WHUFC.com
All the essential background information ahead of Saturday's trip to
Selhurst Park
30.09.2011
CRYSTAL PALACE v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
SATURDAY 1 OCTOBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 3PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United head to south London knowing victory over Crystal Palace
could take them top of the npower Championship table. The Hammers need to
win and hope Southampton, Middlesbrough and Derby County fail to pick up
three points themselves to go into first place. The Saints host Watford,
while Boro and the Rams go to Reading and Leicester City respectively.
• The Hammers have collected 17 points from their opening nine league
matches to sit in fourth place. Crystal Palace are ninth in the standings,
having collected 13 points from nine games.
• The Hammers are seeking to extend their unbeaten away start to the season.
Sam Allardyce's side have won at Doncaster Rovers (1-0), Watford (4-0) and
Nottingham Forest (4-1), as well as drawing at Millwall (0-0) last time out
on the road on 17 September.
• West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has never lost to Crystal Palace in
six previous meetings during his time in charge at Bolton Wanderers.
• Crystal Palace returned to form on Tuesday evening, winning 3-1 at rivals
and promotion challengers Brighton & Hove Albion. The victory was secured
through three goals in the final ten minutes from Wilfried Zaha, Darren
Ambrose and Glenn Murray.
• The most recent competitive meeting between the two clubs came in the
Division One Play-Off final at the Millennium Stadium on 29 May 2004. Neil
Shipperley's goal gave the Eagles a 1-0 victory and secured their promotion
to the Premier League.
• The largest crowd to watch a Crystal Palace versus West Ham United fixture
at Selhurst Park is the 41,540 who witnessed the Hammers' 3-0 victory in
south London on 30 October 1971. That result also marked West Ham's
largest-ever success at the home of the Eagles. However, West Ham also
recorded an 8-1 win at Palace during the First World War and a 6-1 win in
south London during the Second World War.
• Eight players have made their West Ham United debuts against Crystal
Palace - Thomas Lee (September 1907), David Waggott (September 1908), Albert
Scanes (March 1910), Thomas Lonsdale (October 1913), Alfred Tirrell
(February 1914), William Henderson (March 1922), William Edwards (March
1923) and Ade Coker (October 1971). Papa Bouba Diop could become the ninth.
• Ade Coker scored on his debut in a 3-0 Division One victory at Crystal
Palace on 30 October 1971.
• John Carew played alongside Crystal Palace striker Steffen Iversen for
Norway on many occasions, with the pair both being part of the country's
squad for the 2000 UEFA European Championship finals. Carew and Eagles
midfielder Jonathan Parr were both part of Norway's squads for their recent
2012 UEFA European Championship qualifiers against Iceland and Denmark last
month.
• Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman was an unused substitute for the
Eagles in their aforementioned Championship Play-Off final victory over West
Ham United in May 2004.
• Kevin Nolan scored Newcastle United's opening goal in a 2-0 Championship
win at Crystal Palace on 22 August 2009.
Team news
West Ham United
• Manager Sam Allardyce could hand striker John Carew his first league start
for the club after the Norway international impressed as a substitute in
midweek.
• Senegal midfielder Papa Bouba Diop could also be involved for the first
time after remaining on the bench on Tuesday evening.
• Guy Demel is making good progress from a hamstring injury that has delayed
his debut and could feature after returning to full training this week.
• Frederic Piquionne is available again after serving a three-match
suspension for being sent-off in the 4-3 npower Championship victory over
Portsmouth on 10 September. Piquionne has netted three goals in two
development squad games since that red card.
• Hungarian goalkeeper Peter Kurucz is fit again after 14 months out with a
knee injury and returned to action in Tuesday's development squad draw at
Dagenham & Redbridge.
• Gary O'Neil (ankle) is out with long-term ankle injury. Matt Taylor
(calf), Winston Reid (hamstring) and Joey O'Brien (hamstring) are all
doubtful. Taylor and Reid missed out in midweek while O'Brien was hurt in
the last minute trying to stop Ipswich's goal.
• Pablo Barrera and Jordan Spence are on season-long loans at Real Zaragoza
and Bristol City respectively. Ahmed Abdulla (Swindon Town), Jordan Brown
(Aldershot Town), Robert Hall (Oxford United), Olly Lee (Dagenham &
Redbridge), Cristian Montano (Notts County) and Callum McNaughton (AFC
Wimbledon) are all out on temporary loans.
Crystal Palace
• Midfielder Darren Ambrose will be eager to start after making a
goal-scoring appearance off the bench in Tuesday's 3-1 win at Brighton &
Hove Albion.
