Crest consultation update
WHUFC.com
whufc.com provides a further update on the plans to consult supporters on
the Club's crest
09.06.2014
As West Ham United's move to the Olympic Stadium edges ever closer, the Club
is paying close attention to how it can better reflect and celebrate the
things that make West Ham so special, particularly its rich history, in the
lead up to the move to its stunning new home. As part of this process, the
Club have been looking at its values and how they can be expressed in a more
effective way in the lead up to 2016. That has led to a discussion about
whether it might be the right time to evolve the Club's crest, but for
clarity not the Club name, a topic which has been discussed in detail with
the Supporter Advisory Board (SAB) at two recent meetings. The Club was keen
to receive genuine and honest feedback and the SAB members have duly
obliged, providing extremely valuable opinion both at the meetings and via
email. While the Club understand that only the upcoming full supporter
consultation will give a true picture of fan feeling, the feedback received
so far has suggested that evolving the Club's crest is something that should
be explored further with the wider fanbase. There are clearly some areas
that the SAB members are more widely supportive of and other areas they
would like the Club to look at in more detail. The feedback so far suggests
there is broad support for a more traditional crest as used during the 50s,
with the crossed hammers given more prominence. There were also discussions
at the meeting about potentially adding a representation of the Club's new
home (the Olympic Stadium) to the crest, during which the Club explained its
preference for no graphical representation of any Hammers stadium, either
past or present, to allow the strong symbol of the crossed hammers to shine
through. That view appears to have been generally supported by the SAB.
The possibility of further highlighting the Club's standing in London by
reflecting that in some way on the Club's crest was also debated. This
element led to the liveliest debate and the widest variety of views and,
therefore, it will be a key area of focus during the consultation process.
Some fed back that it was an appropriate reflection of the Club's direction,
while others felt that 1895 should be added to better demonstrate West Ham's
standing and history. Others said they favoured a return to a more
traditional, retro crest only. The Board want to reiterate that any
evolution of the badge will only proceed with the full support of the fans
and a subsequent ballot and that there will be no change to the Club name.
As stated clearly in the SAB meeting, the intention was always to provide
the presentation to the wider supporter base as soon as possible and this
will be made available on whufc.com on Friday to allow some time for the
creative direction that is being explored to be revisited in response to the
SAB feedback. Supporters will then have the ability to submit feedback, both
online and in person, with open days for fans to view and discuss plans at
the Boleyn Ground scheduled for Saturday 14, Thursday 19 and Tuesday 24
June.
Further details will be announced this week, but the Club can confirm the
consultation will be open to all Season Ticket Holders and Members (Academy,
Corporate and Official Supporters' Clubs) aged 16 and over.
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World Cup Countdown - Adrian
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian assesses his country's chances of success
in Brazil
09.06.2014
Spanish domination of international tournaments has been a feature of the
last six years, since La Roja lifted the European Championship in 2008.
Since then a World Cup and another Euro title have followed as the Iberian
nation put their stamp on the world game. West Ham United's own Spanish
import, Adrian, will be watching his nation's fortunes with interest this
summer, although he expects the competition to be fierce. He said: "Of
course I am looking forward to the World Cup. It's the best tournament in
the world with the best players and best national teams. "I'll be enjoying a
holiday with my family but I'll certainly be watching! It'll be difficult
for Spain, because every other team respects them for winning the Euro Cup,
the World Cup and the Euros again. "It's hard because everyone wants to win
this year, but Spain do have a really good team. "I know Pepe Reina and I
speak with him sometimes, and I've played against a lot of the players, but
I don't have many relationships with them. "At the moment Spain have really
good goalkeepers. Victor Valdes is injured, but David de Gea will go there
with Pepe Reina and Iker Casillas. "Playing for Spain is the next step in my
ambitions. I need to keep going with West Ham, keep improving and why not?"
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Following the family tradition
WHUFC.com
Academy schoolboy Louis Yuill has emulated grandfather William by being
called-up by Scotland
09.06.2014
West Ham United schoolboy Louis Yuill will be following the family tradition
after being called-up by Scotland U16s for the first time. The Academy
youngster's grandfather William played age-group football for Scotland
himself, turning out against England at Villa Park in 1948. Now, 66 years
later, the 15-year-old midfielder has been included in the Scotland U16
squad for an International Development Tournament, which kicks-off in
Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday.
There, Yuill and his Scottish team-mates will take on the host nation,
Azerbaijan and Montenegro in a four-team tournament spanning four days.
Scotland will play Azerbaijan on 11 June and finally Montenegro two days
later. Yuill's father Ian, who spent time with West Ham himself before being
released at the age of 18, was himself a semi-professional with a number of
Essex-based clubs and is now a technical coach working with Academy
prospects of all ages. Ian is naturally proud to see his son following in
his own father's footsteps, saying: "My dad William was a footballer himself
who played for Scotland against England at Villa Park. He is 86 now and is
delighted for Louis. "Personally, I'm over the moon. Louis has been going up
to Scotland for the last year or so for training camps and, following the
most recent one, we had a call from the coach Scot Gemmill saying he had
done really and might be picked in the next U16 squad and now he has been.
"Unlike many of the Academy schoolboys of his age, who are taught at the
Academy, Louis still attends his old school, St John's in Billericay. He
puts in ever so much effort with his school work and travelling to and from
Rush Green for training, so we are delighted that his hard work has paid
off. "I, my wife Janice and his school sportsmaster Ian Barnard are all
immensely proud of his call-up."
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Aston Villa: Joe Cole set to join on free transfer
BBC.co.uk
Aston Villa are set to sign former England midfielder Joe Cole pending the
results of a medical. The 32-year-old, who won 56 caps for England, is
available on a free transfer after being released by West Ham last month.
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Joe Cole to remain in claret and blue
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Aston Villa are on the verge of signing Joe Cole, who was released by West
Ham at the end of last season. The 31-year-old was handed a free transfer at
the end of last season after a second spell at West Ham lasted just 18
months. However it has emerged this evening that Villa are preparing to give
the former England international one final chance in the top flight.
According to Lee Clayton of the Mail, Cole is reported to be undergoing a
medical this evening ahead of a move to Villa Park. Should the move go
ahead, Villa will be Cole's fourth Premier League club following spells with
West Ham (twice), Chelsea and Liverpool.
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Big Sam beaten as Jose has the last laugh
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce was on the losing side as his England side were beaten by Jose
Mourinho's Rest of the World team in last night's Soccer Aid event at Old
Trafford. A strong RotW team - featuring, amongst others, former Dutch
interenationals Edgar Davids, Edwin Van Der Saar, Jaap Stam and Clarence
Seedorf - threw away a 2-0 lead before recovering as the game entered its
final stages to record a 4-2 win. Seedorf - one of the four former Dutch
masters to play most of the game - scored a hat-trick on the night with the
RotW's final goal coming from Westlife singer Nicky Byrne. England's goals
came from Jamie Redknapp and via the penalty from Kevin Phillips, who was a
late inclusion as replacement for Teddy Sheringham (currently studying for
his coaching badges). Allardyce, who recently fought off attempts to have
him removed from his position at West Ham was a good sport throughout the
event and even performed a perfect handstand during one notable training
session, to the delight of his squad. Almost 70,000 attended the game at Old
Trafford on Sunday night with more than £2million raised for UNICEF - a
figure that will be doubled by the Government, taking the total to
£4.2million.
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Club promise consultation over crest change
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have confirmed that any changes to the club's crest will
only proceed with the backing of supporters. In order to answer a number of
concerns that have emerged since it was leaked that West Ham United's crest
was subject to change as part of the move to the Olympic Stadium two years
from now, the club have released a statement clarifying the situation. In
the statement, which you may read in full on whufc.com, the club confirmed
that any changes would require the backing of the entire fanbase whilst
expressing their thanks to the Supporter Advisory Board (SAB) for their
assistance in preliminary discussions. "The Club have been looking at its
values and how they can be expressed in a more effective way in the lead up
to 2016," read the statement. "That has led to a discussion about whether it
might be the right time to evolve the Club's crest, a topic which has been
discussed in detail with the SAB at two recent meetings. "The Club was keen
to receive genuine and honest feedback and the SAB members have duly
obliged, providing extremely valuable opinion both at the meetings and via
email. "While the Club understand that only the upcoming full supporter
consultation will give a true picture of fan feeling, the feedback received
so far has suggested that evolving the Club's crest is something that should
be explored further with the wider fanbase.
"Feedback so far suggests there is broad support for a more traditional
crest as used during the 1950s, with the crossed hammers given more
prominence.
"There were also discussions at the meeting about potentially adding a
representation of the Olympic Stadium to the crest, during which the Club
explained its preference for no graphical representation of any Hammers
stadium, either past or present, to allow the strong symbol of the crossed
hammers to shine through. "That view appears to have been generally
supported by the SAB. The possibility of further highlighting the Club's
standing in London by reflecting that in some way on the Club's crest was
also debated."
