Labour, Tories, Lib Dems and Greens: I demand you stand down in Clacton. I will be a unity candidate and pledge to build at least one affordable house.
Nigel Farage says he wants The People versus the Establishment. So be it.
Leave him to me.
@SouthernRailUK Thank you!
I wasnt sure if could get to Littlehampton. App said intermediate cancelled then should arrive at littlehampton. But wasnt sure could get through Angmering.
So have changed at gatwick for BAA and will reassess there.
Brighton & Hove Albion are regularly praised for getting things right on and off the pitch. So here’s a glimpse into one area. Culture. A lot of Brighton’s academy work is “player-led”, encouraging responsibility-taking. So when Jack Hinshelwood was given his first-team debut by Roberto De Zerbi three years ago, he could cope - at 18. The pathway continues. Another Worthing-born player is midfielder Harry Howell, who joined the club aged seven, was in the Under-18s at 14, and has already played seven times for Fabian Hurzeler – at 17.
When academy players are called across to the first-team pitch at training it’s clearly not just to make up the numbers. “It’s for their long-term development,” Hurzeler says. It’s also for the team’s benefit. Hurzeler, like De Zerbi before him, gives them a chance to shine. “The pathway is very clear for the players,” says academy manager Ian Buckman. It’s Brighton’s culture.
Whether under De Zerbi, who hosts his old club today with Spurs, or now under the youthful and very impressive Hurzeler, Brighton’s culture is “about developing people as well as players”, adds Buckman. This central quality of taking responsibility is key to their education as people and development as players. It’s embodied in Hinshelwood’s ability and willingness to play different positions, and his hunger for self-improvement in doing his coaching badges. He got his B licence at 20.
I joined Buckman and Under-21s head coach Shannon Ruth in watching a game at academy training this week. One thing that was immediately apparent was how player-led it was. The coaches were there, making the occasional tactical tweak or observation or straightforward encouragement, and the players listened intently. The focus, though, was very much on the players taking responsibility, getting on with the game.
Buckman points to the education they receive, and a culture that encourages players to do their coaching badges in promoting responsibility-taking. “Jack will be an excellent coach,” Buckman says. “He has great knowledge of the game. A lot of the boys come through like that. Jack would have a footballing background with the family (third generation pro), obviously, and would live and breathe the game.
“In terms of our younger players, you're trying to get them to areas to be more player-led within training. The players will speak and deliver within analysis meetings. You start to see a different type of player, slightly more inquisitive, questioning more about the game, more engaged in their individual development plans. They want to take accountability and responsibility for what they do.” On and off the field.
It’s why Hinshelwood could step from the academy and take charge in a range of roles, and why there are high hopes for Howell and for defender Freddie Simmonds. Attackers Tyler Silsby and Aidan West are amongst other academy players to contribute to a collective 600 training session involvements with the first team this season. “A lot of players go across,” Buckman smiles. “Some like Harry and Freddie…that might be 30, 40, 50 appearances. They're always keen to involve the 18s and 21s. We've even got an Under-16 who's been up and around the first team for training. It just makes it really real for them.”
Mentoring then comes from senior players like Danny Welbeck (also tactically with Hinshelwood), James Milner, Lewis Dunk, Pascal Gross, Adam Webster and Jason Steele, amongst others. “That's one of the magical pieces that we have,” Buckman adds. “We're lucky with some good role models with the senior players who educate them.” #BHAFC 1/2
@Jaswanarth@AndyNaylorBHAFC I thought that! But i think this is restarting play. If it was number of breaks in play for "injuries" per game or average time "injured player was down but not needing treatment" then presumably they would be top or nearly on that metric!