WHUFC.com
Excitement is building ahead of the new season with fans already snapping up
the new 2009/10 strip
06.07.2009
There is just a week to go until the reveal of the brand new West Ham United
home kit - which is available to pre-order today.
With fans due to get their first glimpse of the kit from Monday 13 July, the
club stores and the official online Megastore have already reported brisk
sales. The new strip will then be launched on 30 July, and could be worn by
Gianfranco Zola's men during the visit to China for the Barclays Asia Trophy
or Bobby Moore Cup match against SSC Napoli on August.
Hollywood actor, east London native and lifelong West Ham United fan Ray
Winstone has thrown his support behind the launch and marketing campaign for
the new home kit - I'm Forever.
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Gabbidon back in action
WHUFC.com
A welcome playing return has left Danny Gabbidon on a high as the squad
prepare for pre-season to start
05.07.2009
Welsh international Danny Gabbidon has come through unscathed after his
first match action in 18 months with a charity fixture in Cardiff this
weekend.
The West Ham United defender appeared for just over an hour in a Legends
match to mark the new City Stadium home of his former club Cardiff City. It
was a welcome step forward for the centre-back who has not played since a
reserve-team match at Portsmouth on 23 January 2008.
"I have been back in training since the end of last season and I asked West
Ham if I could play in the Legends game," said the 2005/06 Hammer of the
Year. "They gave me the go-ahead and it was a great feeling to be back
playing. The new stadium is fantastic. I love it."
The 29-year-old Gabbidon is set to report back for first-team training this
week and will hope to figure in next Sunday's friendly away to Grays
Athletic. Since his last first-team outing against Everton on 12 December
2007, he has had to overcome a succession of injuries related to an initial
abdominal problem, but was fit enough to join his club-mates at the end of
last season.
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Five for the future
WHUFC.com
Tony Carr has urged his five latest Academy graduates to make the most of
their new contracts
05.07.2009
Tony Carr is hoping for big things from the latest quintet of Academy
graduates to sign professional contracts with West Ham United.
Under-18 captain Matt Fry, fellow defender Tony Brookes, midfielder Ollie
Lee and forward Anthony Edgar have all signed one-year deals with the club
this month, while winger Daniel Kearns will sign on his return from his
native Northern Ireland.
All five impressed hugely for Carr's youth team last term, while also making
the successful transition to Alex Dyer's reserve squad during the second
half of the 2008/09 season.
Academy Director Carr, who has overseen the youngsters' development over the
past few seasons, believe all five have what it takes to make it to the
big-time.
However, the coach has warned them that only hard work and 100 per cent
dedication will see them force their way into Gianfranco Zola's first-team
squad.
"These contracts are a reward for their efforts in the Academy," Carr told
whufc.com. "All five of them have made great improvements during their time
with me and my coaches and have fully justified the deals they have signed.
"I spoke with Gianfranco and his coaching staff to discuss those players
from the Academy that I believed should be rewarded and I believe Matt,
Tony, Ollie, Daniel and Anthony all have what it takes.
"It is now up to them to show the first team coaching staff what they can do
and prove themselves all over again."
The five graduates will initially form part of West Ham's Barclays Premier
Reserve League South squad, but the teenagers will hope to follow in the
footsteps of Mark Noble, Jack Collison, James Tomkins, Josh Payne and Junior
Stanislas, all of whom have been integrated into Zola's first-team squad.
Carr has urged his former pupils to knuckle down and give themselves the
best possible chance of earning themselves a new deal at the end of the
2009/10 season.
"They have only got to look at the likes of Josh, James, Jack and Junior to
see that it is possible to break through into the first team. All of them
have done that during the past two years," added Carr.
"The route is there for them to follow, so it is up to them to work hard and
make the necessary improvements needed to play in the Barclays Premier
League."
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Pintus staying in shape
WHUFC.com
Antonio Pintus has been helping the players keep in shape over the summer
break
04.07.2009
With the first-team squad reporting back for pre-season training over the
next week after their well-earned summer breaks, one man in particular is
looking forward to seeing what condition they will all come back in.
Antonio Pintus joined West Ham United as fitness coach upon Gianfranco
Zola's arrival in September and it is he who will be taking the lead in
giving the players a thorough examination when they report back to Chadwell
Heath.
"We are going to do some tests when they come back to make sure everybody is
OK or not," Pintus told whufc.com. "We are going to be training with the
ball a lot so it is important that they come back almost ready and do a lot
of exercises of running or jogging or core exercises."
Before the players went away, Pintus, who has previously worked with
Chelsea, Monaco and Juventus, ensured that they were all fully prepared to
keep themselves in shape with a special programme of exercises for summer.
