Lincoln have something like 10 players on loan at present and it is stopping some of the youngsters making the step up. That said, they have the option, which some have taken, of playing in the BSP. It is an interesting perspective though and nice to see an article acknowledging the lower leagues. Usually in Red Top land, nasty foreign players (who dive unlike Rooney) stop our boys from playing football in the prem. They have to hang up their boots because they can't get a game. This ignores the fact that there is a very healthy league just below the Premiership where youngsters like Crouch and Defoe can learn their trade.

I think this is a topic that definately needs to be addressed and fast. Being a Southend fan I agree with Lincoln that its great to see an article well written about lower league football. Southend have had several players on loan, which has helped the club out massively in terms of the club not being able to pay fees for any players and also being under a transfer embargo. One point I would like to raise is that recently Southend were not allowed to include sub goalkeeper Ian Joyce in the match day squad if we were to gain centre back Sean Morrison on loan due to debts not being paid. I dont understand how the FA see that as helping a club so close to going into administration. Despite the positives of the loan system, questions can be asked of whether or not players really want to be at the club as one player on loan at Southend this season was sent back to his parent club for reportedly missing several team meetings and being a trouble maker.

The problem is that with no restrictions on squad sizes in the Premier League it is too easy for the rich clubs to go around signing up huge numbers of talented young players. These players are not going to get straight into the first team so they then get offered to lower league clubs on loan. There needs to be a maximum squad size to stop the Premier League monopolising the young talent.

I agree that something needs to be done. It was always annoying enough having your best players snatched away by bigger teams at any early age, but when they're not even yours to start with it's very dis-spiriting. Another area that the system is abused is to get around the transfer window - on day deadline day in November my team Aldershot had two championship teams wanting to take our top scorer on loan "with view to a permanent move". Fortunately we were able to rebuff them, but otherwise we risked losing our best player, despite being in the play-off places with no opportunity of replacing him. There's then no guarantee the move will become permanent and we will get a fee.

Not sure where I stand on this as I agree that loan players do stop local youth players from breaking through. But they do give other youth players an opportunity. MacDonald is from Swansea and while he has talent he doesn't seem to be able to display it with the Swans on a regular basis and gets little first team football. He performs well when on loan or for the Welsh U21s however and I suspect Yeovil may be able to sign him permanently in January as long as they can agree a small fee and large sell on clause. His loan move is good for the player and hopefully for Wales. Sounds like Yeovil need to get the right balance however.