Daily WHUFC News - 7th July 2013

On this day - 7 July
WHUFC.com
Former Hammers loanee Jan Lastuvka turns 31 today
07.07.2013

Anniversary
Name: Jan Lastuvka
Born: Havirov, Czechoslovakia, 7 July 1982
Clubs: FC Karvina, Banik Ostrava, Shakhtar Donetsk, Fulham (loan), VfL
Bochum (loan), West Ham United (loan), Dnipro
International: Czech Republic - three caps, no goals
One-time Hammers loan goalkeeper Jan Lastuvka is today celebrating his 31st
birthday. The Czech stopper spent the 2008/09 campaign on loan at the Boleyn
Ground from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. He did not make a Premier
League appearance for the Hammers, but did feature in a League Cup third
round defeat at Fulham. That would be his only appearance in claret and
blue, and he returned to Shakhtar at the end of the season, before moving to
fellow Ukrainian club Dnipro, where he is still plying his trade. Born in
the Czech Republic, he played for Karvina and Banik Ostrava in his homeland
in the early part of his career and earned his first international caps in
2011. Lastuvka also played in England for Fulham, during another loan from
Shakhtar, during which he played eight league games.

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Cork Hammers welcome West Ham
WHUFC.com
The Cork Hammers supporters' club are delighted to welcome West Ham United
to south west Ireland
06.07.2013

Sunday's pre-season fixture between West Ham United and Cork City will be
particularly special for one group of supporters. The Cork Hammers
supporters' club was formed in 1994, but the links between the southern
Irish city and east London go back much further. Nearly 100 years ago, in
1918, the Ford Motor Company opened a plant in Cork - the ancestral home of
the Ford family - followed five years later by a second plant in Dagenham.
As the east London plant continued to expand, many workers moved over from
Ireland to continue their employment.

The links grew during the 1940s and 1950s, when a succession of Ireland's
top players swapped the Emerald Isle for the Boleyn Ground - Cork United
midfielder Tommy Moroney and wing-half Frank O'Farrell, Cork Athletic
full-back Noel Cantwell, Shamrock Rovers centre forward Freddie Kearns and
Shelbourne inside forward Danny McGowan among them. Thanks to the support of
Cork Hammers chairman Stephen McCarthy and his fellow members, those links
remain as strong as ever. "My late uncle Jim worked with Ford in Dagenham in
the 1970s and brought me home a West Ham shirt when I was just six years
old," said McCarthy. "This is a story that many fellow Cork Hammers will
also repeat from that time. Despite having two older siblings supporting
Leeds and Liverpool respectively, I was drawn by the passion that is West
Ham and have not looked back since. "Ford had a major car manufacturing
plant in Cork dating back to the 1930s, as well, and many employees of the
company transferred between the two.For this reason, and the fact that
London was always so accessible from Ireland, there has been a long
connection with the Irons."

Since the pioneering Moroney, O'Farrell, Kearns and Cantwell, West Ham have
continued to attract some fine Irish players, including Noel Dwyer, Liam
Brady, Robbie Keane and current squad members Joey O'Brien and Stephen
Henderson. "There is a long history of Irish players going to West Ham and
passionate West Ham supporters in Ireland," McCarthy confirmed. "Our very
own Sir Trevor Brooking even played two games for Cork City before his
retirement in the 1980s. "In fact, many Irish fans will tell you that West
Ham are their second team. The history that goes with the Club and the fact
that West Ham won the World Cup in 1966 resonates with many of us."

Nowadays, West Ham's presence in Ireland's second-largest county is
personified by the Cork Hammers, who meet in the city to watch the team on
television, while also making regular trips over the Irish Sea to the Boleyn
Ground. "Cork Hammers was founded in 1994 after a notice was placed in the
local Evening Echo newspaper seeking fellow West Ham supporters in the Cork
area to come together and form an official supporters' club," said McCarthy.
"The supporters' club was formed by Denis O'Donovan, John Kelleher and
Brendan Ryan and took up residency in the aptly-named Sir Geoff Hurst room
in the Telecom Social Club on MacCurtain Street in the city. "Membership
grew over the years and several ups and downs were witnessed, either on
trips to the Boleyn, Cardiff, Wembley or indeed on TV here in Cork. "The
Cork Hammers have grown ever since and the visit of the Irons to Leeside, we
hope, will encourage further Cork Hammers to join the club."

The Cork Hammers will be out in force on Sunday evening, when West Ham take
on League of Ireland Premier Division side Cork City in a pre-season match
at Turner's Cross, with kick-off at 6pm. Chairman McCarthy confirmed that
excitement is growing ahead of the Hammers' first appearance on Irish soil
since 2000. "We have been waiting for more than 13 years to see the Hammers
play in Ireland since we played St Patrick's Athletic in Richmond Park,
Dublin in 2000. "Cork City are a decent footballing side and in the middle
of their season so the Hammers' fitness will certainly be tested on Sunday.
"The Cork Hammers will be making a presentation to the Club to mark the
occasion and are looking forward to a great game."

Looking further into the future, McCarthy is hoping for more success under
the guidance of former Limerick manager Sam Allardyce. "We feel the Hammers
are on the brink of bigger things again. There is a good vibe about the
Club.The owners are putting their hands in their pockets, we have a
world-class stadium to move to and even a quality smart-looking kit.All
these things augur well for the Hammers. "We need to strengthen the squad
now with quality in certain areas and build for the future.A quality Academy
will breed success in due course as well, but we need to bring in quality
and maintain momentum now. "A top-eight finish would be good in the 2013/14
season, while a trophy with it would be even better! We need to look above
and beyond this and take the Hammers back to the heights of the Boys of '86
and better again. "Our new kit even has a remarkable resemblance to that
worn by the likes of McAvennie, Brooking and Cottee!Let's look to secure
Champions League status by 2016 and bring Europe's best to the Olympic
Stadium. "Above all, for Cork Hammers it is fundamental that the Club
retains the openness and genuine willingness to welcome supporters like Cork
Hammers to the East End on trips to cheer on the Irons.COYI!"

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Roland is learning the West Ham Way
WHUFC.com
Talented linguist Razvan Rat is already speaking the same language as his
new West Ham United team-mates
07.07.2013

Razvan Rat is already fluent in five languages and he is now eager to learn
the West Ham Way. West Ham United's summer capture from Shakhtar Donetsk
speaks Romanian, English, Spanish, Russian and Portuguese, impressing his
new team-mates with his versatile linguistic skills. Rat has also caught the
eye with the skill and ability that saw him star for Shakhtar in the UEFA
Champions League and captain his home country of Romania. The left-back has
been nicknamed 'Roland' by his Hammers colleagues in tribute to the 1980s TV
character, but the player himself explained that the correct pronunciation
is slightly different. "In my language it is pronounced 'Rats' but you don't
have the letter in English, so you can only say the sound with 'ts'," he
explained. "For me, it doesn't matter because it is just a coincidence [that
my name is the same as an animal]. It will be a good opportunity to laugh
more! "I was trying to improve my language skills. I speak Spanish because
it is quite close to my language, I was speaking Russian because I was
living in Ukraine and also Portuguese because we had about ten Brazilians in
our squad at Shakhtar and the coach was talking a lot in Portuguese as well.
"I just learned the languages by myself - it is nothing special!"

Moving onto less important matters, Rat has quickly settled into the group
after a decade in Ukraine with Shakhtar, where he won more than a dozen
trophies and played 300 times. A strong and tenacious defender with superb
technique and great experience, the 32-year-old is now hoping to make his
mark in the Barclays Premier League. "I am starting to get used to this
team. I need to adapt here very fast so I need to understand the philosophy
of this team. I want to be one of them very, very soon." Rat has shared a
room with another international star, Joe Cole, during West Ham's pre-season
training camp in Cork, while he has also struck up instant relationships
with the likes of Matt Jarvis and Matt Taylor. "The boys are amazing. They
have welcomed me and are speaking with me and helping me. I share a room
with Joe Cole so we've had a lot of talks. "Hopefully I will integrate into
the group very fast and be one of the men of the group. "It is a bit strange
for me but I understand this is my new team and my new family. I will try to
do my best to adapt very fast and to be a good player here. I want to show
my best, that's all."

Rat has got used to vying for the Ukrainian title and playing against
Europe's finest clubs, but now he is relishing a different type of challenge
in English football.
"My personal goal is to play regularly. This is my first goal and, after
that, you never know. Maybe we can have a good season and can get a place in
the UEFA Europa League. You never know. "Hopefully we will play some good
football and everything is possible."

Rat becomes the latest in a succession of Romanian stars to try their luck
in England, many of whom arrived after the country's fourth-place finish at
the 1994 FIFA World Cup. While Dan Petrescu enjoyed great times at Chelsea,
Florin Raducioiu and Ilie Dumitrescu had indifferent spells with West Ham.
The 89-times capped defender is planning to show Hammers supporters his
ability and prove that the Eastern European nation is still producing
world-class players. "This is also my goal - first to prove to myself that I
can play here in the Premier League and after that, to prove the manager
that he was not wrong to bring me here. That is a good goal for me.

