FA VASE PREVIEW: SALFORD CITY v HALLAM FC
Who said you can't win anything with kids? A stone's throw away from the Theatre of Dreams - where youngsters David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs et al, won winners' medals galore - a similar blueprint is being utilised by Gary Fellows, manager of high-flying Salford City, the solitary semi-professional club in Manchester.
Fellows' North West Counties League Division One team play host to Hallam FC - who claim to be the second oldest club in the world (203-years-old) - in Saturday's FA Vase Third Round. And his youth and recruitment policies will mean that most of the starting eleven will have been born and bred in and around the Salford area.
"There will probably be nine lads starting who live within a mile radius of the ground," said Fellows, who has been their manager for two years. "And our youth side is full of Salfordians.
"We are doing well in the league, but it's not all down to me. A lot of our success is to do with the players we have brought in.
"Before I came here the budget was quite high and we would get players from as far as Liverpool. But it didn't work out and they brought me in.
"The budget is now nowhere near as high as it was. I go through the local clubs and communities and I go out quite often looking for new players in the local leagues. If I see a good, young player I will take him on."
Fellows' policies seem to be working - his team began the season by dropping only two points in their opening six games, and are now in third place in their league. But with so many promising youngsters on his books, it is inevitable that some are poached by bigger clubs.
"Over the last six months we have lost five players under the age of 18 to professional clubs," continued Fellows, who used to play in the Manchester leagues in his salad days.
"There are even a couple of Premier League clubs looking at some of our players," he continued.
"We actually have another four or five players who I think are as good if not better than those who have left. The youth team academy is first class and the reserve team managers are very good.
"There are a lot of clubs that I have run and they have all done very well. I've produced good youth team players. There have been a lot over the years who have gone on to play in the professional leagues and made a good living out of football."
Despite using Sir Alex Ferguson's template for success, Fellows remains pragmatic ahead of the FA Vase showdown with Hallam FC of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.
He added: "I don't know how much about Hallam. I've been to watch them - they won 4-1 and played well.
"They have a good side and have about four players on loan from Sheffield FC of the Unibond South Division. I don't think there will be much in it. It will be a good challenge - I'm looking forward to it."
Who said you can't win anything with kids? A stone's throw away from the Theatre of Dreams - where youngsters David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs et al, won winners' medals galore - a similar blueprint is being utilised by Gary Fellows, manager of high-flying Salford City, the solitary semi-professional club in Manchester.
Fellows' North West Counties League Division One team play host to Hallam FC - who claim to be the second oldest club in the world (203-years-old) - in Saturday's FA Vase Third Round. And his youth and recruitment policies will mean that most of the starting eleven will have been born and bred in and around the Salford area.
"There will probably be nine lads starting who live within a mile radius of the ground," said Fellows, who has been their manager for two years. "And our youth side is full of Salfordians.
"We are doing well in the league, but it's not all down to me. A lot of our success is to do with the players we have brought in.
"Before I came here the budget was quite high and we would get players from as far as Liverpool. But it didn't work out and they brought me in.
"The budget is now nowhere near as high as it was. I go through the local clubs and communities and I go out quite often looking for new players in the local leagues. If I see a good, young player I will take him on."
Fellows' policies seem to be working - his team began the season by dropping only two points in their opening six games, and are now in third place in their league. But with so many promising youngsters on his books, it is inevitable that some are poached by bigger clubs.
"Over the last six months we have lost five players under the age of 18 to professional clubs," continued Fellows, who used to play in the Manchester leagues in his salad days.
"There are even a couple of Premier League clubs looking at some of our players," he continued.
"We actually have another four or five players who I think are as good if not better than those who have left. The youth team academy is first class and the reserve team managers are very good.
"There are a lot of clubs that I have run and they have all done very well. I've produced good youth team players. There have been a lot over the years who have gone on to play in the professional leagues and made a good living out of football."
Despite using Sir Alex Ferguson's template for success, Fellows remains pragmatic ahead of the FA Vase showdown with Hallam FC of the Northern Counties East League Premier Division.
He added: "I don't know how much about Hallam. I've been to watch them - they won 4-1 and played well.
"They have a good side and have about four players on loan from Sheffield FC of the Unibond South Division. I don't think there will be much in it. It will be a good challenge - I'm looking forward to it."
