Charlton Athletic F.C. Under-23s and Academy
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Full name | Charlton Athletic Football Club (Under-23 Development Squad and Academy) | ||
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Nickname(s) | The Addicks | ||
Founded | 1905 (reserves) 1998 (academy) | ||
Ground | Sparrows Lane, New Eltham, London | ||
Chairman | Thomas Sandgaard | ||
Head coach | Anthony Hayes | ||
League | Professional Development League 2 (South Division) | ||
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The Charlton Athletic Academy refers to the teams and players in the youth system of English professional football club Charlton Athletic; they play the majority of their home games at the club's training ground in New Eltham, London.
The Under-23 Development side consists mainly of Charlton's academy players who are aiming to break into the first team squad and in the near future, while senior players occasionally play when returning from injury. The current senior professional development coach for the under-23 squad is Hamza Serrar. They compete in the Professional Development League, League 2; the club's Under-18 team plays in the same category of the lower age group.
Reserve team history[]
From 1999 until 2007, Charlton Reserves were members of the FA Premier Reserve League Southern; however, due to the relegation of the first team at the end of the 2006/2007 season from the Premier League to the Football League Championship, they were demoted to the Football Combination Central where they played against other Football League reserve teams and successful Football Conference reserve sides. At the end of the 2008–09 season the first team were again relegated to Football League One and the reserve side was dissolved as a competitive team.
Under Glynn Snodin[]
In 1999 the team joined the FA Premier Reserve League Southern. Led by reserve-team coach Glynn Snodin had relative success in their first season, finishing 2nd, however in comparison the next 3 seasons were disappointing as the club finished 8th, 7th & 7th respectively. After this however things picked up, and Charlton became unexpected winners of the league in 2003/2004, and this was then followed by a second success at the Charlton team won the division again in 2004/2005, just a season later. This was followed by another good season, seeing the Addicks finish fourth, however popular reserve-team coach Snodin left to join Southampton as first-team coach.[1] Snodin was replaced by Mark Robson for the remainder; however, this was short-lived as Charlton faced a managerial re-shuffle after the resignation of Alan Curbishley, Mervyn Day and Keith Peacock.
Under Mark Kinsella[]
With the installation of Iain Dowie as head-coach, Robson was moved to development coach, working with both the Reserve & First Team sides, however after Dowie was fired he was named assistant head-coach, under Les Reed. Mark Kinsella replaced Robson as development coach until this hiring of current club manager Alan Pardew when Kinsella was moved to reserve-team coach.[2] Despite a hectic season the team still managed to finish 6th, however due to the relegation of the first-team the club were demoted to the Football Combination Central where after spending much of the season top of the table were pipped to the post by Southampton F.C. Reserves on the last game of the season.[3]
In 2008 Mark Kinsella moved to a more senior role within the first team under Caretaker manager Phil Parkinson while the club sought after a replacement for Alan Pardew, who parted company with the club 22 November 2008. He was replaced by the club's U18 Youth Coach, Damian Matthew, for the interim period.[4] When Parkinson assumed the role of first team manager Matthew was designated Development coach, based on the same role Mark Robson had held previously.
In 2009 the reserve team was disbanded as a competitive side. With the relegation of the first team from the Football League Championship to the Football League One it was decided that the team would no longer play in the Football Combination and instead only played a number of friendly matches throughout the season.
Home ground[]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Stonebridge_PloughEnd.jpg/200px-Stonebridge_PloughEnd.jpg)
In the last 9 years the reserves had many different stadia. In their first season they played their matches at Welling United's ground, Park View Road, but the stay was short-lived. For the 2000/2001 season the reserve team played their matches at the first-team's ground, The Valley, however when there was a clash in matches the reserve teams would play their games at Park View Road. This system continued until the 2006/2007 season, when the team moved their matches to Gravesend & Northfleet's ground, Stonebridge Road. The reserve team continued to play their games there in the 2007/2008 season, after the change of club name from Gravesend & Northfleet F.C. to Ebbsfleet United F.C.
