History

Developing young footballing talent

The Junior Premier League (JPL) received affiliation and sanctioning from the Football Association (FA) in April 2011, following a meeting at Wembley Stadium between our founder, Martin Brock, and FA representatives Steve Rooke and Michael Game. We are grateful that the FA recognised our vision and granted us national affiliation, even in our early stages.

From humble beginnings

On September 10th, 2011, the inaugural JPL season commenced with 15 clubs, including Bath City Academy, JSSI, and Yate Town. By the end of the season, we had crowned champions in both League and Cup competitions for Under 12s through Under 16s age groups. Since then, the JPL has expanded significantly, from one league per age group to an average of 12, and from Under 12s-16s to Under 7s-18s.

Our journey

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12th June 2005

12th June 2005

12th June 2005

12th June 2005

12th June 2005

12th June 2005

Growth and Development

Our initial success rate of 1 in 12 players signing with professional football club academies has grown to 1 in 11 overall and 1 in 7 for JPL representative team players.

In our second season, we received inquiries from girls’ teams but were initially denied permission by the FA to operate a girls’ league. After eight seasons, we were finally allowed to start a small girls’ league with seven Under 16s teams. The following season, this league was rebranded as JPL Warriors to establish a stronger identity. As of the 2024/25 season, the Warriors League includes Under 12s to Under 18s with multiple leagues at most age groups.

Milestones and achievements

The JPL has achieved many notable milestones:

First league to exceed 16,000, 20,000, 25,000, and 32,500 registered players
First league to have a player signed by every professional football club in England
First league representative team to visit Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid Academies for training camps
First English league to expand into the USA & Middle East
The only truly National Youth football league in England

Offices around the world

The JPL’s England office is in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, and we have further offices in the USA and Middle East. We currently employ 16 full-time staff dedicated to providing the best possible service. With plans to expand into Asia the growth of the best youth football competitions in the world show no sign of stopping as we look to create a truly global presence dedicated to bringing the beautiful game to all corners of the world.