Kevin Keen was once again left a happy man after his reserve side continued
their sparkling run of form
26.02.2008
Kevin Keen has paid tribute on WHUTV to the "super spirit" in his reserve
side after another fine victory - this time at Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite going a goal down in a competitive contest played at the Brisbane
Road home of Leyton Orient on Monday, Keen's side battled back and won it
through two Freddie Sears goals either side of a Dean Ashton effort. The 3-1
victory allied with a 1-1 draw for Reading at Aston Villa, saw the Hammers
take second place in the southern section of the Barclays Premier Reserve
League, two points behind Villa and three ahead of Reading.
Keen said: "We have got a set of young players here at the moment who will
die for the club. That's from Jack Collison to Tony Stokes who are a little
bit older in midfield right down to the younger ones - Freddie Sears, Zavon
Hines, Ashley Miller and Jordan Spence. There is a real determination to do
well for the club and for themselves. There is a super spirit in this
reserve team and, when you look at the youth team results as well, things
are bubbling along quite nicely.
"Whatever happens, they are a getting a good education and they are a good
set of lads. We are pleased at the moment." Keen also praised the attitude
of his senior pros against Spurs - namely Jimmy Walker, John Pantsil,
Jonathan Spector, Bobby Zamora and Ashton. "Whenever I have the senior
players, I am always pleased because we have got a set of players that will
do the right thing at the right time. They will work hard and give it a go.
There is a lot of clubs where perhaps that is not the case."
Talking of experienced performers, the substitute goalkeeper was coach Ludek
Mikloso after young shot-stopper Adam Street pulled out through illness as
did Bondz N'Gala. Like Keen himself, Miklosko - who is now 47 and served the
club to distinction in the 1990s - is still registered as a player to cover
for such situations and, with tongue in cheek, Keen said: "We had Ludo on
the bench and if Jimmy had had a problem I would have had full confidence in
the old man to do well."
Tottenham had a youthful side on view but Keen paid tribute to the ability
of the Spurs youngsters. "In the first half Tottenham played very well," he
said. "They are a young team, they pass the ball very well, were technically
very able and they gave us a real tough test. Having said that we had two or
three real good chances. We went one nil down but then little Freddie came
up with a goal that give us one-all at half-time, which we were happy with."
That Sears equaliser told much about the 18-year-old's predatory skills.
With barely a chance in the first half, he seized on a ball with his back to
goal before turning in an instant and flashing a shot into the net. He moved
inside from the right wing in the second half and, after making the second
for Ashton to score from close range, raced away from midfield beyond three
defenders before slotting in with full confidence.
It was his 24th goal in 23 games at U18 and reserve level this season. Keen
said: "He is a talented lad, we said it last week. He is a good lad, he is
going to work hard. He is a good sniffer and he does score goals out of
nothing and he scores good goals as well like his second one which was a
good finish."
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Richard House in the spotlight - WHUFC
West Ham United are dedicating this Saturday's home game against Chelsea to
the Richard House Hospice
26.02.2008
West Ham United have dedicated the Barclays Premier League home match
against Chelsea on Saturday to raising money and awareness for the Richard
House Children's Hospice.
Richard House in Beckton is one of two official charities the club is proud
to have linked up with this season along with the Bobby Moore Fund for
Cancer Research UK. London's first children's hospice, Richard House has
helped hundreds of children and their families by providing respite from the
emotional and physical trauma living with a terminal illness can bring.
Leading up to the Boleyn Ground fixture, and on the day of the game itself,
various initiatives will take place in support of the charity. These
include:
# Collections in and around the ground
# The players wearing Richard House T-shirts for the warm-up
# A penalty-shoot out competition involving children from schools who have
supported the hospice
# A week of online text and video coverage on whufc.com
# Special programme feature including an exclusive interview with patron Joe
Cole
# A players' appeal to get fans to donate £1 by texting RICHARD to 82085
West Ham United defender Anton Ferdinand has been heavily involved with the
charity throughout the season including paying a visit to the hospice where
he spent an afternoon with the children helping them bake cakes and
participating in their music workshop. The 23-year-old said: "When I went to
the hospice I was so touched by what a wonderful warm place it was and how
hard the staff work to make sure the children there are always having fun
but also being stimulated."
