Tier 1 - Burnley FC Academy Australasia
It is planned that by 2014, BFCAA will launch this top tier in New Zealand and recruit the very best players aged from 11 to 18 into the full-time 45 week Academy. Perth, Western Australia, now has the first BFCAA Academy in the southern hemisphere after an 18 month interim program. These talented players are now receiving the exact syllabus and contact hours as their counterparts in the UK, with the very best being offered opportunities to trial in the UK, if and when they are considered good enough.
It is the intention that BFCAA will reproduce the same model and give the same opportunities in NZ, but is subject to the quality of players involved through this interim period.
The Academy mirrors the system in the UK where extensive further development in technique, tactical knowledge and fitness is required. Each player will be educated in sports science, diet and nutrition and will be assigned regular homework tasks aimed at developing the individual. All participants will receive written assessments from the Academy coaching staff with regard to areas of strength and areas for improvement within each individual’s game.
Players remain affiliated to the local governing body. The games program is a prerequisite for the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) as governed by the English Football Association and is a necessary step forward to offer the players a complete football education. Training and playing consistently the ‘Burnley way’ is the key focus of the program.