Does Wolverhampton Wanderers run academy trials?
Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground, Compton Park · Compton, Wolverhampton · Checked 7 September 2026
No standing open trials, but Wolves run one-off open events for specific groups, most often goalkeepers: free evening sessions at Compton Park, announced a few weeks ahead on the club site, most recently an outfielder-to-goalkeeper trial for Under-9 to Under-12s in April 2025, for families within ninety minutes of Compton. Outside those, the route in is scouting through the club's Local Academy Scout network across the Midlands, covering ages 6 to 14. Girls go through a separate invite-only registration for the Girls Academy and Emerging Talent Centre.
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
Mostly scouted from grassroots and school football. Occasional open evening events for named age groups and positions, announced a few weeks ahead.
- 01Open goalkeeper / trial events at Compton Park
Wolves periodically run free open trial evenings at the training ground, aimed at specific age bands (recent events covered U8 to U14). Sign-up is via the club website, closes about a week before, and is restricted to those living within 90 minutes of Compton Park, WV3 9BF. Goalkeepers already registered with a professional club cannot attend.
Official page ↗ - 02Scouted across the Midlands, ages 6 to 14
Wolves run a Local Academy Scout structure covering games, school football and tournaments across the Midlands for the 6 to 14 age range, feeding the Pre-Academy and Development Centre. Invitation follows sustained observation, not a single trial.
- 03Girls Academy and Emerging Talent Centre, open training sessions
For girls in school years 3 to 10, the club opens a register-of-interest window (most recently to 1 May 2026) ahead of a series of open training sessions used to recruit into the Girls Academy and ETC. Only those selected are contacted; locations and dates follow later. Attendance is by invite only after registering.
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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By age group
Wolves development centre and Pre-Academy
Wolves runs a Local Academy Scout network across the Midlands for players aged 6 to 14. It feeds the Pre-Academy and the Development Centre. An invitation follows sustained watching, not a single trial.
First academy entry is Under-9. The academy is based at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground, Compton Park, Wolverhampton (WV3 9BF).
Source: Wolves, Academy to host trials for outfielders looking to become goalkeepers ↗
Wolves girls academy trials 2026/27
In April 2026 Wolves invited girls in school years 3 to 10 to register for summer academy and Emerging Talent Centre sessions. Registration closed on 1 May and attendance was by invitation. These sessions have passed.
Use the FA centre contact to ask about the next assessment. Girls’ information checked 5 October 2026.
Source: Wolves, Open training sessions for Girls Academy and ETC ↗
- Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall
- Wider Black Country and Staffordshire
- Birmingham and the wider West Midlands
- EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
- Ask whether the invite is for the Pre-Academy, the Development Centre or the full Academy. They carry different levels of commitment.
- If it's an open trial event, note the 90-minute rule from Compton Park and the sign-up deadline, usually about a week before.
- Wolves rebuilt Compton Park's facilities in 2026 to keep Category One status. Ask what that means for training days and travel once work is finished.
- For girls, register interest in the spring window rather than waiting for an announced trial date. Places at the open sessions are limited and by invite only.
Wolves girls academy trials 2026/27
Girls' academies are licensed by the FA, not the Premier League. How the girls' pathway works.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 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.
Wolves invited girls in school years 3 to 10, as of April 2026, to register for summer academy and Emerging Talent Centre sessions. Registration closed on 1 May. Attendance was by invitation. These sessions are past opportunities. Use the FA centre contact to ask about the next assessment.
Official page ↗What to check before you agree
- Wolves, Academy to host trials for outfielders looking to become goalkeepers, Apr 2025 ↗
- Wolves, Open training sessions for Girls Academy and ETC, Apr 2026 ↗
- Express and Star, Wolves retain Category One academy status after scare, Jul 2026 ↗
- Wolves, Hunter-Barrett appointed academy director, Dec 2025 ↗
- Premier League Youth Development Rules (travel limits, registration) ↗
- Girls' pathway: official programme or FA directory, checked 5 October 2026 ↗
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Updated 21 October 2026. Last verified 7 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.
Also see: Aston Villa academy trials and Brookvale