Daily WHUFC News - 10th March 2016

The Big Interview - Angelo Ogbonna
WHUFC.com

Angelo Ogbonna is loving life in London and rightly so after becoming an integral part of the team following his move from Juventus last summer.

The Italian defender has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings and became an even bigger hero with the Hammers fans when he scored the dramatic winner against Liverpool in the last round of the FA Cup with just seconds left on the clock to keep alive the Club's hopes of winning major silverware this season.

Ogbonna brings with him a wealth of experience having won the Serie A title with Juventus and despite being part of the losing side when the Italian giants lost to Barcelona in the Champions League back in June 2015, Ogbonna is now hoping to go one stage further and play his part in steering his side to Wembley this season and making it a memorable final season at the Boleyn Ground.

Angelo, you must be so proud of the way the team are performing at the moment. Did you expect the club to be performing this well when you joined the Club last summer?

AO: "When I signed for West Ham I knew what could be achieved but I didn't want to tell anyone!

"I didn't know about Leicester and how teams like Chelsea and Manchester United would perform because they should be at the top.

"The Premier League is so good because every game is played at such a high level and everyone wants to fight against the opposition.

"This is a good time for us to achieve what we want to achieve."

The West Ham United supporters are dreaming of playing in Europe next season. Having played in the Champions League, what would it mean for the Club to play on the European stage next season?

AO: "I understand why the fans are dreaming about this because this is a big chance for us, but we should not focus too much on our position in the table. We need to keep our feet on the ground."

We switch our attentions away from the Premier League this weekend and are now preparing for another huge game in the FA Cup quarter final against Manchester United. How excited are the players at the prospect of playing at Old Trafford and the possibility of reaching the semi-final stage at Wembley?

AO: "We are very excited about this and we will do everything to play at Wembley. We know it will be a really good game and a great atmosphere.

"It was an unforgettable moment when I scored the winning goal against Liverpool. This is the first time in my career I have experienced an atmosphere like that – maybe it was because we are playing the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground and you can see what it means to the fans.

"It was not only the Liverpool game. The fans helped us so much during the Tottenham match and the crowd was unbelievable."

You have played in Cup Finals and been part of the Champions League Final. What does it mean for a Club to reach the Final and everything that goes with it?

AO: "It would be amazing for us to reach the Final. It is a dream for everyone and sometimes you need to dream.

"We are in this position because we want to achieve a lot and we continue to dream."

How much are you enjoying living in London and how do you like to spend time away from football?

AO: "I love living in London. It is a good experience for me. I have met a lot of good people, including my team-mates.

"I have been to Petticoat Lane Market and someone spoke to me about the history of the market.

"I managed to come away with some very good bargains and really enjoyed it!!

"I have also been to Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and all the tourist attractions. The first time I came to London I was on holiday, but this time I can enjoy everything.

"I enjoy going to different restaurants and have also been on the London Eye which gives you amazing views of the city. I think it is amazing here."

You managed to head back to Italy after the Everton victory. How much do you appreciate going back to see your family back home?

AO: "I went to see my mother as it was Mothers Day and I wanted to celebrate it with her.

"She is very proud of what I am doing at West Ham. She knows if I am happy then she is happy as well!!"

You have played with a number of top players during your career. Is Dimitri Payet one of the best you have seen ?

AO: "Yes he is one of the best. He has a lot of quality but the secret of this team is the group and we have a very good mix of players.

"We have many players who can do everything and show different sides to their game. When we have to fight they will go and win the ball.

"We are a very good team and have players like Lanzini, Sakho, Kouyate and Noble who can all make a difference.

"My team have helped me to settle in and when they support you, you have the confidence to do what you want to do. This is a good moment for everyone."

Unfortunately, you were an unused substitute during the Champions League Final against Barcelona. How much would you like to make up for that and just maybe play in a major final for West Ham?

AO: "That is a nice dream for me. We are in a very good situation at the moment and we don't have to be scared. We prepare well for the game and the coach is preparing us very well."