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West Ham set to launch bid for Estudiantes striker Duvan Zapata
Last Updated: July 6, 2013 9:19am
SSN

Sky Sports understands West Ham United are set to launch a bid for Duvan
Zapata, one of the most highly-rated young players in South America. The
22-year-old striker is currently with Argentine giants Estudiantes and a
host of clubs have been tracking the £10million-rated marksman. Borussia
Dortmund, Lyon, Besiktas and Benfica have all shown an interest in the
Colombian, who scored 14 goals last season in the Argentine top flight.
However, West Ham - who have strong links in South America - have been
keeping tabs on Zapata for a number of months and they have now decided to
make a move for the powerful 6ft 2in front-man. Zapata is yet to make his
full debut for Colombia, but it is believed he will be part of their squad
before next summer's World Cup finals, which they are on course to qualify
for. Zapata is being tipped to become the next Colombian to break into
European football following on from the likes of Radamel Falcao and James
Rodriguez, who began on the same career path from their homeland, to
Argentina and then Europe.

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ANDY CARROLL SUM IS NO PROBLEM
Daily Star
7th July 2013 By Matt Jarvis

Matt Jarvis reckons Andy Carroll has learned from his Anfield hell – and
won't buckle under the pressure of yet another big-money move Carroll, 24,
choked when forced to wear the record- signing label around his neck at
Liverpool – but Jarvis is convinced the giant 6ft 3ins striker will cope
with the burden at Upton Park. The England front man cost the Hammers
£19million when he signed a permanent six-year-deal last month – after an
initial year on loan in east ­London.
And Jarvis (right) the club's previous record buy at £7.5m, said: "I had the
pressure of being our most expensive player all last year. "That did have a
hold on me – but that won't be an issue for Andy. Firstly, this is an easy
club to settle into. "Secondly, Andy isn't a new player as such. He has
already had a year on loan here so he knows the place inside out. "And that
is the kind of advantage that can fill you with confidence after a move like
this. "Thirdly, he is an experienced man. He had the same burden at
Liverpool that he has to deal with now. That was a huge ­learning
experience. "For us, he has already proved to be a massive player – and I've
no doubt he will have a major ­impact this year."

So much so that Jarvis is tipping the Hammers to have their best season
since 1980 – and use Wigan's FA Cup triumph as their inspiration to end
their 33 years of hurt. He said: "What Wigan did in beating Manchester City
to lift the FA Cup has made clubs like us realise it can be done now – that
­trophies are not the preserve of the so-called big boys. "Our first aim
will be to go on a winning spree in the Premier League so that when the cup
­competitions come around, we will be able to hit the ground running. "We
have ambitious players here. There isn't one of us who does not want to win
a trophy."

And silverware is not the only ­accolade that Middlesbrough-born Jarvis, 27,
wants to win. Having made his England debut two years ago against Ghana –
the former Wolves winger is determined to leave the one-cap-wonder club. He
said: "Like any player, as soon as you get one cap, you want to get
­another. "I have not given up on getting back in there. Last year, I worked
extremely hard to get myself back in the frame and, hopefully, I can kick on
again. "If there is one thing you are guaranteed from me, it is hard work.
"I'll give myself every chance."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 6th July 2013

WHUFC visit UCC
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have visited University College Cork's state-of-the art
Mardyke Arena
05.07.2013

West Ham United were the welcome guests of University College Cork (UCC) as
their pre-season training continued in the Republic of Ireland. The Hammers
visited UCC's Mardyke Arena, where the players made use of the gyms and
hydrotherapy suite and met a group of local schoolchildren. The Arena, which
is used by Sunday's pre-season opponents Cork City, the Cork Gaelic Athletic
Association (GAA) and Swim Ireland, has more than 25,000 members drawn from
UCC students and the local community. On Thursday, the West Ham squad joined
them, using the treadmills, exercise bikes and cross-trainers before
utilising the gym and hydrotherapy pools. Before the hard work began,
though, the players posed for photographs with dozens of children attending
a summer holiday sports course and captain Kevin Nolan presented the
Hammers' new 2013/14 adidas home shirt to Mardyke Arena general manager
Patsy Ryan. "We used the facilities at UCC for an active recovery session,"
explained fitness coach Eamon Swift. "The exercises the players did in the
gym were all low-impact. "They then went down to the gym, where the players
did a metabolic circuit, which involves each individual doing a circuit
containing short bouts of intense work followed by short rest periods,
speeding up the burning of calories. "The players also did some foam roller
work to stretch and strengthen their muscles before using the hot and cold
pools in the hydrotherapy suite to improve blood circulation and lymphatic
drainage."

Swift said the visit to UCC also served as a welcome change of scenery after
two solid days of work at the Fota Island Resort. This is the first week of
seven weeks of preparation and, rather than building their fitness quickly,
we are going for a gradual progression through our pre-season planning. "We
have had two days on the pitch and this was a day of active recovery ahead
of two more days on the pitch and another pitch session on the morning of
our game at Cork City on Sunday, so this breaks it up."

Mardyke Arena marketing manager Wayne Falvey said UCC were delighted to
welcome the Hammers to use their first-class facilities. "Since 2001, the
Mardyke Arena has been the high-performance sports and fitness facility in
Munster," said Falvey. "We have recently set up a partnership with the Fota
Island Resort to provide high-quality training facilities for teams like
West Ham United. "We are regularly visited by elite athletes from across
Ireland and further afield, but West Ham are the first club to visit since
we signed the partnership."

Aside from the facilities used by the Hammers, the Mardyke Arena offers a
wide range of services for professional and amateur clubs and individuals,
including physiotherapy, performance analysis and a rehabilitation clinic.

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Mark back on familiar ground
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble has plenty of reasons to be happy to
be back in the Republic of Ireland
06.07.2013

Mark Noble has plenty of reasons to be happy to be back in the Republic of
Ireland. Not only did the West Ham United No16 score twice in England
Under-21s' 3-0 win over their Irish counterparts in Cork in 2007, but the
midfielder also has close family links with the Emerald Isle. Noble's
grandmother hails from County Cork, while he also has relations living up
the road in the capital city Dublin. Naturally, then, the 26-year-old is
relishing Sunday's Cork Airport Friendly Series meeting with League of
Ireland Premier Division club Cork City at Turner's Cross. "I didn't realise
until we got here that we were playing at Turner's Cross," he revealed. "I
remember playing there for the England Under-21s and getting a couple of
goals [in a 2009 UEFA European U21 Championship qualifier on 17 October
2007]. One of my good friends at the time, Billy Clarke, was playing for the
Irish so it was nice to get one over him. "I think my Nan, my Mum's mum, was
raised here so she was over the moon that I was coming over. I've got quite
a lot of family up in Dublin, so hopefully they will be coming to the game
on Sunday."

With his Irish ancestry, Noble has been linked with a call-up to the
Republic of Ireland senior squad on a number of occasions, but the Hammers
star insists he remains fully committed to the country of his birth. "You
never know! but I've been asked before about that but I am English, I played
for the Under-21s and I have still got hopes of playing for the full
national team. As I say, I have got a lot of Irish connections and great
family over here."

While an Ireland debut remains out of the question, Noble has certainly
relished his week at the outstanding Fota Island Resort in County Cork. "We
started a week earlier than most other clubs. We did the same last season
and we got off to a good start. It hasn't been full head-on, but we've
working hard. It's been really good and the lads have enjoyed it. "We've not
been here for pre-season training before so we've enjoyed the hotel, the
golf course and the training facilities."

The Canning Town-born star believes the hard work and preparation West Ham
are putting into their week in Ireland will pay-off come the start of the
Barclays Premier League season in August. With matches against four teams
who were either playing in the Championship or finished in the bottom half
last season to open 2013/14, Noble said the Hammers can start fast as they
did last term. "We had a really good season after winning promotion from the
Championship and coming tenth in the Premier League was a fantastic
achievement. The boys worked hard and that's what we need to do again this
year - start well. We have got some good fixtures again and hopefully we can
get some points on the board early. "I'm enjoying my football. The Gaffer
just tells me to go out there and play and to get us playing and it's
enjoyable. We've got a great bunch of lads and every day I walk onto the
training ground, it's a good time to be there."

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Noble kick starts Olympic journey
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble has made history by becoming the first Hammers player to kick a
ball in the Olympic Stadium
05.07.2013

Mark Noble has made Hammers history by becoming the first West Ham United
player to kick a football in the Olympic Stadium as part of a new video set
in the iconic landmark that will become the east London Club's home in 2016.
In the video, Noble documents his two mile journey from his home town of
Canning Town to the world-famous Stadium in Stratford and recalls his
childhood memories of supporting the Club. The Academy graduate and former
Hammer of the Year also discusses both the fantastic transport network and
surrounding entertainment facilities on offer near the Queen Elizabeth Park
that Hammers fans will be able to enjoy when watching their team play. Once
inside the Stadium - which will undergo a transformation to a 54,000
all-seater UEFA Category 4 venue, the highest category of football stadium
in the world - Noble steps up to take the first-ever penalty in the Hammers'
stunning new home. "It's a privilege to be the first West Ham player to kick
a football inside the Olympic Stadium and as a lifelong West Ham fan it was
great fun to film the video," said Noble. "Hopefully I will be one of those
players walking out of the tunnel soaking in the atmosphere, with 54,000
West Ham flags and banners waving. The noise is going to be amazing and it's
going to be a fantastic stadium to play in. 2016 just can't come quick
enough."

