West Ham United Women vs Reading

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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
West Ham United FC
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
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or any adjacent area to which spectators
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authority or excuse.
Please respect your fellow spectators
by refraining from persistent standing in
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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
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and follow the instructions of stadium
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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
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ban from as a result.
To ensure our young Hammers and
visitors have a safe and enjoyable
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Lost children should be reported to the
nearest steward.
COME ON YOU IRONS 3

Izzy Atkinson
voted Zo Skin
Health Player
of the Match
against
Leicester City
Izzy Atkinson was voted as your
ZO Skin Health Player of the Match
in our win over Leicester City.
The Republic of Ireland
international scored the only
goal of the game as she came
off the bench to score her first
goal for West Ham United.
The 21-year-old showed
fantastic composure to take the
ball beyond two defenders and fire
a shot into the bottom corner.
HAVE A GREAT 22/23
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4 COME ON YOU IRONS

W
e’re hoping that we can
secure another victory in
front of our fans today.
We’ve had a really productive
week out on the training ground
and we’re really looking forward
to today’s match. This is the
first full week that we’ve had
together as a group since the
international break, and we’ve
been able to put in some really
good work on the training pitch.
As a group, we were delighted
to come away with all three points
from our last match, a 1-0 win
over Leicester City. It was a really
hard-fought match where we had
to battle for every ball. Although
we didn’t produce the best
performance, we found a way to
DAGNÝ BRYNJARSDÓTTIR
Good afternoon and welcome to Chigwell Construction Stadium
for today’s match against Birmingham City.
get the three points over the line.
Sometimes you have to win
a little bit ugly, and I think that’s
exactly what we did. That was
shown in the way that players put
their bodies on the line to keep
the ball out of the net at the end.
We’re all delighted for Izzy,
who scored her first goal for the
Club in the win. She’s a young
player that came on and took
her chance and that’s what
every young player has to do.
I can remember most of the
matches that I’ve played against
Birmingham have been tough.
They’ve dropped down to the
Championship this season,
but that doesn’t mean that it
won’t be a difficult game.
We know that we need to
be the team that finishes top
of the group to make it to the
latter stages - which is the
aim for the entire team.
We want to put in a good cup run
this season in both the Conti Cup
and the FA Cup, so winning today
would help us with that ambition.
I’d like to personally thank you
for your support this calendar
year, it’s been great to have your
backing throughout this season
and it’s really helped us in matches.
As this is our last home
game, I would like to wish
you all a great Christmas and
New Year, and I look forward
to seeing you all again against
Manchester City on 15 January!
COME ON YOU IRONS!
COME ON YOU IRONS 5

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

FROM THE
MANAGER
I’d like to welcome Darren Carter, his staff
and his players to east London for this
Continental Tyres League Cup match.
e’re looking for our
first three points in this
Wcompetition, that is our
aim today as we look to make
sure that we give ourselves
the best possible chances of
winning the group and advancing
into the knockout stages.
The never-say-die attitude
of this group showed itself
once again last weekend, as
we got back to winning ways
against Leicester City.
Whilst I believe there are plenty
of improvements performance
wise that we can make, it
was pleasing to see the team
finding a way to win again.
I’m delighted for Izzy Atkinson
to have scored her first goal for
the Club. She’s a young player
that we value highly, and she
has a bright future in the game.
I thought that she took her
chance well, with composure
beyond her years, if you like.
It’s always nice to get a
last-minute winner, especially
in a really tight game like
that, and I’m pleased that the
team fought until the very last
moment so that we could walk
away with all three points.
Looking at today’s match, we
know that we have to guard against
complacency going into this sort of
fixture. We will be looked at as the
favourites going into the game, but
we’ve watched a lot of Birmingham
in preparation for the fixture and
I think they’re a good side who
could cause us problems today.
We’ve obviously worked on
ways that we can not only deal
with their strengths, but also
maximise our own. We know
that we need to perform to give
us the best possible chance of
heading into the latter stages,
and that’s our aim today.
It’s crazy to think that this is our
final home match of 2022, so I
just wanted to take the time to
thank you for your support of the
team and wish you all a very happy
Christmas and a good New Year!
Keep on supporting this team,
and we will continue to give
everything out there on the pitch.
COME ON YOU IRONS!
028_WHUFC_BHA_MAIN.indd 28 18/08/2022 15:19
COME ON YOU IRONS 7

