Quote Originally Posted by Tuerto View Post
There has to be discipline and a realisation that everything that you do, you do it well, and next time you do it, you do it better. Everything is geared up to having high standards, from your appearance to your character, i failed miserably in both departments! Without being rude, people don't really understand what it is like unless they experience it. I was with the club from the age of 12 up until i was 18. From the age of about 14 i realised that things were hotting up, i started thinking competitively, when i went out onto the pitch or training ground i wanted to be the best and i wanted everyone else to be shit, they were my friends but also my rivals. When i signed Apprentice forms it became even more intense, i had two years to be one of the best out of about 13 lads in my age group, i wanted them to fail-imagine having that mind set from the age of 14. I was actually pleased when one of my rivals did poorly, as long as i did well i didn't give a **** about them, i had to be that way.

My coach was a tough northerner with a pretty average pro career, he had managed two Professional clubs previously, so it was a bit of a come down for him and you could sense it. I've documented some of the things i experienced, it was vicious and not at all character building, i was scared of him and i know that other lads were as well. There was a culture of bullying, when individuals were targeted it took no time before the pack descended upon them, the thinking was, if it was somebody else getting shit, then it wasn't me. A lot of this was done to test you, see how you responded. I didn't enjoy any of it, the pressure was huge, if did poorly in training then you'd get ridiculed, it wasn't jokey. There has to be discipline and young players do need telling from time to time, but to those who think that certain behaviours are acceptable because they build character i ask you this-Would you verbally abuse your kids if they couldn't do their homework? We don't find it beneficial to scream at kids in an Educational environment, why should that be different when they're learning to play football?
Thanks for that. As you say, those who haven't experienced what you have cannot really comment on it with much authority, but I must say that what you describe sounds nothing like an environment where teenagers, or possibly younger kids than that these days, would prosper - for every one who developed to their full potential with a football upbringing like that, there has to plenty more that didn't surely?

Judging by what you say in your first paragraph, the sort of thing you talk about in your second paragraph was going on early in your six year association with the club - can you confirm that this was the case?