Daily WHUFC News - 17th March 2016

Farewell Boleyn - From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com

The Sun Football Writer Andy Dillion has been covering West Ham United for
the last 20-years and has a number of magical memories from his time
reporting on the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground, including getting an
international star to dress up as Superman and having Paolo Di Canio
apologise to his dictaphone! He is also a lifelong West Ham supporter and
will be full of emotions as the Club prepares to make a historic move during
the summer.

I have so many fond memories of the Boleyn Ground going back to when I first
started as a Journalist working for Hayters Sports Agency filing goal
flashes for Grandstand.

I also worked for the East London Advertiser when Harry Redknapp was in
charge when we used to sit in the press box in the old West stand.

I will never forget the narrow steps that took us up to the seats and the
intimidating atmosphere that the fans created.

It will be a say day when we have to leave the famous old stadium and it has
always been a ground where there has been a story to be told with West Ham
both on and off the field.

Paolo Di Canio always provided us with great entertainment and I will never
forget the time we spoke to him after a home game and he apologised into my
dictaphone for swearing.

It was always great when he agreed to speak with us and would always speak
from the heart and it felt like he was giving us a 25 minute answer to every
question that we asked him!

But I think he got carried away with one response and ended up swearing
which he later realised what he had done and grabbed my recorder and kissed
it before apologising into it.

I remember another great story when we signed former Real Madrid striker
Davor Suker and I came up with an idea that we wanted him to become
'Sukerman'.

I took a Superman outfit down to the ground and in those days you could get
away with it!

He seemed very confused at first at what I was asking him to do and I
thought it was never going to happen.

But the next thing I knew he was down to his underpants and was trying the
costume on.

I think the West Ham fans enjoyed seeing him dressed up as a super-hero and
probably also enjoyed the time we got our former keeper Craig Forrest in
fancy dress at the Boleyn Ground.

There was a story going round at the time that the authorities were
considering giving keepers the option to wear glasses like Edgar Davids. We
thought that was hilarious as eye-sight is obviously very important for a
keeper.

West Ham were training at the Boleyn Ground and I actually persuaded Craig
over the phone that it would be a good idea for him try on these glasses.

He posed for a picture wearing these boss-eyed glasses and I think it made
the front page of Supergoals.

There have been many memorable moments covering games but probably one of
the biggest post-match moments came when I got a rare one on one interview
with Wayne Rooney.

We played Manchester United back in December 2009 and it was just after the
World Cup draw.

I thought I would try my luck with England's big superstar expecting him to
say no but he agreed to speak with me and gave me a great story saying he
went for a lie down in his hotel room and fell asleep and missed the whole
draw.

I had to share the story with the rest of the national papers and the ironic
thing is that my paper only used six paragraphs and the rest of the papers
splashed it on the back page!

I think that sums up the great entertainment you get from a West Ham game at
the Boleyn Ground and always expect the unexpected.

The crowd are always newsworthy and the fans are always lively with their
passionate support which makes for good copy.

I am really going to miss Green Street and everything that surrounds the
stadium. When you turn out of Upton Park station and hear all the noise and
see the crowds.

You walk past all the stalls and can smell the hamburgers. I think a lot of
fans will miss that walk from the station to the stadium.

As many people will know I am a big West Ham United fan so I will be full of
emotions as we prepare to play our final ever game at the Boleyn Ground.

I hope to be back there for some of the remaining matches and will never
forget my experiences of attending the ground from both a personal and
professional point of view.

I fell in love with the old South Bank and will never forget the first game
I was allowed to go on my own when we faced Crystal Palace.

I stood behind the goal and from that moment on I fell in love with the
ground and watching West Ham.

I will miss everything about the Boleyn Ground – especially 'Mr Moon has
left the stadium' – we will be joining him after the final home game against
Manchester United!

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

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New Stadium progress report
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's new Stadium is looking more and more like the Hammers'
home with every passing day. Following the installation of claret seats,
the Hammers' world-class playing surface is now beginning to take shape in
readiness for the big 2016/17 kick-off in August.

The pitch comprises of both artificial fibres – Desso Grassmaster –and
natural grass, with the former already being sewn into what is to become a
pristine new Premier League surface.

The turf, however, will only be in its final football-ready state after the
completion of this summer's athletics and musical events at the former
Olympic Stadium.

As the Club's moving-in date draws ever closer, supporters can look forward
to more regular updates like this on whufc.com in the coming weeks and
months.

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

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

Hello everybody,

We have had a lot of games in recent weeks and we have a lot more games to
play over the course of the final two months of the season.