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Rebel Army relishing Hammers visit
WHUFC.com
Cork City goalkeeping coach Anthony Fennelly is looking forward to Sunday's
pre-season visit of West Ham United
05.07.2013

Cork City cannot wait for the Cork Airport Friendly Series visit of visit of
West Ham United on Sunday. The Rebel Army may have endured some difficult
moments in the League of Ireland Premier Division in recent weeks, losing
3-0 at UCD in their last league match and by the same scoreline at Drogheda
United in the League Cup quarter-finals. Cork's goalkeeping coach Anthony
Fennelly is hoping Sunday's meeting with the Hammers will provide the
Leesiders with a much-needed boost ahead of the second half of their season.
"We're looking forward to the game and it'll be a good occasion for both
teams and a good workout for yourselves," Fennelly, who attended West Ham's
training session at Fota Island Resort on Friday to watch Martyn Margetson
work with Jussi Jaaskelainen and Adrian, told West Ham TV. Cork will prepare
for Sunday's match by hosting League of Ireland champions Sligo Rovers at
Turner's Cross on Friday evening. With Cork sitting seventh in the 12-team
table, Fennelly is hoping for a victory. "We have a big game ourselves on
Friday night so Sunday's game will provide a good opportunity for the boys
who don't get a run out, as well as our regular starters. We should get a
good crowd in. "We finished sixth last season but at the minute we probably
need a win. We have a massive game on Friday night against Sligo Rovers and
we're hoping to get three points and start pushing up the table. By the end
of the season, we hope to push for a European spot. "To be honest about it,
we should probably be doing better than we are with the players that we
have, but we're hopeful Friday night will be the start of that. We signed a
new striker from Shamrock Rovers the other day, Ciaran Kilduff, so we're
hoping that he'll step up to the mark and score a few goals."

While Kilduff could play on Sunday, Fennelly said Cork also possess a number
of other talented players. The club produced the likes of Republic of
Ireland international strikers Kevin Doyle and Shane Long in the past and
the coach says the production line has to continue to run if they are to
thrive financially.
"Obviously we wouldn't be at the Premier League standard quite yet, but
there are some very good players here. We've got young lads like Gearoid
Morrissey and our goalkeeper Mark McNulty is very good and experienced.
We've got other lads like Colin Healy, who played for Sunderland. Hopefully,
we'll give you a good run out. "There have been a lot of lads who have gone
over [to England] like Kevin Doyle and Shane Long, who have done quite well
in the Premier League. It's a good stepping-stone if you want to go across
the water. "Cork is still a massive club and one of the biggest in the
country, so it's a good place to start."

Fennelly said everyone associated with Cork City is looking forward to
Sunday's game, with the club hoping for a bumper gate comprised of
supporters of both sides. "We played a few games against English clubs last
year but West Ham are obviously a massive club. It's a big occasion for us
and I think the lads will really enjoy testing themselves against Premier
League opposition to see where they are at and where they need to get to.
"Especially for the younger boys, it's a benchmark to show where they can
get to in their careers. It's a good occasion for them. "It's massive for
us. The way things are financially in Ireland at the moment, it's hugely
important for us to get a good turnout and I think we will. There should be
a good couple of thousand there as Cork people generally support their sport
pretty well and hopefully everyone will enjoy it."

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'We're back in the swing of it'
WHUFC.com
Fans' favourite Joe Cole is looking forward to his first full season back
with West Ham United
05.07.2013

Joe Cole is relishing being back in pre-season training and is looking
forward to his first full season back with West Ham United. Cole, who
returned to the Hammers in January, is currently working hard alongside his
team-mates in Cork as the team prepare for the new Barclays Premier League
campaign. Speaking after a hard session at the University College Cork
(UCC), where the players were able to make full use of the state-of-the-art
facilities, Cole said he was feeling good. "We're back in the swing of it
all now, having returned to pre-season on Monday and flying out here to Cork
to work on our fitness," said the No26, who has happily met fans of all ages
in Ireland. "We are looking to be strong and continue where we left off last
season. It is a steady but upward curve, focusing on our fitness and looking
to go one better than last season."

Cole said training was going well in Cork, with the players doing a mixture
of ball and gym work plus cycling and pool sessions. Sunday will then see
the Hammers take on League of Ireland Premier Division Cork City at Turner's
Cross - their first game since returning to pre-season earlier this week. "I
am enjoying it. We are being put through our paces but it has all been good
and Cork is lovely. It is the first time playing in Cork for me, but we're
really looking forward to the match, which is our first pre-season game. "It
will be good to get out there and have some game time under our belts and
the aim for all of us will be to get through the match all ok and we're
looking forward to seeing fans and the people of Cork. "After what will be a
full week's training, it will be a good test for us against this Cork side
early on, to start everything going again."

Cole said while specific targets are being put into place for the team this
year, his main aim is to be fit and healthy and play his part in taking West
Ham to another level. "It has been great for me to be back at West Ham and I
am delighted to be here, as I said when I returned. First and foremost, I
want to do my best so make sure I stay fit and in shape, playing for the
team and helping the Club to progress. "It has all gone well and I am just
excited to be back now. Hopefully I can enjoy a strong pre-season and be
raring to go for the start which is only just over six weeks away. "Having a
week and a trip like this has enabled us to get the juices flowing again,
the banter has started in earnest around the place and it is an enjoyable
set-up to be part of. We have been doing a mix of things this week, so that
has been good, it helps to get everything and everyone moving in the right
direction."

Cole is often asked about regaining a place in the England national team and
the 56-times capped midfielder says that playing well for the Hammers could
help him to reach that target. "I would like to think with the experience I
have that I can do a job for England and be part of the set-up still. But
first things first, playing for West Ham and doing my best for the team and
keeping fit is what I must do and then, yes you never know where that leads
with regards international football again."

Cole was up again early on Friday morning as he and the rest of the squad
took part in cycling and pool sessions before they will go on again to
further work on the pitch. The 31-year-old is looking to help West Ham to
get off to a good start when they host Cardiff City at the Boleyn Ground in
their opening league fixture on 17 August. "Pre-season has started, we have
a new kit, everything is fresh and we're looking forward to getting in front
of our fans again this season. I want to do my bit in helping the club
progress and have an even better season than last year."

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Viva Zapata!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

There are reports this morning that West Ham have opened talks with
Argentinian club, Estudiantes over a deal for the services of their striker
Duvan Zapata. The 22-year-old Colombian international is officially valued
at around £8m but West Ham are allegedly hoping to strike deal for a reduced
fee of c.£6.5m. The eal would then ultimately be dependant upon the player
being issued a work permit to play in England.

Could it be that West Ham have abandoned their attempts to sign Wilfred Bony
or Demba Ba and struck out in an entirely different direction? If so, Zapata
looks a good prospect, having scored 14 goals in 23 appearances in the
Argentinian league and at 6 foot 2 inches he possesses the physical
attributes to cover for Andy Carroll in a 4-3-3 (or 4-5-1 as some maintain!)
formation, as well as the ability to also play alongside him in a 4-4-2.

Viva Zapata? Lets wait and see?

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham close to signing Duvan Zapata to be Andy Carroll's new strike
partner
5 Jul 2013 22:31
The Mirror

West Ham have agreed a £6.7million fee to sign hot Colombian prospect Duvan
Zapata. The Hammers have met the $10m valuation of the striker's Argentinian
club, Estudiantes, but now the 22-year-old needs to get a work permit. The
powerful 6ft 2in forward starred for Colombia U-20s as they won the Toulon
Tournament in 2011 and has scored 14 goals in 23 games this season for
Estudiantes. Hammers manager Sam Allardyce, strengthening a squad that
finished 10 last season on their return to the top flight, sanctioned the
bid after receiving rave reviews from scouts. Big Sam hopes to unleash
Zapata with new signing Andy Carroll, once the £15m England striker is fit
after a heel injury. West Ham are offering Zapata a four-year contract, with
a two-year option, if they get a work permit later this month. It would be a
coup for the Londoners given Lyon of France, Portuguese pair Benfica and
Porto and Italy's Udinese are all keen. Zapata hopes to follow in the
footsteps of compatriot Radamel Falcao, who moved from Argentina to Europe
and became a goal-scoring superstar.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 5th July 2013

Morrison keen to build on 'good year'
WHUFC.com
Ravel Morrison is back at West Ham United and eager to capitalise on a fine
loan spell at Birmingham City
04.07.2013

Ravel Morrison is back at West Ham United and eager to capitalise on a fine
season on loan at Birmingham City. The talented young midfielder, who joined
West Ham from Manchester United in January 2012, enjoyed a breakout 2012/13
season with the Blues in the npower Championship, making 30 appearances and
scoring his first three senior goals. Morrison's form saw Lee Clark's side
recover from a poor start to the campaign to finish in a comfortable 12th
place, with the 20-year-old producing a series of increasingly mature
displays - none more so than when he inspired Birmingham to recover from 3-0
down to draw at Millwall. He has caught the eye again during West Ham's
pre-season training camp in the Republic of Ireland, showing talent,
commitment and a mature attitude to his work. "Pre-season has been good and
I've enjoyed the whole trip so far," he confirmed. "I've just enjoyed the
work and the whole group has done well."

Looking back at last season, a smile appears on Morrison's face when his
loan spell at Birmingham is mentioned. Manager Clark regularly praised the
youngster, not just for his ability but also for his willingness to learn
off the pitch. That approach resulted in Morrison netting his first league
goal with a spectacular volley in a home defeat by Hull City in November
2012 and further strikes at Crystal Palace and at home to Blackburn Rovers.
"It was really good. I think I needed the year out and I think it went well,
because I enjoyed my year at Birmingham a lot," he confirmed. "I missed West
Ham a lot but it was still good in the Championship. "It was different to
the Premier League, obviously, but it was a good challenge. Lee Clark is a
great manager and he helped me through a lot. He talked me through my rights
and wrongs and he helped me through the season. "I probably enjoyed the game
against Millwall the most, when we came back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3. That
was probably the best game because the whole team worked hard. I also scored
a couple of good goals."

