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Chelsea Academy


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Is there a Chelsea academy in Southampton? I've heard that there is but don't know how reliable that was.

 

I thought there was one in Portsmouth? I might be wrong.

 

Its not an academy, its a development centre. Chelsea Foundation deliver sessions in schools throughout Hampshire and for those children who show ability are invited to attend the DTC. They run one at Portsmouth University (which caused a number of arguments and stories in The News). The second centre is ran in Southampton near Eastleigh.

 

If children show anything of academy calibre ability, they are then invited to either Cobham directly for a trial or sent to the Elite Centre in Ash.

 

Some good coaches and some incredibly poor ones. It isn't directly linked to the academy unless a player is exceptional and I only know of one child to make it through the DTC in Southampton and sign academy forms in four years.

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The keeper from my kids tyro team went to Chelsea didn't seem much point to me as they seem to have zero interest in developing youth players.

 

Their academy is a non-event. Take Josh McCercharan +sp for example, hailed as the next big thing...and look handy in a few first team apps for them, and has since found himself floating around in the championship. Gail Kukuta is also a real talent, but they just don't want to give him a chance. They'll probably sell him for nothing and buy him back in a couple of years for £40m or something, ala matic.

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Who cares nobody in their right mind would join Chelsea on a youth contract the last player to make it to first team regular was John Terry who is about to retire so that isn't a great record.

 

Depends on a few things really - access to, I'd hope good coaches at the academy, decent pay at an early stage and a loan out to get experience. But I'd expect the attitude of many of the kids are focused on the money rather than what's best for a career as a player. McEachran is at Wigan at the moment, 21 this March and could have a decent career ahead of him.

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Its not an academy, its a development centre. Chelsea Foundation deliver sessions in schools throughout Hampshire and for those children who show ability are invited to attend the DTC. They run one at Portsmouth University (which caused a number of arguments and stories in The News). The second centre is ran in Southampton near Eastleigh.

 

If children show anything of academy calibre ability, they are then invited to either Cobham directly for a trial or sent to the Elite Centre in Ash.

 

Some good coaches and some incredibly poor ones. It isn't directly linked to the academy unless a player is exceptional and I only know of one child to make it through the DTC in Southampton and sign academy forms in four years.

 

Jamal? Cracking little player. Was at Saints

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The keeper from my kids tyro team went to Chelsea didn't seem much point to me as they seem to have zero interest in developing youth players.

 

This is what I've heard. Their scouts sniff around and take any promising kids up to stamford bridge for a tour. Seems a bit underhand to me; turning them into chelsea fans if not players.

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There is no Chelsea Academy in the accepted sense. The number of top players they have produced ...who've made a career with Chelsea in the last 10 years can be counted on one hand.

 

They either let them go too early .....Cork, Sturridge, Lukaku, etc.......or they just disappear into the lower leagues. Whatever they're doing at Chelsea.... it 'aint working !..

 

(Like Pompey's Academy).....Chelsea's Academy has just become a channel for their young fans to run around in a blue shirt, with no likelihood of ever getting into their first team, which will be populated by a newer crop of £30 million signings .....season after season.

Edited by david in sweden
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