Morecambe FC Academy

Morecambe FC Academy Academy runs a category 3 academy based in Lancashire. They focus on elite youth development to nurture young talent.

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

“Our aim is to produce players to get into our first team and/or sell on to other clubs and this is something we are constantly trying to achieve.” – Neil Wainwright, Academy Manager.

The academy paused its operations in 2025 due to internal club issues, which they aimed to resolve by August 2025.

Academy Competitions

Each season, the Academy competes across the following competitions:

• U17 Professional Development League Cup – an English youth football tournament for players aged 17 and under.
• 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.
• 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.

2025/26 Season

A proud 2024/25 season for the Morecambe Academy saw the Under-21s reach the semi-finals of the Central League Cup.

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy Manager Neil Wainwright, Head of Academy Coaching Darren Finch, and Lead PDP Coach Ollie Ras.

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

• Alfie Scales (Goalkeeper) – Tadcaster Albion AFC
• Adam Fairclough (Midfielder) – Lancaster City

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Morecambe’s Under-17s were grouped with Under-17 sides from Doncaster Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Preston North End.

The Under-18s also competed in the U18 Youth Alliance Cup. In the FA Youth Cup second round qualifying, the Under-18s were drawn at home against Carlisle United.

Season Timeline

May 2025

• Morecambe FC offered professional contracts to three young players: Under-18s Lennon Dobson and Adam Fairclough, and Under-19 Alfie Scales.

August 2025

• The academy paused their academy operations due to issues within the club that they hoped would be resolved by August 2025.
• Former Shrimps defenders Nathan Snowball and Olly Tonkin secured professional deals with Preston North End following their time at Morecambe.

October 2025

• Morecambe’s Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end, following their tie at home to Carlisle United.

January 2026

• Adam Fairclough returned to Morecambe after completing his loan spell with Lancaster City.

2024/25 Season

Based in Lancashire, Morecambe FC Academy ran a Category Three academy.

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• Nathan Mercer (Midfielder) – Bamber Bridge; Wythenshawe FC; Kendal Town
• Andy Evans (Defender) – Darlington
• Nathan Snowball (Defender) – Morpeth Town
• Joseph Sowerby (Defender) – Kendal Town
• Callum Stewart-Cooney (Forward) – Wythenshawe FC

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Saul Fox-Akande (Forward, #27), Nathan Snowball (Defender, #31), Alfie Scales (Goalkeeper, #21), Adam Fairclough (Midfielder, #29), Billy Whaite (Forward, #32).

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U18 Youth Alliance Cup, Morecambe’s Under-18s were drawn in Group 1 against Under-18 sides from Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Carlisle United, Accrington Stanley and Preston North End.

In the Central League Cup, Morecambe’s Reserves were drawn in Group A against Blackburn Rovers Reserves, Barrow Reserves, Burnley Reserves and Carlisle United Reserves, before progressing to the semi-finals against Huddersfield Town Reserves.

Season Timeline

October 2024

• In the first round of the FA Youth Cup, Morecambe FC were drawn away at Wrexham.
• The FA Youth Cup journey came to an end for Morecambe FC’s Under-18s after a first-round tie away to Wrexham.

November 2024

• Academy prospect Nathan Snowball made his debut in the Vertu Trophy group stage match against Carlisle, becoming the youngest player in Shrimps’ history at just 16 years and seven months old.

February 2025

• Morecambe’s Under-15s completed the EFL Floodlit Cup group stage, finishing first in North Group One after five games. The young Shrimps remained unbeaten across the group stage.

May 2025

• Nathan Fairclough was named Morecambe’s First Year Academy Player of the Season, while Adam Fairclough was named the club’s Second Year Academy Player of the Season.