Cambridge Regional College to blood young team in The Vase.
Cambridge Regional College v Needham Market FC
The FA Carlsberg Vase
Third Round Proper
3pm, Saturday 5 December 2009
The Trade Recruitment Stadium, Cambridge United FC
Winning clubs will receive £1,300 from The FA prize fund
Click here for all the Third Round Proper fixtures
Cambridge Regional College (CRC) head coach, Jez George, is a master of the balancing act. Why? Because as a Cambridge United director, the head of youth development and head coach of what is technically their youth team, he has to find the perfect equilibrium between the long-term development of the club and the continued success of his competitive scholars.
The United first team have first refusal on any of his CRC youngsters and can pick and choose depending on injuries and form. George confirms that this weekend will be no different.
"The first team were playing away at Chester on Tuesday and most of our best players have made first-team debuts for them recently, putting them into contention to play.
"That could see us without Luke Berry, for example, and Adam Marriot, who scored a hat-trick against Needham not even a fortnight ago.
"It’s frustrating but I must never lose sight of Cambridge United’s future development, and the scholars are there for that."
With an average age of just 17, his youngsters top the Eastern Counties Premier League, having beaten this weekend’s FA Carlsberg Vase opponents 4-1 in November, and he believes his players are still "underestimated.”
He added: "They might make silly mistakes occasionally but players between the age of 16 and 19 have greater determination, more ambition and their physical fitness is exceptional.
"CRC don’t qualify for the youth leagues and with most teams across the country choosing not to field teams in reserve leagues, we think playing them in a competitive adult league gives them the best possible grounding at their age.
"They need to be learning to compete against experienced, established players and teams, and competitions like The FA Vase mean they get a chance against higher opposition too.
"They should be learning to play away from home, further away and on dodgy surfaces. Not against other kids on glossy pitches."
George also dictates that, despite this first-hand experience, their continued education is still essential and says CRC’s league defeat of Needham recently will mean absolutely nothing on Saturday.
"We had a purple patch in the second half in which we scored three quick goals, that’s all," he recalled.
"Needham are a very good side. They're third in the table. They missed a penalty and a whole host of other chances against us so we will have to respect them and be in the right frame of mind."
