The Academy/Development squads watch thread 2024/25

[Royals and Racers]

Ipswich Town are now Cat 1 bringing the grand total in the PL 2 now to 29. This i would imagine will mean we now will not play 8 teams in the regular season. Fixtures should be out very early in August i reckon.

[The Cube]

U18s had been down to play Thatcham away today, but that game got called off. Instead our U18s played Brentford at Loughborough this morning and drew 1-1.

And I think that the U16s drew 2-2 with Kingstonian U18s today, but that's not for definite.

Lots of scholarships signed in recent weeks, so might get an official announcement from the club about that at some point.

[RG30]

U18’s kick off the season away at Tottenham.

https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4364174/aston-villa-to-start-under-18-title-defence-at-brighton

[Royals and Racers]

U18’s kick off the season away at Tottenham.

https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4364174/aston-villa-to-start-under-18-title-defence-at-brighton

15 teams in the South section this season, so with 28 matches to play in the league plus the PL U 18 cup and the FA youth cup the lads are going to be busy.

[Snowflake Royal]

U18’s kick off the season away at Tottenham.

https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4364174/aston-villa-to-start-under-18-title-defence-at-brighton

15 teams in the South section this season, so with 28 matches to play in the league plus the PL U 18 cup and the FA youth cup the lads are going to be busy.

Good stuff. Plenty of games to show what they can do and test their fitness.

[Sutekh]

Courtesy of transfermarkt.com and wiki:

Academy players 2025-26

Transitioning to 1st team
Out on loan

U21s
RB - Ashqar Ahmed
ST - Joseph Barough
RB - Boyd Beacroft
AM - Mamadi Camara
LB - John Clarke
LB - Andre Garcia
DM - Jacob Hammond-Chambers-Borgnis
CB - Abraham Kanu
GK - Tom Norcott
RW - Jeremiah Okine-Peters
RW - Emmanuel Osho
GK - Harrison Rhone
GK - Matthew Rowley
RB - Tivonge Rushesha
LB - John Ryan
AM - Tyler Sackey
DM - Shay Spencer
CB - Michael Stickland
ST - Basil Tuma

Club is permitted to field up to 3 outfield players and a goalkeeper over the age of 23 in u21 fixtures, as well as any scholars

U18s
CM - Henry Agyekum
ST - Dare Bailey
DF - Ryan Beacroft
CM - Dennis Bossman
AM - Carter-Blue Bowdery
CB - Phillip Duah
LB - Harley Irish
LW - Kiyan Coke-Miles-Smith
CM - Lewis Otis
CM - Kallum Fuller-Thompson
DF - Sam Harrison
CM - Luke Howard
LW - Jerae Jones
DF - Dajara Martin
CM - Maddox McMillan
DF - Jacob Neptune
CM - Aaron Nour
RW - Larry Omoregie
GK - Matthew Pullinger
CM - T'Shay Saint-Louis
GK - Josh Welland
DF - Ryan Zie

Club is permitted to field up to 3 outfield players and a goalkeeper over the age of 18 in u18 fixtures, as well as any scholars

[Royals and Racers]

Keeper Josh Welland has joined Beaconsfield Town on loan

[Royals and Racers]

3 signings for the U 21’s today
Miles Obodo- ex Brighton
David Hicks - ex Stevange
Reece Evans- ex Queens Park and Leicester. Pretty sure he was with us before but didn’t sign.

[Sutekh]

3 signings for the U 21’s today
Miles Obodo- ex Brighton
David Hicks - ex Stevange
Reece Evans- ex Queens Park and Leicester. Pretty sure he was with us before but didn’t sign.

Miles is a striker with 4 league 2 appearances at Swindon to his credit. Played on loan at Marlow last season. Certainly fits the Reading striker mould as he hasn’t scored at all yet.

[Stranded]

3 signings for the U 21’s today
Miles Obodo- ex Brighton
David Hicks - ex Stevange
Reece Evans- ex Queens Park and Leicester. Pretty sure he was with us before but didn’t sign.

Evans played 3 games for the U21 last season, scoring a brace in one of those games. He got the opportunity to go and play 1st team football up in Scotland for Queen's Park on a short term deal.

Interesting* to note that of the 3 players announced he is the only player to have been given a 2 year deal - the others noted as 1 year deals (though imagine there is a years option in there too). Suggests the club rate Evans and think he could be around the first team sooner rather than later.

[Royals and Racers]

PL 2 fixtures just announced.
20 matches in the regular season- 10 H 10 A . we don’t play 8 teams.
1-16 at end of season in play-offs.
New secondary play-offs for teams 17-24
1st match Norwich v Reading Friday 15th August.
2nd match Reading v Leicester Friday 22nd August
The new play-offs for the teams finishing 17th-24th will be joined by the top 8 from the PDL Cat 2 league.

[Royals and Racers]

Home
Leicester 22nd Aug
Newcastle 26th Sept
Fulham 1st Nov
Leeds 10th Jan
Blackburn 19th Jan
Stoke 7th Feb
Arsenal 23rd Feb
Everton 9th Mar
Man Utd 20th Mar
Derby 13th Apr

Away
Norwich 15th Aug
Middlesborough 1st Sept
Man City 4th Oct
West Brom 27th Oct
Chelsea 8th Nov
Notts Forest 25th Jan
Burnley 30th Jan
Sunderland 16th Feb
Wolves 2nd Mar
West Ham 13th Mar

Don’t play
Aston Villa
Birmingham
Ipswich
Tottenham
Crystal Palace
Liverpool
Southampton
Brighton

[Stranded]

That seems like a very kind fixture list, on paper at least.

Hopefully can look to make the main play-offs.

[Sutekh]

Home
Leicester 22nd Aug
Newcastle 26th Sept
Fulham 1st Nov
Leeds 10th Jan
Blackburn 19th Jan
Stoke 7th Feb
Arsenal 23rd Feb
Everton 9th Mar
Man Utd 20th Mar
Derby 13th Apr

Away
Norwich 15th Aug
Middlesborough 1st Sept
Man City 4th Oct
West Brom 27th Oct
Chelsea 8th Nov
Notts Forest 25th Jan
Burnley 30th Jan
Sunderland 16th Feb
Wolves 2nd Mar
West Ham 13th Mar

Don’t play
Aston Villa
Birmingham
Ipswich
Tottenham
Crystal Palace
Liverpool
Southampton
Brighton

Surely, as they don't play teams H&A, they've got the dates to play every other team in the "divisions" rather than playing/not playing random teams every season. Just think it would make more sense.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Just 8 cat one clubs in championship, and us in L1.

[Royals and Racers]

Home
Leicester 22nd Aug
Newcastle 26th Sept
Fulham 1st Nov
Leeds 10th Jan
Blackburn 19th Jan
Stoke 7th Feb
Arsenal 23rd Feb
Everton 9th Mar
Man Utd 20th Mar
Derby 13th Apr

Away
Norwich 15th Aug
Middlesborough 1st Sept
Man City 4th Oct
West Brom 27th Oct
Chelsea 8th Nov
Notts Forest 25th Jan
Burnley 30th Jan
Sunderland 16th Feb
Wolves 2nd Mar
West Ham 13th Mar

Don’t play
Aston Villa
Birmingham
Ipswich
Tottenham
Crystal Palace
Liverpool
Southampton
Brighton

Surely, as they don't play teams H&A, they've got the dates to play every other team in the "divisions" rather than playing/not playing random teams every season. Just think it would make more sense.

It is crap but Reading might have the dates( just in top 2 this season)but some teams could be playing in all or most of these.
PL 2
PL cup
PL international cup
EFL Trophy
English National league cup