West Ham Women v Leicester City Women

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INSIDE
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Editor: George Benson
Contributors: Troy Downes,
Arfa Griffiths, Jimmy Griffiths,
Emily Defroand, Jack Butler, Rob
Pritchard, David Fletcher
PRODUCED & PRINTED BY
IGNITION SPORTS MEDIA
The opinions of contributors do
not necessarily represent the views of
EMERGENCY AND
SAFETY PROCEDURES
The following acts are offences under the
Football Offences Act 1991, as amended:
the throwing of any objects within the
stadium without lawful authority or
excuse; the chanting of racist, anti-
Semitic, Islamophobic or homophobic
nature; the entry onto the playing area
or any adjacent area to which spectators
are not generally admitted without lawful
authority or excuse.
Please respect your fellow spectators
by refraining from persistent standing in
seated areas. Please note that smoking
is not permitted anywhere within
Dagenham & Redbridge Stadium and this
includes the use of electronic cigarettes.
In the event of an emergency, you will
hear a message over the public address
system – listen to the message carefully
and follow the instructions of stadium
staff. Evacuation of the stadium is a last
resort and we may ask you to move from
your immediate area initially.
Please remain vigilant at all times and
report anything you consider suspicious to
a member of stadium staff.
The use of threatening behaviour, foul
or abusive language is strictly forbidden
and will result in arrest and/or ejection
from the stadium. West Ham United and
Dagenham & Redbridge may impose a
ban from as a result.
To ensure our young Hammers and
visitors have a safe and enjoyable
experience, please ensure children are
supervised at all times.
Lost children should be reported to the
COME ON YOU IRONS 3

It was great to have players from the Barking & Dagenham U11s
Girls’ District Team at our match against Brighton & Hove Albion.
The girls were our guard of honour, and posed for a photo with
Abbey-Leigh Stringer, Lisa Evans, Mel Filis, Halle Houssein, Viviane
Asseyi and Mackenzie Arnold at full-time!
We hope that they all enjoyed their day with us, and we hope to
see them back at Chigwell Construction Stadium soon!
HAVE A GREAT 22/23
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4 COME ON YOU IRONS

E
veryone is ready and raring
to go, as we look to get
back to winning ways in
front of our supporters.
We were disappointed to come
away with a defeat from our
last match here – a 5-4 loss to
Brighton & Hove Albion. I speak
for all of the girls when I say
that we’re incredibly frustrated
that we weren’t able to get
the result that we wanted.
We made another really
good start, but I don’t think
we managed the game well. A
couple of individual mistakes
crept into our game, and that’s
not been like us this season,
so that was disappointing.
When you concede five goals
in any match, it’s always going to
be a big struggle to come back
into the game. I thought the team
showed a lot of a character to
bring the game back to 5-4, but
unfortunately, we just didn’t have
enough time left to get a point.
DAGNÝ BRYNJARSDÓTTIR
Good afternoon and welcome to Chigwell Construction Stadium
for today’s match against Leicester City.
I think the game will prove
to be a good lesson for us as
a team, and it’s a small blot
on what has otherwise been a
very positive season so far.
We mustn’t lose sight of the
good start that we have made,
but we now enter a run of fixtures
where we need to be picking
up a solid number of points,
whilst also making sure we finish
well in our Conti Cup group.
As always, our supporters have
been really important for us and
will be again today. We were
disappointed that we let you
down against Brighton, but we
want to bounce back today.
We had a very good match
against Leicester at home last
season, but we were second
best against them in a defeat
away from home. They may
not have made the best of
starts to the new season, but
under their new manager,
Willie Kirk, we know we’re in
for a tough afternoon today.
We come into this match off
the back of an international break,
which always makes things difficult
as the majority of our players are
away for a week. I was one of
those that stayed behind, which
is not usually the case. It was nice
to be able to have a little bit of a
break, whilst also working with
the coaching team on a oneto-one
basis whilst our numbers
were a little lower than usual.
If this is your first time attending
one of our matches this afternoon,
then on behalf of the team, I hope
you have an enjoyable afternoon,
and hopefully we can get a positive
result to send you home happy!
COME ON YOU IRONS!
COME ON YOU IRONS 5

Together we are stronger
LONDON • SOUTHEND • BILLERICAY • BENFLEET
www.paulrobinson.co.uk

I
’d like to wish Willie Kirk, his
staff, and his players a warm
welcome to east London
for this afternoon’s fixture.
We’ve had two weeks since we
were last here, and we’re hoping
to put right the disappointing
aspects of our performance
against Brighton & Hove Albion.
I said it in my post-match
interviews, but you can’t expect
to take points from any fixture in
which you concede five goals.
That was very disappointing,
and as a team, we’ve looked
over what we can improve
on heading into this game.
We know that Leicester will
put up a really good test for
us this afternoon, so we need
to make sure we’re heading
into the game with the right
mentality and that we’re ready to
compete from the first whistle.
Willie Kirk has gone in as their
new manager, and I think you
will see a toughness that perhaps
they haven’t had so far this
season. They might be bottom
of the table at the moment, but
we can’t underestimate them.
I spent four full seasons with
Leicester during my own playing
career, and won promotion to
the Premier League with them
in the 2013/14. It’s a club that I
have a great fondness for from
my time there. That feeling gets
put aside this afternoon, though,
FROM THE
MANAGER
Good afternoon and welcome to Chigwell
Construction Stadium for today’s Barclays
Women’s Super League match against
Leicester City.
as we go in search of our third
home win of the season.
We’ve just had our third
international break of the season,
and I’m pleased to report that the
majority of our players came back
in good condition. It’s great that
we’ve got so many of our players
representing their countries at
all age levels, and I’m pleased for
those that went away and did well.
Obviously, that does mean that
we have less time as a whole
group to work on things heading
into today’s game, but every
club is in the same boat, so we
can’t use that as an excuse.
Since our last match, we’ve
also said goodbye to my assistant
manager, Edu Rubio. Edu became
my assistant this summer, and
has been absolutely fantastic,
not only for the team, but for
me personally as I make my
first steps into management.
He now becomes Julen
Lopetegui’s first-team coach,
having previously worked together
at the Spanish FA. We’re gutted
to be losing a person of his
quality, but we know that this is a
fantastic opportunity for him, and
we wish him every success with
Wolves in the Premier League.
I’m delighted to have my new
assistant manager, Jimmy Walker
in the dugout with me today.
Jimmy is somebody that I’m
really pleased to have as my
number two. I’ve known him
for a very long time and has
been helping us out with the
goalkeepers this season. He’s
fitted into the group seamlessly
and the girls really respect him.
He has a fantastic
amount of knowledge and
experience from his years as
a player and as a coach.
I’m really excited by the prospect
of working with Jimmy, alongside
our first-team coach, Danielle
Bowman, in leading this team to
the goals we want to achieve.
As always, thank you for your
fantastic support. We will need it
once again this afternoon as we
look to return to winning ways.
COME ON YOU IRONS!
028_WHUFC_BHA_MAIN.indd 28 18/08/2022 15:19
COME ON YOU IRONS 7

