Daily WHUFC News - 17th March 2013

Big Sam on: Chelsea
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce spoke to the press ahead of Sunday's
game at Chelsea
16.03.2013

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has his eyes set on an unlikely double when his
team travel to Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday. West Ham
last achieved two league wins over Chelsea in the same season back in
2002/03, but following December's 3-1 triumph at the Boleyn Ground, they
have the opportunity to put that record right this weekend. Allardyce,
however, is well aware of the size of the task facing his team. He told
whufc.com: "It would be our first double of the year, we've had many other
opportunities that we've blown. It would be an absolutely unbelievable
result for us to win at Stamford Bridge and do the double over Chelsea in
the same season. It's one of those things that happens rarely, for you to be
able to beat a top side home and away. It's a great incentive for the lads
to go out there and achieve that on Sunday. "On the basis that they played
on Thursday night, we certainly should have the energy levels to cope with,
as best we can, the quality that Chelsea have. The high intensity levels
that we'll need to achieve to nullify a Chelsea side are pretty big,
especially out of possession. "We should have enough to try and stay in the
game as long as possible. We obviously want to score first if we can, but if
we can't, as long as we keep the game tight, then inevitably they must tire
based on the workload they have had and you can find some gaps and spaces."

Allardyce is not expecting injured trio Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Joe Cole
to return, although he revealed that Matt Taylor has recovered well from the
blow he received to his jaw at Stoke two weeks ago. He continued: "Of those
with knocks, there's only Taylor who has recovered and in training at the
moment. The other three - Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Joe Cole - are still
pretty doubtful for selection on Sunday, even though we've had two weeks
since our last game, it's looks as if they've not been able to recover in
time. "We've been managing situations like this [gaps between matches] for a
long time now, with international breaks. All we can do is what we did last
time we played - win. Because it makes that two weeks pretty pleasurable, in
terms of handling and getting through the fortnight. "So our win at Stoke
was a massive bonus for us. We've got exactly the same situation on Sunday,
where we've got two weeks before we play West Brom. We've just got to manage
it the best way we can. "We're in a very good position, but mathematically
we need to get a little closer and we need another five points. I think 38
points will be safe this year, but we'll all aim for 40, just in case."

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Joey wants St Patrick's Day celebration
WHUFC.com
Proud Irishman Joey O'Brien is hoping to mark St Patrick's Day with a win at
Chelsea on Sunday
16.03.2013

Joey O'Brien is hoping to celebrate St Patrick's Day in style by helping
West Ham United to achieve a Barclays Premier League victory at Chelsea. The
Hammers travel to Stamford Bridge on the same day that Irish people
everywhere - including proud Dubliner O'Brien - will mark the feast day of
the most-famous of Ireland's patron saints. Having already played his part
in one memorable West Ham win over the Blues this season, O'Brien is
planning to chalk-up another fantastic victory over Rafa Benitez's side on
Sunday.

Joey, it seems like a long time ago, but the 1-0 at Stoke City a fortnight
ago was a really good all-round display wasn't it?

JO'B: "It was a great away performance from us, really. The manager was
saying beforehand that our away form hadn't been good so he wanted us to get
a result there. It was a hard place to go - they had only lost one game
there all season before us. We played well and had to cope with a couple of
early chances which sometimes might disrupt the team. "The lads coming on
sometimes have to settle into the game but that wasn't the case and I
thought Jack Collison and Ricardo Vaz Te were probably our best players. I
thought Ginge [James Collins] was outstanding as well. They came on and
changed the game, really, and played a massive part in our attacking
display. We won well, even though it was close because we had plenty had
plenty of chances to bury them. Perhaps that was the only disappointing
thing - that we didn't win by two or three."

Chelsea will present a different type of challenge, won't they? You
certainly won't have to head the ball quite so often, anyway!

JO'B: "They have got some smashing players and everyone knows about them.
When you watch them play, they are very good going forward with lots of
movement and lots of ability on the ball. It's going to be a hard game for
us but we're very confident after the last game against Stoke and after the
performance we put in against Chelsea earlier on this season. We're going
there to get a result."

You were part of the side that produced arguably our best 45 minutes of the
season to come from behind to beat Chelsea at home in December. Do that
performance and result give us added belief that, if we hit our straps, we
can beat anyone?

JO'B: "Definitely so. The first game was a long time ago but we played well.
In the second half, especially. they just couldn't deal with our intensity.
They are going to want to get one back over us at their place after we beat
them. We're up for going there and getting a good result and we've got the
players who can do that."

