ATLAM Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 Age 14ish plays for Exmouth/Exeter and according to my work colleague who lives there the best kid in Devon and all the big boys are after him but his dad wants him to come to St Mary's . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eurosaint Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 Is his dad an electrician ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Monkey Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 No but the kid is a bit of a lad.... With electric pace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Tel49 Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 No but the kid is a bit of a lad.... With electric pace That's shocking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redslo Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 Didn't Johnny Depp play him in the movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vince Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 No but the kid is a bit of a lad.... With electric pace But a short fuse... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
del boy Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 Is that Mark's son Sparks? thought they would prefer St Michaels (ample scope for jokes here, and if anyone can currently get him to play in a more direct style, its RK) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedmaul Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSUN Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 I regularly follow the goings on of 14 year old boys from Exeter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted 9 June, 2015 Share Posted 9 June, 2015 Saints will probably entice him, move the whole family up here and buy them a house in Ampfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 He's only 14 ..so we have ample time to bring him on ....but the thought of a Premier League auction for the lad's signature is revolting..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 remember that one when it came out....but Ron Mael's looks .....and that Hitler moustache were really creepy:scared: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutch Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 Age 14ish plays for Exmouth/Exeter and according to my work colleague who lives there the best kid in Devon and all the big boys are after him but his dad wants him to come to St Mary's . No, Mr. Sparks, it seems none of us have heard of your son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hatch Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 I'm afraid my knowledge of 14 year boys in the Devon area is not what it used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miltonaggro Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 I regularly follow the goings on of 14 year old boys from Exeter. Now then, now then, now then!... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the saint in winchester Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 LOL. Genuinely laughing out loud at this thread. Haha. Onto the next one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Jim Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 But a short fuse... To be fair I just think he's wired wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 Now then, now then, now then!... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 10 June, 2015 Share Posted 10 June, 2015 Let's face it, even being highly touted at the age of 14 there's still probably a 95% chance he never plays more than 10 professional League matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JxgrSaint Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Midfield dynamo, isn't he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystic Force Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 I knew some Sparks when i was in school in Exmouth a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andoru Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 I heard he's quite bright. Got AAA on his GCSE's. As a player, he's the current top scorer in his league, and he can alternate between the two wings. Good attitude too apparently. Conducts himself well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintBobby Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Jokes and witticisms aside, I have also heard this kid is some kind of genius. Hope we snag him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SNSUN Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Midfield dynamo, isn't he? A real livewire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Jim Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 A real livewire. Judging by his current from he certainly is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedFear Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 sounds like there is quite a buzz around this lad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simo Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Is he generating much interest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andoru Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Light on his feet, switched on, gives good (power) supply, makes charging runs ... what's not to like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Grandad Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Judging by his current from he certainly is. And very direct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Glad we're recruiting from the south west and not just relying on the usual circuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricketphilly Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 I heard he was AC/DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissyboy31 Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Glad we're recruiting from the south west and not just relying on the usual circuit. Quite a few of our players have come from the South-West. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Quite a few of our players have come from the South-West. I don't get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint_chris Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 Never seen so many cracking puns. Im just not plugged in on this stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissyboy31 Posted 11 June, 2015 Share Posted 11 June, 2015 I don't get it Sorry! Was in a hurry. Meant to say it was one of our mains sources! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 14 June, 2015 Share Posted 14 June, 2015 In my (Swedish-born) family; I tell them it's my English sense of humour, it's cultural, double meanings and all that, but they still don't get it, and I need to give a course of puns every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 14 June, 2015 Share Posted 14 June, 2015 Let's face it, even being highly touted at the age of 14 there's still probably a 95% chance he never plays more than 10 professional League matches. you mean like Theo Walcott .....and that Bale fellow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry the Badger Posted 14 June, 2015 Share Posted 14 June, 2015 you mean like Theo Walcott .....and that Bale fellow? No, I think he means like Freddy Adu, Cherno Samba, Tom Taiwo, John Bostock, Gael Kakuta. The list goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redslo Posted 14 June, 2015 Share Posted 14 June, 2015 No, I think he means like Freddy Adu, Cherno Samba, Tom Taiwo, John Bostock, Gael Kakuta. The list goes on. Freddy Adu has played in at least 189 professional games. Cherno Samba has played in at least 27 professional games. Tom Taiwo has played in at least 200 professional games. John Bostock has played in at least 104 professional games. Gael Kakuta has played in at least 100 professional games. (Source for all this is Wikipedia.) While I am sure they all hoped for more, they have all had respectable careers and made a living playing the game they, presumably, enjoy. Of these folks, I have only seen Adu play and I can't help but think that he would have become a much better player if he had signed for Southampton, rather than DC United at age 15. Of course, this was not possible as Manchester United considered signing him before he turned 18 and he could not get a work permit. That being said, he did fairly well at DC United given his age and his career really didn't start going downhill until his series of unsuccessful loans after he signed for Beneficia, but I digress. My point is that if someone shows outstanding talent at age 14 they have a very good chance of becoming a professional footballer and their chance of being a very good player is much better than average. Think of all the people who are playing football world wide at age 14. Only the best are still playing in their 20s and virtually all of them would have been identified as very good prospects at age 14. