As part of our approach to address, promote and engage with a demographic which is historically under-represented across football, West Ham United held an Emerging Hammers Festival for football players of South Asian or Asian heritage earlier this month.
Held at Chadwell Heath, the home of West Ham's famous Academy of Football and women’s team, the event took place on Saturday 7 June and offered local youngsters of British South Asian or Asian heritage - who had represented the Club at the Premier League Emerging Talent Festival at Loughborough University a few weeks earlier - the chance to participate in sessions led by our Category One Academy Coaches in a professional environment.
West Ham have supported the Premier League’s South Asian Action Plan (SAAP) since its inception in 2022, and in east London, where South Asians represent 41% of Redbridge, 39% of Tower Hamlets and 36% of Newham, we have a dedication to creating pathways for emerging players to shine and gain broader recognition for their skills.
The Academy Experience and Insight Day welcomed a total of 22 players, with a focus on promising players within the U8 and U9 age groups, and provided an opportunity for players to compete in a vibrant, supportive atmosphere, fostering both camaraderie and competition. It also allowed the Hammers to forge strong links and build relationships and trust with their local South Asian communities, with our Talent ID events seeing the Club engage with 12 grassroots club teams, over 200 young players, supported by 300 parents and more than 40 coaches, including academy scouts.
Furthermore, also in attendance at Chadwell Heath were a number of grassroots coaches from across the east London community ahead of the launch of the London Learning and Coaching Hub, an initiative led by Rashid Abba, West Ham United Foundation and Academy Link Mentor, in collaboration with the London FA, dedicated to transforming football coaching and scouting across London.
The Hub will offer high-quality Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for aspiring coaches and scouts from local grassroots clubs, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel.
Following the festival on the pitch, all players, their families and staff came together for a group photograph, and Academy staff gave closing speeches, marking another historic and memorable afternoon at Chadwell Heath.
Speaking at West Ham United’s Emerging Talent Festival, Abba said: “I think it was a very successful day. We've been planning for this for the last eight weeks.
“The boys you've seen today, they went through a talent process to be selected to represent West Ham United at the Premier League National Emerging Talent Festival, and we wanted to invite them here to Chadwell Heath to celebrate, and I think it's been fantastic.
“They really enjoyed getting coached in an Academy environment by the full-time Academy lead coaches as well, so I think it was an experience where parents felt included, and I think the boys really enjoyed it as well. I think overall it's been a success, and now we want to continue this moving forward.
“Here at West Ham United we want to make sure we identify local talent and ensure there's a widening of the net in terms of widening the talent pool from the communities we serve in east London, and I think it's more important that we identify those boys who don't slip through the net.
“It's more about having clear pathways and creating those opportunities, positive opportunities for players who show potential and talent.
“Our strategy for this year’s Emerging Hammers festivals is about focusing more on the six to eight-year-olds because research shows that 50 per cent of the boys who get scholarships or a professional contract at this Club started at a pre-academy age.”
“It was an incredibly successful event,” added Jackie Ferdinand, Director of Safeguarding and Inclusion.
“Three years ago, we wanted to make sure that we were opening up all pipelines of talent, and we adopted a strategic approach to make sure that we were forging networks with the local community to unblock any pathways into making sure that West Ham got to see the best talent within arm's reach of their community, and from infancy to what you see now, we've had 47 players as a consequence of opening that pathway.
“We now have a forging and a strengthening of those communities. Parents and families who otherwise may be estranged from West Ham or weren't part of West Ham today showed a real example of the coming together of the two, whether that be our new growth of fans and our fanbase or also people of Essex and east London knowing that West Ham is for them and wants them.
“One of the favourite songs football fans like singing is ‘He's One of Our Own’ because it means something special to them. If you think about the history of this Club, it's about growing one of their own and catering to one of our own, and we're doing our best to ensure we continue to unleash the best possible talent.”
Ross Embleton, Head of Talent ID, said: “We want to be open-minded to the players and the type of people that we're bringing into the Club, and the whole idea and focus is on trying to find the best players.
“I think when this (Emerging Hammers) was first being discussed and proposed, it was about trying to find the best players, wherever that might be, and widening the net from local players to players from further afield.
“We've got a vision to constantly strive and to really make sure that we're looking in every corner that we possibly can for the best players, and we want to make our Academy teams and the individual players better and provide a really strong experience for anyone that comes to this Club.
“I think it's really important for a Club like West Ham to ultimately aspire for the best players to play for West Ham. I think that's ultimately the goal of all of this. We want it to be a great experience for everybody, but at the same time, we want them to get there, and we want them to be out on the pitch performing in a West Ham kit.
“The future for us as a recruitment team is to be walking into Chadwell Heath, to Rush Green, or ultimately the end goal is London Stadium to see high-performing players performing for West Ham United and beyond.”
One of the 22 talented players at Chadwell Heath was seven-year-old Zakariya Khaliq, who said: “My day here with West Ham United has been really good, and having the opportunity to play with other talented players at a Category One Academy was brilliant.
“It was very special to wear the West Ham shirt and to be a part of the Academy and to learn a lot of new skills. I have learnt a lot, such as how to beat your marker and when is the right time to either pass or shoot.
“I’ve been working as hard as I can every day to improve as a player, and the dream is to become a future West Ham player and to play at London Stadium, and I’m going to try my best to make it happen. It would be a very special feeling.”
On the sidelines supporting her son at Chadwell Heath was his proud Mum, Hamira Rafique, who was quick to praise the Club for the monumental impact they’ve made in the east London and South Asian community.
She added: “It's been fantastic because it's given a platform for the South Asian children to come together, to showcase their talents and then to be selected and scouted from that pool of children because it's difficult for predominantly South Asian children to go out there and get scouted.
“I think it's been an absolutely phenomenal opportunity for my son and for me to come into a Category One Academy and to be able to train amongst amazing children with amazing talents, and we feel very welcomed by West Ham.
“The work West Ham have done in their local community has been outstanding. In east London, where a lot of people are of South Asian descent, it's nice to have somewhere for the boys and children to dream, to aspire, to get into, and it's excellent that West Ham have reached out to those communities.
“Being scouted by West Ham and coming here has seen a huge boost in my son's confidence in just being able to tell his friends that he's been coming to the Academy, being trained by Category One Academy coaches and being able to play with children who are on his level.
“It's just been a huge and amazing opportunity for him, and we as a family can't thank West Ham enough.”
