Promising news for the trials tonight...

[The Godfather]

And for the record I have no problem with people setting up anything they like, it's a free country but in my opinion youth side's should be about the development of players for their own good. Using it as a main side to support, with large crowds, bringing a whole different atmosphere to the spirit they should be played in is wrong and not something I would support.

Garbage.

I think Nick thinks that its going to be like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0aVDRMq5Fs

I hope it is...

[Bobos]

i tend to think that whilst I am very glad something else has been set-up it has its downside.

Most good u18 players will already know were they are playing next season and all have a stable first team to aspire to.

What about education, stability, a first team to aspire to. It to me seems the cart is pulliing the horse rather than the other way round.

Also having watched alot of Northants Senior Youth matches, big crowds wont stay long watching that level of football, average crowd in that league is about 40 probably for the matches I went to.

If anyone thinks long term hundreds will watch this team on a weekly basis then I think they are mistaken but happy to be proven wrong.

Again think youth is about progression not the pressure of trying to carry a new club on its shoulders.

If things arent planned properly it will fall down.

I would imagine that most of the lads at the trials are under no illusion about where they stand, but I also think that they would like to think that they could progress into an AFC R&D senior side.
We will need a good youth set up for years to come.

I look at this development as putting a solid foundation in place, rather than a publicity stunt.
If we are serious about AFC R&D then we need support at all levels, too many people have been spoon fed in the past and now need to put their support/money and faith in this new venture, otherwise I suggest that they go to Nene Park and watch K*ttrin, where all they will have to do is turn up, pay their money and moan all the way home

[Mad Dog]

Anyone who has any concerns should really look to come along on Saturday for the meeting at Raunds and raise them at the fans meeting. That's not a hint to shut up, far from it. But it is better to express concerns at the fans meeting where it could even be put to the vote by the fans rather than on the messageboard.

[SouthRushdenJFC]

More prestigious? How? No ground, no players, no set-up. I doubt many would want to leave their current set-up for that.

I appreciate that you have loyalties elsewhere if your username is anything to go by, but i think you've lost touch with reality here.

The ground situation is due to be sorted, we have been offered the use of certain grounds I don't think there is any secret in that. The trial yesterday is to get players, so there's your answer to point two, and as for the set-up, well i thought we were taking applications for certain positions and as far as i'm concerned AFC R&D has been born.

I appreciate that a lot of work has been done but I'm not totally sure that a lot of the posters on here appreciate how much work is still to be done and what it entails, especially as the club will start as an Under 18 side, which means that you will be dealing with children legislation wise, which is a whole different ball game.

I hope it comes off. There is a dearth of facilities for football in Rushden at any level so to have a strong mens, community orientated club would hep everyone in the never ending battle to get decent facilities. Time is ticking though and if this season is going to see a side playing then you need to have more concrete phrases than 'due to be sorted' and 'I thought we were taking applications'. That is the reality, hopefully it will all come together.

[STAGMAN]

To keep the name going for this season there was no option really but to go with a youth team , if we had known what was happening sooner we could possibly have gone with a senior side. I wonder sometimes if the delays were to stop us forming a senior for this season(ie competition against a side playing at Nene Park)

[p55]

I went last night and thought how good it was to see some lads playing football not for money not for glory but just for the chance to represent our new club AFC RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS .Well done lads i along with many other fans will support you if you are chosen good luck to you all and thanks

[Three of Diamonds]

What about education, stability, a first team to aspire to. It to me seems the cart is pulliing the horse rather than the other way round.
Again think youth is about progression not the pressure of trying to carry a new club on its shoulders.

If things arent planned properly it will fall down.

Not sure if you were at the first meeting on Friday 1st July, but the plan is to get a youth side up and running first and foremost as it is achievable. That gives us one little victory for starters. Then we form a committee to take forward the plan for a senior side for the next season (that was definately out of the picture for this season). So, in a way we can have a dry run with the youth set up whist planning, preparing & fund raising for the senior team.
There will be no youth club carrying a weight of expectation, it's just our little baby step before we start to walk properly. It's a growth thing.

[Biggles]

When we apply to the UCL the board will look at our business plan and experience prior to making a decision on our acceptance, if we just hang around for a season and do nothing but fundraise and then apply we will have a harder task to get acceptance and people may just drift away in the meantime.

Now if we have a season running a youth team this will gain us experience of running a football club which will help us achieve better credence with the authorities and maybe get the highest status possible within the UCL.

[bozzer]

To anyone, please do come along on Saturday and discuss these points, better still please put your name forward to help with any alternative ideas we are all fans like you and currently just want to see football being played by rushden and diamonds, that's not to say what we are doing is the right thing, if there is a better way please put it forward.
The idea is this will be run by the fans, fans will be able to vote people on a committee, if the committee is not going the way the majority want you have the opportunity to get involved and take it in another direction.

The youth team is an under 18 team with a view to becoming a full men's side at a decent level in 2012-2013, the lads will know this is the plan, if they don't want to be involved that's fine it's not for everyone but I think enough will, if they don't and it doesn't work well at least we tried.

[davealbon]

Let's not forget that half of Rushden & Diamonds started life as a youth side.