Harry Lee and Sonny Cox - sign professional contracts

[Spoonz Red E]

I'm not sure...

You'd think that the club would have learnt about what's happened previously and developed a strategy that would attempt to retain these lads for longer. EPPP makes it difficult, but not impossible, especially when dealing with kids of 16. There's a lot of benefit spending another couple of years with us - at 16 I would have hated to move away from my home and friends, but at 18 I was ready.

Agree with this.

The announcement of 2 year scholarships being offered to 10 Under 16 players seems to be another step change in the Club's approach to setting a path from Academy to first team.

📝 Exeter City offer ten under-16 scholarships

Despite the difficulties and uncertainty that has surrounded the bulk of the 2020/21 season, Exeter City Football Club have announced that they have offered two-year scholarship deals to 10 members of their Under-16s age group.

www.exetercityfc.co.uk

The club has better leverage now when it comes to persuading young players and their families due to Ollie Watkins' means of progression.

Also different factors were in play with Ethan & Jay.
Ethan had his own high level family support in London with Kwame being at Arsenal.
Jay had the factor (possible burden) of expectations that come into play due to Adam.

 

[IndoMike]

This is not correct. A scholarship is a pro contract Ian.

A scholarship is NOT a pro contract.
If it was, you wouldn't need to call it a scholarship. These lads have signed a pre- pro contract. The pro-contract will become active when they are 17, if they so wish.
It's quite simple.

 

[tallone]

I wonder how much bearing Covid had on the decision of the lads and their parents.
under the current circumstances, I would be loathe to send them miles from home with little or no control on their environment or behaviour.

 

[Ex-ciderrr]

Great news. Also hope that these two can really kick on with us and hopefully lay down the marker to others that are on the production line that you can do it here with Exeter City, you don’t need to be off to your Liverpool Chelsea’s at 16 and get lost in the wilderness. Huge credit to the academy coaches by the way and also MT too, Taylor clearly believes in these two and will give them the right platform to perform at the right time within the 1st team, a great opportunity for them both not only for their development (yes they both are going to learn some lessons and will get kicked to feck in league 2) and their future but our clubs aswell, if all goes to plan we could make a nice sum on these two. Cant wait to see them in action for our club!

Seymour is already falling down the pecking order.

 

[SEA Grecian]

A scholarship is NOT a pro contract.
If it was, you wouldn't need to call it a scholarship. These lads have signed a pre- pro contract. The pro-contract will become active when they are 17, if they so wish.
It's quite simple.

Exactly- that is my understanding too.

Aside from the slightly sloppy wording from the club what I don’t quite get is the status of the players between now and when they turn 17. How legally binding are these pre-contracts? Are they technically scholars for now so if they are poached we would only get EPPP compensation?

 

[Red Devon]

Kudos to the club and their families for convincing these lads to sign

 

[IndoMike]

Exactly- that is my understanding too.

Aside from the slightly sloppy wording from the club what I don’t quite get is the status of the players between now and when they turn 17. How legally binding are these pre-contracts? Are they technically scholars for now so if they are poached we would only get EPPP compensation?

A pre-contract agreement may be broken by the player or the club, as was the case when Ross County midfielder Richard Brittain signed a pre-contract with St Johnstone.

 

[Hants_red]

Tempting to pop down to WSM on Tuesday to see them in action!

 

[older-codger]

I presume that youngsters in the Academy are not paid - i.e. they are amateurs. I suspect that they will now be paid under the terms of the Contracts that they have signed. In other words, they are no longer unpaid amateurs but professional (paid) individuals. Hence they have signed "professional contracts".

 

[Hants_red]

Interviews with Matt Taylor and Aaran Pugh

Matt Taylor and Aaran Pugh Talk About the New Youth Signings – Exeweb

www.exeweb.com