Bristol City are taking an unusual approach to their search for young goalkeeping talent.

The Robins' academy is suffering from problems that are mirrored across the country – an inability to find enough good quality goalkeepers.

It is an issue that any schoolboy can remember. So often the 11th best player in a team ends up in goal, regardless of his ability.

Since City attained academy status in 1998, only one goalkeeper has gone on to play league football – current Cheltenham Town No 1 Scott Brown.

City have often found themselves using outfield players between the posts on a rotational basis in their junior academy matches.

As a result the Ashton Gate club want to improve the standard of their academy keepers by widening the net and appealing to talented individuals from other sports.

Pete Coleman, head of education and welfare at City, believes there is talent out there playing other sports – such as basketball, cricket and rugby – who have not played football.

Coleman and his staff are ready to work with sports people with good levels of fitness and hand-eye co-ordination and give them a chance.

Coleman is convinced the talent is there – Bristol Academy Flyers basketball team won the National Cup for the first time in their history only last weekend.

"We just think we have to try something different to what we are doing to get a different result," he said.

"We seem to have all the best goalkeepers in the area but there may be people out there who have never really tried it."

And, as if to further prove Coleman's point, City may have missed out on a potentially excellent young goalkeeper already.

Ryan Jones was a keeper who played for City at youth levels until he was 14.

On Saturday the man from Newport captained Wales in their Six Nations clash with England at Twickenham.

The Ospreys No 8 parted company with City in 1995 to play rugby with his friends.

Now 28, he is 6ft 5ins tall and weighs in at almost 18 stones. For City the key difference is that applicants need have no experience of playing football.

The only requirements are that they are between the ages of nine and 16 and of above average height.

City's initiative is to be encouraged and not smirked at.

To allow the status quo to maintain will only see more and more foreign goalkeepers dominating the English League.

England boss Fabio Capello is struggling to find a No 1 as things stand.

Coleman is no stranger to trying the unusual in order to find football talent.

In the mid-1990s he launched an initiative to find the fastest young player in the region.

The final of the event took place at halftime of a first-team game at Ashton Gate and attracted a great deal of interest.

The winner, Marvin Brown, went on to play for City's first team on 19 occasions.

Those interested in becoming City's next goalkeeper should go to the club website, www.bcfc.co.uk, and fill out an application form either online or by post.

The closing date is this Thursday, February 11 at midday.

Those selected will be contacted on Friday, February 12 and invited to take part in half-term coaching at City's training ground, Clevedon Road, Failand, Bristol, BS8 3TN on Thursday, February 16 from (9am – 11am).

City are also looking for a new head of schoolboy and youth recruitment.

The vacancy has arisen after Kevin Scott left Ashton Gate to take up a similar post with Premier League side Stoke City.

Those interested should send a letter of application and CV plus two referees to: The Academy Manager, Bristol City F.C, Ashton Gate, Bristol, BS3 2EJ. The closing date for applications is 5pm on February 19.