John Lyall and Ron Greenwood are being honoured next month and you can be
involved in the big day
17.04.2008
A sold-out tribute dinner for John Lyall and Ron Greenwood is drawing ever
nearer but there is still the chance to contribute to the fundraising event.
The Lyall family are inviting bids for two unique auction packages for the
special evening event honouring the two former managers on Friday 9 May at
the Boleyn Ground. The first is for a six to 13-year-old to be mascot on the
night, joining John's grandsons in leading out the former players. The
second invites bids for a party of four to spend a day fishing on the Lyall
family's private lake on the Essex/Suffolk borders.
The mascot package entitles the winner and one other to attend the function,
but there is the provision to purchase further tickets for the evening. In
addition, the lucky youngster will get to keep the replica 1975 FA Cup final
shirt, personalised with their name, and will be photographed with the
players. There will also be access to the VIP area, the chance to meet the
Lyall and Greenwood families and the many sporting and showbiz celebrities
due to attend. In addition, a commemorative book, one of only 12 produced,
will be presented to the lucky winner.
The winners of the second auction will be greeted by the Lyall family with
bacon rolls and mugs of tea before beginning a day's fishing on the family's
private lake. Lunch will also be included in the package. To make the most
of a full day's entertainment, the four lucky anglers will be put up in a
nearby hotel for the evening.
You can email your bid for either of these auctions to:
tributedinner@yahoo.co.uk or by phoning or texting 07971 038394. Give your
name and contact details together with your bid and which lot you are
bidding on. Winners will be notified when the auctions close. The mascot
auction will close on 1 May. Anyone wishing to make a donation to the
fundraising event in aid of the Alzheimer's Association and the Lawford
Juniors Football Club may do so by making cheques payable to The JL & RG
Tribute Dinner c/o The Granary, Wallers Farm, Tattingstone, Ipswich, Suffolk
IP9 2NY.
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Cottee in store this afternoon - WHUFC
Club legend Tony Cottee is going to be meeting fans at the Lakeside shopping
centre store on Thursday
16.04.2008
Tony Cottee will be at the Lakeside store next Thursday to meet fans and
sign copies of his new CD.
Entitled 60 Minutes with Tony Cottee, and featuring a signed certificate of
authenticity and an exclusive photo, the limited edition CD features TC
talking about his amazing career in the claret and blue. From his memorable
goalscoring debut against Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Day in 1983 to the
legendary 1985/86 season alongside Frank McAvennie when he finished as the
PFA's young player of the year - to his return after a hugely successful
spell with Everton.
Make sure you catch Tony Cottee on:
Thursday 17 April, 3pm - Lakeside store
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West Ham Utd v Derby County - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 17th April 2008
By: Matthew Coker
As we amble in a half arsed way to the end of a less than memorable Premier
League campaign, our next set of opponents turn up to remind us what true
suffering is.
Having had their place in next season's Championship confirmed back in
March, we welcome Derby County to the Boleyn for a 3pm Saturday afternoon
kick off.
I couldn't argue with any complaints about recent claret and blue
performances, but even this poor run pails in comparison to the fare that
Derby have served up their fans this campaign. They have been the complete
contradiction of the much repeated anthem about your own team being by far
the greatest that the world has ever seen.
Their promotion last season, via the play offs and by using a somewhat
direct style of play always meant that Lucy Pinder's thong on a Nuts
photoshoot were always more likely to stay up than Derby. All connected with
the club were able to predict with some confidence that they had been
promoted ahead of schedule but few would have foreseen that any side could
have quite so out of its depth.
All leave has been cancelled in the scribe department of the Guiness Book of
Records next month as Derby are on course for several new entries in the
fabled thome. If they fail to secure four more league points in their
remaining four fixtures, they will have earned the lowest points total in
Premier League history and unless the unlikely scenario of them winning
three of those games occurs, they will have won the fewest games in Premier
League history.
They have scored 16 goals this campaign so need to score five by the end of
the season to catch up with the less than free scoring Sunderland 2005/06
outfit and the worst goal difference pre Derby was minus 44; they currently
show minus 58. To be honest, the season could not have gone worse if they
had drafted Shannon Matthew's extended family in to come up with the
strategic blueprint.