Viv Talbot, Richard House Community Fundraising Manager, said: "Richard
House Children's Hospice cannot thank West Ham United enough for selecting
them as one of their two chosen charities for this season." She described
the chance to raise funds and awareness as a "fantastic opportunity",
adding: "£1.8m in voluntary donations is needed each year to keep the
hospice running for which we rely totally on clubs like West Ham and their
supporters to help us.
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Noble praise for children's hospice - WHUFC
Mark Noble has spoken of the profound impact the Richard House children's
hospice has had on him
26.02.2008
Mark Noble has spoken of the humbling experience he had when visiting the
Richard House children's hospice - which will be in the spotlight at the
Boleyn Ground this Saturday.
West Ham United have dedicated the 1 March fixture against Chelsea to
raising money and awareness for the hospice, which along with the Bobby
Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is one of the club's two official
charities this season. Richard House, based in Beckton, east London, has
been running since 2000 and also counts Sir Trevor Brooking as one of its
patrons.
The 20-year-old Noble went along to the hospice in Beckton with team-mate
Anton Ferdinand and saw for himself the good work being done to help
children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening
conditions. Key to the hospice's aims is offering respite from the emotional
and physical trauma for the children and their families.
Speaking to WHUTV, Noble said: "Personally myself, I didn't realise the help
and the hard work that the staff put in. It was a culture shock for me. I
look at things completely differently now. When I went there I made cakes
and played a bit of music with the kids and when you see the smiles on their
faces it is great.
"If you can make the kids happier - whether it is for ten minutes or a week
- it is like winning a football match. You can see the smile on their faces
and the enjoyment they are having. If we are honest, they don't have much
enjoyment - they have a tough life and places like that make it so much
happier for them. The hard work they do goes unrecognised and I was fully
overwhelmed by the whole day."
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Spurs beamback at the Boleyn - WHUFC
Head along to the stadium to watch West Ham United away at Tottenham Hotspur
in warmth and style
26.02.2008
If you cannot make it to White Hart Lane to watch West Ham United take on
Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday week - come along to the Beamback.
Tenth-placed West Ham United are eight points clear of Tottenham with both
teams having played 26 games - but Juande Ramos's men are in form having
just won the Carling Cup. The teams played out a competitive 1-1 draw on 25
November when Robert Green's last-gasp penalty save denied Tottenham
victory. Carlton Cole had struck first before Michael Dawson equalised in
the second half.
See the Premier League encounter in warmth and style with two mouth-watering
packages running from 12pm to 5pm at the Boleyn Ground.
# Pie and mash, and a matchday programme in the Premier Suite (pay-bar
available). Prices are £20 for adults, £18 for senior citizens/disabled and
£15 for children under 16.
# Three-course carvery meal and a matchday programme in the Castle Suite
(pay-bar available). Prices are £35 for adults, £22.50 for senior
citizens/disabled and £17.50 for children under 16.
Derby games against Tottenham Hotspur are always must-see encounters, with
many a classic game over the years. Make sure you are at the Boleyn Ground
to soak up the atmosphere on Sunday 9 March. The kick-off is 3pm.
For more information call 0870 112 2700 (Option 3) .
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Go on my sson - KUMB
Filed: Tuesday, 26th February 2008
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are beng linked with a summer move for rising Icelandic star
Holmar Eyjolfsson. The 17-year-old centre-half, already a regular for his
country's under-21 side spent a week on trial with the Hammers recently
where he is said to have impressed, according to fotbolti.net. Talking
earlier this week about his time in London, Eyjolfsson said: "It was a great
experience and a good learning curve. It was also interesting to see how I
compared to the Premier League players. They treated me like an equal and it
felt like I was just one of the boys. "When I sat down with Alan Curbishley
and the clubs chief scout Roger Cross, the manager told me he wanted me to
join the club and that he would talk to my father about it as soon as I went
home." The Hammers will however face stiff competition from Bayern Munich,
who are also thought to be monitoring Eyjolfsson's progress.
