Inspired by a post from dt 1892 on another thread.

Why don't we enter into an arrangement with Newport City? As many loans as possible of those not quite ready for first team football. A pre-season friendly etc.

I'm not sure what the situation is regarding out of country loans and it might not be feasible I know. But worth looking into I would have thought.

As ever interested in what people think.

I am sure if the standard was high enough , we would.

It is nice that they play in the stadium the council provided for us after our demise though , I wonder if they pay a comparable rent as to what we did.

It could be a reserve team for us, although we couldn't use players in the same window.

IMHO the level of football they play at - fourth tier of the Welsh pyramid, where they finished 12th out of 16 last season - is far too low for there to be any benefit in our fringe players being loaned to them.

Preseason friendly for the youth team, why not?

George Street-Bridge wrote:IMHO the level of football they play at - fourth tier of the Welsh pyramid, where they finished 12th out of 16 last season - is far too low for there to be any benefit in our fringe players being loaned to them.

Preseason friendly for the youth team, why not?

Maybe with our loan players they could improve.

penycwm county wrote:

George Street-Bridge wrote:IMHO the level of football they play at - fourth tier of the Welsh pyramid, where they finished 12th out of 16 last season - is far too low for there to be any benefit in our fringe players being loaned to them.

Preseason friendly for the youth team, why not?

Maybe with our loan players they could improve.

You beat me to it. But in any event it gives experience of playing against older players. Many talented 17 year olds fall by the wayside not because of lack of talent but because they can't cope with the more sturdy adult game.

Kevin Ward has today tweeted


Pleased to be on board as a sponsor. Up the City! #grassroots



In relation to Newport City. Perhaps he would be the perfect link here.

Amberexile wrote:Kevin Ward has today tweeted

Pleased to be on board as a sponsor. Up the City! #grassroots

In relation to Newport City. Perhaps he would be the perfect link here.

If I'm not mistaken his son plays for Newport City.


I don't remember making a post about this, but I've always thought in an ideal world we'd have a shared facility with Newport County higher up the English pyramid, and Newport City representing the City at the top of the Welsh domestic game. Two pathways for kids in the city to get into regular football.

Obviously will need a hell of a lot of investment and won't happen, but giving some of our young lads the chance to play a higher level of men's football within 30 minutes is a great opportunity for them.

There has to be something in it for both sides and I don't see that fourth-tier football in Wales would have anything to contribute to the development of our young players. Too much chance of tough parks players kicking lumps out of them.

George Street-Bridge wrote:There has to be something in it for both sides and I don't see that fourth-tier football in Wales would have anything to contribute to the development of our young players. Too much chance of tough parks players kicking lumps out of them.

Disagree on this. If they can't cope with tough parks players kicking lumps out of them they haven't a hope against tough league players who will kick lumps out of them as a warm up to the thuggery that they do for a living.

Problem is they are kicking lumps out of these young players. In fact we lost a very talented player who was tipped to come through the youth academy. He played in our lost Gwent Cup victory and was brutally injured by a dangerous tackle. That player had to retire at the age of 17 because of that injury.

As you can imagine, the club would have serious concerns about putting any talent in a position where that can happen again.

What I'm thinking is protecting lads who don't yet have the muscle. Much better to develop on the level playing field of youth football where they should also play on better surfaces and get more protection from referees. (No disrespect to parks referees.)

Anyone truly exceptional at a very young age might get fast-tracked into the main squad or loaned out to a much higher level than Newport City.

ComeOnCounty wrote:Problem is they are kicking lumps out of these young players. In fact we lost a very talented player who was tipped to come through the youth academy. He played in our lost Gwent Cup victory and was brutally injured by a dangerous tackle. That player had to retire at the age of 17 because of that injury.

As you can imagine, the club would have serious concerns about putting any talent in a position where that can happen again.

I see your point. But let's face it, by the nature and speed of the game, every season players have their careers ended. When it comes to thuggery, Roy Keene on Alf Inge Haaland. In my view Roy Keene should have done serious time for that. I'm not saying those assaults don't take place on parks pitches but don't think they don't take place higher up the pyramid.

Edit.

Having read now GSB's point again I see his argument and merely disagree for the reasons above.

I have a vague recollection the career-ending injury in the Gwent Cup was a broken thigh.

I can remember the tackle, nasty and stopped the game for ages until an ambulance arrived.