QPR to apply to become 30th Category One Academy

CEO Christian Nourry said: “This is an important next step for us as we look to develop and enhance every area of the football club.

“The next 18 months will be a major undertaking for our Academy Director Alex Carroll and his staff as they seek to meet the increasingly elevated standards that are required by the relevant institutions in order for us to successfully upgrade from our current Category Two status.

“If successful, this will be another landmark milestone in the bright future that I believe we are all building for this football club.”

Academy Director Alex Carroll added: “I am extremely grateful to Christian and our ownership group for the belief shown in the potential of our long-term youth development strategy.

“The Academy football landscape in London is highly competitive, and this news confirms our ambition to compete against the very best clubs in our area – as well as nationally.

“The significant investment in our facilities at TSG Training Centre will go a long way to attracting and retaining the very best talent – on and off the field – for our Academy.”

QPR also listed the benefits of Category One status:

• ⁠Eligibility to compete in the top tier of national competitions, such as Premier League 2, EFL Trophy and U15 Premier League Floodlit Cup
• ⁠Allowed to cast our youth recruitment net beyond the current radius that we are allowed to recruit from
• ⁠Obtain a more significant fee for Academy players when they decide they want to leave but we would prefer that they stay
• ⁠Be provided with the gold star standard and reputation that parents of the best young talents in the country seek in a potential destination for their son

QPR ranked 50th in TGG’s Academy Productivity Rankings for 2024/25, down from 42nd the season before. 

The current Category One clubs are: