Last summer’s transfer window saw Adam Roscrow join AFC Wimbledon. The signing turned heads as it involved a League One outfit acquiring a player from university side Cardiff Met.
Roscrow, who was on Swansea’s books as a youth, also had trials for Cardiff, Bristol Rovers and Ipswich. He then played for Llantwit Major while studying a Sports Performance Analysis degree and a masters in Sports Coaching and Pedagogy. But does he represent a new trend in English football?
Cardiff Met made headlines last year by reaching the qualifying stages of the Europa League. Although they lost their first qualifier to Luxembourg side Progres Niederkorn, the team became the first British university to field a male football team in a European competition.
Meanwhile in Scotland, Stirling University finished their 2017-18 campaign 3rd in the Highlands Football League. That’s just two positions away from a play off place to reach the Scottish Football League. With such advances being made by university teams it’s clear to see these sides are more than hungover students killing time between lectures.
However, stories such as these are far less common in England. After Team Bath FC reached the 1st round of the FA cup in 2003-04, a cap was placed on university sides to stop them progressing past the 8th tier of english football. Chris Evans, author of “Learning Curve” believes that this cap is hindering university sides. “If uni teams did compete at a higher level, better players would be interested in taking up a degree and playing. But for any teenager who has serious aspirations of playing professionally, committing to three years at a capped standard is a big decision to make.”
Chris Evans is well acquaintedwith university football. His book is an in-depth look at Loughborough University's men’s first team as he follows them for an entire season. In doing so he gets a first hand look at how the cap limits universities.
Although the teams may be limited, it doesn't mean the players are. Universities can be a great breeding ground for players to use as a stepping stone to the football league such as Roscrow has shown. Evans believes that “the knowledge that a young player has lived away from home, passed a degree and managed schedules themselves is a plus” for clubs looking for players in the lower leagues.This is a stark contrast to many academy players that are used to being mothered by their clubs.
In the USA the standard route for most young sports stars is through college or university. One benefit of this is that it allows young athletes to study a degree along with their chosen sport. This gives them something to fall back on if their sports career fails. It’s a startling fact that 500-600 young men are released from academies in England every year. They are thrust into the real world with little education with many clubs struggling to time-table football alongside GCSE’s and Alevels. Evans describes their education as no more than a “box ticking exercise”.
It’s a misconception that academies represent the best footballers in the country. Many players are left in academies solely to help the stars improve when it’s clear they aren't going to make it themselves. Furthermore, universities can attract foriegn players with professional experience who have come to England for an education as well as good players that were simply overlooked by academies. For these reasons the difference in quality between the two approaches might not be as large as you would think.
It may also come as a shock that uni teams actually play more football matches than academies. An average week at most universities could see a team play up to 3 games depending on how many trophies they are challenging for. For example, all teams play in the British University and College Sports (BUCS) league while the best teams also play non-league football as well as challenge for various trophies including the FA Cup. In total it can add up to 50-60 games. Compare this with an academy player and it’s unlikely they would be playing more than 12 times a season.
On top of this, many universities supplement game time with a host of off the pitch activities. An average week could see a player taking part in 2-3 training sessions, 2-3 individual strength and conditioning sessions as well as video analysis and physiotherapy. It’s clear that football is being taken very seriously and with such an emphasis on the game it’s no wonder university players could progress better than academy players.
In regards to facilities some universities give professional academies a run for their money. The first team at Loughborough receive expert coaching, discounted gym membership, strength and conditioning training, nutrition, sports science and sports medicine support This is as good as you can expect to find at any academy in the UK.
Many of the coaches at this level have also worked with professional clubs. Christian Edwards, who played for a host of football league teams such as Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Crystal now finds himself managing Cardiff Met. The guidance of a former professional who has played at the top level will have had a great effect on the students as they reached the Europa League qualifiers.
However some clubs find their managers from within. Alex Ackerley, head coach at Loughborough studied Sports and Exercise Science with the university. He had also worked with the women's teams and been assistant for the men’s first team as well as working externally with Burton Albion Academy and Seattle Reign FC. Impressively Ackerley led Loughborough to win their BUCS league in his first season as head coach. It’s clear the university system can be a good breeding ground for managers and coaches while giving students a chance to learn from some of the best.
With universities matching academies in many aspects, it’s easy to wonder whether in the future academies will become obsolete. The simple answer is academies provide too much of a financial benefit for top clubs. If you think of clubs such as Southampton that make millions from selling players they have farmed in their academies it’s easy to see why they are essential to the modern super club. However, in the lower leagues it’s rare to find a talent that warrants the expense of running an academy. To combat this Chris Evans suggests that lower league clubs “consider a partnership with a uni as an innovative approach, as running an academy can be difficult to fund when budgets are so tight”.
Evans goes on to praise the good things universities are doing but warns “unless people take them seriously, they'll remain a quirk in the system rather than a shining light”. Many universities have the set ups in place to produce some fantastic footballers, however it remains to be seen if Roscrow is the harbinger of a new generation.
By: Vincent Sim.