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Ep 43 - Wildcard Wednesday - who makes our XI of Forest Academy graduates?
5 Plays25 days ago
Marley, James, and Stuart discuss the benefits of Forest's Academy, and their favourites from the years.
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Theme
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to the latest Wild Card Wednesday from Daily Forest at the GSPN Podcast Network. I'm Stuart in the less glamorous surroundings of my ah front room this week, joined as per the past few Wednesdays by Marley.
00:00:23
James NFFC
Thank you.
00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Marley, how are you doing?
00:00:27
Marley
I am doing very well thank you very much.
00:00:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
And also joining us this week. And if you're watching watching this, not listening, he's wearing a very impressive Aldi Christmas onesie. It's James. James, how are
Reflections on the Arsenal Defeat
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
you?
00:00:39
James NFFC
I'm recovering from what was a very disappointing weekend, and which is so strange to say that it was disappointing to lose to Arsenal, but I was.
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, yet it was fourth versus fifth in in the Premier League and I think it was a bit of a ah balloon bursting situation for those ah versus Forest fans.
00:01:00
James NFFC
who whoa whoa whoa No, someone said that to me at work today. I will not let my balloon burst. Sorry to interrupt you, but you can't burst. my I was dreading seeing Gary Lineker say on match today, oh, Forrest Bubbles burst.
00:01:16
James NFFC
It's just a slight hiccup because Gibbs white betrayed us.
00:01:19
Marley
I'll re, we'll re-blow it.
00:01:20
James NFFC
That's all I can say. Sorry, let's do it.
00:01:23
Marley
We will re-blow it.
Upcoming Ipswich Match Hopes
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, yeah, we'll have to re-blow it when we face Ipswich at home on Saturday. You're right, I will leave such talk about de-deflation and what once we're beating Ed Sheeran and his merry men on Saturday, we'll forget that the Arsenal game never happened.
00:01:40
James NFFC
Yeah, it's Nuno wants to watch out for the ginger, uh, the ginger ninja interrupting his interviews, isn't it? Coming in from the side, taking him down.
00:01:47
Marley
ah since
00:01:50
James NFFC
and but
00:01:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think one of the Gallagher's I think you think it was Noel was in the away end for the city game last year. So maybe Sharon will be also so trying to to blend in in in the lower Bridgeford on on Saturday afternoon.
Missed Celebrations and Choices
00:02:05
James NFFC
he needs to find that kid who had the boom box you know that the year that we got promoted the kid who was always on on the away games call back here need to find him and sit next to him it'd be fine
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, yeah.
00:02:11
Marley
Colbach Jr. colbat j
00:02:21
Marley
He was close to me at the um promotion celebrations in Market Square.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Was he with his boombox?
00:02:27
Marley
ah No, he didn't have his boombox there.
00:02:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think for the promotion, the Market Square celebrations, just because I didn't know they were on. See, they didn't announce them in in advance and I'll be jinxing it a bit, but they only announced them yeah on Twitter after final whistle on on the Sunday for the Monday. And yeah, I'd already still staying in London. And I thought, yeah, should I either take my flight from London or should I cancel the flight, go to celebrations? And I definitely regret I'm not going to celebrations.
00:02:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
So
Family, Football, and Academy Theme
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
hopefully there'll be something in the market square in the not too distant future.
00:02:57
Marley
yeah me and my dad me and my dad drove back to Nottingham first thing we were meant to like spend the day in London and go to the caves or something dungeons but we just went straight back to Nottingham first thing in the morning to get to the celebrations and i don't regret that one bit because it was a brilliant little party checked
00:03:01
James NFFC
ah fake
00:03:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
So what was,
00:03:20
James NFFC
epi I didn't make it either.
00:03:21
Marley
it out
00:03:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
so what was that
00:03:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
to the celebrations or to Wembley?
00:03:25
James NFFC
oh
00:03:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Will Wembley come in with Still a memorable day.
00:03:28
James NFFC
No, no, I couldn't, I couldn't get tickets to Wembley. And, um, we ended up having a party over at my place. All the family came up to Yorkshire and, um, yeah, we had, we watched the game here together. We all cried together, you know, all that. It was really good actually. It was really good. So.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
What was also memorable about...
Academy Graduates: Contributions and Criticism
00:03:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
but but that That day, it's a very smooth link into our our theme for today, was the number of Academy graduates in in the Forest team with Warrall, Yates and Johnson all starting and playing key, key roles.
00:04:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ryan Yates was even announced as the goal scorer at Wembley. Of course, it turned out to be an own goal, but we we thought at first it was Yates, with Jordan Smith and Alex Myton also being valuable members of the squad that year.
