Two local youngsters handed WHU trial
WHUFC.com
Two youngsters on a West Ham United Community Sports Trust half term course were invited for a trial
06.03.2013
Two lucky local youngsters are one step closer to realising their dreams of becoming Premier League footballers after being invited to a trial at West Ham United's Academy.The two schoolchildren were both selected by the Academy's Head of Recruitment Dave Hunt following last month's half term football coaching courses at the Community Sports Trust facility in Beckton. The youngsters were put through their paces throughout the half term course, participating in both passing and receiving exercises, individual attacking and defending exercises, goal scoring and finishing drills and group combination play. Sessions were tailored to develop each individual's natural ability, awareness and decision making. Football Development officer Bryan Glover said, "The new syllabus is proving to be a great success and credit goes to Tony Carr MBE for his input in designing and implementing the courses. "I would also like to thank Dave Hunt and his recruitment team for attending the courses in search for new talent. I want to wish both Austin and Sam good luck for their trial but I am sure they will do well." For full details or to book your place on a range of exciting football courses being held near you over the Easter holidays email
community@westhamunited.co.uk.
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Stephenson sings Academy's praises
WHUFC.com
Former Hammers defender Stephenson spoke of his enduring fondness for all things West Ham
06.03.2013
Once West Ham United's record signing, Alan Stephenson, who joined for £80,000 from Crystal Palace in 1968, would go on to distinguish himself at the Boleyn Ground in 118 outings in claret and blue. Stephenson's four-year stint with West Ham United saw the Chesham-born defender line up alongside World Cup-winning trio Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. Some 40 years on, Stephenson remembers his time in east London with great affection and still holds the club and its Academy in the very highest esteem. "The club to me means the way to play football," he told whufc.com. "It has always had a tradition of good football and the team at the moment are trying to play some special football. It's just quality that this club stands for and whenever anyone goes to watch West Ham play, they know they're going to get a good game."
Though Stephenson learned his trade as a teenager at Crystal Palace, he is still every bit an admirer of the Hammers' famous Academy, one that he expects will continue to hone some of the game's brightest young talents. "Academies are very special places to learn the game and over here, no doubt, they have got one of the best there is. You only need to look at the players that have come through. Hopefully some new faces can come through the Youth Team and make their names just as the players did in the 60s, after all, Hurst, Peters and Moore all came through the Academy. "Hopefully that will continue to happen and I'm sure it will under the management of Tony Carr. I just wish them all success, I wish the club success and mainly the supporters at this club deserve the best."
Looking back upon his own time at the club, Stephenson recalled three particularly memorable outings in claret and blue, while he was effusive in his praise of West Ham United and England legend Bobby Moore. "The league debut is always special. Though it was only a 0-0 draw at Southampton, it was a very special occasion for me to be signing for a big club in London. "A game I really enjoyed was the 5-1 away win at Manchester City, when Jimmy Greaves made his league debut. We beat them on a quagmire of a pitch and they had just won the First Division championship prior to that as well. Also, the 8-0 victory over Sunderland, when Geoff Hurst scored six at home, that was another special occasion. "I have fantastic memories of Bobby Moore. He made the game look so simple. He was never flustered, he never lost his temper. He led by example. It's sad that he went so early in his life. He helped me out as a player. I played over 100 games with him, so I learned a lot from playing with him. He was a very special person and a very special footballer. "He has left a huge legacy for this club to carry on into the future and hopefully some of the youngsters coming through the club will equal what he achieved in world football and go on to be special players for West Ham United."
As for the current crop, Stephenson is suitably impressed with what he has seen of Sam Allardyce's side in the Barclays Premier League. "I'm hoping they can achieve a mid-table finish. Having come up from the Championship last year, this is not an easy league. A lot of clubs are struggling at the moment, even quality clubs, but for West Ham to maintain their Premier League status is the number one criterion. Then hopefully the club can build from that success and go on to even better things next year."
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Olympic Stadium: Barry Hearn calls for judicial review
BBC.co.uk
Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn will mount a legal challenge over the future of the Olympic Stadium. London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has named West Ham United as the preferred bidder to move into the venue and said the process had been "robust, fair and transparent". But Hearn told BBC London: "We believe the rules of the bidding process set out by the LLDC have not been followed. "We are challenging them by asking the High Court to issue a judicial review."
