Fleetwood Town Academy

Fleetwood Town FC runs a category 2 academy based in Lancashire. They have a strong youth development program that nurtures young talent.

The 2023/24 season was Fleetwood Town Academy’s first season at Category Two.

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

The Academy also participates in the Lancashire FA Senior Cup.

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.
• U17 Premier League Cup – introduced by the Premier League in 2017 as the U16 Premier League Cup, renamed in 2020; seven group winners plus the best runner-up (by points, goal difference, then head-to-head) progress to the quarter-finals.
• 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.
• Lancashire FA Senior Cup – a county knockout competition contested by Fleetwood Town’s Academy alongside sides from across Lancashire.

2025/26 Season

The Academy enters the 2025/26 season under Academy Manager Jack Higgins and Under-18 Head Coach Mark Yeates.

In February 2026, Phil Parkinson was appointed Interim Head Coach of the Under-21s, bringing a wealth of experience to the role having spent almost a decade in charge at Altrincham, where he guided the club from the Northern Premier League to the National League.

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

Ten Academy players agreed two-year scholarship deals with the club ahead of the 2025/26 season: Alfie Wright (Goalkeeper), Kai Cherry (Defender), Harrison Buckley (Defender), Ellis Dunne (Defender)

Chris Parton (Defender), Mathis Bamba (Midfielder), Matty English (Midfielder), Sam Kendrick (Midfielder), Finley Haselden (Forward), Fawaz Junaid (Forward).

Academy Players on Loan 2025/26

• Owen Devonport (Forward) – Halifax Town
• Crispin McClean (Midfielder) – Curzon Ashton
• Stephen McMullan (Goalkeeper) – Waterford FC
• Oliver Bellizia (Goalkeeper) – Longridge Town
• Joseph Toole (Defender) – Cliftonville
• Lucas Taylor (Forward) – Hebburn Town; Blyth Spartans
• Will Johnson (Defender) – Waterford
• Mikey Lane (Forward) – Hereford

Academy Players in the First Team 2025/26

Mikey Lane (Forward, #50).

International Players 2025/26

• Conor Haughey (DF) – Northern Ireland U19
• Jack Doherty (MF) – Northern Ireland U19

2025/26 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Professional Development League Cup, Fleetwood Town’s Under-17s were grouped with Under-17 sides from Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool and Carlisle United.

For the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group E against Blackpool, Stockport County and Wigan Athletic, with fixtures scheduled for 26 August, 4 October and 22 November 2025.

Season Timeline

July 2025

• Fleetwood Town secured the loan signings of Calum Costello and Zak O’Sullivan from affiliated club Waterford FC.
• 16-year-old midfielder Reece Wilkes joined Championship side Norwich City from Fleetwood Town for an undisclosed fee.

August 2025

• Midfielder Jack Doherty signed his first professional contract with Fleetwood Town; the 18-year-old, who arrived at Town’s Academy from Derry City in August 2023, progressed to the Under-21 squad the previous season following an impressive two-year scholarship.

November 2025

• Fleetwood Town’s Under-18s were confirmed to travel to face Rotherham United in the FA Youth Cup second round, with kick-off scheduled for Tuesday 18 November.

December 2025

• Fleetwood Town’s Under-18s booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, setting up a tie against the winner of Doncaster Rovers v Aston Villa.
• Goalkeeper Stephen McMullan committed his future to the club, signing a new two-and-a-half-year deal that will see him remain at Highbury Stadium until the summer of 2028, with an option to extend for a further year.
• Fleetwood Town were confirmed to welcome Aston Villa’s Under-18s to Highbury Stadium for their fourth-round tie on Tuesday 20 January.

January 2026

• Fleetwood Town’s Under-18s’ FA Youth Cup journey came to an end in the fourth round, following their tie against Aston Villa.

