West Ham United v Ipswich Town
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 5 October 2024, 3pm BST
West Ham United return to London Stadium on Saturday for their final clash before the October international break, against Premier League new boys Ipswich Town.
The Hammers will be hoping to sign off for the two-week hiatus with a first home three-point haul of the campaign, having so-far registered just one league win in 2024/25, away at Crystal Palace.
Though defeats on their own patch at the hands of Aston Villa, Manchester City and Chelsea have been disappointing, Julen Lopetegui’s side have picked up plenty of positives during a three-game unbeaten Premier League run on the road.
The visit of the Tractor Boys marks the teams’ first competitive meeting for over 12 years, back in the 2011/12 EFL Championship season, while Saturday will indeed be the Suffolk side’s first ever outing at London Stadium.
Kieran McKenna’s charges have rightly earned plenty of praise for the manner in which they powered to the top flight for the first time since 2002, by securing back-to-back promotions at the end of 2023/24, and they currently sit just one place and one point behind West Ham in the standings, in 15th.
Four draws from their six games so far have demonstrated their quality and threat, and they too will now be looking to secure an evasive victory, to climb further up the ranks.
Tickets…
Tickets for this sold-out game are still available on the Ticket Exchange, with Season Ticket Holders who cannot attend this fixture relisting their seats for other supporters to buy.
Click HERE to check availability or relist.
Supporters are urged to arrive early at London Stadium on Saturday as security and ticket checks will be in place at all entry points.
Travel…
There are no planned disruptions to TfL Underground services on the Central, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines, and the Docklands Light Railway, though there are set to be issues on London Overground services. Supporters using the Overground are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
Similarly, there are planned engineering works on the Greater Anglia mainline service, as well as the Southeastern network that serves Stratford International, though c2c services should run as normal.
Stratford and Stratford City Bus Stations are located in close proximity to Stratford station. Buses that run to these stations are numbers: 25, 86, 97, 104, 108, 158, 241, 257, 262, 276, 308, 425, 473, D8.
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.
There is no parking available at London Stadium. Restrictions will be in place and enforced in the local area.
How To Follow…
Saturday’s 3pm kick-off will NOT be broadcast live in the UK, but will be shown across the world by the Premier League’s international broadcast partners.
If you live outside the UK, click HERE for details of Premier League listings in your territory.
You can follow the action via our live blog on whufc.com and our app, and across our social media channels. We will also have highlights and exclusive reaction for you after the final whistle on our website and social media.
Live audio commentary will be available in the UK on BBC Radio London, and worldwide on our official website and app.
Foundation Awareness Fixture...
Saturday’s tussle with the Tractor Boys, which takes place shortly before World Mental Health Day on Thursday 10 October, has been assigned as the West Ham United Foundation’s annual awareness fixture, meaning there are plenty of matchday activities to be aware of.
Outside the ground, there will be a mental health awareness activation on the Stadium Island, by the Bell Tower, where supporters will be able to add their messages of mental health support to a ‘Wall of Iron’. There will be a chance for fans to meet some Hammers legends, and to win a signed shirt! Foundation supporters Barclays will be running a bucket collection around the Stadium Island to raise vital funds for the Foundation, adding to the fundraising they have done in the run-up to the fixture in their local branches.
Ahead of kick-off, nine representatives will be heading pitchside to take part in a special Guard of Honour as the players enter the field, waving flags displaying the Foundation’s vision; ‘Inspiring Better Futures’. One of the representatives is a West Ham United Mental Health Ambassador, while the remaining Foundation Champions have been chosen from a variety of programmes, emphasising the breadth of the work the Foundation does in the community across its 35+ initiatives.
There will also be a special pre-match pitchside interview involving West Ham United Foundation CEO Joseph Lyons, East London NHS Foundation Trust Chief Executive Lorraine Sunduza and NHS England Chief Workforce, Training & Education Officer Dr Navina Evans CBE, which will see the trio discuss the impact of West Ham United in the community. Former Hammer Anton Ferdinand will also speak about his involvement with the Foundation, and the importance of mental health practices.
