WHUFC.com
Academy director Tony Carr has been impressed by England U21 duo Mark Noble
and James Tomkins
29.06.2009
West Ham United Academy director Tony Carr is backing star graduates Mark
Noble and James Tomkins to lead England to UEFA European Under-21
Championship glory.
Noble will lead England into battle against old foes Germany in the Swedish
city of Malmo on Monday evening, while Tomkins is expected to be among the
substitutes.
Carr knows U21 captain Noble better than anyone, having overseen his
emergence from bubbly schoolboy to Barclays Premier League midfielder.
Meanwhile, central defender Tomkins, who spent more than a decade working
under Carr's watchful eye at Little Heath, burst into the limelight during
the second half of the 2008/09 season, deservedly earning a place in Stuart
Pearce's 23-man squad. "It is a terrific achievement for both of them," said
Carr. "To play in a final at any level is an achievement, but to do so in
the European Under-21 Championship is something to be proud of. "Mark is a
massively important player for England and will be so again in the final. He
has always been the same. He still just wants to play football and have the
ball at his feet all the time. That shows in him on the pitch. "Stuart
Pearce has said that he is a vital part of his team. He is a bouncy
character and inspires his team-mates."
While 22-year-old Noble has been the mainstay of Pearce's midfield
throughout the qualifying campaign and final tournament, Tomkins only made
his U21 debut in a 7-0 friendly win over Azerbaijan at the beginning of
June. However, the 20-year-old did complete a full 90 minutes in England's
1-1 draw with the Germans in the group stage on 22 June, giving him vital
big-match experience ahead of Monday's showdown. "James has played his part
and had a great experience too. He has appeared in a couple of games and
played the full game against the Germans. Stuart has made clear that he is
very much part of his squad."
The last time a West Ham player captained England in a major international
tournament final was on 30 July 1966, when Bobby Moore led the Three Lions
to a thrilling 4-2 victory over West Germany at Wembley. All of England's
goals were famously scored by Hammers Geoff Hurst, who netted a hat-trick,
and Martin Peters. Carr, then himself a member of the Hammers' youth
Academy, firmly believes Noble can follow in Moore's legendary footsteps on
Monday evening. "Let's hope history repeats itself and we see a West Ham
player lifting a trophy for England again," said Carr. "We've already laid
one ghost to rest by winning a penalty shoot-out in the semi-final so it
would be nice to do so again by beating the Germans. "Unlike the semi-final
against Sweden which finished three-all, I expect it to be a tight game. The
Germans are a good side and it's going to be tough. On the night, though, it
is all about the result rather than the performance."
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Season tickets reminder
WHUFC.com
Fans have until Wednesday to make sure of renewing their seat for the
2009/10 campaign
29.06.2009
Season ticket holders are reminded that the deadline for 2009/10 renewals is
Wednesday 1 July.
Excitement among fans is already building. Sales are up compared to the same
period last year and there has also been a rise in the number of new
applicants. With the fixtures for the new season out and Gianfranco Zola's
squad already starting to take shape, thousands of supporters have been
taking up the opportunity to make sure they do not miss a kick at the Boleyn
Ground.
With the number of season tickets capped at 26,000 and prices cut by up to
eight per cent on 2008/09 levels, it is expected that the number sold will
come close to that come the first game of the season in mid-August. All four
stands - including the West Stand, which has reverted to its old name from
the Dr Martens Stand - are proving popular.
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Lee pens first deal
WHUFC.com
Ollie Lee is the fourth Academy graduate to sign a professional contract
this summer
29.06.2009
Ollie Lee has become the fourth West Ham United Academy graduate to sign his
first professional contract with the club this summer.
The all-action midfielder, who turns 18 on 11 July, has followed youth team
captain and close friend Matt Fry, defender Tony Brookes and forward Anthony
Edgar in committing his future to the club by signing a one-year contract.
