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Harry Hodges signs pro deal

Mark Pedlar

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I'd loved to be proved wrong Steve - give it two years and Cooper won't be with us.
 
May 8, 2011
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Of all the youngsters offered contract Hodges was the one that surprised me, not because of his ability but at U18 and SWPL games towards the end of the season there was talk that he was putting his football career on hold to go to university.

As for Mark’s point about being trained separately this is what happens with other Clubs development/U23 squads.
 
Jan 16, 2010
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Mark Pedlar":2z87ypxd said:
I'd loved to be proved wrong Steve - give it two years and Cooper won't be with us.
mark.i feel you have something against locally born players doing well at argyle.a strange reluctance to encourage.
 

Mark Pedlar

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Steve Evans":1e93w8o6 said:
Mark Pedlar":1e93w8o6 said:
I'd loved to be proved wrong Steve - give it two years and Cooper won't be with us.
mark.i feel you have something against locally born players doing well at argyle.a strange reluctance to encourage.

Nothing of the sort Steve, just calling it as it is. Just because they're local doesn't mean they're good or should get any special treatment. When I see one with any talent, I'll call it.
 
Jan 2, 2010
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Steve Evans":1w3s8hsp said:
Mark Pedlar":1w3s8hsp said:
I'd loved to be proved wrong Steve - give it two years and Cooper won't be with us.
mark.i feel you have something against locally born players doing well at argyle.a strange reluctance to encourage.
I think it's called a dose of reality. You would struggle to find a team that survives on local talent for more than a minority of players.

The more so the higher up the league you go. The days of a Carragher playing his entire career for his local side are in the romantic past.
 
Jul 6, 2011
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Shadowknight":1x6krioa said:
Steve Evans":1x6krioa said:
Mark Pedlar":1x6krioa said:
I'd loved to be proved wrong Steve - give it two years and Cooper won't be with us.
mark.i feel you have something against locally born players doing well at argyle.a strange reluctance to encourage.
I think it's called a dose of reality. You would struggle to find a team that survives on local talent for more than a minority of players.

The more so the higher up the league you go. The days of a Carragher playing his entire career for his local side are in the romantic past.

So what happened with Ferguson's man utd team of local talent? Don't tell me a one-off.....
 
Jan 2, 2010
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briangreen":pt7p5ong said:
Shadowknight":pt7p5ong said:
Steve Evans":pt7p5ong said:
Mark Pedlar":pt7p5ong said:
I'd loved to be proved wrong Steve - give it two years and Cooper won't be with us.
mark.i feel you have something against locally born players doing well at argyle.a strange reluctance to encourage.
I think it's called a dose of reality. You would struggle to find a team that survives on local talent for more than a minority of players.

The more so the higher up the league you go. The days of a Carragher playing his entire career for his local side are in the romantic past.

So what happened with Ferguson's man utd team of local talent? Don't tell me a one-off.....

How long ago? I doubt you will ever see it again.
 
Aug 15, 2015
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MarkMatthews":22017yb8 said:
arthpafc":22017yb8 said:
MarkMatthews":22017yb8 said:
Pele10":22017yb8 said:
Should it say pro-development?

My understanding is they have dropped that title but it is that in all but name.

Bored off mark, it's not is it...

THE fresh injection of talent into Argyle’s professional ranks has continued, with young defender Harry Hodges signing his first senior contract.

Harry is one of five of last season’s Academy Under-18s to have been offered pro terms by the club, alongside Luke Jephcott, Ryan Law and Cameron Sangster, with goalkeeper Michael Cooper having already signed a two-year deal.

And why was Mike Coopers deal announced months before the others? I’m sure his is what would be considered a professional offer as we would understand it to be.

Let’s see if Harry Hodges and the other 2nd year apprentices receive squad numbers. (The last year before Development Professional contracts came into being,) BOTH players in Callum Hall and Louis Rooney were registered with squad numbers from the off, since PD have come in it has been on a as and when needed basis. As far as I’m concerned if they don’t have squad numbers from the start then they aren’t truly on professional contracts, as we would understand the term of “first year professional.”

We are aware they will train with a designated coach, so completely separate from the first team. As has been the case the last two seasons that DPs have been in. Only now, they may actually be more likely to lose the commitment of training with the first team once a week.

They will play in the Central League and the SWPL, like the development professionals have been, they have been entered in something like two new reserve cup competitions?! Which of course, could mean as much as two extra games, they aren’t even guaranteed to play in given, how many squad players we have signed who will need “fitness.”

I fail to see what is new and improved about these deals and I fully expect all the second year apprentices to sign them, I support that, they have to exasperate every opportunity of making it they get. On the other hand; Batts, Rooney, Fletch, Bentley, I respect their individual circumstances and will understand, respect and support their decisions either way.

With regards to Harry Hodges, he is his own man, I believe he is there on merit and I think his surname will be more of a hindrance than a help, it’s even unfair to hope he Evan does “half as well as his dad.” To even do that he would have to go on to be the best player we have produced this millennium! He has just got to do his best to make football pay the bills for as long as possible.

Now he is here he has my full backing, I really want to see him make it, break in to the first team and become a first team regular and a club legend, however the lack of positive reports, some where on about. I don’t think it’s a case of no one thinking he can’t make it, it’s just a case of (and I personally, believe) that Bill Palfrey and (in particular,) Sam Ryan were both better and more exciting RBs to watch. That said I certainly don’t think Harry is any worse than Mason Hughes, who as far as I’m aware had no connections at the club, therefore I believe Harry is there on merit and has hit good timing coming out of his apprenticeship with what they are looking at first team positions.