Throughout the day, three individuals involved in Foundation programmes are joining the Club's editorial, photography and communications teams, so keep an eye on West Ham United's website and social media channels to see some of their work! In addition, 12 young people from Foundation programmes will be working as ball assistants during the match.
Finally, the Foundation is running a special matchday exclusive silent auction, where fans can bid on a variety of exciting items such as the chance to have a video call with a West Ham player, hospitality tickets and a signed Jarrod Bowen football boot. Tops worn by Hammers players in the lead up to the Ipswich fixture, that were designed by Basildon Academy Lower School students during a Foundation session, are also set to be auctioned in due course.
For more information about the Foundation, click HERE.
We Are West Ham. United...
At West Ham United, we are proud to be based in one of the most multicultural areas of the country where equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do. Regardless of ethnicity, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation or beliefs, everyone is welcome at our Club.
Our aspiration is to be the equity leader in football and alongside our supporters, this is something we are continually looking to build on and improve. We thank all of our fans for their ongoing support and for helping us to eradicate the bad behaviours which do not represent our Club, our community or our West Ham United family.
To report any concerns on matchday, text SUPPORT plus your message to 83121 or speak to the nearest steward, SLO or Police Officer. Text messages are treated in the strictest confidence, and, for our staff, it is better to monitor the situation as it is happening and to be able to take action at the time of it occurring.
Our Conduct Charter is created to further support the provision of a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all West Ham United supporters and staff at home and away matches, on social media, Club related meetings or events, or in any other forum.
Official Programme…
Our sixth issue of the season is led by an extensive interview with long-serving defender and current vice-captain Aaron Cresswell, who signed for the Hammers from Ipswich back in 2014.
Cresswell features on Dale James' eye-catching programme cover alongside a member of the West Ham United Foundation programme Any Old Irons, helping celebrate the fact that Saturday's clash has been assigned as the Foundation's annual awareness fixture. Within the programme pages there is extensive Foundation coverage, including information about matchday activations, ongoing developments and more.
We also have words from Club captain Jarrod Bowen, Head Coach Julen Lopetegui and Steve Blowers’ chat with former midfielder Geoff Pike, while we've got exciting new features with Mohammed Kudus and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, exclusive columns galore, stats and in-depth analysis from Analytics United, too!
With the latest news from our Academy and women’s team, plus puzzles, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from Portman Road, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!
Team News…
Midfielder Edson Álvarez is eligible for selection after serving a one-match suspension for the red card he picked up away at Liverpool in the Carabao Cup at the end of last month.
Forward Niclas Füllkrug has missed the Hammers’ last four games in all competitions, since he suffered an injury in his calf and Achilles area while on international duty, and will be assessed ahead of kick-off once again.
For Ipswich, Harry Clarke and Nathan Broadhead are both doubts for Saturday’s game at London Stadium.
Opposition…
While Wrexham’s back-to-back promotions from the National League to EFL League One have been the subject of widespread hype and a Netflix series, Ipswich Town’s own rise from League One to the Premier League has been arguably more impressive.
That said, there are similarities between two clubs who enjoyed the greatest periods in their respective histories in the 1970s and early 1980s - Ipswich by winning the FA Cup in 1978, UEFA Cup in 1981 and twice finishing as runners-up in the First Division in 1981 and 1982, all under the guidance of long-serving manager Bobby Robson.
While the Dragons’ recent success has come off the back of being bought by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Tractor Boys’ has also followed a takeover by American investors, namely Arizona-based ORG, in April 2021.
In December of the same year, midway through their third season in League One, the new owners appointed former Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United coach Kieran McKenna as Town’s new manager.
After an impressive start, Ipswich consolidated in League One in the spring of 2022, before winning promotion as runners-up to Plymouth Argyle the following season, losing just four of their 46 matches in the process.