After the international break, of the final six weeks, at least four of them
will see us play midweek matches, so it's important we have as many players
available as possible.

Although injuries can happen during every training session or game, I am
pleased to report that we have only two first-team players injured at
present.

James Tomkins (calf) and James Collins (hamstring) are injured, but both are
in the final stages of their rehab. James Tomkins is almost finished and
will re-join training later this week, while Ginge will return to training
during the international break.

Winston Reid came off during Sunday's FA Cup tie at Manchester United. He
had only trained for two days with the squad and, following discussions
between the manager, the medical staff and the player himself, we took the
calculated risk of playing him at Old Trafford.

He played and came off as a precaution following some good communication
between the staff and Winston and he has trained this week and will be
available to face Chelsea on Saturday.

After Chelsea we have an international break and it is a positive result of
the team doing well that many of our players are on provisional squad lists
for their countries.

We do not have the confirmed call-ups yet for all of them, because every
country works differently, and of course we are waiting to hear if the likes
of Mark Noble and Dimitri Payet will be called.

Looking down our squad list, Enner Valencia, Cheikhou Kouyate, Victor Moses,
Emmanuel Emenike, Winston Reid and Darren Randolph are all regulars for
their countries.

Angelo Ogbonna, Diafra Sakho, Sam Byram, Reece Oxford, Doneil Henry and
Stephen Hendrie could also be called-up. James Collins would normally be
with Wales, too, but he will miss out this time.

For those who do not go on international duty, we will start by giving them
a few days to rest and recover after a period with a lot of tough games.

After that, it will be a good moment to train hard again and we will
approach Mark Noble's Testimonial as we would any other game,
professionally.

Obviously the game itself will be less intense than a Premier League match,
and will be more about entertainment than physical performance, but we still
need to prepare properly.

We then have a busy week with three home games potentially, with Crystal
Palace, the Manchester United replay if they do not progress in the Europa
League, and then Arsenal.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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Young Hammers selected for England squads

Young Hammers Reece Oxford and Sam Howes have been named in the England
Under-18 and Under-19 squads respectively for a series of forthcoming
fixtures. Defender Oxford, who can also play in midfield, was skipper of
the Under-17s and has also been capped at Under-16 and -18 level.
He captained the side during their 2015 UEFA Euro Under-17 Championship last
summer. The Under-18s will travel to Vienna to play Austria on Wednesday 23
March before then hosting the Republic of Ireland at St. George's Park at a
behind-closed-doors match. The 17-year-old has made eleven appearances for
the Hammers so far this term, most recently at Goodison Park in United's 3-2
victory.

Howes, who is 18, has also been capped at Under-16, -17 and -18 level and is
in the Young Lions' squad for a hat-trick of matches in the side's Elite
Round Euro Under-19 Championship matches in Spain. Aidy Boothroyd's team
take on Georgia (Thursday 24 March) and Greece (Saturday 26 March) before
squaring up against the hosts on Tuesday 29 March.

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Hendrie ready for semi-final showdown
WHUFC.com

After impressing in the Development Squad's emphatic 4-1 win over Newcastle
last week, left-back Stephen Hendrie is relishing tonight's semi-final with
Liverpool.

The Scottish U21 international has been in impressive form lately for Terry
Westley's side, and contributed two assists in the win over the Magpies with
two scintillating crosses.

Now, the former Hamilton Academical man is eyeing an even bigger win tonight
at Rush Green. He said: "It was great to get such a big win at a place like
St James' Park, we scored four goals and probably could have had more.

"But now we are fully concentrated on the Liverpool game. It's great to go
into this game with confidence. We know it'll be a big challenge, but we
know if we play to our strengths we know we have what it takes to progress
to the final."

Since joining West Ham in the summer, Hendrie has been a key component of
the Dev Squad's recent success, while also being named on the bench for the
first team on several occasions.

Hendrie also enjoyed further success during a stint of loan at Southend
United, where he made his Football League debut for the Shrimpers, and
capped five appearances off with a 79th minute match-winner away at
Shrewsbury Town.

He continued: "My time at Southend was really good, and very beneficial. It
was great to make my League debut here in England and I learnt a lot.

"Playing first team football at any level is good; the standard is a lot
better then what people might think. Obviously I'd like to get more
opportunities, but I am happy here at West Ham. We've got a great squad and
I'm confident in my abilities.

"I just need to try and keep working hard and see where that gets me."

A bona-fide member of the first team squad, Hendrie has a foot in both at
Chadwell Heath and Rush Green, an experience he is clearly enjoying.

He said: "The younger lads that have come in have all done superb. I
remember being a youngster coming through, so it's nice to be able to help
them come through.