February 2026

• Phil Parkinson was appointed Interim Head Coach of the Under-21s, having spent almost a decade in charge at Altrincham, where he guided the club from the Northern Premier League to the National League.
• Lucas Taylor completed a permanent move to Blyth Spartans; the forward had joined from Sunderland AFC and featured regularly for Town’s Under-18s and Under-21s.

2024/25 Season

A proud 2024/25 season for the Fleetwood Town Academy saw the Under-18s reach the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup.

Academy Players on Loan 2024/25

• George Morrison (Midfielder) – Tamworth
• Sam Glenfield (Forward) – Waterford FC
• Stephen McMullan (Goalkeeper) – Caernarfon Town; Waterford FC
• Joshua Eccles (Defender) – Thornton Cleveleys FC
• Tom Donaghy (Goalkeeper) – Hereford; Boston United
• Finley Cross-Adair (Forward) – Preston; Warrington
• Crispin McLean (Midfielder) – Lancaster City
• Conor Haughey (Defender) – Lancaster City

Academy Graduates in the First Team 2024/25

Will Johnson (Defender, #24), Owen Devonport (Midfielder, #31), Kayden Hughes (Defender, #32), Pele Smith (Midfielder, #33), Liam Roberts (Midfielder, #34), Reece Wilkes (#35)

Zack Littler (Midfielder, #36), Luke Hewitson (Goalkeeper, #37), Crispin McLean (Midfielder, #38), Raffaele Cirino (Defender, #39), Mikey Lane (Forward, #51).

International Players 2024/25

• Reece Wilkes (MF) – England U16
• James Bulkelly (DF) – New Zealand U19
• Brandon Sumpter (GK) – Barbados First Team
• Raffaele Cirino (DF) – Montserrat First Team
• Stephen McMullan (GK) – Northern Ireland First Team

2024/25 Tournament Groupings

In the U17 Premier League Cup, Fleetwood Town’s Under-17s were drawn in Group F against Under-17 sides from Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Everton.

For the U18 Professional Development League Cup, the Under-18s were drawn in Group B against Wrexham, Bolton Wanderers and Crewe Alexandra.

In the U21 Premier League Cup, the Under-21s were drawn in Group C against Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.

Season Timeline

October 2024

• Fleetwood Town were drawn at home to Wigan Athletic in the first round of the FA Youth Cup.

November 2024

• Fleetwood Town secured a place in the second round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Wigan Athletic.
• Fleetwood Town’s Under-18s were drawn at home against Tamworth in the second round of the FA Youth Cup.
• The second-round clash against Tamworth was confirmed for Friday 15 November at Highbury Stadium.
• In the third round of the FA Youth Cup, Fleetwood were drawn at home to Burnley, following their tie against Tamworth.

December 2024

• Fleetwood Town’s Under-18s progressed to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, following their tie against Burnley.
• In the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup, Fleetwood Town were drawn at home to Southampton.

January 2025

• Young midfielder Pele Smith signed his first professional contract, seven years after joining the club.
• George Morrison, on loan at Tamworth, played a key role in helping the club take Tottenham Hotspur the distance in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.
• Fleetwood Town’s Under-18s saw their FA Youth Cup journey end, following their tie against Southampton.

February 2025

• Liam Roberts signed his first professional contract with Fleetwood Town, seven years after joining the club as a young winger.
• Tom Donaghy completed a permanent move to Oldham Athletic, after spending three and a half years with Fleetwood Town.

March 2025

• As part of EFL Youth Development Week, celebrated across all 72 League clubs, Fleetwood Town highlighted its strong track record of developing academy players, celebrating Kayden Hughes, Owen Devonport and Pele Smith, who all made their EFL debuts that season.
• Forward Mikey Lane made his EFL debut, coming on as a substitute for Tranmere Rovers.

April 2025

• Will Johnson made his EFL League debut for Fleetwood Town in their match against Harrogate Town.

May 2025

• Fleetwood Town held its Academy Awards night at Highbury Stadium.