The Jersey Football Association and Jersey Bulls are pleased to announce a joint agreement has been reached for the Bulls to take on leadership of the island’s performance pathway, supporting the development of the most talented young players.

The new Jersey Bulls Academy will, from this season, run high-quality weekly coaching sessions for the most advanced boys and girls with identified potential, alongside a small fixtures programme. It will take on the mantle from the Jersey FA Performance Centre (boys), which provided a pathway from under-11s through to under-21s, and the Player Development Centre (girls) which ran three age groups (u12, u14 and u16s).

Jimmy Kelly, Chairman of the Jersey FA Board of Directors, said: “We’re really excited to collaborate with Jersey Bulls to ensure the top local girls and boys continue to have the right support to develop their skills and fulfil their talent.

“In our discussions with the Bulls over the past few weeks, I’ve been impressed with the energy, enthusiasm and ambition of all those involved. The Jersey FA’s role in running the performance pathway has long been contemplated by parents, clubs, players and Jersey FA colleagues. Most other County FAs do not directly run this area of player development. Until now, though, we simply haven’t had a local partner in such a strong position to step-up to deliver what’s needed.

“The Bulls are rightly absolutely committed to equality between their new boys’ and girls’ set-ups, and I’m particularly looking forward to seeing how they build on all the good work to date to further strengthen the female player pathway and the conveyor belt through to Chad Morris’ senior women’s side.

“I’d like to thank all those Jersey FA colleagues, coaches, volunteers and players who’ve put so much time and energy into the Centre of Excellence, Performance Centre and Player Development Centre over so many years. I hope many of them will join Jersey Bulls and help to ensure the new Bulls Academy is a success.”

Jersey Bulls CEO, Ian Horswell, said: “We are excited to announce that the Jersey Football Association has given us the opportunity to establish the Jersey Bulls Academy. This initiative will usher in a new era of excellence in youth football, benefiting not only our club but the entire island. 

“Our goal is to create a clear pathway for our talented young players, ensuring that each one has the chance to reach their full potential.

“Over the past three years, we have fielded a youth team, with our under-18s competing in the FA Youth Cup. This season, we were already introducing an under-16 girls team in the Surrey County Cup and an under-15 boys team in the JPL Cup. Expanding our programme to also include boys and girls from under-11 upwards is a thrilling development.”

It is anticipated the Jersey Bulls Academy will begin sessions after the October Half Term. Jersey Bulls would like to hear from all interested coaches, including those wishing to make the move across from the Jersey FA’s Performance Centre (boys) or Player Development Centre (girls). Coaches can contact academy@bulls.je or pass their details on via the Jersey FA office.

The Bulls will release further details about the new talent identification stage and player selection process for the 2024-25 season, along with training start dates, in due course.

Parents, guardians, coaches, players and JFA Combination League club representatives will be invited to an information evening in the next few weeks to find out more.