West Ham United U21s v Blackburn Rovers U21s
Premier League 2 Play-Offs, Rush Green Stadium, Friday 3 May 2024, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s start the Premier League 2 Play-Offs with a last 16 tie against Blackburn Rovers on Friday evening.
The young Hammers secured second place in the table to qualify for the next stage of the development league.
Steve Potts’ side will hope to return to winning ways and reach the quarter-finals following a defeat to Leicester City last time out.
Read on for our full preview below...
Tickets...
Tickets are available to buy from the turnstiles on Friday evening. U18s can gain entry for £1, while Adult tickets cost £5.
Travel...
The postcode for Rush Green Stadium - situated at West Ham United’s first-team training ground - is RM7 0LU.
To access the ground via public transport, fans can take a train to Romford station, then board a 5, 103 or 175 bus for the 15-minute ride and get off at the Barton Avenue stop.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
Fans wishing to attend this Premier League 2 fixture by car should note that parking at Rush Green Stadium is extremely limited and cannot be guaranteed.
How To Follow...
Our match against Blackburn Rovers will be not be live-streamed due to a clash with a Premier League fixture on the same day.
However, a live blog will be available on the Club’s website and app, while a match report, highlights and reaction will follow shortly after the full-time whistle.
Premier League 2 explained...
The competition has a new format this season, with one division made up of 26 clubs with Category One Academies. Each team will play 20 regular season fixtures, after which the top 16 teams will qualify for a single elimination play-off.
Having finished second in the table, West Ham will be invited to take part in next season’s Premier League International Cup.
The young Hammers also qualified as the second-highest seeded team for the resulting knockout competition, which the U21s start with a last-16 tie against Blackburn Rovers.
Coach’s View…
A successful Premier League 2 campaign – one that saw West Ham finish second, with just four defeats from 20 games – has taken the U21s into the next stage of the competition: the knockouts.
Regardless of how they get on in the post-season competition, Steve Potts is proud of the way his side have applied themselves this campaign, with the young Irons finishing just four points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur.
The U21s lead coach said: “The boys have done really well this season and yes, they have played some good stuff but what has really impressed me has been their work ethic because you only get to be successful if you apply yourself and train well every day.
“We have a had a long season in the league and the boys have done well in the Premier League International Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy too.
“Normally, that is the end of it, but now it goes into 16 teams in a cup competition and that is a different challenge for us.
"They have that added pressure now of knowing if you don't win, you're out, but hopefully, we can get a few more games with that knockout feel and finish on a positive note."
Opposition…
West Ham United ran out 3-1 victors when the two sides met back in March, as goals from Luizão, Lewis Orford, and George Earthy overturned a Blackburn Rovers opener from Dominik Biniek.
Since then, Blackburn have been in decent form, losing just one of their next five fixtures and recording three wins on the bounce in that time over Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, and Everton.
Player to watch Zak Gilsenan has scored seven goals in nine Premier League appearances this term.
Story So Far…
The young Irons took 42 points, and finished four points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur, from their 20 league games, having lost just four league matches this season.
The 16-team play-offs will ultimately decide the winners of the development league, with the Hammers qualifying in second place to play 15th-place Blackburn Rovers in the last 16.
Should Potts’ side beat Blackburn, they will face Sunderland or Wolverhampton Wanderers for a place in the semi-finals.
