It's very difficult to say why we've been so successful in youth terms; I suppose it's down to a number of factors but, most importantly, our recruitment area of east London and Essex is really fertile."" – Tony Carr, director of Youth Development at West Ham 1973–2010, quoted in an interview published by "The Daily Telegraph" 14 June 2004. ""Why should we sell Rio Ferdinand? Are we a Premier League club or are we just a feeder club for bigger clubs? If we start selling players like Rio, where is the club going to go?"" – Harry Redknapp, West Ham manager 1994–2001. ""The biggest single contributor to the current England national squad is not Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea, but the West Ham Youth Academy."" – "ITV Football" article, 13 September 2004. The West Ham United Reserves Team was founded in 1899 as Thames Ironworks Reserves and they changed their name to West Ham Reserves in 1900. They joined London League Division One in the season 1899-00. In 2007–08 they were FA Premier Reserve League Southern Division runners-up on goal difference. Between 1948 and 1956 West Ham entered an 'A' team into the Eastern Counties League. In 1952 they also began playing in the Metropolitan League. After leaving the ECL they remained in the Metropolitan League, winning the League Cup in 1957–58 and the Professional Cup in 1959–60, 1966–67 and 1968–69. They left the league when it merged into the Metropolitan London League in 1971, and instead entered a youth team into the South East Counties League, which they won in 1984–85, 1995–96 and 1997–98, before leaving when the FA Academy system was set up in 1998. The West Ham United Reserves competed in the Premier Reserve League South until relegation from the Premier League. The side is now classed as a development squad coached by Dmitri Halajko and Steve Potts. Friendly games were usually played at Chadwell Heath and other clubs training grounds. Since the 2012–13 season, the team have played in the Professional Development League (now branded Premier League 2) for players under the age of 21 and a restricted number of over age players. Most home matches are played at Dagenham & Redbridge's Victoria Road ground, with three fixtures per season played at the London Stadium. Players (excluding scholars) who will qualify as U23s in season 2019–20 and who are outside the first team squad. The West Ham Under-18s play in the U18 Premier League South.