Our scouting operation works so that before any boy comes to our club, he will have been initially assessed by one of our scouts.

Premier League regulations severely restrict the number of boys whom we can coach at each age group. Consequently it is not easy to obtain a place in our Academy. We have a network of scouts throughout the country who continually monitor young players. We hope that young players who aspire to become professional footballers will generally be involved with their town or district team and/or a good Sunday team. It is by watching such games that our scouts become aware of the boys of outstanding potential. We receive regular reports on boys throughout the country. We shall do everything in our power to attempt to bring boys with high potential to our club for trials and assessment. You can be assured that boys playing at a good level of competitive football will be assessed by one of our regional scouts.

There is no easy route to becoming a footballer. It is extremely important that you develop skill. The first step is to get involved with a team playing in good quality competition. For schoolboys, this would not only mean being in the school team, but also representing teams in your town, county, district, and even country. Good quality junior football is very helpful, especially in regions where organised schools football is not available. Playing with other top quality boys can only help develop your potential. If you are aged 15-18, you need to be playing at the highest level of football within your age band and with other good quality players.

Unfortunately, there are no scholarship application forms. Scholarships are offered to young players based on their ability and potential as assessed by members of staff. We have to make an application for scholarship places on an annual basis, many months before boys are ready to leave school or college. Most boys have already been signed by our club on an Academy Registration form.