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GAMEDAY DAY
EBBSFLEET UNITED v WEST HAM UNITED, 17.07.2021 → CAST YOUR MIND BACK 504 days (if you must!) to a cold, blowy, stormy February afternoon. Stockport County were the visitors and Fleet strived manfully to get the game on against whichever storm it was at the time. Another storm in the form of Covid-19 was of course already blowing in but on that leap day, handshakes hadn’t even been banned in football such was the blasé attitude to the incoming threat. That was the last time most of you set foot inside this stadium. The result, a late winner for Stockport in a 1-0 reverse, is all water under the bridge now. What isn’t is how much we love this game, this club and the people we attend with. We’ve taken it for granted in the past... but never again. Welcome back. It’s been a long, long wait so savour it today – and for ever more.
▲ 504 days... The last time you were here on Leap Day, 2020!
CLUB PERSONNEL Chairman Dr Abdulla Al-Humaidi Director Dherar Al-Humaidi, CEO Damian Irvine Associate Directors John Copus, Sue Copus Honorary Vice President Jessica McQueen Team Manager Dennis Kutrieb First-team Coach Chris Franks Sports Rehabilitator & Therapist Katie Knowles, Hannah Brown
General Manager Matthew Webb Club Secretary Peter Danzey Operations Manager Cheryl Wanless Communications Manager Ed Miller Accountant Ryan Robinson Catering Manager Debbie Ludlow Shop Manager Natalie Edwards Administrator Matthew Faithorn Commercial & Marketing Intern Josh Whalley
Stewarding Centre Circle Events Safety Officer Grant Sheen Deputy Safety Officer Stephen Rowden Chief Steward Duncan Cole Stadium Announcer Dave Lockwood Photographer Dave Plumb Cameraman Laurence Hughes
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DENNIS KUTRIEB
THE MANAGER
I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW WONDERFUL IT FEELS TO SAY WELCOME TO THE MATCH... ...AND ACTUALLY MEAN IT IN PERSON! In the coming weeks we have Colchester United, Bromley and Southend United amongst others. And today, where it would have been a Gillingham XI, instead we play against a strong challenge in West Ham United’s development squad. I would like to thank everyone associated with West Ham for filling this Saturday and providing such great opposition. It is good that our supporters are not disappointed in losing this chance to return to the Kuflink Stadium and it’s also important that our squad didn’t miss out on another 90 minutes of improvement and fitness together in a matchday environment. Aside from the matches, we of course have been back in training and behind the scenes our sports and science department is hard at work preparing the boys, analysing their progress and fine-tuning their fitness programmes. It is a busy time in preseason here and I know it will be a vital foundation for the season ahead. I’d like to say ‘wilkommen’ to all the new faces at the club, to all our supporters on their return home and of course to all officials, players and supporters of West Ham. Have a great afternoon! #keinblattpapier
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IT IS A BUSY TIME IN PRE-SEASON HERE AND I KNOW IT WILL BE A VITAL FOUNDATION FOR THE SEASON AHEAD...
DENNIS KUTRIEB
→ ...AFTER A SEASON
(or almost a season!) of playing behind closed doors, it has been a very great privilege to play in front of the Ebbsfleet supporters at last in our previous two friendly games at Punjab United and Chatham Town. You have seen plenty of goals in that short time and the aim is to keep up an entertaining brand of football throughout the coming season. We have been very studied in our recruitment this summer, keeping those squad members who we felt would fit the mould again this season and added to them with eight new faces who tick all the boxes of what I want to see from an Ebbsfleet United team as we head into 2021/22. With fans back in the ground, we look forward to building that proper matchday relationship with you that was – unavoidably – missing last year. I can already hear from the sidelines the calls and shouts, the support and ‘banter’ (as I believe you like to call it!) – and I know you can continue and increase that as the games come one after the other this season ahead. Our pre-season programme is designed to test us against a range of different opponents. Our last two games were, of course, against lower-tier sides.
