Arsenal F.C. Academy
Encyclopedia
Arsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England. The club enter Under-18 and Under-16 teams in the League, but they operate the academy for boys from the age of nine upwards.

Some of the senior members of the U18 team also play for Arsenal Reserves
Arsenal F.C. Reserves
Arsenal Reserves are the reserve team of Arsenal Football Club.They have been members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division since its foundation in 1999. They play their home games at Underhill Stadium, which is also the home of Barnet FC. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players...

, and the team are currently coached by former Arsenal defender Steve Bould
Steve Bould
Stephen Andrew Bould is an English former football player and current coach. He played professionally for Stoke City, Torquay United, Arsenal and Sunderland.-Stoke City:...

, while the younger teams are coached by Roy Massey
Roy Massey
Roy Massey is an English former football player, now a coach.As a player, Massey played as a centre forward for Rotherham United , Leyton Orient and Colchester United . He retired from playing football in 1971 but became a coach, first at Colchester United before moving to Norwich City's centre...

 and Steve Gatting
Steve Gatting
Stephen "Steve" Paul Gatting is an English former footballer, who is best known for playing for Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1983 FA Cup Final. He is currently a youth team coach at Arsenal...

. Former Arsenal midfielder and Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

 international Liam Brady
Liam Brady
Liam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....

 oversees the overall youth development setup at the club with his assistant David Court
David Court
David John Court is an English former footballer, now turned coach.Court joined Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1959, turning professional in January 1962. Initially a centre forward or inside forward, he was a regular goalscorer for the Gunners' youth and reserve sides...

.

Arsenal Youth (1954–1998)

Arsenal have occasionally operated a youth team as far back as 1893–94, and there had been an established third team (known as Arsenal 'A') for young players from 1929 to 1969.

In 1954, Arsenal started their own formal youth team. They entered the South Eastern Counties League (re-named the South East Counties League the following season) and the associated South East Counties League Cup from 1954–55 to 1997–98 (excluding 1967–68 and 1968–69). Arsenal Youth also played in the London Minor FA Challenge Cup (from 1954–55 to 1955–56 and 1959–60 to 1966–67) and the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup (from 1955–56 to 1971–72 and 1974–75 to 1998–99). The club have played in the FA Youth Cup
FA Youth Cup
The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...

 since 1954–55.

During this time, Arsenal were one of the most successful youth teams in the country, winning seven South East Counties League titles, six South East Counties League Cups (including three "doubles") and four FA Youth Cups.

Arsenal Academy (1998–present)

The youth team became founder members of the FA Premier Youth League in 1997–98. The league was initially a single division and Arsenal won the inaugural title. The following season this was renamed the Premier Academy League and split into Under-19 and Under-17 sections, with the new FA Academy system formally changing Arsenal's youth team to Academy status. Arsenal entered teams in both sections, winning the U17 title in 1999–00 and the U19 title in 2001–02 as well as two more FA Youth Cups.

Since 2004–05, the FA Premier Academy League has consisted of only a single section for Under-18s, although an Under-16 section is played with no league table being recorded. Arsenal U18s have won their division group (Group A) three times, in 2007–08, 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...

 and 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...

. They went on to win the academy play-off semi-final and final in 2008–09 and 2009–10 to become FA Premier Academy League champions. In 2009 they completed their first double by also winning the 2008–09 FA Youth Cup, having beaten Liverpool 6–2 on aggregate in the final.

U18 League

The following players are eligible for the U18 Academy League in the upcoming 2011–12
2011–12 in English football
The 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two...

 season.

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Schoolboys

Honours

  • FA Premier Youth League/FA Premier Academy League
Winners (5): 1997–98 (U18), 1999–00 (U17), 2001–02 (U19), 2008–09 (U18), 2009–10
2009–10 Premier Academy League
The 2009–10 Premier Academy League Under–18 season is the thirteenth edition since the establishment of The Premier Academy League, and the sixth under the current make-up....

 (U18)

  • South East Counties League
    South East Counties League
    The South East Counties League was a football league for the youth teams of clubs from Southern England.The competition grew out of the Middlesex Youth Invitation Cup set up in the 1950s by the Middlesex FA and was formerly known as the South East Counties Youth Football League...

Winners (4): 1955–56, 1964–65, 1971–72, 1990–91

  • FA Youth Cup
    FA Youth Cup
    The Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...

Winners (7): 1965–66, 1970–71, 1987–88, 1993–94, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2008–09
Runners-up (1): 1964–65

  • South East Counties League Cup]
Winners (6): 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1979–80

  • Southern Junior Floodlit Cup
Winners (5): 1962–63, 1965–66, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1997–98

  • London Minor FA Cup
Winners (1): 1966–67

International academy graduates

This is a list of former Arsenal F.C. academy or Arsenal 'A' graduates who have gone on to represent their country at full international level since the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.
As of 10 August 2011.


Neil Kilkenny
Neil Kilkenny
Neil Martin Kilkenny is an English-born Australian football player who plays for Bristol City as a midfielder. He is a member of the Australia national team.-Early life and career:...

