Walsall v West Ham United U21s
Papa John’s Trophy – Southern Section Group C, Poundland Bescot Stadium, Tuesday 30 August, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s will play their first cup competition fixture of the 2022/23 campaign on Tuesday evening when the young Hammers travel to face EFL League Two side Walsall in the Papa John’s Trophy.
Having taken on Fulham, Arsenal, Leicester City and Everton in Premier League 2 action, the development side will come up against an experienced EFL outfit in their first of three matches Group C of this season’s tournament.
The Irons won two and lost one of their three group stage matches last season but failed to qualify for the knock-out stages after receiving a points deduction, for fielding an ineligible
player.
Our U21s’ visit to the Poundland Bescot Stadium kicks off at 7pm on Tuesday 30 August.
Tickets…
Tickets are still available to purchase for our development team’s trip to Walsall.
West Ham United supporters can buy their away tickets for the Papa John’s Trophy group stage fixture through the Club here!
Adult tickets cost £5 while Concessions are available for only £1!
Travel…
Fans travelling to attend the U21s’ Papa John’s Trophy match with Walsall on Tuesday can do by train. Bescot Stadium Railway Station is just a two-minute walk from the stadium and is served by trains from Birmingham Grand Central (New Street) and Wolverhampton.
Supporters travelling from London can utilise the West Midlands Railway services from London Euston and London Marylebone.
Fans travelling by car should note that car parking is available at the stadium at a cost of £5 per car on a first-come, first-serve basis, and payment is only taken in cash. The postcode for the stadium is WS1 4SA.
If travelling from M6 South, leave the M6 at junction 7 and take the A34 towards Walsall. At the end of the dual carriageway, turn left at the Bell Inn pub into Walstead Road and continue straight on this road for two miles. The stadium will appear on your right.
How to follow…
West Ham United U21s’ visit to Walsall will be available to watch via a live stream provided by the EFL.
The EFL have advised that the stream will be available to supporters for £10 per match on a pay-per-view basis.
Full coverage of Tuesday’s fixture will also be available through our live blog at whufc.com, with our blog of the proceedings from the Poundland Bescot Stadium going live an hour before kick-off, at 6pm.
Goal updates will also be posted as they happen through the West Ham United Twitter feed while full highlights from the game, as well as reaction, will be available at whufc.com and on our YouTube Channel from Wednesday morning.
Team News…
Junior Robinson was missing for the U21s form the matchday squad against Everton U21s at the weekend due to a knock, while Manny Longelo has not featured since the opening day defeat to Fulham.
The Irons have allowed Thierry Nevers, Dan Chesters and Mipo Odubeko to head out on loan into EFL League One and League Two with Newport County, Colchester United and Port Vale respectively.
Despite receiving a red card in the U21s' defeat to Everton at the weekend, striker Divin Mubama will be available for the Hammers.
Opposition…
It has been an encouraging start to the 2022/23 campaign for Walsall.
The EFL League Two side have collected eight points from six league games so far this season and look like they are in for a better campaign than their 2021/22 outing, where the Saddlers finished in 16th.
The West Midlands side have been a fixture of League Two since 2019, when an eleven-year spell in League One came to an end. It was a bitter blow for a team that narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship just three years prior.
With a new season came big changes for Walsall. The Club confirmed in June that American sports investment firm Trivela Group LLC had purchased a majority of the shares belonging to chairman Leigh Pomlett, becoming 51% majority shareholders.
Former Welsh midfielder Michael Flynn has been head coach at the Poundland Bescot Stadium since February. It was the perfect start for the 41-year-old, beating then league leaders Forest Green Rovers in his first match.
With 12 new faces in during the summer, including Timmy Abraham – the brother of England attacker Tammy – and former Manchester United youngster Joe Riley, Walsall have undergone something of a transition in a new era for the Club.
YOU CAN STILL PICK UP YOUR TICKETS TO WATCH OUR U21s TAKE ON WALSALL ON TUESDAY 30 AUGUST HERE!
