The Gradi Years<\/a>: \u201cGradi\u2019s ability to identify and develop talent would lead to many notable exports from the club and these crucial injections of cash from the sale of players, three promotions and two Wembley appearances \u2013 coupled with a supportive board of directors have ensured that Gradi enjoyed the luxury of time to deliver the goods: in football terms, success on the pitch.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe 79-year old implemented a youth policy to promote young players into the first team, his ambition was to field a full starting eleven of \u2018home-grown\u2019 talent. But, despite his aim not occurring during his reign as manager, it did in fact arrive 3o years later as his dream became reality.<\/p>\n
As the Italian-Englishman made his way \u201cupstairs\u201d to head the Alex academy, 18-months on Crewe hosted Walsall in their final league game of the season fielding an entire starting XI of academy graduates. \u00a0Gradi\u2019s dream came true!<\/p>\n
27 April 2013 will live on in history as Crewe became the first team in the English Football League to field a full team of academy graduates – and five years later as the Railwaymen named their second \u2018homegrown\u2019 XI, they were still the only club to achieve the feat.<\/p>\n