With Morrison being given the chance to impress in Cork, the player himself
is hoping to catch the eye and be given a chance to prove himself in claret
and blue this term. "Hopefully I can get an opportunity. I've just got to
carry on working hard in pre-season and show the manager what I can do."

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West Ham United meet the animals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United talked to the animals when they paid a visit to Fota
Wildlife Park in Cork
04.07.2013

West Ham United talked to the animals when they paid a visit to Fota
Wildlife Park in County Cork. The Hammers squad made the short trip from the
team hotel at Fota Island Resort to the east Cork attraction. Celebrating
its 30th anniversary this year, Fota Wildlife Park became the Republic of
Ireland's first such facility when it opened in 1983. Since then, it has
become one of the country's most-popular attractions, with hundreds of
thousands of people visiting every year. The Park's keepers showed the
players the giraffes, zebra and ostriches before the squad headed to the
cheetah enclosure to watch the big cats chase and catch their meat. Many of
the players marvelled at the speed shown by the cheetahs, suggesting they
would give winger Matt Jarvis a run for his money, while Mark Noble
suggested the giraffes would give team-mates Andy Carroll and James Collins
a hard time in an aerial duel! The West Ham squad also met representatives
from the Cork Association for Autism - a charity which supports adults
across County Cork with autistic spectrum disorder and works in partnership
with Sunday's pre-season match opponents Cork City.

James Tomkins and Jack Collison were among those to meet the charity's
representatives, while they were impressed by the range of animals on show
at Fota Wildlife Park, praising the wide open spaces they have to run around
in. The Academy graduates have also been enjoying their first week in
pre-season training. "Pre-season has started off well over in Ireland and
we've also come out to socialise with the public and the wildlife! It's nice
to take a little bit of time off because we have started off working quite
hard," Tomkins, who named the cheetah as his favourite animal, told West Ham
TV. "It's been brilliant here in Ireland. We're all really impressed with
the food at the hotel and the staff are friendly and cannot do enough for
us. Everyone we have met at the wildlife park has also been really nice."

For Collison, he has had the added bonus of training with his team-mates
after a number of pre-seasons when he has followed individual programmes due
to his previous knee problems. "Obviously it's nice to be in and around the
boys and it's much better to be working all together rather than doing my
own individual stuff.," said the No10. "We've worked quite hard over the
first couple of days and everyone is feeling it a little bit, so it's nice
to have a little bit of down time and to chill out. "We have our first game
on Sunday at Cork City and that's what it's all about - the gym work and the
early-morning bike rides and all that. At the end of the day it's all about
playing games and getting games under our belts and getting used to smashing
the ball about again."

Fota Wildlife Park head of marketing Stephen Ryan said everyone was
delighted to have West Ham visit the attraction. "The players got to see the
giraffes up close because we have a very open park here at Fota," he
confirmed. "We are lucky to be right next door to the Fota Island Resort
where the lads are training so they also got to see the cheetahs training
here as well. We do a cheetah run every day where they travel at up to 80mph
to catch their food and it's very good for them. "This is actually Cork's
most-popular attraction so the guys are very lucky that they got a bit of
time to visit. We also had a great reaction from our visitors, who got
photographs and autographs with Joe Cole, Kevin Nolan and Joey O'Brien.
"We're pleased to have West Ham visit us, who we hope will be the first of
many football clubs to drop in and see us this season."

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Gold makes O'Neil amends
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th July 2013
By: Staff Writer

David Gold has wished the departing Gary O'Neil well for the future - just
24 hours after co-owner David Sullivan's teenage son Jack was accused of
being disrespectful to the midfielder. Gold was asked to confirm earlier
today via social media website Twitter whether O'Neil had, as suggested by
Jack Sullivan 24 hours earlier, left the club. "Gary O'Neil has not signed a
new deal and we wish him well in his new endeavours," confirmed Gold, who
also revealed he was currently in France with Sullivan (Snr) on transfer
business.

That message came the day after David Sullivan's 13-year-old son Jack had
been heavily criticised by a number of West Ham supporters for his reaction
to O'Neil's departure. Yesterday, the Twitter account belonging to Sullivan
Jnr - who currently enjoys in excess of 26,000 followers - posted a message
confirming that O'Neil had left the club, despite it being previously
thought that he had agreed a new deal with West Ham. However it was four
short words at the end of the message that particularly annoyed the fans.
"Gary O'Neil has decided not to stay with us, despite agreeing a deal. Good
luck to him," said Sullivan's Tweet, before adding: "We'll now get better."

"Obviously I would now like to see us bring in a player better than Gary
O'Neil, I just don't think this tweet was the place to express that view,"
mused Hemel Iron on the KUMB Forums.

"Deal with his departure by being respectful and grateful to O'Neil's time
here, then deal with the acquisition of replacement players in a separate
tweet if and when they happen."

Those thoughts were echoes by fellow member BonzosBoots. "Regardless of his
[Jack Sullivan's] opinion of O'Neil or Chamakh, it's the one remaining
unprofessional thing at the club," he said.

"I guess with Sullivan now being majority shareholder he and his family can
do what they want. However, it doesn't do the image of the club any good. We
look cheap."

Though not all agree. "He's a kid who wished Gary O'Neil good luck and then,
in a new sentence, said that we would get better. Isn't that the idea?" said
Trap1.

"I don't care if he's the chairman's son, if people can't accept he will
make the odd comment that could have been worded better then they probably
need to get out a bit more."

However other feel that a certain degree of skullduggery is at work, with
accusations that Jack Sullivan's Twitter account is being used by agents
other than the teenager.

For evidence of foul play, critics point to a marked difference between
messages posted by the teenager to his friends and in those regarding West
Ham, in which, it is claimed, the grammar employed shows a remarkable
improvement.

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The kids are alright
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th July 2013
By: David Hautzig

Later this month my daughter is scheduled to have surgery. It's called
Turbenate Reduction surgery to relieve a constant feeling of nasal
congestion.

Poor kid can't breathe half the time and the medications available can only
do so much. When my wife and I started researching which Ear, Nose and
Throat surgeon to go see, reputation and experience obviously played an
important role.

On a lesser scale, but from the perspective of physical comfort close to
equally important, the air conditioning for the second story of our house
has been struggling with the seemingly hotter summers we have been
experiencing. Tough to keep those rooms cool when it's 95 degrees outside
and the air in the attic is probably close to 130 degrees.

There are a lot of heating and cooling "experts" in the phone book. But we
have hired someone that has been on the job for over 20 years and has far
more experience with our particular cooling system to make some changes.

In both cases, we obviously opted for experience.

I thought about that a bit earlier this week when it was announced that Rob
Hall was leaving the club to chase more first team football at Bolton
Wanderers. The majority of the reaction on Twitter was negative today to say
the least. I remember one Tweeter claiming to be near tears.

People were mourning the impending death of the Academy system, begging Sam
Allardyce to give the kids a chance to show what they can do. The latter has
been a theme on blogs and Twitter for quite a while now, actually. Rob Hall
just seemed to reignite the debate.

You don't need to be a brain surgeon, or even an Ear Nose and Throat
surgeon, to understand that choosing players for a professional football
team is a different animal than either of my choices above. But there are
similarities in principal.

There is a lot more at stake now because of the gargantuan sums of money in
football. And the landscape of the game has changed so much in just the past
few years. The choices available to a manager have increased almost
exponentially. It's like comparing the corner market of our youth to the
giant superstores we have now.

Lets create a hypothetical situation and work through some hypothetical
choices, all of which are completely plausible in today's game;

You are the manager, technical director, or director of football for KUMB
United. You need a new left back. The one you had last year has left on a
Bosman and pre-season is right around the corner. After consulting your
scouts, youth coach, and chairman you narrow it down to three choices.

1) You have a 19-year-old that has done well for the reserves and has played
well at times in training. Like any kid, they make the occasional mistake.
Going for a video highlight type of run instead of playing it safe. Or
something like that. He hasn't played that many games for the first team,
just a few substitute appearances in a cup match. He has promise for sure,
but not much experience.

2) There is a left back that plays for a team in the Norwegian league and
has 40 caps for his national side. He's 27 years old, has a very good record
in terms of injury, and is known as a particularly smart player. Very safe
on the ball, rarely gets rattled in tough spots. With one year left on his
contract, his club values him at £2.5million. Wages not an issue because the
player wants a move to England.

3) The starting left back for the Colombian National Team plays for
Argentinos Juniors in Buenos Aires. He came through their youth system,
which also happened to produce a player named Diego Maradona many years ago.
He is a physically dominating player with speed that is uncommon to say the
least for someone his size.

That physical presence has also seen him work well as an attacker on corner
kicks, hitting the back of the net five times this past season in Argentina.
Juniors are fighting relegation and need money, as well as wages off their
books if they go down. So a loan for one year with an option to buy is
available.

Based on those three choices, going into a new Premier League season, how
would you rank these three options? Id likely go for the Colombian, with the
Viking a close second. The youth team choice would be my third option here,
and I bet many of you are thrilled I have nothing to do with running our
club.

At this point I wanted to insert some research about the average age of
players in the Premier League over the past ten years or so. I looked, too.
Yet much to my dismay I couldn't find that info via Google, Bing, Yahoo, or
tea leaves. I thought it might show that the average player age has risen in
recent years, furthering my notion that first team opportunities for young
players are dwindling due in larger part to increased options than
prejudice. So if anybody finds these facts, please share them.

