WHUFC.com
The Premier League and Football Association have issued a joint statement on
Friday afternoon
17.07.2009
The Premier League-FA statement said: "A joint Premier League/FA Inquiry has
reached its conclusions after considering whether the conduct of West Ham
United immediately after the independent disciplinary commission's decision
of 27 April 2007 amounted to further breaches of Premier League or FA rules.
"The Inquiry was instituted to consider 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
United, brought using the FA's arbitration process.
"The Inquiry has concluded that, on the basis of the evidence available to
them, there is no prima facie case that West Ham United and/or its officials
did commit any further breaches of Premier League or FA rules immediately
after the independent disciplinary commission's decision."
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Happy Hammers in the sun
WHUFC.com
West Ham United were training hard ahead of Saturday's game with Werder
Bremen
17.07.2009
It was another rigorous workout for West Ham United's players who were busy
training on Friday morning ahead of Saturday's match against Werder Bremen.
In the searing heat in Bad Radkersburg, the players started off the session
with short running bursts and ball keep-ups, under the watchful eye of
fitness coach Antonio Pintus, who was timing everything to precision. At the
other side of the training ground, the goalkeepers - Robert Green, Marek
Stech and Peter Kurucz - were also working hard with goalkeeping coach Ludek
Miklosko, although they had managed to find a small shaded area that gave
them some respite from the sun. Following that initial warm-up, the players
then took part in a session run by Steve Clarke concentrating on skill work,
before finishing up with a game that manager Gianfranco Zola played a full
part in.
An early evening session will follow later on Friday, where the players will
continue to work on their fitness before taking a dip in the plunge pool and
ice baths to warm down. Zola has talked about the spirit within the squad
and how the trip is helping to enhance it ahead of the new season. That
seemed to be in evidence based on the noise coming from the players while
the practice game was going on, with senior players like Scott Parker and
Matthew Upson actively shouting encouragement throughout to the younger
players like Georg Grasser and Ollie Lee.
New signing Luis Jimenez, who is settling in well since his arrival, was
fully involved once again as was Parker, who returned to full training on
Wednesday. Of the players that took part in the 1-1 draw with Flavia Solva,
only Josh Payne was rested due to sore shins. The 18-year-old took part in
light work but is expected to resume full training before Saturday's game.
Some senior players in the squad who did not play in Wednesday's game could
feature on Saturday, while Mark Noble, Jonathan Spector and James Tomkins
are set to join up with their team-mates on Sunday following their break
after international duty.
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Faubert feeling good
WHUFC.com
Julien Faubert is feeling the benefit of a summer of hard work in Italy
17.07.2009
Julien Faubert is enjoying being back training with his West Ham United
team-mates at their Austrian camp after dedicating his summer to working on
his fitness. The France international spent a large part of the close season
at a specialist fitness centre in Italy in order to clock in for pre-season
training in optimum condition. That dedication appears to be paying
dividends with the 25-year-old impressing in both of West Ham United's
pre-season games so far. "I feel better as I worked during my holiday and
lost some weight so I can run a lot. It was good work for me, for my
colleagues," Faubert said. "I went to an Italian fitness centre where I lost
four and a half kilos. After I came back I felt good."
That programme has helped Faubert's body prepare for the rigours of the
intensive training and match schedule in Bad Radkersburg. After playing 45
minutes in the 1-1 draw with Flavia Solva on Wednesday, Faubert is now
looking to feature against German giants Werder Bremen on Saturday. "I am
ready to play but I am a little bit tired and we train another two times on
Friday," he said. "But pre-season is like this, we have to work and to push
the level very high to get ready for the Premier League.
"The weather here is like Dubai - very hot with no wind. But it is good for
the preparation of the players for when we go back to London. The game
against Solva was good for the workout and a good run. It was like a
training session so the result is nothing."
Faubert spent the final five months of the 2008/09 season on loan at
European heavyweights Real Madrid. The experience of training with the likes
of Iker Casillas, Fabio Cannavaro and Raul was a fascinating experience for
the versatile performer. "I'm happy to be back at West Ham. Madrid was a
good experience, a big club and the training was very good like it is here.
