Daily WHUFC News - 11th February 2014

Norwich City match preview
WHUFC.com
All the important pre-match information ahead of the game against Norwich
City
10.02.2014

WEST HAM UNITED v NORWICH CITY
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
TUESDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2014
KICK-OFF: 7.45PM
REFEREE: MICHAEL OLIVER
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV

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Introduction
• West Ham United return to the Boleyn Ground to face Norwich City in the
Barclays Premier League on Tuesday night having recorded back-to-back wins
for the first time since the Club was promoted back to the top- light in
2012.
• Consecutive 2-0 wins over Swansea City and Aston Villa have moved the
Hammers up to 15th place in the league, one position above the Canaries by
virtue of a superior goal difference.
• The win against the Villans means the Hammers are now three games without
defeat in the Premier League, with a 0-0 draw at Chelsea also contributing
to the run which has seen Sam Allardyce's side take seven points from a
possible nine.
• On Tuesday night the home side will be looking to record just their second
victory at the Boleyn Ground in 2014.
• Norwich City arrive in east London having drawn 0-0 with Manchester City
at Carrow Road at the weekend.
• The Canaries have gone three matches without a win in the Premier League,
their last success coming against Hull City in a 1-0 win on 18 January.
• Chris Hughton's side will be looking to win on their travels for the first
time in four matches since they overcame West Bromwich Albion in December
2013.

Team news
West Ham United
• Andy Carroll serves the second match of his three-game ban on Tuesday
night, following his red card versus Swansea City.
• Joey O'Brien is the Hammers' only long-term injury casualty with the
full-back having undergone an operation on the shoulder he dislocated
against Chelsea.
• Joe Cole (calf) and Mohamed Diame (gashed leg) missed the trip to
Birmingham but could be fit for the visit of Norwich.

Norwich City
• The Canaries are waiting on the fitness of Robert Snodgrass, after he
missed Saturday's game against Manchester City with a groin injury.
• Gary Hooper will be fit after picking up a kick to the foot in the same
game, but Jonas Gutierrez is out.

Last time out
Aston Villa 0-2 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
8 February 2014
West Ham United: Adrian, McCartney, Collins, Tomkins, Demel, Noble, Nolan
(Nocerino 68), Taylor, Jarvis (Reid 74), Downing, C Cole (Borriello 45)
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Armero, Collison, Johnson
Goals: Nolan 46, 48

Norwich City 0-0 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
8 February 2014
Norwich City: Ruddy, Martin, Olsson, Tettey, Yobo, Bassong. Redmond,
Johnson, Hooper (van Wolfswinkel 68), Fer, Pilkington (Whittaker 93)
Subs not used: Bunn, Hoolahan, Murphy, Becchio, Garrido

Previous meeting
West Ham United failed to take advantage of a dominant first half at Norwich
City as the Canaries recovered from a one-goal deficit to triumph 3-1. The
Hammers bossed proceedings and took the lead through Ravel Morrison. But
after handing Gary Hooper a gift-wrapped leveller from the spot after the
break, Norwich grew in strength and won the game with two goals inside the
final 18 minutes.
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Collins, Tomkins, Rat, Collison (C
Cole 74), Noble (Jarvis 87), Morrison, Nolan, J Cole (Diame 72), Downing
Subs not used: Adrian, McCartney, Maiga, O'Brien
Goal: Morrison 32
Norwich City: Ruddy, Martin, Olsson, Howson, Turner, R Bennett, Snodgrass,
Fer, Hooper (Johnson 87), Elmander, Pilkington (Redmond 33)
Subs not used: Whittaker, Bassong, Bunn, Becchio, Hoolahan
Goals: Hooper pen 54, Snodgrass 72, Fer 90

Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
9 November 2013 - Norwich City 3-1 West Ham United
1 January 2013 - West Ham United 2-1 Norwich City
15 September 2012 - Norwich City 0-0 West Ham United
7 January 2006 - Norwich City 1-2 West Ham United (FA Cup)
8 January 2005 - West Ham United 1-0 Norwich City (FA Cup)
21 February 2004 - Norwich City 1-1 West Ham United (Division One)
Overall record v Norwich City (Premier League, Football League, FA Cup and
League Cup) W 18 D 15 L 16

Ten-year record
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via
Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)

