Southampton Sign Argyle 16 year old

SSN reporting that Sam Gallagher, a 16 year old striker, has been signed by Southampton from our Centre Of Excellence- wonder if we get any fee, future add ons?

Dear god, when will it ever end ? I mean, what is the frikkin point if we can't even hold on to promising 16 year olds ?

what would anyone do as a parent if you saw the youth side of things being decimated with two key personnel leaving? Stick around while the League Two/soon to be non league club(?) you're at muddles through with unknown replacements or head up the road to a Championship/premiership(?) club

Sadly this is likely to be more common with the new League rules that are coming in. It makes it too easy for the top clubs to poach young talent.

Dougie wrote:

what would anyone do as a parent if you saw the youth side of things being decimated with two key personnel leaving? Stick around while the League Two/soon to be non league club(?) you're at muddles through with unknown replacements or head up the road to a Championship/premiership(?) club

Exactly this.

Even Tring can't spin this into an anti Newell/Webb/Brent thread. Unless of course, we don't get any fee/add ons.

If any of you remember Lloyd Jones, he left argyle for liverpool in 2010 and is doing very well in their youth side (he was in most of my classes throughout year 10) and if he breaks into the first team oneday, the bonus for argyle is around the million mark.

That's a cracking reply for Brent though Cerbs, it's one he can use in the same context as his excuse for not spending in the transfer market under the guise of "cheating".

It's a problem for all clubs in the lower divisions of the FL, the less well intentioned will use it as the excuse for not retaining players, the better intentioned will do all they can to retain such players.

Not really GOB.

As a club, we can never hope to compete with the financial clout of Championship/Premiership clubs. Any player would love to play at a higher level, surely?

Trying to hold on to them at Argyle just wouldn't work.

Cerbera wrote:

Dougie wrote:

what would anyone do as a parent if you saw the youth side of things being decimated with two key personnel leaving? Stick around while the League Two/soon to be non league club(?) you're at muddles through with unknown replacements or head up the road to a Championship/premiership(?) club

Exactly this.

Even Tring can't spin this into an anti Newell/Webb/Brent thread. Unless of course, we don't get any fee/add ons.

Well if we hadn't had the Newell mentality ruling the roost when that lovel family man Stapleton was trying to look after number one instead of Holloway, we might be where Southampton are now.

Nothing has changed it seems and the hot air filled, self promoting board , is designed purely to encourage Aviva types into believing they are important.

Brent must believe that most football people are morons and he can use their wildest dream scenario, of somehow being a name at the club, to rally round lesser Avivas to pay his bills for him. It's so small time and so typically Argyle.
The wider public will not be interested in this Avivafest........... right bird ?

A strong , independent fans trust is what is required but there's no way Brent, or the dynamic duo will allow that to happen.

It's only a matter of time before Newell is granted some honorary fund raising title and the club will be stuck in an Aviva rut for years to come.

Welcome to Parochial Argyle F C.

Enjoy the ride

Admirable post Tringy.

But nothing at all to do with a youth player signing for Southampton. Just another rant about history. What could have, might have, should have.......again

Good luck to the lad and let's hope we have a decent wedge coming in any first team appearance/sell on clauses. If we don't, then serious questions need to be asked.

Cerbera wrote:

Admirable post Tringy.

But nothing at all to do with a youth player signing for Southampton. Just another rant about history. What could have, might have, should have.......again

Good luck to the lad and let's hope we have a decent wedge coming in any first team appearance/sell on clauses. If we don't, then serious questions need to be asked.

Serious questions ? With the gruesome twosome in charge ? Yer avin a laff !

If you haven't sussed their style by now, you never will.

Surely we currently have 2 great examples in Matt Lecoint and Luke Young in the benefits of remaining at a lower league club. Luke has been getting plenty of chances in the 1st team and taking them well whilst Matt has been selected to play in England's U-18s after his spell of action earlier in the season. Would they have gained so much experience at a bigger club?. Seems to me we're giving in to the bigger clubs far too easily, especially when we have the fans' 'Foundation' donating financially to the cause.

Cerbera wrote:

Not really GOB.

As a club, we can never hope to compete with the financial clout of Championship/Premiership clubs. Any player would love to play at a higher level, surely?

Trying to hold on to them at Argyle just wouldn't work.

If you're talking specifically about players coming through a youth system there is absolutely no guarantee that leaving a lower league club at 16 or younger is a passport to playing at a higher level later on.Who has had the better career,Joe Mason or Aaron Spear? There is much to be said for young players serving their apprenticeship at a lower division club and breaking into first teams and getting noticed that way,rather than going to a premiership outfit and getting lost in the very competitive system,not to mention having to break into squads bloated with big money overseas signings.And why shouldn't Argyle be able to compete with Premiership/CCC clubs? Could Swansea have competed with Premiership/CCC clubs 5 years ago? I'd welcome your historical persective on why clubs like Southampton and Norwich became bigger than Argyle and are now in a position to pinch our best players,youth or otherwise.It's that sad mentality,both among supporters and in the boardroom that has been largely responsible for Argyle's failure to really make it.

