Daily WHUFC News - 14th March 2013

The Big Interview - Rob Hall
WHUFC.com
Rob Hall is on the road to recovery after undergoing keyhole surgery to
rectify a hernia injury
13.03.2013

A familiar face returned to West Ham United's Chadwell Heath training ground
this week in the shape of forward Rob Hall. The England Under-19
international forward, who is currently on loan at npower Championship club
Birmingham City, has undergone keyhole surgery to rectify a hernia injury.
Hall has been in fine form for the Blues, where he in the same squad as
fellow loanee Ravel Morrison and former Hammers Hayden Mullins and Jonathan
Spector, chalking up seven assists in just 13 appearances.

Rob, we haven't seen you at Chadwell Heath for a few weeks, so can you fill
us in with what you have been up to?

RH - "I've been at Birmingham on loan and it's been a good spell. I've
learnt a lot, played a lot of games and got a lot of minutes under my belt.
I've played a lot more than I expected, so I was disappointed to pick up a
hernia injury that needed to be sorted out. Hopefully I can get back on the
pitch as soon as possible. I've spoken to the medical team and it should be
sorted as soon as possible and I hope to be fit in a few weeks. I'm a bit
sore and aching but I'm told that's normal and I'm already doing a lot of
exercise and that helps reduce the pain."

You have made 13 Championship appearances for Birmingham, so have you felt
comfortable playing regularly at that level?

RH - "Definitely. If anything, you can only learn more when you play at the
highest possible level. I'm at the age when I don't think I can lose. I'm
19, so I'm not going to lose my pace or shape of my game - rather, I'm going
to add to my game. I think I can handle it in the Championship, so if I play
football there or in the Premier League in the future, I feel I can play
more at that level. It is my dream to play for West Ham and to start my next
game for the club, but that's not my first aim. I want to focus on getting
back from this injury and see where I am after that."

How have you found playing regularly at first-team level physically?

RH - "Playing games has been great and my form was good. It died off a bit
in the last three matches, when I was a bit inconsistent. I was just a bit
quiet, rather than bad. It's been good to learn how to react to different
times of the season. I was there for the Christmas period and it was
possibly the hardest part of the season, so to learn how your body is during
that period is what I have gone out on loan for as well. All three of my
loan spells - at Oxford United, MK Dons and Birmingham - have been
beneficial. I've enjoyed learning from senior professionals - Michael
Duberry at Oxford, Alan Smith at MK Dons and people like Paul Robinson,
Stephen Carr and Hayden at Birmingham."

You have chalked up seven assists in your 13 appearances. That is some
going! Are you taking all the free-kicks and corners?

RH - "Being more experienced this season, having played a lot of
reserve-team football at West Ham last year, I have been confident and taken
more of the set pieces. I like setting things up by putting the ball into
dangerous areas and going for goal, so I have got a few assists at
Birmingham. I think I've done well there, in the main. There was only one
game when I got a negative response and that was the same for pretty much
the whole team on the day, anyway.
Hopefully, the Birmingham fans and other people who watched me have a good
impression of me."

Did joining a Birmingham squad that contained so many ex-Hammers - Hayden
Mullins, Jonathan Spector, Papa Bouba Diop and fellow loanee Ravel Morrison
- make it easier to settle in at St Andrew's?

RH - "It definitely made it easier on my first day, yes. I also know Nathan
Redmond and Jack Butland as well [from England age-group duty] and they are
both really good friends of mine away from football anyway. It was good to
know them and to get to know everyone better. Seeing Hayden and Specs and
Papa and Rav meant I immediately had more to talk about and have a laugh
with. After the first couple of days, we had two games on the Saturday and
Tuesday so we were together all the time so meeting all the boys was nice. I
bonded with the new lads I met there just as well as the ones I already
knew. They are now all good friends."

How do you see the remainder of the season going for Birmingham?

RH - "I can only see the club moving upwards. I know we have been
under-achieving as a squad with the players we have got there, but I can't
see them going down. If you look at the Championship, everyone is beating
everyone and from about tenth place downwards, anyone could go down! It's
about those last three or four games and how many points you can pick up
then as long as you stay in and around it. At one stage we were six points
outside the Play-Offs, then we lost two on the spin and went back down the
table. The Championship is very tough, as the lads at West Ham saw last
year. The games come thick and fast and you just have to get a run going."

