Rovers shake-up: Blueprint revealed to attract young talent

12:12pm Friday 28th March 2008

Comments (1)   Have your say »

BLACKBURN Rovers have devised a masterplan which they believe will help them to attract and develop top young first-team stars of the future.

A working party led by chairman John Williams, and which also includes first-team manager Mark Hughes and Academy supremo Bobby Downes, is currently conducting a major review of all aspects of the club's Academy and Reserves set-ups.

The party has a brief to examine three key areas: scouting and recruitment; coaching and development; and logistics and housekeeping.

And as a result of the group's initial recommendations, a series of proposed changes will be implemented over the next few months, with Williams hoping that will ultimately lead to the production of more home-grown' talent for the senior squad.

Those changes will include:

• Setting up a new scouting department which will be headed up by chief scout Mike Rigg
• Creating a new post of 'Scouting Co-ordinator' who will report daily to the manager
• Appointing more scouts to work for the club at home and abroad
• Introducing a new state-of-the-art computer system which will enable the club to track the progress of potential targets, and
• Strengthening the existing links between the Academy, the reserves and the first team.

Williams said: "It is a multi-faceted review, a root and branch examination of what we do, what works, and what doesn't.

"For us to remain competitive we must identify young players at home and abroad.

"It is not easy to find players who go on to be good enough to play for the first team, but that's the challenge and we must meet it."

Determined to spread their net further and wider in the search for up-and-coming young talent, Rovers plan to revamp their entire scouting operation, with greater emphasis placed on the 15 to 21 age group.

"It was generally agreed scouting and recruitment is our top priority, and we have tackled this first," said Williams.

"We want even closer integration between Academy and senior activities.

"We have created a new scouting department headed up by chief scout, Mike Rigg. He will be joined by Martyn Glover, who will have a wider role (15-21) at home and abroad."

Acting on a further recommendation from the working group, the club has also created a new post of Scouting Co-ordinator, which has been filled by Kevin Cruickshank, who has previously worked for Elgin City and Montrose in Scotland.

Meanwhile, Steve Nickson, Mark Curran and Tony Hartley will concentrate on the 6-14 age bracket, but will be supported by the 'co-ordinator', as will Rigg and Glover.

Rigg joined Rovers last season from Sheffield Wednesday, where he was involved in the youth set-up, and he was previously technical director of the Welsh FA during Mark Hughes' reign as national manager.

Hughes said: "We have made significant progress in scouting under Mike's direction, but there is much more to be done.

"Our network of scouts has grown significantly in the past couple of years to increase our intelligence in terms of footballers across the globe.

"As well as increased staffing levels, we are developing a sophisticated computer system which will enable us to track the progress of any potential targets both here and abroad.

"We need the young players pushing for our first team to be of a very high standard, whether we bring them through from a very young age, or sign them later through the transfer market.

"Either way, it is absolutely imperative that our scouting and recruitment system is not only efficient, but also working to full capacity."

Bobby Downes said: "Recruitment is key at every level and any initiative that helps us to attract top young players has to be warmly welcomed.

"It is all very progressive, not least the furthering of links between the Academy, the Reserves, and the first team. A the club is clearly keen to take some very positive steps forward."

One of Rigg's first priorities will be to recruit more scouts to act as Rovers' eyes and ears' abroad.

He said: "Recruitment is all about having first class scouts watching as many games as possible, backed up with a top class administration system, and a finely-tuned reporting structure.

"We now have upwards of 60 scouts on call and, next week, I am travelling over Europe to try to add more contacts to our list.

"We have been chipping away at the whole thing for a few months now, trying to highlight areas for improvement, and the club has really taken our findings on board.

"It is vital that there is a seamless bridge between the senior and youth set ups.

"Everyone has embraced the principle and the meetings and discussions have been very positive. The Chairman has been pro-active in setting up the review and making sure action points have been implemented.

"Some of the things we do will continue unchanged, while others will change dramatically to make way for new thinking and direction.

"Perhaps we will never achieve the ultimate system, whereby we always get the player we want and no-one ever slips through the net. Maybe that is impossible, but what is possible is to have a system which gives you the best chance, and that is what we are striving for."

The working party (which is still sitting) will now switch its attention to coaching and development, with the aim being to achieve further integration between the Academy, the reserves and the first team.

Williams added: "Of course we want our Academy to win games, we want the reserves to win games, because winning is a habit, but more importantly we need to unearth and develop future stars."