At Bradford our U19s and U16s set up is by no means a continuation of 20 years work. Remember we’ve been in administration twice and had numerous changes in personnel and facilities. Thankfully our owner sees it as an investment as it produces players more cheaply than constantly dipping into the transfer market. The supporters trust contributes thousands too so I don’t think we’re in too much danger hopefully. Obviously having had big names come through previous systems in the past helps recruitment but 16 year olds now have no memory of players older than the Burgesses/Whitehead etc. It’s all about the quality of what you offer and in that we’re amongst the best in the country (putting the 1st team to shame last year).
With the right staff and commitment from your owner and help from supporters you can build something special that can create long standing foundations. By all means start building relationships with community clubs. No need to jump straight into it but hopefully you’ll be doing it right in a year or two. After all why should Wigan and Co benefit from lads playing on your doorstep?