9
Club News
KATE LONGHURST – 20 QUESTIONS
Have you ever wondered who Kate Longhurst would
invite to dinner? Or where she would venture on her
ideal holiday? Wonder no more!
In the second episode of our new series, West Ham
United Women’s midfielder and lifelong Hammers
supporter Longhurst reveals all to
Nancy Baker as they take a walk
around the Mark Noble Arena at our
Chadwell Heath Training Ground.
Watch the full interview by
scanning the QR code!
BLACK FRIDAY SALE NOW ON –
UP TO 60% OFF EVERYTHING!
West Ham United’s Black Friday sale
is here, with Hammers fans able to
claim up to 60 per cent off everything
at officialwesthamstore.com!
With Christmas getting ever closer, now is
the time to get your gift shopping done, with
the discount covering everything from our
Official 2022/23 Umbro Home, Away and Third
Replica Kits, to our training range, Hammers
fashion, homeware, souvenirs and more.
Our offers are live until Monday, meaning
you can make the most of this Black Friday
week with offers throughout our range.
Claim the massive discounts now by visiting
officialwesthamstore.com – where we’re
open for business 24/7 – or shop at any of
our four Official Stores –
London Stadium, Lakeside
Thurrock, Liberty Romford
and Basildon Eastgate.
Scan the QR code to
see our offers now!
NEW DATE FOR CONTI CUP
CLASH WITH BRIGHTON
West Ham United will now face Brighton
& Hove Albion on Saturday 17 December
in the Continental Tyres League Cup.
The fixture has been rescheduled due
to previously clashing with the men’s
FIFA World Cup final and will now
kick-off at 12 noon the day prior.
The Hammers will face the Seagulls in
their final Conti Cup match in Group C,
which could have great significance if
Paul Konchesky’s side pick up a positive
result against Birmingham City today.
Ticketing information for the fixture will
be available on whufc.com in due course.
COME ON YOU IRONS 9

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WEST HAM UNITED WOMEN 1-0 LEICESTER CITY
Barclays Women’s Super League | Chigwell Construction Stadium | Sunday 20 November 2022
Late Atkinson winner secures victory
over Leicester City
Izzy Atkinson’s first West Ham
United goal secured a narrow
1-0 victory over Leicester City
in their latest Barclays Women’s
Super League outing.
The Republic of Ireland
international came off the
bench to score an 88th minute
winner at Chigwell Construction
Stadium to move the Hammers
up to sixth in the table.
Paul Konchesky welcomed
back No1 goalkeeper, Mackenzie
Arnold to the starting XI, with the
Australian international missing
the previous two league matches
due to injury. Claudia Walker made
her first start of the season, as
she was preferred to Thea Kyvåg,
who dropped to the bench.
Leicester started the better
of the two sides in the opening
exchanges in east London. CJ
Bott looked to cause issues with
a cross, but she got her angles
all wrong and it ended up behind
the back of Arnold’s goal.
Natasha Flint was then played
in behind and tangled with Kate
Longhurst, but referee Louise
Sanders waved away the protests
from the Foxes forward.
The Hammers were experiencing
their early joy down the right,
with Risa Shimizu and Lisa Evans
combining well as they looked to
double up on Leicester full-back
Jemma Purfield. The Japanese
international collected a lovely ball
through from Evans, and her cross
found her compatriot, Honoka
Hayashi, but the midfielder couldn’t
force Demi Lambourne into a save.
Flint had a golden opportunity to
open the scoring with 20 minutes
gone. Willie Kirk’s side won the
ball inside the Hammers penalty
area, but the forward couldn’t
capitalise on the mistake and
blazed the ball over the bar.
Viviane Asseyi, who was
celebrating her 29th birthday,
almost opened the scoring with
a cross-cum-shot from distance.
Walker, who Asseyi might have
been aiming for in the first place,
couldn’t prod the rebound
home thanks to good pressure
from the Leicester defender.
Walker went close again
moments later, and whilst
her effort was hit with plenty
of power, she couldn’t
guide the shot on target.
The Hammers continued to
look the most likely to open the
scoring, but couldn’t break down
the Foxes backline before the
referee sounded for half-time.
Ten minutes went by in the
second half before Leicester
should have opened the scoring.
A floated ball into the area
was connected with by Aileen
Whelan who was unmarked, but
she couldn’t head home and
narrowly missed the target.
Carrie Jones had the best
opportunity of the game
to open the scoring, but
her header crashed off the
underside of the crossbar and
was eventually cleared away.
However, it would be
Konchesky’s Hammers that
would be celebrating at full-time.
Substitute Atkinson skipped beyond
two Leicester defenders and
slotted the ball beyong Lambourne
to win the game for her side.
Heroic defending at the end from
Longhurst and her teammates
kept the Hammers in front, and
they would be celebrating their
third WSL home victory as the
full time whistle sounded.
12 COME ON YOU IRONS

