Does AFC Wimbledon run academy trials?
Cherry Red Records Stadium, Plough Lane · Wimbledon, south-west London · Checked 5 September 2026
Not for the academy, but the door into the pathway costs seven pounds. The AFC Wimbledon Foundation runs a Player Development Centre for ages 7 to 16 on Wednesday evenings in Southfields and Saturday mornings at Wimbledon Park. A single trial session is £7 and a half-term block is £35. The Foundation says its job is to bridge community and academy football, and it publishes the result: in 2022/23, 17 development centre players went on extended academy trials and 3 were accepted.
Got a trial or a scout’s invitation? How to prepare your child →Practise decisions before the trial: free Look First game →
How recruitment works
Paid trial session into the development centre, then extended academy trial for the few who stand out.
- 01Scouted at grassroots in south-west London
A Category 3 academy recruits locally. Scouts watch junior football in Merton, Wandsworth, Kingston and Sutton.
- 02Education Football Programme, 16 to 18
Sixth-form study at Southfields Academy or Richmond upon Thames College alongside competitive fixtures in the CEFA league. Trials bookable. Relevant for released scholars and late developers.
Official page ↗
Got a trial invite?
What scouts watch, what to bring, what to ask. £19 ($25)
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What to bring to an academy trial
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Boots for the surface (grass = FG, firm ground; 3G or astro = AG, artificial grass), shin pads, a ball, a named water bottle and plain kit (no rival club shirts). Check the club’s trial email first.
Which ball size? See our size guide.
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AFC Wimbledon development centre
Book a single trial session for £7. Sessions are an hour: warm-up, skills, then forty minutes of small-sided games in age groups. Wednesdays 6pm at the Aspire Centre, Southfields, and Saturday mornings at Wimbledon Park.
Official page ↗Players who stand out are put forward for extended trials with the academy. Seventeen were in one season, three signed. Small numbers, honestly reported.
Official page ↗- Merton, Wandsworth
- Kingston, Sutton, Richmond
- Wider south-west London
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask whether it is the Foundation development centre or an academy trial. The Foundation says which in writing.
- Ask how long the extended trial is and who reviews it. Category 3 academies have smaller staffs, so the coach you meet is likely the decision-maker.
- Category 3 means fewer coaching hours than Category 1 or 2, and local recruitment. That can suit a child who wants to stay at their school and grassroots club.
- Check the travel rule to Plough Lane. One hour at U9 to U11.
What to check before you agree
- AFC Wimbledon Foundation, Player Development Centre ↗
- AFC Wimbledon Foundation, sponsorship page with 2022/23 trial figures ↗
- AFC Wimbledon Foundation, Player Pathway ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
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Updated 17 October 2026. Last verified 5 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.