WHUFC.com
Early team news and statistics ahead of Saturday's meeting with Blackburn
Rovers at the Boleyn Ground
29.01.2010
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United v Blackburn Rovers
Boleyn Ground
Saturday 30 January
3pm
Referee: Peter Walton
• West Ham United play host to Sam Allardyce's Blackburn Rovers in their
first home Barclays Premier League match of the new decade.
• Gianfranco Zola's side have enjoyed an unbeaten start to 2010 in the
Premier League following away-day draws at Aston Villa and Portsmouth.
• The Hammers have enjoyed an excellent run of form against the Lancashire
side, having not lost to them in five years. In that time they have won four
and drawn two of the six matches they have contested. The Hammers have lost
just once in their last 12 meetings with the Lancastrians.
• The two sides shared a goalless draw at Ewood Park in the reverse fixture
on 29 August.
• It will be West Ham's first match at the Boleyn Ground since
joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold acquired a 50 per cent stake in
the club on 19 January.
• Tuesday's point at Fratton Park maintained West Ham's 16th place in the
league standings and a win on Saturday could see them climb to 13th.
• This is the 94th league meeting between the two sides. Blackburn have won
42, West Ham have won 38 and there have been 13 draws.
Last time out
Portsmouth 1-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Tuesday 26 January
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins (da Costa 81), Upson, Spector,
Diamanti (Stanislas 87), Kovac, Behrami, Noble, Collison, Nouble (Cole 73)
Subs not used: Stech, Daprela, Jimenez, Sears
Goal: Upson 52
Blackburn 2-1 Wigan Athletic
Barclays Premier League
Wednesday 27 January
Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Chimbonda, Nelsen, Olsson, Givet, Emerton,
N'Zonzi, Hoilett (Reid 54), Pedersen, Diouf (Di Santo 77), Kalinic (Roberts
78)
Subs not used: Salgado, Jones, Andrews, Brown
Goals: Pedersen 20, Kalinic 76
Last meeting
• The teams last met on 29 August when they shared a goalless draw at Ewood
Park. The teams that day were -
Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Jacobsen, Chimbonda, Samba, Givet, Dunn, Nzonzi
(Hoilett 60), Grella, Andrews, Pedersen, Roberts (Kalinic 75)
Subs not used: Brown, Salgado, Emerton, Khizinashvili, Olsen
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Collins, Upson, Spector, Parker, Collison
(Kovac 87), Noble, Jimenez (Dyer 66), Stanislas, Cole
Subs not used: Kurucz, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Nouble, Hines
Head to head
(League meeting unless stated)
29 August 2009 Blackburn Rovers 0-0 West Ham United
21 March 2009 Blackburn Rovers 1-1 West Ham United
30 August 2008 West Ham United 4-1 Blackburn Rovers
15 March 2008 West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
9 December 2007 Blackburn Rovers 0-1 West Ham United
17 March 2007 Blackburn Rovers 1-2 West Ham United
Overall record v Blackburn Rovers (all competitions) W 41 D 18 L 45
Next up
West Ham United travel to Blackburn's Lancashire rivals Burnley for a
Premier League game a week after Saturday's meeting. Rovers themselves have
another away game at Stoke City the same day.
Referee
• Saturday's referee is Peter Walton.
• Walton, 50, began his refereeing career in 1986, before being appointed to
the Football League List as an assistant referee in 1993. He joined the
Premier League List of assistant referees in 1994.
• Walton was an assistant referee at the 1996 FA Cup final between
Manchester United and Liverpool at Wembley. That same year, he also joined
the FIFA list of assistant referees and ran the line during the Euro 96
group-stage fixture between Germany and Czech Republic at Old Trafford.
• Walton joined the Football League List of referees in 1998 and joined the
Premier League Select List in 2003. That same year, he was the man in
control of the LDV Vans Trophy final between Bristol City and Carlisle
United at the Millennium Stadium.
• Walton's first Premier League fixture as a referee was Wolverhampton
Wanderers' 4-3 win over Leicester City at Molineux on 25 October 2003.
• In January 2007, Walton travelled to Ecuador to help to run an Advanced
Course for Referees' Instructors.
• Walton took charge of the 2008 FA Community Shield between Manchester
United and Portsmouth at Wembley.
• This will be his second West Ham United game of the season, after taking
charge of the 4-0 home defeat to Manchester United on 5 December.
West Ham United
• West Ham will be looking to make it three home leagues games unbeaten in a
row following the draw with Chelsea and win against Portsmouth.
• Zola's side have now lost just once in their last five Premier League
games.
• The Hammers will be looking to continue their encouraging home form in the
league. In their last eight matches in east London, the Hammers have won
three and drawn three, with the narrow defeat by Everton and the loss to
Manchester United the only blotches on their Boleyn Ground copy book in that
time.
