CB Fry Posted 13 April, 2012 Share Posted 13 April, 2012 Do you really think expansion is justified by the data from season ticket sales and waiting lists alone? You used the specific phrase "hard data" my old son. Actual sales is pretty much the only hard data there is. Everything is aimless speculative hors e s hi t from internet nut jobs like you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchards Posted 25 April, 2012 Share Posted 25 April, 2012 Just a mini update, they are in full swing with the development, the pitches have all been dug up and they have moved further down onto the cow fields where they have setup a couple of new pitches, maybe Adkins wanted to practice on those pitches incase of relegation back to league one ;-) The buildings are slowly being outlined and the place looks very, very busy with vehicles, builders and academy players. I expect the first team is at St Mary's some of the week and away from it all on the bottom pitch. Not the best prep but it's been like that for 3 weeks now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Clarke Posted 25 April, 2012 Share Posted 25 April, 2012 Yeah the first team are training at St Mary's this week I believe, nice to hear the work is moving on though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackanorySFC Posted 25 April, 2012 Share Posted 25 April, 2012 Also, nice touch from Saints and Cortese in particular. He is giving the old floodlights from Staplewood to Hedge End Council (Rodaway Park) for free so Hedge End can move up to the football pyramid. Wanted to help a local club and invited a number of sides/ councils to apply. Nice touch that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai_phil Posted 25 April, 2012 Share Posted 25 April, 2012 Also, nice touch from Saints and Cortese in particular. He is giving the old floodlights from Staplewood to Hedge End Council (Rodaway Park) for free so Hedge End can move up to the football pyramid. Wanted to help a local club and invited a number of sides/ councils to apply. Nice touch that. That's a bit mean. Surely we should have donated them to our esteemed neighbours down the road for their new pitch next season on Southsea Common Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmel Posted 25 April, 2012 Share Posted 25 April, 2012 Also, nice touch from Saints and Cortese in particular. He is giving the old floodlights from Staplewood to Hedge End Council (Rodaway Park) for free so Hedge End can move up to the football pyramid. Wanted to help a local club and invited a number of sides/ councils to apply. Nice touch that. Nice touch, especially if we ever needed a favour from the councils in that part of the woods Seriously though, very decent effort from the club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackanorySFC Posted 25 April, 2012 Share Posted 25 April, 2012 Nice touch, especially if we ever needed a favour from the councils in that part of the woods Seriously though, very decent effort from the club. Has gone down well in SO30! Few issues with light pollution from residents of Cranbourne Park but I understand that has been seen to. Good "political maneuvering" from Cortese I agree. However I personally hope he never has to ask, love our stadium being slap bang in the heart of our City. Proper football area. Would love it if they could link it with the Waterfront and add a train station (not for me, I like to drink heavily in the area around the ground - but I'm a considerate soul sometimes to the needs of others) but that's a long way off! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSaint75 Posted 25 April, 2012 Share Posted 25 April, 2012 Has gone down well in SO30! Few issues with light pollution from residents of Cranbourne Park but I understand that has been seen to. Good "political maneuvering" from Cortese I agree. However I personally hope he never has to ask, love our stadium being slap bang in the heart of our City. Proper football area. Would love it if they could link it with the Waterfront and add a train station (not for me, I like to drink heavily in the area around the ground - but I'm a considerate soul sometimes to the needs of others) but that's a long way off! Nice touch from NC especially as the pikey who was to lay a new pathway to the dugouts at the Rodaway done a runner with the cash without doing a jot of work....F'ing pikey's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trousers Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 @TomCoull: Off to Staplewood to get latest on the building developments. Need a safety induction first in case @Wattsypics hijacks a bulldozer again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patred44 Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 when it's completed it would be a nice gesture to rename it as a memorial to Marcus Liebheer. The ML centre of excellience.. it has a nice ring to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buctootim Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 when it's completed it would be a nice gesture to rename it as a memorial to Marcus Liebheer. The ML centre of excellience.. it has a nice ring to it A memorial that mispells his name twice. He'd be so touched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Latest pictures... http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10280~2774468,00.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itchen_dan Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Seems like they're really cracking on with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Clarke Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 They're not wasting their time are they. