:Premier Academy League
{{short description|Former association football league in England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox football league
| logo =
| pixels =
| 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
| current =
}}
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{{cite news|title=Football League votes through plan to change youth set-up|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15381652.stm|work=BBC News}} 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
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
! !colspan=2|FA Premier Youth League (Under-18) !References |
| 1997–98
|colspan=2|Arsenal U18s url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=the+club&article=344299&lid=History&Title=Club+Honours | title=Arsenal Club Honours | work=Arsenal.com | access-date=7 November 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061022230134/http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=the+club&article=344299&lid=History&Title=Club+Honours |archive-date = 22 October 2006}} |
| rowspan=2|
!colspan=2|FA Premier Academy League !rowspan=2| |
|---|
| Under-19
!Under-17 |
| 1998–99
url=http://www.westhamstats.info/ | title=West Ham United Statistics | work=westhamstats.info | access-date=7 November 2006}}{{cite web |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 |archive-date = 8 November 2006}} |
| 1999–2000 |
| 2000–01
|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 |archive-date = 13 October 2006}}{{cite web | url=http://www.thefootballnetwork.net/main/s733/st180613.htm | title=Academy Roll of Honour | work=TownFans.co.uk | access-date=7 November 2006}} |
| 2001–02
|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 |archive-date = 6 November 2006}} |
| 2002–03
|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 |archive-date = 27 December 2008}}{{cite web | url=http://www.leeds-fans.org.uk/leeds/news/200305.html | title=Leeds United News - May 2003 | work=leedfans.org.uk | access-date=7 November 2006}} |
| 2003–04
url=http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/team/?page_id=1105 | title=Academy Who's Who | work=SaintsFC.co.uk | access-date=7 November 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911060600/http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/team/?page_id=1105 | archive-date=11 September 2008 | url-status=dead }}{{cite web | url=http://www.toffeeweb.com/season/03-04/under17.asp#A-Villa(2) | title=Everton U17s, 2003–04: Everton 1 - 1 Aston Villa | work=ToffeeWeb | access-date=7 November 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060909052446/http://www.toffeeweb.com/season/03-04/under17.asp#A-Villa(2) |archive-date = 9 September 2006}} |
|
!colspan=2|Premier Academy League (Under-18) ! |
| 2004–05
|colspan=2|Blackburn Rovers U18s |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
|colspan=2|Southampton U18s |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
|colspan=2|Leicester City U18s |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
|colspan=2|Aston Villa U18s |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
|colspan=2|Arsenal U18s |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
|colspan=2|Arsenal U18s |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
|colspan=2|Everton U18s |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
|colspan=2|Fulham U18s |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=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" |
| Team
!U18 !U19 (d) !U17 (d) |
|---|
| align=left|Arsenal
|3 |1 |1 |
| align=left|Blackburn Rovers
|1 |1 |1 |
| align=left|Aston Villa
|1 | |1 |
| align=left|Southampton
|1 |1 | |
| align=left|Everton
|1 | | |
| align=left|Fulham
|1 | | |
| align=left|West Ham United
| |2 | |
| align=left|Nottingham Forest
| |1 | |
| align=left|Leicester City
|1 | | |
| align=left|Ipswich Town
| | |1 |
| align=left|Newcastle United
| | |1 |
| align=left|Leeds United
| | |1 |
(d) - defunct
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- League tables: [http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthATable A] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925042349/http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthATable |date=25 September 2011 }}{{,}}[http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthBTable B] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019230744/http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthBTable |date=19 October 2011 }}{{,}}[http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthCTable C] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927214914/http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthCTable |date=27 September 2011 }}{{,}}[http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthDTable D] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109011158/http://www.premierleague.com/page/YouthDTable |date=9 November 2011 }}
- [http://www.premierleague.com/page/PLAFixtures Fixtures and results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220185409/http://www.premierleague.com/page/PLAFixtures |date=20 February 2009 }}
- [http://www.premierleague.com/page/Publications Bulletins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410124854/http://www.premierleague.com/page/Publications/ |date=10 April 2008 }}
{{Premier League}}
{{Premier Academy League seasons}}
{{Reserve and Youth football in England}}
Category:1997 establishments in England
Category:Youth football leagues in England
Category:Sports leagues established in 1997