On 30th July 2012, the Club announced that the Fulham Academy had been awarded Category One status under the new Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). The Academy has proudly maintained this uninterrupted status to this day.
The EPPP is a Premier League initiative, backed by the Football League and Football Association, with the aim of revitalising youth football by developing areas such as coaching, education, welfare and medical care, and providing greater opportunities for young players to progress.
Fulham Academy Director Huw Jennings explained to fulhamfc.com what Category One status means for the future of the Club:
Since gaining Category One status, what steps have been taken to retain this?
There’s a very stringent auditing process that we have to comply with that has evolved over the years of categorisation. Now we are assessed according to our ‘safe to operate’ and ‘compliance’ areas. In addition, there are five standards that we are assessed against, leadership being one, and coaching another, for example. We are marked against those once every three years, compliance and standards once a year.
How important is it for us to be a Category One club?
It’s vital for us. It shows that we are totally committed as a club towards the Youth Development Programme (YDP). We have a number of privileges that come alongside that, such as playing the games programme which pits us against the top sides in the country. Having the ability to recruit from outside our region from 14 years of age is also a big mobility factor. Also, the ability to operate a full-time training model for our players between the ages of 12-16 which combines full-time schooling and a footballing programme that marries the desired education commitments.
Since 2012, we’ve gained a fantastic reputation in producing good players. How important is a reputation as well as the paperwork?
We think our approach to the management of players is central to demonstrating that we are a good academy for not only the development of players’ ability, but the holistic approach. That means a lot to us in striving to allow our young players to be the best they can be not only on the pitch but off it as well. Hopefully we’ve built a reputation for looking after our boys not only as players, but as people.
Developing the ‘person’ side is just as important?
We take the view that it is difficult to be a good player if you are not living your life in the way that is commensurate to an athlete. Increasingly, the focus is on ensuring players have complimentary education for their performance needs. One of our KPIs centres around the player fulfilling their academic potential as well as their playing potential. For sure, our supporters will be reassured to know that the primary objective is to develop players for our own First Team. We need to do that in an environment where they flourish in their academic lifestyle and are given the tools to be able to cope with the high-performance athlete lifestyle.
What’s the overall goal?
We need to be sustainable in the long-run. We aren’t just about developing one player for our First Team. We’re about a programme that helps everyone to achieve their maximum. We are keen to promote that, once you become a member here, you’re a member for life. We recognise the value of an alumni programme to support the player after they leave - whether that is after one year or 20 years. That means a lot to us along with the Club values we have, such as being confident custodians which embodies the care we show. A big feature for us is a ‘closer and personal’ approach to ensure our players upon reflection will think they’ve had a great footballing experience, as well as a life experience.