Daily WHUFC News - 28th September 2013

Hull City match preview
WHUFC.com
All the essential background information ahead of Saturday's trip to the KC Stadium
27.09.2013

HULL CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: KEVIN FRIEND

Hull City v West Ham United
Introduction

• West Ham United travel to the KC Stadium on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten away run to three Barclays Premier League matches following goalless draws at Newcastle United and Southampton.
• West Ham are the only team in the Barclays Premier League not to have conceded a goal on their travels this season.
• The Hammers are without a win since the opening day of the season in the league but will be boosted by a 3-2 win over Cardiff City in the Capital One Cup third round on Tuesday night.
• West Ham are unbeaten in their last five matches against the Tigers stretching back to January 2009. The Hammers won 2-1 on their most-recent visit to the KC Stadium in November 2011.
• West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is also without defeat in his last five matches against Hull - three with Blackburn and two with the Hammers.
• Following Hull's promotion to the Barclays Premier League last season, Steve Bruce's side have picked up seven points from five games, leaving them eleventh in the table. A 3-2 win away at Newcastle last Saturday followed a 1-1 draw with Cardiff in their most-recent home fixture.
• The Tigers also progressed in the Capital One Cup this week, defeating Huddersfield Town 1-0 to set-up a fourth round trip to Tottenham Hotspur next month.

Team News

West Ham United
• Midfielder Mark Noble is available again after serving a one-match ban for being sent-off in last weekend's home defeat by Everton.
• The fit-again winger Stewart Downing returns to the squad after recovering from the dead leg he suffered against Stoke City on 31 August.
• Right-back Guy Demel is also available again after missing the home games with Everton and Cardiff with a thigh problem.
• Joe Cole (hamstring) will not be risked, while Andy Carroll (foot) is continuing his rehabilitation. Alou Diarra (knee) also remains sidelined.
• Jordan Spence is on loan at Championship club Sheffield Wednesday.

Hull City
• Centre-back James Chester has been ruled out for eight weeks with a pulled hamstring. His place is set to go to former West Ham defender Abdoulaye Faye.
• Tigers captain Robert Koren is also definitely out with an ankle problem.
• Steve Bruce could recall left-back Maynor Figueroa after the Honduras international was granted compassionate leave.
• Republic of Ireland international defender Paul McShane will hope to feature following a hamstring injury.
• Mark Oxley (Oldham Athletic), Conor Townsend (Carlisle United), Jack Hobbs (Nottingham Forest), Cameron Stewart (Charlton Athletic), Matty Fryatt (Sheffield Wednesday) and Tom Cairney (Blackburn Rovers) are all out on loan.

Background
• The first-ever meeting between West Ham United and Hull City took place at Anlaby Road on 17 April 1920. Dan Bailey scored the Hammers' goal in a 1-1 Division Two draw played out in front of 8,000 spectators.
• The largest crowd to witness a Hull City versus West Ham United fixture is the 35,964 who turned out at Boothferry Park to watch the Tigers defeat the Hammers 1-0 in Division Two on 25 August 1952.
• West Ham United have recorded four victories in 20 visits to Hull City in all competitions and have never won by more than a one-goal margin on Tigers territory. The Hammers have won 3-2 twice at Hull - in the FA Cup first round in January 1923 and in Division Two in March 1936.
• Hull City's biggest-ever home win over West Ham United took place on 17 September 1934, when the Tigers ran out 4-0 Division Two winners at Anlaby Road in front of a crowd of just 5,000.
• West Ham United's biggest away win over Hull City came on 5 November 2011 in an npower Championship match. The Hammers ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Sam Baldock and Jack Collison.
• Eleven players have made their West Ham United debuts against Hull City - Jim Simmons (August 1920), Albert Foan and Eric Betts (both August 1950), George Wright, Doug Bing and Bert Hawkins (all September 1951), George Petchey (September 1952), Paul Kelly (January 1990), Matthew Rush (October 1990), Iain Dowie (March 1991) and Savio Nsereko (January 2009). Danny Shea also made his second Hammers 'debut' alongside Simmons in August 1920.
• The following players have worn the colours of both West Ham United and Hull City during their careers - Tommy Brandon, Jimmy Bullard, Roy Carroll, Alf Fenwick, Richard Garcia, Cliff Hubbard, Mark Noble, Stuart Pearson, Abdoulaye Faye and Tony Weldon.
• Mark Noble spent three months on loan at Hull between February and May 2006, making five Championship appearances.
• Hull full-back Liam Rosenior is the son of former West Ham United striker Leroy Rosenior.

Last time out
West Ham United 3-2 Cardiff City
Capital One Cup third round
Tuesday 24 September 2013
West Ham United: Adrian, Chambers, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney (Rat 82), Collison, Taylor, Morrison (Diame 58), Vaz Te, Jarvis, Maiga (Petric 46)
Subs not used: Henderson, Ruddock, Moncur, Nolan
Goals: Morrison 1, Jarvis 8, Vaz Te 88

Hull City 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Capital One Cup third round
Tuesday 24 September 2013
Hull City: Harper, Rosenior, Bruce, Dudgeon, Faye, Meyler, Boyd, Quinn (Henderson 74), Fryatt (Gedo 68), Sagbo, Proschwitz
Subs not used: Jakupovic, Davies, Huddlestone, Livermore, Elmohamady
Goals: Proschwitz 59

Previous meeting
West Ham United welcomed Hull City to the Boleyn Ground for the final game of the 2011/12 Championship season. The Hammers knew they had to win to have any chance of gaining automatic promotion, but Southampton's 4-0 home win over relegated Coventry City meant Carlton Cole's brace was in vain. Corry Evans scored a late consolation for the Tigers in front of a capacity 35,000 crowd.

