Academy & U21s

[arbitro]

After seeing Rovers capitulate recently and finding myself getting angry again I needed the sanctuary of a live game as a neutral. I went to Curzon Ashton v Warrington with a keen eye on Matty Litherland who is on loan at Curzon.

I was surprised to see him playing at right back. I have seen him play there for the under 21's but he is a far better centre half. He pretty much coasted through the game as Curzon looked quite comfortable with their one nil lead. I was really surprised when he was taken off with a couple of minutes to go. This coincided with Warrington twice almost getting an equaliser.

I'm not saying this was entirely down to him going off but it didn't help. The Curzon fans around me were also surprised to see him taken off.

Another ex Rover, Stefan Mols came on as a substitute for Curzon.

[cesus]

59 minutes ago, arbitro said:

After seeing Rovers capitulate recently and finding myself getting angry again I needed the sanctuary of a live game as a neutral. I went to Curzon Ashton v Warrington with a keen eye on Matty Litherland who is on loan at Curzon.

I was surprised to see him playing at right back. I have seen him play there for the under 21's but he is a far better centre half. He pretty much coasted through the game as Curzon looked quite comfortable with their one nil lead. I was really surprised when he was taken off with a couple of minutes to go. This coincided with Warrington twice almost getting an equaliser.

I'm not saying this was entirely down to him going off but it didn't help. The Curzon fans around me were also surprised to see him taken off.

Another ex Rover, Stefan Mols came on as a substitute for Curzon.

I quite often wander down to watch Clitheroe to just enjoy a football match. It does make me realise that some fans will never come back, just watching football socially and not being reliant on people who actually don't care about the club does make you question absent fans ever coming back.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

After seeing Rovers capitulate recently and finding myself getting angry again I needed the sanctuary of a live game as a neutral. I went to Curzon Ashton v Warrington with a keen eye on Matty Litherland who is on loan at Curzon.

I was surprised to see him playing at right back. I have seen him play there for the under 21's but he is a far better centre half. He pretty much coasted through the game as Curzon looked quite comfortable with their one nil lead. I was really surprised when he was taken off with a couple of minutes to go. This coincided with Warrington twice almost getting an equaliser.

I'm not saying this was entirely down to him going off but it didn't help. The Curzon fans around me were also surprised to see him taken off.

Another ex Rover, Stefan Mols came on as a substitute for Curzon.

Loanee looks comfortable at that level, gets subbed off, fans are confused as to why...I don't like the sound of that, we've had some loans this year where that was exactly how it went early doors and then they're hardly ever seen again since.

[KentExile]

21 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Loanee looks comfortable at that level, gets subbed off, fans are confused as to why...I don't like the sound of that, we've had some loans this year where that was exactly how it went early doors and then they're hardly ever seen again since.

He was subbed off in the 88th minute, not at the beginning of the half.  I don't think we have to worry about this particular one

 

Edited April 5 by KentExile

[rigger]

NAPM , U21s V Fulham is a dead rubber game.

[arbitro]

11 hours ago, KentExile said:

He was subbed off in the 88th minute, not at the beginning of the half.  I don't think we have to worry about this particular one

 

What was strange about it was that the player coming on, Craig Mahon is a winger (also the player-manager). It meant quite a reshuffle of players to accommodate this. 

It was odd when Warrington were really pushing for an equaliser.

[Tugayisgod]

Arsenal want Blackburn babe

New

An hour ago

By Alan Nixon

 

Arsenal are ready to raid Blackburn Rovers for England youth striker Harvey Higgins.

 

The Gunners have their sights on the hot shot, 16, and hope to take him in the next few weeks.

 

Rovers will only get compensation for their latest discovery although that could come in at £1.5 million.

 

Higgins is already playing at under-18 level but his progress at England youth level has alerted Arsenal.

 

Rovers are also fighting to keep young defender Silver Eze as big clubs come for the Italian youth cap.

 

Blackburn only signed Eze, 17, from Accrington Stanley for £120,000 in November but could lose him before he starts a game for them.

 

Eze was called up by the Italians at youth level and some major names in Serie A and England have picked up on his progress and may swoop.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

33 minutes ago, Tugayisgod said:

Arsenal want Blackburn babe

New

An hour ago

By Alan Nixon

 

Arsenal are ready to raid Blackburn Rovers for England youth striker Harvey Higgins.

 

The Gunners have their sights on the hot shot, 16, and hope to take him in the next few weeks.

 

Rovers will only get compensation for their latest discovery although that could come in at £1.5 million.

 

Higgins is already playing at under-18 level but his progress at England youth level has alerted Arsenal.

 

Rovers are also fighting to keep young defender Silver Eze as big clubs come for the Italian youth cap.

 

Blackburn only signed Eze, 17, from Accrington Stanley for £120,000 in November but could lose him before he starts a game for them.

 

Eze was called up by the Italians at youth level and some major names in Serie A and England have picked up on his progress and may swoop.

You might as well not have a youth set up if all you’re allowed to bring through is lads who are never going to make it at senior level. There should be a limit on how many youth players a club can sign.

