Alfie Beestin

[roversam]

Agree about Beestin but Mason? He’s the worst player in this league and was an absolute disgrace today. As mentioned, Beestin played

Agree about Beestin but Mason? He’s the worst player in this league and was an absolute disgrace today. As mentioned, Beestin played like he cares   Mason has no desire, bravery or discernible ability. Utter shite.

  bloody harsh unfair comments about Mason he had a decent game today, it makes me wonder if you were actually at the match to come out with that crap

[besty]

Today Alfie came of age, and proved what qualities he can bring to the game. The slender youngster we signed has matured into a strong, confident and exciting player. His technical abilities are excellent and his willingness to drive forward was exactly what we needed today. For too many games we've seemed so reluctant to play incisive forward passes and run at players - let alone have a go at goal. Preferring instead to play across and backwards, hoof it up, and look to walk the ball into the net. That changed today when AB was introduced to the game. I dread to think what the outcome would have been without his pace, energy and positivity, which I'm sure rubbed off on all the team.The boy's got to start the next game!

Pleased for Beestin that he had a good game today. When he came on on Tuesday at Wigan he played like his laces were tied together. Sounds like Kongolo had a mare; he was one of our better players the other night. Part of the problem with the current team I guess; players like Beestin, Mandeville and Kongolo are undoubtedly talented but can be incredibly inconsistent.

Good post

Last year Mandeville was best thing since sliced bread,whats happened to him?
Beestin looked totally out of his depth on Tuesday albeit against a good team so lets give him chance,looks very leightweight at moment.

But we won so its wine oclock :-)

[DearneValleyRover]

Kongolo has been awful in just about every game he’s played for us. Beestin made the difference and then Blair both have to start the next game

[sedwardsdrfc]

with mandeville it seems DF isn't going to play him but i don't think he's had a consistent run of games this season to justify been frozen out.

just feels harsh especially when we are trying to develop our own younger players to given up on them after a couple of bad performances (more so when that is the norm for most senior players this season) will beestin be cast aside too after a couple of quiet games?? more annoying when the loan players don't seem to be playing on a level playing field with players actually owned by DRFC

[dknward2]

Maybe Liam’s attitude in training hasn’t shown fergie that he is willing to prove fergie wrong and when he comes on as a sub he’s not done enough I agree 20 mins when chasing a game is not a fair chance, back to young Alfie he showed what he can do and had the bit between his teeth I guess to show fergie why he should start in the cup games.

[Lesonthewest]

Agree about Beestin but Mason? He’s the worst player in this league and was an absolute disgrace today. As mentioned, Beestin played like he cares   Mason has no desire, bravery or discernible ability. Utter shite.

Very very very harsh.

Wow, funny how we all see games so differently, had Beestin not come on Mason would have been up there with Butler as MOTM in my opinion, thought he was really good today.

[graingrover]

The way DF identified Beestin in the first place when he came from Taddy as a scraggy teenager needs underlining too . The same compliment goes for his work with the other Alfie .These are our first Alfies since Alfie Hale , I think , though Dutch Uncle may be able to turn up another one across the  span of 50 years .

[Alan Southstand]

with mandeville it seems DF isn't going to play him but i don't think he's had a consistent run of games this season to justify been frozen out.

Go and watch him play for the Development side and then you will probably get the answer why he is not being played! At the moment, he is not going to improve us and he has a lot of work to do to convince the manager he should be included. He always seems to give the impression that he simply has no desire! Given his natural ability, that is quite some stumbling block and it puts him way behind Alfie May, imho.

[Chris Black come back]

Beestin offers a very good case study.

Why do we have a youth set up?

Of the young / younger players of our own (not loanees) only Mandeville was produced by our youth set up.

Garratt, Beestin, Mason, Lawlor, McCullough all game from other clubs.

Indeed in recent years the only two lads who have made it into first squad were Middleton and Lund, and Ferguson quickly deemed them surplus.

