Following a 4-day audit early in the year, Fleetwood Town have confirmed that they have been awarded Category Two status.

The club has been in Category Three since 2016 and has always had an ambition to push on and move into Category Two. The Fisherman applied for Category Two status for the 2021-22 season but were unsuccessful.

The step-up will see an improved games program for the whole academy. The Under-21s will compete in the Northern League in the Professional Development League, while the Under-18s will enter the U18 Professional Development League. The schoolboy age groups will have organised fixtures against other Category Two academies as well as games against Category One sides.

Academy Manager Jack Higgins said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received confirmation of our Category 2 status.

“This represents years of hard work from our dedicated staff and really highlights the rapid progression we have made since first establishing our Academy in 2016 – this shouldn’t be underestimated.

“In that time, we have developed countless players and staff now registered with Premier League and Football League clubs across England.

“We are becoming renowned for providing opportunities here at Fleetwood Town and convinced progressing to Category 2 will only help us further in developing the best young talent – we are really excited at what lies ahead.”

Steve Curwood, the clubs’ Cheif Executive also commented on the news:

“This is a fantastic boost for the club and the culmination of a significant amount of work by many people over many years.

“The academy has been really building year on year since Poolfoot Farm opened back in 2016, and to finally achieve the new status is remarkable given where the club was not too long ago.

Fleetwood has recently had a brand new indoor dome built at Poolfoot Farm, a requirement to achieve Category Two status. This allows training all year round while offering another surface to host fixtures, especially for the younger age groups.

Over 450 appearances and 27000 minutes have been made in League One in the last five seasons by academy products, with Harrison Holgate and Carl Johnston becoming established names in the first team. 8 players have also been sold to Premier League, Championship, and Scottish Premier clubs for a considerable transfer fee.

Reading has announced that they have returned to Category One status for the 2023/24 season.

The Royals were demoted to Category Two last season after being cat one since the launch of the EPPP, but have made a swift return after a year’s absence.

The club was demoted following a shortage of staff and a lack of facilities due to the covid pandemic. The club made the decision to move to bearwood park to keep them apart from the first team.

Reading applied to be reinstated as Category One towards the start of last season, keen to return to the top and keep their reputation as a model academy. After an audit during the season, a major improvement was seen and their application was accepted. The promotion will see Readings Under-21s compete in the Premier League 2, while the Under-18s will enter the Premier League South.

Academy manager Michael Gilkes said “We are a totally devoted team who rightly take immense pride in developing young footballers, both as people and as players. I’d like to sincerely thank and congratulate every single person who has helped the Royals to regain this prestigious status.”

Head of Academy Operations Antoine Thompson has played an integral part in the club achieving Category One status. Thompson joined in July 2022 and has made sure that the club meet all the criteria set by the EPPP to be fit for Category One status.

Head of Football Operations Mark Bowen added “The greatest compliment I can pay to the outstanding staff who help our esteemed Academy tick every day is that the young players who have returned for pre-season training at Bearwood Park in recent weeks won’t have noticed any difference to previous seasons.”

“We have continued to operate our Academy at the very highest standards and those levels have rightly been recognised as elite within the realms of youth player development in this country. I am delighted for our young players, I am thrilled for our talented staff and I am excited for Reading Football Club and its future.”

While the clubs’ off-field issues which have resulted in relegation to league one following a points deduction, the academy still operates as a top environment for player development and has produced players for the first-team, such as Tom McIntyre, Femi Azeez and Tom Holmes.

The last 16 of the FA Youth Cup saw some big clashes while also giving opportunities for lower-league sides to progress. Last years’ finalists Liverpool faced another big name in Chelsea, Manchester United came up against Everton, while Cambridge United were looking to cause another upset against Nottingham Forest and reach the quarter-final stage.

Blackburn 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday

Thursday 27^th January 2022

Blackburn came from behind against Sheffield Wednesday to reach the Quarter-Finals for the 3^rd time in 5 years. Wednesdays’ Leojo Davidson scored inside 4 minutes when his deflected effort gave the away-side an early lead. Harrison Wood continued his goal-scoring form from the previous round and equalised for Rovers just before half-time.

Blackburn applied the pressure at the start of the second half and took the lead after 59 minutes from a Patrick Gamble header. Wednesday had a couple of moments to try and find an equaliser, but it was Rovers who secured the victory and progressed into the last 8.

AFC Bournemouth 1-5 Leicester City

Friday 28^th January 2022

Leicester needed a late winner to get past Crewe in round 4, but it was a much more comfortable victory in the 5^th round. Will Alves produced a fine performance and put the Foxes 1-0 up, with a dazzling run and calm finish. Christopher Popov doubled their lead only 2 minutes later and put them 2-0 up going into the break.

