Does Ipswich Town run academy trials?
Playford Road training ground · Rushmere St Andrew, Ipswich · Checked 7 September 2026
No open trials for the academy itself, which is scout led from Playford Road. The Ipswich Town Foundation, the club's charity, runs the open door: Player Development Centres for ages 6 to 12 anyone can book, and advertised open trials for the boys' Elite Player Development Centres and the girls' Emerging Talent Centre and Performance Squads. Strong players there are referred to the academy's recruitment team. Category 1 since July 2025, the club's first time at the top tier.
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
Foundation open trial (boys EPDC or girls ETC), then invitation into the season's programme; academy proper is scout-led on top of that.
- 01Girls' centre and Performance Squad trials: 2025/26 notice
This Foundation notice invited new players to trials for the Emerging Talent Centre and Performance Squads for 2025/26. It does not announce a 2026/27 trial window. Use the girls' section below for the newer Foundation notice and the FA academy contact. Girls' notice checked 5 October 2026.
Official page ↗ - 02Scouted at grassroots
Academy scouts cover Suffolk and Essex leagues. Category One status from 2025/26 allows the club to recruit nationally from U16 and play in the elite Premier League 2 and U18 Premier League.
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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Ipswich Town development centre
Open trials for the Foundation's invite-track Elite Player Development Centres (EPDC) at venues including Colchester, Bury St Edmunds and St Joseph's College. Anyone not already in the pathway can attend; standouts are invited to join the season's EPDC.
Official page ↗Weekly bookable coaching for all abilities at venues including Portman Road, Copleston, St Joseph's College, Bury St Edmunds, East Bergholt and Woodbridge, with girls-only and goalkeeper-only options.
Official page ↗- Ipswich and central Suffolk
- Essex, including Colchester and Chelmsford
- Wider East of England, with national recruitment from U16
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Check whether an offer is for a Foundation Player Development Centre, an EPDC/ETC place, or the academy itself; only the academy at Playford Road formally registers players.
- A £30m redevelopment of Playford Road was under way through 2025 and 2026; ask whether trial or training venues have moved while building work finishes.
- For girls, the pathway is changing fast: the women's team only secured a conditional Professional Game Academy licence for 2026/27, so ask what age groups are actually running before enrolling.
Ipswich Town girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Ipswich Town 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 Foundation's 2026/27 notice listed trials for its Advanced Training Centre and Elite Player Development Centres on 13 August at St Joseph's College. The girls' groups were Under-8 to Under-9 and Under-10 to Under-11. That date has passed. These are Foundation programmes. Ask separately about academy recruitment.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
- Ipswich Town FC, Academy Awarded Category One Status, Jul 2025 ↗
- TWTD, Town Academy Awarded Category One Status, Jul 2025 ↗
- Ipswich Town Foundation, Player Development Centres ↗
- Ipswich Town Foundation, Girls Pathway Recruiting for 25/26 season, May 2025 ↗
- BBC Sport, WSL academies: can they improve to help homegrown talent?, Apr 2026 ↗
- 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.