"Looking around the club, it's looking good for West Ham at the moment.
Obviously we've got the semi-final tonight, and then it would be fantastic
if the U21s could get to the play offs.

"Likewise the first team are doing amazingly well so there's a lot to look
forward to between now and the end of the season."

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West Ham and Arsenal in top four boost as Man City lose Kompany and Otamendi
to injury despite Champions League progress
TOM DOYLE
Evening Standard

Manchester City's progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League
came at a cost as captain Vincent Kompany and fellow centre-back Nicolas
Otamendi limped off during their 0-0 draw against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.
City went into the last-16 second-leg in a commanding position having beaten
Dynamo away 3-1 in February, and a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium was
enough to seal a spot in the last eight of the Champions League. Despite
City's successful night, it was another frustrating evening for skipper
Kompany as he limped off injured after just five minutes with another calf
injury - his 14th since joining City in 2008. Worse was to come for City as
fellow centre-back Otamendi had to be replaced after 23 minutes following an
earlier collision with Kiev forward Vitaliy Buyalskiy, meaning substitutes
Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis finished the game as a make-shift
partnership. Those injuries mean both defenders are now doubts for Sunday's
Manchester derby against fierce rivals United, putting pressure on
Pellegrini to get the result needed to keep City in the top four. City have
seen their title hopes slip away in recent weeks due to poor results, with
just four wins in their last 10 league games leaving them trailing
table-toppers Leicester by 12 points with nine games left.
West Ham can go temporarily go a point clear of City into fourth place if
they beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, and the Hammers would
remain there if United beat City at the Etihad the following day. Any
slip-up from City would also boost Arsenal's hopes of a top-three finish to
secure automatic qualification for next season's Champions League, with the
Gunners currently a point ahead of City. Arsene Wenger's side must first
come through a difficult Champions League test themselves, as they prepare
to try and overturn a 2-0 deficit against holders Barcelona at the Camp Nou
on Wednesday

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West Ham transfer news: Slaven Bilic to seal double deal for Manuel Lanzini
and Havard Nordtveit
KEN DYER
Evening Standard

West Ham are expected to confirm the permanent signing of Manuel Lanzini in
the next few days. The 23-year-old midfielder has been on loan at West Ham
from UAE club Al Jazira and has impressed sufficiently for manager Slaven
Bilic to want to tie him to a permanent contract. The fee for the Argentine
is expected to be £7.4million. A deal has been in place for several weeks,
but West Ham wanted to confirm his fitness after a thigh injury.
Meanwhile, West Ham have agreed to sign Norway midfielder Havard Nordtveit
on a free transfer from Borussia Moenchengladbach next season. The
25-year-old will leave the Bundesliga side at the end of the season, with
the club confirming on Twitter that he would move to the Premier League.
"Havard Nordtveit will not extend his contract expiring in the summer and
move to England."

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Hammers win cup semi-final against Liverpool
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham under 21's beat Liverpool under 21's in the Barclays Premier League
Under 21 Cup Semi Final this evening at Rush Green.

Martin Samuelson was drafted back from Peterborough for the evening.
Liverpool opened the scoring on 12 minutes with Pedro Chirivella getting the
early goal. Doneil Henry equalised from close range just after the break. At
90 minutes it was still 1-1 so went into extra time.

Marcus Browne also scores from close range to make it 2-1 in extra time.
Liverpool's Sheyi Ojo leveled it up shortly afterwards to make it 2-2. On
111 minutes West Ham made it 3-2 thanks to a great strike from Stephen
Hendrie and that was enough for the Hammers to make it through to the U21
cup final!

West Ham United: Spiegel, Pike, Hendrie, Dobson, Henry, Oxford (C), Makasi,
Cullen, Hector-Ingram, Browne, Samuelsen
Subs: Neufville, Howes (GK), Diangana, Rice, Kemp

Respectable attendance of 1,319 at Rush Green tonight!

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Samuelsen back …. but just for the night
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Martin Samuelsen has returned to West Ham to play in the under 21 cup
semi-final match against Liverpool U21's but only for the night.

He returns back to Peterborough tomorrow and will remain for the rest of
the season on loan as agreed.

Director of Football at Posh, Barry Fry told Claret and Hugh tonight "It
was part of the loan deal, he can return for West Ham under 21 games but it
is only for the night and he will return back to Peterborough this week"

West Ham development squad won the semi-final 3-2 with Samuelson playing 120
minutes. You can bet he will be back again for the U21 cup final.

