The FA is pleased to confirm the awarding of 20 Professional Game Academy Licenses (PGAs) for the 2023/24 season to clubs in the Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship, with the academies forming part of the new look 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 PGAs, which have been developed following an extensive consultation period across the game, will come to fruition in the 2023/24 season and will cater for the development of talented female players between the ages of 14 to 20.
Initially, 20 clubs have been awarded licenses for the 2023/24 season. All 24 Barclays Women’s Super League and Barclays Women’s Championship clubs will be required to deliver an academy by the 2025/26 season.
Clubs have been awarded either a Category 1 license, which will see two age groups catered for, or a Category 2 license, which will cater for one. The age groups will be identified to fit the club’s development model
The PGAs will see a significant increase in investment into the game through both The FA and club contributions.
The clubs who have been awarded licenses are as follows:
| Category 1 | Category 2 |
| Arsenal Women | Blackburn Rovers Ladies |
| Aston Villa Women | Charlton Athletic Women |
| Birmingham City Women | Reading FC Women |
| Brighton & Hove Albion Women | Sunderland AFC Women |
| Bristol City WFC | |
| Chelsea FC Women | |
| Durham Women | |
| Everton Women | |
| Leicester City Women | |
| Liverpool FC Women | |
| London City Lionesses | |
| Manchester City Women | |
| Manchester United Women | |
| Sheffield United Women | |
| Southampton FC Women | |
| Tottenham Hotspur Women |
Kay Cossington, The FA’s Women’s Technical Director, said: “Our Professional Game Academies form a key stage of our player pathway. It is at this point that the player becomes ready for top level football but also develops them as a person so they’re prepared for life in and out of the game.
“We are grateful to the 20 clubs across the country who have recognised their importance and shown a real commitment to player progression and development. We look forward to working with them closely as they develop the next generation of talent and evolve our game for the future.”
With thanks to the FA
