Bristol City and Bristol Rovers set to benefit from Southampton academy decision

Bristol City and Bristol Rovers could well benefit from Southampton's decision to close their long-standing academy centre in Bath when it comes to signing young talent in the south west.

According to the Southern Daily Echo, the Saints confirmed to parents this week the decision to close the famed satellite site which has helped the south coast outfit famous for it's youth development pick up talents such as Gareth Bale. The facility is based within the student village at the University of Bath, with access to the university’s on-site facilities.

Although FA rules dictated that young players must live within a 90-minute commute of their team, Southampton were granted special dispensation by the Premier League to open a satellite site in Bath due to the port city's coastal location with the sea taking up half of their catchment radius.

However, after pressure from the Premier League and EFL to shut down the centre due to it being outside their catchment, which intensified following the Saints' relegation from the top-flight in 2023, the closure has now been finalised with no more young players being taken on.

Those already enrolled in the programme will go on full-time up to under-16s out of Beechen Cliff School in Bath until they finish their studies. Players are also receiving support to transition to other academies, which could be at City or Rovers.

In terms of recent success stories from the Bath centre, 18-year-old Kamari Doyle was sold to Brighton and Hove Albion last summer having made his Premier League debut for Southampton at the back end of the 2022/23 season with that deal potentially pocketing the Championship play-off winners as much as £2.5million. Additionally, 18-year-old Tyler Dibling made five appearances for Russell Martin's side last term having come through the programme.

Southampton have long recruited from this area, with the pull of Premier League football and an excellent training ground at Staplewood, and the Bath centre has helped give them a base in the region.

Son of Gloucestershire head coach Mark Alleyne Max now plays for Manchester City having been picked up by the Saints via the Bath centre and eventually sold while Portishead's Will Armitage is still at the club having been sold by Cheltenham Town.

City boast one of the most impressive training facilities in the south with the High Performance Centre but have been one of many clubs affected by Southampton's position in the south west when it comes to hiring youth.

The Robins currently boast a category two academy with the closest club also with the same credentials being Cardiff City while Swansea City are category one.

City owner Steve Lansdown made his feelings towards the centre public back in 2014 in a fan's forum where he stated that it was "a Premier League club doing what they want and I don't like it. They are cheating but what can we do about it?"

As for Rovers, despite having a category three academy, eventually reaching category one has been frequently dictated as one of the key ambitions for the club by the Kuwaiti hierarchy since their investment in the Gas was confirmed last August.

Executive Vice President Abdualltif AlSaeed spoke at length about improving the club's sustainability in a Fan's Q&A back in February with plans in place to expand The Quarters so that it can host the academy sides as well as the first-team alongside introducing an under-21s team after the removal of the Gas' development squad in 2021.