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Hammers to open Claret and Blue coffee house!
WHUFC.com

The West Ham United Coffee Co. will be the perfect place to enjoy a drink at the Hammers' new ground! The stylish Claret and Blue-themed coffee house will be situated inside the new Stadium Store at the Club's new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, just a well-placed pass away from the Hammers new 54,000-capacity Stadium. With bespoke beans and brews being served alongside refreshments supplied by catering partner Delaware North and décor depicting the biggest names in Hammers history, the West Ham United Coffee Co. will be the ideal location to warm up for the big match. Designed and fitted out by leading agency 442 Design, the West Ham United Coffee Co. will give fans of all ages the opportunity to relax and recharge, whether it be before or after the game or Tour of the Hammers' new home, or as part of a visit to the new, enlarged and improved Stadium Store. Vice-Chairman Karren Brady CBE said the West Ham United Coffee Co. was just one of a host of fantastic new facilities which will be available to fans at the Hammers' new home. "Situated within our new, improved and much larger Superstore, the West Ham United Coffee Co. will provide supporters with a wonderful environment to enjoy on their visit to our new home," said the Vice Chairman. "When I saw the designs for the West Ham United Coffee Co., I was hugely impressed by the way the traditions of our fantastic football club have been entwined with the surroundings of a modern coffee house. "The West Ham United Coffee Co., of course, will be just one of a wide range of fabulous facilities for our fans to enjoy at our new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park."

The spectacular surroundings will see fans pick their chosen cuppa from a unique Scoreboard Style menu board, before taking their seats in an awe-inspiring feature dining area that draws on everything that is great about West Ham United. The centrepiece of this stunning dining area will be a 'Dream Team' table, which utilises a set of turnstiles from the Boleyn Ground providing a timeless link between the Club's old and new stadia, featuring the names of eleven players and a manager, the identities of which will be picked by fans in the near future!
Smaller tables and perch benches will be covered by images of Hammer of the Year winners and historical facts, figures and quotes, while wall graphics will show images of the Claret and Blue Army. Whether fans are 'dining in' or 'taking out', refreshments will be served in smart bespoke West Ham United Coffee Co. branded cups and bags. Designed with Hammers fans in mind, the West Ham United Coffee Co. will be the perfect venue to get ready for the game, or simply take time out in spectacular Claret and Blue surroundings. The West Ham United Coffee Co. will open for business this summer.

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Ladies stun Spurs under the lights
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies marked International Women's Day by beating local rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Upton Park, with captain Katie Bottom scoring in a 1-0 win. It was the first time that the Boleyn Ground had ever hosted an FA Women's Premier League match under the lights and plenty of Hammers and Spurs fans braved the cold weather to cheer on both sets of teams. West Ham fan and Foundation coach Bottom was handed the chance to realise her dreams as she led her team mates out onto the famous turf - leading a defence that also contained vice-captain Hannah Wheeler, left back Olivia Sammons and right back Danni Ritson, who had even more to celebrate as the game was played on her 21st birthday. In the first half, the Hammers looked like a completely different team to the one that has suffered disappointing league defeats in recent weeks, with Gemma Abela, Rosie Missen and Karen Ray controlling possession in the middle of the park. Up front, French winger Cindy Ferreira and former Development Squad top scorer Whitney Locke used their pace to panic their north London opponents. The best chance of the half fell to Spurs striker Wendy Martin, but she failed to keep her shot down. Down the other end, former Hammer and current Spurs keeper Toni-Anne Wayne's clearance only travelled as far as Ray, who went to line up an audacious shot from distance, although the ball unfortunately hit her on the knee and was cleared. After the break, the Hammers came out with a buzz and could have led when Ferreira raced through on goal just minutes into the half, although she rushed her effort and fired narrowly over the crossbar. Spurs weathered the storm and actually managed to force the ball into the back of the West Ham net shortly before the hour mark, but the assistant referee's flag halted any celebrations. It was West Ham that took the lead though, when fantastic play by substitute Laura Curtis won the home side a penalty, with Bottom stepping up as captain to send Wayne the wrong way and bury into the corner. The visitors went looking for an instant equaliser, but the hosts could have made it two when Ferreira fired over from 18 yards after latching onto a Locke cross. Spurs responded by putting plenty of pressure onto the home defence, but the Hammers stood strong. In the closing stages, West Ham tried their hardest to search for a goal that would put the result beyond doubt, although Spurs continued to rally forward. The referee finally blowed his full time whistle and Nurse's side celebrated a well-earned three points and a return to winning ways. Nurse's side will be hoping that Tuesday night's result will inspire them as they host high-flying Cardiff City at AFC Hornchurch on Sunday 13 March at 2pm.