I think Tringreen is a ventriloquist who has perfected the art of talking through his ass. Just an opinion of course.

Somebody please tell me how any club, whoever they are, whatever league they are in or whatever set up and facilities they have can stop a 16 year old going anywhere else if they want to. Do you tie them up and put them in a cuboard until the other club has lost interest and gone away? If the 16 year old wants to go then go they will however much a Board or anyone else wants them to stay. Time to get real I think. Nobody not least a child is held captive anymore.

Quote Greenskin.............And why shouldn't Argyle be able to compete with Premiership/CCC clubs? Could Swansea have competed with Premiership/CCC clubs 5 years ago? I'd welcome your historical persective on why clubs like Southampton and Norwich became bigger than Argyle and are now in a position to pinch our best players,youth or otherwise.It's that sad mentality,both among supporters and in the boardroom that has been largely responsible for Argyle's failure to really make it.


There. Said that without moving my bum cheeks.

Tringreen wrote:

Quote Greenskin.............And why shouldn't Argyle be able to compete with Premiership/CCC clubs? Could Swansea have competed with Premiership/CCC clubs 5 years ago? I'd welcome your historical persective on why clubs like Southampton and Norwich became bigger than Argyle and are now in a position to pinch our best players,youth or otherwise.It's that sad mentality,both among supporters and in the boardroom that has been largely responsible for Argyle's failure to really make it.


There. Said that without moving my bum cheeks.

Gottle of geer,Gottle of geer!

It just doesn't sink in,mate.

A big leap of imagination required here but try nonetheless. I am now a 16 year old fairly talented footballer in the making. Another team other than the one I'm alingned to comes to me and my dad and say they want me to join them. You on the other hand are an old wrinkled Argyle youth team coach and you want me to stay. How do you make me if I decide I'd be better off elsewhere?

Sensiblegreeny wrote:

A big leap of imagination required here but try nonetheless. I am now a 16 year old fairly talented footballer in the making. Another team other than the one I'm alingned to comes to me and my dad and say they want me to join them. You on the other hand are an old wrinkled Argyle youth team coach and you want me to stay. How do you make me if I decide I'd be better off elsewhere?

Just ask him to compare Joe Mason to Aaron Spear.

A bit simplistic in reply greenskin but I guess that would do it then and I'd be falling over myself to stay. Not.

The simple fact of life is that if I chose to go elsewhere because of whatever reason I decided I would just go. You could not make me stay whatever you did or said. It has nothing to do with you just being Argyle and some other club being bigger or better although that might sway me a tad.

Sensiblegreeny wrote:

A bit simplistic in reply greenskin but I guess that would do it then and I'd be falling over myself to stay. Not.

The simple fact of life is that if I chose to go elsewhere because of whatever reason I decided I would just go. You could not make me stay whatever you did or said. It has nothing to do with you just being Argyle and some other club being bigger or better although that might sway me a tad.

Nobody is disputing your or anyone else's right to do as they please,i don't really see where that comes into the issue.The crux of the matter is to try to persuade kids who have the talent for a future in the professional game that Argyle may well be a better option in the long term than getting star struck a la Aaron Spear and fading from the scene very rapidy-where is he now,BTW? There are plenty of examples of Argyle [and other lower league clubs] being a very good grounding area and starting point for young players making their way in the game,Mason,Gosling and [to a lesser degree] Summerfield and Dickson being recent cases in point.If people are too pig headed and presumptious to not even consider all options then that's their look out,i agree not much can be done in those instances,but that doesn't mean to say that every effort to point out potential pro's and con's shouldn't be made.

There is the dilema for me though greenskin because I actually agree with you that the lower leagues are a better place for youngsters to be. I believe that Crewe were the shinning example of youth development in previous years and people fell over themselves to go there as kids. But, the problem you have with a 16 year old is that Dad makes the decisions and Dad thinks there is a better life out there in the big time than with a club in the lower reaches. They all think their son is the next Beckham when in reality they are probably nowhere near that. Pound signs flash before their very eyes and hey presto they are gone. It is very hard for smaller clubs to hang on to would be stars of any age now and it will get even harder in the future. Sad but a fact of life.

I think Aaron Spear is playing in Iceland (or maybe Finland). I'm guessing his agent dubbed him the 'next Wayne Rooney'-must have earnt quite a bit for that phrase.

Same old Argo - same old shit. Maybe one day, just maybe, we'll get someone with a bit of class and ambition running the club and the days of *****wallet and brent will be no more than a bad memory to be forgotten.

According to this Fulham Vital article, Fulham, Newcastle and Everton were all interested- hope we got better than a 'Plymouth Price' for him.

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