Carlton Cole is already counting down the days until West Ham United's next
game against Hull City
06.10.2008
Carlton Cole is working hard in training in the hope of leading the way for
West Ham United to victory when they travel to Hull City on Sunday week.
The in-form striker, who has scored four goals in eight appearances this
season and needs just two to match the haul he took from 37 games in
2007/08, is already looking forward to the game. He is especially keen to
put the 3-1 defeat by Bolton Wanderers firmly behind him. "It wasn't to be
[on Sunday], now we just look forward," he said. "We don't have another
match until after the internationals, but we will be focusing on bouncing
back in that game.
"It was a bit subdued in the dressing room as it was the first loss under
the new manager. But we will put the game behind us now. We are all positive
and he [Gianfranco Zola] knows we will look to bounce back in our next
game."
Cole has picked a good time to find his goalscoring touch as competition for
places in the starting XI increases. The No12 and his two strike partners,
Matthew Etherington and David Di Michele, have shone in recent matches and
all found the target. They will be all too aware that Craig Bellamy is
nearing full fitness and Freddie Sears is in red-hot form after scoring four
goals in a reserve game last week.
Experienced Spanish international striker Diego Tristan is also doing well
on trial this week as Gianfranco Zola weighs up his striking options. The
others in action at Chadwell Heath are not focusing on the Bolton setback
but instead on making the most of the forthcoming free weekend. "It's always
nice to go into the international break with a win," Cole explained. "But we
will use this time to recover and refocus and be ready to face Hull."
Of his third league goal of the season against Bolton - a brave header to
get the home side back in the game at 2-1 - Cole said the result
overshadowed any joy he got from scoring. "It was good to score again but we
didn't win and the most important thing is for us to get a good result.
Hopefully I can score again in our next match and we have a better result
that is good for the whole of the team."
United were undone by two quick goals from the visitors just after the
half-hour mark and, after Cole's goal had given the home side hope, a late
Matthew Taylor free-kick wrapped up the game for Bolton. "We were all
disappointed at the result. It was just bad luck with their goals. We went
into the game very confident and even when they got two goals, we were still
confident of getting back into the match.
"After the second goal our heads didn't go down too much, we were lifted and
encouraged by the manager and Steve Clarke. We got our goal back and then
looked to go on and get more out of the game."
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Kick-off change for Villa - WHUFC
The visit of Aston Villa on 20 December will now get under way at 5.30pm for
live television coverage
09.10.2008
West Ham United's home match against Aston Villa on Saturday 20 December has
been moved to a 5.30pm kick-off for live coverage on Setanta Sports.
The match takes place on the last Saturday before Christmas and promises to
be a cracker. Both sides have enjoyed promising starts to the season, with
Aston Villa fifth, one place and one point ahead of Gianfranco Zola's men.
The teams played out a 2-2 draw in their last meeting at the Boleyn Ground,
on the final day of the 2007/08 season.
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Valuable lesson for youngsters - WHUFC
Alex Dyer says the young players involved in this week's reserve-team outing
will have learned a lot
09.10.2008
Alex Dyer has said this week's reserve meeting with Fulham will have given
his young side valuable experience for the season ahead.
In the midweek meeting at Motspur Park, hosts Fulham had a vastly more
experienced lineup including five internationals and ran out 4-1 winners.
Yet Dyer found plenty of positives in the way his team coped with the
challenge. "Overall there were some good things. I thought Bondz [N'Gala]
and Holmar Orn [Eyjolfsson] were very good at the back even though we
conceded four goals.
"I thought those two were good and it looks like they are growing up and
learning the game now. Ryan O'Neill did well at right-back and there were
some positives out there and you can't be too hard on them. "We knew it was
going to be difficult as they were all kids and some of them were playing in
the youth team on Saturday and they've stepped up to another level. Fulham
had four or five senior pros in their side like we did last week and it made
a difference."
West Ham United's youngsters more than matched their hosts in the opening
exchanges and had several chances on goal before an Erik Nevland strike just
before half-time gave Fulham the lead. Two more goals followed shortly after
half-time which put the game out of reach of the visitors.
