Ict's Youth System Being Shut Down

[tokelyisvictorious]

Although this is at the rumour stage, this is no wind-up and comes indirectly from one of the youth players himself.

ICT have made massive cutbacks across the whole youth academy, with the youth teams being completely disbanded and almost all of the u19s being made redundant.

Apparently the players have been expecting this for a while and the club had plans to do so anyway had the club stayed up. The cost of running has made it impossible for the club to do so while in the 1st division. Some youth players may be given 1st team contracts, although from what i have heard even the likes of struan scott-woodhouse and shane sutherland will be getting released.

I know i'll look like a bit of a tube if this doesn't come true, but from the strength of the source, you know where you heard it first.....

[CaleyMad]

Lets just hope this thread stays in the rumour mill. As for struan scott-woodhouse, the programme made hi out as being a good player and if they were right, then a great opporuntity has just walked away from under their own noses.

How does Caley Thistle expect to bounce back on the first attempt if we are releasing all our talentful youth players which have alot of potential to make it in the First Team.

[cal234ey]

My friend used to play for County at under-17s level when they went down to division 2 the entire squad was released. Not one player was kept on. This also happened with the majority of other age groups as well.

[CaleyD]

Hardly an exclusive as it's been talked about on a couple of threads in the last few days.

Also, had the club stayed in the SPL then they are duty bound to have a full Youth Setup as a condition of membership, so they wouldn't have been getting rid regardless.

[Alex MacLeod]

Lets just hope this thread stays in the rumour mill. As for struan scott-woodhouse, the programme made hi out as being a good player and if they were right, then a great opporuntity has just walked away from under their own noses.

How does Caley Thistle expect to bounce back on the first attempt if we are releasing all our talentful youth players which have alot of potential to make it in the First Team.

Caleymad, you are very good at making such statements on a number of threads. Do you ever stop and ask yourself how do Caley Thistle pay to keep everyone?

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Not surprising. As TB seems hell bent on getting rid of most of the young players produced by the youth system anyway, perhaps he sees it as expendable.

[kencar]

Just when you think things are bad they get worse. It seems like a totally bizarre situation to me. Obviously it's all down to finances but I was under the impression there was money available from the SFA for running youth programmes. Remember the big stink with County & George Peat at the start of the season. Seems like everything we have strived to achieve over the previous 15 or so years is being dismantled overnight.

[Yngwie]

Relegation sucks. Get used to it guys!

[WYNESS101]

Relegation sucks. Get used to it guys!

Since we went down would our youths still be playing SPL clubs next season even if they never got relegated or do they go down with the club? Cant seem to find any info on how there leagues finished this season

[L_G]

Not surprising. As TB seems hell bent on getting rid of most of the young players produced by the youth system anyway, perhaps he sees it as expendable.

That comment is quite a bit off the mark. TB did release Vigurs and Woody and this could only be for financial reasons, but the youth set up is a completely different scenario. Thankfully many of our under 19s still have a year to run in their contracts as we may have to rely on the under 19s to boost the 1st team squad.

[caleyboy]

Just when you think things are bad they get worse. It seems like a totally bizarre situation to me. Obviously it's all down to finances but I was under the impression there was money available from the SFA for running youth programmes. Remember the big stink with County & George Peat at the start of the season. Seems like everything we have strived to achieve over the previous 15 or so years is being dismantled overnight.

Good point Kencar. Unfortunately, the rather huge salaries being paid to some in the youth dept are nowhere near covered by the SFA Grants!

[L_G]

Relegation sucks. Get used to it guys!

Since we went down would our youths still be playing SPL clubs next season even if they never got relegated or do they go down with the club? Cant seem to find any info on how there leagues finished this season

Youth teams stay where they are, but it's not an SPL youth league the set us is quite different as there are other 'lower' league teams who play in the same league

[vinnie87]

The youths play in the SFA youth development initiative with the other spl & sfl clubs. There is no league really but I would imagine the coaches keep there own record of the results and league standings

Edited June 5, 2009 by vinnie87

[Caley Mad In Berks]

Not surprising. As TB seems hell bent on getting rid of most of the young players produced by the youth system anyway, perhaps he sees it as expendable.

That comment is quite a bit off the mark. TB did release Vigurs and Woody and this could only be for financial reasons, but the youth set up is a completely different scenario. Thankfully many of our under 19s still have a year to run in their contracts as we may have to rely on the under 19s to boost the 1st team squad.

If cost was the only criterion for letting young players like Vigurs, Wood and Zander go, then surely he could have looked at releasing one or two more senior players who perhaps have little left to offer ICT instead. I'm sure that would have saved much more money. The youth set up as you describe it may indeed be a different scenario, but how encouraged those youngsters in it must be to see what happens to ICT's young players as soon as the financial strings have to be reined in.

[tokelyisvictorious]

on the official website it appears that my rumours may have been slightly over-exaggerated by my 'man in the know' so apologies, its only a few youth players being let go and the youth system is contuining to run at sfa level..

