Durham Women FC are delighted to confirm that they have been awarded a licence to operate a Category 1 Women’s Professional Game Academy.
Durham’s Professional Game Academy – which will operate at Under 16 and Under 21 age groups – is part of the Football Association’s revamp of the female player pathway.
The revised pathway, which was announced in February, intends to identify and develop the very best talent in England, while also making the game more diverse, accessible and inclusive.
The PGAs will replace the 16 current FA WSL Academies and will provide a high-quality training environment to ensure players coming out of the pathway are ready to compete at the highest levels of the domestic and international game.
The programme is a dual-career offering, allowing young footballers in the region the chance to balance their football development with their educational aspirations.
We will look to support all individual players joining the programme in their educational pathways, both current and future. We also have dual-career partnerships with Durham Sixth Form Centre, Bede Sixth Form (Tees Valley) and Durham University.
Players on Durham Women FC’s Professional Game Academy programme will benefit from a professionally-structured football programme at Under 16 and Under 21 level, while playing in national (Under 21) and regional (Under 16) competitions.
The Professional Game Academy will be delivered by dedicated full-time staff, while players will also have access to outstanding medical and performance support via TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme) and the club’s multi-disciplinary team.
The licence was awarded after a rigorous application process and means the club will continue to offer an elite environment for talented young footballers in the North East – as we look to build upon a successful first season in the Barclays WSL Academy League.
Having been invited to join the competition for the 2022/23 season, Durham have excelled within the WSL Academy structure having secured a strong debut finish while claiming a number of eye-catching victories.
There have been a number of success stories too, with Academy duo Poppy Pritchard and Ella Wilson featuring in Durham Women’s last first-team squad, with a crop of other talented youngsters regularly training with the senior side.
And it’s not just on the pitch where players are flourishing either, with each individual supported as they look to achieve their academic goals.
It’s that work on and off the field that has seen Durham handed one of only a select number of Category 1 Professional Game Academy licences.
Commenting on the award of the licence, Head of Football Lee Sanders said: “We’re all absolutely delighted to have been successful with the Category 1 application.
“There’s a lot of hard work gone on over the last three or four years to develop our academy structure and the move into the WSL Academy League, and now with the Professional Game Academies.
“We’d like to thank our educational partners – Durham University, Durham Sixth Form Centre and Bede Sixth Form – for their support with it all, and all the staff that have done a fantastic job in pulling the application together.”
Academy Head Coach Bob Wilkinson added: “A lot of hard work behind the scenes has gone into this application and it is absolutely fantastic news for the club, the players present and future, and the community as a whole.
“This will go a long way to continue to develop the female talent in the area to compete at the highest level in the country and keep Durham at the forefront of player-centric football.”
And Academy Assistant Coach Sarah Robson commented: “It’s brilliant that we’ve been awarded this licence and can build upon the great work the players have done this season.
“I’m really looking forward to working with them and seeing them continue to develop.”
Pathway Manager Maddy Wood added: “We’re all really excited for the 2023/24 season after receiving this news as we look to build upon our existing pathway.
“With our Emerging Talent Centres and now a Professional Game Academy licence, the future is looking really bright.”
If you are interested in forming part of our Professional Game Academy at Under 16 or Under 21 level, please complete the expression of interest form HERE.