The Academy of Football was the idea of Ted Fenton, who played for the Hammers for 14 years before becoming manager in 1950.
"The only way to build the club was from youth," remembered Fenton in his autobiography, 'At Home With The Hammers.' "There were lots of good players around, but I had no money to buy the players I needed. There was always the pro! of running a club on a shoestring."
The Academy proved to be the answer.
This story is from the February 27, 2022 edition of Irish Sunday Mirror.
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This story is from the February 27, 2022 edition of Irish Sunday Mirror.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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