LADIES: Griffins, Ritson, Bottom (c), Wheeler, Sammons, Abela (Curtis), Missen, Ray, Campesi, Ferreira (Hinz), Locke (Berkeley). Subs not used: Turner, Kelly.

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From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com

Long-time West Ham United correspondent for the Evening Standard, Ken Dyer, reflects on a memorable couple of weeks for the Club…

I have a lot of West Ham friends, and obviously they have been talking to each other after the events of the last week. Coming on top of the win against Spurs and the way the result came about against Everton, they all agreed that it doesn't get better than that!

I suppose it does get better than that if we are able to go on and beat Manchester United on Sunday, but to come back from that position just shows you how much spirit and character there is in that team.

When you have that, the players must be thinking that whatever the circumstances, they can go out and win this game.

Slaven is very proactive in what he does, in the way he changes things if necessary. He doesn't take too long, he gives things plenty of time, as he did against Everton when he brought Andy Carroll on at half time.

Quite rightly, Pochettino and Ranieri have had the spotlight this year, and Slaven has gone a bit under the radar, which has probably helped. That won't happen for much longer if we continue as we are.

Now we have a trip to Old Trafford with 9,000 West Ham fans and that harks back to memories of Di Canio and Barthez. That was one of those wow moments, what happened there? It was a fabulous game and Old Trafford has special memories too with the year we stayed up.

The Barthez-Di Canio moment was great showbiz, two big characters facing each other and obviously Di Canio came out on top.

We also beat Manchester United in the semi-final of 1964, which is a game I remember well. I had been to all the home games that year in the cup run and I couldn't get to the semi-final but I tuned in to the crackly radio.

I remember that it didn't stop raining, and when you see footage of the pitch now, those kind of surfaces don't exist any more.

Ronnie Boyce came up with two goals, which was fairly rare for him as he supplied the midfield engine room of the team. Then he popped up in the final and got the winner there as well. It was a great day.

What the Cup does is throw up unlikely heroes, and I don't mind who scores on Sunday as long as we do it!

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United

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A message from the Board
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to endorse this afternoon's Premier League announcement of a league-wide £30 cap on all away tickets for the next three seasons. While the decision to cap tickets at £30 each will cost the Club over £2,000,000 in lost revenue over the next three years, the Club supported the move to ensure its own supporters benefited from the price cap when they travel to watch the Hammers play away from home. The Board are also pleased to confirm that following extraordinary demand for tickets at the Hammers' new world-class home, West Ham are now doing everything in their power to expand the capacity to 60,000. Should that hard work pay off, there will be an additional 5,000 Band 5 seats and thus a total of 8,000 Season Tickets available for £289 a season. What's more, the Club project that some 8,000 Season Tickets will be sold to Under-16s for just £99.

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Keeping up with Kouyate
WHUFC.com

As West Ham fans have long since realised, Cheikhou Kouyate is one of the best at what he does in the Premier League.

Boundless energy and enthusiasm, both on and off the pitch, the 26-year-old has been outstanding since his arrival in east London.

Having recently been utilised as defensive cover, whufc.com caught up with the Senegalese international…

A great victory for the team against Everton last weekend, what was the turning point of the game?

CK: "We tried to start like we had done against Tottenham at home the week before but unfortunately, we conceded an early goal and so we made life difficult for ourselves.

"Unlike in other games when we have conceded, I thought we did well and tried to stay on the front foot. Then they scored their second goal which made the task even harder. The manager was positive and put on two strikers and I think that this was the turning point of the match."

You are currently covering at centre back due to the several defensive injuries, how do you feel about playing at the back?

CK: "As I have said before, I am a midfielder however; I am prepared to do anything for the benefit of the team. I would even be willing to play in goal if needed. So when the boss asked me to fill in at centre back, I was happy to do so. I played at the back in the Champions League with Anderlecht and so I am comfortable playing in that position."

A difficult match against Manchester United on Sunday at Old Trafford, do you have any particular memories of playing at the ground or against United?

CK: "We are all aware of the size of their club; they are one of the biggest teams in the country. We know what to expect from a game there, a nice stadium, good playing surface and a great atmosphere.

"I have some great memories of playing for the Senegalese national side during the London Olympics in 2012 at Old Trafford, when we played against Team GB and we held them to a 1-1 draw. I hope that we can go to Sunday's game and play in the same way, we know that it won't be easy, but with the team spirit as it is at the moment, we know that we can get something from the game."