9
Club News
HAMMERS IN ACTION DURING
NOVEMBER INTERNATIONAL BREAK
During the international break, a total of eight
West Ham United players were in action in
friendly matches for their respective countries.
Here’s a rundown of the best of
the action from the break.
Viviane Asseyi scored as France beat
Norway in their only friendly match of
the November international break.
Asseyi came off the bench to score the
winner at the Estadi Olimpic Camilo Cano
La Nucia, heading the ball home with
seven minutes of normal time remaining
after former Hammer, Kenza Dali had
whipped a corner into the area.
Kadidiatou Diani had got Les Bleues off to
the best possible start with 22 minutes gone,
but AS Roma midfielder, Sophie Homan Haug
scored a leveller only ten minutes later.
However, Asseyi score the decisive goal,
continuing with her good form in front of
goal, having scored a brace for the Hammers
in a 4-5 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion
on the eve of the international break.
Kirsty Smith played the full 90 minutes as
she earned her 47th cap in Scotland’s 2-0
victory over Panama at Chapin Stadium in
Cadiz. Bristol City’s Abi Harrison stabbed
home a cross from Smith to give Scotland
the lead at the break, before 21-yearold
defender Jenna Clark scored her first
goal for her country after half-time.
The defender was an unused substitute
in a 2-1 win over Panama two days later.
Risa Shimizu featured in Japan’s defeats
to England and Spain, shilist Hayashi was
an unused substitute against England,
but did play the full 90 minutes in the
narrow loss in Cadiz against Spain.
Mel Filis played 90 minutes in both of England
U23s’ friendly matches. The 20-year-old
midfielder helped the Young Lionesses to a 2-0
victory over the Netherlands, before following
up with a 0-0 draw with Italy in Rome.
Moving down the age groups, Halle Houssein
played 64 minutes for England U19s, as they
beat Norway 2-1 in Portugal. Thea Kyvåg was
an unused substitute but was able to pose
for a photo with Houssein at full-time.
Keira Flannery scored for England
U18s in a 5-1 defeat to Portugal.
Finally, Izzy Atkinson was an unused
substitute as the Republic of Ireland
recorded a comprehensive 4-0 victory over
Morocco in their friendly match in Marbella,
which forms part of their preparations for
next summer’s World Cup in Australia.
ASSISTANT MANAGER RUBIO JOINS
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
West Ham United Women can confirm that
assistant manager Edu Rubio has departed
the Club to join Premier League side
Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Rubio joined West Ham United in the
summer, taking on the role of assistant
manager to Paul Konchesky.
He now becomes Julen Lopetegui’s firstteam
coach, having previously worked together
at the Spanish FA.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to
thank Edu for his efforts and wish him the best
of luck at Wolves.
COME ON YOU IRONS 9

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12 COME ON YOU IRONS

An in-depth interview with rookie
head coach Paul Konchesky on his
new role leading West Ham United’s
Women’s team
P
aul Konchesky has
been on quite a journey
in his professional
footballing career.
The 41-year-old has a whole
host of fantastic memories from a
distinguished playing career that
spanned over three decades.
A former West Ham United
schoolboy, Konchesky broke
through at Charlton Athletic at
just 16 years of age, before going
on to score for his beloved West
Ham United at the Millennium
Stadium in the 2006 FA Cup final.
At Fulham, he helped the
Cottagers reach the 2010
Europa League final, before
helping Leicester City reach
the promised land of the
Premier League back in 2014.
Konchesky played for 12
different clubs during his career,
whilst also earning two caps for
England in friendly matches against
Australia and Argentina in 2003.
Now, he is manager at West
Ham United Women. He calls West
Ham ‘My Club’ – and in truth, West
Ham United has always been the
place that he has called home.
“If I’m being honest, I’ve really
loved it since I took charge,”
Konchesky smiled. “I’ve enjoyed
coming to work, which I think is
the most important thing because
if I’m enjoying it, then hopefully
my team are also enjoying playing
their football here at West Ham.
“I’ve loved being in the role,
and all of the highs and the lows
that have come with it so far,
and hopefully that can continue
for a long time to come.
“It’s been a long journey for me
as a player, as well as transitioning
from an assistant manager to
now being the boss myself –
I’ve enjoyed that process.”
TRANSITION
Konchesky is a familiar and popular
figure at Chadwell Heath Training
Ground, the base of both the
Women’s team and the famous
West Ham United Men’s Academy,
with the U18s age group and below
training on the famous pitches.
It was there, whilst working
as Academy Loans Manager
that he was first approached by
then manager, Olli Harder, to
assist with the Women’s team.
“Whilst I was working on my
‘UEFA B Licence’ coaching course,
I was working with the boys in
the academy here at West Ham
and then the opportunity came
up to go into the Women’s
first team when Olli Harder
COME ON YOU IRONS 13