[KentExile]

59 minutes ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

You might as well not have a youth set up if all you’re allowed to bring through is lads who are never going to make it at senior level. There should be a limit on how many youth players a club can sign.

Something like that, also fixed add on's (at a decent level) for future sell on fees,  prize money (once the player is playing a certain amount of games) etc

[Exiled_Rover]

1 hour ago, KentExile said:

Something like that, also fixed add on's (at a decent level) for future sell on fees,  prize money (once the player is playing a certain amount of games) etc

There should be some 'poison pill' clauses that stop teams swooping in and stealing players i.e. £10m if they ever play a game of first team football in one of the top five leagues in Europe.

Otherwise they're just going to continue to steal them from the crib for peanuts.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

11 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

There should be some 'poison pill' clauses that stop teams swooping in and stealing players i.e. £10m if they ever play a game of first team football in one of the top five leagues in Europe.

Otherwise they're just going to continue to steal them from the crib for peanuts.

And if they don’t make it they just toss them aside without a second glance.

[KentExile]

23 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

There should be some 'poison pill' clauses that stop teams swooping in and stealing players i.e. £10m if they ever play a game of first team football in one of the top five leagues in Europe.

Otherwise they're just going to continue to steal them from the crib for peanuts.

I think that something in that range may be seen as a barrier to a players freedom of movement.  But a fair share (much more than the current amounts, in the case of sell on fees, something like 5% for each and every year that the player was in the clubs academy, maybe capped at 50%) of future monies earned through either sales or performance would not be.

Probably irrelevant either way as it wont happen, as it would not benefit those with the finances to grease the wheels of the current system

Edited April 6 by KentExile

[neophox]

Need to sign up Higgins and Eze long term...this will be regretted...

[KentExile]

4 hours ago, neophox said:

Need to sign up Higgins and Eze long term...this will be regretted...

Cant, even if all parties wanted to.

They can only sign scholarship deals at most until they turn 17, and then can only sign 3 year contracts at most until they turn 18

Edited April 6 by KentExile

[Wing Wizard Windy Miller]

Surely Eze was signed on a 3 yr deal if we paid £120k?

Edit: Just seen he was 16 when we signed him

 

Edited April 6 by Wing Wizard Windy Miller

[KentExile]

10 minutes ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Surely Eze was signed on a 3 yr deal if we paid £120k?

nope, he had only just turned 16 at the time he signed, cannot even be a first year scholar until the summer

He made "a commitment to a scholarship registration", but as we have seen previously... I recall Ashley Phillips agreeing to sign a future contract (before he was of age) before backing out, before Broughton convinced him to sign something

Literal schoolboys cannot legally commit to anything

Edited April 6 by KentExile

[Tugayisgod]

15 minutes ago, KentExile said:

Cant, even if they wanted to.

They can only sign scholarship deals at most until they turn 17, and then can only sign 3 year contracts at most until they turn 18

Isn't Higgins a local lad and Rovers fan ? Maybe that could persuade him to stay for a few years at least. 🤞He'll get his move eventually if he continues to improve.

[KentExile]

1 minute ago, Tugayisgod said:

Isn't Higgins a local lad and Rovers fan ? Maybe that could persuade him to stay for a few years at least. 🤞He'll get his move eventually if he continues to improve.

Definitely local, and think he is a fan, so maybe, but honestly, given who makes decisions at Ewood who knows?

[arbitro]

1 minute ago, KentExile said:

Definitely local, and think he is a fan, so maybe, but honestly, given who makes decisions at Ewood who knows?

He is in Year 11 at St Bedes and lives in Lower Darwen.

I believe his family are Rovers fans.

[Tom]

bonkers really, see the Higgins lad hanging around the place doing the same thing my son and his mates do and he could be bringing in £1.5m and moving to Arsenal 

[bluebruce]

4 hours ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

Surely Eze was signed on a 3 yr deal if we paid £120k?

Edit: Just seen he was 16 when we signed him

 

If he was only 16, therefore on a scholarship and moving to another scholarship, why did we pay so much? Seems excessive for a freshly 16 year old from a middling League Two club with zero first team competitive appearances.

[bluebruce]

10 hours ago, arbitro said:

What was strange about it was that the player coming on, Craig Mahon is a winger (also the player-manager). It meant quite a reshuffle of players to accommodate this. 

It was odd when Warrington were really pushing for an equaliser.

I was thinking it was odd to sub off a defender in the 88th minute of a 1-0...even odder to swap them for a midfielder who is also the manager.

[Tugayisgod]

Rovers to maintain Cat 1 status

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/25078991.blackburn-rovers-view-academy-status-medical-review/

[47er]

On 07/04/2025 at 03:38, bluebruce said:

why did we pay so much?

Because we intend to sell him for more? 1st team not really the priority anymore.

[bluebruce]

19 minutes ago, 47er said:

Because we intend to sell him for more? 1st team not really the priority anymore.

Won't get a lot more than 120k for him at that age.