00:04:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Smithmore is it a cheerleader. um but he's still he was still there in those Academy photos. ah So Marley, to start off with you, would you say the number one memory you have of Forest Academy players is Worrell lifting that trophy um in Wembley in May 2022?
00:04:35
Marley
it's it has to be I'd say really but um I would say there are some others us that come pretty close just in being such brilliant moments in the moment a lot of joy one of them in fact being and a Johnson moment which was him scoring a goal against Leicester City in a 4-1 victory at for City Ground. And of course that game was special because two of the goal scorers were academy graduates, Worrell and Johnson. So they would have embodied what it meant to score for Forest against the rival. And you could see that in Johnson's celebration because he jumped straight over the advertising audience into the crowd. That's one of the things I love the most about that goal.
00:05:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. I think that's certainly what was a shame at times in that and that first Premier League year was that occasionally Johnson would would get stick. I mean, um I think this is the case with others such as Yates and even Ben Osborne as well, is that some of the young players, the one of our own type players, almost seem to get more criticism than if they'd been an expensive signing in that position. ah James looks like you're about to disagree with that. Do you think we give our academy graduates an easy time or a hard time, or there's no no bias, it just depends on performance.
00:05:52
James NFFC
Everyone loves singing, you know, one of our own, ah and especially when you get your Johnsons who give you the arrows and different things. It's iconic moments, aren't they? No, I was just thinking for some reason, yeah, with regards to this week and Yates. So obviously, you know, the academy graduate at the moment, the only, is he the only one in the the squad? No, Abbott, Abbott's in the squad as well, isn't he? But he's he's the one that everyone would say is our home grown could be a forest for his whole career player.
00:06:28
James NFFC
and But it's only taken a couple of performances for the naysayers to be back out. I was reading something on Facebook earlier. I know we were pretty down on James Ward Prowse the other night, but he's not is on loan. He's peripheral to the... I don't really see him as you know a patriotic forest player. and Although I do kind of see Moreno like that now.
00:06:54
James NFFC
But anyway, the point being is so quickly, the naysayers have turned on the players. Ilanga's awful, you know, because he's had a couple of off games and then he got injured. Cho's just rubbish. And I'm just like fucking like rough with the smooth guys. But yeah, Yates, I think the Academy, and the players,
00:07:24
James NFFC
As the club, you can see why they may be seen as cash cows a little bit because it's pure profit.
Missed Opportunities and Academy Experience
00:07:30
James NFFC
um But as fans, when we get a good academy graduate who's actually like pulling up trees for us, I think it's the best sort of, you know, feeling one of our own.
00:07:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
I was hoping you were going to run off and get some obscure merchandise, but it seems like maybe it's just your camera. Stop working for two seconds. um what Sorry, you were going to tell you to add something there.
00:07:56
Marley
No, i was I put my hand up by accident when I tried to mute myself because my brother burst in my room like an idiot.
00:08:03
James NFFC
Well, I had someone close to me offered a position at the the Academy at the Forest Academy and they actually turned it down.
00:08:04
Marley
So when we get off this, his TV, his phone and his Playstation are all going.
00:08:16
James NFFC
And I was just like, what are you doing? Even if you don't think you're good enough.
00:08:19
Marley
Who was it and why did they turn it down?
00:08:23
James NFFC
Kind of family reasons, because they'd have had to have moved into digs.
00:08:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, so you mean a yeah a kid?
00:08:29
James NFFC
and
00:08:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
like I thought you meant a position, but meaning like an adult in the new character in Brazil.
00:08:34
James NFFC
Yeah, no, no, they did.
00:08:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
player yeah
00:08:37
James NFFC
So they over here in the UK, obviously we do work experience in your. final year at school um and they managed to get two weeks work experience with kind of the the community team at Forest to go out to schools and do like the and PE lessons with the the kids and stuff you know like they set out all the cones and everything in the playground and the young kids come out to try and get the community involved with the club so you went for two weeks with them um And they gave him, you know, you've got all the track suits and the kit and everything. um I mean, talk about work experience, Lucky. But over that two weeks, obviously he was playing with them and playing football. And they said, oh, you need to go speak with um this guy at the Academy.
00:09:26
James NFFC
Um, and they played with them for a bit and then they said, yeah, we'll, we can put you on like next year's intake, um, for, so you do, they still do college classes as part of the academy.
00:09:42
James NFFC
Um, so they still come out with some sort of qualification and
Education and Football: A Balanced Approach
00:09:45
James NFFC
different things. So he could have gone on. Um, yeah, after his, uh, yeah, as a scholar, um, and yeah.
00:09:48
Marley
scholarship.
