Boro's cup heroes have got youth on their side

FEBRUARY'S Carling Cup success put Middlesbrough firmly on the football map. Never before had the club been able to succeed in bringing a major trophy back to Teesside.

The 128-year wait was over. Yet a few months later there was a taste of more glory in the shape of the FA Youth Cup. The competition may not have received the same column inches up and down the country but that, perhaps more than the success at the Millennium Stadium a few months earlier, was a sign that things were being done the right way at Middlesbrough.

While Carling Cup joy secured Middlesbrough's place in Europe for the first time in the club's history - an honour that led to the likes of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Ray Parlour agreeing to come north - the younger generation's heroics highlighted the steady progress across the club.

The Youth Cup runs of the past two years, having lost in the final in 2003 before going one better in April when they overcame Aston Villa, gave Middlesbrough's rising stars the platform to showcase their talents.

Members of that triumphant team have since gone on to make a name for themselves at Premiership and European level. James Morrison, from Darlington, and Tony McMahon, from Evenwood, have become major figures in the multi-national seniors squad assembled by Steve McClaren.

Matthew Bates made his first team debut in Monday's success over Manchester City, while Andrew Taylor was on the bench for the draw at Old Trafford when McMahon and Morrison helped Middlesbrough keep Manchester United at bay.

Academy director Dave Parnaby has witnessed the steady transition of the exceptional crop of teenagers go from having enormous potential to being given an opportunity to shine on one of the biggest stages of all, the Premiership.

"We never made a big thing of the FA Youth Cup and we won't again," said Parnaby, ahead of taking the 2004-05 class to Redbridge on Thursday when they will make their first step towards attempting to retain the trophy.

"What it does give us is more of a test. The atmosphere of the stadiums, particularly in the later rounds. We have had that experience in the past when big players have frozen on the night and it gives us a good indicator of a player's temperament. That group last year proved they could go on and cope with it."

Since being appointed by chairman Steve Gibson in September 1998, Parnaby has successfully used the National School at Lilleshall to help develop Rockliffe Park into one of the most respect training and Academy centres in the country.

In his early days working at Middlesbrough, Parnaby was forced to carry much of his work out in Portakabins as the multi-million pound training complex at Hurworth was built. Teams representing the club from ages upwards of nine had to train at different venues. There were sites - at Eston and Tolesby Road in the town - that held training and Academy matches.

The move for the age groups has been gradual and it was only earlier this year when floodlights were installed at Rockliffe Park and now every player from under nine up to Hasselbaink and Parlour have sessions at the exceptional training base.

"I remember we used local leisure centres at first in conjunction with Middlesbrough Council. It took time but everything is here now," said Parnaby, sat in the warm press room surroundings at Rockliffe on a freezing cold day outside. "I remember, you know, when we were setting out and we looked at using the National School as the guinea pig and trying to follow what they had done. Stuart (Dave's son and Middlesbrough full-back) spent time there, Sam Russell (released and now Darlington keeper) and Andrew Taylor also went. It was a very good experience for Stuart over two years. They went to school during the day and went to football on an evening."

The blueprint laid down by Howard Wilkinson - much-maligned nowadays following his disastrous spell in charge of Sunderland - in 1997 when he announced his Charter for Quality granted the licenses of Academies. It was a decision that was designed to not only make the England side stronger but also help to find and nurture talent at grassroots level.

Juniors, ladies football and disabled participants were all included in the charter and Parnaby, a former England schoolboy manager, has no qualms in claiming 'the blue print was the best thing that has come football's way in a long, long time'.

There are no league formats for any of the age groups but all matches are played in a controlled environment. Those swearing are punished and parents trying to have too much influence are evicted.

But Parnaby claims it has been these sort of rules, along with making sure the youngsters are well educated and have good manners, that have helped to bring on the likes of his son, Andrew Davies, McMahon, Morrison, Stewart Downing and Bates.

"We have a fantastic reputation nationally. Conduct of players and parents is spot on," he said. "They speak to the children as children. We don't tolerate bad manners or foul and abusive language and they are told that. You set standards and live by them. It's something I firmly believe in."

Middlesbrough's head of recruitment Ron Bone has to take a lot of the credit for unearthing the growing number of football gems - with another in the shape of Josh Walker, who has already captained England Boys, seemingly on his way through.

It is Bone and his contacts who stand in inclement weather looking for that extra bit of genius that makes children stand out from the rest on a football pitch.

Those players previously mentioned were spotted on the school field or in the local park and so did the likes of David Wheater, Bates and David Knight who will be embarking on their third Youth Cup campaign this week. It is a great testament to Middlesbrough and the North-East that the club's Academy success has been achieved by a young guns living within an hour's drive of the Riverside Stadium.

Parnaby, perhaps modestly, insists the glory of guiding Middlesbrough to Youth Cup glory for the first time in the club's history was not a massive achievement - although seeing members of that team hit the big time is.

"The challenge every year is to repeat it, not particularly winning the Youth Cup but getting players through," said Parnaby, who was ably assisted last year by Mark Proctor before he became assistant manager at Darlington.

"We are realistic and we know what's happening. It will take a long time for that to happen. We think we have good players all the way down.

"There are so many hurdles to overcome. It's planning ahead good management and it's a combination of all that."

Newcastle United's youngsters start their quest to emulate Middlesbrough's Youth Cup success this week when they take on Blackpool on Wednesday, while Sunderland are at home to Leicester in the same competition.

If Lilleshall was the benchmark for Middlesbrough to follow then their North-East neighbours should look no further than Teesside in their attempts to find their own crop of talented teenagers