WHUFC.com
Jonathan Spector has met President Barack Obama during a special reception
28.05.2010
Jonathan Spector has warmed up for the United States' final pre-FIFA World
Cup friendly on home soil by meeting President Barack Obama. The West Ham
United defender and Commander in Chief both hail from the same state,
Illinois, where Spector grew up in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights
and Obama settled as a community organiser in the Windy City in 1985. Born
in Hawaii, the President served four years as a Senator for Illinois before
being elected in November 2008. He is also widely rumoured to be a Hammers
supporter. Spector joined his national team squad-mates and coaching staff
for a special reception at the North Portico of the White House on Thursday
afternoon, where they also met Vice-President Joe Biden and former President
Bill Clinton. The visit came ahead of the Americans' final Send-Off Series
friendly fixture against Turkey at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, on Saturday evening. The 24-year-old will hope to be involved
after being rested for the 4-2 defeat by the Czech Republic in Hartford,
Connecticut on Tuesday.
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Hammers keen to bag Becks
But former favourite Cole will not be returning to Upton Park
By Chris Burton Last updated: 29th May 2010
SSN
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has confirmed he would 'love' to sign David
Beckham, but admits Joe Cole has spurned a move. The Hammers have suffered
well-documented financial difficulties of late and are still in the process
of cutting costs. They would, however, be prepared to splash out on Beckham,
who would command a substantial salary. The former England captain is
currently nursing an Achilles injury which has brought an end to his World
Cup dream. He is also still on the books of MLS outfit Los Angeles Galaxy,
who he joined in 2007. Beckham has returned to Europe in each of the past
two seasons, though, taking in loan spells at Italian giants AC Milan once
the American season has come to a close. Sullivan is hoping the former
Manchester United ace can now be persuaded to have another shot at the
Premier League, with the Hammers keen to bring him back to his East End
roots. "I'd love David Beckham," Sullivan told the Daily Mail. "He has
massive cult status in East London and still has a house near Bishop's
Stortford, not far from our training ground. He's from Chingford, which is
our heartland. We are the club of east London and Essex. "If AC Milan didn't
want him in January and if he still wanted to do it, I'd love to have him.
He seems a remarkable professional."
While Beckham remains a realistic proposition for West Ham, Sullivan has
revealed that Joe Cole will not be heading back to Upton Park. The England
international is set to become a free agent this summer, with his contract
at Chelsea running down. Cole began his career with the Hammers, making over
100 appearances for the club before crossing London to Stamford Bridge in
2003. Sullivan had hoped the 28-year-old would be willing to consider an
emotional return to where it all began for him, but admits there is no
chance of a deal being struck. He said: "We've asked Joe to name a price but
he said no. "We're fishing high and wide and we'll land a few. We're
probably looking at 50 players and we might sign four or five. A lot depends
on who goes."
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Fry extends Hammers deal
Hammers youngster targets first-team berth
Last updated: 28th May 2010
SSN
West Ham teenager Matt Fry has signed a new deal that will keep him at the
Premier League club until 2012. The 19-year-old defender spent much of last
season on loan at League One side Gillingham before a knee injury resulted
in a troubled spell at Charlton. "I believe I have the qualities to become a
first-team player at West Ham United," said Fry. "If I am ready in a year or
18 months time, then I'll be pleased with my progress."
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Sullivan confirms Becks interest
Published 08:11 29/05/10 By Pa Sports
The Mirror
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has confirmed he would "love" to sign David
Beckham - but revealed Joe Cole rejected his former club's advances. The
Hammers are still managerless, with Avram Grant expected to be confirmed as
Gianfranco Zola's successor next week. But Sullivan, who bought the club
along with David Gold last season, has already been linked with names such
as Thierry Henry and confirmed his desire to bring LA Galaxy star Beckham
back to his native east London on loan. "I'd love David Beckham," Sullivan
told the Daily Mail. "He has massive cult status in east London and still
has a house near Bishop's Stortford, not far from our training ground. He's
from Chingford, which is our heartland. We are the club of east London and
Essex." He added: "If AC Milan didn't want him in January and if he still
wanted to do it, I'd love to have him. He seems a remarkable professional."
As for Cole, who began his career with the Hammers before moving to Chelsea
- where he is out of contract this summer - Sullivan said: "We've asked Joe
to name a price but he said no."