Norwich City
2012/13 Premier League 11th (44 points)
2011/12 Premier League 12th (47 points)
2010/11 Championship 2nd (84 points - promoted to Premier League)
2009/10 League One 1st (95 points - promoted to Championship)
2008/09 Championship 22nd (46 points - relegated to League One)
2007/08 Championship 17th (55 points)
2006/07 Championship 16th (57 points)
2005/06 Championship 9th (62 points)
2004/05 Premier League 19th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2003/04 Championship 1st (94 points - promoted to Premier League)

Background
• West Ham United have met Norwich City on 73 occasions. The Hammers have
taken the spoils in 29 meetings whilst the Canaries have won 24 times with
20 games ending as draws.
• The first ever meeting between the two teams ended in a 1-0 Norwich win at
Newmarket Road on 7 October 1905 in the Southern League Division One.
• When West Ham first played host to Norwich at the Boleyn Ground on 10
February 1906 they ran riot putting six goals past their opponents whilst
conceding only once.
• The Hammers' most recent home encounter with Norwich City ended in a 2-1
Barclays Premier League win on 1 January 2013 courtesy of goals from Mark
Noble and Joey O'Brien.

Referee
• The referee for Tuesday's match is Michael Oliver.
• Oliver was introduced to refereeing by his father, Clive, at the age of
14. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted to the National List
of referees in 2007.
• In 2007 he became the youngest referee to officiate at Wembley Stadium
when he took charge of the 2007 Conference play-off final. He also went on
to become the youngest fourth official for a Barclays Premier League match.
• The Oliver family enjoyed a referring double in 2009 when his father took
charge of the 2009 League Two Play-Off final a day before he took charge of
the League One play-off final.
• In August 2010 he was promoted to the Select Group of referees and soon
became the youngest-ever Barclays Premier League referee when he took charge
of Birmingham City versus Blackburn Rovers on 21 August 2010.
• Oliver has taken charge of the Hammers on two occasions so far this
season, in a 3-1 defeat at the Boleyn Ground against Manchester City on 19
October and a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield on 7 December 2013.
General information
• The weather forecast for Tuesday night is dry with temperatures around 5C
(41F).
• Tickets are still available for the clash against the Canaries, and can be
purchased at www.whufcboxoffice.com

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Big Sam on: Norwich City
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce spoke to the media ahead of Tuesday's
game against Norwich
10.02.2014

Sam Allardyce says the Hammers will not be resting on their laurels as they
go for a third straight Barclays Premier League win on Tuesday night.
Saturday's triumph over Aston Villa gave them back-to-back top flight
successes for the first time since promotion in 2012 and the gaffer is
quickly eyeing another three-point haul when Norwich City visit the Boleyn
Ground.

How big is this game on Tuesday night?

SA: "Every game recently has been massive in terms of trying to get the team
in a better position in the league. I think that at the moment we're in a
fantastic vein of form and results, helped by the squad coming together more
and staying fit. We do still have a few injuries, but I'm glad to say that
Joe Cole and Mo Diame are back in the squad for Tuesday night's game. "That
increases the size of the squad, and Marco Borriello and Antonio Nocerino
have settled in great too. I think that we've got a good squad of players to
look at and give fierce competition. Good confidence is coming back to the
team and we're winning football matches which is the most important thing.
At this stage of the football season it's not how you win them, it's just
make sure you win them as best as you possibly can. If you can do that by
being brilliant on the ball and playing with a lot of flair, fine, but if
you can't you've got to dig in and hold the opposition up, because on some
occasions they're that much better than you and you have to choose the right
way forward for each game. "For Tuesday night against Norwich, we've just
got to maintain first and foremost our defensive stability and not get
carried away about opening ourselves up to Norwich thinking that we can go
and win this game without doing that defensive responsiblity, which has been
our backbone this season. If we do that then we'll have a great chance of
taking another three points."

Talking about that defensive stability, you've got more clean sheets than
anyone else in the Premier League. That's an amazing statistic...

SA: "Yes, and it's one that should have borne more fruit. But unfortunately
there's another reverse statistic in that we've played nine matches in which
we haven't scored a goal. Our goal record has been far too low this season
in terms of where we set our targets from. On the balance of clean sheets
and then goals scored, it's a huge difference and if we married that
difference up better we'd be in the top half of the table now, just by
scoring maybe three or four more goals at the right time. "We are scoring
goals at the moment, we're not going to keep clean sheets in every single
game, but certainly twelve clean sheets and nobody else bettering that at
the moment is a fantastic base to build from."

