How Southampton’s innovative plan to break into US market will work,,,

They are aiming for 100,000 American kids to join the "soccer schools". Makes a deal with US sports company Under Armour more attractive as they can potentially flog a lot of Saints kit, training wear etc to all those soccer moms.

Its a great move for the club. I cant help wondering if Martin Hunter is the right man to lead it. Always seems a bit dour and performance of the academy seems to be going through a bit of dip.

An interesting idea but basically we're charging ten clubs money to have access to our IP and then we'll see if that positively helps the way they develop footballers.

I'm guessing it won't because of the massive difference in how players are coached and the amount of contact players have with their teams over here compared to over there but I suppose it is worth a shot.

An interesting idea but basically we're charging ten clubs money to have access to our IP and then we'll see if that positively helps the way they develop footballers.

 

I'm guessing it won't because of the massive difference in how players are coached and the amount of contact players have with their teams over here compared to over there but I suppose it is worth a shot.

Doesn't it say it will help the coaches, working hand in hand with them, as in help them develop their coaches?

Rome wasn't built in a day but seems like a solid approach

From the article:

"We talk about a pathway and we talk about opportunity to the first team. That’s how we do it. We are not a club who can go out and buy a young player for $3-4 million and we wouldn't believe in it.”

That's quite an idealistic view which somewhat goes against that piece in the Telegraph recently?

An interesting idea but basically we're charging ten clubs money to have access to our IP and then we'll see if that positively helps the way they develop footballers.

 

I'm guessing it won't because of the massive difference in how players are coached and the amount of contact players have with their teams over here compared to over there but I suppose it is worth a shot.

The article outlines a lot of what Saints will do. Help with coaching, providing a coaching curriculum, access to player data for comparison of different stages of development etc.

They are aiming for 100,000 American kids to join the "soccer schools". Makes a deal with US sports company Under Armour more attractive as they can potentially flog a lot of Saints kit, training wear etc to all those soccer moms.

Definitely does not read like 'soccer schools' to me, it's working with existing clubs!

Doesn't it say it will help the coaches, working hand in hand with them, as in help them develop their coaches?

 

Rome wasn't built in a day but seems like a solid approach

That is a small part of it - but overall it's basically buying a development 'package' from Southampton and applying it to your club. But I don't think it will work well because a lot of how Saints develop players is down to the amount of contact they have with them and they won't have anywhere near as much contact in the US and then you have to take into account that any good player will then be recruited by a college (at the age of around 17) and then the rest of their development is in the collegiate system.

The article outlines a lot of what Saints will do. Help with coaching, providing a coaching curriculum, access to player data for comparison of different stages of development etc.

So as I said - access to our IP of how we develop players and then applying it to your environment.

That is a small part of it - but overall it's basically buying a development 'package' from Southampton and applying it to your club. But I don't think it will work well because a lot of how Saints develop players is down to the amount of contact they have with them and they won't have anywhere near as much contact in the US and then you have to take into account that any good player will then be recruited by a college (at the age of around 17) and then the rest of their development is in the collegiate system.

 

 

 

So as I said - access to our IP of how we develop players and then applying it to your environment.

Good luck to them, at least they are trying something different

They are a number of PL clubs who have done this is varying measures. Some teams have just created ties with US Youth clubs, which it sounds like this plan does. The most aggressive has been Liverpool, who actually "bought" US Youth Clubs and now has Liverpool America FC. They also sent over ex-players to coach, for example Jimmy Melia is a coach in the Dallas area (even though he is now about 78 yrs old).

We aim to be a great soccer club in th US !

We aim to be a great soccer club in th US !

Nah we just want a US team to be called the Saints, something like the St Louis Saints

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Why America? They produce dross get a academy setup in Holland or Europe..mm..

They are a number of PL clubs who have done this is varying measures. Some teams have just created ties with US Youth clubs, which it sounds like this plan does. The most aggressive has been Liverpool, who actually "bought" US Youth Clubs and now has Liverpool America FC. They also sent over ex-players to coach, for example Jimmy Melia is a coach in the Dallas area (even though he is now about 78 yrs old).

.....and our 70's star Jimmy Gabriel became a legend as Seattle Sounders' coach......

Why America? They produce dross get a academy setup in Holland or Europe..mm..

And therefore there is room for improvement which Southampton can be a part of and get credit for. Also, things are changing in the US. More and more parents are resisting the idea of letting their kids get their heads bashed in playing American Football--assuming regular football does not turn out to be just as bad there is an opening for getting some of the better American athletes to go with football rather than Football.

love the short-sighted views of some, the sort who would have advised branson not to start an airline or apple to develop the smartphone. I think this is an superb idea and a great way to build our influence and position in a huge market, both as a fan base but more importantly as a recruitment ground for the academy.

Absolutely applaud the idea and getting into a developing market with huge potential. I would also like us to invest a bit more in our youth coaches, we have amazing faciltiies, support staff and an excellent record of getting youth players through "the Southampton Way", but why aren't we going out and getting the top up and coming youth coaches too?

