Friday, September 23

Daily WHUFC News - 23rd September 2016

Ogbonna - Thank you Dimi!
WHUFC.com

Angelo Ogbonna had nothing but praise for Dimitri Payet and was one of the
first to thank him for helping West Ham get their season back on track with
a victory over Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup. Payet stole the headlines
once again with another superb set-piece five minutes into injury time to
ensure the Hammers booked their place in the last 16 of the competition and
a showdown clash with Chelsea. Following recent defeats against Watford and
West Brom, Ogbonna knew the importance of seeing his side get back on the
winning trail and hopes this will be the confidence boost ahead of the next
Premier League game against Southampton on Sunday.
Ogbonna said: "Thank you for Dimi! "Every time when Dimi comes into the game
he can change things. It is not just about him, but Lanzini as well. He can
keep the ball. "Both of them are really important for us and they showed the
different level they can bring to the team. "It was a really tough game and
it was not easy but we needed this win for the team and the manager. "I am
excited because we have not had an easy period so this victory is very
important for us."
Ogbonna reveals it has been a settling in process for all the players
performing at London Stadium and hopes the latest victory will kickstart
their season and help them move up the table in the Premier League. Ogbonna
added: "This is our home and it has not been easy playing in the new Stadium
with all the expectations. "Maybe that pressure was not good for us, but we
had to change things and hopefully this is the beginning. This is a new
experience and now we know what is important for us and the fans."

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Bilic - We still need to improve
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic pleased to be through to EFL Cup fourth round
Dimitri Payet's last-gasp strike saw off League Two Accrington Stanley
Manager says West Ham United need wins and clean sheets to boost confidence

Slaven Bilic says West Ham United still need to make improvements after
edging out Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup third round. It took a
96th-minute trademark free-kick from Dimitri Payet to see off the League Two
club at London Stadium – and the Frenchman's presence on the pitch was an
illustration of how badly Bilic wanted his side to end their run of four
straight defeats in all competitions. The manager had named a strong
starting XI, including debutants Alvaro Arbeloa and Edmilison Fernandes,
before calling Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio from the bench. His
reward was a 1-0 win, a welcome clean sheet and a home tie with Chelsea in
the fourth round. "It wasn't a great performance, but we are through," he
told West Ham. "We wanted to give a chance to the players who had not played
much football. In the first half, we controlled the game and had a couple of
chances, but wasted a couple of opportunities to go one-against-one with the
goalkeeper. "In the second half, we put three players on because we wanted
to win this game and it was a different half as we created far more chances,
but when you play better all of a sudden their goalkeeper made three or four
world-class saves. "Then, to make things worse we were reduced to ten men
when Arthur Masuaku was injured because we had made three changes. When he
went off we were still dominant and continued to create the chances and we
got the great free-kick from Dimi. "The most important thing is that we won
the game and only by winning games, especially with clean sheets, will we
get the confidence back that is obviously missing at the moment. It is
logical after the last couple of weeks and it's only with wins that we'll
get it back."

While his team made hard work of John Coleman's side, who also had chances
of their own to win on the night, Bilic was indebted to the brilliance of
Payet from dead-ball situations.
When the Hammer of the Year was brought down by Rommy Boco late on, the No27
stepped up to beat the previously unbeatable Elliot Parish with a
superbly-struck effort from 25 yards – to the delight of the majority of the
39,877-strong crowd. "Dimi has done a few of them for us and for France,"
said Bilic. "Everyone knows when we have a free-kick in that position that
he can do it. It's a great moment from a great player."

So, what of the fourth-round draw and a home game with Chelsea? "Chelsea at
home is a great game," the manager reflected. "Let's say that it's a very
good thing for us is that we're playing at home and that it's a one-off tie.
"I'm expecting us to make improvements in the meantime. We have to earn a
couple of good results and then the confidence will come back to us.
"We were looking to build our confidence with a better display, but the most
important thing is to win, and to do it in the dying seconds does give us a
boost."

Bilic closed by saying that Masuaku's left leg injury 'does not look like a
worrying one' and praising debutants Arbeloa and Fernandes. "Arbeloa didn't
play for a long time but he played the full 90 minutes and he is going to
bring us experience and quality," he concluded. "Of all the players on the
pitch, I am most pleased with Fernandes. He is also a good player. He is
young but has the quality and confidence to play forward. He came out with a
big plus."

