The EPPP will also seek to address the controversial issue of compensation for young footballers. Fair compensation has long been a bone of contention amongst ‘selling’ clubs. Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan infamously described the £700,000 fee set by the Football League tribunal for teenager John Bostock’s transfer to Tottenham in 2008 as “scandalous”.
Briden says that ensuring clubs are adequately compensated for the loss of young talent is essential if the EPPP is to receive the approval of the Football League’s shareholders.
“From our point of view, the EPPP clearly requires clubs to invest more money in their youth programmes. And yet, there is a proposal at the same time, to reduce the amount of compensation that they might be able to achieve for those players that they’re developing. And that seems a bit of a dichotomy to me and to Football League clubs.
“They’re being asked to invest more and yet the assets that they’re investing in, the players, could move for less money. Until the compensation levels are deemed to be reasonable and appropriate, I think it will be difficult for Football League clubs to adopt the EPPP.”
Once all parties are in agreement, the implementation of the EPPP could happen as early as 2012. With UEFA’s financial fair play regulations to take effect from 2013, having a healthy and productive Academy will be even more important for elite Premier League clubs.
Football League clubs recently reiterated their commitment to improving youth development, by agreeing to increase expenditure on young players and the minimum number of ‘home-grown’ players required in matchday squads. The 72 clubs agreed to introduce a one-percent levy on all transfer spending, with the anticipated extra £600,000 per season to be invested in Youth Development programmes. Teams must now name a minimum of six domestically-registered players in their squads.
The FA is also doing its part to improve programmes and coaching for young footballers. Mini-Soccer was first introduced for children under 10 years of age in September 1999, and now proposals have been put forward to extend small-sided formats to under-11s and under-12s.
“It’s because you go from six years old to ten years old playing 7v7 on smaller 60 by 40 pitches,” says Middlesex FA County Development Manager Stuart Allen.
“Overnight you go from playing 7v7 to playing 11v11 on a full-sized pitch, but overnight you don’t actually grow twice your size. You don’t become twice as fast or twice as physical. You end up having a ten-year-old kid standing in a goal, trying to defend the same size goal that Petr Cech has to defend.”
Nick Levett, the FA’s National Development Manager for Youth Football, has spent time over the last two years working on a review of youth development in England. He recommended the switch to smaller-sided games for 11-and 12-year-olds and explains why it is needed if young footballers are to develop better technical skills.