It's amazingly tight at the bottom of the table, if you win against Norwich
you could go up to tenth...

SA: "It's been like that nearly all season now. I think that certainly after
the first five or six games from the bottom to tenth has been the smallest
point margin than I've seen before. Generally at this stage of the season
it's normally getting down to about six or seven teams, maximum, fighting to
stay away from the bottom three. [This season] It can still be ten and I
think everybody's picking points up, everybody's picking points up against
teams that they're not expected to at times. Nobody expected us to get any
points at Chelsea with our 19th century football, but Norwich against
Manchester City did very similar at home, then Fulham did even more so
against Manchester United on Sunday to get a point. "You've got to make sure
that what's most important to you is to get the result no matter who you're
playing against and if you fall into the trap of trying to open up and play
against teams like that you'll fall foul to the opposition manager saying
'what a good game, and what a good team you are' but you've been beaten 3-0,
like Chelsea did to Newcastle on Saturday."

One of big plus points recently has been the form of Kevin Nolan and the way
he has bounced back from the red cards. He said that you had words with him
after those red cards and how it focused his mind and helped him to come
back. What did you have to say to him?

SA: "That's between me and Kevin, the conversations when you come into my
office are private and confidential between me and that person, and nobody
else. Those conversations only happen on rare occasions for me, when I feel
necessary to divulge as far as we divulged, knowing that your experience is
telling you to say something and find something out that could help the
player at that particular time. "I'm glad that Kevin is producing the goals
because my pressure was that people were saying that he should no longer be
captain, but my ultimate decision was that knowing how he works with the
players as he does, and knowing the respect he has from his fellow
professionals, that would have been the wrong thing to do."

Ravel Morrison wasn't in the squad at the weekend - there have been a few
rumours that he might be loaned to a Championship club. Is there any truth
in that?

SA: "At the moment Ravel's still complaining about the problem that's he had
from before Christmas, that he's got a rumbling groin problem. At the end of
the day he's going to have to decide whether he goes for the hernia
operation or not. The answer keeps being no, he doesn't need it, so what we
have to do is get him back training and get him back in the squad. "I
haven't heard any rumours any other way regarding Ravel, but he certainly
needs to get back training with the squad, and what he's got to realise is
that now everybody's fit there's severe competition here, especially with
the new players as well. That severe competition brings pressure on the
players that are playing in the first team, knowing that if they perform
poorly they could lose their place and that's certainly the case with the
size of the squad at the moment, which is good and healthy."

When you look back at the season, might you regard the Chelsea result, 19th
century football or not, as the catalyst you needed?

SA: "I felt it was a great result at the time, I felt it was a great
performance at the time, and yet again since then we've carried it on and
only time will tell. I thought the kicker for us this season would have been
when we won 3-0 at Tottenham. Because of the lack of front men available at
the time, we played without a striker, but we managed to win 3-0 and I
thought we'd go on from there, but unfortunately we didn't. The Chelsea
result has moved us forward in terms of having a couple of wins and now it's
a big challenge to maintain the level of performance and try to get another
win on Tuesday. If you're in and around the bottom three and you can get
three wins on the trot, it's some achievement with the pressure the players
are under. We've got a great chance to do that on Tuesday."

Do you think the fact you were upset by the Andy Carroll situation helped
galvanise the team?

SA: "It did on Saturday. Carlton and Marco played a dual role, in that they
had 45 minutes apiece, which is what I talked to them about before the game
and told them to go out and give us your best 45 minutes and help the team
try and win. Both made a contribution on Saturday and they have to continue
to do that. For me, what about this? Andy Carroll gets over his suspension,
West Ham haven't lost a game and won most of them, and Andy Carroll has to
sit on the bench. That would be nice."

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West Ham v Norwich
KO 19:45
10 February 2014
Last updated at 12:42
By John Roder
Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Tuesday, 11 February

TEAM NEWS

Norwich are awaiting news of whether Robert Snodgrass will be fit to play
after missing the match against Manchester City with a groin injury.
Gary Hooper has overcome a kick to the foot suffered in that match, but
Jonas Gutierrez is out.
West Ham will again be without the suspended Andy Carroll, who serves the
second of his three-match ban. Joe Cole and Mohamed Diame are available
after missing the win over Aston Villa through injury.

