Post by Macmoish on Jul 5, 2010 6:42:06 GMT
Guardian
FA ready for battle with Premier League clubs over release of young players• Disagreement about squad for youth tournament
• Sir Trevor Brooking says England must take best team
Dominic Fifield in Cape Town and Jill Treanor
A row is threatening to erupt between the Football Association and leading Premier League clubs with England set to be denied up to five key players for the forthcoming European Under-19 Championship.
The senior side's premature elimination from the World Cup finals has drawn the focus on to the development of young talent but the FA is concerned that a number of top-flight clubs will withdraw players selected for the finals in France and, as a result, prevent them gaining valuable tournament experience.
The Under-19s event starts next week with the national coach, Noel Blake, hoping to include the likes of Aston Villa's Nathan Delfouneso, the Blackburn Rovers centre-half Phil Jones and potentially up to four youngsters from Tottenham Hotspur in the squad to be announced this week. Sir Dave Richards, the chairman of Club England, had written to all the clubs involved asking them to prioritise the release of players before the official start to the new domestic campaign.
Yet Blackburn have indicated they want Jones, who made 12 first‑team appearances for the Ewood Park club last term, to participate in their pre-season tours of Austria and Australia. Tottenham, too, have written back to the FA querying the release of Steven Caulker, Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason and Dean Parrett for the championship, given that it comes so early into their pre-season programme.
That has prompted Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's director of football development, and Blake to express fears that England's chances at the finals will be hampered and the players denied a rare opportunity to play on such a stage. "We have a European Championship which will be a fantastic experience," said Brooking. "The Premier and Football League clubs said they would support us so clubs would release them, and yet now there are a few whose clubs want to take them on pre-season trips.
"We have five lads we might have issues with. They will never get that tournament experience against quality opposition otherwise. Phil Jones, the Blackburn lad and a first-team player, who is outstanding, will be a key player if we are going to do any good in that tournament. We have Nathan Delfouneso, a key player, and we want him released by Aston Villa."
There were similar problems last summer, with Spurs' Danny Rose and Victor Moses, who was then at Crystal Palace, withdrawn by their club sides. The England party are due to meet on 12 July and will travel to Normandy three days later for group games against Austria, Holland and France. The other countries participating in the finals are Spain, Portugal, Italy and Croatia. "With all the other countries, there won't even be an issue," said Brooking. "They will be released."
A party of 20 players took part in a three-day Under-19s training camp ahead of the finals, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Fuham, Chelsea, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Sunderland the other Premier League clubs with players who are involved. Spurs intend to speak to the FA this week to decide what is in their players' interests, with the other top‑flight clubs expected to do likewise.
Meanwhile, Nationwide will announce this week that it has opted against renewing its £20m sponsorship deal of the England team, leaving the FA to continue negotiations with other interested parties with their negotiating position somewhat weakened. The building society had backed the England set-up since 1999 but will not seek to extend the package beyond the end of this month.
A Nationwide spokesman said tonight: "We've had 11 seasons and it has helped raise our profile with new and existing customers. The current sponsorship deal comes to an end at the end of July and is unlikely to be renewed."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/04/fa-premier-league-players
FA ready for battle with Premier League clubs over release of young players• Disagreement about squad for youth tournament
• Sir Trevor Brooking says England must take best team
Dominic Fifield in Cape Town and Jill Treanor
A row is threatening to erupt between the Football Association and leading Premier League clubs with England set to be denied up to five key players for the forthcoming European Under-19 Championship.
The senior side's premature elimination from the World Cup finals has drawn the focus on to the development of young talent but the FA is concerned that a number of top-flight clubs will withdraw players selected for the finals in France and, as a result, prevent them gaining valuable tournament experience.
The Under-19s event starts next week with the national coach, Noel Blake, hoping to include the likes of Aston Villa's Nathan Delfouneso, the Blackburn Rovers centre-half Phil Jones and potentially up to four youngsters from Tottenham Hotspur in the squad to be announced this week. Sir Dave Richards, the chairman of Club England, had written to all the clubs involved asking them to prioritise the release of players before the official start to the new domestic campaign.
Yet Blackburn have indicated they want Jones, who made 12 first‑team appearances for the Ewood Park club last term, to participate in their pre-season tours of Austria and Australia. Tottenham, too, have written back to the FA querying the release of Steven Caulker, Andros Townsend, Ryan Mason and Dean Parrett for the championship, given that it comes so early into their pre-season programme.
That has prompted Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's director of football development, and Blake to express fears that England's chances at the finals will be hampered and the players denied a rare opportunity to play on such a stage. "We have a European Championship which will be a fantastic experience," said Brooking. "The Premier and Football League clubs said they would support us so clubs would release them, and yet now there are a few whose clubs want to take them on pre-season trips.
"We have five lads we might have issues with. They will never get that tournament experience against quality opposition otherwise. Phil Jones, the Blackburn lad and a first-team player, who is outstanding, will be a key player if we are going to do any good in that tournament. We have Nathan Delfouneso, a key player, and we want him released by Aston Villa."
There were similar problems last summer, with Spurs' Danny Rose and Victor Moses, who was then at Crystal Palace, withdrawn by their club sides. The England party are due to meet on 12 July and will travel to Normandy three days later for group games against Austria, Holland and France. The other countries participating in the finals are Spain, Portugal, Italy and Croatia. "With all the other countries, there won't even be an issue," said Brooking. "They will be released."
A party of 20 players took part in a three-day Under-19s training camp ahead of the finals, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Fuham, Chelsea, West Ham United, Newcastle United and Sunderland the other Premier League clubs with players who are involved. Spurs intend to speak to the FA this week to decide what is in their players' interests, with the other top‑flight clubs expected to do likewise.
Meanwhile, Nationwide will announce this week that it has opted against renewing its £20m sponsorship deal of the England team, leaving the FA to continue negotiations with other interested parties with their negotiating position somewhat weakened. The building society had backed the England set-up since 1999 but will not seek to extend the package beyond the end of this month.
A Nationwide spokesman said tonight: "We've had 11 seasons and it has helped raise our profile with new and existing customers. The current sponsorship deal comes to an end at the end of July and is unlikely to be renewed."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/jul/04/fa-premier-league-players
