Pre-season kickoff

Sutton Utd’s U17 academy squad kicked off a three-day training camp in London on Monday, with a 2pm match against Barnet U18. The National League side’s youngsters landed straight into action as part of the club’s first test of the 2026/27 campaign. The match was the opening fixture of a series of on-pitch tests designed to gauge the squad’s readiness for the new season.

London as a talent hub

Recruitment chief Justin Tellus highlighted London as “a hotspot for football talent,” citing the city’s multicultural football landscape and consistently high-standard academies. He said the trip blends on-pitch tests with off-pitch bonding, including a city-centre tour on Monday evening and squad meals at a South London hotel. The camp is intended to push the group physically and mentally ahead of the new season.

Fixtures and opponents

After the Barnet U18 match, the U17s split into two teams for the Cygnus Cup 2026 on Tuesday and Wednesday. They will face National League South’s Walton & Hersham, plus private academies from South London. The squad also has a competitive match against Sutton Utd’s first team, giving academy players a rare chance to test themselves against senior National League opposition.

Development focus

Sutton Utd currently sits 19th in the England National League, 47 points from 46 games (11 wins, 14 draws, 21 losses) with a recent form of LLLLD. The academy’s London camp offers a direct gauge of the club’s youth pipeline against top-tier academies such as Barnet and Walton & Hersham. The club’s goal-difference this season is -20, having scored 59 and conceded 79. The club is 61 points behind leaders York and last played Boreham Wood, losing 1-0 on 2026-04-25.

Next steps

The U17s wrap the London camp on Wednesday before returning to Sutton Utd’s training base to continue preparations for the new campaign. The academy’s focus now shifts to integrating lessons from London into daily training, with Tellus stressing the importance of squad cohesion ahead of league action. The club’s youth set-up has been reshaped in recent months, and the London trip serves as the first major test of the new approach.