Daily WHUFC News -

Happy birthday Carlton!
WHUFC.com

Carlton Cole turns 32 today and, to celebrate the big former West Ham United
striker's birthday, we look back on his five best moments in Claret and
Blue, The England international scored on his debut against Charlton
Athletic way back in August 2006, showing exactly why the Hammers brought
him to east London from Chelsea. Over the next nine years, Cole would score
68 goals in 293 appearances, including spectacular, important and memorable
strikes against Manchester United and Birmingham City in the 2010/11 League
Cup. Also among the top five was an unforgettable overhead kick at
Manchester City in the Premier League in January 2008 and, of course, his
opening goal in the 2012 Championship Play-Off final victory over Blackpool
at Wembley.

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Terzic eyes greater consistency
WHUFC.com

First-team coach Edin Terzic says West Ham United will be seeking greater
consistency as the Hammers look to build on their encouraging start to the
season. West Ham travel across London to high-flying Crystal Palace on
Saturday sitting in sixth place after eight Barclays Premier League matches,
and seeking add to the ten points they have collected from their opening
four away games. At the same time, Terzic says the Hammers are also eager to
improve their home form, having collected just four points from four league
matches at the Boleyn Ground. "We've started with a lot of ups and downs,"
Terzic told West Ham TV, "with some great games, especially away, and some
bad results at home which need to be improved. "If you compare our
performances between the pre-season and now, we have improved a lot, but we
need to be more consistent and try also to show the performances we showed
at Anfield, the Etihad and the Emirates at home. We need to give this
stadium the credit it deserves."

So, after eight games, how does Terzuc assess West Ham's start to the
2015/16 campaign?

"We definitely want to do better, because you always want to do better. We
have always had similar games – either we've been winning early in the
games, like we did at Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and home to Newcastle by
scoring the first goal and producing a good performance, or we have been
losing and two-down. "Sometimes we have come back very well, and other times
it has taken a bit longer to come back and we came back in the second half,
but they were the similar style of games. "We have to find a way in between
to have a good game for the whole 90 minutes. Of course we would like to
score the first goal in every game, so we need to defend better."

Terzic has been joined in the dugout by fellow Croatian Nikola Jurcevic, who
has arrived at the Club as assistant manager. The former national-team
player assisted Slaven Bilic with Croatia, Lokomotiv Moscow and Besiktas –
working alongside Terzic with the latter – and the first-team coach says he
is a hugely positive addition to the Hammers coaching staff. "He is
definitely bringing his experience, because he played and managed at the top
level and he definitely has great experience," Terzic confirmed. "Nikola is
very good and close with the players and is good for us on a daily basis.
"During the break, we have got more time to talk to the players who are not
with their national teams and we can do more individual work, so it's
definitely helped us."

*West Ham will travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday at 3pm, and you can
follow the game live across our digital and social media channels throughout
matchday!

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Ladies lose at Charlton
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies ended a week to forget with an 8-1 defeat away to
Charlton Athletic Women at Sporting Club Thamesmead on Sunday afternoon.

Earlier this week, the club confirmed that a number of first team players
had left the Hammers, before Stefanie Simmons, Rosie Paye, Charley Clifford
and Kit Graham all netted within the opening 25 minutes to pile on the
misery for Marc Nurse's side.

Before the break, Italian winger Romina Pinna pulled the Hammers back into
it for a matter of minutes, before ex-Hammer Gemma Shepherd and Nikita
Whinnett gave the hosts a 6-1 lead at the break.

A considerably stronger second half performance from the Hammers only saw
them concede two further goals as Shepherd and Graham added their second
goals of the game, condemning West Ham to their fifth defeat in six FA
Women's Premier League South fixtures this season.

It was all change during the week, with Nurse making six changes to his
starting eleven that lost 1-0 away to local rivals C&K Basildon in the FA
Women's Premier League Cup First Round seven days earlier.

Within the opening ten minutes of the game, the Hammers already found
themselves three goals behind and in need of yet another change to the
squad. Simmons fired home from the edge of the box after Shepherd's original
shot was saved by Indian goalkeeper Chauhan, before Paye headed home alone
at the back post from a corner and Clifford finished alone inside the
penalty area. The change was needed when Chelsea Hinz, playing at the heart
of the defence on her debut, picked up a knock and was replaced by former
Crystal Palace midfielder Danni Ritson.

Graham then added a fourth for Charlton by heading home from close range
after Development Squad defender Sillitoe struggled to deal with a chipped
through ball, before Pinna's long run and shot was deflected in to reduce
the deficit.

Before the break though, Charlton extended their lead when Shepherd rounded
Chauhan, cut back and curled into the far corner of the net and Whinnett
picked up the ball and fired low past Chauhan.

Nurse used his second substitute at the half time break when he introduced
ex-Millwall Lionesses youth player Anderson-James in place of Abela.

The Hammers battled hard in the second period and it took Charlton till the
70th minute to break their visitors down again, with Shepherd getting her
second of the game by heading home Addicks skipper Kim Dixson's corner.

The game was then wrapped up by Charlton adding an eighth in the 81st minute
when Whinnett was found in an advanced, wide position and she whipped in a
low cross for Graham to cooly double her goal tally for the game.

After Sunday's defeat, West Ham remain in 11th place in the FA Women's
Premier League South and Nurse will be hoping for his luck to change when
they travel to Lewes Ladies on Sunday 18t October at 2pm for their next
league fixture.

Ladies: Chauhan, Bottom (c), Sillitoe, Hinz (Ritson), Wheeler, Miller
(Campesi), Eagles, Abela (Anderson-James), Locke, Pinna, Edwards. Subs not
used: Adeyemo.

