Taking the next big step into the future, for the future.
That would appear to be what Birmingham City are doing with the latest news coming out of the club, and I for one am thrilled.
Regulars to this site will know just how big a fan I am of the academy and how I have high hopes for a few people within it.
The club announced yesterday that they will be looking to upgrade the academy into a Category 1 status team. This would mean that the club would be playing in much more prestigious leagues and tournaments at youth level whilst also bringing in bigger and better infrastructure and staffing to Wast Hills.
So if we’re doing such a good job whilst in category two, such as producing players like Jude Bellingham whilst only at Category 2, just think what we’ll be able to do if the club were to take that next step up and what we could be able to achieve down the line.
Will any young players see first-team action next season?
Yes
No
In a city like Birmingham, with such a high population and as a result young kids wanting to play football, the amount of talent available to us is incredibly vast, but with so much competition and better academies within our region, we’re constantly going to be missing out on talent who will want to go to the better and higher category academies.
This move will not only give us a leg up when it comes to recruitment, but also if passed mean that the players who are already here will receive a tremendous boost in their coaching and training.
Maybe then we can start seeing an even greater conveyor belt of players making their way through the club, and bring out more Bellingham’s in the future.
Of course we’ve still got to wait for it to happen first, but fingers crossed that it does.
