Four years on from Category 1 status - what have Palace achieved?
Promotion to the Premier League, if built upon properly, has the ability to change a club beyond recognition
Crystal Palace’s arrival into the top flight in 2013 provided Steve Parish with an opportunity, albeit one earlier than expected, to implement his vision of making the club sustainable and self-sufficient.
Long-term security was essential if the Eagles were to break free from the recurring trends of financial turmoil and administration that had marred the club’s recent history before the CPFC2010 takeover.
One of the key ways identified to ensure this stability was to develop and improve the club’s youth system to capitalise on the enormous local talent pool in South London.
The areas around Selhurst Park have been recognised as national hot-beds for producing high quality footballers. This provided the club with an opportunity to develop home-grown talent capable of being integrated into the first-team and eventually sold for unadulterated profit.
The Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) introduced into the English football league system in 2012 to improve the quality and consistency of elite home-grown player development, stipulated that club academies would be divided into four categories.
The ‘Category 1’ academies would be considered the most ‘elite’ and would be judged on coaching quality, training facilities and productivity rates.
At the time of promotion and EPPP inception, Palace’s youth facilities at Copers Cope had long been in need of investment and widespread improvement. Premier League money was the silver bullet needed to spark this period of development.
And so began the club’s plan to elevate their youth setup to compete with the very best in the country, ensuring that the most prodigious talents would view South London as a viable option for their career progression.
Seven years and £20 million later, Parish had achieved his aim of “having one the country’s leading football academies”, as ‘Category 1’ status was bestowed upon the club in the summer of 2020.
A major redevelopment of the land opposite the first-team training ground on Copers Cope Road had just begun and Palace had been rewarded for their forward thinking and commitment to their long-term vision. This success only made possible by the years of Premier League survival overseen by Parish.
Image via cpfc.co.uk
Whilst tangible on-pitch success in the Premier League was no guarantee, maintaining top-flight status and improving academy infrastructure was the only way to ensure continuous growth. If the club could produce high-class talent on a regular basis, they would have a constant source of self-generated potential income.
Category 1 status as well as ambitious plans to redevelop Selhurst Park’s Main Stand would finally allow Palace to boost their self-generated revenue figures and compete with more elite Premier League clubs.
Parish’s long-term vision of financial sustainability deriving from increased internal revenue flows, was underway.
What has happened in the four years since Cat 1 status was achieved?
Since the club achieved Category 1 status, there has been steady improvement for both the U21s and U18s.
Since 2016, Category 1 status has been a mandatory requirement for clubs to compete in Premier League 2, the highest U21 division in the country. Palace’s first campaign in this league came in the 2021/22 season.
A fifth placed finish in the Eagle’s debut campaign was improved by a fourth placed finish to the 2022/23 season.
Last season, the league was expanded to 26 teams, with the format of the competition also evolving. Following the culmination of twenty match weeks, the top sixteen sides face off in a knockout tournament, with the top team seeded against the bottom.
In the first season of the new format, Darren Powell’s Under-21 side finished ninth, losing in the quarter finals to Liverpool as the Reds came back from two goals down to win 3-2.
The season was not over however, as Powell’s side reached the final of the Premier League International Cup for a second consecutive season against PSV Eindhoven.
Palace were able to avenge their 3-1 defeat in the previous season as they ground out a 1-0 win and lifted the trophy at Selhurst Park.
Credit: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
The progression over the last three seasons has been steady, meeting the club’s desire for consistent and long-term success at academy level.
The Under-18s have had a similar trajectory, with a second placed finish in their first season in the Under-18 Premier League South.
Consecutive third placed finishes in 2021/22 and 2022/23 set the standard, however Rob Quinn’s side dropped to sixth last season. Movement of key players into the Under-21 squad towards the climax of the campaign played a part in this.
This can be seen as a positive for the club, as progressing players through the ranks is a clear sign of the depth of talent that the academy possesses.
However, direct progression into the first team has been limited. Tyrick Mitchell made his way into the first team squad the season before Category 1 status was achieved, and he remains the only current academy graduate with a solid starting place.
Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has knocked on the door, making a strong claim following his successful loan move to Charlton.
However, poor squad planning has limited his progression as he was denied a loan move in the 2023/24 season due to a lack of first-team squad depth.
Rak-Sakyi is thought of very highly at Selhurst Park and it is hoped that a Championship loan move for the upcoming season will enhance his development significantly.
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Killian Phillips has also seen regular minutes, starting frequently for both Shrewsbury Town and Aberdeen.
Other players have not been so fortunate with their loan moves, with Malcolm Ebiowei and Sean Grehan both sent to clubs where they were not utilised well, the latter being sent to a club deep in a relegation battle.
However, the approach to loan moves seems to be changing, with more ambitious clubs in the EFL eyeing Palace’s talent pool. David Ozoh has completed a season-long loan to Derby, where it appears he will play an important role.
Both Joe Whitworth and Owen Goodman have secured EFL moves which should see the pair start men’s football each week, whilst exciting winger Roshaun Mathurin is attracting interest from Exeter City and Northampton Town.
The importance of finding appropriate destinations for these youngsters is vital, and getting loan moves organised also allows progression from the Under-18s to the Under-21s.
What has Category 1 enabled Palace to do?
The primary aim of the FA’s EPPP was to “systematically convert” talented youth players into professionals capable of playing at the highest level. In doing so, clubs would have to balance the pursuit of “technical excellence” with “financial viability” both now and in the future.
