The aim at the present should quite rightly be the first team, then (and if) we regain our FL status and the funding that goes with it, re-establishing the academy / youth system (call it a what you like) should be a priority.
Sadly, since the closure of the academy we have lost a generation of local talent in the town to the likes of Lincoln, Doncaster, Hull, Grimsby.
Lincoln literally have a set up camp at Bottesford Town and cherry pick the best talent from the local area.
We’re pretty much a one sport town (football) and have an array of local footballing talent right through the age groups – I’ve witnessed this first hand.
We are also VERY well geographically situated to capture the not quite and nearly made it youth players from Leeds, Barnsley, Sheffield, Hull, Doncaster etc.
The talent on shown in even the top-tier grass roots teams from these places is astounding.
In my opinion to rule out a youth system completely is short sighted and is the building blocks of a sustainable, lower league football club.
We should be looking to provide a conveyor belt of local talent, that can be developed and sold on.
Yes, it’s not an overnight plan, but long term I believe this should be the bedrock of our plan to be a sustainable, lower league club.
The caveat is that we need to be in the FL to start this journey, which appears a distant dream at present.
P.s in terms of facilities, the option would be to partner with a local senior school, college etc that’s what some local teams do and do well..