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Clattenburg to take Palace clash
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's trip to Selhurst Park this weekend will be officiated by
Mark Clattenburg. The 40-year-old official with be taking his 11th game of
the season when Slaven Bilic's team face the Eagles at Selhurst Park on
Saturday afternoon. Thus far this season Clattenburg has issued a total of
42 yellow cards in his first ten fixtures and one red card - to Chelsea's
John Terry, in their 3-2 win at Watford back in August. His most recent
appointment was Portugal's 1-0 win over Denmark last Thursday, a game in
which he issued five yellow cards - two to the hosts, who won the game 1-0
and three to the visitors.

The last West Ham match Clattenburg oversaw was West Ham's 2-1 defeat at
Leicester's King Power Stadium back in April - a match in which he booked
three players, all from West Ham (Winston Reid, Aaron Cresswell and Carl
Jenkinson).

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Whoops! Former Hammer caught red handed
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

Columbian international Pablo Armero, who spent half a season on loan at
West Ham last season has made the news in Brazil after allegedly being
caught in an uncompromising position with two prostitutes. The 28-year-old
full back made five appearances for West Ham between January and May of 2014
when on loan from Serie A side Napoli. But it is for his off field antics
that he has made the news in Brazil this weekend after his wife and father
were said to have caught him in the act with two call girls.

Armero, currently on loan at Flamenco was involved in what local newspaper O
Dia described as "a terrible sex scandal". The defender, who is currently
living at the Riserva Uno condominium in Barra is said to have been at home
with the two prostitutes when his wife arrived home unexpectedly with their
children and her father.

Police were eventually called after neighbours complained about the ensuing
brouhaha, but no charges were made. Since the story broke in the Brazilian
media Armero has attempted to dispel further speculation about his personal
life by posting images of himself with his wife on Instagram.

An image of the former Hammer with his wife and children, posted this
afternoon (Monday) was accompanied with the brief message: "Here is my
family. Goodbye, because everything is fine." And that followed an earlier
post, also containing a picture of the left back with his family in which
Armero said: "Thank God for these beautiful moments with my family."

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October: one home game in a calendar month!
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 2nd October 2015
By: Brian Williams

Ask anyone at the Premier League and they will tell you the fixture list is
compiled by computer. But what sort of computer?

You'd think that, as chief executive of the wealthiest league in the world,
Richard Scudamore would have sufficient funds at his disposal to afford
something decent like a MacBook Air, complete with an Intel Core processor.
But, judging by the way West Ham's games have fallen this year, it looks
like someone has used an old Amstrad powered by the clockwork innards of a
Mickey Mouse watch.

One home game in a calendar month? You've gotta be kidding! Yes, I know
there's an international break. But there are five Saturdays in October this
year, and we have one, single, solitary first team fixture at Upton Park in
that time.

Admittedly it is a mouth-watering encounter with Chelsea, but as someone who
regularly forgets where I have left my keys, I just hope I can remember
where I've stored my season ticket when Jose Mourinho brings his team of
corinthian heroes to E13. It will have been gathering dust for a month by
then.

Call me old-fashioned, but I rather like the traditional method of playing
home and away games on alternate weekends. This new-fangled idea of
back-to-back fixtures at the Boleyn Ground (or, worse, miles away from Upton
Park) doesn't suit me at all.

Many season ticket holders would have been stymied by the Leicester and
Bournemouth home games being on consecutive Saturdays. I was one of them.
Word may not have reached the Premier League bigwigs at Gloucester Place,
but August is a popular month for parents to take their children away for a
summer holiday. I believe it has something to do with the schools being
closed around that time.

Bad luck if you happened to have booked the two weeks which included the
15th and the 22nd. (Or good luck if you are one of those sensitive souls who
get unduly upset by watching West Ham lose at home to teams we all thought
were nothing more than cannon fodder when the fixture list was published in
June.)

We get some more of this back-to-back malarkey in December. Worse still,
it's either side of Christmas with Swansea away on the Saturday immediately
beforehand and another away fixture at Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Again, I'd like to know if anyone at Premier League HQ actually looked at
these fixtures before they went public with them. Whether or not a club's
Boxing Day fixture is home or away is, of course, in the lap of the gods.
But wherever it's played, the game should be a local derby (and if I hear
some overpaid TV pundit describe our game against Villa on the 26th as the
"claret and blue derby" I will choke on my cold turkey sandwich).

When I was a kid, Christmas usually meant Spurs. Sometimes there would be a
game against Chelsea (and in 1978 we had the most unlikely local derby when
we played Orient on Boxing Day) but, generally, it was Tottenham.

Hard to believe I know, but there was a time when not only did we play on
Boxing Day, there would be a game on either Christmas Day or Christmas Eve
as well. In 1958, for example, we played Spurs on December 25th and 26th,
winning the first game 2-1 at home, then giving them a 4-1 festive stuffing
at their place the following day. How good would that make your Christmas?

In the interests of balance, I should probably point out that two years
later they beat us 5-0 on aggregate over two games on Christmas Eve and
Boxing Day. But I think we'll quietly pass over that.

The fixture that really disappointed me this year, of all years, was our
final home match. Remember, this isn't just the final home match of the
season, it's the last ever game at what has been our home since 1904. No
disrespect to Swansea (actually, there's a good deal of disrespect in what
I'm about to say next), but the wonk pressing the buttons on the fixture
list computer really should have thrown that one back in the sea when it
first came up and had another go until his mighty machine spat out a big
fish. Man U, for example.

But the thing that really worries me about the final game at Upton Park is
that it isn't the final game of the season. Which means the TV companies can
dictate when it's played.