The statement also confirmed that all supporters aged 16 and over will be
able to take part in the consultation process. Two open days - during which
fans may visit the Boleyn Ground in order to discuss the club's plans for
Stratford - were also announced; these are set for June 19th and 24th.
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Taylor rejects contract offer
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 9th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Further to our story this morning regarding Matt Taylor's contractual
situation, it has been confirmed that the club's offer has been rejected.
The 32-year-old midfielder was offered a new deal by West Ham United, but
that has been rejected - meaning Taylor is now a free agent. The news was
confirmed by Jack Sullivan, son of co-owner David this lunchtime. "Matt
Taylor has turned down our improved offer and is now a free agent," he
wrote. "We genuinely wish him all the best wherever he goes, a very nice
guy." The former Luton and Portsmouth player became Sam Allardyce's third
signing when he joined West Ham from Bolton in a £2.2million deal three
years ago as part of the Championship squad. He went on to make 90
appearances for West Ham during the following three seasons, scoring just
three goals against former club Portsmouth (Championship, 2011/12), Fulham
(Premier League, 2012/13) and Burnley (Capital One Cup, 2013/14). KUMB.com
would like to wish Matt all the very best for the future.
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Hammers set for Scottish trip?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham could in line for a short trip to Scotland as part of their
pre-season summer activities. According to the Evening Telegraph, Dundee
United are hoping to lure the Hammers to Tannadice Park this summer for a
friendly ahead of the 2014/15 campaign after their previously-booked clash
with Bristol City was cancelled. Talks with view to a potential friendly
between West Ham and Jackie McNamara's side are understood to have already
taken place although no firm decision has been made of yet. West Ham have a
long history of touring Scotland in pre-season although it has been several
years since the Hammers last went north of the border.
2014/15 pre-season programme
12th July: Stevenage FC (a)
16th July: Ipswich Town (a)
23rd July: Wellington Phoenix (Football United Tour) (a)
26th July: Sydney FC (Football United Tour) (n)
2nd August: Schalke (Schalke 04 Cup) (a)
3rd August: Malaga (Schalke 04 Cup) (n)
To be confirmed
Date unknown: Dundee United (a)
9th August: Sampdoria (h)
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HAMMERS LINKED WITH URBY EMANUELSON
By Sean Whetstone 9 Jun 2014 at 19:19
West Ham Till I Die
Former Fulham loanee Urby Emanuelson has emerged as the third transfer
target for the left back position joining Martin Olssen and Timothee
Kolodziejczak as potential transfers.
The 27 year old AC Milan left back who can also play as a winger or
midfielder is said to be keen for a return to the Premier League. In January
2013 he joined Fulham until the end of the season playing 14 times and
scoring one goal. He is a product of Ajax's youth system, joining them from
Voorland SC. He made 173 appearances for Ajax scoring 17 goals before
joining AC Milan in 2011 for around 2.5m euros. He has made 74 appearances
for AC Milan scoring 3 times. Last season he made 32 appearances, 23 in the
league, 8 in Europe and 1 in the Coppa cup. He was also a member of the
Dutch national team up until 2012 earning 16 caps.
AC Milan are on the look out for a new left back and Erby is deemed surplus
to requirements.
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MATTY TAYLOR TO BE RELEASED
By Sean Whetstone 9 Jun 2014 at 13:19
West Ham Till I Die
Matthew Taylor has been released from the club following a break down on a
new deal. The 32 year old midfielder had been offered a short term deal on
reduced terms but Taylor and his agents turned it down. Matt Taylor joined
West Ham United from Bolton Wanderers in July 2011. He made 76 appearances
for the hammers finding the net two times. He previously played for Luton
Town, Portsmouth and the England Under-21 side. Last season he scored with a
trademark long-range effort in West Ham United's 6-2 win at Cork City in
their opening pre-season fixture. After featuring in the Capital One Cup,
made his first Barclays Premier League appearance of the campaign from the
bench in the 0-0 draw at Southampton on 15 September 2013 and scored from
the spot to help the Hammers defeat Burnley 2-0 in the Capital One Cup
fourth round on 29 October 2013. He was an important element of the team
that helped preserve the Hammers' clean sheet in their 0-0 draw at Chelsea
on 29 January 2014 and became a crucial part of the Hammers' revival in the
second half of the campaign in a defensive midfield role.
Earlier this year Taylor reflected at his time at West Ham : "The older you
get, to be running out at Old Trafford, Chelsea or Upton Park, to be in that
position as a professional footballer, you appreciate it. The older you get,
you realise it's not around for ever. When you're younger you don't think
that far ahead, because you're trying to get to the next stage of your
career. The older you get, you appreciate everything you have and everything
still to come."
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'New man' keeps Hammers waiting
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 9, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's bid to land Everton's scout Tony Henry as head of the player
recruitment remains on hold. The board agreed to make the new appointment at
the same time as they announced that a new attacking coach would be brought
in. However, whilst Teddy Sheringham has since arrived to take up the
attacking duties, all had gone silent on progress in bringing Henry to the
club. However, a senior source at the club revealed exclusively to
ClaretandHugh tonight that there was still optimism the deal to bring Henry
in would be done . He explained: "He's a top quality person and we are
waiting for him to get back to us – we're hopeful. "If we don't get him it's
not a certainty we will fill the position as he really is the person we
want."
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Reid's shock wage demands
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 9, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are delaying talks with Winston Reid's agents on a new deal after
discovering the defender is looking for a "top six" wage deal. With a year
to go on his current contract, the board have learned that the player will
want around £75,000 a week to stay at the club beyond next summer. And with
other options available to them, the club is in no rush to pursue such a
deal. Were they to agree to the terms being sought it would represent a near
100 per cent pay increase. And this morning ClaretandHugh was told: "Talks
will be held in due course but they want £75k which is crazy money." The
club are ready to play a waiting game knowing that for the Kiwi to get what
he wants it would need a top six club to come in. That hasn't happened for
a player who found it tougher to hold his place in the team after injury
last term yet has been regularly linked with Arsenal and Liverpool. Reid has
a year left on his deal and may choose, anyway, to let the deal run down and
leave on a Bosman next summer.
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That Was The Season That Was 2013-14 - Part One
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th June 2014
By: Gordon Thrower
It's the time of year when we traditionally look back and utter those famous
words "where the hell did those last 12 months go?" In part one of our
annual trawl through the archives Gordon Thrower looks at all the happenings
in pre-season. Expect to see stuff about Andy Carroll, transfer rumours and
the strange bizarre world of Joe Kinnear.....
June 2013
The month started with us looking on in pity at the victims of cruel medical
experiments that makes up a significant proportion of the support at
Millwall. They were complaining, as usual, at the club's attempts to improve
itself by appointing ex-Hammer Steve Lomas as manager. Like the stuff they
use in nuclear power stations to slow down the rate of the reaction, Glenn
Roeder comes in as no.2 to Lomas to ensure that the rate of any progress is
not too quick.
Winston Reid adds the kumb.com player of the year award to all the other
ones he won in 2012/13. Barry Hearn is "Hackett of the Year" for the second
year running for services against West Ham United. Hearn seeks a judicial
review over the result.
The "will he-won't he" saga over Andy Carroll's transfer continues. The
clubs having agreed a fee for the player, he jets off to the States where
photos show him bumping into Ashley Cole. The player's increasing maturity
is highlighted by the fact that none of the photos show him decking the
obnoxious Cole.
We make another signing in the goalkeeping dept. Adrian's full name is
Adrian San Miguel del Castillo, which translates into English as Adrian
Carling Black Label Castle. Or something. The 'keeper comes in from Real
Betis on a free transfer, landing a three year contract with a club option
to extend for another two years.
Also in is Stockport youngster Danny Whitehead. Signed for a nominal fee,
the player is described as "a bit slight – but we'll work on that". Down to
Nathan's with you then son.
Someone who could never be described as being "a bit slight" is Benni
McCarthy who has just announced his retirement from football having spent
the last couple of years with Orlando Pirates. A word of advice Benni – try
and do a bit of training. Once you retire the pounds just pile on otherwise.
In Israel, the England U21 team are playing in the U21 Euro tournament. Well
some of them are. Some players who qualify for the tournament are deemed too
big for such events, in contrast to other countries who send their best
players within the age group to form their squads. England lose all three
group matches to Italy, Norway and Israel. Stuart Pearce's contract as U21
boss is not renewed as a result.
Amongst the speculation involving Carroll is a recurring but unfounded
rumour that Newcastle will try to re-sign the player. However, they seem to
have their own problems as the amazing news that Joe Kinnear is to return to
the club is announced. By Joe Kinnear.
Kinnear gives what is, even by his standards, a bizarre interview to
Talksport. During the interview Kinnear bigs up his career to date by making
all sorts of claims as to his achievements. Such as having played over 400
times for Spurs (he didn't), having won the Manager Of The Year award three
times (he didn't), having made a big profit on John Hartson who he had
signed on a free (er,signed for £7,5m), having signed current Magpies
'keeper Tim Krul for the club (Krul arrived two years before Kinnear) etc
etc. Kinnear then claims that he is more intelligent than the Geordie fans.
