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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

2011

The JPL launches

2014

JPL CVF programme launches

2021

JPL Warriors girls league launches

2023

JPL USA launches

JPL GCC launches

JPL Oman launches

2025

JPL Canada launches

JPL Australia launches

2012

JPL ALL STARS programme launches

2016

JPL Tours launches

2022

JPL Bahrain launches

JPL Headquarters opens in England

2024

JPL Qatar launches

2026

JPL Caribbean launches

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 6 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

Global Expansion & Qatar 2026

Our commitment to creating a truly global presence reached a landmark milestone in 2024 with the official opening of the JPL in Qatar. This expansion was the result of a high-level founders meeting that brought together some of the most influential names in Qatari Youth football, PSG, Lusail, EVO, Juventus, and Icon. This strategic collaboration ensures that our presence in the Gulf is built on a foundation of elite standards and professional excellence.

With active plans to further expand into Asia, the growth of the world’s premier youth football competitions shows no sign of stopping. We remain dedicated to bringing the beautiful game to all corners of the world, fostering talent through world-class infrastructure and competition.

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