Tell us a bit about the goal you scored against Manchester United at Upton Park last season.

CK: "We had a free kick, Mark Noble and Stewart Downing were standing over the ball and I didn't know which of them would be taking the free kick. Mark put a great ball into the box and I tried to attack the ball, but I didn't get to it. Rooney headed the ball away and it fell to me, I juggled the ball once and then twice and then fired towards goal and luckily it went in and I scored one of the best goals of my career."

You have a busy month with West Ham and then with the Senegalese national side. Qualification is achievable, what can this Senegalese team go on to do?

CK: "All is going well, we are top of the table, but we know there is a long way to go. Things have changed a bit, with a new manager who is trying to take the team to the next level.

"We are determined to qualify and then really progress within the African Cup of Nations in 2017. We face Niger at home and away later this month and we plan to take the game to them at home to try to secure qualification as soon as possible."

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues his weekly update – in association with Spire Roding Hospital

Hello everybody,

We had a very positive week last week, with three Barclays Premier League victories in the space of eight days, including our home win over Tottenham Hotspur and the fantastic comeback at Everton.

Unfortunately, James Collins suffered a hamstring injury in the Spurs game. This was the first injury he has suffered this season and we hope to recover him after the international break.

Enner Valencia, Victor Moses and Joey O'Brien all re-joined training earlier this week after recovering from a right high ankle sprain, a quadriceps injury and hamstring problem respectively.

Winston Reid is going to join training on Friday. Winston is in the last stages of his hamstring rehab and needs a good training block with the team.

James Tomkins is in the final stage of his rehabilitation after recovering from the calf injury he suffered at Southampton on 6 February, and he will start training again next week.

We were delighted to see Diafra Sakho come through his return to the team successfully, with a goal and an assist at Everton on Saturday.

Diafra worked extremely hard to recover from his quadriceps injury and showed great professionalism in his approach to what was a very complex rehab.

We naturally hope he will continue to enjoy this form and fitness until the end of the season and beyond.

Finally, I want to say some words about Carl Jenkinson. He is rehabbing with Arsenal following the knee injury he suffered in the match with Manchester City in January, and has recently moved onto the next stage of his treatment.

Carl has a long road ahead of him and we wish him well as he continues with his recovery.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Ladies delighted with Spurs win
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies captain and Foundation coach Katie Bottom marked a perfect day by netting the hosts' only goal as they defeated local rivals Tottenham Hotspur Ladies 1-0 at the Boleyn Ground on Tuesday night.

It was International Women's Day and the first time ever that an FA Women's Premier League game had been played under the famous lights at Upton Park and the night was made all the better when Bottom stepped up to convert from the penalty spot after substitute Laura Curtis was tripped in the box.

Having supported the club her whole life and spent many years working for the West Ham Foundation as a community coach, Bottom told whufc.com after the game just how perfect her day was.

"I'm always around the ground but I've never had the chance to lead a team out before and to be one of the last captains to do it at the end of this last season at Upton Park is a massive achievement for me and for all the girls," she said.

"It was a perfect day from the start to the finish. The performance from every single one of the girls that went out onto the pitch was top drawer.

"We kept it solid and knew that we could get something on the break and obviously we won the penalty so it's was a fantastic night for us.

"I was a bit nervous [stepping up for the penalty]. I've come up against Tor [Toni-Anne Wayne] a couple of times, because she used to play for us, but I knew where I was going to put it and I just hoped she didn't guess the same way as me - try putting it in the corner and keep it away from her.

"The results haven't been that great but we've certainly put that on its head. The solid performance, the win, the three points that we needed and the confidence which is going to shoot now.

"The next three games are vital for us so hopefully we can pick up some more points. We've done this game and we now have to focus on the next one and keep on going and keep plodding away.

"Overall though, it's the perfect day and the perfect performance, so we'll be going to bed happy!

First team manager Marc Nurse similarly used the word 'perfect' to describe many parts of the day too, as he echoed his captain's feelings about the performance and the day as a whole.

"It was absolutely perfect," added Nurse. "It's our first and last game at the Boleyn Ground and it was absolutely fantastic. There were so many supporters for both West Ham and Tottenham, more so for West Ham, which helped to make the occasion that fantastic.

"The game itself was very entertaining with plenty of end-to-end stuff, but grit and determination got us the result that we needed which was a 1-0 win. Three more points on the board now and I'm a very happy man."