was here,” he explained.
“Initially, I went in to help
out a little bit with the training
sessions and pass on some of the
knowledge that I had accumulated
from my playing career – and from
there I was offered the opportunity
to become the assistant manager.
“That was a really good
transition for me as I went into
the assistant coach role and was
able to learn the ins and outs of
the women’s game. That was
important because it is different
to the men’s game, and there
is a lot that I felt like I needed
to pick up and learn quickly.
“The assistant manager role
presented me with a good
opportunity to learn the game
properly before I had the chance
to become the manager and
build on the foundations that Olli
had established at the Club.”
A NATURAL PROGRESSION
Barking born and bred, and
a proud East End favourite
whose contributions to the
community even include a
traditional pie ‘n mash shop in
Brentwood – Konch’s Kafé – it
is clear just how much this
Club means to Konchesky.
Such passion is a natural product,
however, of a footballer steeped
in Claret and Blue heritage from
his early days – and is ultimately
part of what attracted him to first
take the assistant managers role
with the women’s team, and thus
transition into the top job when
the opportunity came knocking.
“I’m a massive West Ham fan – I
think most people know that by
now!” he smiled. “Once I finished
playing, I wanted to have a go
at coaching, and from there I
knew that eventually going into
management would be that next
step. To be able to make my first
steps into management with my
Club, if you like, is fantastic.
“It was a natural progression
– having spent a year here
as the assistant, I knew what
I was going into, what the
environment was like and what
the differences are from the men’s
game. My playing experience
has been really beneficial and
hopefully that experience
rubs off onto my players.
“Obviously, the men’s game is
a little bit quicker, but technically,
the women’s game is very good –
and I think it’s getting better and
better. Especially coming off the
back of the Euros this summer,
the women’s game is growing and
has the potential to be massive.
I think that people getting into
the women’s game and coming
to support is a good sign and can
only mean good things for the
future of the game,” he explained.
FRONT FOOT
Konchesky was always the type
of player that would give his team
100%, and his tenacity has rubbed
off on his team in the Barclays
Women’s Super League this season.
The Irons currently sit eighth in
the WSL table on nine points –
having beaten Everton, Aston Villa
and Reading so far this season.
Fast and committed starts
have been a feature, with the
team scoring first in six of their
seven league fixtures so far
this season, and Konchesky
believes that there is plenty more
to come from his players.
“I think that you can see at the
moment that we’re playing on our
front foot and we’re trying to get
into games early,” he observed.
“We’ve been really successful at
doing that so far and we’ve scored
early goals, which is important
because it sets us off well from
the start of game. What I’ve said is
that all of my team will always give
100% out on the pitch, that’s the
minimum that I expect from them.
“We’re creating chances and
scoring goals, which has been
good, but there’s still little
improvements that we need
to make to stay consistent.
“As a manager, I would say
that my style is quite chilled, and
naturally I’m quite a happy person.
However, my expectations are
14 COME ON YOU IRONS

clear, so when my standards have
to be higher my team know that
I’m being serious. But they also
know when they can have a bit
of a laugh and a joke with me.
“I try to be quite chilled because
I want them to just relax and
enjoy playing football. I think
once they’re enjoying it, and
they’re happy where they are,
then the rest falls into place.”
GROWTH
The growth of the WSL has been
enormous over the last five
seasons. The league is into its
12th year and has ambitions of
being financially self-sufficient
in the next ten years, something
that can come off the back of a
growing audience, bigger TV deals
and a greater commercial reach.
The league went fully
professional in 2018, and ahead of
the 2021/22 season, the Football
Association announced a recordbreaking
three-year deal with
Sky Sports and the BBC for the
broadcast rights to the top division.
The agreement gave Sky the
right to show up to 44 matches
live per season, with the BBC
broadcasting 22 live games each
season, up until the summer of
2024, and the remaining matches
not selected for broadcast shown
live on FA Player – free of charge.
This increased exposure
means that the growth of the
game has been exponential,
and Konchesky can only see
it moving in one direction.
“I think the game is only
getting better and reaching
bigger audiences. The broadcast
deals are massive for the
game, and the progress that is
being made is really good.
“Obviously, the triumph for
England at the Euros has meant
that more eyes are on our game
this season, which is massive. I
think everyone will look back at
that moment in 10 years’ time and
see that the win was the catalyst for
the growth that we’re going to see.
“It’s a slow progress, but we’re
starting to see the sponsorship
coming in that the women’s
game needs. Of course, we all
want to be at the top but it’s
not that easy sometimes, and
hopefully we can continue with
the strides that have been made.
“You can even see that the level
has increased in the WSL since
the summer. We’ve had an influx
of players coming to the league,
which has raised the quality. But
not only that, our own domestic
talent is improving and getting
better. It’s a great time to be
involved with women’s football in
this country, and I think we need to
shout about it as much as we can.
“If you want to be able to
compete then you have to add
to your squad, and I think every
team has done that – so you’re
seeing teams compete in every
game. Bridging the gap with the
likes of Chelsea, Manchester
United and Arsenal is certainly a
challenge, but ultimately, we will
go about our business in the way
that we want to and hopefully
we’ll be up near the top teams
come the end of the season.”
FAMILY FRIENDLY
The Women’s team have two
matches at their home ground,
Dagenham & Redbridge’s
Chigwell Construction Stadium
during the men’s World Cup
break, whilst also making trips to
Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and
Brighton & Hove Albion before
the team’s Christmas break.
And Konchesky wants to
encourage the West Ham
United faithful to come down
and get behind the team.
“We really want the supporters
to come down and get behind
us during the break – our
home support is massively
important to us because we
want to make our home ground
a really difficult place to go.
“It’s a real family friendly
environment, and we want
everyone to feel welcome
coming to watch us – it’s
like one big family.
“We’re playing some really
good stuff this season, and
hopefully the fans are coming
away from matches thinking that
they’ve had an enjoyable day
out even when the team don’t
get a win,” Konchesky said.
COME ON YOU IRONS 15