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Hammers duo in Wales squad
WHUFC.com
James Collins and Jack Collison are in the Wales squad to face Scotland and
Croatia in March
13.03.2013

West Ham United duo James Collins and Jack Collison have been named in the
Wales squad for their FIFA 2014 World Cup Qualifiers against Scotland and
Croatia later in March. Chris Coleman's side take on Scotland in Glasgow on
Friday 22 March before returning home to play Croatia at Swansea City's
Liberty Stadium on Tuesday 26 March. The pair will be hoping to lift Wales
from their current fifth position in Group A as the qualifying process
reaches its halfway point. They join Hammers defender Winston Reid in being
called for international duty this month. New Zealand have selected the
24-year-old for their World Cup Qualifiers against New Caledonia and Solomon
Islands, also on 22 and 26 March. The All Whites have won four games out of
four in this phase and a victory against New Caledonia would guarantee their
place in the intercontinental play-off in November. Fellow defender Joey
O'Brien, meanwhile, is in the Republic of Ireland's provisional squad for
their World Cup Qualifiers against Sweden and Austria on 22 March and 26
March. Ireland currently sit third in their group, four points off leaders
Germany having played a game less. - At Age Group level, Dan Potts is part
of the England Under-19 party for their international friendly against
Turkey on Thursday 21 March.
The game, which is due to place at AFC Telford United, will provide Noel
Blake's side with their final warm-up before the Elite Round of
qualification for this summer's UEFA U19 Championship in Lithuania.
International Hammers
James Collins - Wales v Scotland and Croatia, 22/26 March
Jack Collison - Wales v Scotland and Croatia, 22/26 March
Winston Reid - New Zealand v New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, 22/26 March
Joey O'Brien - Republic of ireland v Sweden and Austria, 22/26 March
Dan Potts - England U19 v Turkey U19, 21 March

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Brabrook's split loyalties
WHUFC.com
Ex-West Ham United and Chelsea winger Peter Brabrook cannot wait for
Sunday's London derby
13.03.2013

Sunday's Barclays Premier League London derby between West Ham United and
Chelsea is sure to be keenly contested. However, one man whose loyalties
will be split down the middle at Stamford Bridge is former Hammers and Blues
winger Peter Brabrook. Now 75, Brabrook joined Chelsea from school before
making his debut at the age of 17 in 1954, ending his first season by
winning the Division One championship. After 271 games and appearing for
England at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, he joined West Ham for £35,000 in 1962.
The transfer certainly paid-off as Brabrook helped the Hammers to win the FA
Cup for the first time in the club's history in 1964. The following season,
he helped West Ham to lift the European Cup Winners' Cup, but unfortunately
missed the final through injury. "I was at Chelsea for nine years and played
a lot of games," he explained. "I broke into the side at 17 and was a
regular up until 1962 when I went to West Ham. I was fortunate enough to
play three or four games in the Championship side in 1955 when I was just
17, which was a great honour. "I have some really good memories of my time
at Chelsea and we certainly had some good players - Roy Bentley who played
centre forward, a winger called Frank Blunstone and a right-back called
Peter Sillett who also played for England. From there, I joined West Ham and
some great players like Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Johnny
Byrne. "I went to Sweden in 1958, to Gothenburg, when I was 20, and I made
my England debut when I played in the play-off against the Soviet Union."

Following his retirement from playing, Brabrook took up a role within the
Academy of Football, helping to unearth and mould the likes of current
Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard and Hammers and former Blues
star Joe Cole. He still works for West Ham in a scouting capacity. Brabrook
is positive about the prospects of both of his former clubs, and cannot wait
to see his former scholar Lampard in action again. "I think Chelsea are a
good footballing side. I think they are very good. I know a few of them are
pushing on a bit from a few years ago when they were winning everything,
which obviously hasn't helped, but they are still good players and warrant
being in the team. "I still think they'll be a force to be reckoned with
over the next four or five years as long as their owner Mr Abramovich is
still there. He is not short of a few bob, so I'm sure he'll put it into the
club and help bring them back to where they were. "It's fantastic for Frank
[that he is still playing so well]. He had to work so hard at his game and
made himself a player. He's probably near enough the best player who has
ever played for Chelsea. I had him in the Academy with a lot of other good
players here and Frank was a massive part of it. He's done exceptionally
well to make himself a great player. "Frank always sneaked in and got a goal
as a youngster, too. His overall contribution and work-rate and
determination to do well and make himself a player were there to see. He was
not a ready-made player. Frank made himself a player with the help of his
Dad. "I'm not leaning either way on Sunday - I'm going to sit on the fence!
To me, they are two great clubs. I left school to join Chelsea and was there
for nine years. Then I went to West Ham in 1962 and had a fantastic time
winning the FA Cup in 1964 and being part of the squad that won the European
Cup Winners' Cup. It was great to be here with some really top players."

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Man Utd date set - under 1,000 left
WHUFC.com
Table-topping Red Devils to visit West Ham United on Wednesday 17 April
13.03.2013

West Ham United's home Barclays Premier League meeting with Manchester
United has been set for Wednesday 17 April with a 7.45pm kick-off. With
under 1,000 tickets available, supporters should move quickly to secure
their seat. Click here for ticketing information for this fixture. The
fixture had to be rescheduled after the original date clashed with the Red
Devils' involvement in the FA Cup with Budweiser sixth round last weekend.
Alex Ferguson's side currently sit top of the Premier League table, but
needed a replay to see off the Hammers' challenge in the FA Cup earlier this
season. West Ham were only a minute away from claiming their scalp in the
home tie, leading through two James Collins headers before Robin van Persie
struck a last-gasp leveller.