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Luis Boa Morte vows to win over West Ham doubters - portugoal.net
Portuguese winger promises hard work at London club
West Ham United forward Luis Boa Morte has vowed to fight to silence the
doubters among the Upton Park crowd, as he endures a testing second season
with the club. The 30-year-old, who joined the Hammers from London rivals
Fulham just over a year ago, was handed his fist appearance for three weeks
on the weekend, playing the full ninety minutes against his former club. The
spell out of manager Alan Curbishley's match squad followed a disappointing
performance against Liverpool, during which the Portuguese was booed by his
own fans after missing a couple of good opportunities. Curbishley was happy
with Boa Morte's contribution against Fulham saying: "When you change the
shape it suits some people, like the three midfielders who play to their
strengths. I brought Luis Boa Morte to play in the hole and he's done his
bit."
Ahead of the match, Boa Morte spoke to newspaper The Independent in depth
about his career in the Premiership, admitting that a season in which he has
only started 14 of his team's 31 matches, has been the toughest episode of
his decade long career in English football. "It's been one of my most
difficult periods in football since I came to West Ham," he said. "But I'm
always able and ready and up for the fight, you know, I'm not going to turn
my back away. "We are in a better position as a club this season, so of
course I feel better. Personally I just need to score one or two goals to
get the thing going because I have been putting in the hard work to get back
from my hamstring injury but it is just the scoring bit that hasn't come
along. It's been my fault because I have had a few chances, so I'll keep
working hard."
Reflecting upon his misses against Liverpool, Boa Morte admitted: "The first
one probably was the easiest one to hit the target, but my body was in the
wrong position. The second one – I didn't really expect the ball to come to
me. "But I will take the blame. That's a side of football that exists, and
we are here to take that. My back is big enough to take the boos for missing
chances. But it is not big enough to take the boos for not working hard.
That I won't take from the West Ham supporters or any other person. If
someone says that, I won' t turn my face away."
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Dean Ashton ready to fight for place - Telegraph
Last Updated: 12:46am GMT 27/02/2008
West Ham striker Dean Ashton was relegated to the reserves on Monday night
but showed he is ready to fight for his place by scoring in a 3-1 victory
over Tottenham reserves. Ashton has struggled to command a regular
first-team place this season and was named as a substitute once again for
the 1-0 win against Fulham last Saturday. The England striker is desperate
to get his career back on track following a year out with a broken ankle.
But with manager Alan Curbishley opting to play Carlton Cole as a lone
striker in a 4-5-1 formation, Ashton's chances have been restricted. Ashton
hopes to win his place back for the derby against Chelsea on Saturday.
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West Ham management excited by current kids
tribalfooball.com - February 26, 2008
West Ham United reserve-team coach Kevin Keen admits they're excited about
the current raft of young players coming through the system. He told WHUTV:
"We have got a set of young players here at the moment who will die for the
club. That's from Jack Collison to Tony Stokes who are a little bit older in
midfield right down to the younger ones - Freddie Sears, Zavon Hines, Ashley
Miller and Jordan Spence. There is a real determination to do well for the
club and for themselves. There is a super spirit in this reserve team and,
when you look at the youth team results as well, things are bubbling along
quite nicely. "Whatever happens, they are a getting a good education and
they are a good set of lads. We are pleased at the moment."
