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OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 12:19 pm
by Mooro
....I try to keep track of all of our former youth teamers, and while this is still a work in progress, here is a rundown of those I know are playing this season. There will be names missing, including many for whom I have some history but have not tracked down for this season, but I will continue to keep this updated on a periodic basis.

ENGLISH LEAGUE
Stoke (Prem) - Dean Whitehead
Reading (Prem) - Alex Pearce
Bolton (Champ) - Sam Ricketts
Bolton (Champ) - Craig Davies
Forest (Champ) - Dexter Blackstock
Noton (L2) - Chris Hackett
Cheltenham (L2) - Sam Deering
OUFC (L2) - Tyrone Marsh, Max Crocombe, James Roberts, David lynn, Sam Long, Callum O Dowda, et al
SCOTLAND
Inverness CT (Sc P) - Simon King
Albion Rovers (Sc 2) - todd Lumsden (Pl/Man)
OVERSEAS
Denzilspor (Tur) - Eric Odhiambo
Tubise (Bel D2) - Norman Sylla
Racing Mechelen (Bel d3) - Alex Fisher
Panama City Beach Pirates (US) - David Malloy
San Diego University (US) - Daniel Meade
Somewhere in US (I Think) - Jordan Holder,
BLUE SQUARE
Forest Green (Conf)- MAtt Taylor
Salisbury (Conf S)- James Clarke
Brackley (Conf N)- Eddie Anaclet Odhiambo, Tom Winters
OX City (Conf N)- Jamie Cook, Andrew Gunn, Declan Benjamin
Weston SM (Conf S)- Marc McGregor
Boreham Wood (Conf S) - Jerome Anderson

OTHER NL (no particular order)
Bideford (SLP - 3)- Richard Groves, Ian Sampson
Banbury (SLP -3) - Marvin martin
Dulwich(RLS 4) - Phil Wilson
North Leigh(SLS 4) - Michael Alexis, Josh Dutton-Black, tom Franklin, Sam Worrell, Ryan Brooks
Abingdon Utd (SLS 4) - James Foster, Aaron Woodley
Burnham (SLC 4) - James Dobson (dual reg at Chinnor (Hell 1E))
Ossett Albion (NLN 4) - Henry Owen
Witney (HellP 5) - Jamie Brooks, Josias Carbon, John Rixon, Kelvin Mackintosh, Conor Mcdonagh
Ardley (HellP 5)- Adam Garner, Matt Brandish
Wantage (HellP 5) - Andrew Younie
Kidlington (HellP 5) - Ben Weedon, Chris Weedon, Aaron Posey, Jordan Parker
Thame (HellP 5) - Niall Hodgkins
Slimbridge(HellP 5) - Chris Fower
Guernsey (CombC1 - 5) - Angus Mackay
AFC Hinksey(Hell1E - 6) - Anaclet Odhiambo, Tommy Heyday
Sutton Courteney (North Berks Div1) - Luke bennett (Pl/man), Gareth Tucker

London Lions (Maccabi South FL) - Josh Kennett

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 12:22 pm
by Mooro
Changes since original posting:
Ryan Brooks mvoed from Witney to North Leigh
James Dobson moved from Witney to Burnham
Added:
Daniel Meade who has played for San Diego Uni for last three seasons despite nearly losing sight in a street attack in Bicester shortly before leaving for the US.

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 9:49 pm
by OUFC_Gav
Can Craig Davies really be considered a youth team player? We signed after his release from Man City when he was 18.

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 6:15 pm
by Mooro
&quotOUFC_Gav&quot wrote:Can Craig Davies really be considered a youth team player? We signed after his release from Man City when he was 18.
I'm using a fairly broad definition, so that it includes: the likes of Davies, who played a full season for our youth team after leaving Man City, before signing a pro deal but also the likes of Alex Pearce, who started at ouFC as a bairn but left to join the REading system aged 11 or 12 (I think). Then you have the likes of the Odhiambos, Sean Rudd, Josh Dutton-Black, Josh Mulveney and one or two others who came up through the age groups but took scholarships at Soton rather than us at 16 or WEst Ham's Matt Taylor who was only offered a scholarship as a keeper as 'we' thought he was too unfit to play outfield, so joined luton's scheme instead. Finally there is the Gareth Mclearys of this world, who seem to be considered 'ours' by virtue of doing little more than drriving past the stadium once.

Anyway, talking of Craig Davies, he is set to join Bolton after they triggered his £300k release clause at Barnsley....

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 12:22 pm
by Mooro
&quotMooro&quot wrote:Anyway, talking of Craig Davies, he is set to join Bolton after they triggered his £300k release clause at Barnsley....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20958171

Now confirmed

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:04 pm
by Kernow Yellow
I know this forum has been light on posts recently, but surely we don't have to discuss Craig Davies' transfer in two separate 'where are they now' threads, do we?

