Morning
- Technical and possession work on the grass.
- English-standard intensity from the first whistle.
Program · Manchester, England
TheEnglish
pathway.
Radcliffe FC, the Neuven Stadium and the football pyramid that made the English game. Greater Manchester is the base — the season is the audition.
Partner club · Radcliffe FC
RadcliffeFC.
KnownasBoro.
Founded in 1949 as Radcliffe Borough, the club has played its football at Stainton Park — today the Neuven Stadium — on Pilkington Road since 1970. It is a community club in the truest sense: run by its town, backed by its own supporters, and now competing in the sixth tier of English football.
Radcliffe remains its own club, with its own identity, badge and history. The Phoenix connection links football thinking, coaching and people across Manchester and Dubai — players who step into this environment are training and playing inside a genuine English senior football club, not a closed academy bubble.
The ground sits ten minutes from Bury and twenty from Manchester city centre, on the Metrolink line — a football city and a university city in one.
In non-league England nothing is given to you. You earn the shirt on a Tuesday night in the rain, and that is exactly why scouts trust what they see here.
League structure
WhereRadcliffesitintheEnglishpyramid.
National League North · Step 2
Radcliffe compete in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football and two promotions from the EFL. Full-blooded senior football against clubs with professional histories.
Promotion and relegation are real
The English pyramid is open all the way down. Every result moves the club up or down it — which is exactly why performances here are watched.
Scouted every single week
EFL and Premier League clubs run recruitment networks across the North West. Non-league Manchester is one of the most heavily scouted football regions on earth.
Premier LeagueTier 1
EFL ChampionshipTier 2
EFL League OneTier 3
EFL League TwoTier 4
National LeagueTier 5
National League North · Radcliffe FCTier 6
Northern Premier LeagueTier 7
The rhythm
Adayinthelife.
Afternoon
- Dedicated study hours for your degree.
- Gym, prehab and recovery.
- Video review of your last performance.
Evening
- Strength & conditioning blocks.
- Midweek fixtures under the floodlights.
- One-to-one performance reviews.
Weekend
- Saturday matchday in the English pyramid.
Where you live
YourbaseinGreaterManchester.
Where you live
- Managed player accommodation in Greater Manchester.
- Transport to training, the gym and every fixture.
- Full support with arrival, registration and settling in.
Manchester — the city
- Two of the biggest clubs in world football on your doorstep.
- Metrolink from Radcliffe into the city centre in twenty minutes.
- A university city — study and football in the same place.
Three clubs · One network
Oneyearhere.Threewaysforward.
Set on the US college route?
We can help you get there too. Our partner handles placement and recruitment into the American college system — so you keep playing while you earn your degree.
What's included
Everythingtheseasonasksfor.
On the pitch
- Daily training in an English senior football environment.
- Exposure to Radcliffe FC coaching and matchday staff.
- Competitive fixtures across the North West.
- Full training, travel and matchday kit.
Performance & exposure
- Match footage captured for review and recruitment.
- Tactical video analysis.
- Personal highlight reel.
- Pathway conversations handled by Phoenix Football Network.
Living & support
- Accommodation in Greater Manchester.
- Medical insurance for training and matches.
- Physiotherapy and recovery.
- Player welfare support throughout the season.
Education & logistics
- An accredited degree studied alongside the season.
- Visa and registration guidance.
- Airport transfers on arrival.
- Transport to training and fixtures.
12
England does not hand out shirts.
A small English intake for 2026/27. You are stepping into a club with a seventy-five year history and supporters who expect a standard — the shirt is earned, week by week.
- Quality before quantity. If only a handful of players meet the standard, that is the intake.
- Radcliffe FC remains an independent club — this is a football and people connection, not an ownership one.
Manchester · Intake 2026/27
Book your evaluation call.
See if you meet the standard for the English pathway. Pick a time below and we'll speak directly.