Youth team show their true gritt

By Rob Virtue on December 20, 2007 12:00 AM |

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WHEN Steve Gritt was playing many young fans had posters of him on their wall, and now it's come full circle.
With 435 appearances to his name for the Addicks, spanning three decades, he was one of the most popular players at the club he later went on to manage.
Now, as academy manager, it's the posters of youth team products Grant Basey and Harry Arter that adorn Gritt's wall, which show the pride he has in his young stars.

"It's fair to say there's been one or two barren years where players have not come through, but now all of a sudden that's changed," said Gritt.
"Lloyd Sam has made his mark and got into the team and it was only a few years ago he was an academy player. Goalkeeper Darren Randolph made his debut last year at Liverpool and he's only 19.
"Harry Arter came on in the League Cup against Luton Town and Grant Basey exceeded expectations, possibly even his own, when he broke into the team."
And Gritt believes that the successes of these players will spur his current crop of youngsters on to greater things.
"I've got posters of Grant and Harry in my office; both came through the community team after joining the club at eight or nine," he said.
"It's a great incentive for the youth players to know that if they have the ability, the right temperament and discipline, and the manager sees that, they will get their chance."
Gritt has some promising youngsters in his team this year, highlighted with an impressive FA Youth Cup victory 3-2 away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.
The next round's draw at home to Sheffield United means thousands of Addicks fans will be able to see the young prospects for themselves at The Valley next month.
"We haven't had a home draw for five or six years so it's exciting," said Gritt.
"This is the FA Cup of the youth league and we want to put our strongest team out.
"We get a few fans down to the training ground at Sparrow's Lane on a Saturday but we're hoping fans will take up the opportunity to see the boys play at the Valley."
Much has been made of the lack of youth talent in the English game - a claim brought about following the national side's elimination from the European Championships.
However, if Charlton's academy is anything to go by the problem is being overstated and Gritt has a message for the doubters.
"People think players at youth level are lacking technical teaching without seeing what's going on," he said.
"If they go up and down the country to different academies perhaps they will change their mind.
"There's a lot of work going on without people shouting from the rooftops about it and I think it's unfair of people to make that accusation who haven't seen the work."
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