WHUFC.com
Phil Parkes has told WHUTV that Robert Green should be England's No1 at the
FIFA World Cup
09.06.2010
Phil Parkes has restated his firm belief that Robert Green should be
England's No1 at the FIFA World Cup. The former West Ham United goalkeeper
insisted his successor is the right man to stand between the sticks when
Fabio Capello's side face the United States in Rustenburg, South Africa, on
Saturday. Parkes, who made his sole England appearance against Portugal in
April 1974, said Manchester City's promising youngster Joe Hart was Green's
only serious contender for the No1 shirt. "There is no debate in my mind,"
the 59-year-old told WHUTV. "It was always going to be a toss-up between
Robert Green and Joe Hart and Greeny has got the experience advantage,
albeit a slight one, at international level. We're going into the World Cup
with probably the least experienced goalkeepers we've ever had. "Both of
them have got the tools - they wouldn't be there otherwise. Besides, who
else are you going to put in? Paul Robinson [of Blackburn Rovers] has had a
good season, but then so has Robert Green. The last two seasons in the
Premier League, he has been fantastic. "Joe Hart is one for the future - he
is an up-and-coming lad. They deserve the opportunity to be in the World Cup
and in the England squad on merit and on their performances and their
ability. The fact we haven't got another six-or-seven goalkeepers fighting
them for that position is an indictment on our goalkeeping situation at the
moment. "There is no doubt in my mind that they both deserve to be there."
While Parkes was upbeat about Green's chances of starting against the US, he
is less optimistic about England's chances of winning the tournament for the
second time in the nation's history. "I must admit I don't share everyone's
great belief that we're really one of the favourites. I spoke to [England
goalkeeper coach] Ray Clemence, who is a good friend of mine, a few weeks
ago, and told him I thought England were always going to be one of the teams
that gets through the group stages to the knockout stages, then you need a
couple of results to get into the semi-finals. "Once you get to that stage,
you need a little bit of luck, you can go all the way and anything can
happen. However, I don't think we're one of the favourites, I think we're
one of the outsiders but it would be fantastic if we did do it because of
the boost it would give to the game in England."
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Exam Hall
WHUFC.com
Rob Hall is taking his GSCEs just weeks after helping England to European
Championship glory
09.06.2010
Rob Hall has had no time to bask in the glory of helping England to win the
UEFA European Under-17 Championship. Instead, the West Ham United Academy
forward has swapped his boots and shinpads for books and notepads in
preparation for his GCSE examinations, which began on Monday. Hall rose to
the challenge of representing his country in Liechtenstein last month,
scoring once and playing in all five of England's matches, and is hoping to
do so again in the exam hall. "I had maths on Monday and I had English
language on Tuesday morning. They both went alright, to be honest, and I've
got science on Wednesday. "I studied quite a bit while I was away with
England. Myself and two of our other younger players, Nathaniel Chalobah and
Ross Barkley, had a lot of educational classes to make sure we revised while
we were away."
Having helped his country to their first major tournament success since the
U18s won the European Championship in 1993, Hall is unlikely to be daunted
by his exams. Indeed, the 16-year-old's confidence under pressure shone
through when he confidently tucked home the match-winning penalty in
England's group-stage victory over Turkey. "We had been practising penalties
and I was one of the best, scoring six out of eight. Nathaniel and George
Thorne both scored all eight, but our manager John Peacock said I was on
penalties if we got one. "It seemed like the whole world wanted me to miss,
as virtually the whole crowd and their players were heckling me as I waited
to take it. Only my team-mates and a few fans wanted me to score, so it was
great to do so and help us to win the game and maintain our 100 per cent
record."
England won all eleven matches they contested in the tournament, winning six
qualifiers and five games at the finals. Hall himself began the qualifying
campaign on stand-by, only for injuries to hand him an unexpected
opportunity to shine. "We took the whole competition game-by-game. I was
actually on stand-by for the trip to Azerbaijan for the qualifiers and I got
the call-up the day before the squad flew out. I met the other lads at the
airport! "I managed to take my chance and scored twice in our first match
against Kazakhstan, which we won 6-2, and then we beat Azerbaijan
comfortably and Serbia 1-0, but we should have battered them, too. "We beat
Sweden, Malta and Slovakia in the Elite Round, who were all good teams, but
we just seemed to find out stride and everything started to click. We moved
the ball nicely and took what we were doing on the training ground into the
matches."
In Liechtenstein, England continued where they had left off, beating Czech
Republic, Greece, Turkey and France to set up a final meeting with Spain,
who they defeated 2-1 to lift the trophy. "We did alright!" said Hall.
"Everyone played their part in the tournament - even the two lads who came
in late as injury replacements, Jake Bidwell and Chuks Aneke, did very well.