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Elliot elated with late leveller
WHUFC.com
Elliot Lee was thrilled to bag a late equaliser as West Ham made their point
at Liverpool
13.03.2013

West Ham United marksman Elliot Lee could hardly contain his joy after
popping up with an all-important last-gasp leveller at Liverpool's Kirkby
Academy.
Despite taking a fifth-minute lead courtesy of Dan Potts, Nick Haycock's
Hammers found themselves 3-2 behind as the game entered a fourth minute of
stoppage time.

But 18-year-old Lee slammed home from close range to earn West Ham's U21s a
valuable point in their pursuit of a top-three Barclays Under-21 Premier
League Elite Group finish. "It was obviously great to get the equaliser with
only seconds to go," he told West Ham TV. "We were told to just keep going
and a few decisions went our way at the end. The [character we showed] is
brilliant. The boys have got great team morale at the minute. Results
haven't been going our way but we've got a great team spirit and we just
keep believing. "Liverpool put a great side out on Monday and we're still
really young. We've got first-year scholars in our side and it just shows
the character we've got in our team to get the equaliser with seconds to go.
"It was always going to be tough when they have players like Jonjo Shelvey
and Raheem Sterling. They have got great Premier League experience, but it's
a good experience for us as well to play against the top players. At the end
of the day we got a great result, a 3-3 draw, it's good."

A beaming Lee reckoned his dramatic late volley ranks as one of the most
memorable goals he has ever scored, while he was similarly delighted to
share the plaudits with fellow frontman Wellington Paulista. "It's up there,
a last-second equaliser, it's right up there," he added. "I just want to
carry on now and hopefully get a few more. "To come to Kirkby and score
three just shows the type of players we've got in this team. We've got
goalscorers and we've got creative players. To score three goals puts us on
a good track and hopefully against Arsenal on Friday we'll score some more.
"It was obviously in my head that it had been about four games since I last
scored, so to get a goal right at the end was really good and I hope I can
progress now. "We seem to score together, me and Wellington. It was really
good, I'm really happy that he got his goal. We got a great result against
Liverpool, we've beaten Arsenal once this season, and I'm sure we can do it
again on Friday."

The Development Squad are back in action at the Boleyn Ground on Friday 15
March when they play host to Arsenal. The game kicks off at 7pm and
admission is free for season ticket holders, and just £3 for adults, £1
concessions.

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Man Utd fixture confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 13th March 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's Premier League home clash with runaway league leaders
Manchester United has been scheduled for 17th April. The fixture was
originally pencilled in for Sunday, 10th March but postponed due to the Red
Devils' continued paticipation in the FA Cup. It will now take place on
Wednesday, 17th at 7.45pm. All of which means that West Ham - who have just
three fixtures to play in the entire month of March - have to play five
times in the space of 20 days during April. It will be the second time that
Manchester United have visted the Boleyn Ground this season; on their
previous visit in January, the Reds had to rely on a last minute Robin Van
Persie to earn a 2-2 draw in the FA Cup third round tie.

2012/13: Remaining Fixtures

March
Sunday 17th: Chelsea (A)
Saturday 30th: WBA (H)

April
Sunday 7th:Liverpool (A)
Saturday 13th: Southampton (A)
Wednesday 17th: Manchester United (H)
Saturday 20th: Wigan Athletic (H)
Saturday 27th: Manchester City (A)

May
Saturday 4th: Newcastle Utd (H)
Sunday 12th: Everton (A)
Sunday 19th: Reading (H)

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West Ham legend Sir Geoff Hurst forecasts a bright future for the club
Last Updated: March 13, 2013 6:45pm
SSN

West Ham legend Sir Geoff Hurst is confident the impending move to the
Olympic Stadium could signal the start of a golden era for the club. Hammers
co-chairman David Gold revealed earlier this month that talks over the £429m
venue are at an advanced stage, and Hurst believes a deal could help them
become the next Manchester City. World Cup 1966 hero Hurst, 71, said when
asked if the east Londoners could emulate the likes of Chelsea and City:
"It's not beyond the realms of possibility if we go to the stadium and with
the support we've got. "West Ham has a huge supporter base. If you could
make a comparison to another club of a similar stature and I would say
Manchester City is it. Look what has happened to them after they went to a
new stadium. "If you were a foreign investor looking to buy a football club
then West Ham would be a similar contender in the new stadium. "More so if
you want to buy a London club rather than a team in Manchester. It would be
absolutely unbelievable. That could happen. "I think it has been great for
Chelsea with (Roman) Abramovich and for Manchester City. It has been great
for the game. Of course I'd be thrilled to bits if it happened to West Ham."

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