I caught the West Ham bug just as Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Michael
Carrick, and Joe Cole were coming of age and taking their places at Upton
Park. The first home game I ever attended in 1997 was against Chelsea.
Finished 1-1. And Joe Cole signed his first professional contract at
halftime.

Or maybe he was just introduced to the crowd? We were getting a few beers so
we only heard it over the loudspeaker. In any event, I understand the
importance of and the attachment to our youth system through the years. Not
as well as many of you I'm sure, but I do get it.

When I was single, living in my little apartment in Manhattan, I was willing
to take risks. My friend and I once had an idea to offer electronic,
web-based wedding albums that friends and family could access. We spent a
lot of money on advertising in big wedding planning magazines and on a
website. We were literally years ahead of what is now standard operating
procedure in quality wedding photography.

We failed miserably. The timing was all wrong.

Now, what little money I have after paying bills goes into boring,
diversified low-risk investments. There is too much at stake. If something
truly stunning came along, and after careful consideration and consultation
with people I trust saw it to be worth a risk, I'd take the plunge with a
small sliver of my pie. Maybe a company called Ravel Inc.?

So I can't criticise Sam and our owners for feeling the same way.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers to face Portuguese test
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th July 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham's prestigious end-of-pre-season friendly this summer will be held
against Portuguese side Pacos de Ferreira. In recent seasons, West Ham have
become accustomed to playing host to some of Europe's biggest teams at the
end of pre-season. Clubs such as Athletico Bilbao (2000), Olympiakos (2006),
Roma (2007) and Real Zaragoza (2011) have all visited the Boleyn Ground for
the traditional curtain-raiser. Therefore the announcement of Pacos de
Ferreira being United's final opponent of the 2013 pre-season campaign will
come as something of a surprise to Hammers fans, many of whom will no doubt
be sliently asking themselves "who?"

Officially formed in 1950 (although predecessor Sport Club Pacense has
already been running for 20 years), the Club have steadily risen through the
Portuguese ranks and having won the second division three times before
qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history in 2006/07. Last
season Pacos, under the watchful eye of Paulo Fonseca (who has since left to
become Porto's new manager) went one further and achieved their highest ever
finish - third place - in the Primeira Liga, granting them a place in next
season's Champions League play-offs. And all this despite playing in a
stadium with a capacity of just 5,255.

Although mostly unknown to fans of English soccer, PdF's squad - the
majority of which is homegrown - includes the likes of Peruvian
international Paolo Hurtado and Guinean international striker Cicero Semedo.
Notable former players include former Burnley defender Andre Bikey and
ex-Porto and Benfica star Marco Ferreira. The match will take place at the
Boleyn Ground on Saturday, 10th August. Kick off is at 3pm and tickets are
priced at £15 for season ticket holders and £20 for non-season ticket
holders.

Pacos de Ferreira: Honours

Third Division: 1973–74
Segunda Liga (Second Division): 1990–91, 1999–00, 2004–05
Portuguese Cup: Runner-up 2008–09
Portuguese League Cup: Runner-up 2010–11
Portuguese Supercup: Runner-up 2009

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Hall: why I left West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 4th July 2013
By: Staff Writer

Former Academy youngster Rob Hall says that the time was right to leave West
Ham, in the week he ended his 12-year association with the club. The England
youth international bid the Hammers "farewell" this week and signed for
Championship side Bolton Wanderers in order to play more first team
football. However Hall admitted that it was a huge wrench to leave London
for the North West. "I learnt a lot at West Ham - I just think it was my
time to move on from there," he said. "It was a very hard decision to leave
- a lot of people won't understand how hard it was. "I'll miss a lot of
people because I've been there since I was seven years old, but I think I'm
maturing into a man now and it's a man's game. It's a business. So for me to
progress, I think it was the right decision to move. "To be a first team
player is what I've wanted to do since I was a kid so to be able to come to
Bolton and be a part of something which looks positive is very nice."

Hall - who was once touted as the Academy's most promising prospect -
managed just one first team start during his time at West Ham. It's a
statistic he hopes to improve under the progressive Dougie Freedman at the
Reebok Stadium. "Dougie's a great manager and he's all about progressing
young players," added Hall. "I feel like I can only improve my game under
him, so I think it was a good decision. "He brought through a lot of young
players at Crystal Palace so I'd like to be another to break through under
him."

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West Ham transfers: We're trying to sign Bony, confirms Gold
SportReview.com
By TSR staff
Thursday 4 July 2013, 23:17 UK

David Gold has confirmed that West Ham United are trying to sign Wilfried
Bony from Vitesse Arnhem this summer. The Ivory Coast striker, who was last
season's top scorer in the Dutch Eredivise with 31 goals in 32 appearances,
has been linked with both Swansea City and the Hammers in recent days. And
West Ham co-chairman Gold believes that the east London side's pursuit of
the 24-year-old demonstrates that the club are moving in the right direction
following their 10th-place finish last season. "We are slowly building a top
team of top names and there is a strategic policy in place for that to
continue," Gold told SportsDirect News. "Kevin Nolan arrived as the first
marquee signing in 2011, followed by Matt Jarvis last season for what was a
record club transfer fee at £10m plus. "We smashed that by several millions
this season when we brought Andy Carroll to the club and it's now known that
we have also been trying to make the Wilfried Bony move happen. "The club
has debt, everybody realises that, but as owners, we are determined to build
a great team at this club and end the "selling club" image that we have
suffered for too long." Bony, who has scored 51 goals in 66 games since
joining Vitesse in 2011, said back in May that he thinks a move to England
would be "perfect". "I'm very interested in the Premier League and the
atmosphere in England, it's a wonderful league and we will see what
happens," Bony told BBC Sport in May.

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Palace prepare Premier League survival push by swooping for Cole and O'Neil
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:34, 4 July 2013 | UPDATED: 23:14, 4 July 2013
Daily Mail

Crystal Palace are considering a deal for free agents Carlton Cole and Gary
O'Neil. The 29-year-old Cole has attracted interest from Hull and QPR.
O'Neil, 30, is also free, though talks are ongoing over a new deal with
West Ham. Manager Ian Holloway is also continuing discussions with
ex-Watford man Umaru Bangura, 25, of FK Haugesund and free agent Jerome
Thomas.

Meanwhile, West Ham and Cardiff have been offered Malaga striker Javier
Saviola. Both clubs have already strengthened their striking departments
with the big money arrivals of Andy Carrol and Andreas Cornelius
respectively. But they may be tempted by the 31-year-old Argentinian
striker, who made a name for himself at Barcelona as a youngster.

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WEST HAM AND CARDIFF IN HUNT FOR FORMER MALAGA STAR JAVIER SAVIOLA
Daily Star
4th July 2013 By Gary Jones

WEST HAM and Cardiff are both in the hunt for former Malaga striker Javier
Saviola. Sources in Spain suggest the 31-year-old is close to a Premier
League, with both clubs interested in securing his signature. The Argentine
striker is a free agent since finishing his contract with Malaga on June 30.
It would be the first time Saviola has played in England, having featured
for teams in Argentina, France, Portugal and Spain. The International star
has played for a long list of big clubs like River Plate, Benfica, Monaco,
while being part of a select club of players who have turned out for both
Barcelona and Real Madrid. Cardiff have been busy in this summer's transfer
window with Malky Mackay looking to strengthen further, tabling a
£40,000-a-week pay deal for Tom Ince, 21. The Blue Birds also signed
completed the signing of Andreas Cornelius earlier this month from FC
Copenhagen.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 4th July 2013

Hammers take to the water
WHUFC.com
West Ham United headed for the pool on the second day of their pre-season
training camp in Cork
03.07.2013

West Ham United were up bright and early on Wednesday morning as the Hammers
continued their pre-season training camp in Cork. Having converged at 7am,
the squad was split into two halves, with one group enjoying a cycle ride
through the surrounding countryside and the other heading to the pool at the
Fota Island Hotel. There, under the guidance of physiotherapist Jon Urwin,
the players went through a series of movements in the main pool, hydropool
and walking river, designed to remove waste products from the body and
prepare them for the exertions of the day ahead. "In the main pool, the
depth of the water is more than 120cm - 1.2m - which is important because it
means the pressure of the water is potentially higher than the diastolic
(minimum) blood pressure in the players' bodies," Urwin explained.
"Basically, this means it helps to remove any waste products from the
training the previous day because it is really good for lymphatic drainage.
"We got them into the water as a first port of call and then we got them
moving. Generally, the first pool is a mobility and flexibility session and
it loosens them off from the previous day and gets them prepared for the
training session that starts a couple of hours later. "It's a lower tempo
than a warm-up and is a specific session set up to remove waste products
from the previous day and to set them up for the morning training session.
It's a preparation for their busy day ahead."

After spending 20 minutes in the main pool, Urwin took the group to the
hydropool and walking river. First, the players made use of the hydropool,
which contains nine different, specifically-designed areas to massage the
entire body. They then did a number of laps through the walking river, which
utilises different temperatures to reduce muscle fatigue. Urwin explained
that the different water temperatures and movements would again be
beneficial to the players ahead of a busy day of pre-season work on the
pitch. "We had a hot section in the hydropool and then a colder section in
the walking river. What we are trying to do there is to provide a contrast,
with the players spending a longer period of time in the warmer hydropool
and then walking through the colder section. "This again aids waste product
drainage, while the walking river also has a mobility aspect to it as well.
It's all preparing the lads for what they have got to do, not just today but
for the whole week and through the actual season. "We like to use pool
sessions as often as we can. The good thing about pre-season is that we have
the pool on-site, so the lads have ready access to it, so we will take
advantage of it as much as possible. We are going to do the same session
later in the week and get the lads into the pool as often as possible. "The
lads enjoy what they are doing, even though they aren't too keen on wearing
swimming caps and I wasn't too sure about some of their gear!"

