Posh Women to introduce a Girls Academy for the 2023/24 season.
Peterborough United Women are delighted to announce a restructure to the girls' set-up from next season, with the introduction of under 23s, replacing the current Development Squad, and a new pre-academy.
Following the announcement of the club’s five-year strategy earlier this week, we are restructuring and rebranding the girl's programme into a Girls Academy. During the 2022/23 season, we have had an Emerging Talent Centre (ETC), with ages between U9s-U16s, and the Development Squad.
The Development Squad will be rebranded as the U23s and will see an implementation of a U7/U8s, joining the current U9s-U16s Emerging Talent Centre (ETC), to form the Girls Academy.
Current ETC centre manager Chloe Brown will become Girls Academy Manager overseeing U7-U23 and current ETC sponsor The Urban Penguin will become our Girls Academy Sponsor.
Posh Women General Manager, Bobby Copping, said: "Six months ago, we didn't have any kind of a girls youth system under the women's set-up, the progress has been incredible. All three parts (U7/8's, U9-U16's ETC, U23's) will come under the Girls Academy.
“Rebranding and restructuring into a Girls Academy aligns with our strategy and mirrors the men's side of the football club. It further improves our professionalism and most importantly improves our player pathway. Implementing the U7/U8s gives them an opportunity in a professional set-up to younger girls that want to become footballers.
“The U9-U16 (ETC) has been fantastic with a number of players already making senior debuts. The rebranding from the development squad to U23's gives our young players a real pathway to first-team football and allows them more time to develop.
"I'd like to also say a big congratulations to Chloe Brown who will become the club's first ever Girls Academy Manager."
These changes will come into effect at the end of the current season.