The dates and times for West Ham United’s 2022/23 group stage Papa John’s Trophy fixtures have been confirmed.
The Hammers’ U21s have been drawn to play Cheltenham Town, Milton Keynes Dons and Walsall in Southern Group C in the competition, which pits clubs from EFL Leagues One and Two with 16 teams representing Premier League Academies.
Mark Robson’s development side will begin the 2022/23 tournament with a trip to The Bank’s Stadium to face Walsall on Tuesday 30 August, with kick-off set for 7.00pm.
The Saddlers were runners-up in the tournament in 2015 and reached Southern section round two last season.
Up next for the Irons will be a trip to Stadium MK to face EFL League One side MK Dons. A host of familiar names could line up for the hosts with former Hammers Dan Kemp and Nathan Holland in the squad, managed by former West Ham U23s head coach Liam Manning.
The U21s will take on MK Dons on Tuesday 4 October 2022 at 7.00pm.
West Ham’s Southern Group C fixtures will conclude away to Cheltenham Town. The Irons and the Robins will play each other at The Jonny-Rocks Stadium on Tuesday 18 October at 7.00pm.
Tickets for each of these away fixtures will be available in due course here.
The Hammers topped Southern section Group A last season, but later had three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player and were eliminated.
Since entering for the first time in 2016/17, when a 17-year-old Declan Rice started our first-ever tie at Coventry City, the furthest the U21s have gone in the competition was the Southern section round of 16, which the young Irons reached in 2017/18 and 2020/21.