But I am happy to come back to West Ham. It is my third year and maybe I
will stay, maybe I won't. I will try to do my best and we'll see what
happens."
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Carr looking to Cambridge
WHUFC.com
Cristian Montano will be among the Academy youngsters hoping to impress on
Saturday afternoon
17.07.2009
A youthful West Ham United XI will make the short journey up the M11 to face
Blue Square Premier promotion favourites Cambridge United on Saturday. With
the first-team squad away on pre-season training camp in Austria, Academy
Director Tony Carr will take charge of the Hammers at the R Costings Abbey
Stadium. Carr is expected to name a young side, with the likes of forward
Cristian Montano, who scored the winner in the first-team friendly at Grays
Athletic on Sunday, likely to be involved as well as Iceland Under-21
centre-backs Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson. Young defenders Matt Fry, Tony Brookes
and Jack Lampe, who all signed their first professional contracts with the
Hammers this summer, could also be in Carr's squad. Under-16 duo Republic of
Ireland youth international Eoin Wearen and England counterpart Robert Hall,
who impressed at Grays, are also expected to be given another chance to
impress. At the other end of the experience spectrum, Scotland midfielder
Nigel Quashie and former England Under-21 defender Calum Davenport could
both be included. Carr said: "It is very much a young side that we have got
although Nigel and Calum will bring us a lot of experience. Those two have
only been training for a week and we are expecting a tough match. Cambridge
are a good club who only just missed out on promotion to the league. "It
should be a tough test for the youngsters and a good experience. Hopefully
they will rise to the occasion and show what they are all about."
Cambridge have been installed as 8/1 third favourites for the Blue Square
Premier title and promotion back to the Football League following a
five-year absence. The U's finished second in the table last season,
narrowly behind champions Burton Albion, only to be beaten 2-0 by Torquay
United in the play-off final at Wembley in May.
Cambridge possess a host of players with Football League experience and
should present a stern test for Carr's youngsters. Midfielder Andy Parkinson
won the FA Youth Cup with Liverpool in 1996 before appearing in the League
Cup final for Tranmere Rovers in 2000, while winger Courtney Pitt and
forward Danny Crow have turned out for Portsmouth and Norwich City
respectively. Midfielder Paul Carden is also an experienced campaigner,
having played for Peterborough United, Chester City, Rochdale, Doncaster
Rovers, Blackpool and Accrington Stanley before joining the U's. Cambridge,
a former club of West Ham and Wales midfielder Jack Collison, also possess a
number of promising youngsters who have attracted attention from Football
League clubs. The club has recently had the pitch at the R Costings Abbey
Stadium relaid, with the surface earning praise from Blackburn Rovers
manager Sam Allardyce following a pre-season friendly at the ground on
Tuesday evening.
Tickets for Saturday's game will be on sale on the day priced at £18 for
adults, £13 concessions and £10 for under-16s.
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Pedal power proving popular
WHUFC.com
The method of transport to training every day is providing some
light-hearted moments in Austria
17.07.2009
The West Ham United players are not just being worked hard on the training
pitch on their pre-season tour of Austria as they have opted to get to and
from their twice daily training sessions by bike. The players set off ten
minutes before each session starts for the 1km ride to the pitches in Bad
Radkersburg. The only slight problem is that there are not quite enough
bikes to go around the whole group, so, as a result, every day there are a
few players who are confined to taking the coach to training. Inevitably,
this has provided the chance for some jovial moments for both players and
staff. "It's a good laugh and a few people have nicked other people's
bikes," midfielder Josh Payne said. "I think even the manager's has gone
missing so it's a great chance for a bit of banter. "I lock my bike up all
of the time as you never know who is about! I'm protecting it from the other
players rather than any thieves!"
The more experienced heads that came to the same hotel for a pre-season tour
two years ago have made the most of their knowledge of bike etiquette by
ensuring that they secured their transport for the trip early on. Central
defender James Collins was one of those who used his previous visit to
Austria to his advantage. "We came two years ago when we did the same again.