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Arbeloa - I will enjoy playing in this Stadium
WHUFC.com

Alvaro Arbeloa has performed at some big venues during his distinguished
career including the Bernabeu, and is now excited to be playing every week
at London Stadium. Arbeloa, 33, arrives with a wealth of experience having
won the World Cup with Spain and the Champions League with Real Madrid and
was pleased to have finally made his debut for the east London Club. The
former Liverpool defender produced an impressive display and showed his
versatility when he switched to left back late in the game after Arthur
Masuaku was forced to leave the pitch through injury. Dimitri Payet showed
his quality once again when he scored the matchwinner in injury time with
another superb free-kick. And Arbeloa is now hoping the victory will set
the team up nicely as they look to get back on the winning trail in the
Premier League against Southampton on Sunday and cannot wait to play in
front of the home fans once again.
Arbeloa said: "I am really happy to have made my debut and I am also very
happy with the result because we needed to win this game. I am now looking
forward to the next game. "It was brilliant to see Dimi score the free-kick
right at the end and I thought we played much better in the second half and
controlled the game. I thought we deserved to win. "I don't like to compare
players but I have some really good team-mates with amazing quality. Lanzini
is an amazing player and I think we have a really good squad. We also have
good young players with a lot of quality. "I thought the atmosphere was
amazing, as it was when I came to my first game against Watford. I think I
am going to enjoy playing in this stadium. "We need to get back to winning
ways in the league and that is the most important thing. "We have two games
at home and with the fans behind us we need to win and restore our
confidence."

The Hammers reward for reaching the last 16 of the EFL Cup is a big London
derby against Chelsea at the end of October. For Arbeloa in particular, this
brings back a lot of memories as he played in a number of big cup games
against the west London Club during his spell at Liverpool. The talented
full-back has no doubts his team-mates will be relishing the chance to play
in a big London derby and hopes they can celebrate a famous victory in front
of their own fans at London Stadium. Arbeloa added: "I think it is a really
good game for us and our supporters. You always want to play against one of
the best clubs and Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs. "I have had some
really good games playing against them so it will be good for all the
players. "I have some friends at Chelsea and I am sure we will see a really
good game."

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Fantastic support inspires Hammers
WHUFC.com

West Ham United have thanked the Claret and Blue Army for their unrivalled
support after the Hammers attracted the biggest crowd of this season's EFL
Cup to Wednesday's third round win over Accrington Stanley.

An impressive 39,877 supporters were at London Stadium to see Dimitri
Payet's dramatic injury-time free-kick see off the challenge of the Hammers'
League Two opponents – beating the 39,276 who watched Chelsea defeat Bristol
Rovers in the second round.

That figure – West Ham's highest home League Cup attendance in 45 years – is
set to be smashed when the Hammers host the Blues in the fourth round in
front of an expected sell-out crowd in October, and Joint-Chairmen David
Sullivan and David Gold have paid tribute to the Club's loyal support.

"Wednesday night was what West Ham United and football are all about," said
the Joint-Chairmen. "We had a big crowd in for a traditional cup tie between
a big Premier League club and brave lower-division opposition which went
right down to the wire.

"Both sets of fans made for a real cup-tie atmosphere, with the loudest
cheer of the night coming when Dimitri Payet netted his fantastic free-kick
to put us through.

"Now, we want to take the momentum of our win onto Sunday, with two sets of
fans determined to both entertain and be entertained, when we host
Southampton in the Premier League in front of another full house at our new
home, when we all sincerely hope to be celebrating another win and a welcome
three points."

West Ham have broken their attendance record three times since moving into
London Stadium in July – against NK Domzale, Juventus and AFC Bournemouth –
with nearly 320,000 supporters attending the opening six matches.

The Hammers' man of the moment Michail Antonio, whose arrival helped spark
West Ham's late victory over Accrington, has been impressed by the
atmosphere created inside the Club's iconic new home.

