroad. But while the likes of Robbie Fowler, Francis Jeffers, former Premier League star and England U21 international Graham tasted the success of the player placement initiative in seasons gone and rebuild their football careers. Michael Bridges and Terry Cooke approach the final countdown Potter who now coaches Ostersund. by. More recently Jack Sharples earned a professional deal after to high profile careers, more than a dozen former Apprentices are “It’s massive for them and for us because they could’ve dropped “It’s been great to get out here really and it’s a new start for initially joining Sandvikens on a placement earlier this year. heading to Spain and Sweden, courtesy of LFE, in a bid to keep their out of the football system altogether,” added Jolley. me at a relatively good standard,” said Pennycooke-Morgan football dreams alive.
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Watch LFE TV, clips Players show their caring side from Skills Skool Sixteen football clubs involved “Typically this support was with literacy and they could’ve been forgiven for wanting to and interviews over 200 Apprentice players in numeracy work,” added Williams. concentrate on establishing themselves. Read all the latest community based initiatives last Over in Sheffield, a dozen of the Blades “The same applies to the other ten lads news updates Stay up to date season. The young players all aged squad that reached last season’s FA Youth who came in and worked with us, they from LFE Cup Final represented the Club at events were in the process of doing something with the LFE between 16-18 years-old made a like ‘Go On Sheffield’ and ‘Learning the special by reaching the FA Youth Cup final Flick through the bloggers back catalogue of positive contribution across various Language of Sport’. for the first time in the Club’s history so for Have your say in Touchline education, equality, health and them to devote time to the work we were our polls social inclusion projects. doing was great.” Clubs that encouraged their teen Down on the south coast Southampton’s young players have been making a stars to get involved in this work difference by supporting a club initiative included Port Vale, Sheffield Utd to help the Chernobyl Children. and Southampton. “The Academy lads were magnificent in the Vale’s youngsters worked in tandem with way they played with the children and posed established first-team stars like Gareth Owen for photos,” said Mike Young from the Charity and Adam Yates to mentor local primary that helps families in Belarus that have been school children in the Tunstall area of Stoke affected by the disaster. That number included first-teamers Harry Follow us on twitter Check the Academy on Trent in a project set up by the Club’s “All of the children have radiation related Maguire and Jordan Slew and Sheffield at twitter.com/ and Youth Alliance former Chief Scout Ray Williams: illnesses of one sort or the other. These will Utd’s Head of Community, Sue Beeley results get worse as they grow up and many won’t LFEonline “We started this by going in to three to four was keen to thank all twelve of the Club’s live much beyond 20 years-old. primary schools and it just mushroomed. Academy players for their efforts. “The day of wonderful memories that the “We ended up going in to about ten local “It’s great to see our young players get lads gave the children is extra special and schools and allocating two professionals involved in our various community projects our host families say that the children were to each. and they are a credit to the Club every time still bubbling with excitement at their time “At St Mary’s (C of E Primary School) this they turn up,” said Beeley. was supplemented by our Apprentices who at Staplewood when they left to return to “The likes of Harry and Jordan were in Belarus the next day.” worked with the senior lads to help the and around the first-team so for them to children in their lessons. commit their time was really pleasing when 16 © 2011 League Football© 2011 Education www.lfe.org.uk Designed www.icgonline.co.uk by ICG American Dream Matt Rickard
Released by Plymouth Argyle in May, Matt Rickard has turned his back on English football to start a dream new life in America.
The 18-year-old forward quit the south Now based in the Great Lakes territory coast in August to take up a soccer he acknowledges trips home will no longer scholarship at the University of Michigan. be a simple 45 minute drive up the A38. The youngster, who excelled in Argyle’s “It’s something I’ll get used to. I’ve got a youth side, has headed to the States after great new place in Ann Arbor which is a being unable to force himself into Peter nice residential area close to the University Reid’s long term plans at Home Park. and I met my house-mate on facebook His first-team action limited to a and msn prior to coming which again seventeen-minute cameo appearance as has helped.” a substitute in last January’s 2-0 home Settling in to life on Campus defeat to Oldham Athletic. remains the priority but the Unwanted by the Pilgrims, Rickard’s teen hit-man is equally aware reputation as a promising youth player was enough to prompt the offer of a trial with that success on the pitch could an unnamed Championship Club during offer a return to the professional pre-season, however by then he had made game, with one MLS club already up his mind to head to the States. taking an interest. “I just feel it’s too good an opportunity to “Steve and Andy have told me that they turn down,” said Rickard of his impending have links with Toronto FC and that four year journey to earn a Sports Science Paul Mariner (Ex Plymouth Player & Degree in Michigan. Manager) has been in touch about me, “I could’ve stayed in England and gone on continued Rickard. trial but I’d already given my word to Steve “Apparently he’s surprised that I’ve come Burns (Mens Soccer Coach, University of out here and didn’t expect Plymouth to Michigan) and his assistant Andy (Wagstaff) release me so he’d like to be kept updated that I was going to join them. on how I’m progressing. “They were in regular contact and told “For now I’m happy concentrating on my me how excited they were about me studies but football really is a funny game coming across. so you never know.” “They have helped me out in terms of guidance around the SAT, finding a place to live, sorting me out with a coaching job in the summer and really just doing things you’d expect a professional club to do for Rickards a new signing.” When at Plymouth, Rickard lived in digs provided by the club, returning to his Exeter home each weekend to see his Parents. American Dream
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