Daily WHUFC News: 07/08/09

Wednesday, July 8

Daily WHUFC News - 8th July 2009

Duo keen to push on
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison and James Tomkins have told WHUTV of their grand plans for
2009/10
07.07.2009

West Ham United youngsters Jack Collison and James Tomkins have told WHUTV
they are desperate to continue where they left off in 2009/10.

In the second part of their exclusive interview, the Academy graduates speak
about their delight at working under manager Gianfranco Zola and their high
hopes for the new season.

Wales midfielder Collison and England Under-21 defender James Tomkins, both
20, became first-team regulars during 2008/09 and are eager to cement their
places in Zola's side again this term.

"Everything the manager has said since he has been here, he has lived up to
and more," said Collison. "We have been playing some really nice stuff but
we want to carry that on and improve individually and as a team in the new
season."

"I really enjoyed my run in the team. It's been brilliant," added Tomkins.
"I've got to push on and keep improving and see where it goes from there."

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Beijing tickets update
WHUFC.com
Match tickets for the Barclays Asia Trophy in China will go on sale to
supporters on Wednesday
07.07.2009

West Ham United are pleased to announced that tickets for the Barclays Asia
Trophy will go on sale from 9am on Wednesday 8 July.

The Hammers will take on Tottenham Hotspur at the Workers Stadium in
Beijing, China on Wednesday 29 July, kicking-off at 6pm local time. Hull
City will face Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan at the same venue at
8.30pm local time.

The two winners will contest the Barclays Asia Trophy final at the Workers
Stadium at 8.30pm on Friday 31 July, with a third/fourth place play-off
preceding the main event at 6pm.

Organisers have set ticket prices for both matchdays at £34 (Chinese RMB380)
giving fans admission to both matches on that date. Sales will end at 5pm on
Friday 17 July.

FOR DETAILS OF HOW TO PURCHASE TICKETS CLICK HERE
http://www.whufc.com/page/TicketNewsDetail/0,,12562~1716130,00.html

A total of 49,000 tickets are on sale for both matchdays. It has always been
a principle of the Barclays Asia Trophy that tickets are affordable for fans
locally, with seats available at reduced prices for Chinese supporters.

Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said the competition would
be an exciting proposition for both British and Chinese supporters.

"The excitement is building for the Barclays Asia Trophy 2009 Beijing and
both the Premier League and the clubs are very much looking forward to
coming to China," said Scudamore.

"It is excellent news for fans in China that the tickets are affordably
priced and that they will be able to watch Barclays Premier League teams
from RMB40 per match. I'm sure that together with our fans from England that
it will be a unique occasion in the Beijing Workers' Stadium."

Beijing Football Association Deputy President Yang Junsheng said Chinese
supporters were looking forward to seeing West Ham in action

"The Barclays Asia Trophy Beijing 2009 will be the first time that Beijing
fans have the opportunity to see Barclays Premier League teams in
competition and the ticket prices fully reflect the aim of the Beijing
International Football Festival to cater to all fans in the city," said
Junsheng.

"In particular, we expect strong support for Beijing Guoan and this will
make for a fantastic atmosphere in the Beijing Workers' Stadium."

West Ham supporters should be aware that tickets can only be purchased prior
to travel through the club's official ticket office.

All fans will collect their tickets from TopLine Travel - the Premier
League's official travel company for the Barclays Asia Trophy - in Beijing
from Monday 27 July to Friday 31 July.

Passports must be presented when supporters collect their tickets.

All supporters purchasing tickets must provide the club with their full
name, gender, date of birth and passport number, as required by the
authorities in Beijing.

Fans wanting to travel to Beijing, can do so through West Ham United's
official travel partner TMG Sport. To book, click
http://www.tmgsport.com/westhamunited/asiatrophy.htm

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Cole ready to roar
WHUFC.com
England striker Carlton Cole is feeling at home and ready to hit new heights
in the new season
06.07.2009

A confident Carlton Cole is feeling at home at West Ham United and ready to
fire in 2009/10.

The England forward was in superb form last season, scoring 12 goals and
becoming an integral part of Gianfranco Zola's team.

