Bristol City Academy

Bristol City FC runs a category 2 academy based in SW England. They have a strong youth development program to nurture young talent.

Their vision is to achieve sustainable success at the highest level with a squad rooted in home-grown talent.

To reach this goal, they aim to perform at a Category One level with a Category Two infrastructure, prioritising a “people first” culture centred on players who represent Bristol City with integrity.

Academy Competitions

Each season, the Academy competes across the standard slate of competitions for Category Two clubs:

• U17 Professional Development League Cup – an English youth football tournament for players aged 17 and under.
• U18 Professional Development League – a leading English youth competition for Category Two academies, comprising 20 teams split into North and South regional divisions, combining league competition with a national play-off system.
• U18 Professional Development League Cup – established for the 2021/22 season, featuring 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, with group winners advancing to the knockout stages.
• FA Youth Cup – the traditional nationwide knockout competition open to academy sides across English football.
• Professional Development League 2 – England’s main Under-21 youth competition for Category Two academies, sitting just below Premier League 2. It is split into regional North and South divisions, with play-offs determining the national champion.
• U21 Premier League Cup – introduced in the 2013/14 season to add a knockout tournament alongside the regular Professional Development Phase league schedule, featuring nine groups with the top team in each group plus the seven best runners-up advancing to the knockout stage.
• Gloucestershire FA Senior Challenge Cup – a county knockout competition contested by Bristol City’s Academy alongside sides from across Gloucestershire.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy and Operations Director Gary Davenport and Senior Professional Development Phase (PDP) Coach Dennis Baraznowski.

Full details of players retained, released, or returned from loan following the 2024/25 season can be found on the club’s official retained list.

Scholars 2025/26

Isaac Abbott (Midfielder), Billy Amos (Defender), Kaylan Appleton (Forward), Hugo Dali-Kemmery (Goalkeeper), Daniel Ezendu (Midfielder), Devonte Ferguson (Forward)

Pawel Kalkowski (Forward), Desmond Kumih-Barimah (Midfielder), Josh Murphy (Defender), Stan Sainsbury (Defender), Illan Wood (Forward) and Ollie Williams (Defender).

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Jed Meerholz (Midfielder) – Aldershot Town
• Taine Anderson (Defender) – Cheltenham Town
• Jamie Knight-Lebel (Midfielder) – Swindon Town
• Adam Murphy (Midfielder) – Swindon Town
• Luke Skinner (Forward) – Eastleigh; Bath City
• Olly Thomas (Forward) – Dunfermline Athletic
• Ben Clark (Goalkeeper) – Weymouth
• Ruebin Sheppard (Midfielder) – Bath City
• Josh Stokes (Midfielder) – Stockport County
• Zack Ali (Defender) – Gloucester City
• Thomas Chaplin (Midfielder) – Taunton Town; Hungerford Town
• Leo Pecover (Midfielder) – Weston-super-Mare
• Archie Taylor (Defender) – Yate Town
• Joe Duncan (Goalkeeper) – Farnborough
• Ephraim Yeboah (Forward) – Carlisle United
• Billy Phillips (Forward) – Chippenham

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Dan Ezendu (Midfielder, #42).

International Players 2025/26

• Ali Tucker (Defender) – Wales U16
• Cooper Covington (Goalkeeper) – England U16
• Adam Murphy (Midfielder) – Ireland U21

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Bristol City’s Under-17s were grouped with Under-17 sides from Bristol Rovers, Leyton Orient and Luton Town.

In the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group C against Everton, Southampton and Wolves.

For the FA Youth Cup third round proper, the Under-18s were drawn at home against Leeds United.

In the U21 Premier League Cup, Bristol City’s Under-21s were drawn in Group B against Derby County, Sheffield United and Stoke City.

In the Gloucestershire FA Senior Challenge Cup, the Academy were drawn at home against Yate Town.

Season Timeline

May 2025

• Ten young Robins have signed their first professional contracts with the club, with midfielder Zac King-Phillips, forward Jack Griffin, and goalkeepers Isaac Finch and Jack Witchard agreeing to two-year deals.
• Midfielders Thomas Chaplin and Ruebin Sheppard, defenders Max Davies and Jack Hooper, forward Charlie Filer, and goalkeeper Ben Clark have all signed one-year contracts.
• Seb Palmer-Houlden joined Gillingham in Sky Bet League Two on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee.

July 2025

• The Under-21s’ and Under-18s’ pre-season fixture schedules were confirmed, with matches against Wolves, Oxford United, Weston-super-Mare, Bath City and Luton Town’s Under-21s for the Under-21s, and Exeter City, Yate Town, Fulham and West Brom for the Under-18s.
• 17-year-old Ollie Dewsbury signed his first professional contract with Bristol Rovers.

October 2025

• Freddie Godden signed his first professional contract with Bristol City, keeping the 17-year-old goalkeeper at the club until the summer of 2026; a lifelong City fan from Shepton Mallet, Godden joined the Academy in 2019 and has since trained with the first team.
• A youthful Bristol City side, featuring players from the Under-21s and Under-18s, faced Southern League Premier Division South side Yate Town at the Failand training ground, exiting the Gloucestershire FA Senior Challenge Cup.
• Jed Meerholz was recalled from his loan spell with Aldershot Town by Bristol City after a delay in the paperwork.
• Daniel Ezendu won the League Football Education (LFE) Goal of the Month award for September, for his superbly placed free kick against Brentford.

November 2025

• Midfielder Adam Murphy was named in the Ireland U21 squad for the upcoming matches against England and Andorra.
• Defender Ollie Williams signed his first scholarship with Bristol City.