"It is a fantastic Stadium and one where we feel the support of the fans
from everywhere," he said. "When I came on last night the reception from the
supporters was incredible, and I can honestly say that kind of thing pushes
you to put in a performance.

"The support inspires us to play better, and we hope we can repay it with a
few more victories over the coming weeks and months.

"I have said a number of times since I joined that the West Ham fans are
special and create an incredible atmosphere, and they deserve all the
success we can give them."

West Ham return to action at London Stadium on Sunday 25 September at 4pm,
when will they host Southampton in front of another sell-out 57,000 crowd.

Fans attending Sunday's fixture should take note of the important travel
information regarding Greater Anglia rail services into Stratford.

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Important travel information
WHUFC.com

West Ham United supporters who use the Greater Anglia rail service to travel
to and from home matches at London Stadium should take note of the following
important travel information.

As a result of Crossrail, track renewal, overhead line renewal, and major
project work, lines will blocked between Liverpool Street and
Witham/Billericay all day on Sunday 25 September – the day the Hammers host
Southampton.

There will be no Abellio Greater Anglia train service between London
Liverpool Street and Witham/Billericay. Buses will replace trains between
Witham/Billericay and Newbury Park, from where fans can take the London
Underground Central line to Stratford.

On Saturday 1 October, when West Ham play host to Middlesbrough, the same
works mean lines will be blocked between Liverpool Street and
Witham/Billericay after 12noon. A revised service will operate before
12noon, after which buses will replace trains between Witham/Billericay and
Newbury Park.

On Saturday 22 October, when Sunderland are the visitors to London Stadium,
lines will blocked between Liverpool Street and Witham/Billericay all day.
Again, buses will replace trains between Witham/Billericay and Newbury Park.

Please visit abelliogreateranglia.co.uk and tfl.gov.uk for full details and
timetables.

Fans should also be aware that there will be no step-free access to or from
the DLR and Jubilee line at West Ham station on Sunday 25 September.
Customers who require a lift service are advised to use Canning Town station
instead, for the DLR or Jubilee line towards Stratford station.

If travelling from the local West Ham area, you can use local bus route 276
from stop P outside the station to Stratford High Street DLR station, then
take the DLR to Stratford.

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REECE BURKE HAS HERNIA OP – OUT FOR 3-4 WEEKS
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 6:59PM
The WestHamwAY.co.uk

West Ham young star Reece Burke had a hernia operation on Tuesday that will
rule him out of action with Wigan Athletic for the next month.

Burke aggravated the problem in last week's defeat against Norwich City.

Latic's boss Gary Caldwell stated "Reece had an operation on Tuesday on his
hernia. He should be out for three or four weeks. "I think the type of lad
he is, hopefully he'll be back by the earlier date rather than the later
one."

The injuries to Burke and Alex Gilbey are the latest in a long line of
problems to affect Wigan Athletic in the full-back positions this term.
Another West Ham loanee, Kyle Knoyle suffered a badly-broken elbow without
kicking a ball for the club following his loan arrival from Hammers in the
summer. Donervon Daniels is also out long-term after undergoing surgery to
correct a persistent knee problem.

Burke joined the Latics on a season long loan last month after signing a new
4 year contract with the Irons.

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East End pub bans West Ham fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 22nd September 2016
By: Staff Writer

A brewery situated within spitting distance of the Olympic Stadium has told
West Ham supporters they are no longer welcome. The Crate Brewery, which is
situated at Hackney Wick - just a few hundred yards from West Ham's home
ground - distributed letters ahead of last night's EFL Cup fixture with
Accrington Stanley informing fans not to return after the match if they are
wearing "West Ham football merchandise".
Writer Emily Pulham, who is a regular contributor to monthly magazine
Blowing Bubbles was one of those to receive the letter. Disgusted by the
venue's discriminatory approach, she took to twitter to express her
annoyance. "It's frustrating that after spending money and abiding by their
rules, I was singled out and told that I wasn't allowed in after the match
via a pre-printed piece of paper," she wrote. "I felt unwelcome and so will
simply go elsewhere. I was quite surprised by it! "They told a paying
customer her custom wasn't welcome after the match. It's not a great
customer experience, I'm afraid! It's fine for them to do that, but it's not
very welcoming and just not for me. "But is a shame to be told that when
you're a well behaved patron."