• The Hammers have scored all seven of the penalties they have been awarded
this season, a Premier League high.
• Prior to last August's stalemate, West Ham had scored in every league and
cup meeting with Blackburn since 2000. The last time they had failed to hit
the back of the net was in October 1998, when they lost 3-0 at Ewood Park.
• West Ham have scored 29 goals this season in the league with eleven
different scorers on target. Carlton Cole leads the way (seven), with
Alessandro Diamanti (five) and Guille Franco and Matthew Upson (three) next
in line. Jack Collison, Junior Stanislas (two each), Manuel da Costa, Mark
Noble, Luis Jimenez, Zavon Hines and Radoslav Kovac have also registered.
• Scott Parker has been cautioned seven times this season and Franco and
Noble five. Julien Faubert, Cole, Collison and Kovac are each on four yellow
cards, but will not be suspended if they receive a fifth as the FA
disciplinary deadline has passed.
• Only Robert Green has played in every league game for the club this
season. He is on a run of 110 successive league starts.
• Cole is on a run of 14 goals in 25 league starts since Boxing Day 2008
when he scored the second goal in a 4-1 win at Portsmouth.
• Alessandro Diamanti has the highest amount of shots (53) and assists
(four) at the club.
• Mark Noble has put in more crosses than anyone else (13).
• Central defensive partners Matthew Upson and James Tomkins lead the way in
the defensive clearances and defensive blocks lists respectively. Upson has
made 29 clearances, while Tomkins has 21 blocks.
• Zola made his debut in English football at Ewood Park on 16 November 1996.
The Italian was part of the Chelsea team that drew 1-1 with Blackburn that
day.
Blackburn Rovers
• The visitors come into the game in good form themselves having won their
last two league games. Allardyce's men beat Wigan and Fulham in their last
two matches, which sandwiched the 6-4 Carling Cup semi-final second-leg
defeat to Aston Villa.
• Rovers have not beaten the Hammers since 10 December 2005. The have also
lost on their last ten visits to the Boleyn Ground.
• Blackburn have committed 318 fouls this season - the highest in the
Premier League.
• They have also been caught offside 76 teams - another Premier League high.
• Nikola Kalinic scored his first Premier League goal for the club in the
win against Wigan Athletic. That victory lifted them seven points clear of
the drop zone.
• David Dunn is Rovers' leading Premier League scorer this season with five.
Kalinic has netted eight times overall, with seven of those goals coming in
the cup competitions.
Team news
• Carlton Cole is in contention for his first start of 2010 after impressing
as a substitute against Portsmouth. West Ham's top scorer had been sidelined
with a knee injury picked up in the home game with Burnley on 28 November.
• Guille Franco is unlikely to play as he continues his recovery from a
muscle strain.
• Herita Ilunga is also making progress with his recovery from a hamstring
injury, although it remains to be seen whether he will be fit for the
weekend.
• Danny Gabbidon and Kieron Dyer (both hamstring) could be back in full
training next week.
• Zavon Hines (knee), Luis Boa Morte (knee) and Calum Davenport (leg) are
all long-term absentees.
• It remains to be seen if Blackburn's two new signings, Turkey midfielder
Yildiray Basturk and Algerian youngster Amine Linganzi, will feature on
Saturday. The experienced Basturk, 31, has arrived on a short-term deal from
German club VfB Stuttgart, while 20-year-old Linganzi has arrived on a
three-and-a-half year deal from French club AS St Etienne.
Old boys
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Fred
Blackburn, Martin Britt, John Burton, Herman Conway, Christian Dailly, Tony
Gale, Tommy Hampson, Harry Hindle, Matty Holmes, Marc Keller, Bob Morris,
Lucas Neill, Ian Pearce, Bob Pride, Syd Puddefoot, John Radford, Robbie
Slater, Matthew Smailes, Percy Smith and Lionel Watson.
General information
• Tickets for the match are now on general sale. For ticket information,
click here.
• The weather forecast is for a sunny and bright afternoon, but with top
temperatures only reaching 4C, it might be best to wrap up warm.
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Red-dy for action
WHUFC.com
Matthew Upson led the squad in supporting a vital campaign for the Richard
House Children's Hospice
29.01.2010
West Ham United's players took time out from training before the visit of
Blackburn Rovers to show their support for the Richard House Children's
Hospice's 'Go Red' campaign.
The club charity, based in nearby Beckton, is raising awareness for its
fundraising initiatives by asking fans to wear red. Matthew Upson led the
way for the Hammers by donning a bright scarlet wig as the rest of the squad
stood behind a Richard House banner at Chadwell Heath. The captain said:
"It's important to support charities such as the Richard House Children's
Hospice. They are one of our club charities, so we will do anything we can
to play our part." Upson did not mind one bit having to send himself up,
especially as it was all for a good cause. "I don't mind making a bit of a
fool of myself in the name of charity," he said with a smile. "As I said, we
are always more than happy to do what we can."