MATCH PREVIEW

This is a huge match for both these sides, as they look to move away from
the relegation zone. West Ham and Norwich both have 25 points, with the
Hammers in 15th - just above the Canaries on goal difference. West Ham,
thanks to Kevin Nolan, have won their last two matches, and the victory at
Aston Villa on Saturday took them out of the bottom five for the first time
since December. Nolan, with six goals, is their top scorer this season, and
with Carroll absent, the skipper will again shoulder much responsibility. "I
have talked a lot recently about the effect a change of manager has had at
clubs like Crystal Palace and Sunderland this season so I should say the
same about how the Hammers and Canaries have benefited from sticking with
theirs. "Everybody was talking about how close Sam Allardyce was to getting
the sack after West Ham's nightmare spell over Christmas and the New Year
but the Hammers' owners just brushed all that away and gave him some new
players instead."

The win at Villa Park was notable for another clean sheet. Despite their
league position West Ham have 12 clean sheets in their 25 Premier League
matches, the best record in the top division. However, when they go behind,
they lose. They've conceded the opening goal on eight occasions, and lost
all eight.
Norwich will be hoping that they can just score, and given the above
statistic, score first. A return of four goals in their last nine Premier
League matches is a worry, even though at the other end they have kept three
clean sheets in their last four.

If that suggests a goalless draw, think again. I was at Carrow Road for
Match of the Day back in November when Norwich beat West Ham 3-1. It was a
terrific performance from Norwich, who came into that match off the back of
a 7-0 thrashing at Manchester City. This weekend it was a much better
performance against the same opponents as they became only the fourth team
to stop City scoring in the league this season. I would guess both managers
would be using the word momentum in the build-up to Tuesday's encounter.
Victory for either could see the winners put a significant gap between
themselves and the bottom three, depending on other results. Defeat, coupled
with other scores going against them, may just leave the losers in the
relegation zone.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Both clubs have an identical record of six wins, seven draws and 12 defeats
from their 25 matches this season.
Norwich have only won on four of their 24 visits to Upton Park and their
last victory came back in 1987.
However, they have only lost one of their last nine league matches against
West Ham.
This is the 50th meeting between the sides. Norwich have won 16 times, West
Ham 18 and there have been 15 draws.

West Ham United
In their last 10 Premier League games at home, West Ham have either kept a
clean sheet (four times) or conceded exactly three goals (six times).
They have won back-to-back league games for the first time since April 2012.
Kevin Nolan has scored four goals in his last two games, having scored just
two in the previous 21. On Saturday, he became the first West Ham player to
score twice in a top-flight fixture at Aston Villa since Geoff Hurst in
1967.
West Ham have kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets for the
first time since March 2009.
They have scored just three goals following a cross this season in the
league - less than any other team.

Norwich City
Norwich have now kept nine clean sheets in the Premier League this season,
the second best of sides in the bottom half behind West Ham.
They have won just one of their last 10 league matches, but have drawn five
of those.
Only Crystal Palace (18) have scored fewer goals than Norwich have this
season (19).
Chris Hughton has made 60 substitutions in league games this season but not
one of those changes has resulted in a goal or an assist.

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West Ham agree Upton Park sale deal with Galliard Group
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have agreed to sell Upton Park to London developer the Galliard
Group once they have completed their move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016.
The Hammers said they chose the group for its "close links to the
community". Vice-chairman Karren Brady said the deal demonstrated the club
had kept its promise to regenerate two areas of east London through its
stadium move. The developer plans to build new homes on the site as well as
retail and leisure facilities by 2018. It has also been in talks with the
family of former West Ham and England captain Bobby Moore about the
possibility of placing a landscaped garden named in his honour at the centre
of the site, as well as a statue of him. In a statement, Moore's daughter
Roberta Moore said: "I have always believed that there should be some form
of permanent West Ham United presence at the Boleyn Ground site after the
team leave and I'm really pleased that the centre point of the development
is planned to be named in honour of my father."