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eling-saint Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Excuse my ignorance but what the hell is a 3G pitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jawillwill Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Excuse my ignorance but what the hell is a 3G pitch Basically artificial grass. Nice to play on (no bobbles at all! Makes a right mess of your carpet when you get home after playing on it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSAINT Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Fantastic to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Fantastic to see. What? It's just lots of pictures of diggers not doing anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHAPEL END CHARLIE Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 This investment in modern training facilities is all well and good, and it certainly fits in well with the uber successful Germanic business model our owners know so well. But I still have this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that many of the best young players actually don't emerge pampered from a ultra plush training set up such as Stapelwood, but rather from the 'mean streets' of a grim third world slum somewhere, where the height of luxury is having enough to eat every now and then and a (gunfire free) street corner to kick a ball around on. More important than any mere building project is the good judgment (gut instinct maybe) of the people we employ to unearth & nurture young talent. If it came down to infrastructure improvements or finding the next Georges Proust for instance, then I'd prefer flesh & blood, over bricks & mortar any day of the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Munster Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Latest pictures... http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/page/Gallery/0,,10280~2774468,00.html Are those the before Staplewood gets rebuilt photos, or the after Krap Nottarf gets razed photos? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 This investment in modern training facilities is all well and good, and it certainly fits in well with the uber successful Germanic business model our owners know so well. But I still have this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that many of the best young players actually don't emerge pampered from a ultra plush training set up such as Stapelwood, but rather from the 'mean streets' of a grim third world slum somewhere, where the height of luxury is having enough to eat every now and then and a (gunfire free) street corner to kick a ball around on. More important than any mere building project is the good judgment (gut instinct maybe) of the people we employ to unearth & nurture young talent. If it came down to infrastructure improvements or finding the next Georges Proust for instance, then I'd prefer flesh & blood, over bricks & mortar any day of the week. The new build will help achieve category one academy status, which will be vital in youth team recruitment and give Saints an edge over many rival clubs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissyboy31 Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 What? It's just lots of pictures of diggers not doing anything. I sort of got the same feeling. Would have thought they'd leave it a week or 3 till there is something to actually see in the photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dark Sotonic Mills Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 I drove past a few days ago and it looked like the square root of f*** all was happening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 (edited) I drove past a few days ago and it looked like the square root of f*** all was happening. You could say that about the majority of construction sites and road works. At least the buildings in this photo in front of the training dome no longer exist... Edited 16 May, 2012 by Matthew Le God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S-Clarke Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 Good pictures MLG, that really shows what's changed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VectisSaint Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 This investment in modern training facilities is all well and good, and it certainly fits in well with the uber successful Germanic business model our owners know so well. But I still have this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that many of the best young players actually don't emerge pampered from a ultra plush training set up such as Stapelwood, but rather from the 'mean streets' of a grim third world slum somewhere, where the height of luxury is having enough to eat every now and then and a (gunfire free) street corner to kick a ball around on. Well Oxo came from Skatesville so guess you are right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eelpie Posted 16 May, 2012 Share Posted 16 May, 2012 But I still have this nagging feeling at the back of my mind that many of the best young players actually don't emerge pampered from a ultra plush training set up such as Stapelwood, but rather from the 'mean streets' of a grim third world slum somewhere, where the height of luxury is having enough to eat every now and then and a (gunfire free) street corner to kick a ball around on. That's where we got Oxo from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Garrett Posted 26 June, 2012 Share Posted 26 June, 2012 So have we got this Cat 1 status then? I see that West Ham and Middlesbrough have been announced today that they have got it...