KONCHESKY:
MY TEAM FOUND
A WAY TO WIN
It wasn’t the best game, if you
like - It was a little bit scrappy out
there. But the most important
thing is that we came off the
pitch with the three points.
My girls showed fantastic
desire to keep the ball out of
the net at the end, so to get a
clean sheet as well is fantastic.
There’s no better feeling
than winning it late.
First half I thought we were
really good, but we just couldn’t
put the ball in the back of the
net. We had some really good
chances and I thought we
should have come in ahead.
I thought Leicester looked really
well drilled – you can see that their
manager has had a bit of time to
work with them now and coming
into the game we knew it was
going to be tough because of that.
The second half wasn’t pretty
from our perspective, but we’ve
found a way to win and it’s a big
bonus to be walking away with
three points instead of one.
Izzy came up with a
rocket of a goal.
I’ve been able to watch it
back and it’s a fantastic finish. I
thought she’d taken a touch too
many, but she took it superbly.
I’m really pleased for her.
All I ask from my players
that don’t start is, can they
come into the game and
make a positive impact.
Izzy coming on and scoring
gives me something to look at
going into the Conti Cup game
next week. She’s finished the
game for us and got us the
three points which is brilliant.
Hopefully the win will
build momentum for us.
We’re playing in a different
competition next, but ultimately,
we still want to do well and
progress. We’re hoping that we
can get a little run together and
carry that through until Christmas.
WEST HAM UNITED
Arnold, Smith, Fisk, Longhurst,
Shizmizu, Stringer (Filis 72),
Brynjarsdottir, Hayashi, Evans
(Kyvåg 82), Walker (Atkinson 63),
Asseyi.
Unused Subs: Hillyerd, Houssein,
Flannery
Bookings: Stringer 47, Asseyi 56
Goal: Atkinson 88
LEICESTER CITY
Lambourne, Tierney, Bott,
McManus, Flint (O’Brien 63),
Whelan, Simon (Goodwin 75),
Howard, Jones, Plumptre, Purfield.
Unused Subs: Levell, Vance,
Brougham, Pike, Jones, Baker,
Scofield.
Referee: Louise Sanders
Attendance: 1,038
COME ON YOU IRONS 13

GARRAD:
I’M ENJOYING THE
BEST OF BOTH
WORLDS WITH
WEST HAM UNITED
AND WATFORD
WORDS: GEORGE BENSON
Grace Garrad knew that
something was missing
after her first season
with West Ham United.
The 19-year-old made four first
team appearances in her debut
season in Claret and Blue – and
after a successful pre-season
with the Hammers earlier this
summer, the young defender
decided to sign dual-registration
terms with FA Women’s National
League side Watford in August.
The agreement between the
two clubs has allowed Garrad
to get vital minutes for the
Hornets as she continues to
develop as a footballer, while
she also returns to West Ham’s
Chadwell Heath Training Ground
to work with the first-team
when her schedule allows.
14 COME ON YOU IRONS

