Does Brighton & Hove Albion run academy trials?
American Express Elite Football Performance Centre · Lancing, West Sussex · Checked 5 September 2026
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.
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
Boys: invitation after scouting. Girls: published application windows with trial days at Lancing.
- 01Albion 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 ↗ - 02Scouted at grassroots in Sussex
Academy scouts cover junior leagues and tournaments across Sussex, Surrey and the south coast. Invitation follows observation over time.
- 03Girls' Emerging Talent Centres
The club's August 2025 notice describes two free centres for ages 8 to 12. Players continue with their grassroots clubs. This notice is for 2025/26. It does not confirm an open 2026/27 trial window. Use the FA centre directory to ask about this season's assessments.
Official page ↗ - 04Girls' academy trials: 2025/26 window has ended
The club's March 2025 notice invited girls for Under-12 to Under-16 trials in June 2025. Applications closed on 21 April 2025. These dates have passed. The notice does not confirm 2026/27 trial dates. Use the current FA academy contact to ask about future assessments. Girls' notice checked 5 October 2026.
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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- Brighton and Hove
- Worthing, Arun, Haywards Heath
- Wider Sussex and Surrey
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask whether it is a Foundation pathway centre or the academy. Both use the badge, only one registers players.
- Lancing is the base for everything. Check the one-hour rule at U9 to U11 from your home.
- For girls, note the deadlines. Expression of interest closes in September for the ETC and in April or May for the academy.
- Keep the grassroots club. The ETC model is designed to run alongside it.
Brighton & Hove Albion girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Brighton & Hove Albion is listed in the FA's Professional Game Academy directory. Girls' information checked 5 October 2026.
Use the FA's Professional Game Academy directory to contact this club. Ask which age groups it currently recruits and whether it is accepting trial enquiries. A directory listing does not mean trials are open.
Official page ↗The club's August 2025 notice describes two free centres for ages 8 to 12. Players continue with their grassroots clubs. This notice is for 2025/26. It does not confirm an open 2026/27 trial window. Use the FA centre directory to ask about this season's assessments.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
- Brighton & Hove Albion, girls' Emerging Talent Centre applications, Sep 2024 ↗
- Brighton & Hove Albion, girls' academy 2025/26 registration ↗
- Albion in the Community, Football Pathway centre trials, Sep 2025 ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
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Updated 17 October 2026. Last verified 5 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.