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 26 June, 2012 Share Posted 26 June, 2012 So have we got this Cat 1 status then? I see that West Ham and Middlesbrough have been announced today that they have got it...? there will be a whole host of clubs that will get it in the next year...far cry from us being unique etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Garrett Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 From: @wayneveysey Sent: 27 Jun 2012 13:26 9 clubs who are in line for Cat 1 status (worth min. £775K per year) - #mufc, #mcfc, cfc, #scfc, #whufc, #ffc, #saintsfc, #safc, #Boro From: @wayneveysey Sent: 27 Jun 2012 13:41 11 remaining Cat 1 applicants will be audited from Sep - #afc, #lfc, #thfc, #avfc, #efc, #brfc, #bwfc, #ncfc, #wbafc, #watfordfc, #readingfc sent via TweetDeck On Twitter: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Charlie Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 Great news if we do get Cat 1 and im sure the Club have made certain we fitted the criteria very well. Will be interesting to see what impact it has early on after the rulings are introduced and also does anyone know how often the Categories are reassessed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 does anyone know how often the Categories are reassessed? Every two years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSAINT Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 Will be interesting to see what impact it has early on after the rulings are introduced I'm very curious to see how it's going to play out too. Will there be a mass frenzy involving the nations best nippers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 Great news if we do get Cat 1 and im sure the Club have made certain we fitted the criteria very well. Will be interesting to see what impact it has early on after the rulings are introduced and also does anyone know how often the Categories are reassessed? Wycombe, who have a decent record when it comes to producing young players, decided that they'd close their academy due to the new system. I think it's fair to say it's already had an impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 From: @wayneveysey Sent: 27 Jun 2012 13:26 9 clubs who are in line for Cat 1 status (worth min. £775K per year) - #mufc, #mcfc, cfc, #scfc, #whufc, #ffc, #saintsfc, #safc, #Boro From: @wayneveysey Sent: 27 Jun 2012 13:41 11 remaining Cat 1 applicants will be audited from Sep - #afc, #lfc, #thfc, #avfc, #efc, #brfc, #bwfc, #ncfc, #wbafc, #watfordfc, #readingfc sent via TweetDeck On Twitter: So potentially 20 teams with Cat A status. Sounds like its a complete necessity to have in order to keep with our rivals, rather than something that will give us a massive advantage, as has previously been suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 So potentially 20 teams with Cat A status. Sounds like its a complete necessity to have in order to keep with our rivals, rather than something that will give us a massive advantage, as has previously been suggested. just think, every year a few extra clubs will go for CAT1 status...so we won't be unique what so ever..we won't all of a sudden have a mega academy like many of us thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give it to Ron Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 just think, every year a few extra clubs will go for CAT1 status...so we won't be unique what so ever..we won't all of a sudden have a mega academy like many of us thought Hasnt done us bad so far has it...why wouldn't we again have an advantage in the future? I think administration would of come far earlier without ours and in the future it again could be our salvation. We will not stand still even if we get Cat 1 if the current management stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 (edited) there will be a whole host of clubs that will get it in the next year...far cry from us being unique etc So potentially 20 teams with Cat A status. Sounds like its a complete necessity to have in order to keep with our rivals, rather than something that will give us a massive advantage, as has previously been suggested. just think, every year a few extra clubs will go for CAT1 status...so we won't be unique what so ever..we won't all of a sudden have a mega academy like many of us thought Of course there was going to be a number of other cat 1 teams, if there wasn't Saints wouldn't have any teams to play against in the category one league. Who ever said it would be unique? Saints facilities and academy are still way ahead of a number of the other category one clubs and cat 1 status gives them huge advantages in recruitment. - At the moment there are 2 tiers in youth football - 40 Premier league academies in 4 leagues, below that are schools of excellence leagues. - The new system will see Saints as one of a max of 20 clubs in the top tier of a 4 tier system. So of course that is better than how things currently stand in terms of benefits for Saints. Edited 27 June, 2012 by Matthew Le God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 just think, every year a few extra clubs will go for CAT1 status...so we won't be unique what so ever..we won't all of a sudden have a mega academy like many of us thought There are a lot of very good academies that don't get talked about. Middlesbrough, Watford and Charlton spring to mind. Whilst it's not a case of ours being spoken out every day, we're certainly talked about more than them. It also depends on your definition of a successful academy. We've had some high profile graduates, it's true. But an academy that