West Ham United 2-1 Hull City
npower Championship
28 April 2012
West Ham United: Green, Demel, Reid, Tomkins, Taylor, O'Neil, Noble, Nolan (McCartney 74), Lansbury, Cole (Baldock 52), Vaz Te (Maynard 60)
Subs not used: Collison, Faubert
Booked: Nolan
Goals: Cole 36, 49
Hull City: Mannone, Rosenior, Chester, Cooper, Dawson, Cairney (Brady 73), McKenna, Evans, Garcia, Fryatt, King (Stewart 46)
Subs not used: Oxley, Bradley, Cullen
Goals: Evans 81

Head to head
Last six meetings
28 April 2012 West Ham United 2-1 Hull City (Championship)
5 November 2011 Hull City 0-2 West Ham United (Championship)
20 February 2010 West Ham United 3-0 Hull City (Premier League)
21 November 2009 Hull City 3-3 West Ham United (Premier League)
28 January 2009 West Ham United 2-0 Hull City (Premier League)
19 October 2008 Hull City 1-0 West Ham United (Premier League)
Overall record v Hull City (all competitions) W 17 D 14 L 10

Ten-year records
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th
2011/12 Championship 3rd (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
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

Hull City
2012/13 Championship 2nd (promoted to Premier League)
2011/12 Championship 8th
2010/11 Championship 11th
2009/10 Premier League 19th (relegated to Championship)
2008/09 Premier League 17th
2007/08 Championship 3rd (promoted to Premier League via Play-Offs)
2006/07 Championship 21st
2005/06 Championship 18th
2004/05 League One 2nd (promoted to Championship)
2003/04 Division Three 2nd (promoted to League One)

Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Kevin Friend.
• A member of the Select Group of Premier League officials, Friend took charge of the 2012 FA Community Shield between Chelsea and Manchester City.
• Friend started refereeing at the age of 13.
• He began officiating in the Leicestershire Senior League and Midland Football Alliance before being promoted to the National List of Assistant Referees in 2000 and the National List of Referees in 2003.
• He was promoted to the Select Group ahead of the 2009/10 season and took charge of his first Premier League fixture on 20 September 2009, with Wolverhampton Wanderers beating Fulham 2-1.
• Friend did not referee West Ham at all in the Barclays Premier League last season and was last in the middle for a league match involving West Ham during the 2011/12 season.
• Friend was also in charge for the SBOBET Cup victory over Spanish side Deportivo La Coruna in August 2010 and the pre-season visit of Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira last month.
General information
• West Ham fans have until 3pm to secure their seats for this All-Ticket fixture. For full details of how to buy tickets, click here.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for a sunny day on Humberside, with a maximum daytime temperature of 16C (61F).

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Tactically speaking - Hull City
WHUFC.com
A tactical look at West Ham United's Barclays Premier League trip to Hull City on Saturday afternoon
27.09.2013

Tactically Speaking

The Official Website takes an in-depth look at how Hull City could line up on Saturday, while also focusing on Mark Noble's influential role in the West Ham United side.

West Ham United
With a Barclays Premier League trip to Hull City looming on Saturday, WhoScored.com have been analysing the stats to determine which player can swing the game in West Ham United's favour at the KC Stadium.

After an impressive victory over Cardiff City in the Capital One Cup third round, confidence is certainly high in the Hammers camp, perhaps more so as West Ham won without fans' favourite Mark Noble. The midfielder missed Tuesday night's 3-2 victory through suspension, but could return to the Hammers midfield at the weekend.

With an average WhoScored.com rating of 7.24 this season - only centre-back pairing Winston Reid (7.39) and James Collins (7.25) have scored higher - Noble's impact has been clear for all to see.

Offering the creativity in the middle of the park has seen the 26-year-old play nine key passes in the opening five Barclays Premier League games of the season - the most of every West Ham player - with that figure just 5 behind Eden Hazard (14), who leads the Premier League for key passes this term.

Noble's creativity from deep is an evident facet of his game that will benefit the club and his team-mates. The Englishman is averaging 47.6 passes per game - the most of every West Ham player.

Ensuring that the fluidity of the team pressing forward is not disrupted, Noble's contribution when in possession will improve the attacking threat of West Ham in the quest to land three points against Hull. However, while this aspect of his game is essential to Sam Allardyce's side, without the ball he is more than capable of disrupting the flow of the opposition.

Winning possession in the midfield third of the pitch on 23 occasions, he has done so more times than any other West Ham player, thereby limiting the opposition's chances of breaking through.

Moreover, Noble is averaging 2.2 interceptions per game, also the most of any player in Allardyce's team. Evidently, his defensive contribution is just as important as his offensive contribution, with his determination to win the ball back and recycle possession an aspect that is mightily important to the good of the team.

West Ham have won four of their last five league meetings with Hull, including a dominating West Ham performance the last time the teams met in the Barclays Premier League at the Boleyn Ground in February 2010. The Hammers secured a 3-0 win, attained 57 per cent possession over the 90 minutes and were in the ascendency throughout.

Moreover, having netted 12 goals in those five games and conceded just four, West Ham will believe that they can secure victory against Steve Bruce's side and if they are to land the three points, it's Noble that will play a pivotal role in the heart of the midfield for the Hammers.

*WhoScored.com is a website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Follow @WhoScored on Twitter.

Hull City
Probable starting XI
McGregor
Elmohamady Faye Davies Figueroa
Quinn Huddlestone Livermore Brady
Aluko Graham

Hull City achieved one of their best-ever Barclays Premier League results last Saturday, winning 3-2 at Newcastle United after twice going ahead and being pegged back by the hosts. A midweek 1-0 Capital One Cup victory over Championship side Huddersfield Town at the KC Stadium will have done nothing to dampen the spirits of Steve Bruce and his squad. Tactically, Hull employ a 4-4-2 formation, with two flat banks of four behind deep-lying forward Sone Aluko and central striker Danny Graham. Like many Barclays Premier League sides, Hull like to mix up their style of play, passing patiently or playing in a more direct style when the need arises. They can also rely on a bit of individual brilliance from certain players to open up opposition defences. Starting in goal, Scotland international Allan McGregor is an experienced stopper. When in possession, the 31-year-old will either roll the ball to his centre-backs or look for Graham and left-winger Robbie Brady with long clearances. In front of him, Hull do try to play the ball out from the back, but they will not be afraid to mix it up with long balls forward, particularly when put under pressure by West Ham's forwards.

Right-back Ahmed Elmohamady is a forward-thinking player who is not afraid to try to create chances with crosses or to run with the ball at his feet. Always involved in the game, the Egyptian has completed 275 passes in five matches at an average of 55 per game - the highest of any Hull player by some distance. He has also put in more crosses than any other Hull player.

Left-back Maynor Figueroa, who could return to the side following a period of compassionate leave, is also attack-minded and does not mind letting fly from long-range. If he is not available, right-footed Liam Rosenior - son of former Hammers striker Leroy - will deputise.
In the centre, Hull will be without James Chester has been ruled out for eight weeks after suffering a pulled hamstring. His place will go to either former Hammer Abdoulaye Faye or Alex Bruce.

Whoever plays, he and partner Curtis Davies are more likely to sit deeper than to aggressively try to win balls from West Ham's forwards, especially when they drop deep to receive the ball. Hull's defensive set-up is focused on not letting the opposition get in behind them. Between them, Chester and Davies had made 93 clearances, made 22 interceptions and blocked 13 shots in the Tigers' opening five league matches.

