WEST HAM UNITED
theyflysohigh : Steve Marsh
FOOTBALL PROGRAMMES &
Memorabilia through the Decade
A Pictorial History
B : Reserves & Youth
BACKMAN Anders
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Finnish player who along with his international team-mate and striker Olavi Rissanen came for a two-week trial. The pair played in the charity match at Harwich & Parkeston on 20 October 1976. Three days later the pair were included in the reserve line-up for the home Football Combination game against Queens Park Rangers, which the visitors won 2-1. Although they both showed some clever touches they appeared to find the pace of the game far too much for them.
Debut Season: 1976-77 Football Combination
BACON
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Position: Inside-left
Trialist in the South Easter League game at Upton Park on 3 February 1908 in which the Hammers lost 1-0.
Bacon came from Danny Shea's former club Manor Park Albion.
Debut Season: 1907-08 South Eastern League (Division One)
BACTON
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Position: Left half-back
Made just the one appearance for the Reserves in the opening Southern League (Division Two) fixture against Swindon Town, resulting in a 2-1 win for the Railway men on 2 September 1905.
Debut Season: 1905-06 Southern League (Division Two)
BAILEY
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Position: Outside-left
Thames Ironworks player who featured in a few of the Ironworks' friendly fixtures the first of which was against Queens Park Rangers at the Hermit Road Ground in a 2-2 draw on 5 September 1896.
Debut Season: 1896-97 Friendlies
BADIROU Abiola
Born: 31 May 1993, Creil, France
Position: Inside-right
September 2012: West Ham United were waiting on FIFA clarification over whether they have signed French prospect Abiola Badirou. The 19-year-old joined the Hammers on trial earlier in the summer and has been playing with their development squad. Badirou arrived in England as a free agent after spending the previous campaign with Ligue 2 side Tours.
West Ham were impressed and pushed ahead with a deal, but it was not finalised in time due to paperwork not arriving from France. The issue arose as Badirou never signed a professional deal and was actually an amateur, but as West Ham did all their paperwork they are hopeful FIFA will sanction him to join.
In the event Badirou made the first of only two substitute appearances against Reading at Rush Green on 17 August 2012 in which he scored in the 3-1 win, a week later at Everton's Finch Farm enclosure in a 5-1 win.
Badirou later played for Chambly (France)
Debut Season: 2012-13 Barclays Under-21 Premier League
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BARNES Barry
Born: 15 December 1952, Bow, London
Position: Outside-right
Attended Morpeth School and played for East London, Middlesex and London Boys. Played for the Hammers South East Counties junior sides before signing apprentice forms on 29 August 1969.
Became a full professional in December 1970, and during the 1971-72 season missed only a couple of Reserves Team games.
Unfortunately he sustained a nasty injury which cost him his place for a lengthy period, and after due consideration he was released. Barnes later signed for Wealdstone in the Southern League.
Debut Season: 1968-69 South East Counties League (Division Two)
BELIC Kristjian
Born: 25 March 2001, Sint-Truiden, Belgium
Position: Midfielder
Trained with the Serbian White Eagles Academy in Canada when his father was involved with the senior team from 2006 to 2007.
Born in Belgium, Belic is a strong, committed and aggressive player who models his game on Cheikhou Kouyate and Belgium international Radja Nainggolan. The Serbian midfielder joined West Ham United as a 15-year-old before taking up a full-time scholarship in summer 2017.
A product of OFK Beograd and capped by Serbia at age-group level, Belic made his competitive debut for the Hammers in a 1-0 U18 Premier League victory at home to Tottenham Hotspur in August 2016.
Belic totaled nine U18 Premier League South appearances in 2017/18 - a season which also saw him debut in Premier League 2 for the U23s at Swansea City on 29 January 2018.
In 2019 he moved to Greece side Olmpiacos, then Serbian SuperLiga side FK Cukaricki and now plays for Partizan in Belgrade.
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BELIC Luka
Born: 18 April 1996, Pancevo, FR Yugoslavia
Position: Striker
Belić made his Jelen SuperLiga debut for OFK Beograd at home against Red Star Belgrade on 25 April 2012 and became the youngest player in history of the Serbian top division. On 13 September 2015, the Serbian U19 striker signed for West Ham United on a free transfer from OFK Beograd.
His father, Dusan, was also a professional footballer and Luka holds a Belgian passport as well, enabling him to play for either Serbia or Belgium.
Played his first Hammers match against Newcastle United U21s, creating a goal in the 2-2 draw. Next played against Swansea in November in a 1-0 away victory. Began to play further forward in the new year and bagged his first West Ham goal against Derby U21s on 1 February. Helped the Hammers to a seventh-place finish in the table
Belić endured an injury hit first season at the club, only managing one goal in six U21 league appearances, but was granted an extension.
