Academy start new season in style

[lildave3]

Hey Ricky your so fine, your so fine I blow my mind Hey Ricky! Hey Ricky!

[Geo V]

Hey Ricky your so fine, your so fine I blow my mind Hey Ricky! Hey Ricky!

I wonder if he is related to the Jamaican Reggae star Christopher “STAGGABAKK’’ Sappleton

Enjoy his myspace at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...endID=111700092. It includes classics like Gimmi Som and Wot A Gwan

[Jonbluefox9]

4 goals on his academy debut?

I think he's made an appearance for the under 18s before but still excellent. He's a decent lad too. Always says hello when I see him even though he doesn't know me very well and vice-versa.

[Nod.E]

I think he's made an appearance for the under 18s before but still excellent. He's a decent lad too. Always says hello when I see him even though he doesn't know me very well and vice-versa.

thats right! He was in my team for the 6 a side that once and thereafter always acknowledged me even though he never really knew me. Sound lad.

[Ultra]

I didn't say we never had an individual thread. I said threads plural. Four at once.

There is far, far more comment nowadays on the U18 team in general and emerging young players in particular than ever there used to be.

And by far more people.

Quite rightly so.

We should be extremely proud of the Academy side - they're the first City team in history to hold a national league title. Given the millions spent by Premiership giants on their youth set-ups, that is an incredible achievement.

I hope as many of that squad as possible will be able to progress onward into the first team. Mattock and Odhiambo have already shown that it can be done.

And if they can bring the winning habit with them, so much the better!

[MBK]

Mattock is still eligible for academy games?

[Ultra]

Er, yeah. He's still only 17.

[MBK]

Er, yeah. He's still only 17.

Same mistake again...always think he's 18.

[Jonbluefox9]

Quite rightly so.

We should be extremely proud of the Academy side - they're the first City team in history to hold a national league title. Given the millions spent by Premiership giants on their youth set-ups, that is an incredible achievement.

I hope as many of that squad as possible will be able to progress onward into the first team. Mattock and Odhiambo have already shown that it can be done.

And if they can bring the winning habit with them, so much the better!

You're right that we should be proud of our Academy and what they have achieved but we shouldn't be surprised that our under 18s can beat Sheffield Wednesday 5-0 when we had a team out including at least four players who are on pro contracts (Cisak, Magunda, Andy King and Beswick) and shouldn't still be playing youth team football. Sappleton is on a pro contract I'd assume but because of his age it'll probably be beneficial for him to still play youth team games.

I don't know Cob and Burns but I'd guess that they are 1st year scholars. Those are the sort of players that should be playing under 18s football, not players who have already experienced it for two or more seasons. I bet Sheffield Wednesday had a team out full of 1st year scholars and they'll learn more from getting battered than our 18/19 year olds will from battering them. Having said that, Kee is a first year scholar and it sounds like he caused the damage so it's not all bad but I'd rather see a team playing in the under 18s that is full of players of the right age.