Dyer said: "In the first 35 minutes we were doing all right, we had a few
efforts at goal and then the last ten minutes of the first half they got
into the game a lot more and they scored in a period where they were
probably on top. Then straight after the break they scored two goals in a
matter of minutes which killed us off."
Eyjolfsson briefly gave his side hope with a great header but a long-range
strike from Wayne Brown ensured Fulham got the win. Dyer is sure his side
will use the experience to a positive effect. "It's hard for them. Now they
will go back and train with the youth team and they know what they will have
to achieve to get to that level of playing.
"Between now and the end of the season they are going to get a chance to
play in the reserves again and hopefully they will have learnt from the game
and will do better next time."
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Diego says no - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 9th October 2008
By: Staff Writer
Spanish striker Diego Tristan has rejected the opportunity to spend a second
week on trial with the Hammers. Setanta Sports claimed this morning that the
32-year-old former Spanish international was set to return home having
failed to reach an agreement over a second week at Chadwell Heath. It is
unclear at this stage as to why negotiations between the two parties have
broken down; Gianfranco Zola had offered Tristan a second week on trial in
order to answer questions concerning the player's fitness. BUt for reasons
unknown, the ex-Deportivo forward is understood to have rejected the offer
and looks set to return home. Zola had seen Tristan as the ideal solution to
his striker shortages, caused by the injuries to Dean Ashton and Craig
Bellamy.
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Under pressure - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 9th October 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is under pressure to sell the
club he purchased just two years ago. According to latest reports,
Gudmundsson has been informed by the Icelandic government that he must sell
his non-domestic interests in order to reduce the losses incurred by the
collapse of Landsbanki earliler this week. The 67-year-old is said to have
seen an astonishing £360million wiped out as a result of the bank's demise -
and with West Ham considered an attractive proposition - one of the few in
the current climate - plans are afoot to sell the club as soon as possible.
One report this morning suggests that an interested party had three seperate
bids for the club rejected last week, prior to the collapse of Landsbanki.
Elsewhere it has been claimed that at least one bid from a UK-based
consortium has been rejected. Gudmundsson has a personal stake of 40% in
Landsbanki whilst one of his companies - Samson - had a further 41%
shareholding in the failed bank, which went into receivership earlier this
week. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola was told yesterday that should the
current owners remain in place, he will be forced to sell before he can buy
in the new year transfer window.
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CAS to hear Hammers plea - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 9th October 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's bid to take their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport has received a boost. The Swiss-based arbitrators have agreed to hold
a preliminary hearing which wil decide if West Ham United's full case will
be heard. As a result both sides have been requested to provide an
arbitrator to represent them at the initial hearing, which they must provide
by tomorrow (10th October).
West Ham are understood to have appointed their representative already and
have also submitted a lengthy document supporting their claim for a full
hearing. The club's main beef is that they were not offered the opportunity
to appeal against the recent arbitration panel, overseen by Lord Griffiths.
The three-man panel decided in favour of the Championship outfit, who are
claiming up to £30million damages from West Ham United. The decision has
since been roundly panned by the vast majority of football commentators,
whose concerns about the implications the ruling could have on the English
game have been voiced far and wide in recent weeks.
Sheffield United were relegated at the end of the 2006/07 season after
failing to secure enough points to stay up. The Blades continue to blame the
inclusion of Carlos Tevez in the West Ham side as being the reason for their
dreadful form.
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Blues on brink of Quashie deal
Birmingham confident of bringing in veteran midfielder
By Chris Burton Last updated: 9th October 2008
Birmingham hope to have secured a loan move for Nigel Quashie in time for
their next Championship fixture against Burnley on 18th October. The Blues
have been tracking the West Ham midfielder for some time and are closing in
on their target. A one-month agreement has been proposed, with an option to
extend that deal should both sides wish to do so. Quashie has been training
with Birmingham of late, featuring in two reserve friendlies and a practice
match, and Alex McLeish is confident about bringing the experienced enforcer
on board. "We would hope to tie Nigel up on a month's deal with a view to
extending that, if he proves his fitness," McLeish told the Birmingham Mail.
"Probably before Burnley we will get it done. With the amount of games
coming after that, he would be a welcome addition. He has trained hard for a
month but his circumstances have been unfortunate as he lost his mother. "So
in between us keeping him and getting him fit, getting him to prove he is
over his injuries because there is a tendency to come back and pick up
niggles, it's been stop-start due to his mother being ill and her death.