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THE BIG MATCH
→ ...FLEET FAITHFUL,
having seen last season fall first to behind-closed-doors fixtures and finally to a suspension and then expungement altogether. So it’s with a great deal of gratitude we welcome West Ham United’s U23s and the Hammers fans to the Kuflink Stadium this afternoon for a feast of football in the sun. We say feast and everything is pointing to that. Dennis Kutrieb’s side have been passing and attacking with panache in these last two preseason games and today they will meet a side whose players have been versed in such football from a very young age. And not only are we up against a Premier League side’s talented U23s development squad this afternoon but in their ranks they boast some very promising players for the future indeed. We saw last season in practice games against Brentford ‘B’ just how strong these young sides can be – so after two matches against Punjab United and Chatham Town, a very different challenge awaits the Fleet this afternoon. Among the players potentially on show in West Ham colours is French midfielder Pierre Ekwah who
has signed for an undisclosed fee from Chelsea. He comes from a French junior club that has produced a couple of players you might have heard of... Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and Kylian Mbappé! Elsewhere, watch out for Thierry Nevers, another player arriving for a fee this summer... this time from Reading. And a third new arrival is Armstrong Oko-Flex, who has already made two senior appearances for Celtic from his time in Glasgow. Former Manchester United youth striker Mipo Odubeko has a prolific strike rate in the U18 Premier League and will keep the Fleet defence on its toes this afternoon. A trialist goalkeeper or two is also likely to turn out and we also welcome defender Harrison Ashby, son of former Gillingham player and Fleet assistant manager Barry. Plenty of Hammers youngsters boast international caps at youth levels from countries including England, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, Portugal and France. After such a memorable Euro 2020 tournament just gone, who knows, maybe some of these lads will be gracing a bigger international stage in a tournament or two’s time.
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EKWAH COMES FROM A FRENCH JUNIOR CLUB THAT HAS PRODUCED A COUPLE OF PLAYERS YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF... THIERRY HENRY, NICOLAS ANELKA AND KYLIAN MBAPPÉ!
ED MILLER
MATCH PREVIEW
WITH THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE GILLS ANOTHER POSTPONED GAME MIGHT HAVE BEEN TOO MUCH FOR THE EAGER...
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WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS
THE AWAY TEAM
WEST HAM UNITED 9
GROUND: London Stadium CAPACITY: 60,000 FA CUP WINNERS: 1964, 1975, 1980 FA CUP RUNNERS-UP: 1923, 2006 HIGHEST DOMESTIC FINISH: 3rd, Division One, 1985/86 EUROPEAN RECORD: Cup Winners’ Cup winners: 1965 Cup Winners’ Cup runners-up: 1976 Intertoto Cup winners: 1999 Anglo-Italian Cup runners-up: 1975
Alan Dale A regular at the Fleet down the years in the National League and South division, Alan’s best-known Ebbsfleet game was probably the semi-final play-off second leg here against Hampton in our promotion season. His last Fleet game was the 1-1 draw at Dagenham on Boxing Day 2019. He also took charge of West Ham U23s v Manchester United last November.
THE BOSS DMITRI HALAJKO
Appointed in 2019 as Academy Under-23 Lead Coach, the 41-year-old joined from Leicester City. A qualified FA Coach Education, with more than 20 years’ experience in junior player development and coaching, Halajko works alongside Hammers legend Steve Potts in guiding the young professionals and established Academy scholars aiming to make the step up to the first-team squad. Halajko began his career with Colchester United, where he spent 11 years and worked his way up to Academy manager, before working for the Football Association as a Regional Coach Development Manager. In 2012 he was appointed Academy Lead Coach for Under12-Under-16s at Norwich City, and went on to spend five years with the Canaries.
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LAST LINE-UP 01 02 05 06 03 04 08 07 10 11 09
Trialist Harrison Ashby Levi Laing Will Greenidge Manny Longelo Keenan Forson Ossama Ashley Amadou Diallo Bernardo Rosa Thierry Nevers Armstrong Oko-Flex
RESULT 4-1 v Loughborough Uni.
ODDS&
YEAR FORMED: 1895
TODAY’S REFEREE
ENDS
WHUFC
ORIGINS
Jimmy Bullard Mention West Ham and most longstanding Fleet fans’ favourite fact is that we sold then unknown Jimmy Bullard to them for £35,000 in 1998!
ONE FROM THE ARCHIVE 1900/01 » Having been known as Thames Ironworks FC for five years, in the summer of 1900 the club changed its name to West Ham United and applied to join the Southern League. Their first league game was against none other than Gravesend United, the Hammers winning that one 7-0!