And ‘GG’, as she is affectionately
known to everyone at Chadwell,
has enjoyed the best of both
worlds so far this season.
“I’m really enjoying it with
Watford,” Garrad told whufc.com.
“All of the girls have been really
welcoming and I’ve made a really
good start there. The standard
of football is really good, and
I’m getting the balance of being
able to train with West Ham a
couple of times a week, whilst
also playing regular football.
“It’s the best of both worlds to
be honest. I’m grateful that I get
the opportunity to still be here and
around the girls, whilst also being
with my teammates at Watford.”
Garrad signed for West Ham
United in the summer of 2021,
making the move across the
Capital having left Arsenal to
pursue a new opportunity.
Whilst Garrad was limited in
the way of first team minutes,
she gained valuable experience
day-in day-out at Chadwell
Heath, as she trained amongst a
number of international players.
But regular first-team football
was what Garrad was after. So
this season, she made the switch
to the Hornets, who are looking
to gain promotion back to the
Barclays Women’s Championship
having been relegated last season.
Garrad has played in 10 of
Watford’s eleven matches
so far this season – and has
become a crucial player for
Head Coach Damon Lathrope.
Primarily operating at leftback
and centre-back, Garrad
has also found the back of the
net on two occasions – once
in the National League in a 6-0
rout of Cheltenham Town, and
more recently, when Garrad
scored a 120th-minute winner
in style against AFC Wimbledon
in the FA Women’s National
League Cup first round.
The defender believes that the
amount of playing time that she
is currently getting can only be a
good thing for her moving forward.
“Having played quite a lot of
minutes during pre-season here
at West Ham and then heading
over to Watford and getting
stuck into the National league
campaign, it’s been really good.
“I’ve gotten a lot of games under
my belt, which I haven’t been able
to do previously because of the
quality of players ahead of me
here, plus I’ve not had the best luck
with injuries since I joined the Club.
“It’s important that I get this
experience now, at a young
age – you can’t beat playing
matches and I’m loving playing at
the moment,” Garrad beamed.
It can sometimes be difficult
heading into a new environment,
particularly as a young player.
But Garrad has felt nothing but
love from her new teammates
at Watford, who have welcomed
her in with open arms.
“I knew a couple of the girls from
previous clubs, so that made the
initial few days a lot easier, but it
was all really seamless. They’re a
fantastic bunch and they’ve really
welcomed me into the team.
“I think being able to slot myself
into the first-team straight away
has helped with that. I don’t think
I could have made a better start
to my time with them if I’d wanted
to and I’m really pleased that I
was able to fit in very easily.”
Watford’s ambitions as a club are
to get back into the Championship
having been relegated on the
final day of the 2021/22 season,
and Garrad hopes that she can
help the team in that endeavour.
“We’ve started the season
really well and we’re in a good
position at the moment having
only lost one league game.
“It’s a really tough league with
clubs like Oxford and Portsmouth
all in the mix, so we need to make
sure that we continue with the
good form that we’ve shown
so far,” Garrad concluded.
COME ON YOU IRONS 15

MAKING HER MARK
THE MEN’S FIFA WORLD CUP IS CURRENTLY TAKING PLACE OUT IN QATAR,
BUT NEXT SUMMER, ALL EYES WILL BE ON THE 2023 WOMEN’S WORLD
CUP. THE COMPETITION WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW
ZEALAND WHERE 32 TEAMS WILL BATTLE IT OUT.
WORDS: GEORGE BENSON
One of those teams will be
the Republic of Ireland,
who will head to a major
tournament for the first
time in their history. West Ham
United’s Izzy Atkinson hopes to
be one of those that will be on the
plane with ‘The Girls in Green’.
A convoluted play-off system
gave the Republic of Ireland the
opportunity to achieve an aim
that they have desired for so long,
however, their story of qualifying
began long before their victory
over Scotland in Glasgow which
ultimately saw them secure their
spot on the world’s stage.
Vera Pauw’s side played eight
matches in Group A, where they
would face Georgia, Slovakia,
Finland and Sweden, with the
latter ranked 2nd in the world at
the time when qualifying matches
first began. The Girls in Green lost
only once, a narrow 1-0 defeat
to Sweden at Tallaght Stadium,
whilst they held the Swedes in
Gothenberg in April 2022.
Ireland then had to negotiate
their World Cup play-off match
against Scotland, and whilst
Atkinson wasn’t involved,
she saw her teammates
book their place with a 1-0
victory at Hampden Park.
The 21-year-old, who has four
caps to her name, is now hoping
that she can have a fruitful season
with West Ham United and give
Pauw something to think about
as the tournament draws near.
“Even though I was only on
the bench, it was one of the
best moments of my life so far,”
Atkinson beamed. “Just to see all
of the emotion as the full-time
whistle blew, seeing my teammates
that are much older than me that
have waited their whole career for
this moment, it was incredible.
“I think that brings it all into
perspective. I’m still a very
young player with a lot to come
in my career, but I have this
opportunity now that most
players will never have. I want to
give everything to be there and
that’s what I’m planning to do.”
Atkinson arrived in east London
this summer from Scottish
Women’s Premier League side
Celtic, where Atkinson had spent
15 months before deciding that a
move to the WSL was right for the
next step in her development.
At Celtic, she experienced
full-time training for the first
time, and helped the Glasgow
based Club clinch the Scottish
Cup before departing.
Since arriving at West Ham,
16 COME ON YOU IRONS