"He's got things to tend there before he can immerse himself right back into
it again and we are very sympathetic to his needs at the moment."
McLeish has made no secret of his desire to bring in fresh faces as the
Blues look to bounce back into the Premier League at the first time of
asking. One of those currently in the frame to arrive at St Andrews is
Togolese trialist Souleymane Mamam. The former Manchester United trainee is
out of contract after leaving Royal Antwerp over the summer and has
impressed during two reserve run-outs. The African is also waiting on a
Belgian passport which would help avoid the need for international clearance
before he could secure a move to England. McLeish said: "He's been with us a
while and he's still training with us. "We've a game next week (a reserve
fixture against Manchester City) and we'll make a decision after that. We
have been impressed with his touch. He's a clever player. "I'm not sure how
dynamic he can be, but he can take a touch with his back to play, he can
take the ball. "He looks athletic enough to get out from the midfield, like
(Sebastian) Larsson and (Kemy) Agustien are able to do."
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Stadium fate undecided - SSN
Mayor admits Olympic venue could be pulled down
Last updated: 9th October 2008
Boris Johnson has admitted there is a possibility of the Olympic Stadium in
London being torn down and rebuilt for football after 2012. The London mayor
has revealed that he is preparing himself for all possibilities to ensure
the venue has a use after the Games. The 80,000-seater stadium will be built
in the east end of London and is the centrepiece of the Olympics, hosting
the athletics events. West Ham, Leyton Orient and Tottenham have all been
reported to be interested in moving to the site, although Spurs have since
cooled their attraction. The London mayor has also muted the possibility of
different sports getting involved. He said: "If we had a serious offer from
a big Premier League football club then of course we'd look at it.
"At the moment that is not the case. "That doesn't mean we are not looking
at the football options, we are looking at all options. "And we are having
all sorts of talks but we've got to prepare ourselves for the possibility
we'll have to go away and get on with some other permutation. "Maybe a
partial use by a rugby club, maybe some kind of athletics school, there are
all sorts of mixes we might end up with and I don't think you can
necessarily guarantee football is going to be part of it. "There have been
some overtures on both sides and in both directions with some clubs. "I
don't want to prejudice any negotiations we might have by going into them
but we are talking the whole time to various candidates but their names will
not be any surprise to you."
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Collison out to impress - SSN
Watch Wales U21 v England U21 live on Sky Sports 1 this Friday
Last updated: 9th October 2008
Jack Collison is looking forward to facing Mark Noble in Wales Under 21s'
clash with England. Collison is currently behind Noble in the midfield
pecking order at West Ham but he is relishing the challenge of trying to
break into the side. The 20-year-old will line up against his club-mate in
Friday's European Championship play-off at Ninian Park and is determined to
turn in a good performance. "I am looking forward to playing against Mark,
we get on well and there has been plenty of banter between us since the draw
paired Wales with England," said Collison. "One day I would want to be
playing alongside Mark in the same midfield, so this is my chance to show
how well I can compete against him." "It will be very interesting when we
face each other. Obviously he is a rival for a midfield place at West Ham,
but I train with him every day so I know a lot about him."
Gianfranco Zola has replaced Alan Curbishley as manager at Upton Park this
season and Collison has been impressed by the Italian. "He has been
brilliant, a breath of fresh air," he added. "Training has been very sharp,
and he is very bright and approachable with the boys, a lot of one-on-one
stuff and I am really enjoying it. "I am not going to slag off (Alan)
Curbishley because he gave me my debut. He was good in his own ways and Zola
is good in his ways. "They both have their own style but this is a new
experience and new challenge for me. "I have spoken to Zola and he said that
I need to be patient and wait for my chance, and I will get one. "So at the
moment I will work hard, and these two matches against England are a great
opportunity for me to impress."
