NORWICH CITY YOUTH TEAMS 1999/2000

Norwich City's Youth Academy fields teams at various ages ranging from Under 9s to Under 19s. How many of these will follow the likes of Chris Sutton, Craig Bellamy and Andy Marshall and make it to the Norwich first team. Some may depart for other league clubs as has happened with Simon Davies of Tottenham and Wales whilst others may only progress as far as Norwich's main Youth team and then drift into non-league football eg Stewart Roach. Whatever their final destination, FLOWN FROM THE NEST will attempt to track their careers as they are all part of the rich tapestry which is the history of Norwich City FC.
The 1999/2000 club handbook listed the following as Academy players with Norwich:

Norwich City signed four new first year scholars who started their careers with the Canaries on July 5th 1999. They are:
Michael Merrick - a defender from Newcastle [more]
Andrew Oxby - a midfielder from the Potters Bar Centre of Excellence who is similar to Craig Bellamy in appearance and style [more]
Richard Goodchild - a centre-half also from the Potters Bar Centre of Excellence [more]
Ryan Albiston - a striker who is the son of former Manchester United favourite Arthur Albiston. Ryan was previously at Old Trafford. [more]

The club's remaining 2nd year scholars are
Louis Blois [more]
Pitshou Ngopwani [more]
Ian Thompson [more]
Lee Gilman [more]
Neil Bilham [more]
Matthew Parry [more]
Danny Gay [more]

In November 1999, the club offered a traineeship to former Norwich City schoolboy Danny Rafis which he accepted.

Under 9s
In the 1999/2000 season, there were ten players registered at under 9 level. Thomas Day hails from Downham Market. Adam Marriot is from brandon whilst Josh Birmingham is from Sheringham. Tarren Grint comes from Lowestoft. Declan Rudd and Jonathan Abbott are both from Diss whilst Steven Green and Richard Fradgley are from Thorpe Marriott. Michael Fraser comes from Taverham whilst Robin Anderson is from Loddon.

Under 10s
In the Canary matchday programme for the clash versus Fulham on 14th September 1999, the Under 10 squad was profiled:
"There are currently 13 youngsters registered at this age group. Left back Ben Abrahams is a Hellesdon lad and he is a pupil at Wensum Middle School. Jake Armes attends Lowestoft's Harris Middles School in his hometown. Jake is a midfielder, like Bodie Carter, a recent signing for the Academy Under 10s. Bodie, from Great Yarmouth, goes to North Denes Middle School in the town. Till Beckford is one of two goalkeepers in the squad. He lives in Thurton, and goes to Thurton VC Primary School. Centre forward Luke Daley attends the Holt County Primary School, and lives in Cley-Next-The-Sea while left winger Joshua Farrow is a Mulbarton lad who attends Mulbarton Middle School.
Jamie Forshaw from Norwich is a midfield player and attends Sprowston Middle School. Charlton Halliday of Falcon Middle School is a promising centre half. The Under 10s other keeper is Louis Lemay and goes to Mulbarton Middle School. Right back Robert Newton lives in Taverham and goes to Taverham Hall Prep. School. James Page comes from Dereham and is a forward. Robert Revell, of Sprowston, is a wide midfielder who goes to White Woman Lane School. Chris West - another forward - is a Dereham lad and goes to Dereham Church Middles School."

Under 11s
In the Canary matchday programme of 28 September 1999 (vs Manchester City), Norwich's Under 11s sqaud was profiled. Michael Hilton is a goalkeeper from Mattishall. Vying for the keeper's jersey is Liam Hembling from Beccles. Tasburgh lad Sam Willis is a defender. James Buxton is from Costessey whilst midfielder Shaun Overall is from Watton. Beccles lad Chris Martin is a striker. Tom Martin is no relation to Chris and is from Hembsy. Kane Taylor is a left winger from Norwich. William Callow is from Horstead. Andrew Howell, a left winger, is highly rated by the Academy coaches and comes from Hopton on Sea. Liam Barrett is from Felixstowe whilst Johnathan Miller is of Hevingham

