Brentford’s Youth and Development Squad teams will start their league campaigns this weekend.
As announced earlier this summer, Brentford are now running a Category Two Football Academy under the new Elite Player Performance Plan.
As a Category Two Academy, Brentford’s Under-18 and Under-21 sides have been entered in to a regional league with the other teams at the same level in the south of the country.
Brentford’s opponents at both Under-18 and Under-21 level will include Swansea City, Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic, Ipswich Town and Queens Park Rangers.
Both the Under-18 and Under-21 sides begin their campaigns against Millwall this weekend.
The Youth Team welcome the South London side to Jersey Road while the Development Squad will play away to The Lions.
The Under-21 match will be played at Millwall’s Training Ground, Calmont Road, Bromley Hill, Bromley, Kent, BR1 4BZ.
Louis Lancaster, Brentford’s Youth Team Manager, and Jon De Souza, the Club’s Development Squad Manager, are both looking forward to the challenge.
Louis said: “We are all ready.
“The players have been building towards it.
“They are looking forward to it and so am I.
“The standard this season will be really good and if the Club wants to move forward, they need those challenges.
“The best thing for players is to be challenged; it’s all part of learning.”
Jon said: “It’s always nicer to play for three points.
“Although it won’t only be about results, we want our young players to learn how to win games of football.
“When there are points at stake, it is more meaningful.
“At any level you want to win.
“It will be a real test and you want to test yourself against the best clubs, we will see how we go against them.
“This is about preparing for First Team football and we will prepare for games like the First Team do.”
The rules for Under-18 football are more stringent than in the past so only players who are the right age can play – previously Clubs were allowed to field overage players if they were on scholarships.
Brentford will have 12 scholars eligible for Under-18 football – First Year scholars Richard Bryan, Lewis Lavender, Montell Moore, Michael Onovwigun, George Pilbeam, Fabian Rowe, Josh Stockwell, Lionel Stone and Joe Taylor and Second Year scholars Myles Hippolyte, Joe Maloney and Stefan Tomasevic.
The remaining Second Year scholars – Sam Beale, Josh Clarke, Tyrell Miller-Rodney and Aaron Scott – will be eligible for the Under-21 side along with those on Development Squad contracts – Charlie Adams, Antonio German, Sam Griffiths, Michael Kamau, Alfie Mawson, Luke Norris, Emmanuel Oyeleke and Aaron Pierre – and any First Team players that fall in to the right age range.
The Under-21 side can also feature and over-age goalkeeper and three over-age players in any match day squad.
Both Under-18 and Under-21 teams can include younger players.
Brentford’s Development Squad built up to the season with a 1-1 draw against Stoke City and a win over visiting Belgian side Royal Boussu Dour Borinage, although the side that played against the Belgians was Under-18.
They also played games against non-league Hitchin Town, Maidenhead United and Banbury United, drawing one game and losing two.
The Youth Team played behind closed doors friendlies against Aston Villa, Coventry City and Stoke City.
Louis said: “We have got better every week.
“The players have a positive attitude.”
Louis also took charge of the young Development Squad team and said it helped him build in to the season.
“This was the first positive 90 minutes.
“I was happy and we will build on that.”
Jon said: “Overall I have been disappointed with performances.
“I was very happy with how we played against Stoke.
“I hope we can take that Stoke performance in to the season.”
An interview with Louis Lancaster is available on Bees Player at http://www.player.brentfordfc.co.uk/latest-news/article/2886651/date/20120816094900/page/0/name/LOUIS-LANCASTER-INTERVIEW
A video interview with Jon De Souza is available at http://www.player.brentfordfc.co.uk/latest-news/article/2887625/date/20120817084600/page/0/name/JON-DE-SOUZA-INTERVIEW
The Youth Team fixture list is available at http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/youth-team-fixtures.aspx
The Development Squad fixture list is available at http://www.brentfordfc.co.uk/fixtures-results/development-squad-fixtures.aspx