Youth Team worth a mention

[Alan Southstand]

I think it’s worth mentioning the great performance by our youth team on Saturday. Deemed a top of the table clash, we thrashed Mansfield 4-2 (it was 4-0 until near the end) and Rieves Boocock got another hat-trick.

Keep it up, lads. Well worth a trip to Cantley Park, we have a few good lads this year.

[dknward2]

Just watched the highlights worth a watch if you get chance you can see they are being trained in the same style as the 1st team and hope to see a few making the step up next season

[Alan Southstand]

The eye-catching ones, when I was there, are Boocock, AJ Greaves (c), Foulkes and Horton but that’s not to say the others are average - far from it.

If Greaves keeps performing like he is, he’ll not be far off being named on the bench at some point.

[drfchound]

A good start to the week reading this.

The way Mansfield operate the youth team financially is very suspicious anyway. It's a wonder they haven't been investigated by the FA/Football League, not that either of them are much use.

When they have around 200 16-18 year-old's on their books to choose from, yet only the elite lot get paid, it's easy to win leagues.

200  16-18 year olds on their books?
Quite ridiculous and a significant proportion of them won’t get anywhere near getting a regular game.
However, their parents will be able to tell people that their lad plays for Mansfield.

[Jonathan]

The eye-catching ones, when I was there, are Boocock, AJ Greaves (c), Foulkes and Horton but that’s not to say the others are average - far from it.

If Greaves keeps performing like he is, he’ll not be far off being named on the bench at some point.

Ages since I’ve watched the youth team play, Alan. Pleased to see them doing so well, it’s exciting for the club. What positions do the above mentioned players play in and what kind of players are they? I know Horton played at left back for the first team and that Boocock is a forward but that’s all I know of them. Any info appreciated.

[Dabby]

A few Here :

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/teams/u18-team/

https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/england/doncaster-rovers-u18/28749/

[Alan Southstand]

In reply to Jonathan -

AJ Greaves is a central midfielder and in the 2 games I've watched him, he's been the stand-out player in midfield. He shows a lot of maturity for one so young and is not frightened to put his foot in where it hurts. I may be wrong here, but I believe we got him from Sheff Wed. Their loss and our gain (didn't we get a young Paul Green from Wednesday's?). For me, he is already ahead of Cody Prior, (who was one 5 first year pro's from last season).

Foulkes is new to me in the junior side and looks a player in the making. Tall and gangly but not ungainly and is a good distributor as well as a defender. Reminds me a bit of Rob Jones in the way that he's a bit of a 'talker'. When he puts a bit of 'meat on the bone', he'll be one hell of a centre back.

Horton you already know about and, to me, he looks a giant when you look at him and compare him to the opposition players - a boy in a man's body (they used to say something similar about Duncan Edwards!) Just to put things in perspective, Foulkes is just as good!

Young Boocock was around last season, I believe, but didn't really show anything (if it's the same lad I'm thinking about). However, this season, he's scoring for fun (2 hatricks already). Not a big lad by any means, but a goalscorer's instinct. Scored an absolute beauty against Lincoln the other week ( a game that we narrowly lost).

There you are, and I havn't even mentioned young Gibbons, who the manager was raving about in pre-season! He seems to be in and out the team at the moment and not finding any consistency. From what I'm told, we have another young lad called Watson, who has 'wings', apparently, but I've yet to see him play.

Very enjoyable watching the young lads have a go and, hopefully, I'll get to a few more games and report back when I do.

[Monkcaster_Rover]

A good start to the week reading this.

The way Mansfield operate the youth team financially is very suspicious anyway. It's a wonder they haven't been investigated by the FA/Football League, not that either of them are much use.

When they have around 200 16-18 year-old's on their books to choose from, yet only the elite lot get paid, it's easy to win leagues.

200  16-18 year olds on their books?
Quite ridiculous and a significant proportion of them won’t get anywhere near getting a regular game.
However, their parents will be able to tell people that their lad plays for Mansfield.

Yep, TWO HUNDRED of them (or thereabouts).

It's all a big fiddle and a disgrace to be perfectly honest.

The club gets paid by the government, per kid, to put them in an 'education programme' for 16-18 year-olds. In turn, only the EPPP elite team get paid (about £120 p/w, three years ago) and none of the others do in any of the other teams.