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Quashie set for Birmingham loan - BBC
Birmingham City hope to finally complete a loan deal for West Ham's Nigel
Quashie in the next week. The 30-year-old has been training with the Blues
for several weeks in a bid to prove his fitness after missing the last 19
months through injury. Boss Alex McLeish is also close to a decision over
whether to sign Togo midfielder Souleymane Mamam, 23. Mamam, who has been on
trial at St Andrew's for two weeks, has played in two practice matches. He
was signed by Manchester United in 2003, only to then suffer work permit
problems and be sent out on loan to United's 'nursery' club Royal Antwerp.
But they opted not to renew his contract in 2007, since when he has played a
further year at Antwerp before going on trial this summer to Mark McGhee's
Motherwell. McLeish will finally make his mind up after seeing Mamam play
again in a reserve match next Tuesday. And he expects to decide whether to
pursue a deal for the much-travelled Quashie before Blues' next game against
Burnley on Saturday week (18 October). "We would hope to tie Nigel up on a
month's deal with a view to extending that if he proves his fitness,"
McLeish told the Birmingham Mail. "Probably before the Burnley game we will
get it done." Quashie joined West Ham in January 2007 following the fourth
of his relegations from the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion (he
also went down with QPR, Nottingham Forest and Southampton). But he has made
just seven starts in almost two years at Upton Park, largely down to a
nagging foot injury which kept him out all of last season.
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Ethers eyes top eight - E24
09 October 2008
MATTHEW ETHERINGTON believes new Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola can guide
West Ham to a top-eight finish in the Premier League this season.
Etherington, who this week was named the club's player of the month for
September, has flourished under Zola's regime, scoring crucial goals in
back-to-back league victories under the Italian. West Ham's winning run came
to an end last weekend but winger Etherington is convinced that the Hammers
are making progress under Zola.
"I honestly believe that we can be a top-eight side this season, that's
certainly our aim," he said. "There is a great sense of what we can achieve
this year and if we maintain the great start we have had, there's no reason
why we can't go on and up from here."
The 27-year-old has thrived in a more advanced role in Zola's three-man
attack and he admits that the new boss has helped him improve as a player.
He said: "The new manager has come in and has been brilliant for me. He and
Steve Clarke have been great. "They are bringing all sorts of things to my
game - individual tips to help me and the other lads - and it all goes to
improving what you do. You enjoy coming to training every morning which is a
good thing.
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West Ham's professional moany get has a pop at anti-Welsh managers…-
caughtoffside.com
by Dexter on October 9th, 2008
When it comes to the pantheon of all-time moaning uppity gits, surely Craig
Bellamy is at the top of the list. If he isn't moaning about the carousel of
injuries that have plagued him (karma anyone?), he's claiming that there is
an anti-Welsh bias amongst Premier League gafferdom.
The Daily Mail reports that Bellers (to his mates) reckons that a lot of his
club managers look down their nose at his Welsh international career whilst
his English counterparts are given back slapping encouragement when they
trot off to international games. Bellamy said:
'I have moved heaven and earth to play for Wales in the past,' he said.
'I've even booked flights myself to make it happen because I'm proud to be
Welsh and the international games mean a lot to me.
'The biggest problem I've had in the past was with my clubs. I've picked up
injuries in my career and it is a little different playing for Wales.
'With England I've seen boys get told: "Off you go and do the club proud"
but with Wales it's like: "Do you really need to go? We could really do with
you staying here to continue your rehab".' (Daily Mail)
Whilst Bellers was pretty stinging in his criticism of past managers, he
conveniently excludes West Ham from any blame, until the Welsh striker moves
to another club that is….
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Hammers set for TV again - Echo
4:37pm Thursday 9th October 2008
WEST Ham United's final match before Christmas, a home Premier League
fixture against Aston Villa, has been switched to a 5.30pm kick-off. The
game will now be shown live by Setanta Sports, meaning five consecutive
Hammers' matches have now been selected for live coverage. The Sunday,
November 23 trip to Sunderland (4pm), Monday, December 1 visit to Liverpool
(8pm) and Monday, December 8 home match against Tottenham Hotsput (8pm) are
all on the small screen, as is the Sunday, December 15 trip to manager
Gianfranco Zola's old club Chelsea (4pm).
