Former West Ham United winger, who passed away this week, is remembered for
ten years of loyal service
20.05.2008
Former West Ham United winger Ken Tucker sadly passed away this week at the
age of 85. Having played for the club between 1947-57, Tucker's Upton Park
career began in sparkling style. He scored a hat-trick on his debut against
Chesterfield at the Boleyn Ground in October 1947. A pacey and powerful
winger, signed from Finchley, he scored 73 goals in 191 reserve matches
before earning a regular spot in the first team in the 1955/56 season. He
duly switched from part-time to full-time training and scored 15 goals in 37
appearances before joining Notts County in March 1957. He leaves behind a
wife, Joan, two children, Lorraine and Raymond, and grandchildren.
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Hammers ready to launch bid for Johnson - Guardian Series
WEST Ham are set to test Everton's resolve with a renewed bid for Andy
Johnson, according to reports this morning. The Irons had a £15 million bid
for the pacy 27-year-old turned down by the Toffess last summer. But,
despite Johnson's recent claims that he is happy at Goodison Park, the
Guardian suggests that Hammers boss Alan Curbishley is ready to step up his
efforts to lure the former Crystal Palace star back to London. Johnson
regularly had to settle for a place on the bench at Everton last season, but
still managed to score ten goals.
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West Ham confident over deals for Ashton, Green
tribalfooball.com - May 20, 2008
West Ham United are confident of securing two of their top England stars to
new contracts. The Daily Express says West Ham are confident of agreeing new
deals with Rob Green and Dean Ashton.
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Hammers to join chase for Saha? - manutdweb.com
By Chris, May 21 2008
A barrage of bids from the capital could push Louis Saha's asking price up.
West Ham United are the latest club to be linked with a move for the
Frenchman – just days after Arsenal were linked with a shock move for the
Frenchman. Saha looks certain to leave Old Trafford over the summer and
United have reportedly slapped a £7million asking price on the unsettled
striker. Saha has, once again, struggled for games this season with another
injury-plagued campaign.
The 29-year-old is keen to leave Old Trafford and lease new life into his
career - and a host of clubs look set to make a move over the summer.
Arsenal have already been linked with a swoop for the former Fulham man's
services and Arsene Wenger is reportedly prepared to match United's
£7million asking price.
However, his valuation could increase with West Ham apparently poised to bid
for the French international with Hammers boss Alan Curbishley keen to
bolster his attacking ranks.
Saha has already suggested that Wednesday's European Cup final could be his
last as a United player - so don't be surprised to see a handful of other
clubs from across the continent linked with a move for the player over the
next couple of weeks.
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Transfer Silly Season Starts Early At West Ham - West Ham Fans.org
Submitted by Neville Nixon on 20 May, 2008 - 18:26.
With the season only just over and most players enjoying a bit of a break,
those wonderful souls, referred to as 'agents', begin crawling out from
whence they came. The way some agents operate is simple, with a pet
newspaper ready to lap up their every tale they merely plant scurrilous
rumors here and there and suddenly you have an unsettled player. Last season
it was Liverpool who benefited from Yossi Benayoun being 'influenced', this
year Dean Ashton has become the next target to de-stabilise, the beneficiary
club could be Newcastle, Manchester United or heaven forbid Tottenham! Par
to the course of messing with a player is to plant stories about other
players potentially arriving at a club, so it is of no surprise to see 'sick
note' Saha and 'gobby' Diouf being linked with moves to the Boleyn. A move
for either of these players would be bordering on the insane, as would the
supposed move for Richard 'past his sell by date' Dunne, fact is that the
Hammers squad is massive, disproportionally so bearing in mind that an
average attendance of 34,500 odd was only the 11th highest this season in
the Premiership. Bringing in a couple of excellent loan signings would be a
better approach than scattering money at over priced 'established' players,
getting rid of one or two players will do no long term harm as it is
unlikely that there will be so many injuries next season, the Roehampton
Institute's findings make interesting reading for the powers that be, it is
to be hoped that their findings are taken on board, if they are fans might
even get to see some attractive football! - Ed
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Sunderland prepare £3million Hammers swoop - FansFC
18:15 May, 20, 2008
Sunderland Football Club are keen on Luis Boa Morte. The Portugal
international has been the subject of abuse from West Ham United fans for
the way their season fizzled out, and he admits he is unhappy with life at
Upton Park. "I've got two years left [on my contract] at West Ham but I
don't like the situation and we'll see what happens in the summer," said Boa
Morte. "I will sit down with the chairman and the manager and speak to them
about it."
