Steve Avory and Anthony Hayes on Academy Football in a Covid World, Returning with a Bang, and Big Ambitions
Steve Avory has seen almost everything in more than two decades at the Charlton academy. But, “almost everything” was never going to cover the events of 2020 as the Academy Manager and the rest of his staff have worked tirelessly in order to figure out how to run such a crucial part of the Charlton ecosystem in the times of Covid.
“If you’re being honest with yourself, you wouldn’t say it’s as smooth, enjoyable, or free-flowing as it has been in previous years when we’ve come into the season,” Avory told me last week. “It’s been very very different, but I’m just so pleased we’re back playing football.
“We’ve got all the academy back now training from U9s through to U23s. Whether it be daytime training which it is for U18s-U23s or evening training as it is with the schoolboys. The place is fully operational in that sense, but operational in a different kind of way because there’s so many protocols we’re having to adhere to.
“At this moment the players are not using the changing rooms, even in the day time, they’re just coming in their training kit and going out to train. And then at the end of the training session, they disappear quite quickly. Parents are not allowed onto the sight to watch their sons train. So, it’s a different environment in some ways, but we tried to make it as smooth as possible and certainly now we’re into full training. We’ve gone past the socially distanced practices we were having to employ in the first few weeks and we’re into full training mode.
“I must add, it’s been challenging at times, in terms of interpreting all the guidelines that have been passed down to us by the football league and the Premier League and I’ve relied heavily on Ruth Corry, the academy secretary. Her organisational and administrative skills, the logistical mind she has for something like this, has been a great support, not just for me but for the rest of the staff, parents, and players.”
While Avory oversees the entire academy he spends much of his day-to-day working with the U18s team alongside head coach Anthony Hayes. With a squad that includes second-year scholars as well as u16s, their job is equal parts managing people as it is managing football games. Both elements however have been severely undermined by the necessary changes to the academy structure since returning in July.
“I think not only the team spirit, but I’m looking at it also from a development point of view as well,” Hayes told me of the challenges brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic. “We pride ourselves on having a real positive learning environment where the players feel safe, where they can make mistakes but are also challenged and pushed in the right manner. But we’ve lost out on significant development time where now the window of development is between 10:30am-1pm. Whereas pre-Covid they were in at 8:15am and were leaving the building at probably 4:30pm. So there’s a big chunk that’s missing in the current climate. We’re obviously trying to be adaptable and creative in how we support each individual first and foremost during this period. But also ensure that their development and learning isn’t being prohibited even though their time in the building is.
“In terms of team spirit most seasons we have a couple days away, a camp, or a few seasons ago we went to Spain for two weeks. You have time then in the evening, away from the pitch, to get to know the players, give them down-time to socialise and have a bit of fun. But during lockdown we did some battles of the bands, it’s a bit of light-hearted fun, brings players outside their comfort zone but socially it’s just a really good exercise and players can learn to be comfortable in front of their peers. That way if someone wants to have a conversation with someone it’s in an environment that’s open, secure, safe, but ultimately together. We’re obviously very keen on that and what we’re trying to do with the spirit and togetherness is we’re trying to bring that out in training sessions at the minute as well as matches.
“Yeah, it’s challenging. And ultimately what you have to make the players aware of is that they’re losing time. So while they’re in the building we obviously try to guide them and work with them, but when they’re not in the building we have to try and ensure that we’ve got aspects of our program. For example, we’re doing some analysis over Zoom, we’re doing some voice-over footage from training or games where we’ll look at different aspects of our DNA. We’ve got to be as creative as we can so we can ensure that although the contact time is reduced, we’ve got to try and optimise and maximise the time in this current climate.”
While this season has been laced with a whole new set of previously unforeseen challenges, everyone at the academy is just glad to be back playing football. Fortunately, the U18s have not only returned but returned in style.
“We had almost an eight-week preseason which I thought went really well considering the circumstances of Covid,” Avory explains. “The last two games of preseason stick in my mind. We played Leicester and we played Arsenal, both Category 1 academies. The Leicester game was physically quite demanding because they put out quite a few u19 players. We fell to a defeat, but I felt that was nevertheless a good learning experience. And then we played Arsenal in our final preseason friendly and what pleased me in particular about that game was coming from 3–0 down to draw 3–3, showing character as well as the ability I’m convinced we’ve got in the squad. And I think that was a great confidence boost before our first league game over at Millwall. We came through that game with a 2–1 victory, well deserved, and then we followed that last Saturday with a 3–1 win against QPR. There’s plenty of confidence in the squad; they’re looking fit and getting fitter each week. Looking very competitive, looking hungry.”
A season that started with a pair of consecutive victories has now gotten even better for Avory, Hayes, and their group of U18 Addicks. 48 hours after my conversation with Avory, Charlton beat Ipswich Town 4–1 as second-year scholar Dylan Gavin scored his 12th goal in ten games. The bright start to the season has only reinforced the lofty goals set about every year not only by Avory and his staff but by the players as well.
“They’re not different to what they’ve been in previous years, the goals I would expect the U18 squad to set themselves, as well as what we as a staff would expect,” Avory says. “As a Category 2 academy, we’ve been very successful for several years now. In terms of team achievements, we’re expecting our U18s to challenge for the league. Our league is basically a southern section. But we want to go one step further than that. Because we want to be champions of our own league in the south and then we want to go into the national playoffs where you play against the teams from the north. We’ve got to finish in the top two. And then we’d get to a national playoff semi-final and hopefully take it on from there and get to the final and win it, which we’ve done on several occasions. When I look back on the last six, seven, years, we’ve done the double on three occasions when we’ve won the league title in the south and gone on to win the national title.
“I think those are realistic goals. Not just the team can set themselves, but the staff set as well. And then the other big challenge is to try to have a successful run in the FA Youth Cup. We’re going to have to come into the Youth Cup much earlier this year, in the first round. Because where you come into the competition is determined by where you are as a league club. So because we’re in League One, we do the same as our first team, and we go into the Youth Cup 1st round just like the first team go into the Fa Cup 1st round. So Fa Youth cup wise I’d like to think we can progress certainly to the third round and maybe even a couple of rounds beyond that. I feel that would be a good achievement.
“But the lads would say they want to win the FA Youth Cup! I’m ok with that!”
The early signs project another big season for Charlton’s academy particularly after Charlie Barker’s impressive breakthrough into the first team. However, regardless of the plaudits placed on the youth set-up, Avory will not be getting carried away as he knows the bedrock of their success is consistent and constant hard work, something that will be as important to this campaign as it has been to each season prior.
“At this moment, in this early part of the season, I feel it’s just taking shape. But what I would say, having been out with them every week like I am, and seeing those first two league performances where I felt we’ve been dominant. We’ve looked a real goal threat, I just feel it’s promising. There’s lots to work on, both technically with what the players have to work on to improve as well as tactically we’re trying to get key messages over to the players each and every session, each and every week. What becomes important in youth development is the consistency of the work you do with them. You don’t just do one topic one week and then leave it alone and then go back to it four weeks later. You’ve got to keep reinforcing, reinforcing, reinforcing.”