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Yeung agrees pay-out from former Blues owners
Published 23:00 28/05/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror
CARSON YEUNG'S bitter battle with former Birmingham owners David Sullivan
and David Gold is over after an out-of-court settlement. Mirror Sport
revealed last month how City's new owner Yeung had slapped in a writ worth
up to £7million at the High Court against Sullivan and Gold. But he has
ditched legal action after being offered a pay-out believed to be worth
around £4m. The settlement was reached after weeks of negotiations between
Blues chief Peter Pannu and Sullivan. Pannu, a former Hong Kong cop and
barrister, said: "Through this experience fans can see we are serious about
running the club. "David Sullivan behaved in a professional and a
responsible way in which he conducted the settlement."
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Villa plot double raid on West Ham for Behrami and Cole
Published 23:00 28/05/10 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Aston Villa are ready to launch a move for West Ham's Valon Behrami and
Carlton Cole. MirrorFootball understands Villa boss Martin O'Neill is a big
fan of the versatile Behrami with the Hammers willing to sell at the right
price. The Irishman is also still keen to sign striker Cole but the Hammers
are refusing to budge on their £15million valuation.
Fulham, Stoke and Birmingham have already had bids rejected for Cole, who
just missed making the England squad.
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West Ham boss-to-be Grant targets Pompey star Belhadj
Published 23:00 28/05/10 By Football Spy
The Mirror
West Ham boss-to-be Avram Grant wants to snap up Algeria World Cup star
Nadir Belhadj from his old club Portsmouth. Grant loves the energetic
left-sider who can play on the wing or at full-back and he hopes to come up
with the money to buy him for £3million from his former employers soon after
his Upton Park appointment is confirmed. Belhadj will look to leave the
relegated club in the summer although he is counting on a good World Cup –
when he will face England in Group C – to attract other buyers, as he has
one eye on going abroad. Belhadj has other Premier League admirers, but the
Israeli believes he will have the pull to attract him to Upton Park. Grant
also wants Jamie O'Hara but Tottenham are looking for a huge fee. Tal Ben
Haim (free) and Kevin-Prince Boateng (£3m) could join the Pompey exodus to
east London. Grant will make Belhadj one of his priorities when he gets
behind his desk and starts spending the decent budget that owners David
Sullivan and David Gold will give him.
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West Ham United's appointment of Avram Grant is a 'done deal' confesses
co-owner David Sullivan
Israeli to be handed four-year stay...
By Adithya Ananth
29 May 2010 09:22:00
Goal.com
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has revealed the appointment of a
new manager is a "done deal", as Avram Grant closes in on officially being
handed the reins to the east London club. The club's new owners recently
gave popular coach Gianfranco Zola the boot after an underwhelming season
saw the Hammers battling tooth and nail to avoid relegation. And following
the diminuitive Italian's exit, Grant walking away from relegated Portsmouth
was viewed as a sign that he was heading towards Upton Park. Now the
Hammers' co-chairman has revealed the former Chelsea boss will be the most
likely candidate to take the Hammers' helm in the coming days, and is
expected to put pen to paper on a four-year contract. "It's virtually a done
deal and it's almost certainly Avram Grant," Sullivan told the Daily Mail.
"We believe in going with experience and Avram has 34 years experience. "I
like him very much. He's completely the opposite of what I imagined. "I
imagined a dour, boring, serious man with no humour. In fact he's got a very
dry sense of humour with an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of football.
Wonderful. "He tells jokes and stories. He's led a full life and he's
learned from that."
Although previous manager Zola was given a short period of time to prove his
worth, Sullivan maintained Grant would be handed a significant period to
prove his mettle. "He will get a four-year contract but we won't judge him
for two or three years, by then we'll see if he's as good as we think he
is," he added. "He will inherit a very unbalanced team and it will take
time to sort out with the limited resources we have and the inflated
transfer fees and wages."