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Sheffield United defiant against another Carlos Tevez hearing
Published Date: 09 October 2008
SHEFFIELD United will tell the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) it does
not have the power to intervene in the club's multi-million pound
compensation case against West Ham in a formal response to the London club's
appeal. Click here to read how Sheffield United have been forced to wait for
their compensation payout. The Hammers are attempting to have the landmark
legal victory in the Carlos Tevez affair overturned through an appeal to the
Swiss-based court. CAS have asked United to submit a response to West Ham's
appeal by tomorrow and provide reasons why it does not have jurisdiction to
deal with the attempt to annul the recent FA arbitration judgement. West Ham
appear to be relying on a FIFA rule which allows decisions of national
football associations to be appealed to CAS. But United believe the
arbitration judgement was essentially the outcome of a private dispute
resolution process – not a decision reached by the FA – and CAS does not,
therefore, have the power to hear the case. The club will also point to the
fact that both United and West Ham agreed to the arbitration being binding,
without possibility of appeal, when they signed up to the process. The
Blades are backed by the FA itself. Although not commenting publicly, it is
understood the FA do not accept West Ham's legal interpretation. The FA
stance is that it was not a party to the arbitration process and it played
no part in the decision, which could see United receive a huge payout from
West Ham. The only link to the FA is that the arbitration between the two
clubs was carried out under one of its rules. United's claim is currently
being finalised, with accountants drawing up a figure for the loss the club
suffered as a result of relegation from the Premier League last year. The
original figure of £30m will be increased, possibly up to £50m. The
arbitration panel hearing the case is due to reconvene in February to decide
the final figure.
The panel ruled that West Ham were liable for compensation on the basis that
Tevez was worth more than three points over the 2006-07 season. After
breaching Premier League rules on third party agreements to secure the
services of the Argentinean star, West Ham ultimately finished three points
above the Blades who were relegated. The Hammers are currently facing severe
financial pressure after the collapse of Icelandic bank Landsbanki, of which
club chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is a major shareholder. But chief
executive Scott Duxbury insisted: "The position of Landsbanki has absolutely
no effect on West Ham United and Mr Gudmundsson's ownership of the club. "Mr
Gudmundsson is an investor with a large portfolio, of which Landsbanki was
just part. He remains as committed as ever to West Ham United and is not
looking to sell the club."
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Greedy Blades could be forced to cut their losses over Tevez saga - Daily
Mail
Last updated at 11:21 AM on 09th October 2008
Sheffield United are apparently open to negotiating an out of court
settlement with West Ham for compensation over the Carlos Tevez affair. Of
course they are, but don't let anyone at the club fool you into thinking the
gesture is altruistic in any way whatsoever. With West Ham owner Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson losing £360 million in the credit crunch there now seems to be a
real danger they will not have anywhere near the £50m the greedy
Championship club think they are owed. The Court of Arbitration for Sport
are also suggesting they may be able to hear an appeal from West Ham on the
latest tribunal ruling in Sheffield United's favour after all, so they could
lose out that way too.
There is no guarantee the FA-convened tribunal will award them anywhere near
the £30m they originally asked for either. So after making the breakthrough
that only made sense to them and the old MCC president Lord Griffiths who
chaired the tribunal, Sheffield United could end up with little or nothing
in compensation and a whopping legal bill. With West Ham fearing a £100m
black hole in their finances too, maybe justice in the whole sorry saga will
be done after all.
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West Ham risk further Premier League sanction by using unregistered doctor -
Telegraph
West Ham United could be in further trouble with the Premier League after it
emerged they had allowed an unregistered doctor to treat players.
By Telegraph staff
Last Updated: 11:42AM BST 09 Oct 2008
The club appointed Nikos Tzouroudis to head up their medical team in July,
on the recommendation of technical director Gianluca Nani, to address the
club's debilitating injury problems. However, the Greek is not registered
with the General Medical Council (GMC) as required by FA and GMC rules,
where registration with the governing body is needed to practise medicine in
the UK. West Ham maintain that the Premier League was fully informed about
Tzouroudis' circumstances and that while moves are made to get him
registered he is acting in a managerial capacity only. However, Tzouroudis
was seen to treat Carlton Cole during the club's opening match of the season
against Wigan and West Ham, who are already under the spotlight after
Sheffield United won their right to claim compensation from the club over
the Carlos Tevez affair, face further scrutiny over their administrative
procedures. Tzouroudis has effectively been banned from working alongside
manager Ginafranco Zola on match days. "We informed the Premier League, GMC
and FA when Nikos arrived," said a club statement. "We were advised he
required GMC registration and needed to complete an FA course, which the
club are complying with. He is acting in a strategic, managerial role."