The youngster, who is the son of former West Ham and England midfielder
Robert Lee, was a revelation during the 2008/09 season, making 21 FA Premier
Academy League appearances, scoring three goals. The teenager also impressed
in Alex Dyer's reserve team, turning out eleven times in the Barclays
Premier Reserve League South.
Lee, who joined the club when he was 14, names former Hammer Michael Carrick
as his favourite player, and is eager to follow in the footsteps of the
Manchester United and England midfielder.
"I'm delighted and just can't wait to get started now," he said. "It's going
to be a really exciting season and I can't wait to get going," said Lee, who
can speak fluent Spanish. " Last season I did well. I broke myself into the
reserve side so I'm looking to push on hopefully get into the first team. I
should be with the reserve side next season and then hopefully if the first
team call on me I can shine. "
Lee is delighted to be part of yet another crop of promising youngsters to
have come through the ranks at the club.
"It's good that we're all coming through at the same time," said Lee. "We've
all been together for a couple of years now so we all know each other really
well.
"It will be nice coming together with a group of lads you know rather than
strangers. We've all been chatting about it and we're all excited and can't
wait for the season to get going."
Like many of his fellow Academy graduates, Lee is open to the idea of a loan
move to another club in order to gain valuable first-team experience. After
seeing the benefit a loan move gave the likes of Josh Payne, Junior
Stanislas and James Tomkins, Lee is hoping to follow their footsteps this
season if given the opportunity.
"I would like to go on loan at some point this year and then hopefully come
back at the end of the season and make an appearance," he added. "We've seen
some of the lads last year do it and I'd like to be one of them this year.
"I think by going on loan you grow up a lot and get good experience and
hopefully then I can push on to the first team."
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Noble's dream dashed
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble's hopes of leading England's U21s to European glory were
extinguished by Germany
29.06.2009
Mark Noble's dream of emulating West Ham United great Bobby Moore by leading
England to a major trophy was dashed on Monday night.
A shade under 43 years after Moore captained England to the FIFA World Cup
by beating West Germany at Wembley, skipper Noble's Under-21s were beaten
4-0 by their unified successors in the UEFA European U21 Championship final
in Sweden.
Defeat dashed Noble's hopes of ending his U21 career, which began at the
same tournament two years ago, on a high.
Just as had happened in 1966, the Germans took a first half lead, but this
time there was to be no comeback from the English.
While Moore and West Ham team-mates Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters were able
to celebrate lifting the Jules Rimet Trophy, Noble and Hammers colleague
James Tomkins - an unused substitute in Malmo - were left with only loser's
medals to show for their efforts.
Hurst and Peters were the match-winners back in 1966, but it was Werder
Bremen's Mesut Ozil who was the hero in the latest battle between two of
football's oldest rivals.
The opening goal arrived in the 23rd minute when Gonzalo Castro raced past
Martin Cranie before clipping Ozil's through-ball past the advancing Scott
Loach.
Despite completing more than twice as many passes as their opponents in the
opening half-hour, England could not conjure a clear-cut opening, while the
Germans were more incisive in their attacking play.
It was a mistake from stand-in goalkeeper Loach - only in the side due to
regular No1 Joe Hart being suspended after receiving his second yellow card
of the tournament during England's semi-final penalty shoot-out victory over
Sweden - that handed Germany a two-goal lead.
There appeared little danger when Ozil lined up a 35 yard free-kick just
three minutes into the second period, but Loach was wrong-footed by the
midfielder's swerving effort and allowed the ball to dribble into the net.
Stuart Pearce's side, missing suspended forwards Fraizer Campbell and
Gabriel Agbonlahor, tried hard to force their way back into the final, but
the former West Ham left-back was to suffer heartache at the hands of the
Germans for the third time in his career. Pearce was on the losing side when
England lost to West Germany at the 1990 World Cup and the unified Germany
at Euro 1996, both on penalties.
