Liverpool match preview
WHUFC.com
All the need-to-know information ahead of Sunday's game against Liverpool at
the Boleyn Ground
04.04.2014
WEST HAM UNITED v LIVERPOOL
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 6 APRIL 2014
KICK-OFF: 4PM
REFEREE: ANTHONY TAYLOR
FULL AUDIO COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
TWITTER I FACEBOOK I INSTAGRAM I YOUTUBE I PROGRAMME I iPHONE APP
Introduction
• West Ham United go in search of a third consecutive win in the Barclays
Premier League on Sunday afternoon, when they welcome Liverpool to the
Boleyn Ground.
• The Hammers head into the match on the back of a fine 2-1 away win against
Sunderland which came courtesy of goals from Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame.
• Preceding that, Sam Allardyce's side won by the same score line against
Hull City on their last home outing, thanks to strikes from Mark Noble and a
James Chester own goal.
• Six points from their last two fixtures leaves the Hammers nearing the
40-point mark, lying eleventh in the table with 37 points.
• When the two sides met in the corresponding fixture last year, the Hammers
held a 2-1 lead until two goals in three minutes snatched the points for
Liverpool.
• The Reds arrive in east London as the Premier League's form team having
won their last eight league matches.
• The eighth win of that sequence arrived against Tottenham Hotspur at
Anfield last weekend, when Brendan Rodgers' side ran riot winning 4-0.
• Liverpool have enjoyed success on their travels this season and have won
five of their last six matches on the road, the latest being a 6-3 thrashing
of Cardiff City.
Team news
West Ham United
• George McCartney is a doubt for Sunday's clash after tweaking a hamstring
in the 2-1 win over his former club Sunderland.
• Long-term absentee Joey O'Brien is still some way from a return to the
fold following the dislocated shoulder he sustained against Chelsea in
January.
Liverpool
• Jose Enrique is Liverpool's only injury concern, with the left-back having
missed a large part of the season due to a knee injury.
Last time out
Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
1 April 2014
West Ham United: Adrian, Demel, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney (Armero 45), Noble,
Nolan (Nocerino 84), Taylor, Diame (Johnson 79), Downing, Carroll
Subs not used: Jaaskelainen, Jarvis, C Cole, J Cole
Goals: Carroll 9, Diame 50
Liverpool 4-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Barclays Premier League
30 March 2014
Liverpool: Mignolet, Flanagan, Skrtel, Agger, Johnson, Gerrard (Lucas 70),
Coutinho (Allen 64), Henderson, Sterling (Moses 83), Suarez, Sturridge
Subs not used: Jones, Aspas, Sakho, Cissokho
Goals: Kaboul (og) 2, Suarez 25, Coutinho 55, Henderson 75
Previous meeting
Luis Suarez scored twice late on as Liverpool broke down a stubborn first
half Hammers display to eventually run out 4-1 winners. It took 42 minutes
for the Reds to strike, with Guy Demel unfortunate to turn the ball into his
own net. Mamadou Sakho scored a second just after half-time, before the
Hammers pulled one back through a Martin Skrtel own goal. It didn't inspire
a comeback however as two late strikes from Suarez and Kevin Nolan's red
card compounded the Hammers woes.
Liverpool 4-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 7 December 2013
Liverpool: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Sakho, Flanagan (Kelly 79), Allen,
Gerrard (Lucas 56), Henderson Coutinho, Sterling (Moses 72), Suarez
Subs not used: Jones, Alberto, Aspas, Cissokho
Goals: Demel (og) 42, Sakho 47, Suarez 81, 84
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, Demel, Tomkins (O'Brien 56), Collins,
McCartney, Noble, Nolan, Downing (J Cole 46), Diame, Jarvis (Taylor 85),
Maiga
Subs not used: Adrian, Collison, C Cole, Diarra
Goal: Skrtel (og) 66
Background
• West Ham United and Liverpool have met 126 times previously, with the Reds
enjoying 67 victories. The Hammers have tasted success on just 24 occasions
and there have been 35 draws. In the Premier League, Liverpool have won 20
of the 34 meetings, with West Ham winning six and there being eight draws.
• The first-ever meeting between the two clubs was an FA Cup intermediate
round tie played at the Memorial Grounds on 5 January 1901. Division One
Liverpool edged out Southern League West Ham United 1-0 in front of a crowd
of 6,000, with Sam Raybould scoring the winner.
• Vic Watson scored four times, Stan Earle twice and Wilf James once as West
Ham United went top of the Division One table after beating Liverpool 7-0 at
the Boleyn Ground on 1 September 1930 - the Hammers' biggest-ever home win
over the Reds.
• A three-minute hat-trick scored by Roger Hunt either side of half-time
inspired Liverpool to a 5-1 Division One victory at the Boleyn Ground on 6
September 1965 - the Reds' biggest win at the home of the Hammers. Martin
Peters scored West Ham United's consolation goal.
• The largest crowd to attend a Liverpool versus West Ham United fixture at
Anfield was the 55,675 who attended a goalless Division One draw on 14 May
1977. Liverpool would go on to defeat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1 in the
European Cup final in Rome eleven days later.
• The Hammers and the Reds met in the 1981 League Cup final at Wembley. The
match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra-time, with Ray Stewart's last-gasp
penalty wiping out Alan Kennedy's 118th-minute strike. The replay, held at
Villa Park, saw Paul Goddard put John Lyall's side in front, only for goals
from Kenny Dalglish and Alan Hansen to see the trophy head to Merseyside.
• West Ham United and Liverpool famously met in the 2006 FA Cup final at the
Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Jamie Carragher's own-goal and a Dean Ashton
strike put the Hammers 2-0 up before Djibril Cisse and Steven Gerrard
brought the Reds level. Paul Konchesky put West Ham back in front before
Gerrard's late 25-yarder forced extra-time. After a goalless 30 minutes,
Liverpool prevailed 3-1 on penalties.
• Billy Bonds has made more appearances against Liverpool, 33, than any
other West Ham United player. The Reds' Ian Callaghan made a record 33
appearances against the Hammers, scoring twice.
• Vic Watson scored a record nine goals in 14 appearances against Liverpool.
John Toshack has scored more goals for the Reds against the Hammers than
anyone else with ten.
• Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll and Liverpool full-back Jose Enrique were all
part of the Newcastle United squad which won the Championship title in 2010.
• A number of other West Ham United and Liverpool players have lined-up
alongside one another at their former clubs and at international level -
Andy Carroll, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Jordan Henderson, Stewart
Downing and Martin Kelly (England), Jack Collison, James Collins and Joe
Allen (Wales), James Tomkins and Allen (Team GB), Collins and Stewart
Downing (Aston Villa), George McCartney and Jordan Henderson (Sunderland),
Raheem Sterling, Matthias Fanimo and Blair Turgott (England age-group
sides).
• No fewer than 19 players have made their West Ham United debuts against
Liverpool - Alex Kane (January 1926), Walter Pollard (September 1929), Reg
Wade (January 1930), Bill Nelson (September 1954), Dave Bickles (September
1963), Eddie Presland (February 1965), Mick McGiven (December 1973), John
Radford (December 1976), George Parris and Keith McPherson (May 1985), Kevin
Keen (September 1986), Hugo Porfirio (September 1996), Andy Impey (September
1997), Marc Keller (September 1998), Gavin Holligan (February 1999),
Svetoslav Todorov (February 2001), Laurent Courtois (August 2001), Rufus
Brevett (February 2003) and Kepa Blanco (January 2007).
• Eddie Presland scored on his debut in a 2-1 Division One victory over
Liverpool at the Boleyn Ground on 27 February 1965. The left-back would make
just six first-team appearances for the Hammers before joining Crystal
Palace in 1967.
• Kepa Blanco netted just minutes after coming on as a substitute for his
West Ham United debut in a 2-1 home Premier League defeat by Liverpool on 30
January 2007.
• West Ham United player Stewart Downing played against his current
employers for Liverpool in both fixtures between the two clubs in the
2012/13 season.
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
7 December 2013 - Liverpool 4-1 West Ham United
7 April 2013 - Liverpool 0-0 West Ham United
9 December 2012 - West Ham United 2-3 Liverpool
27 February 2011 - West Ham United 3-1 Liverpool
20 November 2010 - Liverpool 3-0 West Ham United
19 April 2010 - Liverpool 3-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Liverpool (all competitions) W 24 D 35 L 67
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points - relegated to Championship)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
Liverpool
2012/13 Premier League 7th (61 points)
2011/12 Premier League 8th (52 points)
2010/11 Premier League 6th (58 points)
2009/10 Premier League 7th (63 points)
2008/09 Premier League 2nd (86 points)
2007/08 Premier League 4th (76 points)
2006/07 Premier League 3rd (68 points)
2005/06 Premier League 3rd (82 points)
2004/05 Premier League 5th (58 points)
2003/04 Premier League 4th (60 points)
Old boys
• West Ham United midfielder Alou Diarra spent three seasons with Liverpool
between 2002 and 2005 after joining the club from Bayern Munich. However,
the 31-year-old failed to make a first-team appearance for the Reds, instead
being loaned to Le Havre, Bastia and Lens before joining the latter on a
permanent basis.
• Andy Carroll joined the Reds from Newcastle United for £35million in
January 2011. Carroll played 58 times for Liverpool, scoring eleven goals,
before joining the Hammers permanently in summer 2013 following a successful
loan at the Boleyn Ground.
• Glen Johnson came through the ranks at West Ham United, making 15 league
appearances in the 2002/03 season. He was transferred to Chelsea for
£6million in summer 2003 and subsequently moved on to Portsmouth before
Liverpool snapped him up in June 2009.
• Joe Cole played 149 games in all competitions for the Hammers, scoring 13
goals, before his switch to Chelsea in August 2003. Cole also won the FA
Youth Cup with West Ham United in 1999. Cole joined Liverpool in summer
2010, scoring five goals in 42 appearances - including one at the Boleyn
Ground in the reverse fixture this season in December - before moving back
to east London in January 2013.
• Stewart Downing spent two seasons with Liverpool between 2011 and 2013
before completing a move to the Boleyn Ground in August 2013.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Craig Bellamy,
Yossi Benayoun, Tom Bradshaw, David Burrows, Titi Camara, Charles Cotton,
Julian Dicks, Ray Houghton, Don Hutchison, Paul Ince, David James, Rob
Jones, George Kay, Robbie Keane, Paul Konchesky, Mike Marsh, Javier
Mascherano, Neil Mellor, Neil Ruddock, Danny Shone, Rigobert Song and Thomas
Stanley.
Referee
• Sunday's referee will be Anthony Taylor.
• Taylor is in his fourth season on the Select Group of referees appointed
to control Barclays Premier League fixtures.
• The Greater Manchester-born official started refereeing in the Northern
Premier League in 2002 before being appointed to the Football League list at
the start of the 2006/07 season, refereeing his match between Wrexham and
Peterborough United in League Two on 12 August 2006.
• Taylor's first Premier League appointment was the 3 February 2010
encounter between today's visitors Fulham and former West Ham United manager
Avram Grant's Portsmouth, with the Cottagers winning 1-0.
• Taylor took charge of West Ham against Liverpool almost exactly a year ago
on Sunday, as the two sides played out a 0-0 draw at Anfield on 7 April
2013. That match was the last time he took charge of a Hammers fixture.
• Taylor will be assisted by Steve Child and Stuart Burt on Sunday, and the
fourth official will be Craig Pawson.
General information
• The weather forecast for Sunday's match is light cloud with temperatures
around 17C (62F).
• There are no tickets remaining for the match which is a sell-out.
• The District Line is running a good service this weekend with no planned
closures.
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Big Sam on: Liverpool
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce addressed the assembled media at his pre-match press
conference on Friday morning
04.04.2014
Sam Allardyce spoke to members of the local and national media at Chadwell
Heath on Friday morning ahead of his side's Barclays Premier League
encounter with Liverpool. The Hammers' boss answered questions regarding how
to stop the Reds' free-scoring attack, his side's fine recent form and the
latest team news ahead of the clash.
Sam, what's the team news ahead of the weekend?
SA: "Kevin Nolan is ok. George McCartney is the biggest doubt. He came off
with a hamstring problem on Monday night. It's probably caused by a bit of
fatigue and the fact he played three games in a short space of time, so it
looks as though he'll miss out on Sunday."
You've played against a lot of good sides down the years, how good is this
Liverpool side, and how good will you have to be to beat them?
SA: "At the moment I think that the Liverpool team, in terms of its form and
results, is operating at 100 per cent. Sometimes you can be playing really,
really well and not achieve the results that those performances deserve, but
certainly at the moment their results and performances make them the top
team in the league. Other teams have slipped up and they've taken full
advantage by producing the quality of football and the goals that they've
got over the last period.
"That's been very good for Brendan Rodgers and his team. When you have two
quality strikers of the ilk of Sturridge and Suarez then the rest of the
team know that somewhere along the line they're going to put the ball in the
back of the net if they provide the service for them. They haven't been too
concerned about conceding a goal here and there. They seem to know that
they'll score one more than the opposition if the opposition score against
them."
In world terms, how good is Luis Suarez?
SA: "At the moment he now finds himself in the top two or three in the
world. The commitment he showed to Liverpool and they showed to him, seems
to have given him that extra impetus this season to go out and be even
better than he was after the problems he had. The combination with Sturridge
has flourished where that looked a little concerning in the early stages as
neither wanted to play in a wide position. That seems to have all come
together now and the rest of the team is providing the service behind them
has grown in quality and confidence.
"People are emerging from an England point of view and it's very encouraging
to see Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling emerge more than ever this year.
We've got a big job on our hands, we know that, but after our performances
and our results we're really looking forward to it. We've eased the pressure
on ourselves and produced a great run of form and results at this period of
time with six wins out of nine. That's two points per game, that's top-six
form. We're in our best form of the season and hopefully that will make for
a competitive game on Sunday afternoon."
David Sullivan said that if you'd had Andy Carroll fit all season that you'd
be pushing for Europe. Is that a statement you agree with?
SA: "It's a possibility, yes. Since the turn of the year our change of form
and results has improved and it's got better and better and now we're in the
best run we've had since we've been back in the Premier League. We've got to
take that confidence into Sunday's game and hopefully we can produce one of
those performances that has happened many, many times in the Premier League
this year.
"Just the other week Crystal Palace beat Chelsea and Manchester City lost to
Sunderland, things like that can happen. We beat Tottenham away 3-0 when
they were right up near the top so we hope it can be one of those days, but
we certainly have to be on top, top form to get anything out of the game.
Now there's less pressure on us, we're not safe yet, but we are feeling a
lot more confident going into this game based on less fear from our league
position going into this game."
Do you think Liverpool were too quick to pass on Andy Carroll?
SA: "He (Brendan Rodgers) made a decision early on and we were the first to
try and resolve that situation. As disappointed as Andy was, that was the
decision made by Brendan and you have to move on, you have to put it behind
you. Stewart Downing also comes into the fray where he played a part in
Liverpool last season and then joined us. The rest of the team and those two
lads particularly will want to show how good they are on Sunday. Let's hope
they play very, very well on Sunday because we need them to."
For the clubs that are at the bottom of the table scrapping for survival,
how important are the fans in helping the team in that situation?
SA: "There becomes a fear factor in the players at this stage of the season
and as a manager you have to override that fear factor. The fear factor is
massive in trying to relax and make sure that your players are focussed on
the task at hand. The key is to not be too intense and try to relax them
because the whole club fears relegation and that spreads like a plague. You
have protect the players from that because if they go out with fear then
they can freeze and not produce what they're capable of. That's the biggest
managerial tool you have to have at this stage of the season if you're down
there. You have to promote the good things they do and remind them of what
they're capable of and the good results they've produced. You have to get
them ready to go out and fight for what they need to do to stay safely in
the Barclays Premier League."
Ravel Morrison has been voted Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month for
March, have you been keeping an eye on his progress?
SA: "We see Rav with our scouts and staff on a regular basis. He's right in
the think of a different experience to the one he had last season when he
was at Birmingham. He's got the real pressure on him now of staying in the
Play-Off places which is nearly guaranteed now. He's scored a few goals so
we're pleased to see him playing regularly and gaining more and more
experience."
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Spurs match moved
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's final home match of 2013/14 with Tottenham Hotspur will
now kick-off at 12.45pm
04.04.2014
West Ham United's final home match of 2013/14 with Tottenham Hotspur will
now kick-off at 12.45pm on Saturday 3 May. The Hammers complete their slate
of Barclays Premier League fixtures at the Boleyn Ground by welcoming their
north London rivals for what promises to be a mouth-watering lunch-time
derby.
Following the final whistle, the players and staff will conduct a lap of the
pitch to thank fans for their outstanding support this season. Sam
Allardyce's side will be seeking to complete a memorable hat-trick of
victories over Spurs, having won 3-0 in the reverse league fixture in
October and 2-1 at White Hart Lane in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals
just before Christmas. Last season's corresponding fixture was also a
thriller, with Spurs winning 3-2 courtesy of Gareth Bale's last-gasp goal.
Standard Tickets for the match are not currently on sale, but a limited
number of unused Bondholder tickets will be released at 9am on Saturday 19
April. Click here for more information.
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan blogs for whufc.com on victory at Sunderland and his hopes for
the rest of the season
04.04.2014
Hi everyone,
Monday's victory at Sunderland was a massive one for us. It gave us another
set of back-to-back wins and took us to 37 points, eleven ahead of the
relegation zone and just three behind Stoke in tenth. It put a smile on
everyone's face and lets us think we've got another season in the Premier
League when we won't have as many major injuries as we had this season.
We'll have an interesting summer where hopefully we'll have a few new
additions, and quality additions, which will only make us better and start
pushing us up that league to get into that top ten more and build towards
the Olympic Park in two years. You have to admire the board for sticking
with Sam. We all said it - we had a very tough time earlier on in the season
with injuries. I didn't help with the suspensions after my sendings-off. I
hold my hands up to that but i don't think I've been through a season where
I've been hit with so many injuries to major players. At one point we had
all three of our centre halves out, and we were playing right backs and left
backs in the middle, but we all dug in and it's going to be so pleasing at
the end of this season knowing that we've scrapped away when we've needed to
and when we have had our full team, we've got back to where we feel we
belong. I'm sure that if we had our full squad for the season, we would have
had a better season and we would never have been talking about relegation.
It's nice to be sitting where we are now with six games to go and we're
looking forward to what hopefully is going to be a few more wins. Our aim is
to knock Stoke out of that tenth spot and finish where we did last year.
Then we can all go and have a good summer and let the gaffer and the Board
start worrying about who they are going to bring in for next season. We're
back at home on Sunday when we face Liverpool and it will be a good test to
take them on. We won last time out here and Hull was a tough game. The
gaffer knew it and he was delighted with the three points. There were a few
grumblings, but I must say in and around where we live all the supporters
have been fantastic with him and all the lads. They were three good points,
as were Monday's and now we're not far off being able to celebrate come the
end of the season at another successful campaign.
Come on you Irons!
Kev
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Potts eyes return to form
WHUFC.com
The Academy will look to bounce back when they host Stoke City on Saturday
04.04.2014
Academy boss Steve Potts is looking for a return to winning ways when his
side takes on Stoke City at Little Heath on Saturday. The young Hammers have
suffered a blip in recent weeks, losing tight games to Tottenham Hotspur and
Everton to dent their charge to the end of season Play-Offs. They remain
second in the Premier Academy League South table though and are well placed
to secure their position in the final tournament, so Potts is targeting
three points against the Potters. He explained: "We want to get back to
winning ways. I think we've performed pretty well in the last two games, but
we haven't got the results to go with the performances. That's been
unfortunate but hopefully we can turn that around on Saturday. "It's been a
case of small margins against both Tottenham and Everton, being a bit more
ruthless at the top end and restricting the chances at the other. I thought
at Tottenham we did that fairly well, but at Everton we gave two sloppy
goals away. "We've been pretty good this year at keeping it tight at the
back and that's given us a good platform over the season, so hopefully we'll
get back to being like that."