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she has made six appearances,
scoring in the Hammers’ win over
Leicester City last time out.
She reflected on how her time at
the Club has been since she made
the move south of the border.
“I’ve enjoyed the experience
of being here and playing in
the WSL. I’ve definitely seen
myself improving as a player,
and that was what I wanted –
it’s the best league in the world
at the moment so I knew this
was where I wanted to be.
“I’ve only made the one start
so far since I arrived, but I know
that I need to be patient, continue
to adapt to things here and
then my chances will come.
“I’m so driven in what I want
to do, and the next step for me
is to really push on, and I want
to do that by working as hard
as I can and giving my all every
time I cross the white line.
“I have to make sure that I
continue to remember that
I’m still a very young player
and that there will be plenty of
opportunities as the season goes
along. It’s been a crazy 2022 for
me, and I hope there’s plenty more
opportunities like that to come.”
As was mentioned, Atkinson was
the match winner last time out
for Paul Konchesky’s side, as she
came off the bench to slot home
the winner against the Foxes.
The 21-year-old showed
composure beyond her years
as she danced beyond two
defenders and slotted the ball
past Demi Lambourne as the
game was looking like it was
going to fizzle to a drab close.
Instead, Atkinson’s moment of
brilliance meant that the Hammers
secured their fourth win of the
campaign, moving them up to sixth
in the Barclays Women’s Super
League standing – and Atkinson
was pleased to be able to have
that sort of impact having come
off the bench on 62 minutes.
“There’s no better feeling than
being able to contribute and help
the team win, particularly when
we knew how important it was
to get back to winning ways.
“It was a really tough match, and
to be honest, that’s exactly what
we were expecting from Leicester.
I’ve learnt very quickly that there
are no easy games in the WSL – I’d
even include the Championship
in that because our game against
London City Lionesses in the
Conti Cup was also really tough.
“It’s great to be off the mark
for West Ham, and hopefully
it’s just the start for me here.”
Atkinson will be hoping to
make a similar impact against
Birmingham City – with the Blues
heading to Chigwell Construction
Stadium for the second match
of the Conti Cup group stage.
Birmingham were relegated from
the WSL last season and are aiming
for a return on the stewardship of
former midfielder, Darren Carter.
Whilst they’re hoping to make an
instant return, they will also be
hoping to build on their winning
start in this cup competition. The
Blues beat Brighton & Hove Albion
in their opening game, and they
will know that a positive result
will put them in a good position
heading into the final match.
The Hammers, meanwhile, are
looking for their first three points
in Group C, having picked up two
from their penalty shootout win
over London City Lionesses in
October. Atkinson is hoping that
her side can get the job done
against today’s opposition.
“We’ve got a little bit of
momentum to take into the game
now, which I think will be really
good for us. We know it’s going
to be a tough game, but I think as
a group we’re prepared for that.
“We will have had a full week as
a group going into the match and
I think that will serve us well, it
will give us time to work on things
that we want to work through.
“I’m confident that if we play to
our best, we will get the result that
we want,” Atkinson concluded.
COME ON YOU IRONS 19

