Kids Go To Portugal

If you are starved of watching West Ham players performing in claret and blue this summer, and you are not tired of football after the World Cup, you could do worse than go to Portugal for your holiday in the middle of July.

West Ham United's under-15s will be representing England in the Nike Premier Cup world finals in Lisbon between 14th and 20th July.

The Hammers, who again fly the flag for England having won the tournament last year, had to overcome 15 other teams to win the English section, and will face teams from all of the continents.

They will be pitting their wits against four teams from Latin America - namely Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia.

There are four from Asia Pacific - China, Japan, Korea, and south east Asia.

Six teams come from western Europe - West Ham plus teams from France, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Spain.

There will also be four teams from eastern Europe or the Middle East, one from Africa, and one from North America.

The games are 20 minutes each way, and the 16 man squad will be led by assistant academy director Paul Heffer, who looks after the youngsters aged 13 and 16 at the club.

For those not straying so far from home, as well as the first team's pre-season games - with one more, possibly at Upton Park, still to be confirmed - there are reserve team games at Purfleet on Wednesday, July 24, Dagenham and Redbridge on Friday, August 2, Braintree on Wednesday, August 7, and Heybridge Swifts on Saturday, August 10.