WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Memorabilia through the Decade
A Pictorial History
A : Reserves & Youth
ABERDEEN A.
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Position: No. 8
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Player from Hertfordshire who played just the one appearance in the Metropolitan League Challenge Cup against Brighton & Hove Albion in a 1-1 draw at Hove Stadium.
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Debut Season: 1955-56 Metropolitan League
ABBOTT David
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Position: No. 2
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Played against Fairbairn House in the Essex County Youth FA Andrews Cup final at Upton Park on 28 April 1962, resulting in a 5-3 win for West Ham.
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Debut Season: 1961-62 South East Counties League
ABBOTT H.
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Position: Inside-forward
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Local amateur player signed for the 1913-14 season but never made an appearance.
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Season: 1913-14
ABBOTT N.
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Abbott was only afforded one appearance for West Ham reserves in a friendly fixture against Margate FC. The Kent club were defeated 2-1 at Hartsdown Park on 21 November 1946.
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Debut Season: 1946-47 Friendlies
ABDELLAOUI Yassine
Born: 21 June 1975, Den Bosch, Netherlands
Position: Midfield
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Abdellaoui is of Moroccan descent and played for Dutch sides OJC Rosmalen, Willem II and NAC Breda.
On 21 March 2002 West Ham United invited him to a trail match against Queens Park Rangers at Chadwell Heath. Although he starred in the 5-0 victory Glenn Roeder didn't take up the option to sign him.
Returning to Holland he later played with Rayo, NEC and De Graafschap.
After retiring as a player in 2004, he worked as a coach, and in August 2016 was working with the Willem II youth team.
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Personal life:
In 2003, he was arrested on accusation of tax fraud. In 2015, he was acquitted of money laundering charges. In 2019, he was shot and wounded in Amsterdam.
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Debut Season: 2001-02
ABERCOMBIE J.
Born:
Position: No. 9
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Abercombie made one appearance for West Ham's 'A' team in the Eastern Counties League fixture against Clacton Town. The match on 26 February 1949 at The Rush Green Bowl ended in favour of 'The Gates' by two goals to one.
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Debut Season: 1948-49
ABDULLA Ahmed
Born: 12 November 1991, Saudi Arabia
Position: Striker
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Abdullah, who was born in Saudi Arabia before moving to England at the age of eight. He worked towards fulfilling the dreams he first had on the pitches of Edmonton Sports and Social Club in north London. After playing for Norsemen FC Under-11s as a centre back, he moved to Olympic where he was spotted by Arsenal scouts. Staying with the Gunners until the end of his Under-16 season.
He joined West Ham United after being released by Arsenal in the summer of 2008. A skilful, elusive forward.Having arrived at Little Heath, the young forward from the Middle East caught the eye by scoring five goals in 23 league and cup appearances for Tony Carr's Under-18s in the 2008-09 season. He also turned out three times in the Barclays Premier Reserve League South, completing a full 90 minutes in a memorable 1-0 win at former club Arsenal. Signed a profession contract in the summer of 2011.
In August 2011, he joined Swindon Town on loan, followed by another loan spell in January 2012 with Dagenham & Redbridge, on his return to Upton Park in March 2012 he was released by the Hammers, but signed a short term deal with the Daggers before they released him in the summer. In the decade that followed he signed for a host of clubs, including; Barnet, Whitehawk (twice), Stains Town, Ware (twice), Heybridge Swifts, Concord Rangers, Hayes and Yeading United, Bishop's Stortford, Sittingbourne, Bedford, Haywards Heath Town and Barking.
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Debut Season: 2008-09 Youth Academy Under-18
ABRAHAM Dondre
Born:
Position: Goalkeeper
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At the Academy of Football since 2015, Dondre Abraham is another talented goalkeeper on the books at West Ham United.
An admirable performer for the U16s in 2022/23, Abraham penned his Scholarship terms ahead of the 2023/24 season and will look to feature for the U18s this term.
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Debut Season: 2023-24 Youth Academy Under-18
ACHAMPONG Kenny
Born: 26 June 1966, Kilburn, London
Position: Inside-left
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Achampong began his career with Fulham, and scored on his debut for the team. Between 1984 and 1989, Achampong scored 15 goals in 81 League games for Fulham. Achampong joined the Hammers for a short period before moving onto Charlton Athletic between 1989 and 1990, playing in 10 League games. Achampong's next club was Leyton Orient, where he scored 7 goals in 83 League games before being released by the Brisbane Road managed by ex-Hammer Peter Eustace in May 1993.
