Does Leyton Orient run academy trials?
Training ground, Chigwell · Chigwell, Essex border with east London · Checked 5 September 2026
No open trials. Orient recruits from as young as Under-7 through a dedicated pre-academy recruitment manager whose job description includes inducting trialists and their parents and giving feedback on trial outcomes. That is unusually structured for a Category 3 club. Scouting covers Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Hackney and Tower Hamlets. Leyton Orient Trust runs community sessions and, for girls, an Emerging Talent Centre with open sessions, jointly with the club.
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How recruitment works
Invitation after scouting, an induction meeting, a trial period with feedback at the end.
- 01Scouted at U7 to U10 in east London
The academy employs a recruitment manager specifically for U7 to U10, coordinating scouts to fixtures and tracking players against club profiles. Trialists get an induction and feedback on the outcome.
Official page ↗ - 02Leyton Orient Trust sessions
Community coaching across the four home boroughs. Coaches refer players they see to the academy and, for girls, to the Emerging Talent Centre run jointly with the club. Open sessions for the girls' centre are announced on the Trust site.
Official page ↗ - 03Trial period after recommendation
Reported as a six-week trial with the age group, with inductions and feedback meetings run by the recruitment team. Confirm the length when invited.
- 04Coach referral with fixture list
Grassroots and school coaches can refer players to academy recruitment. Include the fixture list so a scout can attend.
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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Leyton Orient development centre
Run by the club every Friday in school term, 5.30pm to 7pm, at Peter May Sports Centre, Wadham Road, Walthamstow E17 4HR. Open to all children aged 7 to 13. You book and pay per session. The club says the programme has links with the academy. It is a coaching session, not a trial.
Official page ↗By age group
- Waltham Forest
- Redbridge, Hackney, Tower Hamlets
- West Essex
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask for the induction meeting. Orient's recruitment role includes one for every trialist and their parents.
- Ask how long the trial is and when feedback comes. The club's process includes feedback on outcomes, so expect it.
- The training ground is in Chigwell. Check the travel rule from home, one hour at U9 to U11.
- Category 3 suits families who want local, lower-hours academy football. Ask about coaching hours per week.
Leyton Orient girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Leyton Orient Trust runs a girls' Emerging Talent Centre (ETC) jointly with the club. An ETC is the FA's first step on the girls' talent pathway. Open sessions are announced on the Trust site, and Trust coaches refer girls they see in community sessions.
Club page ↗What to check before you agree
What parents ask about Leyton Orient
Is there a Leyton Orient Development Centre?
Yes. The club runs a Development Centre every Friday in school term, 5.30pm to 7pm, at Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow. It is open to all children aged 7 to 13 and costs £10 a session, booked online. It focuses on individual skill and technique. The club says it has links with the academy, but a place there is not an academy trial.
What category is the Leyton Orient academy?
Category 3 under the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), the Premier League's academy rules. Category 3 academies usually train fewer hours a week than Category 1 or 2 academies and recruit more locally.
Where does the Leyton Orient academy train?
At the club's training ground in Chigwell, on the Essex border with east London. The Development Centre is separate and runs at Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow.
Does Leyton Orient hold open trials for 16 to 19 year olds?
Old social media posts advertise open trials for 16 to 19 year olds, but they are several years old. We found no open academy trial announced for 2026/27. Check the club's own news page, and ignore reposted dates from past seasons.
Is Leyton Orient a good academy?
It depends on what your child needs. As a Category 3 academy it offers local, lower-hours academy football. Its recruitment is unusually structured for that level: the club employs a recruitment manager for Under-7 to Under-10, and every trialist and their parents get an induction and feedback on the outcome.
- Leyton Orient FC, Academy Recruitment Manager U7 to U10 job description ↗
- Leyton Orient FC, Player Development Centre returns, Jun 2025 ↗
- Leyton Orient Trust, girls' engagement and Emerging Talent Centre ↗
- Junior Grassroots Hub, Leyton Orient academy listing ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
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Updated 17 October 2026. Last verified 5 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.