SERVETTE FC
Pre-Season Match, Stade de Genève, Friday 8 July 2022, 6pm CEST (5pm BST)
West Ham United kick-off their 2022/23 pre-season schedule with a visit to the Swiss city of Geneva and a fixture with Super League club Servette.
After five days of training over the border in the French town of Évian-les-Bains - along the south shore of Lake Geneva - the Hammers head to the 30,000-capacity Stade de Genève for a Friday evening game at 6pm.
There, David Moyes' squad will play the first of seven warm-up matches in preparation for a campaign that will see the Irons compete on four fronts at home and abroad.
Around 800 West Ham fans are expected to make the trip to Switzerland for the game. You can find ticket information here, with all seats priced at £8.50.
It is 98 years since the Hammers made their first trip to the Alpine country - a 1-0 victory in Bern in May 1924 - and the east Londoners have been regular visitors to Switzerland in the meantime, returning in 1931, 1934, 1936, 1946, 1966, 1967, 1987, 2011 and 2018 for pre-season matches, and most recently for a camp in Bad Ragaz.
The 1987 visit was the second of two previous meetings with Servette, and West Ham's only previous trip to the Stade de Genève. The Swiss side ran out 3-1 winners.
How to get there…
There are regular daily flights from London to Geneva with a variety of airlines, including British Airways and Easyjet.
Once you have arrived at Geneva Airport, it's a very short and easy journey into the city centre.
Geneva Airport is located three miles to the north of the city and is easily reachable by public transport, with trains to the Gare Cornavin taking just six minutes, and buses taking about 20 minutes. Gare Cornavin is Geneva's main public transport hub, from where you can catch a tram or train to most areas of the city.
From Gare Cornavin, take tram 15 in the direction of 'Palettes' and get off at stop 'P+R Étoile'. From there it is a ten-minute walk to the stadium. An alternative is to take tram 12 in the direction of 'Palettes' and get off at 'Bachet-de-Pesay', from where it is a five-minute walk to the stadium.
From the city centre, you can also take bus 4, which will take you right outside the stadium.
If you hire a car, the stadium is located off the A1 motorway by taking the 'La Praille' exit and taking the Route des Jeunes. The address for the stadium is 16, route des Jeunes 1212 Grand-Lancy.
Where to stay…
Despite its relatively small size, Geneva is a global city, a financial centre, and a worldwide centre for diplomacy due to the presence of numerous international organisations, including the headquarters of many agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross.
As such, it receives LOTS of visitors all year round, and therefore houses thousands of hotel rooms, so you should be able to find a room or other accommodation to suit your budget.
The best areas of the city to stay are the Vielle Ville ('Old Town') for the major sights, restaurants and bars, and the Paquis for more lively nightlife.
What to do…
As Switzerland's second-largest city, Geneva is home to around 200,000 people and sits on the far west end of Lake Geneva, close to the border with France.
The Lake itself is the biggest draw, and you can enjoy a pleasure cruise across the flat, shiny waters from a variety of tour operators.
On the other side of the city, the Alps rise behind the rooftops. While clearly there is no skiing at this time of year, you can take a cable car up into the mountains and enjoy the view.
As for the city itself, the top attractions are the Jet D'Eau, a huge fountain that shoots water 140 metres into the air, St Pierre Cathedral and the Vielle Ville ('Old Town').
What’s happened there before…
As mentioned in the introduction, West Ham United visited Servette in July 1987, when John Lyall's side were beaten 3-1 by their Swiss hosts.
Tony Cottee was on target for the Hammers, for whom Ray Stewart, Alvin Martin, Liam Brady, Mark Ward, Frank McAvennie, Alan Dickens and Stewart Robson also started, and for whom a young Paul Ince appeared as a substitute.
A 4,500-strong crowd were present at Servette's previous home, the Stade de Charmilles, which was built in 1930 and hosted five matches during the 1954 FIFA World Cup finals.
