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Category 1Premier LeagueU9 to U21

Does Burnley run academy trials?

Barnfield Training Centre, Gawthorpe · Padiham, Lancashire

YesStraight answer

No open door into the academy itself, but Burnley has run genuinely open recruitment for older players: a worldwide AiSCOUT talent search for anyone over 14 that can lead to a trial day at Barnfield, and Burnley FC in the Community advertises open trial days for its 14 to 16 Football and Education programme. Below the academy, the Community Trust runs invite-only Player Development Centres for boys aged 9 to 16 and an Emerging Talent Centre for girls. Category 1 again since May 2025, which lets the club recruit nationally from U16.

Category1 (since May 2025)
First entryU9
FeederBurnley FC in the Community
Open trialsAiSCOUT (14+) and Community Trust events, seasonal
GirlsNo PGA women's academy
BaseBarnfield, Gawthorpe
The real routes in

4 ways players actually get in.

AiSCOUT submission or Community Trust centre, then a formal academy trials day at Barnfield on invitation.

  1. 01
    Official routeFree
    AiSCOUT open talent search

    Free app-based talent search open to any player over 14 anywhere in the world: record specific drills on a phone and submit. Standout performers are invited to a formal academy trials day at Barnfield.

    Official page ↗
  2. 02
    Paid programmePaid, weekly
    Burnley FC in the Community, Player Development Centre (Boys)

    Weekly coaching for ambitious players aged 9 to 16 at venues around Burnley, run by UEFA-licensed coaches. Not for beginners; a genuine pathway feeder, players keep their grassroots club.

    Official page ↗
  3. 03
    Official routeFree
    Shadow Youth Team / Football and Education trials, 14 to 16

    Open trial days at the Burnley Training Centre for the Community Trust's post-16 pathway feeder, run with Nelson and Colne College. Academy recruitment staff attend. Registration closes ahead of each date and confirmation is by email.

    Official page ↗
  4. 04
    Paid programmePaid, per season
    Girls: FA Emerging Talent Centre

    For girls 9 to 16, one technical session a week plus a small-format games programme, run by the Community Trust. Entry is by trial and enrolment, players can also play for a grassroots club or school team.

    Official page ↗
Where scouts watch
  • Burnley, Padiham and Pendle
  • East Lancashire and the Ribble Valley
  • Wider North West, with national recruitment from U16
  • EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
If a scout calls
  1. Check whether the invitation is from Burnley FC in the Community (the charity) or the academy itself. The Community Trust's centres are the usual first step.
  2. Category One status is recent (2025), regained after being lost in 2022 during a relegation-era downgrade. Confirm current status and age-group entry points directly, since facilities and staffing are still scaling up.
  3. AiSCOUT is genuinely open and free, but only for players 14 and over; younger players need a Community Trust centre or to be scouted at grassroots.
  4. Ask about the travel rule to Padiham. One hour at U9 to U11, 90 minutes at U12 to U16, unrestricted nationally from U16 under Category One rules.
Watch out

Three things parents get sold.

The AiSCOUT search is real and free, but it is a screening app. Thousands enter, a handful get a trial day. Treat it as a lottery ticket, not a plan.
The Football and Education programme trial is for the Community Trust's post-16 course, not the academy scholarship. Same badge, different building, different outcome.
Player Development Centres are invite only through the Trust. Anyone selling a place at one is not the Trust.
Sources

Last verified 7 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us and we will re-check within a week.

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