Charlton Athletic F.C. Under-21s and Academy

Under-21s squad

Current squad

Academy history

The Charlton Athletic Youth Academy was a development of Charlton's commitment to develop young players, a scheme which started in the early-mid-1990s when there was an explosion of young talent under joint managers Steve Gritt and Alan Curbishley. Notable players such as Scott Minto, Kim Grant, Anthony Barness, Lee Bowyer, Richard Rufus, Linvoy Primus, Shaun Newton, Jermain Defoe, Jlloyd Samuel, Jamie Stuart, Kevin Lisbie, Paul Konchesky and Scott Parker all came through the ranks.

This was followed by the creation of the Youth Academy in 1998, aiming to find the best local, and worldwide talent to bring to Charlton at a young age. Numerous players have gone on to play in the top two tiers of English football, having begun their footballing career at the Charlton Youth Academy, including Carl Jenkinson, Harry Arter, Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, Kasey Palmer, Michael Turner, Robert Elliot, Jonjo Shelvey, Jordan Cousins, Callum Harriott, Darren Randolph, Joe Gomez, Ademola Lookman, Morgan Fox, Dillon Phillips, Ezri Konsa, Karlan Ahearne-Grant, Chris Solly and Harry Lennon.

The Under-18 team play in the U18 Professional Development League 2 however the academy takes boys from the ages of nine upwards.

Valley Gold

The Valley Gold scheme was previously set up to aid Charlton's return to The Valley. When a supporter signs up to the scheme, they now have the opportunity to win up to £15,000 at half-time on home match days, as well as getting £15 off the price of their season ticket and the opportunity to have first priority to away games or high demand home matches.

Since Charlton's return to the Valley in December 1992 the scheme has since been used to give financial support to the Charlton Youth Academy, to help nurture Charlton stars of the future.

Under 18s squad

Current squad

Coaching staff

Reserve team history

From 1999 until 2007, Charlton Reserves were members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern; however, due to the relegation of the first team at the end of the 2006–2007 season from the Premier League to the Football League Championship, they were demoted to the Football Combination Central where they played against other Football League reserve teams and successful Football Conference reserve sides. At the end of the 2008–09 season the first team were relegated to Football League One and the reserve side was dissolved as a competitive team.

Under Glynn Snodin

In 1999 the team joined the FA Premier Reserve League Southern. Led by reserve-team coach Glynn Snodin had relative success in their first season, finishing 2nd, however in comparison the next three seasons were disappointing as the club finished 8th, 7th & 7th respectively. After this however things picked up, and Charlton became unexpected winners of the league in 2003–2004, and this was then followed by a second success at the Charlton team won the division again in 2004–2005, just a season later. This was followed by another good season, seeing the Addicks finish fourth, however popular reserve-team coach Snodin left to join Southampton as first-team coach. Snodin was replaced by Mark Robson for the remainder; however, this was short-lived as Charlton faced a managerial re-shuffle after the resignation of Alan Curbishley, Mervyn Day and Keith Peacock.

Under Mark Kinsella

With the installation of Iain Dowie as head-coach, Robson was moved to development coach, working with both the Reserve & First Team sides, however after Dowie was fired he was named assistant head-coach, under Les Reed. Mark Kinsella replaced Robson as development coach until this hiring of current club manager Alan Pardew when Kinsella was moved to reserve-team coach. Despite a hectic season the team still managed to finish 6th, however due to the relegation of the first-team the club were demoted to the Football Combination Central where after spending much of the season top of the table were pipped to the post by Southampton Reserves on the last game of the season.

In 2008 Mark Kinsella moved to a more senior role within the first team under Caretaker manager Phil Parkinson while the club sought after a replacement for Alan Pardew, who parted company with the club on 22 November 2008. He was replaced by the club's U18 Youth Coach, Damian Matthew, for the interim period. When Parkinson assumed the role of first team manager Matthew was designated Development coach, based on the same role Mark Robson had held previously.

In 2009 the reserve team was disbanded as a competitive side. With the relegation of the first team from the Football League Championship to the Football League One it was decided that the team would no longer play in the Football Combination and instead only played a number of friendly matches throughout the season.

Home ground

In the last nine years the reserves had many different stadia. In their first season they played their matches at Welling United's ground, Park View Road, but the stay was short-lived. For the 2000–2001 season the reserve team played their matches at the first-team's ground, The Valley, however when there was a clash in matches the reserve teams would play their games at Park View Road. This system continued until the 2006–2007 season, when the team moved their matches to Gravesend & Northfleet's ground, Stonebridge Road. The reserve team continued to play their games there in the 2007–2008 season, after the change of club name from Gravesend & Northfleet to Ebbsfleet United.

