There is always the need to seek out and develop players and this is paramount to any clubs survival. Shamefully still, we see those with their heart set on just winning and coming away saying we won this and that, whatever the age may be.
A winning team at Youth may add a trophy to the clubs cabinet and a mention in the back of a league book but it runs the risk that the players in question have been kept back together, without the opportunity during the season to seek progression through the clubs higher teams.

At Wakering we seek the opposite to the short term 'let's win everything!'. Yes, it's nice to win, it's a happy feeling and if it happens whilst teams are constantly being transformed and players progressing onwards, even better! But it's not the end goal and within the minds of our Youth Management, the players, as well as our Parents this is appreciated.

The start of the season saw many results not go our way. Yet play has been improving. Recently the 18's picked up points away to table toppers Billericay Town and winning away at Buckhurst Hill, the 15's facing a strong Thurrock side in the Cup, to walk away with pride & congratulations due to a 6-1 win.

At 15's, more than the other Alliance sides, the boys will take time to settle into the different style of Representative football. At 16's the expectation of progression is viewed as being essential in readiness for the jump in age groups to Under 18.
As planned, we hope that every U16 player will have trained with the U18 side by Christmas allowing the boys to feel the physical side of football whilst allowing the Management to see what players they feel can progress the following season.
We also hope that some of the U16's will feature in some of the U18's matches after Christmas, this in turn will free up those U18's to play for the Reserves.
At present four U18's have signed for the Reserves with hopefully more to follow.

Unlike other clubs who view the need for the management team to follow through from its foundation to U18's, we at Great Wakering have been blessed with Managers/ Coaches who appreciate our beliefs and are willing to take teams through to U16's but then hand-on the relevant players to the permanent U18's Managers who have shown, into this 3rd season, the importance of progression into the Reserves.

Without doubt, in a club trying to develop a progressive pathway, the Reserve Managers job is the hardest job in the club!
To take injured / bench First Team players along with existing Reserve Team players and mix up with various progressing u18's to present a squad & team for a fixture is difficult but hugely important.
Again the same philosophy stands about the enjoyment of winning but finding the players to step up into the First Team is the target and so far two players have been signed.

Finally, I should point out that the Rovers pathway extends beyond the Rovers Youth set up but into the Wakering Colts section, and already we have seen our U18 Management support certain Colts training sessions but also Rovers 1st team players will be providing support to the Colts training where possible in the coming months.

Hopefully, from a distance you will see even at a small club like Rovers and it's tough geographical location, there is intention to ensure a continuity of players feeding through to the First Team that are willing to work hard and play good football.

Tony Butcher
Rovers Vice Chairman & Alliance Liason