West Ham United U21s v Birmingham City U21s
Premier League 2, Rush Green Stadium, Friday 19 September 2025, 7pm BST
West Ham United U21s continue their Premier League 2 campaign, aiming for their third straight win in all competitions as we host Birmingham City U21s at Rush Green Stadium.
Mark Robson’s side opened their EFL Trophy account with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Milton Keynes Dons on Tuesday at Stadium MK, where two goals apiece from Preston Fearon and Callum Marshall, either side of an own goal, secured our joint-biggest win in the competition.
In Premier League 2, meanwhile, the young Hammers stormed to a first league win of the season before the September international break with a commanding 4-2 victory over Sunderland at the Eppleton Colliery Football Ground.
PL2 newcomers Birmingham, who are not involved in the Vertu Trophy nor National League Cup, return to action for the first time since 2 September, when they were beaten 5-1 at Hull City in the Premier League Cup.
Tickets...
Tickets can be purchased at the turnstiles, priced at £5 for Adults and £1 for U18s. Season Ticket Holders can attend for free by showing their Season Ticket at the entrance.
Premier League 2 Explained…
To minimise the impact of relegation on future groups of U21 players, the Premier League introduced a new format to its development phase competition in 2023/24.
Replacing the two-division system, the 29 Category One academies now compete in a single tier with 20 regular season fixtures before the top 16 seeded teams advance to single-elimination play-offs.
Regular season fixtures are determined by a draw made according to clubs’ performances over the last three seasons. Each team plays 20 different opponents before the play-offs in April and May, where they will be drawn against each other based on league positions, with the higher seeded team playing at home. The top 16 are also rewarded with a place in the following season’s Premier League International Cup competition.
New for this season, the eight clubs finishing between 17th and 24th will enter a cross-category play-off competition alongside the top eight teams from the Professional Development League (Category Two). This competition will also feature a knockout format, starting with a round of 16.
Travel...
The postcode for Rush Green Stadium - at West Ham United’s first-team training ground - is RM7 0LU.
To access the ground via public transport, fans can take a train to Romford station, then board a 5, 103 or 175 bus for the 15-minute ride and get off at the Barton Avenue stop.
Supporters using public transport are advised to check their journeys before they travel, using resources such as TfL’s Journey Planner and the TfL Go app. Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website if travelling on the rail network.
Fans wishing to attend this Premier League 2 fixture by car should note that there is no parking available for spectators at Rush Green Stadium due to onsite construction works.
How To Follow...
The game will be blogged live, while a live stream of the fixture will be available across the Club’s website, app and YouTube channel. A match report, highlights and reaction will also follow the full-time whistle.
Opposition…
Birmingham City U21s are one of the new additions to Premier League 2 this season, having achieved Category One status in 2025, and they’ve had a positive start to the season under coach Mark Kennedy, picking up five points from their opening three Premier League 2 fixtures.
Kennedy's side are undefeated in their opening three matches, with an impressive 3-0 victory over Derby County sandwiched between two 2-2 draws with Stoke City and Newcastle United respectively.
They did, however, kick off their U18 Premier League Cup campaign with a 5-1 defeat by Category Two outfit Hull City prior to the international break, and the young Blues will be yearning for a return to winning ways in east London.
Ones To Watch…
Now a full-time member of Robson’s U21s, Scotsman Josh Landers did not take long to get off the mark in Premier League 2, scoring a brace on his first league start as the U21s defeated Sunderland 4-2 late last month, then went on international duty with Scotland, where the 18-year-old struck four times in a friendly against the United Arab Emirates.
Elsewhere, midfielder Mohamadou Kanté is enjoying a hugely encouraging breakthrough campaign in Claret and Blue and is getting better and better each week.
Kanté’s talent, technique and adaptability have made him a key component in Robson’s side, and whether deployed in central, attacking or defensive midfield roles, he has impressed, having notched three goals and an assist so far in 2025/26.
For Birmingham City, Briar Bateman, who is just 17 years old, has been a regular starter with the U21s and has scored twice for the young Blues so far in 2025/26.
A quick centre-forward with great instincts inside the 18-yard box, he turned out 24 times for City in the 2024/25 season.
Elsewhere, centre-back and captain Billy Burrell has been captain of his age group for multiple years, displaying great leadership from the back and an astute defensive understanding, and has been ever present in defence for Kennedy's side this season.
The Story So Far...
Having opened our account for the 2025/26 Premier League 2 campaign with defeats against the reigning Premier League International Cup champions, Nottingham Forest, and reigning Premier League 2 champions, Manchester City, the young Hammers have started to hit stride, with successive victories against Sunderland in PL2 and MK Dons in the EFL Trophy, and will be in a buoyant mood ahead of Birmingham City’s visit to east London.
