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Premier Academy League

Former association football league in England

Field	Value
founded	1997
country	England
folded	2012
divisions	4
teams	40
relegation	Football League Youth Alliance
levels	1
domest_cup	FA Youth Cup
champions	Fulham (2nd title)
most_champs	Arsenal (5 titles)
season	2011–12

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 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.

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		FA Premier Academy League		Under-19	Under-17		Premier Academy League (Under-18)
1997–98	Arsenal U18s
1998–99	West Ham United U19s	Blackburn Rovers U17s		url = http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/1999/5/19/771266.html	title = FA Premier Academy League play-off final	work = This Is Lancashire	date = 19 May 1999	access-date = 7 November 2006	url-status = dead	archive-url = http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20061108114246/http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/1999/5/19/771266.html
1999–2000	West Ham United U19s	Arsenal U17s
2000–01	Nottingham Forest U19s	Ipswich Town U17s	{{cite web	url = http://www.bridportred.co.uk/Players/Players%20H.htm	title = Players H - Paul Hart	work = Bridport Red	access-date = 7 November 2006	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061013031921/http://www.bridportred.co.uk/Players/Players%20H.htm
2001–02	Arsenal U19s	Newcastle United U17s	{{cite web	url = http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PLCDetail/0,,10278~282506,00.html	title = Newcastle United PLC Preliminary Results Summary	work = Newcastle United Official Website	date = 2002-10-08	access-date = 7 November 2006	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061106131511/http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PLCDetail/0,,10278~282506,00.html
2002–03	Blackburn Rovers U19s	Leeds United U17s	{{cite web	url = http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2003/5/14/552018.html	title = Academy boys top of class	work = This Is Lancashire	date = 2003-05-14	access-date = 7 November 2006	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081227071332/http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/2003/5/14/552018.html
2003–04	Southampton U19s	Aston Villa U17s
2004–05	Blackburn Rovers U18s	{{cite web	url = http://www.foncy.co.uk/Teams_Results/TableU19s0405.html	title = Under 18 Academy Team 2004/05	work = FONCY	access-date = 7 November 2006	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200933/http://www.foncy.co.uk/Teams_Results/TableU19s0405.html	archive-date = 27 September 2007}}
2005–06	Southampton U18s	{{cite web	url = http://www.foncy.co.uk/Teams_Results/TableU18s0506.html	title = Under-18 Academy Team 2005/06	work = FONCY	access-date = 7 November 2006	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200816/http://www.foncy.co.uk/Teams_Results/TableU18s0506.html	archive-date = 27 September 2007}}
2006–07	Leicester City U18s	{{cite web	url = http://www.foncy.co.uk/Teams_Results/TableU18s0607.html	title = Under-18 Academy Team 2006/07	work = FONCY	access-date = 7 November 2006	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200920/http://www.foncy.co.uk/Teams_Results/TableU18s0607.html	archive-date = 27 September 2007}}
2007–08	Aston Villa U18s	{{cite web	url = http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~1305270,00.html	title = Under-18 Academy Team 2007/08	work = avfc.co.uk	access-date = 4 May 2008	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080505143255/http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~1305270,00.html	archive-date = 5 May 2008}}
2008–09	Arsenal U18s	{{cite web	url=http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/3146477/youth/tottenham-hotspur-yth-v-arsenal-yth?tab=report	title=Academy Final- Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal - Report	work=Arsenal Broadband Limited	access-date=17 May 2009 }}
2009–10	Arsenal U18s	{{cite web	url=http://www.arsenal.com/match-menu/172009/youth/arsenal-yth-v-nottm-forest-yth?tab=report	title=Academy Final- Arsenal 5-3 Nottm Forest - Report	work=Arsenal Broadband Limited	access-date=11 May 2010 }}
2010–11	Everton U18s	{{cite web	url=http://www.evertonfc.com/match/report/1011/fulham-yth-v-everton-yth	title=Academy Final- Fulham 1-2 Everton - Report	work=Everton Media	access-date=13 May 2011	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011014327/http://www.evertonfc.com/match/report/1011/fulham-yth-v-everton-yth	archive-date=11 October 2012	url-status=dead
2011–12	Fulham U18s	{{cite web	url = http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/May/AcademyMatchReport.aspx	title = Academy Final- Fulham 2-0 Reading - Report	work = fulhamfc.com	access-date = 12 May 2012	url-status = dead	archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120515082911/http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/News/NewsArticles/2012/May/AcademyMatchReport.aspx	archive-date = 15 May 2012}}

Most successful clubs

Team	U18
titles	U19 (d)
titles	U17 (d)
titles
Arsenal	3	1	1
Blackburn Rovers	1	1	1
Aston Villa	1		1
Southampton	1	1
Everton	1
Fulham	1
West Ham United		2
Nottingham Forest		1
Leicester City	1
Ipswich Town			1
Newcastle United			1
Leeds United			1

(d) - defunct

References

"Football League votes through plan to change youth set-up". BBC News.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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