WHUFC.com
Strikers Iain Dowie and Geoff Hurst have extra special reason to look back
fondly on this date
09.01.2009
Anniversary
Iain Dowie
Date of birth: 9 January 1965
National team: Northern Ireland
Clubs: Cheshunt, St Albans City, Hendon, Luton Town, Fulham (loan), West Ham
United, Southampton, Crystal Palace, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers
A cult figure at the Boleyn Ground, boyhood Hammers fan Iain Dowie had two
spells with West Ham United. Born in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, the former
Northern Ireland striker was a late developer football-wise. After being
rejected by Southampton as a teenager, Dowie played for a trio of non-league
sides while studying for a Masters degree in engineering at the University
of Hertfordshire.
Having graduated, Dowie began work for British Aerospace but it would not be
long before his talents were spotted by Luton Town. After making more than
50 appearances for the Hatters and enjoying a short loan spell at Fulham,
Dowie joined West Ham for £480,000 in March 1991.
However, after making just 14 Division Two and Makita Tournament
appearances, the old-fashioned striker was on his way again, joining
Southampton for £500,000 in August 1991. Dowie would return to east London,
where he had stood on the terraces as a child, from Crystal Palace in
January 1998. Second time around, the forward would make 83 appearances in
all competitons, scoring eleven goals.
Dowie would leave the Boleyn Ground for a second time as part of the deal
that brought Trevor Sinclair to West Ham from Queens Park Rangers in January
1998. After his playing career had ended, he would go on to manage Oldham
Athletic, Crystal Palace, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City and Queens Park
Rangers and also work as a television pundit.
Other anniversaries
Dale Gordon (1967), Ray Houghton (1962), Paul Kitson (1971)
Classic match
West Ham United 4-2 Birmingham City
FA Cup third round
9 January 1965
Some 18 months before he would become a household name by firing England to
World Cup glory, Geoff Hurst was scoring the goals that helped West Ham
United through to the FA Cup fourth round.
Then just 23, the striker would help the Hammers begin their defence of the
famous old trophy with a superb come-from-behind victory over Birmingham
City at the Boleyn Ground. Dennis Thwaites and Alex Jackson - direct from a
corner - put the visitors 2-0 up within 27 minutes and it appeared United
were on their way out of the competition at the first attempt.
However, Johnny Byrne's goal just four minutes before half-time proved the
game's turning point. Seven minutes after the break and Hurst had drawn the
home side level. The striker put West Ham ahead 20 minutes from time before
John Sissons, who had set up Byrne's opener, added a fourth a minute from
time to send the majority of the 31,056 home happy.
West Ham would go out of the FA Cup at the next stage, losing 1-0 at home to
Chelsea. The season would still end happily, however, as the Hammers went on
to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup at Wembley the following May.
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Bowyer loaned to Birmingham
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United midfielder has linked up with the Championship side on
an extended loan
09.01.2009
Lee Bowyer has joined Coca-Cola Championship promotion-chasers Birmingham
City on loan until 9 May.
The midfielder, who turned 32 on 3 January, is expected to make his Blues
debut in their home league fixture against Cardiff City on 17 January. He
will be reunited with former Scotland defender and Birmingham first-team
coach Roy Aitken, who he previously worked with during the pair's time at
Leeds United, in the Midlands.
Bowyer has made seven league and cup appearances for West Ham United this
season, scoring in the 4-1 Carling Cup first-round win over Macclesfield
Town in August. The Poplar-born player joins fellow Hammer Nigel Quashie,
who has been on loan at St Andrews since October.
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Birmingham snap up Bowyer on loan
BBC.co.uk
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has agreed a deal to sign midfielder Lee Bowyer
from West Ham on loan until the summer. The 32-year-old has fallen out of
favour at West Ham and with the Londoners keen to trim their wage bill, he
will go straight into City's squad. "Lee's a dynamic player and I want to
bring a dynamic look back to the team," said McLeish. "My assistant Ron
Aitken knows him well - he'll give us a lot." Bowyer will become the Blues's
fifth signing of the January transfer window.