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WOBBLY BRIDGE - The Mirror
BARCLAYS FIRST CRISIS FOR GRANT Final defeat means pressure is mounting
As Chelsea go into meltdown Curbishley warns Grant the clock is ticking and
he MUST now deliver silverware to keep boss Roman happy
John Cross 27/02/2008
Alan Curbishley has warned the clock is already ticking on Avram Grant to
turn Chelsea's fortunes around after their Carling Cup Final defeat. West
Ham boss Curbishley faces Grant on Saturday and believes the pressure is
firmly on the Chelsea manager to start winning trophies as club owner Roman
Abramovich will expect big returns on his huge investment. Curbishley, one
of the Barclays Premier League's longest serving managers, also says Grant
will not be afforded the sort of time that Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex
Ferguson have been given to win trophies. But Curbishley, who spent 15 years
at Charlton before taking over at Upton Park 14 months ago, has predicted
that Grant will be under the microscope after Chelsea's Wembley defeat to
Tottenham. Curbs said: "It's the life we're in at the moment. Unless you get
results and success quickly then you don't get the same time anymore. "When
you get to a high profile club everything you do is going to be looked at -
body language, the way you walk onto the pitch, the way you dress, every
last detail. "Everything Avram Grant does is going to be analysed and that
is something he has to handle. I looked at the cup final and the start was
the most important thing and Tottenham made much the better start. If you
are lucky enough to be a manager of a top-four club then that comes with the
territory. "If it's not Avram Grant, it's Rafa Benitez and if Arsenal
weren't doing so well it would be Arsene Wenger. "Being a manager is getting
tougher.
"That honeymoon period has gone. You even look at someone like Dave Jones at
Cardiff who was under pressure and then he turned it around. "I think you
get applauded over the top when you win, then you get over castigated when
you lose. You have to take it with a pinch of salt. "I've never been under
too much pressure as a manager, apart from maybe when I was first at
Charlton when I wanted to do things and change things. "Even Sir Alex had a
period where it wasn't going so well, but United showed the foresight to
stick with it and I don't know if that is there any more. I managed my last
game at Charlton at Old Trafford and I had done 15 years and Alex had done
20 years. I said to him the days of the two managers doing 35 years between
them have gone."
Curbishley insists that the expectancy level is lower at West Ham despite
big foreign investment at Upton Park - but has still set his sights on
reaching Europe this season. He added: "We have to win at least half of our
remaining games - and perhaps do a little bit more than that. I feel very
confident. We need a bit of stability because in the last four or five years
we've had a play-off final we lost, a play-off final we won and then last
season was played out across the back pages."
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Nobby happy to be back in the mix to help fire West Ham into Europe
By Guardian-series
NOBBY Solano is happy to be back, fit and raring to go for West Ham in time
for the club's bid for European qualification this season. While the
Peruvian has been missing since December 28 with a hamstring injury, his
team mates have been producing results on the pitch to keep the club on
course for a top-seven Premier League finish. The Hammers face a tough month
in March - notably an eight-day schedule that sees trips to Liverpool and
Spurs follow Saturday's derby encounter with Chelsea - and Solano is eager
to play a key role. I am feeling fit, I am better," he said. "It is
important that I can play and help the team to win. We are looking to keep
pushing up the table. "It will be tough in the next three games but
hopefully we can do it - it (Europe) is still on."
Solano showed his passion for the cause with a match-winning contribution
against Fulham at the weekend, proving once again his importance to the
squad. The 33-year-old leapt off the bench on the hour mark to provide a
more creative influence going forward and the 87th minute goal - his third
in 13 games - that earned three valuable points for his side. And he was
quick to defend his strike. The controversial goal smacked of good fortune -
he looked to have kicked the ball out of Antti Niemi's hands before it
cannoned off his elbow and into the net - but Solano insists there was
nothing untoward in his efforts to win the ball. "The bounce came back to me
and hit my elbow and went in but it wasn't intentional," he said. "We got
the luck there but the most important thing was to take the three points.
"We didn't play a great game (against Fulham) but we knew beforehand that it
would be very tough. "We nicked the points and that was very important for
us." Solano has every right to expect a more prominent role against the
Blues on Saturday.
3:53pm Tuesday 26th February 2008
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Curbishley ready for 'tough week' - teamTalk
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is steeling himself for a "tough week" ahead
of games with Chelsea, Liverpool and Carling Cup winners Tottenham. The
Hammers are one of a clutch of clubs in the hunt to secure a UEFA Cup spot
and Curbishley knows a lot could rest on the next three games. "We know we
have got a tough week coming up," said Curbishley, whose team host Chelsea
this Saturday. "We are going to be put to the test but so far this season we
have raised our game against the big four so we will see what happens."