The news adds further to an already trying season for West Ham and comes in
the same week that chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson saw the Icelandic bank of
which he was a major shareholder collapse amid the ongoing financial
troubles on world capital markets. Gudmundsson is currently working towards
saving what he can of his investments in Iceland though a spokesman insisted
there was little danger of him pulling out of the club, in which he has
invested £30 million, in the immediate future.
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Sheffield Utd has 24hrs - Cmon Yu Irons
9 October 2008
West Ham have reversed the problems that Sheffield Utd gave the Hammers
since the end of season 06/07. It is now West Ham who are pushing for
justice and have gone to the CAS to find it. The CAS have agreed a
preliminary hearing to decide whether they will hear the appeal in full.
Sheffield Utd have been given 24hrs to provide and arbitrator for the
hearing and if they fail to provide one then the CAS will appoint one. West
Ham have appointed an arbitrator for themselves who will provide a 12 page
legal document that argues a case for West Ham and the 'Right of Appeal' to
which they have not been given, and Sheffield Utd had twice over.
If all fails with the CAS then West Ham are seeking permission from Fifa to
take the case to the High Courts. Sheffield are claiming for a loss of
earnings since their relegation for amount of £30m to £50m when the true
cost of their loss is around £1.3m loss of profits
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Sheffield Utd made a Profit not a Loss! - Cmon Yu Irons
9 October 2008
A Post From a concerned West Ham Fan
How come Sheffield United are claiming between £30 million and £50 million
in damages flowing from relegation? Sheffield United made an operating
profit of £2.6 million in the 2006-07 season (their last season in the
Premier League) and an operating profit of £1.3 million in the 2007-08
season (their first season, post relegation, in the Championship). Source,
the Sheffield United website. Hence the true measure of their loss is £1.3
million loss of profits. I'm sure West Ham would gladly pay that amount to
get Sheffield to go away.
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Hammers in the doc again: Zola's assistant banned from the dugout - Daily
Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 1:15 PM on 09th October 2008
Troubled West Ham have broken Premier League rules again - by allowing an
unregistered doctor treat their top players. The Hammers - already fighting
a £30million compensation claim from Sheffield United after the Carlos Tevez
affair - had Greek Nikos Tzouroudis in the dugout for the Premier League
opener against Wigan.
But Tzouroudis was not registered with the General Medical Council and has
since been banned from working alongside team boss Gianfranco Zola. A club
spokesman told the Sun: 'We informed the Premier League, GMC and FA when
Nikos arrived. 'We were advised he required GMC registration and needed to
complete an FA course, which the club are complying with. He is acting in a
strategic, managerial role.' West Ham are also coming to terms with the loss
of their main sponsor, XL Airways, and the Icelandic bank part-owned by
chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson crumbling amid the financial meltdown.
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Blades stand firm in Tevez saga - TeamTalk
Sheffield United's lawyers insist the Court of Arbitration for Sport has no
right to intervene in their claim against West Ham. The Blades hope to win a
reported £50million in compensation from the London club after an
independent tribunal recently judged in their favour in the Carlos Tevez
Affair. West Ham want the Yorkshire club's landmark legal victory
overturned and have appealed to CAS, who have given the Blades a 24-hour
deadline to respond to the Hammers' submission.
Sheffield United will argue CAS does not have the power to overturn the
judgement and that West Ham agreed to the arbitration being binding, waiving
their rights to appeal, but the Londoners are relying on FIFA rules which
allows the decisions of national football associations to be appealed to
CAS. A three-man Premier League arbitration panel fined the Hammers
£5.5million last April, but did not dock them points, for acting improperly
and withholding vital documentation over the ownership of Argentine duo
Tevez and Javier Mascherano in 2006. West Ham escaped relegation on the
final day of the 2006/7 season - Tevez scored the winning goal at Old
Trafford - while the Blades lost at home to Wigan and went down.