Lee Cattermole clipped the crossbar with a rasping drive on the hour-mark
before Adam Johnson was denied by a goal-line block from Andreas Beck. The
Hoffenheim full-back was in the right place again to keep out Cattermole's
header with 19 minutes remaining.
Germany, coached by Euro 1980 match-winner Horst Hrubesch, extended their
lead when Sandro Wagner fired Ozil's pass through Loach's legs on 79
minutes. The MSV Duisburg striker added a fine fourth with a curling shot
five minutes later to cap the Germans' first European U21 Championship
triumph.
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Hammers keen to land Moon
South African full-back on Zola's wish-list
Last updated: 29th June 2009
SSN
West Ham United have made an approach for Panathinaikos defender Bryce Moon,
skysports.com understands. The South African full-back has been mooted as a
long-term target for the Hammers, with Gianfranco Zola a known admirer of
the 22-year-old. Skysports.com understands West Ham have lodged an offer
worth £1.5million but the Greek giants are holding out for £2million. Moon
intimated that he knew of West Ham's interest in the January transfer window
but a move to England failed to materialise. Lucas Neill's departure has
left the Hammers short defensively and Moon is thought to be a key contender
to fill the void. With their initial offer having been rejected, the Premier
League club must now weigh up their options before returning to
Panathinaikos.
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West Ham to open talks with Upson and Green
Sport.co.uk
Author: Nigel Brown
Posted on: 29 June 2009 - 8:04 PM
West Ham are set to open contract talks with England duo Matthew Upson and
Robert Green. Defender Upson has just two years left on his current deal and
has been linked with moves to Aston Villa and Tottenham in recent months.The
30-year-old, who has also established himself as a regular in Fabio
Capello's England squad, has already spoken of his desire to test himself in
the Champions League.
But the Hammers are desperate to keep hold of Upson, while keeper Green is
also poised to receive a new deal to extend his stay at Upton Park.
"Matthew's slightly more pressing, he's only got two years left on his
contract so we'll start to sit down with his agent and try to negotiate an
extension," said Hammers chief executive Scott Duxbury. "We've made contact,
I don't know when those discussions will begin - but they will begin. "Rob
Green has got three years left. We've had several discussions but we haven't
finalised them."
Meanwhile, Duxbury has ruled out any prospect of selling striker Dean Ashton
this summer, despite the England forward attracting interest from a number
of Premier League clubs. "I'm not selling him to Stoke and Dean Ashton is
not £10million in any way," he added. "I want Dean Ashton here, I want him
fit, I want him playing and it'll be nice to see him. So he is not being
sold."
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GOOD FORTUNE FOR HAMMERS 30/06/2009
The Mirror
Football Spy
West Ham are trying to hijack Hull's £3.4million move for Nancy striker
MarcAntoine Fortune. Tigers boss Phil Brown thought he had won the race to
sign Fortune (above), and Nancy announced they expected him to move to Hull.
But the player is now expected to meet Hammers' officials to discuss their
offer.
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Nancy admit Hull may lose Fortune to West Ham, Portsmouth
30.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
Nancy admit a move to Hull City for Marc-Antoine Fortune is now in doubt.
The Daily Mail says West Ham have now entered the race for the 27-year-old
in a quest to gazump favourites Hull and the Parkhead club. With Wolves,
Portsmouth and Fulham amongst six clubs competing for Fortune's signature,
Celtic representatives will travel to Paris this morning in the hope of
salvaging a reunion between Tony Mowbray and his former West Brom loan
signing. Fortune seemed destined to join Hull over the weekend after his
club, Nancy, insisted on Friday that Phil Brown's side were 'clear
favourites' to land their in-demand forward. Nancy's sporting director
Nicolas Holveck revealed a changing picture yesterday, however, when he
said: "We had expected the business with Marc-Antoine to be concluded by now
but other English Premier League sides have now entered the picture."
