Professional Development League
The Professional Development League is a system of youth football leagues that are managed, organised and controlled by the Premier League or by the Football League. It was introduced by the Football Association via the Elite Player Performance Plan in 2012.[1]
The system was introduced in early 2012 and was active for the first time during the 2012–13 season. It is a successor to the Premier Reserve League, Premier Academy League and Football Combination. The Football League Youth Alliance makes up League 3 of the under 18 system. The system covers the under-18 and under-21 age groups.[1]
Previously, clubs participating in the Premier Reserve League (the highest level of reserve football in England) were removed from the competition if their first team in the Premier League were relegated and replaced with a promoted team. Under the Professional Development League system, Premier League reserves teams' league status is not directly linked to the first team's Premier League status. Instead, there are three different Professional Development Leagues at each age-group level and clubs in the top four tiers of the English football league system are placed in the system based on the assessment of their academy for the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP).
Grading
U21
| League | Sponsored name | Run by | Participating clubs | Number of clubs |
| Professional Development League 1 |
Barclays U21 Premier League |
Premier League |
For academies with a Category 1 rating |
24 |
| Professional Development League 2 |
– |
Premier League |
For academies with a Category 2 rating |
19 |
U18
| League | Sponsored name | Run by | Participating clubs | Number of clubs |
| Professional Development League 1 |
Barclays U18 Premier League |
Premier League |
For academies with a Category 1 rating |
24 |
| Professional Development League 2 |
– |
Premier League |
For academies with a Category 2 rating |
19 |
| Professional Development League 3 |
Football League Youth Alliance |
Football League |
For academies with a Category 3 or 4 rating |
51 |
|
U21 level
The U21 age-range was set up for the first time with the introduction of the Professional Development League. Teams are allowed to field three overage outfield players and one overage goalkeeper. League 3 clubs voted against introducing an U21 league, the northern based sides instead choosing to continue fielding reserve sides in the Central League.
League 1
Champions
From 2012–13 to 2013–14, the champions of League 1 were the team who won the knockout stage final.
From 2014–15, the champions of League 1 is the team who finish 1st in Division 1.
2015–16 Participants
Division 1
- Chelsea
- Everton
- Leicester City
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Middlesbrough
- Norwich City
- Reading
- Southampton
- Sunderland
- Tottenham Hotspur
|
Division 2
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Blackburn Rovers
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Derby County
- Fulham
- Newcastle United
- Stoke City
- Swansea City
- West Bromwich Albion
- West Ham United
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
|
League 2
Champions
The overall League 2 champions are the team who win the knock-out stage at the end of the season.
2015–16 Participants
North Division
- Barnsley
- Birmingham City
- Bolton Wanderers
- Coventry City
- Crewe Alexandra
- Huddersfield Town
- Hull City
- Leeds United
- Nottingham Forest
- Sheffield United
- Sheffield Wednesday
|
South Division
- Brentford
- Bristol City
- Cardiff City
- Charlton Athletic
- Colchester United
- Crystal Palace
- Ipswich Town
- Millwall
- Queens Park Rangers
- Watford
|
U18 level
The Professional Development U18 Leagues 1 and 2 replace the Premier Academy League, with League 3 still being run under the auspices of the Football League Youth Alliance.
League 1
Champions
2015–16 Participants
North Division
- Blackburn Rovers
- Derby County
- Everton
- Liverpool
- Manchester City
- Manchester United
- Middlesbrough
- Newcastle United
- Sunderland
- Stoke City
- West Bromwich Albion
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
|
South Division
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Chelsea
- Fulham
- Leicester City
- Norwich City
- Reading
- Southampton
- Swansea City
- Tottenham Hotspur
- West Ham United
|
League 2
Champions
The overall League 2 champions are the team who win the knock-out stage at the end of the season.
2015–16 Participants
North Division
- Barnsley
- Birmingham City
- Bolton Wanderers
- Coventry City
- Crewe Alexandra
- Huddersfield Town
- Hull City
- Leeds United
- Nottingham Forest
- Sheffield United
- Sheffield Wednesday
|
South Division
- Brentford
- Bristol City
- Cardiff City
- Charlton Athletic
- Colchester United
- Crystal Palace
- Ipswich Town
- Millwall
- Queens Park Rangers
- Watford
|
League 3
Champions
The Football League Youth Alliance does not currently use a process of determining the overall champions.
2015–16 Participants
North West Conference
|
North East Conference
|
South West Conference
|
South East Conference
|
|
References
Reserve and youth football in England |
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