We had a very good year-group and it was great for me to be part of
something so special."
Aside from his start against Turkey, the young forward was used as an impact
substitute by manager Peacock, using his pace and dribbling ability to good
effect alongside more powerful forwards Conor Wickham and Benik Afobe. "The
other lads know how I play and that I can change games. I am a positive
player who likes to get in behind the opposing defence. "John said that we
sometimes passed the ball too much and didn't shoot enough, but I've never
been afraid to shoot. I like to think I gave the team a different option."
Unfortunately for Hall, his October 1993 birth-date means he will not be
part of England's squad at next summer's European U17 Championship, but he
is predicting big things for close friend and room-mate Chalobah. The
Chelsea centre-back is still just 15 and a year away from taking his own
GCSEs, but Hall believes the defender is one to watch in the future.
"Nathaniel is very mature. I shared a room with him at the tournament and he
is one of my closest mates. He's a very good player with a great attitude.
Like me, he's still learning the game and he is still taking it all in."
While Chalobah has next year's tournament to focus on, Hall's international
commitments will take a back seat for a few months, save for one special
date at Wembley in August. "We have been invited to come and parade the
European Championship trophy around the pitch at half-time in England's
friendly with Hungary on 11 August, which will be a great experience.
"England have told us they will be organising an U18 friendly just before
Christmas to keep us ticking over, but I will be concentrating on my exams
making a good start to my scholarship at West Ham for now. If I'm good
enough, I will be called up by the U19s, but I've got to play well for my
club first."
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World Cup Hammers - 70s
WHUFC.com
whufc.com continues its decade by decade look at Hammers history at the FIFA
World Cup
09.06.2010
After the golden glory of the previous decade, the 1970s promised to be a
FIFA World Cup bonanza with three finals being held - Mexico 1970, West
Germany 1974 and Argentina 1978. However, England would only experience
action at the first - the swansong for Hammers duo Bobby Moore and Geoff
Hurst along with Martin Peters - now of Tottenham Hotspur - as the Three
Lions failed to qualify for the next two editions.
West Ham United's three musketeers had played integral roles in securing
England's swashbuckling 1966 World Cup victory. Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and
Martin Peters again carried the hopes of the nation down Mexico way, four
years later. By now, Peters had joined Tottenham Hotspur in a British record
£200,000 transfer that also saw Jimmy Greaves head to the Boleyn Ground.
Indeed, the British public had become accustomed to seeing the iconic image
of Moore holding aloft the golden Jules Rimet Trophy. But horror engulfed
the nation when the golden boy of English football was placed under house
arrest in Colombia after being accused of stealing a bracelet from the Green
Fire jewellery shop inside Bogota's Tequendama Hotel, a few days earlier. As
his team-mates flew on to Mexico, the marooned Moore was left sweating over
the trumped-up charges that could scupper four years of preparation for the
greatest show on earth. But as he finally greeted his freed skipper on the
tarmac at Guadalajara Airport after seeing him released on condition that he
undertook to visit any Colombian consulate, if requested, a grateful Sir Alf
Ramsey announced: "Welcome back Bobby, it's good to see you."
Reunited with his team-mates, Moore looked unflustered by his harrowing
ordeal as he led them out for their opening Group C match against Romania,
where Hurst's header got England off to a winning start in the rarefied
atmosphere of the Jalisco Stadium. Indeed, the second match saw Moore have
one of the greatest games of his career, jousting with a brilliant Brazilian
side containing the likes of Pele, Carlos Alberto, Tostao and Rivelino. A
crowd of 70,900 witnessed a classic as an England side also containing Hurst
missed their chances, while Jairzinho forced goalkeeper Gordon Banks into a
first-half wonder save before netting the second half winner that helped him
on his way to scoring in every one of the South Americans' half-dozen
matches. "See you in the final," recalled Bobby in the book 'Moore on
Mexico', looking back on the moment when he famously swapped shirts with
Pele at the final whistle. "I think you will," replied the Brazilian legend,
wrongly as things turned out. Pele was destined to go on to help his country
become the first nation to lift the trophy three times courtesy of a 4-1 win
over Italy in the final. With Hurst rested for the final group game,
debutant Allan Clarke slammed home a crucial penalty in a 1-0 win over
Czechoslovakia to set up a quarter-final meeting with their old 1966
adversaries, West Germany. Despite the absence of the food-poisoned Banks,
Alan Mullery and Peters sent England racing into a 2-0 lead as some of the
England players taunted the wilting Germans with cries of 'Auf Wiedersehen'.
