WHUFC.com
The club is to take legal action in relation to allegations made in the
Sunday Times
03.07.2011
West Ham United can confirm the club are taking legal action in relation to
allegations made in today's Sunday Times. We are certain of the robustness
of our successful bid for the Olympic Stadium. The newspaper's statement
that Tottenham Hotspur employed the investigators who obtained private
information illegally is one we are treating with the utmost seriousness and
no doubt data protection and prosecution agencies may also do so. The only
wrongdoing here is by those who have broken the law and obtained private
information. It would appear that no stone has gone unturned trying to find
a way to undermine our bid including apparently targeting the 14 Olympic
Park Legacy Company (OPLC) Board members who had voted unanimously on the
bid in our favour. The suggestion of 'secret cash' in the Sunday Times
article is absolutely and categorically denied. As such, legal action is
being taken against the Sunday Times, as well as Tottenham Hotspur. Dionne
Knight's work for the Legacy Stadium Partnership (LSP) owned 50% by London
Borough of Newham and 50% by West Ham United was in relation to the
procurement of a construction partner after the Olympic Games. A number of
companies applied for the procurement contract. It was awarded to Ms Knight
as she was able to provide expertise at a significantly competitive price.
The work that she subsequently undertook for the LSP was of a very high
standard. The OPLC has confirmed that Ms Knight had absolutely no
involvement in the bidding process and we repeat that secret cash was not
paid to her. Her work was very transparent and the bidding process was never
compromised. The work was never hidden, for example she personally attended
meetings. There is considerable documentation to confirm the existence and
quality of her work. Two firms of solicitors are able to confirm those
facts. The price we paid for the work was extremely competitive. The LSP,
including Karren Brady who is named in the offending article, has not paid
any member of the OPLC for any information in relation to the bid process,
and has not received any unauthorised information from the OPLC or any other
source in relation to its bid. The OPLC has further confirmed that she and
other employees of the OPLC did not have access to confidential information
as it was held at the OPLC's external solicitors' offices. The LSP believed
Ms Knight had authority to do the work as that was what it was informed. The
fact that the work was undertaken is wholly irrelevant to the Olympic
Stadium bid process and only raises issues of employment law. To reiterate,
the allegations are the subject of legal action. If there is any further
publication of the allegations, further action will be taken. We are so
confident in the probity of our actions that we will take the strongest
action possible against any suggestion of wrongdoing on the part of West Ham
United or its officers, as well as involve the police and the data
protection registrar in regard to the accessing of private information by
illegal means.
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Striker future in the balance
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd July 2011
By: Staff Writer
Peterborough striker Craig Mackail-Smith is still to decide between a move
to West Ham, Leicester or a mystery third club, according to his current
club's Director of Football. Barry Fry, speaking to Talksport this evening
confirmed that Posh had accepted bids from both West Ham, Championship
rivals City and a third, un-named club - but insisted that Mackail-Smith was
yet to make a decision over which to join. "I can tell you that the chairman
Darragh MacAnthony has given three clubs permission to speak to Craig and
his agent," said Fry. "Two of those clubs - West Ham and Leicester - have
spoken to them. "Prior to that Neil Warnock at QPR was given permission to
talk to him, but I haven't spoken to Craig for three days so he obviously
hasn't agreed terms with West Ham or Leicester. "There are seven other bids
that we've turned down that are very substantial. We were hoping that he'd
be gone by now because we've got targets as well that we're trying to get
in."
Peterborough chairman Darren MacAnthony confirmed this morning via Twitter
that he had accepted offers for the 27-year-old from West Ham and Leicester,
adding that "it's now down to the player and clubs re:where he signs".