BUILDING ON
A SOLID START
WORDS: GEORGE BENSON
Grace Fisk reflects on how her fourth season
at West Ham United has begun.
Having signed for West
Ham United under the
team’s first Manager of the
WSL era, Matt Beard way
back in December 2019, Fisk is
now the second longest serving
player in the current squad – with
only Kate Longhurst wearing
the Claret & Blue for longer.
She has since become a very
important cog at the heart of
the Hammers defence. In the
2020/21 season, Fisk played every
single minute for West Ham in
the WSL, and last season, she
bounced back from injury at
the beginning of the campaign
to play 16 league matches.
In total, the 24-year-old has
made a total of 63 appearances
for the Club, and she is
hoping to earn many more as
the season progresses.
She reflects on the start that the
team have made to the 2022/23
season, and what the team can
expect to come up against today…
Grace, starting things off, how was
the international break for you?
I think the break allows the
players that are still at the training
ground to work on a lot of
individualised things. Obviously,
there’s a lot of players missing,
so we don’t do a lot of teambased
work out on the pitch.
It’s challenging when you are
only left with a small group and
then everyone only comes back
together a couple of days before
the next league game, but it is
the same for every team in this
division. It used to be the top two
or three clubs, but now that we’ve
had the influx of talented players,
plus the improvements that have
come as time has gone on, it
means that teams have a lot more
internationals than they used to.
It’s something we have all gotten
used to, and it’s always nice
when everyone returns from their
respective international camps.
You’ve played against a
number of teams that have
been managed by Willie Kirk
– what are you expecting
from Leicester on Sunday?
He’s obviously a very wellrespected
manager throughout
the WSL and we’re expecting quite
a tough game. We know that he’s
only just taken over, but he will
have had time during the break
to implement some of his ideas
with the players that have stayed
behind, and his appointment
could spur the team on.
I think it will be a good game
and both teams will go into it
wanting to prove something for
different reasons. We want to get
back to winning ways after our
defeat to Brighton last time out,
and they want to get their first
points of the season on the board.
We know that there isn’t an
easy game in this league, but
we’re excited to get back out
there in front of our fans.
You’ve mentioned the Brighton
game, how disappointing was it to
be on the losing side last time out?
Incredibly. For us, conceding
five goals in unacceptable. We’ve
gone back over the game as a
group and we’ve looked at the
areas where we need to be better
and make sure that we don’t ship
16 COME ON YOU IRONS

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that many goals in a match again,
But, on the positive, we showed
a good spirit to try and bring
ourselves back into the game
and could have potentially
snatched a draw right at the
end with the chances that we
had in the final moments.
We’re not going to dwell on
it though, and we’re eager
to get back to winning
ways against Leicester.
And overall, how would you assess
our start to the season so far?
I think it’s been a decent start
from us. I think we knew going into
the campaign that we didn’t have
the pre-season that we all wanted,
but what it did do was allow us to
really knuckle down in the final
few weeks before the season
began and made sure that we were
ready to kick things off positively.
We’ve been able to get some
solid points on the board so far
and we just want to keep building
on that. I think we’ve still got
quite a lot of potential to unlock,
we’re a relatively new team that
brought in a lot of new faces, and
I do honestly think the best is still
yet to come from this group.
You’ve worked under three
different managers here at
West Ham United. What has
Paul Konchesky brought to the
role since he took charge?
It was quite easy from a player’s
perspective to get used to
Konch being in charge because
a lot of players had a really good
relationship with him from when he
was assistant last season- it’s been
nice to be able to build on that.
It’s been good playing for
him, and I think he’s a manager
that you can have open and
honest conversations with. His
communication has been really
good, and everyone is really
supportive of the way that he wants
to do things. I’m really excited for
where he can take us this season.
You’re in your fourth season
here at West Ham, and you’re
the teams second longest
serving player. Do you feel
that you’re slowly developing
into a leader of this team?
It’s funny because somebody
told me about the longest serving
player stat the other day and I
just couldn’t believe it! I think I’ve
been on such a journey since I
arrived here in December 2019.
When I first joined, I was getting
to grips with the WSL having
played out in the USA, and then
the following season I played every
single minute and started to fully
establish myself within the team.
Being one of the more
experienced players, in terms of
WSL appearances, feels a bit crazy
to say to be honest, as I’m still a
young player that’s developing my
craft. I try not to look too much
into it to be honest – first and
foremost I’m just another player in
the team, and I want to continue
learning and taking everything in
as I continue with my career.
We’ve got five matches to
go until the Christmas break.
How important could this
run of matches be for us?
It’s crazy to think that we’ve
only got three WSL matches to
go until Christmas, but it means
that we have to really knuckle
down during this period and
make sure we come away with
a good number of points.
We’ve also got two Conti Cup
games, and we want to make sure
that we advance to the knockout
stages of that competition.
As I said, I think we’ve made a
decent start, and all we need to do
is get a good number of points on
the board and stabilise our position
within the table come Christmas.
Obviously, every team we face
will bring a different challenge,
so we need to be ready for that.
Our aim going into every game
is the same, which is to come
away with three points – so
hopefully we will be in a very good
place come Christmas time.
COME ON YOU IRONS 19

