Premier Academy League

Last updated

Premier Academy League
Founded 1997
Folded2012
CountryEngland
Divisions4
Number of teams40
Level on pyramid1
Relegation to Football League Youth Alliance
Domestic cup(s) FA Youth Cup
Last champions Fulham (2nd title)
(2011–12)
Most championships Arsenal (5 titles)
Current: 2012–13 season

The Premier Academy League (sometimes abbreviated as FAPAL) was the top level of youth football in England before it was to be replaced by a new league proposed by the Elite Player Performance Plan in 2012, which was accepted by the 72 member clubs of The Football League on 20 October 2011. This newly formed league was established in the 2015–2016 season and given the renamed title of the Professional Development League [1] It was contested between the Academy sides of the Premier League and some Football League clubs. It sat above the second tier of youth football, The Football League Youth Alliance, which is for the remaining Football League clubs and some Football Conference clubs with a Centre of Excellence. The most successful team is Arsenal, having won 5 titles.

Contents

History

The league was founded as the FA Premier Youth League in 1997, replacing regionally based youth leagues such as the South East Counties League as the top level of youth football. Clubs fielded Under-18 teams, with up to three Under-19 players allowed per match. 16 teams were split into Northern and Southern conferences of 8 teams each; teams played others within their own conference twice and teams from the other conference once. At the end of the season all the teams were paired into rounds of play-offs played over two legs in a knockout system. The inaugural winners were Arsenal, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 on aggregate in the final.

The competition was revamped in 1998 with the introduction of the Football Association's Academy system and renamed the Premier Academy League. The competition was divided into Under-19 and Under-17 sections, and more teams were admitted - 32 in total, split into four conferences (two Southern, two Northern) of eight teams each. Teams played those within their own conference twice and the team from the other conference in their region once, again with play-offs between all teams at the end.

The U19 competition was expanded to 40 teams in five groups of 8 in 1999–2000, before being reorganised into four groups of ten in 2000–01. The play-off format was revamped in 2003–04, with only the four group winners proceeding to the play-offs.

The league was reorganised yet again in 2004–05 season, with the league being reformed as a single Under-18 competition (players are aged under 18 on the preceding 31 August), with up to 3 Under-19 outfield players and 1 Under-19 goalkeeper allowed per team per match. Teams also competed at an Under-16 level in identically formed groups, but these were played as friendlies – no league table was maintained and no play-offs were contested. This format remained until the league's abandonment in 2012.

Structure

All teams played each other in the group twice and played 10 inter-group fixtures, producing 28 games a season. The four group winners entered the playoffs, which was a straight knockout format. Unlike the Premier Reserve League, the Premier Academy League was open to more than just the Premier League clubs.

Winners

 FA Premier Youth League (Under-18)References
1997–98 Arsenal U18s [2]
 FA Premier Academy League 
Under-19Under-17
1998–99 West Ham United U19s Blackburn Rovers U17s [3] [4]
1999–2000 West Ham United U19s Arsenal U17s [2] [3]
2000–01 Nottingham Forest U19s Ipswich Town U17s [5] [6]
2001–02 Arsenal U19s Newcastle United U17s [2] [7]
2002–03 Blackburn Rovers U19s Leeds United U17s [8] [9]
2003–04 Southampton U19s Aston Villa U17s [10] [11]
 Premier Academy League (Under-18) 
2004–05 Blackburn Rovers U18s [12]
2005–06 Southampton U18s [13]
2006–07 Leicester City U18s [14]
2007–08 Aston Villa U18s [15]
2008–09 Arsenal U18s [16]
2009–10 Arsenal U18s [17]
2010–11 Everton U18s [18]
2011–12 Fulham U18s [19]

Most successful clubs

TeamU18
titles		U19 (d)
titles		U17 (d)
titles
Arsenal 311
Blackburn Rovers 111
Aston Villa 11
Southampton 11
Everton 1
Fulham 1
West Ham United 2
Nottingham Forest 1
Leicester City 1
Ipswich Town 1
Newcastle United 1
Leeds United 1
Middlesbrough F.C 1

(d) - defunct

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everton F.C.</span> Association football club in Liverpool, England

Everton Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Liverpool that competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club was a founder member of the Football League in 1888, and has, as of August 2023, competed in the top division for a record 121 seasons, having missed only four top-flight seasons. After Arsenal, Everton is the club with the second-longest continuous presence in English top-flight football, and ranks third in the all-time points rankings. The club has won nine league titles, five FA Cups, one European Cup Winners' Cup and nine Charity Shields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thierry Henry</span> French football manager (born 1977)

Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional football coach, pundit, sports broadcaster and former player. He is currently the manager of the France national under-21 and under-23 football teams. He is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, and one of the greatest players in Premier League history. He has been named by Arsenal as the club's greatest ever player. Henry was runner-up for both the Ballon d'Or in 2003 and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2003 and 2004. He was named the FWA Footballer of the Year a record three times, the PFA Players' Player of the Year a joint-record two times, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six consecutive times. He was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI once and the UEFA Team of the Year five times. In 2004, Henry was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cesc Fàbregas</span> Spanish footballer (born 1987)

Francesc Fàbregas Soler is a Spanish football manager and former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is the current assistant coach of Como in the Italian Serie B.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaël Clichy</span> French association football player (born 1985)

Gaël Dimitri Clichy is a French former professional footballer who played as a left-back. He is currently the assistant manager of the France national under-21 team. Predominantly left-footed but naturally right-footed, he was described earlier in his career as a player who possesses "almost unrivaled stamina" that is "quick in the tackle and willing to drive forward".

