WHUFC.com
Tony Cottee has spoken to WHUTV about who he believes is in the running for
Hammer of the Year
20.05.2009
With under 24 hours left to make your choice for Hammer of the Year 2008/09,
Tony Cottee has offered a timely hand to those still undecided about who
should get their vote.
Cottee knows better than most what it takes to be voted Hammer of the Year
after winning the award in the 1985/86 season, and he predicts this could be
one of the closest yet. Indeed if early indications are anything to go by he
could be right, as with over 8000 votes cast, there are just 300 votes
between the top three players.
"I think it is important to say how well a lot of the players have done.
Normally you get one outstanding candidate. Robert Green has dominated
things over the last two or three seasons.
"Before that, Carlos Tevez was the runaway leader and then further back Di
Canio was another player to have had an outstanding season. But I personally
think that there are five or six players that deserve a mention and are
going to pushing to win that award."
The Hammer of the Year will be announced at Sunday's Barclays Premier League
game with Middlesbrough, alongside Tony Carr's choice for Young Hammer of
the Year, with Cottee believing there is one runaway candidate Carr should
go for. He said: "There was a lot of talk at the end of last year about
Freddie Sears and quite rightly so after his goal against Blackburn.
"And of course James Tomkins is another lad whose progress we've been
monitoring and his development since he's been in the team has been
fantastic. The more games James plays the better he becomes and I think
potentially he is a future England centre-half.
"But I'll be astonished if Jack Collison doesn't win it as he's emerged from
nowhere."
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Middlesbrough ticket latest
WHUFC.com
Fans wanting to be at the final game of the 2008/09 season will need to
hurry or risk missing out
19.05.2009
A limited number of tickets have now been released for sale for the final
game of the season with Middlesbrough at the Boleyn Ground.
With West Ham United looking to grab a big scoreline to overtake local
rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Middlesbrough desperate for points as they
battle to avoid relegation, the concluding match of the season is set to be
an entertaining affair.
The Hammer of Year 2008/09 and the Young Hammer of the Year will be
presented with their trophies at the game, before fans will get a chance to
say their thanks to the players for all their efforts during the season.
Prices start from £45 for adults and £25.50 for Under-16s with further
discounts available for Senior Citizens, Young Adult and Youth Academy
members. Any remaining tickets can be purchased either in person from the
Dr. Martens ticket office, by calling 0871 222 2700 via Option 1
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Hammers off to China
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 20th May 2009
By: Staff Writer
West Ham Unitd have been provisionally confirmed as one of the four teams
taking place in this summer's Asia Cup. As revealed here on KUMB.com last
month the Hammers had to wait until their fate in the league this season was
decided as the Asia Cup dates clashed with the first round of Europa League
qualification. With United's European chances dashed as a result of
consecutive defeats against Liverpool and Everton the path to enter the Asia
Trophy was opened - and Gianfranco Zola's team have now been provisionally
named as one of four entrants alongside and fellow Premier League outfits
Tottenham and Hull, who qualify on the strength of their league position
last November, and local side Beijing Guoan. The tournament will take place
between Wednesday, July 29th and Saturday, August 1st in Beijing's Worker's
Stadium. The Premier League have refused to comment until the end of the
current campaign is completed, with the final round of matches taking place
this Sunday.
* West Ham United's clash with Middlesbrough this Sunday is being screened
live on Setanta Sports.
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Hammers lead Bates chase
West Ham hope to land Boro starlet
Last updated: 20th May 2009
SSN
West Ham United have leapt to the front of the queue to land Middlesbrough's
Matthew Bates, skysports.com understands. The highly versatile 22-year-old
has been one of the few success stories for Boro in an otherwise
disappointing season, which looks set to end in relegation. Bates, who has
fought his way back from three separate cruciate knee ligament operations,
has played at right-back, centre-back and central midfield this season and
has shone for Gareth Southgate in the latter part of the campaign. However,
the Teesside born star is out-of-contract in the summer and he looks set to
leave after rejecting Boro's offer of an extension. Skysports.com
understands that West Ham have now made their move and are keen to tie him
down on a long-term deal. As Bates is under 24 Boro would be due
compensation, but it would likely be nowhere near his market value. West Ham
are trying to do a quick deal as they know there is a huge amount of
interest emerging for Bates. Both Wigan and Everton would like to take him
to the North West, while if Bates wished to stay closer to home, Newcastle
and Sunderland are keeping close tabs on him. Coincidentally, Bates will get
the chance to impress West Ham this Sunday when Boro travel to Upton Park
for the final game of the season.
