Thursday, August 11

Daily WHUFC News - 11th August 2011

Carr welcomes Potts return
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Tony Carr is delighted that club great Steve Potts will
coach the Under-16 squad
10.08.2011

Academy Director Tony Carr has spoken of his delight at welcoming West Ham
United great Steve Potts on to the Academy coaching staff. Potts has
re-joined the Hammers on a part-time basis working with the club's Under-16
side, coaching the young players two days each week as part of their
day-release programme and also working during evenings and weekends. Carr
said the former West Ham defender, who chalked up 505 appearances in claret
and blue, would be a huge asset to the Academy. "Steve will come in on the
day-release days two weekdays every week and also work on evenings and
weekends to assist with the development of the young players at that level,"
said the Academy Director. "He's got all his coaching badges and he will be
a welcome addition to the Academy. The Academy has changed since Steve's day
in the fact that it now contains boys aged from eight up to 18 but, other
than that, it is largely the same. "Steve will train the players and will
help with their development and improvement as we continue to try to produce
first-team players for the club."

While Potts will concentrate on the Under-16 schoolboys, Carr continues to
oversee the Academy as a whole, working closely alongside coach Nick Haycock
with the club's full-time scholars. Another person who has taken a great
deal of interest in the scholars is manager Sam Allardyce, who has already
held a number of discussions with Carr about the club's promising
youngsters. "Sam is interested in the youth team and what is going on
underneath first-team level at the club," Carr confirmed. "He wants to know
everything about the ins and outs at every level of the football club. He
has said that if a player is good enough then the opportunity will be there
for him to train with the first team. "The bottom line is not their age but
if they are good enough. "If they are not quite ready for the first team,
then the development squad is there to act as a link between youth football
and first-team football."

Between Carr's Under-18s and Allardyce's first team, the development squad
acts as a link, giving young professionals and senior players returning from
injury a platform to showcase their talents and fitness. Coached by former
Barnet manager Ian Hendon, Carr believes the development squad has an
important part to play in the future of the football club. The Academy
Director has been impressed with the way Hendon has come into Chadwell Heath
and imposed his own ideas in just a few short weeks. "Ian Hendon has come in
and taken on the role of development coach and he will look after those
slightly older players who are still developing and improving. "I will have
a say in the system and will work very closely with Ian with regards to who
needs games and who might need specialist work in certain areas.
"It is an exciting and rewarding role for Ian and he has settled in very
well."

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George happy to be back
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has his sixth new recruit this summer with the arrival of
George McCartney
10.08.2011

George McCartney has returned to West Ham United on a season-long loan from
Sunderland to become Sam Allardyce's sixth summer signing. The Northern
Irish left-back made 71 appearances in a hugely successful two-year stay
between 2006 and 2008, which culminated in him being named Hammer of the
Year runner-up in his final full season. He will wear the No3 shirt. He
said: "It is brilliant to be coming back. For me personally it will be great
to be playing again for a club like West Ham. It is a big opportunity for me
and I can't wait to get started again. I am looking forward to being part of
the manager's squad and the club's push for promotion. "I have got
experience of the Championship. It is a tough league to be in but with the
signings the manager has made already and the players already here, it is a
healthy squad. In my eyes, it is more than capable of getting us up at the
first attempt."

McCartney left to join Sunderland on 1 September 2008 before spending last
season on loan at Leeds United, playing 32 times. Coincidentally, the
30-year-old defender's Boleyn Ground return could come against Leeds on
Sunday week. He is especially looking forward to running out at the Boleyn
again. "The West Ham fans are fantastic. I remember how good they were to me
when I was here before. "I know that if you do the business on the pitch,
they will get behind you both home and away. More than ever this season, we
need them behind the team as we look to try again promoted. The fans will be
a big part in that."

Another proven Premier League performer, McCartney follows a host of new
recruits to arrive at the club over the summer, namely Abdoulaye Faye, Kevin
Nolan, Matt Taylor, Joey O'Brien and John Carew. McCartney has experience of
a successful Championship challenge, having helped Sunderland to the 2004/05
title and promotion in his first spell at the Stadium of Light. He was also
named the club's player of the year in that campaign.

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Trio in international action
WHUFC.com
Three West Ham United players turned out for their respective nations on
Wednesday evening
10.08.2011

West Ham United were represented across Europe and further afield on a busy
evening of international action on Wednesday. Jack Collison, Pablo Barrera
and Marek Stech were all in action, while Robert Green and Scott Parker had
the night off after England's friendly international with Netherlands at
Wembley was postponed due to the civil unrest in London this week.

