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2026-27 Friendlies

SOUTHEND UNITED : First XI
Roots Hall
1 - 1 (Mavropanos 45+1')
18 July 2026

Hermansen (Herrick)

Walker-Peters (Battrum)

Mavropanos (Golambeckis)

Kilman (Casey)

Scarles (Mayers)

Bowen (Fearon)

Kante (Ward-Prowse)

Earthy (Ajala)

Lamadrid (Orford)

Taty (Potts)

Pablo (Marshall)

Pirate Edition

West Ham opened their pre‑season with a lively 1–1 draw at Southend United, a first public glimpse of Nuno Espírito Santo’s new campaign taking shape. A strong XI – Bowen, Mavropanos, Hermansen, Castellanos, Pablo Felipe and a pair of Academy starlets in Scarles and Earthy – controlled the early rhythm without ever fully catching fire.

Southend struck first on 15 minutes, Harry Cardwell burying a penalty after Walker‑Peters was judged to have clipped Josh Popoola. West Ham’s response was sharp: Castellanos saw a goalbound effort smothered, Lamadrid clipped the post, and Bowen twice tested Joe Duncan as the pressure built.

The breakthrough finally came on the stroke of half‑time. Pablo Felipe forced Duncan into a full‑stretch save, Bowen whipped in the corner, and Mavropanos rose to thump a header into the roof of the net. A raft of changes after the interval fractured the flow, but Bowen still threatened to steal it, twice cutting inside and forcing saves from Dennis. Ward‑Prowse bent a trademark free‑kick goalwards late on, yet the match drifted to a stalemate.

A workout more than a spectacle, but West Ham’s sharpness, intent and depth were all on show as pre‑season properly got underway.

​

Southend United:

Duncan, Daley-Campbell (Trialist), Hartigan (Trialist), Oyebade, Boyes (Trialist), Goodliffe (Cox), Oldaker (Trialist), Cardwell (Twamley), Popoola (Stone), Coker (Kendall), Trialist A (Austin)

CANVEY ISLAND : Under-21
Steve's Taxis Stadium
2 - 1 ( Landers 42', Jephtah Medine 85')
18 July 2026

Hooper (Awesu)

Robinson (Jethro Medine) Montague (Leacock),

Brown (Omotoye)

Jethro Medine (Scanlon), Hargan (Caliste)

Kerr (Brookes)

Beckford (John, Kerr)

Dike (Brown)

Balogun (Jephtah Medine) Landers (Cummings)

West Ham United U21s marked their first public pre‑season outing with a sharp, resilient 2–1 win over Canvey Island at the Steve’s Taxis Stadium, spoiling part of the hosts’ centenary celebrations with a composed and increasingly assertive display.

Canvey started with real bite, pressing high and forcing Fin Hooper into a superb double save – first clawing away Jack Cawley’s header, then bravely smothering Mitchell May’s follow‑up. Once settled, West Ham grew in confidence. Jethro Medine surged forward from left‑back to fire narrowly wide, then immediately impressed at the other end with a crucial block on Archie McFaden.

The breakthrough arrived three minutes before the interval: Junior Robinson’s pinpoint cross, Josh Landers’ ice‑cold first‑time finish. But Canvey struck back with the final touch of the half, Michael Finneran nodding in from a Hobble corner to level matters.

Robson rotated heavily at the break, yet West Ham’s rhythm held. Robinson slipped Gabriel Caliste through for a chance that shaved the far post, while Joe Scanlon produced outstanding defensive awareness to keep Canvey at bay.

Persistence paid late on. Caliste’s teasing delivery found Jephtah Medine ghosting in at the back post, his volley restoring the lead. From there, the young Hammers shut the door, showing maturity and grit to see out a deserved 2–1 victory.


