2025-26 Under-18 Professional Development League Cup
The 2025-26 Under-18 Professional Development League Cup is the fifth campaign of the domestic youth team cup competition, which pits Category 2 teams against each other in an initial three-game group stage. All Category 2 academies are scheduled to be involved along with selected invitees from Category 3, with groups drawn geographically. Clubs play each other once, either home or away, with the winners of the groups advancing to the quarter-finals. The knockout rounds will be one-off matches.
Peterborough United are the defending cup holders.
Contents |
Teams
Bournemouth, Barnsley, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers, Brentford, Cardiff City, Charlton Athletic, Cheltenham Town, Colchester United, Coventry City, Crewe Alexandra, Doncaster Rovers, Fleetwood Town, Gillingham, Grimsby Town, Hull City, Luton Town, Mansfield Town, Millwall, Oxford United, Plymouth Argyle, Port Vale, Portsmouth, Preston North End, Queens Park Rangers, Stockport County, Swansea City, Swindon Town, Watford, Wigan Athletic, Wimbledon, Wrexham.
Group Stage
Group A
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Bournemouth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Cheltenham Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Plymouth Argyle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Portsmouth | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
26 August 2025
|
| Bournemouth | 1-3 | Cheltenham Town |
|---|---|---|
| Chubinidze | Obieri (2) Croose |
AFC Bournemouth Performance Centre
|
22 November 2025
|
| Bournemouth | 3-3 | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|
| Chubinidze (2) Akaunu |
TBC |
AFC Bournemouth Performance Centre
|
Group B
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Cardiff City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Swansea City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Swindon Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Wrexham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
26 August 2025
|
| Swindon Town | 4-1 | Swansea City |
|---|---|---|
| Millard '33 Owiti '34, '72 Reed '35 |
Own Goal '65 |
The Imagine Cruising Stadium
|
4 October 2025
|
| Cardiff City | 5-1 | Swindon Town |
|---|---|---|
| Allmark '6 Hilaire-Clarke '9, '62 Sykes '25 (pen), '67 |
Larkins '45 |
Cardiff International Sports Arena
|
22 November 2025
|
| Cardiff City | 1-4 | Swansea City |
|---|---|---|
| Reynolds '90+5 | Clarke '27, '49, '81 C.Jones '86 (pen) |
Cardiff International Sports Arena
|
22 November 2025
|
| Wrexham | 6-0 | Swindon Town |
|---|---|---|
Globe Way
|
Group C
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Wimbledon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Charlton Athletic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Gillingham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Millwall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
27 August 2025
|
| Gillingham | 6-1 | Millwall |
|---|---|---|
| Sargent '27, '35, '38 Beszant '30 Booth '41 Carruthers '84 |
TBC '33 |
Beechings Cross Training Ground
|
22 November 2025
|
| Gillingham | v | Wimbledon |
|---|---|---|
Beechings Cross Training Ground
|
Group D
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Colchester United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Luton Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Oxford United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Watford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 August 2025
|
| Luton Town | 3-0 | Oxford United |
|---|---|---|
| Frimpong-Kwakye Hincapie-Alonso Gawel |
The Brache
|
26 August
|
| Watford | 3-3 | Colchester United |
|---|---|---|
| Trialist Smith-Daley To.Akinyimika |
Makatta Campino do Vale Nkrumah |
University College London
|
Group E
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Blackpool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Fleetwood Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Stockport County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Wigan Athletic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
26 August 2025
|
| Wigan Athletic | 1-4 | Blackpool |
|---|---|---|
| TBC '45+3 (pen) | Mannix '18 Butterworth '42, '62, '81 |
Christopher Park
|
Group F
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Barnsley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Grimsby Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Hull City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Preston North End | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
22 November 2025
|
| Preston North End | 3-2 | Hull City |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson '30 Ayodele '62 Gryba '70 |
Umoren '32 Matique '80 |
Springfields
|
Group G
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Bolton Wanderers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Coventry City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Crewe Alexandra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Port Vale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
22 November 2025
|
| Bolton Wanderers | 1-5 | Crewe Alexandra |
|---|---|---|
| Best '30 | TBC '25 TBC '41 TBC '51 TBC '56 TBC '63 |
Lostock
|
Group H
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Brentford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Doncaster Rovers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Mansfield Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Queens Park Rangers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
26 August 2025
|
| Doncaster Rovers | 2-2 | Queens Park Rangers |
|---|---|---|
| Murray Middleton |
Brunson Oluwabusola |
Cantley Park
|
26 August 2025
|
| Mansfield Town | 1-3 | Brentford |
|---|---|---|
| Walters '28 (pen) | Outtara '50 Kasujja '62 Giscombe '82 |
Radford & Hymas Academy
|
4 October 2025
|
| Brentford | 2-3 | Doncaster Rovers |
|---|---|---|
| Boni '4 Bobb-Semple '45+1 |
Murray '41 Swales '48 Pavan '55 |
Wheatsheaf Park
|
22 November 2025
|
| Queens Park Rangers | 4-6 | Brentford |
|---|---|---|
| Adjety-Brew '25 Neziri '30 Wright '66 Brunson '69 |
Redknapp '39 Bobb-Semple '45 Madden '49 Roca '51, '58 Hanson '86 |
TSG Training Centre
|
Quarter-Finals
The eight group winners advance to the quarter-finals, where they play a one-legged tie.
Semi-Finals
Final
Goalscorers
| Player | Club | Goals |