The 1997–98 FA Premier League was the sixth season of the FA Premier League. It saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991 and, in so doing, became only the second team to win The Double for the second time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikel Arteta</span> Spanish football manager and former player (born 1982)

Mikel Arteta Amatriain is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Premier League club Arsenal.

Kevin Joseph Campbell is an English former professional footballer, sports television pundit and co-commentator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Bould</span> English footballer

Stephen Andrew Bould is an English football coach and former professional footballer. He is currently the head coach of Lommel SK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis Jeffers</span> English association football player and coach

Francis Jeffers is an English football coach and former player, who was most recently a first-team coach at Oldham Athletic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leighton Baines</span> English association football player (born 1984)

Leighton John Baines is an English former professional footballer who played as a left back. He is currently the Professional Development Coach and U-18s head coach at Everton.

Kevin Richardson is an English former footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing for Everton, Watford, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Coventry City, Southampton, Barnsley and Blackpool, and also spent a season in La Liga with Real Sociedad. He was capped once for England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abou Diaby</span> French footballer

Vassiriki Abou Diaby, known as Abou Diaby, is a French former professional footballer. He played primarily in a box to box role, adept at both attacking and defending, and was described as a player who was "languid, elusive, and athletic" that could either "dribble past opponents or slip passes to team-mates". Of Ivorian descent, Diaby also possessed "superb touch" and "excellent close control". Diaby's career was hampered by numerous repetitive injuries, a problem that existed from his time in France. His physical appearance and positional preference evoked comparisons to Arsenal compatriot Patrick Vieira.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Łukasz Fabiański</span> Polish footballer (born 1985)

Łukasz Marek Fabiański is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club West Ham United. He also played for the Poland national team from 2006 until his retirement from international duties in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everton F.C. (women)</span> Football club

Everton Football Club is an English women's association football team based in Liverpool, England, that competes in the FA Women's Super League, the top division of English women's football. Formed in 1983 as Hoylake W.F.C., it is now part of Everton F.C. and has played home games at Walton Hall Park in Walton since February 2020. The team has won the Premier League National Division once, the Premier League Cup once, and the Women's FA Cup twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Ramsey</span> Welsh footballer (born 1990)

Aaron James Ramsey is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Cardiff City and captains the Wales national team. Ramsey mainly plays as a box-to-box midfielder, but has also been deployed on the left and right wings.

Arsenal Football Club Academy is the youth system of Arsenal Football Club based in Hale End, London, England. It is often referred to as Hale End eponymously by the club, sports media, and fans. The academy teams play in the Professional Development League, the highest level of youth football in England. The club also competes in the FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League competitions. Former player Per Mertesacker is the current academy manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Emmanuel-Thomas</span> English footballer (born 1990)

Jay Aston Emmanuel-Thomas is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for National League club Kidderminster Harriers. A product of the Arsenal Academy, he is a versatile forward and can play as a winger or striker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natasha Dowie</span> English footballer (born 1988)

Natasha Khalila Dowie is an English former footballer. She represented the England women's national football team at the youth level before making her senior international debut in 2009. Dowie played for the London teams Watford, Fulham and Charlton Athletic, and then spent five years with Everton before transferring to FA WSL clubs Liverpool Ladies in November 2012 and Doncaster Rovers Belles in 2016. She also spent three periods on loan with Melbourne Victory of the Australian W-League in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and played for Boston Breakers in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in 2016 and 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Calvert-Lewin</span> English footballer (born 1997)

Dominic Nathaniel Calvert-Lewin is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Everton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Iwobi</span> Nigerian footballer (born 1996)

Alexander Chuka Iwobi is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Fulham and the Nigeria national team.

References

  1. ↑ "Football League votes through plan to change youth set-up". BBC News.
  2. 1 2 3 "Arsenal Club Honours". Arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  3. 1 2 "West Ham United Statistics". westhamstats.info. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  4. ↑ "FA Premier Academy League play-off final". This Is Lancashire. 19 May 1999. Archived from the original on 8 November 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  5. ↑ "Players H - Paul Hart". Bridport Red. Archived from the original on 13 October 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  6. ↑ "Academy Roll of Honour". TownFans.co.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  7. ↑ "Newcastle United PLC Preliminary Results Summary". Newcastle United Official Website. 8 October 2002. Archived from the original on 6 November 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  8. ↑ "Academy boys top of class". This Is Lancashire. 14 May 2003. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  9. ↑ "Leeds United News - May 2003". leedfans.org.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  10. ↑ "Academy Who's Who". SaintsFC.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 September 2008. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  11. ↑ "Everton U17s, 2003–04: Everton 1 - 1 Aston Villa". ToffeeWeb. Archived from the original on 9 September 2006. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  12. ↑ "Under 18 Academy Team 2004/05". FONCY. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  13. ↑ "Under-18 Academy Team 2005/06". FONCY. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  14. ↑ "Under-18 Academy Team 2006/07". FONCY. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2006.
  15. ↑ "Under-18 Academy Team 2007/08". avfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 May 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2008.
  16. ↑ "Academy Final- Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal - Report". Arsenal Broadband Limited. Retrieved 17 May 2009.
  17. ↑ "Academy Final- Arsenal 5-3 Nottm Forest - Report". Arsenal Broadband Limited. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  18. ↑ "Academy Final- Fulham 1-2 Everton - Report". Everton Media. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  19. ↑ "Academy Final- Fulham 2-0 Reading - Report". fulhamfc.com. Archived from the original on 15 May 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.