BBC Announcement

[Formic]

Jon Wilkinson of BBC Northampton has just tweeted - Rushden & Diamonds NOT to be taken over by Glenn Hoddle Academy ... more on our website shortly ... bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire

[rushdenman]

Does that mean that our faint hope of survival has been extinguished or is there something else on the back burner?

[bozzer]

it could mean a load of things, like there is a partnership with the club, although the club is owned by someone else, or it's just been stopped and we are now knackered!

[BartonRaz]

Since I heard about this a couple of days ago i've done a lot of digging on the GHA, and I don't think that this is a bad thing. The team would have been very difficult for all of us to support for the following reasons. I'm working on the basis that our team would have been made up entirely of GHA players.

- According to Wikipedia, Glenn Hoddle gave a loan of £160k to Spanish side Jerez Industrial CF to save them from going out of business, and subsequently the GHA players turned out for the side, which played in the Tercera Division Group 10, the equivalent of League Two in England (I can’t confess to have a clue about the standard, Dazzler?) There are 18 leagues at that level, and incidentally Jerez Industrial CF were relegated for the second successive season.

- The final three para's of the GHA wikipedia page make interesting reading had it taken over the club;

But the academy's aim is not so much about success on the pitch as giving players the opportunity and competitive edge to get back into the professional game. All 22 players in Industrial's squad are from the academy. 20 of the 22 registered players are British, while the two Spaniards have been co-opted into the academy as well. The club is a chance for the academy players to get match experience. Providing his players with a competitive environment in which to play, Hoddle's hope is that the club act as a shop window for others to more effectively scout his players.
Hoddle does not sit on the bench during games, acting as a director of football while his coaches, Graham Rix, Nigel Spackman and Dave Beasant, rotate match day duties two games at a time, working alongside Enrique Caballero. Hoddle doesn't hold a position at the club and will have an overseeing role.
In March 2011, the academy terminated the agreement with Jerez Industrial due to the club's failure to repay the loans it owed to the academy.

Would we have had loans to repay? Would the Beasants have been involved? Where does JE fit in with this?

Former Diamond Ugo Udoji played for GHA a couple of years back, and the alumni isn't exactly breathtaking. I can think of many more questions. Where would the youth team have fit in? Would our entire squad be under 22? Would we see a team of non-contract players turning out every week?

I know no news of any other bids, but i'm trying to take the positives - Ernie Tippett style.

[bozzer]

well i hope it's not too late if there are any others, but it's the AGM cup tomorrow!

[Formic]

Since I heard about this a couple of days ago i've done a lot of digging on the GHA, and I don't think that this is a bad thing. The team would have been very difficult for all of us to support for the following reasons. I'm working on the basis that our team would have been made up entirely of GHA players.

- According to Wikipedia, Glenn Hoddle gave a loan of £160k to Spanish side Jerez Industrial CF to save them from going out of business, and subsequently the GHA players turned out for the side, which played in the Tercera Division Group 10, the equivalent of League Two in England (I can’t confess to have a clue about the standard, Dazzler?) There are 18 leagues at that level, and incidentally Jerez Industrial CF were relegated for the second successive season.

- The final three para's of the GHA wikipedia page make interesting reading had it taken over the club;

But the academy's aim is not so much about success on the pitch as giving players the opportunity and competitive edge to get back into the professional game. All 22 players in Industrial's squad are from the academy. 20 of the 22 registered players are British, while the two Spaniards have been co-opted into the academy as well. The club is a chance for the academy players to get match experience. Providing his players with a competitive environment in which to play, Hoddle's hope is that the club act as a shop window for others to more effectively scout his players.
Hoddle does not sit on the bench during games, acting as a director of football while his coaches, Graham Rix, Nigel Spackman and Dave Beasant, rotate match day duties two games at a time, working alongside Enrique Caballero. Hoddle doesn't hold a position at the club and will have an overseeing role.
In March 2011, the academy terminated the agreement with Jerez Industrial due to the club's failure to repay the loans it owed to the academy.

Would we have had loans to repay? Would the Beasants have been involved? Where does JE fit in with this?

Former Diamond Ugo Udoji played for GHA a couple of years back, and the alumni isn't exactly breathtaking. I can think of many more questions. Where would the youth team have fit in? Would our entire squad be under 22? Would we see a team of non-contract players turning out every week?

I know no news of any other bids, but i'm trying to take the positives - Ernie Tippett style.

I'm afraid I don't share your optimism, especially given there was also an external backer / investment consortium involved who has pulled out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 509403.stm

[Trek]

http://www.northantset.co.uk:80/news/lo ... _1_2758388

It appears that GHA were still interested.

[Formic]

http://www.northantset.co.uk:80/news/lo ... _1_2758388

It appears that GHA were still interested.

Isn't that just a rehash of the BBC story ?

[bozzer]

I think that's it then folks, nice knowing you all!

[Trek]

Isn't that just a rehash of the BBC story ?

Appears to be but I hadn't seen the BBC story when I made my post. BBC, however, usually follows ET's news stories.

Would be interesting to know who was behind the Investment Consortium and they clearly didn't have much ambition by trying to get the GHA to provide players. I'm afraid that I wouldn't have had much affinity watching a load of young players come and go who GHA were trying to give experience to and I would be surprised if the deal had gone through that they would have been serious contenders in the BSP.