After coming through the ranks at Chelsea - where he was part of Hammers
first-team coach Steve Clarke's youth team - Cole spent time on loan at
Wolverhampton Wanderers, Chartton Athletic and Aston Villa before joining
West Ham on a permanent basis three years ago this week in 2006.

Having recently become a father for the first time, Cole is settled both at
home and at work. "I've just had a baby and that was a massive wake up call
for me to start taking my football seriously. The manager came in at the
right time to help me take it to the next level.

"On loan you are never really going to settle. It works for some players but
I'm a home boy and I need to not be on the road or in a hotel. For you to
get the best out of me I've got to be settled. That was one of the reasons I
wasn't progressing as fast as I wanted to. I was playing England Under-21
football and I was doing well for the Under-21s and I was settled there but
at club level I wasn't.

"I'm just happy I've found my home now and West Ham has done a lot for me."

The 25-year-old admitted the arrival of Zola and Clarke in September had
given him a huge confidence boost.

Cole turned that confidence into a string of impressive performances,
earning him his first two England caps earlier this year. He is aiming to
take his game to even greater heights when he returns to training at
Chadwell Heath with his fellow internationals this weekend.

"They've brought a lot of confidence to the team," said Cole. "It's
brilliant. It reminds me of playing in the youth club under Steve at
Chelsea, where I used to score week-in, week-out. I think I scored 38 or 39
goals in all and I think I've got the record there still.

"It was just a great year for me that year and I'd like to think those years
are coming back now. I'm getting used to scoring and keeping my performance
at a high level consistently. You have to be consistent about your football
and not have a good game one week and then a bad one the next. You need to
get out there and get that form and consistency regularly."

The powerful striker believes the managerial influence of Zola and Clarke
has also rubbed off on his young team-mates, with the likes of James Tomkins
and Junior Stanislas establishing themselves in the first team last term.

"We've got a lot of youth players coming through," said Cole. "James
Tomkins, Junior Stanislas and Freddie Sears broke through last year, while
Zavon Hines and Bondz N'Gala also broke through [into the first-team squad]
. So you've got good, young players trying to break through to the first
team that will push the players that are already there and established to
kick on more or else the kids are going to take their places.

"This is the confidence that the manager has bought to the young players as
well, to get them to believe in themselves to get to the right level of
playing."

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Zola - Pre-season is crucial
Hammers boss pleased to be back in action
Last updated: 7th July 2009
SSN

Gianfranco Zola is well aware that West Ham cannot afford to waste
pre-season training if they want to improve on last season. The Hammers
narrowly missed out on a place in the maiden Europa League after finishing
two spots and a couple of points behind seventh-placed Fulham in the Premier
League last term. It is expected that the Upton Park outfit will be keen to
improve in 2009/10 and will aim to secure a place in Europe, and Zola is
determined to make pre-season count in order to improve the probability of
meeting that target. The Italian - who took over as boss from Alan
Curbishley last September, missing the vital preparation time before the
campaign - is well aware of the benefits that a training camp in Austria and
participation in the Asia Trophy could bring. West Ham appeared to run out
of legs in the closing stretch of 2008/09, losing two of their last three
league games and conceding six goals in the defeats, and Zola believes
positive pre-season training can have long-term impacts.
He told WHUTV: "I had a very, very good rest and like everybody else, I
recharged my batteries to start the new season. "This is the most crucial
time of the year. "We need to make sure we work well because it will have a
lot of benefits in the future." Zola added: "It feels very good to be back.
We are here very much willing and ready to start this new season. "We have a
lot of enthusiasm and are looking forward to getting started." West Ham
begin their Premier League campaign at newly-promoted Wolves on 15th August.

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Bowyer completes Blues move
Midfielder signs two-year deal from West Ham
By Richard Bailey Last updated: 8th July 2009
Football Betting - West Ham Specials
SSN

Birmingham have confirmed that they have signed Lee Bowyer from West Ham on
a two-year deal. Blues manager Alex McLeish was keen to tie the deal up by
the time the players reported back for pre-season on Wednesday and that has
proved to have been the case. The 32-year-old spent the second half of last
season on loan at St Andrews and was instrumental in the club securing
automatic promotion from the Championship. McLeish has already strengthened
considerably in his defence and strike-force, to the tune of more than
£15million, and has now set his sights on improving the midfield department.
Bowyer is the Blues' seventh signing of the summer.

