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I am joined by Gary Penn, Head of Audit Development at the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC), on Episode 28 of my podcast.
PGAAC was established by the Premier League, EFL, and the Football Association, and functions as the football version of OFSTED. They perform EPPP audits on all Category 1 to 4 academies, assessing everything from leadership and player care to education, safeguarding, and medical standards. Gary and his team ensure that academies meet the over 500 rules and guidelines of the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) to determine their Cat 1 to 4 status level.
Gary tells me that many clubs call themselves academies, but a real academy has Category 1 to 4 EPPP Player Registrations, gets funding from the EFL or Premier League and are audited by PGAAC.
Full Episode: Link in my bio (Out Now)

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"PGAAC Head Of Audit Development - Gary Penn ("What Makes An Academy Real"") - Episode 28 Snippet")" is an episode of Marvee Woods Football Academy Podcast. Runtime 1 min. Published June 5, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.