THE Sudbury DNA that runs through their first team will be clear to see in front of the live TV cameras on Friday night – and there won’t anyone inside the ground prouder than academy boss Danny Laws.
AFC Sudbury‘s youth set-up has been a shining beacon in recent years with a number of success stories both in their own first team and now at professional clubs.
The current crop, led by 19-year-old captain Lewis O’Malley, have been making FA Cup waves this season and they’ll be aiming to keep doing so against Colchester United.
“We’ve had some wonderful players come through,” Laws, who has been heading up the Yellows’ youth set-up with David Cannon and Craig Power since 2015, told The NLP. “Four are now at professional clubs – Tyler French was the first. He went to Bradford and is now at Wrexham. Liam Bennett is at Cambridge United, Ross Crane went to Ipswich Town and, just recently, Jesper Lawrence signed for Rochdale.
“We’ve got lots of kids in the USA on good scholarships and others are in good universities in the UK. It obviously really benefits our first team. Our women’s first team is full of academy players as well – it’s a structure and what goes through the whole club.”
Laws highlights the willingness of joint-managers Rick Andrews and Angelo Harrop to trust youth players, following on from their predecessors Jamie Godbold and Mark Morsley who did the same.
Goalkeeper Josh Blun kell is still at the academy, while Ellis Girling, defender Joe Grimwood, Ethan Mayhew and Shane Temple are all graduates.
Josh Stokes is still U18, as is Dan Smith, who has gone through from U13s to the first team squad.
The U17s play in the Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier Division managed but Laws, while the older academy players play in the Thurlow Nunn League Division One at Step 6.
Laws believes it gives the perfect grounding as they aim to turn out good people as well as footballers.
“You go back to Lewis O’Malley,” former Leiston and Needham Market boss Laws said. “He is a solid, solid individual. He’s obviously got great family support but I think he would be the first to say his leadership skills were honed in the academy.
“What typifies Lewis is our senior women’s team were looking for sponsors. The first person who stepped up and sponsored a player was Lewis O’Malley. He sponsors Amanda Short, the women’s captain.
“I’d like to think we turn out lots of Lewis O’Malleys and lots of good characters.
“We take them on tour to the USA every year and there’s a lot of growing up to do. Boys and girls travel good distances to come for us – well over an hour – and they have to grow up fast.
“The boys play their U17s year in the Essex & Suffolk Border League Premier and you have to grow up fast. But it’s not just about on the pitch, it’s how you conduct yourself off it. I think we make quite a lot of friends within these adult leagues because we might be kids, but we play and act as adults.
“The Sudbury DNA has been a hashtag quite a lot recently and that’s something we really pride ourselves in.”
On Thursday night the club will make their fifth FA Youth Cup first round proper appearance in the last six years – another marker of their success.
“We’re really looking forward to going in Monday. To be around the club in the week for the buildup, meet all these guys coming in from the media and to watch the ground transform for what is going to be a massive occasion.
“All credit to the players who have got there. I’m sure they will be looking to go one step further – who knows.”