The games on the last day all have to kick off at the same time so no club
can gain an advantage by knowing how their rivals have performed. The same
is not true of matches played the week before, so if BT or Sky fancy getting
their grubby little hands on what is clearly a momentous occasion in our
history, there is precious little we or anyone else can do about it.

I am an unashamed traditionalist about things like this, and I like my
football matches to kick off at 3pm on a Saturday. Not all supporters, I
accept, share my aversion to 12.45s, 5.30s, and Sunday at four o'clock. But
let's just say Sky decides to make it the Monday Night Football game. I like
my football under lights as much as any West Ham supporter. However, before
I leave Upton Park for the last time I would like to have the time to pay my
respects properly. That's not going to happen if the game kicks off at 8pm.
In fact, there's every chance it will feel like being hustled out of a
funeral before the coffin has been laid in the ground.

Football supporters get a raw deal at the best of times. Saying the final
farewell to your spiritual home is the worst of times. Perhaps, when this
year's fixture list was compiled, someone who takes home a fat salary for
administrating what used to be known as the people's game had relied on
common sense rather than a dodgy computer we might all have been spared the
anguish of how the glorious story that is the Boleyn Ground may yet end.

* Brian Williams is the author of Nearly Reach The Sky – A Farewell To Upton
Park and a regular contributor to Blowing Bubbles. The October edition is
due out next week.

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More than OK so far, Slav - but now for the great unwashed
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 8th October 2015
By: Paul Walker

Yep, love this season so far. A bright, new young manager who 'gets' West
Ham. Away wins to die for and a team who always look like they can get out
of the mire however many daft mistakes cost us crucial goals.

Slaven Bilic is not a managerial genius, he never said he was, and he is not
the re-incarnation of Ron Greenwood, John Lyall and with a bit of Billy
Bonds and Trevor Brooking mixed into the perfect West Ham manager we all
dream of.

There has been far too much slavish praise for the new man, and I doubt he
feels comfortable with all of that gushing stuff from fans' websites and
social media. He is what he is, a breath of fresh air learning on the run
about the Premier League. And it has been a joy to be along for the ride.

I cannot thank him enough, for lots of personal reasons, for the amazing
away wins at Liverpool and Manchester City - where I live as many of you
will remember, explains that joy.

My mixed-up family of City and Hammers fans always enjoy a decent day on the
pop when the sides meet, and just for a change the West Ham side of the
argument had a field day at the Etihad. And to their credit the City lot
showed a bit of class with drinks lined up on the bar for us when we finally
got back to the pub. It did take a long time, though.

I love the fact that Slaven is a gambler. He pushes his full backs high and
wide and dares opponents to risk not marking them. Sometimes it works,
sometimes not, but it is a lot better than the previous regime.

And that brings me to my first point. I am sick of seeing big Sam constantly
all over fans' forums, website and social media, as if we just cannot let it
go. I do not care, really, what he does now, who he manages and the constant
comparisons with last season. Slaven and Sam are liked chalk and cheese, we
made our choice and I am happy with that.

But constantly dragging over old coals (not you Carlton) serves no purpose.
Sam did his job and I would have sacked him for three wins in 23 final
matches, not because he chewed gum and was a pain in the backside.

But let's stop the comparisons, we surely are better than that as fans.
Let's have a Sam free zone from now on, draw the line, let it go.

One last fact. At this stage last season we were fourth, with one point less
than we have now, which sees us sixth. Same number of goals conceded but
with two more this term than last. What does that prove? Absolutely nothing.

But I know what I would rather watch. We have two new players in midfield,
Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini who carry the ball from deep, keep
possession and always want to attack. Include Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho
and we do not have a defence-minded player ahead of Mark Noble and Cheikhou
Kouyate. And that's the difference.

It's a gamble worth taking, and teams will exploit the space around and
behind our full-backs. Sam would never tolerate that, but Slav has been told
to attack and play out from the back. But that's his style, anyway. He's
even being told to give David Sullivan's pet player Mauro Zarate a chance (I
am still not convinced).

There will be problems, we can all see them. But I like his style, he
handles the media well and has excellent one-liners that keep my former hack
mates happy. He's different, classy with a social conscience and not afraid
to say what he thinks without the usual managerial clichés.

Asked before the Sunderland match what he felt about the high price of
tickets for away fans, and he said it like it is. Not impressed.

My travelling pal to Sunderland, a fierce believer in the Twenty's Plenty
campaign (and he carried the banner all the way to Wearside to make his
point) was more than impressed that his club manager was prepared to back
the cause, regardless of some really sky-high prices that we charge for away
fans at the Boleyn.

How can we expect our fans to be treated fairly away from home when we are
charging Chelsea fans over £60 for the forthcoming London derby?

As I said, Slaven has the right style for me on and off the field. And from
now on I refuse point-blank to drag Sam into the debate. Please, can we all
let it go.

Now I am frequently called a cynic and even paranoid (bit harsh that) so I
am going to revert to type and open up on the one thing about this season
that is of great concern to me. That is, how the club treat the great
unwashed in Band 4 when the season tickets for the Olympic Stadium are
sorted out.

image: http://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1455919/olympic-stadium.jpg


A long way away?


Frankly, I am fed up with being told by folk from Bands 1 and 2 who have
already sorted out their tickets how wonderful it all is, what a good view
they have (from down the sides) and how well they were treated at the
Stratford market stall that is doing the "three together, no problem" mate
routine.

I have watched the rugby World Cup on TV with interest when our new home is
being used. Some of the horrible mismatches being thrown up do not interest
me (Wales beating England certainly did, sorry) but what I have wanted to
see is just how far it is from the goal/try line to the first row of fans
behind the goals.