Last time out
Tuesday 27 September 2011
npower Championship
West Ham United 0-1 Ipswich Town
West Ham United: Green, O'Brien, McCartney, Faye, Tomkins, Lansbury
(Collison 64), Noble (Faubert 90), Nolan, Bentley, Baldock, Cole (Carew 64)
Subs not used: Boffin, Bouba Diop
Tuesday 27 September 2011
npower Championship
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-3 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Wright (Ambrose 78), McCarthy, Moxey, Tunchev,
Ramage (Parr 51), Jedinak, Williams (Gardner 90), Scannell, Zaha, Murray
Subs not used: Price, Easter
Goals: Zaha 80, Ambrose 89, Murray 90
Previous meetings
• The most recent competitive meeting between the two clubs came in the
Division One Play-Off final at the Millennium Stadium on 29 May 2004. Neil
Shipperley's goal gave the Eagles a 1-0 victory and secured their promotion
to the Premier League.
The lineups were:
West Ham: Bywater, Repka, Dailly, Melville, Mullins, Harewood (Reo-Coker
68), Carrick, Lomas, Etherington, Zamora (Deane 68), Connolly (Hutchison 74)
Subs not used: Srnicek, Brevett.
Crystal Palace: Vaesen, Butterfield (Powell 69), Popovic, Leigertwood,
Granville, Routledge, Riihilahti, Derry, Hughes, Shipperley, Johnson
Subs not used: Freedman, Berthelin, Black, Watson
Last six meetings
29 May 2004 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Champions Play-Off final)
12 April 2004 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Championship)
1 October 2003 - West Ham United 3-0 Crystal Palace (Championship)
5 May 1998 - Crystal Palace 3-3 West Ham United (Premier League)
3 December 1997 - West Ham United 4-1 Crystal Palace (Premier League)
6 May 1995 - Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
Overall record v Crystal Palace - W 30 D 20 L 19
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th
2008/09 Premier League 9th
2007/08 Premier League 10th
2006/07 Premier League 15th
2005/06 Premier League 9th
2004/05 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th
2002/03 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th
Crystal Palace
2010/11 Championship 20th
2009/10 Championship 21st
2008/09 Championship 15th
2007/08 Championship 5th
2006/07 Championship 12th
2005/06 Championship 6th
2004/05 Premier League 18th (relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Championship 6th (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2002/03 Championship 14th
2001/02 Championship 10th
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Kevin Wright.
• The 41-year-old has taken charge of six league and cup fixtures this
season, issuing 19 yellow cards. Wright has yet to referee a West Ham United
or Crystal Palace match in 2011/12.
• Wright has refereed five Crystal Palace matches previously, the most
recent being a 2-1 Championship defeat at Coventry City on 12 February 2011.
• Wright will be assisted by Nicholas Kinseley and Mark Pottage, while the
fourth official will be Ian Rathbone.
Old boys
• Freddie Sears spent the opening half of the 2009/10 season on loan at
Crystal Palace, making 19 first-team appearances.
• The following players are among those to have worn the colours of both
West Ham United and Crystal Palace during their careers - George Andrew,
Dave Bickles, Syd Bishop, Vic Blore, Jeroen Boere, Ron Brett, Paul Brush,
Johnny Byrne, John Cartwright, Trevor Dawkins, Iain Dowie, Carl Fletcher,
Howard Girling, Harry Gunning, Derek Jackman, Jobi McAnuff, Hayden Mullins,
Fred Norris, Anton Otulakowski, George Petchey, Chris Powell, Darren Powell,
Eddie Presland, Malcolm Pyke, Bill Roberts, Neil Ruddock, Freddie Sears,
Peter Simpson, Andy Smillie, Alan Stephenson, Perry Suckling and Jimmy Wood.
Up next
• West Ham United will host Blackpool at the Boleyn Ground following the
international break. Kick-off on Saturday 15 October will be at 3pm.
General information
• All standard tickets for Saturday's game have SOLD OUT. For details of how
to get to Selhurst Park, click here.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for a warm and sunny day with a maximum
daytime temperature of 26C (79F).
• Improvement works works are planned on the London Underground on Saturday.
The Circle line will be closed, while the Northern line will be suspended
between Camden Town and Kennington via Bank. On the DLR, no service will
operate between Bank/Tower Gateway and Poplar/West India Quay, but
replacement buses will be running.