THEY PLAYED FOR BOTH... We’re a few divisions apart, but we’ve plenty of players in common
Perhaps the best known West Ham player to have spent time here at Stonebridge Road was forward John Dick (pictured right) who came to the Fleet from Brentford in 1966, having enjoyed an auspicious career at Upton Park, where he played 326 games and scored 176 goals – the third highest in Hammers history. He ended up becoming player-manager in a troubled spell at the club and was the first of four managers at the club in 1967. Another striker, Manny Omoyinmi (below left) was legendary for different reasons at West Ham, his ineligibility in playing in a League Cup quarterfinal in 1999 cost Hammers their place in the competition. He proved somewhat more popular at the Fleet from 2004-05, playing 49 games and scoring 12 goals. Three of our former managers also graced the claret and blue. Eighties boss Eddie Presland made six appearances in a six-year stay with the Hammers, while Bob Glozier and Daryl McMahon (below right) were also on the books in east London without ever making the first team. Garry Hill signing Bondz N’Gala, who enjoyed the briefest of stays with the Fleet, started at West Ham aged 13 and captained the reserve side, while also accompanying the first team on tour, though he never made a full appearance. A hero of our FA Cup giantkillers of 1963/64, goalkeeper Peter Reader,, was also a West Ham youth and reserve, earning England youth caps while at Upton Park and playing with Bobby Moore in European youth competition. Before the First World War, William Kennedy signed from the Hammers and won a treble with our predecessor club Northfleet United in 1909/10 before he was killed in the First World War in 1915. Les Bennett, a Northfleet player before he won the league with Spurs, played 26 times for the Hammers in 1954/55. 11
AJIBOLA ALESE
MESAQUE DJU
HARRISON ASHBY
PIERRE EKWAH
OSSAMA ASHLEY
MICHAEL FORBES
JAMAL BAPTISTE
KEENAN FORSON
Dan CHESTERS
WILL GREENIDGE
AMADOU DIALLO
KRISZTIAN HEGYI
DEFENDER Centre-back who has progressed from the club’s U8s. He signed his first professional contract with West Ham in July 2018, moving up from the U18s to U23s. He has been capped at England youth level from U17 to U20 and made his senior debut v Hull City. DEFENDER Attacking right-back and a Scottish youth international, he is the son of former Fleet assistant manager Barry Ashby. He signed his first pro contract last summer and made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup v Charlton Athletic, earning a call-up to Scotland’s U21s. MIDFIELDER Athletic, energetic and tenacious, the 20-year-old joined the club last August following a successful trial. A box-to-box competitor with previous experience at AFC Wimbledon, he is now looking to make the next step as a Hammer. DEFENDER A versatile defender making the step up from the U18s, Baptiste is tall, strong and comfortable in possession. In 2019, aged 16, he became the second youngest U23 player in West Ham history and made his England U17 debut in the same year. MIDFIELDER A livewire attacking midfielder capable of unlocking the tightest defences, he stepped up to U23 action ahead of schedule, aged 17 in 2019 off the back of some excellent performances. He signed professional terms with West Ham last summer. STRIKER A skilful and highly promising young forward, he is blessed with quick feet and is equally adept with his left or right. He has been at West Ham since the age of 10 and he debuted for the U18s aged just 14. He has also been capped by England’s U16s and U17s. 12
STRIKER Portuguese forward who joined the Hammers at the end of the January transfer window in 2019 from Benfica. One of several Portuguese players in the West Ham development sides, he signed a three-and-a-half-year contract on arrival. MIDFIELDER French youth international and defensive midfielder who played for INF Clairefontaine, which produced Thierry Henry, Nicola Anelka and Kylian Mbappé. He moved to Nantes and then Chelsea in 2018, before signing for West Ham for a fee last month. DEFENDER Aged 17, the tall U18 defender is another making the step up to U23 action. He swapped rural life in Northern Ireland, playing for Dungannon Swifts, for east London and has taken the elevation to the U21 and now U23 squads in his stride. MIDFIELDER A tenacious, energetic midfield player, he joined West Ham at the age of 14 following a successful trial. He made his U18 debut in 2017 and his U23 debut a year later. A first professional contract followed last year. A popular player, he is expected to be one for the future. DEFENDER A consistent, dependable and conscientious defender, Greenidge started all the club’s U18 games in 2019/20, leading to his first contract last summer. It’s been an upward curve for the 19-year-old since as he joins up with the U23s this season. GOALKEEPER Hungarian goalkeeper aged 18 who was nominated for the Premier League U18s Save of the Season, the Budapest youth played for Lurko and Haladás in his homeland before moving to east London in April 2019.