The flat four in midfield sees Hull play with two out-and-out wingers in Brady and Stephen Quinn. On the left, Irishman Brady is a skilful left-footed player who hugs the touchline and will not hesitate for a second to take on his full-back - in this case, possibly compatriot Joey O'Brien - and get in crosses and shots. Despite his relative lack of height, Brady is also decent in the air. He is Hull's top scorer with two goals and has also chalked up one assist. Right-winger Quinn is also left-footed. He has come in for the injured Robert Koren after the Hull captain broke his foot. Quinn is short in stature at 5'7" but possesses good technique and work-rate. Should Bruce opt for former Peterborough United man George Boyd, he is another skilful operator capable of both scoring and assisting goals, as he did at Newcastle.

In the centre, former Tottenham Hotspur pair Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore should start. Huddlestone is well-known for his outstanding technique, range of passing and ability to shoot with either foot. Livermore is a more athletic player who will fill a more defensive role. Up front, Aluko poses a serious threat to the Hammers, playing in a slightly withdrawn role behind Graham. Quick, strong and direct, the Nigeria international has a sharp change of pace which he uses to wrong-foot defenders and get shots away. Aluko has the highest pass-completion percentage (86.7) and has attempted more shots (eleven) and dribbles (eleven) than any other Hull player. Graham is a strong centre forward who will lead the line by running the channels, holding up play and getting on the end of high balls. Defensively, the 28-year-old is also willing to close down defenders to force hurried clearances. Bruce has alternatives up front, with Ivory Coast international Yannick Sagbo among his options. The powerful former Evian man started the midweek cup victory over Huddersfield alongside tall German Nick Proschwitz, who scored the winning goal.

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On this day - 28 September
WHUFC.com
The Hammers win their first game of the season thanks to two goals from a certain Italian striker
28.09.2013

Classic match
Chelsea 2-3 West Ham United
Premier League
28 September 2002
Bottom of the table and without a win West Ham travelled to Stamford Bridge to face an unbeaten Chelsea side. Despite dominating from the off the Hammers fell behind to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's penalty but this only served to inspire the away side. Jermain Defoe equalised five minutes before half-time and Paolo Di Canio struck a wonder goal to give Glenn Roeder's team the lead. Gianfraco Zola curled in a free-kick to level things up before mercurial Italian Di Canio hit the winner seven minutes from time to give West Ham their first win of the season. Despite this win the Hammers were relegated from the Premier League with a record high 42 points.

Complete record
1929 West Ham United 2-1 Manchester United (Division One)
1935 Bury 3-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1946 Bradford Park Avenue 0-1 West Ham United (Division Two)
1957 Barnsley 1-0 West Ham United (Division Two)
1963 Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 West Ham United (Division One)
1968 West Ham United 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Division One)
1974 Burnley 3-5 West Ham United (Division One)
1985 West Ham United 4-2 Nottingham Forest (Division One)
1991 Nottingham Forest 2-2 West Ham United (Division One)
1998 West Ham United 1-0 Southampton (Premier League)
2002 Chelsea 2-3 West Ham United (Premier League)
2003 West Ham United 1-1 Millwall (Championship)
2006 Palermo 3-0 West Ham United (UEFA Cup)
2009 Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United (Premier League)
Played 14, Won 6, Drawn 3, Lost 5, Scored 21, Conceded 25

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Five star show from Dev Squad
WHUFC.com
Four goals from Elliot Lee helped the Development Squad run out 5-0 winners against Ipswich Town
27.09.2013

Elliot Lee bagged four goals as the Development Squad produced a five star performance to hammer Ipswich Town 5-0 at Rush Green. Lee got the rout started after just seven minutes with a deflected free-kick before doubling the lead with a powerful finish just before half-time. The striker bagged his third and fourth goals within the space of two second half minutes as the home side tore their opponents apart time after time. Pelly Ruddock completed the demolition job with 15 minutes remaining when he powered home first time to round off the perfect performance. The Development Squad had won four of their six Barclays Under-21 Premier League matches coming into this friendly and they continued that form with another outstanding display. The Hammers started the brighter of the two sides and could have been ahead as early as the second minute when Sean Maguire found himself in the middle of the box with plenty of time after Keiran Sadlier's pull-back but the Irishman could only fire his shot straight at the keeper. It was not long until Nick Haycock's side found themselves in front however as the prolific Lee struck a free-kick which benefited from a lucky deflection to nestle in the back of the net having wrongfooted the visiting keeper.
Lee was a constant menace to the Ipswich defence and should have doubled his tally before he did when his shot struck the keeper and, following up on the rebound, he placed his shot just wide. A minute later and the striker was celebrating his brace as a lightning quick counter attack saw the ball arrive at the feet of Lee who beat a man before firing past Michael Crowe in goal.

Blair Turgott was introduced at the break and should have made it 3-0 with his first touch of the game but instead blazed Maguire's cutback over the bar just two minutes into the second half. Despite the winger's miss the Hammers third goal didn't take long to arrive as in the 57th minute Lee was once again on hand to head home after a Matthias Fanimo shot cannoned off the bar. Incredibly the striker bagged himself a fourth just 60 seconds later when a smart turn in the box allowed him to pick out the bottom corner. Ipswich found themselves trapped in their own half as the home side refused to take their foot off the gas as they searched for more goals. Lee came within inches of his and his side's fifth goal but was his low curling effort struck the post. West Ham's fifth arrived after a rare Ipswich attack was thwarted by Ruddock, who played the ball to Turgott and continued his run from inside his own half down the right wing and eventually received the ball back from Turgott to hammer a first-time shot past the helpless keeper. The Hammers continued to press but the damage had been done and a 5-0 win represented the perfect return for their total domination. The Development Squad are next in action when they play Norwich City Rush Green on Friday 4 October in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League.

West Ham: Spiegel, Driver, McCartney, Miles, Potts, Ruddock (Burke), Fanimo (Knoyle), Lletget, Maguire (Tombides), Lee, Sadlier (Turgott)

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Big Sam on: Hull City
WHUFC.com
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce spoke to the press ahead of Saturday's game against Hull
27.09.2013

Sam Allardyce spoke to the press ahead of Saturday's game at Hull City in his pre-match briefing at Chadwell Heath. He revealed that Joe Cole will remain on the sidelines with his hamstring injury, but Stewart Downing could return to face the Tigers and that Carlton Cole may soon be rejoining the Club.

Morning Sam, On the injury side, will Joe Cole available for selection this weekend?