Reserve team managers[]
Name | Dates | Achievements |
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2000 – March 2006 | Premier Reserve League South Champions (2003–04, 2004–05) |
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March 2006 – November 2006 | |
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November 2006 – November 2008 | Football Combination Central Runners Up (2007–08) |
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November 2008 — |
Recent reserves seasons[]
Season by season record (1999–2008)[5] | |||||||||
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Season | Competition | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos |
1999-00 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 24 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 57 | 36 | 47 | 2/13 |
2000-01 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 24 | 8 | 6 | 10 | 35 | 44 | 30 | 8/13 |
2001-02 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 37 | 41 | 34 | 7/14 |
2002-03 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 40 | 37 | 34 | 7/14 |
2003–04 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 46 | 19 | 57 | 1/15 |
2004–05 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 28 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 46 | 21 | 61 | 1/15 |
2005–06 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 38 | 29 | 46 | 4/14 |
2006–07 | Premier Reserve League Southern | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 28 | 24 | 25 | 6/10 |
2007-08 | Football Combination Central | 18 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 39 | 17 | 37 | 2/10 |
2008-09 | Football Combination Central | 18 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 7/10 |
Under-23 Development[]
Current squad[]
- As of 27 July 2021[6]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Academy history[]
The Charlton Athletic Youth Academy was a development of Charlton's commitment to develop young players, a scheme which started in the early-mid-1990s when there was an explosion of young talent under joint managers Steve Gritt. Notable players such as Scott Minto, Kim Grant, Anthony Barness, Lee Bowyer, Richard Rufus, Linvoy Primus, Shaun Newton, Jermain Defoe, Jlloyd Samuel, Jamie Stuart, Kevin Lisbie, Paul Konchesky & Scott Parker all came through the ranks.
This was followed by the creation of the Youth Academy in 1998, aiming to find the best local, and worldwide talent to bring to Charlton at a young age. There are 13 players playing in the top 2 tiers of English football who began their footballing career at the Charlton Youth Academy, including Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson, Bournemouth's Harry Arter, Huddersfield's Tareiq Holmes-Dennis & Kasey Palmer, Norwich's Michael Turner, Newcastle's Robert Elliot & Jonjo Shelvey, QPR's Jordan Cousins, Reading's Callum Harriott, West Ham's Darren Randolph, Liverpool's Joe Gomez, Everton's Ademola Lookman and Sheffield Wednesday's Morgan Fox as well as 5 current Charlton first team players Dillon Phillips, Ezri Konsa, Karlan Ahearne-Grant, Chris Solly and Harry Lennon,.[7]
The Under-18 team play in the U18 Professional Development League 2 however the academy takes boys from the ages of 9 upwards.
Valley Gold[]
The Valley Gold scheme was previously set up to aid Charlton's return to The Valley. When a supporter signs up to the scheme, they now have the opportunity to win up to £15,000 at half-time on home match days, as well as getting £15 off the price of their season ticket and the opportunity to have first priority to away games or high demand home matches.
Since Charlton's return to the Valley in December 1992 the scheme has since used to give financial support to the Charlton Youth Academy, to help nurture Charlton stars of the future.[8]
Under 18s[]
Current squad[]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff[]
Role[9] | Name |
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Academy Manager | ![]() |
Head of Coaching (U9-U23) | ![]() |
Academy’s Head of Coaching (U9-U23) | ![]() |
Senior Professional Development Lead Coach (U23) | ![]() |
Senior Professional Development Lead Coach (U18) | ![]() |
Technical Development Coach (U14-U18) | ![]() |
Lead Youth Development Phase Coach (U12-16) | ![]() |
Youth Development Phase Coach (Under 12-16) | ![]() |
Academy Recruitment Manager | ![]() |
Senior Academy Scout | ![]() |
Head of Youth Academy Sports Science and Medicine | ![]() |
Lead Academy Sports Scientist | ![]() |
Academy Physiotherapist | ![]() |
Performance Analyst (Development Squad) | ![]() |
Academy Performance Analyst | ![]() |
Kit Assistant | ![]() |
Notable players[]
National Team Caps[]
NB: Bold players are playing for Charlton Athletic.
