Our Academy.

The Robins Academy

The Robins Pathway is the foundation of Bristol City Women's long-term ambition. It is a structured, professional player development pipeline that takes the brightest young talent in the South West from grassroots football all the way to the first team, and it represents one of the most respected programmes in the women's game.

Following the most successful season in the club's history in 2022/23, the Academy was awarded Category 1 Professional Game Academy (PGA) status under an FA restructure. This classification places Bristol City Women's Academy among the very top development programmes in England and recognises the standard of coaching, facilities and player care delivered every day.

As the club enters a new era under Mercury13, the Academy is central to everything we are building. We are committed to developing not only excellent footballers but rounded, confident young people who are proud to wear the Bristol City Women badge.

Our Squads

The Robins Pathway is made up of the following squads and training groups:

• Professional Game Academy squads: U21, U16
• Club-funded team: U14
• Emerging Talent Centre training groups: U16, U14, U12, U11

Under-21s The Under-21s squad represents the final stage of the Robins Pathway before the senior team. Players at this level train and compete in a fully professional environment, with clear opportunities to be integrated into first-team training and matchday squads.

Under-16s The Under-16s squad is where players begin their full-time Academy journey, developing the technical, tactical, physical and psychological foundations required to progress through to the U21s and beyond.

Club-Funded Under-14 Team Our club-funded Under-14 team forms part of the Professional Game Academy structure, supporting players through a key stage of their development on the route towards the U16s.

Emerging Talent Centre (ETC)

Our Emerging Talent Centre provides talented female footballers from Bristol and the surrounding region with the opportunity to further develop their skills within a high-quality coaching environment. Designed to complement players' existing grassroots football commitments, the ETC offers an additional 1.5 hours of specialist coaching each week, helping players reach their potential while bridging the gap between grassroots football and our Professional Game Academy.

The ETC supports players registered with local grassroots clubs across Bristol and the surrounding region, with training groups at U16, U14, U12 and U11. It is designed to nurture talent at the critical early stages of development, ensuring no promising player in our area goes unseen.

We are passionate about identifying, nurturing and challenging the next generation of players, ensuring that talented individuals across the South West have access to a clear and visible pathway for progression. From the ETC through to our PGA and ultimately the First Team, we aim to inspire ambitious young female footballers to strive towards a long-term future in the game, and to provide the support, guidance and opportunities they need to succeed.

Professional Game Academy (PGA)

The purpose of our Professional Game Academy is to identify, develop and support players with the potential to progress into our First Team. We provide a safe, inclusive and high-performing environment and culture that exposes players to the requirements and demands of the professional game.

We strive to operate an industry-leading dual-career programme, supporting players to achieve their ambitions both on and off the pitch. With a clear pathway to senior playing opportunities and an ambitious First Team environment, our Academy is committed to developing resilient, talented and well-rounded individuals who are equipped to succeed at the highest level of the game and beyond.

A Proven Route to the First Team

The Robins Pathway is more than a development programme. It is a genuine, working route into senior football, and the proof is on the pitch. Twelve current or former Robins Pathway players featured in Lauren Smith's promotion-winning side in 2022/23, and graduates continue to make their mark on the first team today.

Every player who joins the Academy is supported to reach their full potential, both as a footballer and as a person.

We are proud of the breadth and quality of the team behind the Robins Pathway, including the many talented female staff who help our players thrive every day.

For any enquiries, please get in touch through pathway@bristolcitywomenfc.com

Our Academy Staff

Professional Game Academy

• Academy Manager — TBC
• Coach & Player Development Manager — Loren Dykes
• PGA Operations Lead — Simon Lyons
• Performance Wellbeing Lead — Erin McCarthy
• Academy Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) — Gemma Ryan
• PGA U21 Head Coach — Kerri Coombs
• PGA U21 Assistant Coach & U16 Head Coach — Jess Walkley
• PGA U16 Assistant Coach — Kevin O'Reilly
• U14 Coach — Alex Butler
• U14 Coach — Katie Sharkey
• Goalkeeper Coach — Rich Duffy
• PGA Physiotherapist — Zoe Eccles
• PGA Sports Therapist — Zuzanna Mirowska
• PGA Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach — Will Crowfoot

Emerging Talent Centre

• Centre Manager & Designated Safeguarding Lead — Jess Hawkins
• Player Development Lead — Brodie Olive
• Age Group Coach — Ryan Marvin Dempsey
• Age Group Coach — Chloe Bassett
• Age Group Coach — Alex Butler
• Mentee Coach — Emilie Marchant
• Mentee Coach — Zoe Vowles

Safeguarding

The safety and wellbeing of every young person in the Robins Pathway is our highest priority. Bristol City Women FC is fully committed to safeguarding every player, in every age group, at every session.

All Academy staff are DBS-checked, hold up-to-date safeguarding qualifications and are trained to recognise and respond to any concern, however small.

Academy Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO)

Name: Gemma Ryan

Email: gemma.ryan@bristolcitywomenfc.com

If you are a player, parent, guardian or member of staff and have any concern about the welfare of a young person at Bristol City Women, please contact Gemma directly. All concerns are treated confidentially and taken seriously.

For urgent or out-of-hours concerns, please contact the police.

Whistleblowing and Reporting Concerns

We encourage anyone, whether a player, parent, member of staff or visitor, to speak up if something does not feel right. You will always be listened to, and concerns can be raised in confidence.

You can report a safeguarding concern directly, please use this link or the QR code below, or email safeguarding@bristolcitywomenfc.com.

Parents and Guardians

We recognise that the Academy journey is a journey for families too. Parents and guardians play a vital role in supporting their player, and we are committed to keeping you informed, involved and welcome at every stage.

[PLACEHOLDER: PARENT HANDBOOK / WELCOME PACK LINK]

[PLACEHOLDER: U18 Whistleblowing Policy