Hammers legend Steve Potts has been appointed the Club’s U21s lead coach.
The former defender and father of Luton Town’s Dan and our own Freddie was one of the club’s biggest players when making 506 appearances during some heady years for the club.
The former U21 assistant manager, will now lead the squad following Robson’s promotion to David Moyes’s first-team coaching staff.
He has a big job on his hands with the U21s having won their last four fixtures, while our U18s are unbeaten in their last two fixtures in all competitions.
Academy Manager Kenny Brown was keen to congratulate Robson’s successor and his own new No 2 Gerard Prenderville, part of the U18s coaching set-up last season.
He added that Steve as a former player with so many appearances knows the Club and the Academy of Football’s ethos better than anyone.
And he went on to say: “I am also delighted he will be joined by Gerard, another fantastic coach at Chadwell Heath, who has had huge success with this group of players at the Under-18 level, winning the FA Youth Cup and league title last season.
“Steve and Gerard have worked within the Academy for many years and this appointment is a testament to not only the quality of their work but also their passion and drive to help develop young players.
“Both appointments ensure the development squad are in the best place to continue their impressive start to the season and will allow a seamless transition of one coaching staff to the next following Mark Robson’s promotion to the first-team set-up.”
I remember back in the day I was at an away game at Villa, who had Dion Dublin up top, we had Rio, and some star names on the bench including Ian Wright. They were all over us, Rio went down injured and had to go off. Shuffling off our bench, Pottsie. Well they huffed and puffed, but quietly and effectively Steve, about 6inches shorter than Dion or Rio, just controlled it. Clean sheet. Fabulous display from the modest man.