But as Franz Beckenbauer pulled one back and Ramsey withdrew Bobby Charlton
and Peters in preparation for an impending semi-final, Uwe Seeler levelled
before Gerd Muller nicked a vengeful 3-2 victory in extra time. "People said
that we had a better side in Mexico than we did in 1966 but good teams win
things and the 1970 squad didn't," concluded Peters who, like both Moore and
Hurst, would never step on to the World Cup stage again. Hurst, who netted
24 goals in 49 England appearances, added without regret: "Despite Mexico, I
had a good career and when you've scored three goals in a World Cup final
you tend to be reasonably happy. "I played at a great time for English
football - we won the World Cup, Manchester United and Celtic won the
European Cup, the crowds were at their height and we had George Best, Bobby
Charlton and Jimmy Greaves to name but a few." The final word on Mexico goes
to the 108-times capped Moore: "We had faced a tremendous task in defending
our title thousands of miles from home in a strange country, under crippling
conditions and, speaking as skipper, I do not see how Sir Alf can be blamed.
"I will always be frustrated by the events of Bogota and our defeats by
Brazil and West Germany. Mexico could have been all so different."
It was to be 12 years before England returned to the global stage. Just
eight years after lifting the World Cup, failure to finish at the top of a
three-team qualifying group also containing Poland and Wales resulted in the
shock absence of England at West Germany 1974, where the hosts won the
trophy. Hurst had already made the last of his 49 appearances in the
quarter-finals of the 1972 UEFA European Championship qualifiers, and now it
had been the turn of the 108-times capped Bobby Moore to find the curtain
being drawn on his international career. Unfortunately, it was the same old
story four years later, too, when Italy pipped Trevor Brooking's England in
qualifying Group 2 to head to Argentina 1978, where, again, the home nation
emerged victorious. Great Britain's sole representatives in South America
were Scotland, for whom future Hammers' manager Lou Macari played in the 3-1
defeat against Peru and a 1-1 draw with Iran.
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World Cup Hammers - 60s
WHUFC.com
With five days until England get started, whufc.com looks at West Ham
United's history at the finals
08.06.2010
The story of West Ham United and the FIFA World Cup took off in the 1960s
with the golden trio of Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst playing
key roles in the glory of 1966 on home soil. All three shone for England in
the Wembley final, with captain Moore surely having had little idea of what
was to come four years later when he became the first Hammer to play at a
finals at Chile 1962. When Ron Greenwood called him into his office ahead of
Hammers' summer trip to Africa, Bobby Moore had no idea that he was about to
become the first West Ham United player to represent the club at a World Cup
finals tournament. "You won't be coming with us on tour," the stern-faced
Hammers' boss mischievously told his perplexed, uncapped 21-year-old star in
the making, before breaking into a smile. "Walter Winterbottom wants you to
go with him to Chile." Moore, a late, late, surprise call-up for the 1962
finals, recalled: "I thought that it would just be an experience to train
with the England players, see them play against some of the best teams in
the world and generally be with them preparing for a tournament."
Having seen him perform admirably for both West Ham United and the England
Under-23 side, however, Winterbottom had other ideas. Indeed, Moore was
handed the first of his 108 caps on 20 May 1962, when he stepped out for the
warm-up match against Peru in Lima, where a hat-trick from future Hammer
Jimmy Greaves eased the Three Lions to a comfortable 4-0 victory. "Walter
was pleased with the defensive performance and kept virtually the same team
for the World Cup," recalled the delighted central defender in his
authorised biography. Although Hammers winger Peter Brabrook had played for
England in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden when Harry Hooper was named in the
initial party but failed to go to the finals, he had been on Chelsea's books
at the time. Moore's subsequent outing in the Group Four opener against
Hungary, therefore, was the inaugural appearance by a West Ham player at the
finals.
Despite having acclimatised high in the Chilean mountains for ten days
beforehand, Ron Flowers' penalty was still not enough for a Winterbottom
side that endured a 2-1 defeat against the Maygars. Moore retained his place
for the second match, though, and another Flowers' penalty plus strikes from
Greaves and Bobby Charlton set up a 3-1 victory over Argentina. Needing only
a draw to qualify for the quarter-finals, England found themselves up
against a Bulgarian side looking to avoid an embarrassing hat-trick of group
defeats. Almost inevitably, a goalless draw ensued. "They played with nine
men in their half and once we knew what they were up to, we kept nine
players in our half, too. It was one of the worst internationals of all
time," conceded Moore, who then found himself lining up against Brazil in
Vina Del Mar with just four full caps to his name. Although Gerry Hitchens
wiped out Garrincha's opener, the brilliant Brazilian was in irresistible
mood. After Vava restored the lead, the legendary 'Little Bird' struck again
to clinch a 3-1 win for the eventual champions. He had gone to Chile as an
untried international novice but he had proudly returned to Upton Park with
those five full caps after playing in every match in South America. Moore's
personal joy had been tempered by England's quarter-final exit. But at least
he had 1966 to look forward to. He had already climbed Wembley's 39 steps to
collect the FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup trophies in successive
seasons. And now Moore was hoping to make it a sensational hat-trick as
England hosted the 1966 World Cup. "Alf Ramsey had the tournament all mapped
out," Moore said. "He knew the players and the matches needed to win the
World Cup and then he went and blurted out that we would win it. "The
manager took stick from his critics but the spirit in the camp had been good
from way back. We believed we had a great chance, Alf believed in us and we
all thought would show them that we could do it."
