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[Albion] Shades of Wilkins



Not Andy Naylor

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2007
8,798
Seven Dials
Paul Ifill, born in Brighton. Played for Millwall, Sheffield United and some club in Croydon. Spotted playing for Saltdean United.

Steve Palmer, went to Dorothy Stringer. Studied engineering at Cambridge then signed for Ipswich. Also played for Watford and QPR.
 




Mellotron

I've asked for soup
Jul 2, 2008
31,845
Brighton
I keep thinking of players like Paul Ifill. Would love to know who is the most decorated player to come out of Sussex.

Probably Gareth Barry achievements wise, isn’t it? Which isn’t saying much given the size of Sussex.
 


Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Aug 8, 2005
26,548
I like the comparison between Potter and Wilkins by the way.

Wilkins also backed the kids and for a while it felt like a very fresh approach which is why so many were sad when he was sacked. But that was a different time and the club are in a much better shape now.

What is Deano up to now?
 




D

Deleted member 2719

Guest
Being involved in local kids football, I have to say the kids are far more technical than in my day and I would say a huge percentage of this is due to Tony Bloom's vision by sending Albion in the community across Sussex to develop these kids. Although I do believe they have pulled out of Chichester now.
I have said this before, but it appears for years this was TB vision, like keeping a quality coach and loyalist that understood the Albion such as Dean Wilkins.
Love Deano, I wish he was still within the club.
 




Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,184
I like the comparison between Potter and Wilkins by the way.

Wilkins also backed the kids and for a while it felt like a very fresh approach which is why so many were sad when he was sacked. But that was a different time and the club are in a much better shape now.

Absurd comparison IMHO. The Albion under Wilkins didn't have a pot to piss in. The kids were chucked in at the deep end through sheer economic necessity
 


Bakero

Languidly clinical
Oct 9, 2010
13,787
Almería
Being involved in local kids football, I have to say the kids are far more technical than in my day and I would say a huge percentage of this is due to Tony Bloom's vision by sending Albion in the community across Sussex to develop these kids. Although I do believe they have pulled out of Chichester now.
I have said this before, but it appears for years this was TB vision, like keeping a quality coach and loyalist that understood the Albion such as Dean Wilkins.
Love Deano, I wish he was still within the club.

Good to hear. I'd be interested to know a bit more about the role of Albion in the Community with regards to grassroots football. What exactly do they help out with?
 


D

Deleted member 2719

Guest
Good to hear. I'd be interested to know a bit more about the role of Albion in the Community with regards to grassroots football. What exactly do they help out with?

Just to clarify, I am not involved with aitc, but they had many seagulls school holidays session where they would train the kids, with skills etc. They also went to after school clubs and coaches such as Guy Butters could be seen teaching them to drink beer and eat pies.

Just jesting Guy!! You are a top man for giving back to the kids of Sussex.:bowdown:
 






BNthree

Plastic JCL
Sep 14, 2016
10,896
WeHo
Good to hear. I'd be interested to know a bit more about the role of Albion in the Community with regards to grassroots football. What exactly do they help out with?

They do after school and holiday clubs that they charge for but also do free sessions for disabled kids too to help them enjoy football. The best kids from the lessons get invited up to development centres where they get better training g etc. This is all while the kids can still play for their grassroots teams. Think the majority of the current youngsters with the Academy were spotted through Albion in the Community sessions.

*edit* that’s not all AitC does but was just replying in context of kids grassroots football.
 














Kalimantan Gull

Well-known member
Aug 13, 2003
12,924
Central Borneo / the Lizard
Shades of Wilkins, ah yes there were some good kids there. Remember the 8-0 thrashing of Northwich. Out of the 16 players in the matchday squad only 5 hadn't come through our youth system.

Who counted as a Wilkins babe - Sullivan, Lynch, Harding, Elphick, Virgo, Hinshelwood, El-Abd, Rents, Loft, Hammond, Fraser, Cox, Robinson, Gatting? Couple left before he was manager but he would have brought them through at youth level

At least eight very decent league careers amongst that lot
 




Badger Boy

Mr Badger
Jan 28, 2016
3,655
Conor Chaplin is a Worthing boy, currently playing for Barnsley having also played for Coventry and Portsmouth. Barnsley also have Isaac Christie-Davies, Brighton born having moved from Liverpool after leaving Chelsea.

Young Steve Cook of Hastings is still having a nice time at Bournemouth. Tommy Elphick at Huddersfield. 17 year old Fin Stevens is at Brentford after moving from Worthing, he's a Brighton boy.
 










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