Football league season
The 2023–24 Professional U18 Development League was the 12th season of the Professional Development League system. There were 26 teams competing, divided into North and South divisions according to their region.
Reading U18s regained Category One status in the summer.[ 1]
North
Source:
[ 2] (C) Champions;
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Results
Source:
[1] Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
South
Source:
[ 2] (C) Champions;
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Results
Source:
[2] Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
National Final
Season statistics
As of 2 September 2023
Top goalscorers
Rank
Player
Club
Goals[ 3]
1
Tom Olyott
Fulham
5
Sean Neave
Newcastle United
Rory Wilson
Aston Villa
4
Jesse Derry
Crystal Palace
4
Jayden Danns
Liverpool
Lleyton Brown
Leeds United
Hat-tricks
Player
For
Against
Result
Date
Lleyton Brown
Leeds United
Stoke City
6–1 (A)
12 August 2023
[ 4]
Zach Marsh
Crystal Palace
Southampton
5–0 (H)
12 August 2023
[ 5]
Rory Wilson
Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur
4–0 (H)
12 August 2023
[ 6]
Tom Olyott
Fulham
Leicester City
4–3 (H)
26 August 2023
[ 7]
Ato Ampah
Chelsea
Aston Villa
5–1 (A)
26 August 2023
[ 8]
Alfie Harrison
Manchester City
Blackburn Rovers
6–0 (H)
26 August 2023
[ 9]
Note
(H) – Home; (A) – Away
Professional Development League 2
Football league season
The 2023–24 season was the 12th edition of the Professional Development League 2, an under-18 football's second tier, designed for those academies with Category 2 status. The league was split regionally into North and South divisions, with each team facing opponents in their own region twice both home and away, and opponents in the other region once, resulting in 30 games played for the North Division, while the South Division played 29 games. The sides finishing in the top two positions in both regions at the end of the season progressed to a knockout stage to determine the overall league champion. Barnsley U18s were the defending national champions while AFC Bournemouth U18s and Fleetwood Town U18s joined the division for the 2023–24 season.[ 10]
Tables
North Division
South Division
Knock-out stage
Semi-finals
Professional Development League Two Play-Off Final
EFL Youth Alliance
Football league season
The Football League Youth Alliance sometimes known as League 3 is run by the Football League under the auspices of the EFL Youth Alliance. 45 teams were scheduled to competed this season, however one team was expelled before the season began. Notts County U18s returned to the league after a 3-season absence, while Wrexham U18s returned to the lague after a 4-season absence because both teams clubs were promoted back to the Football League. AFC Bournemouth U18s and Fleetwood Town U18s both left because their academies were promoted to Category 2 and as a result both teams joined the U18 Professional Development League 2.[ 10] Because their parent club was relegated from the National League in their first season, Scunthrope United U18s were expelled from the league because there was no way their parent club could not promote back to the football league in time. Meanwhile Southend United U18s did not participate because their parent club lost their EPPP license. For clubs that get relegated to the National League, they have two years to gain promotion back to the EFL. Otherwise, they lose their license with the League.
League stage
As of match played 4 May 2024 [ 11]
North-East Division
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification
1
Mansfield Town U18s (C)
20
12
3
5
48
23
+25
39
Northeast Division Championship Round
2
Burton Albion U18s
20
11
1
8
38
34
+4
34
3
Rotherham United U18s
20
10
3
7
51
44
+7
33
4
Lincoln City U18s
20
10
2
8
51
33
+18
32
5
Bradford City U18s
20
10
2
8
38
33
+5
32
6
Hartlepool United U18s
20
10
2
8
41
39
+2
32
7
Grimsby Town U18s
20
8
6
6
42
27
+15
30
Northeast Division Lower Round
8
Harrogate Town U18s
20
8
4
8
30
32
−2
28
9
Doncaster Rovers U18s
20
7
3
10
30
33
−3
24
10
Huddersfield Town U18s
20
3
7
10
27
65
−38
16
11
Notts County U18s
20
4
1
15
26
59
−33
13
12
Scunthorpe United U18s
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
North-West Division
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Preston North End U18s (C)
26
18
2
6
75
49
+26
56
2
Wrexham U18s