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Papa pushing to play
WHUFC.com
The huge travelling army could greet another new face or two in the lineup
today
01.10.2011
Papa Bouba Diop could be the latest Hammers debutant at Selhurst Park this
afternoon. As well as Manuel Almunia being set to start in goal after his
emergency loan from Arsenal, the experienced Diop may be thrown straight
into the Hammers midfield. Sam Allardyce admitted there was a balance to be
struck when it came to fielding players who have not had much game time.
"The lack of match practice is a Catch 22 situation," Big Sam told West Ham
TV. "It is getting the games into the players but the balance is they may
not be on their top form. "Papa is fit and raring to go. At some stage we
have to get him on the pitch and see what he can do. I am sure he will be a
major asset. He comes into the frame with the injuries we have got, whether
he starts or is on the bench is a delicate decision."
The manager's injury concerns are chiefly around Joey O'Brien and Winston
Reid's hamstring troubles and Matt Taylor's calf. A few others have aches
and pains with the club coming into its third game in eight days - meaning
the likes of Guy Demel and Freddie Sears could also be in the thinking.
Another away victory would make all at the club feel a lot better, with a
win possibly good enough for top spot in the npower Championship, and Big
Sam believed Diop could play a major role in shoring up the midfield. "It is
not just about his physical presence. This is a talented footballer with
very good ability. Sometimes the size of the player overshadows the ability
and Papa is 6'4. But if you put good technical ability with physical
presence, you have all the attributes you need for modern football."
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Manuel relishing Hammers stay
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's new No13 is looking forward to helping the Hammers
30.09.2011
Manuel Almunia cannot wait to get back to what he does best after joining
West Ham United on an initial one-month loan from Arsenal. The Spanish
stopper is in line to make his Hammers debut in Saturday's npower
Championship fixture at Crystal Palace after completing his switch to the
Boleyn Ground on Friday. Almunia, who will deputise for the injured Robert
Green, has vast experience, having made 175 appearances for the Gunners and
turned out in the 2006 UEFA Champions League final.
"Everything has been very quick and very fast, but in football you have to
be ready for everything," the new No13 told West Ham TV just moments after
completing his first training session at Chadwell Heath. "I was not playing
at Arsenal. I was hoping to leave the club and try to play for another team
and have minutes. Most important is feeling well again and playing football
and feeling the ball again, because I haven't played since last season and
it's been a hard time for me recently.
"I'm happy that West Ham gave me the call and I'm very pleased to be here."
Following his arrival at Chadwell Heath, Almunia got straight down to work
with goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson, working up a sweat on a warm and
sunny day at the training ground. The 34-year-old is determined to make up
for lost time - he has not played a competitive match since Arsenal's
goalless Premier League draw with Blackburn Rovers on 2 April - by boosting
West Ham's bid for promotion. "Most important on my first day is to be ready
for my first league game, to meet the guys and the staff and see the
training ground. I had a good session and I'll be ready for tomorrow. "Every
player is happy if he plays. In this case, I was frustrated at Arsenal, but
always respected the decision of the coach. This is a new episode of my life
and I hope everyone here is happy with my work."
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Almunia arrives
WHUFC.com
Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has joined on a one-month emergency loan from
Arsenal
30.09.2011
West Ham United have signed vastly-experienced goalkeeper Manuel Almunia on
an initial one-month emergency loan from Arsenal. Manager Sam Allardyce
moved quickly to secure the services of the Spanish stopper after learning
that Robert Green faces around six weeks out with a knee cartilage injury.
The 34-year-old joined up with his new team-mates on Friday ahead of this
weekend's npower Championship visit to Crystal Palace. He will wear the No13
shirt. Big Sam welcomed the goalkeeper to the club, telling West Ham TV:
"We've been hot on the phone and secured an excellent signing in the
short-term in Manuel Almunia from Arsenal. "It's a big 'Thank you' again to
Arsene Wenger and Arsenal for allowing us to get such a high-class and
experienced goalkeeper to come in and fill-in for Robert for the time being.
"I think he hasn't had as many games at Arsenal as he would have liked so he
wants to play first-team football at the end of the day. "We hope that huge
amount of experience he has had at Arsenal and the football he has played on
a regular basis will stand us in good stead here at West Ham and more and
more clean sheets will come from his presence in goal. That will obviously
help us to secure more victories while Robert is out."