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West Ham's Andre Ayew recovering from thigh injury at Marseille
By SSN HQ
Last Updated: 22/09/16 4:03pm
SSN

West Ham have confirmed their injured forward Andre Ayew has been receiving
specialist treatment at former club Marseille. Ayew, who joined West Ham
from Swansea for a club record fee of £20.5m last month, was withdrawn 35
minutes into his Hammers' debut against Chelsea after pulling up with a
thigh problem while attempting to track back. West Ham say it's too early
to put a time frame on his return to first team action, but he won't need an
operation and a ball will soon be introduced to his rehabilitation sessions.
The decision to let Ayew travel to France for treatment was made so that he
could be closer to home while Marseille, where he has been spending 25 per
cent of his time, also have equipment to benefit his recovery. The Hammers
have struggled in Ayew's absence and currently sit third bottom of the
Premier League after four defeats in their opening five games. The have
conceded 11 goals in their last three league games and needed a 96th-minute
winner from Dimitri Payet to scrape past Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup
third round on Wednesday evening.

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Dimitri Payet's impressive free-kick success rate for West Ham
By Gerard Brand
Last Updated: 22/09/16 8:20pm
SSN

Dimitri Payet scored yet another free-kick for West Ham on Wednesday night,
but how does his set-piece rate compare to others? Payet's 96th-minute
strike saved West Ham from embarrassment in the EFL Cup third round against
Accrington Stanley, one of five free-kicks the Frenchman has netted since
arriving in England last summer. "Not currently the world's biggest fans of
Dimitri Payet," Stanley now state in their Twitter bio, but many are. The
secret to his success? Not practising. He told West Ham TV back in April:
"Since [January] I have not been practising as I have been happy with the
way I am hitting the ball. "So I am carrying on with that technique and now
I just take a few before each game when I am warming up."

Payet's approach seems to be working, and his set-piece technique is unique.
Unlike Cristiano Ronaldo's straight-on stance, the 29-year-old lines up at a
45-degree angle to the ball, opting for a cleaner strike than the Real
Madrid forward's 'knuckleball' connection, also used by the likes of Didier
Drogba and Gareth Bale.
While David Beckham stooped down low to get optimum curl on the ball, Payet
remains open-bodied, an approach that can fool opposition goalkeepers. His
free-kick in the 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Upton Park in April was
arguably his most impressive, shaping to go for the top-left corner and
instead arrowing the ball into the top right, fooling the wall and
goalkeeper. "When you score one, then two, then three, the crowd expect
that you score every time," Payet said after scoring a free-kick for France
against Cameroon in May, one of two set-piece strikes for Les Bleus.

Free-kick success rate for club since start of 2015/16 (minimum 10
attempted)

Player Direct free-kicks Goals Success rate
Willian 29 6 20.7%
Dimitri Payet 30 5 16.7%
Philippe Coutinho 13 2 15.4%
Ross Barkley 15 2 13.3%
Gylfi Sigurdsson 17 2 11.8%

Ronaldo, who received criticism at Euro 2016 for his poor free-kick success
rate, can vouch for that. But how does Payet compare to him, Lionel Messi
and Co?

Payet's five goals in all competitions since the start of the 2015/16 season
is topped only by Chelsea midfielder Willian, who has hit six at a success
rate of 20.7 per cent, compared with Payet's 16.7 per cent. Philippe
Coutinho, Ross Barkley and Gylfi Sigurdsson have also had success with the
dead ball, each scoring two goals but with a lower success rate. Lionel
Messi has taken more than double the amount of free-kicks as Payet since the
start of last season in all competitions (64 to 30), but has scored only two
more at a success rate of 10.9 per cent.

How Payet compares to Ronaldo and Messi (club games since start of 2015/16)

Player Direct free-kicks Goals Success rate
Dimitri Payet 30 5 16.7%
Lionel Messi 64 7 10.9%
Cristiano Ronaldo 45 4 8.9%

Ronaldo has also misfired in comparison to Payet, scoring four from 45
attempts (8.9 per cent).