Under 12s
In the programme for Norwich's match with Fulham on 2nd October 1999, the Under 12's were profiled:
"Coached by Jerry Goss whose knowledge and experience is a great boost to the boys. Matthew Gilchrist attends Springwood High School in Kings Lynn. Stylish defender Adam Gusterson is from White Woman lane School and also in defence is Rossi Jarvis from Fakenham Junior School and of Canon Pickering Middle in Harleston, James Trudgill. Archie Lamb is a creative midfielder from Avenue Middle in Norwich and also in midfield in Ryan Scrutton playing on the left and attedning Kirklea Middle School. >Andrew Fisk lives in Scole near Diss and is a pupil at Scole Primary. In the forward line is Paul Wheeler who attends Aylsham Middle and Scott Woodcock a pupil at Hillside Primary in Thorpe. Keeping goal are Robert Lawrance from St Thomas More School in Norwich and Joseph Lewis who hails from Canon Pickering Middle.

Under 13s
Norwich's Under 13 side for the 1999/2000 season consisted of Adam Burton (Downham Market), Myles Clarke (Ditchingham), Josh Clarke (Bradwell, Gt Yarmouth), Ryan de Coteau (Lowestoft), Matthew Halliday (Norwich), Lee Howlett (Norwich), Liam Hunn (Felixstowe), Andrew King (Mepal), Scott Musgrove (Peterborough), Joe Nathan (Norwich), Adam Smith (Norwich), Jake Osborne (Cromer), Tom White (Downham Market) and Wayne Woodcock (Norwich). They are coached by Trevor Whymark and Dick Mills.

Under 14s According to the Canary published for the derby clash with Ipswich on 21st November 1999, the following players were registered with the Norwich City Academy Under 14s side for 1999/2000. Nathan Baker (Dereham), Ryan Hunn (Felixstowe), Oliver Willis (Tasburgh), Steven Shipley (Norwich), Ben Slater (Norwich), Adam Smith (Lingwood), Gary Etherington (Caister), Tom Whitely (Hempton), Ryan Jarvis (Fakenham), Daniel Crow (Caister), Craig Ritchie (Norwich), Tom Clements (Stowmarket), Nicky Howell (Harleston), Ben Price (Norwich) and Wesley Newberry (Lowestoft).

Under 15s
To raise money for the Academy, Norwich arranged a clash between their Under 15 side and that of Manchester United. The game took place on 22nd February 2000 and the young Canaries did themselves proud with the 3-0 defeat flattering the young Red Devils. The attendance for this match was 8,679 and is believed to be a record for a match between sides at this age level excluding Schoolboy internationals. The Norwich side was as follows:
Aaron Osborne (Cromer)
Ashley Dickerson (Kings Lynn)
David Chick (Norwich)
Damien Butt (Hoddesdon, Herts)
Michael Palmieri (Loughton, Essex)
Greg Crane (Yarmouth)
Adam Smith
Dean Sinclair (St Albans)
Ian Henderson (Thetford)
Robbie Simpson (Knebworth, Herts)
Jonathan Schofield (Bury St Edmunds)
Subs:Robert Southern (Martham), Cameron Brown, Ryan Jarvis, Paul Wright (London), Gareth Downs.
Man of the Match for Norwich was Dean Sinclair.
David Chick was called up into the England Under 16 squad for the clash with Northern Ireland in September 2000.

Under 16s Norwich's Under 16s for the 1999/2000 season consisted of Robert Thornton (Gorleston), Paul Dodsworth (Ipswich), Ben Thompson (Mulbarton), Danny Ringer (London), David Freeman (Norwich), Matthew Munday (London), Ben Lucas (Swaffham), Bradley Rudd (Norwich), Danny Self (Gt Yarmouth), Jason Shackell (Stevenage), Ryan Jenner (Stevenage), Danny Aldous (Norwich), Richard Woodrow (Lowestoft) and triallists Dave Lawrence (Gt Yarmouth) and Chris Vargeson (Norwich). Of these, Daniel Self, striker Ben Thompson, right-winger Richard Woodrow, Paul Dodsworth and Jason Shackell have been offered scholarship terms for the 2000/01 season (thus the club thinks they have the potential to make the grade as professional players).