Almunia, who becomes the second player to join the club on loan from the
Gunners this season after England Under-21 midfielder Henri Lansbury, has a
wealth of top-level experience to draw upon - including the 2006 UEFA
Champions League final. Following spells at CA Osasuna and Celta de Vigo,
the Pamplona-born player was snapped up by Arsene Wenger in summer 2004
after impressing during a loan spell with Albacete Balompie. Almunia
initially backed-up Jens Lehmann in north London, but was called upon when
the Germany international was sent-off just 18 minutes into the 2006 UEFA
Champions League final against FC Barcelona. After appearing in the 2007
League Cup final, Almunia made the No1 shirt his own at the Emirates
following Lehmann's departure in 2008, signing a new long-term contract the
same summer. Despite competition for his place from Poland international
Lukasz Fabianski, the Spaniard continued to produce the goods, most notably
in a UEFA Champions League semi-final victory over Manchester United in
April 2009. Two weeks after saving an Alessandro Diamanti penalty in
Arsenal's 2-0 home Premier League win over West Ham in March 2010, Almunia
again produced a heroic performance as the Gunners were beaten by FC
Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
To date, Almunia has made 175 appearances for Arsenal. The respected
gloveman becomes West Ham's 13th signing since the arrival of manager
Allardyce in June, following Abdoulaye Faye, Kevin Nolan, Joey O'Brien, Matt
Taylor, George McCartney, John Carew, Sam Baldock, Brian Montenegro, Papa
Bouba Diop, David Bentley, Guy Demel and Arsenal team-mate Lansbury
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U18s ready for Pompey test
WHUFC.com
The Hammers' in-form youth team will travel to Portsmouth on Saturday
morning
30.09.2011
West Ham United's Under-18s will be keen to return to winning ways when they
travel to the south coast to take on Portsmouth on Saturday. The Hammers'
perfect start to the 2011/12 FA Premier Academy League season came to an end
with a 2-2 home draw with Southampton last weekend. Having won their opening
five matches, West Ham remain top of the Group A table ahead of their visit
to Hampshire. With winger Matthias Fanimo (hamstring) and midfielder Dymon
Labonne (knee) absent, Under-18s coach Nick Haycock has hinted that the
likes of Josh Siafa and Taylor Miles could be handed chances to shine
against Pompey. "Portsmouth might be bottom of the league, but we have to go
out there and play the game," said Hayock. "It's no good us going out there
thinking we have won the game before it has started. "Josh and Taylor did
well in pre-season and they could get a chance this weekend. So far, we have
used the second-year scholars, but the first years are all good players,
too. "We need to go there with the right attitude and do the basics, earn
the right to play and then we can hopefully pick up another victory." For
supporters who would like to cheer the U18s on, kick-off is at 11am at the
Wellington Sports Ground, Stoneham Lane, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 9HT.
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Crystal Palace v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 12:07 GMT, Friday, 30 September 2011 13:07 UK
Npower Championship
Venue: Selhurst Park Date: Saturday, 1 October Kick-off: 1500 BST Coverage:
Commentary on BBC 5 live sports extra; watch highlights on The Football
League Show; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary
on the BBC Sport website
TEAM NEWS
Nathaniel Clyne could finally return to the Palace squad following the
broken foot he suffered during pre-season. The Eagles are still without
left-back Lee Hills (knee) and midfield duo Kagisho Dikgacoi (hamstring) and
Owen Garvan (hip).
West Ham have Frederic Piquionne back after suspension but must assess Joey
O'Brien, Matt Taylor and Winston Reid. O'Brien has a hamstring problem and
Taylor a calf injury, while centre-back Reid has been struggling with a
knock.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• West Ham boast a 50% winning record in competitive meetings with
Crystal Palace (13 of 26). Palace have won four, with nine drawn.
• The pair have not played each other since Palace's 1-0 victory at
the Millennium Stadium in May 2004, which gained them promotion to the
Premier League.
• West Ham have only been beaten twice in a league game on Crystal
Palace turf in May 1995, and April 2004.
Crystal Palace
• Crystal Palace came from behind with three late goals to beat
Brighton 3-1 on Tuesday, and thus ended a three match losing sequence in the
Championship.
• Six of the Eagles' 10 league goals have been scored in the last 12
minutes.
• Dougie Freedman is the second youngest manager in the Championship.
West Ham United
• West Ham lost for the first time since the opening day, when they
were beaten by Ipswich on Tuesday.
• Unbeaten away from home, victory will equal the Hammers' total of
points on the road last season (13), and give them their best start to a
league season in eight years.
