English Club Youth Academy Challenge

[fairsy]

This can be done for any English club, I have chosen Ipswich Town as they are who i support...

General premise, is that it is an academy challenge, but you are able to use your current squad and you are able to permanently sign anyone who has come through your clubs academy (completed their scholarship there)

No players can be signed on loans, no existing loanees can be signed on a permanent basis (unless they have come through your academy previously).

I have managed to gain promotion in my first season with Ipswich, and have signed nearly everyone capable of playing in top 3 divisions of football league who had previously been at Ipswich (Liam Trotter, Josh Meekings, Ronan Murray, Ian McLoughlin, Billy Clarke, Dean Bowditch) and have used them to help pad out the squad a bit. At some point I'd like to sign Jordan Rhodes and Connor Wickham too.

Academy players like Andre Dozzell, Teddy Bishop, Luke Hyam and Tommy Smith have been regulars - as has 16 year old regen Liam Brook. Tying down good prospects on long term deals is absolutely vital.

I have also had the annoyance that I obviously lost players as schoolboys - I received a solidarity payment for a 16 year old who left Brighton for Everton for £2.5m, and a further payment for a 16 year old who made 10 league appearances for Sunderland. Looking at their history both boys left ITFC in January 2017, 2 months before the regens come in. These are both better players, by far, than anything I've produced but I don't allow them as signings.

It's relatively simple, and difficult in my opinion - I'm sure there are certain clubs that will be easier than others (Southampton?), but it is very difficult to sustain progress without making signings. I feel as though I've been promoted too quickly - it allows me to improve youth facilities but also raises expectations!

Let me know how you get on