I'm experienced so I knew to get a bike early on! Apart from that it's been
quite quiet on that [joking] front but I'm sure there'll be a few head
shavings going on," Collins said. Even Gianfranco Zola has fallen victim to
some light-hearted bike borrowing, and it appears the guilty party may have
escaped - for now at least. Luckily, Antonio Pintus was on hand to lend the
manager his bike to get home from training on, which meant the fitness coach
had to hitch a lift with Robert Green. "I think it's good for banter as
there are more bodies than bikes," first-team coach Steve Clarke explained.
"It means that if you forget to padlock your bike and take the key with you
you're liable to lose it.. "Mine has stayed intact but nobody is immune as
somebody nicked the manager's on Tuesday. He's on the case and he's not very
happy, but he's got his key back and it appears the culprit may have
escaped," he joked. Aside from the obvious comical benefit for those out in
Austria, Clarke believes that the spirit which evolves on such a tour can
prove to be an invaluable asset once the season gets under way. "I think we
worked hard last year to get the team together. Obviously some players that
made an important contribution last season have left over a period of time
with some new ones coming in. "Now it's about continuing what we had last
season and then incorporating the new players into the group and re-building
the group so that when we reach the season we are ready. We know we are
going to have good times and bad times and the strength of the group is
important, especially in the bad times."
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Fond memories for Ward
WHUFC.com
Mark Ward is taking part in two forthcoming events having donned his boots
again at West Ham United
17.07.2009
Mark Ward has been speaking about being back at the Boleyn Ground after
taking part in a summer pitch event with the Boys of '86. The former
midfielder was delighted to be wearing the claret and blue again, having
fond memories of the 1985/86 season when he played every one of the 42
league games as the team finished third. "I really enjoyed it," he told
WHUTV. "I always look forward to meeting all the lads again. It has been
fantastic to be with the players again. "I didn't score many because Alan
Devonshire and I were always making them for [Tony] Cottee and [Frank]
McAvennie. My job was to be wide and provide but I would like to know how
many assists Dev and I got that season. I played in every game. "It was a
fantastic team and I miss this place when I am not here. I came back for the
last game against Middlesbrough and was made to feel so at home and the fans
were brilliant. It was like coming home."
Fans can get the chance to get up close and personal with Ward and three of
his team-mates at Princes Theatre, Clacton on Friday 14 August 2009. Tony
Gale will be hosting an evening with Devonshire, Ward and Phil Parkes.
Tickets are only available from either the box office, in person or online
by clicking here Also on, Friday 28 August 2009 at Dagenham and Redbridge FC
there is a dinner to be hosted by Gale, with Ward and Devonshire also in
attendance for a special question and answer session.
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Hammers off the hook
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 17th July 2009
By: Staff Writer
The Premier League and the Football Association have confirmed this
afternoon that there will be no further charges relating to the contract of
Carlos Tevez. The ruling bodies confirmed earlier this year that they would
be looking into the final three games of the 2006/07 season, with specific
regard to assurances given by West Ham United to the Premier League over the
status of Tevez's contract at the time. It has just been confirmed that no
further action will be taken against the club; a joint statement from the
PL/FA reading: "A joint Premier League/FA Inquiry has reached its
conclusions after considering whether the conduct of West Ham United
immediately after the independent disciplinary commission's decision of 27
April 2007 amounted to further breaches of Premier League or FA rules. "The
Inquiry was instituted to consider 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 United,
brought using The FA's arbitration process. "The Inquiry has concluded that,
on the basis of the evidence available to them, there is no prima facie case
that West Ham United and/or its officials did commit any further breaches of
Premier League or FA rules immediately after the independent disciplinary
commission's decision."
More reaction to follow soon.
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Sears on target again
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 17th July 2009
By: Staff Writer
Freddie Sears notched his second successive goal for Crystal Palace last
night as the Eagles completed their short tour of the USA with a win. Sears
scored the first goal in Palace's 3-1 win over Harrisburg City Islanders,
earning rave reviews from those at the game - with one Eagles fan already
likening the 19-year-old to former Palace and England striker Andy Johnson.