Collison appeared as a half-time substitute for Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey in
Wales' 2-1 home friendly defeat by Australia in Cardiff. There was plenty of
Hammers interest in the match, with former captain Lucas Neill leading the
Socceroos and the recently-departed Danny Gabbidon and Craig Bellamy
starting for Gary Speed's side.

Goalkeeper Stech played the full 90 minutes for Czech Republic, but had
little to do in their 8-0 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying
Group 3 victory over Andorra in Mlada Boleslav.

Barrera's Mexico, fresh from the West Ham winger inspiring them to glory at
the CONCACAF Gold Cup, are set to take on their final opponents in that
tournament, United States, at 2am UK time on Thursday. The match between the
neighbours is taking place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Details will appear on whufc.com on Thursday morning.

*West Ham United Under-18s scored a superb 5-1 victory at Ryman League
Division One North side Great Wakering Rovers on Wednesday evening. Elliot
Lee and Kieran Sadlier both scored twice, with Dymon Labonne also on target.
Full reaction from Academy Director Tony Carr will appear on whufc.com on
Thursday morning.

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West Ham sign George McCartney on loan from Sunderland
Page last updated at 16:45 GMT, Wednesday, 10 August 2011 17:45 UK
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have signed defender George McCartney on a season-long loan from
Premier League side Sunderland. The 30-year-old began his career as a
trainee at Sunderland, before moving to the Hammers in 2006. After two years
at Upton Park, the Northern Ireland international returned back to
Sunderland for £4.5m in September 2008. "The West Ham fans are fantastic and
it's brilliant to be coming back," McCartney told the club website. "It will
be great to be playing for a club like West Ham. It's a big opportunity for
me and I can't wait to get started." McCartney, who spent most of last
season on loan at Leeds United, has made 61 league appearances in his two
previous seasons with the Hammers.

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He came in through the transfer window (reprise)
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 10th August 2011
By: Staff Writer

George McCartney has joined West Ham on a season-long loan. The Northern
Irish international, who originally signed for West Ham in August 2006 spent
two years at the Boleyn Ground before being sold to current club Sunderland
in a £6.5million deal - a sale that prompted the departure of former manager
Alan Curbishley. Having spent three years on Wearside, where he has made
just 36 Premier League starts for the Black Cats, McCartney is now back in
east London - and says he can't wait to pull on the famous claret and blue
jersey once again. "It's brilliant to be coming back," he told whufc.com
this afternoon. "It will be great to be playing again for a club like West
Ham. It is a big opportunity for me and I can't wait to get started again.
"I am looking forward to being part of the manager's squad and the club's
push for promotion. I have got experience of the Championship; It is a tough
league to be in but with the signings the manager has made already and the
players already here, it is a healthy squad. "In my eyes, it is more than
capable of getting us up at the first attempt."

Whilst rarely used by Sunderland since moving to the North East in 2008,
McCartney made 32 appearances for Leeds United last season in the
Championship. Although that particular spell ended badly - Leeds owner Ken
Bates criticised the left-back in April for consistently arriving late for
training - McCartney was a regular in the Leeds team for the entire season.

Georgie Mac, it's nice to see you back: Career stats

1998-2006: Sunderland - 135 starts (22 sub), 0 goals
2006-2008: West Ham Utd - 64 starts (7 sub), 1 goals
2008-2010: Sunderland - 40 starts (6 sub), 0 goals
2010-2011: Leeds Utd - 32 starts, 0 subs, 0 goals

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Hammers pounce for McCartney
Black Cats defender joins West Ham on season-long loan
By James Pearson - Follow me: @SkySportsJamesP. Last Updated:
August 10, 2011 5:36pm
SSN

West Ham have re-signed George McCartney on a season-long loan from
Sunderland to become Sam Allardyce's sixth summer signing. McCartney first
joined the Hammers in August 2006 following a £1million switch from the
Black Cats and he went on to make 71 appearances during a two-year spell.
The 30-year-old spent most of last season in the Championship on loan at
Leeds United, a side which he could now line up against on Sunday week.
McCartney is delighted to be back at Upton Park having enjoyed his first
spell with the East London outfit and he is eager to help the team win
promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Brilliant

"It is brilliant to be coming back. For me personally it will be great to be
playing again for a club like West Ham," he told the club's official
website. "It is a big opportunity for me and I can't wait to get started
again. I am looking forward to being part of the manager's squad and the
club's push for promotion. "I have got experience of the Championship. It is
a tough league to be in but with the signings the manager has made already
and the players already here, it is a healthy squad. In my eyes, it is more
than capable of getting us up at the first attempt. "The West Ham fans are
fantastic. I remember how good they were to me when I was here before. "I
know that if you do the business on the pitch, they will get behind you both
home and away. More than ever this season, we need them behind the team as
we look to try again promoted. The fans will be a big part in that."

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