In a statement LLDC said: "We have been notified that Leyton Orient have made the decision to issue proceedings for judicial review. "Whilst this is disappointing, we believe that our processes have been robust, fair and transparent and that the challenge is misconceived." League One side Leyton Orient and West Ham were among four parties to bid for tenancy of the £429 million venue, along with UCFB College of Football Business and a consortium linked to Formula 1. This is the second attempt to resolve the stadium's future use after the initial process which identified West Ham as preferred bidders collapsed in October 2011 following a legal challenge by Tottenham Hotspur and other difficulties. Hearn argues that the current process carried out by the LLDC has ignored the possibility of Orient and West Ham sharing the stadium. The O's chairman proposed a possible ground share with the Premier League side when the bidding process re-opened last summer but shortly afterwards West Ham announced they were not considering such an arrangement. "All parties signed up to the principle of 'teaming' and we don't think that serious consideration has been given to Leyton Orient sharing or 'teaming' with West Ham in the occupancy of the Olympic Stadium. "Our legal advice is that there is a fundamental flaw in the LLDC's bidding process that has to be rectified. "I went to two Queen's Counsels to be instructed on this and they both agreed that this whole operation has been a massive mistake by LLDC. "Those are their words, not mine.
"As such we are very confident the judicial review will show us to be correct and the bidding process will have to take into account the teaming principles.
"We know we are fighting for our future and survival. We have to follow the rules as laid down and other parties have to follow them as well. "Clearly that has not been done and we want to know why."
The chief executive of the LLDC announced in November last year that the Olympic Stadium would not re-open until August 2015 at the earliest following delays in the bidding process. The London Legacy Development Corporation board is set to meet on 26 March but earlier this week West Ham co-owner David Gold said they were closing in on agreeing a deal with them. However, an extraordinary general meeting of the LLDC could be called if an agreement over the venue is reached before then. Hearn believes that West Ham moving into the Olympic Stadium on their own would eventually force Orient out of business, and he has repeated his calls for the two clubs to occupy the stadium together. "A major club can ground share with a smaller one," Hearn said. "I don't think occupancy by West Ham and Leyton Orient hurts either team. "It prolongs and extends the legacy of the Olympic Park and makes it vibrant. "West Ham moving to the Olympic Park will put a huge amount of pressure on Leyton Orient to survive at all. "We are 750 yards away [from the Park] trying to compete with Premiership football. We have no chance in the long term. "The common sense way out is; why don't we share the ground? "I don't understand why this principle of 'teaming' is being ignored by the LLDC and West Ham. "Unfortunately and because of the intransigence of certain people we have to go back to court to have the original bid process disqualified."
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Leyton Orient return to court to challenge Olympic Stadium bidding process
Last Updated: March 6, 2013 3:27pm
SSN
Leyton Orient have asked for a judicial review of the process which made West Ham preferred bidder for the Olympic Stadium. The Premier League club's co-owner David Gold said this week he expects the move to be officially confirmed on March 16 - more than three months after the bidding process went West Ham's way. Orient's chairman Barry Hearn has long argued the decision threatens his club's existence and wants the possibility of a groundshare to be fully considered. And he told Sky Sports News the London Legacy Development Corporation had breached its own rules by failing to explore that option. "Do we want to share with West Ham? Ideally, we wouldn't like West Ham there to start with. But taking that as a gimme - and I think the Mayor's office have made it clear from day one West Ham are their preferred bidder - we'd like to enter into the teaming process."
Barry Hearn
"We believe the bidding process is fundamentally flawed," he said, "and that LLDC have not followed their own rules. All parties involved signed up to the principle of 'teaming' and yet our bid has been turned down without consideration of a groundshare with West Ham. "Our legal advice is very convinced this is a fundamental flaw, and I'm afraid the saga looks set to continue. "We believe it's a point of law, but our overriding principle is that we're keen on sharing the stadium simply because if we don't, the additional competition will put Leyton Orient out of business. "Do we want to share with West Ham? Ideally, we wouldn't like West Ham there to start with. But taking that as a gimme - and I think the Mayor's office have made it clear from day one West Ham are their preferred bidder - we'd like to enter into the teaming process. "I don't see any harm to West Ham or anyone else to allow a small community club like Leyton Orient to benefit from the Olympic legacy by surviving in the future."
Orient to block West Ham stadium move
Challenged on whether he would accept compensation from West Ham, Hearn said: "I'm not interested in the money, I'm interested in us having a dream as well. I'm looking for a real legacy, not just a legacy in words where we fall over backwards to help a multi-million pound company like West Ham United."
A statement from the LLDC in response to Orient's decision read: "We believe that our processes have been robust, fair and transparent and that the challenge is misconceived."