• Sam Allardyce is the second oldest manager in the Championship
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Manchester City rebuff West Ham loan offer for Tevez
BBC.co.uk
Page last updated at 17:09 GMT, Friday, 30 September 2011 18:09 UK
By John Sinnott
Manchester City have rejected West Ham's offer to take striker Carlos Tevez
back to Upton Park on loan. Football League rules would have allowed him to
sign for a Championship club on loan, even though the transfer window has
closed. City manager Roberto Mancini said the 27-year-old refused to come on
against Bayern Munich on Tuesday and will not feature for the Manchester
club again. And City have moved quickly to dampen West Ham's interest in the
Argentine. Tevez, who has been suspended for two weeks by the club pending
an investigation into the incident, insists he has nothing to apologise for
and believes his team-mates will back his version of events. Late on
Thursday, a senior official at another of the Argentine's former clubs,
Corinthians, told BBC Sport that the Brazilian side were "at the moment not
thinking about" a loan move for the player.
City thought a £40m deal had been agreed after the striker told the Premier
League outfit he wanted to return to South America, but he remained at
Etihad Stadium.
Tevez became a fans' favourite in his previous spell at Upton Park as he
helped save the Hammers from relegation in 2006-07 before leaving for
Manchester United.
But his stay was also marked by controversy. In April 2007, West Ham were
found guilty by a Premier League tribunal of acting improperly and
withholding vital documentation over the ownership of Tevez and compatriot
Javier Mascherano when they signed the duo in 2006. Earlier on Friday, West
Ham completed a deal for Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia on a one-month
emergency loan after Robert Green was ruled out for around six weeks.
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City reject Tevez approach
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 30th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
Manchester City have rejected an audacious bid from West Ham to bring Carlos
Tevez back to the BG. The Citizens confirmed this evening that they had been
contacted by representatives of the Hammers who enquired about taking the
Argentinian international on loan until January. The 27-year-old, who spent
a season at West Ham five years ago before going on to play for both
Manchester clubs fell out with City manager Roberto Mancini in spectacular
style last week after refusing to come on as a substitute in a 'Champions'
League fixture. When questioned tonight about the veracity of West Ham's bid
for Tevez by one of his followers on Twitter, United Chiarman David Gold
replied: "We don't do publicity stunts".
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Crystal Palace v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 30th September 2011
By: Preview Percy
It's been a miserable few days for Preview Percy just as it has been for the
rest of us. Only he just likes to grumble about it a bit more. Here's his
usual warped view of this weekend's trip to Selhurst Park. Those of you who
live in Croydon might like to skip to John Northcutt's infinitely more
useful section at the end.....
Next up we make our second trip south of the river to the London Borough of
Croydon for a 3pm Saturday visit to Crystal Palace.
Now I have to make a confession at this point. Many of us have irrational
dislikes and, as one grows older, I believe that one is entitled to add to
those dislikes on the grounds that grumpiness is a privilege of age. I must
therefore declare that have a particular hatred of the London Borough of
Croydon and absolutely everything to do with the place.
This is partly because the first Mrs Preview Percy came from said borough,
whose Register Office was the venue for the ill-fated venture. I even lived
and worked in the area for a year or two so I reckon I've earned the right
to moan about the place. So I'm sorry any Palace fans reading this but it's
nothing personal. Yours just happens to be the nearest professional club to
a place I associate with some of the worst experiences of my life.
However, much as I enjoyed watching the tv coverage of the riots a few weeks
ago I'd like to categorically deny any connection with the conflagrations
that sprung up. Indeed, as a public spirited citizen my first thought was to
get straight over there to help – something that I would have done if only
I'd had a spare can of petrol in the shed.
Having said that there is much to dislike about the club itself – not least
their fans' confusion of the words "tradition" and "habit". There is
something rather annoying about a club that can't decide what its club
colours are or what its nickname is – when I was a youngster they played in
claret and blue stripes and were known universally as "The Glaziers" until
the 1970's when Malcolm Allison decided that it would be trendier if they
were called "The Eagles".
Even their big rivalry, with Brighton, is a relatively recent invention,
again dating back to the '70s. I realise that this may seem a long while ago
for you young whippersnappers but in football terms it's only last week
really.
If you're looking for another reason, co-chairman Martin Long was founder of
Churchill Insurance whose adverts featuring that bloody dog are only
out-done in the irritation stakes by the fat bloke who sings "Go Compare".
And of course former chairman Ron Noades' less than enlightened comments on
the work ethic of players of non-European ethnicity pre-dated similar
comments made by Ron Atkinson by many years, though Noades maintains that
his comments were taken out of context.