So they're happy to take on and enter a team into the Leicestershire Floodlit League (no jokes) as they can say to the kids that they're 'representing/playing for Mansfield Town' when all they're really doing is tagging on some football to an education programme, which boosts the kids' egos, yet they're not actually paying the kids any money.

That's why they have teams in various different leagues and a dodgy arrangement with a college in Leicestershire, which is in the middle of nowhere.

Mentioning the college, their EPPP team also have to live in digs, where they pay out their wages to the accommodation provider (who just happen to be the college). If they refuse, because some live in Mansfield and don't want to travel to Melton Mowbray every day - which is understandable, they don't get selected for the EPPP team and therefore, they don't get paid - and a kid who is happy to live in digs, subsequently paying into the college through living costs, gets their place, but the kid who refused will still get offered a place in a team playing in a league local to Mansfield (as the club want money out of him because he's one of a number they can put in an education programme).

It's in its fourth season now and from the first group of lads that were the 'guinea pigs' for this and who did get paid, at least two that I know of have had mental health/depression issues and have given up football altogether. I suspect others, as I only kept in touch with less than half a dozen of that squad, have had similar issues.

Ultimately, being in a 24/7 football environment, where the club try to control everything - lights out by 10pm, no talking to girls, no respite from the football workplace as the nearest town is 5/6 miles away and very few YT's can drive a car at that age, being away from family/homesickness, etc, just isn't for everyone. The lads who struggle are left to rot as the football club has no understanding on mental health whatsoever, or any support from when lads do go through stuff.

But whenever the club want to give themselves a pat on the back, they'll say 'We're giving opportunities to youngsters to play for Mansfield Town'.

It's a total con and it works, elite-team wise, as the facilities at the college are actually quite good.

If any Rovers YT's parents are reading this, I'm sure there's plenty of times when DRFC can be frustrating as hell, but it's worse elsewhere, trust me.

Worrying. Hope this all comes out in the wash before long.

[darren61]

Thanks for that AS, really good to hear your take on our young players.

[Jonathan]

In reply to Jonathan -

AJ Greaves is a central midfielder and in the 2 games I've watched him, he's been the stand-out player in midfield. He shows a lot of maturity for one so young and is not frightened to put his foot in where it hurts. I may be wrong here, but I believe we got him from Sheff Wed. Their loss and our gain (didn't we get a young Paul Green from Wednesday's?). For me, he is already ahead of Cody Prior, (who was one 5 first year pro's from last season).

Foulkes is new to me in the junior side and looks a player in the making. Tall and gangly but not ungainly and is a good distributor as well as a defender. Reminds me a bit of Rob Jones in the way that he's a bit of a 'talker'. When he puts a bit of 'meat on the bone', he'll be one hell of a centre back.

Horton you already know about and, to me, he looks a giant when you look at him and compare him to the opposition players - a boy in a man's body (they used to say something similar about Duncan Edwards!) Just to put things in perspective, Foulkes is just as good!

Young Boocock was around last season, I believe, but didn't really show anything (if it's the same lad I'm thinking about). However, this season, he's scoring for fun (2 hatricks already). Not a big lad by any means, but a goalscorer's instinct. Scored an absolute beauty against Lincoln the other week ( a game that we narrowly lost).

There you are, and I havn't even mentioned young Gibbons, who the manager was raving about in pre-season! He seems to be in and out the team at the moment and not finding any consistency. From what I'm told, we have another young lad called Watson, who has 'wings', apparently, but I've yet to see him play.

Very enjoyable watching the young lads have a go and, hopefully, I'll get to a few more games and report back when I do.

Thanks Alan, really interested to hear how the youth team are getting on so will welcome your updates and thoughts on the players. I’d love to see a few of them break through in time.

[andy butlers magic hat]

The DRFC U18 YT for 2018/19 are:-

GK- DEC OGLEY,
Tall imposing keeper in his second year as a YT. Started season well before sustaining a hand injury. Has featured on the bench for 1st team already this season.
GK- KIAN JOHNSON,
Just turned 16, local lad who came through our academy and now studying at Queen Ethelburga's College. Has played for Cardiff City academy and also been involved with Glasgow Rangers. Currently trialing for England Schools.
                               