Keith Fahey, Robin Shroot, Scott Sinclair and Hameur Bouazza have already
arrived at St Andrew's this month. West Ham have already sold midfielder
Matthew Etherington, while Calum Davenport, Scott Parker and Craig Bellamy
are all attracting interest from rival Premier League clubs. It is the
second time that Birmingham have tried to sign Bowyer, with a fans' petition
protesting against the midfielder's arrival helping to scupper a possible
move back in 2005. Birmingham will be the sixth club of Bowyer's career,
with the midfielder in line to go straight into the squad to face Blackpool
on Saturday.
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Bowyer joins City
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th January 2009
By: Staff Writer
Lee Bowyer has joined Championship outfit Birmingham City on loan for the
rest of the season. The 32-year-old midfielder had been linked with a move
to the City Ground for some time and finally completed his move to the
Midlands this morning. Bowyer becomes the second Hammer to join the Blues on
loan this season, following Nigel Quashie who has spent the last three
months there. Ironically Bowyer is likely to replace Quashie who is set to
return to West Ham. The news was confrimed in a press release by the
CHamp[ionship front-runners this morning; it read: "Birmingham City have
reached agreement with midfielder Lee Bowyer and his club West Ham United
for him to join Blues on loan. "The 32-year-old is to put pen to paper today
on a deal which will see him available to Alex McLeish until the end of the
season."
Bowyer has spent two spells at the Boleyn. He was originally signed by Glenn
Roeder from Leeds for a nominal fee in January 2003 but left that summer
following United's
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Boa reports denied
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 9th January 2009
By: Staff Writer
Hull City boss Phil Brown has denied reports that he is set to sign West
Ham's Luis Boa Morte. Brown, talking on Hull's website this morning admitted
that there had been contact - but denied reports suggesting that a £2million
deal had been struck between the two clubs. "We've had contact with clubs
both at home and abroad," he said. "There's nothing definite at this moment
in time, but there may be something in the near future. "Speculation will
follow us throughout this month and Luis [Boa Morte] is just another one in
the line of players we're supposedly interested in. "But as far as we're
concerned, there's nothing in it."
Boa Morte admitted recently that he wouold like to stay at West Ham in order
to win over the boo-boys that have blighted his career at the club.
Following the departure of Matthew Etherington to Stoke yesterday he is
currently Gianfranco Zola's only natural option on the left side of
midfield.
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Hammers trial for Zoro
Ivorian defender hoping to impress at Upton Park
By Giscard Gourizro Last updated: 9th January 2009
SSN
Benfica defender Marco Zoro has revealed that he is set for a five-day trial
at West Ham. The Ivory Coast international has struggled to settle in
Portugal following his arrival in 2007, with first-team football proving
hard to come by. He has therefore decided to act on interest from England
and is keen to secure a permanent move to the Premier League. While he has
admitted to receiving an invitation to train with West Ham, Sam Allardyce's
Blackburn are also believed to have expressed an interest. "I will spend
five days on trial at West Ham," Zoro told skysports.com. "At the moment I
am in the UK, but I am not supposed to say anything else at the moment.
"Benfica? I don't know what is happening. I have never been given an
opportunity to prove myself. "The Premier League would be a dream for me, so
let's wait and see what happens. I will talk more next week."
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Bowyer becomes a Blue
Hammers midfielder loaned to Birmingham
By Chris Burton Last updated: 9th January 2009
SSN
Birmingham have signed West Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer on loan until the end
of the season. The 32-year-old becomes Alex McLeish's fifth new recruit
during the January transfer window, following Keith Fahey, Robin Shroot,
Scott Sinclair and Hameur Bouazza to St Andrews. Bowyer has featured just
seven times for the Hammers this season, failing to force his way into
Gianfranco Zola's plans. It has therefore been agreed that it is in his best
interests to go in search of regular first-team action away from Upton Park.
