West Ham United U18s will travel to Ipswich Town in the FA Youth Cup sixth round on Wednesday 22 February at 7pm.
The tie will see Kevin Keen’s youngsters take on the Tractor Boys at Portman Road, with a place in the semi-finals the reward for the winners.
The Irons have won three away ties to reach the last-eight for the first time since the 2004/05 season, defeating Sheffield United (3-1), Burnley (1-0) and Stoke City (4-1) on the road.
To put it into context, the last time West Ham got to the sixth round, Mark Noble scored a hat-trick in a third-round win over Gillingham and Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale were part of the Southampton team which knocked the Hammers out.
Keen’s side have won 17 and lost just two of the 19 matches they have contested in all competitions and could secure an historic U18 Premier League and FA Youth Cup double if they can maintain their form, but progress at Portman Road will not come easily.
Ipswich have defeated Huddersfield Town (3-2), Nottingham Forest (4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw) and Liverpool (2-0) to reach the sixth round.
Both clubs have tasted victory in the competition previously, with West Ham winning it in 1963, 1981 and 1999, while Ipswich lifted the trophy in 1973, 1975 and 2005.
In 1975, the Suffolk side defeated the Hammers 5-1 on aggregate in the final, while the 2005 team overcame the same Southampton side who had knocked West Ham out in the sixth round.
Ticket details for this season’s sixth-round tie will be announced in due course.
