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>Mexican link-up for City?
8:30am Thursday 10th July 2008
Comments (43)City are discussing plans to set up their own academy in Mexico.
Joint-chairman Mark Lawn and head of operations Dave Baldwin will be jetting out to Central America later this month for a five-day fact-finding mission.
They will be visiting a private school in Mexico City which is looking to expand into a coaching centre – and want City to come on board.
Lawn said: “Through Mark Ellis we got introduced to Gary Batley, who used to work for Leeds United’s youth and now goes out there regularly to coach the coaches at this school.
“They then approached us to go over and talk about the possibility of setting up an academy and coaching centre. At the moment the only ones in Mexico City are connected to Juventus and Real Madrid.
“The school, which has a fairly high-quality clientele, have just bought some land to put two or three pitches on and they are paying for me and David to go and have a look. If all goes well, we could be looking at a fairly quick move to set things up.
“There’s also a club who want to talk to us as well about a possible link. Obviously we don’t know what will happen but it’s certainly worth looking at and would be a great way of promoting the name and brand of the football club.”
Any move to develop in Central America in the future could cast a doubt over City’s current link-up with Royal Racing FC Montegnee in Belgium.
City had hoped to use the Liege club as a production line for bringing through young talent from around the world but so far they have been disappointed with the lack of results.
Lawn admitted: “Things aren’t going as well as we would have expected them to be. The quality of the lads that have come over is not what we had hoped.”
Your Say YourBradford Telegraph and Argus
Craig, Odsal says...
8:59am Thu 10 Jul 08
Bantam Forever., Bingley says...
9:02am Thu 10 Jul 08
Chewy, Bradford says...
9:13am Thu 10 Jul 08
You quite clearly have no clue what so ever. Type in "Willy topp" on youtube, and watch the video from his Debut. even a half fit Topp is better than most that we have. Its the best signing we have made in years, and at the end of this season I want you to come on here and slag our 2008-2009 player of the season off.
keeponclucking, Bradford says...
9:17am Thu 10 Jul 08
e,Ricketts,Topp - to name a few.
keeponclucking, Bradford says...
9:26am Thu 10 Jul 08
Mr Sensible, Bingley says...
9:43am Thu 10 Jul 08
The General 82-86, gildersome says...
9:44am Thu 10 Jul 08
i agree with most of the above thinking this season topp will be a major asset and could be the key player this year .
on the goalkeeping front and striker front have heard all this will be sorted out in the next few days .
The General 82-86, gildersome says...
9:45am Thu 10 Jul 08
i agree with most of the above thinking this season topp will be a major asset and could be the key player this year .
on the goalkeeping front and striker front have heard all this will be sorted out in the next few days .
DickieBCFC, Oxenhope says...
10:08am Thu 10 Jul 08
tyker, midland road says...
10:29am Thu 10 Jul 08
you expect a video to convince me--saw him live and nothing really appeals to me or, I believe,SM.
Is that your only viewing of him--if so shame on you!
Judge him after a full season of 46 games of 90 minutes and let's see then! I doubt we will wait that long.
The last time we bought a player based on a video we errrrr bought the wrong player did we not. Some French guy who stayed for a week!
Yes strange to say MEXICO is in South America but with more allegaince to NORTH AMERICA-- or shall we say more citizens in USA than elsewhere whether as legals or illegals.
The point though is if anything half decent emerges how well will we be able to cope against say JUVENTUS AND REAL MADRID for any signings.
COME ON BOYS:GET A REALITY CHECK WE ARE WHERE WE ARE AND HAVE TO LIVE ON LOCAL TALENT AND TO DEVELOP THAT BEFORE LOOKING ABROAD.
fatbloke, eccleshill says...
10:36am Thu 10 Jul 08
I think the player to watch this year and it's not easy to say this will be Daley. I was very, very critical of him last year because of his can't be assssed attitude, he was not on his own but it was knowing what he was capable of that really frustrated me and up until Christmas McCalls reluctance to substitute him and moved him around the pitch to keep him on and take someone else off?
Anyhow I am really pleased with the new additions and my optimism lies with the totally different attitude we will see on the pitch this year. An hungry team with desire I believe will bring the very best out of Daley.
I watched the team train alot in the first week and the professinalism and attitude was better then on the actual pitch last season. The bigger players from last season Conlon and Heckingbottom to name 2 have come back very lean. The team looked so professional out there and so did the juniors.
The future looks really good and glad I am part of it.
donsaffro, Rutland says...
10:36am Thu 10 Jul 08
spacewagon, Shipley says...
10:41am Thu 10 Jul 08
Big Man, Wibsey says...
10:54am Thu 10 Jul 08
e,Ricketts,Topp - to name a few.
Schwarzer, Edinho, Kulscar, Sas, Halle, Topp (hardly caused problems yet), Carbone (bad financial management nothing to do with player) Jermaine Johnson, Molenaar, Uhlenbeek. Maybe foreigners do create the odd problem but I wish we could have a few of these guys back too.