Potts has promoted players from the schoolboy ranks in recent weeks, due in
part to a number of his regulars stepping up to be involved with Nick
Haycock's Development Squad. He is delighted to see his young charges make
progress and says giving experience to the next batch of youth teamers can
only be beneficial at this stage. He added: "The progress of the players up
to the Under-21s has been really pleasing and a positive for the Club. Seven
of the youth team boys went up to the Under-21s last Friday and it was good
for them to get a good result as well - it proves that they're going in the
right direction. "Likewise, I've had younger players coming into the side.
16 year olds, and even a couple of 15 year olds came on last week. It's all
good experience for them for next year. "It would be nice for the boys to
reach the Play-Offs because I think they've done well over the season. I
can't fault the effort they've put in and obviously they've progressed as
footballers. What would be nice if they got to the Play-Offs, they would be
playing at a stadium, in front of a crowd, because they missed out on that
in the FA Youth Cup."
Kick-off at Little Heath on Saturday is at 12 noon, with both admission and
parking free of charge
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AC takes aim at rampant Reds
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll believes West Ham United can down his high-flying former club
Liverpool on Sunday
04.04.2014
Andy Carroll cannot wait for Sunday's game against Barclays Premier League
leaders Liverpool to kick-off. West Ham United's No9 spent two-and-a-half
years as a Liverpool player, winning the League Cup and scoring in the FA
Cup final in 2012, before joining West Ham United on loan and then
permanently in summer 2013. Having played alongside the likes of Luis Suarez
and Steven Gerrard, Carroll is acutely aware of the threat the Reds will
pose. However, he is confident that, having reached 37 points following wins
over Hull City and Sunderland, the Hammers can shock the world by defeating
Brendan Rodgers' side.
"I think all the lads are confident that we're safe after a great week for
us," said the 25-year-old frontman. "We've done well and we've been on a
great run and now we want to keep it going until the end of the season. "I'm
feeling very good now as I've got three full 90 minutes under my belt. It's
been a tough season for me, not being fit, but now I'm feeling good. I've
got a couple of goals and a couple of assists and am feeling great. "I felt
a bit rusty the first couple of games after coming back into it, but I think
you can see I'm getting into the stride of things again. "I'm looking
forward to the Liverpool game. It's going to be tough because they are on
fire at the moment and are the team to beat, so hopefully we're the team
that can do it. "It's my old team, but for me it's a normal game and I'll
just get on with it. I don't regret leaving at all. I moved to West Ham and
I'm loving it. I had my injury setback, but other than that everything has
been great."
While Carroll is West Ham's headline maker, his former strike partner Suarez
is also catching the eye on a regular basis, having scored 29 goals in just
27 league starts this term. Alongside him, Daniel Sturridge, Raheem
Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson have also made names for
themselves during a campaign that could yet end in title glory for the men
from Anfield. Carroll, for one, has been impressed, but refutes suggestions
that he made a mistake by leaving Liverpool last summer. Instead, the
forward says the current Reds squad is making the most of the tactics and
formation employed by manager Rodgers. The No9 also revealed that he had
tipped his old club for success at the start of the 2013/14 campaign. "The
way they are playing, they have got the players to play that system - Suarez
and Sturridge up front are completely different players to me. The way they
play is incredible. "I said from the start of the season that Liverpool had
a great chance and all the lads were shocked. I knew what Suarez was like
and his connection with Sturridge has been great and they are unbelievable
at the minute. "Suarez is a great player. He has 29 goals this season and is
incredible, you can see that. I don't think anyone can doubt him. "After
games, he would want to train, even when he is supposed to be resting. He
never gives up or stops running. He is infectious and is why all the players
around him are performing like they are."
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Carlton Cole: West Ham striker aims to make further impact
BBC.co.uk
West Ham striker Carlton Cole aims to continue playing his part during the
remainder of what he describes as a "strange" season for him. The
30-year-old was released by the Hammers last summer, but re-signed in
October and has since scored six goals in 20 Premier League appearances. "I
never had a pre-season. I just came in and had to hit the ground running. "I
used all my experience I'd gathered over the years to deal with it," he told
BBC London. "I had positive thought processes. The manager [Sam Allardyce]
helped me through it to get back on track and catch up with the team
fitness-wise and mentally. "I repaid him with some goals. I am on the bench
at the moment, but any time I get my chance I'll try my best." After
re-joining the Hammers initially on a short-term deal, Cole's performances
earned him a new 18-month contract at Upton Park. Cole, who has seven
England caps, first joined West Ham from Chelsea in 2006 and has scored a
total of 65 goals in 261 appearances for the east London club. London's
Olympic Stadium is currently being converted for West Ham's move to the
ground for the 2016-17 season and Cole described it as "impressive" after
visiting the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this week. "Although it is not
finished yet, it looks amazing. I'd like to play there one day and hopefully
I can get a long enough contract to do that," he said. "I understand some of
the fans wouldn't want to move, but the owners want to progress and want
more people to have an opportunity to watch the games. "When you get a place
like this you can't turn it down. I am just happy West Ham got it."
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Early start for derby day
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 4th April 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's final home game of the season has been brought forward to
a lunchtime kick-off. The Hammers are hoping to secure a trio of wins
against neighbours Tottenham when the two teams clash at the Boleyn Ground
on Saturday, 3rd May, following our 3-0 and 2-1 wins at White Hart Lane
earlier this season. And the match - originally scheduled for a 3pm kick off
- will now kick off at 12.45pm for the benefit of a TV audience, with the
game almost certain to be broadcast live by BT Sports (who are yet to
confirm their schedule for May). West Ham beat Tottenham 3-0 at White Hart
Lane in the first meeting between the two clubs this season back in October
when goals from Winston Reid, Ricardo Vaz Te and a memorable effort from
Ravel Morrison - currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers - secured United's
first away win of the season. Rubbing salt in the wound, the Hammers went
back to what had been cheekily renamed the O3 Arena in honour of that win to
knock Spurs our of the Carling Cup when late efforts from Matt Jarvis and
Modibo Maiga - also currently on loan at QPR - sent the home side tumbling
out of the competition. Tottenham are currently sixth in the Premier League,
five places above West Ham in 11th - albeit with virtually the same goal
difference (Spurs -4, West Ham -6).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Season ticket prices frozen
Kumb.COM
Filed: Friday, 4th April 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have confirmed that season ticket prices have been frozen
for the 2014/15 campaign. Next season mark's the Club penultimate year at
the Boleyn Ground, with the move to Stratford looming ever closer. And the
good news for supporters is that prices for the current season will remain
in place for United's third season back in the top flight following
promotion in 2011/12. "We would like to say a special 'thank you' to our
loyal fans, who have supported the team throughout this season," read a
joint statement posted on behalf of owners David Sullivan and David Gold.
"Despite our injury crisis, once again we shared some amazing moments
together, most notably our two fantastic victories away at Tottenham
Hotspur. "We are delighted to announce, that as a reward for your loyal
support, your Season Ticket price for the 2014/15 season has been frozen. By
renewing for the next campaign, you will also be guaranteed the opportunity
to renew your seat to celebrate our final Boleyn Ground season and we are
already speaking with our Supporter Advisory Board about ideas to make every
game in the last season a memorable event. "We will be looking to strengthen
the squad over the summer by making at least three key signings, so we have
a squad ready to take us forward in the 2014/15 season. We invest every
pound from Season Ticket revenue back into the playing budget, so your
support really does make a difference."
Last season, prices rose between 3.5-4.8 per cent for existing season ticket
holders with the exception of disabled ST holders, who faced a whopping 50
per cent rise. Despite the good news, the Club have come under criticism
from some supporters for once again bringing the renewal deadline forward;
applicants must renew by June 2 in order to guarantee their seat for the
2014/15 campaign. Supporters may renew online, in person at the Ticket
Office or by calling 0871 529 1966 (calls cost 10p per minute + network
extras).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gong for Rav
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 4th April 2014
By: Staff Writer
Ravel Morrison has been named as the Sky Bet Championship Player of the
Month for March. The young Hammer, currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers
in order to gain valuable first team experience picked up the award having
scored five goals and contributed one assist to Rangers' promotion push
during the last month. "It's been really good and I've enjoyed every game
I've played in," Morrison told Sky Sports. "I've just tried to get game time
again and show them what I can do. "I've enjoyed it because we keep a lot of
the ball. You get a lot of time in the Championship, too, so you can do more
stuff on the ball."
Harry Redknapp, who has spent the past month eulogising over the England
Under 21's mercurial talents added: ""Ravel has been excellent for us. He's
been good on the pitch and good off the pitch as well. He's been great
around the place and not a minute's problem. "I am really pleased for him,
it's a well-deserved award and let's hope he can win it again this month!"
Morrison was also named as the AirAsia Player of the Month - a fans' poll
conducted by the west Londoners.
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Liverpool travel to West Ham hoping to maintain winning run
Last Updated: 04/04/14 5:49pm
SSN
Liverpool travel to West Ham on Sunday looking to maintain their winning
run, and remain top of the league with five games to go. After an incredible
eight successive wins, the Reds have gone from Champions League contenders
to title prospects, and victory over West Ham will see Brendan Rodgers' men
stay top of the league by at least two points after Sunday's encounter.
While their defence has been far from resolute, the Reds have been
unstoppable going forward, netting 88 goals already - a record for any team
after 32 matches of a Premier League season, and have scored in their last
22 games since losing 2-0 away to Arsenal. Luis Suarez continues to be
Liverpool's talisman. The Uruguayan hitman has scored six goals in his last
five Premier League matches and is just two away from the Premier League
record for a 38-game season. The Hammers will certainly be up against it as
they try and halt the rampant Reds, but victory over Sunderland last time
out will give them the confidence they need to give it their best shot. That
away win against the Black Cats saw the Hammers move 11 points clear of the
drop zone, leaving a top-half finish a distinct possibility. The clash with
Liverpool will have added significance for Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing,
who both struggled with the expectation after big-money moves to Anfield
before departing for Upton Park.
And, after netting his second goal since returning from injury, Carroll
especially would love nothing more than to further enhance his chances of
making England's World Cup squad by impressing against his former employers.
Paul Merson's prediction: Liverpool are not my favourites for the title, but
it would be a phenomenal feat if they do it. At the start of the season they
needed to pull up trees just to get into the top four, so they've done
brilliantly to get to this position, but I think the winning run could end
here because this is a very hard game. People think they've just got to turn
up to win games, but it won't be like that. West Ham will get the ball
forward quickly, Andy Carroll will cause problems and they will be very
disciplined; it won't be like Tottenham who just laid down and made it easy
for them! The longer this game goes on the more nervous they might get and I
think it will be a draw. I've seen this so many times - a team is rolling
along and it just takes one bad result. The pressure will be on them because
they are playing last of the three teams and that's not nice.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1
West Ham
Last 6
Sunderland (a)1-2
Hull City (h)2-1
Man Utd (h)0-2
Stoke City (a)3-1
Everton (a)1-0
Southampton (h)3-1
West Ham captain Kevin Nolan will be fit to face Liverpool when the Premier
League leaders visit Upton Park on Sunday. The 31-year-old was forced off
late on in Monday night's 2-1 win at Sunderland after feeling tightness in
his back but Hammers boss Sam Allardyce is confident his skipper will be
available.
Defender George McCartney (hamstring) is less fortunate and will miss out,
while Joey O'Brien (shoulder) and Marco Borriello (calf) are again likely to
be sidelined.
Liverpool
Last 6
Tottenham (h)4-0
Sunderland (h)2-1
Cardiff (a)3-6
Man Utd (a)0-3
Southampton (a)0-3
Swansea (h)4-3
Liverpool could welcome back Lucas Leiva to the starting line-up for their
clash with West Ham on Sunday. The Brazilian midfielder completed 20 minutes
as a substitute against Tottenham last weekend, and could be handed his
first start since mid-January. Jose Enrique (knee) remains Liverpool's only
absentee.
Opta facts
There have been three own goals in the last three Premier League meetings
between the Hammers and the Reds.
Liverpool have hit the woodwork more times than any other team this season
(24), while West Ham's uprights have been struck the most (20).
60% of Liverpool's goals have been scored in the first half, the highest
proportion of any team in the top flight this season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce 'sickened' by lack of appreciation
Last Updated: 04/04/14 11:09pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says he is 'sickened' by the lack of praise
his team have received in recent weeks. The Hammers have won six out of nine
to pull out of the relegation mire, but they have won little or no plaudits
and were even jeered by their own fans despite beating Hull City 2-1 last
month.
Allardyce reacted to that by cupping his ear to the supporters and he admits
he is frustrated that their improved form has not been recognised, or it
seems, appreciated, because of a perception they are a dull, long-ball team.
"Well you see, it's all a load of bull," he said when asked about his side's
style. "I think that it's all about the perception and the reputation of Sam
Allardyce, not the West Ham players and how they play. It's all perceived to
be like this and nothing else. "It is a load of rubbish and I can't help
that. It's unfortunate for the players because this particular period of
time, when they've achieved six winsout of nine matches, they get little or
no praise for it and that's really sad. "We've had our best run of results
but nobody's talking about it. They're talking about a one-game scenario
when people are booing because we've won against 10 men. It's life I
suppose, but it's quite sickening to be honest."
Allardyce was retained as manager at Upton Park despite a desperate spell
during the winter, with co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan
continually backing their man rather than reacting to the poor form by
looking elsewhere. The main factor behind a winter of discontent was a
chronic injury list, and as those players have slowly made their way back
into the team, the Hammers have turned their fortunes around. "They got
slaughtered in December because they were losing football matches and now
they're performing some of the best results they've performed since we got
back in the Premier League," he said.
"It's top-six form and that's what we should be talking about, not talking
about the type of football that we play because we play a type of football
that suits the players, that's entertaining and it's winning. "The game is
about results - that's a fact. If you don't get results, you don't keep your
job. If you don't get results, you get transferred. It's a results business,
an entertaining business, and you try and put both together as often as you
possibly can."
Meanwhile, joint chairman David Gold told Sky Sports News: "The fans have
that right to boo - but all I'd say is I've not known a team play better
because the fans are booing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll feels Liverpool let him go too soon
Last Updated: 04/04/14 10:21pm
SSN
Andy Carroll feels he was denied an opportunity to prove his worth at
Liverpool and is now chasing a World Cup dream. The powerful frontman was
taken to Anfield in January 2011 for £35million, with the Merseyside outfit
wasting no time in dipping back into the transfer window after offloading
Fernando Torres to Chelsea for a British record fee. Carroll arrived from
Newcastle United with a blossoming reputation, but was unable to kick his
career forward with the Reds. Form and injury frustrations saw him struggle
for continuity and consistency and he was eventually allowed to head out on
loan in the summer of 2012.
Brendan Rodgers decided that Carroll was not for him, as he completed a
switch to West Ham United which would ultimately be made permanent, but the
25-year-old feels he was discarded too quickly by the Liverpool management
team. He told Sky Sports on his time at Anfield: "Obviously it wasn't what I
wanted. I went there and I wanted to kick on. "I had problems with injuries
and was playing one game out of three and never really got going. If I did
get going, my career at Liverpool, I would still be there now. It didn't,
now I'm here and I'm happy."
Pressed again on whether, after 18 minutes of football under Rodgers, he
deserved more time in which to impress a new manager, Carroll added: "I
think so. I was away with England at the time and I felt that I was good and
confident about coming back to Liverpool and showing what I'm about. "I
never really got the chance and was told to leave. That's why I 'm here."
Carroll admits he was also left confused by Rodgers' claims that he would be
unable to form a little-and-large partnership with this season's top Premier
League marksman Luis Suarez - a man signed in the same transfer window: "He
did tell me that it could work, and then when I was leaving he was telling
me other things. I was a bit disillusioned about that as well. But that's
another thing. I think it could have worked, and I was getting told it could
work from him."
Carroll is now looking to leave his Liverpool days behind him, as he
prepares for a reunion with his former employers at Upton Park on Sunday,
and hopes his end of season form - in what has been an injury-ravaged
campaign - will earn him a place in the England squad destined for Brazil
this summer. He added: "I'm feeling fresh. I've missed all of the season, so
if anyone is raring to go it's me. It's like the start of the season for me.
"I got injured and then suspended, so I've missed a lot of games. I just
need to work hard, score goals and put myself about. "When I was away, I
wasn't on the pitch, I wasn't at the training ground, I was away from it all
and I was so hungry to get back. "Now I'm back, it feels like I've done my
pre-season at Christmas. I'm just starting. I don't want the season to end."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CARRICK COMING HOME?
By Sean Whetstone 4 Apr 2014 at 20:05
West Ham Till I Die
There are rumours circulating this evening that Michael Carrick maybe
considering a return to West Ham this summer just as his old Academy team
mate Joe Cole looks likely to depart. Carrick has just a year left to run on
his contract with Manchester United but it is understood agreement could be
reached between the two clubs without any significant money changing hands.
Carrick played 136 league games for West Ham before joining Spurs in 2005
for £3.5 million. He was later sold to Manchester United in a deal worth
£18.6m.
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Saturday, April 5
Thursday, April 3
Daily WHUFC News - 3rd April 2014
'Football can be part of a lovely day'
WHUFC.com
LLDC Executive Paul Brickell played host to Carlton Cole and Matt Jarvis at
the Olympic Park
02.04.2014
Lifelong West Ham United fan and London Legacy Development Corporation
executive Paul Brickell was on hand to show Hammers duo Carlton Cole and
Matt Jarvis the spectacular surrounds that await them come 2016. Ahead of
Saturday's grand opening of the newly-landscaped south section of Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park, Mr Brickell, executive director of regeneration and
community partnerships, spoke of his excitement as legacy momentum continues
to gather pace. Mr Brickell, himself a Hammers Season Ticket Holder, expects
the Park to prove a huge hit with locals young and old, none more so than
when the West Ham family join the party two years down the line. He told
West Ham TV: "The whole south Park area is going to be a very fun place to
be. On the day that we open, next Saturday, acrobats will fly off the top of
the Orbit and that's the sense of what this place will be weekend in,
weekend out, day in, day out, but then with these other amazing
facilities."The London Aquatic Centre has only been open for three or four
weeks now and has been enormously popular. This is just an amazing place
that brings together fun for families, with serious sports. Whether it's
football, swimming, athletics or cycling, it will carry that Olympic thing
of come along and have fun, but also maybe get inspired and find something
that you can do for the rest of your life.
"You begin to see how you could have the family day out here. Not everybody
has to come to the football match, or you can come and spend the morning in
the Park, go to the game and then have something to eat and drink. I think
there are 70 restaurants in Westfield, for example. That's why it's not
difficult to see that the Stadium will be filled week in, week out, because
even if you haven't come just for the football, the football can be part of
a lovely day."
For Mr Brickell, however, his influence and ambition extends far beyond the
Park, with the plan having always been to use the Olympic legacy as a tool
to regenerate and boost east London and its many communities. He continued:
"The Park is fantastic, but we've always seen the Park as part of a new part
of London. Some of it came before the Park, Westfield shopping centre came
with tens of thousands of jobs and employment was one of the key reasons
that we wanted this here. We wanted to give local people, local young people
particularly, the chance to work here. "We've had a very large number of
people working during the construction phase and a lot of apprentices,
who've started their careers in construction here. Now as we move into the
venues being active and the Park's management, all of that work is local
jobs and apprenticeships making sure people get a good start in their
career. "So one of the things that I'm doing is making sure that we get
every ounce of benefit out of the Park for the communities in and around it,
which, in time, will lead onto the new homes that we've started to build."