THE AWAY TEAM NATHAN HOLLAND
FREDDIE POTTS
LEVI LAING
JUNIOR ROBINSON
MANNY LONGELO
BERNARDO ROSA
THIERRY NEVERS
LAWRENCE SHALA
MIDFIELDER Winger who joined from Everton in January 2017, Manchester-born Holland has been capped by England at U16-U19 level. He was included in the first team’s pre-season tour in 2017/18 and can be relied upon for a raft of assists per season and weighs in with goals, too. DEFENDER Primarily a centre-back, but talented as a full-back or defensive midfielder, Laing signed his first professional contract earlier this month. The 18-year-old made 13 appearances for the U18s before breaking into the U23s at the end of last season. DEFENDER/STRIKER The 20-year-old wide left player started out at West Ham’s U10s. A pacy, versatile player who has played up front, in midfield and as a left-back in his time, he stepped up to U23 action last season. He has made an impression on those who have seen him play regularly. STRIKER A new arrival this season from Reading, the promising 19-year-old is an exciting talent who is typically deployed on the left wing but can play down the middle. He was a regular for Reading’s U18s when still at school and scored nine times in 25 Premier League 2 appearances for the Royals.
MIDFIELDER A Hammer since he was five years old, Freddie is the son of former West Ham defender and current U23 assistant coach Steve Potts. An impressive central midfielder – calm and composed – he has a great mentality and is now adding goals to his game. DEFENDER A tenacious right-back who provides good quality in wide areas, Robinson has been at the club from a young age, representing England’s U15s in his recent past. An intelligent player and a clear leader in his age group.
MIDFIELDER A creative playmaker who likes to get forward, the Brazilian can also play as a full-back. Previously with Vasco da Gama and Flamengo before making his U18 debut for West Ham in 2016. He quickly became an U23 regular in Premier League 2. GOALKEEPER The youngest member of this squad, the 16-year-old goalkeeper is a Kosovo U17 and U19 international who began to feature in West Ham’s U18s last season.
MIPO ODUBEKO
KAMARAI SWYER
ARMSTRONG OKO-FLEX
ARCHIE WOODS
STRIKER Dublin-born attacker who has played at Irish U16 and U17 international level while also still being eligible for England and Nigeria. He moved to Manchester to represent United, scoring 35 times in the U18 Premier League. He moved to West Ham in 2019. MIDFIELDER/STRIKER Another Dublin-born winger or forward who signed from Celtic this summer. Capped by the Republic of Ireland at U19 level, the dynamic, skilful and quick player made his senior Celtic debut in January this year and was recommended by Liam Brady.
MIDFIELDER Dynamic midfielder who boasts speed and an eye for goal. He scored five times in just 11 appearances in the U18s in 2019/20 and eye-catching performances have seen him elevated to U23 action on numerous occasions.
MIDFIELDER A combative midfielder who covers every blade of grass, scores goals and loves a tackle. A former captain of the U15s and U16s, he is a great communicator on the pitch. A lifelong West Ham fan, the U18 player is now beginning to trouble the U23 ranks too! 13
PUNJAB UNITED MAX OVENDEN WARREN BEATTIE REED WILSON STEPHEN RATCLIFFE FABRIS MBOLA JORDAN CAMPBELL DOMINIC VINCENT JAYDN GILDEA OLA AKIWANDE DIEKO FALADE WILLIAM JOHNSON-COLE
EBBSFLEET UNITED HARRISON FIRTH TOBI ADEBAYO-ROWLING BEN CHAPMAN SEFA KAHRAMAN CHRISTIAN N’GUESSAN MICHAEL WEST GREG CUNDLE ADAM MEKKI ALFIE EGAN RAKISH BINGHAM DOMINIC POLEON Subs on: HAIGH, JOMBATI, J. MARTIN, WOOD, KRASNIQI, TANNER, ROMAIN PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY 07/07/2021 STEVE COOK STADIUM 14
2 PUNJAB UNITED 6 EBBSFLEET UNITED The memorial Steve Cook Trophy inaugurated by the home side was held alo�t by Fleet skipper for the night Adam Mekki, though Punjab clearly fancied making it their own. → THEY RACED INTO A TWO-GOAL LEAD HAVING benefitted from a lot more minutes than the Fleet this preseason. Their first goal took advantage of a Sefa Kahraman slip to finish with a neat lob, while the second came from an excellent crossfield pass to the left wing and a shot past Harrison Firth. Fleet weren’t ring-rusty for very long and were back into it within moments, Alfie Egan converting Rakish Binghams initial effort. The equaliser came late in the first half after Fleet had gone close on numerous occasions, Greg Cundle crossing for Bingham to pick his spot for a deft shot on goal. The second half was a slow affair until Cundle put the visitors ahead on 66 minutes with some good footwork in the box. Ben Chapman supplied Michael West with a long upfield pass for the fourth and then Egan spent the final 10 minutes ensuring the match ball was his. On 80 minutes he struck low and hard from near the byline for his second and Fleet’s fifth and then wrapped up his hat-trick with a shot from outside the box.
