West Ham United to rekindle West Aussie connection with July tour

By Blayne Treadgold

West Ham United and fellow premier league club Tottenham Hotspur are set to tour Perth this July.

The Hammers will feature in two fixtures at Optus Stadium in July as they take on Perth Glory followed by an all EPL match-up against Tottenham.

Former West Ham striker Carlton Cole is currently in Perth to promote the tour, which is hoping to attract thousands of visitors from across the Asian-Pacific region.

"We would like to have a lovely impact over here, have good vibes, see some great football, get fit for the upcoming season, and obviously play against some good players." he said.

West Ham will also use the opportunity to help promote their local charity partner.

The DT38 Foundation is named after West Australian player Dylan Tombides who lost his battle with testicular cancer aged just 20 years of age.

The foundation aims to raise awareness and change the stigma associated with men’s health issues with a focus on testicular cancer.

Tombides is one of only two players at West Ham to have his number permanently retired alongside victorious England World Cup captain, Bobby Moore.

Cole, who is a patron of the DT38 foundation, recalled his memories of his former team-mate outside of HBF Park where the Dylan Tombides statue stands.

"He was a great footballer, had loads of potential, had the world at his feet and he was an inspiration to everybody at West Ham." Cole said.

Tombides was one of just three West Australians to have pulled on the famous claret and blue following on from Stan Lazaridis and Richard Garcia.

The Hammers will return to Perth for the first time since 1995 where they played against the Western Australian State Team as part of a national tour to celebrate their centenary.

West Ham United v Perth Glory FC

Saturday 15 July

Optus Stadium

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United

Tuesday 18 July

Optus Stadium