MEET THE
OPPOSITION
t was a difficult 2021/22
Icampaign for Birmingham
City, who despite the arrival
of Darren Carter in November
2021, were unable to avoid
to the drop to the Barclays
Women’s Championship.
Come the final standings in the
Women’s Super League last
May, Birmingham sat bottom of
the table.
They had recorded just three
wins, having taken one point
from their opening ten matches.
Still, the Blues stuck with Carter,
who was appointed head coach
on a permanent basis in May
and has since led the Midlandsbased
side in their FA Women’s
Championship campaign this
time around.
In 2022/23, Birmingham City
have won four of their first
eight league fixtures including
an impressive 1-0 triumph
over then-leaders Bristol City,
who fell to their first loss of
the season against the Blues
on November 20. Birmingham
currently sit fifth in the Women’s
Championship table.
But the Blues have also
shown their ability to compete
with WSL sides this season
too, however. A 3-2 win over
Brighton & Hove Albion in their
first match of Continental Tyres
League Cup Group C shows that
West Ham United will have to
be at their best should they take
the points from today’s clash.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
BIRMINGHAM CITY 0-4 WEST HAM UNITED
CONTI CUP, ST ANDREW’S, 17 NOVEMBER 2022
West Ham United Women took huge strides
towards the knockout stages of the Continental
Tyres League Cup with a convincing 4-0 victory
over Birmingham City in November 2021.
The Hammers controlled proceedings in the Midlands and
were two goals ahead at the break thanks to an own goal
from Blues’ skipper Louise Quinn and later a placed effort
from Claudia Walker, who had earlier struck the post.
After the interval, Lucy Parker – who netted for a successive
game in the Conti Cup - and Katerina Svitkova added a
fourth to secure a four-goal triumph for the Hammers.
BIRMINGHAM CITY 0-1 WEST HAM UNITED
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE, ST ANDREW’S, 13 MARCH 2022
West Ham United Women climbed into the top half
of the Barclays Women’s Super League table with a
narrow 1-0 victory over a battling Birmingham City.
In a close contest in the Midlands, Adriana Leon’s second
strike of the season was enough to see the Hammers headed
back to London with a crucial three points secured.
Olli Harder’s side did well to hold on to the one-goal
margin as the Blues pushed for a response, although
there would be no further change to the scoreline after
Kateřina Svitková’s superb delivery from a corner found
Leon unmarked in the box just before the break. A 1-0
triumph was enough to see the Hammers move above
Reading and Brighton & Hove Albion to go sixth.
20 COME ON YOU IRONS

ONES TO WATCH
THE
MANAGER
L
ifelong Birmingham
City supporter Darren
Carter replaced Scott
Booth as interim head
coach of the Blues in
November 2021, less
than a year after his
playing career finished
at Solihull Moors.
He was later made
permanent head coach
despite Birmingham’s
relegation in May 2022.
After managing Solihull
Moors academy while
also a player, Carter
was later employed as
a first-team coach with
West Bromwich Albion
Women.
The former central
midfielder, who also
had playing spells at
Preston North End
and Northampton
Town amongst others,
made just shy of
50 appearances for
Birmingham City, scoring
five goals.
Most notably, he played
a key role in the club’s
promotion to the Premier
League in 2002. Joanne
Potter, who spent four
years coaching at FA
Women’s Championship
side Coventry United
Ladies, was appointed
assistant head coach in
May 2022.
LUCY THOMAS
Lucy Thomas joined Birmingham
City from Championship side
Coventry United in July 2022.
Darren Carter’s third signing of
the summer, Thomas spent time
at Arsenal and National League
side Oxford United, while the
22-year-old shot-stopper has
also represented London City
Lionesses. She was recently part
of the England-U23s squad for
the November international
break.
JADE PENNOCK
Jade Pennock arrived at
Birmingham City in July
2021, having impressed at
Championship side Sheffield
United over the past three
seasons. The English forward,
who played for Leeds United
as a youth, scored 29 goals in
67 appearances for the Blades,
while Player of the Year,
Players’ Player of the Year and
Manager’s Player of the year
awards also came in her first
season in Sheffield.
LOUISE QUINN
Louise Quinn has been the
captain of Birmingham City
since she was first given the
role ahead of the 2021/22 WSL
season. Born in Blessington,
the 32-year-old played for
Fiorentina in the 2020/21
Women’s Serie A and has made
over 100 international caps –
scoring 11 times – for Ireland.
COME ON YOU IRONS 21

SUPPORTER SERVICES
Matchday information for fans from our dedicated
Supporter Services Team.
W
elcome back to Chigwell
Construction Stadium
for today’s Continental
Tyres League Cup tie against
Birmingham 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.
@WESTHAMWOMEN
Want to keep up with the latest
information for our West Ham
Women’s team? Press the
follow button, to keep in touch
for the latest ticketing update,
competitions, exclusive access to
the first team and matchday news.
PROGRAMME FEATURES AND
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
For supporters that are
wanting to make a loved one’s
matchday extra special with a
programme feature and half-time
announcements, 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.
23
HAMMER COLLECTABLES
For today’s match, we have
Claudia Walker 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 SUPPORTER 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.
WSB representatives meet
throughout 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. Please
feel to speak to one of WSB
representatives on a matchday if
you would like to feedback your
matchday experience.
If you would like to keep in touch
with the WSB and the work that
they do, please follow their Twitter
handle - @whuwsb
COME ON YOU IRONS 23