You played alongside Gary Cahill at Bolton Wanderers and he is now
impressing for Chelsea and England. After getting one over your old pal
Glenn Whelan at Stoke, you must be eager to do the same to Gary!

JO'B: "Yes, definitely! It would be the second time after we beat them at
home, too! Gary is a great player and an even better person. He has been
playing some great stuff at Chelsea and is probably England's No1
centre-half now. "I'm delighted for him. When we were at Bolton, you could
always see he was going to move on to a better team and obviously he went to
Chelsea. You can see he is really a top, top England centre-half. That's
what everyone at Bolton talked about when he first came into the club and
he's doing it now."

You played alongside Gary Cahill, Kevin Nolan and Matt Taylor at Stamford
Bridge in May 2008, with Matt scoring a last-minute equaliser in a 1-1
Premier League draw. What are your memories of that game?

JO'B: "I think Bolton were struggling with the whole relegation thing. There
was a really far-fetched possibility that we could be relegated with a
15-goal turn-around. We went there and Matty scored and I remember it well
because that result made us completely safe. Hopefully Matty can score again
on Sunday!"

Another of your former Bolton team-mates, Jussi Jaaskelainen, has been in
great form and was voted SBOBET Player of the Month for February. I doubt
you were surprised by his performances, knowing him so well?

JO'B: "Jussi has been brilliant. I think he was outstanding against Spurs
and, of the players on our team, he really didn't deserve to end up on the
losing team. He has been great. I played with Jussi when I first became a
professional footballer at Bolton and he was brilliant then.
"I think he has been a really consistent Premier League goalkeeper. When you
look back over the years, I can't really remember many mistakes and I can't
remember many real mistakes he has made this year as well. He is a top bloke
and is still doing it at the age he is now [37], so fair play to him."

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Haycock salutes resilient Hammers
WHUFC.com
Nick Haycock was proud of another colossal effort as the Dev Squad drew 1-1
with Arsenal's U21s
16.03.2013

Nick Haycock had no complaints with another hard-fought point, as West Ham
United's Development Squad were held to a 1-1 Barclays Under-21 Premier
League Elite Group draw by Arsenal at the Boleyn Ground. Though the Gunners
would land the first blow, Conor Henderson's 20th-minute strike was
cancelled out just 12 minutes later when Nico Yennaris put Pelly Ruddock's
centre through his own goal. Both sides went close to snatching all three
points late on, as Sean Maguire produced a fine stop from Arsenal stopper
Emiliano Martinez, before Zak Ansah saw his drive cannon off the inside of
Raphael Spiegel's right-hand upright. Ultimately, it was to end honours even
and Haycock reflected that a point apiece was probably just reward for a
thoroughly entertaining contest.
"We could have won it, no doubt, but equally we could have lost it as well,
so you have to say a share of the spoils was about right," Haycock told West
Ham TV. "For the last 15 minutes of the first half, we looked something like
what we should be. We came in at half-time and Neil McDonald had a word with
one or two players, just to liven them up a little bit. The first half was a
little bit too nice. The intensity was low, there wasn't enough passion and
aggression in the game. "We wanted to get out of the traps at the start of
the second half but the lights going out didn't allow us to do that. But I
thought the final 20 minutes of the game were more like a London derby and
you could tell by the crowd's reaction that they enjoyed the game as well.
"It was end to end. I wouldn't say I was bellowing, but as much as we wanted
to win the game, equally you have got to make sure you don't lose the game.
It's a fine line."

The U21s manager reserved particular praise for Irish forward Maguire, whose
opportunities have been hampered somewhat by injuries since his January
switch from Waterford United. The 18-year-old joined the fray with
quarter-of-an-hour to play and but for a stunning stop, would have been
celebrating the winner. "Maguire came on and I was pleased with him. He
looked lively. I asked him to get in behind, to run in the box and the
keeper has made a world class save. In training he looks like a sharp
finisher. "Hopefully now, we can get on the training field and get some more
work into him. He's had an injury and he has only just joined our programme,
while the other boys have been on the programme all year. So it will take
him time to come up to speed but he did himself no harm whatsoever when he
came on."