Photos: Ed Miller
MATCH REPLAY
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words | ed miller
The
Hammers family FLEET’S NEW FULL BACK MIGHT JOG THE MEMORIES OF SOME WEST HAM FANS... AND HIS DAD CERTAINLY WILL
→ THE COVER PIC ON TODAY’S matchday programme shows our new signing at left-back Joe Martin. The former England youth defender might not be instantly recognisable to West Ham supporters – although he did spend time at the club’s academy until 2005 – and he probably had little choice it would seem in boyhood club given that his dad played almost 600 times for the Hammers and is a legend in east London circles. Joe Martin was born in Dagenham in 1988, round about the time his dad was entering his thirties after spending half his life at Upton Park. Joe is, of course, son of Alvin Martin. The senior Martin, born in Liverpool, was an Everton youth before signing apprentice forms with West Ham in 1974. He appeared in the FA Youth Cup Final in 1975, the same 18
▲ Martins in the house... From left – Joe, Alvin and David. All three have called West Ham home at some point in their careers
year the Hammers beat Fulham at Wembley to lift the FA Cup, before making his first-team debut aged 19 in 1978. Alvin spent almost 19 years in the West Ham first-team, his proudest moments coming in 1980 and 1981 when the Hammers won the FA Cup as a Second Division club and then followed it with promotion from that division into the top flight. He also played in both games of the League Cup Final against Liverpool in 1981, his goalbound header in the final minute of extra-time handled on the line, allowing West Ham to equalise and send the game to a replay. He was part of the most successful West Ham league side that finished a club-record third in the First Division in 1985/86. And he won two more promotions from the Second Division, in 1990 and 1992.
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ALVIN WAS REPLACED BY TERRY FENWICK FOR THE QUARTERFINAL AGAINST ARGENTINA BUT MIGHT HAVE BEEN GLAD OF THAT GIVEN THAT FENWICK WAS ONE OF THOSE LEFT IN THE WAKE OF DIEGO MARADONA!
▲ Like father, like son... Joe Martin (top) in action for the Fleet on Wednesday evening and dad Alvin keeping Mark Hughes under wraps some 35 years ago
▲ Wembley winner... Alvin Martin with the FA Cup in 1980. He played at Wembley in two finals in 1980 and 1981 and made his England debut v Brazil at the stadium at the same time
Alongside Billy Bonds, he was one of two Hammers to earn two testimonial games ane he finally ended a more-than-two-decade stay at West Ham by making the short move to Leyton Orient in 1996. After hanging up his boots, Alvin managed Southend United for two years before contributing to talkSPORT and Sky Sports. He also enjoyed an international career, handed his first of 17 England caps by his former West Ham manager Ron Greenwood against Brazil in 1981. He missed the 1982 World Cup in Spain through injury but played in England’s 3-0 win over Paraguay in the Mexico World Cup in 1986. He was replaced by Terry Fenwick for the quarterfinal against Argentina but might have been glad of that given that Fenwick was one of those left in Diego Maradona’s wake → in that infamous match! 19
Joe Martin’s own West Ham career was a short one before he moved on to Tottenham’s academy, breaking into England’s U17 side where he played alongside Theo Walcott, Lee Cattermole, Michael Mancienne and former Fleet winger Myles Weston. Football League experience with Blackpool, Gillingham, Millwall, Stevenage, Bristol Rovers and Northampton Town has
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▲ Mexico ‘86... Alvin Martin lines up next to Gary Lineker as England make the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals by defeating Paraguay
▼ Family album... Alvin and his other son David, currently a goalkeeper at West Ham
followed, with three promotions amongst that little lot. And the West Ham connection doesn’t end with Alvin and Joe – there’s another member of the family with Joe’s older brother David currently a goalkeeper at the London Stadium. Like Joe, David spent time in the Hammers and Tottenham academies and England youth sides before going on to play for MK Dons, Liverpool, Leicester City and Millwall. He returned to West Ham in 2019 as deputy to Łukasz Fabiański and Roberto.
