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| Nomads' fears over academy funding |
| Thursday 17 June 2010 |
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CONNAH'S Quay have expressed funding fears over their academy following the club's relegation from the Welsh Premier to the Cymru Alliance. The Nomads' academy has this year sent 14 players for trials at English league academies with Tom Bridges earning a two-year scholarship at Liverpool, Alex Peters being given a two-year deal at Bury and Luke Blizzard also accepting a two-year deal at Blue Square North side Wrexham. But with the Welsh Premier League restructuring, Nomads' academy boss Jay Catton fears their £7,000 annual funding will be cut. “We don’t set out to make a profit,” he told the Flintshire Chronicle. “Every penny is accounted for and spent by the end of the season. “The academy is not flush with money so we make sure the money we have goes into giving the players the best possible coaching and facilities. “We only charge nominal subs to the players in order to give good players a chance, regardless of how much they can spend. It may not seem a lot but that £7,000 is vital to us.” The Nomads' academy is hopeful that sponsors Gap may be able to help, but there is no guarantee as young aspiring footballers seem set to become the latest victims of the Welsh Premier League’s controversial restructuring of the Principality’s top flight. Catton and the academy have had no indication about whether there will be a parachute payment for the youth set-up or if they will be cut adrift. “We want the opportunity to plead our case,” said Catton. “When you look at our academy and our success rate in getting players accepted into bigger academies at bigger clubs it is obvious how well we are doing on the resources we have. “To cut us off would be damaging to Nomads and to football in this area. “Airbus have a good set-up and if the worst happened our lads could go there and get a good football education, but are the Welsh Premier and the FAW going to allow just Airbus, Bangor City and Prestatyn Town, the three North Wales teams in the Premier division, to play each other repeatedly all season? “That will be no good for the development of young players in this region but as yet we have not been given the opportunity to speak to anyone about our concerns.” |