| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... 21:54 - Sep 7 with 14558 views | Wilkinswatercarrier |
Been a lot of discussion on here about lack of quality coming through the academy. This paragraph from Dom Balls book may explain why.
'My next trial was at QPR, who ran a centre of excellence rather than an academy. I wasn't to excited about playing at anything less than an academy, but they were close by and might offer an easier pathway to the first team. I went to an evening session with my age group and trained on an Astroturf pitch which was only half lit. I had been spoilt with the excellent facilities we had at Harefield (Watford) so this felt like a comedown. The coaches arranged a five-a-side tournament and after my experience at Leicester, I played with confidence and again I was offered a contract on the spot. I was buzzing on the way home but couldn't see myself going back due to the quality of the facilities."
He was 15 years old, no wonder we haven't produced our own. Hopefully the new training centre will help. | | | |  |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 22:43 - Sep 7 with 9468 views | qpr1976 |
“I wasn’t to excited…..”
‘too’
He should have payed attention at school !
Poorly written, poorly proofread & poorly published.
But I guess he has a point. Not long now…..🤞 | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 00:03 - Sep 8 with 9344 views | daveB |
facilities will help but we've still produced some very good players at QPR over the years, likes of Sterling and Harvey Elliott both started at QPR and obviously went on elsehwere at a young age. I think the quality of coaching, the way kids are treated and the opportunity to get in the first team is far more important than facilities. You can have the nicest training ground in the world but without those things you are gonna struggle to get players coming through | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 00:09 - Sep 8 with 9338 views | LythamR |
Its easy for kids and their parent to be distracted by the bling factor so i think the immediate impression of the facilities is going to be an important factor whether we like it or not | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 01:02 - Sep 8 with 9275 views | Boston |
He wasn't employed for linguistic ability. | |
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 01:57 - Sep 8 with 9256 views | Loftgirl |
Be careful, Paul Parker will be onto this, with his extensive collection of Jimmy Edwards' pictures. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 07:53 - Sep 8 with 9025 views | daveB |
it's a factor to get them in the door but keeping them and getting them into the team you need a lot more | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 07:59 - Sep 8 with 8992 views | stevec |
‘pitch that was only half lit’. There’s a theme running here. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 08:15 - Sep 8 with 8961 views | DaBurgh |
Surely it's a good thing if the pitch is half lit. If you can control the ball or pick a pass in such a dusky environment then a fully lit pitch is a piece of pi$$. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 08:36 - Sep 8 with 8901 views | danehoop |
Was just thinking that Chelsh*t probably had great facilities, but they also had a convicted sex offender in Graham Rix and seemingly a culture of vile racism within the coaching staff. Add to that the sheer scale of the puppy farm that they operate immediately reduces the pathways to the first team which would exist further down the pyramid.
Sometimes all that glitters isn't gold. | |
| Never knowingly understood |
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 08:54 - Sep 8 with 8869 views | loftboy |
I watched the academy programme last night, nice cameo from Eze, there was a mother of a 15 year old having meetings with agents FFS. | |
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:17 - Sep 8 with 8701 views | Landshark |
What's the show? | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:26 - Sep 8 with 8668 views | joe90 |
I've been following the series.
They present the Palace academy as a well oiled machine. The set up and investment is ridiculous when you consider how little Palace have achieved. It's purely about self preservation, which show's just how high the standards are now. [Post edited 8 Sep 2022 10:37]
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:29 - Sep 8 with 8656 views | daveB |
it's facinating to watch, my friends kid in in the Reading academy, it's a world of promises and bullshit | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:38 - Sep 8 with 8618 views | PunteR |
It's crazy to think Palace were going to the wall 10 years ago while we took their manager Warnock, Hill and Derry winning the championship and back into the Premier league. Just highlights how shit our owners are. We've been in the Premier twice. Bunch of buffoons.
Moan over. | |
| Occasional providers of half decent House music. |
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:42 - Sep 8 with 8608 views | joe90 |
Agree, fascinating watch.
A few years ago I met someone who was a scout for Reading.
He showed the file for a player he was monitoring and I was shocked at the level of detail. It was a really interesting conversation which at the time revealed a lot of things I never knew.
One thing I never forgot was a little rant he had about how QPR was doomed. He was just saying we couldn't compete in London and would have to move from Loftus Road or go bust. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:52 - Sep 8 with 8569 views | joe90 |
There are a lot of Palace fans in my area. They've basically hoovered up all the middle-class families that have moved to the area over the past 10 years who don't fancy going to Millwall. Plus a lot of the other non traditional football going demographic in the area are attracted to the club due the success of Zaha. They've done a good job of appealing to a range of 'fans'.
The big difference between us and Palace is their sustained stay in the Premier League. The most tragic fall from grace has to be Charlton though.
I think once our training ground is up and running we'll start to turn a corner. It's going to take years, but we have to stick with it. [Post edited 8 Sep 2022 10:54]
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:53 - Sep 8 with 8566 views | Landshark |
Thank you | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 10:54 - Sep 8 with 8561 views | paulhoop2 |
Is it an autobiography? | |
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 11:00 - Sep 8 with 8520 views | johnhoop |
Ghost written by Dorse. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 11:24 - Sep 8 with 8458 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
I don't know about that. They've managed to convince a significant proportion of our fanbase that we're just a tin-pot club that should be grateful for staying in the bottom half of the Championship every season. We could never hope to compete with the traditional London giants like Palace, Fulham and Brentford and should know our place. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 11:33 - Sep 8 with 8416 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
Palace have always had a decent fanbase as they have a large catchment area in Croydon itself and the areas that surround it. They are even hoovering up some of the teenage Stone Island types that might once have gone to the 'Wall because of their 'ultras'. 
As has been observed elsewhere, they are also benefitting from the diverse demographics of that part of SE London in terms of attracting young players to the club.
I think the difference with Charlton is, like ourselves, there are other clubs close by and if you're not in the Premier League, it's increasingly difficult to attract young fans. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 12:50 - Sep 8 with 8267 views | Northernr |
And, like us, Charlton have many self inflicted wounds from chronic mismanagement and wasted opportunities when they were in the Premier League.
They had a settled Premier League club and team with a good manager, and sacked him because they were 'only' finishing eighth and he'd 'taken them as far as he could' to replace him with Dowie and then Pardew.
Our Warnock promotion should have made this club for a generation. | | | |
| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 12:51 - Sep 8 with 8259 views | Bakes |
In episode 3 they said that palaces swanky new academy was funded by the Wan Bissaka transfer to Man Utd. | |
| With Faith And Courage Comes Glory |
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| QPR Academy in Dominic Balls book.... on 13:09 - Sep 8 with 8210 views | stanistheman |
Can't really argue too much about that observation.
We should be an established Premiership side with all the money the Board have spent on the club. However, mismanagement from the top and the managers have put this club back to where it was in the late 1990s.
Now my rant is over too. Lets hope for a better future with lessons learnt. | | | |
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