Town have confirmed that they will be looking to replace the ITFC Charitable Trust’s Player Development Centre courses for youngsters aged seven to 16, which, as reported by TWTD last week, recently closed.

A Town spokesman confirmed that there are plans for the Academy to run schemes along the same lines: “It is our intention to offer player development courses, similar to the Trust’s PDC courses, under the club’s banner with the ITFC Academy providing resources in developing these courses.

“Discussions are ongoing at the moment and we hope to finalise the details very soon. It’s also intended that we will contact the parents of the youngsters on the Trust’s PDC courses to invite them to join the club-run courses.

“It is Ipswich Town’s aim for every youngster in the region to have the opportunity to be coached by the club.”

The Trust recently wrote to the parents of youngsters at the PDCs telling them that the centres were closing with immediate effect due to facilities at Portman Road no longer being available and Town’s intention to run similar courses in the future.

Photo: Action Images

Heathlander added 12:12 - Sep 4 It costs £90 a term to join the PDC. So now that money will go to ITFC and not the Charitable trust. Money making scheme disguised as a player development opportunity if you ask me. The standard needed to join the PDC was not that high. It used to be when it was the Advanced training programme when they actually turned people away who they felt were not up to the grade. these days they take more or less anyone who will cough up the money.

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JewellintheTown added 12:44 - Sep 4 Heathlander, I'm sure at £90 a term, ITFC wont be rolling in the cash on this "money making" scheme. Maybe, just maybe, there's a less pessimistic reason they're doing this.
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big_gaz67 added 12:45 - Sep 4 Why are we teaching youngsters to play darts?
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Cardinals added 13:27 - Sep 4 Big Gaz67 - Comment of the season thus far - Good lad! hahaha
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theobald1985 added 13:58 - Sep 4 do think heathlander has a point. Why not let the trust carry on running it and just keep an eye on the better players with view to signing them up to the academy proper. My lad attended nearly all last year and I thought the coaches did very well with them so why change it now. The money has got to come into it-at £90 a term thats £270 a year per child. they run 2 centres with 30 kids going to each that will make 16200 a year. they already have the venues and the coaches on the books so thats a decent profit especially with add ons such as kids wanting the kit ETC.

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Talbs77 added 19:25 - Sep 4 Charging £90 a child, so what happens if a highly promising players parents can't afford it? Plus why were the facilities at the club suddenly unavailable? And why disband the charity without coming up with a viable alternative?
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ChayITFC added 21:22 - Sep 4 Still not happy as I have has my coach since the age of 9 and have now got to have another coach if they still keep us goalkeepers going
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BlueVelvet added 12:37 - Sep 5 the only facilities provided were the 'field turf' pitches - these are still available. my experiences of PDC as a parent was that the organisation of it was generally poor -this is just more poor managemen - ar*e and elbow spring to mind. When my kids first joined they had 3 trials and kids were turned away now it seems as if you got £90 you are in
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beano added 07:56 - Sep 6 Have to agree with this, My son was "picked "to join the PDC after trials when he was 12, by the time he left at 15 it was more or less anybody who's pushy parent rang up to say could my son come to the PDC, and every time the £90 was due they would drop lines in to the boys about academy coaches would be watching them next term, Past its best for sure
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BlueVelvet added 08:12 - Sep 8 just a money making excercise, but its a real shame that the club cant get their act together on this
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