I am not advocating for scrapping the youth set up but objectively, what is the return on that investment - not for producing players then sold for profit, but in producing players for the first team.

Could another option not be to save all the cash and just continue picking up young players from other clubs?

Granted, this doesn’t permit a long-term entrenchment of a ‘Rovers way’ in play by how kids are brought through, but so very few ever get near first team that is it worth considering? Think Brentford made same call recently.

[BigH]

Beestin offers a very good case study.

Why do we have a youth set up?

Of the young / younger players of our own (not loanees) only Mandeville was produced by our youth set up.

Garratt, Beestin, Mason, Lawlor, McCullough all game from other clubs.

Indeed in recent years the only two lads who have made it into first squad were Middleton and Lund, and Ferguson quickly deemed them surplus.

I am not advocating for scrapping the youth set up but objectively, what is the return on that investment - not for producing players then sold for profit, but in producing players for the first team.

Could another option not be to save all the cash and just continue picking up young players from other clubs?

Granted, this doesn’t permit a long-term entrenchment of a ‘Rovers way’ in play by how kids are brought through, but so very few ever get near first team that is it worth considering? Think Brentford made same call recently.

I think you make a good point. Our youth set up is, essentially, a vanity project that has produced nothing.

There are a lot of clubs in our catchment area and, being one of the less 'glamorous' ones, we struggle to get our fair share of quality youngsters. I know people point to the example of Crewe down the years as being a template to follow, but even they struggle now, pinched between Birmingham and the North West and being next door to Stoke.

It pains me to say it, but perhaps we should look to work closely with both Sheffield clubs and Leeds, who all have much bigger and better youth set-ups, and instead look to offer a route into professional football for some of their discarded youngsters.

[Chris Black come back]

Husband and Green were both let go by bigger local clubs. Probably best two young lads we have had for many a decade.

[Rovers91]

With the change in management of the youth set up hopefully that will see more youngsters coming through but it's going to take a few years to judge and see results.
  Also on Beestin, he has to get a little run in team now and a chance to make a position his own. He seems like he's got the same attitude as other Alfie, he's just living the dream and wants to play football.

[DonnyOsmond]

Just remember back to last season Mandeville came on and changed a game, got two assists and that's what started him off. Alfie has the chance to do the same now.

[Dutch Uncle]

How many players have we taken from English non-league over the years that have gone on to bigger and better things?

Chris Swailes and Graeme Jones come to mind, and of course Tony Coleman all those years ago. John Muir maybe. There must be many more. Gary Brabin and Sean Parrish I believe came from Conference clubs, but I was sort of thinking of players from lower than that.

[The Red Baron]

I think Huddersfield have scrapped their Academy and just run U-23 and U-18 sides. And they are a Premier League club.

I can see quite a few clubs watching their progress closely.

https://www.htafc.com/news/2017/september/restructuring-of-academy-at-huddersfield-town2/

[DonnyOsmond]

With EPPP it makes it very unlikely to develop quality players through the youth team. They thought it'd make better academies but its just making less and they'll use U17 success as a reason for it working.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Not necessarily all about success of getting them to first team though. It's also a great community aspect and great for the kids.  Some of them will make it eventually but it shouldn't all be about that.

[dickos1]

The majority of players in lower league academy's have been let go by bigger clubs at the age of 15

[drfchound]

There was a documentary tv series a few years ago.
I think that John Barnes went to an academy at a club, it may have been Reading.
He did a training session with the lads and afterwards and asked the group how many of them thought they would make it through to becoming full time players with a league club.
Many of them said they thought they genuinely had it in them but were shocked when Barnes told them that it would probably be none of them.
Statistics told him that only a very select few ever make the grade.

[RoversAlias]

Bet that did their confidence the world of good.

[DonnyOsmond]

Bet that did their confidence the world of good.

It could have spurred them on to prove him wrong?