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West Ham Lead Queue For Middlesbrough Standout Matthew Bates - Reports
There will be extra focus on the talented youngster when Boro take on the
Hammers in what could very well be their last 90 minutes of Premier League
football for quite a while on Sunday...
21 May 2009 03:39:23
Goal.com
West Ham United are reported to be leading the race to sign Middlesbrough
starlet Matthew Bates in the summer. According to skysports.com, the Hammers
have already put in a lot of groundwork as they look to get a crucial edge
on a whole host of Premier League sides who have taken a keen interest in
the versatile 22-year-old. Bates has been one of the few bright spots in
Boro's season, having filled in admirably at right-back, centre-back and
central midfield in an effort to keep the club afloat. Following their
failure to beat Aston Villa last weekend, however, the consensus is that the
Riverside outfit are all but relegated, though even if they manage to pull
off a great escape on the final day of the season there are serious doubts
over whether the England Under-20 would be willing to extend his
summer-expiring contract. Wigan Athletic, Everton, Newcastle United and
Sunderland have all also been credited with a strong interest in the
Teesside club's youth product.
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Robert Green senses chance to establish himself in Fabio Capello's plans
Green favourite for England return after David James injury
'All you can do is be ready' says West Ham keeper
Jamie Jackson The Guardian, Thursday 21 May 2009
Robert Green has been England's great spectator since first being called up,
under Sven-Goran Eriksson, more than five years ago. But now, following
David James's withdrawal from next month's World Cup qualifiers against
Kazakhstan and Andorra, the West Ham United goalkeeper is in prime position
to show Fabio Capello that he can and should dislodge the Portsmouth man as
England's first choice.
Green certainly believes that he can be England No1, even when James is fit.
"Oh yeah, of course, you have belief in your own ability," he says. "And
it's always been the aim to be the best, to improve to the level of the
pinnacle and [playing for England is] certainly it. Whether I get the
chance in the next couple of [games] is another matter. If I do then
hopefully I'll be ready to take those chances."
English football is at a curious juncture – the country hosts the world's
most watched domestic league but the Premier League's dominant four clubs
do not have an English first-choice goalkeeper between them. Ben Foster is
Edwin van der Sar's deputy at Manchester United, but he is injured, and no
English keeper is regularly playing Champions League football. This makes
Capello's task – filling what has become England's problem position – even
trickier. Even when James, who is due to have shoulder surgery, is fit, he
can make high-profile mistakes. Such problems have affected his
international career in the way that they have recently blighted the
fortunes of Paul Robinson and Scott Carson.
"It's changed," says Green. "It's not like the old days. In previous times,
you'd say: 'Well, who's the keeper for the best team?' And at the time [it'd
be] Liverpool, Nottingham Forest when Peter Shilton was there, and teams
like that. It's very much different when you can look at it and say, 'He's
won a league medal and European Cup, so Shilton deserves to be the England
keeper.'
"It doesn't work like that at the moment. Nowadays you say: 'Well, who's the
best team in the country? Manchester United. But Van der Sar's not English.
So who's the second-best team? Liverpool. [Pepe] Reina's not English. Who's
third best? Chelsea. Well Petr Cech's not [English].'"
Green's international experience is limited to a half against Colombia in
2005 and 45 minutes against Spain this season. Both matches were friendlies.
In between he "ruptured a groin which everyone had a good laugh at apart
from me" against Belarus during an England B international in May 2006. That
caused him to miss that summer's World Cup and he has been ignored to such
an extent since then that he wore gloves inscribed self-depreciatingly with
"England's No6".
"Not playing is frustrating, you want to play in every game," he says. "But
it's the life of a keeper, you'd rather be on the pitch than off. But going
away with England, no matter how much going away and not playing is
frustrating, it can be taken with a dose of salt as it's at such a high
level."
Capello obviously likes James; until his withdrawal he was the only player
to start all 13 of the Italian's games as the head coach. Green, for his
part, plays the diplomatic pro when speaking of the 38-year-old, peppering
the conversation with references to how "tremendously well Jamo has done
since he came back in" following Carson's demise during the 3-2 defeat
against Croatia in late 2007, which denied England a place at Euro 2008.
James has performed well enough, adds Green, for it to be "not really a
question as to who plays. There's no begrudging that but also in the same
respect he's pushing 39 and that shows how long you have got as an
opportunity to wait".
If Green, at 29, were to be handed his chance in June and takes it, he could
realistically be contemplating five to 10 years in the England team. "Yeah.
