Preview | U18s get set for Fulham visit

West Ham United U18s v Fulham U18s
U18 Premier League South, Little Heath Training Ground, Saturday 20 September 2025, 11am BST

West Ham United U18s face another London side as they continue their U18 Premier League South endeavours on Saturday, this time in the form of Fulham at Little Heath Training Ground.

In their second successive home fixture, having faced Tottenham Hotspur last time out, our young Hammers go in search of their first league victory of the season.

Saturday's opponents will make the short trip to east London off the back of an enthralling encounter with U18 Premier League newcomers Birmingham City, in which they fell to a 4-3 defeat.

How To Follow…

A report and post-match reaction will be available on the Club’s website and app following the final whistle.

U18 Premier League Explained…

The U18 Premier League is divided into two regionalised divisions featuring all 29 Category One academies, 15 in the southern division and 14 in the northern. There are 18 clubs from the Premier League, ten from the Championship and one from League One.

Each team faces each other home and away in their respective divisions. The two regional division champions play in a National Final for the overall U18 Premier League title. The one-off tie is held at a main stadium.

Opposition... 

As mentioned, Fulham head into the clash having fallen the wrong side of a 4-3 scoreline last time out against Birmingham City. 

After the two teams went into half-time with the score at one apiece, a manic six second-half minutes saw three goals scored, and the Blues claim a 3-2 advantage. Although Markuss Gomins then drew Fulham back on level terms with his second of the afternoon, Cobi Maddox's 72nd-minute strike proved to be the difference between the teams at Motspur Park.

The defeat came after another seven-goal encounter, this time in the U18 Premier League Cup, in which Fulham suffered a 7-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers, having conceded six in the first half.

Despite travelling to east London after back-to-back defeats, Fulham had started the season brightly with successive victories. In their curtain-raiser, a 68th-minute Alpha Diallo own-goal helped the Cottagers to a 2-1 success at Leicester City before they brushed aside visiting Ipswich Town with four unanswered goals.

It was the perfect start to the season for Andrew Joslin, who was appointed head coach over the summer. Joslin is not new to the club, having been with Fulham for over a decade and coached across the whole of their development pathway, including a role as assistant head coach with the U18s.

Last Time The Two Sides Met At Little Heath…

Josh Landers was at the double in the last encounter between West Ham and Fulham in the U18 Premier League South at Little Heath.

The Hammers twice took the lead back in March, with Landers, who was two months into his journey in Claret and Blue, netting a first-half brace to take his tally to six goals in as many matches at the time.

Coggin's side were denied three points when Fulham substitute Aidan Evans finished into an empty net with 14 minutes remaining.

The Story So Far…

Our U18s are targeting their first victory of the fresh U18 Premier League South campaign, having drawn to Birmingham City in August, which fell in between defeats to last season’s runners-up Southampton and Leicester City.

Coggin's side were ever so unfortunate not to claim their first three points of the season against Birmingham at Little Heath, with the visitors claiming an 88th-minute equaliser.

In the Premier League Cup however, the young Hammers, who are defending champions having won the 2025 edition, opened their account with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland thanks to an Andre Dike hat-trick.

U18 Premier League South