Doncaster Rovers: Gavin Baldwin gives update on Academy status

After a few years of in-house assessment over whether the club should pursue Category 2 status for the Academy, Rovers are content to remain with Cat 3 status.

But that does not mean there will be any lowering of expectations in the youth set-up - only that the club itself will determine in what areas fund are spent.

"At the moment, the focus is being the best Cat 3 academy we can," Baldwin said.

"To get to Cat 2 you need to make changes to the infrastructure, particularly needing an indoor dome.

"We've taken the decision, working with Tony Cook, the Academy manager, and Darren [Moore] and Jamie Smith [assistant manager], they would prefer to spend that money on the players and getting better players into the Academy.

"We can give them opportunities to play against better Academies through friendlies in the week.

"They believe that is the best route for us rather than spending money on an indoor dome that would have cost us seven figures.

"The emphasis at the moment appears to be being the best Cat 3 and supporting that with staff requirements we would need to pass a Cat 2 audit - nutritionists, sports science, hours on the pitch, coaching - and put the money into that rather than investing in a facility."

It is a decision Rovers have taken under advisement from clubs that have made the jump to Cat 2.

"We've spoken to a lot of the managers of Cat 2 audits and they may feel they are making spend to pass an audit rather than what is best for the club to produce players for the future," Baldwin said.

"We've already taken that on board and while money has been allocated to the Academy it has been used for different things."

Rovers saw their scheduled trip to Tranmere Rovers postponed on Saturday due to a waterlogged pitch at Prenton Park.

The game will be rescheduled in due course.