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75 years of us... SEASON 2021/22 WILL BE THE 75TH OF FLEET’S LIFE. HELP US FILL THE ANNIVERSARY BOOK...
→ WITH ONE EYE ON THE fast-approaching new season, work is going on behind the scenes to mark the Fleet’s 75th anniversary. We have already launched our souvenir kit special for the 2021/22 campaign which has been raking in impressive pre-season orders – and we are also looking to update the club history, last published for our golden jubilee in 1996. Hot on the heels of the published histories of Gravesend United and Northfleet United, a complete history of Gravesend & Northfleet/Ebbsfleet United is long overdue some attention. So the intention is to mark all 75 seasons in what could be a fairly weighty tome, packed with all the club’s statistics as well as a rundown of every player to have represented the club since 1946. We could do with a little help, though. If you have any old matchday photographs or anything 22
else Fleet-related, particularly from the 20th century as we are well served for pictures over the last 15-20 years, please get in touch with Ed Miller at the email address below. Similarly, any player headshots from our early years into the 1990s, or if you know any ex-Fleet players, please get them to send any of their pictures to me. We would like to include as many Fleet faces as possible to mark our 75 years. And also... price. If we publish a hardback book that could run into a couple of hundred pages, the printing prices are likely to be considerable. How much would you be prepared to pay on a pre-order basis to help finance the project? We will also gratefully accept any advertising to go towards this as well. (As a comparison, Dartford’s 540-page history published in 2013 retailed for £30.) Ideas, opinions, photographs and memories to ed.miller@eufc.co.uk.
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words | ed miller
Any old Irons? THERE’S MORE THAN A HINT OF HISTORY BETWEEN OUR TWO CLUBS → TAKE A STEP BACK 126 YEARS and one corner of this photograph contains links to the genesis of both our football clubs. This is the 1895/96 Northfleet United side, nine years before they moved into this ground here at Stonebridge Road. In that season, the five-year-old Fleet were Kent League champions. Just over the river and into east London at the same time, an outfit by the name of Thames Ironworks was formed against a backdrop of clanging hammers as the workers at the great shipbuilding firm along the River Thames looked to their leisure time and a desire to form a football team. Back in Northfleet, meanwhile, the skipper in the photograph above (second from left, back row) went by the name of Syd King. The Chathamborn full-back was the Fleet’s first cup-winning captain (another more 24
▲ Class of ‘95.. Syd King, future West Ham manager, captained this Northfleet team to league glory in 1895, the same year Thames Ironworks (the first ‘version’ of West Ham United) was formed. Below: King at Northfleet as a player, and as West Ham manager
dubious claim to fame is that he scored three own goals in one match v Swindon Town) – and he was one of West Ham’s most important historical figures. More of which later. Northfleet and our other predecessor club Gravesend United progressed from the Kent League into the Southern League as the turn of the century approached. In September 1897, Northfleet played the first of two friendlies with Thames Ironworks in three days, drawing one and winning one. The first meeting – the first ever game at the Ironworks’ new Memorial Recreation Ground – was fairly inauspicious with barely 200 watching the game. Gravesend United, meanwhile, also enjoyed a big part in the Hammers’ history. Their first meeting came in 1898, Gravesend winning
▲ First game... West Ham’s first ever game in 1900 depicted in a 1970s cartoon – the opponents were Gravesend United, who played in stripes as depicted here
4-1 at the Overcliffe and the clubs met again in the Southern League in 1899/1900. By the following season, Thames Ironworks had evolved into West Ham United and Gravesend were the first opponents of the new club. That drizzly September day was somewhat more memorable for the Hammers as they eased to a 7-0 win in front of 3,000 spectators. Gravesend’s ranks were swelled by many a former West Ham player down the years, the best known being James Bigden, goalkeeper John Geggus (who refused to play ▼ Memories... The Memorial Recreation Ground, home of Thames Ironworks and West Ham United, where Northfleet United were the first opponents in 1897. Gravesend also played at this ground.
