Smiles and selfies were the order of the day as West Ham United met a host of lucky supporters at their first training session in Perth on Monday.
The Hammers opened the doors of their adopted home at Macedonia Park in the city’s northern suburb of Stirling - the home of the late Dylan Tombides’ first club, Stirling Lions, and where they will train throughout their ten-day tour - less than 24 hours after Rehanne Skinner and her squad had landed in Western Australia.
Before training got underway, the playing and coaching staff were honoured to be Welcomed to Country by Noongar Elder Aunty Millie Penny AM and her sisters Marie Walley and Kay Walley Elder, who led a matriarchal ceremony that was conducted by women, for women.
The Noongar have inhabited the south-west corner of what is now Western Australia for at least 45,000 years, and in keeping with the essential elements of their traditional protocols, visitors crossing into their Country must be granted permission to enter and are then given a traditional Welcome, offering them safe passage and protection of their spiritual being during the journey.
Fans then lined the touchline to get a glimpse of the likes of Dagný Brynjarsdóttir, Katrina Gorry and Shelina Zadorsky as the players got to work on the grass, with manager Skinner putting her charges through their paces with and without the ball.
The players honoured former West Ham United men’s team forward Tombides’ memory by wearing t-shirts with his name and retired squad number, 38, on the back, and the logo of the male cancer awareness charity founded in his memory, DT38 Foundation, on the front.
After their training session, the players and staff spent time signing autographs, posing for selfies, handing out goodie bags and free gifts and chatting to supporters elated to welcome their heroes in Claret and Blue to Perth.
Among those in attendance were Brian Callaghan’s Aubin Grove United U10s side, who were thrilled to take up the opportunity to get photos with the West Ham stars as they embark on their own journeys in football.
Brian, whose daughter Ella is part of the Aubin Grove side, said: “It’s been great to get the girls down here to see the West Ham team, and for me to see them engage with them and really enjoy themselves. The English WSL is getting bigger and bigger over here and they were all so excited.
“I’m really big on inspiring the girls. I’ve been coaching the team from the start and it’s just about keeping those engagement and inspiration levels up, and events like this are key for that.”
West Ham goalkeeper Kinga Szemik added: “It was an awesome session today. I was really looking forward to it, because I’m new to the Club and it was my first real chance to meet some of our fans, and it was lots of fun.
“As we progress through the tour and into the new season I look forward to meeting more and more supporters, but today it was good to see so many smiling faces and get back on the grass.”
West Ham United women’s team are contesting the Perth International Football Cup while they’re on tour in Western Australia, first taking on French Division 1 Féminine outfit Paris Saint-Germain at 6.15pm AWST on Thursday 29 August at HBF Park. The winners of that game will take on either Manchester City or Leicester City in the final, also at HBF Park, on Sunday 1 September, with the two losers meeting at the same venue in a third-place play-off.
Tickets for both matches are available HERE. We will be providing regular updates from Perth during the tour here on www.whufc.com, and on the Club’s official app.
