Following an application to the English Football League and the Premier League last week, the Club is pleased to announce that it has been granted EPPP Category 3 Academy status ahead of the 2018/19 season.
Over the past two season, Newport County AFC’s Academy has been constantly improving and developing in order to improve the level of coaching, welfare and player development. This comes as the Academy seeks to increase the number of players suitable for First Team Football. Over the past few years the Academy has produced some excellent players including Regan Poole, Lee Evans, Aaron Collins, Momodou Touray and Jay Foulston who have represented the First Team with many progressing to play at Clubs at a high level of the professional game.
At the start of the 2017/18 season, the club implemented a restructure of its Academy in order to help improve its financial performance, player development pathway, and quality of coaching. Throughout the course of the season, the Club has implemented the new structure and has seen the Academy engage with over 400 players and 50 staff.
This change has always been the ambition for the Club as it allows the Academy to not only progress to an EPPP Category 3 Academy but also improve its infrastructure, access player compensation payments, and increase player contact time.
Academy Manager Byron Anthony stated: “I am pleased that the Club is now in a position to transition to a Category 3 Academy. The move will allow us to employ additional full-time staff, improve our operations and communications, as well as increase the quality of players being developed though the pathway as a result of increased player contact time.
“The Club has, in recent seasons, produced some very good players via its Academy, however, many of these have left without the Club receiving compensation rights. Category 3 will provide increased security for its players, as well as the ability to claim compensation for the time invested into them. That aside, our priority and focus is to develop players who can transition to the first team at their end of their Scholarship.”
Watch the Academy 2017/18 Review
Further information regarding the transition to an EPPP Category 3 Academy will be communicated to the Parents, Guardians and Players of Newport County AFC throughout the course of Pre-Season, as well as via their annual Pre-Season Meetings.