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Other academy graduates[]
NB: Bold players are playing for Charlton Athletic.
Kim Grant
Anthony Barness
Steve Brown
Linvoy Primus
Paul Sturgess
Paul Linger
Shaun Newton
Lee Bowyer
Richard Rufus
Jamie Stuart
Dean Chandler
Kevin Nicholls
kevin Lisbie
Paul Konchesky
Scott Parker
Jason Brown
Simon Ford
Charlie MacDonald (Greenwich Borough)
Michael Turner (Southend)
Jonathan Fortune
Neil McCafferty (Portadown)
Lloyd Sam (D.C. United)
Jamal Campbell-Ryce (Barnet)
Barry Fuller (AFC Wimbledon)
Stacy Long (Leatherhead)
Osei Sankofa (Unattached)
Adam Gross (Leatherhead)
Darren Randolph (West Ham United)
Rob Elliot (Newcastle)
Nathan Ashton (Unattached)
Michael Carvill (Crusaders)
Myles Weston (Wycombe Wanderers)
James Walker (East Thurrock United)
Freddie Warren (East Thurrock United)
Lawrie Wilson (Bolton Wanderers)
Onome Sodje (Nuneaton Town)
Alistair John (Unattached)
Grant Basey (Unattached)
Donovan Simmonds (VCD Athletic)
Aswad Thomas (Dover Athletic)
Harry Arter (A.F.C. Bournemouth)
Ruairi Harkin (Coleraine)
Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle)
Scott Wagstaff (Gillingham)
Josh Wright (Gillingham)
Rashid Yussuff (Arka Gdynia)
Harry Pell (Cheltenham Town)
Chris Solly (Ebbsfleet United)
Tamer Tuna (Unattached)
Alex Stavrinou (Unattached)
Yado Mambo (Margate)
Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal)
Callum Harriott (Reading)
Sam Long ()
Ade Azeez (Partick Thistle)
Joe Pigott (Cambridge United)
Jordan Cousins (Stoke City)
Diego Poyet (Unattached)
Harry Lennon (Southend United)
Morgan Fox (Sheffield Wednesday)
Joe Gomez (Liverpool)
Karlan Ahearne-Grant (West Bromwich Albion)
Regan Charles-Cook (Gillingham)
Tareiq Holmes-Dennis (Huddersfield)
Mikhail Kennedy (Unattached)
Ollie Muldoon (Charlton)
Ademola Lookman (Everton)
Josh Umerah (Torquay United)
Brandon Hanlan (Gillingham)
Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
Dillon Phillips (Cardiff City)
Aaron Barnes (Colchester United)
Honours[]
Reserve team/Under-23s[]
Competition | Achievement | Year |
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Premier Reserve League South | Champions | 2003-04 |
Premier Reserve League South | Champions | 2004-05 |
Football Combination Central | Runners-Up | 2007-08 |
Professional Development League 2 | National Champions | 2013 |
Youth[]
Competition | Achievement | Year |
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FA Youth Cup | Finalists | 1987 |
Professional Development League 2 | National Champions | 2015 |
Professional Development League 2 | National Champions | 2016 |
References[]
- ^ "Snodin set for Saints switch". Charlton-Athletic.co.uk. Retrieved 18 March 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "New contract for Kinsella". cafc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Football Combination Central 2007/2008 Final Table". theFA.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 18 March 2008.
- ^ "Gritt relishing cup clash". cafc.co.uk. Retrieved 2 December 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Charlton Athletic F.C. Reserves History". fchd.info. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
- ^ ITRM. "U23s | CAFC". cafc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ Charlton Athletic Youth Academy Archived 8 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Charlton Athletic Valley Gold Archived 27 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Coaching Team". Charlton Athletic FC. 3 April 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
External links[]
- Charlton Athletic F.C.
- Metropolitan League
- Aetolian League (football)
- Football academies in England
- 1998 establishments in England
- London League (football)