Rant over. The Glaziers are currently in 9th spot. This is something of a
turnaround from last season which only saw them escape relegation with a
single game to spare. It never hurts to remind you that Sheffield United
went down instead. They've won four drawn one and lost four this term, the
wins coming at home to Burnley and Coventry at home and away to Hull and
away at 'Ull and Brighton. The defeats have come at home to Boro' and on the
road at Peterborough, Leeds and, surprisingly maybe, at Doncaster. The sole
draw was a 1-1 stalemate at home to Blackpool.
The current manager is Dougie Freedman, who found fame as a player with a
number of clubs before going on to record the "so sweet it's a danger to
diabetics" hit single "Lucky Stars". I expect.
Freedman took over last season when George Burley was shown the door as
relegation loomed, having served as Burley's assistant. The initial
appointment was as caretaker manager but the the "caretaker" bit of his job
title was ditched after a mere 11 days. Freedman repaid the faith shown in
him by guiding the club to safety. Did I mention that Sheffield United went
down?
First choice in goal is the Argentinian Julian Speroni. A popular figure
with the Palace faithful, he became the first player to win their player of
the year award three years running, though I have some dim memories of his
Palace career starting in less than spectacular style, some high-profile
errors leading to his replacement by Gabor Kiraly, the Hungarian 'keeper who
used to play in his pyjama bottoms. During the close season some were
touting Speroni as a potential replacement for Rob Green in the event that
Greeno were to move elsewhere.
The skipper is Dublin-born Paddy McCarthy. Sadly, with a name like that he's
just far too Irish to have gained full international recognition for the
Republic of Ireland side, though he does have some U21 and B caps. Alongside
him in the back four they've had Leicester's Aleksandr Tunchev in on loan.
Not quite sure when that one expires.
Amongst their midfield is ex-Charlton man Darren Ambrose. Ambrose had the
good fortune to have his contract with the Addicks expire just as they were
relegated to the third division. He was linked with a move to join former
boss Neil "Colin" Warnock and a few other Palace players a couple of years
ago when Palace went into administration but the lure of not joining Colin
(who once led Sheffield United to relegation from the Premier League) proved
too great to resist and he signed a 3 year deal before the start of last
season.
One to watch up front is Sean Scannell. The 21 year-old has played for the
Republic of Ireland at all levels from U17-U21 with an additional 'B' cap
thrown in for good measure. He's a bit nippy and can play either out wide or
centrally so he may be a handful.
A newcomer to the forward line is Glenn Murray who, apart from probably
being a brand of whiskey distilled in somewhere totally un-Scottish like
Kettering and flogged by Lidl for a fiver a bottle, also previously played
for Brighton. Murray got Palace's third in the midweek match at the Amex
thus keeping the not-so-ancient rivalry ticking over for a little while
longer yet.
Murray has an interesting season with North Carolina outfit Wilmington
Hammerheads listed on his CV and was second only to Craig Mackail-Smith in
last season's third division top scorer's list, so Brighton were probably a
little cheesed off with his decision to reject a new contract – especially
given his choice of new club.
Ok it's time to talk about us. Tuesday night was just awful and it is
probably a good thing that the Avram Grant Home For The Bewildered doesn't
allow us pets here anymore as there would have been a few kicked cats about
the place. (They used to let us have them but the numbers started to decline
at such an alarming rate that the vegetarian option became the only sensible
choice at mealtimes).
On Tuesday too many players seemed to have too little idea of what exactly
it was they were supposed to be doing. To think I missed a whist drive for
that match.
Just to add to the grumpy mood hereabouts it now transpires that Rob Green,
one of the few to come out of Tuesday's debacle with any credit, is now out
for six weeks or so. So we've gone to Arsenal to pinch Almunia on an
emergency loan.
Almunia, who was also track one, side two on the classic Paul McCartney &
Wings 1974 album "Band On The Run," is currently out of favour at the
Library. His form in the seven or so years with Arsenal has veered from
dodgy at one end of the scale to displays that have had journos looking into
UK citizenship law with a view to filling a few column inches on slow days
by suggesting that he might want to play for England.
Talking of filling column inches, I see there has been talk of Tevez coming
back on a cheeky loan. Unlikely to happen I'd have thought, much as it'd be
nice to see him tearing Championship defences apart. Still it filled a back
page or two – at least one of which repeated the lie that his goal had kept
us up that year.
There are injury doubts over O'Brien, Taylor and Reid, though Piquionne will
be available for selection after the ban for his ludicrous sending off
against Portsmouth a few weeks ago.
