Woking v West Ham United U21s
National League Cup, Group C, Laithwaite Community Stadium, Wednesday 13 August 2025, 7pm BST
After seven pre-season fixtures, West Ham United U21s are ready to kick off the competitive 2025/26 campaign with a National League Cup tie away to Woking.
The young Hammers narrowly missed out on the knockout stages in the inaugural edition of the competition last season, with two wins and two defeats leaving them a single point short of the quarter-finals.
This time, they will be looking to go one better in Group C, where they face Woking, Aldershot Town, Sutton United, and newly promoted Truro City. Fellow Premier League 2 sides Brighton & Hove Albion, Fulham, and Southampton will also be vying for one of the two top qualification spots.
Tickets…
Hammers fans can watch the U21s in action on Wednesday evening by purchasing tickets HERE.
Tickets are priced at £8 for Adults, £6 for Concessions, £6 for Under-22s, £5 for Under-17s and £3 for Under-14s.
Under-14 tickets must be purchased with an Adult or Concession ticket. Carers for supporters with accessibility requirements go free.
Travel…
For fans travelling by car, the ground is situated on the A247, opposite the entrance to Woking Park, midway between the town centre and Old Woking. Leave the M25 at either junctions 10 (Wisley) or 11 (Chertsey) and follow the signs towards Woking. When nearing the town centre follow the brown signs showing Heathside Crescent Car Park, and then follow signs for Woking FC.
The club’s designated car park is Heathside Crescent, GU22 7AG, one mile away from the stadium and a 20-minute walk. This car park is operated by Woking Borough Council and holds 496 spaces. Pricing is £3.50 for up to two hours, £5 for up to three hours, and there is a flat rate overnight charge of £2.20 after 6pm.
Woking Park car park is opposite the Laithwaite Community Stadium. This car park is operated by Woking Borough Council and holds 583 spaces. Pricing is FREE for up to two hours, £1.80 for up to three hours, and there is a flat rate overnight charge of £2.20 after 6pm.
For those travelling by train, there are frequent fast services from Waterloo to Woking, with a journey time of about 28 minutes. The walk from the station to Laithwaite Community Stadium should take approximately 20 minutes.
How To Follow…
A live stream will be available across the Club’s website, app and YouTube channel. A match report and reaction will follow after the full-time whistle.
Opposition…
Woking have been almost ever-present in the National League, spending 13 of the past 14 seasons in the fifth tier of English football. An indifferent start to 2024/25 left them battling relegation in December, but the arrival of Neal Ardley as manager turned their fortunes around. Losing just three of their final 22 matches, they comfortably survived the drop.
Ahead of his first full season in charge, former Wimbledon midfielder and manager Ardley has retained 13 players, the most since 2019, and added seven new signings.
Pre-season saw four wins from six, including three games against development opposition in Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham, and AFC Bournemouth.
The Cards began their National League campaign with a 2-0 defeat at home to Carlisle, and Wednesday’s tie offers Ardley a further chance to assess his reshaped squad before visiting Scunthorpe United on Saturday.
Ones To Watch…
Captain in the U21s’ final pre-season fixture, a 1-0 win over Ipswich Town U21s, Regan Clayton is an aggressive, tactically astute wing-back with a strong reading of the game. The 20-year-old was loaned to neighbours Dagenham & Redbridge in January following an impressive performance against them in this very competition. As one of the more senior members of the U21s squad, Clayton will have a point to prove in the National League Cup if given the nod in the starting XI on Wednesday evening.
For Woking, January signing Chinwike Okoli has been one of the most consistent players for the Cards in their strong end-of-season form which saw them finish the campaign on a nine-game unbeaten run. Joining on loan from Millwall in January, where he captained the U18s and U21s, Okoli has played every minute in Woking’s competitive fixtures since scoring his first goal against Southend United in March. Unsurprisingly, he made his move permanent during the summer. The 21-year-old centre-back will be a familiar opponent for West Ham’s young front line, having faced them in last season’s National League Cup while on loan at Woking's National League neighbours, Sutton United, eventual finalists who the Hammers beat 2-0 in December 2024.
The Story So Far…
West Ham United U21s ended their pre-season programme, which featured six fixtures against senior opposition, with a victory over Ipswich Town U21s.
The squad benefited from a warm-weather training camp in southern Spain, while a handful of squad members also gained experience on the first team’s pre-season tours to Germany and the United States.
Wednesday’s trip to Woking marks the start of a campaign that will see the young Hammers compete in the National League Cup, Premier League 2, the Vertu (EFL) Trophy, and the Premier League International Cup.
