Post by gkay on Feb 10, 2009 22:33:50 GMT
Two of the organisers of youth football at Cambridge United are planning to walk from Torquay to Cambridge in twelve days from 23rd February to raise much-needed funds for the club’s Youth Development programmes and to highlight the discrepancy between the position of clubs such as Cambridge (and a handful of ex-League clubs in the BSP) and those in the Football League.Jez George (Head of Youth Development) and the appropriately-named Matt Walker (Centre of Excellence Manager) will visit Exeter City (Cambridge United’s opponents in the play-off final last season), Yeovil Town (promoted to the Football League in 2003), Oxford United (who face similar problems), and Luton Town (who may face relegation from the Football League and the associated loss of funding), taking in Oxford United v Torquay United on Saturday 28th February and Luton Town v Gillingham on Tuesday 3rd March. Unlike some other ex-Football League clubs in the BSP, Cambridge United’s Centre of Excellence and Scholarship Scheme is not included in the Football League Centre of Excellence Games Programme, receives no funding for its scholars (worth approx. £50,000/year) and is not allowed to play in the Football League Youth Alliance. Like six other ex-Football League Clubs they receive NO funding for their Under 9s - 16s and have NO compensation rights for ANY of their young players, thus risking any of the youngsters being poached at any time by any other professional club for NOTHING. In addition to fund-raising, the walk is intended to initiate debate about the inconsistencies in funding and support applied to ex-Football League clubs.For more information – or to sponsor Jez and Matt in their march for equality – visit:
www.cambridge-united.co.uk/page/YouthReports/0,,10423~1510490,00.html
www.cambridge-united.co.uk/page/YouthReports/0,,10423~1510490,00.html