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Southampton keeper Davis set for West Ham move
30.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola is ready to boost his goalkeeping
stocks. The Daily Mail says Southampton keeper Kelvin Davis is on his way
out, using his free agent status to land a move to West Ham after waiting
two months for Saints to offer him a new deal. Davis has previous
Premiership experience with Sunderland.
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Sunderland rival West Ham for Barcelona striker Gudjohnsen
30.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
Sunderland have joined the race for Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. The
Daily Mail says Sunderland have made an inquiry for Gudjohnsen, but face
competition from West Ham, Fulham and Everton. The former Chelsea forward
admits he would welcome a move to Gianfranco Zola's West Ham.
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Mark Noble & James Tomkins Impress West Ham United's Academy Director
The performances of the Hammers duo in Sweden have impressed the club's
academy director...
29 Jun 2009 09:26:22
Goal.com
With England's Under-21 side preparing for a major final, West Ham United's
academy director, Tony Carr, has told the club's official website of his
pride at seeing Noble and Tomkins in the squad. "It is a terrific
achievement for both of them," Carr beamed. "To play in a final at any level
is an achievement, but to do so in the European U-21 Championship is
something to be proud of. "Mark is a massively important player for England
and will be so again in the final. James has played his part and had a great
experience too." Tomkins is a new addition to Stuart Pearce's side, having
only made his debut against Azerbaijan on June 8. Noble, however, has been
at the latter stages of the European U- 21 Championships before and is
desperate for a better outcome than in 2007, when the Young Lions were
knocked out in the semi-finals. "Let's hope history repeats itself and we
see a West Ham player lifting a trophy for England again," Carr concluded,
with the 1966 World Cup in mind. Noble, who was distraught after England's
loss against Holland two years ago, will be hoping for the same.
Anthony Wright, Goal.com
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Euro U-21 Championship: Noble Draws On West Ham History Ahead Of England's
Final Appearance
The Young Lions captain is hoping to inspire England to victory, just like
former Hammer Bobby Moore did to land the nation's only World Cup title...
29 Jun 2009 11:54:58
Goal.com
England Under-21 take on old enemy Germany tonight in the final of the
European Championships in Sweden, and Young Lions captain Mark Noble has
revealed he hopes to lead the nation to glory. In doing so he hopes to
emulate former West Ham United player Bobby Moore, who led the seniors to
their only World Cup victory back in 1966.
"It's amazing to think I will be leading England out just like Bobby Moore
did all those years ago. When I am at West Ham, I hear the fans singing
their cheeky songs. When teams come to us and say we haven't won anything,
they sing back that they won the World Cup," he told a press conference.
"You get that when you come to West Ham and you take it on board. Three or
four months ago I did a fans' evening and got hammered by the older
generation of fans who were saying how great those players were."
He continued, "It will be fantastic as a West Ham player to lead the players
out here in a European Championship final. Nothing else is on my mind apart
from lifting that trophy. "I've met Geoff Hurst a few times. Years ago, when
I was with the youth team, I bought a West Ham folder to put all my school
books in. He was outside the ground so I got it signed in black permanent
marker. "I had that for school and then a few years later I was playing for
West Ham, which was really strange," he concluded. England face Germany in
the final on Monday evening, in a game that kicks off at 20:45 CET.
Alan Dawson, Goal.com
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Scott Duxbury Interview Part 3: No Zola Without Clarke
West Ham Till I Die
Copyright West Ham Till I Die. No part of this interview may be reproduced
without crediting West Ham Till I Die Blog.
ID: So how did you get Zola, then? He wasn't your first choice, was he?
SD: He was my first choice. The club was particularly keen on Donadoni, then
I met him [Zola] in Rome. We had a long, long talk, about the philosophy of
the football club.
