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Scintillating U21's

Watched the highlights and was very impressed. Great comeback and looked like a deserved win away at the league leaders. When you take into account all the youngsters out on loan, surely we must have 2 or 3 that will make it through to the first team squad. I know that statistics will probably say that is unlikely. But it does feel special when "one of our own" breaks through.

I wonder with sales (such as O'Brien) and loan fees, is the academy breaking even? I guess if it can produce just one top player every 5 years or so, the answer is yes.
 
Plumpton eagle said:
Watched the highlights and was very impressed. Great comeback and looked like a deserved win away at the league leaders. When you take into account all the youngsters out on loan, surely we must have 2 or 3 that will make it through to the first team squad. I know that statistics will probably say that is unlikely. But it does feel special when "one of our own" breaks through.

I wonder with sales (such as O'Brien) and loan fees, is the academy breaking even? I guess if it can produce just one top player every 5 years or so, the answer is yes.
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The average annual cost of running a Category 1 Academy is £3.5m

I've no idea what the Palace financials look like in terms of breaking even etc., but I would hazard a guess that it's not making any money.
 
Plumpton eagle said:
Watched the highlights and was very impressed. Great comeback and looked like a deserved win away at the league leaders. When you take into account all the youngsters out on loan, surely we must have 2 or 3 that will make it through to the first team squad. I know that statistics will probably say that is unlikely. But it does feel special when "one of our own" breaks through.

I wonder with sales (such as O'Brien) and loan fees, is the academy breaking even? I guess if it can produce just one top player every 5 years or so, the answer is yes.
Click to expand...

It depends what you mean by 'make it' I guess - will we have 2 or 3 that pad out the squad and provide depth/competition such as Devenny? Yes, I think that's perfectly feasible. I think Umeh, Mustapha, Kporha, Marsh and Jemide are all candidates for that from the current U21 crop. Derry is good enough but likely not around beyond this season. I also assume we'll retain at least one of Woodman or Whitworth to replace Remi Matthews in the squad.

Will we have 2 or 3 that become key players in the first team? Much less likely.
 
NEILLO said:
The average annual cost of running a Category 1 Academy is £3.5m

I've no idea what the Palace financials look like in terms of breaking even etc., but I would hazard a guess that it's not making any money.
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Since 2012 the league have strongly encouraged Premiership clubs to have a Category 1 or be working towards it.

I should be remembered that we have first team players out of the academy, Michell and Devenny and personally I think there are three/four players in the U21s and a good crop in the U18s (league leaders) who will make it in professional football.
 
Stirlingsays said:
Since 2012 the league have strongly encouraged Premiership clubs to have a Category 1 or be working towards it.

I should be remembered that we have first team players out of the academy, Michell and Devenny and personally I think there are three/four players in the U21s and a good crop in the U18s (league leaders) who will make it in professional football.
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There are players highly regarded at other sides who were signed from our academy. We will be due future transfer fee clauses. Struggling to remember the names - signed like Derry will be.
Mitchell comes from when Brentford academy closed down - now reopened. Not sure fully whether he counts as an academy player for us. Certainly home grown but not fully.
Devenny was signed from somewhere like Larne in Northern Ireland. Can't remember the actual team. I think he was 18/19.
 
Stirlingsays said:
Since 2012 the league have strongly encouraged Premiership clubs to have a Category 1 or be working towards it.

I should be remembered that we have first team players out of the academy, Michell and Devenny and personally I think there are three/four players in the U21s and a good crop in the U18s (league leaders) who will make it in professional football.
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It’s a bit of a push to say Devenny is from the academy. All his development was in Scottish Football. Yes we signed him in 2023 to the under 21s but we didn’t develop him. Mitchell is the last first team player to come through. As you say though if the likes of Ozoh and JRS go on to have decent careers at Championship level and we get a fee for them then that means we’ve made a return.
 
