Dundee are to dismantle the youth set-up they spent two years rebuilding, after going into administration.
More than 25 coaches and scouts were sent letters from joint administrators Bryan Jackson and Ann Buchanan on Tuesday terminating their employment. The individuals concerned hadn’t been paid since receiving half their wages for the month of September.
Chris Smith was one of the coaches who received a letter and he hit out at the “shambolic” way the matter had been dealt with.
“I have been involved with the youth set-up for eight or nine years,” he said. “They did not even have the decency to tell us to our faces. Instead they just sent out a letter saying that the company regretted it could no longer make payments to us which was why we were being let go.
“Amazingly, my letter said that because I had been at the club for so long, I could be eligible for redundancy payments but I will not be wasting my time filling in the form.
“I actually received a text from (Dundee manager) Barry Smith on Monday saying he thought a decision about our future would be made later this week, so it is obvious even he did not realise what the administrator intended to do.
“We now have loads of kids left in limbo. What do they do now? It is nothing short of a shambolic mess. I feel really angry about the way John Holt has been dealt with. John had built an excellent set-up but how can the club implement a youth policy now?Big pot”There are also serious questions that need to be asked about all the money raised in the past through various functions and activities which was supposed to go directly to fund youth football. Did this actually happen or did it just disappear into the big pot?
“Also, did the development money the club received from the SFA go where it was supposed to or did that also just vanish? I have supported the club for close on 50 years since I was a primary school child and I cannot believe this has happened.
“I am angry but my overwhelming feeling is one of great sadness. The youth set-up helped bring through lads such as Kyle Benedictus and Craig Forsyth and I helped bring Kevin McDonald to the club when he was released by Dundee United.
“There are some really promising youngsters coming through at the moment but where do they go from here? It is terribly sad.”
The move looks to have sounded the death knell on the youth development programme at Dens which Holt, with the backing of former manager Jocky Scott, had been recreating following the ravages inflicted by the club’s last administration in 2003.
Dundee run development centres in Fife, Perth, Aberdeen and Dundee to earmark and train talent for their six youth teams involving around 100 youngsters.
These are overseen by a group of 21 coaches, 13 of whom are qualified to level four (the top grade). In addition, the Dark Blues have two scouts each in Fife, Dundee and Aberdeen.
They received £70,000 from the SFA in May to help fund their Elite League youth programme. They have also been supported by the SYFA to the tune of £20,000.
One of the SFA’s twice-yearly audits of the Dundee youth set-up is scheduled for Tuesday.
Chief executive Harry MacLean and youth team advisor Gordon Wallace are set for discussions with Jackson this week to see if something can be salvaged from the wreckage.
There’s generally considered to be little real talent in the older age groups at Dens but the under 12s, 13s and 14s are held in high regard and it’s understood there had been a desire from within the club to keep those sides going.
But with the coaches sacked and Wallace being their sole full youth licence holder following Holt’s dismissal when they are required to have two to meet Elite League requirements, the outlook seems bleak, leaving a host of youngsters hunting for new clubs to keep their dream of securing a professional career alive.