⚽ What Actually Is a Football Academy?
A message from Fraser Logan, Founder of Link Football Coaching Hellingly
Hi everyone — Fraser Logan here.
As some of you know, I’m a former professional footballer from Scotland. I came through the youth system at Kilmarnock FC, signed professionally, and went on to play over 400 semi-professional games across clubs including Bromley, Tonbridge Angels, Hastings, Whitehawk and Lewes.
Now, as the founder of Link Football Coaching Hellingly, my passion is helping young players locally develop their skills, confidence and love for the game — through genuine grassroots football.
Over the years I’ve seen a huge rise in the number of so-called “academies” and “elite programmes” popping up all over the country, especially aimed at very young kids. And to be completely honest — it really frustrates me. So I wanted to write this article to clear things up for parents and help you understand what a real football academy actually is, how they’re structured, and how you can tell the difference between genuine pathways and clever marketing.
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So, what actually is a football academy?
In the professional game, the term “Academy” has a very specific meaning.
A true academy is part of the FA and Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). These are the officially licensed youth systems that belong to professional clubs — like Brighton, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc.
These academies are formally graded from Category 1 to Category 4 depending on their facilities, staff, resources, player care, and education links.
• Category 1 (e.g. Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City, Arsenal) – the highest level, full-time staff, education provision, sports science, and a full pathway from U9s through to U21s.
• Category 2 & 3 – smaller versions with less infrastructure and fewer full-time staff, but still under the same official FA licensing.
• Category 4 – typically focuses on the older age groups only.
These academies are strictly regulated. They can only register players formally from Under-9s and above, and they include not just football training but education, welfare, player-care, psychology and life-skills support.
So, when a young player joins a true Category 1 or 2 academy, they are entering a professional environment that’s linked to a club’s long-term player-pathway — not just a coaching session.
Why this matters
Here’s the problem: the word “Academy” has become a marketing buzzword.
There are dozens (if not hundreds) of independent coaching providers and new clubs who use names like “XYZ Elite Academy” or “Premier Academy” — but they have no official connection to the FA academy system or to professional clubs.
Some even promote “Elite seven-year-olds” or “Pro academy training for eight-year-olds” — which, let’s be honest, is nonsense. You can’t have an elite eight-year-old.
What’s happening is that parents are being misled by impressive-sounding names and flashy kits, thinking they’re joining something official or professional, when in fact it’s just another private coaching club.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with extra training — the more football young players play, the better! But what’s wrong is when people use the term academy to mislead parents.
How to tell if it’s a real academy
Here are a few questions parents should always ask:
1. Is it officially licensed under the FA’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP)?
If not — it’s not a real academy.
2. Is it linked to a professional club and education programme?
Proper academies have schooling, welfare, and player-care structures.
3. Does it focus on development or just results?
At younger ages, the focus should be fun, technical growth, creativity — not winning leagues.
4. Are the staff full-time, qualified coaches with safeguarding measures in place?
Always check the structure, qualifications and safeguarding credentials.
5. Are you being sold a dream or given realistic information?
Beware of anyone promising “pro contracts”, “trials at top clubs” or “elite status” for very young kids.
What we believe in at Link Football Coaching Hellingly
At Link Football Coaching, we make it very clear:
we are a grassroots football club, not an academy.
We don’t use words like elite or academy because they don’t belong in grassroots football. What we do provide is high-quality, inclusive coaching that focuses on developing players at every level.
• We run Open Development Sessions where children from any club can come for extra training.
• We have 10 teams across multiple age groups, giving local players the chance to train and play in a supportive, structured environment.
• We care about long-term development — confidence, teamwork, technical ability — not short-term “elite” labels.
Our job is to create a fun, challenging and inspiring place for kids to fall in love with football and get better week by week.
If one of our players eventually moves on to a professional academy, brilliant — but that’s never the only goal. The main aim is that every player, whatever their ability, enjoys football and improves as a person as well as a player.
A quick reality check for parents
Even in the real Category 1 academies — like Brighton, Chelsea, Man City — the vast majority of players will never make it to first-team level.
That’s why it’s so important that young players keep enjoying the game, playing with friends, developing confidence, and staying grounded.
Grassroots football is where everything begins — and that’s what we’re proud to represent here at Link FC Hellingly.
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Useful links for parents
If you’d like to learn more about the official FA academy structure, here are some trusted resources:
• FA – The Future England Player and Age-Phase Priorities
• Premier League – The Academy Experience (Parent Hub)
• PFSA – Understanding the English Football Academy Category System
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Final thoughts
Grassroots football is the heartbeat of the game. It’s where players fall in love with football, make friends for life, and learn lessons that go far beyond the pitch.
Let’s stop pretending that every child needs to be in an “academy” to be successful. What matters most is development, enjoyment, hard work, good coaching and the right environment.
That’s exactly what we’re trying to create here at Link Football Coaching Hellingly.
If you’d like to learn more about our sessions or our philosophy, you can get in touch through our Instagram, Facebook or Website.
Thanks for reading,
Fraser Logan
Founder, Link Football Coaching Hellingly