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West Ham poised to benefit from luck of the Irish with Shamrock Rovers in line for new partnership to develop players - The Daily Mail
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

The Daily Mail have stated that West Ham are exploring the possibility of a link-up with League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers as revealed exclusively by our very own ExWHUEmployee in his column last night. Ex has confirmed that this is under consideration by the club.The deal would allow the Premier League high fliers to loan players out and potentially help speed up work permit applications for new signings. Shamrock opened their campaign last Saturday with a 2-0 win at Sligo Rovers as their season runs from March to November. Managed by former Chelsea trainee and Hibernian boss Pat Fenlon, Shamrock finished third last season and are the most successful side in League of Ireland history.West Ham have examined several possibilities but Shamrock are emerging as the favoured option.They have a strong fanbase in Ireland and it is hoped both clubs can reap the benefits on and off the pitch.West Ham are enjoying one of their most successful seasons under the guidance of Slaven Bilic and are moving to the Olympic Stadium in the summer. The Hammers climbed up to fifth in the Premier League last weekend with a 3-2 victory against Everton.They are only a point behind Manchester City, who occupy fourth place, although City have a game in-hand on West Ham.Bilic's side face Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday. Co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold are looking at adding some big name players to their squad with the prospect of European football next season but will also need to source bargains who could be allowed to bed in with an affiliated club.

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West Ham seeking extended OS capacity
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th March 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have officially confirmed that they are seeking to extend the capacity of the Olympic Stadium to 60,000. The current capacity was provisionally set at 54,000,when the club were unsure whether they would be able to sell the full allocation of season tickets for the 2016/17 campaign. But with sales having gone better than expected, the club have confirmed that they are seeking to extend the capacity by a further 6,000 ahead of this summer's move from Upton Park to Stratford. "Following extraordinary demand for tickets at the Hammers' new world-class home, West Ham are now doing everything in their power to expand the capacity to 60,000," read a statement on whufc.com."

And it was confirmed that the vast majority of those extra spaces would be added to the much-vaunted £289 season ticket price range. "Should that hard work pay off, there will be an additional 5,000 Band 5 seats and thus a total of 8,000 Season Tickets available for £289 a season," added the club. "What's more, the Club project that some 8,000 Season Tickets will be sold to Under-16s for just £99."

The Olympic Stadium's capacity was capped at 80,000 for the 2012 Olympic Games three years ago. Should West Ham secure the additional 6,000 seats it would make the stadium joint-second largest in the Premier League, behind Manchester United but almost identical to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium which holds 60,432.

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The best is yet to come, but let's forget Premier League records
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 9th March 2016
By: Paul Walker

It's started already hasn't it? We are happily being told that Slaven's outstanding team with their string of brilliant results are on the brink of the best season in our history.

Utter nonsense, and nothing is certainly to send me off on a rant when someone, somewhere mentions the words, 'Premier League records'. Aaaah!

It is lazy, clumsy journalism prompted by the PR people at the Premier League who never stop churning our information suggesting something is the best since…well 1992!

PL records were invented for Sky, to give them something to prattle about that they actually had footage to back it up. The Premier League was nothing more than a rebranding of a much-loved institution for the benefit of moneymen.

Back in the old black and white days we actually won a European trophy. How does that square with the headlines now?

For the record…sorry…our best performance since the Premier League was invented by the marketing men is fifth in 98-99. But it's just the best in 24 seasons.

The Football League started in 1888 and I have been delighted to hear an old mate, Alan Green, ridicule the whole concent of Premier League records on BBC Five Live recently. Brilliant, well done. Now let's move on.

If the season ended now, with us fifth and in the FA Cup quarter-finals, it would be pretty damned close to our best-ever season. It's good, but not it's not quite Carling!
There is the need, though, to come up with a definitive 'best season' because the way Slaven Bilic is going, we will need to know pretty soon.

For me, it will always be the 1964-65 season when we lifted the European Cup Winners' Cup at Wembley, and we finished ninth in the First Division that season. The domestic cups were not so good, we lost our hold on the FA Cup in the fourth round, losing 1-0 at home to Chelsea, while getting to the second stage of the League Cup.