December 2025

• Bristol City’s Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the third round, following their tie against Leeds United.

January 2026

• Olly Thomas committed his future to Bristol City by signing a new two-and-a-half-year contract extension, keeping the forward at the club until the summer of 2028.
• 18-year-old midfielder Harry Hogg signed his first professional contract with Bristol City.
• Marley Thelwell also signed his first professional contract with Bristol City; the Bristol-born right-back joined the club in 2023 from AEK Boco and currently features for the Under-21s, having helped the Under-18s win the PDL National title the previous season.

February 2026

• Daniel Ezendu signed his first professional contract with Bristol City; born in Italy and raised in England, the midfielder joined the club in 2017 and currently features for the Under-18s.
• Midfielder Jason Knight joined Bristol City from Bray Wanderers on a three-and-a-half-year deal, keeping him at the club until June 2029; the 18-year-old, brother of City captain Jason Knight, will link up with Dennis Baranowski’s Under-21 squad.

March 2026

• Calum Hewlett joined Weston-super-Mare on a permanent basis from Bristol City.

April 2026

• City completed the signing of Billy O’Neill from Bray Wanderers on a pre-contract agreement for an undisclosed fee; the 18-year-old forward will join the club’s Under-21 squad in June 2026, pending international clearance.
• Nine apprentices were recognised at the EFL Awards, celebrating the top young players of the 2025/26 season, with Championship nominees including Leo Pecover representing Bristol City.
• Victor Akinbo signed his first professional contract with Bristol City; born in 2007, Akinbo previously played for Mangotsfield United and Bristol Inner City before joining the Robins at Under-13 level.
• Tomos Gibbs also signed his first professional deal with Bristol City; the 2007-born midfielder joined the club as an Under-14 in 2021 after progressing through the ranks at Abertillery Bluebirds.
• Excellent Ikpeama likewise committed his future to Bristol City by signing his first professional contract; born in 2007, Ikpeama attended Broadoak Academy and featured for both the club’s Under-18s and Under-21s during the season.

2024/25 Season

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Ephraim Yeboah (Forward) – Doncaster Rovers; Dunfermline
• Raphael Araoye (Defender) – Yeovil Town; Weston-super-Mare
• Jamie Knight-Lebel (Defender) – Crewe Alexandra
• Seb Palmer-Houlden (Forward) – Dundee FC
• Josh Stokes (Forward) – Cambridge
• Olly Dewsbury (Midfielder) – Yate Town
• Billy Phillips (Midfielder) – Bath City
• Tommy Backwell (Midfielder) – Cheltenham Town
• Joseph James (Defender) – Bath City
• Josey Casa-Grande (Goalkeeper) – Bath City; Weymouth
• Marley Rose (Midfielder) – Weston-super-Mare

International Players 2024/25

• Cooper Covington (Goalkeeper) – England U15 Camp
• Ashton Williams (Defender) – Wales U16
• Elijah Morrison – England U18
• Sinclair Armstrong (Forward) – Republic of Ireland U21

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Bristol City’s Under-17s reached the round of 16, where they were drawn against Burton Albion, before progressing to the quarter-finals.

In the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group G against Swansea, Cheltenham and Plymouth Argyle.

For the U21 Premier League Cup, Bristol City’s Under-21s were drawn in Group A against Bromley, Exeter City and Norwich City.

In the FA Youth Cup, the Under-18s were drawn at home against Sheffield Wednesday in the third round proper, away against Cardiff City in the fourth round, and away against Aston Villa in the fifth round.

The Under-21s also took part in the Gloucestershire FA Senior Challenge Cup.

Season Timeline

November 2024

• In the third round of the FA Youth Cup, Bristol City were drawn at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
• Luke Skinner signed his first professional contract at Bristol City.

December 2024

• Bristol City’s Under-18s progressed to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie at home against Sheffield Wednesday.
• In the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, Bristol City were drawn away to Cardiff City.

January 2025

• Bristol City were set to face Cardiff City in the FA Youth Cup fourth round on Friday 17 January, at the Cardiff International Sports Campus.
• Bristol City’s Under-18s advanced to the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie away against Cardiff City; Brandon Bak joined Weston-super-Mare on a permanent basis.
• Bristol City confirmed that Luke Skinner had signed his first professional contract with the club.
• Bristol City progressed to the quarter-finals of the Under-17s PDL Cup, following their tie away against Burton Albion.
• In the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup, Aston Villa’s Under-18s were set to take on Bristol City away at Bodymoor Heath on Tuesday 4 February.

February 2025

• Tommy Backwell signed for Cheltenham Town on a free transfer. 21-year-old Omar Taylor-Clarke signed a permanent deal with Scottish Championship side Dunfermline Athletic.
• Bristol City’s Under-18s exited the FA Youth Cup, following their tie away to Aston Villa’s Under-18s.

May 2025

• Bristol City progressed to the final of the Premier League U18 Professional Development League play-offs, following their semi-final tie against Sheffield Wednesday.
• Bristol City were set to take on Watford in the Premier League U18 Professional Development League play-off final on Friday 16 May, with kick-off at 1pm at the Robins’ Ashton Gate stadium.
• Bristol City were crowned the 2024/25 Premier League U18 Professional Development League champions, following their final against Watford’s Under-18s.

Released Academy Players (end of 2024/25)

Ayman Benarous, Stefan Bajic, Kai Churchley, Tim Ap Sion, Marley Rose, Romani Rowe, Callum Wood.