He is a very ambitious man but he also knows what his limitations are and if
he was coming to a club which gave him a huge cheque book and said we want
to be in the Champions League in two years' time, we want you to spend it on
the best players in the world, he simply wouldn't have come. He knew what he
was doing with the Italian Under 21s – develop players, coach. He wants to
be on a training field one on one for an hour to improve players. He was
really excited by the prospect of coming, working with our renowned academy
and the young players there and developing players. It's back to basics and
seeing if coaching and developing and bringing all the elements of a
football club together can bring success in this world where it seems the
chequebook is king. He was really, really keen and encouraged by that and I
was just blown away by the meeting with him in Rome. As I say, Donadoni was
in the driving seat, and probably with me if I am being honest, but when I
met Zola in Rome it was just unbelievable. I remember flying back and
driving to work on the Monday having made the decision. Everybody, and I
won't name names, said I was mad. It was the most ridiculous decision I had
ever, ever, ever made.
If everyone was against you in that decision, just from a management point
of view, how did you drive it through?
Fortunately at that point I was in quite a strong position. My business plan
– the much over-used Project – was the only way forward for the club. I had
been at the club ten years and with the financial problems that BG clearly
had, he needed me. So he couldn't really question or go too far against me,
so I was convincing in the board meetings as to why we had to do this. But
then once we had gone six games without a win there were quite a few people
willing to point that fact out and reckoned I had made my biggest mistake
and that it was all my fault!
Did you ever doubt yourself?
I think everybody doubts themselves at times. When they go home at night. I
can honestly say I didn't doubt the decision, no. I think if you saw the
performances we were superb. Someone said that if football games were 75
minutes we'd have been top of the league. It was really easy to fix. I went
to Gianfranco's house, told him that football matches are 90 minutes, not 75
and then we started winning games. It was easy! [laughs]
When teams ship goals in the last 15 minutes of games your automatic thought
is that they must be very unfit. Were they?
In the eyes of Gianfranco, yes. He has quite exacting standards. He brought
in a fitness coach who is unbelievable and he has raised the fitness levels.
That was quite noticeable towards the end of the season.
We haven't had a pre season yet under Gianfranco so we will see a huge
improvement. I could see fitness was getting better but the only thing that
worried me was that this is a results driven industry. I wanted to get
points on the board quickly. The media would turn against us, there were
already key people in the club who were turning against me. During that
time… Gianfranco is a very, very loyal person and all the talk about Chelsea
didn't concern me. I was at the training ground every day with him. We very
supportive of each other to be honest because he saw the pressure I was
under as well. But we got through it. I was so glad we had that difficult
time because it made the bond a lot closer and a lot stronger. When all this
talk about Chelsea coming in for him started, I knew it was never an issue.
What about Steve Clarke's role in all of this? He's integral to the setup
isn't he? Zola is only half a Zola without Clarke.
This is where there was a certain method to the madness. I wasn't just
thinking we had to get Zola, he was an awesome player. It was quite clear
that when we looked at what we required from a manager, in my view one man
couldn't do it. It's better if you take various skills and separate them, so
Zola is an inspiration, he's a one on one coach and can really develop
players, wheareas Clarke has huge, huge ability with regard to tactical
awareness, setting up the team defensively. So if you get the two of them
together you have got a pretty powerful combination. The experience Clarke
has had with a variety of high profile managers meant that if we got the
both of them it would be a lethal combination. Then add Kevin Keen to the
mix, who is West Ham United through and through and a tremendous coach, and
we had a pretty powerful coaching combination.
Did Zola make it clear right from the first discussion that Clarke was an
absolutely vital component to the deal?
Absolutely. He made it clear he [Clarke] was vital. We were led to believe
that there wouldn't be too many obstacles to securing Steve as he didn't
seem to figure in Scolari's plans. That's what Gianfranco led me to believe.