Maguire and his teammates now have a fortnight to prepare for their next
Elite Group outing, as they travel to West Bromwich Albion on 31 March.
Having played five games in 18 days, rest and recuperation is certainly on
the agenda, and Haycock conceded that the schedule has stretched his squad
to its very limits. "I never like to make excuses, but some of the boys have
played five full games. Elliot Lee came off at the end just as a precaution,
because he was tying up a bit and his performances have warranted that we
make sure he doesn't get injured. We had players out there probably playing
more minutes than we'd have wanted because they are coming back from injury.
"We've got a light squad and a young one and yet over those 18 days we've
come out with three creditable draws against big clubs like Arsenal,
Liverpool and Manchester United. It's tough to win points in the Elite
League. The momentum's there after two draws against two good clubs and
we'll be fresh for West Bromwich Albion away when it comes around."

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U18s edged out by Liverpool
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's youngsters fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on
Saturday morning
16.03.2013

West Ham United's Under-18s fell to defeat by the solitary goal at Liverpool
in the Barclays Under-18 Premier League Tier One on Saturday. Steve Potts'
side started brightly at the home team's Kirkby Academy base, but went 1-0
down to Daniel Trickett-Smith's 14th minute goal. Trickett-Smith posed the
biggest threat for Liverpool from his striking role, although the Hammers
did well to restrict his side to half chances in the main. However, the
Hammers also found it tough to create clear cut openings in a game mostly
played out in midfield and they were unable to find an equaliser. The
Hammers looked assured in the opening stages, but fell behind to Liverpool's
first opportunity in the 14th minute. Republic of Ireland U17 international
Alex O'Hanlon clipped over a cross from the left hand side towards
Trickett-Smith, who had drifted into space at the far post for a simple
finish. It was another Irish youth international, Kieran Sadlier, who almost
got the Hammers back on level terms ten minutes later when his free kick
required a strong save from Liverpool keeper Ryan Crump. At the other end
Kristoffer Peterson rose well to head Trickett-Smith's 33rd minute towards
goal but Hammers stopper Sam Baxter did well to hang on. Baxter was then
called upon to smother from Peterson after he shrugged off the challenge of
Lewis Page, but Potts' men were still well in the contest as the half time
whistle sounded.

Liverpool had a great chance to double their lead 11 minutes after the
restart when Jordan Rossiter's defence-splitting ball picked out Harry
Wilson, but Baxter stood up well to deny the half time sub. Sadlier was
looking lively for the visitors and his well-struck shot needed a save from
Crump on 72 minutes after a good move involving Nathan Mavila and Thomas
Gogo. But the Hammers found it tough to break down their hosts after the
interval and Liverpool saw time out to claim maximum points.

West Ham United: Baxter, Knoyle, Page, Girdlestone, Onariase, Burke
(Harney), Makasi, Miles (Amoo), Boakye-Yiadom (Gogo), Sadlier, Mavila

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Chelsea v West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 16th March 2013
By: Preview Percy

Next up we visit Stamford Bridge where our hosts will be Chelsea.

Kick-off is 4.00pm, though the Sunday time and date is a result of the
hosts' involvement in the "Really Important Until We Get Knocked Out Of It"
Europa League rather than for any televisual reasons. Travel-wise, our end
of the District line has replacement buses and the C2C trains are also being
diverted to Liverpool Street. Check before you leave.

Our hosts currently lie in 4th spot with 52 points from 28 games. That's two
points behind Gareth Bale who sits in third spot, though the Pensioners do
have a game in hand. Of their last six they've won three, drawn once and
lost twice. The three wins were all at home against Arsenal (2-1), Wigan
(4-1) and West Brom (1-0). The draw was a 2-2 share of the spoils away at
Reading whilst the defeats came at Newcastle (3-2) and 2-0 at Manchester
City.

Chelsea are of course a major source of laughter amongst the rest of the
league. The source of such amusement can usually be traced back to the
club's owner, Roman Abrahamovic, the multi squillionaire whose funds all
came from sources that are, no doubt, entirely legitimate and in no way
shape or form dodgy. Having had a manager won (or more accurately,
"purchased") the so-called "Champions" League for him last term, he gave Di
Matteo a full three months before handing him his P45. That was funny enough
but what happened next was even dafter. In came Rafa Benitez, a man who
could spot a conspiracy theory in a bowl of porridge. Benitez was given the
not exactly confidence-inspiring title of "Interim Manager". The fans took
to Benitez in much the same manner as a rational and sane person might take
to Piers Morgan: that is not at all. To be fair Benitez has never been one
to help himself – some of his public pronouncements have you looking to see
if there are men in white coats hanging around in the background waiting
with his medication.

It must have been a weird transfer window over there. After all, the manager
could hardly boast to potential new recruits of his plans for the next few
years. Not that any manager working for Abrahamovic can ever really plan
long-term but the "interim Manager" title is a bit of a giveaway.