I am sick of seeing anyone who questions this distance being branded
'moaners' on fans forums and websites, who seem to be far too keen to
trumpet the club's party line. I know rugby pitches are shorter, generally,
that football pitches, but that gap between goal-line and fans at the ends
of the stadium looks at least 30 yards to me on the TV. And there's a bank
of advertising as well as hundreds of photographers as well in the sight
lines.

Now from my seat in the Bobby Moore lower, 30 yards takes me to mid-way into
the half of the pitch in front of me. It is impossible for the club to give
me a comparable view.

I sit where I do mainly for costs reasons. I cannot afford the high prices
elsewhere in the ground, and I enjoy the closeness to the pitch, atmosphere
and the (debatable) banter of the lads I sit with. I compromise my view of
the pitch to be close to the action in front of me.

There is no way this can be replicated when Band 4 finally get their chance
to book their seats. The club have gone out of their way to attract new
custom, people who can afford corporate seats, private lounges, bars where
they can buy authentic pie and mash etc, etc.

And the Plus 2 system has been introduced because the club, I feel, were
scared they would not be able to fill the seats. But that is clearly not
going to be the case. There is already a healthy waiting list and Band 3
fans have been warned that there are only a few hundred seats in Band 2 that
they can move up to if they want a better view.

Now my lot in the BM Lower, seeing that the Stratford prices were so
reasonable, have considered moving up to Band 3 if they could. But my fear
now is that with so many Plus 2s already, the chances of moving into Band 3
are going to be very limited.

So the great unwashed in the BM end and Chav Corner could well find
themselves shafted, and left only with seats nothing like what they have
been used to. Of course with a big stadium, it is hard to produce like for
like, but Plus 2 being imposed by the club is to my mind as big a scandal as
the old Bond scheme was.

People are being allowed to queue jump in a disgraceful fashion. They may
have never been to the ground in their lives but they are being allowed to
get better seats ahead of fans who have been seasons ticket holders for
decades at the Boleyn.

One in four it is being suggested are now Plus 2s, and there are reports of
fans in Band 4 who have become Plus 2s for Band 2 and 3 fans, thus also
jumping the queue.

I had intended to keep out of this long, sometimes boring debate because I
hoped that the club would treat their hardcore fans fairly (stop laughing at
the back). But the longer this migration has gone on, the more worried I
have become.

What we have been witnessing is an organised 'rinsing' of fans from the posh
seats and the corporates. Now they have got down to the great unwashed
behind the goals where there is not as much ready cash, there seems to be a
'take it or leave it' attitude. I do hope I will be proved wrong.

Ok, that was a moan, and a long one, but stop trying to tell me (via the
club website and various fans' outlets) that things will be fine on the
night.

I won't be mentioning it again, just like I won't be mentioning Big Sam. I
just want to feel that the club are treating everyone fairly, and Plus 2 has
not helped.

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Payet named in top five Premier League players
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 12th October 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's Dimitri Payet has been named as one of the top five
players in this season's Premier League. Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith,
who also provides the commentary for the latest version of top-selling
computer game FIFA has named Payet as one of his most efficient players in
the league so far this season. "He's come over from France and settled in
straight away," said Smith. "He's a magician on the ball, scores goals, gets
through so much work and never stops thinking. "He's been the talisman for
West Ham and an inspiration. The fans down at Upton Park love him - and you
can see why."

The other four players named by Smith are Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland,
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, Crystal Palace's James McArthur and
Manchester City's Spanish international David Silva.

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Hammers: "We're determined to honour Billy at OS"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 12, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are set to ensure that living Hammers legend Billy Bonds is
honoured at the Olympic Stadium.

ClaretandHugh revealed earlier today that the club is unable to name another
stand after Bill as the stadium agreement shows that West Ham negotiated to
retain the right to name the south and north stands which they have already
named the Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking stands – identical to the
current position at the Boleyn Ground.

But after we had published the story earlier today, a club insider contacted
us to say that the club was determined to ensure that the recipient of the
club's first ever lifetime achievement award would be honoured.

The club have embraced the great man over the last few months and he has
been given top VIP treatment at Upton Park.

Indeed he told ClaretandHugh: "The club have been fantastic to me and my
family – they couldn't have done more. It's really great to be such a part
of things at Upton Park again."

The club insider said: "We though very long and very hard about the names on
the stands and we are now looking at the most significant way which we can
honour Billy.

"We are very keen to make sure he gets the recognition his amazing
contribution to this club deserves."

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Hammers: "We're determined to honour Billy at OS"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 12, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are set to ensure that living Hammers legend Billy Bonds is
honoured at the Olympic Stadium. ClaretandHugh revealed earlier today that
the club is unable to name another stand after Bill as the stadium agreement
shows that West Ham negotiated to retain the right to name the south and
north stands which they have already named the Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor
Brooking stands – identical to the current position at the Boleyn Ground.

But after we had published the story earlier today, a club insider contacted
us to say that the club was determined to ensure that the recipient of the
club's first ever lifetime achievement award would be honoured.

The club have embraced the great man over the last few months and he has
been given top VIP treatment at Upton Park.

Indeed he told ClaretandHugh: "The club have been fantastic to me and my
family – they couldn't have done more. It's really great to be such a part
of things at Upton Park again."

The club insider said: "We though very long and very hard about the names on
the stands and we are now looking at the most significant way which we can
honour Billy.

"We are very keen to make sure he gets the recognition his amazing
contribution to this club deserves."