MEET THE
OPPOSITION
an a ‘new manager bounce’
Caid the Foxes’ tricky start?
With seven defeats from seven
matches, it has been far from
an ideal start to the 2022/23
Barclays Women’s Super League
for Leicester City. And so,
something had to change. As
the only side without a point
in the WSL, the club parted
company with Lydia Bedford
before their fixture with leaders,
Arsenal. A reorganisation of the
technical and coaching team
at the Midlands-based side saw
former Everton coach Willie
Kirk – previously Director of
Football at Leicester – transition
to the dugout, while former
assistant manager Nicola
Williams also left the club.
Make no mistake, the Foxes
would have set their sights
far higher than just survival
in their second top-flight
season, although right now
last year’s 11th-placed finish
will be the aim for a side that
already finds themselves three
points adrift of Reading at
the foot of the WSL table.
Still, Kirk’s outfit will take
confidence from a 3-0 win
against the Hammers last
season as they head to east
London. Of note is that it will be
nearly two years since Leicester
City achieved promotion to
the WSL for the first time in
2020/21. And so, the Foxes
will look to kickstart their bid
to secure a third successive
top-flight campaign against
Paul Konchesky’s Irons today.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
WEST HAM UNITED 4-0 LEICESTER CITY
BARCLAY’S WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE, 26 SEPTEMBER 2021
West Ham United recorded their first win of the 2021/22
Barclay’s Women’s Super League season thanks to a
comfortable triumph over Leicester City at Chigwell
Construction Stadium in September 2021.
Tameka Yallop opened the scoring with a well-taken goal on
her Claret and Blue debut, before Claudia Walker added the
second seven minutes before the break.
An own-goal from Ashleigh Plumptre ensured the Hammers
took a three-goal lead into the interval, while a fourth was
secured nine minutes from full-time when the ball deflected
over the line off Foxes’ goalkeeper Kirstie Levell.
In truth, the Hammers could have added to their showing as
Yallop had earlier hit the crossbar – an effort which was just
one of the Irons’ 25 shots (eight on target) at the visitors’ goal.
The Foxes almost added a goal of their own, but a trio
of saves from Hammers’ shot-stopper Mackenzie Arnold
ensured a clean sheet would cap an impressive showing in
east London.
20 COME ON YOU IRONS

ONES TO WATCH
THE
MANAGER
T
oday’s fixture will be
the second match
in the dugout for new
Leicester City manager
Willie Kirk, who replaced
Lydia Bedford ahead of
the Foxes’ 4-0 defeat to
WSL leaders, Arsenal on
November 6.
That was, of course,
a tough debut for the
46-year-old, who is
seeking his club’s first
point of the season
in east London today.
Kirk had previously
been brought to the
Midlands-based side as
a Director of Women’s
and Girls’ Football in
July but transitioned
to the dugout in early
November. Of note is
that Kirk has a wealth of
experience as a manager.
A career that started as
an academy coach at
Livingston FC and later
Hibernian has also taken
the 44-year-old to Bristol
City and seen him work
as an assistant manager
at Manchester United.
The Edinburgh-born
coach saw his most
recent WSL managerial
experience come on
Merseyside, where he
was the manager of
Everton until 16 October
2021. He will seek a
change of fortunes for
his Leicester City side in
the WSL today.
CARRIE JONES (MF)
A product of the Cardiff City
Ladies youth set-up, Carrie
Jones has joined Leicester City
on loan from Manchester United
for the duration of the 2022/23
Barclay’s Women’s Super League
season. The Welsh 19-year-old
earned her first international
call-up aged just 15 and joined
Manchester United from Cardiff
in 2020. She has made 10
appearances for the Red Devils
– in all competitions – but is set
for more regular game-time at
Leicester City.
CJ BOTT (DF)
Wellington-born defender
CJ Bott saw the first part
of her Leicester City career
hampered by injury after
she signed from the Foxes in
March 2022. The New Zealand
international arrived at LCFC
Women from Norwegian
first-division side Vålerenga.
She has also featured for
Bundesliga side FF USV and
Swedish team Vittsjö GIK.
ERIN SIMON (DF)
Former Hammer Erin Simon
joined Leicester City in July
2022 following a spell with
National Women’s Soccer
League side Racing Louisville.
Capped at the U23 level by the
United States, Simon saw her
first taste of the WSL come in
east London, during a two-year
spell with West Ham United. The
highlight of her time in Claret
and Blue was a run to the FA
Cup Final in 2019. She made her
Foxes debut against Tottenham
Hotspur last September.
COME ON YOU IRONS 21