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Cole admits Liverpool move a mistake
ESPN staff
March 6, 2013
Joe Cole admits his decision to join Liverpool in 2010 was a mistake, claiming his only other option was an unthinkable move to Tottenham. Cole, 31, spent two-and-a-half years as a player at Anfield but failed to become a regular in the first team, being sent out on loan to Lille last season before rejoining his boyhood club West Ham in January. The England international says he never felt comfortable at Livepool but was forced to take up the only offer that appealed to him. "I can only play for teams that I'm passionate about and I think that's what went wrong for me at Liverpool," Cole said. "I didn't feel a connection with the club or the place that I had at Chelsea and West Ham. "I had seven great years at Chelsea but the club wanted to go in a certain direction and I wasn't involved. So I was left with two real options - Liverpool or Spurs. "Spurs was probably the best option because they were offering me a five-year deal and it meant I could stay in familiar surroundings. "But I just couldn't do it, I just couldn't see myself pulling that Spurs shirt over my head. With the rivalry between Spurs and West Ham and Chelsea, it felt a bit mercenary."
Cole believes the mentality at Liverpool made it difficult for him to settle in, with their insistence on being known as the "biggest club in the country" catching him off guard. "When I joined, the guy interviewing me said 'you've joined the biggest club in the country' and reeled off the trophies they'd won," he said. "I just said 'yeah, if you put it like that, I suppose you're right' and Liverpool used that as the headline to the interview. "I didn't want to upset anyone so I just went along with it. But obviously they're not the biggest club in the country any more. How do you judge how big a club are? Nottingham Forest won the European Cup twice but they're not a bigger club than Chelsea."
Although issues with match time plagued Cole at Chelsea, he seemed more motivated to break into the Blues' line-up than he did at Liverpool. "I rolled in at Chelsea on my first day thinking 'I'm going to be a big part of this club'," he added. "Then Sebastian Veron walks through the door with about five agents. Same position as me, costing three or four times as much. "As soon as I signed, (former owner Ken) Bates said to me: 'Congratulations, son, you've joined to sit on our bench'. I just thought 'I'll show you' and a year later I was playing regularly and Veron was off."
And his decision to return to Upton Park was not only buoyed by an unhappy stint with the Reds. "I was missing London and my family and I had a personal tragedy in December when my brother-in-law died. I got an opportunity to go back to West Ham and I don't want to move any more."
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Tony Cottee Column: Fantastic Stoke win makes West Ham almost safe
London 24
Tony Cottee Writes, Recorder Columnist
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Stoke City's Asmir Begovic saves from West Ham United's Jack Collison during the Barclays Premier League match at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke.
I am going out on a limb here and I know that it is a dangerous thing to do, but I think that Saturday's magnificent victory at Stoke City all but guarantees Premier League football at Upton Park next season. I think it was a fantastic win. Stoke is never an easy place to go and we have a bad record there over the years and I did fear the worst when we went up there. Sam would have done all his preparations during the week, but when you then lose two players in the first 11 minutes that can often throw the whole team off and can quickly turn into a nightmare. So all credit to the players and to the boss. He brought on two very different players in Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te and it was those two who combined for the winning goal. It will not have been easy for either of them. They have not been playing and then you get thrown in at the deep end and you can't be 100 per cent fit, but they both did superbly. I have to say I am absolutely delighted for Jack. He has so much talent, but has had so many problems with his knee. He is a really good lad too and it is great to see him doing so well and scoring goals.
Saturday's win puts us on 33 points and I really think we only need four or five more. Everyone talks about the magical 40-point mark, but if you look back at the Premier League statistics, most of the time you don't need that many and I think it will be the same this year. We are not playing at the weekend which will give us a chance to get some players back for the Chelsea game and though our rivals will be in action, some are playing each other so they can't all win.
Let's play Man United in May
This weekend's scheduled clash with Manchester United has been postponed because of their FA Cup match and if I was the Hammers secretary I would be doing everything I could to arrange that match for sometime in May. With United so far clear at the top, they should be champions by the time it comes to May and they could also still be in the Champions League. That could mean Sir Alex tinkering with his line-up and that could work to our advantage. They have been brilliant this season, but we should have beaten them in the FA Cup and we would fancy our chances against a weakened team towards the end of the season.
It is Chelsea next though and the good news is that the game is on Sunday and the United game will be a midweek clash and that means I can go to both matches. The bad news though is that I haven't seen the Hammers win all season!
Let's hope that changes.