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Hammers to play prestigious friendly
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will play Pacos de Ferreira on Saturday 10 August in aid of
the Bobby Moore Fund
03.07.2013

West Ham United are delighted to announce that Portuguese UEFA Champions
League qualifiers Pacos de Ferreira will provide the opposition for a
prestigious home pre-season friendly in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund for
Cancer Research UK. The Hammers will play host to Os Castores at the Boleyn
Ground on Saturday 10 August at 3pm, completing Sam Allardyce's side's
preparations for the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season. Pacos de
Ferreira finished third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last term, earning a
place in the play-off round for the UEFA Champions League, and reached the
semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup. The Board have again shown their
commitment to making football affordable for all, with ticket prices set at
£15 and £5 for Adult and Under-16 Season Ticket Holders and £20 and £10 for
Adult and Under-16 non-Season Ticket Holders respectively. Season Tickets
for 2013/14 are available to buy now at seasontickets.whufc.com

With Romania captain Razvan Rat set to make his first appearance at the
Boleyn Ground and the possibility of Andy Carroll appearing for the first
time on home turf since making his move to east London permanent, demand for
tickets is expected to be high. Click here to buy your ticket now. To keep
ticket prices as low as possible, the Club is giving supporters the
opportunity to choose their own level of voluntary donation, with options of
£1, £5 or £10 to the Fund when they buy tickets online, by telephone or in
person. A number of exciting fundraising events will also be held around the
match itself.

This season's match beneficiaries will be the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer
Research UK, with 50p from the sale of every Official Programme being
donated to the charity founded in memory of the late, great West Ham and
England captain. The players' matchday shirts will also be donated to the
Fund for auction with educational messages about the risks of bowel cancel
displayed on the big screens and in the programme.

West Ham have already raised in excess of £55,000 for the Bobby Moore Fund
this year thanks to generous donations and contributions from the Board,
partners, sponsors, staff, players and the Club's loyal supporters. Of the
money already raised, Joint-Chairman David Sullivan started the fundraising
ball rolling by making a personal donation of £10,000.

Manager Sam Allardyce has also made a sizeable contribution, donating the
proceeds of his weekly column in the London Evening Standard newspaper.
The Club showed their outstanding support for the Fund at the Barclays
Premier League visit of Tottenham Hotspur in February, with fans helping to
raise more than £14,000 through the sale of special commemorative programmes
and the auction of the specially embroidered shirts worn by the Hammers
squad.
Now, that amazing fundraising total is set to be boosted yet further when
West Ham take on Pacos de Ferreira in this prestigious pre-season friendly.

Since being established in 1993 in memory of the legendary West Ham and
England captain by his widow Stephanie Moore MBE, the charity has raised
over £20m for bowel cancer research, as well as working to raise awareness
of the disease which took the life of the great centre-back at the age of
51.
In the two decades since Moore's passing, around 300,000 people have lost
their lives to bowel cancer in the UK alone, enough to fill the Boleyn
Ground more than 10 times over. For more details about the Fund and how you
can get involved, visit www.bobbymoorefund.org"

The stage is set for an exciting afternoon of football, as Pacos de Ferreira
are sure to give the Hammers a stern test ahead of the start of the new
season, having qualified for Europe's premier club tournament for the first
time.

They have been involved in European competition twice before in recent
years, with appearances in the UEFA Cup in 2007/08 and UEFA Europa League in
2009/10 to their name. Last season's third place finish was the best in the
northern Portugal-based club's history, and former Porto and Monaco
midfielder Costinha has recently taken up the managerial reins following
Paulo Fonseca's move to champions Porto.

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Reid-son to celebrate!
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid celebrated his 25th birthday with the new West Ham United
adidas home shirt!
03.07.2013

Winston Reid is a man who thought he had it all - the Hammer of the Year
trophy, the New Zealand captain's armband and a regular place in the West
Ham United starting XI - but he was wrong! On Wednesday, Reid celebrated his
25th birthday by becoming the first West Ham player to receive the new
2013/14 season adidas home shirt, which will go on sale to supporters from
9am on Thursday. The new claret and blue proved to be a popular gift for the
No2.
"Obviously I saw the shirt a couple of months back when we did the
photoshoot and I think it's a nice shirt," he told West Ham TV. "It's a
good-looking shirt and I'm looking forward to playing in it!"

Aside from his new home shirt, Reid's celebration options are rather limited
as he is currently in the middle of the Hammers' pre-season training camp in
Cork. However, he still plans to make the most of his birthday. Thankfully
for the centre-back, he was able to relax during the summer break, spending
time with family, friends and a number of his West Ham team-mates while on
holiday. "I might order some room service later tonight - a big cake, maybe
- but apart from that, everything is good!" he revealed. "I have been used
to having my birthday while I'm away so it's all cool. "I just went back to
Denmark to see my friends and family and then I went to the United States
for three-and-a-half weeks, where I saw a couple of mates and a couple of
boys from the team who were over there as well, which was good. I had a good
holiday."

Now, Reid and his colleagues are fully focused on the hard work required to
prepare for the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season, which starts with
the visit of Cardiff City to the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 17 August. The
defender was quick to praise the surroundings at the Club's base at the Fota
Island Resort in County Cork, where the players have on-site pitches,
swimming pools and gyms at their disposal. "I think I prefer pre-season when
it's not too hot and, so far, the weather and the facilities have been great
and hopefully that will continue. I think what you need as a footballer is
as little travel as possible and we've got everything here that we need, so
that's good."

Just a few days into their pre-season regime, the players have enjoyed some
sharp keep-ball sessions on the pitch, with banter and serious discussion
audible in equal measure. It is already clear that only the highest possible
standards will do as West Ham aim to start the new campaign the same way
they did in 2012/13. "I think the boys gave Macca [assistant manager Neil
McDonald] a little bit of stick because he shanked one and we lost the ball,
so I don't think we were too happy about that! "We want to start the same
way we did last year and, if we can do better, that would be good. We
acquitted ourselves well as a newly-promoted team and hopefully this year we
can do the same, if not better."

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic, including the permanent
high-quality signings of Andy Carroll, Romania captain Razvan Rat and
Spanish goalkeeper Adrian. "They are exactly what you need and we obviously
want to try to improve and bring more quality into the side. We also have
players here who want to get better individually this year so we can push
even higher up."

Reid himself has achieved great things in a West Ham shirt, but he is not
going to rest on his laurels, despite being voted Hammer of the Year and
Players' Player of the Year and signing a new long-term contract earlier
this year. "I've got some other goals I want to reach. I want to get better
and to improve all the aspects of my game and try to develop more from last
year. I've got my goals and I'm looking forward to reaching them."

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West Ham eye Wilfried Zaha as Sam Allardyce plots cheeky loan bid for
Manchester United new boy
13 Jun 2013 12:09
The Mirror

West Ham are set to launch an audacious loan bid for Manchester United
winger Wilfried Zaha. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has identified the England
Under-21 starlet as a key target as the Upton Park side as they look to
undergo their second season back in the top flight. Zaha has just returned
from the Under-21 European Championships, playing in England's final two
group games as the Three Lions crashed out after losing all three matches.
After a holiday, Zaha will join the Premier League winners for their
pre-season campaign. Allardyce hopes to secure the speedster's services
after he has completed the pre-season with the Reds. The 20-year-old was
signed from by Manchester United from Crystal Palace in the January transfer
window, but loaned back to the Eagles where he was instrumental in their
Championship Play-off win over Watford last month.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 3rd July 2013

West Ham United arrive in Cork
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have touched down in the Republic of Ireland for a six-day
training camp
02.07.2013

West Ham United have touched down in the Republic of Ireland ahead of a
six-day pre-season training camp in County Cork. The Hammers will train up
to three times each day before taking on League of Ireland Premier Division
side Cork City at Turner's Cross on Sunday, with sessions split between the
pitch, swimming pool and gym. A 6am start at the Boleyn Ground was followed
by an Aer Lingus flight from London Heathrow which left on schedule, but was
forced to circle Cork Airport for 30 minutes until fog on the ground had
cleared. On arrival, the players - sporting their new 2013/14 adidas
trainingwear - happily signed autographs and posed for photos with
supporters before boarding a coach for the drive to the team hotel a few
miles east of the city. There was an unforeseen detour due to the main road
to the team hotel being closed, but the squad and staff were soon able to
check-in and freshen up ahead of lunch.
The players were then given an hour or two to rest before walking the short
distance to the on-site training pitches for their first session in Ireland.
There, they went through a circuit of three activation drills with strength
and conditioning coach Mathew Monte-Colombo before doing some interval
running under the guidance of fitness coach Eamon Swift.

It was then time to swap the trainers for the boots for the first time as
assistant manager Neil McDonald led the outfield players through a keep-ball
session, during which he constantly encouraged every player to keep on the
move to help increase their fitness levels. Elsewhere, Jussi Jaaskelainen
and new team-mate Adrian worked with goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson
before the session finished with a stretch-off and a visit to the nearby
gymnasium. Exclusive coverage of the Hammers' first day on the Emerald Isle
is available on whufc.com, West Ham TV and the Club's official Facebook and
twitter pages.
West Ham kick-off the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season on Saturday 17
August, when newly-promoted Cardiff City are the visitors to the Boleyn
Ground.