23
SUPPORTER SERVICES
Matchday information for fans from our dedicated
Supporter Services Team.
elcome back to Chigwell
Construction Stadium for
Wtoday’s Barclays Women’s
Super League match with
Leicester City. Whether you’re a
longstanding Season Ticket Holder
or a junior joining us for the first
time, our Supporter Services team
are here to help. The Supporter
Services Team has six full-time
staff who work Monday to Friday
to listen to your feedback, and to
always help where we can.
We have six Matchday Supporter
Liaison Officers (SLO) in
attendance and are on hand to
assist you with any support you
may need, as well as welcoming
any feedback you may have and
want to share. They are easily
identified, wearing a blue West
Ham jacket and blue tabard. If
you have something you wish
to raise with us, take the time
to speak with one of our SLOs
located around the stadium.
Alternatively, you can tweet us on
Twitter @WestHamHelp or email at
supporterservices@westham.co.uk
You can visit our dedicated
supporter information Help Centre
at whufc.com/help which has
plenty of information articles,
that can assist you with finding
the answer to any of your queries.
Furthermore, show your support
by following @westhamwomen
on Twitter and sharing your
experience.
@WESTHAMHELP
We use our Twitter feed
@WestHamHelp to cover all
aspects of the Club, from ticketing
updates to matchday news. It’s
a handy tool for us to spot any
problems and solve them quickly.
If you have a query – please do
get in touch! Our staff are on hand
from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday
to assist you with all your questions
and queries. Additionally, we are
available from two hours before
kick-off on a matchday.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
For a special announcement, we
would kindly ask that you email
your message to announcer@
Westhamunited.co.uk. Please note
that, due to a small timeframe at
half-time, the Club will only be able
to select the first ten messages
received, to be announced at your
selected fixture. Please address the
relevant fixture in the subject line
of your email request.
ACTIVATIONS
To increase the atmosphere for
today’s game, explore our food
and drink vendors in the stadium
to get you in the match day
mood. Fingers crossed for the
three points!
HAMMER COLLECTABLES
For today’s match, we have Viviane
Asseyi as our Hammer Collectable
card! Please see your nearest SLO
to start your collection. Missing
any cards? Not a problem, you can
email us at supporterservices@
westhamunited.co.uk and we will
see what we can do!
WOMEN’S SUPPORTERS’ BOARD
The West Ham United Women
Official Supporters’ Board (WSB)
has been established to give
supporters of the women’s team
the opportunity to have their
voices heard at the highest level.
WSB representatives meet at three
points during the season, to raise
and discuss the topics and issues
that are most important to them
and the fans they represent. With
women’s football one of the fastest
growing sports in England, and
West Ham United women entering
their fifth season in the Barclays
Women’s Super League, this gives
the Club the opportunity to consult
directly with the fans supporting
the game.
If you have any questions or
queries for the WSB you can reach
them on Twitter @whuwsb
COME ON YOU IRONS 23

V
FOUNDATION
LOCAL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SUPPORTED BY
FOUNDATION’S HALF-TERM ACTIVITIES
A
s schools broke for the
October Half-Term
the West Ham United
Foundation (WHUF) delivered
a range of free and lowcost
provisions to support
hundreds of local families
and children in need.
The Foundation was able to
deliver more than 60 hours of
activities to over 200 children
in east London and Essex within
its Holiday Hammers camps as
well as 200 free school meals
for Healthy Hammers (Holiday
Active Fund) participants, which
aims to tackle holiday hunger.
TACKLING HOLIDAY HUNGER
In addition to engaging
children in multisport activities,
the Foundation’s Healthy
Hammers programme
provides those eligible for free
school meals with a range of
enrichment activities, support
for the families involved,
as well as one hot meal
per day for participants.
The Foundation’s Healthy
Hammers Coordinator Courtney
Bullis said “As a Foundation
we’re delighted to continue to
offer these essential activities
across our communities. Being
able to take pressures off of
families who may be struggling
and put smiles on the children’s
faces and provide them with
opportunities to develop new
skills and new relationships
across what could otherwise
be a distressing time gives
everyone involved a great
feeling. Seeing all the children
not only engaged but taking on
leadership roles and investing
themselves fully into the
classroom and physical activities
makes co-ordinating this type
of programme a breeze.”
Given the current economic
hardships facing families across
the country as a result of
the cost of living crisis, Bullis
emphasised the importance
of the Foundation’s work
in the community going
into the winter period.
“With the increased cost of
living we are noting a higher
level of demand for our Healthy
Hammers provisions than ever
before,” she remarked. “The
WHUF are and will continue
to respond to the local
need through the upcoming
December holiday! Keep an
eye out for these spaces to
go live this month! We have
venues all over Essex and east
London this December.”
During the three days Healthy
Hammers was running at
Debden Park High School in
Loughton and Lincewood
24 COME ON YOU IRONS

Primary School in Basildon, the
programme managed to provide
61 children with ten hours of
physical activity, workshops
discussing mental health and
anti-discrimination, as well
as 200 hot meals in total.
Commenting on her
experience at the Foundation’s
half-term activities at Lincewood
Primary School, Scarlett said
“I like coming here because
you make loads of new friends
and the food is really nice!
My favourite meal has to
be meatballs and pasta.”
HOLIDAY HAMMERS
As part of the Foundation’s
half-term activities, children
were also engaged in Holiday
Hammers camps during the
school break. Over the course
of the five days, the holiday
camp managed to engage
140 boys and girls aged 5-15
in footballing activities at the
Foundation’s base in Beckton.
With his role mainly focused
on preparing players for the
West Ham United performance
academies, Player Development
Manager Luke Hirst was
pleased to get back to basics
with the younger age groups
during the half-term break.
“One of the best parts of
coordinating Holiday Hammers
is to see kids focus more on
the social aspect of football.
Holiday Hammers is about
scaling back football to a
no pressure environment;
it’s all about the kids making
friends and having fun.”
To round off the week of
holiday activities, Friday’s session
concluded with an award
ceremony, whereby coaches
from each age group nominated
their Hammer of the Week. As
well as medals and a signed
diploma from West Ham United
captain Declan Rice awarded to
all participants for completing
the sessions, each Hammer
of the Week also took home a
goodie bag with a replica shirt.
“It was great to see so many
young people from different
schools and different abilities
all coming down to engage
and make new friendships
through football,” said Hirst.
“We had a great mix of young
people: beginners, players
from our Player Pathway, their
family and friends. Everyone
really enjoyed it, and we
look forward to welcoming
everyone back in December.”
If you are eligible for our Healthy
Hammers programme or
would like further information
or support, then please get in
touch with Courtney Bullis at
Cbullis@westhamunited.co.uk.
To book onto our next
Holiday Hammers camps
running on 23 and 24
December at the WHUF pitch
in Beckton, visit our website
at foundation.whufc.com.
COME ON YOU IRONS 25