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West Ham weigh up £6m striking Plan B
Football Fancast
Date: 6th March 2013 at 3:51 pm
Written by Kike Muniz
West Ham United could be weighing up a £6m summer move for Southampton attacker Rickie Lambert, The Sun reports. The 31 year-old is making an impact on his first Premier League season and could move to Upton Park at the end of the season. The Hammers' interest in the 2011-12 Championship Player of the Year arise after reports indicate the club will not look to secure a permanent deal for Liverpool's on-loan striker Andy Carroll. It is understood the Londoners would have to pay a £17m transfer fee, along with wages in excess of £84k a week in order to keep the England international at Upton Park; the kind of numbers that could hardly be justified given his performance shown to date. The former Bristol Rovers striker, on the other hand, is completing an outstanding season, keeping alive Southampton's hopes to maintain their top flight status with 12 goals in 24 games. Lambert, who recently scored his 100th goal for Southampton, is proving vital to Mauricio Pochettino's side as he has netted a 32.5% of the league goals the team has scored. However, it remains to be seen whether Southampton survival within the Premier League will prove a decisive factor for the club to retain its prolific striker.
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Joe Cole on boxing: Noble fancies himself as a fighter, that would be a good match-up!
By MARTIN DOMIN
PUBLISHED: 14:38, 6 March 2013 | UPDATED: 15:26, 6 March 2013
Daily Mail
Joe Cole plans to pull on a pair of boxing gloves when he hangs up his boots - and wants to meet West Ham team-mate Mark Noble in the ring. The midfielder recently returned to his first club after spells with Chelsea, Liverpool and Lille. And while he has no plans to retire just yet, Cole admits boxing has long been a fascination. 'I messed around as a kid down the local club,' he said. 'I had a couple of spars but didn't like getting hit! I might do some White Collar. 'Mark Noble is good on the pads. He fancies himself as a bit of a fighter so that could be a good match-up!' Cole will be ringside at Wembley Arena on Saturday when Chelsea fan and former European champion Darren Barker takes on Simone Rotolo. 'I watch more boxing than football,' he admitted. 'I go as often as I can. When I was out for a year [at Chelsea], I was at every show.' 'The boxing crowd is amazing. They get right behind the boxers and give them an extra 10 per cent.' Cole also revealed that footballers would struggle with the demands of a boxer's training regime. 'It's more intense,' he added. 'With football, you play and you've got to recover for the next game but with boxing the training is more intense. 'I quite like training but it does sound bit strong. It would be too much for a footballer. 'We do it mainly in pre-season to keep ourselves ticking over. It's hard but it's fun punching the bag.'
Barker, who hopes to earn a second shot at a world title after he fell short against middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in 2011, is a familiar face at Chelsea after launching his own fitness class at Stamford Bridge. 'I respect any professional in any walk of life,' he said. 'It's an individual sport so if we're not properly prepared we don't have 10 other players to carry us through. It's our heath on the line, it's important to be properly conditioned. Its good to have the big players supporting your career, it pulls you along and gives you more encouragement. I had Jody Morris on the pads and he was really good.'
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Kevin Nolan will have to go if West Ham are to move forward
Big Sam has to ponder dropping his beloved Captain.
Givemefootball.com
Published 4 hours ago by Darren Oh.
Many fans recognise West Ham more from a certain hooligan movie rather than as the club who has produced more English internationals than any other club. The Academy of Football is a crucial institution for England's future, and West Ham's future thus remains inevitably crucial to England. West Ham United has suffered in recent years. Once a competitive mid-table team, the club rode a steady decline riddled with bad luck all the way down to the Championship. Irresponsible ownership and stints of poor management led to the downfall and reinvention of a club that is so vital to England. Since their downfall in 2011, astute financial management by new English owners and experienced management under "Big Sam" Allardyce have led to promotion. Furthermore, the Club's performance in the current season shows a respectable point tally of 33 points from 28 rounds of football. But just as all seems well, and safety in the Premier League all but guaranteed, the Irons have come to a juncture where some critical questions have to be confronted and questioned. The Championship and the Premier League are different animals. What often functions so effectively in the second division tends to fail miserably in the first. Just ask Sylvan Ebanks-Blake. Big Sam has continued his 4-2-3-1 from last season, where a rigid formation with two hardworking defensive midfielders, with a goal-scoring trequartista in Kevin Nolan served him respectably. Despite his claims that his methods are as updated as that of Arsene Wenger, he has shown limited tactical flexibility by continuing this formation against virtually every opponent this season.
The issue is that while this formation has achieved the objective of keeping West Ham up this season, the likelihood of its continued efficacy in the top flight is very low. Watching West Ham matches throughout the season have made for repeated feelings of precariousness.
Often, they can score directly and maintain leads, but the content of the games show a consistent vulnerability on counter attacks. This is largely due to the limited work rate of Captain Kevin Nolan, who maintains a long-standing relationship and trust with Big Sam. As he contributes little to nothing to the team defence, it is imperative that the industrious Mark Noble and the powerful Mohamed Diame have to play behind him for the team to be able to maintain its shape.
