Does Millwall run academy trials?
Well Hall training ground · Eltham, south-east London · Checked 5 September 2026
Not for the academy. But Millwall Community Trust runs a Player Performance Pathway that has held genuinely open trials for ages 6 to 14, with a resident scout at every session. It is built in tiers: Skills, Development, Advanced, then the academy itself as Tier 4. Sessions follow the academy syllabus, players get a written development plan every term, and the Trust says it recommends only the very best for academy trials. It is the clearest tiered route in south-east London.
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
Open trial into the Trust pathway, then termly reviews. Academy trial only on recommendation from the top tier.
- 01Player Performance Pathway open trial
Run by Millwall Community Trust, launched 2022, for ages 6 to 14. Register interest on the Trust's site and you are contacted with trial dates. Venues have included St Paul's Sports Ground, Rotherhithe, and the Lions Centre, Bolina Road.
Official page ↗ - 02Tiers 1 to 3, then Tier 4 the academy
Skills, Development, Advanced. Weekly sessions from the academy syllabus, an Individual Development Plan each term with a short coach review, movement between tiers on readiness. A performance squad plays in the Junior Premier League.
- 03Resident scout at every session
The Trust states a Millwall scout is present at every pathway session. Players who reach academy standard are recommended for an academy trial.
- 04Scouted in Lewisham and Southwark grassroots
Millwall positions itself as the professional club of Lewisham and Southwark and scouts local junior football directly.
Official page ↗
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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- Lewisham
- Southwark
- Greenwich, Bexley, Bromley
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask which tier your child is placed in and what moves them up. The Trust says tiers are about readiness, not age.
- Ask to see the Individual Development Plan each term. It is part of the membership.
- If an academy trial is offered, ask the length and which age group. Category 2 travel rules are the same as Category 1.
- Category 2 clubs recruit mostly locally. Living in Lewisham, Southwark or Greenwich helps.
What to check before you agree
- Millwall Community Trust, Player Performance Pathway brochure ↗
- Millwall Community Trust, pathway launch and open trial ↗
- Millwall FC, Academy recruitment ↗
- 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.
Also see: Crystal Palace academy trials