With the Bosman judgment likely to prove a disincentive for clubs to carry on with youth development programmes, Chris Hall looks at the controversy surrounding the treatment of young footballers by professional clubs

Terry Murphy, the man in charge of the youth development programme at Arsenal, showed me a chart which illustrates how many players the club have in each position, in each age group, from the youngest players at under-10, to the first team. He uses this chart to plan how many boys will be retained at Arsenal’s centre of excellence from year to year.

Read more…

Matt Nation had a close shave with a legendarily "uncompromising" Premier League defender, and lived to tell the tale

The most irrelevant piece of advice that I thought I’d ever received was from a careers officer at school. After having given us leaflets on the police force, agricultural training in Monmouthshire and driving a tank with the best bunch of mates we’d ever have, she announced: “Whatever you end up doing, you don’t need to be nervous at the interview. Just picture in your mind’s eye the person interviewing you getting into a really hot bath. It’s such a silly idea that you’ll be instantly relaxed and it’ll be a doddle.”

Read more…

Scotland isn't the only place where football clubs have switched towns lately – it's happened at the top level in Poland this season, as Vaughan Elliot reports

Mid-May of last year was a bleak time for Lechia Gdansk: relegation to one of Poland’s eight regional third divisions had become inevitable and respectable mid-season crowds of 4,000 had dropped into three figures for the first time anyone could remember. Supporters left the stadium after the last game pondering next season and dreaming of miracles, or at least a couple of decent players to lift the gloom of impending local league football.

Read more…

Owen Davies argues that borrowing a different idea from Europe might prove a lifeline for Cardiff City

The cat was barely out of the bag before the FA of Wales was trying to beat it to death. “We will oppose the plan even if it means Premiership football coming to Cardiff.” God forbid that quality football should threaten the reign of mediocrity in South Wales.

Read more…

Robert Rea fears that an American-style system may be about to spread to English football

“Manchester United chairman Martin Edwards has finally completed the controversial multi-million pound deal to move his club to Milton Keynes. The first game at their new ground, the Super Bowl, will be at the beginning of next season against Warrington Wednesday.’’

Read more…