Professional Development League (England) 2026/27

League England 2026 Finished

Leader

Table

2026

Professional Development League
#	Team	P	W	D	L	G	±	Pts
1	Bolton Wanderers Res.	6	6	0	0	19:3	+16	18
2	Fleetwood Town U21	7	5	0	2	10:11	-1	15
3	Bristol City U21	5	2	3	0	13:8	+5	9
4	Swansea City U21	6	3	0	3	11:9	+2	9
5	Charlton Athletic U21	6	2	3	1	10:8	+2	9
6	Wigan Athletic U21	7	2	3	2	17:20	-3	9
7	Cardiff City U21	5	2	2	1	13:5	+8	8
8	Coventry City U21	5	2	1	2	10:10	0	7
9	Sheffield United U21	5	2	1	2	7:7	0	7
10	Barnsley U21	5	2	1	2	11:13	-2	7
11	Peterborough United U21	5	2	1	2	8:12	-4	7
12	Huddersfield Town U21	4	2	0	2	8:7	+1	6
13	Sheffield Wednesday U21	6	1	3	2	9:9	0	6
14	Colchester United U21	6	2	0	4	13:19	-6	6
15	Queens Park Rangers U21	6	1	1	4	11:16	-5	4
16	Hull City U21	4	0	1	3	5:11	-6	1
17	Millwall U21	4	0	0	4	2:9	-7	0

LeaderTop of the tableBottom of the table

Matches

Season in numbers

46 Matches played

177 Goals

3.85 Scored per game

22 Home wins

14 Away wins

10 Draws

Clubs

All teams

About

The Professional Development League operates as the secondary tier of English youth football. It was established in 2012 by the Football Association under the Elite Player Performance Plan. The competition is managed by the Premier League for Category 1 academies and the EFL for Category 2 academies. It serves as the highest level for U21 players in Category 2 academies, while the Premier League 2 serves Category 1.

The league is split into two regional divisions: Division One North and Division One South. Teams play a round-robin format within their division, including home and away matches, plus inter-divisional matches. The top two teams from each division advance to a single-leg knockout semi-final and final to determine the national champion. There is no promotion or relegation between the Professional Development League and the Premier League 2. Participation is determined by the club's EPPP academy category status. Within the league, teams may move between North and South divisions to maintain balance, but this is administrative rather than sporting.

The competition replaced the Premier Reserve League (1999–2012) and the Central League/Football Combination. It differs from the Premier League 2 by being regionalized and restricted to Category 2 academies, whereas the Premier League 2 is national and for Category 1. Huddersfield Town is the most successful club in the Professional Development League with two titles. The 2025–26 champion is not yet determined as the season is ongoing or recently concluded without a widely confirmed winner in available sources.