West Brom's club charity launch shadow academy scheme

Launched at the charity’s stadium day yesterday, when local children were given an opportunity to play at The Hawthorns, the training programme will give youngsters between 16 and 19 a second chance of getting into football.

Lawrence Roberts is only 26, but as post-16 co-ordinator of the Foundation, he is one of the main driving forces behind the scheme which aims to scoop up lost players while, at the same time, setting young men up for the future.

“It’s going to be a shadow squad to the under-18s,” he revealed. “The main aim is to get boys who didn’t get offered a scholarship, who were released a couple of years ago, or have never been in the academy system but have potential to go to the next stage.

“They’ll have to trial and get certain GCSEs to get on the course. The matches will be in the under-19 National Youth Football League, against teams like Chelsea Foundation, and Liverpool Foundation, Premier League clubs doing a similar programme.

“The education is a Level 3 BTEC in Sport that will be done in the media suite at The Hawthorns.

“All the players will be of a high standard and the main vision is to get them a career as a professional or semi-professional.

“If that route isn’t possible, we want to develop them holistically and get them to go on to university or into jobs in the football industry.”

Sandwell College will be responsible for teaching the group, which will consist of between 18 and 22 boys, while the Foundation deliver 12 hours of training a week. Crucially, it’s been given the green light by academy manager Mark Harrison and there’s a pathway to the club.

“He sees there could be scope to get one or two players in,” said Roberts. “I think it’s the Jamie Vardy effect. If you get one player through, who comes in and plays for the 18s, excellent.

“If you get one around the first team that will be a bonus. He’s been very supportive of the programme and that was key for me.”

Albion’s academy pride themselves on picking up local talent. Saido Berahino, Jonathan Leko, Sam Field, and Kane Wilson have all been plucked from the surrounding area.

Roberts works for the Foundation, and has done for three years, but the charity is still an arm of the club and he is aware of the potential benefits helping local kids develop their skills could have for the Baggies.

“Our culture and vision is home grown players,” he said. “We’re competing against the likes of Man City, Arsenal, United, the finance they have, they can recruit further afield.

“We don’t have that luxury. We want to produce players from the local area, look at Sam Field playing against Chelsea. That just shows we’ve got the right training programme, the right recruitment strategy, and the right staff in place.”

Sandwell College has recent success producing players. Ahkeem Rose has signed an 18-month contract at Grimsby Town and Kyle Byrne had a week-long trial at Albion.

“He just wasn’t quite there because he was a second year and would have needed to get a contract to stay,” said Roberts. “If he was a first year it may have been different.”

The next one to catch the eye may fare even better.