produces players that play professionally for their entire career, regardless of what tier they play in, is still surely a success story, is it not? How many of our players that came up with the likes of Bale and Walcott are now out of the professional game? Jake Thomson, Jamie White, Josh Dutton-Black, Kyle Critchell are all non-league. An academy we've perhaps never heard of might have produced players that play their entire careers in the Football League, but never get a mention because there were no superstars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank's cousin Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 NOt necessarily an advantage... but a necessity to ensure we dont lose ground and can continiue to attact decent nippers, who would not just be poached to a Cat 1 as soon as promise is shown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turkish Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 Of course there was going to be a number of other cat 1 teams, if there wasn't Saints wouldn't have any teams to play against in the category one league. Who ever said it would be unique? Saints facilities and academy are still way ahead of a number of the other category one clubs and cat 1 status gives them huge advantages in recruitment. - At the moment there are 2 tiers in youth football - 40 Premier league academies in 4 leagues, below that are schools of excellence leagues. - The new system will see Saints as one of a max of 20 clubs in the top tier of a 4 tier system. So of course that is better than how things currently stand in terms of benefits for Saints. I can't be arsed to trawl through pages of your nonsense but you said months ago we were one of only about 4 clubs that would have it. In reality its more a case of keeping up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thedelldays Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 I can't be arsed to trawl through pages of your nonsense but you said months ago we were one of only about 4 clubs that would have it. In reality its more a case of keeping up. I did indeed get the impression that we was going to be one of an elite few.......but we are not..just keeping with the status quo.....and next year, a few more will get CAT1 status. getting CAT1 status will be part of every 5 year plan to the prem for chairmen up and down the country Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Give it to Ron Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 There are a lot of very good academies that don't get talked about. Middlesbrough, Watford and Charlton spring to mind. Whilst it's not a case of ours being spoken out every day, we're certainly talked about more than them. It also depends on your definition of a successful academy. We've had some high profile graduates, it's true. But an academy that produces players that play professionally for their entire career, regardless of what tier they play in, is still surely a success story, is it not? How many of our players that came up with the likes of Bale and Walcott are now out of the professional game? Jake Thomson, Jamie White, Josh Dutton-Black, Kyle Critchell are all non-league. An academy we've perhaps never heard of might have produced players that play their entire careers in the Football League, but never get a mention because there were no superstars. TBF 2 of those 4 had horrendous run of injuries that halted their advance. Jamie Whites leg break was horrible I was about 10 yards away at that time. I would bet there are not many academies that have produced the finance that ours have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Le God Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 (edited) I can't be arsed to trawl through pages of your nonsense but you said months ago we were one of only about 4 clubs that would have it. In reality its more a case of keeping up. I did indeed get the impression that we was going to be one of an elite few.......but we are not..just keeping with the status quo.....and next year, a few more will get CAT1 status. getting CAT1 status will be part of every 5 year plan to the prem for chairmen up and down the country I didn't say that at all! I said as things stand in the summer of 2011 only Man City, Chelsea and Southampton would be in line to get it. Since then other clubs have invested in order to achieve the status. Of course it was never going to be just 3 clubs. There is going to be a category one league, how could you have just 3 clubs in it? As I said a few posts ago, at the moment Saints are one of 40 academies in the top tier and below that centres of excellence in a two tier system. The new system with see Saints as one of 18 to 20 clubs in the top tier of a 4 tier system. Saints facilities put them towards the top of category one. They will see huge benefits from achieving cat 1 status compared to the current system. Edited 27 June, 2012 by Matthew Le God Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Diamond Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 TBF 2 of those 4 had horrendous run of injuries that halted their advance. Jamie Whites leg break was horrible I was about 10 yards away at that time. I would bet there are not many academies that have produced the finance that ours have. I agree, and I'm not suggesting anything other than the fact that the definition of a successful academy is open to debate. We've raised a lot of money from ours - okay that's great. Equally, to my mind, an academy that produces nothing but professional players is also pretty damn good. The famous West Ham academy produces just as many non-league players as it does professional