My
V
VIVIANE
ASSEYI
Viviane Asseyi is
the next player up
to choose their XI…
I’ve chosen a mix of
former teammates,
players that I have come
up against, as well as
some of my idols. I
think this team has a
real mix of quality and
characters.
CHRISTIANE ENDLER
| | GK
Endler is a goalkeeper that is
really good across all areas. She
makes really good and important
saves, whilst also being very
good with her feet. She’s a player
that hasn’t been in the best form
recently, but she makes it into
my team because when she is
at her best, she is brilliant.
LUCY BRONZE
| | RB
She is the best right-back in the
world, for me. When I played in
France and would come up against
her when she was at Lyon, she
would be everywhere. You would
turn your head and there she was,
waiting to get the ball off you.
She’s a very good player that is
not only solid defensively but can
also be a big threat going forward.
WENDIE RENARD
| | CB
For me, she is the best. She’s a
defender that truly has everything.
She can score, she’s a great Captain
and she has a lot of experience.
The one thing I can say about
her is that she recognises when
the team needs to change its
style to grind out results.
MARINA HEGERING
| | CB
I played with Marina in Bayern –
she’s an incredibly hard-working
player who gives everything, day in,
day out. She will leave everything
out on the pitch and I think you
need players like that. I was very
impressed by her mentality and
paired with Renard, I would have
two very good defenders.
SAKINA KARCHAOUI
| | LB
j I really like playing with Sakina.
She started out as a winger, and
then moved back to full-back.
It’s really hard to do that, but
now she is a fantastic full-back.
She can run, she can cross
and she’s one of my friends.
26 COME ON YOU IRONS

LINA MAGULL
| | CM
She’s another player that I played
with at Bayern. She’s the Harry
Potter of my team, my magician.
I don’t think she would enjoy
being the deeper midfielder in
the team, but it would be okay!
I would also have her take all
of my free-kicks and corners,
she has a great delivery.
MARTA
| | AM
When I started to play football
and I discovered the women’s
game, I saw only her. I like the
technical side of the game,
seeing people that are dribbling
and making something happen.
Marta is someone that, in her
prime was exactly that. I played
against her, and it was impressive.
She would have a little bit of a
free role in my team, she’d be
able to do what she wanted.
LINETH
BEERENSTEYN
| | LW
She’s a very quick winger, that’s
very fast and strong. She has
a good mentality, and is one
of my friends, so I think she
would do well in my team. r
DELPHINE
CASCARINO
| | RW
She’s a very young player who
still has a lot of time to improve,
which is exciting. She’s my
Mbappe, I know that if the
team get the ball to her, then
she will run, or do something
productive with the ball.
AMEL MAJRI
| | AM
She’s like me, she likes to have
the ball at her feet. She’s a very
technical player and knows how
to score goals. Her left foot is
very good and is very important
for the team. Even though she
is pregnant at the moment, I
would still have her in my team!
ALEXANDRA POPP
| | FW
Popp is a player that has had
two really unlucky injuries that
ruled her out of the European
Championships. When I played in
Germany, I learned all about the
adversity she has had to come
back from, and that’s not easy.
She’s so important for Wolfsburg
and Germany, and I need a
forward to link up with everyone
and work hard for the team.
Who would you like to see pick their XI next?
COME ON YOU IRONS 27

V
FIXTURES
& RESULTS
Date Opponent H/A Venue KO/Att Comp Res Goalscorers
Sun 18 September Everton H Chigwell Construction Stadium 1,118 WSL 1-0 Evans
Sun 25 September Manchester United H Chigwell Construction Stadium 2,104 WSL 0-2
Wed 28 September Chelsea A Kingsmeadow 2,842 WSL 3-1 Brynjarsdottir
Sun 2 October London City Lionesses A Princes Park (Dartford) 514 CC 2-2** Brynjarsdottir, Asseyi
Sat 15 October Aston Villa A Bescot Stadium (Walsall) 1,753 WSL 1-2 Brynjarsdottir, Hayashi
Sun 23 October Reading H Chigwell Construction Stadium 1,041 WSL 3-2 Brynjarsdottir, Asseyi (2)
Sun 30 October Arsenal A Meadow Park (Boreham Wood) 3,988 WSL 3-1 Brynjarsdottir
Sun 6 November Brighton & Hove Albion H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL 4-5 Evans, OG, Asseyi (2)
Sun 20 November Leicester City H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL
Sun 27 November Birmingham City H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm CC
Sun 4 December Liverpool A Prenton Park (Tranmere) 2pm WSL
Sun 11 December Tottenham Hotspur A Brisbane Road (Leyton Orient) 2pm WSL
Sun 18 December Brighton & Hove Albion A Broadfield Stadium (Crawley) 2pm CC
Sun 15 January Manchester City H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL
Sun 22 January Everton A Walton Hall Park 1pm WSL
Sun 5 February Arsenal H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL
Sun 5 March Reading A Madejski Stadium 2pm WSL
Sun 12 March Aston Villa H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL
Sun 26 March Manchester United A Leigh Sports Village 12pm WSL
Sun 2 April Liverpool H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL
Sun 23 April Manchester City A Academy Stadium 2pm WSL
Sun 30 April Chelsea H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL
Sun 7 May Brighton & Hove Albion A Broadfield Stadium (Crawley) 2pm WSL
Sun 21 May Leicester City A King Power/ Pirelli Stadium 3pm WSL
Sun 28 May Tottenham Hotspur H Chigwell Construction Stadium 3pm WSL
* All fixture times and dates subject to change. H Fixtures in Bold. ** West Ham won 10-9 on penalties
28 COME ON YOU IRONS