We have an international break coming up and it's important to go into the
hiatus on the back of a win. I'd have hoped that the boss will have laid
down a few home truths after Tuesday but, whilst our away form is much
better than that on the road, the Ipswich match was so dreadful it's hard to
summon up any enthusiasm for a positive prediction. Having said that, the
Brighton match did punctuate a small losing streak for the Glaziers so, on
reflection, I'll go for a draw in this one - let's call it 2-2 shall we?
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met: Lost 1-0 in the 2004 play-off final. Graham Poll later
admitted he had deliberately failed to apply the laws of the game when
Michael Carrick was hacked down in the box. The old pals' act at PGMO
ensured that this piece of corruption went unpunished.
Referee: Kevin Wright – first Hammers match for this official who booked six
in his last match (Oxford v Accrington Stanley)
Danger Man: Sean Scannell – his pace may cause issues – especially if
injuries deprive us of a decent back four.
Daft Fact Of The Week: Dougie Freedman is the son-in-law of former England
'keeper Ray Clemence. Clemence owes many of his England caps to the fact
that dear old Ron Greenwood, may he rest in peace, couldn't decide whether
Clemence or Peter Shilton was the better 'keeper, swapping between the two
in alternate matches. If you're up there Ron – the answer was Shilton.
Stat man John: Northcutt's corner
Red Cards
Dave Unsworth, 5th May 1998 at Selhurst Park
David Connolly, 12th April 2004 at Selhurst Park
Away Friendlies
August 1964: West Ham Utd 1-4 Crystal Palace (Sissons)
August 1965: West Ham Utd 2-1 Crystal Palace (Hurst 2)
July 1968: West Ham Utd 4-2 Crystal Palace
August 1985: West Ham Utd 1-2 Crystal Palace (Campbell)
July 2005: West Ham Utd 1-0 Crystal Palace (Etherington)
Home Testimonials
August 1989: Alan Devonshire Testimonial - West Ham Utd 3-1 Crystal Palace
(Ward, McAvennie, Devonshire)
May 1991 Paul Hilton Testimonial - West Ham Utd 3-2 Crystal Palace
(McAvennie, Kula, Hilton)
They Played For Both
Clive Allen, George Andrew, Dave Bickles, Johnny Byrne, Ron Brett, Paul
Brush, John Cartwright, Trevor Dawkins, Iain Dowie, Harry Gunning, Michael
Hughes, Derek Jackman, Jobi McAnuff, Fred Norris, Anton Otulakowski, Darren
Powell, Eddie Presland, Malcolm Pyke, Bill Roberts, Neil Ruddock, Freddie
Sears, Dave Sexton, Peter Simpson, Andy Smillie, Alan Stephenson, Perry
Suckling, Dave Swindlehurst and Jimmy Wood.
Randoms
* Our club skipper Malcolm Allison was the Palace manager for two spells
1972 to 1976 and 1980-81.
* Iain Dowie managed Palce for the period 2003 to 2006.
* Jack Tresadern, who played for the Hammers in the 1923 FA Cup Final, was
also the Palace manger from 1930 until 1935.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.
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Get well soon, Greenie
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 30th September 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have signed Arsenal reserve goalkeeper Manuel Almunia on a month's
loan. With Rob Green having been ruled out with a knee injury, Sam Allardyce
took advantage of the Premier League loan window in order to snap up the
Spanish 'keeper, who was once touted as a potential England goalkeeper
having become eligible for dual nationality. Green, who has barely missed a
league match since moving to West Ham from Norwich five years ago could be
out for up to six weeks with cartilage trouble. Allardyce, speaking on
whufc.com this afternoon said: "It's a big 'thank you' again to Arsene
Wenger and Arsenal for allowing us to get such a high-class and experienced
goalkeeper to come in and fill-in for Robert for the time being. "I think he
hasn't had as many games at Arsenal as he would have liked so he wants to
play first-team football at the end of the day. "We hope that huge amount of
experience he has had at Arsenal and the football he has played on a regular
basis will stand us in good stead here at West Ham."
34-year-old Almunia - who could stay at the Boleyn for longer than the
initial four weeks should Green fail to recover in that period and if all
parties agree - is yet to make a single first taeam appearance for Arsenal
this season, having been effectively replaced by Wojciech Szczesny.