ASCPFC said:
There are players highly regarded at other sides who were signed from our academy. We will be due future transfer fee clauses. Struggling to remember the names - signed like Derry will be.
Mitchell comes from when Brentford academy closed down - now reopened. Not sure fully whether he counts as an academy player for us. Certainly home grown but not fully.
Devenny was signed from somewhere like Larne in Northern Ireland. Can't remember the actual team. I think he was 18/19.
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Ben Watson's son Reggie moved to Chelsea and Lusale went to Man Utd.

Watson is only 15 and already played for Chelsea U21s, so he looks the best prospect of the three.

Devenny was signed from Scotland - he's Scottish-born despite playing for NI internationally - but you're correct, he was already 19 and played quite a number of men's games.
 
NEILLO said:
The average annual cost of running a Category 1 Academy is £3.5m

I've no idea what the Palace financials look like in terms of breaking even etc., but I would hazard a guess that it's not making any money.
Click to expand...
Every time Devenny or Kporah come on the field for the seniors, that is a player we did not have to go to market to buy.

When anyone makes such a post, there always seems to be someone who understands sports finance (more than me) that says: "Ah, but..."

However, add a little bit in net transfers, attendance fees and sponsorship etc., and the Academy must at least wash its own face.
 
JHB said:
It’s a bit of a push to say Devenny is from the academy. All his development was in Scottish Football. Yes we signed him in 2023 to the under 21s but we didn’t develop him. Mitchell is the last first team player to come through. As you say though if the likes of Ozoh and JRS go on to have decent careers at Championship level and we get a fee for them then that means we’ve made a return.
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Doesn't really count in terms of pure finance, which is the one Neillo raised. If the cost we paid for him is off set by the transfer fee we did not pay for a seasoned senior in his position, then that is a "profit" against the £3.5M annual cost, no?
 
PS in all this justifiable happiness, no-one has explained to me how and why our U21s were thumped 10-0 by the Weed. Now, there is a bad day at the office, and then...
 
CPFCSaturn said:
It depends what you mean by 'make it' I guess - will we have 2 or 3 that pad out the squad and provide depth/competition such as Devenny? Yes, I think that's perfectly feasible. I think Umeh, Mustapha, Kporha, Marsh and Jemide are all candidates for that from the current U21 crop. Derry is good enough but likely not around beyond this season. I also assume we'll retain at least one of Woodman or Whitworth to replace Remi Matthews in the squad.

Will we have 2 or 3 that become key players in the first team? Much less likely.
Click to expand...
Hopefully, the club will keep both Goodman & Whitworth, but, as for replacing Mathews, who is going to be our No3 non-playing 'keeper, Whitworth, Goodman? I doubt that. You forget, that Turner, who is our current No2, is in on loan, both the youngsters are capable of being our No2(imo).
 
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Eagleman13 said:
Hopefully, the club will keep both Woodman & Whitworth, but, as for replacing Mathews, who is going to be our No3 non-playing 'keeper, Whitworth, Woodman? I doubt that. You forget, that Turner, who is our current No2, is in on loan, both the youngsters are capable of being our No2(imo).
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What's the deal with Turner? One year only? Option? Obligation?

I think he has been good as far as I have seen him.
 
Eagleman13 said:
Hopefully, the club will keep both Woodman & Whitworth, but, as for replacing Mathews, who is going to be our No3 non-playing 'keeper, Whitworth, Woodman? I doubt that. You forget, that Turner, who is our current No2, is in on loan, both the youngsters are capable of being our No2(imo).
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I think you mean Goodman.

Andy’s got his hands full ( pardon the pun ) managing Bromley !
 
silvertop said:
Doesn't really count in terms of pure finance, which is the one Neillo raised. If the cost we paid for him is off set by the transfer fee we did not pay for a seasoned senior in his position, then that is a "profit" against the £3.5M annual cost, no?
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Another financial benefit , which can also be considered when calculating the Academy Return On Investment, is how much Academy players are paid v. players signed from other clubs.

As an example, Curtis Jones at Liverpool was on £15k a week and he was playing alongside players on 10x that.

Obviously, once that type of player proves himself then a new contract is usually negotiated
 
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