One consolation is that they are some 25 goals off breaking the most goals
conceded record, though bearing in mind that they have shipped six in a game
on three occasions, five in game twice (including against us at Pride Park)
and four in a game three times, you wonder just what the Swindon defence in
1993/4 was made up of.
To their credit, the Derby fans have remained supportive to the last,
working on the principle that their Pride in their club is stronger than the
current line up is pitiful and are now enjoying the last few games in the
top flight with plenty of noise and a carnival atmosphere. This makes the
inaccurate reporting of mass defections at half time last week on Match of
the Day particularly lazy, most fans were heading to the concourse for a
well earned stiff drink but were back in their seats for the second part of
a mauling by Villa.
Their positivity is probably driven by the future potential of the club
being more buoyant than the current situation suggests, they have been taken
over by the obligatory American owner during the season and this, with the
past record of new manager, Paul Jewell are two reasons to be cheerful.
That Jewell chose Derby is indication that the club has not seen their
singular chance of top flight glory. The fans will be re-assured by the
success he had at Bradford and Wigan, both smaller and less successful sides
than his current club, but even the uber positive Derby fans have a few
dissenters in the ranks. There was no expectation when Jewell took over of
keeping the side up, but the lack of even a single win under his
stewardship, despite bringing seven players into the side in January, have
raised a comment from a minority of fans.
The line up starts with ex-Hammer, Roy Carroll, who joined the side on loan
in the January transfer window to replace another ex-Hammer, Steven Bywater.
Excluding his performance against Villa last week, Carroll has done quite
well under difficult circumstances and was a worthwhile addition to the
squad.
The back four lacks quality and cohesion and we should have joy in front of
goal this weekend. They are likely to line up with centre back, Andy Todd on
the right, calamitous man mountain, Darren Moore and veteran Alan Stubbs in
the middle and Yank, Eddie Lewis on the left. The back four appear well out
of their depth and are unsettled by pace, set pieces and well, anything bar
their own shadows really.
The centre of midfield is, in theory, conducted by club captain and all
round pantomime baddie type figure, Robbie Savage. He has regained a little
form lately after a disappointing start but his particular brand of
effusive, headless chicken football is best served with some quality around
it. He is backed up by on loan Yido, Hossam Ghaly, who has been one of the
few players that has not looked out of his depth this season.
Wide right could be a former Hammer, Tyrone Mears, who was given relatively
few chances in our own first team during his short spell at the Boleyn. He
is naturally a right back and seeing as the club first bought in Danny Mills
in January and then plumped for centre back, Andy Todd, in Mear's place, it
does seem that our letting him go was a wise decision.
He filled in on the right side of midfield in the absence of Mile
Sterjovski, who may return against us if his achilles injury clears up and
David Jones, arguably the side's best passer, should feature on the left.
Possible West Ham target, Giles Barnes has been ruled out for the season
with a knee injury.
Jewell favours a 4-4-2 and up front, the most talented striker is the Scot
Kenny Miller, who is the club's top scorer with five (three of which came in
the league). However, he has failed to win over the fans due to his attitude
being less than committed to so desperate a cause and few tears would be
shed in the Midlands were he to depart the club in the summer.
His partner Argentine, Emanuel Villa has also weighed in with three league
strikes since his January transfer window move and is the one that will
require greater observation at the weekend. Back up comes in the form of
Welsh journeyman, Robert Earnshaw, who has failed to make an impression at
his latest club.
I predict a riot
I am going to have this down as a win, really only by virtue of them being
so bad, though on current form, we are not much better. For me, West Ham's
problem in recent games has been in creating chances, which is not
necessarily a problem with the front one, two or even three but in the
midfield area, where without any genuine width, we struggle to tee up the
strikers. The return of Solano or Ljungberg would make a difference and in
this particular instance, Ashton, Zamora or Sears will quickly work out that
our opponent's defensive frailties can be fairly easily exposed.
I certainly wouldn't put my house on getting the outcome of this one right,
but I'll have us down for a 2-0 win. If, and it may not be that big an if,
we don't get a win at the weekend, I would not like to imagine how badly the
less than supportive Boleyn would take this one.
Enjoy the game.
