Brentford awarded Category One Academy status

“We knew that promotion moved us one step nearer to European football, and while we still recognise that it is a big challenge to qualify for Europe, if we did manage to achieve it then we wouldn’t want to be prevented from taking part because of a technicality in the UEFA rules,” he said.

Brentford were promoted to Category Two status in 2024, becoming the first side to jump two levels in one go. Now they have risen to the top tier following an audit from the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC).

From the start of 2026/27, the club will compete in Premier League 2 – the Under-21s league for the top Academies in the country – and the U18s Premier League. Category One status also enables access to a broader range of games programme opportunities for teams from U9s upwards.

David Rainford, who became Brentford Academy Director in February, said: “This is an important milestone for the Academy and a significant step for the club. It reflects the collective commitment, alignment and long-term investment from senior leadership, staff and departments across both the club and the Academy.

“Reaching this level in a relatively short period of time is a meaningful achievement, and a credit to the hard work, dedication and collaboration of the many people who have contributed to building and developing the Academy to this point.

“Category One status brings both increased opportunity and responsibility. It strengthens our ability to develop players capable of progressing to Brentford’s first team, while remaining firmly committed to an environment that supports the holistic development of players, encompassing performance, personal development, education and wellbeing.”

Brentford placed 61st in TGG’s Academy Productivity Rankings for 2024/25, up from 64th the previous season.