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Is it Time to Blood Freddie Sears? - West Ham Till I Die
Freddie Sears has scored 21 goals in 18 games this season. On Monday night
he scored a brace for the reserves in a 3-1 over Spurs. Apparently he is on
fire. He's been likened to a young Tony Cottee in that he has pure predatory
instincts. I have never seen him play but those that have are raving about
him. How about putting him on the bench sooner rather than later and giving
him a few minutes with the big boys?
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West Ham offer sporting director job to Gianluca Nani - the Mirror
26/02/2008
West Ham have offered the job of sporting director to Italian Gianluca Nani.
Nani currently has the same role, responsible for signing players and
contracts, for Serie B side Brescia. The appointment of the low-profile
Italian would appear to strengthen the position of manager Alan Curbishley
at the Upton Park club.
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Birmingham plan £4million summer move for West Ham's Bobby Zamora - The
Mirror
Exclusive 26/02/2008
Birmingham are planning a £4million summer move for West Ham striker Bobby
Zamora. The hitman, 27, is fit again following a knee injury but has slipped
down the pecking order at Upton Park behind Carlton Cole, Dean Ashton and
Luis Boa Morte. Zamora's lack of first team action has alerted City boss
Alex McLeish, who saw the forward bag a hat-trick for the reserves earlier
this month. McLeish is now poised to table a bid for Zamora if and when the
Blues secure their Premier League status. Hammers boss Alan Curbishley also
has crocked pair Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer to return as attacking
options. Barking-born Zamora is a West Ham fan but is unhappy he has been
left behind their top earners since extending his contract in October 2006
until 2011. And with West Ham yet to open talks over a new deal, Zamora may
be tempted to leave his beloved club this summer after joining in February
2004 from Spurs before scoring the winner in the 2005 play-off final.
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Hammers hold Nani talks but move still some way off - Daily Mail
Last updated at 09:52am on 26th February 2008
Gianluca Nani, managing director of Italian Serie B club Brescia, has
emerged as the favourite to be appointed as West Ham's new director of
football.
Hammers' manager Alan Curbishley, together with chief executive Scott
Duxbury, went to Italy to talk to Nani, who has a growing reputation in
Italian football, and both are believed to have been impressed with his
achievements. But the club are still some way from making a final decision.
Hammers' manager Alan Curbishley (above), together with chief executive
Scott Duxbury, went to Italy to talk to Nani. West Ham were close to
offering Franco Baldini the new post before the Italian joined Fabio Capello
in the new England set-up. Dean Ashton, meanwhile, scored in a 3-1 win for
West Ham's reserves against Tottenham last night, but was overshadowed by
18-year-old Freddie Sears who netted the other two. Bobby Zamora continued
his comeback from injury by playing 45 minutes.
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West Ham, Newcastle tracking Tottenham striker Bent
tribalfooball.com - February 26, 2008
Darren Bent's future at Tottenham remains in doubt. The Sun says the club's
ENIC power-brokers reckon they can persuade Dimitar Berbatov to stay but
Ramos is likely to be searching for another hitman as Bent looks set to go
in the summer. West Ham United and Newcastle are keeping tabs on the
situation.
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West Ham to offer technical chief's job to Brescia's Nani
tribalfootball.com - February 26, 2008
Brescia general manager Gianluca Nani will be offered the newly-created
technical director's job by West Ham United. The Times says Nani is likely
to accept the new role, which will begin in the summer. The Italian's duties
would include finding players and conducting transfers. Tony Carr, the
club's director of youth development, will continue looking for young local
players, leaving Nani to concentrate on discovering foreign talent and
experienced players for the first team. Nani has a good depth of knowledge
of players in South America, has been seen scouting at reserve matches in
many countries and is proud of persuading Adam Vass, the Hungary midfield
player, to leave Stoke City for Brescia, the Serie B club. He also signed
Marek Hamsik for about £300,000 from Slovan Bratislava and sold the midfield
player to Napoli for a £3.5 million profit three years later. The Italian
will also be expected to oversee the development of the proposed new stadium
next to West Ham Underground station and the move to a better-equipped
training facility. The club will be forced to leave their present training
ground in Chadwell Health, Essex, in about five years.
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