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The boys are back in town
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 7th July 2009
By: Thomas Rooney

It doesn't seem that long since the end of last season, but Gianfranco Zola
and his squad are now back in training ahead of the 2009/2010 Premier League
campaign.
The West Ham manager has been giving his early thoughts on proceedings as
well by saying that there is a definite feel good factor around the place.
It was a relatively successful season last year in terms of league position,
but the belief seems to be that this can be bettered. Speaking ahead of a
week that will contain a large amount of fitness tests, medical checks and
training sessions, Zola said that 'it feels very good to be back'. The
Italian loves his football after all and probably didn't know what to do
with himself during the close season. The West Ham boss reiterated the
positive feeling around the camp by saying that everyone has a 'lot of
enthusiasm' and is 'looking forward to getting started' in around six weeks'
time. Zola knows the importance of this stage of the campaign as well. He
says that the build up to the new campaign is the 'most crucial time of the
year'. It is the period of time where the players get themselves in the best
possible condition for the new season and where they make sure they do all
they can to help West Ham start positively. Not everyone is back for West
Ham though at this early stage. Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Carlton Cole,
Luis Boa Morte, James Tomkins, Mark Noble and Jonathan Spector all have a
few extra days off after their various international commitments. This means
that the real preparation can't begin quite yet. With a number of key
players missing from training, tactics or game preparation cannot be
discussed quite yet and it is more about the fitness of the players.
The members of the squad that are in training have a chance to get
themselves a head start in terms of fitness though. Some of them may only be
on the fringes of the team at the moment, but a strong pre-season could
alert Zola of their presence a bit more and they may get their chance to
impress. There may be changes to the squad between now and August though and
this could disrupt some of the preparations. In an ideal world, Zola would
have made all the signings he was going to make by now and all the players
that were going to leave would have left. Unfortunately though, this is
unrealistic to say the least. However, it seems a safe football bet that the
sooner the squad is settled and ready for battle, the better. This is why
Lucas Neill's future needs to be sorted for example. Just to settle everyone
down a bit. Then, any new signings need to be brought in as soon as
possible. The more pre-season games they have for West Ham, the more they
are likely to hit the ground running come August.
Whatever happens though, you just know that Zola is going to be positive. He
will make sure his players are in good spirits throughout pre-season and
that they are fully prepared for the challenges ahead.

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Keeper Kelvin Davis set to sign for West Ham
Evening Standard
07.07.09

Goalkeeper Kelvin Davis is expected to sign for West Ham by the end of the
week. The 32-year-old is training with the Hammers after his deal at
Southampton expired and will act as cover for Robert Green. One notable
absentee as the squad returned to training yesterday was full-back Lucas
Neill. There had been speculation that Neill, who had initially rejected a
new contract, had changed his mind and was ready to re-sign but Turkish club
Galatasaray are set to offer the Aussie a better deal.

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Neill open to Hammers return
Defender's agent claims West Ham wish to re-sign Australian
By James Dall Last updated: 7th July 2009
SSN

Lucas Neill is open to re-signing at West Ham United, according to the
defender's agent. Neill is currently without a club after his previous deal
at Upton Park expired at the end of June. Skysports.com recently revealed
talks are under way over the Australia international possibly returning to
the East London side. And Neill's representative, Paddy Dominguez, claims
Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola is keen to secure the full-back's services for
the new season. "Lucas is not going to accept any offer," Dominguez told The
World Game. "Lucas' heart is at West Ham and he knows that manager
Gianfranco Zola not only wants him at the club but also as captain. "So now
it is up to the West Ham administration to come up with an acceptable offer
for an extension of his contract. "We are not talking about a new contract
here but an extension, which would be easier for everybody concerned. We
should have something in about a week. "It has always been the preference of
Lucas that he wants to remain at West Ham. But it is up to the club
administration to execute that. "The ownership has changed a number of times
since Lucas has been at the club. Now it's different because they [the
owners] are bankers. "We are giving them every opportunity to reach
agreement but there are other EPL and continental clubs in the mix."

