Breaking News Academy being closed down

Whispering Bob · May 10, 2023

Heard a whisper it is being closed down - anyone else aware of this?

defender05 · May 10, 2023

Not heard anything but it would cut some costs and wasn't that the plan to follow the Brentford model of a B team instead.

palexander · May 10, 2023

Thought it was a given - hasnt the funded ended (from EFL) this season and plan was to close it as we cant afford it?

Blue43 · May 10, 2023

Correct, the academy is going this summer due to funding ending

Supa Shrimpa · May 10, 2023

Bang goes the dream we were sold about a soccer dome with a youth academy to breed the next crop of young players

Smiffy · May 10, 2023

Seems likely with just an U18/U19 team to remain and compete in the NL U19 Alliance League.

Very sad state of affairs. But yet more collateral damage.

Supa Shrimpa · May 10, 2023

Smiffy said:
Seems likely with just an U18/U19 team to remain and compete in the NL U19 Alliance League.

Such a waste. I coach a youth team and see lots of very talented kids in the area. Most are now getting picked up by Col U, Concord, Billericay etc

Medway Blue · May 10, 2023

Highly likely. He couldn't afford to run it last season even with grant money coming in for the first half of it.

SUFCGoals · May 10, 2023

When the club put an article out about open trials for the academy it said they were not looking at players from U9 - U16. I'd assume they would be downsizing at a minimum.

tottenham541 · May 10, 2023

I would of thought shrimper trust might know something about this as dont they help with the support of these sides down the years or has that come to a standstill after RM kept the 40k loan lent by them.

hlane17 · May 10, 2023

The only constant positive has been the talent our academy produces, even if we had to sell them all out of desperation.

Now we are properly tinpot non-league.

superblue24 · May 10, 2023

Least of our problems at the moment, tbh. The club is on life support, so whatever is needed to keep the heart beating…

Mad Cyril · May 10, 2023

On the plus side the academy players will probably be playing first team football next season.

Realist · May 10, 2023

Academy is all ages from 9 upwards to -9 correct ? Or 16 ?

Blue43 · May 10, 2023

Mad Cyril said:
On the plus side the academy player will probably be plying first team football next season.

That unfortunately is a very realistic scenario

WestyReturns · May 10, 2023

Be surprised if it was to stay considering we have to cut costs without the funding. Take a bow Ron.

Cockle43 · May 10, 2023

Was speaking the father of one of the players in one of the current younger squads over the weekend. He mentioned that his son was cutting ties with Southend and was now probably going to an academy in East London.
The kicker was that he'd been told that next season they would be unable to guarantee regular fixtures every week and also that that level coach was going; he read the writing on the wall and the decision was a no-brainer.
His son is a free scoring creative midfielder with a really good tally of goals and assists and, while he and his father under no illusions about the attrition rate in junior football, would be just the sort of player I'd be really happy to see in our midfield in ten years time...

The days of the Blue Voice being able to sing, 'He's one of our own!' are looking to be very limited in future. :Unsure:

rlb999 · May 10, 2023

Sensible business decision given where we are currently - cut everything that’s non essential.

Apart from the community side of things, I can’t see there is much point in a club like Southend having an academy these days. If we get a player who is even half decent, a club three rungs up the ladder will pinch him before we get any use out of him. That’s the way money works in the game these days.

FarmdogSUFC · May 10, 2023

Sad and depressing

Yorkshire Blue · May 10, 2023

rlb999 said:
Sensible business decision given where we are currently - cut everything that’s non essential.

Apart from the community side of things, I can’t see there is much point in a club like Southend having an academy these days. If we get a player who is even half decent, a club three rungs up the ladder will pinch him before we get any use out of him. That’s the way money works in the game these days.

The academy should have been one of the major selling points for any purchaser and now it’s being dismantled weeks before a prospective takeover.

It’ll take more than a decade to rebuild what has been lost these last few months.