00:09:56
James NFFC
I mean, he looks like now he's like I should.
00:09:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, I think it's interesting you mentioned that there is the combination with with college courses.
00:09:58
James NFFC
it
00:10:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So I've certainly heard a lot about the work. Gary Brazil started when he was in charge of the Academy. Their aim was to not just create good young footballers, but to create great young young people as well. um And what you sort of look at the some of the names who have go gone through the Academy, the more recent likes of Worrell and some Brennan Johnson, even going slightly further back to Wes Morgan, Michael Dawson, David Crutton.
00:10:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah It all seems like a disproportionately high number of these go on to work kids as as pundits. So, yeah, Andy Reid's very well so and well spoken.
00:10:39
James NFFC
yeah
00:10:39
Marley
Thanks.
00:10:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
So maybe it's Steve Hodge, of course, there's a punditry for. He's a very nauseam genius. Let's head about him at the moment. But it did does seem to produce um good, good characters um to then go out and do other things, not just in football.
00:10:55
James NFFC
Yeah, random memory. I had a meeting at the forest um ground and was meeting someone from forest and Do you know where, so you go into the main stand car park um and you go left towards where the dressing rooms are, et cetera, as if you go into um the Trenton side of things.
00:11:19
James NFFC
And then round the back of what is the ticket office building is the reception ah building. And you can go in there. And as you go in there immediately on the right-hand side, there's like a meeting room. And in that meeting room, the wall is plastered with framed, signed, like match worn shirts from all the the big Academy graduates from Dawson, Magoogan, you know, Perch.
00:11:46
James NFFC
and people like this, Harwood, Harwood, sorry, Marlin, flipping heck, Marlin. But yeah, it's it's amazing that room, just all around the walls looking at the the names that come through the Academy.
00:12:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it certainly is um impressive that um across different times in and in the club's history, the club's development, there have been um players come through the academy to um make that that that impact, um not just at Forest but elsewhere. So just give you a quick question, James. um who which Which Forest academy player?
Trivia and Career Achievements of Graduates
00:12:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
according to transfer marked has gone on to make the most league appearances for anybody. So Forest Academy player, most who's going to have that longest in terms of number of appearances, a professional career.
00:12:30
James NFFC
Ooh.
00:12:37
James NFFC
So it's not just appearances above the level of forest. It's appearances anywhere in a professional football league.
00:12:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:44
James NFFC
Is that so what I was saying? so So because I was thinking first, I was thinking, oh, maybe it's like genus or Dawson, and you know, those that went Premier League way. But I don't think it will be.
00:12:55
James NFFC
I think it's going to be um someone who possibly went down like perch. Perch I'm going to go with because he went to Mansfield as well in the end or something like that didn't he?
00:13:08
James NFFC
Didn't he stick around Nottingham Way? Did Knox County? Mansfield.
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's interesting you say yeah James Perch is 8th on the list.
00:13:14
James NFFC
I'm going to stick with James Perch.
00:13:19
James NFFC
ah ah Not even close then.
00:13:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
with ah this is close um He's with 451 total appearances.
00:13:27
James NFFC
Okay.
00:13:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So for Forest, Newcastle, Wigan, Scunthorpe, Mansfield and QPR.
00:13:27
James NFFC
give
00:13:34
James NFFC
Newcastle, yeah, that's where he went, wasn't it?
00:13:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so no, it's very, yeah, because it's very interesting your you your thoughts that you went for someone who clocked up a lot of appearances going down.
00:13:36
James NFFC
QPR, wow.
00:13:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
But this is actually someone who, well, the kind of almost the clue is forest work as well at the time, ah slightly further back.
00:13:45
James NFFC
Did they go up?
00:13:52
James NFFC
Forest Work.
00:13:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:54
James NFFC
Ooh. That is...
00:14:00
James NFFC
wasn't Howard, was it? No, not further back than that.
00:14:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
How it is one place above perch on the on this ranking?
00:14:06
James NFFC
ah Let me have a look at my list of graduates that I looked up earlier to to look at some of the older ones.
00:14:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
fish
00:14:14
James NFFC
Right. Let's see. um I'm going to say, oh, come on, guys. um I'm going to go. Adverts, man.
00:14:25
James NFFC
Adverts. Can you give me a clue?
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, so it's part of a Forest Family.
00:14:34
James NFFC
Ugh. Dez Walker.
00:14:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's Walker, correct.
00:14:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah he made a total of 658 total appearances for Forest Sheffield Wednesday, Mali, which Italian club?
00:14:40
James NFFC
Flippin' it.
00:14:52
Marley
as Walker.
