Martin Brock on the Junior Premier League
For families weighing up whether the Junior Premier League is right for their child, the questions tend to be the same: what actually is it, how does it differ from grassroots football, and what's the real commitment involved. To get straight answers, Football Parent spoke to Martin Brock, Chief Executive of the JPL.
The Junior Premier League is one of the largest competitive youth football organisations in the UK, running leagues, showcase events and international tours for clubs across England and, increasingly, abroad.
This is Part 1 of our interview with Martin, covering what the JPL is, how it compares to grassroots football, the standards clubs are held to, and what parents should expect in terms of trials, training, travel and cost.
About Martin Brock and the JPL
Martin Brock
Chief Executive – Junior Premier League (JPL)
Martin Brock is Chief Executive of the Junior Premier League, one of the largest competitive youth football organisations in the UK, operating nationally and increasingly abroad alongside its girls' league, JPL Warriors.
What Is the Junior Premier League and Why Was It Created?
Football Parent asks
What is the Junior Premier League and why was it created?
Martin Brock • JPL
The JPL was created to fill a gap. Between grassroots football and the professional academy system, there were thousands of talented, ambitious young players who'd outgrown their local leagues but weren't in an academy, and nowhere was built specifically for them. We created the JPL to be that place: a genuinely competitive environment where serious young players get better games, a bigger stage and a real pathway to find out how far they can go.
We think of ourselves as more than a league, a launchpad. A league is about fixtures and tables. A launchpad is about what those games lead to: development, exposure, and opportunities most young players never get. That includes international tours to train at some of Europe's biggest clubs, showcase events in front of scouts, and selection for our JPL All-Stars.
Today we're one of the largest organisations of our kind, operating nationally and increasingly abroad, alongside JPL Warriors, our fast-growing girls' game. But the founding idea hasn't changed: give ambitious young players football that matches their ambition.
Football Parent perspective
The gap Martin describes, between grassroots and academy football, is one a lot of parents recognise once their child starts asking for more competitive games than their local league provides.
Our guide to what the Junior Premier League is covers the structure, age groups and clubs involved in more detail if you're new to the JPL.
How Does JPL Football Differ From Grassroots Football?
Football Parent asks
How does JPL football differ from traditional grassroots league football?
Martin Brock • JPL
Honestly, it's a different level of commitment and competition, and it's not trying to replace grassroots, because the two do different jobs. Grassroots football is brilliant, and for many children it's exactly right: local, inclusive, low-pressure, all about playing and enjoying the game. The JPL is for the player who wants more than that, who's ready for stronger opposition, higher standards and football that genuinely stretches them.
In practice that means better-matched competitive fixtures, often against clubs from further afield, a more serious training environment, and a standard of organisation that treats families as customers rather than just participants. It also means more commitment in time, travel and cost, which we'll always be upfront about.
The simplest way I'd put it: grassroots is where most children should start and many should happily stay. The JPL is for the ones who've outgrown it and want to test themselves. Neither is better than the other. They're built for different children, at different stages.
Football Parent perspective
Martin is careful here not to frame the JPL as an upgrade on grassroots, and that distinction matters. Our guide to what grassroots football is explains why it remains the right environment for most children, and JPL vs grassroots football sets out the practical differences side by side if you're weighing the two up for your own child.
What Standards Must Clubs Meet to Compete in the JPL?
Football Parent asks
What standards must clubs meet before they can compete in the JPL?
Martin Brock • JPL
Clubs need to show they can deliver a genuinely competitive, well-run football environment: proper coaching, appropriate facilities, safeguarding, and the ability to field committed, competitive teams across age groups.
But I'll be candid, because it matters: maintaining a consistently high standard across a large, growing organisation is the biggest challenge in what we do, and it's the thing we're most focused on right now. As the JPL has grown, we've been honest with ourselves that the standard hasn't always been uniform, and our own clubs have told us the same.
So we're moving toward a clearer, tiered structure with defined entry criteria for each level, so a family always knows exactly what they're getting and the standard of competition is protected. I'd rather tell you that straight than pretend every fixture, everywhere, is already perfect. The ambition is a league where the level is guaranteed. We're not all the way there yet, and we're working hard to get there.