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Ravel Morrison: QPR want to sign West Ham midfielder on loan
BBC.co.uk

Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp says he is keen to sign West Ham
midfielder Ravel Morrison on loan. "I think he wants to come to us,"
Redknapp told Sky Sports after QPR lost 1-0 at Derby in the Championship on
Monday. "He is a great talent. He can open doors, make the difference. If
[West Ham boss] Sam Allardyce wants to loan him, we are here." Morrison, 21,
joined the Hammers from Manchester United in January 2012. Earlier on
Monday, Allardyce said Morrison needed to return to fitness before a
decision could be made on his future. "Ravel is still complaining about the
problem that's he had from before Christmas - that he's got a rumbling groin
problem," said the former Bolton and Newcastle manager. "He's going to have
to decide whether to go for the hernia operation or not. "The answer keeps
being no, he doesn't need it, so what we have to do is get him back training
and get him back in the squad. "What he's got to realise is that, now
everybody's fit, there's severe competition here, especially with the new
players as well. "That severe competition brings pressure on the players
that are playing in the first team, knowing that if they perform poorly they
could lose their place."

Morrison, who was linked with a move to Fulham in the January transfer
window, has struggled for first-team action in recent weeks, with his most
recent Premier League start coming against former club Manchester United on
21 December. Since then, Morrison has started the FA Cup and Capital One Cup
defeats by Nottingham Forest and Manchester City respectively, and came on
as a substitute in the league defeat by Newcastle.

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Boleyn Ground sold
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 10th February 2014
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have announced the sale of the Boleyn Ground to a local
property group. The Club announced this morning that the team's home for the
last 109 years had been sold to the Loughton-based property developer
Galliard Group. "Following a competitive bidding process, West Ham United
selected Galliard Group as the purchaser for the site ahead of a number of
other national and international companies," a statement posted on whufc.com
this morning read. "The Club was impressed with Galliard Group's links to
the local community and their commitment to honouring the history of the
Hammers at the Boleyn Ground as part of their proposed development." The
club's CEO Karren Brady added: ""We opted to reach an agreement with
Galliard because they are a local London developer and employer with origins
in east London. "We know they are committed to working closely with the
local community and Newham Council on proposals to transform the site into a
residential and retail village, which will benefit the local community and
east London's regional economy.
"In addition, and most importantly for us, we can see that Galliard are
passionate about working with West Ham United to engage their supporters to
help deliver a fitting legacy that will honour the tradition of the famous
ground. "We are confident that West Ham United fans will be excited about
their vision and the way they plan to respect more than 100 years of West
Ham history at Upton Park."

KUMB.com understands that West Ham turned down more lucrative bids in order
to go with the Essex-based Galliard Group, who will turn the site into a
predominantly residential area - dispelling myths that the ground would be
replaced by a supermarket or place of worship. In addition to the homes, the
Group - who were heavily involved with the Emirates Stadium - are planning
to preserve the Club's memorial garden, currently situated on Green Street,
whilst a lasting legacy to Bobby Moore and other heroes of the past is
planned for the centre of the new development.

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West Ham's Kevin Nolan upset with FA treatment of Andy Carroll
Last Updated: 10/02/14 8:02am
SSN

West Ham captain Kevin Nolan has criticised the Football Association for its
stance over Andy Carroll's controversial red card against Swansea. Carroll
was sent off after being deemed to have struck Chico Flores with his forearm
and the Hammers took the matter to an independent tribunal on Friday after
their appeal was turned down. But their hopes justice would be served were
again rejected, meaning Carroll has to serve his three-match ban, which
began with their 2-0 win over Aston Villa over the weekend. That still
rankles with Nolan, who scored both goals at Villa Park, and he believes the
FA was wrong not to overturn the original decision made by referee Howard
Webb. "We have nothing against the FA, they've just got to get it right,"
said Nolan, who admitted the injustice the Hammers are feeling fuelled their
performance on Saturday. "When people get things wrong, we expect them to
hold up their hands and say, 'yeah, I got it wrong' and move on, like we all
have to do. "We were disappointed with the outcome. We thought it was an
injustice. I felt really sorry for Andy." "We have to hold our hands up as
footballers when we get it wrong and take the stick that comes with it. I
think they had a chance to redeem themselves and they haven't taken it. "We
were disappointed with the outcome. We thought it was an injustice. Andy is
also frustrated, he's a good mate of mine and I felt really sorry for him.
"We've got to forget about Andy for the next couple of weeks now. He has to
work hard and get himself ready because if we keep winning games it's going
to be hard for him to get back into the team."