Much of that benefit will hopefully come from the Olympic Stadium, which
will first open for the Rugby World Cup in 2015, prior to the Hammers taking
up residency the following summer. Mr Brickell, who has been watching his
beloved Hammers for some 46 years, is already eyeing up his seat in the
Club's new home. "We already have a sense of what it will be like from the
Olympic Games, an enormous cauldron of noise and it's going to be like that
only more intense," he added. "Many of us just can't wait to get in there.
"I'm a Season Ticket Holder in the Alpari Lower and I keep saying to the
guys who are designing the Stadium - I know it'll probably be in mid-air -
but show me the best seats so that I can get in there early!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers welcome Park opening
WHUFc.com
The south of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is to open to the general
public on Saturday
02.04.2014
West Ham United are pleased to herald this week's complete re-opening of the
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the spectacular setting to house the Hammers
from 2016. West Ham are to take up occupancy of the Olympic Stadium in
little more than two years' time, in a Park that is now the dynamic
epicentre of east London's regeneration. As of 10am on Saturday 5 April, the
the newly-landscaped south of the Park will open its doors to the general
public for the first time since the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Designed
by James Corner Field Operations, the south of the Park features an
action-packed adventure playground, interactive water fountains and four
themed walking trails exploring the key sights of London 2012. The
ArcelorMittal Orbit, the United Kingdom's tallest sculpture at 114.5 metres,
is to open for business too, offering an entirely new perspective of London
and unrivalled views of the Park. Together with eight iconic Olympic venues,
the beautiful parklands and waterways amount to the perfect day-out
destination and one that Vice-Chairman Karren Brady CBE believes will
greatly enhance the Hammers' matchday experience when they take up residence
in the Olympic Stadium. The Vice-Chairman said: "The full re-opening of
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park marks another major milestone in the
regeneration of this part of east London following the hugely successful
Olympic Games in 2012. "Everyone at West Ham United is excited and proud
about playing their part in securing this lasting legacy from the Games as
we make the stunning new Park our home from 2016. We always knew that the
Park would provide a spectacular setting for West Ham supporters to enjoy as
part of their unique matchday experience. It will become an unrivalled
London and worldwide destination and an unforgettable day out for them and
their families. "In addition to the global appeal of Premier League
football, visitors to the park can walk in the footsteps of those who made
the summer of 2012 truly unforgettable, while admiring some of the most
iconic buildings in the world. "West Ham United's presence will help ensure
a long-term and viable future for the Park, as we bring over a million
visitors a year as well as creating at least 700 new jobs for local people.
We are now looking forward to working with the residents and businesses that
will also call the Park their home to make sure the Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park is a destination people from all over the world will want to visit."
Club-record signing Andy Carroll - one of three players to visit the Park on
Wednesday afternoon - is excited by what the Park has to offer and is
certain that West Ham fans will fully embrace it. The Park's opening serves
as a timely reminder of all that the Hammers have to look forward to and
Carroll can hardly wait to make Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park home. He told
whufc.com: "I'm sure the public are thrilled that it's all open now and will
love going there. I could definitely imagine taking my family and when the
sun's out the Park will be absolutely buzzing! "We've basically got a brand
new fan park on our own doorstep and I think our fans will have a great time
there. There's loads to do, loads to see and it's just a great place all
round to hang out. Not many, if any Clubs can boast those sorts of
surroundings. "The scale of that fantastic Stadium and its surrounds are
inspiring and I'm looking forward to taking another look on Wednesday
afternoon."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble's delight at Hammers form
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble says the Hammers have come a long way
since Christmas
02.04.2014
Mark Noble believes the way West Ham United have turned their 2013/14
campaign around should be applauded. Following the 2-1 defeat at Fulham on
New Year's Day, the Hammers sat second bottom of the Barclays Premier League
table, with just 15 points from 20 games. Having now gained a further 22
points from their last twelve outings, Noble and his teammates now occupy a
much healthier eleventh position. Indeed, Monday's 2-1 victory at Sunderland
pushed them eleven points clear of the drop zone and Noble is thrilled with
the Londoners' run of form. He explained: "The win on Monday put us on 37
points and that's great for the Club. I thought we played well at Sunderland
- we defended really well and they had to make the substitutions to change
the game. "I think you have to look back at the position we were in around
Christmas time. We were second from bottom at one point and now we've shown
to everyone what we can do. We got ourselves together from what happened
against Hull, even though we won the game it was a disappointing from us,
and the fans were unbelievable on Monday. "To have that support all the way
up to Sunderland on a Monday night was unreal and we deserved the win. "It's
going to be tough to match last year's tally - we need to win three more
games. It's still possible, we know that, but after where we were at
Christmas when I would watch TV and people would say we're getting
relegated, to turn it around the way we have done has been fantastic. "We've
got six games to go, we want to give a good account of ourselves and our aim
is to come tenth."
The Hammers had to withstand a strong Sunderland fightback in the second
period after goals from Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame put them 2-0 up and
the No16 was happy with the resolute display. He continued: "That's what's
going to happen at this stage of the season when teams are so desperate for
the win. We had chances to go three up, we didn't take them, and we held on
in the end. "That's what we've done a lot this season - gone ahead, defended
as a team and tried to break. We were over the moon to win - it was a long
way home and to have to do that without a win would have been disappointing.
We've put another cushion in and obviously we've got two tough games coming
up so to get those two wins was massive for us."
Noble supplied Carroll's opener with a pinpoint corner and he says having a
player like the big Geordie to aim for makes his job an easy one. He added:
"We had a debate in training on the morning of the game! We always have an
argument over where the ball's got to go but I did remind him that I've
given him two assists in four games now. "When you play with someone like
that you know you can put the ball in that area and he's going to attack it.
That's what he did and it was another good header."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing - The Big Interview
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing was thrilled to win on his return to the north east on
Monday
02.04.2014
Stewart Downing was happy to play his part as the Hammers secured
back-to-back Barclays Premier League wins for the second time in as many
months.
Relegation-threatened Sunderland were beaten 2-1 by West Ham United on
Monday evening, with one-time Black Cats loanee Downing enjoying his return
his his native north east.
Stewart, how big a win was that on Monday?
SD: "Very big. Hull was maybe a bigger win but obviously going to
Sunderland, they had to come at us and I think we defended quite well at
times, especially towards the end. We could have made it more comfortable -
I had a chance and Andy had a volley - we could have been out of sight, so
we made it hard for ourselves but it was a good win."
It's actually two wins in a row, so you're really flying at the moment...
SD: "It's been the story of our season really. We got four wins in a row in
February, then we lost three before winning these two, so it was important
for us [to return to form]."
For that first goal, Andy Carroll did what Andy Carroll does. It was a great
header, wasn't it?
SD: "It was a tremendous header. We work on things like that to target Andy
at set pieces. It was a great leap and a great header. It's a good goal for
him and he wants to get as many goals as he can to get picked for the World
Cup."
When things are going well, they go well, and you got a bit of luck with the
penalty shout and for the deflection on the second goal, but they all count.
SD: "They all count and at the start of the season they were going in
against us. We were due a bit of luck, we've dug in there and stuck at it to
get our rewards. I know there was a big of a deflection on the goal but we
deserved it."
Your old mate Adam Johnson got one at the other end, how frustrated were you
as a team not to keep a clean sheet?
SD: "I think we were. Credit to Johnno, it was a great goal, but defensively
from us it was poor as we should have closed him down and not let him get in
that area. We made it difficult for ourselves because we let them back in
the game, but I had that chance just before when the keeper touched it
around the post. We could have been out of sight, but the game's never over
until the end,"
Are you safe from relegation now?
SD: "These were two massive wins for us, it gives us a little bit of
breathing space, but I wouldn't say we're out of sight. For us the target is
to finish as high as we can, we're not just sitting happily now because
we've got 37 points. We want to get as many more points as we can before the
end of the season. Liverpool is a big game at the weekend, we can do other
teams a favour and ourselves a favour by getting into that top ten
position."
A big game for you personally too next...
SD: "It's nice to play against your old teams and I'm sure Andy and Joe Cole
are looking forward to it. We're in for that top ten spot and it's tight, so
we want to do ourselves and the other teams a favour."
They're flying at the moment, so you'll have to be on your mettle.
SD: "Yes, their forward line is frightening at the minute. The goals are
coming from everywhere, but we'll make it hard for them at our place. When I
was playing for Liverpool it was always hard against West Ham at Upton Park.
It's going to be difficult, but a good win on Monday breeds confidence and
we fancy ourselves against anyone at home."
Tell us about your chance in the second half. Did you think it was in?
SD: "I should have scored if I'm honest. The keeper stood up until late, and
I think he's tipped it - I'm not sure whether it would have hit the post or
gone in. I should have scored and that would have put us out of sight. It
wasn't to be, but the main thing was we won the game.
It felt like you were in the thick of things. Did you enjoy it?
SD: "I very much enjoyed it. It was a good tussle with Alonso and it was a
quite high energy game, up and down. I was going one way and he was going
the other, but it was a big win. There was a lot of pressure on them to
attack us and we defended well.
We saw the defensive side of your game too, flying up and down that wing and
doing the hard yards.
SD: "You have to do that in this position, especially with the way they were
set up. Alonso was playing quite high and the manager said you have to track
him. They tried to expose us, but in a way it was a plus for us, because we
had acres of space out wide. We capitalised on it and it was a great win for
us.
The goal hasn't quite come for you this evening, but are you confident it
will eventually?
SD: "The goals will come. The main thing for me is playing well, that's why
I came here - to play regularly and do well. As long as the team's winning
the goals are a bonus, but hopefully I'll get a couple before the end of the
season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Levy hatches Boleyn bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 2nd April 2014
By: Staff Writer
It has been claimed that Tottenham tried to buy the Boleyn Ground from West
Ham earlier this year. Apparently it's not a late April Fools joke, but our
friends from north London attempted to buy the Upton Park-based stadium in
order that they may play there during the 2016/17 whilst their new ground is
being built.
The Daily Mail claim that Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy's bid to buy the
stadium was immediately rejected - with the club's home of 109 years
eventually sold to Loughton-based property developer Galliard Group for
considerably less than Spurs offered to pay. Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy's
ludicrous bid would almost certainly have signalled the end of plans to turn
the area into a homage to former West Ham greats. Had been been allowed to
purchase the ground, it would almost certainly have been sold to the highest
bidder once Tottenham move back into their new stadium, rather than one keen
to work with West Ham in order to maintain a lasting legacy to the club in
the area. Speaking about the sale of the ground to the Galliard Group last
month, vice chair Karren Brady said: "Most importantly for us, Galliard are
passionate about working with West Ham United to engage their supporters to
help deliver a fitting legacy that will honour the tradition of the famous
ground. "We are confident that West Ham United fans will be excited about
their vision and the way they plan to respect more than 100 years of West
Ham history at Upton Park."
West Ham are set to move to the 54,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in time for
the start of the 2016/17 season, less than three years from now. Tottenham
hope that their new 56,000-capacity stadium - which is yet to be ratified -
will be open for business a year later, in the summer of 2017.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan says Sam Allardyce is best man for West Ham
Last Updated: 02/04/14 8:46am
SSN
Kevin Nolan believes Sam Allardyce remains the best manager to take West Ham
United forward and push them into Europe. The Hammers have endured a testing
2013/14 campaign, with inconsistencies leaving them sweating on their
Premier League status at various stages. A 2-1 victory over Sunderland on
Monday would appear to have ended any lingering doubts regarding their
top-flight standing, with an 11-point gap opened up on the bottom three. The
Upton Park outfit now have their sights set on a top-half finish, with the
club determined to look upwards rather than over their shoulder. "If he's
given the armoury he wants, he can build a team that will be challenging for
Europe - and doing it the right way."
Kevin Nolan
Nolan is convinced that Allardyce, who was disappointed to see his side
jeered by their own supporters following a recent 2-1 victory over Hull
City, can guide the club into a brighter future, with there no reason why
they cannot be pushing the top six in the years to come. He said in the
Daily Star: "Of course he's had a difficult week. "With all the online stuff
that goes on, it can go really stupid. But Sam's got a good rapport with the
fans and I think they know that he knows what he's doing. "If he's given the
armoury he wants, he can build a team that will be challenging for Europe -
and doing it the right way. "You only have to look back at what we had at
Bolton, when he was given the ammunition to go on and the situation he got
us in. "We qualified for Europe twice and when he left, they struggled."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SPURS TOLD 'HANDS OFF THE BOLEYN GROUND!'
By Sean Whetstone 2 Apr 2014 at 13:14
West Ham Till I Die
Yesterday Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail revealed Spurs failed with
ambitious bid to buy the Boleyn Ground Park from West Ham. I initially
dismissed this story as an April Fools joke but now I can confirm it is 100%
true. David Kent has published a follow up article in the Daily Mail today
which can be read HERE
Samuel says in his column: "Before agreeing the sale of Upton Park to the
Galliard Group, West Ham United had an interesting counter-offer. Tottenham
Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy was very keen on purchasing the ground for the
2016-17 season, when West Ham relocate to the Olympic Stadium. It appears
Tottenham's move to their new ground from White Hart Lane may not unfold as
smoothly as hoped. There are still compulsory purchase issues causing delays
and fears temporary accommodation may be required, for a season at least.
Levy believes Wembley is too costly and problematic to fill, and the notion
of ground-sharing the Emirates Stadium would probably cause a riot. Buying
the Boleyn Ground, getting the necessary use from it, and then selling it
on, seemed an ideal solution. With one problem: West Ham said no, and then
sold elsewhere. Tottenham's difficulties extend beyond the calls to be made
on the manager, team and structure."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
INTERVIEW WITH KENNY BROWN
By ExWHUemployee 2 Apr 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Kenny was a popular player in the 90s and is best remembered for his winning
goal against Manchester United which prevented them from becoming champions
that year. He was a reliable and versatile fullback who always gave his all
for the club. Following in his father's footsteps in playing for the club,
he never let us down when called upon.
You were signed by club legend Billy Bonds in 1991 whilst playing for
Plymouth Argyle, how did the transfer come about?
I was out of contract at Plymouth but it was before the Bosman ruling so I
started pre-season there. Dad had a chance meeting with Billy Bonds and he
asked how I was. Billy said West Ham had a lot of injuries and were looking
to bring someone in on loan. They made the call and obviously I was up the
M5/M4 like a shot!
Was it initially hard to follow in your father's footsteps at the club?
No not at all. After a week I felt I had been there for years. Everyone made
me feel at home and it was an honour to follow in Dad's footsteps.
You are best remembered for your goal against Manchester United to help stop
them winning the league, what are your memories from that game?
Under the lights, electric atmosphere and a full house. We were all but
relegated but the fans were behind us straight from kick off. Ludo was never
going to concede and we got the break with the goal - a great night after a
disappointing season.
You managed to notch 5 goals in 63 appearances for the club, which isn't a
bad record for a defender, how did this happen?
We played with wing-backs when I first came and I was given license to join
the attack whenever possible. I also filled in at left-back a few times
which encouraged me to come in on my right and shoot more.
Do you have any other games that stand out in your mind other than the
Manchester United match and why?
Aston Villa at home again under the lights when I scored my favourite goal
for West Ham in a 3-1 win, and for different reasons Notts County away in
92/93 season. I lost my mum on the Wednesday and Bill and the staff were the
only people who knew. Bill asked if I wanted to play on the Saturday, I did
and we drew 0-0 but it was an emotional experience.
There were many great characters at West Ham in the 90s. Who were you
particularly close to and do you keep in touch with any of the players now?
We were a really close group of players but there were a few of us that
knocked around together: Bish, Keith Rowland, Michael Hughes, Julian and
Hutch had some great times on and off the pitch. Both Hutch & Rowley lived
with me for quite a while. I'm still in touch with nearly all the players
from that era.
Are there any particular funny stories from the training ground that you can
share?
Really too many to pick one but they normally always involved Bish, Moncs or
Martin Allen.
You left the club to join Birmingham City. How did the move come about and
did you want to leave at this time?
I wanted to play more and Birmingham came in for me to go on loan. Mike
Newell had joined us from them and said it was a shambles. I went anyway and
enjoyed playing every week for the month. They then agreed a fee to sign me
permanently and I went. Within another month I knew I had made a mistake. I
lasted 4 months before Billy took me to Millwall!
After leaving West Ham, you played for a number of clubs, including
Millwall, was it hard to turn out for one of our greatest rivals?
I actually enjoyed my time at Millwall. It helped that Bill was the manager,
Patsy Holland was his assistant and Paul Allen was there as well. Also by
the time the abuse got to me it was a bit diluted!
Since retiring from playing you have had a few spells in management and
coaching. Have there been any particular highlights?
I have managed and played in the Champions League, played, managed, coached
and was director of football while in Spain and worked with Julian Dicks
again at Grays Athletic.
What do you currently do now?
I'm now u/16 manager at Dagenham & Redbridge and lead development coach for
the 12's to 16's
This is a very hard question to answer but could you pick the Best West Ham
11 that you played with?
Ludo, Potts, Bilic, Gale, Dicks, Keen, Moncur, Bishop, Hughes, Hutchison,
Mcavennie subs: Breaker, Allen, Cottee, Morley, Robson
Do you still follow West Ham and what do you make of our current team and
prospects?
Yes, it's the first result I look for. I think we will stay up but would
like to see a bit more imagination in our attacking play. We have always had
an iconic number 10 and would like to see one to go with the resilience
that's obviously instilled in the current team.
Is there any message you would like to leave for the West Ham fans reading
this?
It was a privilege and honour to play for West Ham United and I have my
fondest memories in football from my time there. The fans were, and still
are, great to me and that means a lot from a player who had limited talent
but always gave 100%. I think the fans could relate to that. COYI
I would agree with Kenny, he always gave 100% and wore the shirt with pride,
something that all us fans love to see. Thanks for the interview Kenny and
thanks for the memories
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham begin planning summer transfers after Sunderland win that surely
keeps them up
Apr 01, 2014 22:30 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
West Ham have started planning for next season following Monday night's win
at Sunderland. The east Londoners now have 37 points, which is anticipated
to be enough for them to avoid relegation, and are looking to make "at least
three and a maximum of five" summer signings, with the emphasis on quality.
They could revisit moves for former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan -
currently playing for UAE club Al Ain - and Fenerbahce's ex-Liverpool
midfielder Raul Meireles. They will not, however, be in the market for
Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha, who is currently on loan at Cardiff.
The Hammers were linked with Zaha last summer but Sam Allardyce is
understood to have been unimpressed with 21-year-old's contribution to
Cardiff's fight against relegation. West Ham are set to clear the decks,
with a string of players - including Joe Cole, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Matt
Taylor - approaching the end of their contracts,
Italy internationals Marco Borriello and Antonio Nocerino will return to
parent clubs Roma and AC Milan when their loans expire at the end of the
season. Fringe players such as Ricardo Vaz Te, Modibo Maiga (curently on
loan at QPR) and Alou Diarra will also be moved on. Joint-chairman David
Gold has defended Allardyce after disgruntled fans continued to criticise
the Hammers boss even after Monday's win at the Stadium of Light. Gold
insisted one supporter needed to see an optician if he could not see the
significance of the three points. He tweeted: "We are now safe." But one fan
hit back: "Got the result but so bad to watch!" Defiant Gold responded: "I
think it's time for you to see a doctor or may be Specsavers."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFC.com
LLDC Executive Paul Brickell played host to Carlton Cole and Matt Jarvis at
the Olympic Park
02.04.2014
Lifelong West Ham United fan and London Legacy Development Corporation
executive Paul Brickell was on hand to show Hammers duo Carlton Cole and
Matt Jarvis the spectacular surrounds that await them come 2016. Ahead of
Saturday's grand opening of the newly-landscaped south section of Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park, Mr Brickell, executive director of regeneration and
community partnerships, spoke of his excitement as legacy momentum continues
to gather pace. Mr Brickell, himself a Hammers Season Ticket Holder, expects
the Park to prove a huge hit with locals young and old, none more so than
when the West Ham family join the party two years down the line. He told
West Ham TV: "The whole south Park area is going to be a very fun place to
be. On the day that we open, next Saturday, acrobats will fly off the top of
the Orbit and that's the sense of what this place will be weekend in,
weekend out, day in, day out, but then with these other amazing
facilities."The London Aquatic Centre has only been open for three or four
weeks now and has been enormously popular. This is just an amazing place
that brings together fun for families, with serious sports. Whether it's
football, swimming, athletics or cycling, it will carry that Olympic thing
of come along and have fun, but also maybe get inspired and find something
that you can do for the rest of your life.
