AcademyParent
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Category 1Premier LeagueU9 to U21

Does West Ham United run academy trials?

Academy of Football, Chadwell Heath · Chadwell Heath, east London and Essex border

NoStraight answer

No open trials for the academy itself. But West Ham's charity arm runs the most bookable pathway in London: the Foundation Player Pathway, three tiers across east London and Essex, with trial sessions you can book online for a few pounds. The top tier trains twice a week and plays Junior Premier League on Saturdays. A dedicated Academy Integration Officer watches those sessions for the academy. It is still a separate programme, and the Foundation says so.

Category1
First entryU9
Bookable trialFoundation pathway
Top tierJPL, twice a week
Open trialsAcademy: none
RegionEast London, Essex
The real routes in

4 ways players actually get in.

Foundation trial session, then a tier placement. Academy entry is by observation over the season, not a trial day.

  1. 01
    Paid programmeTrial: a few pounds. Programme: paid, seasonal
    Foundation Player Pathway trial

    Bookable trial sessions, typically in spring for the following season and at other points in the year, at venues including Basildon, Beckton, Chelmsford, Stanford-le-Hope and Wickford. Successful players are placed in a tier.

    Official page ↗
  2. 02
    Paid programme
    Three tiers: Technical Development Centre, Development Squad Centre, Performance Squad

    The first two train once a week with holiday exhibition matches. Performance squads train twice a week and compete in the Junior Premier League. Season runs August to April.

  3. 03
    Official route
    Academy Integration

    The Foundation's Academy Integration Officer monitors players across sessions, training days and matches, seven days a week, and can move players into a higher training environment or flag them to the academy.

    Official page ↗
  4. 04
    Scouted
    Scouted at grassroots, county or academy fixtures

    Academy scouts attend local leagues, grassroots matches and county FA events. An approach normally comes through your child's grassroots coach first.

Where scouts watch
  • East London
  • Essex
  • Havering, Thurrock, Basildon, Chelmsford
  • EPPP limit: 1 hour travel U9 to U11, 90 minutes U12 to U16
If a scout calls
  1. Ask whether the invitation is Foundation Player Pathway or the Academy of Football. They are run by different organisations.
  2. If it is the academy, ask which age group and confirm the travel rule from your home to Chadwell Heath.
  3. In the Foundation pathway, ask which tier and how promotion between tiers is decided.
  4. Keep grassroots going. The Foundation programme is designed to sit alongside it.
Watch out

Three things parents get sold.

Foundation pathway players are not West Ham academy players, and the Foundation makes no promise of progression.
A trial that costs a few pounds is the Foundation. The academy does not sell trials.
Parents cannot watch sessions at Rush Green or Chadwell Heath. Do not read that as a sign of anything.
Sources

Last verified 5 September 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us and we will re-check within a week.

Nearby

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Walthamstow, north-east London · U9 to U21

No open trials · 4 real routes in

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Brentford

Osterley, west London · U9 to U21 and B team

No open trials · 4 real routes in

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Chelsea

Cobham, Surrey · U9 to U21

No open trials · 4 real routes in

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