 Georgios Efrem
Georgios Efrem
Georgios Efrem is a Cypriot footballer who currently plays for Omonia.-Early career:Efrem began his career as a 15-year old with Arsenal in 2004, and was a regular in their reserve and youth sides. However, he was unable to break into the first team, and so moved to Rangers in May 2007...

 Peggy Lokando
Peggy Lokando
Mbive "Peggy" Lokando is an English-born Congolese footballer who plays for Isthmian League Division One North club Waltham Forest.-Club career:...

 Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...

 Tony Adams
Tony Adams (footballer)
Tony Alexander Adams, MBE is an English football manager and former player.Adams spent his entire playing career of 22 years as a defender at Arsenal. He is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time by the club's own fans and was included in the Football League 100 Legends...

 David Bentley
David Bentley
David Michael Bentley is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United as a winger, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur....

 Jay Bothroyd
Jay Bothroyd
Jay Bothroyd is an English footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a striker. He has also played for the England national team. He was a product of the Arsenal Academy and came to prominence during the 1999–2000 FA Youth Cup Final win against Coventry City...

 Danny Clapton
Danny Clapton
Daniel Robert "Danny" Clapton was an English footballer.Born in Stepney, London, Clapton first started out as an amateur with Leytonstone before joining Arsenal in August 1953. He made his debut in a 1-0 win over Chelsea on December 25, 1954, and by the end of the 1954-55 he was Arsenal's first...

 Andy Cole Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole is an Barbadian-English professional footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He plays as a left-back and has been named one of the best in the world....

 Leslie Compton
Leslie Compton
Leslie Harry Compton was an English footballer and cricketer who played for Arsenal and Middlesex respectively...

 Charlie George
Charlie George
Charles Frederick "Charlie" George is an English former footballer. He played as a forward in the Football League and he was also capped by England.-Arsenal:...

 Kieran Gibbs
Kieran Gibbs
Kieran James Ricardo Gibbs is an English footballer who plays for Arsenal and was a product of their academy who came to prominence during 2006-07 FA Youth Cup by scoring in the semi-final prior to his first-team breakthrough...

 Ray Kennedy
Ray Kennedy
Raymond Kennedy is an English former football player who won every domestic honour in the game with Arsenal and Liverpool in the 1970s...

 Martin Keown
Martin Keown
Martin Raymond Keown is a former English footballer. Widely regarded as one of the best man-markers of his generation, Keown played for six different football clubs during his career but it was with Arsenal that he will be best remembered. Keown made over three hundred appearances for Arsenal...

 Paul Merson
Paul Merson
Paul Charles Merson is a retired English football player, and former player-manager of Walsall. His playing career has included spells at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and finishing his playing career at Tamworth. He also played for England 21 times...

 Arthur Milton
Arthur Milton
Clement Arthur Milton was an English cricketer and footballer. He played County cricket for Gloucestershire from 1948 to 1974, playing six Test matches for England in 1958 and 1959. He also played domestic football for Arsenal between 1951 and 1955, and then for a brief period for Bristol City...

 Ray Parlour
Ray Parlour
Raymond "Ray" Parlour , is a retired English footballer. He spent his career playing for Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Hull City. During his Arsenal career he was nicknamed "The Romford Pelé"; although the nickname was given with an ironic sense of humour, on account of his solid performance but...

 John Radford
John Radford
For the Canadian broadcaster see John Radford John Radford is a former English football player....

 Graham Rix
Graham Rix
Graham Cyril Rix is an English former football player and coach. He was fired by Heart of Midlothian in March 2006, which was his most recent role in professional football...


David Rocastle
David Rocastle
David Carlyle Rocastle, nicknamed Rocky, was an English football player, who spent the majority of his career at Arsenal...

 Len Shackleton
Len Shackleton
Leonard Francis Shackleton, was an English footballer of the post-World War II period. Known as the Clown Prince of Football, he is generally regarded as one of English football's finest ever entertainers....

 Lionel Smith
Lionel Smith
Lionel Smith was an English footballer.-Biography:Born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, Smith played for local non-league sides before signing as an amateur with London club Arsenal F.C. in April 1939...

 Peter Storey
Peter Storey
Peter Edwin Storey is an English former football player.Storey spent most of his career at Arsenal, joining the club as an apprentice in 1961 and turning professional the following year...

 Michael Thomas Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere
Jack Andrew Garry Wilshere is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Arsenal and the England national team....

 Ingi Højsted
Ingi Højsted
Ingi Højsted is a Faroese midfield football player, who currently plays for B36 Tórshavn.-Club career:In the summer of 2002 he joined Arsenal in London as a trainee, later playing for B36 Torshavn...

 Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie
Quincy James Owusu-Abeyie , often known simply by his first name, Quincy, is a Ghana international footballer who plays for Superleague Greece club Panathinaikos as a forward or winger....

 Stefán Gíslason
Stefán Gíslason
Stefán Gíslason is an Icelandic footballer who currently plays for Lillestrøm SK. He is a defensive midfielder renowned for coupling physical power with great technique...

 Graham Barrett
Graham Barrett
Graham Barrett is a former Irish professional footballer. He played for the Republic of Ireland national football team. Barrett began his career at Premier League team Arsenal...