[drfchound]

Bet that did their confidence the world of good.

It could have spurred them on to prove him wrong?

That is what he was intending to do.
The lads were shocked when Barnes made that statement and he used it to tell them that they would have to dedicate themselves 100% if they wanted to make the grade.
The programme was also bout getting the young lads to continue with their education so that they had something to fall back on if they did fail at football.

[glosterred]

Not looking bad for 116

Biography

DATE OF BIRTH
01/01/1901

SIGNED
01/07/2016

COUNTRY
  England

Alfie Beestin was signed in the summer of 2016 on a two-year deal from Tadcaster Albion and the i2i Academy.

The striker scored his first goal for the club on his debut against Mansfield Town in the Checkatrade Trophy, in a game Rovers won 2-0.

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/midfielder/alfie-beestin/


COYR

[DonnyOsmond]

Not looking bad for 116

Biography

DATE OF BIRTH
01/01/1901

SIGNED
01/07/2016

COUNTRY
  England

Alfie Beestin was signed in the summer of 2016 on a two-year deal from Tadcaster Albion and the i2i Academy.

The striker scored his first goal for the club on his debut against Mansfield Town in the Checkatrade Trophy, in a game Rovers won 2-0.

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/midfielder/alfie-beestin/


COYR

Still younger than Copps.

[steve@dcfd]

I hope Alfie can continue his progress, but we have seen this season that young players are more  inconsistent especially in this league. They all need time to develop. We do not have that time in the league in the new year.

[DonnyOsmond]

I hope Alfie can continue his progress, but we have seen this season that young players are more  inconsistent especially in this league. They all need time to develop. We do not have that time in the league in the new year.

Catch 22.

[RobTheRover]

Today Alfie came of age, and proved what qualities he can bring to the game. The slender youngster we signed has matured into a strong, confident and exciting player. His technical abilities are excellent and his willingness to drive forward was exactly what we needed today. For too many games we've seemed so reluctant to play incisive forward passes and run at players - let alone have a go at goal. Preferring instead to play across and backwards, hoof it up, and look to walk the ball into the net. That changed today when AB was introduced to the game. I dread to think what the outcome would have been without his pace, energy and positivity, which I'm sure rubbed off on all the team.The boy's got to start the next game!

Pleased for Beestin that he had a good game today. When he came on on Tuesday at Wigan he played like his laces were tied together. Sounds like Kongolo had a mare; he was one of our better players the other night. Part of the problem with the current team I guess; players like Beestin, Mandeville and Kongolo are undoubtedly talented but can be incredibly inconsistent.

Agree.  And Fergie's task is to know who is on it this week and play them accordingly.  Those lads should be aware of that and accept that they will rotate if necessary.  Competition for places is key and we have that with those lads.

[Geoff Blakesley]

Not looking bad for 116

Biography

DATE OF BIRTH
01/01/1901

SIGNED
01/07/2016

COUNTRY
  England

Alfie Beestin was signed in the summer of 2016 on a two-year deal from Tadcaster Albion and the i2i Academy.

The striker scored his first goal for the club on his debut against Mansfield Town in the Checkatrade Trophy, in a game Rovers won 2-0.

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/midfielder/alfie-beestin/


COYR

Still younger than Copps.

Not if he was born in 1901 !

[RedJ]

Copps has been around since God was a lad though.

[drfchound]

Not looking bad for 116

Biography

DATE OF BIRTH
01/01/1901

SIGNED
01/07/2016

COUNTRY
  England

Alfie Beestin was signed in the summer of 2016 on a two-year deal from Tadcaster Albion and the i2i Academy.

The striker scored his first goal for the club on his debut against Mansfield Town in the Checkatrade Trophy, in a game Rovers won 2-0.

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/teams/first-team/midfielder/alfie-beestin/


COYR

Still younger than Copps.

Not if he was born in 1901 !

He was being tongue in cheek.