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Taylor hooked on pre-season
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's avid fisherman Matt Taylor has swapped his rods and bait
for boots and shinpads
03.07.2013

Over the past few weeks, Matt Taylor has spent far more time on a riverbank
than on a football pitch. The West Ham United midfielder is a keen fisherman
who, when he was not at home or on holiday with his wife and three children,
spent his summer break hooking fish of various sizes at home and abroad.
While football is now back at the top of his agenda following West Ham's
return to training this week, Taylor admitted to enjoying his time pursuing
his second sporting passion. Last month, Taylor and two friends drove for
ten hours to Le Lac Fishibil in northern France, where he caught a 48lb
grass carp, among others. "I really enjoy my fishing and I was lucky enough
to manage to get a trip to France," Taylor told West Ham TV on the first day
of the Hammers' pre-season trip to Cork in the Republic of Ireland. "I
really enjoyed it and I think it is something I'll be making into an annual
holiday. "We got some nice fish, as well, which was good, but it was nice
just to get away with some friends. It was a social road trip as much as a
fishing trip so it was really good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. "I've always
fished at home but I'd never been to France. I got the opportunity to go
this year and I took it and will definitely be doing it again. It's
something I really enjoy it and my friends do too. The even better thing is
that I try to take my son as often as I can and get him into it."

Concentrating on his day job, Taylor said he and his team-mates were
enjoying being back out on the pitch after a six-week summer break. "We're
into the start of pre-season and it was good to starting touching the
footballs again. When you come away, it allows you to focus on the first
part of pre-season, which is obviously the most-important part because it is
when the fitness and conditioning comes into its own. "I'm really happy to
be back with the lads and we've got a good game coming up on Sunday which
we're all looking forward to." West Ham are staying at the Fota Island
Resort a few miles east of Cork city centre - a complex that has everything
the players and backroom staff need on-site, including first-class pitches,
a gym and swimming pool. "The facilities here are wonderful. The hotel is
really nice, I've used the gym and the pitches are wonderful. The match on
Sunday gives us something to look forward to and something to get fit for.
"The thing abour pre-season is that we have a lot of games in a short period
of time, so obviously you need to train and get ready for them, but also
hone your skills on the pitch. That's what the aim is. "We'll have a couple
of sessions a day, some of which will be physical and some football-based so
it'll be a case of gettting the balls out, getting fit and getting that
camaraderie back in the squad as well. The banter is flying about because
we've got a great group of lads here."

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On this day - 3 July
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid today celebrates his 25th birthday
03.07.2013

Anniversary
Name: Winston Reid
Born: North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand, 3 July 1988
Clubs: Midtjylland, West Ham United
International: New Zealand - 14 caps, one goal
Hammer of the Year Winston Reid turns 25 today as he prepares for another
season in West Ham United colours. New Zealand international Reid has been
with the Hammers since a 2010 move from Danish side Midtjylland and has
racked up 70 league appearances for the Club. He has enjoyed great success
in the last two years, helping West Ham win promotion from the Championship
in 2012, then going on to excel in the top flight and pick up the
prestigious Hammer of the Year award. Born in New Zealand, he moved to
Denmark at the age of ten and made his debut at 17 for FC Midtjylland. He
played his international football at age group level for Denmark, but chose
to represent New Zealand at senior level and was a member of their squad for
the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In 2013, he was named as captain of the All Whites.

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Hammers fan visits adidas
WHUFC.com
West Ham United fan Ed Kimber got his hands on the new home kit first at
adidas' global HQ
02.07.2013

Ed Kimber became the first West Ham United fan to get his hands on the new
adidas 2013/14 home kit this week when he travelled to the sportswear
giant's global headquarters in Germany as part of a unique prize. Ed won the
opportunity to visit the adidas base as an auction prize at the Club's
Player Awards dinner in May and enjoyed an unforgettable experience ahead of
Wednesday's exclusive kit event for Season Ticket holders. As well as
receiving the first Hammers kit, Kimber was also given an adidas campus
tour, including the Walk of Fame, which highlights past milestones and the
biggest successes of adidas
An excited Kimber told whufc.com: "It was a brilliant experience, right from
when we landed in Germany. We were taken around the adidas HQ, and it's a
fantastic brand for West Ham to be aligned with.

"I think there's a real synergy between adidas and West Ham, they are an
authentic sports brand and there's an historical relationship - one which
enjoyed successful times from the 1980s, and hopefully the new partnership
can help us relieve those days. "The place was full of creative energy and
great talent, and it was amazing to be the first West Ham fan to hold the
new shirt in my hands. "I won't forget that and the shirt is fantastic -
even better in the flesh than on the pictures I've seen on the website and I
can't wait to watch the team when they wear it for the first time in the
Premier League against Cardiff City. "We've renewed our Season Tickets and
hopefully we can get a better result than the last time we opened the season
against them!"

The new adidas home replica kit goes on sale from the Club's Stores at the
Stadium, Liberty Romford and Lakeside Thurrock (click here for opening
times) and online at www.officialwesthamstore.com from Thursday 4 July.

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Ginge relishing week in Ireland
WHUFC.com
James Collins is happy to be back in West Ham United colours for the start
of pre-season training
02.07.2013

James Collins has told West Ham TV of his pleasure at being back in a West
Ham United training kit for the start of pre-season training. Collins and
his Hammers squad-mates touched down in the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday
morning ahead of a six-day camp in County Cork, culminating with a fixture
with League of Ireland Premier Division side Cork City at Turner's Cross on
Sunday evening. It was as if 'Ginge' and his colleagues had never been away,
with the banter soon flying around ahead of the serious business of
pre-season preparation ahead of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League opener
at home to Collins' old club Cardiff City on Saturday 17 August. The
29-year-old was in fine fettle as he sat down to speak to West Ham TV ahead
of the squad's first training session in Ireland on Tuesday afternoon.

Welcome to Ireland, Ginge! It doesn't seem like long ago that we were
beating Reading 4-2 to complete the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League season,
so is it good to be back or could you have done with a longer break?

JC: "It's nice to back. I think it was enough of a break, really. You
obviously get time away with your family but then you start missing it.
We're back a week earlier than most Premier League clubs, which is a good
thing, I think. It's like being back on the first day of school. We kept in
touch over the summer with a little group-chat going on among the boys to
keep in contact. To get the actual banter going again is great because, as I
said, you do start missing them in a strange sort of way."

We were welcomed to Ireland by grey skies, fog and a bit of rain in the air,
but is that a good thing when you have to run around for six days?

JC: "I think it is a good thing to be able to start in more manageable
temperatures. It can be very hot sometimes when you go away for pre-season,
but the weather is not the best here and it will keep the boys cool. You
obviously get hot when you are doing all the running and all that, so it's a
bonus."

The facilities at the Fota Island Resort are all on-site and top-class, so
the players have no excuse if they do not have a productive week, do they?

JC: "It is spot-on, like you say. All the facilities are on-site and, if we
do get a bit of time off, there is a golf course here for the golfers in the
squad. Everything being on-site makes it easier than bussing here, there and
everywhere so we have no excuses if we don't have a good week. We have a
game coming up on Sunday, so we obviously need to get some training in
before it, so the boys are looking forward to it. It should be good."

Being an experienced professional, what do you look to get out of the first
week of pre-season training?

JC: "Obviously your body is not used to running about, so you have to get
back into it slowly and get your fitness. It's not like you don't come back
fit, because you have to look after yourself in the summer nowadays. All the
boys have been doing that, so it's all about getting back into it and
getting used to the football again."

With 22 players in Ireland, it is likely that everyone will play for 45
minutes at Cork City on Sunday. Are you looking forward to performing in
front of a passionate Irish crowd, having done so previously for Wales?

JC: "There is a massive amount of passion for football here, especially down
in Cork. I've got family living down here so I know how much it means to
them and how they love their football down here. The boys are looking
forward to it, looking forward to getting back on the pitch and pulling on
the strip again and building towards the start of the season. It's quite
early to have a game, but we'll have a half each just to get the boots and
pads back on and see how it
goes."

Among the 22 are three new faces in Razvan Rat, Adrian and Danny Whitehead,
while Andy Carroll has remained at Chadwell Heath for treatment. It's always
good to see fresh players in a squad, isn't it?

JC: "I met the new lads on Monday and they are nice lads. Obviously having
Andy back is great. He is great in the changing room and he gets on great
with
the lads. If he can start the season as he ended the last one, and we can
help the other lads settle in, they can all play a massive part for us."

For the second season in succession, we start at home to one of your old
clubs. Last season, it was Aston Villa. This year, it will be your first
club Cardiff City!

JC: "It will be good. I looked at it straight away and, with my family still
living down there, they were excited as well. It will be strange playing
against them in the Premier League, but they have done great to come up so
it's one I am looking forward to. The same as last year, we had Villa and we
got the three points against them, so fingers crossed we can do the same. I
think I played against Cardiff once when I was at Villa in the League Cup
[in September 2009] but it will be great to play against them in the league.
There are not too many faces there from my time any more, but they did give
me my start in football so I do
keep an eye on them. Like last year, though, I'll be playing as hard as ever
to get the three points."