Many pundits predicted the Suffolk side would do well in the Championship last season, though few would have seen them surge to a second automatic promotion, collecting 96 points and losing just six games along the way.
In two full seasons in charge, McKenna’s Ipswich accumulated 194 points and scored 193 goals in 92 league matches, becoming the first club since Southampton in 2011 and 2012 to win back-to-back promotions to the Premier League.
The challenge now for the Northern Irishman is to keep them there.
That will be far easier said than done, but Ipswich’s owners have put their hands in their metaphorical pockets and given McKenna the resources to build a squad capable of competing at the highest level.
The reigning Championship Manager of the Season has brought in two players named in last year’s Championship Team of the Season in Hull City centre-back Jacob Greaves and West Ham-supporting Blackburn Rovers striker Sammie Szmodics.
Former Hammers Ben Johnson and Kalvin Phillips, Chelsea forward Omari Hutchinson - who spent last season on loan at Portman Road - Manchester City forward Liam Delap, Burnley pair Ari Muric and Dara O’Shea, Sunderland winger Jack Clarke and Luton Town forward Chiedozie Ogbene have all moved up the A12, joining a squad that includes outstanding defenders Leif Davis and Axel Tuanzebe and long-serving captain Sam Morsy.
It is now on McKenna to work his magic again…
Previous Meetings…
As aforementioned, this weekend’s game will mark the first competitive meeting between West Ham and Ipswich in over 12 years, since the Tractor Boys ran out 5-1 winners at Portman Road in the EFL Championship on 31 January 2012.
That result earned Ipswich the league double over the Hammers that term, following their narrow 1-0 triumph at the Boleyn Ground in September 2011.
West Ham edge the overall competitive record between the sides, having claimed 27 wins to 21, while there have been 20 draws.
There have been some particularly historic encounters involving the two outfits, with an Alan Taylor brace earning the Irons a 2-1 FA Cup semi-final replay win over Ipswich in April 1975, ahead of our final triumph a few weeks later. West Ham also got the better of Ipswich in the second-tier Play-Off semi-finals in 2004 and 2005, going on to earn promotion in the latter.
The two teams have gone head-to-head in friendly action in recent years, each time at Portman Road in summer 2012, 2014, 2018, 2020 and 2022.
Match Officials…
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistant Referees: Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn
Fourth Official: Andrew Kitchen
VAR: Darren England
Assistant VAR: Scott Ledger
Anthony Taylor has been confirmed as the man in the middle for Saturday’s Premier League match at home to Ipswich Town.
A top-flight referee since 2010, Taylor is one of England’s most experienced officials and has previously taken charge of two FA Cup finals, an EFL Cup final, the FA Community Shield, the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup final, the 2023 UEFA Europa League final and, at international level, the 2021 UEFA Nations League final between France and Spain. In 2020, Taylor became the first referee since 1901 to referee two FA Cup finals when he was in charge of Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Chelsea.
Born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, he worked his way up to the Premier League after starting out in the Northern Premier League - English football’s seventh tier - and since February 2010, when he took charge of a game between Portsmouth and Fulham, Taylor has officiated 376 Premier League matches and counting.
The 45-year-old also famously reacted quickly when Denmark's Christian Eriksen collapsed during his country's UEFA Euro 2020 group-stage tie with Finland, and is credited with helping save the Manchester United midfielder's life due to his swift actions in calling for medical attention.
A veteran of nearly 750 games in all competitions, Taylor refereed his 36th fixture involving West Ham United against Liverpool in April, when goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio earned the Hammers a point against the Reds.
The Ipswich clash is the sixth Premier League match in which Taylor has held the whistle in the 2024/25 season, with his most recent appointment coming in Liverpool’s 2-1 victory away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, while he also refereed Brest's 4-0 UEFA Champions League win at RB Salzburg on Tuesday night.
For more information about the officials, click HERE.
