I have today received a letter back from the football league.

My original letter to them was this

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to express my dismay and disgust at the repeated failure by the FA to protect the countries smaller clubs and ensure the healthy development of young players. It has recently come to light to that the FA tribunal system have awarded Crystal Palace a sum of £700,000 for John Bostock who is one of the most promising youngsters in the country. A few months ago Trevor Brooking received a lot of media attention regarding his views on the direction of the grass roots game and the pulling together of Youth development. The campaign was widely backed by all who saw the importance of bringing through the next batch of youngsters and reversing the "vacuum in leadership of youth football" It was a particularly relevant campaign considering England's failure to qualify for the European Championships this year.

However, I find Trevor Brookings and the FA's stance on that subject at odds with the paltry sum Crystal Palace have been awarded for nurturing and developing a player who is widely expected to represent England in the future. John Bostock has been at Crystal Palace from a very young age, he has been developed to represent the England youth teams, even captaining the under 17 team recently. I understand it is perfectly natural for a player with such potential to be coveted by the top clubs, indeed Chelsea, Manchester Utd and Barcelona have all been linked with his signature. John Bostock became the youngest player to play for Crystal Palace against Watford last season, this was a moment of immense pride for the club who had nurtured him from a young age. The bigger clubs were alerted and John Bostock and his family felt that his football development lie somewhere else. In an age whereby our game is subject to tens of millions of pounds being spent on players, I find the fee awarded to Crystal Palace for the services of a player who has received recognition in the form of call ups to the England youth teams and praise drawn from a wide range of respected pundits, ludicrous.

I would ask where the FA feel the incentive for lower league clubs to produce and nurture such players lie. In today's competitive transfer market is 700,000 pounds a fair representation of the work Crystal Palace has put in to the development of John Bostock? I also feel clubs such as Crystal Palace are helpless to stop this happening in future and as such have to wonder whether the existence of youth academies is worthwhile when they're not awarded suitably for the work undertaken. In an ideal world, John Bostock would've gone onto play at least a couple of seasons for the club and as such would've commanded a fee which far eclipses the 700,000 we have been awarded, but in the current age of football, money talks and John Bostocks loyalty was tested. Crystal Palace and many other lower league clubs are helpless to fend of the super rich top teams of the game and with little or no protection from the FA it goes to show where the FA's priorities lie.. I believe the tiny compensation Crystal Palace have been awarded is a kick in the teeth to the efforts and hard work our academy staff have put in to his development. For me, it is also a massive indication of where the FA's priorities lie with regards to safeguarding the future of the grassroots game and the development of the countries youth players. With no incentive for the smaller clubs to produce the next generation of top English players, will the onus be put onto the top teams and more importantly will they forgo their current routine of looking abroad for young talent?

I am disturbed that compensation rulings such as this will give the top clubs carte blanche to tap up and poach academy talents from lower league clubs without fear of reproach. It sets a precedent whereby it would appear the FA are more concerned with avoiding the wrath of top clubs and watching them get richer, whilst at the same time watching grassroots game erode. More and more commonly clubs are entering administration and as such are deducted points, one has to wonder whether their cause is being helped by an organisation that appears to be more concerned with the development of the already rich super clubs than they are with the development of our home grown English players and the lower league clubs that produce them.

I am an avid football follower and follow the game at all levels, the above letter is born out of concern for the current state of our game and an eagerness to see things improve.

Kind Regards

Luke Ward.


Now Stateside and watching soccer y'all.