"You begin to see how you could have the family day out here. Not everybody
has to come to the football match, or you can come and spend the morning in
the Park, go to the game and then have something to eat and drink. I think
there are 70 restaurants in Westfield, for example. That's why it's not
difficult to see that the Stadium will be filled week in, week out, because
even if you haven't come just for the football, the football can be part of
a lovely day."
For Mr Brickell, however, his influence and ambition extends far beyond the
Park, with the plan having always been to use the Olympic legacy as a tool
to regenerate and boost east London and its many communities. He continued:
"The Park is fantastic, but we've always seen the Park as part of a new part
of London. Some of it came before the Park, Westfield shopping centre came
with tens of thousands of jobs and employment was one of the key reasons
that we wanted this here. We wanted to give local people, local young people
particularly, the chance to work here. "We've had a very large number of
people working during the construction phase and a lot of apprentices,
who've started their careers in construction here. Now as we move into the
venues being active and the Park's management, all of that work is local
jobs and apprenticeships making sure people get a good start in their
career. "So one of the things that I'm doing is making sure that we get
every ounce of benefit out of the Park for the communities in and around it,
which, in time, will lead onto the new homes that we've started to build."
Much of that benefit will hopefully come from the Olympic Stadium, which
will first open for the Rugby World Cup in 2015, prior to the Hammers taking
up residency the following summer. Mr Brickell, who has been watching his
beloved Hammers for some 46 years, is already eyeing up his seat in the
Club's new home. "We already have a sense of what it will be like from the
Olympic Games, an enormous cauldron of noise and it's going to be like that
only more intense," he added. "Many of us just can't wait to get in there.
"I'm a Season Ticket Holder in the Alpari Lower and I keep saying to the
guys who are designing the Stadium - I know it'll probably be in mid-air -
but show me the best seats so that I can get in there early!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers welcome Park opening
WHUFc.com
The south of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is to open to the general
public on Saturday
02.04.2014
West Ham United are pleased to herald this week's complete re-opening of the
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the spectacular setting to house the Hammers
from 2016. West Ham are to take up occupancy of the Olympic Stadium in
little more than two years' time, in a Park that is now the dynamic
epicentre of east London's regeneration. As of 10am on Saturday 5 April, the
the newly-landscaped south of the Park will open its doors to the general
public for the first time since the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Designed
by James Corner Field Operations, the south of the Park features an
action-packed adventure playground, interactive water fountains and four
themed walking trails exploring the key sights of London 2012. The
ArcelorMittal Orbit, the United Kingdom's tallest sculpture at 114.5 metres,
is to open for business too, offering an entirely new perspective of London
and unrivalled views of the Park. Together with eight iconic Olympic venues,
the beautiful parklands and waterways amount to the perfect day-out
destination and one that Vice-Chairman Karren Brady CBE believes will
greatly enhance the Hammers' matchday experience when they take up residence
in the Olympic Stadium. The Vice-Chairman said: "The full re-opening of
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park marks another major milestone in the
regeneration of this part of east London following the hugely successful
Olympic Games in 2012. "Everyone at West Ham United is excited and proud
about playing their part in securing this lasting legacy from the Games as
we make the stunning new Park our home from 2016. We always knew that the
Park would provide a spectacular setting for West Ham supporters to enjoy as
part of their unique matchday experience. It will become an unrivalled
London and worldwide destination and an unforgettable day out for them and
their families. "In addition to the global appeal of Premier League
football, visitors to the park can walk in the footsteps of those who made
the summer of 2012 truly unforgettable, while admiring some of the most
iconic buildings in the world. "West Ham United's presence will help ensure
a long-term and viable future for the Park, as we bring over a million
visitors a year as well as creating at least 700 new jobs for local people.
We are now looking forward to working with the residents and businesses that
will also call the Park their home to make sure the Queen Elizabeth Olympic
Park is a destination people from all over the world will want to visit."
Club-record signing Andy Carroll - one of three players to visit the Park on
Wednesday afternoon - is excited by what the Park has to offer and is
certain that West Ham fans will fully embrace it. The Park's opening serves
as a timely reminder of all that the Hammers have to look forward to and
Carroll can hardly wait to make Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park home. He told
whufc.com: "I'm sure the public are thrilled that it's all open now and will
love going there. I could definitely imagine taking my family and when the
sun's out the Park will be absolutely buzzing! "We've basically got a brand
new fan park on our own doorstep and I think our fans will have a great time
there. There's loads to do, loads to see and it's just a great place all
round to hang out. Not many, if any Clubs can boast those sorts of
surroundings. "The scale of that fantastic Stadium and its surrounds are
inspiring and I'm looking forward to taking another look on Wednesday
afternoon."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble's delight at Hammers form
WHUFC.com
West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble says the Hammers have come a long way
since Christmas
02.04.2014
Mark Noble believes the way West Ham United have turned their 2013/14
campaign around should be applauded. Following the 2-1 defeat at Fulham on
New Year's Day, the Hammers sat second bottom of the Barclays Premier League
table, with just 15 points from 20 games. Having now gained a further 22
points from their last twelve outings, Noble and his teammates now occupy a
much healthier eleventh position. Indeed, Monday's 2-1 victory at Sunderland
pushed them eleven points clear of the drop zone and Noble is thrilled with
the Londoners' run of form. He explained: "The win on Monday put us on 37
points and that's great for the Club. I thought we played well at Sunderland
- we defended really well and they had to make the substitutions to change
the game. "I think you have to look back at the position we were in around
Christmas time. We were second from bottom at one point and now we've shown
to everyone what we can do. We got ourselves together from what happened
against Hull, even though we won the game it was a disappointing from us,
and the fans were unbelievable on Monday. "To have that support all the way
up to Sunderland on a Monday night was unreal and we deserved the win. "It's
going to be tough to match last year's tally - we need to win three more
games. It's still possible, we know that, but after where we were at
Christmas when I would watch TV and people would say we're getting
relegated, to turn it around the way we have done has been fantastic. "We've
got six games to go, we want to give a good account of ourselves and our aim
is to come tenth."
The Hammers had to withstand a strong Sunderland fightback in the second
period after goals from Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame put them 2-0 up and
the No16 was happy with the resolute display. He continued: "That's what's
going to happen at this stage of the season when teams are so desperate for
the win. We had chances to go three up, we didn't take them, and we held on
in the end. "That's what we've done a lot this season - gone ahead, defended
as a team and tried to break. We were over the moon to win - it was a long
way home and to have to do that without a win would have been disappointing.
We've put another cushion in and obviously we've got two tough games coming
up so to get those two wins was massive for us."
Noble supplied Carroll's opener with a pinpoint corner and he says having a
player like the big Geordie to aim for makes his job an easy one. He added:
"We had a debate in training on the morning of the game! We always have an
argument over where the ball's got to go but I did remind him that I've
given him two assists in four games now. "When you play with someone like
that you know you can put the ball in that area and he's going to attack it.
That's what he did and it was another good header."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stewart Downing - The Big Interview
WHUFC.com
Stewart Downing was thrilled to win on his return to the north east on
Monday
02.04.2014
Stewart Downing was happy to play his part as the Hammers secured
back-to-back Barclays Premier League wins for the second time in as many
months.
Relegation-threatened Sunderland were beaten 2-1 by West Ham United on
Monday evening, with one-time Black Cats loanee Downing enjoying his return
his his native north east.
Stewart, how big a win was that on Monday?
SD: "Very big. Hull was maybe a bigger win but obviously going to
Sunderland, they had to come at us and I think we defended quite well at
times, especially towards the end. We could have made it more comfortable -
I had a chance and Andy had a volley - we could have been out of sight, so
we made it hard for ourselves but it was a good win."
It's actually two wins in a row, so you're really flying at the moment...
SD: "It's been the story of our season really. We got four wins in a row in
February, then we lost three before winning these two, so it was important
for us [to return to form]."
For that first goal, Andy Carroll did what Andy Carroll does. It was a great
header, wasn't it?
SD: "It was a tremendous header. We work on things like that to target Andy
at set pieces. It was a great leap and a great header. It's a good goal for
him and he wants to get as many goals as he can to get picked for the World
Cup."
When things are going well, they go well, and you got a bit of luck with the
penalty shout and for the deflection on the second goal, but they all count.
SD: "They all count and at the start of the season they were going in
against us. We were due a bit of luck, we've dug in there and stuck at it to
get our rewards. I know there was a big of a deflection on the goal but we
deserved it."
Your old mate Adam Johnson got one at the other end, how frustrated were you
as a team not to keep a clean sheet?
SD: "I think we were. Credit to Johnno, it was a great goal, but defensively
from us it was poor as we should have closed him down and not let him get in
that area. We made it difficult for ourselves because we let them back in
the game, but I had that chance just before when the keeper touched it
around the post. We could have been out of sight, but the game's never over
until the end,"
Are you safe from relegation now?
SD: "These were two massive wins for us, it gives us a little bit of
breathing space, but I wouldn't say we're out of sight. For us the target is
to finish as high as we can, we're not just sitting happily now because
we've got 37 points. We want to get as many more points as we can before the
end of the season. Liverpool is a big game at the weekend, we can do other
teams a favour and ourselves a favour by getting into that top ten
position."
A big game for you personally too next...
SD: "It's nice to play against your old teams and I'm sure Andy and Joe Cole
are looking forward to it. We're in for that top ten spot and it's tight, so
we want to do ourselves and the other teams a favour."
They're flying at the moment, so you'll have to be on your mettle.
SD: "Yes, their forward line is frightening at the minute. The goals are
coming from everywhere, but we'll make it hard for them at our place. When I
was playing for Liverpool it was always hard against West Ham at Upton Park.
It's going to be difficult, but a good win on Monday breeds confidence and
we fancy ourselves against anyone at home."
Tell us about your chance in the second half. Did you think it was in?
SD: "I should have scored if I'm honest. The keeper stood up until late, and
I think he's tipped it - I'm not sure whether it would have hit the post or
gone in. I should have scored and that would have put us out of sight. It
wasn't to be, but the main thing was we won the game.
It felt like you were in the thick of things. Did you enjoy it?
SD: "I very much enjoyed it. It was a good tussle with Alonso and it was a
quite high energy game, up and down. I was going one way and he was going
the other, but it was a big win. There was a lot of pressure on them to
attack us and we defended well.
We saw the defensive side of your game too, flying up and down that wing and
doing the hard yards.
SD: "You have to do that in this position, especially with the way they were
set up. Alonso was playing quite high and the manager said you have to track
him. They tried to expose us, but in a way it was a plus for us, because we
had acres of space out wide. We capitalised on it and it was a great win for
us.
The goal hasn't quite come for you this evening, but are you confident it
will eventually?
SD: "The goals will come. The main thing for me is playing well, that's why
I came here - to play regularly and do well. As long as the team's winning
the goals are a bonus, but hopefully I'll get a couple before the end of the
season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Levy hatches Boleyn bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 2nd April 2014
By: Staff Writer
It has been claimed that Tottenham tried to buy the Boleyn Ground from West
Ham earlier this year. Apparently it's not a late April Fools joke, but our
friends from north London attempted to buy the Upton Park-based stadium in
order that they may play there during the 2016/17 whilst their new ground is
being built.
The Daily Mail claim that Tottenham Chairman Daniel Levy's bid to buy the
stadium was immediately rejected - with the club's home of 109 years
eventually sold to Loughton-based property developer Galliard Group for
considerably less than Spurs offered to pay. Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy's
ludicrous bid would almost certainly have signalled the end of plans to turn
the area into a homage to former West Ham greats. Had been been allowed to
purchase the ground, it would almost certainly have been sold to the highest
bidder once Tottenham move back into their new stadium, rather than one keen
to work with West Ham in order to maintain a lasting legacy to the club in
the area. Speaking about the sale of the ground to the Galliard Group last
month, vice chair Karren Brady said: "Most importantly for us, Galliard are
passionate about working with West Ham United to engage their supporters to
help deliver a fitting legacy that will honour the tradition of the famous
ground. "We are confident that West Ham United fans will be excited about
their vision and the way they plan to respect more than 100 years of West
Ham history at Upton Park."
West Ham are set to move to the 54,000-capacity Olympic Stadium in time for
the start of the 2016/17 season, less than three years from now. Tottenham
hope that their new 56,000-capacity stadium - which is yet to be ratified -
will be open for business a year later, in the summer of 2017.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kevin Nolan says Sam Allardyce is best man for West Ham
Last Updated: 02/04/14 8:46am
SSN
Kevin Nolan believes Sam Allardyce remains the best manager to take West Ham
United forward and push them into Europe. The Hammers have endured a testing
2013/14 campaign, with inconsistencies leaving them sweating on their
Premier League status at various stages. A 2-1 victory over Sunderland on
Monday would appear to have ended any lingering doubts regarding their
top-flight standing, with an 11-point gap opened up on the bottom three. The
Upton Park outfit now have their sights set on a top-half finish, with the
club determined to look upwards rather than over their shoulder. "If he's
given the armoury he wants, he can build a team that will be challenging for
Europe - and doing it the right way."
Kevin Nolan
Nolan is convinced that Allardyce, who was disappointed to see his side
jeered by their own supporters following a recent 2-1 victory over Hull
City, can guide the club into a brighter future, with there no reason why
they cannot be pushing the top six in the years to come. He said in the
Daily Star: "Of course he's had a difficult week. "With all the online stuff
that goes on, it can go really stupid. But Sam's got a good rapport with the
fans and I think they know that he knows what he's doing. "If he's given the
armoury he wants, he can build a team that will be challenging for Europe -
and doing it the right way. "You only have to look back at what we had at
Bolton, when he was given the ammunition to go on and the situation he got
us in. "We qualified for Europe twice and when he left, they struggled."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SPURS TOLD 'HANDS OFF THE BOLEYN GROUND!'
By Sean Whetstone 2 Apr 2014 at 13:14
West Ham Till I Die
Yesterday Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail revealed Spurs failed with
ambitious bid to buy the Boleyn Ground Park from West Ham. I initially
dismissed this story as an April Fools joke but now I can confirm it is 100%
true. David Kent has published a follow up article in the Daily Mail today
which can be read HERE
Samuel says in his column: "Before agreeing the sale of Upton Park to the
Galliard Group, West Ham United had an interesting counter-offer. Tottenham
Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy was very keen on purchasing the ground for the
2016-17 season, when West Ham relocate to the Olympic Stadium. It appears
Tottenham's move to their new ground from White Hart Lane may not unfold as
smoothly as hoped. There are still compulsory purchase issues causing delays
and fears temporary accommodation may be required, for a season at least.
Levy believes Wembley is too costly and problematic to fill, and the notion
of ground-sharing the Emirates Stadium would probably cause a riot. Buying
the Boleyn Ground, getting the necessary use from it, and then selling it
on, seemed an ideal solution. With one problem: West Ham said no, and then
sold elsewhere. Tottenham's difficulties extend beyond the calls to be made
on the manager, team and structure."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
INTERVIEW WITH KENNY BROWN
By ExWHUemployee 2 Apr 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Kenny was a popular player in the 90s and is best remembered for his winning
goal against Manchester United which prevented them from becoming champions
that year. He was a reliable and versatile fullback who always gave his all
for the club. Following in his father's footsteps in playing for the club,
he never let us down when called upon.
You were signed by club legend Billy Bonds in 1991 whilst playing for
Plymouth Argyle, how did the transfer come about?
I was out of contract at Plymouth but it was before the Bosman ruling so I
started pre-season there. Dad had a chance meeting with Billy Bonds and he
asked how I was. Billy said West Ham had a lot of injuries and were looking
to bring someone in on loan. They made the call and obviously I was up the
M5/M4 like a shot!
Was it initially hard to follow in your father's footsteps at the club?
No not at all. After a week I felt I had been there for years. Everyone made
me feel at home and it was an honour to follow in Dad's footsteps.
You are best remembered for your goal against Manchester United to help stop
them winning the league, what are your memories from that game?
Under the lights, electric atmosphere and a full house. We were all but
relegated but the fans were behind us straight from kick off. Ludo was never
going to concede and we got the break with the goal - a great night after a
disappointing season.
You managed to notch 5 goals in 63 appearances for the club, which isn't a
bad record for a defender, how did this happen?
We played with wing-backs when I first came and I was given license to join
the attack whenever possible. I also filled in at left-back a few times
which encouraged me to come in on my right and shoot more.
Do you have any other games that stand out in your mind other than the
Manchester United match and why?
Aston Villa at home again under the lights when I scored my favourite goal
for West Ham in a 3-1 win, and for different reasons Notts County away in
92/93 season. I lost my mum on the Wednesday and Bill and the staff were the
only people who knew. Bill asked if I wanted to play on the Saturday, I did
and we drew 0-0 but it was an emotional experience.
There were many great characters at West Ham in the 90s. Who were you
particularly close to and do you keep in touch with any of the players now?
We were a really close group of players but there were a few of us that
knocked around together: Bish, Keith Rowland, Michael Hughes, Julian and
Hutch had some great times on and off the pitch. Both Hutch & Rowley lived
with me for quite a while. I'm still in touch with nearly all the players
from that era.
Are there any particular funny stories from the training ground that you can
share?
Really too many to pick one but they normally always involved Bish, Moncs or
Martin Allen.
You left the club to join Birmingham City. How did the move come about and
did you want to leave at this time?
I wanted to play more and Birmingham came in for me to go on loan. Mike
Newell had joined us from them and said it was a shambles. I went anyway and
enjoyed playing every week for the month. They then agreed a fee to sign me
permanently and I went. Within another month I knew I had made a mistake. I
lasted 4 months before Billy took me to Millwall!
After leaving West Ham, you played for a number of clubs, including
Millwall, was it hard to turn out for one of our greatest rivals?
I actually enjoyed my time at Millwall. It helped that Bill was the manager,
Patsy Holland was his assistant and Paul Allen was there as well. Also by
the time the abuse got to me it was a bit diluted!
Since retiring from playing you have had a few spells in management and
coaching. Have there been any particular highlights?
I have managed and played in the Champions League, played, managed, coached
and was director of football while in Spain and worked with Julian Dicks
again at Grays Athletic.
What do you currently do now?
I'm now u/16 manager at Dagenham & Redbridge and lead development coach for
the 12's to 16's
This is a very hard question to answer but could you pick the Best West Ham
11 that you played with?
Ludo, Potts, Bilic, Gale, Dicks, Keen, Moncur, Bishop, Hughes, Hutchison,
Mcavennie subs: Breaker, Allen, Cottee, Morley, Robson
Do you still follow West Ham and what do you make of our current team and
prospects?
Yes, it's the first result I look for. I think we will stay up but would
like to see a bit more imagination in our attacking play. We have always had
an iconic number 10 and would like to see one to go with the resilience
that's obviously instilled in the current team.
Is there any message you would like to leave for the West Ham fans reading
this?
