Three Offered Pro Deals
By Matthew Jones
April 26 2012
Tranmere offer professional contracts to three second year scholars

Tranmere Rovers have today offered professional contracts to three of their second year scholars.
Defender Will Vaulks and striker Cole Stockton both 18, are joined versatile attacker Jake Kirby, 17, in being offered their first professional contracts, with all three having formed part of Tranmere's successful U18 side this season.
Vaulks and Stockton both impressed former manager Les Parry this season and were sent out on loan, to Cammell Laird and Vauxhall Motors respectively, in order to gain first team experience playing against adults.

Both were successful during their loan spells, with Stockton, who is top scorer for Tranmere's youth and reserve team this season, scoring some vital goals which eventually led to him making his Tranmere debut as a late substitute against Rochdale in January.
Jake Kirby on the other hand has really progressed since Ronnie Moore joined the club in early March, with the Rovers boss recently telling Tranmere Player how impressed he had been with the player in training and that he could play for the first team this season.
Stockon and Kirby have both been offered one-year deals, whilst Will Vaulks, who can play at right-back or his more natural postion, central defence, has been offered a six month contract.

Although Rovers did also sign three of last seasons second year scholars; Dale Jennings, Max Power and Andy Coughlin, Jennings put pen to paper on a professional contract in the Autumn, meaning the total of three youth players taken on by Tranmere this summer is their most at the end of a season for some time and is reward for the fine work that Shaun Garnett, Warick Rimmer and co. continue to do each year with the U18s.

Despite it being a fantastic day for Vaulks, Kirby and Stockton, it does mean that Rovers have released several other second year scholars, and Total Tranmere would like to wish them all the best for the future and hope to see them still involved in football.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:04:27:16:16:04 by Deadly Submarine.
Cole is not really a shock but for me, Will getting only six months initially is a surprise.
Good Luck to all three!
will add I think ellis healing being let go is a big mistake. most skilful player at the club and a replacement for robbo in a few seasons.
Good luck to all the others.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
agree i'd argue he's the best of the 3 and 6 months seems a poor deal
All three have done well to get contracts.
Football is all about opinions! I doubt Ronnie has seen enough of all the the second year scholars!
It is also about discipline, how the lads behaviour and discipline impact on the day to day characteristics of being a pro footballer.
And Ronnies past history with youth players is not that good!
Well done to Shaun and the coaches for yet again bringing the lads through.
Hopefully the clubs lifeline of producing good quality footballers continues and earns the club money for the future!
We certainly need it with the new Academy rules and financial rules that have been put in place and with the current economic situation.
Hopefully this is true as I've been impressed with him lately!
He is not that tall and looks like a box player, that gets the tap ins etc.
He is just on trial, that's all!
If not for Will, I believe Steve would have been with a better chance.
What he needs to do, next season, (when he has recovered from his injury) is go and find himself a club and prove to everyone that he is good enough! (Danny Holmes as an example).
This year has produced a good crop of second years, all with a shout of a contract. Lets hope all the good work continues for the future!
Quote:Ingleboro08
This year has produced a good crop of second years, all with a shout of a contract. Lets hope all the good work continues for the future!
We can only but hope, as the Elite Player Performance Plan is going to kill any chance of that, I fear
Ronnie never got to watch him
Think a few clubs have made enquiries and are prepared to let him take part in pre season training to give him a chance to prove himself!
He should of been signed and loaned out in my opinion
Quote:Trfc jh
Heard that the only reason Steve W didn't get a pro was due to Kay having another year on his contract otherwise he would of got one! His injury come at the wrong time and is likely to miss the exit trials!
Ronnie never got to watch him
Think a few clubs have made enquiries and are prepared to let him take part in pre season training to give him a chance to prove himself!
He should of been signed and loaned out in my opinion
If he's as good as you say and Ronnie Moore 'never got to watch him' who decided his fate? Wouldn't it be better and fairer if he was offered a chance here to take part in pre season training when he is fit and the manager can make his own judgement and decision then.
He may decide to start afresh at another club that will not have three people ahead of him. A few clubs have shown an interest I've been told.
Ronnie decicided that he has to much cover at right back and that's the only reason why he never got one. If Kay didn't have a year on his contract he most defintently would of got one!
Also tragic that he got injured when he did.
I think its wrong ronnie decided on the younger lads which he obviously has with Jake getting one....nothing against the lad but i don't think he would have been in the frame if les was still in charge. I also wonder if this is why will v only got 6 months as ronnie isn't convinced but got talked into it by the coaches??
For me we had a ready made replacement for Robbo in Ellis H in a few years. Not blisteringly quick but great skill/shot and creativity, a player who always looks likely to make something happen. I'm convinced he'll play at least in the championship at some point.
It has to be a positive though that we feel that 4-5 of the lads could/should have got contracts. Well done to the youth development guys for that.
wainwright and healing are committed players with excellent attitudes and Im 100% sure they'll power forward at other clubs. Good look to them both
Will v only getting 6months??
which is a shame because i think they could of made us alot of money in the future.
In that respect its a shame les isn't here still as i think he gave the youth lads more time and attention and would have made a better decision.
Ronnie is a good manager at first team level but the youths must have been very disappointed when they came in, if they're aware of his history.
They could be making money for the club or also bringing success to it, shoudl not base his opinions on one or two matches that he has seen them play.
Ash was a 2nd year YTS in RM's first season wasn't he? Not many 2nd yr YTS's feature in the first team. Only Jennings and Stockton have I'd guess, since Ash did in RM's final game.
Mike Jones and Danny Holmes simply weren't good enough at the time he released them. Jones needed first team football, he wasn't good enough for L1 at the time, he needed that drop. Same for Holmes. They both had potential but they needed a few years to be playing regular football at a lower level to learn their trade. Our budget is shoite. We can't afford to keep 2 players and loan them out unless the other club pay 100% of their wages.. and there was never any guarentee of that.
Gornell played his best football under RM imo. His development was killed by Les' anti-football and being played, at times, on the wing.

