Daily WHUFC News -

From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

It makes me angry to read stories this morning sensationalising the events
outside London Stadium yesterday. A group of mindless thugs with no
intention of watching the game came together outside the ground, and three
arrests were made. I have watched all the videos and as far as I can see,
any issues were routine football problems that were dealt with swiftly and
safely. It is clear that the police were quick and professional in bringing
any incidents under control, and although it is something that we must stamp
out from football in general, the scenes were certainly not exclusive to
West Ham United and London Stadium. The overwhelming majority of West Ham
United and Middlesbrough supporters behaved absolutely impeccably, which is
something that seems to get forgotten time and time again. I get the
impression that there are lots of people out there who want to see the
migration to our new stadium fail, and will take every given opportunity,
big or small, to knock what we are trying to do. This is completely unfair
on the vast majority of West Ham United supporters who are embracing our new
home and making it a stadium to be proud of.

The facilities are undeniably more family friendly than other Premier League
grounds, with much better facilities and far superior public transport
connections. That's why supporters are flocking in their thousands, and we
have never had consistent capacities like it. The atmosphere yesterday was
the best yet at London Stadium, the support from the stands was magnificent.
If we had managed to bag the winner I think the roof would have come off the
place!

Imagine what it would have sounded like with 66,000 supporters inside the
ground, which is the capacity we can hold once the full safety certificate
is approved by London Stadium SAG.

Once again it was another complete sell out, and with 52,000 season ticket
holders and 50,000 supporters on the waiting list, every game from now on
will be the same. Chelsea is selling very fast as expected, but before that
we must entertain Sunderland in front of another capacity crowd.

Any empty seats are down to our current capacity limit of 57,000, and we
will also be launching imminently a ticket exchange which means any
supporters who can't make a game because of holidays or travel problems can
legitimately sell their tickets to other supporters.

The support you are giving Slaven and his side through a difficult spell on
the pitch should be admired. There is no doubt that they can use that to
push them onto better results. Even though a draw was not the result we were
after, it is a point on the board and that cannot be sniffed at. The defence
looked more solid and we should have nicked the win on a number of
occasions. Dimitri Payet's goal was simply sensational, and exactly want we
want to see from one of the best players in the world. However, as James
Collins said yesterday, we cannot always rely on magic from Dimi to get us
out of trouble. The whole team must up their game to get us to where we want
to be in the Premier League table.

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Chelsea tie set to break League Cup record attendance
WHUFC.com

After an incredible start to sales, West Ham United's fourth round tie
against London rivals Chelsea is set to surpass the Club's record attendance
for a League Cup match, smashing the existing 45-year record.

40,878 were present to see the Hammers record a 2-1 fourth round victory
over Liverpool back in October 1971, but that record looks set to be beaten
for the big London derby at London Stadium on 26 October.

West Ham United's win against Accrington Stanley was watched by the largest
attendance in this year's EFL cup, and having been treated to exceptional
piece of skill by Dimitri Payet - it looks as though that merely whetted the
appetite of the West Ham fanbase.

With Season ticket holders quickly snapping up tickets and record numbers of
Claret Members awaiting their chance to pick up a seat to the much
anticipated London derby, it already looks as though the stadium is going to
be packed with Hammers fans enjoying what promises to be an exciting cup
tie.

Demand for seats this season has been unprecedented with 52,000 Season
tickets sold out and a further 50,000 West Ham United fans on the season
ticket waiting list awaiting their opportunity to get their hands on their
very own seat.

Claret Membership has also seen membership numbers swell and with every home
Premier League game so far this season selling out to the ballot, West Ham
United fans undeniably are extremely excited about our new home and keen to
sample it as soon as possible.

The move to London Stadium has caught the imagination of all kinds of West
Ham United fans, with many more families, children and returning supporters
showing their love for the club by purchasing season tickets this year.

Record numbers of junior members and families have helped illustrate just
how popular our football club is and ensured that London Stadium is brought
alive by a true reflection of our incredible support.

With the famous West Ham support guaranteed to fill the stadium, the team
will be keen to repay the fans and continue the cup run even further.

As a result, there will be some world class football on display when the
likes of Dimitri Payet take to the field against Chelsea.

Payet's goal against Middlesbrough was a fantastic reminder of the skill
that makes him one of the world's very best - and the whole team are looking
forward to a wonderful night of football under the lights at London Stadium.

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Etherington - It's time to embrace London Stadium
WHUFC.com

Matty Etherington says it is time for everyone connected with West Ham
United to 'get behind and embrace' the Club's move to London Stadium.

West Ham's opening few weeks at their new home have not gone as smoothly as
one would have hoped, both on and off the pitch, but the 2004 Hammer of the
Year says this is no time for players, staff and supporters to look
backwards and feel sorry for themselves.