The happy banter which ensued during the photo session continued as they ran
off to start work on the pitches at Chadwell Heath. Joining the training
session were Herita Ilunga, Scott Parker and Kieron Dyer with all three back
in the thick of it after hamstring troubles. It remains to be seen if they
will join Carlton Cole in contention this weekend but their presence on the
training pitches has added to the feelgood factor.
Click here for more information about the Richard House 'Go Red' campaign,
which is running until Saturday 13 February, click here :
http://www.richardhouse.org/go-red/
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West Ham v Blackburn
BBC.co.uk
Saturday, 30 January 2010
West Ham v Blackburn 15:00
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 30 January 2010 Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 Live, local radio, Final Score &
highlights on Match of the Day
TEAM NEWS
West Ham's top scorer Carlton Cole is expected to start after being out
since November with a knee injury. Midfielder Scott Parker faces a late
fitness test on the hamstring problem which caused him to miss Tuesday's
match with Portsmouth.
Blackburn's new signing Yildiray Basturk will not feature as he is not yet
match fit. David Dunn is ruled out with a calf problem, but Christopher
Samba returns from suspension.
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West Ham
Suspended: None Doubtful: Ilunga (hamstring)
Injured: Boa Morte & Hines (both knee), Davenport (leg), Dyer, Franco &
Gabbidon (all hamstring)
Blackburn
Suspended: None Doubtful: None
Injured: Dunn (calf), Grella & Jacobsen (both thigh)
MATCH PREVIEW
While the chairmen and money men from both clubs have locked horns this week
over the protracted transfer of Benni McCarthy, the battle now switches from
the boardroom to the pitch and to what is a crucial match for the home side
in particular.
Failure to beat rock bottom Portsmouth on Tuesday was a blow for the Hammers
and they are now only out of the relegation places on goal difference,
ramming home the need for further reinforcements before the transfer window
shuts.
New owners David Gold and David Sullivan are still sifting through a
financial situation they described as a 'car crash' when they opened the
books at Upton Park, but despite money being tight they have promised
further funds to manager Gianfranco Zola.
At least the Hammers can take heart from their excellent recent record
against Blackburn. Since they were on the end of a humiliating 7-1 drubbing
at Ewood Park in 2001 they have lost just one of the last 12 encounters
between the sides.
Rovers are a different proposition to the team that ended 2009. The new year
has seemingly invigorated them and one league defeat in the last five has
seen the vultures that were circling above boss Sam Allardyce disappear as
he has steered his side up to 11th.
Even £6m striker Nikola Kalinic is slowly distancing himself from the title
of 'worst buy of the season' following three goals in the last two games,
including the crucial winner against Lancashire rivals Wigan on Wednesday.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Blackburn have not won at Upton Park since April 1994 when Henning Berg
and Ian Pearce scored in a 2-1 win for Kenny Dalglish's team.
• West Ham failed to score against Blackburn in August for the first time
since October 1998, some 16 matches ago.
• The sides have met on 114 occasions. Blackburn have won 45 matches, West
Ham 41 and there have been 18 draws.
West Ham
• West Ham have only won once in their last eight games in the Premier
League (v Portsmouth on Boxing Day).
• Sixty-six per cent of the goals West Ham have scored have come from set
plays, the joint-highest figure in the top flight.
• West Ham have not won back-to-back home games since January 2009.
Blackburn
• Blackburn have not won three matches in succession since January 2008.
• Rovers have only managed five points from 11 games away from home this
season and have scored only eight goals.
• Sam Allardyce's side have won one and lost 13 of their last 16 away
matches in the Premier League.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
West Ham
Cole: 7 goals (7 league); Diamanti: 6 goals (5 league)
Blackburn
Dunn: 6 goals (5 league); Kalinic: 6 goals (1 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Peter Walton
Assistant referees: Simon Beck & Phil Sharp
Fourth official: Keith Hill
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
West Ham (D1-1 v Portsmouth, a): Green, Faubert, Tomkins (Da Costa 80),
Upson, Spector, Collison, Kovac, Noble, Behrami, Diamanti (Stanislas 87),
Nouble (Cole 73). Subs not used: Stech, Jimenez, Sears, Daprela.
Blackburn (W2-1 v Wigan, h): Robinson; Chimbonda, Nelsen, Givet, Olsson,
Emerton, Nzonzi, Hoilett (Reid 54), Pedersen, Diouf (Di Santo 77), Kalinic
(Roberts 77). Subs not used: Brown, Andrews, Salgado, Jones.
MOST RECENT MEETING
Blackburn 0-0 West Ham (29 August 2009)
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West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury resigns
BBC.co.uk
West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury has resigned following the club's
takeover by David Sullivan and David Gold last week. Sullivan and Gold
bought a 50% stake in the Londoners and immediately brought in Karren Brady,
with whom they worked at Birmingham City, as vice-chairman. And Duxbury has
now stepped down, saying: "I wish Mr Sullivan, Mr Gold and Karren great
success. "I know under their stewardship this wonderful club will prosper."
