All this academy talk... You'd think we were a world hotbed of football talent! Chch has produced how many world class players in the last 20 years? Apart from Ryan Nielsen, has anyone made it as a regular starter in a top league anywhere in the world? So from that glorious history of producing world class talent, with a popn of 400,000 in a rugby mad city/media, we now have "if rumors are to be believed" possibly 4 providers? Is there really that much serious talent here? I'm all for ANY national sporting body and its regional affiliates and clubs developing high performance programmes (its part of their reason for being); but that many private providers? In chch? Isn't it really that we are just the last market in the world for these businesses to reach? As a business proposition we can provide English language education and "safe" (less so after EQ) environments? Some locals have enough disposable income and are gullible enough to think little Johnny will play for Manchester United; but really, get a grip on reality folks.
All this academy talk... You'd think we were a world hotbed of football talent! Chch has produced how many world class players in the last 20 years? Apart from Ryan Nielsen, has anyone made it as a regular starter in a top league anywhere in the world? So from that glorious history of producing world class talent, with a popn of 400,000 in a rugby mad city/media, we now have "if rumors are to be believed" possibly 4 providers? Is there really that much serious talent here? I'm all for ANY national sporting body and its regional affiliates and clubs developing high performance programmes (its part of their reason for being); but that many private providers? In chch? Isn't it really that we are just the last market in the world for these businesses to reach? As a business proposition we can provide English language education and "safe" (less so after EQ) environments? Some locals have enough disposable income and are gullible enough to think little Johnny will play for Manchester United; but really, get a grip on reality folks.