SA: "No Joe won't be available this weekend but Stewart Downing will which we're very pleased about. I'm always happy to have injured players come back into the squad. George McCartney played a good part of the game against Cardiff on Tuesday night which was good for him although he won't come back into the squad just yet as we want him to play another game for the Under-21s to help his match fitness. From an injury point of view we're only really looking at Joe and Andy Carroll. Joe's not really injured anymore but we're just being protective of him and think he needs some more training before he's available again which I would have thought would be next week."

Is the return of Downing a big boost?

SA: "Yeah he's trained all week and looks sharp. He was disappointed that it's kept him out for a few weeks, normally a dead leg it's a couple of days but because of the extra bleed it's been a few weeks. He's only been with us a short time and with him having missed a lot of pre-season with Liverpool it was about getting in as many games as possible into him. Obviously that's been halted with this injury but we're glad to have him back and he can look forward to getting some game time again."

There are headlines today suggesting Carlton Cole has signed a deal with the club. What's his current situation?

SA: "We've had Carlton training with us for a while now and as soon as he's fit enough to play there will be an offer of a short term contract on the table there's no doubt about that. That's why he's here with us and that's why we're trying to improve his fitness having missed pre-season. As soon as he's ok and suitable terms and conditions have been agreed, which is nothing do with me, then he'll join us for however long the contract is negotiated for."

Fitness aside, has his desire and his attitude impressed you?

SA: "He's been here on a day by day basis and one of the beauties of this football club is that this club's kept him fit for a long time during his career. Carlton has certain training programmes that were built to suit him and keep him available for a selection on a Saturday afternoon. It's always worked very well during the time I've been here.

Do you know how long the contract for Carlton might be?

SA: "No my focus is only on the first team squad and the players that are fit. The contract is done behind the scenes by the Chairmen and his agent so at the moment we're just concentrating on the game against Hull City on Saturday.

Will a deal for Carlton likely be days, weeks, months?

SA: "I think we're into days now. We'll play a couple of behind closed doors games just to let him get some match practice and then we'll take it from there."

Just a word on Andy Carroll. What's the latest on him?

SA: "He's improving day by day at the moment but we're not putting any timescales on this at all until we see how he's progressed with the specialists in Belgium. He'll be back with us as soon as possible."

Guy Demel's half-brother is Hull's Yannick Sagbo, were you aware of that?

SA: "Yes I was. Guy's tried to get us to sign him a few times. We've known that for a while and it's been a great move for him to get because he's been wanting to get to the Premier League for quite a while and Steve's given him that opportunity. Guy's always keen to play whether he's playing against a relative or not. Whether Sagbo will play or not is the question. They won at Newcastle last week and he didn't play so I can't honestly think that he would play.
I don't think Steve would change a team that won 3-2 last week."

You're good friends with Hull manager Steve Bruce how do you think he's getting on?

SA: "Better than me at the moment! For them to get their first away win was a huge result, it lifts the whole city, the backroom staff and all the players. We face them at a time when their confidence is sky-high so as always we'll have a tough game on our hands. His players, irrespective of how many he's changed, have gelled well which was the opposite to his time at Sunderland. He had to change a lot of players there due to the problems financially and with players wanting to leave so it didn't work out for him. At Hull he's changed a lot of players and it's worked for him very, very well in a short period of time and they've obviously started the season exceptionally well."

Has Ravel Morrison done enough to warrant a place in the starting eleven?

SA: "At the moment his performances are exceptionally good and that means you don't have to fight for your place. If you're good enough then you're old enough and he's proved that up to now. We've got to keep his feet firmly on the ground and watch out for head swelling. We don't want to be changing the size of our doors because he can't fit his head through."

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Nobes ready to return
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble is back from a one-match ban and is looking forward to Saturday's trip to Hull City
28.09.2013

Mark Noble is back from suspension and is looking forward to returning to action in Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture at Hull City. The West Ham United midfielder endured the full range of emotions in last weekend's 3-2 home defeat by Everton, putting the Hammers 2-1 up from the penalty spot before being sent-off and watching the Toffees turn the game around in the final ten minutes. The No16 sat out Tuesday's Capital One Cup third-round win over Cardiff City, but is available again and hopes to be in Sam Allardyce's plans at the KC Stadium. "Obviously it was a little bit lucky for me that we had the midweek game so I was able to serve my suspension then and I'll hopefully be back for the game on Saturday," Noble told West Ham TV. "It'll be a tough game at Hull. They come into the game off a good win [3-2 at Newcastle United] so we're going to have to go there and play well and hopefully we won't get free-kicks scored against us again! "It was brilliant to go 2-1 up against Everton and then to get sent-off at 2-1 with ten minutes to go, I thought it wasn't the worst thing in the world, and then Leighton Baines curled a free-kick into the top corner. That's when you know your luck isn't in at the minute, because we've had three against us in three weeks. "Romelu Lukaku then scored late doors to win them the game, so it was devastating. Saying that, we played well and it took two bits of magic to beat us."

Despite being sent-off for two bookable offences against Everton, Noble has vowed to remain the same fully-committed player that has endeared him to West Ham fans. "I won't change my game at all. I make ten tackles a game, so I'm going to get one wrong. Unfortunately for me, it was the one I didn't need to get wrong. "To be honest, I didn't think the first one [for a tug on Kevin Mirallas' shirt] was a yellow card. If you're going to give that for a little pull, then you're going to give 20 yellow cards a game, but that's the way football is going at the minute. Referees are under so much scrutiny at the moment and so many people are watching them, that they have to do what they think is right."

Noble has happier memories of West Ham's recent trips to the KC Stadium, drawing 3-3 in the Premier League in November 2009 and winning 2-0 in the Championship in November 2011. The 26-year-old also spent a short period on loan with Hull early in his career. "As I said, it's going to be a tough game, but they are all hard places to go now. Steve Bruce has got his team together and has brought in some great additions to his squad. "We're up for it, we're playing well, we got a point at Southampton and probably should have got three points against Everton. That's the way the Premier League goes, so we need to train well, get ourselves up there and come back with the three points."

One Hull player Noble knows well is former West Ham centre-back Abdoulaye Faye, who is in line to make his first league appearance of the season in place of the injured James Chester. "He's a big boy is Abby. You wouldn't want him running you over, would you! I'm sure we aren't going to worry about Abby, though. He's been there and done it, but so have our forwards, so hopefully we can get one up on him and we can come home with a win."

If West Ham are to get the better of Faye and his team-mates, the key figure could be the in-form Ravel Morrison, who has scored on each of his last two starts and is beginning to fulfil his vast potential. "We've been on at Rav for so long about bucking up his ideas and doing everything right and we told him 'Once you start doing that, you have the ability to go as far as you want' and that is starting to show. "Obviously we saw a glimpse of how good he is in the cup the other night and hopefully he can take that form to Hull away."

