The Academy of Football. An arrogant claim? Absolutely. But is it warranted? 100 percent.
This is the nickname – or motto, even – which has been associated with West Ham United since the 1960s and one which the club has connected itself to since. Indeed, it was even written next to the club crest on the side of the Upton Park pitch and likely will be at the Olympic Stadium.
To the fans, it means a lot – it’s much more than a hubristic claim. If the first team is playing and there isn’t at least one academy gradate in the starting XI, it’s seen as a backwards step – a worrying sign. The club and the fans are proud of the tradition and want to see it continue long into the future.
It is not just a reference to the youth setup either, which many seem to believe, with it also alluding to the style of football The Hammers played, seen as a modern approach to football from the roots up. In other words, an attacking – often passing – style of play. So when you heard pundits moaning at the end of Allardyce’s reign about West Ham fans wanting the ‘West Ham Way’, calling it non-existent, this is what they meant. So yet another example of so-called experts being uneducated in their own profession (yes, that was a dig at you Alan Hansen).
This is why the arrogance and ignorance of the pundits angers West Ham fans so much; it’s almost like they’re spitting on the traditions and history of the football club. The same club which were referred to as ‘The Aristocrats of English Football” and “The Great Entertainers” in the 60s and 70s.
Where did it begin?:
Believe it or not, the academy did not begin with West Ham’s greatest and longest serving managers Ron Greenwood and John Lyall, but instead with the former’s predecessor, Ted Fenton. Fenton pushed for the creation of The Academy and got his wish; this allowed a club with limited finances to succeed. Then came the great tale of Cafe Cassettari.
The small restaurant was opposite the stadium, so Fenton organised a deal which gave him, his small coaching staff and the players meals and a warm welcoming for a reasonable price the club could manage. It soon became a place for the team to exchange their views on the game and make tactical plans around the dinner table, with wisdom and ideas freely passed between the young and experienced. Fenton was replaced by Ron Greenwood in 1961 and then the famous trio came to the forefront…
I remember Wembley, When West Ham beat West Germany, Peters one and Geoffrey three, And Bobby got his OBE!
Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters were the trio of West Ham starters in the England team which won the World Cup in 1966, each playing a vital part in the final against West Germany. There’s now a famous statue outside of Upton Park with Moore hoisted upon Peters and Hurst’s shoulders with the Jules Rimet Trophy in his hands. This coined the famous phrase that ‘West Ham won the World Cup’, a tongue-in-cheek remark which West Ham fans love to say and every other fan in the country seems to hate.
These three players were just the beginning for The Academy though, with it continuing to produce talent for decades to come. Harry Redknapp, Frank Lampard Sr., Sir Trevor Brooking, Alan Curbishley, Alan Devonshire, Alvin Martin, Tony Cottee and Paul Ince just to name a few.
The Modern Era:
Then came the late 90s and 2000s, in which the academy’s success continued, but the club began to falter. In the end though, it was the academy which managed to save the club once again, though this time by bailing it out with the sale of its stars. At one point in the last decade, you could count up to seven players in England’s team which came through West Ham’s academy.
Glen Johnson – The right-back was part of the exodus of talent which was sold after West Ham’s shock relegation in 2003, with Chelsea snapping him up for just £6 million. He went on to play for Portsmouth, Liverpool and is currently at Stoke, having been capped over 50 times by England in the process and representing them at two World Cup’s and the Euro’s.
Rio Ferdinand – Already an established international by the time he left The Hammers aged just 22, Ferdinand became the most expensive defender in England when he transferred to Leeds for £18 million. Not much else needs to be said about the man who is regarded as one of England’s finest defenders. Over 80 caps for England and at one point the most expensive defender in the world and British footballer in history seem to sum it up nicely though.
John Terry – Yes, I know, shock horror – John Terry really doesn’t bleed blue. He grew up in West Ham’s academy before being lured away by Chelsea aged 14. Born in Barking, he really is East London through and through. With 78 England caps and having captained both his club and country, the term ‘captain, leader, legend’ often springs to mind.
Michael Carrick – Another victim of the 2003 exodus, although he stuck around for a season in the Second Tier, Carrick and his best mate Joe Cole were two of the finest young talents to come from The Academy in years. He made over 100 caps for West Ham over five seasons but was too good to play in the Championship, joining Tottenham before going on to become one of Man United’s most reliable players.
Joe Cole – The Golden Boy. West Ham fans love Joe Cole, that’s a fact. He captained the club at the age of just 21 and his stature as a teenager was so big that Harry Redknapp tells how every time West Ham played Man Utd before Cole broke into the first team, Sir Alex Ferguson asked how his progress was going. He joined Chelsea for just £6.6 million after the relegation, having been named ‘Hammer of the Year’ in his final season. No one who’s watched him play can deny his quality, he made over 50 caps for England and came back to the Hammers for a brief spell 10 years later, but he was definitely one who got away.
Frank Lampard – Lampard was a man who left on much less amicable terms, hence the relationship between him and the West Ham fans to this day. Another player who left for Chelsea – this time for £11.5 million – he made the trip across London in 2001 following what he viewed as an unfair dismissal of his Uncle and Dad by the club. Another player who went on to become a legend in his own right.
Jermaine Defoe – Again, a great player who went from being adored to hated by the fans – largely because he handed in a transfer request on the same day West Ham were relegated. The Hammers refused and he played the first half of their campaign in the Second Tier, but he clearly wasn’t as enthused and was sent off three times in that period. He then moved to Tottenham which made matters even worse. But no one can deny that he’s one of the best finishers in Premier League history – an asset to any team which has him. His 140 goals in the Premier League and 55 England caps are more than testament to that.
