An FA Youth Cup tie against Ipswich Town brings back fond memories for Kevin Keen.
Almost 40 years ago, on a cold Monday evening in December 1984, a teenage Keen was on the score-sheet in a second-round win at home to the Tractor Boys.
The Hammers ran out 2-1 victors that evening but would exit the competition in the next round, courtesy of defeat away to Swindon Town. That outing against Ipswich was the last time West Ham United met the Suffolk side in Youth Cup action.
Both teams have gone significantly further than the second and third-round already this season. Preparations for a six-round clash at Portman Road are well underway, with a spot in the semi-finals up for grabs.
For Keen, the prestige of the FA Youth Cup remains the same now as it did when he played in the tournament as a youngster.
“For all scholars and young footballers, I think the FA Youth Cup is the game everyone wants to play in,” Keen told whufc.com “It’s the competition everyone wants to do well in because there is only a two-or three-year window to do well in this competition for young players.
“Different age groups bring different players and different standards too. You’re always hopeful, especially at a club like West Ham, of doing well in competitions like this. The last few years we haven’t hit those heights, so it’s been a challenge for us. We’ve done well this year and we want to go further, but we know Ipswich will want to progress as well.”
A trio of away games proceeded yet another trip on the road for the U18s in this year’s competition. Wins over Sheffield United, Burnley and Stoke City mean the young Irons have gone further than any other West Ham side in the last 18 years.
Keen is anticipating a comparable test against Ipswich to the one that met his side faced in Sheffield and Burnley.
“I think Ipswich will be similar to the Sheffield United and the Burnley games,” he continued. “Both of those were really tough matches and this won’t be any different. Each was different a scenario, but they were hard battles – particularly the Burnley one. The Stoke City game was different to the first two, but we’re expecting another really tough match against Ipswich.
“You’ve got to win the game that’s in front of you and, in this round, that’s Ipswich Town at Portman Road. We know it will be done and dusted on the evening, one way or another, and Ipswich will back themselves to do well at home having beaten two good sides there already. They’ve got a good team that play attacking football.
“We’ve watched some of their matches and they’ve beaten two Category One Academies to get to the last eight in Nottingham Forest and Liverpool. They’ve got a lot of experience playing at Portman Road, which is going to be a big plus for them, and they will have home supporters there too. It’ll be a tough, but fantastic challenge, for our lads.”
While the Hammers have reached the last eight, league form in recent weeks has not been to the U18s’ immensely high standards so far in the 2022/23 season.
But back-to-back losses at the hands of Southampton and Chelsea were followed by a ruthless dismantling of Norwich City. The 6-0 score-line against the Canaries was the side’s biggest win of the campaign: a timely return to form after a first two league defeats.
“The last FA Youth Cup game was really good but then we’ve lost a couple of league games,” Keen reflected. “I definitely feel like we deserved more from Southampton away, but a couple of little things went against us, and we should have got at least a point.
“That being said, in the Chelsea game, I feel like they were better than us. They’re a good team at youth team level and were a bit better than us on the day.”
Is more learned in defeat than from the wins earlier in the season?
“It’s probably accurate in this case. Of course, you still analyse the victories and get an idea of why you win games, and what is working well. At the same time, defeats bring scenarios that we’ve not come across for a while and you must figure out why those are happening.
“It brings a different mindset so I would say we’ve learned more in those losses. It’s a little disappointing but, at the same time, it wasn’t for a lack of effort or players giving it a real go.
“As long as our players give it a real go, play with pride and play the West Ham way, we’ll be okay.”
For most West Ham supporters, Portman Road is just a short jaunt up the A12; significantly closer than the likes of Sheffield, Burnley, and Stoke.
As such, Keen is hopeful the Claret and Blue faithful make the trip to Ipswich and show their support to the U18s, as they seek to reach a first semi-final since 1999.
“I think the possibility of supporters being there backing them will be mentioned,” he added. “They want to be professional footballers and they need to be used to playing in front of crowds.
“I really hope we get a good crowd of West Ham fans there, and I’m sure a lot of our supporters would love to come and see what is potentially the future of the West Ham first team.
“We’ve got a couple of really good young players and fans might be seeing the next Declan Rice or Mark Noble, and will be able to say ‘five years ago I saw that kid play in the FA Youth Cup away at Ipswich Town’. I hope we can bring a good atmosphere with us.”