After reaching their ultimate dream of a League Cup quarter-final tie with Arsenal, West Ham United left their Aveley FC base on Sunday, having to come to terms with a major disappointment. After a home defeat against Watford in the FA Premier League, they found that it would be Nottingham Forest who would be facing the Gunners and not the Hammers.
The problem occurred due to new signing Nicola Burgess who had recently transferred from Barnet to the Hammers, unaware that the game was a Cup tie Nicola had featured as a substitute for the Bees in their Preliminary round tie against Reading.
For club secretary John Greenacre it was a very difficult week, as he discovered the news following a phone call from Barnet’s general secretary Gill Jones.
It was Gill who very apologetically broke the news to John when she explained that one of her girls had seen Nicola's name on a website and said to her; "didn't she play for us in the League Cup Preliminary Round back in August". On checking, Gill found that she was a substitute for that game, indeed the only game that Nicola had played for Barnet before her transfer to West Ham.
Obviously the Hammers were not aware of this and John’s first reaction was to contact the FA and make them aware of the problem, the outcome being that the Hammers were - as per the rules - to be expelled from the competition. Due to West Ham United Ladies FC making the initial contact leniency was shown in the fact that no fine or further punishment will be made. However, for the girls who fought so bravely to beat Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest to reach this stage it was a bitter pill to swallow.
Assistant manager, Andi Woodley explained after the 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Watford: “Yes everyone was bitterly disappointed after our manager Sam Thomson broke the news to the girls today, the most distraught being Nicola herself but we have a fantastic team spirit here and the girls will soon put this behind them."
"I genuinely hope that Nicola does not let this affect her and that she will continue to be a valued member of the team. With the draw for the third round of the FA Cup not too far away – hopefully we can have a good run in that competition and then put all this behind us.”

(With many thanks to Fair Game Magazine for the above)

The League Cup game itself is scheduled to be played on November 5th but will be moved to allow for the Ladies UEFA Cup semi-final commitment.