Blues: 'Academy could return in future'

Jul 4 2012 By Greg Burns

Wycombe Wanderers

WYCOMBE Wanderers Trust insists the return of a youth academy at the club is a possibility in the future.

The new club owners had to take the tough decision to shut the Centre of Excellent last month in a bid to cut costs.

Parents tried and failed to bid to keep it open while Wycombe District Council have also expressed an interest in talking to the Trust about how it can help revive it.

Trust chairman Trevor Stroud said: “As a football fan you think youth is important but in a commercial side you have to ask if it makes commercial sense and at the moment it (the academy) doesn't.

“If you did a poll of the Trust board about whether they want an academy back in the future they would say yes so, if we get in a position to re-instate something, then I think the will would be there to do it.”

In recent years the Blues academy had produced talent like Jordon Ibe, Kadeem Harris and Matt Phillips – all of whom returned a tidy profit when sold.

First-team players Anthony Stewart and Matt McClure also benefited from the Adams Park youth system with boss Gary Waddock admitting they may suffer in the long-term from the decision.

He said: “We have had some very good players coming through the system in recent years. In the short term no but, in the long-term, we will have to wait and see.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest Wycombe Wanderers news.