On 31 August 2016, he signed on loan for Scottish Premiership club Motherwell, agreeing a six-month deal. On 6 February 2017, Belić joined Slovenian club NK Celje. Ahead of the 2017–18 Serbian SuperLiga season, he returned to Serbia, signing for Spartak Subotica. He only made one appearance during his time at the club, scoring in a 8–1 Serbian Cup win against Polet Lipljan.
Following his spell with Spartak Subotica, Belić joined Greek club Nestos Chrysoupoli in 2018. In 2019, Belić signed for his hometown club Dinamo Pančevo. In January 2020, Belić returned to Greece, joining AO Ypato, before signing for Poros in July 2021.:
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BORG Oscar
Born: 5 September 1997
Position: Winger
Having joined the Hammers at U13 level, Borg progressed through the ranks at the Academy of Football to become a regular member of the U18 team.
Versitile full-back, winger or Midfielder who was an Under-16 regular in 2013/14. Made three Barclays Under-18 Premier League appearances, making his debut at Aston Villa on 8 February 2014. Scored his maiden competitive goal in a 4-0 Barclays U18 Premier League win at Reading on 27 September 2014. Netted two free-kicks in a 4-3 Barclays U18 Premier League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on 26 November 2014.
In seson 2015-16, the winger who can also play at full-back, made 20 U18 appearances, scoring once – against Tottenham Hotspur – in August 2015.
On 25 March 2016 West Ham United confirm that 18-year-old left-winger had joined Aston Villa on a permanent basis.
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BRICKELL John
Born: 6 April 1954, Dagenham, Essex
Position: Right half
Brickell signed as an apprentice for Fulham in June 1970, playing mostly South East Counties until his departure from Craven Cottage in October, when he joined the Hammers ground staff on a trial basis. The right-half made his debut in a 0-0 draw against Bedford Town in a Metropolitan League Cup first round tie at Chadwell Heath on 7 November 1970.
He played a handful of youth games in the South East Counties League Division 1 and Division 2 during his 4-month stay in the 1970-71 season.
Later played for Fulham before going onto Queens Park Rangers to clean El Tel's (Terrt Venables) boots no less, where he was on the ground staff until the end of that 1970-71 season.
He then played the rest of his football career as semi professional, playing for such teams as Barking, Sutton United and Kingstonians, as well as a couple of seasons in the New Zealand National League.
Of particular note, Brickell was one of the youngest players ever to be awarded a Full FA Coaching Licence, at the age of 25, he later became an FA County Coach (for Cumbria) and a Regional Coach in New Zealand.
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BRITTON Leon
Born: 16 September 1982, Merton, London
Position: Midfielder
Britton began his career as an Arsenal trainee at the age of nine. The 17-year-old signed from Highbury on 1 July 1999 after fearing his first team opportunities would be limited by Arsenal's high profile international stars.
West Ham offered their north London rivals £100,000 plus incentives which could rise a further £500,000 but Gunners preferred to take the case to a tribunal. And their gamble paid off as Hammers were hit in the coffers, to the tune of £400,000 - the highest transfer fee ever paid for a 16-year-old at that time.
However, the midfielder was unable to break into the first team at the Boleyn Ground and he joined Swansea City on loan in December 2002, helping the club to avoid relegation from the Football League. He was named PFA Fans' Player of the Year for the Third Division in the 2002–03 season. Swansea manager Brian Flynn was impressed enough to sign him permanently after he was released by West Ham.
With Swansea, he went on to win the club's Player of the Year award in both the 2002–03 and 2005–06 seasons. Including his appearances whilst on loan with the club, to the end of the 2005–06 season, Britton had played 270 times for Swansea City in all competitions and had scored ten goals.
In January 2010, Swansea rejected an £750,000 offer for Britton from Wigan Athletic but at the end of that season Britton refused the offer of a new contract and became a free agent. Despite interest from the Premier League, Britton signed for Sheffield United in June 2010. After making 26 appearances, the Blades admitted that he had never settled in South Yorkshire and agreed to let him return to Swansea City for an undisclosed fee.
Britton made a further 166 appearances before joining Llanelli Town and later played for Ammanford.
Took up a coaching role with Swansea in November 2017, he was appointed Swansea's first Sporting Director on 4 September 2019, but relinquished his duties in June 2020.
BROOKES Tony
Born: 13 September 1990
Position: Defender
Brookes joined the Hammers at the age of eight, and signed his first professional contract on 26 June 2009.
Comfortable at either right-back or centre-back, Brookes has overcome a difficult 2008/09 season disrupted by a troublesome ankle injury and a bout of glandular fever to regain full fitness ahead of pre-season training for the 2009/10 campaign.
Despite missing most of the campaign through a combination of injuries and illness, he still managed eight appearances in the FA Premier Academy League and also turned out in the FA Youth Cup tie at Nottingham Forest.
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