MD Ian Milne says Town are still to learn what they need to do in order to upgrade the academy to category one ahead of next season. The Blues missed out by just 0.3 per cent a year ago with the club having committed to upgrading from category two at the earliest possible opportunity.

“The Premier League are still messing around with the criteria and the audit conditions and the rest of it, so we still don’t know precisely what they want. Those points haven’t come out,” he told Saturday’s Life’s a Pitch on BBC Radio Suffolk (from 1hr 11mins onwards).

“We’re waiting to hear from the Premier League and the Football League [regarding] all the points.

“Everybody agrees with EPPP and getting better youth development, but it’s always been slightly disorganised [with] the rules and what we’ve got to do, so we’re just waiting to hear the latest rules, but we’re still on track to be where we want to be.”

Marcus Evans is currently funding the academy at category one level but without the grant that comes with the higher status and Milne says the Blues' owner remains very committed to the club’s youth set-up.

“We’ve got some great players coming through, some fantastic players coming through,” he added. “[Marcus is] going to continue to invest in those, there’s no doubt about that.

“He’s actually spending a lot of time with [academy director] Bryan Klug and his colleagues down there because he’s taking a great deal of interest in what they’re doing, specialisms and what have you. He’s very, very committed.”

Photo: Action Images

bluefeast added 12:22 - Apr 13 Terrific .
5

MeenoITFC added 13:26 - Apr 13 Good to see we care about the development of our young players. I bet they train on the deck quick passing then watch our first team and wonder whats going on
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Sir_Bob added 13:44 - Apr 13 And people will probably STILL moan about Marcus Evans
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StowTractorBoy added 14:23 - Apr 13 Agree Sir Bob, fans just do not realise how much Evans puts in yet soon criticise him because we don't spend millions on players. We are very lucky to have him and long may it continue.
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Mr_Evans added 14:39 - Apr 13 This can only be positive. In all reality I'd rather see ME investing £5m a year into our academy than us splashing £5m a year on transfer fees. It's not a quick fire success, but in 4 or 5 years when these young 12/13 year olds start coming through when it'll show.
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ArnieM added 15:50 - Apr 13 its a closed shop and anything the PL can do to make it difficult for Championship clubs to become a cat one, they will do it. Stalling on the criteria and no doubt the amount if time to achieve the new shifted goal posts, they will do it.
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dubblue added 16:14 - Apr 13 To miss out by 0.3% seems strange, was there some element of forced distribution here - limiting the number of clubs who were awarded category 1 status?
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BotesdaleBlue added 16:39 - Apr 13 ArnieM - I couldn't agree with you more. Bryan Klug has recently hinted in a recent interview that the changes to the criteria involves additional costs, rather than changers to broarder quality type measures that may not necessarily involve any more investment. By constantly moving the financial goalposts like this, it makes it increasingly difficult for Championship clubs to commit to and ultimately achieve top status. And that, is just what the financial elite, Premiership clubs want.

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blueboy1981 added 18:49 - Apr 13 ........ I suspect another miss coming up - and a million reasons for it - other than real ones !! ........ one criteria is we have to blood a percentage of youngsters, thus giving them a chance. Do we exactly do that ?? ....... we did in the past, almost without exception.
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RegencyBlue added 19:37 - Apr 13 Big mistake not to have gone for CAT 1 right from the beginning in my opinion. The decision not to do so looks very short sighted now. The Premier League clubs want this to be a closed shop so its going to be very, very difficult to get that status in the future.
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carsey added 20:18 - Apr 13 I agree with MrEvans I'd rather see money spent on the youth but I do worry that McCarthy will not blood them soon enough and only then if they fit his idea of a player. As for the Premier League they will do all they can to make things difficult for those clubs outside so all the more important we get promoted this year.
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Vizslaraner added 22:09 - Apr 13 Well said Sir Bob, he has done so much for the club and we musnt forget that. He Wd do more still If FFP allowed it but is sticking to the rules unlike most of the division. I just hope when the fines are handed out we get praised for doing so! I'm getting well and truly F off with how sky suck up to Eddie Howe and say how well Bournemouth and boro have done spending little money. Check out what they have paid and it's shocking. Although I hate the way we play you can't fault MM and ME for putting the future of the club first.

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ArnieM added 23:28 - Apr 13 Apart from stopping cat one clubs sniffing round our talent and offering them deals what actual benefits would a cat one offer our clearly very efficient (and certainly more effective than that shower if shyte up the  A140), academy )
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