2026–27 Professional U18 Development League
| Season | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 August 2026 – 8 May 2027 |
| Matches | 43 |
| Goals | 223 (5.19 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | (6 Goals) |
| Biggest home win | Tottenham Hotspur U18s 8–2 Birmingham City U18s (29 August 2026) |
| Biggest away win | Blackburn Rovers U18s 0–8 Nottingham Forest U18s (22 August 2026) |
| Highest scoring | Bournemouth U18s 7–4 Brighton & Hove Albion U18s (22 August 2026) Southampton U18s 7–4 Norwich City U18s (29 August 2026) |
← 2025–26 2027–28 →
All statistics correct as of 29 August 2026. | |
The 2026–27 Professional U18 Development League is the 15th season of the Professional Development League system.
There are 31 teams competing, divided into North and South divisions according to their region.
North
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle United U18s | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4 | +8 | 9 | Qualification for the National Final |
| 2 | Manchester City U18s | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 9 | |
| 3 | Nottingham Forest U18s | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 6 | |
| 4 | Burnley U18s | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 | |
| 5 | Liverpool U18s | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 4 | |
| 6 | Everton U18s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 | |
| 7 | Manchester United U18s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 | |
| 8 | Stoke City U18s | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 | |
| 9 | Derby County U18s | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 3 | |
| 10 | Leeds United U18s | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 12 | −8 | 3 | |
| 11 | Blackburn Rovers U18s | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 | −11 | 3 | |
| 12 | Middlesbrough U18s | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 2 | |
| 13 | Leicester City U18s | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 14 | Sunderland U18s | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
| 15 | Wolverhampton Wanderers U18s | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 0 |
Matches
South
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tottenham Hotspur U18s | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | +16 | 9 | Qualification for the National Final |
| 2 | Southampton U18s | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 7 | +8 | 9 | |
| 3 | Fulham U18s | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 7 | +7 | 7 | |
| 4 | Chelsea U18s | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 6 | |
| 5 | Ipswich Town U18s | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 6 | |
| 6 | West Ham United U18s | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 6 | |
| 7 | Brighton & Hove Albion U18s | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 6 | |
| 8 | Aston Villa U18s | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 5 | |
| 9 | Bournemouth U18s | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 12 | −1 | 4 | |
| 10 | Brentford U18s | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 3 | |
| 11 | Crystal Palace U18s | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 3 | |
| 12 | Norwich City U18s | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 15 | −7 | 3 | |
| 13 | Arsenal U18s | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 1 | |
| 14 | West Bromwich Albion U18s | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | −7 | 1 | |
| 15 | Birmingham City U18s | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 15 | −11 | 0 | |
| 16 | Reading U18s | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 0 |
Matches
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulham U18s | Ipswich Town U18s | 2–5 (A) | 15 August 2026 | [1] | |
| Norwich City U18s | Chelsea U18s | 2–3 (A) | 19 August 2026 | [2] | |
| Bournemouth U18s | Brighton & Hove Albion U18s | 7–4 (H) | 22 August 2026 | [3] | |
| Ipswich Town U18s | Arsenal U18s | 1–3 (A) | 22 August 2026 | [4] | |
| Burnley U18s | Derby County U18s | 1–4 (A) | 22 August 2026 | [5] | |
| Chelsea U18s | Reading U18s | 6–1 (H) | 29 August 2026 | [6] | |
| Southampton U18s | Norwich City U18s | 7–4 (H) | 29 August 2026 | [7] | |
| Brentford U18s | West Ham United U18s | 5–4 (A) | 29 August 2026 | [8] | |
| Manchester City U18s | Leeds United U18s | 5–1 (H) | 29 August 2026 | [9] | |
- Note
(H) – Home; (A) – Away
4 – player scored 4 goals
Professional Development League
| Season | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 15 August 2026 – 24 April 2027 |
| Matches | 16 |
| Goals | 62 (3.88 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | |
| Biggest home win | Swansea City U18s 5–1 Sheffield Wednesday U18s (15 August 2026) |
| Biggest away win | Wigan Athletic U18s 0–6 Swansea City U18s (22 August 2026) |
| Highest scoring | Queens Park Rangers U18s 3–7 Sheffield United U18s (15 August 2026) |
← 2025–26 2027–28 →
All statistics correct as of 22 August 2026. | |