players. I don't know the actual statistics, but I think it's a fair guess. One Harry Redknapp said just one successful graduate is fantastic, anything more than that is an absolute triumph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red And White Barmy Army Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 There are a lot of very good academies that don't get talked about. Middlesbrough, Watford and Charlton spring to mind. Whilst it's not a case of ours being spoken out every day, we're certainly talked about more than them. It also depends on your definition of a successful academy. We've had some high profile graduates, it's true. But an academy that produces players that play professionally for their entire career, regardless of what tier they play in, is still surely a success story, is it not? How many of our players that came up with the likes of Bale and Walcott are now out of the professional game? Jake Thomson, Jamie White, Josh Dutton-Black, Kyle Critchell are all non-league. An academy we've perhaps never heard of might have produced players that play their entire careers in the Football League, but never get a mention because there were no superstars. Crewe for example. I thought this was going to be an excellent idea with only 10 or so academies, but the problem with categorisation is that all of the category A's are going to be put in the same group. So even if our academy is 10x better than Spurs/Reading, parents may well consider them of the same ilk when making the decision of which academy to put the next Theo in. It doesn't feel as special as I thought it would be, so although it may improve standards across the board, there has to be a risk that we won't get the preferential treatment that we deserve for being as good as we are. Further, where is the incentive to improve further once category A status is obtained? Are the standards going to get progressively more difficult every 2 years? Will chairmen of the best academies get complacent and only start investing further when the academy is in danger of slipping down a category? I think it would be better to score every academy out of 100 - for example 10 scores on 10 different items like coaching, sport science, academic support, etc, etc. And then maybe say the top 10 every season are category A. Next 10 are B, etc etc. That way the parents can make better educated decisions, the academies know where the most investment is needed, and chairmen have an incentive to keep investing and maintaining standards in line with the progressions that other clubs are making across England. Just a thought... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 So potentially 20 teams with Cat A status. Sounds like its a complete necessity to have in order to keep with our rivals, rather than something that will give us a massive advantage, as has previously been suggested. Worth noting that we were in League One when this was proposed, and we were STILL in Cat 1 even then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 Sounds to me like, give it 5 years or so and every club in the Premier League and perhaps half of those in the Championship will have Category A status. With no new benchmark obvious to the outside observer as to which is any better than the other. The previous positive rhetoric of "we're one of only three clubs lined up for Category A status" has been significantly diluted to "we're doing what almost all other Premier league clubs are doing". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Garrett Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 Crewe for example. I thought this was going to be an excellent idea with only 10 or so academies, but the problem with categorisation is that all of the category A's are going to be put in the same group. So even if our academy is 10x better than Spurs/Reading, parents may well consider them of the same ilk when making the decision of which academy to put the next Theo in. It doesn't feel as special as I thought it would be, so although it may improve standards across the board, there has to be a risk that we won't get the preferential treatment that we deserve for being as good as we are. Further, where is the incentive to improve further once category A status is obtained? Are the standards going to get progressively more difficult every 2 years? Will chairmen of the best academies get complacent and only start investing further when the academy is in danger of slipping down a category? I think it would be better to score every academy out of 100 - for example 10 scores on 10 different items like coaching, sport science, academic support, etc, etc. And then maybe say the top 10 every season are category A. Next 10 are B, etc etc. That way the parents can make better educated decisions, the academies know where the most investment is needed, and chairmen have an incentive to keep investing and maintaining standards in line with the progressions that other clubs are making across England. Just a thought... Very interesting post. I do agree with your points made. It's almost like there should be a 'ranking system' where the best academy is #1, the second best #2 etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Kraken Posted 27 June, 2012 Share Posted 27 June, 2012 Worth noting that we were in League One when this was proposed, and we were STILL in Cat A even then. Worth also noting that, when there, the aim of the owners was to return us to the PL within 5 years; that was their miniumum expectation. Great that it's all happened, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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