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Bonds unlikely to be honoured at OS
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 12, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Irons legend Billy Bonds is unlikely to have a stand named after him at the
Olympic Stadium. A group of West Ham fans put together a petition calling
for the Olympic Stadium East Stand to be renamed the Billy Bonds Stand and
at the time of writing the petition stood at 969 fans calling for him to be
honoured. But the release of a previously confidential agreement between the
London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) and West Ham United appears to
confirm it won't happen. Although financial figures have been blacked out in
the latest publication of the stadium agreement, the contract reveals that
West Ham only have the right to name the south and north stands which they
have already named the Bobby Moore and Sire Trevor Brooking stands.
West Ham have no rights to name the East and West Ham stands which leaves
the possibility the rights will be sold to sponsors by stadium owners E20
Stadium LLP. Billy also missed out when the lounges and bars were named with
only Arnold Hills and Bobby Moore getting named recognition.The lounges and
bars have been named the BM6 Lounge, Arnold Hills, Royal East, Forge Lounge,
Great Briton, the Academy bar and the Boleyn Bar. The Club's all-time record
793 appearance-maker, two-time FA Cup-winning captain and four-time Hammer
of the Year also served as a youth coach under John Lyall. That same year,
he was made an MBE and went on to manage the club. The East End legend spent
an incredible 21 seasons at West Ham, reluctantly hanging up his boots aged
41 years and 255 days when a knee injury finally got the better of him.
However we know Bill is a modest man and the snub is unlikely to bother him.

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Gold responds to Mail OS "porn barons" attack
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 12, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold was moved to post a link to a new Daily Mail ( some prefer Fail)
link on his Facebook page today. He did so with out comment which was
surprising given that the headline read: "How did the Olympic Stadium fall
into the hands of porn barons."

The Mail – one of the most right wing newspapers in the country, but beloved
of the middle England ladies at their tea parties, could hardly have found a
more reactionary headline had they started. Forget that the deal was handed
out by the London Legacy Development Corporation and that they are therefore
responsible it's all West Ham's fault.

The same relentless arguments are presented – most of them false at
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3198832/What-stench-s-icon-national-
pride-earth-two-porn-barons-protegee-Baroness-Brady-allowed-Olympic-Stadium-
deal-entirely-financed-taxpayer.html#ixzz3oLInv4JO

Under their headline – used solely to stir up more anger among the self
righteous – they place a sub head just in case their more backward readers
didn't get the point. It reads: "What a stench: It's an icon of national
pride. So how on earth were two porn barons and their protegee Baroness
Brady allowed to take over the Olympic Stadium in a deal almost entirely
financed by you the taxpayer?

It's interesting this should appear just a couple of days after Gold told
ClaretandHugh in an exclusive interview he believed the criticism of the
deal could prove "endless." He clearly has no problem with articles carrying
such jaundiced and prejudiced history lessons into his and David Sullivan's
background however unfair that may be. And in response to ""How did the
Olympic Stadium fall into the hands of porn barons." he told ClaretandHugh a
few minutes ago: "Because they had the courage, determination and relentless
mission to get a deal – that's how PRECISELY."

We will bring more of DG's thoughts on The Mail story later exclusively.

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DG tells Mail: "I'm proud of my achievements"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 12, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

David Gold has hit back at the attack launched on himself and David Sullivan
in the Daily Mail by declaring: "I am not ashamed of anything I have done in
my career! "Yes, I was in the girlie magazine business as a younger man but
I'm not ashamed of that. "The only regret I have in my entire life is to
have not played for West Ham United – nothing else."

The Mail – taking a ridiculously high moral ground position – had produced a
long article this motning under the headline: "How did the Olympic Stadium
fall into the hands of porn barons?"

Gold posted the link on his Facebook page and then told ClaretandHugh:
""Because they had the courage, determination and relentless mission to get
a deal – that's how PRECISELY."

Now in an exclusive interview which looks at that aspect of his career he
has told CandH: "The stuff in this article is hardly new but I really don't
like expressions about us such as this one: "In a few weeks' time,
preparations will begin for the Olympic stadium to be handed over to its new
tenant, West Ham United Football Club, and it will be transformed into a
brash Premier League citadel, packed from August to May with 54,000 rowdy
fans."

Gold and Sullivan have lived with the "porn barons" label for years but Gold
said: "I've not been involved in girlie mags for 20 years. My two business
interests are Ann Summers and West Ham United. "I am proud of taking nasty
little sex shops and transforming them into 150 outlets under the Ann
Summers brand. We have transformed things and empowered women along the
way.
"I have never been guilty of a crime in my life -not even a speeding ticket
but over the last 20 years the attacks have been relentless and they
continue. Now they are using the same thing to try wrecking our club's move
to the Olympic Stadium. "It won't happen and they can say and do what they
like. I'm proud of my life and what I have achieved and of what we are doing
for a fantastic football club."

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Irons defensive duo carrying knocks
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 12, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

James Tomkins and Aaron Cresswell are carrying minor knocks ahead of the
weekend game against Crystal Palace but are expected to recover in time for
the match. ClaretandHugh has learned the pair have picked up small
"problems" but that they are not considered serious and that "all should be
well." The Irons will be welcoming back Andy Carroll, Angelo Ogbonna and
Enner Valencia for the match although of course the final decision on their
match fotness lies with manager Slaven Bilic. Alex Song won't be fit but we
were told the midfielder is likely to be available for the Chelsea match.