Instead Etherington, who visited for the first time on Saturday in his role
as a radio commentator, says everybody in Claret and Blue should relish the
opportunities presented by their summer switch to Stratford.

"It looks outstanding," he told West Ham TV. "I have been out pitchside and
walked around the place and everything looks really impressive.

"I would have loved to have played in front of nearly 60,000 fans, like the
lads are doing here at London Stadium. It was a wrench to leave Upton Park,
of course, but it must be unbelievable to play on that pitch and I just wish
I was ten years younger and was doing it myself!

"Now, all we need is some home wins. The team needs to give the crowd
something to cheer about now by performing well and getting some results on
the pitch. Hopefully those will come soon as this is our ground now and we
need to start getting those results."

Like many others in the game, the former left winger says the increased
attendance and associated benefits of moving to a stadium with a potential
capacity of 66,000 mean West Ham's future should be bright on the pitch, in
the stands and throughout the Club.

"Without a doubt, this move can help West Ham move to the next level in the
long term. As I said, as much as it was a wrench to leave for the players
and everyone connected with the Club to move away from the Boleyn, it's time
to get behind this stadium now and embrace it.

"It is a fantastic stadium and when it's full and the team are playing well
and winning, it will be rocking, I'm sure.

"Like I said, the players need to put in the performances for the fans to
cheer about and, when they do that, it will be absolutely fine and onwards
and upwards for the football club."

"Nobes and Ginge have both said it is amazing and second-to-none, but both
of them just want the results to pick up and I'm sure that will come."
It is a fantastic stadium and when it's full and the team are playing well
and winning, it will be rocking, I'm sure
Matty Etherington
On the pitch, Etherington commentated on a 1-1 Premier League draw with
Middlesbrough, a result that ended a run of four straight defeats.

While West Ham did not win, the impressive goal scored by Dimitri Payet and
the potential returns of key players from injury after the international
break are further reasons for optimism.

"It has surprised me that we haven't started better, but it didn't help that
Dimitri Payet came back a bit late after the Euros, and the record signing
Andre Ayew has had an injury as well, as have Lanzini, Cresswell and
Carroll," he observed.

"They're key players for this side, so once they're back and firing, I'm
sure this Club will be absolutely fine because it's a great Club with some
fantastic players.

"One win and a good performance are key, as barring the first 40 minutes
against Watford, I'm sure the lads would admit they haven't performed to the
best of their abilities. The next game is an opportunity to put things
right, and I'm confident they will do that."

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Stat's a Fact - Outstanding Obiang
WHUFC.com

While Dimitri Payet's wonderful goal stole the show in Saturday's 1-1
Premier League draw with Middlesbrough, Pedro Obiang's contribution did not
go unnoticed at London Stadium.

The Spaniard returned to the Premier League starting XI for the first time
since 17 April, but looked like he had never been away, producing a
performance full of composure, resilience and maturity.

The 24-year-old ignored his early booking for a foul on Boro captain George
Friend to display all the qualities which saw West Ham bring him to English
football from Italian club Sampdoria in summer 2015.

With the Hammers struggling to contain their opponents in their last four
league matches, manager Slaven Bilic called upon Obiang, and the No14
certainly did not let him down, providing a reliable and athletic shield in
front of a back four which had been left alarmingly exposed in recent weeks.

Strong in the tackle, difficult to shake off and deceptively quick across
the ground, Obiang was key to West Ham ending their run of four straight
top-flight defeats.

Statistically, he was outstanding.

Only Dimitri Payet's 72 touches of the ball bettered Obiang's 60, while his
three tackles made - all of them successful - were more than any other West
Ham player.

The deep-lying midfielder added four interceptions - second only to Angelo
Ogbonna's five - three clearances and two blocks to his eye-catching
defensive contribution.

A glimpse at Obiang's touch-map shows he was literally all over the London
Stadium pitch, with his eight ball recoveries occurring on both touchlines
and in the centre of the field.

He was also more than useful in possession, making more passes, with 42,
than any other Hammer. Payet may have touched the ball more, but he made
only 36 passes, while Obiang's pass-completion percentage of 78.6% also
bettered the Frenchman's 72.2%.

Of course, Payet hurts defences in different ways, most notably with his
ability to dribble past five opposition defenders before shooting past the
goalkeeper!

All in all, however, Obiang's return to the starting XI certainly
contributed to West Ham's improved defensive display, which restricted
Middlesbrough to just three shots on target in the 90 minutes.

It would be a major surprise if he waits another five-and-a-half months
before being handed another chance to impress from kick-off!

