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Category 1Premier LeagueU9 to U21 and B team

Does Brentford run academy trials?

Brentford FC Academy, Jersey Road · Osterley, west London

NoStraight answer

No open trials, and the youngest academy in the Premier League. Brentford closed its Category 2 academy in 2016 to run a B team instead, reopened as Category 4 in 2022 when league rules changed, and by 2026 had become the first club to climb to Category 1 that fast. It recruited over 100 players in that rebuild and hired more than 50 full-time staff. The club says it wants players to keep playing grassroots football alongside the academy, which is unusual.

Category1, since 2026
Academy reopened2022
Coach ratioAbout 5 to 1, young ages
GrassrootsEncouraged alongside
Open trialsNone
Above U21B team
The real routes in

4 ways players actually get in.

Invitation after observation. Small groups, roughly five players per coach at younger ages, so the club can watch closely.

  1. 01
    Scouted
    Scouted at grassroots football in west London

    A new academy building a full U9 to B-team pipeline recruits actively. Scouts cover west London and the surrounding counties, and the club has said it recruited 114 players during the rebuild.

    Official page ↗
  2. 02
    Paid programme
    Community Sports Trust development centres

    Historically the club's stated feeder for local talent when it ran the B-team-only model. Paid community coaching across west London. Check the Trust's current listings for tiers and venues.

  3. 03
    Referral
    Coach referral

    Grassroots coaches can put players forward to the academy recruitment team. Expect a scout at a normal fixture before any approach.

  4. 04
    Official route
    B team for 17 to 21

    Brentford B remains the bridge to the first team and signs older players from other clubs' academies and non-league. Relevant for released scholars, not for under-16s.

Where scouts watch
  • West London
  • Hounslow, Ealing, Richmond
  • Surrey and Middlesex borders
  • EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
If a scout calls
  1. Ask about the grassroots policy in writing. Brentford has said it wants players to keep their grassroots club, which changes the family calendar.
  2. Check the travel rule to Osterley. One hour at U9 to U11.
  3. Ask how the academy and B team connect for your child's age group. The B team is for 17 and over.
  4. New academies churn squads as they climb categories. Ask what retention looked like last spring.
Watch out

Three things parents get sold.

Old articles saying Brentford has no academy are out of date. It has a Category 1 academy from 2026.
A B-team trial is for 17 to 21 year olds. Nothing for younger players goes through that route.
Community Sports Trust sessions are coaching products, not academy places.
Sources

Last verified 5 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us and we will re-check within a week.

Nearby

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Cobham, Surrey · U9 to U21

No open trials · 4 real routes in

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Crystal Palace

Beckenham, south London · U9 to U21

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