Duxbury joined West Ham as the club's in-house lawyer under former chairman
Terry Brown, and was subsequently promoted to chief executive by chairman
Eggert Magnusson after the club was bought by an Icelandic group. Brady
said: "We thank Scott for his valued contribution and wish him every success
in the future."
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Hines out for season
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th January 2010
By: Staff Writer
England under-21 Zavon Hines is almost certainly out of action until the
2010/11 season. The young striker has been sidelined since the beginning of
December, and recently underwent surgery for a long-standing knee-problem.
Although the 21-year-old is said to be recovering well from the op he is not
expected to play until next season - a major disappointment for Hines, who
had only just broken into the first team for whom he had scored twice in the
opening half of this season. There is however better news concerning Hines'
fellow striker Guillermo Franco, who has himself not played since the 2-0
defeat at Tottenham last month. The Mexican international is back in full
training and could be fit in time to face Burnley eight days from now. In
other injury news, both Scott Parker and Herita Ilunga should be back to
face Blackburn at the Boleyn this weekend - although Kieron Dyer and Danny
Gabbidon will have wait at least a week longer before returning to action.
Luis Boa Morte, the only long-term injury is still aiming to return for the
final few weeks of the season.
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Duxbury resigns
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th January 2010
By: Staff Writer
Chief Executive Officer Scott Duxbury has resigned from his post, it has
been confirmed. Duxbury, who was left to run the club virtually
single-handedly following Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson's departure has called it a
day having been left in no uncertain terms that he is excess to requirements
at the club since the recent takeover. The news has now been confirmed on
the club's website, whufc.com; whom Duxbury told: "I am proud of my work at
West Ham United but feel the time is right for me to pursue other
opportunities. "I wish Mr Sullivan, Mr Gold and Karren [Brady] great
success in driving this wonderful football club forward, and I know under
their stewardship the club will prosper. Thank you to all the supporters who
have kept faith with the club through good and bad times."
Vice-Chairman Brady, who has effectively replaced Duxbury added: "We thank
Scott for his valued contribution and wish him every success in the future."
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Transfer window latest: 3 days to go
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th January 2010
By: Staff Writer
West Ham continue to be linked with a number of players with little more
than three days of the January transfer window remaining. With Benni
McCarthy set to be announced as a new signing imminently the Irons have
already made their first capture of the window - although further players
could follow before Monday's 5pm deadline. McCarthy - who met supporters at
the Boleyn pub yesterday confirmed that a deal had been struck and that he
will wear the number 17 shirt vacated by Luis Jimenez, who has returned to
Italy.
Another striker linked with a move to the Boleyn is Egyptian striker Mido,
although KUMB.com understands that reports of a short-term loan deal having
already been struck are premature. The 26-year-old, whose registration is
held by Championship club Middlesbrough is currently on a season-long loan
with El Zamalek.
The Telegraph run with a link to Stoke's James Beattie, who is understood to
have been made available for transfer by Tony Pulis. Beattie is just one of
many pros with a Twitter page, although his latest post gave no indication
of a possible move. "Just round Rory D's house, embarrassing the poor lad on
FIFA 10," it read; nice to know he's keeping fit ahead of a possible
switch...
Tottenham's David Bentley, of whom we brought you news earlier in the week
continues to be linked with a loan move to the Boleyn (The Sun); Sky Sports
have added credence to the rumour by promoted it to their news-ticker
section today, although the same source insists that West Ham's have ended
their interest in Manchester City striker Benjani.
Elsewhere Valon Behrami, who we suggested would be linked with a number of
clubs before the end of the window is today being touted as a possible
summer signing for Serie A outfit Palermo (Sky Sports).
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Allardyce on McCarthy
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 29th January 2010
By: Staff Writer
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce insists that Benni McCarthy's move to West Ham
is on - but says that he's fairly certain his side won't be facing their
former team mate this weekend. Allardyce, speaking this morning in the
pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow afternoon's trip to West Ham
admitted that he had lost the South African striker, who was at the Boleyn
Ground yesterday to meet and greet. "There are one or two small problems
that I think West Ham have to iron out," he said. "But I think that'll be
done in the next 48 hours. "I'm not privy to all the problems or what the
problems are - that's the only thing I've been told," he added. "So I would
expect that transfer to be completed by Sunday."
McCarthy is expected to wear the number 17 shirt vacated by Luis Jiminez,
who has cut short his season-long loan spell in order to return to Italy.