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Pictures released of five West Ham fans after anti-Semitic chanting on train
in Northampton
Callum Jones
callum.jones@jpress.co.uk
14:11Monday 12 October 2015
London 24

Images have been released of five West Ham fans after an incident of
anti-Semitic chanting on a train travelling between Watford Junction and
Birmingham New Street. British Transport Police has received reports from
several witnesses to the behaviour of the men, who are believed to have left
the train at Northampton. The incident happened on the 7.03pm Watford
Junction to Birmingham New Street service on Saturday, August 15 – the day
West Ham played Leicester City at Upton Park. PC Michael Botterill said: "A
man, who boarded the train at Watford Junction, took his seat in the first
class carriage. A group of West Ham fans were already seated and, as the
train pulled away, they began to sing anti-Semitic songs. "The man, quite
rightly, took offence to these vile songs and challenged the group over
their language. However, they refused to stop and continued with their
chanting."
PC Botterill said he believed the men in the pictures had information abut
the incident. He said: "This sort of casual racism has gone unchallenged for
too long. "We know the vast majority of football fans are decent people, but
for those who continue to make life unpleasant for the travelling public,
our message is clear: we will not tolerate your yobbish behaviour."

Anyone with information is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800
40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference MSUB/B4 of 12/10/2015.
Information can also be passed anonymously to the independent charity
Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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West Ham United fan Kat Alder discusses James Tomkims' place in the Hammers'
starting XI following Angelo Ogbonna's return from injury
Guardian Series

With the introduction of fellow central defender Angelo Ogbonna, James
Tomkins' place in the West Ham United side hasn't been guaranteed this
season, writes Fan's View columnist Kat Alder.
Ogbonna is back to training with the first team this week and will hope to
start alongside Winston Reid against Crystal Palace on Saturday; does this
mean Tomkins should lose his place in the team?
Tonks had been playing at right back when Carl Jenkinson was banned, and did
an impressive job - especially as Jenko himself hasn't been in top form so
far in this campaign. After my initial enthusiasm for him to extend his stay
with us, I haven't been too impressed with Jenkinson so far. He seems quite
sloppy compared to last season, and both him and Aaron Cresswell have been
guilty of giving away cheap goals. Plus, looking ahead into next year, if we
don't get secure Jenkinson on a permanent deal, Tomkins would be the ideal
replacement as he has already proven himself to be fully competent in the
role at full-back. We've been undefeated this season when Tomkins has
started the game, earning all 14 of our points when he's been in the
starting line-up. Tomkins has been very vocal about enjoying life under new
boss Slaven Bilic, expressing how keen he is to learn from the Croat, and
what a presence the new manager has.
Being under new leadership is clearly suiting him, and there has been a
marked improvement in his form since last season. Former Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce is reportedly looking to strengthen his Sunderland defence with
the addition of Tomkins in January, with free agent and ex-captain Kevin
Nolan also rumoured to be moving back to the north East. I can't see why
Tomkins would want to leave his local team who are flying high to join a
club who are likely to face relegation to the Championship come May. Plus
he'd stick out like a sore thumb in the north with his 'Essex boy' fake tan!
For me, Tomkins has put in a string of solid performances so far this season
and he doesn't deserve to lose his place in the starting XI. He's getting
better under Bilic and is playing some of the best football of his career. I
would be inclined to move him over to right-back when Ogbonna reclaims his
starting spot with Reid and bench Jenkinson. We've always got Ginge (James
Collins) waiting in the wings if needed too. This year's squad has plenty of
depth and strength – something I haven't felt able to say about West Ham for
a while. If this is a headache for Slaven Bilic, it's a lovely one to have.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
What a stench: It's an icon of national pride. So how on earth were two porn
barons and their protegee Baroness Brady allowed to take over the Olympic
Stadium in a deal almost entirely financed by you the taxpayer?
Converting stadium to a football club has cost the taxpayer £257 million
West Ham United Football Club set to be new tenants in a few weeks' time
Ms Brady played key role in negotiating the leasehold contract
By DAVID JONES FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 23:56, 14 August 2015 | UPDATED: 14:49, 15 August 2015

On a balmy evening in August, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park echoes to the
shrieks of joyriders on the Shark Bite rollercoaster and children frolicking
excitedly in the dancing fountains.
Families share picnics and pose for selfies against the backdrop of the
iconic stadium where Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah triumphed on that
euphoric night three years ago.
They should take their souvenir photographs and enjoy the easy ambience
while they can. The park won't be the same for much longer. In a few weeks'
time, preparations will begin for the Olympic stadium to be handed over to
its new tenant, West Ham United Football Club, and it will be transformed
into a brash Premier League citadel, packed from August to May with 54,000
rowdy fans. The club's owners, sex industry tycoons David Gold and David
Sullivan, describe the makeover that will precede their four-mile migration
from their antiquated ground in Upton Park as the 'West Hamification'
process.

Having been converted for football at a cost to the taxpayer of £257
million, with the club paying just £15 million, the venue that witnessed
British Olympic history being made will be daubed with the team's claret and
blue colours and the logos of such sponsors as online bookmakers Betway. In
the West Stand, there will be a 'hospitality and entertainment experience'
called Club London, where the wealthier fans and celebrities can quaff
champagne and nibble canapes and watch matches without having to rub
shoulders with the hoi-polloi. By paying between £60 and £499, supporters
can even purchase granite stones inscribed with their names and slogans
declaring their undying loyalty to the club — 'Bob and Betty: True Hammers
For Ever' perhaps — that will form part of a huge mosaic which is to be laid
beside the stadium. Yet this garish makeover of this hallowed sporting venue
is not the most troubling aspect of the controversial decision to lease the
Olympic stadium to West Ham. What concerns many is the extraordinarily
favourable financial deal which was wrung from the London Legacy Development
Corporation, the public body whose job it is to manage the transformation of
the Olympic Park, by West Ham United's vice-chairman Karren Brady.

