[Bispham Seasider]

On Wednesday 12th December, Blackpool Youth team face Macclesfield Town Youth in the FA Youth Cup. The Youth team normally play their home games at the clubs Squires Gate Training Ground. However this match being in the national FA Youth Cup competition it is being played at Bloomfield Road.

Kick off is 7pm with adult tickets costing £4 and £2 for kids anc concessions.

Whoever wins this match then goes on to play either Sunderland or Noriwch City away in the next round.

[Dynamogal]

How old are the youth team players and how are they recruited for the team?

Are you going to this match? Give us a game summary afterwards if you do.

[Bispham Seasider]

Most of this is stolen from the clubs website -

The Seasiders Youth Team consists of the players from the Centre of Excellence between the ages of 16 and 18. The Centre of Excellence has age range teams down to about 9 years old (I think). Once players start to play for the Youth team players though are all known as "apprentices" and stay with the club as apprentices for two years, whilst they also study at college and they take a "Modern Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence".

After the second year, if a player is considered good enough then they will be offered a professional contract. The others are simply released (its a tough life!) And they then have to try and see if they can hook themselves up with another club. Many go on to play either lower league football, or non-league (often semi-pro) football. For instance, local non-league team Fleetwood Town who currently play in the Unibond League Premier Division (at Level 7 of the English Football League system) - having earned consecutive promotions, have former 'Pool Youth team players.

Blackpool Youth team compete in the Youth Alliance League, North West Conference, a regional league for clubs in North West England. There is also a Cup competition, the Youth Alliance Cup, in which the teams initally competing in 4 team mini-leagues with the winners progressing to the next round.

The Youth team also compete each year in the national FA Youth Cup, which is basically the FA Cup for Youth players and is usually won by a Premiership team! Players like David Beckham, Wayne Rooney etc have competed in the FA Youth Cup.

I will get further details from tonights match programme which will have up to date information about not only the Youth Team but also the Centre of Excellence itself which covers as I said a wide age range.

I might be going down to see the match and will give a review if I do get there!

(And nothing to do with the Youth team, but I will also try and open a thread to cover the Reserve team too and give details about them)

[Bispham Seasider]

Blackpool Youth 2 Macclesfield Town Youth 3

On a night where frost bite seemed to be a possibility the Blackpool lads were beaten by the better team.

Blackpool line-up:

1. Kyle Clancy
2. Danny Penswick
3. Stephen Ralston
4. Matthew Kay
5. Ashley Eastham
6. Stefan Laird
7. Dominic Merella
8. Dale Warburton
9. Danny Mitchley
10. Jake Hobbs
11. Ross Lloyd

Subs:

12. Billy McKenna
14. Ben Fishwick
15. Mark Halstead
16. Joshn Newsham
17. Kurt Bradley

The Macc team were noticeable for having the younger brother of Wayne Rooney on their subs bench, John Rooney. No idea if he came on in the second half or not as by then I was beginning to wonder if I would ever warm up again.

Blackpools goals were scored by Mitchley and Merella, both of whom impressed as did goalkeeper Kyle Clancy. In defence though the young Seasiders seemed very weak. Mitchley has been scoring goals for fun for the Reserves too and recently was allowed to experience a match day as part of the first team squad. Merella also looks as though he will make the grade in professional football.

Looked to be a crowd of about 300.

[anderson]

That sounds like a pretty good crowd for a youth game. Was it mostly because of the FA Youth Cup nature of this matchup, or is that a pretty normal attendance?

[Bispham Seasider]

The Youth team normally play their games at the Squires Gate training ground. However because this was the Youth version of the FA Cup, and so the biggest competition at Youth level in England, all games were played at each home teams stadium (I think!) which helped of course bringing in a few more fans. Oddly enough there were also about 20-30 Macc fans.

[Bispham Seasider]

On Wednesday 19th December Blackpool Youth team beat Morecambe away 3-0 at Morecambes home ground, Christie Park in the Lancashire FA Youth Cup.

Blackpool were 3-0 up by the end of the first half with goals coming from Ben Fishwick, Danny Mitcheley and Dominic Merella. Mitcheleys goal was his 25th of this season!

Youth team manager, Gary Parkinson said after the match, "We asked for a reaction following the Macclesfield defeat and we have got that in the last two games.(*) The game was over at half time and on another night we could have had 6 or 7 goals."

In the next round the 'Pool youngster face Oldham Athletic, another Youth team match to be played at Bloomfield Road.

(*) Following the Macclesfield game, the Youth team beat Oldham Athletic 5-1 in the league.

[Bispham Seasider]

On Saturday Blackpool beat Macclesfield 4-0 at Squires Gate with yet another two goals from Danny Mitchely, one from Dominic Merella and an own goal.

The result means Blackpool stay top of the Youth Alliance North West Conference, with the current table being:

Position Team Pld W D L
1st. Blackpool



http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co....232388,00.html

[Bispham Seasider]

On Saturday Blackpool beat Macclesfield 4-0 at Squires Gate with yet another two goals from Danny Mitchely, one from Dominic Merella and an own goal.

The result means Blackpool stay top of the Youth Alliance North West Conference, with the current table being:


1st Blackpool 36
2nd Wigan Athletic 33
3rd Walsall 31
4th Macclesfield 30
5th Carlisle United 29
6th Oldham Athletic 29
7th Bury 29
8th Wrexham 25
9th Chester City 25
10th Burnley 24
11th Stockport County 23
12th PKE 22
13th Port Vale 20
14th Tranmere Rovers 19
15th Rochdale 13
16th Accrington Stanley 11
17th Shrewsbury Town 9
18th Morecambe 8

http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co....232388,00.html

[Bispham Seasider]

While the first team are playing Tranmere Rovers tomorrow, Gary Parkinson will take a team made up of the Youth team plus first year professionals Ashton Bayliss, Dominic Merella and Ross Lloyd together with a Portugese triallist will travel to North Wales to take on Rhyl FC at their Belle Vue stadium, kick-off 3pm.