I can confirm that both our football academy and U23s side will be relocating and moving on to pastures new.
I would like to start by wishing Anthony Spencer and David Lilley along with all the boys the best of luck for the future.
Unfortunately, the academy was losing money and therefore the club had to prop it up financially. Out of the 42 students, only five signed up locally with the rest coming from Notts FC’s youth setup.
Anthony had an immediate opportunity to take the academy to Nottingham which will have a far greater chance of success in recruitment with 90% of the students benefiting from an easier commute to the new venue.
Unfortunately, for the sustainability of the club, any failing department needs to be addressed, however, all students will continue their education programme and football as planned at the new venue.
The U23s will also be moving and therefore rebranding after this weekend, with many players being students of the academy.
We’d like to make our priorities clear to all supporters, as we did to the supporters club last week – our priority first and foremost is the first team and its progression and we sometimes have to make hard decisions for the good of the club.
Should any area of the football club make a sustainable model more difficult to achieve then it will unfortunately have to close. This is no different to any other business.
Once again, I wish all the boys the best of luck for the future.
David Hilton