This kind of sacrifice by West Ham's workhorses is justified if the team is winning somewhat consistently. But this is not the case. West Ham finishing above the bottom three this year will suffice and justify any tactical decisions, but for the club to truly move forward, the formation must change, and Nolan must be dropped. No team in the Premier League can afford to have half-a-player in a squad simply because he is the likeliest to hit the second shots.
Every player needs to play both sides of the game for a team to be successful in the modern game and particularly in the Premier League, where the ability to challenge others physically is necessary. With his most recent injury, it is interesting to see what Big Sam will do to create a formation without his star man. What it is sure to do is force him to explore other options and build more mobile and agile attacks. A first game without him has already resulted in a win.
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Leyton Orient contest West Ham's Olympic Stadium sole tenancy rights
• 'LLDC have not stuck by their own rules,' says Hearn
• Orient want West Ham to share Olympic Stadium
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 6 March 2013 14.21 GMT
Leyton Orient have started a legal fight to have the decision to allow West Ham to move into the Olympic Stadium struck out. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA
The Leyton Orient chairman, Barry Hearn, has launched proceedings for a judicial review over the decision to allow West Ham to seek sole tenancy rights to the Olympic Stadium.
Hearn believes the London Legacy Development Corporation has broken its own rules in now allowing the League One club to be "teamed" with the Hammers in the bidding process. Hearn, who wants his own club and the Hammers to become joint tenants of the £429m stadium, has repeated his claim that the O's will have no future if the Hammers move in.
Hearn told his club's official website: "I was concerned that this was a done deal for West Ham before the bidding began, but the fact that both clubs had to commit to teaming made me believe that we were getting involved in a fair process. However, the LLDC have not stuck by their own rules and have left Orient with no option but to challenge their decision in the Courts.
"We don't intend to interfere with West Ham's residency at the stadium, but maintain the position that if they are going to be there, then we need to be there too. As I have said many times before, if West Ham move to the stadium and we are left a mile up the road, Leyton Orient will not survive."
Hearn was also part of a judicial review in 2011, which included Tottenham and resulted in the process of awarding tenancy rights to the stadium being abandoned. The LLDC board, which is tasked with sorting out the stadium's future, named West Ham as the number one choice to move into the Olympic Stadium in December.
An LLDC spokesman said: "We have been notified that Leyton Orient have made the decision to issue proceedings for judicial review. Whilst this is disappointing, we believe that our processes have been robust, fair and transparent and that the challenge is misconceived."
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Hearn seeking judicial review
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 6th March 2013
By: Staff Writer
Orient Chairman Barry Hearn has announced his latest bid to prevent West Ham United from moving into the Olympic Stadium.
Hearn, who in tandem with Tottenham Hotspur successfully challenged the first 'preferred bidder' process back in 2011 is hoping to repeat that success, having raised objections over the validity of the recent decision to once again grant use of the Stratford arena to United.
Hearn argues that the possibility of a 'ground share' between West Ham and his club, Orient, was never considered by the London Legacy Development Corporation - something that he believes constitutes foul play.
"All parties signed up to the principle of 'teaming' and we don't think that serious consideration has been given to Leyton Orient sharing or 'teaming' with West Ham in the occupancy of the Olympic Stadium," he told BBC London.
"We believe the rules of the bidding process set out by the LLDC have not been followed. We are challenging them by asking the High Court to issue a judicial review.
"Our legal advice is that there is a fundamental flaw in the LLDC's bidding process that has to be rectified. I went to two Queen's Counsels to be instructed on this and they both agreed that this whole operation has been a massive mistake by LLDC."
News of Hearn's latest legal challenge led the LLDC to respond via official statement: "Whilst this is disappointing, we believe that our processes have been robust, fair and transparent and that the challenge is misconceived," they said.
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Scudumore blasts liars at West Ham over Tevez affair
Scud: Irons 'lies' hurt me
By DAN KING
Published: 06th March 2013
The Sun
PREMIER LEAGUE chief Richard Scudamore has blasted the 'liars' at West Ham who caused the Carlos Tevez scandal. The Hammers broke third-party investment rules to sneak in Tevez in 2006 — and his goals kept them in the Premier League. Scudamore said: "It is the No 1 act of bad faith that anyone ever did towards me here. "If a club chooses, through its executives, to lie to you to your face, there is a good deal of damage that can flow from that." West Ham were fined £5.5million and made to pay relegated Sheffield United £18m. Third-party ownership was outlawed in 2008. Scudamore — in an interview with Bloomberg Television — added: "The feeling is 'speculators' owning the economic rights of players is wrong."
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