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Hammers end Benjani interest
Zimbabwean will not be moving to Upton Park
Last updated: 29th January 2010
SSN
Sky Sports News understands that West Ham have ended their interest in
Manchester City striker Benjani. The Hammers made it clear that they want
to use the new funds available from the takeover of David Sullivan and David
Gold to buy a striker in January. Having missed out on Ruud van Nistelrooy
before his move to Hamburg and with Eidur Gudjohnsen joining Tottenham,
attention turned to Benjani. West Ham, though, have now ended their interest
and will not be pursuing a permanent or loan deal for the former Portsmouth
star. The Zimbabwean was out of favour at City under former boss Mark
Hughes but new manager Roberto Mancini appears prepared to offer players a
chance to impress. However, it was still reported that Benjani, who scored
in the FA Cup third-round victory at Middlesbrough, could leave City.
Mancini, though, allowed Robinho to return to Santos on loan on Thursday
and, with Roque Santa Cruz struggling for consistent fitness, he may have
been unprepared to allow further departures.
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Duxbury quits Hammers
Hammers chief executive steps down following takeover
Last updated: 29th January 2010
SSN
West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury has resigned from his position at
Upton Park. Duxbury heads the list of casualties following David Gold and
David Sullivan's takeover of the East London club. The cash-strapped Hammers
are implementing a number of cost-cutting measures to try and save money at
Upton Park and Duxbury has decided to resign. Duxbury, who played a pivotal
role in luring Gianfranco Zola to Upton Park, admits he is proud of his
tenure at the club. "I am proud of my work at West Ham United but feel the
time is right for me to pursue other opportunities," Duxbury told the club's
official website. "I wish Mr Sullivan, Mr Gold and Karren (Brady) great
success in driving this wonderful football club forward, and I know under
their stewardship the club will prosper. Thank you to all the supporters who
have kept faith with the club through good and bad times."
Vice-chairman Brady said: "We thank Scott for his valued contribution and
wish him every success in the future." Meanwhile, Gold has revealed Brady
has been given the task of saving the club money and are looking at
everything at the club in a bid to cut costs. "Karren is our financial
doctor. She identifies problems and helps us fix them," said Gold.
"This is what we are good at and it is a great challenge. All
non-footballing costs are being looked at. "We are looking at absolutely
everything. We will not damage the footballing side, but we need to cut
costs."
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Palermo in Behrami talks
But Italians would not want Hammers star until the summer
By Simone Bargellini Last updated: 29th January 2010
SSN
Palermo have admitted that they would like to sign West Ham star Valon
Behrami but not until the summer. The Switzerland international has been an
impressive performer since arriving at Upton Park in 2008 and Manchester
City have been linked with a £15million bid. Behrami's agent announced
earlier in January that his client was expected to stay at West Ham because
no team could afford his price tag. But Serie A side Palermo could come into
money from the sale of in-demand defender Simon Kjaer and president Maurizio
Zamparini has declared an interest in Behrami. The Italian club hope that
the connections of their sporting director, Walter Sabatini, could broker a
deal, with Zamparini telling stadionews.it: "We're trying to take him. "The
negotiation is difficult and complicated, especially for the salary the
player receives in the Premier League, but Sabatini is his friend and let's
see how it goes. Behrami is a very good player."
But Zamparini would not want to complete any deal until the summer transfer
window. He added a few hours after his initial interview: "We still like the
player but it is unlikely that he will arrive. "In any case, we will try and
buy him but not now because it would upset the balance of the team. "The
interest is real but it is for June. Now I would not even take him for
free."
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More change at West Ham as Scott Duxbury quits
Evening Standard
29.01.10
West Ham have confirmed the resignation of chief executive Scott Duxbury.
The move comes as a result of this month's takeover of the club by David
Gold and David Sullivan, with Duxbury effectively being squeezed out when
the owners brought in their former Birmingham colleague Karren Brady as
vice-chairman. Duxbury said in a statement: "I am proud of my work at West
Ham United, but feel the time is right for me to pursue other
opportunities." He continued: "I wish Mr Sullivan, Mr Gold and Karren great
success in driving this wonderful football club forward, and I know under
their stewardship the club will prosper. "Thank you to all the supporters
who have kept faith with the club through good and bad times."
Duxbury joined West Ham as the club's in-house lawyer under chairman Terry
Brown, and was subsequently promoted to chief executive by chairman Eggert
Magnusson after the club was bought by an Icelandic group. However, his time
running the club was blighted by controversy, not least because of his role
in signing Carlos Tevez in a deal which breached Premier League rules and
subsequently cost the club more than £30million in fines and compensation
payments. Brady said: "We thank Scott for his valued contribution and wish
him every success in the future."
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Duxbury Quits
West Ham Till I Die
This morning, Scott Duxbury resigned his post as Managing Director of West
Ham. The following statement has been released on the cllub website.