The Professional Development League, sometimes known as the Professional Development League 2, is Under-18 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. The league once split regionally into north and south divisions, with each team facing opponents in their own region twice, both home and away, and opponents in the other region once, resulting in 28 games played. Now the league goes into a single table. Charlton Athletic U18s are the defending champions. 17 teams compete in the league this season, three fewer than the previous season and tied for the lowest amount of teams in the league's history. Two teams joined the Premier League 2 with Category One status with AFC Bournemouth U18s,[10] and Brentford U18s[11] joined after being promoted to Category One status after 3, and 2 seasons as Category Two Academies respectively, with Brentford playing 6 seasons in the league total. While 2 Academies downgraded themselves to Category Three, with founding member Crewe Alexandra U18s [12] after 14 seasons, alongside Watford U18s[13] after 11 seasons. However, Bolton Wanderers U18s[14] returned after being granted Category Two academy status after 6 years.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swansea City U18s | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | +10 | 6 |
| 2 | Charlton Athletic U18s | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
| 3 | Sheffield United U18s | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 4 |
| 4 | Millwall U18s | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 4 |
| 5 | Coventry City U18s | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| 6 | Hull City U18s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 |
| 7 | Barnsley U18s | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 8 | Cardiff City U18s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| 9 | Fleetwood Town U18s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 3 |
| 10 | Queens Park Rangers U18s | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 3 |
| 11 | Bolton Wanderers U18s | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 1 |
| 12 | Bristol City U18s | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
| 13 | Huddersfield Town U18s | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 1 |
| 14 | Peterborough United U18s | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 |
| 15 | Colchester United U18s | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
| 16 | Sheffield Wednesday U18s | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 |
| 17 | Wigan Athletic U18s | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | −6 | 0 |
Matches
Top goalscorers
- As of 22 August 2026
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sheffield United U18s | 6 | |
Hat-tricks
- As of 15 August 2026
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheffield United U18s | Queens Park Rangers U18s | 3–7 (A) | 15 August 2026 | [15] | |
- Note
(H) – Home; (A) – Away
4 – player scored 4 goals
EFL Youth Alliance
| Season | 2026-27 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Northeast Division North West Division South East Division South West Division Play-off Champion |
| Matches | 65 |
| Goals | 271 (4.17 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Crewe Alexandra U18s 6–0 Oldham Athletic U18s 15 August 2026 AFC Wimbledon U18s 6–0 Newport County U18s 22 August 2026 Crewe Alexandra U18s 6–0 Port Vale U18s 22 August 2026 |
| Biggest away win | Rotherham United U18s 1–7 Stockport County U18s 15 August 2026 |
| Highest scoring | Rotherham United U18s 1–7 Stockport County U18s 15 August 2026 Leyton Orient U18s 3–5 Exeter City U18s 22 August 2026 |
| Longest winning run | Crewe Alexandra U18s Plymouth Argyle U18s Stockport County U18s 3 Games |
| Longest unbeaten run | 9 teams 3 Games |
| Longest winless run | 8 teams 3 games |
| Longest losing run | Cheltenham Town U18s Leyton Orient U18s Rochdale U18s 3 |
← 2025–26 2027–28 →
All statistics correct as of 22 August 2026. | |
League 2 is run by the Football League under the auspices of the Football League Youth Alliance. This is for academies that are Category Three and Four in the EPPP. The competition consists of the Under-18 sides from the Category Three and Category Four Academy Clubs of the EFL and Premier League, along with selected National League Clubs. 43 Academies competed this season, 1 more than the previous season. For clubs that get relegated to the National League, they have two years to gain promotion back to the EFL. Otherwise, they lose their license with the League. Forest Green Rovers and Sutton United did not return after their parent club lost their EPPP license and would not participate this season. For clubs that get relegated to the National League, they have two years to gain promotion back to the EFL. Otherwise, they lose their license with the League. Bolton Wanderers U18s[14] left after being granted Category Two academy status after 6 seasons. York City U18s and Rochdale U18s joined after their first team was promoted, as well as Crewe Alexandra U18s [12] and Watford U18s[13] when both clubs downgraded their academies to Category Three. The format returned to the Division format for the northern league, while the southern league would play one big table and the winners of the divisions would play in a 4 team playoff to determine the national champion.