V
FOUNDATION
STUDENTS FROM LEE CHAPEL
PRIMARY SCHOOL INVITED
TO BE MASCOTS FOR WEST
HAM UNITED WOMEN
W
est Ham United Women’s
players Lucy Parker and
Sophie Hillyerd, firstteam
coach Danielle Bowman
and General Manager Aidan
Boxall visited the students at
Lee Chapel Primary School
in Essex earlier this month.
The visit was off the back
of the Lee Chapel students
representing West Ham United
Foundation at a Premier
League Primary Stars (PLPS)
girls’ tournament in October,
where they delivered their own
video rendition of the popular
‘West Ham is massive’ chant.
“It’s incredible to be able to
do this,” said Hillyerd. “When I
was younger, I don’t remember
being visited by any female
athletes, especially with
football, so I think it’s good to
show them that growing up,
they can do whatever they
want to do, whether it be
football, or any other sport.”
Premier League Primary Stars
uses the appeal of the Premier
League and professional football
clubs to inspire children to learn,
be active and develop important
life skills. It aims to inspire
children aged five to eleven in
the classroom, the playground
and on the sports field.
Prior to the players’ visit, the
girls from Lee Chapel Primary
School travelled to Brentford
to compete in the PLPS event.
In a field consisting of ten
other London clubs, the girls
finished the tournament in
an impressive third place. To
celebrate their achievement,
the girls recorded a video
chanting ‘West Ham is massive’
which West Ham United’s
women’s team engaged with.
“There was a great feeling
around the school in the lead
up to the event,” said year four
teacher Adrian Summerfield.
“I was constantly being asked
questions by the children
about the visit which shows
me how excited they were to
meet the players. As the players
entered the school theatre,
it was amazing to see them
bouncing with excitement.”
Parker, Hillyerd, Bowman and
Boxall were keen to get involved
with the group and congratulate
them for their efforts both
on and off the pitch. So, as
part of the surprise the group
joined hundreds of students in
the school assembly hall and
answered questions from the
children about their career
journeys and the challenges
they have faced breaking into
the professional scene.
“It’s all about representation,”
said Parker. “It’s about showing
24 COME ON YOU IRONS

the kids that being a professional
female player is a viable career.
The more they can see us
in these positions, that’s the
important work we need to do.”
In the slew of surprises,
the women’s team delivered
a video from some of their
teammates at the training
ground congratulating the
school’s girls’ team once again
and inviting them to be mascots
for today’s Continental Cup
fixture against Birmingham City.
“It’s amazing to see so many
young people that are so into
women’s football and supporting
us!” exclaimed Hillyerd. “They
had loads of questions which
was great, and it shows just
how much work we’re doing
to make the game bigger.”
After Parker and Hillyerd
handed out the matchday
invites to all the team members,
the girls managed to collect
everyone’s autograph,
staff and players alike.
“Our pupils left the school
very excited which we hope
will inspire them to join one of
our many after-school sports
clubs or an external sports
club,” confirmed Summerfield.
“In particular, I’m expecting
to see more girls joining our
after-school girls football club.”
The visit formed part of the
Club’s Players’ Project and
Boxall felt it was a crucial part of
inspiring the local community
to fulfil their potential, growing
the fanbase of the women’s
game and encouraging the
expansion of women’s football
in the area as the team looks to
develop homegrown talent.
“We’re really keen to develop
players in our community and
have them represent our first
team,” said Boxall. “The longterm
strategy is to have up to
50 per cent of our team coming
from Essex and east London and
we hope we can achieve that.
As we’re going out to different
schools, clubs and partnerships,
we’re starting to see more girls
playing so we realise there’s a
lot of talent in the area and we
hope that they can be inspired
by things like today and push on
and progress into our first team.”
To learn more about the
Foundation’s PLPS delivery
or its wider work, please
contact Foundation@
westhamunited.co.uk or visit
the Foundation area on the
West Ham United website.
COME ON YOU IRONS 25

