West Ham United will take on Scottish Premier League side Celtic in a prestigious pre-season friendly match this summer.
The Hammers are set to take on the 51-time Scottish champions at their Parkhead home in Glasgow on Saturday 24 July, kicking-off at 3pm, as David Moyes’ men prepare for the 2021/22 Premier League season and a UEFA Europa League campaign, following their magnificent sixth-place finish on Sunday.
The pre-season encounter will mark a return to his roots for Hammers boss Moyes, who came through the youth ranks with the Bhoys to make 35 appearances in Green & White between 1980 and 1983.
Celtic, of course, are a powerhouse of Scottish football, having won nine league titles in a row prior to last season, alongside their 40 Scottish Cups, 19 Scottish League Cups and a European Cup triumph in 1967 – when they became the first British club to land the trophy.
Should COVID-19 protocols allow, West Ham United will be given an allocation of away tickets for this fixture. Full details will follow in due course here on whufc.com.
The Hammers have visited Celtic’s iconic stadium once before, when Harry Redknapp’s side took on Martin O’Neill’s Hoops in a July 2000 friendly.
Paolo Di Canio, who played for Celtic in the 1996/97 season, scored on his return to Glasgow, but goals from Tommy Johnson and Stiliyan Petrov gave the home side a 2-1 win.
West Ham have also welcomed Celtic to east London on three occasions, most famously for Bobby Moore’s Testimonial match in 1970, when Geoff Hurst, Johnny Ayris and Clyde Best scored for the east Londoners in a 3-3 draw.
Previous friendly meetings in 1924 and 1949 ended in a 2-2 draw and 5-2 West Ham victory respectively.
Among the players to have turned out for both clubs are Frank McAvennie, Billy Grassam, John Hartson, Craig Bellamy, Eyal Berkovic, Ian Wright, Marc Rieper, Stuart Slater, Di Canio, Carlton Cole, John Cushley and Jeremie Aliadiere, while former Hammers striker Albian Ajeti scored six times in 31 appearances for the Glasgow club in the 2020/21 term.
Further details on West Ham United’s pre-season schedule ahead of the 2021/22 campaign will also be confirmed in due course.