DF-ELLIOT WALKER,
1st year YT, Local lad from Armthorpe, came through academy as a forward but now converted to RB, brother of Tyler Walker.
DF-CAM FOULKES,
2nd year YT, tall central defender, good passer, tough tackler, joined from Sheff Utd
DF-BEN BLYTHE,
1st year YT, fast left sided defender who joined academy from Barnsley. Plays LB or CH
DF-MARTIN SMITH JR,
1st year YT, tall left footed defender/midfield from Wigan, joined academy from Sheff Weds. Has played for several NW clubs academies before joining Rovers
DF-CAMERON BALDOCK-SMITH,
2nd year YT, tough tackling CH from Peterborough, currently injured.
DF-BRANDON HORTON,
2nd year YT, local lad came through our academy. Left sided can play LB/CH or midfield. One who will probably progress, definately one to keep an eye on. Has played for 1st team this season.

MF-CAMERON BARNETT,
2nd year YT, attacking midfielder, scored a few this season already. Local lad who came through our Academy and having a good start to season.
MF-LIRAK HASANI,
1st year YT, strong central midfielder, local lad who also came through our Academy. Well respected by coaches
MF-WILL McGOWAN,
1st year YT, strong right sided midfielder who joined at start of this season following his release from Sunderland.
MF-AJ GREAVES,
2nd year YT and current captain, plays CDM role and is thriving this season, joined from one of the Sheffield clubs, another to watch who will probably progress upwards at end of this season.


FWD-RIEVES BOOCOCK,
2nd year YT, another local lad who came through our Academy. Injured for a lot of last season but on fire this season and scoring for fun. Good finisher, got a look of a young Billy Sharp. Another to keep an eye on.
FWD-JACK WATSON,
1sy year YT, another local lad from Balby who joined Academy in later stages. Very fast, plays either middle or out right.
FWD-MYRON GIBBONS,
2nd year YT, another local lad who would give Usain Bolt a race. Has featured in the 1st team.
FWD-MOHAMMED HAMZA,
2nd year YT who has recently joined from Peterborough. Tricky winger with a lot of pace.

The current U16s have a few to keep an eye on as well for next season, Charlie Bell, Ethan Bojang and Liam Ravenhill.

[CGJ]

It would help to publicise the Under 18 Youth Team and be a more informative move to supporters if the club got itself in a more professional mode and got around to updating the team info on the Official website.
The team photo and individual pictures are well outdated and bear little resemblance to the present squad.

[Alan Southstand]

Thanks for the update and info, ABMH.

[Alan Southstand]

According to soccerway, we are playing Shrewsbury in the Youth Cup tomorrow, but I've seen nothing on Rovers website about this. Does anyone know if it's on?

Just looked at Shrewsbury site and they think it's Saturday at 11am kick off.

[Adwick Rover]

Go on to Roves site. Select the Matches button at the top and then fixtures. Select Youth team where it says teams and it gives you an option to select All competitions. The Shrewsbury fixture and details then appear.

[Adwick Rover]

The game is on Alan. 11am ko.

[Alan Southstand]

Thanks AR, I did in fact check out our site first, but I must have had it set at the default of league fixtures. Thanks anyway.

[steve@dcfd]

https://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/news/2018/october/stancliffe-impressed-by-u18s-attitude/

At the end of this report it says the Shrewsbury game is on Sunday at 11am.

[Adwick Rover]

Ko now 11.30 according to twitter feed

[Chris Black come back]

Under 18s got hammered 6-1 at home to Shrewsbury. Should that be happening - or are we playing an older age group? Seems crushing defeat to a small club.

[sedwardsdrfc]

I only really recognised Gibbons from our normal team and he's coming back from injury i think. Could be we weren't playing our 1st choice team, why i wouldn't know

[sedwardsdrfc]

Just seen our under 23's are playing everton so that would explain the scoreline v shrewsbury.

[Adwick Rover]

We had most of the second years missing today. Boocock, Graves, Horton, Walker and Landers were rested after playing for the 23’s last night. Foulkes, Baldock and Ogley are currently injured. Fielded a very young side with a lot of new faces. Shrewsbury were decent to be fair. Should be back to full strength next week