Dave Jones, Ian Holloway and Sam Allardyce had also been linked with the
Upton Park job in the past, but the co-owner maintained none of those
interviewed had been suitable to the club's plans. "We interviewed three or
four others," Sullivan continued. "One said he would come but wanted £7
million in wages for him and his staff. "Another said he'd come but would
want a minimum transfer budget of £40m. And another was thinking of coming
until he had an offer from elsewhere that was too good to refuse." Now
Sullivan believes Grant is the right man to manage the affairs of a
debt-ridden club, particularly after his short stint at Pompey. "Avram
[Grant] is the man for the job," he added. "A superb candidate with a very
good record. What he did at Chelsea was under-rated. "The team were going
backwards when he took over and he almost won the Champions League and the
Premier League. "He did very well at Portsmouth. He wasn't there from the
start of the season, he inherited a team which was ripped apart underneath
him, he had points deducted, but he got them to the FA Cup final. "With his
points-per-game they would have stayed up."
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West Ham confirm David Beckham interest as Joe Cole snubs return to Upton
Park
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has confirmed he would "love" to sign David
Beckham - but revealed Joe Cole rejected his former club's advances.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Telegraph staff
Published: 8:45AM BST 29 May 2010
David Beckham is wanted by West Ham . West Ham are still managerless, with
Avram Grant expected to be confirmed as Gianfranco Zola's successor next
week. But Sullivan, who bought the club along with David Gold last season,
has already been linked with names such as Thierry Henry and confirmed his
desire to bring LA Galaxy midfielder Beckham back to his native east London
on loan. West Ham close in on Avram Grant "I'd love David Beckham," Sullivan
told the Daily Mail. "He has massive cult status in east London and still
has a house near Bishop's Stortford, not far from our training ground. He's
from Chingford, which is our heartland. We are the club of east London and
Essex.
"If AC Milan didn't want him in January and if he still wanted to do it, I'd
love to have him. He seems a remarkable professional." As for Cole, who
began his career with West Ham before moving to Chelsea - where he is out of
contract this summer - Sullivan said: "We've asked Joe to name a price but
he said no."
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West Ham United will be the Arsenal of East London, pledges David Sullivan
EXCLUSIVE By Matt Barlow
Last updated at 1:36 AM on 29th May 2010
Daily Mail
Silver and gold everywhere. David Sullivan walks proudly among his
glimmering pots, touching them lovingly and telling stories of their
acquisition. Correct, this is not West Ham's trophy room. Sullivan owns
Britain's biggest collection of Victorian horse racing trophies, wonderfully
intricate designs, once awarded for races like the Ascot Cup, the Grand
National and the Goodwood Cup. He owns 15. Maybe 16. 'I don't even count
this one,' he says, reaching for the 1954 Royal Hunt Cup. It is terribly
plain compared to the prize for winning the same race a century earlier,
which boasts several well-antlered silver stags atop a hardwood base. It is
the size of a microwave oven and acts as the centrepiece of the room.
Horseracing is one of Sullivan's passions. Bookshelves in his office are
crammed floor to ceiling with racing literature and racing art decorates the
walls. He owns racehorses, too. Four years ago, David Junior, named after
Sullivan's son, won the Group One Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown but these
days West Ham's co-owner is in the grip of another obsession. 'We've got
some new horses and we're trying to find some West Ham names,' he says. 'We
wanted to call one The Hammer but we can't, there's already been one. We
tried Claret and Blue but that's gone. We could try Claret 'n' Blue. Look
out for a two-year-old running soon with a West Ham name. It will win.'
Sullivan and his business partner David Gold bought 50 per cent of West Ham
for around £50million in January and earlier this week paid £8m for another
10 per cent. They recently sacked manager Gianfranco Zola having narrowly
avoided relegation and will next week unveil Avram Grant as the new boss
before embarking upon what they hope will prove a busy summer of business in
the transfer market. 'It's virtually a done deal and it's almost certainly
Avram Grant,' says Sullivan. 'We believe in going with experience and Avram
has 34 years' experience. 'I like him very much. He's completely the
opposite of what I imagined. I imagined a dour, boring, serious man with no
humour. In fact he's got a very dry sense of humour with an almost
encyclopaedic knowledge of football. Wonderful. He tells jokes and stories.
He's led a full life and he's learned from that. 'He will get a four-year
contract but we won't judge him for two or three years, by then we'll see if
he's as good as we think he is. He will inherit a very unbalanced team and
it will take time to sort out with the limited resources we have and the
inflated transfer fees and wages. 'We interviewed three or four others. One
said he would come but wanted £7m in wages for him and his staff. Another
said he'd come but would want a minimum transfer budget of £40m. And another
was thinking of coming until he had an offer from elsewhere that was too
good to refuse.