West Ham United have today announced the resignation of chief executive
Scott Duxbury. Duxbury said: "I am proud of my work at West Ham United but
feel the time is right for me to pursue other opportunities. "I wish Mr
Sullivan, Mr Gold and Karren great success in driving this wonderful
football club forward, and I know under their stewardship the club will
prosper. Thank you to all the supporters who have kept faith with the club
through good and bad times." Vice-chairman Karren Brady said: "We thank
Scott for his valued contribution and wish him every success in the future."
I know Scott arouses strong emotions on this site, but I for one wish him
well for the future. Whatever people think of some of his decisions, he has
kept the show on the road since the Icelandic owners' finances hit the
buffers. He also instituted a much more open regime at Upton Park, his
interview with this blog in the summer being a good example.
Perhaps the biggest fear I have over his departure is that it will
destabilise Gianfranco Zola, who may now feel somewhat isolated. Zola was
very much Duxbury's appointment and the two have been very close, I
understand. I hope the new owners have squared Zola on this, otherwise there
may be unfortunate consequences. On the plus side, it seems that Zola and
the new owners have got off to a good start in their relationship. I just
hope this decision doesn't have an adverse impact on that.
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Eidur Here nor There
Posted by Billy Blagg
ESPN
The news that Eidur Gudjohnsen chose to sign for arch-rivals Tottenham
rather than West Ham must have struck hard at the hearts of most Hammer's
supporters. Not because the club have lost out on a player they appparently
flew over; one who had completed a medical and was expected to sign and
boost West Ham's squad as the transfer window draws to a close. No, rather
it puts an end to the 'Gud to Hammers' story that has been going on for well
over two seasons now. To finally end the speculation as the player signs for
another Premier club is going to cause a lot of heartache as we now have to
find another player to be continually linked with for another couple of
fruitless years. Perhaps the Benni McCarthy rumour will rumble on as we were
linked with him before he originally signed for Blackburn.
Is Frank Worthington still available?
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McCarthy set to make West Ham switch over weekend
ESPN
January 29, 2010
Benni McCarthy's move to West Ham has been delayed by work permit issues but
is expected to go through over the weekend. The clubs have agreed a fee for
the South Africa striker but there has been a hold-up over McCarthy's
permit, which is due to expire when his Blackburn contract runs out in 18
months. It means McCarthy will not be available to play for the Hammers when
Blackburn travel to Upton Park on Saturday. Sam Allardyce said: "It's close
to him finally becoming a West Ham player. It's a work permit situation -
that's the only hiccup and that should be resolved by Sunday." McCarthy
infuriated Allardyce by not turning up for training in order to force
through a move but Rovers midfielder David Dunn said McCarthy would not
"lose much sleep" over leaving the club under a cloud. "Sometimes things
like that happen," he said. "It's perhaps not always the best way but I'm
sure Benni will not lose too much sleep over it. "There has been a bit of
attention on Benni over the last week but maybe he feels this is the right
career move for him. He has been a good goalscorer for the club and is a
good lad as well so I wish him all the best."
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Gianfranco Zola: I'm so disappointed by Eidur Gudjohnsen's change of heart
Evening Standard
29.01.10
Gianfranco Zola was today critical of his former Chelsea team-mate Eidur
Gudjohnsen after the striker had a late change of heart and joined Tottenham
instead of West Ham on a loan deal for the rest of the season. Gudjohnsen
had earlier agreed to go to Upton Park and had even undergone a medical
before Spurs manager Harry Redknapp came in with late interest. "I'm not
very happy about it," said Zola, who privately feels let down by the player.
"I thought the deal was going through and that is why I am disappointed.
"I was expecting something different from the player, if I am honest, but
it's okay. That's football and sometimes you have to accept things like
this. "It's time to look forward now and I will get on with it as I always
do but certainly I am not the happiest man in the world about what happened.
"I don't want to say any more, though, it's not worth it."
But Redknapp today insisted Tottenham were blameless in their pursuit of of
the Iceland interntional. He said: "Before West Ham's takeover, we were hot
on the trail of Eidur.
"This is his decision. I get on well with David Sullivan and I wouldn't have
wanted Eidur to fall out with Zola and Steve Clarke, but Eidur called me
back and told me it was his decision. He wanted to come to Tottenham. "I've
always admired him. He can play in several positions, he gives us different
options and he is a fantastic footballer."
West Ham's new co-owners David Gold and Sullivan will now pursue other
targets with Blackburn striker Benni McCarthy expected to complete a
£2.5million move in the next 24 hours, although he will not play against his
former club tomorrow. "He's a quality player, a good goalscorer and also
very good at linking the play," said Zola. "He was one of our main targets
and it is good that the club has been able to sign him."
Carlton Cole could make his first start since returning from injury but is
short of match fitness and is more likely to be on the bench. "I have the
same squad as against Portsmouth plus Scott Parker," said the West Ham
manager. "We'll make a decision nearer the match."