I remember that Chelsea defeat like it was yesterday. Only because the night before me and my mum and dad, had queued for hours alongside a bitterly cold Thames to file past the coffin of Winston Churchill, as he lay in state. Me and dad had only a couple of hours sleep before heading off to the Boleyn. Funny how things stick in your memory.

Anyway, I feel, and it's only my criteria which I am sure many of you will want to shoot down, that a 'best season' must take into account the rest of the campaign, rather than the one major achievement.

So there is a case for the 85-86 campaign when we managed third place in the top flight, and reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, still our best-ever league performance.

But back to the 60s. A season before the European triumph, we won the FA Cup for the first time, finished 14th in the league and reached the League Cup semi-finals before being beaten 6-3 on aggregate by Leicester, also has a shout.

So the current debate has prompted me to get the record books out and waffle on about the past. (I can see my son and his mates diving for cover as I speak!)

I was searching for something that might compete with '64, '65 and '86. It's tough, but I believe that trio is already the best bet.

The pre-First World War seasons were regional and obviously not really in contention either as Thames Ironworks or West Ham. The 1922-23 season saw us figure in history as taking part in the first FA Cup final at Wembley, but we still lost and were runners-up in the second division.

From then on, until relegation in 1931-32, our best league position was sixth. You can see where I am coming from, now.

The Second World War robbed us of a great team, with Len Goulden, my dad's favourite player, the key. He was probably a comparison with Trevor Brooking, and that War Time Cup Final-winning side would almost certainly have got us promotion.

All this new-found knowledge is not me, it's thanks to another fine book by Brian Belton, War Hammers Two. It has filed a huge gap in my West Ham historical library, and given me the chance to read about the Irons of my late father's youth.

He was a teenager during the war, bombed out twice and reduced to a nervous wreck by the day and night bombing of the Blitz. He was tongue-tied and had a terrible stutter by the end of the war, but recalled his days at the Boleyn.

I can still hear my mum finishing sentences for him when I was a kid. I look at the youngsters around me sometimes and wonder whether they realise how lucky they are not to have gone through that.

OK, weepy bit over. From then until 1957-58 when we won promotion back to the top flight, there had been nothing but very ordinary mid-table second division rubbish.

The 60s take some beating. There was also the 65-66 season when we defended the Cup Winners' Cup until the semi-finals, finished 12th in the league and got to the League Cup Final.

I don't consider the '75 and 1980 Cup winning seasons being better than the 60s. In '75 while beating Bobby Moore's Fulham in the final, we were only 13th in the league and out of the League Cup early, We were ECWC runners-up the following season, but finished 18th in the league, winning only one of our final 21 league matches.
　
In 1980, as a Second Division side, we also reached the League Cup quarter-finals. Mind you, the following season we won the Second Division title , were League Cup runners-up and got to the European third round.

It was all the forerunner to 85-86. Third is still the pinnacle, but we also beat Manchester United on the way to the FA Cup quarter-finals. An omen for the weekend, I hope.

From, then on it was all pretty ordinary until 2005-06 and that Cup Final defeat by Liverpool, and a ninth place finish.

So to my mind, 1965 was the best, '86 second, and 1964 third. Nothing else that the Premier League PR people can throw up will better that. Until Slaven really gets stuck in.

The way this season is going, it may well be our fourth best season in history. Still an amazing achievement. OK, rant over!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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Angelo Ogbonna urges caution over West Ham's Champions League challenge
By Nick Lustig
Last Updated: 09/03/16 12:05pm
SSN

Angelo Ogbonna believes West Ham must "keep their feet on the ground" as they attempt to secure Champions League qualification for the first time in the club's history. The Hammers made it three successive wins on Saturday when they came from 2-0 down in last 10 minutes to beat Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park. Victory kept West Ham just a point behind Manchester City, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot, with just nine matches of the Premier League season remaining. "I understand why the fans are dreaming about this because this is a big chance for us, but we should not focus too much on our position in the table. We need to keep our feet on the ground," Ogbonna told the club's official website. Ogbonna joined West Ham from Juventus for £7.9m last summer and has featured 23 times this season for Slaven Bilic's side. "When I signed for West Ham I knew what could be achieved but I didn't want to tell anyone," he added. I didn't know about Leicester and how teams like Chelsea and Manchester United would perform because they should be at the top. "The Premier League is so good because every game is played at such a high level and everyone wants to fight against the opposition. "This is a good time for us to achieve what we want to achieve."