The former Arsenal and Fulham man could get a Premier League lifeline handed
to him from Roy Keane, who is believed to be prepared to pay £3million to
take him to the Stadium of Light.
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Bolton's Diouf in West Ham sights
tribalfootball.com - May 20, 2008
Bolton Wanderers attacker El-Hadji Diouf is a target for West Ham United.
The Guardian says the Senegal ace is on Hammers boss Alan Curbishley's
shopping list, though Bolton manager Gary Megson refuses to give up on
persuading Diouf to stay next season.
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West Ham to bid for Man Utd striker Saha
tribalfootball.com - May 20, 2008
West Ham United are moving for Manchester United striker Louis Saha. Saha
has admitted he could be on his way from United in the summer and the
Guardian says Hammers boss Alan Curbishley wants to bring the ex-Fulham man
back to London.
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Juventus prospect Lanzafame favours West Ham over Palermo
tribalfootball.com - May 20, 2008
Juventus prospect Davide Lanzafame wants a move to West Ham United. Juve
want to include Lanzafame in their offer to Palermo for striker Amauri, but
the young forward is digging in his heels as he wants to move to Gianluca
Nani's West Ham United. Lanzafame is rated highly within Italian football
and was outstanding on-loan at Serie B Bari last season.
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Hammers set to miss out on Italian starlet - Guardian Series
WEST Ham look to have missed out on the signing of Juventus starlet Davide
Lanzafame. Mounting speculation has suggested that the Irons were close to
sealing a season-long move for the 21-year-old striker, who scored ten goals
in 33 games on loan at Serie B outfit Bari this season. But that looks to
have been thwarted by Juventus' bid to lure Palermo's Amauri to Turin.
Palermo are willing to part with the Brazilian-born forward, but are
reported to want £10 million cash, ownership of midfielder Antonio Nocerino
and 50 per cent ownership of Lanzafame as part of the deal. And, according
to Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport, the deal looks to be already done
with Amauri set to undergo a medical at Juventus today. Palermo are said to
have previously wanted Raffaele Palladino, Sebastian Giovinco or Vincenzo
Iaquinta in exchange for Amauri, but all were vetoed by Juventus. Now
Lanzafame admits that his future is in his club's hands. "I'm a Juve player
and my future depends on the Bianconeri," he told Corriere dello Sport.
"Palermo? They are a prestigious club and for me it will be a fascinating
and new experience."
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Saha & Diouf? You're 'Avin a Giraffe! - West Ham Till I Die
I'm not sure how far Paul Doyle's tongue was stuck in his cheek when he
wrote THIS in today's Guardian. He speculates that West Ham are interested
in signing Louis Saha and El Hadhi-Diouf. Saha is a good player but do we
really need yet another injury prone striker? I think not. We should have
signed him when we had the chance eight years ago. As for Diouf, all I can
say is Nooooooooooo!
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West Ham's Elite Boys to Conquer the World! - CmonYuIrons
Wednesday Night and 4 of West Ham's elite Academy will have 4 of its
children take to the World Stage, playing in the Eufa Champions League.
Watches by over 1 billion people worldwide, Manchester United's Rio
Ferdinand and Michael Carrick up against Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Joe
Cole will fight it out to win the greatest prize that any league club can
win.
West Ham Academy director Tony Carr said :- "They are our boys who have made
it all the way to the top and West Ham United fans should be proud of that.
We will have two as winners and two as runners-up, which isn't a bad
record."