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Lucas Neill could be under the hammer - news.msnnine.com
Friday Apr 18 06:46 AEST
West Ham captain Lucas Neill could be put up for sale as part of major
spending cuts at the English Premier League club. Socceroos star Neill is
one of the Hammer's biggest earners, taking home a reported STG90,000
($A189,000) a week, with teammates Freddie Ljungberg and Kieron Dyer earning
similar amounts. The Daily Mirror newspaper said manager Alan Curbishly is
under pressure to slash the club's wages bill and possibly sell some
players.
"Curbs will be told to shake-up the squad and that will leave STG80,000
($A168,000)-a-week-plus men Ljungberg, Neill and Dyer at risk," the paper
said.
The 29-year-old Australian defender joined West Ham from Blackburn in a
STG1.5 million ($A3.15 million) deal in January last year.
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West Ham invite Ljungberg offers
tribalfootball.com - April 17, 2008
West Ham United are seeking buyers for midfielder Freddie Ljungberg. The Sun
says Swede Ljungberg, 30, earns £85,000 a week. The Upton Park board are
even prepared to pay some of his salary to any club that takes him off their
hands.
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Collison chasing full West Ham debut
tribalfootball.com - April 17, 2008
Jack Collison hopes to make his home debut for West Ham in this weekend's
clash with Derby County. "I would love to play in front of the fans at Upton
Park as well as get a win when I'm playing," he said. "I'm working hard in
training and we will see what happens but already I've gained valuable
experience, playing against two such different styles a s Arsenal and
Bolton. "And playing alongside people like Scott Parker and Hayden Mullins
means I'm learning all the time."
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Barnet boss admits interest for West Ham, Man City target Adomah
tribalfootball.com - April 17, 2008
Barnet boss Paul Fairclough admits youngster Albert Adomah is being tracked
by Premiership scouts. West Ham and Manchester City have been linked with
the 20 year-old and Fairclough said: "His future lies in the Premier League
and clubs are already looking at him. "There's not a more exciting player in
the league at the moment."
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New ground may not be ready until 2018 - Echo News
WEST Ham's new stadium may not be ready for another decade, supporters have
been told. Attending a fans' forum, chief executive Scott Duxbury and
finance director Nick Igoe admitted problems with gasometers on a site near
to West Ham Tube station had caused plans for a new 50,000 stadium to be
delayed. The revelation means the club's original intention to move in to
their new home before the 2012 London Olympics now appears highly unlikely.
Supporters were also informed that season ticket prices at Upton Park are
set to rise by an around five per cent next season, West Ham supporters have
been told. Fans were informed that season tickets would cost between four
and five per cent more in 2008/09. The pair also said the Irons over-sized
squad will be trimmed to around 24 players this summer to cut the club's
vast wage bill and improve morale. The Irons currently list 33 first team
players, while the club also employs a further 20 youth team professionals.
A number of Curbishley's signings - made with the permission of former
chairman Eggert Magnusson - are on wages in excess of £60,000-a-week,
including captain Lucas Neill and midfielders Freddie Ljungberg and Scott
Parker. And Icelandic billionaire chairman Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson - whose
own fortune has been reduced by the worldwide banking crisis - has responded
by reportedly ordering manager Alan Curbishley to reduced his playing staff.
>HAMMERS teenage defender Jordan Spence enjoyed his latest run out for the
England Under-18 side as the Young Lions beat Austria 2-0 at Hartlepool
United.
11:14am Thursday 17th April 2008
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TOMORROW'S REFEREE - Derbyshire.co.uk
08:00 - 18 April 2008
Steve Tanner will referee Derby County's Premier League game against West
Ham United at Upton Park tomorrow (3pm). The Somerset official last took
charge of a game involving Derby when they drew with Queens Park Rangers at
Pride Park Stadium in March last year. He has shown 100 yellow cards and
three red in 32 matches this season.
