The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Sutekh]

From the Couhig Q&A:

9. Maintaining Category One Academy

Rob met with Michael Gilkes this morning, discovering he had never been given a budget before this season. Rob was impressd with Gilksey's attitude. Admits the Academy will probably lose £2.5-£3m this year but it’s the least of the losses he has to deal with- Bearwood being a massive deficit but big part of the club.

Exactly the right thing to say as it is true but once and a while it can pay for itself - just hope the next time it’s because the academy has produced the stars able to lead to promotion and associated revenue increases before the inevitable sales

[Royals and Racers]

2-2 90 mins
F-T 2-2

[Royals and Racers]

Man City U 21’s 3 Reading U 21’s 0
Rhone
Beacroft
J Willliams
Duah
Saint-Louis
Sackey
Bowdery
Obodo
Hicks
Coke-Miles-Smith
Patton
SUBS
Pullinger
Howard
Evans
Zie
Dove

[Royals and Racers]

Next up for the U 21’s and U 18’s

U 21’s Premier league cup Group A match away to Birmingham City Thursday 16th October KO 7pm. The match is at the Arden garages stadium in Tiddington Stratford-Upon-Avon CV37 7BZ

U 18’s PL U 18 league v Birmingham away Saturday 18th October KO 12pm. The match is at the Knighthead training and Academy grounds.

Current Premier league Cup group A table.
1st Bournemouth P 2 points 3 GD + 2
2nd Hull City P 2 points 3 GD + 1
3rd Reading P 1 points 3 GD + 1
4th Birmingham City P 1 points 0 GD - 4

[Royals and Racers]

Rhone
Beacroft
Stickland
Rushesha
Saint-Louis
Borgnis
Spencer
Obodo
Hicks
Okine-Peters
Patton
SUBS
Pullinger
Osho
Evans
Bowdery
Williams

[Royals and Racers]

Birmingham 0 Reading 1 24 mins Patton Pen
0-2 38 mins Hicks
H-T 0-2

[Hound]

Pretty strong side that - assume that’s Emmanuel Osho back?

[Royals and Racers]

Pretty strong side that - assume that’s Emmanuel Osho back?

Yep
Brum missed pen 60 mins
0-3 83 mins Hicks

[Hound]

Pretty strong side that - assume that’s Emmanuel Osho back?

Yep
Brum missed pen 60 mins
0-3 83 mins Hicks

Good stuff

[Royals and Racers]

F-T 0-3
Updated Group A table
1st Reading P 2 points 6 GD + 4
2nd Bournemouth P 2 points 3 GD + 2
3rd Hull P 2 points 3 + 1
4th Birmingham P 2 points 0 GD - 7

[The Cube]

Toby Borgnis (U18 goalkeeper, and younger brother of Jacob) has been called up by New Zealand for the U17 World Cup in Qatar. They are in a group with Saudi Arabia, Mali and Austria, starting on 5 November.

[Clyde1998]

Rhone
Beacroft
Stickland
Rushesha
Saint-Louis
Borgnis
Spencer
Obodo
Hicks
Okine-Peters
Patton
SUBS
Pullinger
Osho
Evans
Bowdery
Williams

No Sackey - is he injured or potentially in the first team squad for Cardiff?

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Anyone know more on David Hicks? Scored 2 including a decent free kick last night.

[Royals and Racers]

Anyone know more on David Hicks? Scored 2 including a decent free kick last night.

We signed him on the 4th August. Released by Stevenage. Whilst with them he had a couple of loans out at Aveley and Potters Bar. He is 19.

[Royals and Racers]

Highlights from last night Birmingham U 21 v Reading U 21 on You tube Craig Newton channel.

[Royals and Racers]

U 18’s at Biirmingham
T Borgnis
Zie
Dove
Irish
Cliff
Beacroft
Booth
Lonmeni
Omoregie
Fuller-Thompson
Covus
SUBS
Pullinger
Hunte
Agyekum
Nour
H-T 0-0
0-1 86 mins Hunte
F-T 0-1
Royals up to 10th( out if 15)

[Linden Jones' Tash]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/20 ... dApp_Other

This is an interesting read...

[Clyde1998]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/oct/19/englands-under-21-leagues-are-filled-with-players-whose-clubs-see-no-future-for-them?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

This is an interesting read...

I think the reality is if you're twenty-one and haven't broken into the first team yet, there's very little chance of you doing so - unless you're a goalkeeper (for example). We probably should go back to the U21s being reserve teams; would reduce the costs for clubs too.

To put that into context, of the players who gained professional contacts at 18, over the next eight years 5% stayed at the same level, 5% moved up and 58% moved down the English professional football pyramid. A further 25% left the professional game and 7% moved abroad.

I'm surprised it's as little as 25% leaving professional football, tbh.

[The Cube]

Some recent information from younger age groups:

U17 Premier League Cup
Reading results so far - lost 4-6 at home to West Brom, beat Wolves 3-1 away. Next game is at home to Swansea on Wednesday. If we win or draw against Swansea, our almost certain finish is second in the group, but I don't know if it's just the winners that go through. A Swansea win would mean Reading are third in the group.

U16
Two weeks ago, or thereabouts - lost to Derby.

This weekend played in the U16 Premier League Tournament at St Georges Park. Results:
Beat Leeds 3-0
Drew with Liverpool 0-0
Beat Nottm Forest 4-1
Reading won the group.
QF - beat Wolves 1-0
The next bit I have to guess - I think most likely we have qualified for the finals day on 8 November, alongside Aston Villa, Blackburn and one other. On the other hand there might have been a semi-final which I don't know about, in which case it was probably a defeat (my sources tend not to mention those...)

[Clyde1998]

Some recent information from younger age groups:

U17 Premier League Cup
Reading results so far - lost 4-6 at home to West Brom, beat Wolves 3-1 away. Next game is at home to Swansea on Wednesday. If we win or draw against Swansea, our almost certain finish is second in the group, but I don't know if it's just the winners that go through. A Swansea win would mean Reading are third in the group.

U16
Two weeks ago, or thereabouts - lost to Derby.

This weekend played in the U16 Premier League Tournament at St Georges Park. Results:
Beat Leeds 3-0
Drew with Liverpool 0-0
Beat Nottm Forest 4-1
Reading won the group.
QF - beat Wolves 1-0
The next bit I have to guess - I think most likely we have qualified for the finals day on 8 November, alongside Aston Villa, Blackburn and one other. On the other hand there might have been a semi-final which I don't know about, in which case it was probably a defeat (my sources tend not to mention those...)

Thanks for this; we don't get much information on the younger age groups. Seems the U16s are doing well this season - wonder if that age group wasn't badly affected by the previous ownership, like some of the others appear to have been.