Nothing ventured nothing gained I say. Fair enough we are no arsenal but look at the sort of profits they have made on foreign youngsters in recent times.
Critising Topp too is a little harsh, like people say judge him over 46 games not just the 6 or so he has played now. For me his debut against shrewsbury was one of the best performances of a city player all season. With a full pre season under his belt and some summer football i think this guy has the potential to be our star man. He is head and shoulders above a certain mr conlon (even if not in size)
Big Man, Wibsey says...
11:04am Thu 10 Jul 08
wakey_wakey_bantam, Wakefield says...
11:09am Thu 10 Jul 08
the original chewy, wrose, shaw lancs says...
11:39am Thu 10 Jul 08
www.footballtransfer
s.info, for those of you who maybe intersested.
cheers
skippy, bradford says...
12:13pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Pablo, Bradford says...
12:34pm Thu 10 Jul 08
On a more mundane level, I agree with other posters on the more pressing problem of a first choice keeper and another striker.
As I've coomented on before, I'm not sure where Topp is going to play and whether he can survive in this division. He has undoubted skills but whether he's what we're looking for is another matter.
JM, Skipton, says...
12:40pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Let's be realistic, City are not going to link up with this academy to lose money. There will be financial benefits in doing so and it could prove very fruitful.
As for the criticism of Topp - I think Tyker is being unbelievably naive in his criticism of him. I'm not saying he's going to be a world beater for us, the truth is no one knows. Let's give the guy a chance and offer him our support. Remember Stuart McCall, a guy who we are all supposedly backing, sanctioned the deal to buy him. More settled in England, recovering from a troublesome injury and enjoying the benefits of a proper pre-season, next season is the time to judge him.
I'm also getting fed up of panicky fans moaning we haven’t got a keeper/striker yet. There's still a month until the season starts! We will obviously sign a keeper, but is it not worth waiting to get the best possible? Even if a striker isn't signed up for the first game, with Thorne, Topp, Conlon and Daley capable of playing up front we are hardly going to be short. Remember a certain Lee Mills signing the day before the season started 10 years ago, look what he achieved?
I'm sorry to moan about moaners, but right now things are going well for City and all people can do is complain. Can't we wait for a reason to complain/panic/hurt abuse before we start?
Bantam Forever., Bingley says...
1:03pm Thu 10 Jul 08
fredblogsbantams, Bradford says...
1:17pm Thu 10 Jul 08
"I'm not sure where Topp is going to play and whether he can survive in this division"
I can't believe some people are criticising a player who hasn't yet had much of a chance to shine - but who has performed well and helped us win games when he has played. Six games, twelve points last season - not a bad return.
http://fredblogsbant
ams.wordpress.com/20
08/06/23/random-city
-stats-2007-8-season
/
If we get two points a game with Billy in the team and he plays 46 games that's 92 points. It may be too early to start predicting who will play up front and where City will finish - but it's *definitely* premature to write off a talented young player such as Chile Willy.
audal, waikikamukau says...
2:53pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Meat Pie, Milton Keynes says...
2:55pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Sick and tired of reading grandiose plans when all I and every other City fan wants, at the moment, is to get out of this Division.
"The brand of the club" in Mexico? Are you having a laugh?
Get real Mr Lawn and focus on what's important. We are 4 weeks away from what will be a critical season (we MUST get promoted and you're jetting off to bluddy Mexico!
Can we have a reality check here please.
Bantam Forever., Bingley says...
3:12pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Meat Pie, Milton Keynes says...
3:33pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Lawn is talking about pitches not yet even built yet. Under such circumstances Bantam Forever, talk of "McCall's budget" is an irrelevance. If he has a clutch of players about to come over for trials then great but right now we need to think a bit shorter term, get ourselves out of this bluddy Division and then think about dev eloping Mexican school-kids.
tyker, midland road says...
3:59pm Thu 10 Jul 08
REALITY CHECK needed badly.
get kids off streets in your own area, develop them, sell them on and build.
OR
Let's jet off to MEXICO to build up a link with a school whose kids, if they show any half decent promise, are going to be more interested in juventus or real madrid.
can you imagine the tug of war between us and MADRID
a young player--it goes something like....
WE CAN OFFER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY..............
...... which is better than MADRID!!!!
REALITY CHECK FOR MR LAWN!
Mr Sensible, Bingley says...
4:04pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Stan the Fan, Timbuktoo says...
5:53pm Thu 10 Jul 08
God, it must be a hard life running BCFC!
KnightMcCall, East Morton says...
6:07pm Thu 10 Jul 08
I think Meat Pie makes a valid point. I can't really see where City would fit in with such a concept. We are a League Two side so it seems unlikely that quality international players would see playing in Englands' lower leagues as a positive step. Having said that, Beckham did spend some time in League 2 with Preston and he turned out allright.
tyker, midland road says...
6:49pm Thu 10 Jul 08
it shows that people can have disagreements and discuss them rationally and in a correct manner .
Senseless, Guiseley says...