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James Tomkins says West Ham are in determined mood
Last Updated: 10/02/14 10:47pm
SSN

James Tomkins insists West Ham cannot relax, despite moving out of the
relegation zone over the weekend. The Hammers claimed a 2-0 triumph over
Aston Villa, which boosted their survival hopes. But Tomkins admits that
they are not thinking they are safe just yet. "It is certainly not the time
to sit back," he told the Newham Recorder. "We need to carry on from the win
against West Ham because we all know if you lose a couple of games, you are
dragged right into the trouble again. "We are hoping to keep this run going
and Norwich is a winnable game, no disrespect to them, but it is a game we
can win. "The lads are so confident at the minute. We won our last home game
and don't forget about the Chelsea game which was massive as well, and then
beating Villa, so we are confident going into Tuesday, but we will need our
whole squad because there are likely to be some tired legs after the Villa
match."

Their win over Villa was West Ham's first back to back win in the Premier
League since they returned to the top-flight. "The manager always made a
point of telling us when we had won a game about the importance of back to
back wins, but this time he kept it a bit more low key, so perhaps that was
the difference," he said. "It is something to be proud of from Saturday, but
it is just a case of trying to keep it going now. That is two, but can we
make it three?"

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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce calls for reform at the FA
Last Updated: 10/02/14 4:11pm
SSN

West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has called for the Football
Association to change the disciplinary process, which he claims is flawed.
He is still furious that Andy Carroll is having to serve a three-match ban
after receiving a red card in the 2-0 Premier League home win over Swansea
on 1 February. An independent tribunal upheld the FA's decision to reject
the Hammers' appeal against Carroll's sanction after he had tangled with
Chico Flores. Carroll sat out the win at Aston Villa on Saturday and
Allardyce will again be without the totemic striker for the midweek game
against Norwich City. Allardyce told Sky Sports News: "I'm upset about the
injustice after, as well as the original decision. I think we've been dealt
a total injustice in the game of football. "We've done all we possibly could
to avert that injustice but we have to accept it unfortunately. My only hope
is that the referees' system becomes better because that is obviously flawed
in this situation. "I think that the disciplinary hearing can be looked at
and become better after that injustice. Of course after we went to the FA
and the tribunal scenario, I don't know the outcome of that because I wasn't
involved. "Hopefully if I am, maybe they will help to get a better system in
place because things like that decision should not happen in the
professional game as they happen for me."

West Ham have climbed to 15th in the league on the back of a seven-point
haul from the last three games and Allardyce is happy to be able to bolster
his squad for Norwich on Tuesday. "First and foremost, we have to maintain
our defensive stability and if we do that, we'll have a great chance of
gaining another three points," he added. "I'm pleased to report that Mo
Diame and Joe Cole are back in the squad for this one too. We're in a rich
vein of form at the minute which has been helped by players coming back into
the squad. "Every game recently has been massive in terms of trying to get
the team in a better position in the league."

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West Ham agree deal to sell Boleyn Ground to London developer Galliard Group
Last Updated: 10/02/14 6:00pm
SSN

West Ham have agreed a deal to sell their current ground at Upton Park to
London developer Galliard Group, once they have completed their move to the
Olympic Stadium in 2016. Galliard Group were selected as the purchaser for
the site ahead of a number of other national and international companies.
They impressed the club with their links to the local community and their
commitment to honouring the history of the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground -
their home since 1904 - as part of the proposed development. Galliard's
proposals aim to provide new homes and retail and leisure facilities,
complete with underground parking. They also plan to undertake discussions
with the family of Bobby Moore regarding the proposed development of a
central landscaped garden, which would be named the Bobby Moore Memorial
Garden. Fans and local residents are also set to be invited to enter a poll
to name each building after a legendary player or an historic event at the
club. West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady told the club's official website:
"We opted to reach an agreement with Galliard because they are a local
London developer and employer with origins in east London. Galliard are
passionate about working with West Ham United to engage supporters to help
deliver a fitting legacy that will honour the tradition of the famous
ground." "We know they are committed to working closely with the local
community and Newham Council on proposals to transform the site into a
residential and retail village, which will benefit the local community and
east London's regional economy. "The deal demonstrates that we have been
true to our word by securing the regeneration of two areas of east London
through our move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016. "In addition, and most
importantly for us, we can see that Galliard are passionate about working
with West Ham United to engage supporters to help deliver a fitting legacy
that will honour the tradition of the famous ground. "We are confident that
West Ham United fans will be excited about their vision and the way they
plan to respect more than 100 years of West Ham history at Upton Park."

