Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC is delighted to learn today (Wednesday) that it has attained the SFA "Progressive" Performance Award within the Project Brave initiative. This is the result of dedicated work by the Football Development  Department at the club, supported by the Management Team and the Directors, who are committed to promoting youth football within the community and bringing through young local players into the first team.

http://ictfc.com/news/club-news/2048-ictfc-gain-sfa-progressive-performance-award

That's excellent news & well done to everyone concerned at the club

Did we attempt to go for 'elite' level?  I assume not as it involved significant expense in terms of facilities and recruitment.

Very important that we stay on same level as our neighbours over the bridge who are also in the eight team "Progressive" group but I believe they're appealing and looking for Elite status.  Would be a real issue for our ability to attract local talent if we were on a  lesser ranking.

Out of the 8 "Elite" Academies only Aberdeen outwith the Central Belt which seems totally unfair and biased against the provinces.  I guess Malky doesn't fancy the drive North.

Poor old Dundee in the third tier!

There's no chance we could have gone for elite surely? Admittedly no one seems to know what the criteria for Project Brave actually is, and the SFA seem unwilling to tell us, but it seems odd that Aberdeen are in there considering their training facilities consist of a public park.

3 hours ago, ymip said:

Very important that we stay on same level as our neighbours over the bridge who are also in the eight team "Progressive" group but I believe they're appealing and looking for Elite status.  Would be a real issue for our ability to attract local talent if we were on a  lesser ranking.

Out of the 8 "Elite" Academies only Aberdeen outwith the Central Belt which seems totally unfair and biased against the provinces.  I guess Malky doesn't fancy the drive North.

Poor old Dundee in the third tier!

Given that the capital is Edinburgh, Glasgow is in the provinces although given how Weegiecentric the SFA are you'd never know it.

Quite frankly, I'm not convinced that the "ticky box" approach here is necessarily the best one. It has too many echoes of a deskbound approach to a real, on-the-ground sporting problem. Nor am I totally convinced that there is any real solution to this issue for as long as Scottish football is run for the benefit of the Old Firm hegemony (which is another echo of Kingsmills' Weegiecentric principle.).  

Edited November 15, 20178 yr by Charles Bannerman

15 hours ago, RiG said:

There's no chance we could have gone for elite surely? Admittedly no one seems to know what the criteria for Project Brave actually is, and the SFA seem unwilling to tell us, but it seems odd that Aberdeen are in there considering their training facilities consist of a public park.

 

16 hours ago, RiG said:

There's no chance we could have gone for elite surely? Admittedly no one seems to know what the criteria for Project Brave actually is, and the SFA seem unwilling to tell us, but it seems odd that Aberdeen are in there considering their training facilities consist of a public park.

http://www.aberdeensportsvillage.com/indoor-facilities/indoor-pitch   

next door to Pittodrie

18 hours ago, ymip said:

Very important that we stay on same level as our neighbours over the bridge who are also in the eight team "Progressive" group but I believe they're appealing and looking for Elite status.  Would be a real issue for our ability to attract local talent if we were on a  lesser ranking.

Out of the 8 "Elite" Academies only Aberdeen outwith the Central Belt which seems totally unfair and biased against the provinces.  I guess Malky doesn't fancy the drive North.

Poor old Dundee in the third tier!

All it takes is money for full size indoor, 6 full time staff, etc. etc. Surely Uncle Roy has plenty.

 

54 minutes ago, BrianHyde said:

All it takes is money for full size indoor, 6 full time staff, etc. etc. Surely Uncle Roy has plenty.

 

Aye, but even he can't afford to move Dingwall to the Central Belt which seems to be the SFA's principal criterion.

2 hours ago, BrianHyde said:

http://www.aberdeensportsvillage.com/indoor-facilities/indoor-pitch   

next door to Pittodrie

Aberdeen don't train there.

 

17 minutes ago, RiG said:

Aberdeen don't train there.

No but they train here! 