Talking of the visit of Cardiff, it is that time of year when fans can snap
up Season Tickets and Memberships. We sold out the final 17 matches of last
season,
so how important would it be to the players to make that 18 when the
Bluebirds come to the Boleyn Ground?

JC: "It makes a huge difference, especially with our fans. We always try to
get off to a good start in games to give the fans something to get excited
about
early doors. Last year, they were unbelievable - the same as in all the
years I have been here. It's a tough time for everyone so it's unbelievable
what they do for us and they don't realise how much it does spur us on when
they do get behind us at home."

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David Sullivan gains control of West Ham
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd July 2013
By: Staff Writer

Co-chairman David Sullivan has become West Ham United's largest single
shareholder, having acquired a further 25 per cent stake in the club from CB
Holdings. Legal Week have revealed that Sullivan recently increased his
personal stake to 56 per cent, leaving him as West Ham United's largest
single stakeholder and giving him overall control of the Club. "DLA Piper is
among a number of law firms to have advised on a deal," read a report in
Legal Week. "Sullivan, a longstanding client of DLA, has now acquired a
further 25 per cent of shares in West Ham as part of a £25.5m restructuring
of the club's senior debt."

The news was confirmed by DLA Pipers's corporate partner Mel Sims, who
added: "We are delighted to have advised David on his latest investment in
the football club. It is an exciting time for West Ham, having had a solid
first year back in the Premier League and with the move to the Olympic
Stadium on the horizon."

Sullivan - who in conjunction with David Gold purchased a majority 51 per
cent share of West Ham when wrestling control from Icelandic bankers
Straumur in January 2010 - first increased his stake when the pair invested
in an additional ten per cent, costing £8million, just four months later.
That move increased their shareholding to 31 per cent each.

A plea for further, outside investment followed in February 2011 when
Sullivan and Gold - who have a three-year option to buy out the Icelandic
bank's remaining shares - advertised for potential partners to purchase the
remaining 35 per cent stake owned by Straumur/CBH.

"The club's value has been enormously increased and there is a unique
opportunity to buy the remaining 35% of the club for around £35-40 million,"
said Suliivan at the time. "Once all the shares are placed it is anticipated
that they'll increase enormously in value over the coming few years as the
club moves to the Olympic Stadium.

"There is a chance the value of the club could go from £100million to
£700million over five years when we move. There are only four big clubs in
London: Spurs, Chelsea, Arsenal and West Ham, and West Ham is by far the
cheapest. Yet it has great heritage and a huge fan base and, with the
Olympic Stadium, it can become a top-five club in the future."

However with no additional parties coming on board, Sullivan and Gold
continued to run the club with an even stake - until Sullivan's latest
purchase, which gives the 64-year-old a clear majority share.

So who owns West Ham in 2013?
(All figures approximate evaluations based on figures in public domain)

1. David Sullivan: 55.6%
2. David Gold: 30.6%
3. CB Holdings (formerly Straumur): 10%
4. John Harris, Daniel Harris and Terence Brown: 3.8%

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West Ham make £10million Bony bid?
KUMb,.com
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd July 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have made an eight-figure bid for Vitesse striker Wilfried
Bony, according to reports this afternoon. SSN report that West Ham have
made an offer worth in the region of £10million for the 24-year-old Ivorian
forward, who had looked set to join fellow Premier League club Swansea City
last week.
A player who has been on the club's radar for some time, Bony was initially
linked with a move to east London earlier this year. Back in March, agents
representing the striker met with Hammers chiefs in London in order to
strike a deal, but the two clubs failed to agree a transfer fee. Bony - who
trialled for Liverpool in 2007 but failed to land a contract at Anfield -
started his career in the Ivory Coast with Premier Division club Issia Wazi.
In 2007, he spent a season on loan with Sparta Prague before making that
deal permanent the following summer. During his three seasons in Prague, in
which he was part of the squad which won both the Gambrinus Liga and the
Czech Republic Football Supercup, Bony avergaed a goal every three games -
and it was that keen eye for goal which prompted Vitesse to pay £4million to
take his to the Netherlands. His first season - the 2011/12 campaign - ended
with his as Vitesse's top scorer with 12 goals (despite having only signed
in January, midway through the campaign). He ended last season as the
Eredivisie's leading goalscorer with his tally of 31 goals - five more than
his closest competitor, Feyenoord's Graziano Pellè.

Eredivisie 2012/13: Top Goalscorers

1 Wilfried Bony (Vitesse) 31
2 Graziano Pelle (Feyenoord) 27
3 Alfred Finnbogason (sc Heerenveen) 24
4 Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar) 23
5 Sanharib Malki (Roda JC Kerkrade) 17
6 Dries Mertens (PSV) 16
7 Jeremain Lens (PSV) 15
8 Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV) 14
8 Jacob Mulenga (FC Utrecht) 14
10 Luc Castaignos (FC Twente) 13

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Top bombing
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 2nd July 2013
By: Staff Writer

Canning Town's Victoria Dock Road has been closed this afternoon due to the
discovery of an unexploded Second World War bomb. The road has been shut off
between Connaught Bridge and Prince Regent Lane by Police whilst the entire
area has been cleared by Police. The East End was one of the most heavily
bombed areas in the UK during the 1939-1945 conflict, with its docks,
railways and industry targeted by the Germans. There are still thought to be
several similar unexploded bombs in and around the area. The Boleyn Ground
was famously bombed in August 1944 when a V-1 bomb landed in the south-west
corner of the ground, causing severe damage. As a result, West Ham were
forced to play their home fixtures at alternative venues until December 1944
whilst repairs were taking place. However it proved to be a fruitful spell
for the club as they embarked on a run of nine straight wins - before losing
their first game back at the Boleyn to neighbours Tottenham.

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West Ham have made a bid for Swansea target Wilfried Bony
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated: July
2, 2013 1:44pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands West Ham have made a bid for Vitesse Arnhem hit-man
Wilfried Bony. Bony is expected to leave Vitesse this summer, with a host of
clubs across Europe chasing his signature. Swansea were thought to be
front-runners for Bony after tabling a bid for the Ivory Coast international
last week.
However, West Ham have now entered the race for Bony, with Sam Allardyce
keen to lure him to Upton Park. Allardyce has already brought in Andy
Carroll on a permanent basis from Liverpool and now he is understood to have
lodged a £10million bid for Bony. Bony is thought to be keen on a move to
England and he could have a choice over where he moves, with Swansea and
West Ham bidding for his services.

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Have West Ham Bid £10m for Wilfred Bony?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Reports have emerged today that West Ham have made a £10m bid for the
services of Viitesse's Wilfred Bony. If true, the club have moved quickly to
try to gazump a recent approach by Swansea City. The Ivory Coast striker was
last season's top scorer in the Dutch League with an impressive 31 goals.
Bony has interested the club for some time and it was reported back in March
that initial discussions had taken place with the player's
club/representatives, but a deal was not struck at that time. It would
appear that the Hammers may belatedly be renewing their interest.

There are other pieces of Hammers related transfer speculation abroad at the
moment. This first is that West Ham may have an interest in signing free
agent centre-back Titus Bramble. Bramble has joined the West Ham squad for
pre-season training and that has encouraged speculation that the
ex-Sunderland defender could join on a Bosman deal. Secondly, the Evening
Standard have reported that we may be interested in Crystal Palace's 24 year
old winger, Yannick Bolasie. Bolasie had a very good campaign in the
Championship last season and there are suggestions that Fulham, West Brom,
Swansea and Southampton might also be tracking his progress.

In terms of players exiting the club, it has been confirmed that Robert
Hall's contract expired on 30 June 2013 and that he has now moved to Bolton
Wanderers. Because he is under 24 years of age the final fee will go to an
arbitration panel and it is thought that West Ham want £1m and Bolton are
offering £500,000. Lets hope that this is not a departure that West Ham will
come to regret in time. Hall is a good prospect and a player that was highly
rated at the club's Academy. Will it be a case of Ray Houghton or Zavon
Hines? Only time will tell?

Finally, there have been a couple of reports circulating today that David
Sullivan has increased his stake holding in the club by 25% and consequently
he is now the majority stakeholder. That presumably means that the long
standing stake that Claret & Blue Holdings (the Icelandic banks) have had in
the club has been brought out or drastically reduced. If so, the
elimination/reduction of their interest can only be good news for the future
of the club.

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham cheer on Chelsea as they chase Edinson Cavani.. so they can borrow
Romelu Lukaku
2 Jul 2013 22:30
The Mirror

West Ham have their fingers crossed that Chelsea manage to buy Edinson
Cavani - as they hope his arrival will help their chances of signing the
Blues' Romelu Lukaku on loan. The Hammers are holding out for the Blues'
brilliant Belgian after having a £10.2million bid for Vitesse Arnhem striker
Wilfried Bony rejected.
Bony, 24, scored 31 goals in 30 games for Vitesse last season, and is
currently one of the hottest properties in Europe. But West Ham are unlikely
to increase their bid for him, with Swansea and Newcastle also in the hunt.
Instead, they are want to pair Chelsea marksman Lukaku, superb on a
year-long loan at West Brom last season, with £15m signing Andy Carroll - as
first revealed by MirrorFootball back in May. While new Blues boss Jose
Mourinho wants Lukaku to be part of his plans for next season, West Ham have
not given up hope of taking the 20-year-old Belgium international and
offering him regular first-team football in World Cup year. Chelsea have
already signed Bayer Leverkusen forward Andre Schurrle, they are battling
with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City for Cavani. They also retain an
interest in unsettled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com