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Season: 1988-89 Overden Papers Football Combination
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ADARKWA Sean
Born: 11 October 2000
Position: Centre forward
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Pacey, powerful and prolific in front of goal, versatile forward Sean who became a full-time scholar at the Academy of Football in July 2017.
Growing up close to Barking, Adarkwa first joined West Ham United at eleven years of age, starting his career as a winger before beginning to regularly featuring as a striker at Under-16s level.
The teenager appeared 17 times in U18 Premier League South as a first-year scholar in 2017/18, starting eleven games and scoring two goals.
Adarkwa continued that form with a breakthrough season in 2018/19, making his Premier League 2 Division 1 debut as a substitute at Swansea City on 29 January 2018 and continuing to impress sufficiently to be given regular opportunities at U23 level, while still scoring three times in eight games for the U18s.
A nomination for the Dylan Tombides Award and a first professional contract with West Ham United duly followed in the summer, but an opening-day injury for the U23s in 2019/20 led to Adarkwa missing much of the first half of the campaign.
When he recovered in January 2020, the striker scored three times in three Premier League 2 Division 2 starts to kickstart his return to action, prior to the campaign's early curtailment.
He was released on 30 June 2021 and joined Queens Park Rangers shortly afterwards.
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AKINOLA Olatunji
Born: 21 November 1998, London
Position: Defender
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Akinola joined West Ham United when he was just eight-years-old and has long been considered one of the Academy of Football's brightest prospects. Tall and composed, Akinola is a ball-playing centre-back who was promoted to the U18 squad at the age of 15, has over 50 appearances at U23 level to his name, and who made his maiden first-team appearance in the pre-season win over Wycombe Wanderers in August 2020.
Having made his U18 debut as a 15-year-old against Everton in March 2014, Akinola became a regular member of the youth team the following season, making 18 appearances and an U23s debut against Fulham in February 2015. The following season, Akinola split his appearances equally between the two age groups - making 16 for the U18s and five for the U23s - and ended the campaign by signing a new long-term contract with West Ham United.
A natural leader, a season as captain of the U18s followed in 2016/17, during which he also featured eleven times for the U23s, crowning another promising season by starting the Premier League 2 Play-Off victories at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United to secure promotion.
In 2017/18, Akinola captained the U23s for the first time at the age of 18 in a Premier League 2 Division 1 against Liverpol. Formerly a midfielder in the younger age categories, the defender began to showcase his versatility in 2018/19, featuring at full-back and centre-back as he helped the U23s to impressive wins at Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, before being unfortunate to break his leg in the 5-1 Premier League 2 Division 1 win at Manchester City on 5 January 2019.
A lengthy spell out followed, and despite being named on the substitutes' bench at Old Trafford for the U23s' 2-2 draw with Manchester United in August 2019, it was a year and a day until Akinola played once more - starting and wearing the captain's armband once more as the Irons saw off their Premier League 2 Division 2 rivals 2-0 at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.
The centre-back subsequently helped complete an unbeaten league campaign for the U23s, lifting the trophy with fellow captain Conor Coventry at the end of the season, before heading out on a season-long loan for 2020/21 to fellow east London side, Leyton Orient.
In August 2021, Akinola signed a one-year deal with Scottish Championship club Partick Thistle. Scored the first professional goal of his career, opening the scoring as Thistle won 2–0 away to Stranraer in the Viaplay Cup. Signed a one year contract extension with Thistle in January 2022. On 25 January 2023, Akinola left Thistle by mutual consent. In July 2023, following a successful trial period, Akinola joined National League side Woking.
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Debut Season: 2013-14 Youth Academy Under-18
ALEXANDER Cheye
Born: 6 January 1995, Newham, London
Position: Right-back
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Cheye Alexander started his career at his boyhood club, spending 10 years in the West Ham Academy. Graduated to the Under-18s in season 2011/12 and was released in the summer of 2013.
The former Academy graduate, spent the 2013–14 season with Port Vale, though only played first-team games during a loan spell at Ilkeston.
Released by the Valiants in the summer of 2014, he joined Concord Rangers in September 2014 and moved onto fellow Conference South side Bishop’s Stortford two months and caught the attention of Aldershot following many good performances and he signed for the Hampshire club in 2015 where he went on to make 45 appearances.
Arrived at Barnet in June 2018 off the back of three seasons at Aldershot Town, helping them to a play-off spot on two occasions. The 23-year-old, who is no stranger to the National League, penned a two-year deal with the club ahead of the 2018-19 season before he returned to the English Football League following a six-year absence after signing with AFC Wimbledon. He spent two seasons with Wimbledon and then signed with Gillingham in July 2022.
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Debut Season: 2011-12 Development Squad
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