26
18
1
7
78
41
+37
55
3
Bolton Wanderers U18s
26
17
3
6
70
37
+33
54
4
Morecambe U18s
26
17
3
6
58
39
+19
54
5
Accrington Stanley U18s
26
17
1
8
76
60
+16
52
6
Blackpool U18s
26
14
2
10
53
48
+5
44
7
Shrewsbury Town U18s
26
11
2
13
44
51
−7
35
8
Salford City U18s
26
9
4
13
50
57
−7
31
9
Stockport County U18s
26
10
1
15
35
45
−10
31
10
Rochdale U18s
26
9
3
14
50
56
−6
30
11
Oldham Athletic U18s
26
9
3
14
35
46
−11
30
12
Carlisle United U18s
26
8
3
15
42
65
−23
27
13
Port Vale U18s
26
5
3
18
44
75
−31
18
14
Walsall U18s
26
3
3
20
27
68
−41
12
South-East Division
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification
1
Luton Town U18s (C)
18
12
2
4
41
17
+24
38
Merit League One
2
AFC Wimbledon U18s
18
11
2
5
39
28
+11
35
3
Stevenage U18s
18
10
4
4
33
19
+14
34
4
Sutton United U18s
18
9
4
5
31
27
+4
31
5
Leyton Orient U18s
18
8
4
6
40
32
+8
28
6
Northampton Town U18s
18
7
3
8
25
26
−1
24
Merit League Two
7
Cambridge United U18s
18
7
2
9
38
40
−2
23
8
Brentford U18s
18
4
3
11
35
48
−13
15
9
Gillingham U18s
18
3
5
10
33
43
−10
14
10
Milton Keynes Dons U18s
18
3
3
12
21
56
−35
12
South-West Division
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Qualification
1
Plymouth Argyle U18s (C)
16
11
3
2
44
21
+23
36
Merit League One
2
Swindon Town U18s
16
11
1
4
42
20
+22
34
3
Portsmouth U18s
16
7
2
7
38
27
+11
23
4
Cheltenham Town U18s
16
7
2
7
25
31
−6
23
5
Oxford United U18s
16
6
3
7
23
26
−3
21
6
Exeter City U18s
16
5
5
6
32
39
−7
20
Merit League Two
7
Forest Green Rovers U18s
16
6
1
9
34
41
−7
19
8
Bristol Rovers U18s
16
5
3
8
25
33
−8
18
9
Newport County U18s
16
3
2
11
28
53
−25
11
Merit League Stage
The teams in the Southeast and Southwest Divisions played another ten games to determine the champions of Merit League One and Merit League Two.
Merit League One
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Plymouth Argyle U18s (C)
9
7
1
1
24
13
+11
22
2
Leyton Orient U18s
9
4
4
1
26
16
+10
16
3
Stevenage U18s
9
4
2
3
22
12
+10
14
4
Portsmouth U18s
9
4
2
3
16
17
−1
14
5
Luton Town U18s
8
4
0
4
17
18
−1
12
6
Swindon Town U18s
9
3
2
4
20
23
−3
11
7
Oxford United U18s
9
3
2
4
16
21
−5
11
8
AFC Wimbledon U18s
9
3
1
5
16
20
−4
10
9
Cheltenham Town U18s
8
2
3
3
17
25
−8
9
10
Sutton United U18s
9
1
1
7
8
17
−9
4
Merit League Two
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Brentford U18s (C)
8
6
0
2
21
9
+12
18
2
Gillingham U18s
8
6
0
2
21
10
+11
18
3
Cambridge United U18s
8
5
0
3
19
18
+1
15
4
Bristol Rovers U18s
8
4
2
2
23
19
+4
14
5
Northampton Town U18s
8
4
0
4
24
14
+10
12
6
Forest Green Rovers U18s
8
3
2
3
16
18
−2
11
7
Milton Keynes Dons U18s
8
2
1
5
18
23
−5
7
8
Newport County U18s
8
2
1
5
21
33
−12
7
9
Exeter City U18s
8
1
0
7
14
33
−19
3
Northeast Division 2nd Phase
Only 4 or 5 games were played but they were added in the regular season averages.
North-East Merit Championship Group
These games include the regular season matches.
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Mansfield Town U18s (C)
25
17
3
5
62
27
+35
54
2
Burton Albion U18s
25
15
1
9
56
38
+18
46
3
Rotherham United U18s
25
11
4
10
59
57
+2
37
4
Bradford City U18s
25
11
4
10
48
47
+1
37
5
Hartlepool United U18s
25
11
4
10
54
56
−2
37
6
Lincoln City U18s
25
10
3
12
61
54
+7
33
North-East Merit Lower Table Round
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Grimsby Town U18s (C)
24
11
7
6
52
29
+23
40
2
Harrogate Town U18s
24
10
5
9
36
39
−3
35
3
Doncaster Rovers U18s
24
8
6
10
36
38
−2
30
4
Notts County U18s
24
5
2
17
32
65
−33
17
5
Huddersfield Town U18s
24
3
7
14
28
74
−46
16
See also
References
National teams
League competitions
Level 1 Levels 2–4 Levels 5–6 Levels 7–8 Levels 9–10
Combined Counties League (Premier North , Premier South , One )
Eastern Counties League (Premier , One North , One South )
Essex Senior League (level 9 only)
Hellenic League (Premier , One )
Midland League (Premier , One )
Northern Counties East League (Premier , One )
Northern League (One , Two )
North West Counties League (Premier , One North , One South )
Southern Combination League (Premier , One )
Southern Counties East League (Premier , One )
South West Peninsula League (Premier East , Premier West - level 10 only )
Spartan South Midlands League (Premier , One )
United Counties League (Premier North , Premier South , One )
Wessex League (Premier , One )
Western League (Premier , One )
Cup competitions
Youth competitions