Just the memory is going a bit then Joe.
The announcement of Kinnear's arrival by the club itself is delayed while
they await an "I'm looking forward to working with Joe" statement from Alan
Pardew. None is forthcoming and the announcement, when it finally appears,
tellingly lacks any input from the manager. Whilst we're all still killing
ourselves laughing at Kinnear's claim to have discovered the source of the
Nile during the half-time interval of a Tyne-Wear derby, Managing Director
Derek Llambias announces his resignation, citing no reason whatsoever for
his departure on the same day as Kinnear's arrival. Just coincidence we
expect.
Kinnear, in a rare lucid moment, states that his first priority will be to
find another striker, prompting further speculation that Carroll will turn
up on his radar. The announcement that Carroll is due to have a medical at
the Shaun Wright-Phillips Memorial Medical centre prior to signing for us is
most welcome then. Even if, as the announcement does, the proclamation comes
from the twitter account of young Jack Sullivan. "I could whack him
sometimes" claims co-chairman David Gold, though for the benefit of any
employees of Newham Social Services dept. who may be reading this, the
comment was made with tongue firmly in cheek.
Having successfully completed his medical (despite a heel injury that
threatens to keep the player out for the start of the season) the signing of
Carroll is finally confirmed, and there is much speculation in the papers as
to the size of the deal. Most estimates are so wide of the mark it is
believed that Joe Kinnear wrote them.
The fixtures are announced and for the second time in three years we are
given a home match against Cardiff City on the opening day of the season.
Although kick-off is slated for 3pm we await details of what hour the Met's
finest will allow us to play the match. Cardiff supporters, meanwhile, gird
themselves for an arduous journey to John O'Groats from whence the police
will insist they pick up their tickets, ten minutes before kick-off.
Over in Brazil the Confederations Cup is taking place. Whilst, admirably,
the BBC is covering the tournament, most of the English media are treating
the competition as some sort of sideshow. A sort of Intertoto for
Internationals if you will. This is partly prompted by the fact that, since
qualification depends on being either world or federation champions (or, as
in the case of Brazil, being the host nation), England's chances of ever
playing in the thing are rather slim.
Despite the stereotypical image of your average Brazilian being football
mad, the tournament is not meeting with universal approval from the
population. Riots and protests take place as a reaction to increasing
transport costs and public disquiet over the cost of hosting the 2014 World
Cup and the 2016 Olympics. Sepp Blatter, meanwhile, joins Newcastle's
Director Of Football on Planet Kinnear by announcing that FIFA's reputation
has been "enhanced" by the whole situation. It's a strange claim even by
Blatter's standards, though admittedly the corrupt FIFA is starting from a
pretty low base, reputationally speaking.
The tournament itself includes Brazil (hosts), Spain (World/Euro Champions),
Italy (Euro runners up), Uruguay (Copa America holders), Nigeria (African
Champions), Mexico (Concacacacacacaf), Japan (Asia) and Tahiti (Oceania).
Those locals who aren't actually rioting get fully behind the Tahiti side,
particularly in their match against Spain. The Spanish field the effective
equivalent of a Rugby tour midweek side and Fernando Torres pulls off the
neat trick of looking useless in a match that sees him score four. Spain
declare at ten.
The semi-finals pan out nicely so that the South Americans play each other
as do the Europeans, thus ensuring a South America v Europe final. Brazil
beat Uruguay 2-1 whilst Spain v Italy goes to penalties. Fourteen penalties
are taken. Thirteen are perfect, Bonucci's skied effort knocking Italy out
to set up a Brazil v Spain final.
The month ends with the host nation prevailing over an out of sorts Spain
who have a lousy evening, missing a penalty and having Iniesta sent off in a
3-0 defeat.
July
The transfer window officially opens as the players return to pre-season
training. Hammers' fans panic at the news that Titus Bramble, a free agent,
is training with the club. Thankfully the Jack Sullivan twitter feed puts
our minds at rest by confirming that the club is just doing the player a
favour, enabling him to keep fit while he looks for a new club. The
collective sigh of relief causes the Dartford Bridge to be closed to
high-sided vehicles.
Swansea seem to be closing in on Vitesse Arnhem striker William Bony.
Reports suggesting that we've put in a £10m bid of our own are apparently
wide of the mark, though we have apparently made an official enquiry with
talks stalling on the Dutch side's insistence that the fee be paid up front.
It's departure time for Robert Hall. Despite being offered a new deal by the
club, the promising youngster elects to pursue a better chance of a first
team place with Bolton Wanderers, with whom he spent part of 2012/13 on
loan. Shame that one – we thought he showed promise. Arriving at Bolton on
the same day is Blackpool's Alex Baptiste – whose torrent of sour grapes
after the play-off final was hilarious in the extreme. Bolton eh Alex? Not
quite made it into the Premier League then? Shame.
Meanwhile, back on Planet Kinnear, the Newcastle Director of Football is at
it again. "I'm head and shoulders above everyone else" he claims. As the
manufacturers of a well-known dandruff shampoo consider legal action, he
comes out with another baffling list of "facts". "Every club has a director
of football" he claims. Ours is probably hiding on an island somewhere with
Man Utd and Arsenal's then. "I've been a manager for 35 years he adds"
proving his grasp of maths is about as strong as his grasp on reality. "I've
won every award there is as a player" well, except the league Joe. And the
European Cup. And the (much missed) Cup-Winners Cup. And we must have missed
the Republic Of Ireland's Euro and World Cup triumphs. "I had two years at
Forest" (less than a year), "two years winning promotion at Luton" (one
relegation, one promotion), and almost two years at Newcastle (er, 8 months.
If you include three of sick leave). I was first man on the moon you know,
he continues…
At the Boleyn there are some changes in the club's ownership. David Sullivan
becomes the majority shareholder after picking up a further 25% from CB
Holdings (aka "The Icelandics"). One day these will belong to Jack you know.
If only there were some sort of social media outlet he could use to tell us
when that happens.
Henry Redknapp is given some help at QPR as it is announced that Steve
McLaren is to join the club as a coach, though it's not announced which
accent he'll be using.
An unexploded WWII bomb is found in Victoria Dock. Joe Kinnear volunteers to
act as Director Of Defusing Things – "I did dozens of these during the war.
Hundreds probably" he claims. After a nanosecond's consideration the army
decides to make do with one of the few bomb disposal experts that they
didn't make redundant in the latest round of cuts. Talking of which, the
Government announces that the Territorial Army is to be named the Army
Reserve. I give it a month before it becomes the Army Development Squad.
Sullivan Jr is busy again on twitter, announcing that Gary O'Neil has
decided to leave the club, his contract having expired on 30 June. Although
offered a new deal by the club the thought of being understudy to Mark Noble
once more presumably doesn't appeal to the player. Sullivan Jr's choice of
words on twitter could have been better made: "we'll get better in".
A pretty decent weekend for British sport starts off with the Lions
clinching a 2-1 series win over the Aussies, the 41-16 win in the final test
marking a record points tally for the Lions. Always a hoot to see Aussies
thumped as well. On the same day Chris Froome takes over the yellow jersey
in the Tour De France. It's not recorded whether any Aussies were harmed in
the process.
The first of the pre-season matches takes place in Ireland where Cork City
are beaten 6-2. Diarra, Cole, Taylor, McCallum, Noble (pen) and Morrison are
on target, with Noble also missing a penalty. Most worrying aspect of the
day is the sight of Titus Bramble in a West Ham shirt.
More British sporting success as the 77 year wait for a Wimbledon men's
singles winner comes to an end when Andy Murray defeats Novak Djokovic in
straight sets. A number of records are set as, for the first time, a
Scotsman manages to survive four hours in the sun without burning, Also,
it's the first recorded time that a Scotsman has left a court with a
victory. The win marks the first win for a Briton in the Men's single since
Joe Kinnear's victory in 1961.
Also at Wimbledon, the Ladies' singles is won by Marion Bartoli. The BBC's
John Inverdale suggests that her success is down to the fact that she isn't
a "looker" and thus worked harder at her tennis. No, really he did.
Meanwhile Steve Coogan is seen frantically amending the script to the
forthcoming Alan Partridge movie.
In Nigeria, something smells a bit fishy as promotion rivals Plateau United
Feeders and Police Machine go into their final matches level on points
Feeders lead their match 5-0 at half time only to discover that Machine have
gone one better. We suspect that a quiet word is had at half time as Feeders
net 72 times in the second half to run our 79-0 winners. Obviously the same
conversation is had at the venue for the Police Machine's match as they net
61 times in their match to win 67-0. The Nigerian FA suspends all four teams
involved plus the match officials pending an enquiry. Meanwhile the Feeders'
coach is angry demanding to know who it was who had grassed on him.
As the window begins to get interesting it is reported that we are
interested in signing Stuart Downing from Liverpool. "We have no interest in
signing Stuart Downing from Liverpoool" confirms Neil McDonald who, because
he is not Harry Redknapp, is believed.
