Town were amongst 22 Football League clubs to vote against Premier League proposals for an overhaul of the academy system which were passed at a meeting at the Bescot Stadium in Walsall yesterday. The controversial plans mean changes to the current compensation tribunal system and will exempt Premier League sides from the rules stopping them from signing players younger than 16 from more than an hour-and-a-half away and those under 12 living beyond an hour’s travelling time.

Forty-six clubs voted in favour of the proposals with 22 — including Town — voting against, while three failed to appear at the meeting and there was one abstention.

The acceptance of the proposals was seen as no surprise with the Premier League currently withholding part of their solidarity youth development funding, which is worth £5.4 million per season to Football League clubs.

The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), which will see a new four-tier academy system introduced from 2012/13 with clubs receiving increased funding over a four-year period, will most controversially see the current transfer tribunal system replaced, with Football League clubs now likely to receive much lower compensation.

Under the new scheme which applies to players who are still to agree scholarships, the selling club will paid £3,000 for each year of a player's development between nine and 11 with the annual figure for their time at a club from 12 to 16 ranging from £12,500 to £40,000.

The EPPP will see four categories of academy with Premier League sides likely to be in category one and Town in category two.

Peterborough director of football Barry Fry, speaking prior to the vote, said he was concerned by the developments: "What frightens me is that a lot of clubs will pull out of having a youth system altogether.

“Lower league clubs will look at how much it costs to run their academy or school of excellence and think that, if the Premier League can nick their best players for a low price, what is the point of investing in it?

"The Premier League wants everything and they want it for nothing. Football League clubs will moan about this at the meeting but vote for it because they have no choice."

After the meeting, which was attended by Town chief executive Simon Clegg, a Football League statement read: "Following lengthy consideration, Football League clubs have voted to accept the Premier League's proposals on the EPPP.

"The League will now continue discussions with the Premier League on the implementation of the EPPP across professional football."

Photo: Action Images

MJallday added 16:48 - Oct 21 for the first time in my life i find myself agreeing with barry fry...
0

SouperJim added 16:55 - Oct 21 So let me get this right, the Premier League has been withholding youth development funding due to Football League clubs, effectively holding them to ransom in order to get these changes forced through?
0

ParisBlue added 16:57 - Oct 21 Has a feel of "turkeys voting for Xmas..."
0

naa added 16:59 - Oct 21 I cna't believe this. Who on earth do the premier league think they are? These new rules are outrageous. As Barry Fry said, most smaller clubs will now close down their acadamies just because the premier league clubs, who have already ruined football thanks to their desire to hog all the cash, wish to hog even more of it. Jeez. Beggars belief.
0

naa added 17:01 - Oct 21 What makes it worse is that almost none of the top clubs bring any youth through anyway - Man Utd being the exception, so why are they so desperate to steal players off the smaller clubs anyway?
0

Suffolk_n_Proud added 17:08 - Oct 21 absolutely shocking, what an absolute joke, i hate the premier league more than rapists and paedophiles, i could write a short story about how the premier league has ruined football in england but this isn't the time or place, i'm just going to hang myself now
0

brogansnose added 17:29 - Oct 21 There was an article in the Guardian this week, i would put the link up if I knew how, about how sports such as NFL and basketball in the USA are funded which is by sharing out the money equally as they recognise that non-competitive sport does not bring the punters in. That in the home of the free market economy. There is so much I am appalled by in modern football. One day the evil empire that the carpetbaggers have created will crumble under the weight of its greed and unsustainability.

0

northernblues added 18:09 - Oct 21 agree with suffolk n proud except hanging youself though! the premier league has been the worst thing ever to happen to football
0

bringonthetractor added 18:10 - Oct 21 The Premier League juggernaught rolls over all opposition again. I'm glad Town were one of the few to try and stand up for themselves, but ultimately by effectively holding the Football League clubs to ransom the PL win again. They reckon this will somehow benefit FL sides in the future, but I fail to see how... Many clubs (especially lower down the ladder) rely on bringing through youth and then selling the best of them on to try to make a profit. This will now become unworthwhile as there's always the risk that the best players will leave for a paltry sum. Also, the PL argument that this will benefit the England side doesn't hold for me either. I presume they're basing this on the assumption that being at the 'better' clubs means young players will have access to higher quality coaching and thus will reach a higher playing level. I don't think that, except the top 5-6 clubs, the coaching will necessarily be much better in the PL than in the FL. Also, as we've seen with Connor Wickham, going to even a pretty average PL side like Sunderland will seriously reduce the chances of playing regualr first team football and gaining match experience, negatively affecting a player's growth. A better idea imo would be to improve the technical coaching of young players at grassroots level at really young ages - try to find a balance being having fun but also learning good technique at the same time.

0

bringonthetractor added 18:29 - Oct 21 Also, the current tribunal fees could be on the unfair side for the selling clubs already... for example Aaron Cresswell
0

whymark4lazio0 added 19:12 - Oct 21 Brogansnose- Believe you are referring to this excellent article:- http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/oct/18/premier-league-rampant-capit
0

broomfield123 added 19:17 - Oct 21 If it happens forget about england being anywhere good. Forget our kids having a dream. Forget the small teams forget enjoying football as a game
0

homer_123 added 19:23 - Oct 21 @Suffolk_n_Proud - what a silly statement.
0

Bluetone added 19:37 - Oct 21 Football is heading to do what the Banks did a couple of years ago and implode. Dubious foreign billionaires will take their funding away for whatever is the new game in vogue and the PL will be left high and dry with unsustainable wages bills and other debts. Then and only then the game I love might return to sanity and the club supporters.
0

homer_123 added 19:44 - Oct 21 @Bluetone - serious suggestion. Go and watch some (stand to watch) some local football / lower league football, you'll find the love is very much alive.
0

brogansnose added 20:14 - Oct 21 Thanks Whymark.
0

ChurchmanBlue added 20:56 - Oct 21 For a club like Ipswich I do not think this is all doom and gloom. From what I gather, the figures quoted as compensation are the minimum's. Therefore, if you have someone with any talent, who will not commit to the club, then it will be in the best interests of the club to try and instigate a bidding war to maximise their revenue. Secondly, Ipswich's record is very good at academy level, and I think most parents will be persuaded by the percentage of boys who progress at Ipswich compared to the likes of Arsenal where they already have a bigger pool to draw from without needing to extend their scope as far as Suffolk. The Premiership clubs will release just as many boys as they do now, and if they are good enough, they will still be picked up by the likes of Ipswich. I'm sure that clubs in lower leagues will consider scrapping their youth development policies, but only if they are in the shadow of a Premier league club.

0

broomfield123 added 23:01 - Oct 21 I do appreciate that the premiership have a degree of a say because its where the money is. But that money should be spread more evenly throughout the leagues and clubs to create a youth team you need these teams ie ipswich. Norwich, mansfield , brentford and so on to give the young guys a chance. Ok how many kidswant to play for man utd. How many kids have been turned out by the big boys youth teams but given a 2nd chance by a crewe etc and gone on to do well through their youth team and had a successful career a pro footballer in which take my hat of ti anyone who's done it. A fine example is ian wright. We need these teams and the correct investment to make it work. My other concern is wy so many prem clubs are in such debt. Is this 1 way of getting over their debt by killing other clubs. Its pure greed

0

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls