| Founded | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2012 |
| Country | England |
| Divisions | 4 |
| Number of clubs | 40 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Football League Youth Alliance |
| Domestic cup | FA Youth Cup |
| Last champions | Fulham (2nd title) (2011–12) |
| Most championships | Arsenal (5 titles) |
ThePremier Academy League (sometimes abbreviated asFAPAL) was the top level of youthfootballin England before it was to be replaced by a new league proposed by theElite Player Performance Plan in 2012, which was accepted by the 72 member clubs ofThe Football League on 20 October 2011. This newly formed league was established in the 2015–2016 season and given the renamed title of theProfessional Development League[1] It was contested between the Academy sides of thePremier League and someFootball League clubs. It sat above the second tier of youth football, TheFootball League Youth Alliance, which is for the remaining Football League clubs and someFootball Conference clubs with aCentre of Excellence. The most successful team isArsenal, having won 5 titles.
The league was founded as theFA Premier Youth League in 1997, replacing regionally based youth leagues such as theSouth 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 wereArsenal, who beatTottenham Hotspur 2–1 on aggregate in the final.
The competition was revamped in 1998 with the introduction ofthe Football Association's Academy system and renamed thePremier 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 in2004–05 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.
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 thePremier Reserve League, the Premier Academy League was open to more than just thePremier League clubs.
| FA Premier Youth League (Under-18) | References | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997–98 | Arsenal U18s | [2] | |
| FA Premier Academy League | |||
| Under-19 | Under-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] | |
| 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
