Why are we waiting for clearence on building the academy in Walker. I don't think we should allow our up & coming players to mix with the charvers of Walker & Wallsend. Should the club not pick up a nice pice of green field from out in the sticks? I'm sure farmland is VERY cheap at the moment with farmers in the region insisting on poisoning their flock etc.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Answers

That's something I haven't understood. Why not build the academy out in the country somewhere? They should have been able to find hundreds of possible sites for it.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

The Planners. Urban regeneration is the flavour of the month.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

This is confusing. Where does Walker come in here? I thought Wolsingham was the place for the academy and the home of the badgers which have destroyed our dreams. I thought there was some temporary arrangements in Walker at present.

Just what are the current plans?

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

A bit a wasteland off the fossway, between walkergate and Wallsend has been targeted for the youth accademy. The problem with this site though is that there is contaminated ash and also a few allotments that don't want to be relocated.

The other project is the training facilities at Ponteland which has been held up due to Badgers living on the sie. They have to be re-located.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

I know the club are not perfect but the local councils & do-gooders cost NUFC millions of pounds in stalling developments. We have a silly stadium, no decent training facilities because of them. Dougal, can the club sue for lost earnings?

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Rik is correct - he even got the list of excuses not to spend anything correct, at the last count anyway.

I understand we bought a significant swathe of land at Woolsingham so why both facilities couldn't be built together I don't pretend to understand. This would ensure interaction between all levels of players at the Club, and would surely be highly beneficial, as well as being easier to manage, and of course less costly to run.

The environmental issues regarding the Walker site were cleared up several months ago. This was confirmed at the AGM when the Chairman advised that Management was not prepared to commit investment until the transfer system issue had been resolved. This is such a bone-headed position to take, that I still suspect he may have thought he was responding to an entirely different question, such as "why is the Club seriously jeopardising a heaven-sent opportunity to qualify for either the CL or the UEFA Cup by refusing to strengthen a playing squad that is seriously depleted by injury, despite the untold riches that can be derived by such a qualification?"

I'm afraid I'm not up to date with where we are with the "badgers of Woolsingham", although I believe some "interim" training facilities have been promised for next season. Can't imagine why, but the word "interim" fills with foreboding.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Interim means they take the cones home with them every night

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

I think it refers to the much-needed 'inside' training pitch, Macbeth.
A large marquee perchance?

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

The academy & training pitches can't be together, the "acedamy" is not classed an "academy" by the FA unless it is separate from the normal training ground.

You can understand some delay in the transfer system. Unless Footballers become extremely loyal there isn't a lot of money to be made by nurturing talent when you can get it for nowt abroad. It would be a gamble to bring on a player, you take a 1 in 60 chance that he'll make the grade then a chance that he will stay with the club beyond his 22nd birthday. Everton have already indicated they may scrap their academy plans.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

DlF, There are gambles on both sides there.

Buying players, as we all know, does not always mean success on the pitch, but you are able to go for better players perhaps. What is going to bring them here is three things, potential for success, location of club and the financial package

I would view it a bigger gamble to satisfy a player bought into the club on those three fronts

Whereas a player brought up through the ranks, will be happy with the location and will be equally as happy with the finance and the common denominator is that if you havelittle chance of winning things the good players will not be interested, regardless of whether they were bought or brought through the ranks. Ultimately the players brought through the ranks will be more stable in their attitude and outlook. The crucial aspect is how many stars you put in the team. Most of Robson's reputed targets this summer seem to be British. If he sprinkles in a few magical players it will be a better blend than at present.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

Building in Walker is a fine idea. Good enough for Newcastle East End, good enough for us. Not too far to sneak along and have a look at Wallsend Boys' Club to see how it ought to be done.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001

My vote goes for having the academy at Heaton Stannington FC. Nice flat pitch, easy access to the corner hoose for lunch time bevvies and team talk. Yez are all buggers for bringing the memories back again, the fossway, walkergate ahhhhhh the memories. THe number of times I was kicked out of the fossy.

-- Anonymous, March 27, 2001