DEVELOPMENT SQUAD: HALF-TERM REPORT

We caught up with Corinthian-Casuals Under-23s manager, Paul Hill, to find out how the first season for our newly reformed development squad has gone…
 
How would you summarise the season so far?
I am really pleased with how the first half of the season has gone, for a number of reasons. Our main objective is to provide a pathway for the club, supporting Under-18s development and the first team where needed. With nine of our players having signed for Mu Maan’s side, and five making debuts, it is a great draw for other young players to our club, which supports the club’s strategy this season.

Six Under-18s players have also signed to support the development team, with five making debuts, which shows again that the pathway is already there and has allowed us to grow our Under-18s proposition, which can only benefit when looking to attract players.

Sitting at the top of the Suburban Central Division shows how the team has come together and the standards we are aiming to create.

We have also received great support from Brian, our chairman, from committee members and the media team. I cannot express how important this has been, as unlike other clubs at our level, we can get the message out about our pathway success, which can only help.
 
You must be delighted to have seen so many players step up to Mu’s first-team squad.

It’s been great, not just for Mike [Fox, assistant manager] and I, but for the lads who came to us for a chance of a first-team experience. When starting the season, we always sold the pathway by telling players, “If you perform individually and as a team, when the question is asked you will be pushed in to the first-team environment”.

It’s one thing to promote, but more importantly it’s not just words but a reality within our pathway. Credit also goes to Mu and his management team for giving the lads the opportunity to impress and become an option for the first team.
 
You’re sitting pretty in the league table. Are you targeting promotion?
We are always looking to move forward, and to gain promotion from the Central Division to the Premier can only enhance the pathway proposition. It would be a nice finish to the season for the management team and the lads in the squad but the other steps we have made this season is where the focus should be.
 
How does the Suburban League setup work? Is there a pyramid for the U23s like senior football?
The Suburban League has a tiered approach with the North and Central Divisions sitting under the Premier Division. The North and Central Leagues include Under-23s or Reserve teams from the Combined Counties which match our first team. The Premier Division is more mixed with clubs from Combined Counties, Isthmian League and even National League South.

This is the first season for the revived development squad. What have been the main challenges and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge is to create a team worthy of what we wanted to achieve. We hoped to utilise more of last year’s brilliant Under-18s squad, although other opportunities in Step Five and Step Six first teams meant we had to wish them well, although we always keep the door open.

Pre-season attracted many talented players and even some from our 2022/23 Under-18s squad. I am sure the club’s status, facilities, and the younger player pool we have, has helped create a great group of lads.

Managing Under-23s or reserve teams (as I show my age) brings a big challenge when trying to keep players happy. You are always looking to support the first team, so one week you can be relying on your squad and the next you may have several first team players that need minutes for fitness. The whole development squad are clear of this situation and understand the possibility of this occurring. I really believe the positive and togetherness we have nurtured, along with the success we are showing on and off the pitch helps with morale and mitigates this challenge.
 
Tell us about your management team and the role they play.
The management team has progressed from the Under-18s set up from the last two years. Adam Boothroyde and Tom Taylor have taken the rains of the Under-18s team and Mike Fox has moved to the development squad with me. Although different teams, we all still support each other in a lot of ways, and to both the development squad and Under-18s players we are one unit.

Mike’s key focus has been to implement our identity and help develop the players to push on. The success we are seeing is a compliment to the time and effort he puts into the development squad and the commitment he has to the pathway objective.

This is the same with Adam and Tom and I cannot express how important they are to the progression we are seeing. We are all volunteers, with the love of what we do. I could not ask for any better support, and I am sure the players over the last three years would agree.
 
When can we see the Under-23s back in action again?
After the 2-1 victory away to Cobham Under-23s on 5th December, we now have an extended break until the new year. Focus will be to hit the ground running, on Saturday 3rd January with a home fixture against Chessington & Hook Under-23s. We are then scheduled for another three home fixtures in January, playing Alton Reserves, Godalming Town Under-23s, and Slough Town Academy in the cup.