AcademyParent
Get the weekly
Category 1Premier LeagueU9 to U21

Does Brighton & Hove Albion run academy trials?

American Express Elite Football Performance Centre · Lancing, West Sussex

NoStraight answer

No open trials for the boys' academy. Brighton recruits by scouting across Sussex and the south coast, and the door below the academy is the Albion in the Community Football Pathway: coached centres in Worthing, Brighton, Haywards Heath and Arun that advertise their own trials, some from Under-6. For girls it is more open than anywhere: two free Emerging Talent Centres for ages 8 to 12 with a public expression-of-interest form, and annual application windows for the girls' academy from Under-12 up.

Category1
First entryU9
Pathway centresFrom U6
Girls ETCFree, ages 8 to 12
Open trialsBoys' academy: none
BaseLancing
The real routes in

4 ways players actually get in.

Boys: invitation after scouting. Girls: published application windows with trial days at Lancing.

  1. 01
    Paid programmePaid, seasonal
    Albion in the Community Football Pathway centres

    The club's charity runs pathway centres with UEFA-qualified coaching across Sussex. Trials are advertised on the Foundation's social channels, for example Under-6 to Under-8 in Arun in September 2025. Mixed centres in Worthing, Brighton and Haywards Heath; Lancing is girls only.

    Official page ↗
  2. 02
    Scouted
    Scouted at grassroots in Sussex

    Academy scouts cover junior leagues and tournaments across Sussex, Surrey and the south coast. Invitation follows observation over time.

  3. 03
    Official routeFree
    Girls: free Emerging Talent Centres, ages 8 to 12

    Two centres, part funded by the FA and Premier League, free to attend, girls keep their grassroots club. Apply through the club's expression-of-interest form in September; trials follow in early October. Not everyone who applies is invited to trial.

    Official page ↗
  4. 04
    Official route
    Girls' academy application window, U12 to U16

    Annual expression-of-interest window in spring for GU12 to GU16, with trial days at Lancing. Criteria published: current academy, ETC or high-level grassroots experience, and living within roughly 90 minutes of Lancing.

    Official page ↗
Where scouts watch
  • Brighton and Hove
  • Worthing, Arun, Haywards Heath
  • Wider Sussex and Surrey
  • EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
If a scout calls
  1. Ask whether it is a Foundation pathway centre or the academy. Both use the badge, only one registers players.
  2. Lancing is the base for everything. Check the one-hour rule at U9 to U11 from your home.
  3. For girls, note the deadlines. Expression of interest closes in September for the ETC and in April or May for the academy.
  4. Keep the grassroots club. The ETC model is designed to run alongside it.
Watch out

Three things parents get sold.

A pathway centre trial is a Foundation trial. The academy's own recruitment is by scouting.
The girls' academy will not consider players who have already accepted retention at another professional game academy.
Foundation trial dates are announced on social media, not always on the website. Follow the Foundation account.
Sources

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

Nearby

Other academies in reach.

Category 3

AFC Wimbledon

Wimbledon, south-west London · U9 to U18

No open trials · 4 real routes in

See the pathway →
Category 1

Arsenal

Walthamstow, north-east London · U9 to U21

No open trials · 4 real routes in

See the pathway →
Category 1

Brentford

Osterley, west London · U9 to U21 and B team

No open trials · 4 real routes in

See the pathway →
The weekly

One email a week for football parents who want the real picture.

Open days near you, what changed at the academies, one game-intelligence lesson your kid can play in five minutes. No trial-day adverts, ever.

Free. Unsubscribe in one click. We never sell the list.