UKUS
Newsletter
Category 1ChampionshipU9 to U21

Does Norwich City run academy trials?

Lotus Training Centre · Colney, Norwich · Checked 7 September 2026

NoTrial information

No open door into the academy itself, which recruits through a wide network of scouts covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex and beyond. The genuinely open route is Norwich City Football Development, a club-run programme (separate from the academy) with Development and Advanced Centres across Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Peterborough, Suffolk and Surrey, plus school-holiday camps anyone can book. It runs its own open trials through the season, and standout players are referred directly to the academy's scouting and recruitment team or picked for City Select and pre-academy squads.

Got a trial or a scout’s invitation? How to prepare your child →

Practise decisions before the trial: free Look First game →

Category1
First entryU9
FeederNorwich City Football Development
Open trialsAcademy: none. Football Development: yes
GirlsNo PGA women's academy
BaseColney, Lotus Training Centre
Recruitment and training programmes

How recruitment works

Football Development open trial or holiday camp, then referral to the academy's own scouting and recruitment team.

  1. 01
    Club programmePaid, per season
    Norwich City Football Development, Player Development Programme

    32-week Development and Advanced Centres for ages 6 to 16 across five counties, run by UEFA-qualified coaches, feeding into the Category One academy. Open trials are held through the season for new players.

    Official page ↗
  2. 02
    Paid programme
    Football and Technical camps

    Holiday camps open to all abilities, ages 5 to 14, across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. A stated route to being seen by Football Development coaches and scouts, and can lead to a Development Centre trial invite.

    Official page ↗
  3. 03
    Scouted
    Scouted at grassroots

    A network of casual academy scouts, split by county and age band, covers Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex and further afield. Reports lead to invitations coordinated through the current club.

Got a trial invite?

What scouts watch, what to bring, what to ask. £19 ($25)

Get the pack

Club section delivered within 48 hours of purchase. Checkout is in US dollars.

What to bring to an academy trial

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra.

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.

Bootsadidas F50 Club kids bootsMost trials are on grass or 3G. These grip on both, so your child can turn and stop without slipping.See price on AmazonShin padsMitre Aircell shin padsMost clubs will not let a child train without shin pads. The ankle sock keeps them in place.See price on AmazonBallMitre Impel footballA few touches before the session helps nerves. Size 4 for most 8–11s, size 5 from about 12.See price on Amazon

Which ball size? See our size guide.

We have not tested these products. Check size, price and delivery on Amazon before you buy.

Norwich City development centre

Paid programmeFree tasters, paid centre
Community Sports Foundation, Development Centres and taster events

The club's charity runs its own Boys' Football pathway (Mini Kickers through Advanced Development Centre) across Norwich, Aylsham, Dereham, Gorleston, Heacham, Lowestoft, Thetford and Wymondham, with free taster evenings ahead of each season.

Official page ↗
Where scouts watch
  • Norfolk and Norwich
  • Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
  • Essex and wider East of England
  • EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
If a scout calls
  1. Check whether the contact is from Norwich City Football Development (the club's satellite programme) or the academy at Colney itself; only the academy formally registers players.
  2. Norwich's Category One catchment stretches unusually wide, into Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Essex. Ask which regional centre and travel rule applies to you.
  3. Camps are open to all and low-commitment; a Development Centre place is a bigger paid step. Ask what happens if your child is not retained at renewal.
  4. Casual scouts are recruited by region and age band, so coverage quality can vary county to county; a strong local league profile still matters most.
Watch out

What to check before you agree

Some third-party guides list the academy as based at 'Colney Training Centre'; the current name in club materials is the Lotus Training Centre, same Hethersett Lane site.
Football Development centres are a club-branded but separately paid programme, not academy registration, despite feeding into it.
There is no women's Professional Game Academy at Norwich City; check current provision directly before assuming a girls' pathway exists at every age.
Sources

Compare every club: football trials UK 2026, by club, age and region.

Updated 17 October 2026. Last verified 7 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.

Nearby

Other nearby academies

Category 1

Ipswich Town

Rushmere St Andrew, Ipswich · U9 to U21

No open trials

Read the club guide →
Category 3

Stevenage

Stevenage, Hertfordshire · U9 to U18

No open trials

Read the club guide →
Category 3

Leyton Orient

Chigwell, Essex border with east London · U9 to U18

No open trials

Read the club guide →
Email newsletter

Weekly advice for football parents

Get academy updates, questions to ask your child’s coach and simple football tips. We do not advertise paid trial days.

Free. Unsubscribe in one click. We never sell the list. Privacy