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Hull v West Ham
KO 15:00
27 September 2013
Last updated at 11:53
By Steve Bower
BBC Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: KC Stadium Date: Saturday, 28 September

Hull City have Maynor Figueroa back after he missed last weekend's win over Newcastle because of personal reasons. James Chester is out and Paul McShane is not fit enough to start, so either Alex Bruce or Abdoulaye Faye will be alongside Curtis Davies at centre-back.

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble returns after being suspended for the League Cup match with Cardiff. Stewart Downing has recovered from a leg injury but Joe Cole remains out with a hamstring problem.

MATCH PREVIEW

This match brings together two of the more knowledgeable English bosses in the game, great friends with 21 years of top-flight managerial experience between them. They will share a drink afterwards and if one is toasting a victory it will be certainly be an important one. Hull City's Steve Bruce will have enjoyed his five-goal thriller and 3-2 scoreline last weekend far more than West Ham's Sam Allardyce did. "Away from home, West Ham just do not look the same side as the one they are at Upton Park - they do not score enough goals on the road and that is an issue that Sam Allardyce has not been able to sort out. "It is very difficult to tip the Hammers to go away anywhere and win."

A second Premier League win in five games will have been another lift in the levels of belief in Hull's quest to stay in the division. Newly-promoted teams have often had to wait for that elusive first victory and it's gradually sapped away confidence. Seven points from 15 represents a solid start for Hull, especially having already faced Chelsea and Manchester City. The experience added in the summer has certainly helped, in particular the signings of Tom Huddlestone and Jake Livermore. Their form at the KC Stadium will go a long way to deciding their immediate future and this will be a game they will have earmarked to take something from, just as they have from the meetings with Norwich and Cardiff.

West Ham will certainly have the same thoughts, having not won since the opening day. Creating and scoring has been a clear problem so far, having not scored in three of their five matches. The absence of Andy Carroll and summer recruit Stewart Downing recently has been a telling one. But they have to find a formula to improve that side of their game and their away form of last season (which saw them lose 12 times on their travels) if they are to better their 10th-place finish in May. A result in this one would be most welcome as the Hammers' next two matches are against Spurs and Manchester City. This should be tight and may not have the goals of last weekend's fixtures, but Bruce and Allardyce will only be concerned with winning.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
West Ham did the double over Hull in the 2011-12 Championship season.
They have scored just nine goals between them this season in the Premier League.

Hull City
Despite achieving promotion last season, they have won just seven of their last 18 league matches spread across the Championship and the Premier League - losing eight and drawing three. They have won only three of their eight home matches in that period.
There have been no more than two goals scored in any of their last five Premier League home games.
Danny Graham has not scored in his last 1,320 Premier League minutes of action.
Robbie Brady has been involved in three of the Tigers' five league goals so far this season, scoring two and assisting one.

West Ham
West Ham have not won in the Premier League since the opening day of the season.
They have had just eight shots on target in five league games so far this campaign and have not yet scored away.
But only four top-flight clubs have conceded fewer than the four goals they have let in.
Three of those four goals have been scored by the opposition from outside the box.
West Ham are the only team to have had all their goals scored by English players in the Premier League this season.

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Carlton Cole: West Ham to offer striker short-term deal
BBC.co.uk

West Ham will offer striker Carlton Cole a short-term contract having only released the 29-year-old in the summer. Cole, who scored 59 goals in 237 appearances for West Ham, has been training with the Hammers and will be offered a deal once he is fully fit. "As soon as he's fit enough to play there will be an offer of a short-term contract on the table," manager Sam Allardyce told West Ham's website. "As soon as he's OK and suitable terms have been agreed, then he'll join us."

Cole's West Ham years
Appearances: 237
Goals: 59
England caps: seven
2012-13 appearances/goals: 29/2

Former Chelsea frontman Cole, who has won seven caps for England, spent seven years at Upton Park before his summer release. Allardyce said at the time of Cole's release in late May: "Carlton's need at his age is to be playing football as often as he can. We felt it better he found pastures new." However, Cole re-emerged on the Londoners' radar during their search for more striking options when their club record £15m signing from Liverpool, Andy Carroll, picked up a foot injury. Allardyce said: "He's been here on a day-by-day basis and one of the beauties of this football club is that this club's kept him fit for a long time during his career. "We'll play a couple of behind closed doors games just to let him get some match practice and then we'll take it from there."

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Allardyce confirms Cole return
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 27th September 2013
By: Staff Writer

Sam Allardyce says that Carlton Cole's return to West Ham should be completed in the next few days. Allardyce, speaking about the imminent return of his former striker in this morning's pre-match press conference revealed that he expects Cole to put pen to paper within "days now". "The contract is done by the Chairmen and his agent, but at the moment we're just concentrating on the game against Hull City on Saturday," Big Sam told the assembled press pack. "We'll play a couple of behind-closed-doors games just to let him get some match practice and then we'll take it from there. "We've had Carlton training with us for a while now and as soon as he's fit enough to play there will be an offer of a short term contract on the table, there's no doubt about that. That's why he's here with us and that's why we're trying to improve his fitness having missed pre-season. "As soon as he's ok and suitable terms and conditions have been agreed, which is nothing do with me, then he'll join us for however long the contract is negotiated for. "This club has kept him fit for a long time during his career. Carlton has certain training programmes that were built to suit him and keep him available for a selection on a Saturday afternoon. It's always worked very well during the time I've been here."

The first of those behind-closed-doors friendlies takes place later today, when West Ham's Under 21s faces their counterparts from Ipswich Town. The game was originally scheduled to be played at Rush Green this evening, but has been rescheduled.

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Unravelling a prodigy
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 27th September 2013
By: Paul Walker

Nothing would delight me more this season, apart that from us staying in the Premier League, than to see Ravel Morrison crack it at the very top level.

Not just because it would really get up the noses of my Manchester United supporting mates, but because the one thing we all surely love most in football is to see talented youngsters fulfil their potential.

Much has been written about Morrison's background, his troubled teenage years and the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson gave up on a player who has been described as the new Paul Scholes or the best youngster of his generation.

And by God, the kid has come up the hard way. He is not 21 until February, but was once described as being closer to prison than a Manchester United start in the Premier League.

Born in Wythenshawe - that's Shameless without the humour - and brought up in Denton, east Manchester by his grandparents, Morrison crashed from one off-field problem to another. He was clearly a target. A youngster with fame and money in the toughest of inner-city areas.