00:14:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:56
Marley
Apologies if I seem stupid for not being too sure on this.
00:15:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now we'll ah quick quickly cut to an ad and see if maybe James, you can jump in just after the quick adverts.
00:15:01
Marley
It's way before my time. ah
00:15:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're working the adverts, we might as well celebrate by using them.
00:15:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the Italian club but a is was Sampdoria.
00:15:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
He I think he played. I think he played under Sven was I think would have been his manager at the time.
00:15:38
James NFFC
well sump door
Memorable Moments and Local Legends
00:15:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm not sure of the fulfilling overlap, but Sven was definitely also Sampdoria coach in in the early 90s.
00:15:43
James NFFC
ah
00:15:50
James NFFC
can i Can I tell you a story about an Academy graduate that I um came in close contact with? but in fact, a couple.
00:15:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Go ahead, yeah.
00:15:58
James NFFC
So we were once um a hospitality at Forest in the Robin Hood Suite, and it was were maybe, Lamouche was there, Samba was there, so maybe the year, the last year of Lumushi right before COVID. um And, you know, we got to meet Warl, which was obviously a a graduate, but then there was this kid hanging around kind of the back of the room in a tracksuit and he'd not really hit the scene yet. He'd maybe had a couple of sub appearances in cup games and different things. And and it was Brandon Johnson.
00:16:37
James NFFC
And, you know, back then no one was like, Oh, it's brean johnson it He was just kind of milling at the back chewing gum, looking what to do. And it was Alfie was really young at the time, but he's like, Oh dad, I think that's that Brendan Johnson kid.
00:16:53
James NFFC
Um, but then he he'd gone by then. Um, but yeah, the big players then were like Lolly and cash and and different things. So Johnson wasn't really on the radar.
00:17:02
Marley
Was that, that was the, that was the Lemouché season, wasn't it?
00:17:03
James NFFC
Um, Yeah.
00:17:05
Marley
had A very, very, very, very, very, very painful loss to Stowe.
00:17:09
James NFFC
Yes. But one one of the best Academy stories was Marlon Harewood and um grew up in a small village out towards the Nautomishadabisha border. And there's like most villages down there, you know, there's ah a park, a wreck with the pitch on it. And one Sunday I was visiting my parents where home where I grew up.
00:17:38
James NFFC
ah which was maybe 100 meters from the park and someone came in and said Marlon Hare was on the park. And we went out and we saw his like Range Rover on the way across cause he's got that like car rental business. And then we got to the park and it was after he'd retired from professional football, but he was still playing for a local club. And it was a cup game, like a really early, early, um, FA cup game. And they don't usually play on the park near us, but it was a local team.
00:18:11
James NFFC
who's ground, and there was something wrong and they just need an an emergency pitch to play on. So they ended up as and we were watching um and he was playing for, he wasn't playing for the local team, he was playing for the away team, but it was just fun to be able to kind of watch him play from you know the sidelines with only like 20 other people. ah But then he scored a goal and it must've been a yard over the line, um but the ref didn't give it.
00:18:41
James NFFC
and the rest didn't see it, linesman didn't see it, we all saw it. Oh my gosh. I and know he's a forest graduate, but I was just like, I didn't get that in the Premier League. You know, we were all giving it, riving him a little bit like, yeah, yeah, you come down here, you got you got to take it rough with a smooth mate.
00:18:57
James NFFC
and
00:18:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Did he even then play at that local level? If you didn't know it was Marlon Howard, if someone had said to you which one of these 22 is the former Premier League player, could you instantly tell or was he?
00:19:09
James NFFC
Oh yeah, yeah.
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah yeah
00:19:10
James NFFC
you He was running rings and he was just bodying everyone. Like he he just had an air of, you know, he was the big man on the pitch and that no one could push him off the ball. And you knew as soon as he got it, you know, when you're, you kind of, even when you're playing or you're you're watching someone play the kid who everyone's like, Oh, just pass the ball. Just pass the ball. I'm not saying he was a ball. What I'm saying is those people are annoying.
00:19:39
James NFFC
but they always seem to like dribble through the tightest spots and then score. And then you're like, oh, OK, well, you scored. And it was kind of like that. you know he'd He always he never lost a ah challenge, ah always confident that if the ball went towards him, he was
Unpredictability of Football Careers
00:19:55
James NFFC
getting it. So yeah, you could tell. Sorry.
00:19:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, know that's the interesting thing. So I'm going to talk now about an Academy graduate. I would guess from the two of you might not recognize the name of a guy called Adam Newbold. Does that really recognize the name right of you?
00:20:11
James NFFC
New bold, yes.