Once we had secured Gianfranco we then started to negotiate on Steve with
Chelsea, who made it clear they didn't think Steve should leave Chelsea and
he was very much part of their plans. This created a problem. Gianfranco
flew in to sign his contract and we had the press conference arranged. At
that point we couldn't secure Steve as it wasn't quite as Gianfranco had led
me to believe. With an hour to go before the press conference Gianfranco
said, 'well, I can't sign without Steve'.
And you said? [laughs]
I said 'I've put my entire reputation on signing you. Everybody is against
it, and I am completely for this. You have to sign right now, otherwise I am
finished'. If you look at the press conference again carefully you'll see
that I am sat there sweating and not smiling, and Gianfranco is looking at
me nervously, because we knew that all this was dependent on Steve Clarke
and we still had some work to do to secure him. But fortunately we did.
What would Zola have done if you hadn't managed to get Clarke?
Let's not think about that!
What did you notice most in his first few weeks? Presumably there was a
complete change of atmosphere from the glass half empty days of Alan
Curbishley.
It's coaching and ambition. He will say 'we can win the league and qualify
for Europe'. There is complete and utter optimism. It wasn't just the usual
honeymoon period with Zola. You could see against Newcastle, the improved
performance, the belief, the triangle play off each other. This is why I sit
here quite confident about the future. Even if we don't invest in players,
which we will do – we just signed Jiminez – our team will improve and be
better than last year because Zola, Clarke and Keen will coach them. It will
improve them as players. If we add players who are technically better
anyway, such as Jiminez, suddenly our level improves. Collison will be a
better player, Cole will be a better player. He will coach them. He will
improve them. In my opinion it is a far better strategy than just throwing
money at a problem because invariably that doesn't work.
Is it true that in training very often it's Zola who takes the defenders and
Clarke who takes the strikers?
Yes, it's completely insane. I keep telling them about this [laughs]. Zola
was a superb striker and Clarke was a great defender. We'll be top four if
they get that bit right. No, I don't want to interfere in their training
methods, so yes it's true. It may seem strange, but that's exactly what
happens.
Part Four coming tomorrow
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West Ham tracking Marc-Antoine Fortune and Eidur Gudjohnsen
West Ham are set to challenge Hull City for Nancy striker Marc-Antoine
Fortune following his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley
Published: 9:19AM BST 29 Jun 2009
Fortune was understood to be close to moving to Hull after the striker
scored five goals in 17 Premier games for Albion. Albion's relegation saw
Fortune returned to Nancy but his quick adaption to life in the Premier
League alerted several clubs and West Ham, who are short on attacking
options, are considering a move for the Frenchman.
Football's worst kits West Ham may face competition from Celtic, whose new
manager Tony Mowbray, took Fortune to the Hawthorns. The 27-year-old has
been valued at around £3 million, which is allegedly the bid that the Tigers
have had accepted for him. Gianfranco Zola, the West Ham manager, is keen to
bolster his striking options, and the former Chelsea player sees the
Frenchman as a possible option. The Italian manager seems set to lose
striker Dean Ashton to Stoke City, at least on loan, and it is thought that
Fortune will provide good competition for a starting place at Upton Park.
Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also said to be keeping a close eye
on the former Utrecht player. Another option for Zola could be Eidur
Gudjohnsen, who looks certain to leave Barcelona this summer. The ex-Chelsea
man has fallen down the order in recent times and has hinted at a move to be
re-united with his former Stamford Bridge team-mate. "I had a great time
with Chelsea and Gianfranco and I know the game inside out. I know I would
adapt easily to the football there," said Gudjohnsen.
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Oliver Lee latest West Ham kid to pen pro forms
30.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United winger Oliver Lee has signed a pro contract. Lee is the son
of former Newcastle United and England star Rob Lee and becomes the fourth
academy youngster to pen pro forms after defender Matt Fry, defender Tony
Brookes and forward Anthony Edgar. "I'm delighted and just can't wait to get
started now," Lee told whufc.com. "It's going to be a really exciting season
and I can't wait to get going," said Lee, who can speak fluent Spanish. "
Last season I did well. I broke myself into the reserve side so I'm looking
to push on hopefully get into the first team. I should be with the reserve
side next season and then hopefully if the first team call on me I can
shine. "
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West Ham winger Lee hopes for loan move
30.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United winger Oliver Lee is ready to go out on-loan next season.