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Young West Ham fan lays into Simone Zaza for display against Accrington: "My
mum's better than him"
17:38, 22 SEP 2016 UPDATED 17:38, 22 SEP 2016
BY LIAM CORLESS
The Hammers turned in a disappointing team display in general during the EFL
Cup clash but Zaza was arguably the worst player on the pitch for the home
side
The Mirror

West Ham's supporters were furious with Simone Zaza following the on-loan
Juventus forward's dismal performance against Accrington Stanley on
Wednesday night. The Hammers turned in a disappointing team display in
general during the EFL Cup clash but Zaza was arguably the worst player on
the pitch for the home side. After the match, one young supporter told West
Ham Fan TV : "Zaza's crap, I reckon my mum's better than him." Another fan
said: "I don't know what anyone at the top of our club sees in Zaza. I
cannot understand what his purpose is at West Ham. "We wanted a striker
that's going to score us 20 goals a season. It's not Zaza." Zaza played the
entire 90 minutes of the match up front for Slaven Bilic's side but it was
another player, who has a far more favourable reputation among the Hammers
faithful, that netted the winning goal of the match. France international
Dimitri Payet came on at half-time of the encounter and bagged a free-kick
in the sixth minute of injury time to send West Ham into the last 16, where
they will face Chelsea.

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West Ham want police and extra security for EFL Cup 4th round tie after
drawing fierce rivals Chelsea
17:02, 22 SEP 2016 UPDATED 17:06, 22 SEP 2016
BY MIKE WALTERS
Police have not been inside the ground at previous games because of an issue
with radio frequency, but club bosses will insist that changes for the
fourth round tie
The Mirror

West Ham will hold urgent talks with their landlords to beef up security
ahead of their powderkeg League Cup fourth round showdown with Chelsea next
month.
The Hammers have suffered crowd control disruption since they moved into the
former Olympic Stadium, with flimsy segregation and no police in the ground
because of limited radio frequency. But for the EFL Cup fourth round tie
against Chelsea, which will be the most exacting test of the club's crowd
control since their summer move from Upton Park, West Ham will insist on a
conspicuous police presence inside the venue. Stadium operators LS185 have
brought in former Scotland Yard assistant commissioner Chris Allison as an
adviser to help smooth out the problems. And West Ham are confident their
security arrangements will be adequate for the highest-profile game at the
converted London Stadium. They have three home fixtures before Chelsea to
identify any hitches, starting with Sunday's game with Southampton, and a
Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We will work with West Ham and the
Safety Advisory Group to put in place the appropriate policing operation."
Although Chelsea are entitled to 5,700 tickets – 10% of the stadium capacity
– their allocation could be downsized on police advice. The Hammers banned
20 fans after crowd disturbances at the home defeat by Watford earlier this
month.

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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic hails Dimitri Payet's 'great moment'
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 21/09/16 11:33pm
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic praised Dimitri Payet after his injury-time
free-kick saw off Accrington Stanley 1-0 in the EFL Cup. The Hammers,
reeling from four straight defeats in all competitions and amid a backdrop
of discontent at their new stadium, were down to 10 men and heading for
extra time against the Sky Bet League Two side. But Payet, on as a half-time
substitute, sent them through with a trademark strike in the sixth minute of
stoppage time. "The main thing was to go through," said Hammers boss Bilic.
"We expected an easier win, with the greatest respect, and not to have to do
it in the last minute. "We wanted to progress and that's why we brought
Dimitri, and Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio on. "We went down to 10 men
but we wanted to score before extra time and then, a great moment from a
great player. We didn't play good but I thought we deserved to win. "It was
not exactly what we wanted tonight - but it's a win."
It has not been a happy start to life at the London Stadium for the Hammers,
but the club have taken steps to avoid the crowd trouble which marred the
recent Watford game by relocating disgruntled fans and improving the
stewarding. However, the promised beefed up segregation between home and
away support appeared to amount to a slightly wider claret curtain draped
over the seats. There will be bigger tests of those improvements than the
presence of 600 Accrington supporters - not least after West Ham were drawn
at home to capital rivals Chelsea in the fourth round.
Meanwhile, West Ham's problems on the pitch remain as Stanley created the
better chances in the first half, with Darren Randolph saving from Seamus
Conneely and Jordan Clark firing narrowly wide. After the break Sean
McConville unleashed a fierce curling effort which Republic of Ireland
goalkeeper Randolph had to tip wide at full stretch. Stanley keeper Elliot
Parish denied Simone Zaza a first Hammers goal with a point-blank save, and
having used all three subs the labouring hosts found themselves a man down
when left-back Arthur Masuaku was stretchered off. But with extra time
looming Payet won West Ham a free-kick 25 yards out and curled it home with
virtually the last kick of the game to break Stanley hearts. Their manager
John Coleman said: "We don't want to be congratulated for being plucky
losers, we came to win the game. "We knew West Ham were a bit fragile at the
moment. People will say they haven't played well tonight, but that would be
disrespectful to us. "The players worked their socks off and I have to give
them credit. But giving a foul away in that position with Payet on the pitch
is tantamount to suicide."