00:20:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so he
00:20:13
James NFFC
Yes.
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he actually went to my my school.
00:20:15
Marley
No, not at all.
00:20:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he was um ss is is three years older than me, but everyone knew who he was. He was like the talk of the school. Wow, there's a guy in the Forest Academy.
00:20:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
This guy um was meant meant to be amazing. He was breaking all sorts of goal scoring records in the Academy as well. Then purely coincidentally, I was there for his Forest debut.
00:20:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he scored in his debut again, according to Wikipedia. in a league cup game against Morecambe as a sub in a 4-0 victory. And then he made his football league debut a few days later. This is under Colin Calderwood. And then when Billy Davis came in, new manager comes in, didn't fancy him, ended up alone at Stallybridge Celtic. um Then Tamworth, then Hucknall Town, and then Ballarat Red Devils. And this was as of February, March, 2011. So even someone who at school we were so excited about, we were like, wow, there's a kid in the Forest Academy.
00:21:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's on the bench for a League Cup game and is even coming on and scoring. The fact that his career didn't amount to anything at all just goes to show how difficult it is to predict what a youth player will go on to do.
00:21:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know you said, um like we we thought like you thought, thought with Marlon Harewood James, he's always been the best player on the pitch that we've seen. ah For whatever reason, he just couldn't cut it at the higher level.
00:21:33
James NFFC
Yeah.
00:21:36
James NFFC
Yeah, no, absolutely. Um, and it's weird, isn't it? Because you you do see players like that. I remember, um, there was that kid for Man United a couple of seasons ago and he scored like two goals in a game.
00:21:50
James NFFC
He was one of their foreign Academy players. Um, can't even remember his name now.
00:21:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's the answer to your anger?
00:21:56
James NFFC
So no, no, no, it wasn't him. Um, it was even before then it was a weird name anyway, and everyone thought he was like the new Ronaldo. And then he got, ah because he'd had a really good performance, got a couple more starts, but never did anything and then kind of fell away and he's not anywhere now.
00:22:13
James NFFC
So it is strange sometimes how maybe the the wrong move, um, can, yeah, to take you in the
Forest Academy's Competitive Challenges
00:22:22
James NFFC
wrong direction. So. Hmm.
00:22:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely.
00:22:26
James NFFC
I was just looking at a list of Academy players and there's some amazing names on there, like Steve Stone, Mark Crossley, Chetwell, like guys who, you see them, you see ah Steve Stone and Ian Wone in the the dugout for Villa.
00:22:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I'll have this quick, yeah.
00:22:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:49
James NFFC
And I'm just like, you're in the wrong dugout, guys. Wrong Midlands team.
00:22:53
Marley
ah thing ah think it's also thing I think it's also something to look at but this doesn't look like it's going to end.
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah that that manager team, yeah, Dyche, Stone and Wone, Dyche is another Forest Academy graduate. He didn't play for the first team, but that that trio there, they're just managers and waiting at Forest Marley.
00:23:11
Marley
It looks like there's still more to come from our academy because obviously we've got so many players in our academy at the minute that could come something. We've got Junior Asepa Osong out on loan at Rotherham which OK, he's not really getting the game time, but even just currently in our academy not on loan. We've got Zach Abbott, who apparently United were looking at. We've got a young striker, I believe he is, ah called Danny Anisco, who's looking very good. And we've even got the son of a Premier League legend, Shay Cahill, is at the club at the minute.
00:23:43
James NFFC
Wow.
00:23:46
James NFFC
they we we We do have a, and wait we've been, the academy is ranked, ah is it A class or something like that?
00:23:57
James NFFC
What's the class system for the academy?
00:23:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh, one thing is classically one, isn't it?
00:23:59
Marley
I agree one.
00:24:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or was it? Yeah.
00:24:01
James NFFC
Yes, that's a category, yeah. So, but they had some improvements just a couple of years ago, didn't they? um In order to attract.
00:24:09
Marley
Yeah.
00:24:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, there was a worry for, for a time, um, that forest were being left behind, uh, in the region, there was certainly a time. I would say five or six years ago, where where even if you're a talented kid in Nottingham, you're going to want to go into the Derby or Leicester academies because they were better at the time, ah because Leicester were winning the Premier League and and Derby were, um there's a better pathway at Derby, they had more managerial stability and I think they even won either the FA you've Youth Cup or the ah FA Youth League even. i think
00:24:13
James NFFC
and
00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think what's very important now is I think forests are back to being the top of the tree across those three East Midlands clubs that ah there is now that pathway again for, as Marley said, sons of Premier League players, people who know the game, that they once again trust Forest as a place where your kid is going to get a good education, become a star player
00:25:05
James NFFC
Thank
Career Choices and Big Club Influences
00:25:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
and perhaps even play Premier League football.