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Saints' Davis set to join Hammers
BBC.co.uk

Southampton captain and goalkeeper Kelvin Davis is set to join West Ham, BBC
Radio Solent understands. The 32-year-old, who was player of the year for
the south-coast outfit last season, had a medical on Friday. Davis leaves
the Saints as they are on the verge of a takeover by the Swiss Markus
Liebherr after months of uncertainty over the club's future. Former England
Under-21 international Davis is expected to provide cover at Upton Park for
Robert Green. The ex-Ipswich and Sunderland star was keen to stay with the
League One club even though his contract at Saints had expired. But it seems
the uncertainty over Southampton's future, after the failed takeover by the
Matt Le Tissier-led Pinnacle group, may have forced him to seek work
elsewhere.

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McLeish thrilled by Bowyer capture
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Metro.co.uk

Lee Bowyer is set to become Birmingham's seventh signing of the summer.
Bowyer is poised to join Blues from West Ham on a free transfer after a
successful loan spell at St Andrew's during the second half of last season.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has turned his attention to strengthening in
the centre of the park after bringing in new blood up front and in defence.
And he was impressed by the impact of Bowyer in helping to clinch City's
return to the Barclays Premier League at the first attempt. McLeish
confirmed: 'I don't know if the Is and Ts have been formally dotted and
crossed but Lee has pledged his allegiance to Birmingham. 'He will become a
permanent Birmingham player and a worthy addition to our squad. He did well
for us last season.'
Bowyer has been involved in his fair share of controversy during his career
but his experience would be invaluable in helping Birmingham's bid to become
established in the top flight. Stephen Carr, Scott Dann, Roger Johnson, Joe
Hart, Giovanny Espinoza and record signing Christian Benitez have all joined
Blues during the close season. And McLeish intimated he has been promised
further backing by the board. He said: 'I have several names in mind for the
crucial midfield positions. 'I know what I am looking for in the team and
the board have pledged their support to back me in this.'

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Agent urges Irons to aid Lucas deal
TeamTalk

Lucas Neill is open to re-signing at Upton Park, according to the defender's
agent who says his client's "heart is at West Ham". Neill is currently
without a club after his previous deal at Upton Park expired at the end of
June. He recently revealed talks are under way over the Australia
international possibly returning to the East London side.
And Neill's representative, Paddy Dominguez, claims Hammers boss Gianfranco
Zola is keen to secure the full-back's services for the new season. "Lucas
is not going to accept any offer," Dominguez told The World Game. "Lucas'
heart is at West Ham and he knows that manager Gianfranco Zola not only
wants him at the club but also as captain. "So now it is up to the West Ham
administration to come up with an acceptable offer for an extension of his
contract. "We are not talking about a new contract here but an extension,
which would be easier for everybody concerned. We should have something in
about a week. "It has always been the preference of Lucas that he wants to
remain at West Ham. But it is up to the club administration to execute that.
"The ownership has changed a number of times since Lucas has been at the
club. Now it's different because they [the owners] are bankers. "We are
giving them every opportunity to reach agreement but there are other EPL and
continental clubs in the mix."

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West Ham's Matthew Upson set for shirt number swap before season starts
West Ham central defender Matthew Upson is expected to switch shirt numbers
ahead of the new season.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley
Published: 9:21AM BST 07 Jul 2009

Upson originally wore the famous number six shirt, previously in the
ownership of the great Bobby Moore, but the club decided to retire that
shirt a year ago in honour of the club's most celebrated player. Upson
switched to 15, but is expected to wear shirt number five for the coming
campaign. Last season, Walter Lopez wore number five, but given his
departure and that of several others, changes are expected. According to the
club's website, while shirt changes have yet to be confirmed, newcomer Luis
Jiminez is set to wear number 11, used last season by Matthew Etherington.
Jiminez was missing when the teams met up for the first day of pre-season
training with the striker finalising some personal matters following his
loan transfer from Inter Milan. Manager Gianfranco Zola has also allowed
several players who were on international duty in the summer to have extra
time off, with the whole squad re-uniting in Austria next week. Valon
Behrami, who suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury four months ago, was
back jogging while another long-term absentee, Scott Parker, was also back
in training following the groin problem that ended his season. Julien
Faubert, who spent a spell on loan at Real Madrid last season, was back at
the club's Essex training headquarters though he remains a target for clubs
in Germany.