As I say all you can do is be ready. If someone were to get a chance against
Kazakhstan and Andorra then all you can do is give everything you can and if
Jamo comes back and plays then so be it. But that person will be wanting to
make their mark."
Green, surely, deserves that chance.
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Interview: Freddie Sears on why he wants to leave West Ham on loan
20 May 2009
Freddie Sears
EXCLUSIVE
By JONATHAN CLEGG
East London Advertiser
Upton Park was silent as Freddie Sears lined up his shot. The teenage
striker stole a quick glance at his opponent, waited for the ball to drop
before finally producing a gentle lob. His eyes followed the ball as it
arced through the air and dropped into the net. But on this occasion, there
was no roar from the crowd. Sears did not wheel away in celebration or raise
his arms in a crossed Hammers salute. Instead, the 19-year-old shrugged his
shoulders, retrieved the wayward effort and continued the game of tennis he
had been playing with local school kids on a makeshift court at the club's
stadium. Sears was doing his bit for the club's multi-sports access and
retention scheme (MARS), which is run with Newham Council and the Premier
League, and which saw hundreds of East London youngsters descend on Upton
Park last week to take part in athletics, basketball, handball and a host of
other Olympic sports. As a promising tennis player during his schooldays,
Sears was instructing the children on the finer points of hitting a
forehand, and the former Havering doubles champion appeared to be enjoying
this chance to relive some past glories. But as he took a quick breather
after an hour and a half of energetic action, it was tempting to wonder what
Sears would give for a similar run-out on Sunday afternoon. It is more than
15 months since the Hammers hotshot first served notice of his star
potential by scoring a debut winner against Blackburn within six minutes of
appearing as a substitute. West Ham legends Trevor Brooking, Geoff Hurst and
Billy Bonds were in the stands on that memorable afternoon last February,
when the teenager looked set to add a new chapter to the club's storied
history of nurturing young talent.
Yet Sears' career has since stalled. Despite a long-term injury to Dean
Ashton and the sale of Craig Bellamy in January, the forward has started
just four league matches this season and has spent most of the campaign
kicking his heels on the bench. It is a situation that Sears has found
frustrating, though he maintains he has not lost confidence in his ability
to make the grade at his boyhood club. "I feel like I'm a goalscorer," Sears
said. "It's hard not playing every game because you need a little run in the
team to get going, but once you get a goal, your confidence is really high.
"I think if I play a few games, I'll have a chance to show what I can really
do."
The search for regular football could force Sears to leave Upton Park next
season. Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola has admitted that the youngster would
benefit from a spell on loan and Sears is keen to emulate fellow academy
aces James Tomkins and Junior Stanislas, who have graduated to the
first-team following stints at Derby and Southend respectively. He said:
"When you're not playing at West Ham, you just want to play football and
going on loan is something I'd definitely be interested in. "Some of the
boys have come back after going out on loan and you can see that it's helped
- just confidence-wise and just playing in front of thousands of people
every week."
The striker was the subject of several loan enquiries this season, but West
Ham's paucity of attacking options meant Zola would not sanction a deal. Now
the manager's stance has changed and Sears is already mulling over the
possible destinations for next season. "We've discussed what could happen at
the start of next season and I think the Championship is a good, strong
level to go and develop your football. "For me, a London team would be nice
- a team from around here. But if you have to go away from home, you live
with it. But I think there's some good football in the Championship. "I've
looked to go out this year, but there's not been too many players around and
it's been hard for the manager to let me go. But it's hard only playing 15
minutes here and there and there's not many reserve games."
As Sears sends another forehand crashing into the net, it is clear that the
extra time at his disposal has not been spent on the tennis court. "I play
now and again with my brother, but not too much these days," he laughs.
"It's mostly football, football, football now." If Sears has his way and
gets regular first-team football next year, he might have to put down the
racket for good. Freddie Sears was participating in the multi-sports access
and retention scheme (MARS), run by West Ham and Newham Council, in
association with the Premier League/PFA Community Fund.
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Neil Warnock defends Manchester United's right to play weakened team
Kaveh Solhekol
The Times
Neil Warnock has told Newcastle United, Sunderland and Middlesbrough to
concentrate on their own problems and forget about which team Manchester
United will field against Hull City on Sunday. The former Sheffield United
manager has not forgiven Sir Alex Ferguson for selecting a weakened team
against West Ham United on the final day of the 2006-07 season. West Ham won
1-0 at Old Trafford in May 2007 – a result which kept them up and relegated
the Yorkshire club.
Ferguson is expected to play another weakened team at the KC Stadium, even
though his controversial decision could lead to Hull staying up and two from
Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough going down.
"What will they do [to United]? Fine them two bob? Slap their wrist?"
Warnock, who now manages Crystal Palace, said. "It just won't happen. It's
just the luck of the draw. It's just how it happens, that's life. At the end
of the day Newcastle still have to get a result at Villa and Sunderland have
to get a result, possibly. They have to worry about themselves."
A report this morning suggested that Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough
could sue United if Hull overcome a weakened side to survive at their
expense. "I can't see people suing Sir Alex and his club, it is just one of
those things," Warnock said. "I have every respect for him, I always have
over the years - although I lost a little respect for him that day [when
Sheffield United were relegated]. But I am sure that doesn't bother him or
anyone else."
The chances of Newcastle being relegated will increase dramatically if Hull
win. "It is disappointing when you do see they [Manchester United] are not
playing their top men but Sir Alex is single-minded and I don't think for
one minute he will be concerned, when he picks his team, what happened to
Neil Warnock or what happens to Alan Shearer or Phil Brown," Warnock said.
"Manchester United's youngsters can always get a result against anybody on
their day and the thing Hull haven't got is [Carlos] Tevez. He was a
world-class player playing for West Ham that day and I don't think they
would have beaten Manchester United that day if they hadn't had Tevez. "
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FORMER ENGLAND KEEPER ASSESSES THE GOALKEEPING SITUATION
Nigel Martyn is backing Robert Green to replace David James
By Mark Shail May 20, 2009
GiveMeFootball.com
Former England international Nigel Martyn believes West Ham goalkeeper
Robert Green is the man to replace first choice England stopper David James
for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra.
James is sidelined while he undergoes surgery for a long-standing shoulder
problem and, with Manchester United keeper Ben Foster also ruled out through
injury, Green, Paul Robinson, Chris Kirkland and Joe Hart are all in
contention to replace the 38-year-old.
Portsmouth goalkeeper James is the only player to start all 13 matches under
Fabio Capello but he has decided to go ahead with the operation so he is fit
for the start of next season.
"It's something I've had for about 18 months and I want to be fit for the
start of next season with Portsmouth," said James.
"With starting every game under Mr Capello, I would have liked to have
continued that. But the bigger picture is that because of the nature of the
injury, I could have sustained a dislocation at any given point and been out
for longer.
"I'll miss a couple of World Cup matches but it is a good time to have the
operation. I always trust that England can do well – even without me."
Former Leeds and Everton star Martyn, who won 23 caps at international
level, believes James' enforced absence is a real opportunity for somebody
to stake their claim to be a regular starter for England.
"I don't think the goalkeeping position is a problem for Mr Capello, but it
is more a case of 'is he really sure who he wants to be his no.1'. David
James has played the games and, over the last three years at Portsmouth, has
been a lot more consistent. But there is always that thing –is he going to
do something silly?" said Martyn.
"You need to rely on your goalkeeper and, in that respect, I don't think it
is a forgone conclusion who will be the no.1 at the World Cup in South
Africa.
"The opportunity is there for somebody to grab it. What tends to happen with
England goalkeepers is that there is a certain pecking order so I would
imagine Robert Green will get the chance against Kazakhstan. Then it is up
to him. He would get my vote."
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Tottenham set to join West Ham in China
Reports in China claim Tottenham will join West Ham and Hull in the Premier
League Asia Trophy in Beijing from July 29 to Aug 1.
Telegraph
By John Ley
Last Updated: 10:39AM BST 20 May 2009
China State Media have announced that Spurs will compete with Chinese Super
League side Beijing Guoan in the fourth version of the biennial tournament
at the Worker's Stadium. Chelsea were reported to have been invited to take
part but have decided to tour North America instead. Sport on television
Premier League champions Manchester United will play in China, but will skip
the main two cities of Beijing and Shanghai and finish their Asian tour with
a match against Hangzhou in Zhejiang on July 26. Meanwhile, Spurs winger
Aaron Lennon could miss England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against
Kazakhstan and Andorra due to a long-standing groin problem.
Lennon has not played since the 1-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion at
the beginning of May, and missed the 0-0 draw at Everton and 3-1 home win
over Manchester City with the injury. Lennon could have been available for
England at the U21 Championships alongside team mate Tom Huddlestone, but
now both players are likely to miss the tournament through injury. Lennon
has been outstanding this season, scoring five goals in 41 matches for Spurs
in the league and in Europe this season. On Tuesday he was named the Young
Player of the Year and Player of the Season at Tottenham.
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