Mansfield Town Academy

Mansfield Town Academy runs a category 3 academy based in Nottinghamshire. They focus on elite youth development to nurture young talent.

The Academy’s official X (formerly Twitter) account is @MTFCAcademy.

Academy Competitions

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

• U17 Professional Development League Cup – an English youth football tournament for players aged 17 and under.
• U18 Youth Alliance League – an English youth football competition made up of two regional divisions, serving as the League Two tier within the U18 Professional Development League system.
• U18 Youth Alliance Cup – an EFL-organised youth tournament for Under-18 teams from League One and League Two clubs competing in the EFL Youth Alliance. It follows a format similar to the EFL Trophy, beginning with a regional group stage before progressing to a national knockout phase.
• 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.
• Central League Cup – a reserve-team competition in which entrants are divided into groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
• Matt Salmon Trophy – a local cup competition contested by Mansfield Town’s Under-18s.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy Director Steve Hymas, Academy Manager Richard Cooper, and PDP Lead Coach Steve Chettle.

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.

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Owen Mason (Goalkeeper) – Southend United
• Jack Goodman (Forward) – Basford United; King’s Lynn

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Mansfield Town’s Under-17s were grouped with Under-17 sides from Stockport County, Grimsby Town and Barnsley.

In the U18 Youth Alliance Cup, the Under-18s progressed past Wrexham to the quarter-final against Stockport County, before advancing to the semi-finals.

For the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group H against Brentford, Doncaster Rovers and Queens Park Rangers, with fixtures scheduled for 26 August, 4 October and 22 November 2025.

In the FA Youth Cup, the Under-18s were drawn away against Kidderminster Harriers in the first round proper, away against Barnsley in the second round proper, and at home against Arsenal in the third round proper.

In the Central League Cup, Mansfield Town’s Reserves were drawn in Group B against Reserve sides from Derby County, Grimsby Town and Chesterfield.

Season Timeline

May 2025

• Four players from Mansfield Town Academy’s Under-19s — Cormac Maher, Elliot Hartmann, Ollie Taylor, and Daniel Organ — signed professional contracts with the club.

September 2025

• Mansfield Town’s Under-21s signed forward Jack Goodman from Basford United; the 20-year-old returned to the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands side for the rest of the season.

November 2025

• Mansfield Town’s Under-18s were set to travel to face Barnsley in the FA Youth Cup second round on Friday 14 November, with kick-off scheduled for 7:00pm.
• Mansfield Town’s FA Youth Cup second round tie away to Barnsley was moved to Monday 17 November due to a yellow weather warning forecast for Friday.
• Mansfield Town’s Under-18s reached the third round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie away at Barnsley, setting up a clash with Arsenal.
• Mansfield Town’s Under-18s were set to host Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup third round proper on Monday 15 December at One Call Stadium, with kick-off at 7:00pm.

December 2025

• The Stags’ Under-18s booked their place in the Youth Alliance Cup semi-finals, following their tie against Stockport at RH Academy.
• Mansfield Town’s Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the third round, following their tie against Arsenal.

2024/25 Season

A proud 2024/25 season for the Mansfield Town Academy saw the club reach the last eight of the U17 Professional Development League Plate, retain the Matt Salmon Trophy with the Under-18s, and win the U21 Central League Cup.

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Mckeal Abdullah (Forward) – Basford United; Ilkeston Town
• Taylor Anderson (Defender) – Basford United
• Louis Bonser (Defender) – Carlton Town; Rushall Olympic
• Finn Flanagan (Midfielder) – Rushall Olympic
• Owen Mason (Goalkeeper) – Ilkeston Town; Gateshead
• Alfie King (Midfielder) – Scarborough Athletic
• George Cooper (Defender) – Kidderminster Harriers; Drogheda United
• Anthony Nunez (Goalkeeper) – Shepshed Dynamo
• Jakub Kruszynski (Midfielder) – AFC Telford
• Darien Wauchope (Defender) – Ilkeston Town

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Taylor Anderson (Defender, #27), McKeal Abdullah (Forward, #28), Darien Wauchope (Defender, #31), Jakub Kruszynski (Midfielder, #32), Anthony Núñez (Goalkeeper, #33), Finn Flanagan (Midfielder, #34).

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Plate last eight, Mansfield Town’s Under-17s were drawn away against Cardiff City.

In the U18 Youth Alliance Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group D against Chesterfield, Lincoln City, Burton Albion, Notts County and Rotherham.

For the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group H against Luton Town, Peterborough United and Ipswich Town.

In the Central League Cup, Mansfield Town’s Under-21s were drawn in Group D against Grimsby Town Reserves, Notts County Reserves and Chesterfield Reserves, before progressing through the semi-finals against Preston North End Reserves to the final against Huddersfield B, where they were crowned champions.

Season Timeline

September 2024

• The Stags’ Under-18s retained the Matt Salmon Trophy, following their tie against Notts County.

October 2024

• In the first round of the FA Youth Cup, Mansfield Town were drawn at home to Grimsby Town.

November 2024

• The FA Youth Cup journey came to an end for Mansfield Town after a first-round tie at home to Grimsby Town.

April 2025

• Mansfield Town’s Under-21s clinched the Central League Cup final, following their tie against Huddersfield B.