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Arrests after West Ham v Middlesbrough violence
BBC.co.uk

Three people have been arrested after rival fans clashed outside West Ham's
new London Stadium. Violence flared after the Hammers' 1-1 Premier League
draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday afternoon. Two men were arrested on
suspicion of affray and a third on suspicion of assaulting a police officer,
Scotland Yard said.
Officers were also deployed inside the stadium during the match to deal with
a separate disturbance, the Met said. However, it was "quickly dealt with",
the force said, and no arrests were made. Police escorted Middlesbrough fans
away from the stadium while officers contained some West Ham supporters.

'Zero tolerance policy'
A West Ham United spokesperson said they will investigate the incidents.
"This behaviour has no place in football and West Ham United, with
cooperation from all London Stadium stakeholders, including the police,
Stadium Landlords E20 and Stadium Operators London Stadium 185, will
continue to operate a zero tolerance policy on such incidents. "We must
stress that the vast majority of the more than 400,000 supporters who have
attended a game at the Stadium since August have behaved impeccably, and we
will not let the acts of mindless individuals tarnish their reputation," the
club added. There have been several crowd disturbances since the club moved
to the former Olympic Stadium. At the first Premier League match at the
venue - against Bournemouth on 21 August - some fans arrived with tickets
for seats that did not exist, while fighting broke out between rival
supporters outside the stadium. West Ham said 10 fans were ejected from the
stadium during the 4-2 defeat by Watford last month. The Met said more than
40,000 people had attended Saturday's match against Middlesbrough, and the
"vast majority" had been good natured.

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Three bailed following crowd trouble between West Ham and Middlesbrough fans
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 02/10/16 1:51pm
SSN

Three men arrested in connection with crowd disturbances at Saturday's
Premier League fixture between West Ham and Middlesbrough have been bailed
pending further enquiries. Two of the three were arrested on suspicion of
affray and the third on suspicion of assaulting a police officer. Supporters
were seen confronting each other inside West Ham's London Stadium and then
fighting outside, while footage of violence appeared on social media on
Saturday evening. Police said no injuries were reported during or before the
1-1 draw, and blamed "a small minority intent on causing disruption".
A Metropolitan Police statement released on Sunday said: "Three men have
been bailed pending further enquiries following their arrests in connection
with a disturbance outside the ground following the West Ham and
Middlesbrough match on Saturday 1 October. "A 26-year-old man [A] who was
arrested on suspicion of affray has been bailed to return to an east London
police station on a date in mid-November. "A 49-year-old man [B] who was
arrested on suspicion of affray and possessing an offensive weapon has also
been bailed to return to an east London police station on a date in
mid-November. "A 47-year-old man, [C] who was arrested on suspicion of
assaulting a police officer, has been bailed to return to an east London
police station in late November."

Saturday's incidents, which came after mid-match chants of "We should have
stayed at the Boleyn", were not the first since the club's move from Upton
Park to the one-time Olympic Stadium at the start of the season. Ten fans
were ejected during last month's 4-2 home defeat by Watford, when both
stewarding and segregation was widely criticised. In a statement released on
Saturday, West Ham said: "This behaviour has no place in football and West
Ham United, with cooperation from all London Stadium stakeholders, including
the police, stadium landlords E20 and stadium operators LS185, will continue
to operate a zero tolerance policy on such incidents. "We must stress that
the vast majority of the more than 400,000 supporters who have attended a
game at the stadium since August have behaved impeccably, and we will not
let the acts of mindless individuals tarnish their reputation."

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West Ham can't keep relying on Dimitri Payet, says James Collins
By Matthew Treadwell
Last Updated: 02/10/16 12:51pm
SSN

James Collins has warned his West Ham team-mates they cannot continue to
rely on Dimitri Payet to get them out of trouble. Slaven Bilic's side were
heading for a fifth straight Premier League defeat until France
international Payet rescued a 1-1 draw with a stunning solo goal against
Middlesbrough on Saturday. The Hammers were trailing to Cristhian Stuani's
51st-minute header when Payet picked up the ball out on the left before
beating half Middlesbrough's outfield players before slotting past
goalkeeper Victor Valdes. It was a goal which led Bilic to compare Payet to
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, but defender Collins knows they cannot rely
on moments of individual brilliance from him. "It's a great goal and Dimi is
a world-class player, but we can't depend on him," Collins told West Ham's
official website. "We can't depend on him to keep making goals like that,
we need to be better defensively and better going forward and take our
chances. "It's a lot to keep asking Dimi to come up with goals like that, so
it's something we need to work on. "I thought we played better than that
and deserved the three points, if I'm honest, but it stops the rot and we've
got a break now and can get our heads on for the next game." Next up for the
Hammers is a trip to Crystal Palace on October 15 when the Premier League
resumes after the international break.

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