Why ESL don't follow up....

[coach et 64]

ez George has defended the Ridgeons League as a useful breeding ground for Cambridge United’s stars of the future.

 

The caretaker manager, who led United’s development side CRC to runners-up spot in the Premier Division in 2009 and 2010, felt the league had worked as a good place to blood the club’s youngsters before putting them in the first team.

 

It comes after Histon boss David Livermore criticised the competition, believing his young players, which make up the bulk of the club’s reserves side, learned little beyond hardening themselves up for adult football.

 

Histon’s second string are second from bottom of the top flight, but Livermore felt the standard of Ridgeons football was poor with players picking up bad habits along the way.

 

But George (pictured) pointed to the likes of Jordan Patrick, Adam Marriott, Luke Berry and Rory McAuley as proof the system worked as a means of preparing players for first team football.

 

He admitted he had decided to focus on using the league as a place to nurture the first and second-year scholars this season, though.

 

George said: "I don’t think the league was as strong as it was five years ago when you had Lowestoft, Bury, Soham, Needham Market and Sudbury who have all gone up and done well in higher leagues.

 

"But we’ve slightly changed our policy towards it in that we’ve probably put a younger team out more regularly than before.

 

"I still think there’s a big advantage of getting your younger players to play against men because they have to handle a lot of different situations in that league."

Why reserves side from Cambridge and Leiston are playing in the Ridgeons Premier and we don't get Chelmsford City or Thurrock for example?Jez is an old acquaintance from his Cambridge City days and works well with the youngsters.