Academy awarded Category One status
22nd June
Swansea City is pleased to announce that the club's Academy has been officially awarded Category One status under the Premier League's Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) rules.
Last season all of Swansea City's academy teams, from an Under-9 to Under-21 level, played in the Category One games programme against the likes of Chelsea, West Ham, Tottenham and Arsenal, but were still officially recognised as a Category Two side.
Now after years of planning and hard work, the Academy was granted the status that they have been striving for. It means Swansea City is now recognised as one of the best clubs in the UK in terms of facilities, staff and opportunities for young players.
Moving up to Category One status under the (EPPP) will mean Swans Academy will continue to play top level teams in the elite games programme for the coming 2016-17 season. Funding, pathways for opportunities within the Premier League and recruitment options will also receive a boost.
The news is a significant step forward as the Academy continues its work towards build a long-lasting legacy of developing the very best home-grown players for the Swans first team.
A huge amount of work from the staff at the Landore facility has gone into reaching this target over the past year, with more to be achieved in the coming season.
"It is fantastic news," said academy manager Nigel Rees. "As a club and academy we have been working extremely hard for a number of years to get to this point. We are delighted.
"Apart from the hard work and dedication from the staff and players, the financial investment and support from the club, chairman and Board of Directors has been vital in achieving our Category One goal.
"While we've come a long way in a very short period of time, we also recognise that we must keep striving to develop and progress.
"It certainly doesn't end with the award of a Category One licence. Our goal from here is to keep improving to reach an even higher level for everyone involved at Swansea City, with the main aim of continuing to produce home-grown players for the first-team."
