Building on strong foundations

Established in 2020, the Altrincham FC Elite Academy has quickly become an important part of the club’s football identity, successfully combining football development with education and providing elite young players with a genuine opportunity to progress within the game.

Graduates such as Louie Fallon, Owen German, Lucas Edwards, Joel Bailey and Remi Raymond are clear examples of the pathway in action, progressing through the academy to represent the first team.

Importantly, three of those players began their journeys at grassroots level within the club, underlining both the strength of the pathway and the opportunity available for local talent, while several graduates have also gained valuable experience out on loan in recent seasons with clubs lower down the non league pyramid.

Strengthening the structure

As the academy has grown, the club identified that while football outcomes were positive, the structure supporting the programme needed to be strengthened to protect the investment made in developing players.

Under the previous model there was a risk that players developed within the academy could move on without the club receiving appropriate recognition or return, and the new framework addresses this directly.

• A clearer contractual pathway for elite players progressing through the academy.
• Greater structure around player progression into senior football.
• A consistent approach to managing player movement and development opportunities.
• A framework that allows the club to continue investing in development with confidence.

This is not about restricting opportunity. It is about ensuring that Altrincham FC can sustain and grow its commitment to player development over the long term.

Investment in the player pathway

The introduction of the framework represents a clear investment in the future of the football club, with the Board committed to working closely with Academy Manager Paul Fay to further enhance the programme.

Additional support will be directed towards the areas that matter most for elite development and progression:

• Coaching provision.
• Player progression planning.
• Pathway development from junior football into the academy.
• Strengthening links into the first team environment.

The focus remains to identify, develop and support players capable of representing Altrincham’s first team, while ensuring the club is structured to benefit from the success of those it develops.

A clear identity and pathway

Altrincham FC has always been rooted in its community, and the strengthened framework reinforces a defined, joined up pathway through the club’s football structure.

There is a clear emphasis on identifying elite local talent and providing both the environment and opportunity for those players to progress along this pathway.

Looking ahead

With the new Academy Player Pathway Framework now approved and being implemented, the next phase of work will focus on understanding what progression to the next level would require over time.

The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) is the governing framework for academies within the Premier League and EFL, and should Altrincham FC achieve promotion to the EFL in the future, the Board wants the foundations already in place to align with EPPP category requirements.

As part of that long term thinking, the club will undertake a measured gap analysis across all areas of academy operations, including facilities, coaching provision, medical provision, safeguarding and education and welfare standards.

Any progression within the EPPP structure would require significant investment and structural development, and will be approached with careful planning.

From the academy