Youth team ready for the big kick off

Last updated : 08 August 2014 By Tony Scholes

It's thanks to one alert Burnley supporter for spotting, via a leaflet pushed through the door, that the game had been moved from Gawthorpe to The Arbories, home of Padiham, or I'd have been on a last minute rush tomorrow morning to get from one venue to the other.

It is at Padiham FC, as is our third game of the season, so I'm presuming that Gawthorpe is not able to take spectators yet given the work that has been going on there over the summer.

This first game comes against a Blackpool team who last season were convincing winners of the league with only two defeats in their 24 games which yielded 58 points. Only Rochdale scored more goals whilst only Walsall conceded fewer.

However, they've already lost this season having gone down 2-1 at home last Saturday morning against the always strong Walsall. Coach Richie Kyle said that he expected them to get off to a winning start, saying: "The boys know what's expected of them," whilst admitting: "It will be a very tough game."

After the game he said: "Clearly you never want to lose, but there was plenty I saw in those 90 minutes which I was proud of. You learn more from losing than when you win and for the young lads to experience this is part of their development."

Our pre-season was almost private again this year with only the game at Nelson being open to spectators. We lost that game against an experienced Nelson side.

Terry Pashley will be selecting from a new look group of players with ten first year scholars in this season's group of 16.

Those first years are Tony Aghayere, Jamal Crawford, Vashiko Dixon, Josh Dolling, Hamam El-Fitouri, Shaun Hobson, Khius Metz, Lewis Norvock, Andrew Nugent and Aiden O'Neill.

Five of them, Crawford, Dolling, Hobson, Metz and Nugent have played in the league last season but should any of the other five feature it will bring them a debut.

They will be joined in the squad by the six second year scholars Waqas Azam, Andreas Bianga, Christian Hill, Brad Jackson, Ntumba Massanka and Brandon Wilson.

Kick off tomorrow is 11 a.m. and gives Burnley fans a good opportunity to take in a youth team game before making their way to the Turf for the first team friendly against Hellas Verona.