Writing this list is almost depressing; imagine the team West Ham could have had and the heights they could have reached if they weren’t forced to sell their starlets…
With the sale of its stars and a small spell in the Championship, the academy failed to produce any real, consistent talent – especially following the graduation of Mark Noble, James Tomkins and Jack Collison into the first team. This wasn’t helped by the resignation of Tony Carr – a club legend who had steered the academy since 1973, being personally responsible for training some of England’s finest players (including seven of England’s 2010 “Golden Generation” World Cup Squad).
The Present Day:
The new man in charge of the academy is Terry Westley and his footprint is finally beginning to be seen on the Academy. Westley believes in an approach of loaning young players out while also giving them experience in the U21s and it’s beginning to take effect. While initially undergoing a rough patch under his tutorship, the U21s went through a large part of last season unbeaten, winning the League Cup in the process, and many of them are beginning to prove themselves at senior level, either for West Ham or out on loan.
Slaven Bilic has also had a great impact – he is constantly interacting with the youth players, showing a keen interest in their development and giving them chances in the first team, even if it’s just through training or sitting on the bench. A new English feeder club is reportedly on the cards as well, adding to Westley’s philosophy and a move which you would expect Bilic to have given his backing to. So let’s have a look at some of the current batch:
Reece Oxford – The most famous of the bunch, everybody came to know this name after he ‘pocketed’ Mesut Özil on the opening day of the season, becoming West Ham’s youngest ever player in the process. While he hasn’t appeared too often in the first team since (a step deliberately taken by Bilic) his progress has been brilliant. He’s captain of the U21 side – an amazing feat for a 16 year old – and has started for England U21s following his captaincy of England U17s. Probably the brightest talent in The Academy right now.
Martin Samuelsen – Just come back off loan from Peterborough where to say ‘he shone’ would be an understatement. You may have seen him on TV against West Brom in the 2-2 draw where he was running rings around their whole team. Often likened to his fellow countryman and Real Madrid prodigy, Martin Ødegaard. Bilic has said he will be in the first team next season and it’s easy to see why.
George Dobson – The former captain of the Arsenal U18s, Dobson joined last summer due to what he saw as better opportunities and for a chance to play for his boyhood club. Capable of playing in central midfield or a centre back, he has been a constant presence in the Development Squad since he signed.
Reece Burke – Spent the whole season on loan at Bradford City where he has been a crucial part of their push for promotion. Played a few Premier League games last year aged 18 but with the signing of Angelo Ogbonna, Bilic saw it better for his development if he was guaranteed regular football. Has been capped by England at several age groups and his performances this season have been so impressive that he’s recently been linked with soon-to-be champions Leicester.
Josh Cullen – Cullen has joined Burke on loan at Bradford this season and the pair have been a class above. To quote a Bradford fan on Twitter “If all the kids at WHUFC are as good as Burke and Cullen they are going to have a scary, scary side in years to come”. A CM-cum-CAM, before his loan Cullen was often in the match day squad, sitting on the bench alongside Oxford and occasionally getting on. He has represented both England and Ireland at youth level so it will be interesting to see who he represents for the first team. Regardless, Burke and Cullen are both likely future first team players.
Joe Powell – Signed his first professional contract in front of a packed out Upton Park aged 16 at the same time as Reece Oxford and is rated almost as highly. A very pacey winger with a pinpoint delivery to suit, he made his debut for the U21s aged 15 and has continued to excel since. Terry Westley has described him as the perfect modern footballer
Sam Howes – With all of the outfield stars The Academy has produced, goalkeepers have been much harder to come by. Sam Howes is looking to change that though. He has constantly played above his age group throughout his West Ham career, being the U18s goalkeeper of choice when just 15 and playing for the first team in a friendly aged 16.. Has been capped by England at every age group so far and found himself on the first team bench this season.
Jahmal Hector-Ingram – The strikers goals have been just as important for England as they have been for West Ham. Having been at the academy since he was eight, Hector-Ingram is a prolific finisher and very strong on the ball whose performances for West Ham U18s and U21s have been rewarded with England call-ups at multiple age groups.
Antonio Martinez – Signed from Valencia for £2 million, the Spanish youngster has scored over 100 goals at youth level in the past three seasons. He’s already impressed for West Ham too, being top scorer at a youth tournament in the Netherlands in which West Ham reached the final. This combined with his antics on Twitter mean he’s quickly becoming a fan favourite and if he can transform his quality at youth level to the first team, he’ll certainly be a player to watch.
Domingos Quina – The Portuguese starlet is arguably one of the most impressive youth signings in recent times. With Chelsea since the age of 13, Quina recently grew disillusioned with his prospects there and after playing a pivotal role in Portugal’s European u17 Championship win, decided to join the Hammers. Touted by many – included the chairman’s son – to be an outstanding player, it looks like Quina could be making an impact more quickly than most expected and could become one of West Ham’s youngest ever players.
Looking at the players in The Academy and judging by the current feeling around the place, there really is the impression that another ‘golden generation’ is about to break through. This is especially needed since not much talent has been seen since the 90s and early 2000s.
The biggest difference between now and then is that West Ham are no longer a selling club and aren’t in need of money, as proven in the first team by tying many key players down to long term contracts. Slaven Bilic is also the type of manager to show faith in his youngsters and give them a chance in the first team which is essential.
When all of these are added together, it makes for a very exciting time at West Ham and in the Academy and I, for one, can’t wait to see the next group of academy graduates develop.