SQUAD STATISTICS
2022/23 SEASON
Barclays Women’s Super League
Barclays
WSL
POS TEAM P W D L GD PTS
1 ARSENAL 6 6 0 0 17 18
2 CHELSEA 7 6 0 1 11 18
3 MANCHESTER UNITED 6 5 0 1 12 15
4 MANCHESTER CITY 6 4 0 2 8 12
5 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 5 3 0 2 3 9
6 ASTON VILLA 6 3 0 3 0 9
7 EVERTON 6 3 0 3 -1 9
8 WEST HAM 7 3 0 4 -4 9
9 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 6 2 0 4 -16 6
10 LIVERPOOL 6 1 0 5 -7 3
11 READING 6 1 0 5 -9 3
12 LEICESTER CITY 7 0 0 7 -14 0
Continental
League Cup
Women’s
FA Cup
No: Name: Nationality: APP SUB GLS APP SUB GLS APP SUB GLS APP GlS
1 MACKENZIE ARNOLD AUS 5 1 6 0
2 KIRSTY SMITH SCO 7 1 8 0
3 RISA SHIMIZU JPN 7 1 8 0
4 ABBEY-LEIGH STRINGER ENG 3 2 5 0
7 LISA EVANS SCO 7 2 1 8 2
8 EMMA SNERLE DEN 1 1 0
9 CLAUDIA WALKER ENG 6 1 7 0
10 DAGNY BRYNJARSDOTTIR ISL 7 4 1 1 8 5
11 IZZY ATKINSON IRL 4 1 5 0
12 KATE LONGHURST ENG 7 1 8 0
15 LUCY PARKER ENG 3 1 4 0
16 JESS ZIU IRL 2 1 1 4 0
17 MEL FILIS ENG 1 3 1 5 0
19 HONOKA HAYASHI JPN 6 1 1 7 1
20 THEA KYVAG NOR 4 3 1 8 0
22 GRACE FISK ENG 5 1 1 7 0
23 HAWA CISSOKO FRA 4 4 0
24 BROOKE CAIRNS ENG 0 0
25 GRACE GARRAD ENG 0 0
26 VIVIANE ASSEYI FRA 7 4 1 1 8 5
28 SOPHIE HILLYERD ENG 2 1 3 0
33 HALLE HOUSSEIN ENG 3 3 0
35 ALEX HENNESSY ENG 0 0
41 KEIRA FLANNERY ENG 2 1 3 0
LEAGUE TABLES 2022/23
1 = WSL Champions | 2 & 3 = Champions League qualification | 12 = Relegation
Total
COME ON YOU IRONS 29

V
ARNOLD,
PARKER AND
SNERLE
ATTEND
SISTER
CLUB
WILDCATS
FESTIVAL DAY
W
est Ham United Women’s
players Mackenzie
Arnold, Lucy Parker
and Emma Snerle went to watch
the next generation of players
in action last weekend, as two
of the Hammers’ Sister Clubs,
Tigers JFC and FC Redwing joined
forces to host their Weetabix
Wildcats Football Festival Day.
Over 125 young girls took part in
the Football Festival at the Brittons
Academy school in Rainham,
home of Tigers JFC on Saturday
mornings, with General Manager,
Aidan Boxall accompanying the
three players at the event.
Weetabix Wildcats is an FA
initiative designed to inspire
girls aged between 5-11 to get
involved in football. They provide
girls with regular opportunities
to play football and take part
in organised sessions in a fun
and engaging environment.
The tournament saw two of West
Ham United’s Sister Clubs link up
for the very first time, with Arnold,
Parker and Snerle offering words
of encouragement to teams from
the sidelines, taking questions and
then presenting every participant
with a medal at the end.
“It’s fantastic for myself and the
girls to come and support local
football like this,” Parker explained.
30 COME ON YOU IRONS
“It shows how far our game
has progressed in such a small
amount of time. I didn’t have
the opportunity to play in teams
with girls, I had to start out in
a boys’ team - so for these
girls to have the opportunity to
have a day like this with over
125 other people is brilliant.
“It creates a really good
environment for them to explore
football, and hopefully will
inspire some of them get serious
with it later down the line.”
Keith Di Palma, Chairman of
Tigers JFC and Wildcats Coordinator
was delighted with
the turnout and hopes to be
able to host further Festival
Days with other West Ham
United Sister Club partners.
“It’s been a fantastic day, and I’d
like to thank everyone that helped
pull the day together. To get all of
these young players in a football
environment, it’s so important
in helping them get to know
teammates and other people.
“It’s about getting players
used to playing against other
people in a controlled and fun
way, and we’ve been able to do
that today which is amazing.
“I’ve been able to put six new
girls teams into the league already
this year, so you can see that
the growth is there and young
girls want to take up football.
“After Christmas, we’re hoping
to involve some of the other West
Ham Sister Clubs and really grow
our partnership with all of them.”
Mark Gordon, Head of
Academy at FC Redwing Girls
said that the festival couldn’t
have gone any better.
“What an amazing day,” Gordon
beamed. “We’ve been looking
to put this event on for a while
now, and then Keith phoned
me up and said, ‘let’s do this.’
“We’re the two biggest
Wildcat centres in Essex and
to get the amount of girls that
we’ve had today come down
and have fun is superb.
“What’s really important is the
interaction that the young players
can have with the players that
come down from West Ham
United. It was superb to have
Lucy, Emma and Mackenzie here
today because it allows them to
essentially interact with their idols.
“It just shows what a great
state girls football is in at the
moment. The fastest growing
league in the county is the Essex
Girls League, so events like this
just shows you the appetite that
there is to play football,” he said.

Opening doors to
leadership
Football provides skills that last a lifetime.
That’s why the Barclays Community Football Fund
is giving grants to community sports groups
who need it most.
Find out more at home.barclays/footballfund
Community Football Fund
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