A one-cap England international with plenty of top-flight experience,
Birmingham will be hoping Bowyer can play a pivotal role in their efforts to
bounce back into the Premier League at the first time of asking. "Lee's a
dynamic player and I want to bring a dynamic look back to the team," McLeish
told the club's official website. "Roy Aitken, one of my assistants, has
worked with him (at Leeds) and knows him as an attacking midfielder but he
also knows that Lee can give a lot to the team as well."
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Hammers confident over new Tevez twist
Ken Dyer
Evening Standard
West Ham remained hopeful today that the Premier League will take no further
action regarding the Carlos Tevez affair, despite instigating a new inquiry
together with the Football Association. A club insider revealed that, while
they were "surprised" that the Premier League, who fined the Upton Park club
£5.5million for breaking League rules on the registration of Tevez, are
re-opening the case, they will co-operate fully with any investigation.
Chief executive Scott Duxbury's position at the club also remains solid
despite this new twist in what is becoming a long, drawn-out football saga.
The Premier League want to look at the case again following the latest
independent commission's findings, in which chairman Justice Griffiths had
questioned whether West Ham had, in fact, torn up the third-party agreement
regarding Tevez for the last three matches of the season as stated to the
Premier League at the time. In his findings, Griffiths said: "If the Premier
League had known what Mr Duxbury for West Ham was saying to Mr [Kia]
Joorabchian's solicitor following the commission's decision, we are
confident that the Premier League would have suspended Mr Tevez's
registration as a West Ham player."
Joorabchian was Tevez's agent at the time and his lawyer, Graham Shear, gave
evidence to the Griffiths' commission in which he said that Duxbury had
provided verbal assurances that the third-party agreement still existed,
despite the chief executive having informed the Premier League that the deal
had been terminated.
West Ham have maintained that the third-party agreement had been torn up as
stated while they intended to wait until after the season before discussing
a summer transfer for Tevez with Joorabchian. West Ham have 14 days in which
to submit evidence. Manager Gianfranco Zola, meanwhile, has reiterated his
desire to keep his big players and has assured the club's fans he has a good
relationship with Wales striker Craig Bellamy, who is still being linked
with a move to Manchester City.
With squad players such as Matthew Etherington, Calum Davenport and Lee
Bowyer having either moved on or about to leave the club, Zola (below)
believes the income will help him hang onto his big players. "Yes, I want
the big players to stay," he said. "I have a very good relationship with
Craig, for example. He is a very positive influence."
Zola did admit, though, that although he needed to trim his senior squad, he
does run the risk of leaving himself stretched if he hits injury problems
similar to those experienced by former Hammers manager Alan Curbishley last
season. "We could be stretched but at the end of the day it is a risk we had
to take because we had people here who just weren't getting a game and that
is even worse. "We are confident that we can keep the players fit but if we
do have injuries we have young players here who can come in and do the job.
"Junior Stanislas, for example, has done well on loan at Southend while Kyel
Reid has played particularly well at Blackpool. "James Tomkins is back from
Derby also while Freddie Sears is improving all the time. "Our project is to
make the team compete. We know we can't spend £200million so we want to
attract talented young players. "It doesn't mean we will always go abroad,
we already have young talented young British players at this club. "We want
others to come here and get better."
Midfielder Valon Behrami is fit to return to the team for tomorrow's trip to
Newcastle, while Matthew Upson and captain Lucas Neill are also included
after missing the FA Cup tie against Barnsley.
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NEWCASTLE v West Ham: No Butt for Toon boss Kinnear
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 3:23 PM on 09th January 2009
Daily Mail
Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear will be without key midfielder Nicky Butt for
Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with West Ham. The former
Manchester United star picked up his fifth booking of the season at Hull
last weekend and is suspended, and with Danny Guthrie battling his way back
from a bout of flu, the Magpies are perilously short once again. Charles
N'Zogbia is expected to shake off a dead leg, while Shola Ameobi, who signed
a three-year contract extension earlier his week, is recovering from a
hamstring problem, but Habib Beye (ankle) is out long term and Obafemi
Martins will undergo hernia surgery in Germany on Monday.