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Fry Posted 15 June, 2015 Share Posted 15 June, 2015 Freddy Adu has played in at least 189 professional games. Cherno Samba has played in at least 27 professional games. Tom Taiwo has played in at least 200 professional games. John Bostock has played in at least 104 professional games. Gael Kakuta has played in at least 100 professional games. (Source for all this is Wikipedia.) While I am sure they all hoped for more, they have all had respectable careers and made a living playing the game they, presumably, enjoy. Of these folks, I have only seen Adu play and I can't help but think that he would have become a much better player if he had signed for Southampton, rather than DC United at age 15. Of course, this was not possible as Manchester United considered signing him before he turned 18 and he could not get a work permit. That being said, he did fairly well at DC United given his age and his career really didn't start going downhill until his series of unsuccessful loans after he signed for Beneficia, but I digress. My point is that if someone shows outstanding talent at age 14 they have a very good chance of becoming a professional footballer and their chance of being a very good player is much better than average. Think of all the people who are playing football world wide at age 14. Only the best are still playing in their 20s and virtually all of them would have been identified as very good prospects at age 14. Only if your "average" is all 14 year olds on the planet. A pointless comparison but then you have previously talked about clubs requiring 57 points to be mathematically safe in the Premier League, so I know it is your stock-in-trade. Most, the vast majority, young players recruited into clubs don't make it. It's kinda intrinsic to the process. So, as The9 says, yer average 14 year old starlet will fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suewhistle Posted 15 June, 2015 Share Posted 15 June, 2015 I hope we can short circuit normal procedures to get him. Lets ignore the Regs for once.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 15 June, 2015 Share Posted 15 June, 2015 you mean like Theo Walcott .....and that Bale fellow? Hmm, let's think, and how are most of their teammates at the age of 14 doing, even considering that they were one of the most-widely talked about groups in Saints Academy history? And what about every other club's 14 year olds from that season? All full of the stars of their U15s, or with one, maybe two having made it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The9 Posted 15 June, 2015 Share Posted 15 June, 2015 Hmm, let's think, and how are most of their teammates at the age of 14 doing, even considering that they were one of the most-widely talked about groups in Saints Academy history? And what about every other club's 14 year olds from that season? All full of the stars of their U15s, or with one, maybe two having made it? Also, if I was weighing in with the pedantry and referring to appearances for the club they came through at (which admittedly isn't the argument, but is relevant to how useful they might be to Saints), Walcott only barely made 13 starts in the league for Saints (and 8 subs). Bale made 40. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redslo Posted 15 June, 2015 Share Posted 15 June, 2015 Only if your "average" is all 14 year olds on the planet. A pointless comparison but then you have previously talked about clubs requiring 57 points to be mathematically safe in the Premier League, so I know it is your stock-in-trade. Most, the vast majority, young players recruited into clubs don't make it. It's kinda intrinsic to the process. So, as The9 says, yer average 14 year old starlet will fail. Depends on what you mean by "starlet" and "fail." If by starlet you mean anyone at a football academy about whom good things were ever said, then yes they will fail. If you mean the ones who stood out as among the best at age 14, then it depends on what you mean by fail. I think that having a career as a professional footballer is not failure and I suspect that most of the best 14 year olds at good academies will achieve that. But I don't know for sure and I do not know how to approach figuring that out. (Maybe I should review academy rosters from 10 years ago and search for contemporaneous rave reviews of young players and then find out where they are now. Frankly, this seems like the sort of thing The9 is good at.) On the other hand, if by fail you mean not making it as a regular in the Premier League, then you are right. I continue to be befuddled by why you are so offended that I accurately calculated the number of points needed to be mathematically safe in the middle of the season and came up with a number that everyone new would drop as the season progressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 16 June, 2015 Share Posted 16 June, 2015 Hmm, let's think, and how are most of their teammates at the age of 14 doing, even considering that they were one of the most-widely talked about groups in Saints Academy history? And what about every other club's 14 year olds from that season? All full of the stars of their U15s, or with one, maybe two having made it? OUCH ! now now "9"...let's be grateful that we do get some talent emerging from the Academy..along with Surman, Dyer, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaw, Targett and JWP but of course you're right. We've wasted decades on talented 14 years old who eventually ended up working on a building site and playing Parks football at weekends. perhaps we shouldn't even be discussing this young Spark, he's sure to be a waste of space anyway......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonist Posted 16 June, 2015 Share Posted 16 June, 2015 Age 14ish plays for Exmouth/Exeter and according to my work colleague who lives there the best kid in Devon and all the big boys are after him but his dad wants him to come to St Mary's . in case he gets ohm sick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 16 June, 2015 Share Posted 16 June, 2015 in case he gets ohm sick. well done, sotonist ........I thought we'd seen the last of the current crop of electrifying puns........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St_Tel49 Posted 16 June, 2015 Share Posted 16 June, 2015 well done, sotonist ........I thought we'd seen the last of the current crop of electrifying puns........ Amazing how many are generated when people are in the mood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david in sweden Posted 16 June, 2015 Share Posted 16 June, 2015 Amazing how many are generated when people are in the mood! yes it is. Provided thay don't get so hot they blow a fuse, it can be quite enlightening .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATLAM Posted 25 June, 2015 Author Share Posted 25 June, 2015 http://www.exetercityfc.co.uk/cms_images/common/ampadusparkes-4x3125-2504744_478x359.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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