PHOTO: Back row (from left-to-right): Sam Comer, Kieron McCaffrey, Aron Wint, Andy Williamson, Peter Crook, Jake Turner, Callum Howe, Ashley Palmer, Ashley Jackson, James Thomas.
Front row: Billy Ball, Jordan Thewlis, Dalton Harris, Darren Mouatt (physio), Tony Daws (youth development officer), Matt Fell, Scott Matthews, Josh Greenhoff.



Youth development officer Tony Daws provides supporters with an overview of the first year youth trainee intake for 2010-11:

Peter Crook
Peter is a goalkeeper who we signed at the back end of his U16 season following his release by Sheffield Wednesday. Around about Christmas 2009 he came to us on trial initially. We had him for four to six weeks and he did well. We decided to make him an offer and sign him, and Peter then played with us in the U16's for the rest of the season. He stepped up and played a few youth team games because Jake Turner got injured. He comes from Pontefract, is 6ft 3in and he's doing really well so far. Peter has a great attitude and Kevin Pressman is doing a great job working really hard to develop Peter's goalkeeping skills. Peter is living in digs in Scunthorpe.

Callum Howe
Callum is a central defender from Doncaster who is 6ft 1in. Like most of the first years it's taking him a little time to settle and get used to it. Unfortunately because of the players we had last season he wasn't able to force his way into the youth team so this year Callum, as one of the first years, has been thrown in at the deep end. He's forming a partnership at the heart of the defence with Ashley Palmer, who is the youth team captain, and Callum has played on the left-hand side of defence. It's a massive step-up for him from U16 to U18 level and, at the moment, he is finding out what it's all about as a youth team player. He's got a great attitude and wants to learn.

Ashley Jackson
Ashley is a left-back and is a great lad with a good attitude. Ash played a couple of games at the end of last season for the youth team but he's in a situation now where he's come into the side and all of a sudden he's an U17 playing against U18's and sometimes it's difficult to come straight in and play against lads a year older than yourself at youth level. He's had a tough opening and is learning a lot. I've learnt a lot about him too over the last few games and in pre-season. He's got a good left foot on him and is a good lad so hopefully he can continue to show improvement.

James Thomas
James has done really well. He played in all the games in pre-season and appeared a lot of the youth team last year - playing for the U18's when he's U16. He's a goal scorer and can get behind defences and is a good finisher in front of goal. I've been pretty pleased with him so far.

Billy Ball
Billy is on extended schoolboy forms. Unfortunately for Billy he got injured in April and broke his leg which needed pinning so with Billy we're trying to give him an opportunity to recover from that and hopefully he can show us what he can do. It's a little bit too early for him to start playing games yet so he's joining in with training and improving his fitness day by day. Psychologically, he's just getting confidence in his leg back so he's able to start playing football again.

Dalton Harris
Dalton is a left-footed player from Peterborough, who can play either up front or in midfield. He was unfortunate last season because we signed him from Nottingham Forest at Christmas but because he lived in Peterborough, Football League rules meant he wasn't able to play for us until this season because of the 90 minute travel rule. He's not been able to play football for the last eight months so in terms of his fitness he's a little bit behind everybody playing catch-up, but he's a good lad with a good attitude and is intelligent, but it will take him some time to come to terms with playing youth football and getting his fitness to a level whereby he can give himself an opportunity to play. He has a good left foot and can pass the ball well.

Matt Fell
Matt is a left-footer who can play left-back, left centre-back or left-midfield and he has done well so far. He has a good attitude and works his socks off. He's on extended schoolboy forms as he intends to continue his education. He did well as a trialist at the back-end of last season as an U16 and we can continue to monitor his development whilst he attends college because I think he might be a late developer.

Scott Matthews
Scott is a Scunthorpe lad who's been with us since he was an 11-year-old and he too demonstrates a good attitude. He's a left footer, who's had quite a lot of opportunities to play in pre-season. Towards the end of last season, Scott also played as an U16 in some of the U18 matches. Scott's a first year at the minute and he's trying to get used to the pace and demands of the game at youth team level. Scott is an avid supporter of the football club and along with his father has attended first team games for many years.

Josh Greenhoff
Josh is a central midfield player who had a couple of opportunities to play in the youth team at the end of last season. He's good technically and likes to get on the ball. He has a good touch and can beat a player, he has a good range of passing and has done ever so well this pre-season and at the start of the league campaign. He's just finding out what youth level is all about but he's doing pretty well so far.