Pre-season continues with a visit to Boreham Wood where, as part of the
Ruddock (Pelly not Neil) deal, we play a friendly. Morrison and Vaz Te score
before the interval when the whole side is replaced. Kevin Nolan adds
another to see us run out 3-0 winners.
Promising Barcelona prospect Gerard Deulofeu signs a loan deal with Everton.
Not something we'd have picked up on but for Jack Sullivan's twitter
revelation that we had been tying to sign the player ourselves. We are also
linked with Zdravko Kuzmanovic, a Serbian midfielder currently playing with
Inter. Our spell-checking software will be pleased.
Up the road in Thurrock (or Purfleet as they were once known) relegation to
the Rymans League Southern Division is confirmed as the FA reject the club's
appeal against a 3 point deduction. Their crime was to field Joel Barnett.
Barnett had played for a team in Yorkshire that had folded owing a few bob
in unpaid fines, the cost of which had been split between the responsible
players and staff. Barnett's failure to pay his share – all of £16 from a
sending off – resulted in his suspension. Both Thurrock and the player claim
ignorance. "He didn't know because he was in prison". Sheffield United store
the information for future reference – "We'll be in that league soon enough
so it'll be handy to have some cash to line the Chairman's pockets with when
we get there" comments a spokesman, though possibly not an official one.
Transfer speculation continues with the news that the club has taken Dutch
midfielder Orlando Engelaar on trial, the player having been released by PSV
during the summer. Engelaar plays the second half of the next match, a 2-0
win at Bournemouth. Nolan and Collison are on target in the match that
doubles as a testimonial for Cherries' defender Stephen Purches.
It is revealed that we have put in for a work permit for Colombian forward
Duvan Zapata. The 22 year-old is uncapped, something that is usually a
problem for the authorities. Meanwhile we are highly concerned at our
headline writer's failure to use "Viva Zapata". Poor lad must be unwell.
As he weather heats up in what those of us with long memories used to call
"summer", those of us starved of football tune into the Women's European
Championships, which being held in Sweden.. The England team starts in a
manner that is depressingly familiar to those of us who have watched their
male counterparts over the years. England lose their first match 3-2 to
Spain, the winner coming in the last minute of stoppage time.
Still at least one England side is doing ok, as the cricketers take a 1-0
lead in the Ashes series. It's a splendid game of cricket as a 98 from 19
year-old Ashton Agar, formerly a service area on the M40, batting at no.11
gives the Aussies a 1st innings lead. An incident-packed match sees the
Aussies fall 15 runs shy of the 311 that would have given them a remarkable
win.
Every year about this time there's usually a bonkers story about our former
"saviour" Savio. 2013 is no exception. Last heard of plying his trade in the
German lower leagues whilst nicking stuff from his teammates' pockets in the
changing rooms (having been released from a prison for faking his own
kidnapping in Thailand), Savio has turned up in the Israeli Premier League.
Savio? In a country with lots of guns? With hostile neighbours? What could
possibly go wrong?
Talking of bonkers, the ever so barking Mohamad Fayed sells Fulham to
Jacksonville Cougars (apparently they do that rugby in motorcycle helmets
thing that passes for sport in the USA) owner Shahid Khan. Khan immediately
cancels plans to erect statues to Jimmy Saville and Stuart Hall at Craven
Cottage, whilst an orderly queue starts amongst Fulham supporters eager to
request that the one Fayed put up of Michael Jackson be ditched. "I'll
listen to the fans" suggests Khan. "It's a listed monument – if he moves it
there'll be trouble" claims Fayed, taking a leaf out of the Joe Kinnear book
by ignoring the fact that a) the statue isn't a listed monument (as if), and
b) it's got nothing to do with him anymore anyway.
The England Women's team continues in a manner that is depressingly familiar
to those of us who have watched their male counterparts over the years. This
time they come within seconds of exiting Euro 2013 before a late, late
equaliser gives them a 1-1 draw against Russia, thus retaining a glimmer of
hope of progressing to the knockout stages.
"Sources close to" Wayne Rooney say that the player is "angry and confused".
Whilst most of us wonder where the news actually is in that statement, it
seems that spudface's anger and confusion results from Manchester United's
comments on the player's future with the club. Meanwhile David Moyes ensures
that Rooney will go nowhere by insisting that he places any transfer request
in writing.
We notch another win on the pre-season road as we run out 2-1 winners at
Colchester. Cole and Collins are on target. Best news of all is that Titus
Bramble is turning out for Ipswich on the same night. A major wind farm
capable of powering the whole of Essex is constructed to take advantage of
the resulting sigh of relief.
A wheelchair-bound Man Utd supporter appears on the box to campaign for
better facilities for the disabled. A laudable aim perhaps, but one that is
totally undermined by her complaint of having to sit near home supporters on
her visits to the Boleyn. Presumably, as a Man Utd supporter she is
frightened of learning something about football. For example, the name of
some other grounds at which disabled supporters are forced to sit with
opposition supporters. (Clue: Last time I was on crutches a certain ground
in Salford adopted that policy).
The England Women's team continues in a manner that is depressingly familiar
to those of us who have watched their male counterparts over the years. This
time they are outplayed by the French who are worthy 3-0 winners. The result
means that none of the England teams involved in tournaments (U20, U21 and
Women's) have actually won a match this summer. Food for thought.
Chelsea confirm they have had a bid for Wayne Rooney knocked back by Man
Utd, despite Coleen having agreed personal terms with John Terry.
Joe Kinnear is strangely silent for once as it is revealed that Newcastle's
Papisse Cisse has not travelled to Portugal for pre-season. The problem lies
with the Geordies' choice of shirt sponsors for 2013/14, a payday loan
company. This conflicts with the player's religious beliefs. The situation
calls for tact and diplomacy which is why, presumably, Kinnear is kept well
away from the press on this one. Meanwhile it is rumoured that Cisse's
failure to travel has cost him a £5,000 fine, a figure which will rise to
£2,165,043.60 if not paid within 3 weeks.
West Ham officially withdraw from the race to sign Zapata. The official
announcement comes, as ever, via Sullivan Jr who informs us that there is no
prospect of a work permit being granted due to the player's lack of full
international recognition.
Another player not coming is Sporting Gijon's Oscar Trejo. Spanish sources
suggest we had placed a bid for the Argentinian midfielder, though there's
nothing to suggest that this had been the case from this side of the
Channel. In the end the player goes to Tolouse.
We suffer our first pre-season defeat in Germany, Joe Cole netting our goal
in a 4-1 defeat to 1 FSV Mainz. Facebook is alive with the usual "Allardyce
Out" knee jerk reactions from those who fail to differentiate between
pre-season and, er, season.
Other sports news and the Aussies receive another Ashes thrashing, this time
by 367 runs. The result comes in on the same day as Chris Froome wins the
Tour De France, a second consecutive British win. So, we beat the Aussies at
cricket and the French at cycling. Still long odds on the hat-trick though,
as giving the Germans a thumping at football looms as far away as ever.
We receive sad news from across the Atlantic as we hear of the sad passing
of Phil Woosnam. Woosnam joined us from Leyton Orient where he combined a
teaching career with playing as an amateur. He actually won his first cap
for Wales as an amateur and only turned professional on signing for Ted
Fenton's side in 1958. After over 150 games for us he moved on to Villa, but
it is his work in the USA for which the wider football world will remember
him. Starting out as a player with the Atlanta Chiefs he progressed to
coaching then moved onto the administration side of things. He was
commissioner of the NASL (the earlier version of the current MLS) during its
glory years and was also instrumental in securing the 1994 World Cup for the
States. RIP Woosie.
David Sullivan officially takes over Jack's twitter account for a Q&A
session. The responses are pretty much what one would expect and end up
being quoted left right and centre in the press, though for some reason the
Co-chairman's reply to the query "what do you want to be when you grow up"
(A: taller) seems strangely absent from the back pages.
David Cameron announces that future internet users will have to actively
opt-in should they wish to receive porn. On the same day the Duchess of
Cambridge finally drops a much-delayed male heir, prompting many of us to
ask if we can also have a button to opt in for news of the royal baby. The
media coverage is hilariously over the top with one BBC presenter actually
informing us that "it was always going to be a girl or a boy". Nation shall
speak crap unto nation then.
The Germans defeat the Norwegians 1-0 in the women's Euro 2013. John
Inverdale is kept well away from the commentary team. Some revenge is gained
on behalf of the late King Olaf as we return to winning ways with a 3-1 win
over Hamburger SV as our German tour continues. A seemingly rejuvenated and
rehabilitated Diarra is on the scoresheet along with Tomkins and Morrison
(pen).
The tour concludes with a 3-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig. Maiga is the
man of the moment, scoring two and setting up another for Diame. Maiga's
appearance on the radar comes at a time when talks are continuing with
Saloman Kalou. Although a fee of a reported £3.5m has been agreed with Lille
the player appears to be reluctant to take up a supporting role alongside
Andy Carroll,
Papisse Cisse's reluctance to wear the logo of a payday lender on his
Newcastle shirt comes to an end. His religious objections to the logo have
been mysteriously resolved. In a completely unrelated news story Papisse
Cisse is plastered all over the national press playing blackjack in a
Newcastle casino.
