EJA

The Eastern Junior Alliance (EJA) is widely regarded as an important stepping stone between professional academy football and traditional grassroots youth football, providing talented young players with the opportunity to develop and compete at a higher level both on and off the pitch.

At Brentwood Town, our EJA setup forms a key part of the club’s player pathway, helping ambitious young players continue their development within a competitive and structured environment.

We are committed to providing a clear and genuine pathway towards senior football at the club. Our U23s side provides an important link between EJA football and the first team, giving players the opportunity to continue their progression beyond youth football and take further steps towards senior semi-professional football at Brentwood Town.

Over the years, a number of players have progressed through Brentwood Town’s youth setup before going on to enjoy successful careers across both the professional and non-league game. These include past and present first-team players such as Shad Ngandu, Sam Park, Andy Freeman, Danny Ogunleye and Lee Noble.

For the 2026/27 season, Brentwood Town will operate four EJA age groups:

U14s — Managed by Paul Barnes and Mike Evans
U15s — Managed by Billy Wells and Dominic Barrett
U16s — Managed by Michael Nicoll
U18s — Managed by Warren Fenton

All Brentwood Town EJA home fixtures are played on the first-team stadium pitch at the Brentwood Centre Arena, giving our young players the opportunity to represent the club in a senior football environment.

Through high-quality coaching, competitive EJA football and a clear progression route from youth football into our U23s and towards the first team, our aim is to give talented young players every opportunity to continue their development and take the next steps in their football journey at Brentwood Town.