Joey Barton (knee) and Alan Smith (foot) have returned to training but are
several weeks away from returns, while Claudio Cacapa (knee) and Igancio
Gonzalez are still out.
Provisional squad: Given, Harper, Enrique, Bassong, Coloccini, Taylor,
Edgar, Kadar, Guthrie, N'Zogbia, Duff, Gutierrez, Geremi, Donaldson, Owen,
Carroll, Xisco, LuaLua, Ranger.
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Newcastle United v West Ham: Premier League prediction By Adrian Millerick
9/01/2009
The Mirror.co.uk
The New Football Pools Pundits' Predictions:
John Barnes: Home win
Tony Cascarino: Draw
Graham Poll: Draw
Mirror.co.uk sports writer Chris Wilson: Home win
West Ham team news
Gianfranco Zola has Valon Behrami, Lucas Neill and Matthew Upson available
to face Newcastle after they sat out West Ham's FA Cup win over Barnsley,
while Scott Parker returns from suspension.
Kieron Dyer, who made his return to action off the bench against the Tykes,
could again feature among the replacements, although he is still some way
short of full match fitness.
Zola has trimmed his squad this week with Lee Bowyer joining Birmingham on
loan and Matthew Etherington signing for Stoke.
Team from: Green, Lastuvka, Ilunga, Lopez, Upson, Collins, Davenport, Neill,
Faubert, Spector, Tomkins, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Mullins, Boa
Morte, Bellamy, Cole, Tristan, Di Michele, Sears, Dyer.
Opta match facts
West Ham are the only team yet to win a penalty this season.
Newcastle have conceded a league high eight spot-kicks.
Six of the last 10 penalties Robert Green has faced have been saved or
missed.
Michael Owen has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games against West
Ham.
The last four games between West Ham and Newcastle have all seen exactly
four goals scored and there have been 24 goals in the last six meetings.
Mark Viduka has scored five goals in his last six starts against the
Hammers.
Damien Duff has scored four Premier League goals against West Ham – his
joint-best tally against any club (along with Tottenham).
West Ham haven't won any of their last seven trips to St James Park.
The Hammers have only won three of the last 14 Premier League matches, but
have taken all three points in their last two games.
Newcastle have lost their last two league games but prior to that they had
suffered just one defeat in the previous nine matches.
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Newcastle v WEST HAM: Zola spoiled for choice as four return
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 2:26 PM on 09th January 2009
Daily Mail
Gianfranco Zola has Valon Behrami, Lucas Neill and Matthew Upson available
to face Newcastle after they sat out West Ham's FA Cup win over Barnsley,
while Scott Parker returns from suspension. Kieron Dyer, who made his return
to action off the bench against the Tykes, could again feature among the
replacements, although he is still some way short of full match fitness.
Zola has trimmed his squad this week with Lee Bowyer joining Birmingham on
loan and Matthew Etherington signing for Stoke.
Team from: Green, Lastuvka, Ilunga, Lopez, Upson, Collins, Davenport, Neill,
Faubert, Spector, Tomkins, Behrami, Parker, Noble, Collison, Mullins, Boa
Morte, Bellamy, Cole, Tristan, Di Michele, Sears, Dyer.
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I awoke to headlines today of doom and gloom the ultimate demise of West
Ham, thanks to Carlos Tevez.
4sportsake
The latest investigation is being carried out by the Premier League and the
Football Association, who are looking into the conduct of West Ham over the
Carlos Tevez affair. The new joint investigation will look into the London
club's dealings with Tevez's representatives.
Initially in April 2007 West Ham were fined a record £5.5m by the Premier
League for breaking rules over third-party agreements. An independent
tribunal later ruled Tevez was ineligible to play for West Ham during that
season, which I will point out was 2 years ago.