Mo Diame turns down a reported approach from Everton "I looked it up and
it's in Liverpool" the player explains.
As the Kalou deal seems to stall attention turns to Malmo attacking
midfielder Jiloan Hamad. Liverpool's Raheem Stirling, who spent some time
working under Tony Carr as a kid, is also linked with a loan deal as Jack
Sullivan promises a new striker "within 48 hrs". August should be
interesting then.
August
The world of football is rocked to its foundations as Kieron Dyer announces
his retirement. Mainly because the world of football had thought that this
event had occurred several years previously. Possibly the unluckiest player
in history, Dyer's mood would have been improved by the arrival of the
cheque from the insurance company had he not sustained a really nasty paper
cut when opening the envelope it came in.
The team jet off once more to warmer climes to take part in a tournament in
Portugal involving Braga and Sporting Lisbon. Ravel Morrison shines again,
as we beat Sporting 3-2. Nolan gets the other. Things get a bit baffling at
the end as, despite the victory, the teams have a penalty shoot-out to help
decide tournament placings in the event of a tie. Things get even more
baffling as the shoot-out finishes 4-4. Answers on a postcard please.
There's a bit of a to do as it becomes apparent that Gent's Ilombo Pele
M'boyo is a potential target. Jack Sullivan's twitter account becomes the
thermometer through which the supporters' waters are tested and the general
consensus contains the words "barge" and "pole". The club's interest is
quietly dropped but not before some Belgian Equal Opps jobsworth mutters
something about discrimination. There are also concerns that a 12 year-old's
twitter account is being used to discuss the rehabilitation of sex
offenders.
We go down 1-0 to Braga in the final game of the tournament, though we did
get some consolation from the bizarre and pointless penalty shoot-out which
we again draw – 3-3 this time. We still have no idea why.
One of the stronger rumours of the summer links us with raiding feeder club
Liverpool for Stewart Downing. And not a striker. Despite the likelihood
that Andy Carroll will be missing for the opening weeks of the season.
"Come and watch top class European football" scream the adverts, which, as
an afterthought, mention that our opponents are to be Portuguese outfit
Pacos De Ferreira, who, despite hardly being a household name, have
apparently qualified for the so-called Champions League. Unlike Spurs.
Morrison is on target after 16 seconds. Maiga doubles the lead. The "top
class European opponents" can only muster a second half consolation effort
as we win 2-1. Despite the Portuguese opponents, we don't bother with a
penalty shoot-out.
Stewart Downing's arrrival is confirmed for a fee of a reported £5m. That's
the Downing we have no interest in signing apparently. Still no striker
though as it is confirmed that Andy Carroll will definitely miss the
season-opener at home to Cardiff. It is announced that Billy Bonds MBE will
be given a "Lifetime Achievement Award" by the club before the match.
So we go into the season a shade light in the striking department. Still
there's a few weeks to go in the window so we're bound to sign a striker or
two and, in any case, Andy Carroll will be back before you know it.
Won't he?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Tuesday, June 10
Monday, June 9
Daily WHUFC News - 9th June 2014
West Ham told to pay £10million if they want Red Bull Salzburg winger Sadio
Mane
By SIMON JONES
Daily Mail
West Ham will have to up their off to £10million if they want to sign Sadio
Mane. Manager Sam Allardyce is keen on the Senegal winger who has also been
watched by Newcastle and Manchester City but they may struggle to match his
club Red Bull Salzburg's valuation. West Ham have offered £5.2m with add-ons
but Salzburg want more if they are to lose the 22-year-old who scored 17
goals last season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham should be first in the queue if Ashley Cole leaves Chelsea
Sunday 8 Jun 2014 6:12 pm
Metro.co.uk
Whist the summer departures of Joe Cole and Jack Collison may have left a
hole in the affections of many fans where two of their favourite players
used to be, George McCartney's exit is more significant because it leaves a
whole in the team, and a big decision over who should fill it. But West Ham
could save themselves a lot of time – and airmiles – by going for someone
not too far away, who may well be available, and who is definitely world
class. Chelsea's Ashley Cole.
Few players in football provoke quite such strong opinions from fans as
Cole. Whatever you say about the former Arsenal defender – a lot of people
do, and a lot of it is not nice – unquestionably, he has been one of the
world's best defenders for the last decade, and at 33 he has plenty of
football left in him.
At Bolton, Sam Allardyce had a habit of enticing unlikely big name signings
– most famously World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff – and squeezing the last
drops of class from them. He has yet to do this at West Ham, but Cole could
be the perfect opportunity.
Perhaps wisely, considering the own goals he scored in his autobiography,
Cole lets his feet do the talking, and how; 107 England caps, a record seven
FA Cup winner's medals, a member of Arsenal's Invincibles before his
controversial switch to Chelsea, where he played a key role in the club's
rise to Europe's elite – few players in the Premier League era can hold a
candle to him. With his Chelsea career seemingly - although not definitely
– over, all this experience may be up for grabs.
In recent years left-back has been a patched-up position for West Ham –
before McCartney there was Herita Ilunga. He replaced McCartney (in his
first spell), who came after Paul Konchesky, with Jonathan Spector and Wayne
Bridge also being given a try. In fixing the hole left by McCartney, West
Ham can go one of two ways – youth, or experience.
Youth is highly-rated 22-year-old Nice defender Timothee Kolodziejczak - a
consistent pick for France's age group national teams with Champions League
experience, who has been watched by Southampton and Manchester United. But
whilst any new signing is obviously a gamble, few players are as near a cert
as Cole.
He's been everywhere, won everything and as a result, not only is he –
obviously – extremely good, he's the kind of player whose presence would
lift those around him, and inspire younger team-mates. Should Cole leave
Chelsea, he will have his pick of clubs at home and abroad. A Londoner all
his life, a return to Arsenal is highly unlikely, and Tottenham even less so
– so West Ham might be tempting.
Cole may not be the youngest player around, but he is unquestionably one of
the best. West Ham have a space that needs filling, and Cole can do it
better than almost everyone. Someone's going to benefit from all that
experience. Why not the Irons?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Two more Hammers targets named
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 8, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
ClaretandHugh has identified the remaining left backs on West Ham's s four
player wish list. We revealed last week that a quartet are being targeted in
that position and that both Martin Olssen and Timothee Kolodziejczak's
representatives Urbyhave talked to the club. However, the remaining two have
been a mystery until now but we are told that Milan's 27-year- old Urby
Emanuelson (below right) is on the Irons radar along with Frenchman Raphael
Guerreiro (above). Kolodziejczak remains at the top of the shopping list
but the latest names to be revealed are both decent players. Emanuelson is a
product of Ajax's youth system and spent part of the 2013-14 season at
Fulham making 14 appearances whilst Guerreiro is currently with French
League 1 outfit Lorient.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Mane
By SIMON JONES
Daily Mail
West Ham will have to up their off to £10million if they want to sign Sadio
Mane. Manager Sam Allardyce is keen on the Senegal winger who has also been
watched by Newcastle and Manchester City but they may struggle to match his
club Red Bull Salzburg's valuation. West Ham have offered £5.2m with add-ons
but Salzburg want more if they are to lose the 22-year-old who scored 17
goals last season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham should be first in the queue if Ashley Cole leaves Chelsea
Sunday 8 Jun 2014 6:12 pm
Metro.co.uk
Whist the summer departures of Joe Cole and Jack Collison may have left a
hole in the affections of many fans where two of their favourite players
used to be, George McCartney's exit is more significant because it leaves a
whole in the team, and a big decision over who should fill it. But West Ham
could save themselves a lot of time – and airmiles – by going for someone
not too far away, who may well be available, and who is definitely world
class. Chelsea's Ashley Cole.
Few players in football provoke quite such strong opinions from fans as
Cole. Whatever you say about the former Arsenal defender – a lot of people
do, and a lot of it is not nice – unquestionably, he has been one of the
world's best defenders for the last decade, and at 33 he has plenty of
football left in him.
At Bolton, Sam Allardyce had a habit of enticing unlikely big name signings
– most famously World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff – and squeezing the last
drops of class from them. He has yet to do this at West Ham, but Cole could
be the perfect opportunity.
Perhaps wisely, considering the own goals he scored in his autobiography,
Cole lets his feet do the talking, and how; 107 England caps, a record seven
FA Cup winner's medals, a member of Arsenal's Invincibles before his
controversial switch to Chelsea, where he played a key role in the club's
rise to Europe's elite – few players in the Premier League era can hold a
candle to him. With his Chelsea career seemingly - although not definitely
– over, all this experience may be up for grabs.
In recent years left-back has been a patched-up position for West Ham –
before McCartney there was Herita Ilunga. He replaced McCartney (in his
first spell), who came after Paul Konchesky, with Jonathan Spector and Wayne
Bridge also being given a try. In fixing the hole left by McCartney, West
Ham can go one of two ways – youth, or experience.
