Premier Academy League
The Premier Academy League (formerly the FA Premier Academy League) in England is the top division for Academy teams ( youth teams) of professional clubs from the English top flight football leagues.
The League was formed in 1997 and released the "South East Counties League " from that served as a top division for the academy teams before. In the Premier Academy League, there is no sporting descent.
Until the 2012/13 season was attended by 40 clubs, which have been divided into four groups of ten teams. The winners from the groups made it to the semi-finals and played in the system Winner Group A v Winner Group C and Group B winner vs. Winner Group D. The winner of the two games played in the final against each other. Since the 2013/14 season, there are only a north or Südstaffel each with eleven teams. Both first-and second-placed play then in the final against each other.
In the first held only U-18 teams participated, there were between 1998 and 2004 each have a competition for U -17 and U -19 and since the 2004/ 05 season, the Premier Academy League only in the U-18 league discharged.
Teams in the 2013/14 season
The current 22 members of the Premier Academy League are:
- Manchester City
- Everton FC
- Sunderland AFC
- Liverpool FC
- Manchester United
- Newcastle United
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Blackburn Rovers
- Middlesbrough FC
- Bolton Wanderers
- Stoke City
- Fulham
- Chelsea FC
- Tottenham Hotspur
- Aston Villa
- Reading FC
- Norwich City
- Leicester City
- Arsenal FC
- West Bromwich Albion
- Southampton FC