Academy & U21s

[KentExile]

3 hours ago, riverholmes said:

Does Dunn look like a prospect? It seems he’s struggling to stand-out in a poor team. 

He seemed to have no assistance in central midfield at all if Strich & Wood were meant to be his partners last night

 

In seperate news

U18s played the Digles today

Eze started, no sign of Higgins, who has not featured much in pre/early season for the U18s, & not at all for the U21s

result

Edited Saturday at 12:59 by KentExile

[MarkBRFC]

1 minute ago, riverholmes said:

Does Dunn look like a prospect? It seems he’s struggling to stand-out in a poor team. 

Saw an interview with him not long ago where he said he had to play a year down until under 12/13s as he was so small

Hopefully he's caught up a bit, but he's still 16/17 playing under 21 football so I dont think its fair to expect him to stand out just yet.

[had.e.nuff]

I think after watching last night that its going to be a long season for Rovers fans how low can Venkys take us at least the u21 cant be relegated until venkys decide to de fund them.

[Waggy76]

5 minutes ago, had.e.nuff said:

I think after watching last night that its going to be a long season for Rovers fans how low can Venkys take us at least the u21 cant be relegated until venkys decide to de fund them.

I suspect that last sentence is on their radar !

[Exiled_Rover]

15 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

I suspect that last sentence is on their radar !

They'd be mad to defund them - the Academy more than pays its way (and there's a bloody grant!).

[KentExile]

15 minutes ago, Exiled_Rover said:

They'd be mad to defund them - the Academy more than pays its way (and there's a bloody grant!).

They are mad, that's the worry

[Hasta]

Under 18’s come back from 2-0 down to beat Burnley U18’s 3-2

Goals on 86th, 91st and 97th minutes all by Valentin Joseph.

Two red cards in injury time 

Edit -  no they didn’t. The official site got it wrong 🙄

Edited Saturday at 14:58 by Hasta

[KentExile]

2 hours ago, Hasta said:

Under 18’s come back from 2-0 down to beat Burnley U18’s 3-2

Goals on 86th, 91st and 97th minutes all by Valentin Joseph.

Two red cards in injury time 

Unfortunately it looks like it was 2-2 & Joseph missed a penalty before equalising

But still, coming back from 2-0 down that late on to get something shows some spirit

 

 

Edited Saturday at 15:01 by KentExile

[Hasta]

1 minute ago, KentExile said:

Unfortunately it looks like it was 2-2 & Joseph missed a penalty before equalising

 

 

Well that’s bizarre are it was Rovers website where I first saw the result as 3-2, so even they initially got it wrong.

[KentExile]

Just now, Hasta said:

Well that’s bizarre are it was Rovers website where I first saw the result as 3-2, so even they initially got it wrong.

lol, we probably shouldn't be too surprised Rovers got something wrong

[philipl]

How did our keeper get a straight red in the 97th minute?

[KentExile]

24 minutes ago, philipl said:

How did our keeper get a straight red in the 97th minute?

Burnley player was sent off at the same time, so possibly fisticuffs at dawn?

[arbitro]

13 hours ago, KentExile said:

Burnley player was sent off at the same time, so possibly fisticuffs at dawn?

It was around the time of the late equaliser so my assumption would be that we 'over celebrated' and wound up the cavemen. A friend said Wonstencroft is a Blackburn lad so he will know what it really means when we play that lot 😂.

Or perhaps something after the final whistle.

[arbitro]

This is from yesterday's under 18 match against Burnley. Difficult to tell what is happening from a still but the bloke with the cap on doesn't look like he should be on the pitch.

 

 

[Colt Seavers]

On 23/08/2025 at 10:40, riverholmes said:

Does Dunn look like a prospect? It seems he’s struggling to stand-out in a poor team. 

Yes, I would say he looks a prospect. I think he is still just about 16 but regularly playing in the 21's which is obviously a huge leap in terms of experience, relative strength etc.

His body shape is nothing like his dad's. He is more a Buckley or Adam Wharton type. He plays very much in that style too; just in front of the back four, playing on the half turn with nice, crisp passing and decent vision. He is confident, despite his youth. I imagine he would possess his dad's unshakeable self belief when playing in his own age group. He has a good engine. 

Very early days obviously but definitely one to watch.

[KentExile]

U21s Central league Cup Fixtures

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2025/august/26/rovers-under-21s-learn-central-league-cup-fate/

 

• Rovers v Blackpool
Tuesday September 23rd, kick-off 1pm
Blackburn Rovers Academy
 

• Preston North End v Rovers
Tuesday October 14th, kick-off 1pm
PNE Academy Training Ground
 

• Blackpool v Rovers
Tuesday December 2nd, kick-off 1pm
Bamber Bridge
 

• Rovers v Preston North End
Tuesday January 27th, kick-off 1pm
Blackburn Rovers Academy

[KentExile]

U18s 6-0 up vs Fulham at half time

[bluebruce]

21 minutes ago, KentExile said:

U18s 6-0 up vs Fulham at half time

That's highly unexpected. We fielded a strong team with some u21 regulars or something?

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

That's highly unexpected. We fielded a strong team with some u21 regulars or something?

5 first year scholars, 5 2nd year scholars, all U18, and Theo Pitt who is 15 I think

7-0 now, 15 minutes left

Edited 6 hours ago by KentExile

[bluebruce]

4 minutes ago, KentExile said:

5 first year scholars, 5 2nd year scholars, all U18, and Theo Pitt who is 15 I think

 

7 nil now I see. Vare with a hat trick, Joseph with 2.

I wonder if Fulham fielded a weaker side with it being the cup.

[KentExile]

23 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

7 nil now I see. Vare with a hat trick, Joseph with 2.

I wonder if Fulham fielded a weaker side with it being the cup.

No clue with that

Maybe Fulham's good U18s from last season are now O18?  Youth football can be very cyclical

That being said, Fulham are top of the U18 Southern table & a passing glance at their lineups over the past 3 games, I'm seeing a lot of the same names who played today, so it doesn't look a weakened side

Edited 6 hours ago by KentExile

[bluebruce]

3 hours ago, KentExile said:

No clue with that

Maybe Fulham's good U18s from last season are now O18?  Youth football can be very cyclical

That being said, Fulham are top of the U18 Southern table & a passing glance at their lineups over the past 3 games, I'm seeing a lot of the same names who played today, so it doesn't look a weakened side

Sounds like it could just be a cracking result then!

[arbitro]

The under 18 team were excellent in the first half as they scored six in a real display of clinical finishing. The second half proved to be a bit of an anti climax on the goals front although several chances were created but the Fulham keeper made some good saves. I don't know anything about the Fulham team but they were chasing shadows for most of the game against a rampant Rovers team.

From my vantage point I could hear the Rovers coach, Paul Butler shouting to the players and was really impressed with what I was hearing. I was speaking to someone I know connected to the Academy who told me how much the youngsters enjoy his coaching and felt real improvement through this.

On an adjacent pitch the under 16 team drew 1-1, also against Fulham.

[Parsonblue]

I honestly can't remember when I last saw the Under-18's play as well as they did today.  The first half was as good as it gets.  The passing, movement and clinical finishing was a joy to watch.  Fulham had no answer and seemed very disorganised in comparison to our lads.

It will be interesting to see how these lads develop but there were some stand out performances today,

[philipl]

Fulham won their previous game 8-0 so was expecting a real hammering.

Well that bit was right but we didn't get hammered.