00:25:07
James NFFC
you. Yeah. It's so difficult though, isn't it? Cause you look at some of the players and like we just saying before about people making the wrong moves or, you know, their career looking so good and they're not so good, but how do you decide? Like let's take Sancho and Foden, for example, both in the Academy at Man City. Um, Sancho chose to leave, go to a lesser league, a step down, um, to Dortmund.
00:25:39
James NFFC
and but became ah went from being a small fish in a big pond to being a medium fish in a medium pond and then grew into you know this this epic player. Granted it's not really worked out for him since but you know would Would there have been the elbow room for him to grow into that play and have that opportunity?
00:26:01
James NFFC
Had he stayed at City? Foden did stay at City um and you i did get so did get the play in time in the end, but then people like Palmer felt that he needed to leave City in order to get that play in time.
00:26:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
working
00:26:15
James NFFC
So I think it can be really difficult, and must be for parents and young players in order to not be blinded maybe by the lights of the the big six clubs and United and stuff.
00:26:19
Marley
Hm.
00:26:26
James NFFC
Yes, you've been at that Academy. Yes, it sounds very good, but maybe to, are you going to get the opportunity? If you're not like class of 92, David Beck and Paul Scholes, Neville brothers, people like that, gigs, and you're more Robbie Savage, who was also a class of 92, then you're going to need to take a step out of the way of Man United and and find somewhere else, you know.
00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think it does depend on how realistic your advice is because he and you mentioned Robbie robbie Savage, who had a great career. He was a Premier League regular, won a lot for Wales.
00:27:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know we we we don't like Robbie Savage around this way, but I mean, for the for the purpose of ah as an academy graduate, yeah.
00:27:11
James NFFC
Yeah, I bought him up.
00:27:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I know, I know, but just despite some of his later career moves, should we say, he went on to have a solid Premier League career.
00:27:15
James NFFC
That's my fault.
00:27:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right, he wasn't at the heart of the Man United midfield, but then you look at his son, ah Charlie Savage, who has already left Man United. I think he's now the captain of Reading, I believe. So he's, again, with Robbie as his dad, as his advisor, he's known when to make the leap away from Manchester.
00:27:30
James NFFC
OK.
00:27:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So maybe it is a combination of advice, being realistic, And of course, he had an opportunity elsewhere.
Robbie Savage's Advice on Academy Life
00:27:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Adam Neubolt, who I mentioned, he left forest for Tamworth. Maybe he should have dropped down one or two levels.
00:27:46
James NFFC
Yeah.
00:27:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe he wanted to be a big fish in the pond of Tamworth. That never worked out and his career didn't work out. Marley.
00:27:54
Marley
yeah ah i would kind of i know this isn't forest academy but i'd kind of like to um mention another player who was in united academy but his career kind of took a different direction and i both i hate mentioning this player on a forest podcast because he ended up at the same club robbie savage ended up at but i'm happy to mention him as a failed wunderkid who can be laughed at because I love laugh at him laugh laughing at him because I hate him and nothing has ever brought me more joy.
00:28:27
Marley
Not even a goal at city ground and watching him get sent off at the city ground and that man is Ravel Morrison.
00:28:32
Marley
and it was He was massively hyped to be the next big thing at United. I can't remember what exactly happened if he got injured or something but he ended up having a mediocre time at West Ham.
00:28:32
James NFFC
Yes.
00:28:45
Marley
ah Went on to Birmingham, QPR, Cardiff. And he never, his career never really took off. He ended up playing most of his football at Derby. Uh, played a little bit at Atlas in South America.
00:28:57
Marley
I think that is, he played tiny bits at Adderall 10 Harg, Earth to Sun, the Lazio. Then he ended up at DC United and just even played in the England youth teams and then ended up becoming a Jamaican international.
00:29:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you know who his teammate is now in the UAE third division? Who is Ravel Morrison playing in the midfield alongside? And this will tell you all you need to know about Ravel Morrison, who is his current midfield partner at Precision FC in Dubai.
00:29:27
Marley
I think I know this because I'm pretty sure I know of um someone else who plays for them back. I can't think of who it is.
00:29:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's probably hopefully the only time we'll ever mention this person's name on this podcast. Harry Arter.
00:29:43
James NFFC
yeah did harry art not get swallowed up by the
00:29:45
Marley
ah
00:29:48
James NFFC
green monster made of money that it was paid for by forest
00:29:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
He got the taste of it and now in in Dubai.