It was a privilege and honour to play for West Ham United and I have my
fondest memories in football from my time there. The fans were, and still
are, great to me and that means a lot from a player who had limited talent
but always gave 100%. I think the fans could relate to that. COYI
I would agree with Kenny, he always gave 100% and wore the shirt with pride,
something that all us fans love to see. Thanks for the interview Kenny and
thanks for the memories
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham begin planning summer transfers after Sunderland win that surely
keeps them up
Apr 01, 2014 22:30 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
West Ham have started planning for next season following Monday night's win
at Sunderland. The east Londoners now have 37 points, which is anticipated
to be enough for them to avoid relegation, and are looking to make "at least
three and a maximum of five" summer signings, with the emphasis on quality.
They could revisit moves for former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan -
currently playing for UAE club Al Ain - and Fenerbahce's ex-Liverpool
midfielder Raul Meireles. They will not, however, be in the market for
Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha, who is currently on loan at Cardiff.
The Hammers were linked with Zaha last summer but Sam Allardyce is
understood to have been unimpressed with 21-year-old's contribution to
Cardiff's fight against relegation. West Ham are set to clear the decks,
with a string of players - including Joe Cole, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Matt
Taylor - approaching the end of their contracts,
Italy internationals Marco Borriello and Antonio Nocerino will return to
parent clubs Roma and AC Milan when their loans expire at the end of the
season. Fringe players such as Ricardo Vaz Te, Modibo Maiga (curently on
loan at QPR) and Alou Diarra will also be moved on. Joint-chairman David
Gold has defended Allardyce after disgruntled fans continued to criticise
the Hammers boss even after Monday's win at the Stadium of Light. Gold
insisted one supporter needed to see an optician if he could not see the
significance of the three points. He tweeted: "We are now safe." But one fan
hit back: "Got the result but so bad to watch!" Defiant Gold responded: "I
think it's time for you to see a doctor or may be Specsavers."
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Wednesday, April 2
Daily WHUFC News - 2nd April 2014
Sir Trevor to be honoured
WHUFC.com
Sir Trevor Brooking will be the second recipient of the West Ham United's
Lifetime Achievement Award
01.04.2014
West Ham United are delighted to confirm that Sir Trevor Brooking will be
the second recipient of the Club's Lifetime Achievement Award - sponsored by
ACL.
The gifted attacking midfielder spent virtually his entire professional
career at the Boleyn Ground, making 647 first-team appearances, scoring 102
goals, including the winner in the 1980 FA Cup final and being voted Hammer
of the Year an unrivalled five times. Sir Trevor, who made his West Ham
debut at 18 in 1967 and also won the FA Cup in 1975, earned 47 England caps,
scoring for his country at Euro 1980 and appearing at the 1982 FIFA World
Cup finals. In April 2003, Sir Trevor took over for a brief but hugely
successful spell as caretaker manager, winning nine and losing just one of
the 14 matches he took charge of.
In August 2009, the Boleyn Ground's Centenary Stand was renamed the Sir
Trevor Brooking Stand in his honour. An outstanding footballer and a true
gentleman, Sir Trevor has contributed hugely to English football in recent
years, holding a variety of roles within the Football Association and Sport
England, among others. He becomes the second recipient of the Lifetime
Achievement Award, following in the footsteps of his long-time team-mate and
two-times FA Cup winning captain Billy Bonds MBE, who was presented with the
trophy in 2013.
Born in Barking on 2 October 1948 to mother Margaret and father Harry, Sir
Trevor Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and Ilford County High
School, leaving the latter with eleven O-Levels and two A-Levels. At the age
of 15, he was scouted by a number of London's top clubs, picking West Ham
because the club would allow him to complete his schooling. He joined the
Hammers in July 1965, aged 16. After graduating from the Academy of
Football, he made a first-team debut in a 3-3 Division One draw at Burnley
on 29 August 1967, five weeks short of his 19th birthday. Despite his tender
years, Sir Trevor quickly established himself in Ron Greenwood's side,
scoring eight goals in 37 games in 1967/68, including his only career
hat-trick in a 5-0 home win over Newcastle United in April 1968.
Sir Trevor was an automatic choice throughout the 1970s, with his form
attracting the attention of the great Brian Clough during his time in charge
at Derby County and later Bill Nicholson's Tottenham Hotspur. His loyalty to
the West Ham cause was rewarded in 1975, when he was part of the side which
lifted the FA Cup at Wembley courtesy of a 2-0 win over former team-mate
Bobby Moore's Fulham. Five years later, he was the hero as the Hammers
lifted the trophy again, this time as a Division Two club, stooping low to
head in Stuart Pearson's wayward shot to secure a shock 1-0 victory over
top-flight Arsenal.
In between, Sir Trevor had featured in the 1975 Charity Shield and 1976
European Cup Winners' Cup final defeats by Derby and Anderlecht
respectively.
The midfielder again illustrated his outstanding loyalty by sticking with
the Club following relegation in 1978 - despite the fact he was a current
England international. A year after his FA Cup final heroics, he returned to
Wembley for the 1981 League Cup final, only for the Hammers to be edged out
by Liverpool following a replay. Sir Trevor's 647th and final first-team
appearance for West Ham came on 18 May 1984 in a 1-0 Division One defeat by
Everton at the Boleyn Ground. After two appearances for Cork City and
Newcastle-based Blue Star in 1985, Sir Trevor hung up his boots for good.
Off the pitch, Sir Trevor married his wife Hilkka, with whom he lives in
Brentwood, in 1970 and has two children, daughter Collette and son Warren.
After holding the roles of Chairman of the Eastern Region Council for Sport
and Recreation and of Sport England, Sir Trevor joined the Football
Association as Director of Football Development - an important job he still
fills to today. He was made an MBE in 1981 and elevated to be made a CBE in
1999 before being knighted in 2004 for his services to sport. Aside from his
career in sports administration, he has also worked successfully as a media
pundit and has run the binding company Colbrook Plastics Limited with
schoolfriend Colin McGowan since 1970. Sir Trevor Brooking's Lifetime
Achievement Award will be one of a host of prestigious trophies awarded at
the 2013/14 Player Awards in Aid of the Academy.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'It's nice to be back'
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid was happy to play his part in a winning effort after returning
to the side from illness
01.04.2014
Winston Reid was delighted to make a winning return to the West Ham United
team at Sunderland on Monday night. The New Zealand international defender
made just his second start since suffering an ankle injury in October, after
overcoming a bout of sickness which ruled him out of last Wednesday's
victory over Hull City. He played a key role in helping the Hammers
withstand a late spell of Sunderland pressure, after Adam Johnson dragged
his side back into the contest, and he was thrilled that Andy Carroll and
Mohamed Diame's goals took his team to a sixth victory in nine starts. He
said: "I've had a tough couple of weeks - I was sick for a little while - so
it was nice to get out there and play again on Monday. "Obviously we've come
to a place where they needed the points too, but we came away with the win
which was really positive. "They came back with a goal and we had to hold on
and defend. At the end of the day we did that well enough and I think we can
be pleased to get another important win. "We've defended like that for most
of the season, but in the middle part of the season we had the problem with
scoring goals. Now we've changed that and we're still not conceding many and
when you're doing both those things you normally pick up points."
The three-point haul at the Stadium of Light took West Ham eleven points
clear of the Barclays Premier League drop zone and Reid has his sights on
matching last season's tenth-place finish. He added: "We've still got a lot
to aim for, we have six games left and we want to try and push as high as
possible.
"If we can pick up another few wins here and there it would be good and
hopefully we can keep the momentum going and get back to tenth where we
finished last year."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll jumping for joy
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll was in high spirits after inspiring the Hammers to victory at
the Stadium of Light
01.04.2014
Andy Carroll reckons he is well and truly back at full-tilt, after his
man-of-the-match display fired West Ham United to an excellent 2-1 Barclays
Premier League win at Sunderland on Monday evening. The Hammers' No9 rose
majestically to power home Mark Noble's ninth-minute corner, before Mohamed
Diame seized on Carroll's neat knockdown to double the visitors' advantage
five minutes after the restart. For the Gateshead-born and once Newcastle
United frontman, a telling contribution against Sunderland is all the more
special, even if it means he now owes his Mackems-supporting mother an
apology! He told whufc.com: "My mum's whole side of the family are
Sunderland fans! It's the first goal [I've scored against Sunderland]. I've
tried my hardest every time I've played against them but it's the first one
I've got against them and obviously I'm over the moon that we've got the
three points as well. "The two wins this week have been great for us. We've
done well, it's a great run and to keep that going until the end of the
season would be fantastic." As for Carroll's considerable part in the two
goals, the 25-year-old insists it owes much to the team's hard work on the
training field, even if that means the occasional squabble or two. He
continued: "What's funny about it is that we practiced set pieces in
training on Monday morning. Nobes [Noble] put in a cross that I wasn't happy
about and I told him. We had a little argument, a little discussion about
it. He said it was a good ball and I carried on saying it wasn't. "But on
Monday night he put it in there perfectly. It couldn't have got any better
and I just made a run and got on the end of it. That's obviously one of my
strengths and that's one of the main points of my game, if the ball comes in
I'm quite confident of getting on the end of it. That's just me really. It
[the second goal] is another one of our tactics, playing it into me and
getting players running off me. That's proven [its worth] again on Monday
night with the assist and Mo finishing it."
Having now started each of the Hammers' last four league outings, with two
goals to boot, Carroll is happily fighting fit and thrilled to be racking up
the minutes. "I'm feeling really good," he confirmed. I've had three 90
minutes in a week, so I couldn't be any fitter to be honest. Obviously I'm a
bit tired but we get enough rest and do the right things. All the lads are a
bit tired, as you've seen at the end, but we're working hard. "It has been
a tough season for me, not being fit, but now I've got a couple of goals, a
couple of assists and I'm feeling great."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Redknapp still leading the way
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
Harry Redknapp remains the most successful West Ham United manager in the
Premier League era. The current Queens Park Rangers manager, whose tenure at
the Boleyn Ground lasted from 1994 to 2001 tops the averages tables for
points, goals scored and goals conceded after 18 season of Premier League
football for West Ham. Of those 18 seasons, Redknapp fills the top three
slots in the Average Points per Game table with 1.50 points from the 1998/99
season - a season in which the Hammers finished in fifth spot, their highest
ever Premier League position (and joint second highest in our history).
At the other end of the scale, Avram Grant's relegated 2010/11 squad
averaged just 0.87 goals per game - one of only two seasons in which United
have averaged less than a goal per game (the other being under Franco Zola
in 2009/10) as members of the Premiership/Premier League. Redknapp also tops
the Average Goals chart with the 1.47 goals per game achieved in the 1997/98
season, a year in which West Ham finished in eighth place, edging his
1999/00 record (1.45 goals per game) into second place.
Alan Pardew, with an average of 1.37 is the only other manager to trouble
the top four spots - although the current Newcastle boss is also partly
responsible for West Ham's worst average, with just 0.92 goals scored per
game in the Great Escape season of 2006/07. 67-year-old Redknapp also takes
the top two places in the Average Goals Conceded chart for the 1994/95 (just
1.14 goals per game) and 1996/97 seasons (1.26) - with current incumbent Sam
Allardyce in third place for the current 2013/14 campaign*.
Once again Avram Grant brings up the rear with 1.82 goals conceded per game
in the 2010/11 relegation season, the first full season after David Gold and
David Sullivan purchased the Club.
Allardyce, who is in his second season as a Premier League manager at West
Ham currently sits eighth and tenth in the Average Points Per Game Table,
tenth and 12th in the Average Goals Scored chart and third and seventh in
the Average Goals Conceded Per Game.
Average Points Per Game
1. 1998/99: 1.50 (Harry Redknapp)
2. 1997/98: 1.47 (Harry Redknapp)
3. 1999/00: 1.45 (Harry Redknapp)
4. 2005/06: 1.45 (Alan Pardew)
5. 2001/02: 1.40 (Glenn Roeder)
6. 2008/09: 1.34 (Gianfranco Zola)
7. 2007/08: 1.29 (Alan Curbishley)
8. 2012/13: 1.21 (Sam Allardyce)
9. 1993/94: 1.20 (Billy Bonds)
10. 2013/14: 1.16 (Sam Allardyce)*
11. 1995/96: 1.13 (Harry Redknapp)
12. 2002/03: 1.11 (Glenn Roeder)
12. 2000/01: 1.11 (Harry Redknapp)
12. 1996/97: 1.11 (Harry Redknapp)
15. 2006/07: 1.08 (Alan Pardew/Alan Curbishley)
16. 1994/95: 1.05 (Harry Redknapp)
17. 2009/10: 0.92 (Gianfranco Zola)
18. 2010/11: 0.87 (Avram Grant)
Average Goals Scored Per Game
1. 1997/98: 1.47 (Harry Redknapp)
2. 1999/00: 1.45 (Harry Redknapp)
3. 2005/06: 1.37 (Alan Pardew)
4. 1995/96: 1.34 (Harry Redknapp)
5. 2001/02: 1.26 (Glenn Roeder)
6. 2009/10: 1.24 (Gianfranco Zola)
7. 1993/94: 1.24 (Billy Bonds)
8. 1998/99: 1.21 (Harry Redknapp)
9. 1994/95: 1.19 (Harry Redknapp)
10. 2012/13: 1.18 (Sam Allardyce)
10. 2000/01: 1.18 (Harry Redknapp)
12. 2013/14: 1.13 (Sam Allardyce)*
12. 2010/11: 1.13 (Avram Grant)
14. 2008/09: 1.11 (Gianfranco Zola)
14. 2007/08: 1.11 (Alan Curbishley)
14. 2002/03: 1.11 (Glenn Roeder)
17. 1996/97: 1.03 (Harry Redknapp)
18. 2006/07: 0.92 (Alan Pardew/Alan Curbishley)
Average Goals Conceded Per Game
1. 1994/95: 1.14 (Harry Redknapp)
2. 1996/97: 1.26 (Harry Redknapp)
3. 2013/14: 1.31 (Sam Allardyce)*
4. 2007/08: 1.32 (Alan Curbishley)
4. 2000/01: 1.32 (Harry Redknapp)
6. 1993/94: 1.38 (Billy Bonds)
7. 2012/13: 1.40 (Sam Allardyce)
7. 1999/00: 1.40 (Harry Redknapp)
7. 1998/99: 1.40 (Harry Redknapp)
10. 1995/96: 1.45 (Harry Redknapp)
10. 2008/09: 1.45 (Gianfranco Zola)
10. 2005/06: 1.45 (Alan Pardew)
13. 1997/98: 1.50 (Harry Redknapp)
13. 2001/02: 1.50 (Glenn Roeder)
15. 2002/03: 1.55 (Glenn Roeder)
15. 2006/07: 1.55 (Alan Pardew/Alan Curbishley)
17. 2009/10: 1.74 (Gianfranco Zola)
18. 2010/11: 1.84 (Avram Grant)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bobby Moore shirt fails to sell
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
A 1970 England World Cup shirt worn by Bobby Moore during the Mexico
tournament has failed to sell at auction. Bidding for the item, which was
worn by the West Ham and England captain in the first match of the
tournament against Romania stalled at £24,000 during yesterday's auction,
upon which it was withdrawn from sale. The owner has expected it to raise
between £30,000 and £40,000 at the auction, which was held at Stacey's
Auctioneers in Rayleigh, Essex on Monday. A reserve price of £30,000 had
been set. David Alexander of Football Wanted told the Echo: "The customer
paid a lot more for it than £24,000 and needed more money so, unfortunately,
it's become one of the few items that's gone unsold. "He had owned it for a
few years and thought he might generate some money on the back of his
investment but it seems it wasn't meant to be. It won't be going back up for
sale."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Is it April 1? No hand ball, insists Nolan
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
Kevin Nolan insists that Howard Webb was right not to award Sunderland a
penalty for hand ball during the first half of last night's 2-1 win at
Sunderland.
TV replays clearly showed the Hammers captain making contact with the ball
inside the penalty area, whilst Webb - who had a perfect, unimpeded view of
the incident - stood just yards away. Yet Nolan maintained that the decision
to allow play to continue was a correct one - much to the bemusement of
eveyone else who witnessed the 32-year-old clearly using his elbow. "Elbow?
Shoulder!" he joked when pressed about the incident in a post-match
interview. "I said to Howard [Webb] at half time it definitely wasn't a
penalty because I didn't throw my arm up, it's sort of come in and it's one
of those things. "I would have been devastated if he'd have given a penalty
as I didn't think there was any way it was - especially with some of the
decisions that have come against us over the last few weeks. "I don't think
it's a bit of luck but if it was, or if someone's deeming it so then it's
about time we got a bit of good fortune from the referee."
However Nolan's view wasn't exactly embraced by Sunderland manager Gus Poyet
who was left fuming about the decision by Webb - who was heavily criticised
recently for sending off Andy Carroll against Swansea when Chico Flores
dived to earn the striker a red card. "It was clear," moaned Poyet. "It was
deliberate and he tried to play the ball with his hand. "Howarb [Webb] was
in a great position and I think it's one of those where you need to ask the
referee why he didn't give it. There's no explanation really; he had a
perfect angle and it was easy to see. You could also tell by the player's
reaction, even Nolan.
"But that's the way it's been. A deflected shot from their man goes next to
the post and without the deflection off Connor Wickham I think the ball goes
straight to our 'keeper."
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WHUFC.com
Sir Trevor Brooking will be the second recipient of the West Ham United's
Lifetime Achievement Award
01.04.2014
West Ham United are delighted to confirm that Sir Trevor Brooking will be
the second recipient of the Club's Lifetime Achievement Award - sponsored by
ACL.
The gifted attacking midfielder spent virtually his entire professional
career at the Boleyn Ground, making 647 first-team appearances, scoring 102
goals, including the winner in the 1980 FA Cup final and being voted Hammer
of the Year an unrivalled five times. Sir Trevor, who made his West Ham
debut at 18 in 1967 and also won the FA Cup in 1975, earned 47 England caps,
scoring for his country at Euro 1980 and appearing at the 1982 FIFA World
Cup finals. In April 2003, Sir Trevor took over for a brief but hugely
successful spell as caretaker manager, winning nine and losing just one of
the 14 matches he took charge of.
In August 2009, the Boleyn Ground's Centenary Stand was renamed the Sir
Trevor Brooking Stand in his honour. An outstanding footballer and a true
gentleman, Sir Trevor has contributed hugely to English football in recent
years, holding a variety of roles within the Football Association and Sport
England, among others. He becomes the second recipient of the Lifetime
Achievement Award, following in the footsteps of his long-time team-mate and
two-times FA Cup winning captain Billy Bonds MBE, who was presented with the
trophy in 2013.
Born in Barking on 2 October 1948 to mother Margaret and father Harry, Sir
Trevor Brooking attended Ripple Infants School and Ilford County High
School, leaving the latter with eleven O-Levels and two A-Levels. At the age
of 15, he was scouted by a number of London's top clubs, picking West Ham
because the club would allow him to complete his schooling. He joined the
Hammers in July 1965, aged 16. After graduating from the Academy of
Football, he made a first-team debut in a 3-3 Division One draw at Burnley
on 29 August 1967, five weeks short of his 19th birthday. Despite his tender
years, Sir Trevor quickly established himself in Ron Greenwood's side,
scoring eight goals in 37 games in 1967/68, including his only career
hat-trick in a 5-0 home win over Newcastle United in April 1968.
Sir Trevor was an automatic choice throughout the 1970s, with his form
attracting the attention of the great Brian Clough during his time in charge
at Derby County and later Bill Nicholson's Tottenham Hotspur. His loyalty to
the West Ham cause was rewarded in 1975, when he was part of the side which
lifted the FA Cup at Wembley courtesy of a 2-0 win over former team-mate
Bobby Moore's Fulham. Five years later, he was the hero as the Hammers
lifted the trophy again, this time as a Division Two club, stooping low to
head in Stuart Pearson's wayward shot to secure a shock 1-0 victory over
top-flight Arsenal.