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Four clubs to snub Hammers in Tevez row - The Star ( Sheffield )
By James Shield
SHEFFIELD United are confident that at least four Premier League clubs will
ignore West Ham's appeal for support in their legal war with Bramall Lane
over the Carlos Tevez Affair. Peter Barnes, West Ham's secretary, has
written to the competition's 19 remaining members asking them to admit they
were unaware of rules governing third party ownership of players. United
argue Alan Curbishley's team should have been deducted points rather than
fined after being found guilty of breaching these regulations when they
signed Tevez and his fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano in August 2006. The
matter is set to be heard by a Football Association arbitration panel in
June but West Ham's request is unlikely to be well received in some
quarters. In May of last year Charlton, Fulham and Wigan threw their backing
behind United by writing a letter to the FAPL's board of directors
requesting "clear and comprehensive exposition" that Tevez should have been
allowed to feature for West Ham during the final matches of the 2006/07
campaign after further concerns were expressed about his eligibility.
Charlton, like United, were subsequently relegated while West Ham survived
courtesy of a Tevez inspired victory at Manchester United; the club he later
joined. Middlesbrough and Liver-pool are also believed to sympathise with
United's plight. Speaking before Tevez's crucial goal at Old Trafford,
Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb, whose club were deducted points in
1997 for failing to fulfil a fixture with Blackburn Rovers, said: "From a
personal point of view, I'll be smiling....if West Ham are relegated."
Rick Parry, Lamb's counterpart at Anfield, is likely to also be annoyed
after detailing his efforts to ensure that Mascherano, who moved to
Merseyside in January 2007, was properly registered at a previous
arbitration hearing. Parry was called as an expert witness by United to
answer questions regarding player ownership.
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Season tickets prices to increase - Vital Football
It was confirmed by Nick Igoe and Scott Duxbury at last night's fans' forum
that season ticket prices will rise by approximately 5%. For those sitting
in the Bobby Moore Lower tickets will rise from £595 to £625. This news has
has not exactly been welcomed by the fans. Coupled with talk of trimming
squad size and wage bills it will be interesting to see what exactly the
Icelanders have planned for us next season. The word is that the squad will
be reduced to 24 next season, meaning around half a dozen players will move
on. Will it be players such as Quashie and Davenport who go or big earners
such as Ljungberg and Neill?
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Hammers boss may have to cut his wage bill - Guardian Series
WEST Ham boss Alan Curbishley has been ordered to significantly reduce the
wage bill at Upton Park according to media reports this morning, writes Alex
Sexton. Senior figures have told Curbishley that they are unhappy to be
paying massive wages to under-performing players, and a number of star names
could be heading for the exit door at Upton Park. This could spell the end
for some big names who have either spent most of the season injured, or
regularly played well below the expected standard. Since Icelandic
billionaire Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson took charge of the club 15 months ago,
spending has been huge for little reward. The business tycoon is now eager
to cut spending and drag the Hammers out of debt. The news could have the
likes of Kieron Dyer, Lucas Neill and Freddie Ljungberg sweating over their
futures. All are reported to earn in the region of £80,000 per week and
could be notable casualties of the cut-back. Gudmundsson has also told the
Irons chief that he wants to see the size of the first team reduced, further
fuelling speculation that big names are on their way out of the Boleyn.
This revelation has co-incided with the news that season ticket prices at
Upton Park are to rise by five per cent for the 2008/09 campaign. This money
raising initiative is a further step to increase income and pull the Hammers
out of the red. The move comes after the team of Icelandic investors, headed
by Gudmundsson, have become increasingly disillusioned at the lack of
progress with the side. A promising start to the season has fizzled out and
West Ham now find themselves in mid-table mediocrity, taking just four
points from the last 24 available.
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West Ham manager to wield axe in summer - Telegraph
By Vicki Hodges
Last Updated: 10:38am BST 17/04/2008
Freddie Ljungberg and Kieron Dyer's long-term futures at West Ham have been
thrown into doubt after it emerged that West Ham manager Alan Curbishley has
been ordered to cut the club's massive wage bill. The club's billionaire
business tycoon, Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, is eager to reduce the size of the
first-team squad with players thought to have spent more time on the
sidelines than on the pitch and those on wages in excess of £80,000 first to
be axed. While Ljungberg has suffered with niggly injuries which have
hindered his first season at Upton Park, Dyer has only played three
competitive games for the club since his £6 million switch last summer
having suffered a broken leg last September. Both players were signed on
lucrative contracts by ex-chairman Eggert Magnusson but Gudmundsson is
taking a more realistic look at the club's financial outlook following West
Ham's failure to qualify for Europe this season. Gudmundsoon is expected to
give Curbishley the go ahead to make the necessary changes to put West Ham
in better financial shape which effectively strengthens the former Charlton
manager's own position in east London. Curbishley has come under criticism
from a section of West Ham fans for his team tactics and a poor run of
results since Christmas which has seen them rooted in 10th place in the
table. Croatia coach Slaven Bilic had been speculated as a potential
successor to Curbishley but the former West Ham defender has said he wants
to continue leading Croatia where he is hoping for a productive Euro 2008
campaign.