Edited November 16, 20178 yr by CaleyMax

when you consider the objective of our youth development department and the exceptional return in our short history, it may now be appropriate to ask, in the interests of being open with fans, just how much the Club (not the sfa or sponsors) actually invests in this area and how much would need to be invested to attain the top level?

Edited November 28, 20178 yr by caleyboy

2 hours ago, caleyboy said:

when you consider the objective of our youth development department and the exceptional return in our short history, it may now be appropriate to ask, in the interests of being open with fans, just how much the Club (not the sfa or sponsors) actually invests in this area and how much would need to be invested to attain the top level?

To attain Elite Level the costs are significant as is the wider infrastructure needs.

Even at progressive level there will be significant investment and, for example, there needs to be a full time coach for each age group (Warren and Tremarco are to be appointed I understand as part of the coaching team). The club are investigating ways to provide a number of the requirements through partnerships with High Life Highland for example.

There is a perception at least that the focus is not on having Elite level in the Highlands in any event.

38 minutes ago, Tree said:

There is a perception at least that the focus is not on having Elite level in the Highlands in any event.

Tree... you are a master of tact and understatement.  Basically it's as big a Weegie stitch up as the  one that kept Highland teams out of the SFL for decades.

2 hours ago, Tree said:

To attain Elite Level the costs are significant as is the wider infrastructure needs.

Even at progressive level there will be significant investment and, for example, there needs to be a full time coach for each age group (Warren and Tremarco are to be appointed I understand as part of the coaching team). The club are investigating ways to provide a number of the requirements through partnerships with High Life Highland for example.

There is a perception at least that the focus is not on having Elite level in the Highlands in any event.

Although your post is informative Tree, are you in a position to answer the question of how much the club is investing in this area?

You could always ask the club? If they do another fans night head along and ask them there or write to the Chairman.

12 minutes ago, RiG said:

You could always ask the club? If they do another fans night head along and ask them there or write to the Chairman.

What a bright idea. 

8 minutes ago, caleyboy said:

What a bright idea. 

Well you are unlikely to get an answer to these kinds of questions on here. Certainly not speedily anyway. Go straight to the source and you might have more luck and get an accurate answer rather than someone saying "I heard it was this..."

59 minutes ago, RiG said:

Well you are unlikely to get an answer to these kinds of questions on here. Certainly not speedily anyway. Go straight to the source and you might have more luck and get an accurate answer rather than someone saying "I heard it was this..."

Thanks for the advice. Maybe all future questions relating to the club should be made direct instead of on this forum.

Edited November 28, 20178 yr by caleyboy

13 minutes ago, caleyboy said:

Thanks for the advice. Maybe all future questions relating to the club should be made direct instead of on this forum.

Well no obviously not and that isn't what I've said anyway so I don't know how you've come to that bizarre conclusion.

4 hours ago, RiG said:

Well no obviously not and that isn't what I've said anyway so I don't know how you've come to that bizarre conclusion.

bizarre? too many secrets at this club so if you don't mind I'll ask questions thru channels I feel appropriate. i don't suppose i will get an answer if the club are not making contributions to compare with the likes of hamilton motherwell and killie. If our pr people feel its good to tell they will answer thru any channel.

One of the other 'Progressive' teams, the Forth Valley academy shared by Falkirk, Stenhousmuir and East Stirlingshire, could be in jeopardy after Falkirk announced they are stopping all investments in it from the end of this month.  Falkirk have decided to stop funding the academy in order to focus on returning to the Premiership 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42426817

There's been a lot of talk about the 'Brentford model' around this decision - Brentford also abandoned their youth academy as part of an overall review of their football strategy.  Here's a good article about their model - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2718752-brentfords-moneyball-way-to-beat-football-teams-with-huge-budgets

Disbanding the youth system was just one aspect of Brentford's model and they've made changes across a number of years, rather than in the course of a couple of months.  It does beg the question about the sustainability of running youth academies in lower league Scottish football.