England, however, unconvincingly stuttered through their Group One matches
against Uruguay (0-0), Mexico (2-0) and France (2-0) and there were worries
over facing an antagonistic Argentina in the quarter-finals. Superbly
marshalled by their unshakable skipper, England had yet to concede a goal
and despite the ten-man, South Americans' heavy handed approach, Peters'
pinpoint cross enabled Hurst to head the Three Lions into the semi-finals.
Peters had only come into the England picture just before the finals and was
not even certain he would be in the final 22, although he never looked back
after coming in against Mexico. "Those two knew each other's play by
instinct," Moore acknowledged after seeing a decider designed at Chadwell
Heath and executed at Wembley secure a semi-final showdown with Portugal.
"It was a priceless goal and taught people the value of having good club
understandings in the England team. "Now at last the newspapers thought we
could win the thing and the crowd were in there with us, too, sensing we
were on the verge of a World Cup final."
And although Eusebio's late penalty finally broke that impressive run of
clean sheets, Bobby Charlton's earlier double salvo had booked that place in
the final against the West Germans. After Hurst wiped out Helmut Haller's
early opener, Peters then looked to have secured victory, only for Wolfgang
Weber to force a late 2-2 draw and extra time. The midfielder did not dwell
on the fact he was almost the man to have won the World Cup for West Ham,
although he described the goal as an "unbelievable" feeling. "It was as
though somebody had struck a bolt of lightning through me," he added. Ramsey
tried to lift the spirits of his drained troops, famously telling them:
'You've won it once, now go and win it again.' "Alf was right and we went
out and overpowered the Germans," observed Moore, who saw Hurst bag his
legendary hat-trick in that famous 4-2 win. For the striker, it was the
controversial second goal of his treble that still stands out today. "I had
made my run marginally too early, and the ball was going behind me so I had
to control it, take a second touch and then. . . bang!" Hurst remembered. "I
had the worst view in the stadium because I had fallen over, so I was
sitting on my backside when the ball came down off the West Germans'
crossbar. I was thinking: 'Is it or isn't it?" "I still believe today that
it was a goal even though the film is inconclusive. I'll never change my
mind about that."
His captain Moore then played a part in the historic hat-trick with a
last-gasp, ice-cool, upfield pass. "That was another West Ham job - a
diamond of a goal," the skipper remembered. Hurst had been propelled towards
World Cup stardom with a good display in a February friendly against West
Germany and a club season that produced 40 goals in 59 outings. At the
finals, he missed the group stage but came into his own in the Argentina
game and did not look back after the winner. Still the only man to score a
hat-trick in a World Cup final, he was knighted for his efforts. It was
Moore, though, who rightly had the honour of becoming the first Englishman
to collect the golden, 14-inch high, Jules Rimet trophy. Fittingly voted the
Outstanding Player of the Tournament, the imperious Moore was not being
conceited - just honest - when he concluded: "I enjoyed the World Cup so
much and you can only do that if you know you're doing well. "Sometimes your
team can win a trophy but you feel you could have done better personally. A
player knows best of all when he's on top of his job and, looking back, I
can't recall putting a foot wrong. What more can I say?"
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Permission to land
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th June 2010
By: Staff Writer
Avram Grant has been awarded a work permit, giving him the green light to
move to West Ham. The Israeli manager was issued a permit last night by the
Home Office, making him free to begin work at the Boleyn. Having already
made his first signing of the summer - the capture of former German
international Thomas Hitzlsperger for a nominal fee - Grant will continue to
scour the market over the course of the next few weeks as West Ham face yet
another a rebuilding programme. Players linked with a move to east London
today include Hearts' £4million-rated winger Andrew Driver, Nice's
24-year-old defender Apam Onyekachi and Man City wide-man Martin Petrov. It
was confirmed last week that the 55-year-old former Chelsea and Portsmouth
boss had put pen to paper on a four year contract with the Hammers.
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That's a Cole lot of money
The Sun
Published: Today
WEST HAM have slapped a stunning £16.5million price tag on Carlton Cole!
Co-owner David Sullivan said: "If Darren Bent is worth £16.5m then so is he.
"Bent has proved he's worth every penny. They are like for like and worth
the same."
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