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Sports scientists to spend week at Irons - Echo News
A TEAM of sports scientists will interview everyone from West Ham manager
Alan Curbishley to the chef in a bid to get to the bottom of the club's
injury problems - according to the woman leading a week-long investigation
into the crisis. A group of four specialists from Roehampton University's
Sports Performance Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre (SPARC) - director
physiologist Jackie Dabinett, a sports psychologist, dietician and
biomechanic - will spend next week at the Chadwell Heath training ground and
Upton Park. SPARC were invited in by the club to try and end an injury
crisis that has seen players miss nearly 400 matches betwen them this
season. The quartet will carry out a thorough investigation, looking at
everything from the players' diets to playing surfaces to the way injured
players are rehabilitated. They will also interview boss Curbishley,
assistant Mervyn Day, physiotherapist George Cooper and his team, a
selection of fit and injured players as well as the club's groundsmen, chef,
sports science and Pro Zone staff. The Hammers will then be handed a full
written report recommending the steps the club should take to put an end to
their injury woes. "The club has had a major injury problem this season,"
Dabinett, who spent 10 years working at the Football Association Human
Performance Centre at Lilleshall, told the Echo. "They are well clear at the
top of of the league table and they approached us and asked us to do a
review of all their practices in order to find out whether there is a
specific cause for their players getting injured. "Four members of staff
will spend next week at the club reviewing all their processes from
rehabilitation to playing surfaces to training surfaces. "We will be doing a
complete review, observing and interviewing before giving them verbal
feedback and observations during the week. We will then produce a full
written report which will be delivered to the club late this summer."
Dabinett said her staff would be looking at everything from how often West
Ham hold fitness tests and screen their players for injuries to the type of
boots they wear. Curbishley could welcome back four players from injury for
this Saturday's Premier League visit of relegated Derby County. Captain
Lucas Neill (ankle), midfielders Mark Noble and Freddie Ljungberg (leg) and
France international winger Julien Faubert (calf) are all back in training.
Anton Ferdinand, who was injured at Bolton on Saturday, will not be
available.
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Ljungberg, Dyer and Neill set to depart as Curbs is told to cut West Ham
wage bill - Daily Mail
Last updated at 11:00am on 17th April 2008
Alan Curbishley has been told to cut the West Ham wage bill this summer -
which puts high-earners Freddie Ljungberg, Kieron Dyer and Lucas Neill in
line for an Upton Park departure. Billionaire business tycoon Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson is determined to reign in the club's massive spending since
heading an £85million Icelandic takeover of the club 15 months ago.
Gudmundsson is determined to balance the books and get some of the club's
biggest earners off their wage bill to put West Ham in better financial
shape. Curbs will be told to shake-up the squad, reports the Daily Mirror,
and that will leave £80,000- a-week-plus men Ljungberg, Neill and Dyer at
risk. Former Arsenal midfielder Ljungberg has struggled with injuries, Neill
is on £90,000-a-week and Dyer is currently recovering from a broken leg but
they were all signed on huge contracts by exchairman Eggert Magnusson.
Gudmundsson wants to reduce the wage bill as well as trimming the squad.
That could mean West Ham may be ready to sell some of their other top
players, with several clubs looking at keeper Robert Green and striker Dean
Ashton. Gudmundsson is now taking a more realistic financial outlook,
especially as West Ham have failed to qualify for Europe.
Ironically, Curbishley's own position could be strengthened because
Gudmundsson wants to steady the ship rather than carry on spending big and
possibly bringing in an expensive new manager. Croatia boss Slaven Bilic, a
West Ham hero, is regarded highly at Upton Park but Curbs has already been
given a vote of confidence and if he can keep on the right side of
Gudmundsson then his position will be more secure.