There are also plans for a statue of Moore and further artwork to
commemorate the history of West Ham. Moore's daughter Roberta Moore said: "I
have always believed that there should be some form of permanent West Ham
United presence at the Boleyn Ground site after the team leave and I'm
really pleased that the centre point of the development is planned to be
named in honour of my father. "Hopefully the new sculptures and buildings
being proposed will also help ensure that a lasting legacy to the Club, my
father and his team-mates is left at Upton Park."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ravel Morrison QPR loan link played down by Sam Allardyce
Last Updated: 10/02/14 3:01pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has played down reports linking Hammers
midfielder Ravel Morrison with a loan move to QPR. Rangers are said to be
interested in bringing Morrison to Loftus Road on a temporary basis but
Allardyce is just concentrating on getting the 21-year-old back to full
fitness. Morrison has been struggling with a groin complaint since December
and has only been on the fringes of the Hammers' first team in recent weeks
after making an impressive start to the season. "At the moment, Rav is still
complaining about the problem that he had before Christmas to say he has got
these rumbling groin problems," said Allardyce. "At the end of the day, he
is going to have to decide if he goes for the hernia operation or not, and
the answer keeps being no - he doesn't need it. "What we have got to do is
get him back training and back in the squad. I haven't heard any rumours any
other way in terms of what is happening with Rav."

With captain Kevin Nolan scoring four goals in his last two games, coupled
with the loan signing of Italy international Antonio Nocerino, Allardyce
conceded former Manchester United youngster Morrison faces a battle to get
back into the first-team picture. "He certainly needs to get back and train
with the squad," he added. "He has to realise now everybody is fit there is
severe competition here, especially with the new players as well. "That
severe competition brings pressure on the players that are playing in the
first team, knowing that if they perform poorly they could lose their place,
which is certainly the case at the moment with the size of the squad - which
is good and healthy."

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BOLEYN GROUND SOLD
By Sean Whetstone 10 Feb 2014 at 12:23
West Ham Till I Die

West Ham United have confirmed that Essex based developer Galliard Group has
reached an agreement to purchase the Boleyn Ground Football Stadium once the
Club completes its move to the Olympic Stadium in 2016. Galliard homes have
their head quarters in Loughton, Essex.

The club said in an official statement "Following a competitive bidding
process, West Ham United selected Galliard Group as the purchaser for the
site ahead of a number of other national and international companies. The
Club was impressed with Galliard Group's links to the local community and
their commitment to honouring the history of the Hammers at the Boleyn
Ground as part of their proposed development." The full statement can be
found HERE

Under proposals being considered, fans and local residents would be invited
to enter a poll to name each building after a legendary player or an
historic event at the Club. Galliard's proposals seek to provide new homes
with ground floor retail and leisure facilities, complete with underground
parking. Galliard also plan to undertake discussions with the family of
Bobby Moore regarding the proposed development of a central landscaped
garden, which would be named the Bobby Moore Memorial Garden, providing a f
tribute to the legacy of West ham. Galliard have commissioned world-renowned
sculptress, Frances Siegelman, to create a statue of Bobby Moore and other
artwork celebrating the heritage of West Ham, which would be located in the
gardens and grounds of the new village. Under the plans, the current West
Ham memorial garden by the front entrance to the grounds would also be
retained, protected and incorporated into the new development.

The rumour that a supermarket and affordable residential flats were planned
appears unfounded. 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. 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 £25m to
£45m 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.

According to property valuation site Zoopla the average property price in
E13 is £236,301 while the average property price in N5 is £778,862.

It is not known whether West ham have sold the land outright or whether the
price will be set once planning permission has been granted in a risk and
reward type contract.
Another option could be a joint venture were we provide the land for the
developer to build on which we then receive an agreed percentage of the
profits.