[WYNESS101]

Under-11's and under-17's will be run this season

[L_G]

on the official website it appears that my rumours may have been slightly over-exaggerated by my 'man in the know' so apologies, its only a few youth players being let go and the youth system is contuining to run at sfa level..

I would suspect that may be a direct response to this rumour thread. The club do keep an eye on this site and are probably keen to dispell such rumours, which may have grown arms and legs and become much more than the reality.

[caleyrule]

Under-11's and under-17's will be run this season

No, its the Under 11's to the Under 17's are running not just the under 11's and 17's

[L_G]

Under-11's and under-17's will be run this season

No, its the Under 11's to the Under 17's are running not just the under 11's and 17's

Exactly. Business as usual for the coming season and 3 of the under 19s given 1st team contracts. Not such doom and gloom after all.

I am glad we finally have an announcement from the club which should go some way to install some confidence

[caleyboy]

Under-11's and under-17's will be run this season

No, its the Under 11's to the Under 17's are running not just the under 11's and 17's

Exactly. Business as usual for the coming season and 3 of the under 19s given 1st team contracts. Not such doom and gloom after all.

I am glad we finally have an announcement from the club which should go some way to install some confidence

All very well LG but I don't see any announcement about our full-time U19's. If we keep this squad, we will be playing in the SFL league which is predominantly part-time and played on Saturdays and Sundays. Personally, I think it is about time we reverted to engaging only the cream on full-time contracts and they would train with the 1st team which would bring them on that much quicker. The club would also save on at least one coach's salary (whatever that may be).

[L_G]

All very well LG but I don't see any announcement about our full-time U19's. If we keep this squad, we will be playing in the SFL league which is predominantly part-time and played on Saturdays and Sundays. Personally, I think it is about time we reverted to engaging only the cream on full-time contracts and they would train with the 1st team which would bring them on that much quicker. The club would also save on at least one coach's salary (whatever that may be).

I should have rephrased my previous comment. The under 19s have been offered contracts, but I don't think that they have been agreed yet.

I believe that there are quite a few of the under 19s who are coming into the 2nd year of a 2 year contract so will be with us next season.

There are obviously cut backs to made throughout the club and I'm sure Youth & Community won't come out unscathed, but I hope the youth teams are able to carry on for at least another season as they are.

[Kingsmills]

The club is going to have to trim costs whereever it can and it's no surprise to see the youth system bearing its share.

[Alex MacLeod]

The Youth set-up is U-11 to U-17. This will remain as is. It is not funded directly by the club, though they do provide some assistance, but from grants and fund-raising etc. (The wee lads with the buckets outside the stadium every matchday)

The U-19 team were formed as a requirement for membership of the SPL and they competed in SPL U-19 league. Some of them even supplimented the SPL reserve team league. At lower league level there is no competition for U-19's or reserves so, barring the few we can keep, the rest become surplass to requirements. I understand a few, on apprentice contracts for another year, will be retained and will train with and learn from the first team squad until their apprenticeship time is up after which, if we go back up, they will be needed again.

That is the ways of the league set-up in Scotland.

[caleyboy]

The Youth set-up is U-11 to U-17. This will remain as is. It is not funded directly by the club, though they do provide some assistance, but from grants and fund-raising etc. (The wee lads with the buckets outside the stadium every matchday)

The U-19 team were formed as a requirement for membership of the SPL and they competed in SPL U-19 league. Some of them even supplimented the SPL reserve team league. At lower league level there is no competition for U-19's or reserves so, barring the few we can keep, the rest become surplass to requirements. I understand a few, on apprentice contracts for another year, will be retained and will train with and learn from the first team squad until their apprenticeship time is up after which, if we go back up, they will be needed again.

That is the ways of the league set-up in Scotland.

The SFL have an U19 league but apart from RCFC I think they are all part-time. The old East Reserve league is still in existance I think but I remember the days when we had a team in it and we had to play all our games away from home because the others refused to travel up here (Doc & Duncan Shearer ran the team).

Edited June 10, 2009 by caleyboy

[caleyrule]

Does anyone know if the club are running a youth set up next season and if so who is running it?

If the rumours are true then there cannot be enough coaches left to run U 11 to U 19. My mate's son plays for one of the squads and has been totally commited to the club for 4 years, travelling 30 miles to training 3 times a week and playing on a Saturday.

My mate is furious that the club are allowing all these rumours to fly around about redundencies without informing players and parents what is going on. I believe the club have roughly 150 signed youngsters, that's a lot of pissed off people!!

Typical I.C.T, treating people like S _ _ T, come on I.C.T, show a little bit of common sense and decency.

The club have announced whats happening, everything is staying the same apart from the 3 released U19 player and the 3 U19 players who have been offered contracts for the main team and also all the coaches are staying at the club so everything will be the same as last season

Once again people are saying ICT are treating people s***e no they are not if people could read the information released by the club they would know whats happening