Shrimpers face the Hammers in the second Semi-Final this Saturday
Ricky Duncan's young Shrimpers turned heads in July 2009 when Kyle Asante's second-half strike earned them a 1-0 semi-final victory over Arsenal's youth team and, although they lost to Everton on penalty kicks after a thrilling final 24 hours later, the tournament acted as a springboard for the likes of Asante, Daniel Bentley, Harry Crawford, Marcus Milner and Julian Okai to gain first-team recognition.
This year, the Gunners, widely-regarded as one of the best Academy set-ups in the country, are joined by West Ham United, long-established as a conveyor-belt of young English talent, and FC Twente of the Netherlands, whose senior side won the Dutch League in 2010.
The Tournament kicks off at 11.30am on Saturday 24 July with Arsenal against FC Twente before Duncan's charges open their campaign against the Hammers at 3:00pm.
On Sunday, the third-fourth place play-off gets underway at 11:30am ahead of the final some four hours later. Gates for both days' games will open one hour prior to the kick off of the first fixture.
Speaking to the Club's official website, www.southendunited.co.uk, Head of Youth Ricky Duncan said: "Getting teams from Arsenal, West Ham United and FC Twente to play against us at Roots Hall is a huge coup for the Blues. It will be fantastic for our young players to test themselves against some of the youngsters of top Premier League and European clubs.
"Everyone knows about the youth set ups of West Ham and Arsenal but FC Twente's senior side won the Dutch Championship last season beating teams like PSV and Ajax. It would be great if Southend fans could come down and cheer on the sides to make it a memorable weekend."
The Southend United Youth Tournament represents great value for money at £10 for adults for one day or £15 for adults for a weekend pass. Concessions are priced at £5 per day or £8 for both days and children can get in for just £1 per day.
Tickets are on sale now from the Blues Box Office by calling 08444 77 00 77. Semi-Finals - Saturday, July 24th
Arsenal v FC Twente - 11.30
Southend United v West Ham United - 15.00
Sunday, July 25th
Third and Fourth Play-Off - 11.30
The Final - 15.00
Gates for both day's games will open one hour prior to the kick-off of the first fixture.