Barry still hopes he can persuade West Ham to extend the loan into next
season if they get promotion but he admits he will have to do some serious
negotiating to hold on to Samuelson and says it is the manager he needs to
win over: "It will be Slav's decision" he told us.

Barry went on to praise West Ham by saying: "The business West Ham did in
the summer from the manager through to every player was in my view the best
in world football.

Slaven has got West Ham people through and through working with him and they
are playing absolutely fantastic football.

What a thrill it would be for everybody that loves proper football to see
the Hammers win the FA Cup this year."

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OS 60,000 capacity approved
Posted by Sean Whetstone on March 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Claret and Hugh understands that the request to increase the Olympic Stadium
capacity to 60,000 on West Ham match days has been approved and an official
announcement confirming this will be made next week.

A total of 66,000 seats remain in the stadium after it's £272m
transformation into a multi-use venue and 60,000 of these seats are
available in football mode.

West Ham matches were restricted in the initial planning document to a
capacity of 54,000 as the 'resident football team' although strangely
non-resident football matches were allowed a capacity of 60,000 which was an
anomaly.

It is understood that an agreement has been now reached by both sides and
6,000 extra seats will be made available to the West Ham priority list.

West Ham has revealed that it has already sold over 8,000 Under 16's season
tickets for £99 each and over 3,000 season tickets in Band five for £289
each. The club has previously confirmed it will sell a further 5,000 season
tickets at £289 should it get the increase in capacity meaning that over
8,000 season ticket will be priced at the lowest season ticket in the
Premier League. These season tickets will quickly sell out as demand
outstrips supply on a ratio of five to one.

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Hammers set to do Lanzini deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 16, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are set to conclude the signing of Manu Lanzini "very soon." A
precise time was withheld by our top source when approached by ClaretandHugh
this morning but we were told: "You can expect it to be very soon."
The contract will be signed at around £8 million and has only been on hold
for the last few weeks because of the midfielder's injury problems. With
those now cleared up the club are ready to make him a permanent Hammer. But
West Ham have insisted for months that the deal will be done by April and
that was confirmed to us today when we were told: "There are no issues and
the deal will be done very soon." It's likely that the deal will be first
announced officially on a certain Twitter account :-) or from the club's
website but it means the contract held by his parent club Al Jaziera will
be transferred to the Hammers. He has two years left on that and we believe
the club to have negotiated a further two or three on top ofthat.

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Ex-West Ham star Izzy Iriekpen 'attacked bouncer in disrespect row'
TRISTAN KIRK
Evening STandard

A former West Ham footballer glassed a bouncer in the face because he felt
"disrespected" in front of a young woman, a court heard. Izzy Iriekpen, 33,
allegedly left doorman Simon Williams with serious neck injuries after a
brawl outside the Westbourne Tavern in Notting Hill on 4 July 2014, the Old
Bailey was told. Prosecutor James Vine said Mr Williams went to ask the
defendant to move away from a barrier around the pub, but before he could
Iriekpen started talking to a blonde woman in the driver's seat of a black
Porsche. "The Porsche was blocking the road and it meant people couldn't get
in or get out," said Mr Vine. "Mr Williams went over to ask the car to be
moved. Mr Iriekpen became agitated because he didn't like being told what to
do." Iriekpen is accused of punching a second bouncer, Ymer Topuzi, who
intervened and then grabbing Mr Williams by the throat before lashing out
with a glass. Mr Williams needed hospital treatment for a severed artery in
his neck and stitches to his ear. Iriekpen, from Paddington, denies common
assault, wounding with intent and an alternative charge of unlawful
wounding. The trial continues.

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Five West Ham stars who are playing for their futures at Upton Park
London 24
07:00 16 March 2016
Brad Pinard

West Ham are set to be one of the busiest clubs in the country this summer
as they prepare for life at the Olympic Stadium. 0 The move has benefited
the club massively in terms of finances and so the spend this summer is set
to be their biggest yet. However, keeping a big squad happy is hard and
Slaven Bilic may accept that a few players could leave. We have picked out
five Hammers who may need to impress between now and the summer to keep
their place.

Enner Valencia
The Ecuador star has been struck down by numerous injuries during his
Hammers career and has really failed to find much form. The talent is there,
rare moments of magic have shown that, but the consistency isn't and if a
decent money offer comes in from around Europe it may be hard to turn down
for West Ham. Whether it be out wide or as a striker, Valencia isn't first
choice and could fall further down the pecking order this summer.

Joey O'Brien
The full back has simply not recovered from his injury issues and looks set
to leave in the summer. Originally a good asset under Sam Allardyce, O'Brien
is now third choice right back and only issues for Sam Byram and James
Tomkins would and have seen him get anywhere near the first team squad.