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Exclusive: Hines to sign new contract
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd July 2011
By: Staff Writer
Zavon Hines is set to follow fellow former Academy player Jordan Spence by
signing a new contract with West Ham. The 22-year-old striker - whose
current deal ended on Thursday, effectively making him a free agent -
revealed 10 days ago how he hoped to remain at West Ham despite reaching an
impasse over a new contract. And having successfully negotiated the latest
round of talks, the Jamaican-born forward is finally set to put pen to paper
on a new deal that will keep him at West Ham until his mid-twenties. HInes
had looked odds-on to leave Upton Park this summer after he failed to agree
terms on a new contract. With his recent injury record in mind, the club
refused to concede to his (or his agent's) demands. A deal looked further
away than ever just two months ago when Hines accused Avram Grant of
ignoring him during last season's run-in; the player stating that he was
'very frustrated with not being able to help my childhood club'. But at the
end of June he revealed that talks had taken a positive turn, telling
supporters via Twitter: " I don't wanna leave the club and I am try to agree
a new deal."
It was confirmed earlier today that Jordan Spence had sgned a new three-year
deal, tying him to West Ham until 2014.
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Au revoir, Julien?
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd July 2011
By: Staff Writer
French full-back Julien Faubert could be on his way to Italy, according to
reports. French-based news site francefootball.fr are claiming that the
once-capped French international is set to join Serie A outfit Lazio, with
talks said to be 'at an advanced stage'. Faubert - who has previously played
in the French, English and Spanish top-flights and is contracted to West Ham
until 2012 - has endured a miserable spell at West Ham since joining the
club from Bordeaux in 2007. Just weeks after joining the Irons in a
£6million deal the 27-year-old sustained a ruptured achilles in pre-season,
ruling him out for the next six months. Once fit again, and having initially
failed to impress under Alan Curbishley on the right side of midfield
Faubert was subsequently employed at right back under Gianfranco Zola and
Avram Grant. However he once again failed to impress and frequently found
himself the target of the Boleyn boo boys.
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Tottenham's dirty tricks exposed
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 3rd July 2011
By: Staff Writer
The full extent of the dirty tricks played by Tottenham in the
'cash-for-stadium' row have been exposed. Today's Sunday Times revealed how
the OPLC's director of corporate services was paid circa £20,000 for
'consultancy work' by West Ham - work sanctioned by the club's Olympic
Director, said to be in a relationship with the aforementioned.
However it also reveals the depths that Tottenham were prepared to sink to
in order to derail West Ham's move into the Olympic Stadium, which was
ratified by the Government earlier this year.
1. Hired 'corporate intelligence' company: The Times claimed that Spurs
hired the intelligence agency two days before the OPLC declared their
preferred bidder to investigate the 14 members of the adjudicating panel in
order to unearth any potential conflicts of interest.
2. Hired private investigators: Having struck gold, Tottenham ordered
investigators to place Dionne Knight, the OPLC director at the centre of the
storm under personal surveillance. This included a 'stake-out' of the single
mother's home, where she lives with her 14-year-old daughter.
3. Accessed personal information: Tottenham's investigators admitted
procuring sensitive documents - including personal bank statements belonging
to both Knight and the West Ham employee - along with other sensitive
personal information usually protected by data protection laws.
West Ham fans posting on forums across the web tonight have urged the club
to immediately halt any future transfer dealings with Tottenham in response
to the revelations - including any potential move for Scott Parker.
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West Ham accused of corruption
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd July 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have been accused of making secret payments to an employee
of the Olympic Park Legacy Company. Tomorrow morning's Sunday Times leads
with a story entitles 'Olympic Boss Paid Secret Cash', in which it is
claimed that West Ham United's Olympic Director arranged for payments of
some £20,000 to be paid to the OPLC's Director of Corporate Services. The
Times further claim that the two individuals were involved in a personal
relationship; upon confronting the club with their evidence the paper was
informed that the payments were for 'consultancy work' and that vice-chair
Karren Brady had been fully aware of them.
The OPLC employee at the centre of the storm was suspended on Friday after
details of the payments came to light - as, it is further claimed, was her
counterpart at West Ham. It was also revealed that she had disclosed her
relationship with the West Ham employee upon being offered the job with the
OPLC. Details of the payments are said to have been unearthed by corporate
investigators acting on behalf of Tottenham, who lost out to West Ham in the
fight to take possession of the Olympic Stadium.