This allowed them to keep fit while still managing to enjoy a bit of a
break.
"We wrote down an off-season programme for them so they have to do some
jogging, some stretching, some abdomen exercises to try to come back as fit
as possible."
While no doubt keeping one eye on the goings on at the Boleyn Ground over
the summer, Pintus used the close-season break to return to Italy for some
rest and recuperation, and of course some more fitness work!
"I have been to Sardinia to meet the gaffer so we are going to work a little
bit to prepare next season. Maybe I will also go to the mountains as I need
to climb some mountains. I will be doing fitness even when I'm on holiday!"
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Gabbidon pleased to be back
Long-term Hammers absentee back in action
Last updated: 5th July 2009
SSN
West Ham defender Danny Gabbidon has expressed his relief at making his
return to playing after 18 months out of action. The Hammers' Wales
international missed the whole of last season with his last appearance for
the club coming against Chelsea in January 2008. Gabbidon has been suffering
with a complicated abdominal problem, although he is now set to return to
training after undergoing career-saving surgery. West Ham gave the
29-year-old special permission to play in a charity fixture in Cardiff this
weekend and much to the defender's delight he came though the contest
unscathed. "I have been back in training since the end of last season and I
asked West Ham if I could play in the Legends game," he told the club's
official website. "They gave me the go-ahead and it was a great feeling to
be back playing. The new stadium is fantastic. I love it."
Gabbidon has conceded there were times during his long lay-off that he
mulled over the possibility that his career might indeed be over. "You do
get down and wonder when you're going to get back. But you have to stay
positive as negative thoughts don't help," he continued. "My wife has bore
the brunt of my frustrations when I used to come home from training
miserable and she and my family are the ones who have been there to support
and encourage me. "It is tough not being able to do the job that you love
and something you take for granted when you're playing regularly. "When you
see your team-mates playing you want to be out there so it makes you more
determined to get back out there with your mates. The experience has made me
love the game more."
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West Ham battle with Portsmouth for Marc-Antoine Fortune's signature
West Ham have come up against competition from Portsmouth in the race to
sign Marc-Antoine Fortune.
Telegraph
By John Ley
Published: 10:19AM BST 06 Jul 2009
The 28-year-old striker was a key target for Gianfranco Zola, with Celtic
and Hull also courting the Nancy frontman. But Portsmouth, who fear they
will lose Peter Crouch, have joined the race for the player who impressed on
loan at West Bromwich Albion last season. Bolton hail Speed 'coup'Crouch is
being pursued by Sunderland, and if he leaves Fratton Park, the managerless
club will need to bring in a tall forward. Portsmouth's late enquiry means
Fortune, who scored five goals in 17 games for Albion, is awaiting
developments. There was some better news for West Ham, however, when Danny
Gabbidon made a playing comeback at the weekend. Gabbidon came through
unscathed after his first match action in 18 months with a charity fixture
in Cardiff. The defender featured in a game to mark the opening of Cardiff
City's new stadium and he said: "I have been back in training since the end
of last season and I asked West Ham if I could play in the Legends game.
"They gave me the go-ahead and it was a great feeling to be back playing."
Gabbidon will report for training this week and it is hoped he will figure
in West Ham's friendly at Grays Athletic. It would be his first game in a
West Ham shirt since December 2007, against Everton, and since then the
Welshman has suffered a series of injuries related to an initial abdominal
problem.
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Gabiddon feared career had ended
View London
West Ham United defender Danny Gabbidon admits he feared his career was over
during his 18-month spell on the sidelines. The Wales international has
returned to action having missed the whole of last season with an abdominal
problem. Gabbidon came through unscathed in a charity game against his old
club Cardiff City yesterday. And the 29-year-old, who last played for the
Hammers in January 2008, confessed he felt depressed while he was out of the
game. "You do get down and wonder when you're going to get back. But you
have to stay positive as negative thoughts don't help," he told the club's
official website. "My wife has bore the brunt of my frustrations when I used
to come home from training miserable and she and my family are the ones who
have been there to support and encourage me. "It is tough not being able to
do the job that you love and something you take for granted when you're
playing regularly. "When you see your team-mates playing you want to be out
there so it makes you more determined to get back out there with your mates.
The experience has made me love the game more." The former West Bromwich
Albion defender has been at Upton Park for four years, and has played 60
league games.
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Scott Duxbury Interview: Final Part: Behrami is an Animal!
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
This is the seventh and final part of my interview with Scott Duxbury.
There's quite a lot in this, including the latest on Rob Green's and Matthew
Upson's contract situation, the progress of our injured players, the latest
on the Olympic Stadium and the possibility of moving to the Olympic Stadium
post 2012, and much more besides.