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West Ham vs Chelsea in EFL Cup raises further security questions over London
Stadium
Sam Wallace, chief football writer
22 SEPTEMBER 2016 • 8:59PM
The Telegraph

The policing of West Ham United's potentially explosive EFL Cup tie against
Chelsea next month is still in doubt, with no prospect of the new police
radio system being installed in time for the game which the Metropolitan
police force says it needs for officers to work within the stadium.

The club are facing an early test of their security measures after the
Football League drew them against Chelsea for the fourth round tie, to be
played on Oct 25 or Oct 26 at the London Stadium, following recent incidents
that have seen violence erupt within the newly adapted former Olympic
stadium.


The installation of the police radio system, which the Metropolitan police
say that they need in order to have emergency services within the ground, is
the responsibility of the stadium operators London Stadium 185. The system
was ordered in March via the Met with the subcontractors Airwave but is
still yet to be installed.

There was violence among West Ham fans during the recent Premier League game
against Watford that drew attention to the absence of police officers within
the stadium.

With the Chelsea game likely to be assessed as a higher risk "Category B" or
"Category C" game then the Met will come under pressure to make sure that
they have officers stationed within the ground.

There could be up to 10 per cent of the stadium's 60,000 capacity given over
to Chelsea supporters under the Football League's new rules for the
allocation of cup tickets. The visit of Arsenal on Dec 3 in the Premier
League was to be the stadium's first Category C, big London derby followed
by Chelsea in March and then Tottenham Hotspur, arguably West Ham's biggest
top-flight London rivals, in May.


The fighting in the stands during the game against Watford on Sept 10 drew
attention to the absence of the police radio system which the Met said was a
prerequisite of them stationing officers within the ground. As things stand
the command centre is at the Queen Elizabeth Park headquarters and police
only deploy in the stadium in emergencies.

If the Chelsea tie is a Category B or Category C match then the likelihood
is that the Met will have to find a way of positioning officers within the
stadium whether they have the radio system in place or not.

West Ham lease the stadium from E20, the owners, who use London Stadium 185
(LS185) to run it on a day-to-day basis. E20 have brought in the former Met
assistant commissioner Chris Allison to help LS185 with security. LS185 have
raised their number of matchday stewards from 750 to 950 and are bringing in
more experienced individuals who have worked in football before. There are
three West Ham home matches before the Chelsea EFL Cup tie, starting with
Sunday's home game against Southampton.

Since violence erupted during the Watford game, West Ham have banned 20
supporters and relocated a further 200. The problem centred upon season
ticket holders with a different expectation of their match-day experience,
sitting together which prompted arguments over persistent standing.

For the third round EFL Cup tie against Accrington Stanley on Wednesday, the
club also widened the segregation line between home and away supporters.
West Ham hope that the measures they have taken will alleviate the issues
they have faced in the past. The club's stadium certificate is issued to
LS185 and not the club which means that all security measures are not in
West Ham's hands.

The Metropolitan Police did not comment on Thursday night on whether the
radio system would be installed ­before the Chelsea tie or whether they
would be able to operate in the stadium without it.

The police, along with Newham Council and stadium owners E20, make up the
Safety Advisory Group who will decide whether the game is classed as a
Category B or C ­fixture.

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