'Absolutely incredible achievement': Buoyant Portsmouth chief on why Academy future is bright
The Blues’ under-16s completed the league and cup double in an outstanding campaign
A Copnor lad netting twice for his boyhood club to claim silverware at Fratton Park has offered a tantalising glimpse of the future.
And Academy head James Barlow is adamant there should be ‘definite optimism’ over the direction of Pompey’s Academy following a glorious under-16s season.
In a squad brimming with local talent from Cowplain, Southsea, Waterlooville and Gosport, it was Copnor’s Cruz Connor who was the match-winner, with Billy Gillooly also scoring in front of a crowd of 800.
A glittering campaign was capped the following week by subsequently also being crowned under-16s league champions to complete the double
In addition, the under-15s beat Bristol City to clinch the southern final of the EFL Floodlit Cup, before losing to Preston in the national final at Loughborough.
And with nine of the triumphant under-16s squad having been offered scholarship terms, Barlow is convinced Pompey’s future is in safe hands.
‘That achievement is incredible, absolutely incredible’
He told The News: ‘There is definite optimism. We sometimes have to take stock and reflect on what it takes to get into a Championship first-team, but also understand there is some outstanding work happening below that.
‘On-pitch performance success has occurred this year, which we must really celebrate. It was a joy to watch them play football and that achievement is incredible, absolutely incredible.
‘Academies aren’t always measured by on-pitch performance, but it is really, really exciting for them to win something tangible because you don’t get to do it very often - and when you do, it’s really important to learn to win.
‘That’s how we wish to play as a team and our framework, having individual development through that to be able to get on-pitch outcomes. Winning tournaments and fixtures and games and leagues is exactly what you want.
‘It will allow them to make the next step into scholar and hopefully professional and first-team environments. They have learnt that feeling of winning and losing at high-stakes and big games.
‘If we look at the teams they played, such as Bournemouth, Brentford, Watford, Cardiff, Swansea and Bristol City, all very credible academies, and we were victorious against them, showing we are highly competitive.
‘The talent is there. You look at the cup final team, seven of are local lads who have been through the programme, four have been through from under-9s, one has been through from under-10s and two have been through from under-17s.
‘We have managed to find a way to be competitive against a range of different academies. Cardiff were by far one of the best under-16s that I’ve seen in a long time.
‘And at Fratton Park in front of 800 people we put on a performance which was a real showcase to what we stand for as an academy and what we want as an identity - and that was fantastic.’
Eight local youngsters in trophy-winning squad
Breaking down the hugely-successful under-16s squad managed by Paul Dale and Dan Sackman, eight youngsters were sourced locally.
In terms of the outstanding Premier League Professional Development Under-16s League Cup final, the squad included four under-15s players challenged with stepping up a year.
Meanwhile, Sam Hudson’s under-18s team granted 15 debuts to members of the under-16s squad, consisting of eight under-16s and seven under-15s.
Barlow added: ‘As in any Portsmouth side, I want them to play with a strong team ethic, extreme work-rate and play exciting, attacking football. We really zoned in on that with all age groups this year.
‘What was brilliant in that final is we learnt to cope with whatever state of the game there was. It was 1-1 at half-time, we then had to go out in the second half and absorb pressure, playing without the ball for a while, then we hit them on the break.
‘It was a proper first-team performance where we had to understand what the game needed and that’s a strength of the team. It's also a huge credit to the coaches and the direction and the flexibility which is provided this year in Paul Dale and Dan Sackman.’