Manuel Almunia: career stats in England
2004/05 Played 16 Conceded 14
2005/06 Pld 13 Con 10
2006/07 Pld 14 Con 13
2007/08 Pld 38 Con 32
2008/09 Pld 44 Con 38
2009/10 Pld 36 Con 39
2010/11 Pld 14 Con 16
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Di Canio: I was tapped-up by Ferguson
KUMb.com
Filed: Saturday, 1st October 2011
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Paolo Di Canio has claimed that he was tapped-up by current
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson - on two seperate occasions. The
Premier League strictly prohibits clubs contacting players who are under
contract at another club. However this is exactly what happened according to
Di Canio. Speaking to the Swindon Advertiser, Di Canio revealed that he
received calls from Ferguson twice - but spurned both offers to move north.
"While at West Ham I turned down the chance to play for Manchester United
twice," said the former terrace favourite. "Sir Alex Ferguson called me
around Christmas time two years in a row and both times I said no. "Even if
I was close to the end of my career with the last chance to play in the
Champions League or play to win something more, I was sure that I should
stay with West Ham because it was more important for me to create something
special and remain forever within a club like West Ham's history. "I remain
in their heart like they remain in my heart, because every time I went there
for the last four years the fans always took to me as though I was still
playing for them. Obviously Lazio is in my blood, but West Ham is the place
where I feel I belong and feel happy in life."
Manchester United did make at least one offical offer to sign the mercurial
Italian in January 2002, when a £1.5million bid was rejected by the Hammers.
Yet according to Di Canio the deal fell through because his gardener
threatened to poison his pet fish. "The man who feeds my piranhas says he
will kill them if I leave, so I said I won't go," he claimed. "I begged him
not to kill them as they are like my children. So now the fish are happy..."
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THE PAOLO DI CANIO COLUMN: West Ham is in my heart
6:00am Saturday 1st October 2011
SwindonAdvertiser.com
EVERYBODY knows I am a loyal person and the team that I work at is the team
that I will love and give my life for.
Obviously Lazio is in my blood but West Ham is the place where I feel I
belong and feel happy in life.
Even if I was not born there I have a special feeling for them and with West
Ham it started from the very first moment I signed for the club.
I had just come from a bad moment in Sheffield Wednesday where I had been
banned for 11 games after pushing the referee, but West Ham accepted me
straightaway without asking that I should show anything to them.
So I went about doing my job properly and in four-and-a-half years I built a
fantastic relationship with the club that came naturally to both myself and
them. It never went away even when I left to play for Charlton.
While at West Ham I turned down the chance to play for Manchester United
twice. Sir Alex Ferguson called me around Christmas time two years in a row
and both times I said no.
Even if I was close to the end of my career with the last chance to play in
the Champions League or play to win something more, I was sure that I should
stay with West Ham because it was more important for me to create something
special and remain forever within a club like West Ham's history.
I remain in their heart like they remain in my heart, because every time I
went there for the last four years the fans always took to me as though I
was still playing for them.
Obviously if I face them with Swindon I hope we win not only 1-0 because
inside I want to destroy everything. When you score you don't celebrate
against the opponent you celebrate because your team scored, so if we beat
West Ham 5-0 I will be the happiest man in the world. This is not because I
am against West Ham but because I want the best for my team and my fans.
Obviously I start a new life as a manager and I hope to have the same
relationship with Swindon. It is difficult because if you lose you are
rubbish – while if you win you are the best. Even if we win the league some
people will still say we should have won better.
If I can build the same relationship at Swindon that I had at West Ham then
it will be fantastic because I am here to win. If you win you have a better
chance to remain in the people's memories.
I am not here to do something and then just go. I am here because I want to
win and build something important at Swindon.
It is difficult for me to see a situation where I will ask the club to go,
but we have to be realistic if Barcelona come then maybe Swindon fans will
tell me to go because they will be glad their manager is wanted by a club
like Barcelona.
At the moment, though, I cannot think even about next month, I think only
step by step. My ambition is to build something important for this club. We
are in League Two at the moment so I cannot dream about the Champions
League. I have to dream that in the next five years we will be in the
Championship.
There is a good financial plan by the board and if in the next five years we
can have promotion to League One and then ultimately the Championship, that
is what we want.
We could say that we want promotion two years in a row and maybe that can
happen but we have to be honest. The plan is two promotions in five years.
This year we must go straight up but then maybe we have one or two seasons
in League One and then arrive in the Championship within four to five years.
If we build something important this year then maybe we can do what Lou
Macari did. But this is something that only happens only once or twice in a
lifetime and it takes a special manager to achieve this. Macari was a
special manager.
I really feel a part of this club already because someone has given me the
opportunity to do something that I love to do and I really hope to build
something important here.
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