The Chadwell Heath graduate scored last night with a curling effort from the
edge of the box to add to his first goal for the club which came in the 5-2
win against Crystal Palace USA earlier in the week. However it was for his
overall contribution and tenacity that Sears was mainly praised by impressed
Palace fans. Sears, who failed to score a single goal for United last season
will spend the whole of the 2009/10 season at Selhurst Park.
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Hammers officials cleared
West Ham face no further punishment over Tevez saga
Last updated: 17th July 2009
SSN
West Ham United officials have been cleared of any further wrongdoing after
an investigation into outstanding issues from the long-running Carlos Tevez
saga. In an out-of-court settlement earlier this year, the Hammers agreed
to pay Sheffield United compensation following the Blades' relegation from
the Premier League in the 2006/07 campaign. After a long legal fight, the
Sheffield club had argued successfully that West Ham, who survived at their
expense, should pay them damages after breaking third-party player ownership
rules by fielding Tevez, who played a key role in their survival. However, a
further inquiry was launched jointly by the Premier League and the Football
Association into the conduct of West Ham officials following comments made
by Lord Griffiths when the independent arbitration panel he chaired ruled
the Blades should be owed compensation.
Griffiths' tribunal inferred that West Ham had misled the Premier League in
the aftermath of receiving a record £5.5million fine over the matter in
April 2007 by claiming they had terminated the offending third-party
agreement with Tevez's owners, fronted by the controversial football fixer
Kia Joorabchian. This allowed the Argentinian to play in the vital closing
matches of the season. However, the inquiry has determined that there is
insufficient evidence to support such a claim. A statement read: "The
inquiry has concluded that, on the basis of the evidence available to them,
there is no prima facie case that West Ham United and/or its officials did
commit any further breaches of Premier League or FA rules immediately after
the independent disciplinary commission's decision."
This week Tevez sealed a £25million move to Manchester City after spending
the two previous seasons on loan with Premier League champions Manchester
United.
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Quashie considered quitting
Hammers midfielder eager to challenge
By Chris Galea Last updated: 17th July 2009
SSN
West Ham United midfielder Nigel Quashie has admitted he considered hanging
up his boots during his injury nightmare. The former Scotland international
was sidelined for 18 months after breaking his foot in a challenge with
Tottenham full-back Pascal Chimbonda. He made his comeback last season
during loan spells at promoted Championship duo Birmingham and Wolves and is
now back at Upton Park ahead of the new Premier League season. Quashie knows
he will find it tough to force his way into Gianfranco Zola's plans, but is
just happy to be able to be involved with the Hammers. He told
skysports.com: "A lot of players have been brought in to the club since I
picked up my injury and it's always going to be more difficult for me to get
back into contention for a first-team place because I have been out for so
long. "I understand the position that I am in, but I'm not worried about
that because it's a relief for me just to be fit again and able to go out
and play football. "At one stage I seriously considered packing it in
because I didn't think I would be able to get back to the same level that I
was at."
And Quashie does not fear his injury woes returning after suffering no
setbacks during his stints with Blues and Wolves. He added: "I've got no
concerns about it now because I've come through the games at Birmingham and
Wolves and it has stood up to the tests that have been thrown at it during
both the games and everyday training exercises. "I've got an opportunity to
go on and play for another couple of years and I intend to enjoy playing
football for as long as I can. "My spell at Birmingham was a brilliant for
me and Alex McCleish was first class in helping me to regain my fitness and
get some games under my belt. "Wolves was a little different because they
were flying and I knew that I was brought in to help the younger lads get
over the finish line, but it still helped me because I was training with the
lads there every day."
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Guess what? Zola's smiling!
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 15th July 2009
By: Staff Writer
If Gianfranco Zola isn't smiling, you know something is up at West Ham.