Fergie reckoned he "needed to get out of Manchester" and Big Sam obliged, knowing that inside this troubled young man was a football genius trying to get out.

Now when he arrived at our place in January 2012, Fergie, nearing the end of his own career and maybe just a bit too tired to battle on with him, had given up on the wild child of Manchester football. He had driven the youth coaches mad at Old Trafford, had been through several brushes with the law and his general behaviour and attitude to discipline and authority was to say the least, poor.

Everyone around the Manchester area knew this kid was one of the best youngsters that United had ever produced. Many Man U fans were horrified when he was shipped out to Upton Park; they still are.

I can understand why. Morrison has the potential to be a Gareth Bale, he is that good, believe me. His talent has been likened to Gazza. The funny thing, though, is that when that comparison was mentioned to the youngster, so the story goes, he had never heard of the England hero!

I am sure West Ham fans knew precious little about Morrison, either, when he joined us, other than that he was a problem boy. But then they are two a penny these days. Morrison though, will never be two a penny.

He can be anything he wants, and be worth a fortune. Manchester United, I believe, have no buy back clause or percentage of a future transfer.

Little was seen of Morrison in his first few months here to disprove the myths and legends that followed him around. He had one short run-out as a second-half substitute in a tough game at Leeds, and then was sent away to Birmingham on loan for the whole of last season.

It has been well documented that he expected to walk straight into the first team at West Ham.

He then clearly got up almost everyone's' nose at Chadwell Heath, seemingly Kevin Nolan as well. There is a famous story now of how Nolan and either Mark Noble or Andy Carroll (depending on whether you believe Noble's version or Ms Brady's in her Sun column) took the kid aside and gave him a really up-tempo, confidence-boosting chat; a real helping hand.

They returned to base, all thumbs up, saying how well it had gone with the kid. Problem was, Morrison failed to turn up for training for the next three days, something he was famous for at Manchester United.

Because I live in the Manchester area, I have been much more aware of Morrison's talent and potential from a very early age. All the baggage that he came from a broken home, a chav estate with some very dodgy mates, were part of the soap opera.

But boy, could he play. Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville both offered to take him into their homes to help him sort himself out. Brian McClair, by now on the coaching side, tried to give him lifts to training. All to no avail.

Too often now, however, whenever Morrison is mentioned in the media, his lawless track record gets trotted out. I am not surprised, that is the real story. But I don't intend to do that, other than to single out a Guardian article by Daniel Taylor in December 2011. It is a sympathetic view of the youngster and clearly leaves you feeling what many also felt in Manchester, that everyone wanted to see him become a success.

And here England comes into the equation. Morrison has played just five youth internationals since 2008, without a hint of an Under 21 call-up, such was the fear at the FA that his fragile temperament just could not be trusted. Morrison even tweeted he was considering playing for Jamaica.

My believe, a bit through rose coloured spectacles maybe, is that if Morrison continues the way he has started this season, he will be on the plane to Brazil for the World Cup, he is that good.

Several of my Man Utd friends used to make special trips just to watch him play for the reserves or youth team, where he virtually won the FA Youth Cup for United single handed a couple of years ago.

They all knew the talent is there, and we are now beginning to just see it ourselves. I am fearful that there could be some further trouble down the line, it seems to follow Morrison around. But I pray not.

He should be handled with kid gloves. I am disappointed, even, that our club is already using his picture to advertise future games. Not yet, please. But we have a club who are advertising the forthcoming game against Manchester City as "Come and see City's superstars…" I ask you, we are not a non-league club plugging a pre-season friendly.

But Morrison says he has changed. The Twitter feed that has given him so much abuse and grief over the years, now says: "I am a changed man, don't judge me on my past, respect me for who I am and now I have developed." I just hope this new version of Morrison is true.

If you count his eight pre-season games, as well as his six in the real season, he has scored eight goals in 14 matches. His performance in the first-half against Everton was stunning.

He dominated midfield, finding space continually and always wanting the ball. Everton actually changed their whole system in midfield at the break to counteract what Morrison was doing.

I can only say what I did at the beginning of this piece. I desperately want Morrison to succeed for his and our sakes. And England, too.

Roy Hodgson was in the stand to watch the Everton match, Ross Barkley the obvious target, But Morrison was as good and the FA should now be brave and pick him for the under 21s.

Morrison has already been taken to their hearts by West Ham fans. We have all seen a few special young players come through the ranks here. Morrison can be that good.

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Betting on West Ham United's game at Hull
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th September 2013
By: Staff Writer

After an encouraging 10th place finish in the Premier League last season, the Hammers' 3000/1 dreams of a title are almost certainly already over. At the other end of the scale, the 9/1 quote for Sam Allardyce's squad to be relegated looks about right. After a shaky start and a lack of goals, Big Sam's men will be looking at this weekend's fixture at Hull as a winnable game. Despite the bookmakers having Hull down as 5/4 favourites, most Irons fans will be optimistic of getting a result. Looking at the in-play betting market, there is plenty to choose from this weekend. With Hull's strong defence but lack of goal scoring threat combined with West Ham's own troubles in front of goal this season, a 0-0 draw looks very tempting at 9/1.

However as football fans we all know games like this always surprise us and can turn into goal fests. With this in mind you can get 1/1 odds on there being over 2.5 goals in the game. Or perhaps after his goal scoring heroics in mid-week you might fancy a bet on Ricardo Vaz Te to bang in a hat-trick at 100/1?

For those who aren't sure which market to bet on why not visit a mobile casino, many of which provide an alternative in the form of slots game, 'Game On'.
Game On is a video slot with three reels and a football theme, centring on an all-animal World Cup. This makes it one of the sharpest and funniest football slots, but it is also one that really does give you a great shot at a cash pay-out. With the World Cup reel icon translating to a win if you get three of them across a single pay line, while the football icon triggers the bonus skill shot game. When you also add in the typical elements of a slot machine, like the jackpot and ultra cheap gaming, you have numerous reasons to try playing Game On, rather than risking a Premier League title bet so early in the new season.

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Hull City v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th September 2013
By: Preview Percy

If you're one of those who actually enjoys Preview Percy's ramblings, there are probably some people you ought to speak to. In the meantime knock yourself out.....

Next up we travel oop North where our hosts will be Hull City. Or Possibly Hull City Tigers. Some sort of "rebranding" type thing we understand. Since we don't hold with such stuff here at the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered – we still refer to "Woolwich Arsenal" – we'll stick to Hull thank you very much.