Gornell has come on with Accrington and Shrewsbury and I'm pleased for him, but I think he may be another Dagnell and Tranmere need to invest a little more savvy into how they assess young and potentially unwanted players and in Curran's case, be more careful regards securing compo.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
Gornell has improved but hardly set the world alight as yet.
He could have been offered a deal for a nominal increase like say another £50 a week, but told he would get little game time and if he got any, he'd be a wide man, so the deal wouldn't look too attractive, but would meet the criteria for a compo claim.
This would have potentially stopped any chance of him re-signing, especially if the contract was limited to 1 year, but if the club had tried to work the situation better to attempt some hance of a compo case later on in proceedings, it's better than doing naff all and definitely getting none.
Tranmere might possibly have gotten stuck with him for a year, but loaning hom out to league 2 club for all his cost or at least 75% of it would have been okay, as a contigency measure.
They might have even been able to put in a cheap release clause of say £50,000 if possible, to make it easier for other clubs want him.
I don't know how they could have worked it, I'm just speculating, but doing something to try and get compo is better than nothing, which is seemingly what they did, so the board looked a bit like prize turkeys after the event.
Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.
For a club like Tranmere , chances are in an average batch we will get one good player. If lucky then one player capable of being sold and maybe a second solid pro in the lower divisions.
If we signed Steve W and Healing then that would make 5 players given a contract.
Odds are that means we will probably be giving 3 or 4 contracts to players who will never make it professionally. Thats money wasted that could be spent on the first team. You've got to play the percentages. vaulks and Stockton were no brainers and Moore who is far better qualified than anyone here to decide thought Kirkby was next in line.
You've got to remember in the unlikely event these guys make it as a pro in the lower leagues - we aren't missing out as we wouldn't make anything. The chances of them turning into a D Jennings and us losing a fee are pretty negligible.

Obviously he's sees them in training but I'm making the point that people (specially those that watch Reserves and Youth games) have a right to an opinion on the contracts offered!
I think everyone would agree that this years crop are very strong and that 3-4 could easily make it as pro's and a few at a higher level. I wouldn't expect us to sign 3 YTS next year but you never know.
I firmly believe that letting ellis healing go is a big mistake.
Also imo Will V has been the outstanding player and leader in all the games i've seen, commanding and from what i've seen a great attitude on the pitch. To the comment about him seeming 'big headed by the dugout' I'd think self confidence is an important trait in footballers. Thomas Ince for example is very big headed. Like I said on the pitch his attitude seems 1st class and exactly the type of player you'd want, fighting for the club.
I hope this isn't a case of ronnie moore's ego affecting the decisions as in 6 months time if will has a good start to the season we could well end up losing him.
Shame Will wasn't on the bench to replace mcChrystal today. Wasn't exactly a thriller would have been good to get some keen youngsters on!
I've also picked up on that in the interviews hoots, don't think that bodes well for him which is a shame.
Quote:cadburygorilla
Spot on sub many on here have seen lots of reserve and youth games the last few years.
I think everyone would agree that this years crop are very strong and that 3-4 could easily make it as pro's and a few at a higher level. I wouldn't expect us to sign 3 YTS next year but you never know.
I firmly believe that letting ellis healing go is a big mistake.
Also imo Will V has been the outstanding player and leader in all the games i've seen, commanding and from what i've seen a great attitude on the pitch. To the comment about him seeming 'big headed by the dugout' I'd think self confidence is an important trait in footballers. Thomas Ince for example is very big headed. Like I said on the pitch his attitude seems 1st class and exactly the type of player you'd want, fighting for the club.
I hope this isn't a case of ronnie moore's ego affecting the decisions as in 6 months time if will has a good start to the season we could well end up losing him.
With respect - and everyone is entitled to their opinions- I'd prefer to trust the opinion of people who are paid to decide this sort of thing.
Every year there are a couple of players released who everyone is up in arms at. Can't remember seeing any of them in million pound transfers.
Don't forget releasing a player who turns out to be a decent League 1 player isn't a mistake. You can sign them free anyway without the need to go through growing pains.
The concern (which I'd back) is Moore doesn't give youth a go - but three players given contracts isn't a bad start and he's kept Max on when I was sure he would be given the boot.
training to reassess
