Academy Intake Announced

@Only1Argyle

Seven exciting young footballers have been offered two-year scholarship deals with the Argyle Academy.

Five of the prospects - Carlo Garside, Lewis Moyle, Oscar Massey, Brandon Pursall, and Angel Waruih – have been with the Academy for a number of years, and they are joined at scholar level by two new players – striker Jamal Salawu, formerly of Bristol City, and midfielder Oscar Rutherford, who joins the Pilgrims after having spent eight years with Southampton’s Category One Academy.

Midfielder Carlo Garside joined the Pilgrims at the age of nine, having impressed at the Greens’ Centre of Excellence. An Ivybridge Community College student, Carlo represented Plymouth schoolboys at under-11, under-14 and under-15s, as well as the Academy in the Super Cup in Northern Ireland in 2018 and 2019. During the 2019-20 season, Carlo played a number of fixtures for the under-18 side.

Oscar Massey, from Truro, attended Penair Secondary School and has represented West Cornwall Schoolboys at under-13, under-14 and under-15 level. Oscar attended the Cornwall Centre of Excellence in St Stephen before progressing to the Academy at under-12 level. Oscar represented the Academy in the Super Cup in Northern Ireland in 2017, 2018 and 2019 - winning the Golden Boot in the Junior Section in 2018.

Fellow Truronian and goalkeeper Lewis Moyle attended Richard Lander School. Lewis started at the Cornwall Centre of Excellence at Brannel School with and progressed into the Academy at the under-10 stage. Lewis represented the Academy in the Super Cup in Northern Ireland in 2017 and 2018, as well as representing West Cornwall Schoolboys at under-13s, under-14 and under-15 level.

Brandon Pursall attended Brannel School in St Stephen, progressing through the Cornwall player pathway before being signed to the Academy at under-nine level. Pursall represented East Cornwall Schoolboys at the under-14 and under-15 age groups, representing the Academy in the Super Cup in Northern Ireland in 2017, 2018 and 2019. During the 2019-20 season, Brandon played for the under-18 side on a number of occasions.

Oscar Rutherford, from Hampshire, attended Robert Mays School, and has spent the last eight years at Southampton’s Academy, having joined them at under-nine level. Oscar has represented Aldershot and Farnham District at under-13, under-14, and under-15 level.

Striker Jamal Salawu attended Fairfield High School, and joins the Pilgrims having previously represented Bristol City (under-12 and under-14), Bristol Central (under-15 and under-16), and Gloucestershire County Schools at under-16 and under-18 level.

Angel Waruih attended St Boniface Catholic College. Angel joined the Academy programme as a nine-year-old after attending Plymouth’s Advanced Development Centre. He represented Plymouth schoolboys at under-14 and under-15s. Angel represented the Academy in the Super Cup in Northern Ireland in 2018.

Speaking on the intake of new scholars, Argyle Director of Football Neil Dewsnip said: “We are delighted for the boys, and it is just the next step in their journey. We have the highest expectations of our young players at Argyle, and we want them to become first-team players.

“We hope that these players understand that, relish the opportunity that lies before them, and utilise every second of every day that is available to them over the next couple of years.

“If they do that, then they have the ability to follow in the footsteps of players like Jarvis Cleal, Rubin Wilson and Ollie Tomlinson, who achieved that last year and are now professionals – and first-team squad members like Mike Cooper, Ryan Law, Luke Jephcott and Adam Randell.”

“They have a wonderful opportunity, but it is a very difficult journey – there will be ups and downs. They have got to hang in there, buy into the support that is available from the staff here, and ultimately impress the manager.”

The Pilgrims’ Academy Manager Phil Stokes said: “I’d like to congratulate all the players on signing a two-year apprenticeship with us, this is the next part of their football journey within the Academy on a full-time training model.

“It’s great to see that a number of players have been with the Academy from a young age and developed through our Academy programme, and we look forward to working with them on the next stage of their footballing development.”

Good news.

seadog wrote:

Good news.

This is for you captain

Gary Bottomley and Ryan Lawton have been announced as the new managers of the Argyle Ladies development side, succeeding outgoing manager Rob Bonney ahead of next season.

The pair joined Argyle from top local junior side SB Frankfort, who had enjoyed huge success at youth level, winning numerous trophies. With the players ageing out of the Frankfort set-up, Bottomley and Lawton agreed to take the players to Argyle to form the Argyle under-18 team, before subsequently merging into the development set-up at Home Park.

SB Frankfort have been very good for a good while now.

I'm glad to see the academy getting a mention it was just used to provide money via selling training to kids for years under Brent youth development is a must for a club of our size.