The Cherries pulled a goal back early on in the second half to give them hope, however, Leicester’s Sammy Braybrook made it 3-1 to restore their 2-goal lead. Brandon Ashley-Cover came off the bench and sealed the game with 2 goals to send Leicester into the Quarter-Finals.

Liverpool 3-4 Chelsea

Saturday 29^th January 2022

Chelsea produced a remarkable comeback when they faced Liverpool in the 5^th Round. The Reds got off to a flying start thanks to a surging run from Luke Chambers inside 5 minutes. Melkamu Frauendorf came close for Liverpool when his effort drifted just wide of the goal.

Liverpool doubled their lead after James Balagizi drove with the ball and slid in Kaide Gordon to score. 59 minutes in and Oakley Cannonier made it 3-0 to the home side after a great counter-attacking move, which seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for Chelsea.

Charlie Webster’s deflected long-range effort pulled one back for the Blues with 20 minutes to go. 7 minutes later, Chelsea reduced the deficit to 1 goal after Lewis Hall’s cross was met by Jude Soonsup-Bell.

Hall, who made his debut for the senior team in the 3^rd Round of the FA Cup, squandered a big chance to equalize for the away side. However, it didn’t prove to be costly, with Soonsup-Bell’s cutback unable to be cleared by the Liverpool defence, with the ball smashing into Malik Maine Mothersille and ending up in the back of the net to make it 3-3.

Chelsea completed the most incredible turnarounds after Silko Thomas’ low cross was tapped in by Tudor Mendal Idowu to incredibly win the game for the young Blues.

It’s Chelsea who goes through to the quarter-finals after scoring 4 goals in the last 20 minutes of the game.

Blackpool 3-0 Newcastle United

Wednesday 9^th February 2022

Category 3 Blackpool produced a brilliant performance to defeat Category 1 Newcastle United, reaching the Quarter-Finals of the Youth Cup for the second time in the last 5 years. 2 goals from Arnold Matshazi in the first half put the Seasiders well on their way to victory.

Jake Daniels put the game to bed with 10 minutes to go. Blackpool reached the Semi-Final of the competition back in 2018, and a tough trip to Stamford Bridge stands in their way of history repeating itself. Newcastle will be disappointed to bow out at this stage having reached the Quarter-Finals last season.

Cambridge United 0(3)-0(5) Nottingham Forest

Wednesday 9^th February 2022

Nottingham Forest came out on top via penalties in a closely contested game at Abbey Stadium. The game produced grit and determination from both sides with nothing to separate them after 90 minutes.

Forest’s Detlef Esapa Osong saw red during extra-time after a strong challenge, but Cambridge were unable to make the extra man count, with Forest looking the more likely to find a winner. Forest Goalkeeper Aaron Bott proved to be the hero in the shoot-out, although it was for scoring the winning penalty rather than saving one to send them into the last 8.

Charlton 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Wednesday 9^th February 2022

After defeating Manchester City in the previous round, Brighton produced a strong performance to get past an in-form Charlton side. The Seagulls got off to the perfect start, after winning the ball high and Evan Ferguson finishing off a fast break. The away side continued to create chances, with Ferguson having opportunities to double his tally.

Tyreece Campbell came close on the counter-attack for Charlton when his striker came off the post. However, in the second half, Andre Moran doubled Brighton’s lead which proved to be enough to progress into the next round.

Manchester United 4-1 Everton

Wednesday 9^th February 2022

Manchester United came from a goal behind to secure a big victory over Everton. Francis Okoronkwo gave the visitors a lead after 11 minutes when his clinical finish found the bottom corner. Charlie McNeil equalized for United 3 minutes later from the penalty spot.

Kobbie Mainoo, who scored in the previous round, put the home side in front before the half-hour mark when his header found the bottom corner. Samuel Mather made it 3-1 in the second half to put United in a strong position. The best goal of the night came in the final minute of normal time when Alejandro Gamacho Ferrerya ran over 60 yards with the ball before cooly slotting the ball past the Everton keeper.

United will be pleased to reach the Quarter-Finals after being knocked out in the 4_^th round the previous campaign.

Wolves 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Saturday 12th February 2022

Wolves came out on top over Tottenham who had started the Youth Cup in fine form, scoring 11 goals in their 2 games in the competition.

Aaron Keto-Diyawa’s header in the 17th minute put the home side ahead, which was enough to give them the lead at half-time. 2 goals in 8 minutes from Tyler Roberts in the 2nd half saw them claim the cup win and put them into the last 8. Spurs will be left disappointed after starting the camping in a strong fashion.

Quarter-Final Fixtures

Blackburn Rovers vs Nottingham Forest

Chelsea vs Blackpool

Manchester United vs Leicester

Wolves vs Brighton & Hove Albion