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Hammers increase ticket prices for next season - Guardian Series
WEST Ham have announced that they will be raising season ticket prices for
the 2008/09 campaign, writes Alex Sexton. The West Ham board have declared
that there would be a five per cent rise in the prices next season. On
Wednesday night, financial director Nick Igoe and legal director Scott
Duxbury, confirmed to a fans' forum that the cost for a season ticket at
Upton Park would be increased. This will leave an already infuriated Hammers
fan-base incensed. As many clubs have announced a freeze or even a reduction
in prices, the east Londoners have bucked the trend. The Irons have
consistently had ticket prices that would suggest they were a team competing
for European football, but after a last day relegation reprieve last season
and a mid-table finish this year, the supporters will again feel exploited
by the club. Last year saw season tickets sell-out for the first time in the
history of the Irons, and billionaire owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson,
alongside his Icelandic team, have seen an opportunity to raise extra funds.
The five per cent rise means that tickets in the Bobby Moore Lower - which
cost £595 for season 07/08 - will rise £30 to £625. Meanwhile supporters in
the Bobby Moore Upper will see their £725 cost for 07/08 rise by £36 to
£761.
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West Ham set to lose out on teenage sensation - Guardian Series
WEST Ham are set to lose out in the race to acquire the services of a highly
coveted £6million-rated teenager, writes Alex Sexton. Alan Curbishley has
been strongly linked with Derby County midfielder Giles Barnes over recent
weeks, but it seems that Newcastle United are planning to gazump any
prospective deal. The England Under-19 international is also being tracked
by Aston Villa and Everton, but Kevin Keegan is extremely keen to bring the
youngster to the North East. With the Rams already relegated, Paul Jewell
will find it increasingly difficult to hang on to a rising star who would
not want to play his football in the Championship.
The Times have reported that the Magpies will attempt to sign Barnes again
over the summer after failing to capture him in the January transfer window.
With Keegan continuing to improve the fortunes of Newcastle and with the
allure of playing in a side with such a massive fan-base, the Irons may be
about to miss out one of the country's hottest prospects.
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Arsenal, Newcastle watch as West Ham consider Ashton, Green sales
tribalfootball.com - April 17, 2008
A host of Premiership clubs are on red alert with West Ham United
considering the sale of England pair Dean Ashton and Robert Green. The
Mirror says both players could be made available in the summer as part of
cost-cutting demanded by billionaire owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson. Green has
been linked with Arsenal and Tottenham this season, while Ashton is on the
wanted lists of Newcastle United and Manchester City.
[PeterR] Excuse me , but where the f**k did that come from!???
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West Ham to invite offers for big-earning trio
tribalfooball.com - April 17, 2008
West Ham United could be set for a big-name clearout as manager Alan
Curbishley has been told he must balance the books this summer. The Mirror
says billionaire business tycoon Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson is determined to
reign in the club's massive spending since heading an £85million Icelandic
takeover of the club 15 months ago. Gudmundsson is determined to balance the
books and get some of the club's biggest earners off their wage bill to put
West Ham in better financial shape. Curbs will be told to shake-up the squad
and that will leave £80,000- a-week-plus men Freddie Ljungberg, Lucas Neill
and Kieron Dyer at risk. Croatia boss Slaven Bilic, a West Ham hero, is
regarded highly at Upton Park but Curbs has already been given a vote of
confidence and if he can keep on the right side of Gudmundsson then his
position will be more secure.
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Hammers rookie Collison ready to show West Ham fans what he can do - Daily
Mail
Last updated at 14:32pm on 17th April 2008
West Ham rookie Jack Collison says he is desperate to make his Upton Park
bow in Saturday's clash against relegated Derby. The 19-year-old midfielder
made his full debut in last weekend's 1-0 defeat at Bolton, playing for the
first 50 minutes before being replaced and also came on as a substitute at
Arsenal on New Year's Day. But now he says he wants to perform in front of
his own fans. The Wales under 21 international said: "I would love to play
in front of our home fans."
The massive injury list at Upton Park has forced Hammers boss Alan
Curbishley to blood a number of young players this season with striker
Freddie Sears and centre-back James Tonkins already making a positive
impression.
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