Canvey Island Starting XI:

Casey, Scales, Arrowsmith, Hobble (Salmon), Finneran, Cawley, Ronzo, Salon, McFaden, Wall, May

EBBSFLEET UNITED : Under-21
Morrow Stadium  (Online Digital Programme Only)
2 - 1 (Landers 42', Jephthan Medine 85')
21 July 2026

Hooper (Awesu)

Robinson (Scanlon)

Leacock

Brown (Montague)

Jethro Medine

Hargan (Brooks)

Caliste (Kerr)

Murphy (Dike)

Jephthan Medine (Balogun)

Cummings (Beckford)

Landers (Omotoye)

West Ham United U21s stitched together a second straight pre‑season win on Tuesday night, grinding out a sharp, purposeful 2‑1 victory away at Ebbsfleet United.

The young Hammers flew out of the blocks, with Jett Murphy, Daniel Cummings and Jephthah Medine combining in a slick early move, before Murphy then lashed a half‑volley over the bar. Ebbsfleet answered with pressure of their own, but Finley Hooper’s superb one‑on‑one stop kept the hosts at bay.

West Ham’s breakthrough came on 19 minutes: Hooper’s long kick, Murphy’s deft flick, and Josh Landers doing the rest - bulldozing into the box and delicately lifting his finish over Will Buse. The lead doubled soon after when Cummings picked out Medine ghosting in at the back post for a tidy close‑range finish.

Ebbsfleet clawed one back before the interval, capitalising on defensive hesitation as Maxx Manktelow squeezed home a loose ball. The second half brought pressure from the hosts, but West Ham’s reshaped side held firm. Andre Dike twice threatened to restore the cushion, while Majid Balogun’s burst nearly carved out another opening.

In the end, it was the visitors’ collective defensive steel - from front to back - that saw them over the line, preserving a hard‑earned win and maintaining their perfect pre‑season start.


Ebbsfleet United:

Buse, Passley, Vennings, Oteh, Seaman, Nelson, Tizzard, Peake, Barnes, Manktelow, Walker

STEVENAGE : First XI
Broadhall Way
5 - 0 (Ward-Prowse 13', Taty 25', Orford 68', Ajala 77'. Murphy 90')
22 July 2026

Hermansen (Areola)

Walker-Peters (Robinson, Kerr)

Golambeckis (Brooks)

Kilman (Casey)

Scarles (Mayers)

Kante (Orford)

Ward-Prowse (Battrum)

Lamadrid (Fearon)

Bowen (Cornet)

Taty (Ajala)

Pablo (Marshall, Murphy)

West Ham turned in a sharp, satisfying night’s work at Broadhall Way, delivering tempo, control and a touch of swagger that sent the travelling support home content. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side looked fit, fluent and firmly in charge throughout a first half dominated by the senior core.

The opener on 13 minutes was a sweeping move from deep: Ward-Prowse sparked it, Lamadrid, Walker-Peters, Bowen and Felipe carried it forward, and when Felipe’s low cross found Ward-Prowse, the No8 buried the rebound after Marschall’s initial save. The Hammers kept their foot down. Kilman bullied his way through midfield, Bowen spun and released Castellanos, who finished coolly for 2–0 on 25 minutes. Stevenage mustered a brief rally, but Ward-Prowse and Scarles snuffed out danger and Sanderson fired over. West Ham, crisp and confident, went in two goals clear.

​

Ten changes at the break shifted the rhythm, with Areola and a clutch of Academy prospects introduced. Areola was busy early, tipping over Taylor’s drive and holding two headers, while Stevenage’s pressure forced blocks from Golambeckis and Mayers. Marshall nearly added a third before Stevenage themselves made wholesale changes on the hour. Momentum swung back West Ham’s way. Cornet struck the post, Orford collected the recycled ball and curled a gorgeous first-time finish into the far corner. Areola then produced a superb one-handed stop from Reid before West Ham struck again: Cornet’s corner was kept alive and Casey’s volley deflected in off Ajala.

Late came minutes for Kerr, Brooks and new signing Murphy - and the 17-year-old capped the night, tapping in at the death to seal a deserved 5–0 win.