Defender James Tomkins will be fit to play after suffering double vision
following a collision with Kevin-Prince Boateng which led to Portsmouth's
equaliser in Wednesday's 1-1 draw. "James is okay," said Zola. "It was a
foul on him which led to their goal and he had to come off. He has a black
eye now but he will be fine. "I told the players after the game that I was a
little bit disappointed because I felt that we had control of the game and I
just couldn't see them coming back. We should be pleased, though, because
we've played two difficult away games and stayed unbeaten."
West Ham today confirmed the resignation of chief executive Scott Duxbury
following the takeover. Duxbury said: "I wish Mr Sullivan, Mr Gold and
Karren [Brady] great success in driving this wonderful football club forward
and I know under their stewardship the club will prosper."
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Cheerio Duxs!
Posted by Billy Blagg
ESPN
As suggested by your friendly Blagger in this very column last week, West
Ham's MD Scott Duxbury as resigned from his position with the usual 'Thanks
for all your hard work but don't pop back to see how we are doing any time
soon, will you?' quotes ringing in his ears. Duxbury's claim that he was
'free to persue other opportunites' (welcome to my world Scott - I've been
free to persue other opportunities for about 10 months now!) sounded pretty
hollow as it seems unlikely he would have 'resigned' had the Gold / Sullivan
/ Brady consortium not hit town.
Our very own Margeret Mountford replacement is surely lining up the bullets
for Technical Director Nani who would do well to see if anyone has painted a
bullseye on his back. It was Duxbury and Nani who talked continually of the
'Project'; a mythical beast like the Gryphon and Unicorn, that was due to
drag West Ham kicking and screaming into the late 20th Century - we're not
ready for the 21st yet! - with a promise to make the club self-sufficent and
pack the squad with young players who all continued their craft with the
Hammers rather than legging it down to Tottenham or Chelsea or waiting for
Manchester to come calling.
The much-discussed 'Project' was an odd idea anyway being as West Ham should
be entirely sufficent in view of the players they bring through their youth
team, and the only reason the club struggle is because they usually sell
these players to middlemen at Tottenham or Leeds rather than directly to
genial Uncle Alex thereby losing out on the really big paydays that could
provide huge dividends to the squad.
Aside from all this though is the grubby fingerprints of Tevezgate; it being
Scott Duxbury who seemed to be at the heart of the scandal of the signing of
the Argentinean that left the club in the dock and with several hefty wage
bills that they are still struggling to pay. Discussions on the Tevez issue
have been going on for so long that most West Ham fans just go crosseyed
whenever the matter comes up, but it was generally thought by most that
Duxbury should have gone as the truth emerged about the contracts that were
drawn up against Premiership rules.
As it is though Duxbury will have to take his project elsewhere although
I'll admit I'd have done anything to have been in that boardroom when our
Karren said 'Scott, do you have a minute?'
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Hammers aim to claw clear of danger
Sport.co.uk
Author: Ben Moss
Posted on:29 January 2010 - 11:50 AM
West Ham United face Blackburn Rovers at Upton Park and they will be looking
to grab a win to move away from the foot of the table. Manager Gianfranco
Zola will still be ruing Tuesday night's 1-1 draw at rock-bottom Portsmouth
with his side in the driving seat for much of the game. Matthew Upson had
opened the scoring in bizarre fashion only for Danny Webber's leveller to
peg them back. However, despite the minor setback, the Hammers, under new
owners David Sullivan and David Gold, should be in optimistic mood knowing
they are now guided by the duo who seem keen to eradicate the club's debt,
which is thought to be around £110million. On the playing front, Guillermo
Franco and Kieron Dyer (both hamstring), Zavon Hines (knee), Calum Davenport
(thigh) and Luis Boa Morte (cruciate ligament) all remain in the treatment
room. Striker Carlton Cole made a welcome return in the midweek clash at
Pompey and he is expected to lead the line on Saturday with the Hammers
without a league win in their last three fixtures. A win for United could
see them move away from the relegation places as they sit in 16th spot,
level on points with Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are directly
below them on goal difference.
Blackburn will have been buoyed by that their 2-1 victory against Wigan
Athletic on Wednesday ensured back-to-back league wins as their fine home
form continued. A late strike from Nikola Kalinic proved to be the winner
and the Croatia star will be looking to get amongst the goals once again.
Despite this, Rovers' away problems continue to grow. They have won just
once away from Ewood Park this term and have collected just two points from
the last five games on their travels. Boss Sam Allardyce is only sweating
over the fitness of defender Lars Jacobsen, who is struggling with a thigh
injury.
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Scott Duxbury quits as West Ham chief executive
Former lawyer squeezed out in Gold and Sullivan takeover
'The time is right for me to pursue other opportunities'
guardian.co.uk, Friday 29 January 2010 09.45 GMT
West Ham United have confirmed the resignation of their chief executive,
Scott Duxbury. The move comes as a result of this month's takeover of the
club by David Gold and David Sullivan, with Duxbury effectively being
squeezed out when the owners brought in their former Birmingham City
colleague Karren Brady as vice-chairman.
