Great to see 6 youth players under the age of 18 in the squad today with 3 of them starting! All have come through local ftc and hbu system. The central football development manager obviously doing something right in the region. Anyone know who it currently is?
On down side they will likely only be about for a season or 2 before they move out of region for uni...
It would be great to try see HBU somewhat team up with Massey Football in Palmerston North. Get these young FTC players on scholarships for accommodation, a year of study etc allow them to play winter footy there in the Federation League (Ideally win promotion to central league, since there is no Palmy team now) then come back to the bay for the summer season. Keeping them in the central football federation would be a huge boost.
Yeah thats not a half bad idea if it kept them in the federation and wanting to play HBU. The list is endless of players who have left HB at 18/19 that could have played national league. But unfortunately its more then just the students, Andy Bevin would be a good example, went state side then has come back and settled in Wellington for work, so only makes sense for him to play down there.
to WFA - better still, why not get HBU to team up with Napier City Rovers. The majority of players are already there and they don't have to win the Federation League or get promotion to Central League. Think of the saving in accommodation, travel, etc.
ol'sole unless something has dramatically changed in the last 5 years can't see NCR and HBU doing that as the old boys on the board at NCR didn't particularly have a good relationship with HBU just before I left the bay. I'm guessing from your suggestion and inside knowledge of NCR that has change. On another note NCR have hardly had a clear youth pathway recently if u19 results over the last to years reference point. Finish both behind Marist and Havelock...
Have tried to instigate a youth policy recently but unfortunately without a lot of success - see the HBU youth results over the last few years which will give you an idea as to what is available. Unfortunately we lose many of our younger players when they believe that they are good enough to start in Central League each week and are not prepared to "start at the bottom" and work their way up. I agree that our U19 effort in the last couple of years hasn't been too sharp but it is difficult to keep the kids when they are guaranteed a start in the other Club's first teams and the HBU youth coach is with a rival Club (no further comment forthcoming)