General manager of football operations Lee O’Neill says upgrading the club's academy to category one is “definitely something that we are pushing forward for and that we would like to achieve”.
O’Neill, who is also Town's academy manager, was speaking at last night’s PLC AGM, which was held in Beattie’s in the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand.
"It’s not our plan to standstill with what we’re doing now, we have to keep on striving forward with the younger players at the club,” O’Neill said during the question and answer session.
"Category one has been talked about quite a lot, it’s something that I’m very keen on. I think it offers a very strong games programme and offers a different level of recruitment opportunities for the club. We are looking into that.
"That would require investment and is an area we’ve talked about very recently, so it’s definitely something that we are pushing forward for and that we would like to achieve.”
Town currently run a category two academy having missed out on category one by 0.3 per cent in an audit in 2014 when the current system was instigated.
The category two set-up costs around £2 million a year to run, most from owner Marcus Evans plus a grant from the Premier League, while a move to category one is likely to add a further £1 million to that annual figure.
O’Neill added: "It’s a conversation we’ve had with the manager and the owner and with [financial director] Mark [Andrews].
"We’re very aware of what the financial implications are and the investment opportunities that will come with that.
"I had a lot of conversations with other category one clubs that are probably in a similar situation to us, whether that’s League One or in the Championship, [about being in] that programme. It’s a significant investment and return they already get on it.
"So we’ve looked at all of those areas and we have a strategy in place. We have made significant investment already in the training ground and that’s one of the areas we have to target.
"The next thing we have to look at is the education we would have to put in place for those players if we were to go to a category one, which is something which is open to debate about taking young players out of school at a certain age to increase the training contact hours.
"It is something we’re looking at definitely, and we are aware of the financial infrastructure you have to put in place for it.”
Would Town need to be promoted from League One to step up to category one? "Not necessarily, again there are clubs in League One that have a category one academy programme [Sunderland].
"Geographically, that might determine an option for them that they decided to look at, but it’s not necessarily just based on that, there’ll be a number of other factors.”
If Town remain in League One beyond this season, might that make recruiting youngsters for the academy tougher? "The young players in particular, if and when they get their opportunity can see that it’s a really big football club, and that is an instant attraction for a number of young players.
"When we are going out there and recruiting, they can see that it is a big football club, and especially in League One, we’re an even bigger football club.
"So I think to drive that recruitment strategy to attract those better younger players, we have to do work right from the grassroots but we also have to do work with the senior players.
"It’s not just all about the younger players, they can’t do it on their own. They need experience, like the manager, they need people to give them an opportunity and they need experienced players around them to help them.
"You’ll have seen it, those of you that have been to the games, unfortunately sometimes they make mistakes, but they are kids and they are human.”
Manager Lambert concurred: "I would go along with what Lee said. A young player needs a manager that’s going to throw them in, it doesn’t matter what level you look at, they need a manager to believe in them that they can do it.
"Not every one will make it, that 100 per cent won’t happen, but hopefully a few will come through, but they need time to develop, they need time to learn how to handle every game, they need to learn to handle a crowd, how to handle expectancy level.
"So, even though the younger kids have made a little impression, they’re far from finished footballers.
"You can’t 100 per cent rely on them, you need the older ones to help them. What I would say about the football club is, as I said to Lee when I first came in, you’re sitting on an absolute goldmine, I think.
"And I don’t just say that as the manager here, if I was a fan looking at it and I saw the kids play I’d think, ‘They look good, they’ve got some right good ones’.
"Given time to develop the right way and given the chance, then you might not need to buy a player for a long time.
"I think that’s testament to the coaches that are in the academy. The kids need time. But, my God, the club is sitting on something really, really special, that’s for sure.”
O’Neill praised some of the youngsters who have made progress this season: "A key passion of mine is the academy and within that process and in that structure, we’ve had players go on and make their debuts, which is fantastic.
"I just want to highlight a few more. Liam Gibbs has signed his first professional contract on his 17th birthday, he’s doing very well, he made his debut in the EFL Trophy.
"Cameron Stewart, a player who hasn’t made an appearance in the first team yet but has had an international call-up with Northern Ireland [U17s].
"Alex Henderson, those of you who saw the Peterborough game will have seen he’s making good strides, Tommy Smith again appeared in the EFL Trophy.
"Matt Healy has represented the Republic of Ireland [at U17 level], Tyreece Simpson has played in the EFL Trophy, Armando Dobra, both in the league and the cup, also representing his country of Albania [at U19 level].
"Idris El Mizouni has made both league and cup debuts and has represented Tunisia [full and U23 levels]. Ben Folami, both league and cup and representing Australia [U23s] and is about to go off on international duty with them.
"Jack Lankester, who unfortunately is injured but last season made both league and cup debuts.
"Brett McGavin in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy this year, again making good progress. Tommy Hughes in the EFL Trophy and Adam Przybek, the goalkeeper who played at Peterborough.
"That on the back of those players who are doing very well, such as Flynn Downes, Luke Woolfenden, Andre Dozzell, Jack Lankester and Tristan Nydam when he comes back from injury.
"There is a key focus on those young players that are coming to the forefront and are getting that opportunity with the first team.
"That’s not common, it doesn’t happen at every football club, that’s a credit to both the structure and trying to give them that opportunity.
"I want to readdress that as part of our long-term initiative, our long-term strategy that Bryan Klug and the other members of the academy staff have worked hard on to try and achieve our ultimate goal, which is for players to go out there and play in front of 20 or 30,000 people, hopefully pick up points and get us promoted.”
You can find notes from the question and answer session on the TWTD Forum here.