Following the tribunal, chaired by Lord Griffiths, Sheffield United lodged a
compensation claim of up to £50m after they were relegated when the Premier
League's independent panel did not dock West Ham points over the affair and
now the new investigation will examine whether the conduct of the Hammers
immediately after the independent disciplinary commission's decision of 27
April 2007 amounted to further breaches of Premier League or FA rules. The
key point to be investigated is the evidence provided to the tribunal by
lawyer Graham Shear, solicitor for Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian.
The inquiry means West Ham or individuals could face further disciplinary
action but the club say they have nothing to hide from the new inquiry. So
when I saw points could be deducted and another hefty fine issued I thought
oh no here we go again.
Then I thought a bit more about it.
Maybe the powers that be have nothing better to do, nothing more important
to sort out in football, than go back and re-examine what's already been
examined ad-norsium. This is a complete waste of time and effort. West Ham
to my mind have already been punished, Sheffield United can't be put back in
the Premier League, so why go over old ground, what new can the bodies that
be possibly think they are going to learn?
Fans of clubs who hate West Ham will like lyches jump on the bandwagon and
have a pop at a club who have moved forward from the whole Carlos Tevez
affair, I just wish the rest of football could do likewise.
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TEVEZ: END THE COVER-UP
The Daily Express
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/79156
Friday January 9,2009
By Gideon Brooks Have your say(0)
IT IS possible there were some with long faces at West Ham last night
wondering whether it might have just been easier, and less harmful in the
long run, to have taken their medicine and gone down when relegation called
in 2007.
Certainly, after the joint decision of the Football Association and the
Premier League yesterday to launch a fresh inquiry into the club's conduct
in The Carlos Tevez Affair, the only people laughing in east London were
lawyers.
Both the FA and Premier League refused to expose the finer details of where,
when, and how the new inquiry will take place. They also declined to detail
what possible sanction they will carry in their armoury.
However, it is understood the two bodies are concerned enough not to rule
out any penalty available, including another monster fine or a points
deduction.
It is a bombshell that leaves West Ham battling straitened financial
circumstances after the damage done to owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's
business empire by the credit crunch and the possible loss of some of their
brightest stars. But they also face the very real possibility of starting
the Premier League season of either 2009-10 or 2010-11 with a points
deduction depending on both the speed and outcome of this new inquiry.
The announcement that the issue would be revisited comes on the back of a
tireless campaign from this newspaper that exposed damning evidence last
spring detailing how, when West Ham escaped relegation with Tevez a year
earlier, they had done so by informally continuing with the third-party
ownership of the striker.
In March 2008, the Daily Express revealed that even after pleading guilty
to breaching Premier League rules the previous April, the player's insurance
premiums continued to be paid by Kia Joorabchian's commercial vehicles MSI
and Just Sports Inc when, if Tevez's registration was theirs – as the
Hammers said it was – those premiums would have been picked up by the club.
The Daily Express campaign, backed by an open letter to Premier League boss
Richard Scudamore urging that he reopen the investigation, gained widespread
support. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan and Fulham director Stuart Benson joined
calls to discover the truth.
Yesterday's action comes not only after those calls for action from this
quarter, but also sustained pressure from the FA to revisit allegations
after the findings of Lord Griffiths' independent arbitration panel last
year. Lord Griffiths raised concern about West Ham's behaviour when finding
in favour of Sheffield United's compensation claim over their relegation in
the Hammers' 'place'.
He said that after being fined £5.5million for their 2007 breach of the
rules, West Ham might have convinced Premier League lawyers they had
unilaterally terminated the third-party arrangement but "they did not
convince him".
The tribunal heard evidence from lawyer Graham Shear, solicitor for Tevez's
agent Joorabchian, that West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury provided
verbal assurances the third-party agreement still existed despite having
informed the Premier League it had been ended.
