West Ham United v Luton Town
Premier League, London Stadium, Saturday 11 May 2024, 3pm BST
The end of another season full of thrills and spills is almost upon us, with West Ham United set to take to the London Stadium field for the final time in 2023/24 against Luton Town on Saturday afternoon.
In the 37th of 38 outings - with a final-day trip to Manchester City remaining - the Hammers will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing defeat at Chelsea last time out, and give manager David Moyes the send-off he deserves following the announcement that he will depart the Club at the end of the campaign.
The loss at Stamford Bridge put paid to hopes of European qualification for the east Londoners, but Moyes’ men will be eager to fight for every last point and secure what would be a third top-half finish in the Scot's four full years in the dugout.
Luton, on the other hand, will arrive in the capital fighting for their lives towards the bottom of the standings. Rob Edwards’ Hatters are currently three points adrift of safety with two games to go, and are sure to be at it from the first whistle here.
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.
Travel…
There are no planned disruptions to TfL Underground services on the Central, Jubilee, 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 various disruptions to the c2c and Greater Anglia mainline services, as well as the Southeastern network that serves Stratford International.
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 5 live, and worldwide on our official website and app.
Official Programme…
At 116 pages, and just £4 per issue, West Ham United’s 2023/24 Official Programme represents superb value for money for supporters wanting exclusive interviews, attention-grabbing opinions and eye-catching photographs, plus the regular news, columns, statistics and insightful content from across all areas of the Club.
Our 26th and final issue of another busy campaign is led by a farewell column from manager David Moyes, who will depart after four-and-a-half years in charge when his contract expires this summer. The Scot reflects positively on his time in east London, and on leading the Hammers to their first major trophy in 43 years in Prague in June 2023.
We have interviews with the season's standout performer Jarrod Bowen, former West Ham and Luton full-backs Tim Breacker and Adam Newton, and reveal the winners of the Club's men's Player Awards for 2023/24.
With the latest from our Academy, women's team and Foundation, plus puzzles, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from Bedfordshire, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!
Click here to order your copy now.
End-Of-Season Activities…
The Hammers’ match against Luton represents their final home outing of the 2023/24 campaign, and there will be a host of activities taking place after the final whistle to keep an eye on.
The coveted Hammer of the Year award will be presented at full-time, among other end-of-season prizes, while the squad and backroom staff will do a lap of the pitch with their families to thank supporters for their amazing backing.
Fans will also have the opportunity to bid farewell to manager David Moyes, who will be taking charge of his final match at London Stadium, so make sure you stay in your seats.
Team News…
Defenders Dinos Mavropanos and Nayef Aguerd will be assessed having both been absent from West Ham United’s last three Premier League outings through injury, while midfielder Kalvin Phillips also missed last weekend’s trip to Chelsea.
Luton have a number of injury concerns ahead of their London Stadium visit, with the likes of Issa Kaboré, Marvelous Nakamba, Jacob Brown and Amari'i Bell expected to miss out.
Opposition…
When Kidderminster Harriers’ 2-0 win over Cambridge United sealed Luton Town’s return to the Football League after a five-year exile in April 2014, it’s hard to imagine that many among the Hatters’ faithful could have predicted the strides their side would have made merely a decade on.
But so it is that the Bedfordshire outfit are currently fighting to secure a second successive season of Premier League football, having defied the odds time after time to climb the English football ranks and deliver a swathe of magic moments that will remain with their supporters for a lifetime.
West Ham-born John Still was the man who inspired Luton out of non-league wilderness in his first full campaign in charge, with the previous term’s run to the fifth round of the FA Cup - that featured eye-catching wins over second-tier Wolves and Premier League Norwich City - serving as a sign of things to come.
After a couple of years of consolidation in EFL League Two, and a couple of changes in the dugout, former Brighton coach Nathan Jones kickstarted his first senior managerial appointment by guiding the club to the Play-Off semi-finals in 2016/17, as optimism began to spread across all corners of Kenilworth Road.
Defeat at the hands of Blackpool was quickly consigned to the memory books as an ascent to the third tier was achieved by virtue of a runners-up finish next time around, and their rapid rise to prominence duly continued in 2018/19 as they romped to the EFL League One title to secure back-to-back promotions, despite Jones’ mid-season departure to Stoke.
A first season back at EFL Championship level for 13 years proved understandably tricky, but having welcomed Jones back to the fold during the COVID-enforced break, and survived by three points, they quickly found their rhythm and were in the Premier League hunt by 2021/22.
Huddersfield Town put paid to fans’ promotion dreams in the last four of the Play-Offs, and after a mixed start to 2022/23, Jones left his post again, prompting the arrival of Rob Edwards, who had recently been let go by Luton’s bitter rivals Watford.
Edwards didn’t need long to win over the crowd though, and after guiding his team to third place after 46 games, Play-Off glory was secured thanks to semi-final success over Sunderland, and penalty shootout drama against Coventry.
Having last been in English football’s top flight in 1992, four years after their League Cup triumph at Wembley, Luton soon found themselves tasked with renovating their home ground in readiness for a return to the big time.
And what a ride it’s been for Edwards and his team, who have fought for every inch in every game and combatted many of the pre and early-season predictions that questioned their ability to mix it with the best.
A run of four defeats from the off was brought to an end with a draw and a win against Wolves and Everton respectively, while back-to-back victories against Newcastle and Sheffield United, and a 4-0 thrashing of Brighton in January, surely stand out among the highlights.
Three consecutive defeats in April, before a draw with Everton last time out, have put the Hatters on the backfoot in their bid to avoid the drop, but with everything still to play for on Saturday, expect Town to be at it from the first whistle.
Previous Meetings…
West Ham and Luton Town have faced off on over 90 occasions, but they went head-to-head for the first time since 1994 at Kenilworth Road at the start of September earlier this season.
Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma goals earned the Hammers all three points in the first Premier League match to be hosted at Kenilworth Road, and despite a late Mads Andersen header kickstarting a nervy finish, it ended 2-1.
Overall, West Ham have won 34 of their clashes against the Hatters, who have claimed the full share of the spoils 32 times, while there have been 25 draws between the teams.
Luton have never visited London Stadium, and last travelled to east London to play the Irons in an FA Cup sixth-round tie that finished goalless 30 years ago. They last beat West Ham away in the League Cup in February 1989.
Match Officials…
Referee: Michael Oliver
Assistant Referees: Stuart Burt and Dan Cook
Fourth Official: Oliver Langford
VAR: Rob Jones
Assistant VAR: Harry Lennard
Michael Oliver has been confirmed as the man in the middle for West Ham United’s penultimate fixture of the 2023/24 Premier League season, at home to Luton Town.
Born in Ashington, Northumberland, Oliver was introduced to refereeing by his father, Clive, at the age of 14, and became the youngest referee to officiate at Wembley Stadium when he held the whistle at the 2007 Conference National Play-Off final, aged just 22.
He had already become the youngest Football League assistant referee and referee, and would become the youngest fourth official and referee in the Premier League, taking charge of Birmingham’s top-flight game against Blackburn in 2010/11 when he was 25.
The now 39-year-old has refereed two FA Cup finals - the 2018 showpiece between Chelsea and Manchester United and the 2021 final between Chelsea and Leicester City - and also oversaw Liverpool’s meeting with Manchester City in the 2016 EFL Cup final as well as the 2014 Community Shield between Manchester City and Arsenal.
Oliver, who in addition refereed the 2022 UEFA Super Cup and three matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is set to take charge of his third West Ham fixture of the season, having officiated the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace and the 2-0 win over Arsenal in December.
For more information about the officials, click here.
