With a population at the last count of just over 18,000 people, it is fair to say that the Derbyshire town of Staveley is unlikely to be overwhelmed with young talent.
Staveley Miners Welfare v Grimsby Town
The FA Youth Cup
Preliminary Round
Inkersall Road
7.45pm Friday 11 September 2015
But the Trojans are intent on developing a youth system the envy of many bigger clubs.
“We've got four or five players who we're nurturing and expecting to progress over the next few years,” explains head of youth development Jay Roper.
“Dev Williams, 16, is a right winger who we managed to attract to the club from Chesterfield College after a recommendation. He has already featured for the Under-21s this season.
“He might be a bit of a problem for them; he's got lots of pace, he's also very sharp and skilful.
“In a nutshell, the chairman's four-year plan is to have a first team made up of young, local lads, who play the game in the right way. One of the things we've done recently is to implement our own DNA, similar to the FA’s strategy.”
However, the Under-18s must not only overpower the relative might of Grimsby but turnaround their own form after a disappointing run of results.
“It's a little bit of a nervous time for us because in terms of result, the Under-18s haven't performed particularly well in pre-season,” Roper added.
“However, in terms of performance, we're certainly seeing progression. The individuals are getting better and they're developing as a team, the units are working better together and the team as a whole are definitely working better together.
“Whether or not we'll be anywhere near their level next Friday remains to be seen.”
“Staveley are in a lower league than us, but we won't underestimate them by any means”
Alan Lamb Grimsby Town coach
Grimsby Under-18s are looking to make amends after stumbling against lower-league opposition Basford United in the Midlands Floodlit Cup last week.
A combination of injuries and the success of their youth system – 17-year-old Harry Clifton signed a professional contract over the summer – has left the Mariners light on bodies so far this season.
But youth team coach Alan Lamb is confident his class of 2015/16 can qualify beyond the preliminary stages this time around.
“Staveley are in a lower league than us, but we won't underestimate them by any means,” he said. “Being knocked out of the Midland Cup by Basford has taught us a lesson.
“Last season we were knocked out in the preliminaries by Abbey Hey, it's definitely a big incentive for the guys and I'll be using that in my team-talk come Friday.
“We've had a bit of a nightmare with injuries. Four or five lads have suffered injuries in pre-season, all of whom are senior players in the group.
“So we'll have a lot of younger players playing next Friday and this will be a great experience for them. They're excited and looking forward to the challenge.
“We can't use injuries as an excuse any more. I can guarantee we're not the only youth team in the country that's suffering from a few injuries but we've done OK in the past.”