Anyway, it seems from the comments that you have mostly enjoyed the
interview, so I will have to think who to try to talk to next.
ID: Matthew Upson and Robert Green, are their contract situations anywhere
near being sorted out?
SD: We have been in dialogue with Rob Green's agent for many months with
regard to a new contract. Those discussions have stopped because Rob has a
certain expectation of what he wants from a contract, which I fully respect.
We are trying to get as close to his expectations as we can but obviously we
have our principles and our structures. The conversation will start again.
When does the contract run out?
He's got three more years so it's not pressing. We are certainly not going
to lose Rob Green. When we can, discussions will start again and I am sure
we'll find a conclusion.
It would be unthinkable to lose Rob Green, wouldn't it? In most people's
opinion he is the top keeper in the country.
Yes, and we have no desire to lose Rob Green and we won't. As long as every
players wants to be at this football club, we want them. He has given no
indication he wants to go and we certainly don't want to lose him. Matthew
Upson is slightly different. He's got two years left to run. We have made
contact with his agent and we will try to start to discuss a new contract as
soon as we can. Again, we don't want to lose Matthew.
But he's 30 now. If Manchester City bid £17 million for him, you're not
going to turn it down, are you?
We don't want to lose him, but again, it is down to each individual player
as to whether they want to be part of what we are trying to do. I am not
purposely trying to be evasive and I am trying to be as honest as I can. If
a player wants to be part us they'll stay, and we want Matthew to stay. It's
really down to Matthew as to what he sees… I don't know what his aspirations
are. There has been lots of talk that he must have European football etc but
I have not had an opportunity to sit down with Matthew but I know Gianfranco
wants him to stay, we want him to stay so if he wants to be with us he will
be with us when the season starts.
The partnership between Upson and Tomkins has been amazing. Tomkins was our
top player in the last quarter of the season, I think. He could be the next
home grown star of the future.
Absolutely. What Tomkins has done has been superb. There are lots of
considerations. I hope Matthew signs a new contract. I hope he wants to be
with us. But it's a conversation between Gianfranco and Matthew. It's down
to those two.
Let's talk about some of the injured players. Is Kieron Dyer really back to
full fitness?
Yes, he's fit and I think the pre season will do him good. It will be the
first pre season he has had with the club where he's actually been fit. He's
back to fitness, scheduled to do a full pre season.
What about Danny Gabbidon? He was a cracking player for us, for a time.
He's fit. The medical department have done an amazing job on him. I think he
had four separate injuries and systematically they have cured them, one by
one. So he's fit. If he comes through the pre season unscathed, that's
another centre back that we've got.
What about Behrami? Last time we spoke you were eulogizing about his
attitude to recovery. You said he was in before anyone else and left the
training ground after everyone else as he was so keen to get back to
fitness. How's he progressing? Will he bit fit for the start of the season?
He could play now! He's an absolute animal. He has the attitude that if his
leg is hanging off it's only a scratch! He'll be fine. I think he will miss
the first game of the season but after that he will be in full training. I
have got no concerns over Behami.
When he made his debut I thought he was a weird player – headless chicken
and all over the place. But after three or four games you could see what he
was going to become. He's one of the players that each week you get a bid
from an Italian club for. They keep increasing the bids but we say no, no
no. The only positive thing about his injury this summer is that hopefully
there will be no bids. He is a huge, huge player.
And Scott Parker? He seems to be quite injury prone. Is he going to be OK
for the start of the season too?
Yes, he's fine too. There was an element of precaution at the end of the
season. He's another one who will benefit from a full pre season. He's a
player that Gianfranco really, really rates and wants him to be part of his
plans having fought so hard to keep him after the bid from Manchester City
and with the banks. He is someone who is key for Gianfranco.
Kovac. Has he gone for good?
Kovac is a funny one. We have an option to sign him and Gianfranco is
assessing the situation as to whether we will be exercising that. We have a
lot of midfielders and we have certain targets, so depending on how the
transfer window pans out, we'll make a decision on that. He has not ruled it
out.
Were people disappointed that Freddie Sears didn't really make a
breakthrough last year?
Gianfranco has got high hopes for him. He has done a lot of one on one
coaching with him, but he feels he will now benefit from a full season of
competitive football, which is why he has been put out on loan. He is
certainly someone who Gianfranco believes will have a future at the club.
Absolutely. He says he sees a lot of himself in him, which I hope is right.
That would be good!
Someone was telling me that you are planning a penalty shootout between Zola
and Maradona at the Napoli game. Is that right?
That was my idea but it has proved difficult to secure Maradona. Zola's up
for it.
It would guarantee a full house.
