Here's a quick run-down of some of the people that help make the Orchard Homes Saints Academy such a huge sucess:-

MATT CROCKER - ACADEMY MANAGER

Welshman Matt Crocker has risen rapidly through the ranks of youth football.

Having served an apprenticeship at Cardiff City, his playing career came to an early end while he was still a teenager.

Matt then returned to University to take a Sports Coaching degree at UWIC and stayed on to take a post-graduate teaching diploma in Physical Education.

After completing his studies Crocker spent a year coaching in Kansas before returning to the Club where his football career began.

In 1997 he took up the post of Head of Youth at Cardiff City. And when the Bluebirds opened their Academy in 2003 Crocker was appointed Academy Manager. During his time in Wales a number of players came through the ranks with the likes of Robert Earnshaw (West Brom), Cameron Jerome (Birmingham), Joe Ledley (Cardiff) and James Collins (West Ham) all going on to professional careers.

In 2005 he left to take up a post of Regional Manager with the Football League, working with 17 Clubs in the South to assist with their development programmes at Centre of Excellence and Academy Level. During this time he also completed his UEFA pro license.

His work with the Football League put him in contact with Southampton and when the Academy Manager post at St Mary's became available in 2006 Crocker was the first choice for the position.

DAVID HOCKADAY - YOUTH TEAM COACH 

David succeeded Georges Prost as Orchard Homes Saints Academy coach in June 2007 following a successful stint with Watford.

Born in 1957 in Sedgefield, Hockaday began his career as a full-back with Blackpool in 1975.
Over the next 20 years he made more than 600 appearances for Swindon, Hull, Stoke and Shrewsbury winning five promotions including three championships and two play-off victories.

In 1995 he established the first football academy in the country at Cirencester, winning everything in college football.
He was head-hunted for many jobs at clubs and universities and eventually joined Watford as Under 18's coach in 2000.

He was elevated to first-team coach and helped the Hornets to promotion to the Championship and then to the Premiership on a tiny budget with half the team home grown.
They parted company last season and towards the end of the campaign he went to help Martin Allen at MK Dons before joining Saints to take charge of the Under 18's.

STEWART HENDERSON - RESERVE TEAM COACH

Stewart forms the bridge between the top end of the Orchard Homes Saints Academy and the first team and his role as the reserve team coach plays a vital part in young player's development.

Having started his player career with Chelsea in 1962 he has spent over 40 years in the game and is able to draw upon a vast wealth of experience.

He spent three seasons at Stamford Bridge before moving on to Brighton where he settled down as a regular first team player for eight years.

Stewart then moved onto Reading in 1973 where he spent an amazing 18 years in a variety of different roles including player, 1st team coach under Maurice Evans and Ian Branfoot. During that time he was instrumental in setting up Reading's Youth Development Programme and had the role of Centre of Excellence Director.

In 1991 Stewart left Reading for Southampton as Youth Development Officer where he has worked with a number of different managers including Ian Branfoot, Dave Merrington, Alan Ball, Dave Jones, Graeme Souness, Glenn Hoddle, Stuart Gray, Gordon Strachan, Paul Sturrock, Steve Wigley, Harry Redknapp and now George Burley.

2003/4 was his most succesful season as a coach when his Under 19 team were crowned national champions, losing just one match all season. With Steve Wigley appointed Head Coach at the start of 2004/5 Henderson stepped up to take charge of the second string but made clear his intentions to keep a youthful feel to the side from the start. 

GAVIN TAIT - HEAD OF RECRUITMENT 

Gavin Tait became the Academy's Head of Recruitment at the end of 2005/6 season.

It was the second time that Tait had worked the Club having begun his football career at the Dell.

Although Tait, 49, hails from the north-east he kicked off his career in the game on the south coast, coaching on a part-time basis in the centre of excellence when Chris Nichol was the Club's manager.

He moved on in 1988 to Cardiff where he spent 12 years working as a youth team coach and later their Centre of Excellence Director. During that spell he also linked up with Orchard Homes Saints Academy Manager Matt Crocker and helped nurture stars of the future such as Norwich's £3.25 million striker Robert Earnshaw.

He followed his time in Wales with a move to Sunderland in 2001 where he spent four years as Head of Recruitment and then spent a short time working in the United States as a youth team coach for Vail (in Colorado) before his arrival at St. Mary's in the summer of 2006.

TERRY MOORE - ASSISTANT ACADEMY MANAGER

Terry joined Saints in November 2006 from Cardiff City where he was in a similar role as the Bluebird's Under 9 - 16's Assistant Academy Manager. He worked under Matt Crocker (Academy Manager) at Cardiff City when they were a Centre of Excellence, and both men played a key role in the Club's transition to Academy status.

Terry's role at Southampton is to make sure there is a constant stream of talent coming into the Orchard Homes Saints Academy at Under 9 level via our Development Centres which he oversees. He also monitors the Under 10's and Under 11's and coaches the Under 15/16's with fellow Assistant Academy Manager Dave Puckett.

Terry has been involved with Youth Development for over 25 years after a playing career at semi-pro level and worked at Cardiff City with Gavin Tait (Saints Academy Head of Recruitment) in the early 90's when Gavin was Youth Team Coach and Matt Crocker was still an apprentice.

Terry currently holds the UEFA "Pro"- Licence, UEFA "A" Licence, Academy Managers Licence and the FA Youth Licence and links very closely with Gavin Tait and Dave Puckett in making sure Southampton FC's Youth Development programme is progressing in the right direction.

DAVE PUCKETT - ASSISTANT ACADEMY MANAGER

Dave is the first point of contact for most youngsters that arrive on Saints' doorstep.

As the head coach for the under 7 to 12 age group his role is an important one, identifying the brightest young talent around and nurturing that at the earliest possible stage.

This involves overseeing Saints' development centres around the county and the development of the younger registered academy players which means he has to look after literally hundreds of young footballers.

That can be a daunting task but given his history in the game there is nobody better placed to do it.

Having started his career at Saints as a schoolboy at the age of 10 he worked his way right through to the first team, crowning his home debut against Arsenal with two goals in a 3-1 victory in January 1981. With that sort of experience behind him he knows exactly what it takes to make it to the top.

He went on to make over 100 appearances for the club and was part of the first team squad that finished as runners up to Liverpool in 1984 before moving on to Bournemouth and continued to play the game at a high standard into his 40's as a well known face on the southern non-league circuit.

During that time he also picked up the coaching bug - including gaining his UEFA A badge in 2001 - and has been a part of Saints Academy since its inauguration.

MO GIMPEL - ACADEMY PHYSIO

Mo Gimpel is the friendly face that accompanies that painfully inevitable part of the game - sports injuries!

He started studying as a Sports Physio in 1990, working with Gary Lewin - Arsenal and England's Physio - until 1992.

After that apprenticeship with one of the best in the game he moved to Australia and worked in professional football or "soccer" in the 1993-4 season before joining Saints Academy in a part time role in 1998. During this time he was studying for a BSc Physiotherapy Degree at Southampton University.

Upon graduation he began work at Bournemouth Hospital, starting as junior physio and rising through the ranks to become a Senior II Physio while continuing to work part time at Saints Academy. He eventually took up the full time Academy Physiotherapy position in June 2002.

Mo's role at the Club involves heading up the Academy Medical team, covering Under 18 and Reserve team matches and on a daily basis working on the rehabilitation of all Scholars and Professional players.

Apart from working at Saints, Mo also works for the England team travelling abroad with the international squads and covering England squad get-togethers here in the UK. He has also just commenced studying (part-time) for his Masters degree in Manipulative Physiotherapy at Brighton University.