Youth & Reserves

Everything you used to know has changed. The landscape for 2012-13 as far as youth development competition goes has changed dramatically, and for the better. There is no more Premier Academy League. There is no more Premier Reserve League. Instead, Chelsea’s youngsters will take part in Under-18 and Under-21 competition in the new Professional Development League. In addition to their new domestic schedule, Chelsea will also be taking part in…

One of the more contentious and well-discussed subjects of the last year or more in football is the Elite Player Performance Plan. The proposals designed at overhauling youth development in England has certainly been controversial and is not to everyone’s tastes, but as we approach the start of the 2012-13 season, it’s at the forefront of our attentions as radical change is upon us. A new competition structure is in…

With less than a week left until the Professional Development League kicks off, Chelsea’s Under-21 team continued their good form with a 1-0 win at Kingstonian on Saturday. A quite sublime 30-yard strike from Billy Clifford with seven minutes left on the clock secured a deserved win for Dermot Drummy’s side, who played well within themselves in the first match of a busy week. To that end, the squad was…

Chelsea will send their Under-21 team to Kingstonian on Saturday afternoon for their fifth pre-season friendly of the summer. Dermot Drummy’s side will line up at the Cherry Red Records Fans’ Stadium with less than a week to go until the big kick-off in the new Professional Development League. Wins over Northampton Town and St Albans City in the past two outings have given the youngsters some momentum and they’ll…

The second season of the NextGen Series officially launched today, with further information about Chelsea’s involvement revealed. Earlier this summer, details of the draw were released as Chelsea were placed in Group C alongside last season’s runners-up Ajax, Norwegian outfit Molde, and CSKA Moscow of Russia. Provisional dates and details have been released today, particularly the details of the away games. Moscow beckons on October 3rd as the Blues face…

A busy youth team Monday saw 16 year-old midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek reveal that he is set to sign professional terms at Chelsea, whilst the Under-18 team continued their winning ways in pre-season. Loftus-Cheek, an England Under-16 captain who has spent the entire summer with Dermot Drummy’s Under-21 squad, posted on his Twitter account that he has signed a pre-contract agreement to turn professional on his 17th birthday in January of…

Chelsea continued their positive pre-season form at Under-21 level on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 win away to St Albans City of the Southern League Premier Division. Early strikes from Patrick Bamford and Adam Coombes put the Blues firmly in control and after substitute goalkeeper Sam Walker kept out a second-half penalty from former Watford man Micah Hyde, John Swift capped a fine day’s work for Dermot Drummy’s side. Jamal…

Chelsea’s Irish Under-21 international midfielder Conor Clifford is set to join League One outfit Portsmouth on loan after appearing for the club on trial today. The 20 year-old played 45 minutes for Michael Appleton’s cash-strapped side against Bolton Wanderers and has firmly attracted interest ahead of the new campaign. Portsmouth are still under a transfer embargo and must shed three further first-team squad players – including former Chelsea defender Tal…

You might have seen that earlier this week, news of the revamped structure for youth football in England was finally announced. Chief amongst the changes is the introduction of the Professional Development League; a three-tiered Under-21 competition ranked on academy grading designed at improving the quality of football between the ages of 18 and 21. Little more needs to be said about the failings of the old reserve system at…

The Elite Player Performance Plan and the associated restructuring of English youth football has been a subject hot on the agenda this summer. After a protracted negotiating and organising period, details have emerged today of the path forward from 2012-13 onwards. The old 40-team academy league, split into ten groups of four based roughly on locale has gone. In its place at the top level is a three-group, 23-team setup…