My idea was to get Diego down and reunite the two of them. I have not given
up. I met Diego's agent. He says he is a very unpredictable individual and
you have got no guarantee he will turn up. I am working on it but my hopes
are fading fast.
Maybe you could get Ray Stewart as a stand in! Moving on to another subject,
presumably any ground redevelopment is on hold.
No, no. We've got to be sensible about this. The most important thing is to
invest in the first team and the new training ground. The new training
ground is key to everything we are trying to achieve. We are exercising the
option today or tomorrow to purchase the new training ground and then we
will start the redevelopment phase 1. I have also put planning permission in
for the East Stand to redevelop that. So the plans is invest in the training
ground, invest in the first team, get regular Europa League football, then
post 2012 we can assess the situation with regard to the viability of the
Olympic Stadium. If that is not a goer we can redevelop the East Stand. Me,
personally, I would sooner stay at the stadium. If we can redevelop and stay
with all the history and the heritage, improve the transport infrastructure
with the tube station, that would be better than moving to a new stadium.
That's just my personal view.
But you wouldn't look at developing the East Stand before 2012?
No. It would be remiss not to examine the possible opportunities that 2012
may bring. They have made it clear there won't be a football legacy and that
it has to be an athletics legacy, but I think it would be remiss not to look
and see if there are any opportunities that present themselves, and in the
meantime invest in the training ground and the team and get Europa League
football. If we invested in the East Stand now and there turned out to be
opportunities post 2012 it would be a wrong decision.
Finally, are you going to keep Jeremy Nicholas [the match day announcer]
next season?
[laughs]. Listen, I have meddled around with Jeremy Nicholas, I've meddled
around with moving 'Bubbles'. I was criticized for it, and I now understand
there are certain things you just cannot touch! They have to remain!
Forever!
THE END
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West Ham Players Must Return In Good Shape - Fitness Coach
The Hammers players have been set programmes to maintain their fitness
levels over the summer...
5 Jul 2009 23:20:24
West Ham United's players will return to the club's Chadwell Heath training
ground over the next week after their summer holidays, and Irons fitness
coach Antonio Pintus is one man who will be especially interested in their
condition upon their return. The Italian, who had previously worked at
Chelsea, Monaco and Juventus, joined Ginafranco Zola's backroom team back in
September, and he has revealed to the club's official website that the
players will face tests when they come back to establish that they are in
adequate shape to begin the hard work of pre-season training. "We are going
to do some tests when they come back to make sure everybody is OK or not,"
he said. "We are going to be training with the ball a lot so it is
important that they come back almost ready and do a lot of exercises of
running or jogging or core exercises."
"We wrote down an off-season programme for them so they have to do some
jogging, some stretching, some abdomen exercises to try to come back as fit
as possible."
And Pintus has been practising what he preaches over the summer, meeting up
with Irons boss Gianfranco Zola for a little additional fitness work of
their own. "I have been to Sardinia to meet the gaffer so we are going to
work a little bit to prepare next season," he explained. "Maybe I will also
go to the mountains as I need to climb some mountains. I will be doing
fitness even when I'm on holiday!"
Zack Wilson, Goal.com
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Wolfsburg, Werder Bremen keen on West Ham's Faubert
06.07.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United midfielder Julien Faubert is attracting interest from
Germany. Despite a troublesome six months on-loan at Real Madrid, Faubert is
still regarded highly across Europe. Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen are both
keen to discuss fee with West Ham for the Frenchman.
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West Ham chief Carr: Kids know they get chances here
06.07.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United academy chief Tony Carr hopes his youngsters recognise the
opportunities they have at Upton Park. Mark Noble, Jack Collison, James
Tomkins, Josh Payne and Junior Stanislas have all become part of Gianfranco
Zola's senior squad over the last 12 months. And Carr told whufc.com: "They
have only got to look at the likes of Josh, James, Jack and Junior to see
that it is possible to break through into the first team. All of them have
done that during the past two years. "The route is there for them to follow,
so it is up to them to work hard and make the necessary improvements needed
to play in the Barclays Premier League."
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Sedan defender Paul Baysse interesting West Ham
06.07.09 | tribalfootball.com
Sedan defender Paul Baysse is interesting West Ham United. The 20 year-old
came through the system at Bordeaux before signing permanently with Sedan
last summer.
Baysse has been capped at U21 level by France and can play at centre-half.
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Bergougnoux offered to West Ham boss Zola
06.07.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola is considering a Bosman deal for Bryan
Bergougnoux. The Times says the Hammers have been offered Bergougnoux, the
Toulouse midfield player who has been the subject of an offer from
Kayserispor, of Turkey. Hull City and Sunderland have also been linked with
Bergougnoux since the end of last season.
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