York City U18s kick off their EFL Youth Alliance league campaign this Saturday when they travel to Preston North End (11am kick-off).
After ten years away, the Minstermen have returned to the Football League, and for the academy, the new season represents the beginning of a long-awaited return to EFL competition.
City’s opening day opponents are Preston North End, a Category Two academy who finished runners-up to Shrewsbury Town in the division last season.
The Lilywhites have faced Blackburn Rovers and Fleetwood Town during their pre-season preparations, while City began their own schedule in front of a crowd of more than 900 at Pickering, suffering a 4-2 defeat.
City, on the other hand, began their preparations in front of a 900+ crowd at Pickering, falling to a 4-2 defeat before registering a 2-1 win over Goole.
That was followed by a 2-1 victory over Goole, with further tests against Barnsley U18s and York College featuring.
Tomorrow’s fixture will take place at Springfields Training Ground (PR2 1XR), the home of North End’s Academy, with kick-off scheduled for 11am.
Live match updates will be available on X (@YCFCAcademy), along with post-match reaction and highlights on YouTube.
Looking ahead to the game, U18s Manager Tim Ryan said:
“We are looking forward to stepping back into the EFL programme, we’ve had a good pre season and have some talented players who I’m sure will rise to the challenge ahead!”
