Albion awarded Professional Game Academy Licenses

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FA's revised pathway intends to identify and develop the very best women's and girls' talent in England.

BHAFC

2023-04-28T13:38:00Z

Our WU21s won the Sussex Challenge Cup last month.

Albion are among 20 clubs in the Barclays Women’s Super League and Championship awarded Professional Game Academy Licenses (PGAs) for the 2023/24 season, with the academies forming part of the new look player pathway.

The revised pathway, which was announced in February, intends to identify and develop the very best talent in England, while also making the game more diverse, accessible and inclusive.

The PGAs will replace the 16 current FA WSL Academies and will provide a high-quality training environment to ensure players coming out of the pathway are ready to compete at the highest levels of the domestic and international game.

The PGAs, which have been developed following an extensive consultation period across the game, will come to fruition in the 2023/24 season and will cater for the development of talented female players between the ages of 14 to 20.

Initially, 20 clubs have been awarded licenses for the 2023/24 season. All 24 Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship clubs will be required to deliver an academy by the 2025/26 season.

Clubs have been awarded either a Category 1 license, which will see two age groups catered for, or a Category 2 license, which will cater for one. The age groups will be identified to fit the club’s development model

The PGAs will see a significant increase in investment into the game through both The FA and club contributions.

The clubs who have been awarded licenses are as follows:

Category 1

Category 2

Arsenal Women

Blackburn Rovers Ladies

Aston Villa Women

Charlton Athletic Women

Birmingham City Women

Reading FC Women

Brighton & Hove Albion Women

Sunderland AFC Women

Bristol City WFC

Chelsea FC Women

Durham Women

Everton Women

Leicester City Women

Liverpool FC Women

London City Lionesses

Manchester City Women

Manchester United Women

Sheffield United Women

Southampton FC Women

Tottenham Hotspur Women

Kay Cossington, The FA’s Women’s Technical Director, said: “Our Professional Game Academies form a key stage of our player pathway. It is at this point that the player becomes ready for top level football but also develops them as a person so they’re prepared for life in and out of the game.

“We are grateful to the 20 clubs across the country who have recognised their importance and shown a real commitment to player progression and development. We look forward to working with them closely as they develop the next generation of talent and evolve our game for the future.”