Ms Brady, who is a long-time acolyte of pornographer Mr Sullivan, has — it
must be noted — recently been ennobled by David Cameron, who also appointed
her as a small business ambassador.
It was she who played a leading role in negotiating the terms of the
207-page leasehold contract between the club and the Legacy corporation; a
document shrouded in such secrecy it arguably defies a fundamental tenet of
democracy: the public's right to know how its money is spent. More than a
decade ago, when London beat Paris, Madrid, Moscow and others to secure the
2012 Games, nobody envisaged the legacy would be to revive the fortunes of a
near-bankrupt football club and further enrich two men who made millions by
bringing sex shops and pornography to our High Streets. Amid the rhetoric
espoused by bid leader Lord Coe, among others, there was no mention of the
benefits that might accrue to football for this would hardly have helped to
sway the International Olympic Committee.

Instead, the mantra was that London 2012 would be a positive catalyst for
social change, improving the lot of ordinary people in the most deprived
part of the capital. Central to this grandiose aim were the plans for the
showpiece new stadium, designed specifically for athletics, in the
expectation of enticing thousands to watch and participate in this
Cinderella sport.
We must presume that the architects of London's bid genuinely believed the
arena could stage sufficient crowd-pulling athletics events to pay its way.
If so, they were hopelessly naïve.
The other possibility is that they secretly knew that only a big-time
football club could fill the new stadium, the cost of which spiralled from
the original estimate of £280 million to £429 million, but did not dare to
admit as much for fear that this would not chime with the Olympic spirit. In
which case, they were deeply disingenuous, for principle gave way to harsh
economic reality long before the Games opened, as the stadium was put out to
tender and, inevitably, football clubs muscled in.

After a bidding process more bitterly fought than the battle to stage the
Olympics themselves, West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur and East London minnows
Leyton Orient to win the concession.
To Andrew Boff, Tory leader in the London Assembly, the plan put forward by
Spurs (demolish the stadium and build one designed for football) would have
been the best option for taxpayers because it would have spared them the
£257 million conversion cost. Furthermore, he argues, while the stadium is
described as iconic, with its unlovely, Meccano- like structure 'it has
little architectural merit'. As Mr Boff says, it would have taken a brave
politician to order the setting for our finest sporting spectacle to be
bulldozed. However, he described the West Ham deal to me this week as
'incredibly suspect'; not because he suspects for one minute it was in any
way corrupt but because he believes it was concocted to ensure the stadium
was preserved despite the vast cost, thus sparing the blushes of those who
championed it. This, needless to say, is not a view shared by the Legacy
corporation and West Ham. They insist that the deal, which will give the
club a 99-year lease but allow for other occasional sporting and
entertainment events, with a share of the profits being paid into the public
purse, represents very good value for the taxpayer.

'A Premier League football tenant will drive millions of visitors to Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park, maintaining a global profile that will attract many
income-raising opportunities,' the Legacy corporation said in a statement
this week. West Ham, for its part, claimed the move would create 700 jobs,
bring a million more people (its fans) to the Park each year and 'add value
to any sponsorship and commercial agreements relating to the stadium which
the public purse will benefit from'. Presumably this covers the naming
rights to the stadium, which is expected to be rechristened, doubtless to
advertise some giant foreign enterprise, in the near future. In short, the
club argues that if it wasn't moving in, the Olympic stadium would become a
loss- making white elephant.

Perhaps. The big question is: what will the taxpaying public gain in return
for stumping up virtually the entire cost of building and reconfiguring the
stadium? That will amount to £701 million by the time West Ham takes
occupancy. After pressure from concerned parties, the weighty contract
documenting the deal was recently released under the Freedom of Information
Act.
Yet so many of its clauses have been redacted that, in the words of Richard
Hunt of the Charlton Athletic Supporters Trust (which vehemently opposes the
deal because of the detrimental effect it could have on other London
football clubs such as theirs), there is 'a sea of black ink' covering
sections of the text. The trust has complained to the Information
Commissioner about this secrecy, requested by the Legacy corporation on the
grounds that revealing contractual details would be commercially damaging. A
ruling is expected later this month. However, according to the sports
promoter Barry Hearn, who, as owner until last year of Leyton Orient FC
fought against West Ham's tenancy of the Olympic stadium, we already know
enough about the arrangement to see how the taxpayer is being fleeced.

'This is the worst-negotiated deal since the North American Indians gave up
their land for a handful of trinkets,' Hearn told me this week. Judging by
the generous terms set out in the contract's few un-redacted passages, it is
difficult to argue. It states that the London Legacy Development Corporation
will foot West Ham's bills for a wide range of services normally paid for by
football clubs, from match-day security to ticketing, pitch maintenance,
lighting and heating bills, and even the maintenance of fans' lavatories.
Astonishingly, the publicly funded landlords will even pick up the tab for
the nets and the corner-flags! By the way, West Ham could afford to splash
out £33 million on new players last year and, despite the confines of its
old ground, it declared a pre-tax profit of £15.3 million. The Legacy
Corporation and club would have us believe this generosity is par for the
course. 'If you hire a badminton court at the local leisure centre you
wouldn't expect to provide your own net,' is how it was blithely explained
to me this week. However, the deal Baroness Brady has secured appears to be
one of the greatest contractual coups in sporting history. Though it will
transform West Ham's future at the stroke of a pen, Barry Hearn believes
that the club is effectively getting the stadium free. This is because the
annual rent, believed to be no more than £2.5 million (less should the club
be relegated from the Premier League), will be more than offset by the costs
to be paid by the Legacy corporation, he says. Then there are the millions
West Ham will receive every year from corporate hospitality. Other reports
suggest it will get a slice of the catering revenues, too. Examining those
parts of the contract we are permitted to see, I also found a clause that
hints at lucrative rights West Ham has won. As it will run the stadium's
only merchandise store, it will not only be authorised to sell
football-related products but clothes, souvenirs and memorabilia for the
IAAF World Athletics Championships to be staged there in 2017. Presumably
this will apply to other major events and the club will no doubt demand a
healthy cut of the profits.