It was hoped that a more structured approach to academy football would increase competition and ultimately improve the quality of coaching and the provision of high class facilities.
In order to reach Category 1 status, Palace’s academy site needed to undergo a major redevelopment to meet required standards.
So, as a prerequisite of being an elite academy setup, registered youth players at Palace now have access to state of the art facilities specifically tailored to their development.
Six full-sized outdoor pitches were installed, including an outdoor 3G floodlit pitch. These were in addition to the construction of a full indoor 3G training pitch that now dominates the academy site.
Players from all age-groups now make use of these facilities, with the entire academy setup now based at the Copers Cope site. This creates a clear and visible pathway of progression for players to strive for.
Palace have also invested heavily in the education provision that accompanies their on-pitch offering. State of the art classrooms, lecture rooms, meeting spaces and analysis areas are now available to academy players.
This ties in with the club’s dedication to ensuring that prospects at the academy develop off the pitch as well as on it. In 2022, Palace became the first British club to offer a three-year ‘after care’ plan to released players.
The aim is to help youngsters deal with the trauma of being let-go and assist them in their quest to find new clubs or alternative education offerings. The new indoor classroom spaces are essential for Palace to be able to deliver this plan.
Attracting older youth talent is as much a part of the club’s action plan as developing talent from an early age. Having a youth setup to rival the best academies in London enables this.
On countless occasions in recent seasons, the club have been able to secure the services of highly sought after players who are ready to slot straight into the U18s and U21s.
Talents such as Zach Marsh, Roshaun Mathurin and Adler Nascimento all chose Palace as the place to develop despite interest from other clubs.
Credit: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Pulling power of this nature is something that Palace have not had before and it is hoped that talent retention will also improve.
18 year-old midfielder Hindolo Mustapha, who signed a professional contract with Palace in January, had been the subject of heavy interest from Chelsea but decided that his future was best served in South London.
The combination of producing, attracting and retaining high quality players has been the immediate benefit of Palace’s investment. It is hoped that first-team debuts and high-profit sales will eventually follow.
Why has the path to the first team not been as clear as hoped?
For many young players looking to make their way through to the first team, the manager can sometimes prove to be a roadblock. Under Roy Hodgson, Palace were playing with a manager who trusts experience and took few risks.
Whilst Rak-Sakyi was heavily praised, Jordan Ayew was the preferred candidate during Michael Olise’s period on the sidelines.
When Cheick Doucouré suffered a season ending blow, David Ozoh stepped in and performed exceptionally, most notably in the 2-2 draw to Manchester City at the Etihad.
However, he was later snubbed by Hodgson in favour of the experienced Will Hughes, missing out on a golden opportunity to stake a claim for a regular place in the starting XI.
The general lack of success with Palace’s recent loans has been disappointing. Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s spell at Charlton has very much been the exception.
The reality of the situation does need to be clarified. Breaking into a Premier League squad, let alone a starting XI, is a feat few academy players accomplish.
Whilst there is undoubtedly huge talent in Palace’s ranks, it is crucial to understand that the process of breaking through is made up of a combination of successful loans and, at times, luck.
Injuries to first team players in positions where squad depth is thin can be the catalyst for a player’s breakthrough, as was the case with Mitchell.
Oliver Glasner’s appointment was undoubtedly a move which inspired those in the academy. Palace secured a manager who has history in promoting youth players to the first team, showing an attitude suggesting that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
Players such as Franco Umeh have proven this, with Glasner reportedly preferring the Irish wing back to Premier League experienced Ryan Sessegnon who trained with the South London club before returning to Fulham at the end of July.
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Others, including Roshaun Mathurin, will be hoping they are provided the opportunity to impress the Austrian manager and stake a claim for a position in the Premier League squad.
What next?
The first stage of Palace’s academy plan is well underway. They have invested heavily in order to achieve Category 1 status and improve their setup.
In doing so, they are now producing better players and are able to compete with the biggest clubs in the country at youth level.
The next step is perhaps the hardest one to take. Palace need to find a way to transfer this success into first team appearances and - eventually - big sales.
Having a manager who trusts in the ability of young players is a must and with Oliver Glasner, the Eagles are well placed.
The Austrian opted to take seven academy players on the first-team’s pre-season tour of America.
Credit: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
His decision was vindicated as Asher Agbinone scored Palace’s third goal in a 3-1 victory over Wolves, a game that saw minutes for all of the Eagles’ young stars.
This follows a trend of smooth integration between the academy and first-team with youth players regularly training alongside Glasner’s squad.
There is hope within the club that many of the current crop of U21s will be able to make the step up in the future. Rak-Sakyi is best placed to do this but players such as Joe Whitworth, Asher Agbinone, Franco Umeh and Roshaun Mathurin have shown their capabilities in a senior environment.
Experience of senior men’s football is often the determining factor as to whether a youth player can successfully adapt to life in the Premier League. The club, having recently secured a temporary move for 20-year-old Ademola Ola-Adebomi, will be eager to provide some of their other brightest prospects with opportunities to depart and gain experience.
Category 1 status and improved facilities provide the foundational basis for Parish to achieve his long-term ambitions for the Crystal Palace academy. High quality players are being produced - the club now need to ensure that these players are provided with opportunities to make their mark in senior football.
Thumbnail Credit: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images
Henry Swain and Haris Armstrong
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