'Avram is the man for the job. A superb candidate with a very good record.
What he did at Chelsea was under-rated. The team were going backwards when
he took over and he almost won the Champions League and the Premier League.
'He did very well at Portsmouth. He wasn't there from the start of the
season, he inherited a team which was ripped apart underneath him, he had
points deducted, but he got them to the FA Cup final. With his
points-per-game they would have stayed up.'
Sullivan enjoys statistics. His Sky Sports Yearbook is never far from his
grasp. The West Ham page is marked with a scrap of a florescent pink Post-it
note for easy access. He delves in to illustrate how Matthew Upson has
barely missed a game in recent seasons and to prove the opposite is true of
Kieron Dyer. In his garden, overlooking a deer sanctuary, Sullivan turns to
admire his home. 'I think it looks nice from this angle,' he says. 'People
think it looks like Buckingham Palace but I don't. That wasn't the
intention. I always wanted a Georgian mansion like in Gone With the Wind.'
Birch Hall has 14 bedrooms, tennis courts, two swimming pools, an indoor
bowling alley and a Japanese garden. There are two football goals and an old
ball where Sullivan's two sons enjoy a kickabout. He picks up the ball and
kicks into the air. It skews off in an impossible direction. He laughs and
says: 'David Gold used to be a very good player.'
The mansion was built 18 years ago after Sullivan bought the previous
property and flattened it. Back inside his office, he rummages through files
in a cupboard and retrieves photos of the old house to prove it deserved to
be demolished. He's right, it was ugly. 'Everyone wants to be popular,' says
Sullivan. 'But sometimes you have to do things that are for good rather than
popularity. Hard decisions have to be made. 'In life, popular decisions are
not always the best decisions. You have to decide if you want to do the best
for your club or if you want to be popular. Me? I want to do the best for
the club and I hope over time people will see that, nine times out of 10,
I'll be right. But nobody's right all the time.' The subject is up for
discussion as Sullivan has recently sacked Zola, accusing him of breaching
his contract by openly criticising the board's effort to sign a player
(Graham Dorrans from West Bromwich Albion) behind his back. Zola is fighting
the decision. 'It's a legal matter,' says Sullivan. 'All I can say is that I
hope and expect it can be resolved amicably in the next couple of weeks. I'd
like to thank him for the job he did, he worked under very difficult
circumstances, and wish him all the best for the future.
'I'm a person who looks forward not backwards and I'll never really comment
on his time as manager at West Ham because I think it's wrong. It's time to
look forward.'
For Zola to be fired for speaking out seems ironic, given that Sullivan has
not been shy of criticising the manager and his players. The co-owner even
posted his fury on the club website after a 3-1 defeat at home to
Wolverhampton Wanderers. 'I don't think it was controversial,' he insists.
'That was just an awful performance. You have to tell people how you feel.
In the next match they played Stoke and lost to a bit of magic by Ricardo
Fuller. That could have gone either way but Wolves was a whitewash. 'Burnley
away was another appalling performance. Our teams fly to all these games and
stay in five-star hotels. We might as well have gone on the bus and stayed
in a Travelodge. Would we have played any worse?'
Sullivan accepts he can be impulsive and outspoken but denies a charge of
deliberately undermining Zola. 'I've always been very supportive of
managers,' he insists. 'I think it's a bad mistake to make managerial
changes in mid-season. Hull, Burnley and Portsmouth changed managers in
mid-season and all were relegated. 'I believe Mr Zola had every entitlement
to remain manager for the season. He wanted me to buy Benni McCarthy, I
bought Benni McCarthy. That was the one player he wanted to sign and I
signed him.
'Benni McCarthy's body-fat measurement is 24.2 per cent. Mine is 25.4 per
cent. Benni McCarthy is nearly as fat as me. I try to do aerobics in the
morning but I'm 61 years old.
'He's the one West Ham player I want to go to the World Cup because he might
come back fitter. 'Franck Queudrue once came back to Birmingham at 18 per
cent but I've never known any footballer over 20 per cent. He got so out of
shape. He came to us overweight and got injured and gradually it got worse.
'I don't know at what point this becomes a breach of contract. It probably
doesn't. But Frankie Dettori starves himself to get to the right weight.
Usain Bolt wouldn't be the Olympic 100metre champion if he put on a stone.