Youth is highly-rated 22-year-old Nice defender Timothee Kolodziejczak - a
consistent pick for France's age group national teams with Champions League
experience, who has been watched by Southampton and Manchester United. But
whilst any new signing is obviously a gamble, few players are as near a cert
as Cole.
He's been everywhere, won everything and as a result, not only is he –
obviously – extremely good, he's the kind of player whose presence would
lift those around him, and inspire younger team-mates. Should Cole leave
Chelsea, he will have his pick of clubs at home and abroad. A Londoner all
his life, a return to Arsenal is highly unlikely, and Tottenham even less so
– so West Ham might be tempting.
Cole may not be the youngest player around, but he is unquestionably one of
the best. West Ham have a space that needs filling, and Cole can do it
better than almost everyone. Someone's going to benefit from all that
experience. Why not the Irons?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Two more Hammers targets named
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 8, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
ClaretandHugh has identified the remaining left backs on West Ham's s four
player wish list. We revealed last week that a quartet are being targeted in
that position and that both Martin Olssen and Timothee Kolodziejczak's
representatives Urbyhave talked to the club. However, the remaining two have
been a mystery until now but we are told that Milan's 27-year- old Urby
Emanuelson (below right) is on the Irons radar along with Frenchman Raphael
Guerreiro (above). Kolodziejczak remains at the top of the shopping list
but the latest names to be revealed are both decent players. Emanuelson is a
product of Ajax's youth system and spent part of the 2013-14 season at
Fulham making 14 appearances whilst Guerreiro is currently with French
League 1 outfit Lorient.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Sunday, June 8
Daily WHUFC News - 8th June 2014
On this day - 8 June
WHUFc.com
West Ham United lifted the Football League War Cup at Wembley on this day in
1940
08.06.2014
Classic match
West Ham United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
Football League War Cup final
Saturday 8 June 1940, Wembley Stadium, London
West Ham United won their first Wembley final on this day in 1940, edging
out Blackburn Rovers 1-0 to lift the inaugural Football League War Cup. Sam
Small was the hero of the day, following up after Alec George Foreman's shot
had been parried by Blackburn goalkeeper James Barron to score the only goal
of the game on 35 minutes. A crowd of 42,300 braved the war-time bombing of
London to attend the final at Wembley Stadium, but they were not rewarded
with a classic match. West Ham began the game as favourites and they held
the upper hand for much of what was described by The Times as a 'grim' game.
When West Ham did get things right, they troubled Rovers, with Foreman, Len
Goulden, Stanley Foxall and Archie Macaulay all heavily involved. The best
move of the match culminated in Small's all-important goal. Foxall and
Goulden combined to find Foreman, whose shot looked certain to find the net
until Barron flung out a hand to make the save. However, the Blackburn
stopper was unable to recover quickly enough to prevent winger Small
finishing into the net. Both teams came close in the second half, but West
Ham goalkeeper Herman Conway and his defenders were largely untroubled by
their opponents and the Londoners held on to win.
The trophy was presented to the winning team by A.V.Alexander, First Lord of
the Admiralty, while the crowd was made up in part by servicemen. Following
the final, a number of players from both sides immediately returned to their
service units in the various Armed Forces.
War Cup final
Anniversary
England 2-0 Soviet Union
UEFA European Championship third-place play-off
8 June 1968, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
While the 1966 and 1970 FIFA World Cup finals will live long in the memory
of every West Ham United and England supporter, the 1968 UEFA European
Championship finals tournament remains relatively unknown. England had
qualified for the four-team tournament by topping a qualifying group that
included Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before overcoming Spain 3-1 on
aggregate in a two-legged tie. EURO 1968 was held in Italy, with England
joining the host nation, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. As world champions,
England were expected to do well, only to lose 1-0 to Yugoslavia in Florence
in the semi-finals, with Dragan Džajić scoring an 87th-minute winner. Italy
and the Soviets drew 0-0 after extra-time, with the hosts going through to
the final on a coin toss - no penalty shootouts in those days! The
third-place play-off was held in Rome on this day in 1968 and England boss
Alf Ramsey named three West Ham players in his starting XI - captain Bobby
Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst. Fellow 1966 FIFA World Cup winner
Bobby Charlton opened the scoring on 39 minutes before Hurst netted his
tenth goal for England 18 minutes after half-time to ensure England would
finish in third place. Moore and Hurst were later named in the Team of the
Tournament.
Complete record
1940 West Ham United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (Football League War Cup final)
Played 1, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 0, Scored 1, Conceded 0
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
World Cup Countdown - Carlton Cole
WHUFC.com
West Ham United striker Carlton Cole will be supporting England all the way
this summer
08.06.2014
There is only one country who will receive Carlton Cole's backing at the
summer's FIFA World Cup - and it should come as no surprise that it is
England. The seven-cap Three Lions international believes the World Cup
could be the stage for England's youngsters to announce themselves at elite
level and says their challenge should not be underestimated. He said; "I'll
definitely be watching, relaxing, taking it all in and wishing England all
the best. "I think England have a chance, we have young players trying to
learn their trade at that level, and hopefully the experienced pros will
lead them to success. "Obviously I want England to win, so they're my tip -
I wouldn't tip anyone else to win! "At the end of the day there are a load
of world class players out there, and there are a lot of unknown players who
are going to get seen. It's up to them to produce the goods to make them
shine and stand out - hopefully it's England players. "Reidy was one of them
a few years ago and now he's New Zealand captain so he's done ever so well
to get in that position."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
European success for U15s
WHUFC.com
The Under-15s rounded their season off in style by winning in the Nordhalne
Cup in Denmark
07.06.2014
West Ham United's U15s saw off competition from top clubs across Europe to
claim the Nordhalne Cup title last weekend. The young Hammers remained
undefeated during the two-day tournament in the northern Danish city of
Aalborg to take top honours and complete a rewarding trip. Drawn against
Danish outfits B1903, Hobro IK and FC Federicia and Dutch side De Graafschap
in the opening round, the Hammers won all four games to secure their place
in the four-team final round. Only B1903 gave the Hammers a fright in that
first stage, with the Londoners triumphing 2-1 in that game. By contrast,
Hobro (3-0), Federicia (4-0) and De Graafschap (5-1) were all seen off
comfortably. West Ham were well set up for the final stage, and another pair
of Danish sides, Aab Aalborg and Marienlyst were defeated 2-0 and 6-0
respectively to land the trophy. Youth Development Phase Lead Coach Trevor
Bumstead was understandably delighted. He said: "It was a fantastic end to
the season for us. We took a mixture of U14 and U15 players so the challenge
was for the team to gel in a short space of time and credit to the players
that they were able to do that so smoothly. "We set ourselves the goal of
playing as many matches as we could against the best teams possible at the
tournament whilst continuing to play the West Ham way and we more than
achieved this aim. "We came up against a lot of challenges against teams who
are very rigid defensively but it is really pleasing we stuck to our guns
and played the way we wanted to play, scoring a number of great goals during
the tournament - the pick being an overhead kick from the penalty spot. The
tournament acted as fantastic tool for each player's development and we hope
each of these players learn from this experience and progress up the levels
into the first team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham eye move for Red Bull Salzburg ace Sadio Mane
Last Updated: 07/06/14 11:43pm
SSN
West Ham are readying a move for Senegal sensation Sadio Mane, Sky Sports
understands. A host of Premier League clubs have been tracking Red Bull
Salzburg attacker Mane for some time, but West Ham are hoping to pull a coup
by luring him to Upton Park. Mane has been a revelation at Salzburg since
joining from Metz in 2012 and his performances for club and country have
established himself as one of the best young talents around. The
22-year-old, who can play out wide or up front, has scored 42 goals in 79
appearances for Salzburg and also contributed 28 assists for the Austrian
champions. Mane has also impressed at international level, scoring four
goals in 15 appearances and he also represented his country at the 2012
Olympics in London. Salzburg are bracing themselves for offers for their
prize asset and it is understood the club have promised Mane they will let
him leave this summer for the right offer.
Mane is thought to be keen to try his luck in England and the pacey and
powerful attacker would fit the bill for West Ham as they look to bolster
their attacking options next season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ARE WEST HAM SET TO BID FOR SADIO MANE?
By S J Chandos 8 Jun 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Following on from West Ham pulling the plug on the M'Baye Niang deal, Sky
Sports are reporting that the club have now shifted their attention to
promising young Senegal forward, Sadio Mane. Mane currently plays for Red
Bull Salzburg, having moved there from Metz in 2012. And his displays for
both club and country, over the last two seasons, have identified Mane as
one of the best prospects around. The pacy 22 year old attacker can play
wide or upfront and is thought to be keen to try his luck in the Premier
League. Mane has scored 42 goals in 79 appearances for Salzburg and provided
28 assists; while for Senegal, he has has scored 4 goals in 15 appearances.
