After being knocked out of Euro 2008 the F.A. announced it would investigate English football from grass roots, upwards.
A recently published paper by the F.A. shows that the Pemiership League Teams field first elevens that consist of 37% of home grown talent. Italy field 61% whilst, Spain,France and Germany field over 50% of home grown talent!!

Most Premiership Squads boast between 50%-57% Englishmen, unfortunately around 20% of these will never make it out of the Reserve Teams.
A strange situation for a country that desperately needs to win a Major Competition.
The memories of our only Major win (World-Cup 1966) dwindle to a flicker season by season, year by year.
Are we now confined to being non-starters each time the European/World Cup comes round ?

Looking at the figure, it is indeed serious especially after the recent elimination of England from Euro 2008. Nowadays we can almost see all the EPL clubs having key position filled by foreigners. If I'm not wrong I could still remember at one point of time, Chelsea fielded an almost 100% foreign player with the exception of Dennis Wise. If such a trend continues, there's no way junior players will ever get the chance to break into premier actions.

I think we've said it before on this forum. We need a national football academy. I don't mean half hour on Tooting Bec Common twice a week, but a full blown camp where potential talent can be sent, educated and nurtured.

All the money that is flowing in to the Premiership and FA coffers as a result of the immense worldwide appeal of the EPL should help fund a school/academy that will be second to none worldwide. Unfortunately, all we see happen at the moment is the usual bunch of pathetic has-beens making the same old mess of things and drawing even bigger salaries. We need a big shake up, throw out all the old fossils and start with fresh faces and new ideas.

There are several Premiership teams that have their own 'Academys'...problem is though they somehow do not want to wait for the home grown talent to flourish...but would rather go in for the 'quick-fix' method and buy foreign players, consequences are that the young Academy player never makes it in top-flight Football....all rather a waste of time !!!