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TAKE A STEP BACK 126 YEARS AND ONE CORNER OF THIS PHOTO (PREVIOUS PAGE) CONTAINS LINKS TO THE GENESIS OF BOTH OUR FOOTBALL CLUBS...
for West Ham in 1912 after being on the receiving end of uncomplimentary comments from the Hammers faithful!), Fred Massey and Gerry Gazzard. A short time after West Ham’s formation, former Fleet skipper Syd King was appointed manager, aged only 28. He would remain in the Hammers hotseat until 1932, by far the club’s longest-serving manager and he led his team out in the historic 1923 ‘White Horse’ FA Cup Final, the first
→
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ever at Wembley. He also oversaw West Ham’s election to the Football League in 1919 while earlier in 1904, around the same time the Fleet began a relocation to Stonebridge Road, the Hammers moved into the Boleyn Ground. King led a chequered life, however. After a series of incidents, he was eventually sacked by the club in 1932 for being “drunk and insubordinate”; this he took very badly and tragically committed suicide shortly afterwards – according to the coroner at his inquest, ‘the balance
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▲ A century ago In 1921, West Ham visited this ground for a friendly – the Swanscombe End is pictured where some of their fans will stand this afternoon ▼ Players in common... William Kennedy (left) was signed by West Ham after starring in a goalscoring role for Northfleet. He died aged 24 at the Battle of Loos. Gerry Gazzard (right) played for Gravesend before the war ended and played 120 times at West Ham after it
of his mind was disturbed’. The Fleet’s links with West Ham might even have continued after the Second World War. The club had, of course, enjoyed a long nursery-club status with Tottenham Hotspur from 1922 to 1939. In 1945, as Northfleet sought means to reform, the idea of becoming West Ham’s nursery club was floated for a little while – it came to nothing, however, and the result exactly 75 years ago was the Gravesend and Northfleet amalgamation that formed the basis of our present-day club.
Book tickets for all games in advance fleetlive.club
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CHATHAM TOWN HARVEY MILLS FREDDIE CRAY CHARLIE WESTON JORDY ROBINS CHARLIE DICKENS JACK PALMBY RYAN HAYES IKE ORJI HARVEY BROWN MATT BODKIN DAN BRADSHAW
EBBSFLEET UNITED CHRIS HAIGH BEN CHAPMAN JOE MARTIN SIDO JOMBATI CHRISTIAN N’GUESSAN WILL WOOD ADAM MEKKI JACK PAXMAN CRAIG TANNER ELLIOTT ROMAIN LEE MARTIN Subs on: FIRTH, KRASNIQI, EGAN, CUNDLE, BINGHAM, POLEON PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY 14/07/2021 BAUVILL STADIUM 28
2 CHATHAM TOWN 7 EBBSFLEET UNITED Fleet’s 6-2 win at Punjab went one better against their divisional fellows Chatham on Wednesday night. → ON THE MEDWAY CLUB’S 3G SURFACE AND WITH Fleet fans enjoying a beer or two on the rattan patio seats, there was barely time to pause before Lee Martin began and ended his own move to open the scoring on 56 seconds. Fleet rattled in five in a one-sided first-half, Adam Mekki’s lob over Harvey Mills the pick of the bunch. Elliott Romain scored twice, one nodded in from Martin’s shot off the bar, the other a strong run and precise shot, while Craig Tanner stroked in the fifth after a corner came his way. Dominic Poleon made it six on the hour mark and Rakish Bingham whacked home a penalty after Alfie Egan’s one-two with Poleon saw him upended in the box. Either side of that Bingham spot-kick, Chatham registered on the scoresheet. Former Dartford legend Ryan Hayes’ looping free-kick got the slightest of touches off Dan Bradshaw’s head which made it difficult for Harrison Firth in goal to judge the flight of the ball and their second came in the final minute when Jordy Robins struck from the edge of the box after Fleet had lost possession from a clearance. Former Fleet pair Scott Lindsey and Darren Smith were pulling the strings in the Chatham dugout.
Photos: Ed Miller
MATCH REPLAY
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STRANGER STORIES FROM THE FOOTBALL WORLD
AND... FINALLY!
All white on the night
1 Taylor-made
2 Barce-loner You’ve got to hand it to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium redevelopment team’s eye for detail. The present capacity of the worldfamous venue is 80,243 and you might expect a standard modernisation to change that figure. And it has. By one. The new capacity of the ground will be 80,242. You’ve got to be a pretty luckless sort of person if that ends up being your seat that they’ve got shot of.
With temps rocketing this afternoon, this little story may seem a bit unseasonal – but that’s because we’re recycling it from a postponed February programme that never saw the light of day! When snow swept across Europe back then, reaching even as far as Turkey (there’s probably a gag here somewhere about Turkey and White Christmases), it added much confusion to a league match. Now much as we love our all-white kit, this probably wasn’t the best example of the colour combination. And perhaps Turkish side Sivasspor should have kept to their home kit in this trip to Istanbul Basaksehir. Believe it or not, there are two teams in the photo above, one in orange and one in camouflaged white! Meanwhile, in Austria, they didn’t need the tractors and volunteers that we had to employ to get our game on against Hampton & Richmond Borough in February. They just sent this bloke on to the pitch with a ladder to lazily pull it behind him and gather up the loose snow and ice.