They still managed to get one player in in the form of ex-Hammer Dember Ba,
whose agents must now have enough money from their cut of signing-on fees to
buy a reasonably sizeable island somewhere. Their income from loyalty
bonuses is probably a bit less I'd guess. Ba has had a nice midweek rest
having been ineligible for Chelsea in midweek having already played for the
Geordies in the Europa Cup this season.

They've been missing their obnoxious skipper for a large chunk of the
season. His ban for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand was followed by a
damaged knee, an injury sustained on his return to action against Liverpool.
To everyone outside Stamford Bridge Terry's main contribution to the game
has been to be the inspiration behind a million photoshop efforts following
his ludicrous and sadly predictable appearance in full kit at the Champions
League Final from which he had been suspended. Thus we have seen Terry
winning the boat race, joining Neil Armstong on the moon, and picking up all
sorts of gold medals during the Olympics. The latest effort saw him waving
to the crowds in St Peters' Square following the election of Pope Francis
earlier this week. Meanwhile, if you ever needed proof that all the money in
the world can't buy class. The "Legend" poster that the club (not the fans,
note) stuck up is still there. Teryy hasn't been an automatic choice since
his return to fitness, possibly due to a number of training ground "frank
exchange of views" between him and Benitez.

Talking of classless, Frank Lampard is closing in on the goalscoring record
held by Bobby Tambling, a player whose existence was previously a mystery to
the vast majority of Chelsea supporters, what with him having plied his
trade before 2003. One such chap in our local, The Swan And Superinjunction,
whose allegiance to the Pensioners dates all the way back to the Champions
League Final boats of remembering Bobby Tambourine. I recall a few years ago
they wheeled out Tambling at half time and made the poor chap walk around
the ground whilst the home support shrugged their shoulders. They know now
of course, what with his name being featured every week as Lampard looks
forward to a last big payday in the States. That's if he finds the time in
between evicting old ladies out on to the street.

They're not exactly short of players to laugh at. Fernando Torres raises a
smile at grounds up and down the country, not least on Merseyside where,
having taken Daniel Sturridge off Chelsea's hands in the last window,
Liverpool probably think they have the better of the dealings between the
two clubs. Torres got his first goal in 20 games in the midweek Europa Cup
match against Steua Bucharest, though, as if to prove old habits die hard,
he also missed a penalty. Our chums in Spain have finally twigged that
Torres is not exactly in the form of his life and, having omitted him from
the squads from recent friendlies , coach del Bosque (That's Vincente del
Bosque, not Derek Bosque) has left him out of the somewhat more serious
matter of forthcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Finland & France.

Then of course there's Ashley Cole. Whilst the Cole family (including exes)
has some way to go before being quite as loathsome as that of his skipper
(who can of course include drug dealers and shoplifters as well as racists
amongst their number), if Wikipedia is to be believed Cole is also distantly
related to Mariah Carey. To adapt the old phrase, to be connected to one
talentless bimbo might be considered unfortunate. Two is just careless.

And so to us. The fixture list is as bonkers as Benitez at the moment and,
being of advanced years I'm struggling to remember our last match. The trip
to Stoke was so long ago there was another Pope on the throne. The comment
by one of the editors of this site that Sheffield United are to demand
compensation following the election of an Argentinian to the top slot at the
Vatican is probably wrong, though frankly one wouldn't put it past them.

Where was I. Oh yes Stoke. Good win that one. Especially since we had to
make two changes within the first ten minutes or so. Even better was the
sight and sound of Tony Pulis doing his nut as a ref finally had the guts to
stand up to his bunch of thugs. If only Mike Jones had had the same bottle
as Jon Moss in the FA Cup a few years back.

Team news is that the break has allowed a bit more healing time for some of
the injuries. Joe Cole will sit out the visit to where it all started to go
wrong for him, the hamstring that saw him limp off at Stoke. Matt Taylor may
also miss out, the horrific boot wrapped round his head causing him a major
concussion. His presence in Sunday's squad may depend on whether he can
answer one of the standard questions doctors ask after a bang on the head,
such as "what is the name of the current Pope".

Mark Noble's trapped nerve in his arm/elbow has apparently reacted well to
treatment, though speaking from experience, trapped nerves can be a bit
tricky. Then we have the skipper, suffering from a broken toe. Pleasingly
there is no "metatarsal" nonsense from our down-to earth skipper; he has a
broken toe, no more no less. Nolan might elect to play through the pain with
the help of a painkilling jab or two, and a late fitness test is on the
cards.