8:04pm Thu 10 Jul 08
He's small, he's thick, he talks a load of . Sensible, sensible!
If we are at the botty end of the league come december 31st I will be disappointed. But we were not there for long last year and we had less quality in the squad. We have a great chance to go up this season but I won't be jacking it in if we don't succeed. I'll just get another season ticket next year, and the year after. And as long as there is a Bradford City, I'll be going to watch them.
On the Mexico thing. Free holiday for the people who have worked tirelessly to make the club go in the right direction. That's got to be a fair. If we get some skillful and talented mexican players as well, we are laughing.
It's all good, keep the faith, people!
Mr Sensible, Bingley says...
8:44pm Thu 10 Jul 08
Senseless wrote:A couple of seasons and you will be able to see City playing in Guiseley. Had it on very good authority that tickets for second half of season has been banded around in order to generate much needed cash for 2009. No figure mentioned but £25 sounds reasonable.
Again the alterego goes for the CASH route. Bless the little man. Got a new song for the Bradford end. He's small, he's thick, he talks a load of . Sensible, sensible!If we are at the botty end of the league come december 31st I will be disappointed. But we were not there for long last year and we had less quality in the squad. We have a great chance to go up this season but I won't be jacking it in if we don't succeed. I'll just get another season ticket next year, and the year after. And as long as there is a Bradford City, I'll be going to watch them. On the Mexico thing. Free holiday for the people who have worked tirelessly to make the club go in the right direction. That's got to be a fair. If we get some skillful and talented mexican players as well, we are laughing. It's all good, keep the faith, people!
Youngliver, Manchester says...
9:11pm Thu 10 Jul 08
In this day and age it is common, and I believe a duty, for companies and organisations to invest time and money into good causes. City do develop talent in the local area and always have. What's wrong with having a foothold in a less priveleged country where the club could help make a real difference to some kids? Kids who are struggling to find hope couldn't care less whether the hope comes from us of from Real Madrid.
Who cares if we help develop a kid who goes on to become the next Kaka and leaves us without a by your leave?
Maybe I'm just being a lefty liberal but I'm proud that City might be helping those less fortunate than myself to find some hope.
Mr Sensible, Bingley says...
8:50am Fri 11 Jul 08
KnightMcCall, East Morton says...
11:23am Fri 11 Jul 08
Do you have any evidence to back up your statement? Is it just Bradford City fans or is it all football fans?
You really are a dimwitted fool senseless.
skippy, bradford says...
11:43am Fri 11 Jul 08
Mr Sensible wrote:jacobs will have to go on the course as well but he will take a bit longer than 3 weeks,and senseless has no chance
The only connection City will end up with from Mexico is the Mexican Wave and I doubt they will get that right without sending the fans on a three week course to learn left from right.
Mr Sensible, Bingley says...
1:19pm Fri 11 Jul 08
KnightMcCall wrote:Steady syeady with that temper, save it for the players when the season starts, by the way is it raining in Riddlesden.
Oh I see, Bradford City fans are all stupid are they? Whereas you seem to consider yourself to be successful, intelligent, witty and knowledgeable; and yet you still can't construct a simple sentence correctly. Do you have any evidence to back up your statement? Is it just Bradford City fans or is it all football fans? You really are a dimwitted fool senseless.
DonHutchinsAfro, bradford says...
1:22pm Fri 11 Jul 08
Mr Sensible, Bingley says...
4:57pm Fri 11 Jul 08
DonHutchinsAfro wrote:I seem to be causing you a little concern. Lets get personal, a show of real character. Were you told the odds whilst having your check up? Are you the Paint Trophy Man?
But one of the best City squads for a number of years. Even the bookies have shortened our odds yet again for both the title and promotion. Now these blokes unlike you sense-lass are very rarely wrong, you on the other hand are very rarely right. How's the wife, still getting plenty of business? Hope to have a chat to her real soon, love.
DonHutchinsAfro, bradford says...
5:43pm Fri 11 Jul 08
Victor Clayton, Clayton says...
12:25am Sat 12 Jul 08
even more than that though i would ask genuine city fans just to ignore certain stupid, inflammatory postings (you know who i mean). they crave attention by being a tad outrageous - ignore them and they will stop. otherwise this site will turn into the joke they want.
back to football. Willy can play, Jacobs is city through and though (and really don't get the negativity about him). i think it is true we lose out on Bradford talent to local rivals, and would like to see a bit more effort on that from. come on city!
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tyker, midland road says...
8:53am Thu 10 Jul 08
this includes TOPP. Will we be getting any cash back from MR TOPPING about this or is the £35K we could ill afford after two administrations utterly wasted.
welcome as this Mexican move is and forward thinking there is too much talent local to Bradford which is going untapped by us.
Additionally any superkid emerging out of MEXICO is likley to head South first and then to Europe and even then only exceptionally. Very few Mexicans ply their trade outside the America's perhaps with our world wide charisma and experience in successfully developing youth over a long period of time we will buck the trend: Otherwise thsi looks like several thousands of pound of travel expense we can ill afford.