Lord Griffiths said: "If the Premier League had known what Mr Scott Duxbury
for West Ham was saying to Mr Joorabchian's solicitor following the
commission decision, we are confident that the Premier League would have
suspended Mr Tevez's registration as a West Ham player."
The Premier League and the FA said: "We are to institute a joint inquiry
into the views expressed by the Independent Arbitral Tribunal chaired by
Lord Griffiths in September 2008, which dealt with a compensation claim by
Sheffield United against West Ham brought under FA Rules.
"The inquiry will examine whether West Ham's conduct immediately after the
Independent Disciplinary Commission's decision of April 2007 amounted to
further breaches of Premier League or FA Rules." It is paramount that any
suggestion of a cover-up either by the club or the initial tribunal is put
to bed.
West Ham said they had acted in good faith "and fulfilled the undertakings
given to the Premier League following the initial penalty. We have nothing
to hide".
Manager Gianfranco Zola spoke yesterday about defending the "untouchables"
in his squad who are not for sale. But not even Zola's smile was enough to
stop the mood crashing back down to earth with a bang.
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Newcastle v West Ham Preview
by Chris Stanton , 09 January 2009 Setanta.co.uk
West Ham's sought-after pair Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker return to St
James' Park in a match that pits two teams who have yet to extricate
themselves from the prospect of a relegation battle.
Kieron Dyer could make it a trio of returning stars with the wide player set
for a place on the bench as he continues his comeback from injury.
The possibility of Dyer and Lee Bowyer being reunited on a St James' Park
pitch is deprived the paying public however, with one half of the infamous
brawling duo poised to join Championship Birmingham.
The Hammers will need a dose of the 'ex-factor' as they come up against a
team full of players who enjoy scoring goals against them.
Top of the list is Michael Owen who has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League
games against The Hammers. Then there's Damien Duff who has scored four
Premier League goals against his favourite Premier League opposition.
It's hardly surprising then that West Ham have not won in any of their last
seven trips to St James' Park.
Mark Viduka is another who enjoys matches against West Ham but, fortunately
for the visitors, an injury means the Australian will not have a chance to
add to his tally of five goals in six starts.
Habib Beye, Joey Barton, Alan Smith, Claudio Cacapa, Shola Ameobi and
Obafemi Martins are also among those who will miss the game through injury.
The Magpies' misfortune is in stark contrast to that of West Ham.
Gianfranco Zola is boosted by the return from injury of Matthew Upson, Lucas
Neill and Valon Behrami and the availability after suspension of Parker.
PIVOTAL PLAYER: Craig Bellamy. Scored on his one and only return to St
James' Park with Liverpool in 2007 and don't be surprised to see the
Welshman net again.
Prediction: 2-2
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Bellamy may be many things, but perfect isn't one of them...
Last updated at 10:42 AM on 09th January 2009
Daily Mail
Gianfranco Zola is a very nice man but no matter how innocent he looks when
he tells people that Craig Bellamy is the 'perfect professional', no-one is
buying it.
The striker has been described as many things, but perfect is one this
column hasn't heard before. Perfection doesn't leave room for threatening to
fake an injury, calling your manager a liar or becoming known as the 'nutter
with the putter' after allegedly attacking a team-mate with a golf club.
There have been reports of various other off field incidents too and Zola
must have noticed that Bellamy has only really looked back to his best this
season since being linked with big money January moves. PS No matter how
chaotic the disciplinary and legal process has been in the Carlos Tevez
Saga, West Ham must be finding it hard to keep a straight face when they say
they don't deserve a points deduction. Continuing to employ Scott Duxbury as
their CEO despite the evidence that has stacked up against the way he has
handled the Saga is almost cause for a points penalty in itself.
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Bowyer: The Good & Bad News
West Ham Till I Die
Lee Bowyer became the second West Ham player out of the door this morning,
but instead of a permanent move to Birmingham City, he had only gone out on
loan until the end of the season. So no transfer fee income for us then.