In between, Sir Trevor had featured in the 1975 Charity Shield and 1976
European Cup Winners' Cup final defeats by Derby and Anderlecht
respectively.
The midfielder again illustrated his outstanding loyalty by sticking with
the Club following relegation in 1978 - despite the fact he was a current
England international. A year after his FA Cup final heroics, he returned to
Wembley for the 1981 League Cup final, only for the Hammers to be edged out
by Liverpool following a replay. Sir Trevor's 647th and final first-team
appearance for West Ham came on 18 May 1984 in a 1-0 Division One defeat by
Everton at the Boleyn Ground. After two appearances for Cork City and
Newcastle-based Blue Star in 1985, Sir Trevor hung up his boots for good.
Off the pitch, Sir Trevor married his wife Hilkka, with whom he lives in
Brentwood, in 1970 and has two children, daughter Collette and son Warren.
After holding the roles of Chairman of the Eastern Region Council for Sport
and Recreation and of Sport England, Sir Trevor joined the Football
Association as Director of Football Development - an important job he still
fills to today. He was made an MBE in 1981 and elevated to be made a CBE in
1999 before being knighted in 2004 for his services to sport. Aside from his
career in sports administration, he has also worked successfully as a media
pundit and has run the binding company Colbrook Plastics Limited with
schoolfriend Colin McGowan since 1970. Sir Trevor Brooking's Lifetime
Achievement Award will be one of a host of prestigious trophies awarded at
the 2013/14 Player Awards in Aid of the Academy.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'It's nice to be back'
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid was happy to play his part in a winning effort after returning
to the side from illness
01.04.2014
Winston Reid was delighted to make a winning return to the West Ham United
team at Sunderland on Monday night. The New Zealand international defender
made just his second start since suffering an ankle injury in October, after
overcoming a bout of sickness which ruled him out of last Wednesday's
victory over Hull City. He played a key role in helping the Hammers
withstand a late spell of Sunderland pressure, after Adam Johnson dragged
his side back into the contest, and he was thrilled that Andy Carroll and
Mohamed Diame's goals took his team to a sixth victory in nine starts. He
said: "I've had a tough couple of weeks - I was sick for a little while - so
it was nice to get out there and play again on Monday. "Obviously we've come
to a place where they needed the points too, but we came away with the win
which was really positive. "They came back with a goal and we had to hold on
and defend. At the end of the day we did that well enough and I think we can
be pleased to get another important win. "We've defended like that for most
of the season, but in the middle part of the season we had the problem with
scoring goals. Now we've changed that and we're still not conceding many and
when you're doing both those things you normally pick up points."
The three-point haul at the Stadium of Light took West Ham eleven points
clear of the Barclays Premier League drop zone and Reid has his sights on
matching last season's tenth-place finish. He added: "We've still got a lot
to aim for, we have six games left and we want to try and push as high as
possible.
"If we can pick up another few wins here and there it would be good and
hopefully we can keep the momentum going and get back to tenth where we
finished last year."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll jumping for joy
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll was in high spirits after inspiring the Hammers to victory at
the Stadium of Light
01.04.2014
Andy Carroll reckons he is well and truly back at full-tilt, after his
man-of-the-match display fired West Ham United to an excellent 2-1 Barclays
Premier League win at Sunderland on Monday evening. The Hammers' No9 rose
majestically to power home Mark Noble's ninth-minute corner, before Mohamed
Diame seized on Carroll's neat knockdown to double the visitors' advantage
five minutes after the restart. For the Gateshead-born and once Newcastle
United frontman, a telling contribution against Sunderland is all the more
special, even if it means he now owes his Mackems-supporting mother an
apology! He told whufc.com: "My mum's whole side of the family are
Sunderland fans! It's the first goal [I've scored against Sunderland]. I've
tried my hardest every time I've played against them but it's the first one
I've got against them and obviously I'm over the moon that we've got the
three points as well. "The two wins this week have been great for us. We've
done well, it's a great run and to keep that going until the end of the
season would be fantastic." As for Carroll's considerable part in the two
goals, the 25-year-old insists it owes much to the team's hard work on the
training field, even if that means the occasional squabble or two. He
continued: "What's funny about it is that we practiced set pieces in
training on Monday morning. Nobes [Noble] put in a cross that I wasn't happy
about and I told him. We had a little argument, a little discussion about
it. He said it was a good ball and I carried on saying it wasn't. "But on
Monday night he put it in there perfectly. It couldn't have got any better
and I just made a run and got on the end of it. That's obviously one of my
strengths and that's one of the main points of my game, if the ball comes in
I'm quite confident of getting on the end of it. That's just me really. It
[the second goal] is another one of our tactics, playing it into me and
getting players running off me. That's proven [its worth] again on Monday
night with the assist and Mo finishing it."
Having now started each of the Hammers' last four league outings, with two
goals to boot, Carroll is happily fighting fit and thrilled to be racking up
the minutes. "I'm feeling really good," he confirmed. I've had three 90
minutes in a week, so I couldn't be any fitter to be honest. Obviously I'm a
bit tired but we get enough rest and do the right things. All the lads are a
bit tired, as you've seen at the end, but we're working hard. "It has been
a tough season for me, not being fit, but now I've got a couple of goals, a
couple of assists and I'm feeling great."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Redknapp still leading the way
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
Harry Redknapp remains the most successful West Ham United manager in the
Premier League era. The current Queens Park Rangers manager, whose tenure at
the Boleyn Ground lasted from 1994 to 2001 tops the averages tables for
points, goals scored and goals conceded after 18 season of Premier League
football for West Ham. Of those 18 seasons, Redknapp fills the top three
slots in the Average Points per Game table with 1.50 points from the 1998/99
season - a season in which the Hammers finished in fifth spot, their highest
ever Premier League position (and joint second highest in our history).
At the other end of the scale, Avram Grant's relegated 2010/11 squad
averaged just 0.87 goals per game - one of only two seasons in which United
have averaged less than a goal per game (the other being under Franco Zola
in 2009/10) as members of the Premiership/Premier League. Redknapp also tops
the Average Goals chart with the 1.47 goals per game achieved in the 1997/98
season, a year in which West Ham finished in eighth place, edging his
1999/00 record (1.45 goals per game) into second place.
Alan Pardew, with an average of 1.37 is the only other manager to trouble
the top four spots - although the current Newcastle boss is also partly
responsible for West Ham's worst average, with just 0.92 goals scored per
game in the Great Escape season of 2006/07. 67-year-old Redknapp also takes
the top two places in the Average Goals Conceded chart for the 1994/95 (just
1.14 goals per game) and 1996/97 seasons (1.26) - with current incumbent Sam
Allardyce in third place for the current 2013/14 campaign*.
Once again Avram Grant brings up the rear with 1.82 goals conceded per game
in the 2010/11 relegation season, the first full season after David Gold and
David Sullivan purchased the Club.
Allardyce, who is in his second season as a Premier League manager at West
Ham currently sits eighth and tenth in the Average Points Per Game Table,
tenth and 12th in the Average Goals Scored chart and third and seventh in
the Average Goals Conceded Per Game.
Average Points Per Game
1. 1998/99: 1.50 (Harry Redknapp)
2. 1997/98: 1.47 (Harry Redknapp)
3. 1999/00: 1.45 (Harry Redknapp)
4. 2005/06: 1.45 (Alan Pardew)
5. 2001/02: 1.40 (Glenn Roeder)
6. 2008/09: 1.34 (Gianfranco Zola)
7. 2007/08: 1.29 (Alan Curbishley)
8. 2012/13: 1.21 (Sam Allardyce)
9. 1993/94: 1.20 (Billy Bonds)
10. 2013/14: 1.16 (Sam Allardyce)*
11. 1995/96: 1.13 (Harry Redknapp)
12. 2002/03: 1.11 (Glenn Roeder)
12. 2000/01: 1.11 (Harry Redknapp)
12. 1996/97: 1.11 (Harry Redknapp)
15. 2006/07: 1.08 (Alan Pardew/Alan Curbishley)
16. 1994/95: 1.05 (Harry Redknapp)
17. 2009/10: 0.92 (Gianfranco Zola)
18. 2010/11: 0.87 (Avram Grant)
Average Goals Scored Per Game
1. 1997/98: 1.47 (Harry Redknapp)
2. 1999/00: 1.45 (Harry Redknapp)
3. 2005/06: 1.37 (Alan Pardew)
4. 1995/96: 1.34 (Harry Redknapp)
5. 2001/02: 1.26 (Glenn Roeder)
6. 2009/10: 1.24 (Gianfranco Zola)
7. 1993/94: 1.24 (Billy Bonds)
8. 1998/99: 1.21 (Harry Redknapp)
9. 1994/95: 1.19 (Harry Redknapp)
10. 2012/13: 1.18 (Sam Allardyce)
10. 2000/01: 1.18 (Harry Redknapp)
12. 2013/14: 1.13 (Sam Allardyce)*
12. 2010/11: 1.13 (Avram Grant)
14. 2008/09: 1.11 (Gianfranco Zola)
14. 2007/08: 1.11 (Alan Curbishley)
14. 2002/03: 1.11 (Glenn Roeder)
17. 1996/97: 1.03 (Harry Redknapp)
18. 2006/07: 0.92 (Alan Pardew/Alan Curbishley)
Average Goals Conceded Per Game
1. 1994/95: 1.14 (Harry Redknapp)
2. 1996/97: 1.26 (Harry Redknapp)
3. 2013/14: 1.31 (Sam Allardyce)*
4. 2007/08: 1.32 (Alan Curbishley)
4. 2000/01: 1.32 (Harry Redknapp)
6. 1993/94: 1.38 (Billy Bonds)
7. 2012/13: 1.40 (Sam Allardyce)
7. 1999/00: 1.40 (Harry Redknapp)
7. 1998/99: 1.40 (Harry Redknapp)
10. 1995/96: 1.45 (Harry Redknapp)
10. 2008/09: 1.45 (Gianfranco Zola)
10. 2005/06: 1.45 (Alan Pardew)
13. 1997/98: 1.50 (Harry Redknapp)
13. 2001/02: 1.50 (Glenn Roeder)
15. 2002/03: 1.55 (Glenn Roeder)
15. 2006/07: 1.55 (Alan Pardew/Alan Curbishley)
17. 2009/10: 1.74 (Gianfranco Zola)
18. 2010/11: 1.84 (Avram Grant)
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bobby Moore shirt fails to sell
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
A 1970 England World Cup shirt worn by Bobby Moore during the Mexico
tournament has failed to sell at auction. Bidding for the item, which was
worn by the West Ham and England captain in the first match of the
tournament against Romania stalled at £24,000 during yesterday's auction,
upon which it was withdrawn from sale. The owner has expected it to raise
between £30,000 and £40,000 at the auction, which was held at Stacey's
Auctioneers in Rayleigh, Essex on Monday. A reserve price of £30,000 had
been set. David Alexander of Football Wanted told the Echo: "The customer
paid a lot more for it than £24,000 and needed more money so, unfortunately,
it's become one of the few items that's gone unsold. "He had owned it for a
few years and thought he might generate some money on the back of his
investment but it seems it wasn't meant to be. It won't be going back up for
sale."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Is it April 1? No hand ball, insists Nolan
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
Kevin Nolan insists that Howard Webb was right not to award Sunderland a
penalty for hand ball during the first half of last night's 2-1 win at
Sunderland.
TV replays clearly showed the Hammers captain making contact with the ball
inside the penalty area, whilst Webb - who had a perfect, unimpeded view of
the incident - stood just yards away. Yet Nolan maintained that the decision
to allow play to continue was a correct one - much to the bemusement of
eveyone else who witnessed the 32-year-old clearly using his elbow. "Elbow?
Shoulder!" he joked when pressed about the incident in a post-match
interview. "I said to Howard [Webb] at half time it definitely wasn't a
penalty because I didn't throw my arm up, it's sort of come in and it's one
of those things. "I would have been devastated if he'd have given a penalty
as I didn't think there was any way it was - especially with some of the
decisions that have come against us over the last few weeks. "I don't think
it's a bit of luck but if it was, or if someone's deeming it so then it's
about time we got a bit of good fortune from the referee."
However Nolan's view wasn't exactly embraced by Sunderland manager Gus Poyet
who was left fuming about the decision by Webb - who was heavily criticised
recently for sending off Andy Carroll against Swansea when Chico Flores
dived to earn the striker a red card. "It was clear," moaned Poyet. "It was
deliberate and he tried to play the ball with his hand. "Howarb [Webb] was
in a great position and I think it's one of those where you need to ask the
referee why he didn't give it. There's no explanation really; he had a
perfect angle and it was easy to see. You could also tell by the player's
reaction, even Nolan.
"But that's the way it's been. A deflected shot from their man goes next to
the post and without the deflection off Connor Wickham I think the ball goes
straight to our 'keeper."
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Tuesday, April 1
Daily WHUFC News - 1st April 2014
Hammers stand firm to land victory
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame hit the target as West Ham United defeated
Sunderland on Monday
31.03.2014
Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United moved a step closer to securing their Barclays Premier
League future with a valuable 2-1 win at struggling Sunderland on Monday
night.
Andy Carroll enjoyed a fruitful return to the north east, scoring the first
and setting up Mohamed Diame's second as the Hammers took a two-goal lead
moments after the half-time interval. Sunderland responded strongly to cut
the deficit through Adam Johnson, and although they upped the pressure as
they searched for the goal to help their survival bid, the Londoners stood
firm to take the points back south. The Black Cats began at pace as they
looked to put the Hammers under pressure early on and Phil Bardsley was not
far away with a swerving cross which flew wide of the far post after he
received a raking pass from Liam Bridcutt in the right channel. Sunderland
could probably lay claim to making the brighter start, yet they found
themselves behind with just nine minutes on the clock thanks to Carroll's
bullet header from close range. Home keeper Vito Mannono got his hands to
Carroll's effort following a Mark Noble corner, but the big No9 was so close
to goal when he met the inswinging delivery that there was little the
stopper could do to keep the ball from entering his net. Three minutes
later, Sunderland were presented with a great chance to force a quick
leveller when Ki Sung-Yueng made strides down the left and cut the ball back
across the penalty box. It fell to Lee Cattermole at the far post, but his
first effort was directed straight at Adrian's legs, while he swiped the
rebound over the top.
That was a let-off for the Hammers, and Sunderland were granted a reprieve
of their own with 19 minutes on the clock as Taylor powered an effort inches
wide of the mark after Mark Noble burst into the box to collect Kevin
Nolan's pass and roll square to his fellow midfielder. The first half then
settled into a rhythm of Sunderland seeing more of the ball, but West Ham
defending relatively comfortably, although they did survive a strong penalty
shout from the home side when, with 37 minutes played, Nolan appeared to
lean into the ball with his arm as John O'Shea looked to knock a
partially-cleared corner back into the mixer. Pablo Armero replaced George
McCartney at the break, and Big Sam was able to celebrate a second Hammers
goal not long after. Carroll was heavily involved again, getting up well to
knock James Tomkins' free-kick from deep into Diame's path, and the Senegal
midfielder produced a first time shot which took a nick off Santiago Vergini
and rolled into the bottom left corner. WIth an hour played Stewart Downing
was a whisker away from ending the game as a contest when Noble picked him
out with a diagonal ball out to the right. Downing ran in on goal and looked
to side-foot it towards the bottom left corner, but Mannone got fingertips
to the shot to divert it off course. Five minutes later and Sunderland were
back in it, as substitutes Craig Gardner and Johnson combined to devastating
effect. Johnson's finish was unerring as he curled into the top left corner
after Gardner's pass slipped him clear inside the area.
The home crowd were up and they nearly had more cause to cheer on 68 minutes
as Adrian could not hold on to Ki's effort from outside the box, and he had
to spring up quickly to block Connor Wickham's follow up. Fabio Borini then
fired into the side-netting as he threatened to run clear of Guy Demel in
the left channel as Gus Poyet's side upped the intensity. Marcos Alonso
drilled over the crossbar as the home side's desperation for an equaliser
grew and Ignacio Scocco nodded over, but there was no way through as the
Hammers held out to take maximum points.
Sunderland: Mannone; Vergini, O'Shea (Gardner 60), Brown; Bardsley,
Bridcutt, Cattermole (Johnson 53), Alonson; Borini, Ki (Scocco 79); Wickham
Subs: Ustari, Colback, Altidore, Cuellar
Goal: Johnson 65
Booked: Alonso, Wickham
West Ham United: Adrian; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney (Armero 46); Nolan
(Nocerino 83), Noble, Taylor; Downing, Carroll, Diame (Johnson 78)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Jarvis, C.Cole, J.Cole
Goals: Carroll 9, Diame 50
Booked: Noble, Nolan, Reid, Adrian
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 37,396
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam delighted with Sunderland win
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce hailed West Ham United following their 2-1 Barclays Premier
League win at Sunderland
31.03.2014
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has hailed his team following their
2-1 Barclays Premier League victory at Sunderland. Early goals in each half
from Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame put the Hammers in control before
Stewart Downing was denied a third by a superb Vito Mannone save. Substitute
Adam Johnson set up a tense finale with a curling shot into the top corner
but West Ham, with Adrian and his defenders throwing themselves in front of
everything to maintain their advantage. Speaking to West Ham TV, Big Sam
praised his team, his staff and the Club's fans following a win that took
the Hammers to 37 points and the cusp of Barclays Premier League safety with
six games remaining. "We have sent all the West Ham fans, staff and the
players home happy because we're all delighted after getting a well-earned
victory at the Stadium of Light," said Big Sam. "I think that our start was
critical to the final result. The quality of the ball into the box made all
the difference because it saw the best of Andy Carroll to come to fruition
and he got the first goal with the header. "There was a spell when we didn't
pass the ball as we'd have liked so we had to soak up a bit of pressure, but
when we got the passing right, we were going from one end of the pitch to
the other and really causing Sunderland lots of problems. "The goal after
half-time was again at a critical time and Sunderland really ran out of
ideas and we were controlling the game. I was really hoping Stewart was
going to get off the mark with his one-on-one but unfortunately their keeper
made a brilliant save. That would have been 3-0 and the game dead and
buried. "Then, lo and behold, you can never relax in the Barclays Premier
League because it will kick you if you're not careful. They got the goal
which lifted them and there was a bit of desperate defending at times which
needed to be had which we did brilliantly and we got an outstanding victory.
"That's 37 points now, which is only one point behind our total from last
year when we had 38. This time we've got 37 so it hasn't been quite as bad
as it's been made out to be!"
West Ham have collected more points since New Year's Day than Arsenal,
Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle United. It is 22 points from 12
games since the defeat at Fulham, and six wins from the last nine league
matches - superb form by anyone's standards. "To pick up more points than
those teams shows you when the squad is fit, and I was saying this during
our dark period, we would produce performances and results when we got the
squad back and well. Certainly we needed them to get out of the trouble we
were in at that time. "To claw your way out so magnificently and to create
the wining opportunities we have done has been great. We have won six out of
nine matches, which is the best run that we've had. "Of course it was needed
because the position we were in and we've drawn away from that danger zone
now, so we need to chill out a little bit and make sure we produce the
performances in our final six games are as best they can be and try to get
as many points as we can. "If we can match the 46 from last year that would
be a target and if we can push up the league, I know the Chairmen remind me
there are extra millions to be got by finishing higher up the table. It's a
huge benefit with the extra finance because it can get you that extra player
in the summer who can make all the difference."
While West Ham scored from a Mark Noble corner and a knockdown from Carroll,
West Ham repeatedly played their way through the Sunderland defence with
some slick pass and move football - pleasing both Big Sam and the fans who
never stopped singing at the Stadium of Light. "There was some good passing
football. We've always promoted it, too. You saw Sunderland were nervous and
they kept passing the ball to us and we kept breaking on them and causing
them a huge amount of problems. "You've got to be able to master your nerves
and produce the best from the ability that you've gotand on a night like
this under the floodlights at a place like Sunderland, we produced the sort
of football that helped us win a very important game. "It's never easy to
win away from home in the Barclays Premier League."