There has been a lot of recent PL interest in Mane and it is thought that
Everton, amongst others, have been monitoring his progress. Yesterday
evening, however, there was speculation that West Ham may be the first to
the punch, in submitting a concrete bid for the player. It is also
distinctly possible that they may attempt to set up a deal to take Mane on
loan next season, with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer of 2015,
although it is unlikely that the Austrian champions will consider anything
other than a permanent deal for one of their major playing assets. If so,
the club will need to back their judgement of Mane's ability by cash rolling
a permanent move to East London.
Elsewhere, there have been a number of recent reports indicating that we are
preparing a loan bid for Chelsea's Oriol Romeu. The midfielder spent last
season on loan to Valencia, where he made a total of 18 appearances in all
competitions. The player will want to play more frequently than that next
season and could jump at the prospect of a loan to another PL club.
Similarly, there has been much speculation that West Ham are seeking to
hijack Spurs bid for Napoli forward, Blerim Dzemali. The Swiss international
is a player that Sam Allardyce is familiar with, having previously managed
him at Bolton Wanderers in the 2007-08 season. If the club's interest is
real, then that prior connection with the West Ham manager could prove a
decisive factor in beating rivals to his signature.
Finally, the emphasis in our transfer dealings is rightly on our incoming
targets. However, we must also start to move out our various fringe players
to both free up further slack in the player salary budget and generate more
money up front. In particular, it must be a priority to move on the likes of
Maiga, Vaz Te and Diarra, three players who are now surely surplus to
requirements. Presumably the best exit route for Diarra and Maiga will be a
return to French football, while Vaz Te will surely be snapped up by some
aspirant Championship side. Indeed, Vaz Te is a real goal scoring asset at
that level and there should be no shortage of interest in him this summer.
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
HOW ABOUT TOM INCE?
By Iain Dale 7 Jun 2014 at 18:34
West Ham Till I Die
I see Tom Ince isn't going to Inter Milan after all. Not sure of the reason
but he apparently is now going to stay in the Premier League. Now, don't we
need a wide forward player who knows where the goal is? I like both Downing
and Jarvis on their day, but neither gets enough goals. I certainly wouldn't
suggest we offload them unless a really good offer came in, but it strikes
me they need a little more competition. Wouldn't Tom Ince be just the type
of player to provide it? And yes, I know whose son he is, but let's not
visit the sins of the father on the son. He even knows the Hammers sign too.
It's an omen, I tell you. An omen!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dzemaili? "It's news to us" say Hammers
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & HUGH
West Ham have strongly denied that they are attempting to buy Napoli
midfielder Blerim Dzemaili. Spurs have been linked with the Swiss
international but morning reports suggested the Irons are ready to get
involved in the bidding process. The 28 year old worked under Sam Allardyce
when he was manager at Bolton which may have helped the speculation However,
inquiries by ClaretandHugh this afternoon suggest that there is very little
in the rumour. We were told: It seems a case of find a player the manager
knows and let your imagination run wild. This is all news to those inside
the club and unlikely at best!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons transfer market policy becomes clear
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are determined not to blow their wage pot on rapid early summer
moves and misS out on a star loan signings later! The events of last year
when there wasn't sufficient left in the pot to entice a Demba Ba appeared
to be available on loan has focused minds sharply among club negotiators.
And they are determined that caution will be the watchword to ensure they
can realistically bid if the opportunity presents itself. And although co
owner David Sullivan has made it clear the board will be more involved in
signings, ClaretandHugh can reveal that manager Sam Allardyce is anything
but a 'passenger' in the process .
Indeed, we have been reliably informed that it was the manager who put the
block on M'Baye Niang's possible switch to the club from AC Milan on loan.
A source told us exclusively: "Sam was the one who decided against taking
him . He wasn't sure about his attitude. It may have been an error. We'll
see.
"One thing's for sure. The club won't be blowing their funds early. They
won't be caught in last season's situation when Demba Ba looked to have come
on the market and they hadn't the moneyleft in their wage kitty to make a
realistic bid. "Lessons have been learned from last season's problems and
there have been too many bad buys for the club to rush into things. "We
should be a much better team than we are on the money that's been made
available and moving forward everybody is determined to do better. "They
know these last couple of years haven't been the best so they will be
rushing nothing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Irons badge.to change or not to change
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The debate has begun on whether the current badge should be altered in the
run up to our move to the Olympic Stadium.moore I will concentrate on the
two main proposals; adding the word London and the possible removal of the
castle. Personally I think the current badge could do with an update, having
last been changed in 1997 to soften the castle features. Let's tackle the
castle first. After 2017 there will be no castle as the Boleyn ground will
be transformed into housing and shops. There is strong historical evidence
that the Boleyn castle
a) Wasn't a castle anyway
and b) had no connection to Anne Boleyn.
Green Street House was built in 1544, eight years after her the execution.
A couple of turrets were added two years later to enhance the beauty of the
ground and that is why it was called a castle by locals. It was demolished
in 1955. The tacky yellow castles were emerged in 2001 during the
rebuilding of West stand and have made us a laughing stock for visiting
supporters - they will not be missed when demolished in 2017.
Traditionalists won't want change but the removal of the castle doesn't
bother me in the slightest but I would not support it being replaced by the
Olympic Stadium. The more contentious issue in my opinion is the use of the
word London on the badge. Traditionalists will point out West Ham was
originally part of Essex and not at the heart of London but we have to
understand that the Premier League is now a global brand. I am sure many
overseas supporters do not automatically know West Ham is a London club and
I do see the attraction of associating the Hammers to a super brand like
London. Many will say it should say East of London, Pride of London, Made in
London but I don't see an issue with a small discreet London somewhere on
the badge. I know football supporters do not like talking about marketing
and brands but the most successful Premier league teams such as Manchester
United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal do it so well. We need to as
well if we are to complete on the global stage. If we want better football
and one day achieve a European dream we need to generate more money so in
the end we need to be a global player with a global brand. For those reasons
I back a change of the badge but I agree with the club that the majority of
fans should decide.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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WHUFc.com
West Ham United lifted the Football League War Cup at Wembley on this day in
1940
08.06.2014
Classic match
West Ham United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
Football League War Cup final
Saturday 8 June 1940, Wembley Stadium, London
West Ham United won their first Wembley final on this day in 1940, edging
out Blackburn Rovers 1-0 to lift the inaugural Football League War Cup. Sam
Small was the hero of the day, following up after Alec George Foreman's shot
had been parried by Blackburn goalkeeper James Barron to score the only goal
of the game on 35 minutes. A crowd of 42,300 braved the war-time bombing of
London to attend the final at Wembley Stadium, but they were not rewarded
with a classic match. West Ham began the game as favourites and they held
the upper hand for much of what was described by The Times as a 'grim' game.
When West Ham did get things right, they troubled Rovers, with Foreman, Len
Goulden, Stanley Foxall and Archie Macaulay all heavily involved. The best
move of the match culminated in Small's all-important goal. Foxall and
Goulden combined to find Foreman, whose shot looked certain to find the net
until Barron flung out a hand to make the save. However, the Blackburn
stopper was unable to recover quickly enough to prevent winger Small
finishing into the net. Both teams came close in the second half, but West
Ham goalkeeper Herman Conway and his defenders were largely untroubled by
their opponents and the Londoners held on to win.
The trophy was presented to the winning team by A.V.Alexander, First Lord of
the Admiralty, while the crowd was made up in part by servicemen. Following
the final, a number of players from both sides immediately returned to their
service units in the various Armed Forces.
War Cup final
Anniversary
England 2-0 Soviet Union
UEFA European Championship third-place play-off
8 June 1968, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
While the 1966 and 1970 FIFA World Cup finals will live long in the memory
of every West Ham United and England supporter, the 1968 UEFA European
Championship finals tournament remains relatively unknown. England had
qualified for the four-team tournament by topping a qualifying group that
included Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before overcoming Spain 3-1 on
aggregate in a two-legged tie. EURO 1968 was held in Italy, with England
joining the host nation, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. As world champions,
England were expected to do well, only to lose 1-0 to Yugoslavia in Florence
in the semi-finals, with Dragan Džajić scoring an 87th-minute winner. Italy
and the Soviets drew 0-0 after extra-time, with the hosts going through to
the final on a coin toss - no penalty shootouts in those days! The
third-place play-off was held in Rome on this day in 1968 and England boss
Alf Ramsey named three West Ham players in his starting XI - captain Bobby
Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst. Fellow 1966 FIFA World Cup winner
Bobby Charlton opened the scoring on 39 minutes before Hurst netted his
tenth goal for England 18 minutes after half-time to ensure England would
finish in third place. Moore and Hurst were later named in the Team of the
Tournament.