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Hammers Will Listen To Spector Offers - Goal.com
West Ham United have put defender Jonathan Spector up for sale. United
States defender Jonathan Spector, the former Manchester United trainee, is
one of several West Ham United players who have been made available for sale
in response to the strain on the club's finances imposed by the global
banking crisis. The Hammers acknowledged earlier this week that would have
to sell players before they can buy in any new ones in the January transfer
window. Club owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is a major shareholder in the
Icelandic bank Landsbanki, which went into receivership on Tuesday. "It is
very unlikely he will be willing to put in more money to buy players this
January window," vice-chairman Ausgeir Fridgeirsson told BBC Sport. When
asked whether manager Gianfranco Zola would therefore have to sell before he
could buy, Fridgeirsson said "exactly".
Mark Hinton, Goal.com
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West Ham's £100m meltdown - some bleedin' challenge for Zola! - sportigo
A look at the financial mess at Upton Park suggests that Alf Garnett knew
what lay ahead for his beloved 'ammers.
by Philip Smith on 09 October 2008
You can bet Alf Garnett would have had a field day . . . "What 'ave these
bleedin' foreigners ever done for the 'ammers, eh? What 'ave they ever done?
I'll tell you . . . absolutely bleedin' nuffin!"
And he would have had a point. I doubt we can lay the blame for all of West
Ham's problems on their "overseas investors" but their present predicament
does have a faint smell of foreign affluence (sorry, influence).
Just when you thought it couldn't get much worse for the Hammers, they've
been hit with a mighty sledgehammer, which is about to destroy what little
will be left of their financial structure and put their very survival at
risk.
On top of the £30m they have been ordered to pay Sheffield United over
irregularities with the Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano affair, they will
undoubtedly face more compensation claims from Sheffield players for loss of
earnings due to the club's relegation from the Premier League. This could
amount to further £20m.
It all started when the Hammers "signed" Argentinian internationals Tevez
and Mascherano who, it turned out, were actually tied to British Iranian
wheeler-dealer Kia Joorabchian, who claimed he held their "economic rights"
contract. West Ham were landed in a whole heap of trouble that resulted in a
£5.5m fine for breaking Premier League regulations on ownership of
contracts.
Now the club's present owner, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, is under extreme
pressure after it has been reported that he has lost more than £350m as a
result of the Icelandic banking crisis. Gudmundsson was chairman of
Iceland's second biggest bank (which has just collapsed under Iceland's own
credit crunch) when he bought West Ham two years ago for a reported £85m.
What price his frozen assets now?
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West Ham in talks with Arab consortium
09.10.08 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United are in takeover talks, it has been revealed. The Daily Star
says Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury has had talks with an Arab
consortium.
A source close to owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson admitted: "He is desperate to
sell."
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The 6 players to go in January! - Cmon Yu Irons
9 October 2008
A financial crisis has hit West Ham and the club will respond accordingly,
we may even see a substantial rise in ticket prices next season if a massive
payout is awarded to Sheffield Utd, until then like any business we have to
slimline the club to balance the books. Zola has said he prefers Quality to
Quantity so the 6 players we at COYI feel that should go in January are
Danny Gabbidon, Nigel Quashie, Calum Davenport, Jonathan Spector, Lee Bowyer
and Luis Boa Morte. The only other answer to our problems is that BG sells
the club to another billionaire.
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Behrami suffers injury blow - Echo
10:23am Thursday 9th October 2008
By Rob Pritchard »
WEST Ham United and Switzerland midfielder Valon Behrami is an injury scare
ahead of Saturday's 2010 World Cup qualifier against Latvia. The 23-year-old
suffered a bruised right ankle following a training ground challenge from
Manchester City midfielder Gelson Fernandes on Wednesday. However, the
injury is not believed to be serious enough to keep Behrami - a £5million
summer signing from Lazio - out of this weekend's Group Two match in St
Gallen. "He has an ankle bruise on the ankle. An MRI is not necessary. We
are waiting now even the development," said team doctor Cuno Wetzel.
Behrami's ankle ligaments were "unaffected" by the tackle, and he is set to
regain his place in Ottmar Hitzfeld's side after missing the disastrous 2-1
home defeat to Luxembourg last month through injury.
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