Now, with their top-flight position all but secured, leaders Liverpool are
next on the fixture list. Brendan Rodgers' Reds visit the Boleyn Ground on
Sunday afternoon, when the footballing world will be watching to see if West
Ham can upset the favourites yet again. "We've taken the pressure hugely off
ourselves to really have a go at this game now and I think that they are the
most in-form team in the league now alongside Everton. "We've got to be the
ones who muscle in on Liverpool and see if we can upset them. Lots of people
in the world of football will think we won't have a chance with the form
that we're in and, I suppose, on paper they're right but in this league you
never, never know. "So, the players will give their all on Sunday and let's
hope that's enough to upset the leaders of the Barclays Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Boo's sorry now?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer #3
West Ham are to take steps in an attempt to stop a recurrence of the jeers
that greeted last week's home win against Hull City by offering financial
incentives to supporters who BACK rather than BOO the team. Full details
have yet to be announced but a Club source has confirmed that existing CCTV
equipment, currently used to monitor offensive chanting and anti-social
behaviour, would be used. The spokesman told KUMB: "We envisage reviewing
the CCTV footage when we hear booing to identify the seat numbers involved.
"Then, at the end of the season we'd either refund part of the cost of the
ticket or, more likely, send out some form of discount voucher for use in
the club shop to those season ticket holders with the best boo-free record
over the course of season. "We'll also give fans the opportunity to earn
extra 'no boo points' by using the existing hot-lines to report
unnecessarily disgruntled behaviour from neighbouring seats."
It is thought that supporters will be given a number of "free boo" matches
before losing any discount entitlement in order to cover the occasional
off-day.
Meanwhile, no penalty would be incurred where the target of booing is an
opponent or a referee - something of a necessity, one would have thought,
when Frank Lampard or Howard Webb are in town. The move follows a week in
which Sam Allardyce expressed bemusement at the crowd's reaction to the Hull
win and Mark Noble admitted that anxiety from the stands often affects
players' performances on the pitch.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce: we're almost there
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are just one point short of the 38-point target Sam Allardyce set
his team a fortnight ago - but still not quite there, according to the
manager tonight.
The under-pressure Allardyce oversaw an important 2-1 win at Sunderland last
night which takes West Ham to 37 points from 32 games - just one shy of the
target he established for survival following the home defeat against ten
days ago Manchester United. However the manager - for whom last night's
victory eased the recent pressure placed on him by some sections of the fan
base - maintained that he will no be satisfied until it is no longer
possible for three other Premier League teams to exceed West Ham's current
points tally. "We're not mathematically safe and everybody will say let's
wait until we are, which is sensible," he told Sky Sports. "But it's going
to be very difficult for the bottom three teams to catch us now. "The
important thing about today's result was it was against one of the bottom
three. We've taken three points off them and one more game has slipped by
[for them]. That's how crucial this win was for us and how disappointing it
must have been for Gus [Poyet] in the end."
Andy Carroll and Mo Diame scored early in each half to secure a first away
win since the 2-0 victory at Aston Villa on February 8 - a result Allardyce
described as 'fantastic'. "Defensively we were solid, good on the counter
attack and we scored two goals - a fantastic victory at this stage of the
season for us," he said.
"Every game in the Premier League is a tough one, away from home
particularly. With Sunderland fighting away down at the bottom it was always
going to be difficult but I thought the lads handled it really well. "In
this league you have to take your chances when they come and Andy Carroll
settled us down in the early stages. Then just after half time, Mo Diame
made life very difficult for Sunderland. "It got a little nerve-racking
towards the end when they got the goal from a really good finish from
Johnson - although I thought it was going to be all over just before then
when Stewart Downing went through. "He tells me the 'keeper got a touch on
it. If he didn't it was a bad miss and if he did, it was a great save! But
it's a fantastic result for us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll; he's going to Brazil?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce believes that England manager Roy Hodgson would be making a
major mistake by leaving Andy Carroll out of his World Cup squad this
summer. West Ham's record signing scored one and provided an assist for the
second of United's two goals at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening as
Allardyce's team edged closer to Premier League safety with a second win in
five days. And a far-happier Big Sam told Sky Sports that the 25-year-old is
ready to receive the call having impressed since returning from a lengthy
spell on the sidelines. "Andy gives you an alternative," insisted Allardyce.
"As a player he's unique in many ways in the Premier League today. There
aren't too many who can receive or head a ball as good as he does -
particularly quality balls into the box. "You saw the headed goal from the
corner; nobody was going to stop him and the clean header into the back of
the net set us up for victory. "There's also a lot more about him on the
deck than people give him credit for. He can move the ball and he's quicker
than he looks."
The Sunderland goal was Carroll's second in four matches, following his
first of the season in the 3-1 defeat at Stoke last month. Allardyce
believes that if he can continue that form for the rest of the campaign, a
World Cup spot could be on the cards. "He's been back with us for just a few
games and he's already scored two," he said. "Last year he scored eight in
the last 12 matches and Roy [Hodgson] picked him in the summer. "If he
continues to play every week for us now as he did last season and score the
goals, hopefully that'll happen to him again with this one being a World Cup
[year].
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham all but guaranteed Premier League survival tonight with a second
successive win inside a week at Sunderland tonight.
Whilst some may have churlishly booed Allardyce and his players off the
field following last Wednesday evening's win against Hull, those three
points - combined with tonight's 2-1 victory - all but guarantees another
season of Premier League football at the Boleyn Ground.
In truth it was a scrappy game - the 37 combined shots produced just 13 on
target (seven for Sunderland and six for West Ham) - but United took full
advantage of a nervous home crowd and team who are now surely consigned to
the dreaded drop into the Championship following this latest reversal.
Andy Carroll, Angel of the North and hated by the Black Cats due to his
Geordie heritage struck the first killer blow with just ten minutes on the
clock. The England international - who did his World Cup chances no harm at
all this evening - rose above both John O'Shea and Wes Brown to power Mark
Noble's corner into the back of the net.
And it was to be another early goal in the second half that set West Ham up
for their second win inside seven days. Mo Diame, who had produced a
disappointing first half performance fired home what proved to be the
winning goal when James Tomkins' free kick was nodded down by Carroll and
struck into the corner of Vito Mannione's net - albeit via a slight
deflection - by the midfield powerhouse.
It is only on the rarest of occasions that the Hammers win comfortably away
from home and once again the travelling fans - plus those watching at home
and in the pubs - were left chewing their nails for the final half-an-hour
after substitute Adam Johnson scored a well-worked consolation after 65
minutes.
But the home side managed to test West Ham's Spanish goalkeeper Adrian
rarely in those final minutes, despite throwing Mannone up as an extra
attacker for the final few set-pieces.
Gus Poyet, who has complained bitterly in the past when being defeated by
Allardyce teams - most notably when managing Brighton in 2011 - was furious
at referee Howard Webb for not awarding the home side a fairly obvious
penalty in the first half when Kevin Nolan clearly pushed the ball away from
goal with his elbow.
Curiously, Webb was perfectly positioned to spot the infringement - but
failed to penalise West Ham's captain. Webb, of course, was the offical in
charge when Andy Carroll received his marching orders for the non-existant
elbow on Chico Flores last month; a case of the offical evening up the
scores perhaps?
The win takes West Ham back up to 11th in the table with 37 points from 32
games - just one point fewer than that gained at this stage last season.
It also means that the Hammers have taken 22 points from the 12 Premier
League games since Andy Carroll returned from injury in mid-Janaury - the
kind of form which, if sustained over the course of the entire campaign,
would lead to Champions League qualification.
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Andy Carroll says West Ham are safe after beating Sunderland
Last Updated: 31/03/14 11:12pm
SSN
Andy Carroll believes West Ham have secured their Premier League status for
another season after beating Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. The
striker scored the opening goal with a powerful early header and a second
from Mohamed Diame put the Hammers clear. Adam Johnson's strike gave
Sunderland hope but they were unable to earn anything from the match as
their own survival hopes suffered a major blow. West Ham now have 37 points,
are comfortable in mid-table, and Carroll echoed co-chairman David Gold's
Twitter claim that they are out of trouble . "You take every game as it is,
keep an eye on the teams winning below, but I think we are safe, yeah," he
told Sky Sports 1. Carroll's man-of-the-match performance again roused the
debate as to whether or not he should be picked for the World Cup. "That's
what I'm looking for now, scoring goals and keeping on it until the end of
the season," he added.
Captain Kevin Nolan was pleased to win at a side who were looking to reel
West Ham back into the relegation fight. "We knew it was going to be tough
and Adam Johnson made an impact. We knew it would not be easy because
they're scrapping, but we knew if we won we'd be clear of them," he said.
"We got the three points and put space between us and the bottom three."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sunderland's relegation fears intensify with home defeat to West Ham
Last Updated: 31/03/14 11:16pm
SSN
Andy Carroll helped to nudge Sunderland closer to the relegation trapdoor as
West Ham all but secured their own Premier League status with a 2-1 win at
the Stadium of Light.
Best of the game:
Goal of the match: Johnson took a touch and quickly got off a curling shot
which found the top corner.
Pass of the match: Gardner's ball through Armero's legs for Johnson to score
Sunderland's goal.
Save of the match: Mannone won a one-on-one duel with Downing by diving to
touch a low shot around the post.
Man of the match: Carroll was too strong for Sunderland, with the Geordie
scoring West Ham's first and setting up the second.
Talking point: Can Sunderland get out of trouble now? This was one of the
easier-looking games of their run it but the Black Cats blew it.
The England striker powered the visitors into an early lead and midfielder
Mohamed Diame extended it five minutes into the second half on a night when
there were no boos for Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. Substitute Adam Johnson
gave Sunderland, who had earlier seen strong penalty appeals go unanswered,
hope when he pulled one back with 25 minutes remaining, and keeper Adrian
had to pull off a double save to deny Ki Sung-yueng and Connor Wickham. But
ultimately, the Black Cats' depressing home run was extended to just one win
in nine league games to leave the bulk of a crowd of 37,396 fearing the
worst, with their team still second from bottom and four points from safety.
Former Newcastle frontman Carroll needed just nine minutes to plummet even
further in the estimation of the home fans when he headed the visitors into
the lead in trademark style. Mark Noble's corner was tailor-made for him to
climb high above John O'Shea and Wes Brown to score just his second goal of
the season despite keeper Vito Mannone's best efforts on the line. However,
Sunderland, who have not won a Monday night game in 12 years, were aggrieved
not to be handed a chance to level as half-time approached. Skipper O'Shea
bundled the ball into the penalty area as the home side staged an attack and
opposite number Kevin Nolan appeared to block it with his arm, although
referee Howard Webb was unmoved. But their mood darkened further five
minutes into the second half when Diame latched on to Carroll's knock-down
and steered a deflected shot past the stranded Mannone to make it 2-0.
Sunderland's uphill task increased markedly in gradient by the time 50
minutes had passed when, after Brown had been penalised for a foul on
Carroll, the striker laid off James Tomkins' free-kick for Diame to fire
home with the help of a deflection off Vergini. Poyet replaced Cattermole
with Johnson and Craig Gardner soon followed as O'Shea departed, and amidst
the re-organisation, Downing should really have killed the game off when he
got in behind Alonso, but fired inches wide of the far post.
Johnson gave the home side hope when he collected Gardner's pass and curled
home a 65th-minute shot, and suddenly, the Black Cats were transformed.
Adrian could not hold Ki's 68th-minute drive, but recovered to block
Wickham's follow-up as the home fans sensed a change in the tide, but
salvation proved to be beyond them as substitute Ignacio Scocco headed over
at the death from Vergini's cross.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce applauds 'fantastic' win over Sunderland
Last Updated: 31/03/14 11:12pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce admitted that West Ham United were virtually safe and paid
tribute to Andy Carroll's 'unique' talents after a 2-1 victory over
Sunderland on Monday night. Andy Carroll set the Hammers on their way to
victory with a powerful header in the ninth minute, and Mohamed Diame added
a second early in the second half. Adam Johnson pulled a goal back for
Sunderland but the Hammers held on to move on to 37 points, 11 clear of the
relegation zone with just six games to play. "It got a little nervy towards
the end when they got the goal, but it is a fantastic result for us,"
Allardyce told Sky Sports. "I thought the lads handled it really well and in
this league you have to take your chances when they come. "All-round, we
were defensively solid and it was a good performance on the counter-attack."
Allardyce came under pressure following some poor results early in the
season and he is grateful to his bosses for sticking by him through a tough
period.
He added: "We have just taken 15 points from eight games and that is a
fantastic run at this stage of the season and that is a fantastic run
considering where we were, and it has got us out of trouble and into a
mid-table position. "We have just got to strive on and see how many points
we can get in the last six games. "We aren't mathematically safe, but it is
going to be very difficult for the bottom three to catch us now and the
important thing about today's result was that it was against one of the
bottom three, and we have taken three points off them. "That was how crucial
the win was for us, and how disappointing it must have been for Gus
(Poyet)."
Allardyce was impressed by the way everyone in his team played but admitted
that Carroll was a particular handful and tipped him to make England's World
Cup squad. "Andy gives you an alternative as a player. He is unique in many
ways in the Premier League," said Allardyce. "There aren't too many who can
receive a ball or head a ball as well as he can, and the headed goal he
scored from that corner, there was nobody going to stop him. "There is a lot
more about him on the deck than people give him credit for. He can move the
ball, he's quicker than he looks, and I just think if he can play every game
like he did last year, hopefully he will go to the World Cup."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sunderland 1-2 West Ham: Andy Carroll inspires Hammers as Black Cats remain
four points from safety
Mar 31, 2014 22:06 By Simon Bird
The Mirror
Geordie Andy Carroll dealt a massive blow to Sunderland's survival hopes.
The former Newcastle man executed a demolition job on Poyet's flimsy
defence, scoring the opener and setting up the decisive second for Mohamed
Diame on another terrible night for the Wearsiders. Sunderland remain four
points adrift of safety with their next four games including trips to Spurs,
Manchester City and Chelsea, with Everton visiting a frustrated Stadium of
Light. Poyet's side have the worst record in the league at home, with just
three wins and 13 goals all season, and the malaise continued as West Ham
took their chances ruthlessly.
After visiting boss Sam Allardyce was booed after Saturday's win over Hull,
there can only have been admiration for a job well done. The crowd unrest
from the home faithful was loud as well last night. Sunderland mustered
their usual late fightback, setting up an edgy final 25 minutes for the
Hammers after a fine goal from substitute Adam Johnson. Carroll clearly
enjoyed scoring the opener after nine minutes with a towering header direct
from Mark Noble's corner. He rose above marker John O'Shea to grab only his
second goal of a season which only started in January because of injury.
Urged on by his Geordie mates to make the most of his chance against the
struggling Mackems, he delivered in trademark fashion, using his height and
physical presence. It was a terrible start for Sunderland, who knew this
match represented one of their best chances to get back in touch with the
survival pack. Carroll forced a save out Vito Mannone with another back-post
header before a decent spell of pressure from Sunderland, which should have
yielded a penalty when Kevin Nolan deliberately elbowed the ball away. The
Black Cats have sunk deep into trouble after a terrible run - no wins in the
league since February 1 and one point from their last games.
There was a desperation about their play demonstrated when Lee Cattermole
collected a Ki Sung-Yueng cross unmarked 12 yards out but snatched wide. At
the other end, West Ham could have doubled their lead, with Noble unlocking
space on the edge of the area for Matthew Taylor to slash just wide. Diame's
goal came from a long punt into the area that Carroll chested down, with the
goal-bound shot slightly deflected. Johnson was sent on by Poyet (left) and
delivered a goal. Craig Gardner prodded a ball in behind and Johnson curled
home from 16 yards. Adrian then conjured an amazing save to keep out Connor
Wickham on his 21st birthday. Ki's shot was pushed out by Adrian, who
recovered to block brilliantly. Shortly after Fabio Borini blazed into the
side netting when through on goal. Too often Sunderland have promised much
late on when the game has already gone.
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WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame hit the target as West Ham United defeated
Sunderland on Monday
31.03.2014
Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United moved a step closer to securing their Barclays Premier
League future with a valuable 2-1 win at struggling Sunderland on Monday
night.
Andy Carroll enjoyed a fruitful return to the north east, scoring the first
and setting up Mohamed Diame's second as the Hammers took a two-goal lead
moments after the half-time interval. Sunderland responded strongly to cut
the deficit through Adam Johnson, and although they upped the pressure as
they searched for the goal to help their survival bid, the Londoners stood
firm to take the points back south. The Black Cats began at pace as they
looked to put the Hammers under pressure early on and Phil Bardsley was not
far away with a swerving cross which flew wide of the far post after he
received a raking pass from Liam Bridcutt in the right channel. Sunderland
could probably lay claim to making the brighter start, yet they found
themselves behind with just nine minutes on the clock thanks to Carroll's
bullet header from close range. Home keeper Vito Mannono got his hands to
Carroll's effort following a Mark Noble corner, but the big No9 was so close
to goal when he met the inswinging delivery that there was little the
stopper could do to keep the ball from entering his net. Three minutes
later, Sunderland were presented with a great chance to force a quick
leveller when Ki Sung-Yueng made strides down the left and cut the ball back
across the penalty box. It fell to Lee Cattermole at the far post, but his
first effort was directed straight at Adrian's legs, while he swiped the
rebound over the top.
That was a let-off for the Hammers, and Sunderland were granted a reprieve
of their own with 19 minutes on the clock as Taylor powered an effort inches
wide of the mark after Mark Noble burst into the box to collect Kevin
Nolan's pass and roll square to his fellow midfielder. The first half then
settled into a rhythm of Sunderland seeing more of the ball, but West Ham
defending relatively comfortably, although they did survive a strong penalty
shout from the home side when, with 37 minutes played, Nolan appeared to
lean into the ball with his arm as John O'Shea looked to knock a
partially-cleared corner back into the mixer. Pablo Armero replaced George
McCartney at the break, and Big Sam was able to celebrate a second Hammers
goal not long after. Carroll was heavily involved again, getting up well to
knock James Tomkins' free-kick from deep into Diame's path, and the Senegal
midfielder produced a first time shot which took a nick off Santiago Vergini
and rolled into the bottom left corner. WIth an hour played Stewart Downing
was a whisker away from ending the game as a contest when Noble picked him
out with a diagonal ball out to the right. Downing ran in on goal and looked
to side-foot it towards the bottom left corner, but Mannone got fingertips
to the shot to divert it off course. Five minutes later and Sunderland were
back in it, as substitutes Craig Gardner and Johnson combined to devastating
effect. Johnson's finish was unerring as he curled into the top left corner
after Gardner's pass slipped him clear inside the area.
The home crowd were up and they nearly had more cause to cheer on 68 minutes
as Adrian could not hold on to Ki's effort from outside the box, and he had
to spring up quickly to block Connor Wickham's follow up. Fabio Borini then
fired into the side-netting as he threatened to run clear of Guy Demel in
the left channel as Gus Poyet's side upped the intensity. Marcos Alonso
drilled over the crossbar as the home side's desperation for an equaliser
grew and Ignacio Scocco nodded over, but there was no way through as the
Hammers held out to take maximum points.
