Originally Posted by TonyPark

I think many people are missing the point.........

Firstly......from the beginning of school football 100 years ago.....football clubs could only sign players when they had left school on Schoolboy terms until they could sign as an apprentice when the new school term started...just like any other work....you left school and got an apprenticeship..

So, these kids were 15 and 16....and every team had a chance of signing them...some kids were already having trials around the country...other training once or twice a week at their local clubs.....but they were all still at school and therefore 'potentially' could be signed by any club once they left school.

Now, at United we obtained ALL our youth players in this way......we got them at 15/16 and nurtured them for the first team....(every club did the same)....some kids we got (Edwards, Charlton, Beckham etc) and others we didn't (Armfield, Owen) ... and so forth.

Today we still do the same thing....we get kids at 15/16 (Richardson, Eagles, Martin etc)...except that they are no longer just at school but signed up by Academies...either ours or someone elses'.....if they are at West Ham like Richardson then we pay compensation to take him......that's how the system works.....but to say that we didn't develop him or he didn't come through our youth ranks is like saying that Bobby Charlton didn't because he used to train at Newcastle with his Uncle or because Duncan Edwards used to train at Wolves!!!!!

The likes of Richardson all came at 15/16 (like it has always been done)...he played in our junior teams for three years.....played in the successful FA Youth team, worked his way through the reserves and finally into the first team......we certainly DID develop him....(West Ham obviously did too) ....but nevertheless he is a United junior just like all the others....

Secondly....we talk about Jones and others who haven't made it.....the last time I looked we had John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson all playing their part in our current place at the top of the table......and we also had Neville, Scholes and Giggs in the team.....so nearly half of the first team squad on any given matchday is made up of our juniors......FUCKING BRILLIANT!!!

I couldn't ask for more!!!

Virtually a whole team together only happens once a generation...the 1950's and 1990's.....both Manchester United teams......if we can just keep producing one a year that will continue our culture and tradition and prove a successful Youth Strategy........

But it does mean that many players will not make it at our club.....however over the years we have given football careers to 2/3 of all our youth team players.....150 have played in the first team for United since 1952.....52 have played more than 70 games........18% go on to become internationals.....

So....when a young lad joins United at 15.......he has a 66% chance of making it as a footballer in general and a 33% chance of playing first team football at United.......

We develop them OK.....and we are the most successful in Britain and maybe globally.......our system works fine....but make sure our expectations are realistic.....support the youngsters.....debate who might make it.....

That's what supporting the kids is all about!!!