The club plan to use the proceeds of the the Sale of the Boleyn Ground to
pay the £15m contribution for the Olympic Stadium conversion with any excess
used to pay for stadium migration costs and paying down the debt.

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Frustrated West Ham boss Sam Allardyce to let Ravel Morrison go on loan to
the Championship
Feb 10, 2014 22:30 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce has waved Ravel Morrison off to the Championship, suggesting
the midfielder lacks the heart for West Ham's relegation fight. Morrison,
20, is set to join either QPR, Leicester or Derby on loan on Tuesday after
all three clubs made approaches to the Hammers. The England Under-21 star -
currently battling a niggling groin problem - had been tipped to gatecrash
Roy Hodgson's England squad for the World Cup earlier this season. But he
has been left on the bench by Big Sam in recent weeks with his last
appearance coming in the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on January 21. Now
Allardyce has claimed many other players would have pushed themselves
through the pain barrier that he sees Morrison as being unable to go
through. Allardyce said: "At the moment Rav is still complaining about the
problem that he has before - these rumbling groin problems. "He has to
realise now everybody is fit there is severe competition here.
"Lots and lots of players throughout the country will be playing with a
similar type of injury with the medical team saying: 'You can carry on, it's
not a problem.'"

Pushed on the playmaker, Big Sam let slip that Morrison had already left and
would not be in the squad for Tuesday night's game against Norwich. He said:
"Stop talking about Ravel. He's not fit. He's not here in the squad."
Meanwhile Allardyce has shown solidarity with Norwich counterpart Chris
Hughton after Canaries supremo David McNally claimed: "I would prefer death
rather than relegation." Big Sam said: "If he thinks it's hard on him he
should sit in our chairs. His position is far more amenable than ours. We're
the ones that get sacked, not them. I can understand what he is saying, but
it's much worse than us. "None of us want relegation on our CV.
Responsibility has to be accepted by everyone."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Joe Cole and Mohamed Diame back in West Ham squad for tomorrow's trip to
Norwich
Feb 10, 2014 14:19 By Simon Austin
The Mirror

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce welcomes Joe Cole and Mohamed Diame back into
his squad to face Norwich at Upton Park. Cole returns is from a groin
problem with Diame (knee) also back in contention, although Joey O'Brien
(shoulder) and Ravel Morrison (groin) are absent. The Hammers will again be
without the suspended Andy Carroll though, as the striker still has two
matches remaining on his ban. They were unsuccessful in their appeal against
his red card against Swansea. His absence means Carlton Cole and Marco
Borriello are both pushing for starts. West Ham are looking for their fourth
clean sheet on the bounce.

Provisional squad: Adrian, Jaaskelainen, Demel, Tomkins, McCartney, Collins,
Johnson, Reid, Armero, Noble, Nocerino, Diame, Taylor, Nolan, J Cole,
Downing, Jarvis, Borriello, Vaz Te, C Cole.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan as much of a threat as Andy Carroll for West Ham, says Norwich
boss Chris Hughton
Feb 10, 2014 16:24 By Simon Austin
The Mirror

Norwich manager Chris Hughton thinks West Ham captain Kevin Nolan could pose
as much of a threat as Andy Carroll when the two relegation battlers meet at
Upton Park on Tuesday. The Hammers are without Carroll, who is serving the
second of a three-game ban. But Nolan has scored four goals in his last two
games to pull his side up to 15th in the table. "What West Ham have shown is
that when they have looked for a goalscorer or a bit of inspiration, then
Kevin Nolan has come up trumps," said Hughton, whose team are only two
points above the relegation zone. "That is the type of individual he is.
West Ham are in good form at the moment and are a very competitive side and
can get the ball quickly."

Hughton's side will have taken heart from their 0-0 draw against Manchester
City at Carrow Road on Saturday. "We are in a better place after the Man
City game," admitted Hughton, whose position has been under scrutiny
following just one win from 10 league matches. "That is a result of not only
a sprinted and resolute performance, but also that we finished the match
strongly. "West Ham is a big game because it is against one of the teams who
are around us, and we are conscious about that. "We have to show the
qualities and spirits which we showed against Man City." Hughton, 55, had
two seasons as a player at West Ham when he left Tottenham in 1990.

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