00:29:54
James NFFC
my a flip and act traitor
00:29:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:59
James NFFC
um but ah We can't let this pass without mentioning Robbie Savage's greatest career achievement. And that was being the beating heart of the Derby team that set the record of 11 points and as the record low for a Premier League season. Thank you,
00:30:19
Marley
Yeah, I personally, I personally would also just like to point out that Shay K.
00:30:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, you're right.
00:30:26
Marley
Hill, Tim Cahill's son isn't the only former Premier League legend whose son has gone to Forest for Academy. There is also Sean Wright Phillips, I'm not sure if he's already been mentioned or not, son or something of Ian Wright, who is now a much loved pundit on
00:30:39
James NFFC
Yeah. Adopted son.
00:30:47
Marley
on football in the Premier League. He also played a for Forest Academy. Yes, his dad has played for Forest, so it's less obscure than Shay Kay Hill, but it's still showing throughout multiple eras. Premier League legends have been able to look at us and think that is the place for my son developing his career and hopefully become ah ah probably like a Premier League legend himself.
00:31:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
But that was the strange thing. This was always, again, when I was sort of a teenager when Sean Wright Phillips was in the England team, we were he was always seen as Forrest's one that got away because he was released for being too small, the story goes, and then he ended up at City.
00:31:23
James NFFC
you smell
00:31:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So again, it just proves that almost the moral of the story is that When you're in the academy or any academy, the best thing is to get a good, grounded ah education because you never know where
Celebrating Success and Building a Fantasy Team
00:31:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
you end up. You could make it. You could be a Phil Foden or a Ryan Yates, a one club man, or he could end up cast aside like Robbie Savage.
00:31:44
James NFFC
Okay. Um, I know this might not have been in the script, but can we do an academy 11? If we, if we needed to put together a starting lineup from Academy graduates, who would we have starting in goal?
00:31:58
James NFFC
Who are the options?
00:31:59
Marley
ah Mark, Mark, Crozley, Karl, Darlow.
00:32:00
James NFFC
Um, crossly.
00:32:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, are we doing achievement for forest or achievement in in the game?
00:32:05
James NFFC
mess Just in the game, like who we think would be best in our, in our team. So out of those three, crossly, Darla or Smith, I'd go crossly.
00:32:12
Marley
Frosley.
00:32:17
Marley
Mark, Crozley.
00:32:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, no, I go to the costly.
00:32:18
Marley
Definitely Mark.
00:32:19
James NFFC
Yep. Okay. Two center backs, um, come into mind.
00:32:23
Marley
A little.
00:32:24
James NFFC
We've got obviously.
00:32:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So can can I ah can I before you go for names, can we? Because center back is we we mentioned as Walker, you mentioned Michael Dawson. And also, where's Morgan?
00:32:33
James NFFC
Yep.
00:32:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's play a back three.
00:32:36
James NFFC
Oh yeah. No good idea that. Um, so who we got there?
00:32:40
Marley
yeah i would like to throw another I would like to throw another player into the mix.
00:32:41
James NFFC
Dawson.
00:32:44
James NFFC
Go on.
00:32:45
Marley
ah a championed league captain jamal lael
00:32:50
James NFFC
Ooh, yeah, but I don't think he beats out Big Wes Dawson or but a good honorable mention there because we've got some some good ones coming in behind the cells and Sorry Worrell, you know some good ones there.
00:32:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:33:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just move around.
00:33:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:33:12
James NFFC
So let's look at left back who we got left back.
00:33:16
Marley
Uhh...
00:33:19
James NFFC
Um, so left back Brett Williams from 1968. Not sure. Um, Alex might was left sided, but not left back.
00:33:33
James NFFC
oh We might, you know what? We might have to go with, uh, cause we're playing a back three, a flying wing back in the form of Alex mine. But if we switched to the other side to right back,
00:33:47
James NFFC
can we go with um yeah yeah i you've got to you've got
00:33:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Matty Cash, you would be a good good flying wingback. Well, how about just because he played more for Forest, you put on Ben Osborne ahead of Maitan as the left wing back?
00:33:59
Marley
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:34:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
thanks He's passed it, that's why he's at Derby, because we're a Premier League team and he is he's not. i think it's he's We can always thank him for the goal against Derby, so I think we can forgive him for um now playing at Derby.
00:34:17
James NFFC
OK, right, so we've got.
00:34:18
Marley
Yeah, but, um, but he went to Derby, so the best left-back to ever come out of Forest Academy is now Julian Bennett.
00:34:27
James NFFC
Julian Bennett.
00:34:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, there's SFM. He scored the promotion winning game against Yova in 2008 from Ligue 1. So yeah, I'm happy with Julian Bennett.