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 1:56 pm
by Mooro
Just a little update:

With Witney towns demise the following are looking for new clubs: Jamie Brooks, Josias Carbon, John Rixon, Kelvin Mackintosh, Conor Mcdonagh - although apparently Josias is slightly distracted having just returning from honeymoon and being mistaken for Mario Balatelli.
In Belgium, Norman Sylla (who now has 1 cap for Ghana) remains at Tubize who are in the second tier, while Alex Fisher is doing well at Racing Mechelen who are a point from the top of one of the third tier divisions (a quick glance through their league structure makes the new Scottish plan look straightforward).
Finally after three years in Israels top two divisions, and a selection for the English squad in the Jewish World cup, Josh Kennet is back in the UK playing the Jewish Chronicle Maccabi South League.
I wouldnt have mentioned this except for the fact that this weekend sees a classic fixture (and I kid you not) - Boca Jewniors vrs Jewventus....

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 3:08 pm
by SmileyMan
&quotKernow Yellow&quot wrote:I know this forum has been light on posts recently, but surely we don't have to discuss Craig Davies' transfer in two separate 'where are they now' threads, do we?
Won't somebody think of the children???? What if the Internet crashes under the incredible load????

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 4:45 pm
by Myles Francis
&quotMooro&quot wrote:In Belgium, Norman Sylla (who now has 1 cap for Ghana)
Was wondering how on earth he could be good enough for Ghana, so I checked and his cap is with Guinea!

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:06 pm
by Mooro
&quotMyles Francis&quot wrote:
&quotMooro&quot wrote:In Belgium, Norman Sylla (who now has 1 cap for Ghana)
Was wondering how on earth he could be good enough for Ghana, so I checked and his cap is with Guinea!
I had a feeling I'd got that wrong
BTW - another great team name in the same Jewish league - Tottenham Chutzpah

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 7:22 pm
by Joey's Toe
&quotMooro&quot wrote:Tottenham Chutzpah
Genius. Out of interest, I wonder whether any of the teams in that league ever get in non-Jewish ringers to strengthen their team? Players who might be Jew-ish, but not fully kosher, if you'll pardon the pun.

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 1:22 am
by recordmeister
No sign of oxford jewnited then???

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 6:59 pm
by Mooro

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:33 pm
by ty cobb
This list just depresses me somewhat as it just demonstrates how poor our youth system has been.

Wilder often gets moaned at for not blooding younger players, but looking at that list of where people have gone after leaving Oxford he's not really missing out on anyone even half decent is he?

Seems to me anyone half decent leaves the club (or never actually joins up as someone like Reading or Southampton step in) before they have played for the first team.

Re: OUFC Youth - Where are they now

Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 8:33 pm
by Mooro
&quotty cobb&quot wrote:This list just depresses me somewhat as it just demonstrates how poor our youth system has been.

Wilder often gets moaned at for not blooding younger players, but looking at that list of where people have gone after leaving Oxford he's not really missing out on anyone even half decent is he?

Seems to me anyone half decent leaves the club (or never actually joins up as someone like Reading or Southampton step in) before they have played for the first team.
Now my argument to that is a long one. In modern day terms, clubs like ours have had to decide on the future of a player at age 18 (it used to be 19) and furthermore given modern finances, have not generally felt able to tie up money on carrying first year pros who are not going to feature regularly in the first team for 12-18-24 months (particularly now that the trickle down from the higher divisions is larger). Some like Blackstock are showing their real potential at that age, but many are just not yet ready (15 years ago, who would have had Sam Ricketts down as our greatest (only?) home-grown international regular of the 21st century?). Crocombe is deemed good enough to play for NZ age side, but is not ready to play 46 games in League 2 is he?

And then, once you are discarded by a League two or Conference side, it is very difficult to get signed up by another club at the same level, as they often have castoffs from higher up the ladder to choose from, so most end up dropping down three or four levels to (in our case) Southern or Hellenic League clubs (it was not long ago that there were no local clubs above Step4). Football at that level is part time, so they have to start making career decisions, and in reality it has to be a pretty sustained effort by any player at that level, to stand out enough for a club to step in and take the gamble of moving you back up the divisions to get another chance. The only ones I can think of that have climbed up to Blue Square level after dropping down the leagues are Adam Garner, Matt Taylor, Michael Alexis, Jerome Anderson and James Clarke, along with Alex Fisher, who has really put in the miles to forge a career at some level, but I dont think that means that everyone else has not been up to playing at that level.

I'm still not completely sure of what this new development squad will mean in practice, but I hope that it will enable us to keep hold of more of our youngsters for longer, and by introducing a new match level (cross between reserves and U21s I think) be able to being them on so that are ready to step into the senior squad in time. Also, by having City and Brackley at Step2 (Conference North) that might provide a better level for loaning the kids out for a bit as they develop, without them having to drop right down the ladder.

I think with the right system (and hopefully this will be), a number of the youths we've had to offload could have developed into players of Conference, League two, even League One standard - for instance some of the six I mention above, plus I'd say Winters, Benjamin &amp Gunn (who have got there via promotion) &ampmaybe the Bideford pair, could have made it higher than they have, not forgetting those that got injured at just the wrong time.

I just hope the current crop make the most of their chance while the system and investment is there, to get the conveyor belt going...'build it and they will come!'