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West Ham do the double over Spurs in a week
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham Ladies repeated the feat of the West Ham men last Wednesday by beating Spurs Ladies 1-0 at the Boleyn ground last night! A record 1,741 fans attended the game under the Boleyn ground famous lights smashing the previous home attendance record of just 298!

West Ham Ladies Chairman, Stephen Hunt said " Stunned to hear that our game last night beat the attendance in 9 of Dagenham & Redbridge's FC League 2 fixtures this season"

West Ham chairman David Gold added: "Congratulations West ham Ladies you did us proud. Well done. dg"

West Ham ladies Captain Katie Bottom scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in front of the crowd of 1,741 at the Boleyn Ground.

Katie works for West Ham United, supports West Ham United as well as captaining the West Ham Ladies. Today is her 23rd birthday! What an amazing 48 hours. Happy Birthday Katie!

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8,000 OS season tickets available for £289 or less
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
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This afternoon, West Ham has confirmed officially for the first they have requested to increase capacity to 60,000 at the Olympic Stadium for next season.

The club confirm should that be agreed then they would make a further 5,000 seats available at band 5 prices at £289 for adults and £99 for the under 16's.

They also reveal for the first time that should the extra 5,000 be agreed it would take the total number of band 5 season tickets to 8,000

The statement on WHUFC.com read:

"The Board are also pleased to confirm that following extraordinary demand for tickets at the Hammers' new world-class home, West Ham are now doing everything in their power to expand the capacity to 60,000."

"Should that hard work pay off, there will be an additional 5,000 Band 5 seats and thus a total of 8,000 Season Tickets available for £289 a season. What's more, the Club project that some 8,000 Season Tickets will be sold to Under-16s for just £99."

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Frankie Mac exclusive: "No changing my mind now"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
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I said at the start of the season we could grab a Champions League spot and I see absolutely no reason to change my mind now. But let me say at the outset – Slaven Bilic has been incredible… remarkable and I love love love what's happening at my club. Every expectation has been passed and now we wait for the final verdict – are we good enough for the Champions League? I really think we are. However, as to the bigger question: Is this team better than the Boys of 86 …. Eff off LOL! Seriously, I'll tell yer this – it would be one hell of a game.
Everything is possible as we reach the end of the season because of one thing – Sakho is back and make no mistake he IS the No1 striker. No disrespect to Andy Carroll or Enner Valencia but they really don't have the pace and movement of this guy. He's brilliant and with him in the team we can go anywhere as favourites. I know what it must be like playing in that team with Dimi Payet around because I had Alan Devonshire. Those sort of players make it easy for strikers. Payet, like Dev, is pure class and if I was part of this squad I'd be gagging to get out there. The excitement in the air is incredible and that's shown in us having sold 40,000 odd season tickets for the Olympic Stadium which is remarkable. You can put that all down to the owners who have shown real vision and put their money where their mouths are. There has never been a time like this in Hammers history and I personally thank everybody involved. It's brilliant – absolutely brilliant!

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Slav facing Reid dilemma
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Slaven Bilic is facing a Winston Reid dilemma as he prepares for the massive clash with Manchester United this weekend. The central defender has been freely tipped as being ready to join the squad for the FA Cup clash at Old Trafford n Saturday but it leaves the manager with a big decision. He has never been big on plunging players back into action following injury but the alternative appears to be sticking with young Reece Oxford. And whilst nobody is blaming the youngster for the first goal against Everton on Saturday. Slav's dilemma is clear as he prepares for another huge match. ClaretandHugh was told: "There's no issue with the injury, just whether the manager will go with Reidy from the start. We still have an issue at right back of course with Sam Byram suspended and Cup tied anyway. It maybe one for Joey O'Brien."

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Transparency and fairness please WHUFC
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 9, 2016 in Sean's Blogs, Whispers
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By Sean Whetstone

It's no secret, I am openly pro-club, pro-owners and pro-Olympic Stadium move and I make no excuses over that. I have even been accused by some of being a 'club stooge' always toeing the party line and afraid to speak out against the club hierarchy.

Well, two things have got my goat recently and I felt compelled to say so.

The first is the priority waiting list which supporters are encouraged to spend a non-refundable £10 to join. Over 34,000 supporters have paid their tenner but it has been obvious for long time that demand will outstrip supply.