Kick off is at the sacred hour of 3pm on Saturday and those of you thinking about using the Central Line as part of your route to King's Cross for the train journey up there may care to note that the same stuff as last week will be going on. Check afore ye venture out I say.

Our hosts currently lie in 11th spot in the fledgling table having picked up 7 points from their 5 league matches thus far. On the opening day they went 2-0 down to a Chelsea side that looked like they were going to run up a cricket score early on. Well I suppose they did – albeit an Australian one. They followed this up with a 1-0 defeat of Norwich, a 2-0 defeat at Man City, a 1-1 draw at home to Cardiff and a 3-2 win at Newcastle last weekend that Preview Alistair described thusly:

"The defending was worthy of a bunch of second rate school kids and Hull are useless. Repeat, USELESS. What does that make us!!"

That makes you Newcastle I'd say mate. In between all that they are through to the last 16 of the League Cup having beaten Barry Hearn's lot 1-0 and Huddersfield 1-0 the other night. The odious Steve Bruce described the early rounds of the competition as "like watching paint dry" and said that supporters would rather have been watching Coronation Street than the Huddersfield tie. Difficult choice that one, either a poorly executed drab slice of grim Northern life, or Coronation Street.

They are, of course back in the top flight after a three-year absence. They avoided the play-offs on the last day of the season by drawing 2-2 with Cardiff whilst Watford were getting beaten by Leeds. As is usual amongst promoted sides, this prompted a recruitment drive. Starting between the sticks in came Allan McGregor from Turkish outfit Bekitsas. McGregor ended up out there after all the shenanigans up at Rangers, where the change of employing company meant that he could bugger off on a free wherever he wanted. Which he did, signing a 2 year deal worth over €1m a season. With that sort of money about he could afford to leave Turkey after just the one year and no doubt Bekitsas were far from displeased at the £1.5m profit they made on the deal that took the player to Hull.

McGregor was banned for life or playing for Scotland a few years back. Returning to the team hotel at 4am after a match against the Dutch, the then boss George Burley gave McGregor and a couple of others permission to go to the bar for a nightcap. McGregor presumably had the following night in mind, resurfacing somewhat tired and emotional the following lunchtime. Dropped as a result for the following match against Iceland he then made what the papers described as "obscene gestures" at cameramen from the bench, prompting the SFA to send him a fax informing him that he wouldn't be picked again. Which was pretty amazing – even as late as 2009 they were still communicating by fax in Scotland. As it happened the lifetime ban lasted less than a year, although his recall was delayed by his getting beaten up
after a night out in Glasgow. Something about an unpaid fax bill I expect.

They picked up Tom Huddlestone from Spurs for a reported £5m. Huddlestone has vowed not to have his hair cut until he scores again. On our side of things, Ginge did much the same thing years ago but nobody noticed.

Huddlestone was accompanied in his arrival from Spurs by Jake Livermore, for whom there probably wasn't room enough in the changing room following the arrival of just about everyone in Europe. Having scored in a pre-season friendly against Barcelona a couple of years ago, his response to the question "what's it like to score against the best team in the world" was "the best team in the world? I play for them", which just proves that Tottenham players are every bit as deluded as their fans.

Also on loan is striker Danny Graham. Graham – a Newcastle supporter – is yet to score for his parent club Sunderland. He's maintained that level of form at Hull since his arrival on a season-long loan, which is a bit of a worry for us as a club with a solid tradition of sequence busting.

A third loanster is Mohamed Nagy Ismail Afash who is in for the season from Egyptian side Al Ahy. The player is known universally by his nickname "Gedo" which I am reliably informed means "Grandad" even though he's only 28. He'd feel at home in Liverpool then.

The one ex-Hammer in the squad is Abdoullaye Faye who made over 20 appearances for the side that came up via the playoffs. Liam Rosenior lso has Hammers connections, being the son of Leroy whose boots in the 1980's were apparently made of gold.

Us? Well the League Cup match was typical West Ham wasn't it. We played some decent football (have a look at the passing that led to Jarvis's goal but look away at the finish) and could have been four or five up at the break. So quite how we found ourselves pegged back to 2-2 with 15 left was a bit baffling. On thing that it wasn't of course was like watching paint dry. That's just your teams Bruce.

There'll be changes again – Diame will start despite not appearing on the back page of the match programme for the last two games. Nothing sinister we are told, just a printer's error in the two programmes which were printed at the same time apparently. With that in mind, and not that I'm one to start rumours of course, but I couldn't help but notice that Lionel Messi was also absent from the same page. I expect Reid will come in to replace Tomkins alongside Ginge and, with no return date slated for Demel, expect Joey O'B to start on the right with Roland on the left.

Noble will have served his pointless suspension at the hands of the atrocious Lee Mason. There has been much made of Noble's habit of giving away free-kicks in dangerous places, but surely a player has the right to expect a certain degree of competency amongst the match officials. I mean when you go for a tackle there simply isn't time for the thought process that goes "that ball is mine. Oh wait a minute it's Lee Mason who, if he had two more brain cells, would be a plant. He might well give a free kick even if I get the ball cleanly" You just go for it and trust that the referee knows what he is doing – a rarity in this day and age.

We may see returns to at least the bench for one or both of Downing and Cole who have been training this week and there is an intriguing selection poser up front for the manager with Vaz Te looking sharp, Petric getting closer to match fitness and even Maiga looking a wee bit better in midweek

Prediction? Well I have a bit of a good feeling for this one. Last week's performance in the first half was ok – though we had our work cut out against Lukaku in the second half it still took the referee to turn the game against us.So I'll be putting the Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered fund to bring email to the third world (Scotland) (£2.50) on a 1-0 win to get the season moving onwards again.

Enjoy the game!

When Last We Met At The Sunshine Ground – Won 2-0 Championship November 2011. Second half goals from Baldock and Collison were enough to give us all three points. Abdoullaye Faye played for us in that one.

Referee: Kevin Friend – last seen in January 2012 handling our 1-0 victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park, although he also took charge of the pre-season friendly this year against the never to be forgotten, er, Paco Rabanne or something. You know, they ere in the Champions League for a while. Like Chelsea.

Danger Men: Tom Huddlestone & Danny Graham. One is due a haircut if he scores. The other hasn't scored for ages. It's always against us isn't it?!

Daft Fact Of The Week: The full name of Hull is Kingston Upon Hull, which is used to differentiate the city from Kingston Upon Thames so that Man Utd supporters don't get lost on their way home. Hull is apparently on the shortlist of cities going for the title of "UK City Of Culture which suggests that someone has either got a really weird sense of humour, or they don't realise that the word "culture" in this context doesn't actually include the unidentified stuff growing at the back of Humberside fridges.