Stevenage:

Marschall (Woodford), Pattenden (Knight), James-Wildin (Taylor J.), Piergianni (Freestone), Butler (Patterson), Kemp (Okwara), Thompson (Houghton), Taylor  T. (Phillips 61), Earley (Roberts), Sanderson (Malcolm), Magennis (Reid)

COLCHESTER UNITED :
Under-21
JobServe Community Stadium
2 - 2 (Landers 39', Murphy 80')
24 July 2026

Hooper (Awesu)

Robinson (Brooks)

Leacock (Montague)

Brown (Omotoye)

Jethro Medine (Kerr)

Hargan (Trialist A)

Caliste (Morris-Agyemang)

Murphy (Balogun)

Cummings (Beckford)

Jephthah Medine (Dike)

Landers

Pirate Edition

West Ham United U21s dug deep to earn a spirited 2-2 draw at Colchester United, showing real backbone against seasoned League Two opposition. After weathering early pressure, the young Hammers grew steadily into the contest, their confidence rising with every touch. The breakthrough came on 39 minutes: Josh Landers, razor‑sharp all week, seized on a loose ball and drilled home his third goal in three pre‑season outings.

Colchester struck back immediately after the interval, flipping the game with two quickfire goals from Sean Raggett and Milton Oni. Yet West Ham refused to wilt. A flurry of substitutions injected fresh urgency, with Andre Dike and Connor Brooks driving the team forward. Their pressure finally told when Colchester failed to clear a corner; Brooks’ effort was smothered, but Jett Murphy reacted fastest, sliding home from close range to continue his own excellent week.

The Hammers chased a winner with admirable intent—Dike, Majid Balogun and Landers all went close—but the match settled at 2-2. For West Ham’s youngsters, it was another display of grit, quality and growing maturity, extending their unbeaten pre‑season run to three games and underscoring a squad brimming with promise.

​

Colchester United:

Trialist A (Trialist C), Iandolo (Leake), Terry, Raggett (Kuffour Jr), Vincent-Young (Hunt), Digby (Harvey), Oni (Emery), Payne (Jolliffe), Anderson (Evans), Lisbie (Trialist B), Ihionvien (Connolly)

RANGERS (Scotland) : First XI
Ibrox Stadium
0 - 0
26 July 2026

Hermansen

Walker-Peters (Golambeckis)

Mavropanos (Casey)

Kilman

Scarles (Mayers)

Lamadrid (Orford)

Kante (Potts)

Ward-Prowse (Earthy)

Bowen (Cornet)

Taty (Ajala)

Pablo (Marshall)

Pirate Edition

West Ham United emerged from Ibrox with a hard‑earned, highly competitive 0-0 draw, matching Rangers stride for stride in front of a roaring 48,000 crowd. The atmosphere was electric, the finishing anything but, as both sides battled fiercely without ever finding the decisive touch.

Rangers started sharper, testing Mads Hermansen through Diomande, Godfrey and Gassama, but West Ham held firm and carved out the game’s clearest chance when James Ward‑Prowse bent a trademark free‑kick around the wall, only for Ivor Pandur to claw it away at full stretch.

The second half opened with renewed West Ham intent. Taty Castellanos fizzed a 25‑yarder just over, Bowen saw a drive blocked, and Hermansen stayed alert to smother Diomande’s header and Aasgaard’s dipping free‑kick. As the match wore on, both managers turned to their benches, with Nuno Espírito Santo introducing four Academy graduates who added energy but couldn’t quite unlock the Rangers defence.

Late half‑chances came and went - Shankland’s downward header, Bowen’s scuffed effort - but neither side could land the decisive blow. In the end, West Ham left Glasgow with a resilient, disciplined draw, a performance built on structure, graft and a goalkeeper in commanding form.

​

Rangers:

Pandur, Sterling, Godfrey, Fernandez, Rommens, Devlin (Neil), Aasgaard (Chukwani), Curtis (Antman), Diomande (Bajrami), Naderi (Chermiti), Gassama (Shankland)

1.FC MAGEBURG (Germany) First XI
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WEST HAM UNITED                                                ONLINE MUSEUM

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