At the end of the season ticket sales period for the Olympic Stadium next season 9,000 seats remained for sale meaning around 25,000 on the list will be disappointed and out of pocket by £10. Despite that, the club continues to actively market the priority list and will gladly still take your money despite there being little chance of you getting a season ticket in the foreseeable future.

They should be open and transparent about the total number on the waiting list and the number of seats remaining before allowing more fans on the list. I would even go as far as returning the tenner for those who did not get a chance to buy a season ticket.

BO_1_Membership_v1The second gripe is the ballot for the last three games, yet again they are encouraging you to sign up to something you have very little chance of getting, The club want you to shell out £40 to join the Academy to have a chance in the ballot for tickets for the last three home games at the Boleyn Ground.

What they don't tell you is there is less than 3,000 tickets on general sale for each of these games and there are over 18,000 Academy members. It will be already oversubscribed as much as six times over but the club wants you shell out forty quid for the slim chance of getting your hands on a ticket.

Existing Academy members will also feel hard done by with their odds reduced and many of the supporters paying £40 will feel cheated when they don't get tickets.

Again the club should be open and transparent to those buying the £40 membership in admitting there is less than a one in six chance of getting a ticket.

Tickets for members for the Arsenal and Manchester United games will cost between £60-£85 depending on the band although I told there are no Band 1's available as they belong to season ticket holders.

Including the £40 membership fee and £1.50 booking fee supporters could end up forking out between £101.50 and £116.50 for a ticket for two of the final games at the Boleyn Ground and that's if they are lucky enough to beat the six to one odds in the first place.

I am sorry but this all seems less about celebrating our farewell to the Boleyn and more about cashing in on the final season. Transparency and fairness is all we ask for!

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Paralysing Irons fear and the hand of history
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 9, 2016 in News, Whispers
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ClaretandHugh is delighted to welcome KUMB.com's award winning podcaster Chris Scull as he makes his debut as our latest top name blogger today. 'Scully' is one of the good guys and here he gives his exclusive overview of a season which simply gets better after admitting to the "paralysing" fear he felt before the Spurs match.
EXCLUSIVE

In a season of incredibly memorable moments, last week really seemed to take the biscuit. With Spurs' extraordinary away record, and with the form they're in, I – like most West Ham fans – was paralysed by fear on the day of the Spurs game. I could hear the forthcoming banter of every deluded Spurs fan, I could feel us being stuck with 'the last team to beat you at Upton Park' for decades to come.
But this team really is something else. Spurs were never in the match and we fully deserved all three points. Antonio, Payet, Noble, Collins; what further praise can we heap on these lads this season?
The atmosphere too was incredible; the rain lashing down, almost every Hammer in the ground giving it both barrels. It was a night that will live long in the memory.
Have to say, personally, it was the first time a wave of emotion washed over me with regard to our upcoming departure from the motherland of Green Street – this was the last London derby with Spurs.
The lights, the sights, the smells; you could almost feel the hand of history on your shoulder. All the hundreds of thousands of West Ham fans over those one hundred plus years – all those that came before us. And there we were, the last game against Spurs.
I'm sure there's going to be a few more moments like that over the next two and a bit months.
As for the Everton game, again, speechless. 12 minutes of sheer delirium.
This season is already more than a bit special, the question now is; how far can we go?
People are already starting to discuss this season as potentially our best ever; I believe, in terms of our squad, that is probably true. But for the record books and history to reflect that, we need our defining moment.
And so to Manchester in the cup this Sunday. We were lucky enough to have the Head of Sport for the Daily Mail, Lee Clayton, on the podcast this week. He didn't mind what happened this season as long as beat Spurs last week; but for me, this season is a collection of scattered good memories without that defining moment.
All the tension I felt about Spurs has almost doubled when it comes to United on Sunday. If we win, we return to Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time in 36 years. But not only that, we become serious contenders for our first major trophy in all that time (for the purposes of this article, I'm not counting our InterToto 1999 triumph).
It, probably, all comes down to this weekend. We have a better team than them, I genuinely believe we should beat them. They're low on confidence, they've got a busy mid-week. But most crucially, they're really, really rubbish.
If we beat them on Sunday, a couple of wins on two days out at Wembley will define this season for a generation.
Failing that, we'll just have to beat them under the lights for fourth spot on the last game at Upton Park. A game that is bound to be an emotional send off, not just for us, but for the Chelmsford Reds too I'm sure.
COME ON YOU IRONS!
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