That said I would be very surprised if we see these boys getting even the limited chances those on “proper” professional contracts got, such as River Allen, Aaron Bentley and Louis Rooney got. I expect they will be more on the Miller, Steer, Palfrey and Calver path. Hope I’m wrong but I won’t hold my breath.

Please give it a rest, jeez. :eek:
 

IJN

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I'm sure, as in my case, that people say things like 'if you're half as good a player as your dad' as an endearing comment rather than one of pressure.

By the way, Mark Smith and I are sponsoring Harry, for the same reason, one of respect to hid father. It's how some of us fans like to think.
 

Mark Pedlar

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briangreen":hlzp27wz said:
Shadowknight":hlzp27wz said:
Steve Evans":hlzp27wz said:
Mark Pedlar":hlzp27wz said:
I'd loved to be proved wrong Steve - give it two years and Cooper won't be with us.
mark.i feel you have something against locally born players doing well at argyle.a strange reluctance to encourage.
I think it's called a dose of reality. You would struggle to find a team that survives on local talent for more than a minority of players.

The more so the higher up the league you go. The days of a Carragher playing his entire career for his local side are in the romantic past.

So what happened with Ferguson's man utd team of local talent? Don't tell me a one-off.....

Schmeichel - Gladsaxe, Denmark
Neville - Bury, England
Johnsen - Sandefjord, Norway
Stam - Kampen, Netherlands
Irwin - Cork, Eire
Giggs - Cardiff, Wales
Beckham - Leytonstone, England
Butt - Manchester, England
Blomqvist - Tavelsjo, Sweden
Yorke - Canaan, Tobago
Cole - Nottingham, England

All local lads....
 
Feb 28, 2016
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IJN":2qbjvl3y said:
To be fair, Bury IS Manchester Mark. :greensmile:

It is. It would be like us not including people from Devon. Cornwall. The list also conveniently, leaves off Scholes and doesn’t count both Neville brothers.

HCs point about being surprised about Hodges being offered a deal “not being because of his ability..” I will admit I was surprised and because of his ability. I think better all round players such as Matt Ward, Elliott Crawford and Harry Downing all lost out. I think Elliott and Downing, both made better captains.No disrespect to Harry he is hell of a much better player than me but I do think, the fact that, they were looking to develop a RB at this time is a massive break for him. Elliott and Harry Downing were unlucky to come through a year after Jordan and Callum, Matt was unlucky to come up against Sangster.

I won’t give it a rest until either the first team management Buck their current trend or until I no longer believe in whats coming through. I think the overall quality is dropping, however I have seen enough from: Tom Purrington, Mike Peck and Rio Garside to believe that the drum is still worth beating. (I also have a strong suspicion that Aaron Goulty will be the one who really kicks on in the second year.)

No one is asking for a team full of Plymothians but there are clubs who do a lot better than us: Exeter, Crewe, MK dons, Coventry, just off the top of my head.
 
Aug 5, 2005
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MarkMatthews":rwszycvs said:
IJN":rwszycvs said:
To be fair, Bury IS Manchester Mark. :greensmile:

It is. It would be like us not including people from Devon. Cornwall. The list also conveniently, leaves off Scholes and doesn’t count both Neville brothers.

HCs point about being surprised about Hodges being offered a deal “not being because of his ability..” I will admit I was surprised and because of his ability. I think better all round players such as Matt Ward, Elliott Crawford and Harry Downing all lost out. I think Elliott and Downing, both made better captains.No disrespect to Harry he is hell of a much better player than me but I do think, the fact that, they were looking to develop a RB at this time is a massive break for him. Elliott and Harry Downing were unlucky to come through a year after Jordan and Callum, Matt was unlucky to come up against Sangster.

I won’t give it a rest until either the first team management Buck their current trend or until I no longer believe in whats coming through. I think the overall quality is dropping, however I have seen enough from: Tom Purrington, Mike Peck and Rio Garside to believe that the drum is still worth beating. (I also have a strong suspicion that Aaron Goulty will be the one who really kicks on in the second year.)

No one is asking for a team full of Plymothians but there are clubs who do a lot better than us: Exeter, Crewe, MK dons, Coventry, just off the top of my head.

But you are asking for Argyle to play inferior players just because of where they are born.
 
Feb 28, 2016
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Quizmike":1cpvz783 said:
MarkMatthews":1cpvz783 said:
IJN":1cpvz783 said:
To be fair, Bury IS Manchester Mark. :greensmile:

It is. It would be like us not including people from Devon. Cornwall. The list also conveniently, leaves off Scholes and doesn’t count both Neville brothers.

HCs point about being surprised about Hodges being offered a deal “not being because of his ability..” I will admit I was surprised and because of his ability. I think better all round players such as Matt Ward, Elliott Crawford and Harry Downing all lost out. I think Elliott and Downing, both made better captains.No disrespect to Harry he is hell of a much better player than me but I do think, the fact that, they were looking to develop a RB at this time is a massive break for him. Elliott and Harry Downing were unlucky to come through a year after Jordan and Callum, Matt was unlucky to come up against Sangster.

I won’t give it a rest until either the first team management Buck their current trend or until I no longer believe in whats coming through. I think the overall quality is dropping, however I have seen enough from: Tom Purrington, Mike Peck and Rio Garside to believe that the drum is still worth beating. (I also have a strong suspicion that Aaron Goulty will be the one who really kicks on in the second year.)

No one is asking for a team full of Plymothians but there are clubs who do a lot better than us: Exeter, Crewe, MK dons, Coventry, just off the top of my head.

But you are asking for Argyle to play inferior players just because of where they are born.

Where have I ever asked for that?
 

Mark Pedlar

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I left out Scholes as Alex Ferguson did - that's the Champions League winning starting line-up!

Mind you he brought on Solskjaer and Sherringham - both from just outside Salford.