What Type of Player Is JPL Football Designed For?
Football Parent asks
What type of player is JPL football designed for, and how can parents judge whether their child is ready?
Martin Brock • JPL
The JPL is designed for the ambitious player, the child who loves the game, wants to be challenged, and is ready to commit to getting better. Notice I said ambitious, not necessarily elite. This isn't only for future professionals; it's for any young player outgrowing their current level who wants football that stretches them.
On readiness, I'd point parents at three honest questions. First, is your child genuinely hungry for tougher competition, or content where they are? There's no wrong answer, but the JPL suits the former. Second, are they resilient? The step up means harder games and sometimes tougher results, and a child needs to enjoy that challenge rather than be discouraged by it. Third, is the family ready for the commitment: the training, the travel, the time? It works best when the child is driving it, not the parent.
If your child is the one asking for more, they're probably ready. If it's mainly you wanting it for them, I'd pause and think carefully.
Football Parent takeaway
Martin's third question, whether the whole family is ready for the commitment, is easy to skip past when a child is excited about trialling. It's worth answering honestly before you start the process, not after your child has already set their heart on a club.
How Do Players Join a JPL Club?
Football Parent asks
How do players usually join a JPL club? Are open trials the most common route?
Martin Brock • JPL
It varies from club to club, and that's the honest answer rather than a dodge. Some clubs run open trials, advertised sessions any player can attend, which are the most transparent route and a good place for families new to the JPL to start. Others recruit through scouting networks, word of mouth, or by inviting players they've come up against. Many use a combination.
My advice to a parent is simple: contact the JPL clubs in your area directly and ask how and when they recruit. Don't wait to be found, the most proactive families tend to find the best fit. And treat a trial as a two-way process. The club is assessing your child, but you should be assessing the club just as hard: the coaching, the environment, how they treat families, whether it feels right.
The right club for an ambitious player is worth travelling for. The wrong one, however prestigious it sounds, isn't.
Football Parent perspective
Martin's point about assessing the club as hard as it assesses your child is worth holding onto once trial season arrives, when it's easy to focus only on whether your child was selected. Our guide to JPL trials and how to get into the Junior Premier League covers how to find and prepare for trials in more detail.
What Should Parents Expect in Training, Travel and Cost?
Football Parent asks
What should parents realistically expect in terms of training, travel, costs and commitment?
Martin Brock • JPL
I'll give you the straight version, because families deserve to plan properly. Training is typically more frequent and more serious than grassroots, expect a real weekly commitment. Travel is usually greater; competitive football against strong opposition sometimes means longer journeys, and that's part of the trade for better games.
Costs are higher than grassroots and vary by club, covering coaching, facilities, kit and league participation. Any reputable club sets these out transparently before you commit, and if they won't, that tells you something. There are also extraordinary opportunities on top: international tours to train at some of Europe's biggest clubs, showcase events and All-Stars selection.
But the core commitment is a meaningful one for the whole family, not just the player. My honest advice: go in with your eyes open. Ask the club for a full picture of time, travel and cost up front. The families who thrive are the ones who understood the commitment before they started and were genuinely up for it.
Football Parent takeaway
Martin's advice here is essentially: get the full picture in writing before you commit, not after. If you're also weighing up whether JPL football feeds into academy trials down the line, our guide to whether the JPL leads to academy football is a useful next read.
Final Thoughts
Across this first part of our interview, Martin Brock is upfront that the JPL isn't for every child, and isn't trying to be. It's built for players who've outgrown grassroots football and are actively asking for more, not for parents who want a more competitive environment on their child's behalf.
He's also candid about where the organisation still has work to do, particularly on making standards consistent across a large and growing number of clubs. That honesty is worth bearing in mind when you're assessing any individual JPL club: ask the questions Martin raises here directly rather than assuming every club meets the same bar.
Part 2 of our interview with Martin will follow separately.
To learn more about the JPL, its clubs and its programmes, visit the Junior Premier League.
Editor's Note
The views expressed in this interview are those of Martin Brock and the Junior Premier League. Football Parent regularly interviews coaches and organisations to present a range of evidence-informed perspectives on youth football.