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Lucas Neill Won't Accept Reduced Terms From West Ham United - Agent
The Socceroos captain wants to stay at Upton Park but the Hammers are
unwilling to extend his contract on current terms.
7 Jul 2009 07:59:34
Goal.com

Lucas Neill will not accept a new offer from West Ham United, despite
wanting to remain at the club, according to his agent, Paddy Dominguez.
Speaking to The World Game, Dominguez said that the out-of-contract
centre-back would accept an extension of his deal as it currently stands but
isn't willing to negotiate reduced terms. "Lucas is not going to accept any
offer," said Dominguez. "Lucas's heart is at West Ham and he knows that
manager Gianfranco Zola not only wants him at the club but also as captain.
"So now it is up to the West Ham administration to come up with an
acceptable offer for an extension of his contract. "We are not talking about
a new contract here but an extension, which would be easier for everybody
concerned. We should have something in about a week." Neill is current out
of contract at Upton Park and has been linked with moves to Greek giants
Olympiakos, Championship outfit Newcastle United and most frequently,
Turkish giants Galatasaray, where Socceroos team-mate Harry Kewell has
resurrected his career after a frustrating spell with Liverpool. With his
agent now having effectively ruled out Newcastle after stating that his
player wouldn't reside in the Championship next season, it appears as though
Turkey will be the likely destination for Neill if West Ham do not match his
wage demands. According to his agent though, the 31 year-old is keen to
remain with the Hammers. "Lucas also loves the style of play Zola has
introduced at Upton Park." Dominguez said. "Zola knows the value Lucas
brings to the team as a player and as a captain, especially in the
dressing-room. "Manchester City can spend a $200 million on a new team but
they would always need a leader like Lucas in their ranks."

Chris Paraskevas, Goal.com

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BOWYER POISED FOR BLUES DEAL
By John Curtis, Press Association Sport

Lee Bowyer is set to join Birmingham on a permanent basis from West Ham on a
free transfer. The former England midfielder enjoyed a successful loan spell
at St Andrew's during the second half of last season. He played a key role
in helping them gain promotion back to the Barclays Premier League at the
first attempt. And now City are confident the deal for Bowyer will be tied
up in time for when the players report back for pre-season training on
Wednesday. McLeish indicated Bowyer would be a worthwhile addition to the
squad if his wage demands were not too high. Birmingham have also reiterated
they are confident the deal for Ecuador striker Christian Benitez will also
finally go through. Benitez was set to join Blues for a club-record
£9million before his medical indicated a knee problem. City were keen to
renegotiate the deal and it appears that his club Santos Laguna are
receptive to the idea. Benitez, 23, currently recovering after shoulder
surgery, will sign a three-year deal.

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HAMMERS: Hols over says Zola
11:56am Tuesday 7th July 2009
Guardian Series

THE NEW season is still more than a month away but boss Gianfranco Zola has
labelled this time the most vital period of all. West Ham players' are home
from holidays now and they have thrust right into preparations for the next
campaign by their manager. Zola said: "This is the most crucial time of the
year. We need to make sure we work well because it will have a lot of
benefits in the future. "It feels very good to be back, We are here very
much willing and ready to start this new season. "We have a lot of
enthusiasm and are looking forward to getting started." The Italian revealed
he enjoyed a break from football. "I had a very, very good rest and like
everybody else, I recharged my batteries to start the new season" he said.
Meanwhile, Zola has been praised by two young players who got their big
break under him, last season. Twenty year-old James Tomkins said: "I really
enjoyed my run in the team. It's been brilliant. "I've got to push on and
keep improving and see where it goes from there."
Jack Collison, 20, has said he loves the way Zola has the team playing. "We
have been playing some really nice stuff but we want to carry that on and
improve individually and as a team in the new season" he said. "Everything
the manager has said since he has been here, he has lived up to and more."