However, it gets him off the wage bill for a few months. Let's hope he does
well for them and they will want to sign him permanently at the end of the
season. When Bowyer came back for the second time he vowed to make up for
the disappointment of his first stay. He failed in that ambition. There were
only a couple of games where he imposed himself. Otherwise he looked a
shadow of his former self. Nevertheless, I wish him well at Birmingham
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Damaged goods: West Ham chief facing a battle to sell the club in light of
new Tevez inquiry
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 8:49 AM on 09th January 2009
Daily Mail
West Ham owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's hopes of selling the club for a big
profit have suffered a fresh blow after the Premier League announced a new
investigation into the Carlos Tevez scandal. The Icelandic banker is
looking for buyers to ease his financial problems. But yesterday's
announcement of a new inquiry, to be conducted jointly by the Football
Association and the Premier League, is another blow following last year's
defeat by Sheffield United in an arbitration tribunal that leaves the
Hammers facing a payout of millions in compensation. The Hammers were fined
£5.5million in 2007 for breaching league rules over third-party agreements
in signing Tevez, and the new inquiry will focus on the club's dealings with
his representatives after the initial punishment. That means there is the
threat of further sanctions for the club. It follows the arbitration
tribunal chaired by Lord Griffiths, who ruled in favour of Sheffield United
and pointed the finger at West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury. The key
point to be investigated is the evidence provided to the tribunal by lawyer
Graham Shear, solicitor for Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian. Shear said that
Duxbury had provided verbal assurances, or 'oral cuddles', that the
third-party agreement still existed - despite the Hammers chief having
informed the Premier League that the agreement had been terminated.
Griffiths said in his findings: "If the Premier League had known what Mr
Duxbury for West Ham was saying to Mr Joorabchian's solicitor following the
commission decision, we are confident that the Premier League would have
suspended Mr Tevez's registration as a West Ham player. 'We have no doubt
that those [Tevez's] services were worth at least three points to West Ham
over the season and were what made the difference between West Ham remaining
in the Premiership and being relegated at the end of the season.'
The inquiry means West Ham or individuals could face further disciplinary
action but the club say they have nothing to hide from the new inquiry.
Club insiders acknowledged the need to investigate Griffiths' findings but
say they are convinced they can provide the evidence to prevent further
disciplinary action. A club statement said: 'West Ham United will
co-operate fully with the joint inquiry convened by the FA and Premier
League. 'We have acted in good faith throughout the various inquiries and
investigations into this matter and fulfilled the undertakings given to the
Premier League following the initial penalty. 'We have nothing to hide and
will ensure that this is once again reflected in our evidence to the FA and
Premier League.' The Blades are claiming up to £50million compensation from
West Ham as a result of winning the case, and the final figure will be
decided by the tribunal some time in the spring. West Ham have stood by
Duxbury since the arbitration tribunal and said his position is not under
review.
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Hull to take Luis Boa Morte from West Ham
The Mirror
By Alan Nixon 9/01/2009
Hull City will snap up West Ham's forgotten forward Luis Boa Morte for a
bargain £1.5million. Tigers boss Phil Brown is hoping to secure the with no
snags so Boa Morte can play at Everton tomorrow. The Portuguese star has had
a disappointing time at Upton Park, since joining from Fulham, and his exit
- with the fee plus wages off the payroll - comes at a good time for the
hard-up Hammers. Brown turned to Boa Morte after his move for for Wigan's
Kevin Kilbane fell through. The Hull boss also plans a raid on Derby for £2m
midfielder Paul Green. Green, 25, has been Derby's most consistent performer
this season after moving on a free from Doncaster last summer.
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West Ham hand trials to Paraguayan pair
09.01.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United have handed trials to two Paraguayans. The Times says West
Ham have given a trial to Nelson Amarilla, a 21-year-old defender, and Juan
Aguilar, a 19-year-old midfield player. The two Guaraní players were on
trial at Wigan in the summer.
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