Shrimpsvoices

For me the whole structure (or lack of) reserve team football is wrong throughout our region / area.

The number of reserve games that we play is ridiculously small which doesn't give our management team sufficient data to make a decision about players who are not in the first team squad. The Checker Trade Cup is criticised by fans but in many ways it is the only way that we can judge a player on the fringes against better opposition. Maybe if the reserve league was expanded to accommodate a greater number of teams in a larger area then the reserves would be able to play an increased number of games which would give JB and Co an increased opportunity to view players on the fringes or on trial who at the moment can only be judged on in training sessions which is far removed from actual competitive game time.

I can recall the games we used to play v Man Utd and other high profile clubs that created a lot of interest, but those days are gone. Maybe it's time that those in decision making roles took a look at the entire reserve game football and opted for an overall increase in the number of games played by clubs like ourselves.

A thread elsewhere discusses players of potential who have left without an opportunity to impress. Maybe an increase in reserve team football would have aided clubs like ourselves to keep hold of young players of quality.

The reserve team is pretty much the first team nowadays given the injuries!

Don't they play a load of behind closed doors friendlies now instead which amount to being much the same thing?

SupermarketShrimp wrote:The reserve team is pretty much the first team nowadays given the injuries!

Is it? I think this season we've seen fewer youth team players than ever, basically just Hedley for a couple of times in the first team. Go back a few years and there were times the bench was all youngsters with some on the pitch too! Other than Hedley, and the occasional appearance from Brownsword, I don't think any youngsters have been on the bench.

Yes, I realise that some first team players would have spent their time in reserve matches had it not been for the injuries, but we've a bigger squad this season and havn't needed to make up the numbers with youngsters.

In past seasons, our reserve fixtures have been mostly youth team with the occasional first team player involved when returning from injury etc. or who've been continually missed off when selecting the first team.

I think I agree with redrobo here that the reserves/youth team do need a more regular match schedule.

SupermarketShrimp wrote:The reserve team is pretty much the first team nowadays given the injuries!

Don't they play a load of behind closed doors friendlies now instead which amount to being much the same thing?

Not to my knowledge but could be wrong....

what is it you want?

mrpotatohead wrote:what is it you want?

The clue is in the final sentence....

Scrap the loan system then young players would get a much better chance of getting first team experience, the likes of Chelsea having about 50 players out on loan just makes a mockery of the game.

steve mfc wrote:Scrap the loan system then young players would get a much better chance of getting first team experience, the likes of Chelsea having about 50 players out on loan just makes a mockery of the game.

Scrap the loan system and a club like ours would really suffer I think. We've been reliant on one or two loan players pretty much every season, and I don't think we'd necessarily get the same quality of player filtering down to us if they all just immediately got released (though the clubs would inevitably keep some on).

The loan system is also useful for when you need a short-term player due to injuries, for example we'd never have got Richie Bennett or someone like Danny Ward without the loan system.

tim-sanchez wrote:

steve mfc wrote:Scrap the loan system then young players would get a much better chance of getting first team experience, the likes of Chelsea having about 50 players out on loan just makes a mockery of the game.

Scrap the loan system and a club like ours would really suffer I think. We've been reliant on one or two loan players pretty much every season, and I don't think we'd necessarily get the same quality of player filtering down to us if they all just immediately got released (though the clubs would inevitably keep some on).

The loan system is also useful for when you need a short-term player due to injuries, for example we'd never have got Richie Bennett or someone like Danny Ward without the loan system.

There hasn't always been a loan system in place and thats one of the reasons why young players dont get a chance, if they dont get games they cant and won't improve. Emergency loans yes but not the system we have in place now, i dont think we would suffer anymore than other clubs its hardly a fair system anyway, if your in a good geographical location surrounded by other clubs or you have a manager with good connections then then you have a distinct advantage over a club that is in a remote area and without good connections.

Neil is quite right about reserve games and the need for them, not only can you see the squad players develope, you also have their fitness up to the levels required should they have to be thrown in at the deep end when injuries strike.