The Hammers boss is a very positive character and his love for the game of
English football is extremely refreshing. With this in mind, it is good to
see that he showed off his trademark grin after West Ham's first pre-season
friendly. The Hammers defeated Blue Square Premier outfit Grays Athletic
2-1, with the majority of the available players getting a valuable 45
minutes of playing time under their belts.
One of the main plus points was the appearance of Daniel Gabbidon who had
his first taste of action since injuring himself during a reserve game back
in January 2008. His involvement in the game against Grays means that the
defender has a chance of getting a full pre-season under his belt, which can
only be a good thing.
Elsewhere, there were outings for first team hopefuls Julien Faubert, Kieron
Dyer, Anthony Edgar and Junior Stanislas. As for the two goals that won West
Ham the game, these were scored by academy products Zavon Hines and Cristian
Montano.
The youngsters led the line extremely well for Zola and even though it
doesn't take much to make him a happy man, it was clear to see why he was
pleased with what his team got out of this friendly.
Speaking afterwards, Zola said that he was 'very happy today' because the
young players performed extremely well. The Italian also revealed how
pleased he was that 'everyone came through' unharmed from the game after
only one week of pre-season training to date.
Continuing his praise for the youngsters though, Zola said that they had
'lots of confidence', resulting in an extremely 'encouraging display'. West
Ham were without all of their international players remember, so to have the
remainder of the squad performing in a positive manner bodes well for the
depth Zola has at his disposal.
The next step of pre-season for Zola's men is a game against CambridgeUnited
before they travel to Austria where they will play four games to continue
their preparation for the 2009/2010 Premier League campaign. Travelling and
staying abroad presents an opportunity for team bonding as well, so I'm sure
Zola has something up his sleeve to keep his squad united.
After this trip, a game against Italian side Napoli sees them finish off
their pre-season preparations. Hopefully Zola will still be smiling at this
stage and long into the season!
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LEYTON ORIENT WANT WEST HAM STAR
The Daily Star
17th July 2009
LEYTON ORIENT want to sign West Ham starlet Anthony Edgar on a season-long
loan. The 18-year-old cousin of Spurs striker Jermain Defoe is rated as one
of the hottest prospects at the Hammers' Academy.
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West Ham cleared in latest Carlos Tevez inquiry
Focus on changes to contract for climax of survival season
But club has no case to answer, say FA and Premier League
guardian.co.uk, Friday 17 July 2009 18.24 BST
A fresh inquiry into the contract that brought Carlos Tevez to England three
years ago has cleared West Ham of further wrongdoing.
The latest investigation focused on changes made to the Argentina forward's
contract that enabled him to play in the last three matches of the 2006-07
season. His goals in two of those games helped West Ham stay in the top
flight at the expense of Sheffield United.
West Ham were fined £5.5m in April 2007 by a disciplinary commission for
breaking rules on third-party ownership of players in the transfers of Tevez
and the Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano.
Last September an independent panel found that Tevez was not eligible to
play in the matches, ruling that Sheffield United were entitled to
compensation from West Ham because Tevez's goals condemned them to
relegation. A figure between £10m and £15m was agreed by the clubs in March.
The latest inquiry, conducted by the Premier League and the Football
Association, considered elements of that verdict by Hugh Griffiths, focusing
on how Tevez's contract was revised in April 2007.
"The inquiry has concluded that, on the basis of the evidence available to
them, there is no prima facie case that West Ham United and/or its officials
did commit any further breaches of Premier League or FA rules immediately
after the independent disciplinary commission's decision," the FA and
Premier League said.
Tevez, now with Manchester City, and Mascherano, now with Liverpool, moved
to West Ham in August 2006 from the Brazilian side Corinthians on free
transfers.
When they joined, their contracts were owned by the UK-based company Media
Sports Investment and another third party – a fact hidden by the Hammers
from the league.
Tevez, who joined Manchester United in the off-season following West Ham's
survival, moved to City on Tuesday after his two-year loan deal at Old
Trafford expired. That drew a line under the contract dispute that has
lingered since Tevez moved to the Premier League in 2006. Manchester City
assumed complete registration rights to the player from the group that
previously owned his economic rights.
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