My
V
CLAUDIA
WALKER
Claudia is the
next player up to
choose their XI…
I’ve picked a mixture of
players that I’ve played
with, come across, or
just admire in general.
ANN-KATRIN BERGER
| | GK
I think Berger is one of the top
goalkeepers in the world at the
moment. She’s a brilliant shotstopper
and would be a very good
goalkeeper to have in any team.
WENDIE RENARD
| | DF
Renard is a defender that’s got it
all. She’s a brilliant defender, but
she also adds a lot at the other end
of the pitch with the number of
goals that she scores. She would
add leadership to the team as well,
so it’s a no-brainer to pick her.
MILLIE BRIGHT
| | DF
Another player from Chelsea –
Bright is a fantastic defender and I
think she would be solid alongside
my other two central defenders.
She would add a lot of steel to this
team, and I think you need that.
LUCY PARKER
| | DF
Lucy rounds off my backline. I think
she’s an up-and-coming star that
has her whole career ahead of her.
She’s got all of the attributes to go
on and be a world class defender
and I think those attributes would
really complement this team.
FARA WILLIAMS
| MF
j Fara would add a lot of magic
to this team. I was in the same
team as her for a short period
of time at Liverpool, and in
her prime she was amazing.
26 COME ON YOU IRONS

PERNILLE HARDER
| | MF
Harder is always a really tough
opponent to come up against. She
has a lot of really good qualities
and a good eye for goal.
SAM KERR
| | FW
Kerr goes from strength to
strength every season, and she’s
so important to Chelsea and she
would be to this team as well. I
really like the way that she pops up
with important goals for both club
and country.
ELLEN WHITE
| FW
An absolute legend and a player I
had to pick. She has scored goals
for every club that she has played
with and is the record goalscorer
for her country, so she has to be in
my team.
KEIRA WALSH
| | MF
One of, if not the best midfielder in
the world. She’s an absolute joy to
watch play and was always a very
tough opponent when she was
here in England.
ALEXIA PUTELLAS
| | MF
I have to put the current Ballon
d’Or winner in my team. Putellas
has a fantastic range of passing,
and it’s almost self-explanatory
as to why I would have her in my
team. f
ADA HEGERBERG
| | FW
A former Ballon d’Or winner,
Hegerberg would round off my
front three. She has been brilliant
for Lyon for the past eight seasons
– a brilliant finisher and would be
very good in this team with the
service that she would have.
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 1-0 Atkinson
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
Sat 17 December Brighton & Hove Albion A Broadfield Stadium (Crawley) 12pm 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 CHELSEA 8 7 0 1 14 21
2 ARSENAL 7 6 0 1 16 18
3 MANCHESTER UNITED 7 6 0 1 13 18
4 MANCHESTER CITY 7 5 0 2 9 15
5 ASTON VILLA 7 4 0 3 2 12
6 WEST HAM 8 4 0 4 -3 12
7 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 6 3 0 3 0 9
8 EVERTON 7 3 0 4 -2 9
9 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 7 2 1 4 -16 7
10 LIVERPOOL 7 1 1 5 -7 4
11 READING 7 1 0 6 -11 3
12 LEICESTER CITY 8 0 0 8 -15 0
1 = WSL Champions | 2 & 3 = Champions League qualification | 12 = Relegation
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 6 1 7 0
2 KIRSTY SMITH SCO 8 1 9 0
3 RISA SHIMIZU JPN 8 1 9 0
4 ABBEY-LEIGH STRINGER ENG 4 2 6 0
7 LISA EVANS SCO 8 2 1 9 2
8 EMMA SNERLE DEN 1 1 0
9 CLAUDIA WALKER ENG 1 6 1 8 0
10 DAGNY BRYNJARSDOTTIR ISL 8 4 1 1 9 5
11 IZZY ATKINSON IRL 5 1 1 6 1
12 KATE LONGHURST ENG 8 1 9 0
15 LUCY PARKER ENG 3 1 4 0
16 JESS ZIU IRL 2 1 1 4 0
17 MEL FILIS ENG 1 4 1 6 0
19 HONOKA HAYASHI JPN 7 1 1 8 1
20 THEA KYVAG NOR 4 4 1 9 0
22 GRACE FISK ENG 6 1 1 8 0
23 HAWA CISSOKO FRA 4 4 0
24 BROOKE CAIRNS ENG 0 0
25 GRACE GARRAD ENG 0 0
26 VIVIANE ASSEYI FRA 8 4 1 1 9 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
Total
COME ON YOU IRONS 29

V
RETAIL MEET
& GREET -
ROMFORD
Viviane Asseyi, Mel Filis and
Thea Kyvåg went down
to our Romford Store on
Wednesday afternoon and
met a number of the West
Ham United faithful.
Here are some of the best
of the images from the
meet & greet!
30 COME ON YOU IRONS

V
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
Barclays Bank UK PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation
Authority (Financial Services Register number: 759676). Registered in England. Registered no. 9740322. Registered office: 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP.