Premier Academy League 2008-09
Encyclopedia
The 2008–09 Premier Academy League Under–18 season was the twelfth edition since the establishment of The Premier Academy League
, and the fifth under the current make-up. The first matches of the season were played on 23 August 2008, and the season ended on 18 May 2009.
All teams played the other teams in their group twice and played 10 inter-group fixtures, producing 28 games a season. Eight of the inter-group games were played against teams in their 'paired group' (i.e. A–B and C–D are the paired groups), whilst the remaining two games comprise one game against a team in each of the two remaining groups. Winners of each group qualified for play-offs.
Arsenal
became the first group winners by leading Crystal Palace
20 points with 6 games left in Group A after a 1–0 win against Watford
on 21 March 2009. Group C champions Manchester City
set up tie with Arsenal in the play-off the following week by recording a 23–game unbeaten run which last to 26 games. Sunderland
secured top spot in Group D after achieving the 14th win in last 15 games on 31 March. These 3 teams all clinched the group title for a third successive season. Tottenham Hotspur claimed the last play-off spot after beating Watford 2–1 on 6 May.
Arsenal reached the 2009 Premier Academy League Play-off Final with a 2–1 victory over Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium
on 8 May. Tottenham Hotspur set up clash with Arsenal after defeating Sunderland 2–1 at the Stadium of Light
on 13 May.
On 17 May, Arsenal were crowned the 2008–09 Premier Academy League Champions after a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Play-off Final at White Hart Lane
, with a goal from Rhys Murphy
. It is Arsenal's first title since the Premier Academy League reformed as an under–18 competition.
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored
Pos = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
C = Champions
Premier Academy League
The Premier Academy League is the top level of youth football in England. It is contested between the Academy sides of The Premier League and some Football League clubs, including Welsh side Cardiff City...
, and the fifth under the current make-up. The first matches of the season were played on 23 August 2008, and the season ended on 18 May 2009.
All teams played the other teams in their group twice and played 10 inter-group fixtures, producing 28 games a season. Eight of the inter-group games were played against teams in their 'paired group' (i.e. A–B and C–D are the paired groups), whilst the remaining two games comprise one game against a team in each of the two remaining groups. Winners of each group qualified for play-offs.
Arsenal
Arsenal F.C. Academy
Arsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England...
became the first group winners by leading Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
20 points with 6 games left in Group A after a 1–0 win against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
on 21 March 2009. Group C champions Manchester City
Manchester City F.C. Reserves and Academy
Manchester City is represented at Reserve level by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly 'Under-21' side that replaced the previous Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy...
set up tie with Arsenal in the play-off the following week by recording a 23–game unbeaten run which last to 26 games. Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
secured top spot in Group D after achieving the 14th win in last 15 games on 31 March. These 3 teams all clinched the group title for a third successive season. Tottenham Hotspur claimed the last play-off spot after beating Watford 2–1 on 6 May.
Arsenal reached the 2009 Premier Academy League Play-off Final with a 2–1 victory over Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
on 8 May. Tottenham Hotspur set up clash with Arsenal after defeating Sunderland 2–1 at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
on 13 May.
On 17 May, Arsenal were crowned the 2008–09 Premier Academy League Champions after a 1–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Play-off Final at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
, with a goal from Rhys Murphy
Rhys Murphy
Rhys Philip Elliott Murphy , is an English born Irish football professional footballer. A product of Arsenal Academy who plays as a striker for Arsenal.-Club career:...
. It is Arsenal's first title since the Premier Academy League reformed as an under–18 competition.
Academy Group A
| Arsenal U18s Arsenal F.C. Academy Arsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England... (C) |
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| Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The... U18s |
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| Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... U18s |
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| Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... U18s |
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| West Ham United U18s | |||||||||
| Southampton U18s Southampton F.C. Academy Southampton Football Club Academy or Saints Academy is the youth organisation run by Southampton Football Club to encourage and develop young footballers in the South of England... |
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| Portsmouth U18s Portsmouth F.C. Reserves and Academy Portsmouth F.C. Reserves and Academy consist of the reserve and academy footballers of Portsmouth F.C..- The Reserves :The Portsmouth Reserves consist of mainly young players under the age of 21 who are no longer eligible for the academy but are still trying to make the step up to the senior team... |
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| Chelsea U18s Chelsea F.C. Reserves and Youth Team Chelsea F.C. Reserves are the reserve team of Chelsea Football Club. They are members of the Premier Reserve League Southern Division and the reigning champions of the Southern Division winning the Championship in 2010 - 11... |
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| Fulham U18s Fulham Academy The Fulham Academy, headed by Huw Jennings, runs along the lines of many of the English football academies as deemed appropriate by the national governing body, the FA. Players dealt with by the academy can be aged as young as nine years old... |
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| Charlton Athletic U18s Charlton Athletic F.C. Academy Charlton Athletic Football Club Youth Academy are the youth team of Charlton Athletic. Their Under-18 team play in the highest level of youth football in England, the FA Premier Academy League, however the academy takes boys from the ages of 9 upwards.... |
Academy Group B
| Tottenham Hotspur U18s (C) | |||||||||
| Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... U18s |
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| Aston Villa U18s Aston Villa F.C. Reserves and Academy Aston Villa Reserves are the reserve team of Aston Villa, they have been part of the FA Premier Reserve League since its foundation in 1999 and are current holders of the Premier Reserve League South title. The team plays its home games at Villa Park - during the months of Autumn and Spring - and... |
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| Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... U18s |
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| Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... U18s |
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| Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... U18s |
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| Cardiff City U18s Cardiff City F.C. Academy The Cardiff City F.C. Academy is the youth academy currently set up at Cardiff City in order to discover and nurture young talent. The academy has a range of players from ages seven to 18.-Information:... |
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| Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... U18s |
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| Birmingham City U18s Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy Birmingham City F.C. Reserves and Academy are the reserve team and the youth development system respectively of Birmingham City Football Club. The reserve team, established in 1879, played in the Premier Reserve League South in the 2009–10 season but have not entered a league since... |
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| Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons F.C. .Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire... U18s |
Academy Group C
| Manchester City U18s Manchester City F.C. Reserves and Academy Manchester City is represented at Reserve level by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly 'Under-21' side that replaced the previous Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy... (C) |
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| Manchester United U18s Manchester United F.C. Reserves and Academy Manchester United Football Club Reserves are the reserve team of Manchester United F.C. They play in the North section of the Premier Reserve League. They have been champions four times since the league's inauguration in 1999; in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2010... |
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| West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... U18s |
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| Liverpool U18s | |||||||||
| Everton U18s Finch Farm Finch Farm is the training ground for Everton F.C., in the Liverpool suburb of Halewood.The School of Science is the nickname given to the complex by some supporters, referring to a long-standing nickname for the club. The training ground houses both the Everton first team and the youth academy... |
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| Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... U18s |
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| Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... U18s |
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| Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C. Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club... U18s |
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| Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... U18s |
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| Bolton Wanderers U18s Bolton Wanderers F.C. Reserves and Academy -Reserve team:Bolton Wanderers Reserves play in the Barclays Premiership Reserve League North. They also participate in the Manchester Senior Cup, although in recent years the teams entered in this competition have featured an increasing number of youth players.Bolton Wanderers Reserves play their... |
Academy Group D
| Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... U18s (C) |
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| Newcastle United U18s Newcastle United F.C. Reserves and Academy Newcastle United F.C. Reserves and Academy are the reserve and academy teams for the Premier League club Newcastle United.The reserve team plays in the Premier Reserve League North. It also participates in the Northumberland Senior Cup each season... |
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| Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... U18s |
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| Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... U18s |
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| Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... U18s |
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| Leeds United U18s Leeds United A.F.C. Reserves and Youth Team Leeds United Reserves are the reserve team of Leeds United A.F.C.. The manager of the reserves is Neil Redfearn and they currently play at the first team's home ground, Elland Road. In previous seasons, the reserves have played at York City's Bootham Crescent and the South Leeds Stadium... |
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| Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... U18s |
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| Sheffield Wednesday U18s Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Academy Sheffield Wednesday Football Club Youth Academy are the youth team of Sheffield Wednesday. Their Under-18 team play in the highest level of youth football in England, The FA Premier Academy League.... |
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| Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One... U18s |
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| Middlesbrough U18s Middlesbrough F.C. Reserves and Academy Middlesbrough Reserves and the Middlesbrough Academy are the reserve and under-18 teams of Middlesbrough F.C. respectively.Most reserve home fixtures and all Academy home fixtures are played at Rockliffe Park, near Hurworth, though the final reserve home game of the season is usually played at the... |
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd goal difference; 3rd goals scored
Pos = Position; Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
C = Champions
Play-off semi-finals
----Play-off Final
Records
- Most group wins: 22, ArsenalArsenal F.C. AcademyArsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England...
, Manchester CityManchester City F.C. Reserves and AcademyManchester City is represented at Reserve level by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly 'Under-21' side that replaced the previous Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy...
and SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... - Most league wins: 24, ArsenalArsenal F.C. AcademyArsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England...
- Least wins: 3, Milton Keynes DonsMilton Keynes Dons F.C..Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
- Least group defeats: 0, Manchester CityManchester City F.C. Reserves and AcademyManchester City is represented at Reserve level by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly 'Under-21' side that replaced the previous Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy...
- Least league defeat: 1, Manchester CityManchester City F.C. Reserves and AcademyManchester City is represented at Reserve level by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly 'Under-21' side that replaced the previous Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy...
- Most defeats: 21, Milton Keynes DonsMilton Keynes Dons F.C..Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
- Most points: 72, Manchester CityManchester City F.C. Reserves and AcademyManchester City is represented at Reserve level by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly 'Under-21' side that replaced the previous Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy...
- Least points: 13, Milton Keynes DonsMilton Keynes Dons F.C..Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
- Most goals scored: 90, Leicester CityLeicester City F.C.Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
- Least goals scored: 26, Milton Keynes DonsMilton Keynes Dons F.C..Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
- Least group goals conceded: 30, SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
- Least league goals conceded: 32, ArsenalArsenal F.C. AcademyArsenal Football Club Academy are the youth team of Arsenal Football Club. They currently play in the FA Premier Academy League, the highest level of youth football in England...
and SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... - Most goals conceded: 81, Milton Keynes DonsMilton Keynes Dons F.C..Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
- Highest goal difference: 55, Manchester CityManchester City F.C. Reserves and AcademyManchester City is represented at Reserve level by the Elite Development Squad, also referred to as just the Elite Squad, or EDS, a predominantly 'Under-21' side that replaced the previous Reserve team in a move to focus on youth development post-academy...
- Lowest goal difference: −55, Milton Keynes DonsMilton Keynes Dons F.C..Milton Keynes Dons Football Club is an English professional football club founded in 2004 and based since 2007 at Stadium mk, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire...
See also
- Premier Reserve League 2008–09
- FA Youth Cup 2008–09
- Premier League 2008–09Premier League 2008–09The 2008–09 Premier League season was the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United became champions for the eleventh time on the penultimate weekend of the season, defending their crown after winning their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season...
- 2008–09 in English football2008–09 in English footballThe 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...
External links
- Premier Academy League U18 2008/2009 final league tables
- Premier Academy League U18 2008/2009 results