 Liam Brady
Liam Brady
Liam Brady is a former Irish association football player, and former assistant manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team....

 John Devine Keith Fahey
Keith Fahey
Keith Declan Fahey is an Republic of Ireland international footballer who plays for English club Birmingham City. With Ireland he was part of the team that secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2012....

 David O'Leary
David O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...

 Frank O'Neill Niall Quinn
Niall Quinn
Niall John Quinn honorary MBE is a former Irish international footballer, and the ex-chairman of Sunderland AFC. He still works at the club as an overseas manager. He is also heavily involved in the management side of horse racing...

 Pat Scully
Pat Scully
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Scully is an Irish football manager, currently in charge of Limerick in the League of Ireland...

 Frank Stapleton
Frank Stapleton
Francis Anthony "Frank" Stapleton is an Irish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his time at Arsenal, Manchester United and as a pivotal player for the Republic of Ireland...

 Anthony Stokes Narada Bernard
Narada Bernard
Narada Michael Bernard is an Jamaican-English football left-back, currently playing for Margate. He has played once for the Jamaica national side....


Colin Hill
Colin Hill
Colin Frederick Hill is a former Northern Irish professional football player most notable for his careers with Arsenal and Leicester City and as a Northern Ireland international....

 Steve Morrow
Steve Morrow
Stephen Joseph "Steve" Morrow is a Northern Irish former football player. He is currently International Partnerships Performance Supervisor at Arsenal Football Club, where he also played for much of the 1990s.-Playing career:...

 Terry Neill
Terry Neill
William John Terence "Terry" Neill is a Northern Ireland former football player and manager.-Playing career:Born in Belfast, Neill played as a youth for Bangor, before moving in December 1959 to Arsenal. He spent a year in Arsenal's youth side, before making his debut against Sheffield Wednesday...

 Sammy Nelson
Sammy Nelson
Samuel "Sammy" Nelson is a Northern Ireland former football player, who joined London club Arsenal on his 17th birthday in 1966....

 Pat Rice
Pat Rice
Patrick James "Pat" Rice is a former Northern Irish football player and coach. As a player he made over 400 appearances for Arsenal, winning the Double, and later made a hundred more appearances for Watford. He also won 49 caps for Northern Ireland...

 Dean Shiels
Dean Shiels
Dean Andrew Shiels is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League. Shiels is on loan to Kilmarnock from Doncaster Rovers...

 Wojciech Szczęsny
Wojciech Szczęsny
Wojciech Tomasz Szczęsny is a Polish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal and the Poland national football team. He is the son of former Polish goalkeeper Maciej Szczęsny....

 Paul Dickov
Paul Dickov
Paul Dickov is a retired Scottish footballer, turned manager who is currently in charge of League One side Oldham Athletic...

 Alex Forsyth
Alex Forsyth (footballer)
Alex Forsyth was a Scottish football player. He played right-back.Forsyth began his footballing career as an apprentice at Arsenal in 1967. However, he returned home to Scotland in 1968 when he became homesick....

 Richard Hughes
Richard Hughes (footballer)
Richard Daniel Hughes is a former Scottish footballer who was capped five times for the Scotland national team. He played as a defensive midfielder for Atalanta, Arsenal, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Grimsby Town.-Arsenal:...

 Armand Traoré
Armand Traoré
Armand Mohamed Traoré is a French-born Senegalese footballer who plays for Queens Park Rangers as a left back. Traoré is a product of the famous Arsenal Academy, he has also represented France at under-19 and under-21 levels, but has since opted to represent his parents' native country, Senegal,...

 Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...

 Sebastian Larsson
Sebastian Larsson
Sebastian Bengt Ulf Larsson is a Swedish footballer who plays for Premier League club Sunderland and the Sweden national team. Larsson is renowned for being a set piece specialist.-Arsenal:...

 Johan Djourou
Johan Djourou
Johan Danon Djourou-Gbadjere , more commonly known as Johan Djourou, is an Ivorian-born Swiss international footballer who plays for Arsenal. He used to play as a defensive midfielder in his youth for former club Etoile Carouge, but on his arrival at Arsenal was converted to a central defender...

 Frank Simek
Frank Simek
Franklin Michael "Frank" Simek is an American soccer player who plays for English League One side Carlisle United.-Playing career:Born in St...

 Ray Daniel
Ray Daniel
William Raymond "Ray" Daniel was a Welsh football player and manager.Daniel was born in Swansea and started out at his local club Swansea Town as an amateur. In 1946 he was snapped up by Arsenal aged 18...

 Mal Griffiths
Mal Griffiths
William Malwyn "Mal" Griffiths was a Welsh footballer who played as an outside right for Leicester City and Wales.Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Griffiths started out in local football before signing for Arsenal...

 Andy Marriott
Andy Marriott
Andrew Marriott is an English-born Welsh professional footballer, who played as a goalkeeper. He is a journeyman player, having represented a large number of different clubs, and has also played for the Welsh national team....

 Tom Walley Rhys Weston
Rhys Weston
Rhys David Weston is an English-born Welsh international football defender who plays for Dundee in the Scottish First Division....



External links

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