A Registered Charity No: 1002559

New Addington Little League Football

Academy League History:

The Academy League was set up in 1988 to provide football for the many 8 and 9 year old applicants attending our annual trials. Originally this league, while filling a need, was regarded by some as an extra to the Premier league but since those early days it’s standing has increased to such an extent that it is now of equal importance. It is certainly hugely popular with the parents who regularly turn out in all weathers to watch their offspring demonstrating quite good footballing skills.

Like their colleagues in the main teams all Academy players are provided, free of charge, with football shirt, shorts and socks which remain the property of the league. Again, the only items of kit the parent has to supply are football boots and shin guards.

Each Academy team is associated with a Premier team and when the players reach the age of 10 years they move up into their respective main teams. The Academy games are played as 7-a-side matches on a smaller pitch with 12 x 6 ft goals.

The association between Academy and Premier teams is:

Comets with Colts, Cubs with Lions, Hawks with Eagles, Terriers with Kestrels, Tigers with Rangers and Wasps with Arrows.

The Academy league is run on same lines as the Premier league with regard to match fixtures with the Academy games kicking-off first on their smaller pitch followed, when that game ends, by their Premier team colleagues kicking-off on the larger 11-a-side pitch. In this way the players, managers and spectators from one team can support their associated teams.

The annual trophy for which the teams compete is the ‘Steven Deegan Shield’ named after a former exemplary member of the Arrows team.  Last season (05/06) Hawks were the undisputed champions winning both halves of the league season and Cubs were runners-up with the overall second highest number of points.

The Academy League Champions to date are: