Rochdale AFC Change of Academy Categorization

As stated, under current Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) rules, any club relegated from The EFL can only operate an Academy for a maximum of two seasons outside of The EFL. After the first season is completed, funding under EPPP is automatically reduced by 50% for any club wishing to continue operating its Academy for a second season. At present levels, for a club operating a Category 3 Academy such as us, this is a reduction in funding of £249,500 per season.

Coupled with the current minimum club contribution of £154,000 per season required to draw down EPPP funding, we know the cost to the club to maintain a Category 3 Academy in 2024/25 to be at least £403,500, in order to maintain 2023/24 spending levels, which were the minimum club contribution of £154,000, plus EPPP funding of £499,000, for a total spend of £653,000.

This £403,500 estimate is modest; the actual amount will probably be much higher because of a number of factors, including compulsory wage increases for staff and players and inflationary pressure on the cost of renting training facilities. Notably, the EFL’s parachute payments (£635,000 in 2023–24) will be cut by 50%. This is a significant reduction in cash that the club will need to find alternative sources of support for.

This season, we were unfortunate enough to be unable to provide scholarship deals to the best athletes in our U16 age group. There was no way to keep U16 players under the current rules. The only way this could have gotten worse was if we had taken the

The club has decided that a charge of over £400,000 for 2024–2025 unfortunately cannot be justified, given the inadequate contractual protection for players and the assurance of only 12 months of Academy status.

The club’s U9–U16 development centres, in partnership with Rochdale AFC Community Trust, and our Category 4 Academy will comprise the club’s young development programme for the upcoming season. In order to stay in The National League in 2025–2026, the club’s young development division will have to start raising money on its own. Currently, the plan is for a BTEC curriculum to take the place of Category 4 services for 16–19-year-olds. This team will play U19 competitions in The National Leagues NLFA North Division, as opposed to The EFL Youth Alliance, which we currently

In the event that we are granted EFL status again for 2025–2026 or at any point after that, the young development programme mentioned above is probably going to stay in place, but an elite strand comprising a Category 3/4 Academy will probably be added.

Our new ownership group’s dedication to securing a Community Sports Hub will undoubtedly help with young development going forward, since it will provide a permanent home for all of the club’s teams. We sincerely hope that this will assist us in luring and keeping skilled athletes in the neighbourhood.

In 2023–2024, Academy graduates played 3198 competitive minutes on the first team, including debuts for Bradley Kelly, Luke Mann, Corey Edwards, and Isaac Burgess. We’re still determined to improve this in upcoming seasons.