After seeing the benefit a loan move gave the likes of Josh Payne, Junior
Stanislas and James Tomkins, Lee is hoping to follow their footsteps this
season if given the opportunity. "I would like to go on loan at some point
this year and then hopefully come back at the end of the season and make an
appearance," he told whufc.com. "We've seen some of the lads last year do it
and I'd like to be one of them this year. "I think by going on loan you grow
up a lot and get good experience and hopefully then I can push on to the
first team."
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Galatasaray close to signing West Ham's Neill
30.06.09 | Andrew Slevison
Turkish club Galatasray believe they are close to signing West Ham United
captain Lucas Neill. The defender's contract with the Hammers expires today
and he has indicated he is ready to move on. Gala' have emerged as the front
runners for Neill's services with reports in the Turkish media suggesting
his Socceroos teammate Harry Kewell will help secure his services. The
Turkish news directory, Sabah, ran a headline stating 'Kewell will bring
Neill' but nothing official has been reported.
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West Ham's Noble: Tevez really doesn't like Brazil
29.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble has revealed how Carlos Tevez made
clear the bitter rivalry between Argentina and Brazil. "I remember Carlos
Tevez in our dressing room and he was late one day," Noble said. "The
forfeit was to pay a large amount of money or wear a Brazil shirt. "He chose
the money."
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Noble knows significance of West Ham player leading England
29.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
As a West Ham United player, Mark Noble knows the significance of him
leading England into tonight's U21 European Championship final against
Germany. The England captain said: "It's amazing to think I will be leading
England out just like Bobby Moore did all those years ago. "When I am at
West Ham, I hear the fans singing their cheeky songs. When teams come to us
and say we haven't won anything, they sing back that they won the World Cup.
"You get that when you come to West Ham and you take it on board. "Three or
four months ago I did a fans' evening and got hammered by the older
generation of fans who were saying how great those players were.
"It will be fantastic as a West Ham player to lead the players out here in a
European Championship final. Nothing else is on my mind apart from lifting
that trophy. "I've met Geoff Hurst a few times. Years ago, when I was with
the youth team, I bought a West Ham folder to put all my school books in.
"He was outside the ground so I got it signed in black permanent marker. "I
had that for school and then a few years later I was playing for West Ham,
which was really strange."
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West Ham move to trump Hull for Fortune
29.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United are making a late move for Nancy striker Marc-Antoine
Fortune. The Telegraph says Fortune was understood to be close to moving to
Hull after the striker scored five goals in 17 Premier games for Albion.
Albion's relegation saw Fortune returned to Nancy but his quick adaption to
life in the Premier League alerted several clubs and West Ham, who are short
on attacking options, are considering a move for the Frenchman. Gianfranco
Zola, the West Ham manager, is keen to bolster his striking options, and the
former Chelsea player sees the Frenchman as a possible option.
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Stoke loan move for West Ham striker Ashton
29.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
Stoke City continue to be linked with West Ham United striker Dean Ashton.
Peter Coates, Stoke's chairman, backed away from comments last week that
they are in talks for Ashton. But the Telegraph says Ashton could return to
Stoke on an initial loan next season.
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Sunderland dismiss West Ham link for Ferdinand
29.06.09 | tribalfootball.com
Sunderland management are confident of keeping hold of defender Anton
Ferdinand. The Journal says reports over the weekend linked West Ham with a
£2m move for Ferdinand but there seems little prospect of the player
returning to Upton Park. The defender is determined to make a success of his
Sunderland career and Bruce is keen to work with the former England Under-21
stopper.
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