Does Burnley run academy trials?
Barnfield Training Centre, Gawthorpe · Padiham, Lancashire · Checked 7 September 2026
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.
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
AiSCOUT submission or Community Trust centre, then a formal academy trials day at Barnfield on invitation.
- 01AiSCOUT 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 ↗ - 02Shadow 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 ↗ - 03Girls: 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 ↗
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.
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Burnley development centre
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 ↗- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Burnley girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Burnley has a girls' Emerging Talent Centre listed by the FA. An Emerging Talent Centre provides extra training alongside grassroots football. Girls' information checked 5 October 2026.
Burnley FC in the Community runs a centre for girls aged 9 to 16 in Burnley and the surrounding area. Selected players train for 90 minutes each Thursday for 30 weeks. They can keep playing for their grassroots club or school. The official page links to trial registration. Confirm the next date and age group before applying.
Official page ↗The club and Burnley College published an open trial for players aged 16 to 21 on 17 February 2026. That date has passed. The programme combines football with a course at Burnley College. Contact the programme about later opportunities. This notice does not confirm a Professional Game Academy licence.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
- BBC Sport, Burnley academy achieves Category One status, May 2025 ↗
- Lancs Live, Burnley launch AiSCOUT global talent search, Jan 2021 ↗
- Burnley FC in the Community, Player Development Centre (Boys) ↗
- Burnley FC in the Community, Shadow Youth Team trials at Burnley Training Centre, May 2025 ↗
- Burnley FC in the Community, FA Girls Emerging Talent Centre ↗
- 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 7 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.