'It is not unreasonable to keep to a diet when you're a professional
sportsman. It ought to be a breach of contract. 'I know it's the wrong thing
to say but I hope none of our England players go to the World Cup. I'd like
them to have a nice break in the summer and be ready for next season. 'I was
elated when Carlton Cole wasn't picked because he's got legs which have
taken a lot of grief and a good break is what he needs. He's a bit like
Ledley King, he's got a recurring problem but properly managed he can play
with it.
Hammer at heart: Sullivan salutes in front of his home 'He might struggle
to play two games a week but he's playing 30 games a season, every season.
Whether he can play 45 I don't know. But every game for England is a game
less for West Ham.'
Visitors to Sullivan's home step through the door to be confronted by a
lifesize waxwork of a butler. Waiting outside Sullivan's office, you are not
alone. There is another waxwork, a bespectacled old man, waiting too. Amid
the sparkling racing trophies, hundreds of framed family photographs, a
grand piano and a collection of rocking horses, they add an eerie fairground
atmosphere to the pale, palatial decor. Working at his desk with the door
wide open, Sullivan shouts an apology for keeping us waiting but we're
early. He hates lateness. He is wearing a West Ham shirt with his name
printed across the shoulders. No number. He doesn't always work in club
colours, he says, but club business takes up most of his working life at the
moment, so it's appropriate. I'm more hands on than some because I realise
managers are fallible,' says Sullivan. 'I realise managers are not gods. I
realise actually I've probably got as much experience as they've got. 'I'm
not a great player but some of the best managers have not been great
players. I've had 18 years' experience of running football clubs in the
Championship and the Premier League. I've watched thousands of games and
until I find a manager who I have 100 per cent belief in his judgment, I
have to have some involvement. Otherwise I'm not doing my job. 'If I was
chairman of Arsenal, I'd probably leave it to Arsene Wenger because he's
proven season after season to have done a wonderful job. What's he's
achieved with the money he's spent is quite remarkable. 'Arsenal is our
model. Myself, Avram, David Gold and Karren Brady would love to turn West
Ham into the Arsenal of east London. The team, the club, there's so much
right there. It's so well run. 'We'll talk and make joint decisions but the
ultimate decision will be Avram's. He will pick 95 per cent of the
transfers. Maybe one in 20, I might beg a favour and say I really fancy
somebody and get him to take a player on my head and maybe one in 20 I'll
veto one of his because over the years I've seen managers buy players they
really shouldn't have bought.' Sullivan stands on his doorstep, flanked by a
pair of claret and blue gnomes. 'Look at them, they don't even match,' he
chuckles, as he waves goodbye.
Good luck Avram, it will not be boring.
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West Ham expect to appoint Avram Grant next week
Avram Grant set to be unveiled by West Ham on Wednesday
Gianfranco Zola thought to be close to settlement over payoff
Stuart James guardian.co.uk, Friday 28 May 2010 22.29 BST
West Ham United are set to appoint Avram Grant as their new manager on
Wednesday and the Premier League club hope to have agreed amicable
settlements with Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke by the time the Israeli is
unveiled at Upton Park next week.
Zola was deeply upset with the manner of his dismissal after he was accused
of a breach of contract and the Italian decided to take legal action over
his departure. The Premier League was due to set a date for an arbitration
hearing over Zola's payoff – he was earning £1.9m a year with three years of
his contract to run but did not receive a settlement. However, it is
understood that both parties are now close to reaching an agreement that
will obviate the need for matters to be taken further. That development will
come as a relief to West Ham, given the negative publicity that their
actions risked.
Clarke's exit was effectively rubberstamped when West Ham opted to turn to
Grant as their new manager. The two worked together at Chelsea, following
José Mourinho's dismissal in 2007, but Grant is keen to bring in his own
assistant manager, leaving Clarke to thrash out the terms of his payoff.
Those discussions have now taken place and an agreement has been reached on
how much Clarke, who was earning £1.2m a year, should receive as a
settlement.
Grant is set to sign a three-year contract to replace Zola. His name had
featured prominently on the original shortlist that David Sullivan and David
Gold, West Ham's co-owners, drew up in the wake of Zola's sacking, and his
resignation as manager of Portsmouth nine days ago paved the way for him to
take over. Portsmouth have not demanded any compensation for Grant who led
the club to the FA Cup final last season
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