"I am proud of my work at West Ham United, but feel the time is right for me
to pursue other opportunities," said Duxbury in a statement. "I wish Mr
Sullivan, Mr Gold and Karren great success in driving this wonderful
football club forward, and I know under their stewardship the club will
prosper. Thank you to all the supporters who have kept faith with the club
through good and bad times."
Duxbury joined West Ham as the club's in-house lawyer under the then
chairman Terry Brown, and was subsequently promoted to chief executive by
Eggert Magnusson after the club was bought by an Icelandic group.
However, his time running the club was blighted by controversy, not least
because of his role in signing Carlos Tevez in a deal which breached Premier
League rules and will subsequently cost the club more than £30m in fines and
compensation payments.
Brady said: "We thank Scott for his valued contribution and wish him every
success in the future."
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Why the alarm bells should be ringing at West Ham - Darren Lewis' Big
Lunchtime Read
By Darren Lewis in Mirror Football Blog
The Mirror
Published 13:48 28/01/10
The alarm bells are ringing. When David Gold and David Sullivan took over at
West Ham last week, my initial thought was that they would be excellent
custodians. It struck me that with the mess at Notts County and Portsmouth
proving that foreign is not always better, Gold and Sullivan would be a
refreshing antidote. Indeed, when they spoke about their passion for the
club on sealing the deal (Sullivan wept, Gwyneth Paltrow-stylee, on national
radio as he told of his joy) they won West Ham hearts everywhere. They went
on to tell of the financial wreckage they were picking through with Eggert
Magnusson et al throwing money around as if it were confetti. This would not
happen under the new regime, we were promised. Only for Gold and Sullivan
first to tell the world they had offered a a staggering £100,000-a-week to
try and secure Ruud Van Nistelrooy. They failed, with the Dutchman opting
instead for Hamburg. But out came the Chuckle Brothers' chequebook again,
this time to offer Eidur Gudjohnsen £60,000-a-week to quit Monaco for Upton
Park. Spurs beat them to the punch. Now, get this, they have handed a two
and a half year contract to 32-year-old Benni McCarthy - who has scored just
one goal in the League this season. Not only that, they have trebled the
South Africa striker's wages, meaning that unless they can offload him
before then, West Ham will be paying him around £50,000-a-week when he is
35.
Is this the brave new world financial world into which Gold and Sullivan are
leading the club? Because if so it should worry West Ham fans to the core.
They spent long enough planning and executing their strategy in buying the
club. Why didn't they spend as much time on injecting some imagination into
their transfer policy? Where is the rabbit-out-of-the-hat signing? They are
fortunate that another of their targets, Benjani, could well be snaffled by
either Blackburn or Portsmouth - both of whom are interested - because he
won't come down much from the £60,000-a-week he is picking up at Manchester
City. Yes, I know, you get what you pay for and West Ham certainly do need
an injection of experience to keep them up. (To be perfectly honest, I think
they could stay up with what they have). But why not nick Aruna Dindane from
Portsmouth, take him on loan until the end of the season and then give him
back? Saving the club a wedge of cash in he process. A loan move for Landon
Donovan before Everton nipped in would have been inspired. Particularly
given the way he has exploded onto the Premier League stage.
Instead Gold and Sullivan opted for the lazy option. Yes, they know the
Premier League. Yes, McCarthy - and Benjani if he arrives - will provide
experience. But is either move cost-effective (which is the way in which
West Ham should be thinking right now)? You'd have to say no. And talking of
cost-effective, didn't Gold and Sullivan say that they didn't believe Carson
Yeung, the man who replaced them at Birmingham, would succeed at St Andrews
by slashing ticket prices? Yes they did. And yet what do they want to do?
Move to the Olympic Stadium so that ticket prices can be reduced. To be fair
to Gold and Sullivan, they have stuck to their promise not to sell players
during this month and to back Zola with cash. Their plan to move to the
Olympic Stadium per se has also been met with widespread approval from fans
and makes sense. But I just go back to McCarthy. How is he worth
£2.25million when Eidur Gudjohnsen, 32 in September, moves to Spurs on loan?
(ie, for nothing). The feelgood factor may be slowly returning to Upton
Park. But there remain questions to be answered.
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Duxbury quits Hammers
Published 10:31 29/01/10 By Pa Sports
The Mirror
West Ham have confirmed the resignation of chief executive Scott Duxbury.
The move comes as a result of this month's takeover of the club by David
Gold and David Sullivan, with Duxbury effectively being squeezed out when
the owners brought in their former Birmingham colleague Karren Brady as
vice-chairman. Duxbury said in a statement: "I am proud of my work at West
Ham United, but feel the time is right for me to pursue other
opportunities."
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