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Exclusive: Lomas and Keen depart
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 2nd July 2011
By: Staff Writer
Reserve team boss Steve Lomas and first team coach Kevin Keen have parted
company with West Ham United. Former midfielder Lomas was hired as reserve
team boss on a temporary contract in February following the departure of
Alex Dyer to Charlton a month earlier. It is understood that the
37-year-old Irishman has not been offered an extention to that contract,
which expired at the end of last season. With West Ham relegated to the
Championship - and no equivalent of the Barclays Premier Reserve League at
lower levels - the reserve/development team will only play friendlies next
term - negating the need for a full-time manager. Meanwhile Keen is rumoured
to be set to join Kenny Dalglish's coaching team at Liverpool after losing
out on the manager's job to Sam Allardyce. The 44-year-old - who has been
employed in youth, reserve and first team coaching roles since returning to
West Ham in 2002 - announced he would be entering the race to replace Avram
Grant on the final day of last season. However having failed to land the
position he desperately craved, Keen has decided to seek employment
elsewhere. Both Lomas and Keen had left the club prior to last Friday,
hence their omission from Chadwell Heath when the squad returned for
pre-season training.
The club are expected to confirm their departures shortly.
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West Ham to sue in 'cash-for-stadium' row
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 3rd July 2011
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have confirmed that they are to take legal action against
both Tottenham and the corporate intelligence company employed by the north
Londoners to obtain private information in the cash-for-stadium scandal. It
was revealed by the Sunday Times that Tottenham had hired the agency earlier
this year to procure sensitive personal information from employees of both
the OPLC and West Ham United. But only a matter of hours after the first run
of the Times hit the streets, West Ham responded with a statement in which
the club confirmed they will be 'investigating the investigators'. "The
newspaper's statement that Tottenham Hotspur employed the investigators who
obtained private information illegally is one we are treating with the
utmost seriousness and no doubt data protection and prosecution agencies may
also do so," said the statement, published on whufc.com in the early hours
of Sunday morning.
"The only wrongdoing here is by those who have broken the law and obtained
private information. It would appear that no stone has gone unturned trying
to find a way to undermine our bid including apparently targeting the 14
OPLC Board members who had voted unanimously on the bid in our favour. "The
suggestion of 'secret cash' in the Sunday Times article is absolutely and
categorically denied. As such, legal action is being taken against the
Sunday Times, as well as Tottenham Hotspur.
"We are so confident in the probity of our actions that we will take the
strongest action possible against any suggestion of wrongdoing on the part
of West Ham United or its officers, as well as involve the police and the
data protection registrar in regard to the accessing of private information
by illegal means."
The statement also dismissed suggestions that the OPLC's Ms Knight - who was
suspended from her post on Friday - was given preferential treatment when
offered consultancy work by the club. "A number of companies applied for the
procurement contract," it read. "It was awarded to Ms Knight as she was able
to provide expertise at a significantly competitive price. "The OPLC has
confirmed that Ms Knight had absolutely no involvement in the bidding
process and we repeat that secret cash was not paid to her. Her work was
very transparent and the bidding process was never compromised. "
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West Ham director suspended in Olympic Stadium corruption probe
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:40 AM on 3rd July 2011
Daily Mail
Two senior executives have been suspended over claims of corruption
surrounding the bidding process for the future use of the Olympic Stadium.
One of the executives was named as Ian Tompkins, a director of West Ham, who
had beaten rivals Tottenham in a bitter contest to move into the £486million
stadium after the Games. It is understood Tompkins helped to arrange for
£20,000 to be paid to his girlfriend, Dionne Knight, director of corporate
services of the Olympic Park Legacy Company, who decided in favour of West
Ham earlier this year. Both the club and OPLC said that they did not believe
that the bidding process had been compromised and have set up
investigations. The OPLC board, in charge of securing the future of the
Olympic Park site, voted 14-0 in February to make the Hammers the first
choice to move into the stadium. In a statement, West Ham said: 'We have
become aware of enquiries being made in respect of a lady who has undertaken
work for West Ham on a consultancy basis relating to the Olympic Stadium
project. We have undertaken an initial internal investigation.' OPLC added:
'The OPLC had no knowledge of this work and no permission was given to
undertake it. This individual had no involvement whatsoever in our stadium
process.
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