West Ham United v RC Celta de Vigo
Betway Cup, London Stadium, Saturday 10 August 2024, 3pm BST
West Ham United complete pre-season preparations for another summer when we return to London Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
There, Julen Lopetegui’s Hammers will face Spanish opponents RC Celta de Vigo, who finished 13th in La Liga last season following a strong finish under new manager Claudio Giráldez, on place above West Ham’s 2022 UEFA Europa League round of 16 opponents Sevilla.
The Hammers have played four pre-season matches so far, drawing 2-2 with Hungarian champions Ferencváros in Austria, then defeating National League side Dagenham & Redbridge 1-0 at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
West Ham then embarked on a two-match Sunshine State Tour of Florida, where Lopetegui's side were defeated 3-1 by Wolverhampton Wanderers in Jacksonville and by the same scoreline by Crystal Palace in Tampa.
Celta de Vigo, meanwhile, are preparing for their seventh pre-season fixture, having defeated EFL Championship side Luton Town 3-1 at Kenilworth Road last weekend.
Betway Cup…
Saturday's game will see the winner lift the Betway Cup. Should the scores be level at 90 minutes, a penalty shootout will take place to decide the victors. There will ne no extra-time played.
This will be the eighth time the Betway Cup has taken place, and the first since 2021. West Ham United have won the trophy twice, defeating German opponents Mainz 05 in Austria in 2018 and Italian side Atalanta at London Stadium in 2021.
The Irons' other opponents for the Betway Cup have been German side Werder Bremen (2015 and 2017), Italian side Juventus for the official opening of London Stadium (2016), Spaniards Athletic Club (2019) and English Premier League rivals AFC Bournemouth (2020).
On Saturday, the two clubs have agreed to a maximum of making up to eleven substitutes each, with the number of occasions on which substitutions can be made during the second half limited to three.
Tickets…
Tickets are on General Sale now HERE. All tickets will be in digital format and sent to supporters by email to download onto mobile devices. Ticket prices start from £15.
Travel…
There is no planned disruption to TfL Underground services on the Jubilee and Central lines. However, there are set to be partial closures to the Docklands Light Railway and London Overground services, and planned closures on the Waterloo & City line. Supporters utilising these lines are highly recommended to check their routes before departure.
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.
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.
Saturday’s issue includes an in-depth interview and analysis of new Hammer Guido Rodríguez, features with Academy of Football graduate Kaelan Casey, Andy Irving and goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański, while there are also chats with acting phenomenon and life-long West Ham fan Hero Fiennes Tiffin and well-known Spanish journalist Guillem Balagué.
With Academy content focusing on talented youngster Ezra Mayers, who won the Dylan Tombides Award and Doris Bell Trophy last season, the latest from our women’s team, plus history, puzzles, statistics and the lowdown on our opponents from Galicia, the Official Programme is packed full of content for you!
Click HERE to order your copy now!
How To Follow…
We will be covering the game with a live blog, report, reaction and highlights on whufc.com, while you can also follow events across our social media channels on matchday.
Team News…
New signings Crysencio Summerville, Niclas Füllkrug and Guido Rodríguez could all make their West Ham United ‘debuts’ after completing their respective moves to east London this week. Maximilian Kilman, Luis Guilherme, Andy Irving and Wes Foderingham could also make their respective first West Ham appearances at London Stadium.
RC Celta de Vigo turned centre-back Unai Núñez's loan from Athletic Club into a permanent transfer, and completed a loan move for Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias, who was part of Bayer Leverkusen's squad which faced West Ham in the UEFA Europa League last season, when he was also on loan from Betis.
Guinea midfielder Ilaix Moriba joined for the season on loan from RB Leipzig on Wednesday, having previously been in La Liga with Valencia and Getafe on loan in recent seasons.
Opposition…
RC Celta de Vigo were formed in 1923, after two teams and two groups of fans decided to come together to create something much larger: Real Club Celta de Vigo. Celta have never won a league title nor the Copa del Rey, though they have reached the final of the latter on three occasions.
Currently coached by former Real Madrid Academy graduate Claudio Giráldez, Celta’s highest La Liga finish arrived in 2002/03, when they finished fourth, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, where they were defeated by Arsenal in the round of 16. In the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League, Celta reached the semi-finals for the first time, losing to Manchester United.
Giráldez, who replaced Rafa Benitez in March, has made much of giving young players time to shine, having been promoted from coaching the B-team in March 2024. Winger Hugo Álvarez shone after being brought into the senior fold at the end of last season, while Damián Rodríguez, Pablo Durán and Alfon González have all been promoted to the first team from the Academy this summer.
However, the captain and Celta talisman is 37-year-old Iago Aspas, who has scored over 200 goals for the club. Aspas had a short spell at Liverpool in 2013/14.
Previous Meetings...
It may not be a total surprise to learn that Saturday’s pre-season match will be the first time the Hammers have met RC Celta de Vigo in any competition.
There are few links between the Hammers and Celta, although South Africa’s all-time leading goalscorer, Benni McCarthy, who spent a little over a year in east London between 2010-11, made 66 appearances for Los Celestes, having joined from Ajax in 1999.
Another striker who did not produce his best in a West Ham shirt in the same period, Egyptian Mido, also spent time with Celta earlier in his career, scoring four goals in eight appearances in 2002/03.
Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, who had a short loan spell in east London in autumn 2011, was on Celta's books between 2001-04, but never played for the club.
Match Officials...
Referee: Darren Bond
Assitant Referees: Adam Nunn and Dan Cook
Fourth Official: Paul Johnson
Darren Bond will the referee Saturday’s Betway Cup match.
Born in Lancashire, the 43-year-old experienced whistler has been a part of Professional Game Match Officials Limited’s (PGMOL) Select Group One since 2023, having established himself as an EFL Championship veteran during his career, taking charge of over 200 games in the second tier.
Last season saw Bond officiate five Premier League matches, while he also refereed 14 times in the Championship, on five occasions in the FA Cup and once in the EFL Cup during 2023/24.
Bond is yet to referee a West Ham United match, but served as the fourth official in the Hammers’ home draws with Crystal Palace and Sheffield United last season, along with the 4-3 defeat at Newcastle United in March.
For more information about the officials, click HERE.