Reserve team managers

Recent reserves seasons

Notable players

National Team Caps

• NGR Semi Ajayi Nigeria U20/Nigeria
• JAM Karoy Anderson Jamaica
• ALG Wassim Aouachria Algeria U18
• IRL Harry Arter Republic of Ireland U17/19/Republic of Ireland
• ENG Ade Azeez England U19
• WAL Grant Basey Wales U17/19/21
• ATG Daniel Bowry Antigua and Barbuda
• ENG Lee Bowyer England U18/21/England
• WAL Jason Brown Wales U21/Wales
• ENG Mason Burstow England U20
• JAM Tyreece Campbell Jamaica
• JAM Jamal Campbell-Ryce Jamaica
• Northern Ireland Michael Carvill Northern Ireland U21
• GRN Regan Charles-Cook Grenada
• ENGJAM Jordan Cousins England U16/17/18/20 & Jamaica
• IRL Harry Doherty Republic of Ireland U17
• IRL Rob Elliot Republic of Ireland U19/Republic of Ireland
• JAM Simon Ford Jamaica
• WAL Morgan Fox Wales U21
• LBN Hady Ghandour Lebanon U16/19/Lebanon
• ENG Joe Gomez England U16/17/19/21/England
• ENG Karlan Grant England U17/18/19
• GHA Kim Grant Ghana
• IRL Ruairi Harkin Republic of Ireland U16/17/19
• ENGGUY Callum Harriott England U19 & Guyana
• ENG Tareiq Holmes-Dennis England U18
• ENGFIN Carl Jenkinson England U17/U21/England & Finland U19/21
• SLE Daniel Kanu Sierra Leone
• Northern Ireland Mikhail Kennedy Northern Ireland U17/19/21
• ENG Paul Konchesky England U18/21/England
• ENG Ezri Konsa England U20/21
• FIJ Joshua Laqeretabua Fiji U20
• JAM Kevin Lisbie Jamaica
• ENGNGA Ademola Lookman England U19/20/21 & Nigeria
• ENG Stacy Long England U16/17/18/19/20
• ENG Micah Mbick England U20
• IRL Sean McGinty Republic of Ireland U17/19/21
• BUL Dimitar Mitov Bulgaria U16/17/19/Bulgaria
• IRLATG Keiran Murtagh Ireland U17 & Antigua and Barbuda
• ENG Shaun Newton England U21
• ENG Kevin Nicholls England U18/20
• ENGJAM Kasey Palmer England U17/18/20/21 & Jamaica
• ENG Scott Parker England U16/18/21/England
• ENGURU Diego Poyet England U16/17 & Uruguay U20
• IRL Darren Randolph Republic of Ireland U21/Republic of Ireland
• ENG Richard Rufus England U21
• ENGGHA Lloyd Sam England U20 & Ghana
• ENG Osei Sankofa England U16/17/18/19/20
• ENG Jonjo Shelvey England U16/17/19/21/England
• ENG Tobi Sho-Silva England U18
• ENG Chris Solly England U16/17
• CYP Alex Stavrinou Cyprus U17
• ENG Jamie Stuart England U18/21
• LCA Terell Thomas St Lucia
• TUR Tamer Tuna Turkey U19
• NGR Daniel Uchechi Nigeria U20/23
• ENGATG James Walker England U18 & Antigua and Barbuda
• ENGATG Myles Weston England U16/17/18/19 & Antigua and Barbuda
• ENG Josh Wright England U16/17/18/19
• ENG Rashid Yussuff England U16/17/18

Other academy graduates

• ENG Kasim Aidoo
• ENG Nathan Ashton
• ENG Aaron Barnes
• ENG Anthony Barness
• ENG Steve Brown
• ENG Dean Chandler
• ENG Ben Dempsey
• ENG Alfie Doughty
• ENG Kai Enslin
• ENG Jonathan Fortune
• ENG Barry Fuller
• IRL Dylan Gavin
• ENG Adam Gross
• ENG Brandon Hanlan
• ENG Alistair John
• ENG Jason Lee
• ENG Harry Lennon
• ENG Paul Linger
• ENG Sam Long
• IRL Neil McCafferty
• ENG Charlie MacDonald
• ENG Yado Mambo
• ENG Ollie Muldoon
• ENG Harry Pell
• ENG Dillon Phillips
• ENG Joe Pigott
• ENG Johl Powell
• ENG Linvoy Primus
• GNB Junior Quitirna
• ENG Henry Rylah
• NGR Onome Sodje
• ENG Donovan Simmonds
• ENG Paul Sturgess
• ENG Jason Tindall
• ENG Aswad Thomas
• ENG Michael Turner
• ENG Josh Umerah
• ENG James Vennings
• ENG Scott Wagstaff
• ENG Freddie Warren
• ENG Lawrie Wilson
• ENG Brendan Wiredu

Honours

Reserve team/Under-23s

Youth

References

References

1. "U21s : CAFC".
2. [http://www.cafc.co.uk/Academy.ink Charlton Athletic Youth Academy] {{webarchive. link. (8 June 2008)
3. [http://www.cafc.co.uk/valley_gold.ink Charlton Athletic Valley Gold] {{webarchive. link. (27 June 2008)
4. "U18s : CAFC".
5. (3 April 2021). "Coaching Team". Charlton Athletic FC.
6. (August 2017). "Snodin set for Saints switch". Charlton-Athletic.co.uk.
7. (August 2017). "New contract for Kinsella". cafc.co.uk.
8. "Football Combination Central 2007/2008 Final Table". theFA.com.
9. (August 2017). "Gritt relishing cup clash". cafc.co.uk.
10. "Charlton Athletic F.C. Reserves History". fchd.info.