Ex Player How many 'home grown' youngsters have played in the U's first team?

An incident that pretty much ensured his place in OUFC folklore irrespective of what else he did in his career! That game had just about everything!
He's my 2nd cousin on my mum's side, shame has had to retire because of his knee injuries
 
Sometimes I wonder if the investment in the academy would be better spent on proven players, as so few youngsters actually end up making the grade.
Not sure on comparable costs. Haven’t Wycombe closed their academy?
 
Sometimes I wonder if the investment in the academy would be better spent on proven players, as so few youngsters actually end up making the grade.
Not sure on comparable costs. Haven’t Wycombe closed their academy?

Often the view of owners and managers as their time will always be relatively short in the clubs history. So easier to spend money on the first team that u will be judged on rather than youth that in all honesty will probably bear fruits in the next persons tenure. But at our level 1 sale like cod, probably pays for the academy for 4/5 years min, and as we’ve seen the model of improving and selling youth can work very well. It works even better if u don’t have to spend to buy players like dickie and branagan, or pay sell on fees like roofe as u have brought them all through ur own system
 
Wasn't there a thread on this on the old forum with details of appearances and goals?
Yes,
I'm just waiting for the end of the season and will provide full updates on both appearance for the Us and also a total career appearances etc...

...I havent got the total number to hand, but prior to this season, there were 25 'homegrown' players who had made 100 or more first team appearances for the U's since we were first elected into the FL
 
Often the view of owners and managers as their time will always be relatively short in the clubs history. So easier to spend money on the first team that u will be judged on rather than youth that in all honesty will probably bear fruits in the next persons tenure. But at our level 1 sale like cod, probably pays for the academy for 4/5 years min, and as we’ve seen the model of improving and selling youth can work very well. It works even better if u don’t have to spend to buy players like dickie and branagan, or pay sell on fees like roofe as u have brought them all through ur own system

Staying as a cat 3 academy is sensible for a club our size. The cost isn’t through the roof and as long as you have the right scouting network it can work wonders and you make your money back by getting a real gem every now and then (O’Dowda, Ruffles, Carroll, Napa). Obviously you will get a fair few that won’t make the grade but the cost of these isn’t that much.

Ruffles, Carroll and Napa save us a lot of money over time through wages and if we sell them on. If we wanted squad players as good as them it would cost us a lot more than it has done by having them in the squad.
 
In my younger days
Jason Seacole,
Archie White
Hugh McGrogan
Andy Bodel
Jimmy Sweetzer
Billy Jeffrey
Mick Tait

All in the team/squad at the same time

Paul Berry, Andy Kingston, Gary Watson, John Doyle...
 
Paul Berry, Andy Kingston, Gary Watson, John Doyle...
I remember watching Seacole, Berry and McGrogan @ Witney Town, along with Nigel Cassidy & Jimmy Light, Dick Lucas as manager, when they retired from the pro game. Ian Turner who won the FA Cup with Soton in 1976 was the keeper. Happy days.
 
Funnily enough I just came on here to post his name. Swindon-born player.

Unless some of the older heads can correct me, I think that the only youth team goalkeepers to have made a first team appearance for us have been Max Crocombe, Sam Warrell, Elliot Jackson, Simon Cox and Roy Burton.

Phil Emsden and Malcolm McIntosh?
 
Ah, Paul Berry and Phil Emsden. Superb players for Abingdon Town in their glory years.
 
I remember Sean Reck looking fantastic in the youth team and then in the reserves. Never quite made the step but we did have a good team then.

I remember Sean Reck looking fantastic in the youth team and then in the reserves. Never quite made the step but we did have a good team then.
Didn't Sean Reck play in the first team a few times (albeit mostly off the bench) ... vaguely recall him playing in an away league match against the bin dippers, we got beaten quite heavily if I'm remembering the right game? ....there again, memory isn't what it was, (or should be), so it might just be my imagination?:cautious:
 
Didn't Sean Reck play in the first team a few times (albeit mostly off the bench) ... vaguely recall him playing in an away league match against the bin dippers, we got beaten quite heavily if I'm remembering the right game? ....there again, memory isn't what it was, (or should be), so it might just be my imagination?:cautious:

Yes he did although not sure on the bindippers. I do have a memory of him hitting our crossbar with a misplaced clearance from outside the box at home to Hull.
 
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