However, it is the many clauses which are obliterated by black ink that
should worry us most, for who knows what other little sweeteners the astute
First Lady of Football has elicited for her paymasters? Though Gold and
Sullivan have vowed never to sell West Ham, insisting it will be their
children's legacy, the undeniable possibility remains that they will be
tempted by the riches of some Middle Eastern sheik or Russian oligarch.
After all, as Barry Hearn says, the Qataris already own a sizeable chunk of
the Olympic village and the stadium 'would complete the jigsaw'. They toured
the stadium before the Games and were interested in naming rights. On the
back of the stadium deal, analysts say West Ham's value has soared at least
fourfold, from £105 million in 2010, when the two businessman bought their
controlling stake, to more than £400 million. Were they to cash in their
chips, what proportion of the sale price (if any) could be clawed back by
the public? This is one of many secrets contained in the contract which
patently ought to be uncovered. Chris Bryant, Shadow Secretary for culture,
media and sport, suggests the deal might be so loaded in West Ham's favour
that it breaches European Commission rules, since it could hand the club an
unfair, state-aided advantage over competitors in the football business.

For instance, because West Ham's stadium costs will be so low, they will be
able to reduce seating prices and 'dump' thousands of tickets (100,000 are
to be handed to Newham Council each season for distribution among the
community) thus attracting thousands of new fans who might otherwise have
chosen to watch, say, Arsenal. Nevertheless, Sullivan, 66, who began life on
a Cardiff council estate and is now said to be worth £850 million, and Gold,
79, who as a boy peddled buttons on the streets of West Ham and has built a
£350 million fortune, are convinced that the relocation is 'a game-changer',
to quote the club's website. They can see it catapulting the team they have
supported since their East End boyhood to the summit of world football
alongside the likes of Manchester United. The pair have further lined their
pockets by selling Upton Park to property developers Galliard Homes. It is
not known how much they received, though the ground was valued in recent
accounts at more than £70 million. Galliard has submitted plans to build 838
apartments there, just six per cent of which would be 'affordable housing'
within the price range of ordinary East Enders. Newham's Mayor, Sir Robin
Wales, has warned Galliard that is 'totally unacceptable' but it is feared
that most of the flats will be so expensive they will be bought by overseas
investors. Again, this is hardly in keeping with the promises made in the
Olympic legacy. There are other key players in this darkly intriguing tale,
prominent among them London Mayor Boris Johnson, who was in many ways the
public face of the Games, who has ignored the misgivings of fellow Tories in
the Assembly to give the secret deal his blessing. Barry Hearn believes that
if the censor's black ink is removed, Boris's stance will be proved so
ill-judged that it could even damage his prime ministerial ambitions.
Meanwhile, we can but wonder how taxpayer-funded goalposts replaced the
lofty goals that were to have been the legacy of London 2012. Scour the
Olympic bid's small-print as closely as you like but you won't find the
phrase 'West Hamification' anywhere.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea, Sunderland and West Ham rocked as Spurs star 'agrees terms' ahead
of £10.3m move
Express.co.uk
NAPOLI have agreed terms with Tottenham's Moussa Dembele ahead of a January
move, according to reports in Italy.
By DAVID WRIGHT
PUBLISHED: 09:36, Mon, Oct 12, 2015 | UPDATED: 10:08, Mon, Oct 12, 2015

The out-of-favour Belgian has started just four of 11 games for Spurs this
season following the emergence of Eric Dier and Dele Alli in midfield. And
now Tuttosport claim Napoli have already 'agreed personal terms' with
Dembele and are expected to table a £10.3million bid in January. The news
is likely to come as a blow to Premier League rivals Chelsea, Sunderland and
West Ham, who were all linked with £12m moves for the 28-year-old over the
summer. The former Fulham ace admitted in the off-season that he felt
under-appreciated at White Hart Lane due to lack of first-team football.
"I've played so few minutes, it is a big disappointment to me," he said. "At
one point I showed what I've got and I thought I took my chance, but as
quickly again I fell out of the team."Do I get little credit at Tottenham?
Yes, I have that feeling at times, but it is ultimately down to me. I have
to stay positive. I am still confident."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Exclusive - Former West Ham star Jack Collison says Sam Allardyce will save
Sunderland from relegation
By Alex Varney (@lexvarney) | Monday, October 12, 2015
TalkSport

Sam Allardyce will steer relegation favourites Sunderland to Premier League
safety, according to former West Ham midfielder Jack Collison. The Black
Cats have yet to win in the Premier League this season and have shipped 18
goals in just eight games. But Collison believes Allardyce, his former boss
at Upton Park, will transform their fortunes after being appointed as Dick
Advocaat's successor at the Stadium of Light. "I think he will keep them
up," said the Welshman, speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast. "He
has got plenty of time, he has got the transfer window in January, and
everybody knows what Big Sam is about. "He is going to go in there and bring
his ideas across and I'm sure he will win the dressing room over. If I was a
betting man, I would put a good amount of money on Sunderland staying up
now. "It is important to have a foundation to build from and, knowing Big
Sam like I do, he is very keen to get his defence functioning well and
working together. That is going to be high on his priority list and if he
can get his defence sorted they have got some exciting players. "If he can
get the best out of [Jermaine] Defoe, [Adam] Johnson and [Fabio] Borini I am
sure they will be a dangerous team once again."

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