Why America? They produce dross get a academy setup in Holland or Europe..mm..

Because there are absolutely shedloads of potential fans with no club allegiances with a growing interest in football and piles of disposable income we'd happily liberate them from. Plus a huge talent base that might not be delivering due to not having top level coaching guidance.

or apple to develop the smartphone.

love the short-sighted views of some, the sort who would have advised branson not to start an airline or apple to develop the smartphone. I think this is an superb idea and a great way to build our influence and position in a huge market, both as a fan base but more importantly as a recruitment ground for the academy.

Absolutely applaud the idea and getting into a developing market with huge potential. I would also like us to invest a bit more in our youth coaches, we have amazing faciltiies, support staff and an excellent record of getting youth players through "the Southampton Way", but why aren't we going out and getting the top up and coming youth coaches too?

Because there are absolutely shedloads of potential fans with no club allegiances with a growing interest in football and piles of disposable income we'd happily liberate them from. Plus a huge talent base that might not be delivering due to not having top level coaching guidance.

All the little American kids in Liverpool youth clubs become adults who no longer play football, but watch it. Guess who their favorite PL club is? You gotta indoctrinate them early and then it will pay dividends to the club for decades.

It will have to be a slow burn, but you got to start some how.

I think this really is more about marketing and less about finding/developing youth football players and I am OK with that. Present it in whatever little neat bow you require to sell it.

Nah we just want a US team to be called the Saints, something like the St Louis Saints

 

 

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What about the Utah Saints U-U-U-Utah Saints

Just to keep dalek happy I would like to see us help to establish the New York Yo-Yo's as our sister club. Sponsored by air bnb and playing at the Seventeenth Slot Stadium.

typically consistent at posting a criticism of someone else's response, whats your point here?

typically consistent at posting a criticism of someone else's response, whats your point here?

Just responding to an over-reaching of apple's importance in smartphone development, don't get all Shurlocky about it.

As an American raised Saints fan I think this is a great idea. My one worry is that the team will need the commitment to stick it out as it will likely take at least a decade before a significant return on investment is achieved. However as others have said there is an incredible amount of potential, both in terms of potential players and fans.

To address some of the comments above, there I agree that there is an incredible amount of raw athletic potential in the states. While one would expect this would correlate to more successful footballers, the reality is that the current system is weighted against producing them. Despite a decent of young Americans (ages 5-13) playing organized "soccer" this is almost exclusively on recreational teams with minimal commitment levels (a few months a year, poorly coached, lots of turnover, etc). Many of the most talented athletes from this pool abandon soccer once they attend high school (age 13+, the US equivalent of secondary school) to focus year-round on the big 3 sports (American Football, Basketball, and Baseball) in the hopes that high performance will attract university recruiters and scholarship offers. Then, once at university, the goal is to attract professional recruiters and land on a professional team.

Therefore most of the soccer players remaining in the US who look to play professionally are those who simply love the game and continue to take whatever opportunities they have to play it. Unfortunately, because of the shoddy coaching and team structure outlined above, these players are quite often not very talented athletically (those are generally claimed by other sports) and/or technically (because they've been poorly developed). Contrast this with the women's side, who, without the competing rivalries of established professional football and baseball have seen much more robust development programs, much more support at the university level, and a much more competitive team on the international level.

Second the tide is currently growing against allowing participation in football at the high school and university level. It is possible that in a few years' time the game will be deemed 'unsafe' to be played in schools, which would completely shift the development landscape. This, combined with a general growing interest in soccer due to historically better performance by the US national team, a surplus of funding $$$ injected into MLS, and growing media coverage of international soccer, means that a portion of prospective athletes could be persuaded to see professional soccer as a viable career path and join something like an academy program.

Finally all these same reasons mean that there are many folks becoming interested in the PL. Most newcomers go to teams that they've heard of (the big 4). Anything to get Southampton on the map would be an increase as the majority of casual soccer fans here have never even heard of the team!

typically consistent at posting a criticism of someone else's response, whats your point here?

Apple didn't develop the smartphone. I had a Windows smartphone 4 years before the iphone, and there were plenty prior to that.

Apple did make the first one that was pleasant to use though.

Isn't the point that Saints pairing up with a few youth clubs in America is not an innovation that is comparable with the flipping iPhone?

Well done Saints, all fine, but come on, this is we're-going-to-rule-China-with-our-plain-red-kit time again.

Let's be honest, the markets outside of England (well, in England to be frank) are only really interested in the traditional top 4 with now, city and a little bit of Spurs.

That is about it really

Just to keep dalek happy I would like to see us help to establish the New York Yo-Yo's as our sister club. Sponsored by air bnb and playing at the Seventeenth Slot Stadium.

Sounds good to me. Glenda to manage ?

Let's be honest, the markets outside of England (well, in England to be frank) are only really interested in the traditional top 4 with now, city and a little bit of Spurs.

 

That is about it really

Everton, Stoke, Palace and Watford as well surely?