Alex Song
On loan from Barcelona, Song was set to join permanently last summer before
he picked up a pre-season injury. Since then, the former Arsenal man has not
been up to his standard and in all honesty has not looked on top of his game
since before Christmas 2014, just the 15 months ago. If I am West Ham I
definitely don't sign Song and his big wages in the summer but the vibe from
the club is that they like having him around. Pedro Obiang is a much better
option in midfield along with Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble.

Andy Carroll
Maybe a left field selection, but looking at West Ham's summer targets fire
power is going to be top of their list. With at least two strikers wanted in
the close season, Carroll will need to find his form and quickly in order to
not become a forgotten man. Injuries have been Carroll's downfall but also
the new style of play suits a different lone striker for sure, with Diafra
Sakho surely going to be first choice. Carroll brings a dangerous plan B,
but will he accept being second or third choice?

Darren Randolph
Randolph has been excellent when called upon after an indifferent start to
life at West Ham. This selection is not really to do with his form, more to
do with his position in the club. Is he happy to be a cup goalkeeper?
Settled to just be back up to Adrian? I would hope not, but the Spaniard is
not for moving and has been brilliant again this term meaning Randolph has
some decisions to make.

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First Howard Webb now another top ref wades into West Ham controversy
HITC
Damien Lucas

West Ham United are still reeling at being held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester
United in their thrilling FA Cup quarter-final at the weekend. The Hammers
were desperately unlucky to be held to a 1-1 draw by the Red Devils on
Sunday after Dimitri Payet's sumptuous late free-kick looked to have given
Slaven Bilic's men a deserved place in the semi-finals at Wembley. But
Anthony Martial bundled home a scrappy equaliser to set up a fitting last
ever FA Cup game at West Ham's Boleyn Ground home of 112 years ahead of
their big move to the Olympic Stadium this summer.
More than 9,000 West Ham fans made their way to Manchester and many more are
still reeling from a stonewall penalty on Payet which was turned down by
referee Martin Atkinson. Formerly England's top referee, the opinion of
Howard Webb, carries some weight when it comes to crucial, game-changing
decisions. And Webb, who took charge of the World Cup final between Holland
and Spain in 2010, told BT Sport it was a penalty.

Top refs wade into Old Trafford controversy

Now another of England's best ever officials, Dermot Gallagher, has had his
say on the penalty incident in an interview with Sky Sports. He also waded
in on the debate over Manchester United's controversial equaliser, which
Webb argued should have been chalked off for a foul on Hammers 'keeper
Darren Randolph. "Penalty," Gallagher told Sky Sports. "It is difficult for
Atkinson in real time, but I think he's Marcos Rojo) caught him. "The
assistant probably had the best view, but whether Atkinson has asked him, we
don't know."

Foul play

West Ham were also understandably furious with the officials for failing to
spot an obvious foul on their goalkeeper which allowed Martial to bundle
home at the far post with seven minutes remaining. Gallagher added: "Foul.
He blocks the goalkeeper off. "There is so much going on there, and I can
understand why this is missed. "To illustrate that, we've had to have it
pointed out and watched many times."

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Trevor Sinclair explains what separates West Ham United from others
HITC
Shane Callaghan

The former West Ham man anticipates an exciting summer transfer window.
Trevor Sinclair has told West Ham United's official website that supporters
can look forward to another prosperous transfer window due to Slaven Bilic
and his scouting team. The Hammers are 90 minutes away from an FA Cup
semi-final and sit well placed for a Champions League qualification bid,
with Bilic's boys fifth in the table, one point behind fourth-placed
Manchester City with nine games left. It has been a quite brilliant season,
but so much of that is down to the players which the Croat - who replaced
manager Sam Allardyce last summer - brought to East London. The likes of
Dimitri Payet, Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio have played big roles in
their campaign, while Manuel Lanzini was plucked on loan from Abu
Dhabi-based outfit Al Jazira. Sinclair, who spent five years at Upton Park
until 2003, feels that the Irons' recruitment is second to none in the
Premier League and hopes to see more stellar business done this summer.
"Slaven Bilic will probably be able to recruit even further in the summer so
there are going to be new faces and arrivals and his scouting system is
doing wonders," he told their official website. "I think that sets West Ham
apart from others in the Premier League and he's already proved himself with
his recruits last summer." Payet, in particular, has looked impressive, and
his 30-yard free kick looked like taking West Ham into the FA Cup
semi-finals on Sunday, but Manchester United's Anthony Martial equalised to
force a replay.

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