Sunderland: Mannone; Vergini, O'Shea (Gardner 60), Brown; Bardsley,
Bridcutt, Cattermole (Johnson 53), Alonson; Borini, Ki (Scocco 79); Wickham
Subs: Ustari, Colback, Altidore, Cuellar
Goal: Johnson 65
Booked: Alonso, Wickham
West Ham United: Adrian; Demel, Tomkins, Reid, McCartney (Armero 46); Nolan
(Nocerino 83), Noble, Taylor; Downing, Carroll, Diame (Johnson 78)
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Jarvis, C.Cole, J.Cole
Goals: Carroll 9, Diame 50
Booked: Noble, Nolan, Reid, Adrian
Referee: Howard Webb
Attendance: 37,396
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam delighted with Sunderland win
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce hailed West Ham United following their 2-1 Barclays Premier
League win at Sunderland
31.03.2014
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has hailed his team following their
2-1 Barclays Premier League victory at Sunderland. Early goals in each half
from Andy Carroll and Mohamed Diame put the Hammers in control before
Stewart Downing was denied a third by a superb Vito Mannone save. Substitute
Adam Johnson set up a tense finale with a curling shot into the top corner
but West Ham, with Adrian and his defenders throwing themselves in front of
everything to maintain their advantage. Speaking to West Ham TV, Big Sam
praised his team, his staff and the Club's fans following a win that took
the Hammers to 37 points and the cusp of Barclays Premier League safety with
six games remaining. "We have sent all the West Ham fans, staff and the
players home happy because we're all delighted after getting a well-earned
victory at the Stadium of Light," said Big Sam. "I think that our start was
critical to the final result. The quality of the ball into the box made all
the difference because it saw the best of Andy Carroll to come to fruition
and he got the first goal with the header. "There was a spell when we didn't
pass the ball as we'd have liked so we had to soak up a bit of pressure, but
when we got the passing right, we were going from one end of the pitch to
the other and really causing Sunderland lots of problems. "The goal after
half-time was again at a critical time and Sunderland really ran out of
ideas and we were controlling the game. I was really hoping Stewart was
going to get off the mark with his one-on-one but unfortunately their keeper
made a brilliant save. That would have been 3-0 and the game dead and
buried. "Then, lo and behold, you can never relax in the Barclays Premier
League because it will kick you if you're not careful. They got the goal
which lifted them and there was a bit of desperate defending at times which
needed to be had which we did brilliantly and we got an outstanding victory.
"That's 37 points now, which is only one point behind our total from last
year when we had 38. This time we've got 37 so it hasn't been quite as bad
as it's been made out to be!"
West Ham have collected more points since New Year's Day than Arsenal,
Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle United. It is 22 points from 12
games since the defeat at Fulham, and six wins from the last nine league
matches - superb form by anyone's standards. "To pick up more points than
those teams shows you when the squad is fit, and I was saying this during
our dark period, we would produce performances and results when we got the
squad back and well. Certainly we needed them to get out of the trouble we
were in at that time. "To claw your way out so magnificently and to create
the wining opportunities we have done has been great. We have won six out of
nine matches, which is the best run that we've had. "Of course it was needed
because the position we were in and we've drawn away from that danger zone
now, so we need to chill out a little bit and make sure we produce the
performances in our final six games are as best they can be and try to get
as many points as we can. "If we can match the 46 from last year that would
be a target and if we can push up the league, I know the Chairmen remind me
there are extra millions to be got by finishing higher up the table. It's a
huge benefit with the extra finance because it can get you that extra player
in the summer who can make all the difference."
While West Ham scored from a Mark Noble corner and a knockdown from Carroll,
West Ham repeatedly played their way through the Sunderland defence with
some slick pass and move football - pleasing both Big Sam and the fans who
never stopped singing at the Stadium of Light. "There was some good passing
football. We've always promoted it, too. You saw Sunderland were nervous and
they kept passing the ball to us and we kept breaking on them and causing
them a huge amount of problems. "You've got to be able to master your nerves
and produce the best from the ability that you've gotand on a night like
this under the floodlights at a place like Sunderland, we produced the sort
of football that helped us win a very important game. "It's never easy to
win away from home in the Barclays Premier League."
Now, with their top-flight position all but secured, leaders Liverpool are
next on the fixture list. Brendan Rodgers' Reds visit the Boleyn Ground on
Sunday afternoon, when the footballing world will be watching to see if West
Ham can upset the favourites yet again. "We've taken the pressure hugely off
ourselves to really have a go at this game now and I think that they are the
most in-form team in the league now alongside Everton. "We've got to be the
ones who muscle in on Liverpool and see if we can upset them. Lots of people
in the world of football will think we won't have a chance with the form
that we're in and, I suppose, on paper they're right but in this league you
never, never know. "So, the players will give their all on Sunday and let's
hope that's enough to upset the leaders of the Barclays Premier League."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Boo's sorry now?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer #3
West Ham are to take steps in an attempt to stop a recurrence of the jeers
that greeted last week's home win against Hull City by offering financial
incentives to supporters who BACK rather than BOO the team. Full details
have yet to be announced but a Club source has confirmed that existing CCTV
equipment, currently used to monitor offensive chanting and anti-social
behaviour, would be used. The spokesman told KUMB: "We envisage reviewing
the CCTV footage when we hear booing to identify the seat numbers involved.
"Then, at the end of the season we'd either refund part of the cost of the
ticket or, more likely, send out some form of discount voucher for use in
the club shop to those season ticket holders with the best boo-free record
over the course of season. "We'll also give fans the opportunity to earn
extra 'no boo points' by using the existing hot-lines to report
unnecessarily disgruntled behaviour from neighbouring seats."
It is thought that supporters will be given a number of "free boo" matches
before losing any discount entitlement in order to cover the occasional
off-day.
Meanwhile, no penalty would be incurred where the target of booing is an
opponent or a referee - something of a necessity, one would have thought,
when Frank Lampard or Howard Webb are in town. The move follows a week in
which Sam Allardyce expressed bemusement at the crowd's reaction to the Hull
win and Mark Noble admitted that anxiety from the stands often affects
players' performances on the pitch.
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Allardyce: we're almost there
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are just one point short of the 38-point target Sam Allardyce set
his team a fortnight ago - but still not quite there, according to the
manager tonight.
The under-pressure Allardyce oversaw an important 2-1 win at Sunderland last
night which takes West Ham to 37 points from 32 games - just one shy of the
target he established for survival following the home defeat against ten
days ago Manchester United. However the manager - for whom last night's
victory eased the recent pressure placed on him by some sections of the fan
base - maintained that he will no be satisfied until it is no longer
possible for three other Premier League teams to exceed West Ham's current
points tally. "We're not mathematically safe and everybody will say let's
wait until we are, which is sensible," he told Sky Sports. "But it's going
to be very difficult for the bottom three teams to catch us now. "The
important thing about today's result was it was against one of the bottom
three. We've taken three points off them and one more game has slipped by
[for them]. That's how crucial this win was for us and how disappointing it
must have been for Gus [Poyet] in the end."
Andy Carroll and Mo Diame scored early in each half to secure a first away
win since the 2-0 victory at Aston Villa on February 8 - a result Allardyce
described as 'fantastic'. "Defensively we were solid, good on the counter
attack and we scored two goals - a fantastic victory at this stage of the
season for us," he said.
"Every game in the Premier League is a tough one, away from home
particularly. With Sunderland fighting away down at the bottom it was always
going to be difficult but I thought the lads handled it really well. "In
this league you have to take your chances when they come and Andy Carroll
settled us down in the early stages. Then just after half time, Mo Diame
made life very difficult for Sunderland. "It got a little nerve-racking
towards the end when they got the goal from a really good finish from
Johnson - although I thought it was going to be all over just before then
when Stewart Downing went through. "He tells me the 'keeper got a touch on
it. If he didn't it was a bad miss and if he did, it was a great save! But
it's a fantastic result for us."
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Andy Carroll; he's going to Brazil?
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce believes that England manager Roy Hodgson would be making a
major mistake by leaving Andy Carroll out of his World Cup squad this
summer. West Ham's record signing scored one and provided an assist for the
second of United's two goals at the Stadium of Light on Monday evening as
Allardyce's team edged closer to Premier League safety with a second win in
five days. And a far-happier Big Sam told Sky Sports that the 25-year-old is
ready to receive the call having impressed since returning from a lengthy
spell on the sidelines. "Andy gives you an alternative," insisted Allardyce.
"As a player he's unique in many ways in the Premier League today. There
aren't too many who can receive or head a ball as good as he does -
particularly quality balls into the box. "You saw the headed goal from the
corner; nobody was going to stop him and the clean header into the back of
the net set us up for victory. "There's also a lot more about him on the
deck than people give him credit for. He can move the ball and he's quicker
than he looks."
The Sunderland goal was Carroll's second in four matches, following his
first of the season in the 3-1 defeat at Stoke last month. Allardyce
believes that if he can continue that form for the rest of the campaign, a
World Cup spot could be on the cards. "He's been back with us for just a few
games and he's already scored two," he said. "Last year he scored eight in
the last 12 matches and Roy [Hodgson] picked him in the summer. "If he
continues to play every week for us now as he did last season and score the
goals, hopefully that'll happen to him again with this one being a World Cup
[year].
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Sunderland 1-2 West Ham United
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 1st April 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham all but guaranteed Premier League survival tonight with a second
successive win inside a week at Sunderland tonight.
Whilst some may have churlishly booed Allardyce and his players off the
field following last Wednesday evening's win against Hull, those three
points - combined with tonight's 2-1 victory - all but guarantees another
season of Premier League football at the Boleyn Ground.
In truth it was a scrappy game - the 37 combined shots produced just 13 on
target (seven for Sunderland and six for West Ham) - but United took full
advantage of a nervous home crowd and team who are now surely consigned to
the dreaded drop into the Championship following this latest reversal.
Andy Carroll, Angel of the North and hated by the Black Cats due to his
Geordie heritage struck the first killer blow with just ten minutes on the
clock. The England international - who did his World Cup chances no harm at
all this evening - rose above both John O'Shea and Wes Brown to power Mark
Noble's corner into the back of the net.
And it was to be another early goal in the second half that set West Ham up
for their second win inside seven days. Mo Diame, who had produced a
disappointing first half performance fired home what proved to be the
winning goal when James Tomkins' free kick was nodded down by Carroll and
struck into the corner of Vito Mannione's net - albeit via a slight
deflection - by the midfield powerhouse.
It is only on the rarest of occasions that the Hammers win comfortably away
from home and once again the travelling fans - plus those watching at home
and in the pubs - were left chewing their nails for the final half-an-hour
after substitute Adam Johnson scored a well-worked consolation after 65
minutes.
But the home side managed to test West Ham's Spanish goalkeeper Adrian
rarely in those final minutes, despite throwing Mannone up as an extra
attacker for the final few set-pieces.
Gus Poyet, who has complained bitterly in the past when being defeated by
Allardyce teams - most notably when managing Brighton in 2011 - was furious
at referee Howard Webb for not awarding the home side a fairly obvious
penalty in the first half when Kevin Nolan clearly pushed the ball away from
goal with his elbow.
Curiously, Webb was perfectly positioned to spot the infringement - but
failed to penalise West Ham's captain. Webb, of course, was the offical in
charge when Andy Carroll received his marching orders for the non-existant
elbow on Chico Flores last month; a case of the offical evening up the
scores perhaps?
The win takes West Ham back up to 11th in the table with 37 points from 32
games - just one point fewer than that gained at this stage last season.
It also means that the Hammers have taken 22 points from the 12 Premier
League games since Andy Carroll returned from injury in mid-Janaury - the
kind of form which, if sustained over the course of the entire campaign,
would lead to Champions League qualification.
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Andy Carroll says West Ham are safe after beating Sunderland
Last Updated: 31/03/14 11:12pm
SSN
Andy Carroll believes West Ham have secured their Premier League status for
another season after beating Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light. The
striker scored the opening goal with a powerful early header and a second
from Mohamed Diame put the Hammers clear. Adam Johnson's strike gave
Sunderland hope but they were unable to earn anything from the match as
their own survival hopes suffered a major blow. West Ham now have 37 points,
are comfortable in mid-table, and Carroll echoed co-chairman David Gold's
Twitter claim that they are out of trouble . "You take every game as it is,
keep an eye on the teams winning below, but I think we are safe, yeah," he
told Sky Sports 1. Carroll's man-of-the-match performance again roused the
debate as to whether or not he should be picked for the World Cup. "That's
what I'm looking for now, scoring goals and keeping on it until the end of
the season," he added.
Captain Kevin Nolan was pleased to win at a side who were looking to reel
West Ham back into the relegation fight. "We knew it was going to be tough
and Adam Johnson made an impact. We knew it would not be easy because
they're scrapping, but we knew if we won we'd be clear of them," he said.
"We got the three points and put space between us and the bottom three."
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Sunderland's relegation fears intensify with home defeat to West Ham
Last Updated: 31/03/14 11:16pm
SSN
Andy Carroll helped to nudge Sunderland closer to the relegation trapdoor as
West Ham all but secured their own Premier League status with a 2-1 win at
the Stadium of Light.
Best of the game:
Goal of the match: Johnson took a touch and quickly got off a curling shot
which found the top corner.
Pass of the match: Gardner's ball through Armero's legs for Johnson to score
Sunderland's goal.
Save of the match: Mannone won a one-on-one duel with Downing by diving to
touch a low shot around the post.
Man of the match: Carroll was too strong for Sunderland, with the Geordie
scoring West Ham's first and setting up the second.
Talking point: Can Sunderland get out of trouble now? This was one of the
easier-looking games of their run it but the Black Cats blew it.
The England striker powered the visitors into an early lead and midfielder
Mohamed Diame extended it five minutes into the second half on a night when
there were no boos for Hammers boss Sam Allardyce. Substitute Adam Johnson
gave Sunderland, who had earlier seen strong penalty appeals go unanswered,
hope when he pulled one back with 25 minutes remaining, and keeper Adrian
had to pull off a double save to deny Ki Sung-yueng and Connor Wickham. But
ultimately, the Black Cats' depressing home run was extended to just one win
in nine league games to leave the bulk of a crowd of 37,396 fearing the
worst, with their team still second from bottom and four points from safety.
Former Newcastle frontman Carroll needed just nine minutes to plummet even
further in the estimation of the home fans when he headed the visitors into
the lead in trademark style. Mark Noble's corner was tailor-made for him to
climb high above John O'Shea and Wes Brown to score just his second goal of
the season despite keeper Vito Mannone's best efforts on the line. However,
Sunderland, who have not won a Monday night game in 12 years, were aggrieved
not to be handed a chance to level as half-time approached. Skipper O'Shea
bundled the ball into the penalty area as the home side staged an attack and
opposite number Kevin Nolan appeared to block it with his arm, although
referee Howard Webb was unmoved. But their mood darkened further five
minutes into the second half when Diame latched on to Carroll's knock-down
and steered a deflected shot past the stranded Mannone to make it 2-0.
Sunderland's uphill task increased markedly in gradient by the time 50
minutes had passed when, after Brown had been penalised for a foul on
Carroll, the striker laid off James Tomkins' free-kick for Diame to fire
home with the help of a deflection off Vergini. Poyet replaced Cattermole
with Johnson and Craig Gardner soon followed as O'Shea departed, and amidst
the re-organisation, Downing should really have killed the game off when he
got in behind Alonso, but fired inches wide of the far post.
Johnson gave the home side hope when he collected Gardner's pass and curled
home a 65th-minute shot, and suddenly, the Black Cats were transformed.
Adrian could not hold Ki's 68th-minute drive, but recovered to block
Wickham's follow-up as the home fans sensed a change in the tide, but
salvation proved to be beyond them as substitute Ignacio Scocco headed over
at the death from Vergini's cross.
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce applauds 'fantastic' win over Sunderland
Last Updated: 31/03/14 11:12pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce admitted that West Ham United were virtually safe and paid
tribute to Andy Carroll's 'unique' talents after a 2-1 victory over
Sunderland on Monday night. Andy Carroll set the Hammers on their way to
victory with a powerful header in the ninth minute, and Mohamed Diame added
a second early in the second half. Adam Johnson pulled a goal back for
Sunderland but the Hammers held on to move on to 37 points, 11 clear of the
relegation zone with just six games to play. "It got a little nervy towards
the end when they got the goal, but it is a fantastic result for us,"
Allardyce told Sky Sports. "I thought the lads handled it really well and in
this league you have to take your chances when they come. "All-round, we
were defensively solid and it was a good performance on the counter-attack."
Allardyce came under pressure following some poor results early in the
season and he is grateful to his bosses for sticking by him through a tough
period.
He added: "We have just taken 15 points from eight games and that is a
fantastic run at this stage of the season and that is a fantastic run
considering where we were, and it has got us out of trouble and into a
mid-table position. "We have just got to strive on and see how many points
we can get in the last six games. "We aren't mathematically safe, but it is
going to be very difficult for the bottom three to catch us now and the
important thing about today's result was that it was against one of the
bottom three, and we have taken three points off them. "That was how crucial
the win was for us, and how disappointing it must have been for Gus
(Poyet)."
Allardyce was impressed by the way everyone in his team played but admitted
that Carroll was a particular handful and tipped him to make England's World
Cup squad. "Andy gives you an alternative as a player. He is unique in many
ways in the Premier League," said Allardyce. "There aren't too many who can
receive a ball or head a ball as well as he can, and the headed goal he
scored from that corner, there was nobody going to stop him. "There is a lot
more about him on the deck than people give him credit for. He can move the
ball, he's quicker than he looks, and I just think if he can play every game
like he did last year, hopefully he will go to the World Cup."
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Sunderland 1-2 West Ham: Andy Carroll inspires Hammers as Black Cats remain
four points from safety
Mar 31, 2014 22:06 By Simon Bird
The Mirror
Geordie Andy Carroll dealt a massive blow to Sunderland's survival hopes.
The former Newcastle man executed a demolition job on Poyet's flimsy
defence, scoring the opener and setting up the decisive second for Mohamed
Diame on another terrible night for the Wearsiders. Sunderland remain four
points adrift of safety with their next four games including trips to Spurs,
Manchester City and Chelsea, with Everton visiting a frustrated Stadium of
Light. Poyet's side have the worst record in the league at home, with just
three wins and 13 goals all season, and the malaise continued as West Ham
took their chances ruthlessly.
After visiting boss Sam Allardyce was booed after Saturday's win over Hull,
there can only have been admiration for a job well done. The crowd unrest
from the home faithful was loud as well last night. Sunderland mustered
their usual late fightback, setting up an edgy final 25 minutes for the
Hammers after a fine goal from substitute Adam Johnson. Carroll clearly
enjoyed scoring the opener after nine minutes with a towering header direct
from Mark Noble's corner. He rose above marker John O'Shea to grab only his
second goal of a season which only started in January because of injury.
Urged on by his Geordie mates to make the most of his chance against the
struggling Mackems, he delivered in trademark fashion, using his height and
physical presence. It was a terrible start for Sunderland, who knew this
match represented one of their best chances to get back in touch with the
survival pack. Carroll forced a save out Vito Mannone with another back-post
header before a decent spell of pressure from Sunderland, which should have
yielded a penalty when Kevin Nolan deliberately elbowed the ball away. The
Black Cats have sunk deep into trouble after a terrible run - no wins in the
league since February 1 and one point from their last games.
There was a desperation about their play demonstrated when Lee Cattermole
collected a Ki Sung-Yueng cross unmarked 12 yards out but snatched wide. At
the other end, West Ham could have doubled their lead, with Noble unlocking
space on the edge of the area for Matthew Taylor to slash just wide. Diame's
goal came from a long punt into the area that Carroll chested down, with the
goal-bound shot slightly deflected. Johnson was sent on by Poyet (left) and
delivered a goal. Craig Gardner prodded a ball in behind and Johnson curled
home from 16 yards. Adrian then conjured an amazing save to keep out Connor
Wickham on his 21st birthday. Ki's shot was pushed out by Adrian, who
recovered to block brilliantly. Shortly after Fabio Borini blazed into the
side netting when through on goal. Too often Sunderland have promised much
late on when the game has already gone.
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