00:34:34
James NFFC
Yeah.
00:34:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Bennett and Matti cashed us out as our wingbacks.
00:34:38
James NFFC
OK, are we going to go um ah five to three? What formation we going for?
00:34:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, let's just do for five, five, two, three.
00:34:46
Marley
I mean 523 got us promoted.
00:34:50
James NFFC
Yeah.
00:34:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Middle, middle.
00:34:51
James NFFC
So two, two in midfield, two in the middle. Who we got. Um, yeah, but yeah,
00:34:55
Marley
Ryan Yates has to be Ryan Yates.
00:34:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, just because he's ah easy because he's there and we've got to have because he's the only one her there at the moment in the team. I think I'm happy having him in my my two.
00:35:08
James NFFC
and we could go with Jermaine genus. Um, we could go with who else have we got there?
00:35:17
James NFFC
And Roy Keane, my son just wished Roy Keane. Roy Keane wasn't ah in the academy though, was he?
00:35:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, he played a few games professionally in Ireland air before he came over.
00:35:24
James NFFC
Yeah. but ben Ben Osborne. Standard. Steve Hodge. Gamel.
00:35:32
Marley
And.
00:35:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, put on a Gemmel, because he's a son of ah a legend legendary Archie Gemmel, so we've mentioned ah the father-in-a-son theme a lot, so I'm happy with Scott Gemmel around here.
00:35:33
James NFFC
um
00:35:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is it in in a 2? Or on my Google, even.
00:35:43
James NFFC
Yeah.
00:35:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
or
00:35:45
James NFFC
um Let's stick with Gamel.
00:35:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or...
00:35:47
James NFFC
Let's throw some of the old boys in as well.
00:35:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:35:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's the Scott Gemmel.
00:35:50
James NFFC
A bit of a European glitz and glam there.
00:35:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And should we name a front player each?
00:35:56
James NFFC
Yeah,
00:35:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's going to be a 5-2-3.
00:35:58
James NFFC
yeah any front player across the front, any one, even if we pick three center ones, everyone choose their favorite.
00:36:05
Marley
ah Let me have a quick think, so many to pick from. Genuinely so many to pick from.
00:36:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, I've said before, he's been one of my all-time favourite players, so as our left wing, I'm going to affect Andy Reid.
00:36:18
James NFFC
Oh, yes. Andy Reid. Perfect shout. Now I was thinking Bamford, but I think he's a bit of a no. Um, so I'm going to go with Airwood. Um, just because love the guy. Um, and he looks funny.
00:36:34
Marley
All right, i'm ah I'm going to go for... Oh, he's a defender.
00:36:40
James NFFC
You put your defender up front.
00:36:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
and there is we we can we can we can change We can change our formation if you want to make a good case work for this guy.
00:36:41
Marley
I was... and um I've just got another defender who I really like and want to fit in the team, so I'm going to play him on the wing.
00:36:51
James NFFC
Go on.
00:36:53
Marley
Joel Lynch. Do you know it's not Lynch, it's Perch, I think.
00:36:55
James NFFC
Joel Lynch.
00:36:57
Marley
James Perch, James Perch.
00:36:58
James NFFC
James.
00:36:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
but James Purge. He was a utility man. yeah We can make this ah defensive 5-4-1 with Reid and James Purge.
00:37:04
James NFFC
Yeah. You know, put him where you want.
00:37:06
Marley
I've got so many players in my head.
00:37:07
James NFFC
As long as he's getting paid, he's not bothered. So no, fantastic. and That was fun.
00:37:14
Marley
and imagine and I can now imagine Andy Reid and James Perch trying to bomb it down the wing for Forest.
00:37:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:37:21
James NFFC
Yeah.
00:37:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
and well A patient approach maybe might be, might be leading to our formation.
00:37:24
James NFFC
email
Listener Engagement and Social Media Interaction
00:37:26
James NFFC
Yeah, there's not that much speed there is. it and Cool. Right then. Well, if anyone, if anyone's got any other suggestions for the forest 11, like drop it in the comments, let us know who you take, who you take out and put in or vice versa.
00:37:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice.
00:37:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
but but na yeah I think it's been a very good, very worthwhile Wild Car Wednesday. I'm very glad that our tangent last week Marley led us on to this topic. So joining on tomorrow's episode, it's already been pre-recorded.
00:37:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Marley and Mark discussing the Ipswich game in our crossover episode. And we'll be back um on Friday with the preview for the game against Ipswich.
00:38:05
James NFFC
Epic.
00:38:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thanks all for listening and you know how to find us on socials.
00:38:08
James NFFC
Nice one. See ya.