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Hull and West Ham clash at the KC Stadium
Last Updated: September 27, 2013 3:24pm
SSN

West Ham will continue their search for a first away win of the season against an improving Hull City side at the KC Stadium. Home side Hull will be bursting with confidence after twice coming from behind to grab all three points away at Newcastle last week. A win at home to Norwich and a battling draw with Cardiff, coupled with progress in the Capital One Cup, sees the newly-promoted side sitting in 11th place, equal on points with last season's champions Manchester United. Chelsea and Manchester City represent the only defeats for Steve Bruce's men this season, though West Ham will provide a different kind of challenge.

Sam Allardyce's charges started the season well, securing four points from two games against Cardiff and Newcastle as they looked difficult to break down.
A disappointing loss at home to Stoke was followed by a goalless draw at Southampton and a demoralising defeat at Everton. The dramatic Capital One Cup victory over Cardiff in midweek could perhaps act as the catalyst for a side who are clearly missing £15million striker Andy Carroll, however, but Hull will be no pushovers.

Paul Merson's prediction

Hull have surprised me because the one thing I could never see them doing was scoring enough goals. I thought they would keep clean sheets and be difficult to beat but I didn't see them doing enough at the other end because they didn't put threes and fours past many teams in the Championship. Steve Bruce is a very experienced manager and I think his team will beat West Ham to back up that great win at Newcastle.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0

Hull City
Last 6
Huddersfld (h)1-0
Newcastle (a)2-3
Cardiff (h)1-1
Man City (a)2-0
Leyton Or (a)0-1
Norwich (h)1-0

Hull welcome back Maynor Figueroa for the Premier League visit of West Ham on Saturday. The Honduran left-back missed the 3-2 win over Newcastle due to personal reasons but is ready to play this weekend. Robert Koren (broken foot) and James Chester (hamstring) are long-term absentees and Paul McShane is only fit for the bench, meaning Bruce must choose between Alex Bruce and Abdoulaye Faye at centre-back.

West Ham
Last 6
3-2
Everton (h)2-3
Southampton (a)0-0
Stoke City (h)0-1
Cheltenham (h)2-1
Newcastle (a)0-0
Stewart Downing (leg) will be in contention to face Hull, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed. Downing has been out for three weeks, but his return from a leg injury suffered earlier this month provides a boost for Allardyce. Saturday's game comes too soon for West Ham stars Joe Cole (hamstring) and Guy Demel (knock), while Andy Carroll (heel) and George McCartney (knee) remain long-term absentees.

Opta stats

Only Arsenal and Manchester City have been more clinical in front of goal than Hull (15.6% conversion rate) this season
West Ham are the only team to have seen all their goals scored by English players in the Premier League this season.
Since the start of last season, West Ham have a win percentage of 33% when Mark Noble plays (33 games) and 20% when he's been absent (10 games).

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THE FUTURE OF THE BOLEYN GROUND
By Sean Whetstone 27 Sep 2013 at 14:00
West Ham Till I Die

In this financial article I will discuss the financial value of the Boleyn ground land and what might become of it after we move to Olympic stadium.

West Ham originally rented Green Street House and grounds from the Roman Catholic Church from the early 1900's. This land was later sold by His Eminence William Cardinal Godfrey and the Catholic Church to West Ham United Football Company Limited on 5th August 1959.

In the May 2012 West Ham accounts the value of Boleyn ground is listed at just over £71m but this is not it's true value, this is just the value of the replacement cost as a football stadium or the possible value if there was a market for 35,000 seat football stadiums which there is not.

We all know in reality the stadium will be knocked down and the land would be sold for redevelopment. In the latest West Ham accounts the value of the Boleyn ground land together with our various training grounds is listed as just over £16m for auditing purposes.

The true re-sale value depends on planning permission from Newham council but we know the council are keen to regenerate the area in a similar way that happened around canning town. Some valuations range from £20m to £30m but it will depend on market conditions and what planning permission will be granted for the land.

Arsenal converted its former stadium Highbury into 711 flats and raised £157m from property sales but a development in East London is unlikely to get anywhere near that.

In 2010 the club placed adverts in trade magazines seeking "expressions of interest for the stadium as a development opportunity" after the 2012 Olympics.

It was widely rumoured that a supermarket and affordable residential flats were planned but as we now know the deal collapsed with the collapse of the first Olympic stadium bid.

The idea to bring a large supermarket and flats to the area is nothing new.

In 2006 it was reported that Asda together with developer St Modwen put forward a £50m scheme to demolish the historic Queen's Market and build 130 flats next to its new superstore. Asda later pulled out of the controversial development after 12,000 signatures were gathered to oppose the plan by a group called Friends of Queen's Market.

David Sullivan has an impressive property portfolio himself which is now his main source of wealth. This portfolio is owned under his property company called Conegate Holdings Ltd which has property assets worth over £240m. He owns 'a huge Sainsbury's' that pays him £3million a year in rent as well as a 'couple of Marks & Spencers'. Just the buildings, you understand, which the retail giants rent from him. Conegate also owns shops, offices and residential properties across the UK. They also own 12.5% of West Ham United through a share holding in WH Holdings Ltd and made loans to West Ham's holding company of £16,850,000 at an interest rate of the base bank rate plus 5%.

I am sure it is just a complete coincidence that West Ham value their land at £16m in their latest accounts which is almost the identical amount owed to West Ham by Sullivan's property company Conegate holdings.

I must stress this is just my own personal speculation but I could see a scenario where this same property company which owns 12.5% of West Ham with a track record of owning supermarkets bids, buys, develops,owns and subsequently rents property on the land that was once our home for many years. Not that there would be anything wrong with that you understand. It would be a good business decision in my opinion by someone who might be sympathetic of it's long history.

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Sam Allardyce hails Ravel Morrison for showing dedication but warns starlet that he is always watching
27 Sep 2013 22:30
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has hailed Ravel Morrison for turning his life around – but has warned the West Ham starlet: "I'm always watching." The ex-Manchester United midfielder, 20, has been the one bright spark in the side's stuttering start to the season, with two goals in his last two games. Allardyce said: "He has surprised us from the start with his whole attitude to life, not just towards football, and that is really pleasing to see. "Dedication doesn't just happen on the football pitch or in training, it happens on a 24/7 basis. That's what he seems to have done."

But Allardyce added: "We download training live every day and if there is a dip in that output, then you say, 'Are you feeling ill? Or was it a great night out?'
"It's just a warning. We know some lads like a night out. But it always has to be at the right time and I don't think any of the players today do it at the wrong time any more – very few."

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