Centre of Excellence

The pinacle of girls' football development

In 1997, The FA launched a girls' programme specifically designed to work with talented female girls aged eight to 16 years old. This programme was called the Girls' Centre of Excellence and provided the top tier of the progression programme for female footballers. There are currently 30 licensed centres across the country and Norwich City is proud to have held its licence for more than 12 years.

Players wishing to be selected for the Centre of Excellence take part in annual trials held each year, and, with more than 250 girls trailing for around 60 places, competition is very high. Outfield players selected will train two hours, twice a week with their squads, and goalkeepers will also receive a specific session based on their position. In addition to these sessions, all players selected will take part in educational workshops that will include elements such as nutrition and strength and conditioning.

This season, the squads (U11s, U13s, U15s and U17s) will take part in regional fixtures against other professional licensed centres including Arsenal, Chelsea, Gillingham and Colchester. There has also been an introduction of an U9’s section, where players will train once a week for an hour and continue to play for their grassroots club.

You can keep track of the under-17s progress on their league page on The FA's Full Time website.