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One for you betting types to keep handy – a useless fact but a perhaps useful stat. It emerged that Brazilian side Corinthians have never lost a game either side of the release of a Taylor Swift album. The record goes back 15 years and 18 matches. The release of Swift’s Evermore album earlier this year resulted in a win over Sao Paulo and Corinthians fans have been singing Swift’s praises since. Which of course begs the question, is there a pop-star equivalent of this for the Fleet?!
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Fixtures (home games in yellow) Sat Aug 14 Sat Aug 21 Sat Aug 28 Mon Aug 30 Sat Sep 4 Sat Sep 11 Sat Sep 18 Sat Oct 2 Sat Oct 9 Sat Oct 16 Sat Oct 23 Tue Oct 26 Sat Oct 30 Sat Nov 6 Sat Nov 13 Sat Nov 20 Sat Nov 27 Sat Dec 4 Sat Dec 11 Sat Dec 18 Sun Dec 26 Tue Dec 28 Sun Jan 2 Sat Jan 8 Sat Jan 15 Sat Jan 22 Tue Jan 25 Sat Jan 29 Sat Feb 12 Sat Feb 19 Sat Feb 26 Sat Mar 5 Sat Mar 12 Tue Mar 15 Sat Mar 19 Sat Mar 26 Sat Apr 2 Sat Apr 9 Fri Apr 15 Mon Apr 18 Sat Apr 23 Sat Apr 30 Mon May 2 Sat May 7
Tonbridge Angels Chippenham Town Hemel Hempstead Chelmsford City Havant & W’LOOVILLE Hampton & RICHMOND B. FA Cup 2Q FA Cup 3Q Slough Town Maidstone United Eastbourne Borough Braintree Town Bath City Oxford City Hungerford Town Welling United FA Trophy 2 Dulwich Hamlet Concord Rangers FA Trophy 3 Dartford Billericay Town Dartford Hemel Hempstead Town St. Albans City Dorking WANDERERS Maidstone United Hampton & Richmond Slough Town Havant & WATERL’VILLE Eastbourne Borough Bath City Oxford City Braintree Town St. Albans City Dorking Wanderers HungerforD Town Welling United Dulwich Hamlet Concord Rangers Tonbridge Angels Chippenham Town Billericay Town Chelmsford City
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CLUB HONOURS FA Trophy 2007/08 Southern League 1957/58 Isthmian League Premier 2001/02 NL South Play-off Winners 2010/11, 2016/17 32
Promotions 1970/71, 1974/75, 1988/89, 1993/94, 2001/02, 2010/11, 2016/17 Play-offs (*=won) 2010/11*, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17*, 2017/18 Southern League Cup 1977/78 Southern League, Southern Division 1974/75, 1993/94
Southern League Championship Cup 1978/79 Kent Senior Cup 1948/49, 1952/53, 1980/81, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2007/08, 2013/14 Puma Full Members Cup 2000/01 John Ullman Cup 1982/83
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Tobi ADEBAYO-ROWLING Rakish BINGHAM Ben CHAPMAN Greg CUNDLE Alfie EGAN Harrison FIRTH [GK] Chris HAIGH [GK] Sido JOMBATI Sefa KAHRAMAN Kreshnic KRASNIQI Joe MARTIN Lee MARTIN Adam MEKKI Kieran MONLOUIS Christian N’GUESSAN Jack PAXMAN Dominic POLEON Elliott ROMAIN Chris SOLLY Craig TANNER Michael WEST Will WOOD
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Editor, Design & Layout Ed Miller Photography Dave Plumb Article submissions to ed.miller@eufc.co.uk
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Ajibola ALESE Harrison ASHBY Ossama ASHLEY Jamal BAPTISTE Dan CHESTERS Amadou DIALLO Mesaque DJU Pierre EKWAH Michael FORBES Keenan FORSON Will GREENIDGE Krisztian HEGYI [GK] Nathan HOLLAND Levi LAING Manny LONGELO Thierry NEVERS Mipo ODUBEKO Armstrong OKO-FLEX Freddie POTTS Junior ROBINSON Bernardo ROSA Lawrence SHALA [GK] Kamarai SWYER Archie WOODS TRIALIST [GK]