Full name | Chelsea Football Club Reserves and Academy |
---|---|
Nickname(s) |
The Blues The Young Blues |
Ground |
Recreation Ground Cobham Training Centre Stamford Bridge |
Capacity | 7,100 (Recreation Ground) 41,663 (Stamford Bridge) |
Owner | Roman Abramovich |
Chairman | Bruce Buck |
Manager |
Adrian Viveash (U23) Jody Morris (U18) |
League |
Premier League 2 (reserves) U18 Premier League (academy) |
Chelsea F.C. Reserves are the under-23 team of Chelsea Football Club. They play in the Premier League 2, which is the top level of reserve football in England. They were the Champions in the 2013–14 season. The team mainly consists of Under-21 players at the club, although senior players occasionally have an appearance, for instance when they are recovering from injury. The under-23 team is coached by Adrian Viveash.
Chelsea F.C. Academy is the under-18 team of Chelsea Football Club. It is a member of the Professional U18 Development League. They have won the FA Youth Cup eight times, including four consecutive titles between 2014 and 2017. The youth team is coached by Joe Edwards. The academy is regarded as one of the best in English football and has produced many successful players such as the brothers Ron and Allan Harris, Peter Bonetti, Bobby Tambling, Barry Bridges, Bert Murray, John Hollins, Peter Osgood, Ray Wilkins, Graeme Le Saux, Bobby Smith, Terry Venables, Jimmy Greaves, and John Terry.
Neil Bath is the Head of Youth Development who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the academy along with Michael Emenalo who is the current Technical Director, having been promoted from Assistant First Team Coach, and largely responsible for exploring and recruiting new players around the world.