This makes perfect sense.
It was very enjoyable to watch the reserves play in a proper sized league some years ago when we faced some reserve teams from third and fourth divisions, plus C teams from Manchester United among others, with a few other non league teams such as Marine Reserves, It was a great league and we did very well for a time.

On the subject of behind closed doors friendlies we played one today.

Blackpool 0 Morecambe 2

Goals from Ellison and Oates.

Sounds like a decent performance with what looked like a possible team for Saturday with Piero and Bennett playing.

Gone_Shrimping wrote:On the subject of behind closed doors friendlies we played one today.

Blackpool 0 Morecambe 2

Goals from Ellison and Oates.

Sounds like a decent performance with what looked like a possible team for Saturday with Piero and Bennett playing.

I don't suppose you know if Adam Campbell played?

paschahound wrote:This makes perfect sense.
It was very enjoyable to watch the reserves play in a proper sized league some years ago when we faced some reserve teams from third and fourth divisions, plus C teams from Manchester United among others, with a few other non league teams such as Marine Reserves, It was a great league and we did very well for a time.

Marine Reserves..... and even their Reserve team couldn't beat us at Christie Park.

Remember a team called U.M.I.S.T. also who I think were from the University of Manchester?

Loved the old Lancashire League.....!!!!!!!!!

KenH wrote:

Gone_Shrimping wrote:On the subject of behind closed doors friendlies we played one today.

Blackpool 0 Morecambe 2

Goals from Ellison and Oates.

Sounds like a decent performance with what looked like a possible team for Saturday with Piero and Bennett playing.

I don't suppose you know if Adam Campbell played?

He isn't in the starting 11. It doesn't give details of substitutes.

If we have as many players out for the season as the Visitor says then he will have to be regarded as available for selection now that the window has closed.

Seasider9601 wrote:

paschahound wrote:This makes perfect sense.
It was very enjoyable to watch the reserves play in a proper sized league some years ago when we faced some reserve teams from third and fourth divisions, plus C teams from Manchester United among others, with a few other non league teams such as Marine Reserves, It was a great league and we did very well for a time.

Marine Reserves..... and even their Reserve team couldn't beat us at Christie Park.

Remember a team called U.M.I.S.T. also who I think were from the University of Manchester?

Loved the old Lancashire League.....!!!!!!!!!

University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, if my memory serves me correctly from the days of UCCA and PCAS.

Gone_Shrimping wrote:On the subject of behind closed doors friendlies we played one today.

Blackpool 0 Morecambe 2

Goals from Ellison and Oates.

Sounds like a decent performance with what looked like a possible team for Saturday with Piero and Bennett playing.

Would be interesting to see who was on the subs bench and who actually came on....ie Dalby and Campbell..

Was wondering if Oates had come on as a sub or did he actually play the full 90 ?

Born again Bill wrote:Was wondering if Oates had come on as a sub or did he actually play the full 90 ?

Oates must have come on as a substitute. Not named in the starting 11. He scored in the 90th minute.

OmegaTerraceRoar wrote:

Seasider9601 wrote:

paschahound wrote:This makes perfect sense.
It was very enjoyable to watch the reserves play in a proper sized league some years ago when we faced some reserve teams from third and fourth divisions, plus C teams from Manchester United among others, with a few other non league teams such as Marine Reserves, It was a great league and we did very well for a time.

Marine Reserves..... and even their Reserve team couldn't beat us at Christie Park.

Remember a team called U.M.I.S.T. also who I think were from the University of Manchester?

Loved the old Lancashire League.....!!!!!!!!!

University of Manchester Institute of Science & Technology, if my memory serves me correctly from the days of UCCA and PCAS.

A quick online search has brought this up:
http://gogogocounty.org/seasons/198889/ ... tails.html

But I'm sure we finished much higher in the table in the couple of seasons before this one.

We won the Second Division Championship in the 1983/84 season when Dave Edge was Reserve Team Manager