League stage
North West Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crewe Alexandra | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | +14 | 9 |
| 2 | Stockport County | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 5 | +10 | 9 |
| 3 | Wrexham | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 7 |
| 4 | Morecambe | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | Salford City | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 6 |
| 6 | Carlisle United | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 6 |
| 7 | Preston North End | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 |
| 8 | Shrewsbury Town | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| 9 | Blackpool | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 2 |
| 10 | Walsall | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 1 |
| 11 | Port Vale | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 |
| 12 | Rochdale | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 14 | −9 | 0 |
North East Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burton Albion | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 |
| 2 | Lincoln City | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 7 |
| 3 | Bradford City | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 6 |
| 4 | Doncaster Rovers | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 8 | +4 | 6 |
| 5 | Oldham Athletic | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 6 |
| 6 | Chesterfield | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 4 |
| 7 | Grimsby Town | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 8 | −5 | 3 |
| 8 | Mansfield Town | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 1 |
| 9 | York City | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 1 |
| 10 | Rotherham United | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 14 | −10 | 1 |
| 11 | Notts County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 |
South Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plymouth Argyle | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | +11 | 9 |
| 2 | Gillingham | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 7 |
| 3 | Northampton Town | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 7 |
| 4 | Exeter City | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 7 |
| 5 | Portsmouth | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 7 |
| 6 | Stevenage | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 7 |
| 7 | Milton Keynes Dons | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 6 |
| 8 | Bristol Rovers | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 5 |
| 9 | Oxford United | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 5 |
| 10 | AFC Wimbledon | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 4 |
| 11 | Cambridge United | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 4 |
| 12 | Wycombe Wanderers | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 4 |
| 13 | Barnet | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 14 | Bromley | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | −1 | 3 |
| 15 | Cheltenham Town | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 9 | −2 | 3 |
| 16 | Watford | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 3 |
| 17 | Swindon Town | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | −6 | 1 |
| 18 | Luton Town | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 0 |
| 19 | Leyton Orient | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | −6 | 0 |
| 20 | Newport County | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 0 |
References
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Ipswich Town v Fulham". Premier League. 15 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Chelsea v Norwich City". Premier League. 19 August 2026. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: AFC Bournemouth v Brighton & Hove Albion". Premier League. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Arsenal v Ipswich Town". Premier League. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Derby County v Burnley". Premier League. 22 August 2026. Retrieved 22 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Chelsea v Reading". Premier League. 29 August 2026. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Southampton v Norwich City". Premier League. 29 August 2026. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: West Ham United v Brentford". Premier League. 29 August 2026. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Manchester City v Leeds United". Premier League. 29 August 2026. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
- ↑ "AFC BOURNEMOUTH ACADEMY REWARDED CATEGORY ONE STATUS". AFC Bournemouth. 16 July 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "BRENTFORD ACADEMY AWARDED CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Brentford F.C. 20 April 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- 1 2 "ACADEMY AWARDED CATEGORY ONE STATUS". Crewe Alexandra News. 1 August 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Watford withdraw under-21 side from league". BBC. 27 May 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- 1 2 "WANDERERS ACADEMY AWARDED CATEGORY TWO STATUS". Bolton Wanderers. 16 July 2026. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ "U18S Match Summary: Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield United". Youth Hawk. 15 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.