Obviously this will be a tough one. Their vast amounts of funds (all of
which came from sources that are, no doubt, entirely legitimate and in no
way shape or form dodgy, I can't stress that enough) mean that they have a
squad and a half. Mind you that didn't do them too many favours in the
reverse fixture where our second half performance was arguably our best 45
minutes this season. They're not infallible though the smart money will be
on a home win. However, none of us here at the Avram Grant Rest Home For The
Bewildered could ever be considered "smart" so I'll be placing the £2.50
winnings we got from our bet on the new Pope (we stuck a few quid on it
being a Catholic) on a 1-1 draw, prompting some more bonkers outpourings
from Benitez.

Enjoy the game!

When Last We Met at Stamford BridgeLost 0-3 A result that flattered the home
side as we failed to take advantage of a decent number of chances. Torres
hadn't scored in over 700 minutes since his move from the bindippers so it
was sadly inevitable that he would break his duck against us, though it
still took a slip from a defender in torrential rain to let the hapless
Spaniard in. Meanwhile, dozens of Hammers went home richer having popped a
few bob on Torres to score.

Referee: Michael Oliver. Last seen handling our 1-0 defeat at Reading.
Frighteningly young ref who faces a late fitness test on a spot of acne
before the match. May be replaced by one of the bigger boys if his mum
thinks it's too cold for him to be out.

Danger Man: Frank Lampard Junior. Ungrateful spoilt brat who will no doubt
kiss the badge when he scores his statutory goal against us. The fact that
David Mellor is also a Chelsea fan (this week) puts that into perspective.

Daft Fact Of The Week: Former Chelsea defender Paul Elliot was due to take
on a £100,000 a year community role at Stamford Bridge. The job fell through
after his recent indiscretion in using "racially unacceptable" language in a
string of text messages between him and ex-Charlton defender Richard Rufus.
Meanwhile they still have that banner up describing John Terry as a
"legend".

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Sam Allardyce wants contract talks once West Ham are safe in the Premier
League
Last Updated: March 16, 2013 10:05am
SSN

Sam Allardyce wants to sit down and discuss a new contract as soon as West
Ham United have guaranteed their Premier League survival. Allardyce's
current deal expires at the end of the season and co-chairman David Gold
recently stated that talks over an extension would be held in the summer.
However, Allardyce is keen to start planning for next season and sees no
reason to wait until the campaign is over to hold negotiations, if the
Hammers are safe. "We'll sit down when we're safe," said Allardyce. "What's
the point me waiting until the end of the season if we're mathematically
safe with a few games to go?
"There's no point in that is there? We need to start budgeting." West Ham
are currently 12th in the table with 33 points, nine points clear of the
relegation zone, and Allardyce feels 38 points will be enough to preserve
the club's top-flight status. He added: "I think we need another five
points. Thirty eight will make you safe this year but we will all aim for 40
just in case. "Hopefully we will be safe as soon as possible because there
is a lot to negotiate and a lot to move on, which we are doing."

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Sam Allardyce hopes Chelsea opposition to Rafa Benitez can lift West Ham
Last Updated: March 16, 2013 1:33pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is hoping for some help from an unexpected
source when his side bid to complete a Premier League double over Chelsea on
Sunday. The Hammers defeated the Blues 3-1 at Upton Park back in December
and will be bidding to follow that up at Stamford Bridge, where Allardyce
reckons the animosity towards Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez can work in his
side's favour. "You can see the importance of your fans being behind you
rather than not," he said. "I think Chelsea's team has suffered at Stamford
Bridge because the fans have not been fully supportive of what has happened.
That is nothing to do with Rafa, he can't help that. "He is a manager trying
to do a job the best he possibly can and he's obviously got a great CV at
the jobs he has done at his other clubs. "But it shows the importance of a
volatile fan base that turned the other way, what effect it can have on a
team. "In the reverse of that we all know the extra man that fans can
create. You see the opposite of that at Chelsea and certainly in the early
stages when Rafa took over and Chelsea suffered some poor results because of
that. That's the effect the fans have on the team that plays on the field.
"It would be an absolutely unbelievable result for us to win at Stamford
Bridge and do the double over Chelsea in the same season. It's one of those
things that happens rarely, for you to be able to beat a top side home and
away. "It's a great incentive for the lads to go out there and achieve that
on Sunday."