Tony Carr is now in his 35th year of loyal service to West Ham said "Their
high-profile achievements are helping the club to attract new talent and
earn recognition around the world" "It is a great testament to us and you
often hear us mentioned when people are talking about these players, the
fact that they have come through the ranks here,"
Carr told the club programme. "For me it gives me goose pimples on the back
of my neck when I see the likes of Rio and Joe playing in the Champions
League which is the very top of this profession. We can even make a claim on
John Terry, because he spent five years here between the ages of nine and
14."
Frank Lampard was once a hated figure when arriving at Upton Park, which
hopefully will now be a thing of the past, he is a product and child from
the Academy and nobody can deny that, so he should be treated with respect,
which by now he rightfully deserves as does the other 3 Academy boys playing
Wednesday in Moscow.
The days are now over where we will part with academy boys that have grown
into 1st team football for West Ham, We have made mistakes in the past
mainly due to relegation and bad management, the new boys Fred sears, James
Tomkins, and Jack Collison, will be the new boys to conquer the worlds
stage, but this time with their mother club, West Ham United FC.
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Hammers handed recommendations to reduce worrying injury crisis - Guardian
Series
WEST Ham have been handed a "number of recommendations" from a team of
sports scientists who looked into ways of reducing the club's injury crisis.
A team of experts from Roehampton University's Sports Performance Assessment
and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) spent a week with the Irons last month in
a bid to get to the bottom of the unprecendented amount of injuries
sustained in the squad. The team investigated all aspects of the club, from
diets to the training pitches. They also conducted medical tests and
interviewed players, management and staff. SPARC director and physiologist
Jackie Dabinett then presented the findings to the club's board last week.
"We did a full audit of all sport science and sports medicine practices at
the club as well as the training and match facilities," Dabinett told the
Basildon Echo. advertisement"We interviewed 15 players and all of the
coaching staff from the groundsman to the manager. "We also did some on the
spot checks of, for example, players' urine concentration prior to training
on one of the days. "A presentation of the main findings was made to the
board on the Friday of the week that we were there and a full report was
sent to the club last Friday.
"We are not in a position to disclose the findings but there are a number of
recommendations, that if acted upon, should reduce the likelihood of injury
in the future and also enhance performance."
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Boffins plot cure to Irons' injury woe - Echo News
Exclusive By Rob Pritchard
A TEAM of sports scientists claim to have got to the bottom of West Ham's
crippling injury crisis. Four experts from Roehampton University's Sports
Performance Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) spent a week with
the Irons last month to try and work out why the club's players suffered
more than 50 injuries last season. During their time with the Hammers, SPARC
director and physiologist Jackie Dabinett and her team interviewed players,
management and staff, conducted medical tests and investigated everything
from diets to the state of the club's training pitches. Afterwards Dabinett,
who spent a decade working at the Football Association Human Performance
Centre at Lilleshall, presented the team's findings to the board, making a
host of recommendations to help clear the club's treatment room. "We did a
full audit of all sport science and sports medicine practices at the club as
well as the training and match facilities," she said. "We interviewed 15
players and all of the coaching staff from the groundsman to the manager.
"We also did some on the spot checks of, for example, players' urine
concentration prior to training on one of the days. "A presentation of the
main findings was made to the board on the Friday of the week that we were
there and a full report was sent to the club last Friday. "We are not in a
position to disclose the findings but there are a number of recommendations,
that if acted upon, should reduce the likelihood of injury in the future and
also enhance performance."
One player hoping to make a return from injury sooner rather than later is
Freddie Ljungberg, who is battling to recover from a broken rib in time to
captain Sweden at the Euro 2008 finals. "The pain has been quite extreme,"
said the 30-year-old, who was hurt during the Irons' Premier League clash
with Newcastle United on April 26. "It's been difficult taking deep breaths
and it hurts even when I just turn my body. I have been on painkillers,
however, and I'm getting better and better. "I have slowly started to try to
jog and have even cycled a little. "The healing process so far has been all
according to the prognosis by our medical staff which is encouraging. I am
very much looking forward to being fit for the tournament."
Ljungberg is currently recovering in his homeland, who take on Greece in
their opening Group D clash on June 10 before facing Spain and Russia.
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