West Ham United U18s get their 2022/23 FA Youth Cup campaign underway on Wednesday with a third-round trip away to Sheffield United.
The Irons have been in impressive form so far this season in the U18 Premier League South and will be hoping to transfer it into knock-out football when they travel to play the Blades on Wednesday 21 December.
Kick-off is set for 1pm at Alfreton Town FC. Read on for all the information you need ahead of this fixture…
Tickets…
Fans are able to attend Wednesday’s FA Youth Cup clash between West Ham United and Sheffield United at the Impact Arena – the home of Alfreton Town FC.
Tickets will be available on the gate ahead of the match with adults costing £3 and concessions just £1.
The postcode for the stadium is DE55 7FZ.
How to Follow…
Live coverage of Wednesday’s FA Youth Cup clash between Sheffield United and West Ham United will be available via a live blog at whufc.com. Coverage will begin an hour before kick-off, at 12pm, on Wednesday.
Full highlights from the fixture at Alfreton Town FC will be available on Wednesday evening on the Club’s YouTube channel, on the official West Ham United app, and at whufc.com.
Reaction from lead coach Kevin Keen and the squad will also be available across Wednesday evening and Thursday on the Club website.
Team News…
This season’s FA Youth Cup is open for players who were born on or after September 1 2004, and before September 1 2007.
With development level football taking a break during the 2022 FIFA World Cup window, a host of talent have been available to U18s head coach Kevin Keen in recent fixtures, a resource he may call on again for Wednesday’s match.
The likes of Regan Clayton, George Earthy and Divin Mubama have all featured regularly in the development side this campaign, while Callum Marshall and Ollie Scarles have also featured.
Forward Marshall is the leading scorer for the U18s this season with ten finishes in seven matches (six starts, one as a substitute) while Lewis Orford and Favour Fawunmi have each found the net on five occasions.
Our FA Youth Cup history…
West Ham United have won the FA Youth Cup on three occasions since the tournament’s inception. The first came in the 1962/63 season when the Hammers defeated Liverpool 6-5 across two-legs, before a second trophy was lifted in the 1980-81 campaign after a 2-1 aggregate win over Tottenham Hotspur.
The most recent win came in the 1998/99 season when the young Irons beat Coventry City 9-0 across two legs with a team that contained the likes of Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, captain Izzy Iriekpen and Bertie Brayley.
The Hammers have also been runners-up on four occasions; in 1957, 1959, 1975 and 1996.
Opposition…
Sheffield United U18s play in the U18 Professional Development League, and currently sit second in the table behind Barnsley.
The Blades have won their last three matches in the league and head into Wednesday’s match in good form, although the side have never lifted the FA Youth Cup. The closest they came was in 2011 when the side reached the final, where they were beaten 6-3 over two legs by Manchester United.
Sheffield United are coached by former Brighouse Town and Tadcaster Albion manager Paul Quinn.
The Fourth Round…
The draw for the FA Youth Cup fourth round has already been conducted, with the winners of Wednesday’s match between West Ham United and Sheffield United set for an away match against Burnley.
The Clarets secured their spot in the fourth round after defeating Norwich City 7-6 on penalties, after a 2-2 draw in their rearranged clash on Monday.
The fourth-round ties must be played by Saturday 21 January 2023.