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O'Neill begs Lamps to light up Hammers
The Sun
By VIKKI ORVICE
Last Updated: 17th March 2013

GARY O'NEIL would love to see Frank Lampard back in a West Ham shirt. The
Hammers travel to Stamford Bridge today aiming to do the double over
Chelsea. But midfielder O'Neil would rather be playing alongside former
Hammer Lampard than facing him. And he cannot believe the Blues have not
offered to renew Lamps' contract at the end of the season. O'Neil said:
"It's surprising that a player of that stature and quality is being allowed
to run out his contract.
"If the money was right and the deal was right, he's a player I would love
to see back at West Ham. He would be a great player to sign if the club
could get hold of him. "I remember following him around the Bridge many a
time. You think you've got him, it's 0-0 with a few minutes to go but then
you lose him and he scores. Hopefully it won't happen this weekend." O'Neil,
29, has urged the Hammers board to give boss Sam Allardyce a new contract
when his deal runs out this summer. He said: "It shocks me that his job
might be under threat. The lads all love working for him."

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My Club: Ray Winstone
Exclusive
By TOM BARCLAY
Last Updated: 17th March 2013
The Sun

THE diving antics in modern-day football has got so bad that some of the
players could follow Vinnie Jones into acting. That's the view of Hollywood
movie star Ray Winstone, who reckons he's seen a fair few Oscar-winning
performances in the Premier League this season. In an exclusive My Club chat
with SunSport, the star of Sexy Beast, The Departed and those betting
adverts talked about his love of West Ham and how Bobby Moore changed the
perception of London's East End.

TB: Why do you support West Ham?

RW: I was born in the East End and was raised in Plaistow. My club — my
manor, if you like — was West Ham United.

What was your first game?

The first game I ever saw was Southend versus Stockport but the first time I
went to see West Ham was in 1965, but I can't remember what it was!

What's your favourite West Ham memory?

Looking back, my best moment was probably being lucky enough to see people
like Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters — not that I knew it at the
time. They were great players. My dad didn't take me to the Cup Winners' Cup
final because he thought it would probably be too much for a young kid. But
he took me to Wembley when West Ham won the World Cup against West Germany!
One of the great moments was seeing the FA Cup being paraded in 1964 on my
street. They didn't even have a bus, they were on top of the coach. They
were blowing bubbles and that was when I was hooked.

Who is your all-time favourite player?

Bobby Moore. He changed my outlook on heroes from the East End. People used
to think of gangsters and villains but Moore was the first gentleman who
became the captain of England. He changed the way people looked at the East
End.

Will you miss Upton Park if the proposed move to the Olympic Stadium goes
ahead?

We'll miss it but the fact is we've got to move forward and the Olympic
Stadium is most important to that. Not only for West Ham, but for the area
for the East End. That is our place. If West Ham are not there, what are the
government going to do? Give it to the area. The stadium will be used two or
three times a week and will bring work into the area. Otherwise it will sit
there and rot.

If you could sign one realistic player, who would it be?

I like to see us bring local kids through the ranks again. But I would love
to see Carlos Tevez come back. I want to sign players who love the club and
want to be here.

If you were West Ham chairman for a day, would you change anything?

No, I like the way they're running the club at the moment. They did a good
job at Birmingham and left it in a good state. So what they're doing here is
the right thing. We're getting better and better. If we survive this year,
which I think we will, Sam will take us to another level.

Could you see any other footballers making the transition into acting, like
Vinnie Jones?

I've seen a few foreign players who could be good actors, the way they dive
and the way they throw themselves about. There's a couple of Oscar
performances I've seen this year — they perform better than I do!

If you could win an Oscar or score the winning goal in the World Cup final,
what would you do?

Score the goal in the World Cup final.

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West Ham Mortgage £60m of TV Money in Bid to Manage Debts
The Nightly EPL
Posted on March 16, 2013 by Alex Muller

West Ham United are rolling the dice that they'll be in the Premier League
next season by mortgaging the £60 million they expect to receive from TV
revenue for the 2013-14 season to manage the club's debts. With Aston Villa
beating Queens Park Rangers today, it looks very likely that Reading and QPR
will go down alongside one team to be determined, so the Hammers should be
safe. But with just 33 points — nine points away from the relegation zone —
West Ham United should be safe. West Ham have debts of approximately £70
million, so the £60 million up front from bankers in the British Virgin
Islands will come in handy once West Ham's safety in the league is assured.
According to the article in The Mail, it's believed that six other EPL clubs
are doing the same deals to get money up front.

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