Complete record
1940 West Ham United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (Football League War Cup final)
Played 1, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 0, Scored 1, Conceded 0
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
World Cup Countdown - Carlton Cole
WHUFC.com
West Ham United striker Carlton Cole will be supporting England all the way
this summer
08.06.2014
There is only one country who will receive Carlton Cole's backing at the
summer's FIFA World Cup - and it should come as no surprise that it is
England. The seven-cap Three Lions international believes the World Cup
could be the stage for England's youngsters to announce themselves at elite
level and says their challenge should not be underestimated. He said; "I'll
definitely be watching, relaxing, taking it all in and wishing England all
the best. "I think England have a chance, we have young players trying to
learn their trade at that level, and hopefully the experienced pros will
lead them to success. "Obviously I want England to win, so they're my tip -
I wouldn't tip anyone else to win! "At the end of the day there are a load
of world class players out there, and there are a lot of unknown players who
are going to get seen. It's up to them to produce the goods to make them
shine and stand out - hopefully it's England players. "Reidy was one of them
a few years ago and now he's New Zealand captain so he's done ever so well
to get in that position."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
European success for U15s
WHUFC.com
The Under-15s rounded their season off in style by winning in the Nordhalne
Cup in Denmark
07.06.2014
West Ham United's U15s saw off competition from top clubs across Europe to
claim the Nordhalne Cup title last weekend. The young Hammers remained
undefeated during the two-day tournament in the northern Danish city of
Aalborg to take top honours and complete a rewarding trip. Drawn against
Danish outfits B1903, Hobro IK and FC Federicia and Dutch side De Graafschap
in the opening round, the Hammers won all four games to secure their place
in the four-team final round. Only B1903 gave the Hammers a fright in that
first stage, with the Londoners triumphing 2-1 in that game. By contrast,
Hobro (3-0), Federicia (4-0) and De Graafschap (5-1) were all seen off
comfortably. West Ham were well set up for the final stage, and another pair
of Danish sides, Aab Aalborg and Marienlyst were defeated 2-0 and 6-0
respectively to land the trophy. Youth Development Phase Lead Coach Trevor
Bumstead was understandably delighted. He said: "It was a fantastic end to
the season for us. We took a mixture of U14 and U15 players so the challenge
was for the team to gel in a short space of time and credit to the players
that they were able to do that so smoothly. "We set ourselves the goal of
playing as many matches as we could against the best teams possible at the
tournament whilst continuing to play the West Ham way and we more than
achieved this aim. "We came up against a lot of challenges against teams who
are very rigid defensively but it is really pleasing we stuck to our guns
and played the way we wanted to play, scoring a number of great goals during
the tournament - the pick being an overhead kick from the penalty spot. The
tournament acted as fantastic tool for each player's development and we hope
each of these players learn from this experience and progress up the levels
into the first team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham eye move for Red Bull Salzburg ace Sadio Mane
Last Updated: 07/06/14 11:43pm
SSN
West Ham are readying a move for Senegal sensation Sadio Mane, Sky Sports
understands. A host of Premier League clubs have been tracking Red Bull
Salzburg attacker Mane for some time, but West Ham are hoping to pull a coup
by luring him to Upton Park. Mane has been a revelation at Salzburg since
joining from Metz in 2012 and his performances for club and country have
established himself as one of the best young talents around. The
22-year-old, who can play out wide or up front, has scored 42 goals in 79
appearances for Salzburg and also contributed 28 assists for the Austrian
champions. Mane has also impressed at international level, scoring four
goals in 15 appearances and he also represented his country at the 2012
Olympics in London. Salzburg are bracing themselves for offers for their
prize asset and it is understood the club have promised Mane they will let
him leave this summer for the right offer.
Mane is thought to be keen to try his luck in England and the pacey and
powerful attacker would fit the bill for West Ham as they look to bolster
their attacking options next season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ARE WEST HAM SET TO BID FOR SADIO MANE?
By S J Chandos 8 Jun 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
Following on from West Ham pulling the plug on the M'Baye Niang deal, Sky
Sports are reporting that the club have now shifted their attention to
promising young Senegal forward, Sadio Mane. Mane currently plays for Red
Bull Salzburg, having moved there from Metz in 2012. And his displays for
both club and country, over the last two seasons, have identified Mane as
one of the best prospects around. The pacy 22 year old attacker can play
wide or upfront and is thought to be keen to try his luck in the Premier
League. Mane has scored 42 goals in 79 appearances for Salzburg and provided
28 assists; while for Senegal, he has has scored 4 goals in 15 appearances.
There has been a lot of recent PL interest in Mane and it is thought that
Everton, amongst others, have been monitoring his progress. Yesterday
evening, however, there was speculation that West Ham may be the first to
the punch, in submitting a concrete bid for the player. It is also
distinctly possible that they may attempt to set up a deal to take Mane on
loan next season, with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer of 2015,
although it is unlikely that the Austrian champions will consider anything
other than a permanent deal for one of their major playing assets. If so,
the club will need to back their judgement of Mane's ability by cash rolling
a permanent move to East London.
Elsewhere, there have been a number of recent reports indicating that we are
preparing a loan bid for Chelsea's Oriol Romeu. The midfielder spent last
season on loan to Valencia, where he made a total of 18 appearances in all
competitions. The player will want to play more frequently than that next
season and could jump at the prospect of a loan to another PL club.
Similarly, there has been much speculation that West Ham are seeking to
hijack Spurs bid for Napoli forward, Blerim Dzemali. The Swiss international
is a player that Sam Allardyce is familiar with, having previously managed
him at Bolton Wanderers in the 2007-08 season. If the club's interest is
real, then that prior connection with the West Ham manager could prove a
decisive factor in beating rivals to his signature.
Finally, the emphasis in our transfer dealings is rightly on our incoming
targets. However, we must also start to move out our various fringe players
to both free up further slack in the player salary budget and generate more
money up front. In particular, it must be a priority to move on the likes of
Maiga, Vaz Te and Diarra, three players who are now surely surplus to
requirements. Presumably the best exit route for Diarra and Maiga will be a
return to French football, while Vaz Te will surely be snapped up by some
aspirant Championship side. Indeed, Vaz Te is a real goal scoring asset at
that level and there should be no shortage of interest in him this summer.
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
HOW ABOUT TOM INCE?
By Iain Dale 7 Jun 2014 at 18:34
West Ham Till I Die
I see Tom Ince isn't going to Inter Milan after all. Not sure of the reason
but he apparently is now going to stay in the Premier League. Now, don't we
need a wide forward player who knows where the goal is? I like both Downing
and Jarvis on their day, but neither gets enough goals. I certainly wouldn't
suggest we offload them unless a really good offer came in, but it strikes
me they need a little more competition. Wouldn't Tom Ince be just the type
of player to provide it? And yes, I know whose son he is, but let's not
visit the sins of the father on the son. He even knows the Hammers sign too.
It's an omen, I tell you. An omen!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dzemaili? "It's news to us" say Hammers
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & HUGH
West Ham have strongly denied that they are attempting to buy Napoli
midfielder Blerim Dzemaili. Spurs have been linked with the Swiss
international but morning reports suggested the Irons are ready to get
involved in the bidding process. The 28 year old worked under Sam Allardyce
when he was manager at Bolton which may have helped the speculation However,
inquiries by ClaretandHugh this afternoon suggest that there is very little
in the rumour. We were told: It seems a case of find a player the manager
knows and let your imagination run wild. This is all news to those inside
the club and unlikely at best!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons transfer market policy becomes clear
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are determined not to blow their wage pot on rapid early summer
moves and misS out on a star loan signings later! The events of last year
when there wasn't sufficient left in the pot to entice a Demba Ba appeared
to be available on loan has focused minds sharply among club negotiators.
And they are determined that caution will be the watchword to ensure they
can realistically bid if the opportunity presents itself. And although co
owner David Sullivan has made it clear the board will be more involved in
signings, ClaretandHugh can reveal that manager Sam Allardyce is anything
but a 'passenger' in the process .
Indeed, we have been reliably informed that it was the manager who put the
block on M'Baye Niang's possible switch to the club from AC Milan on loan.
A source told us exclusively: "Sam was the one who decided against taking
him . He wasn't sure about his attitude. It may have been an error. We'll
see.
"One thing's for sure. The club won't be blowing their funds early. They
won't be caught in last season's situation when Demba Ba looked to have come
on the market and they hadn't the moneyleft in their wage kitty to make a
realistic bid. "Lessons have been learned from last season's problems and
there have been too many bad buys for the club to rush into things. "We
should be a much better team than we are on the money that's been made
available and moving forward everybody is determined to do better. "They
know these last couple of years haven't been the best so they will be
rushing nothing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Irons badge.to change or not to change
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The debate has begun on whether the current badge should be altered in the
run up to our move to the Olympic Stadium.moore I will concentrate on the
two main proposals; adding the word London and the possible removal of the
castle. Personally I think the current badge could do with an update, having
last been changed in 1997 to soften the castle features. Let's tackle the
castle first. After 2017 there will be no castle as the Boleyn ground will
be transformed into housing and shops. There is strong historical evidence
that the Boleyn castle
a) Wasn't a castle anyway
and b) had no connection to Anne Boleyn.
Green Street House was built in 1544, eight years after her the execution.
A couple of turrets were added two years later to enhance the beauty of the
ground and that is why it was called a castle by locals. It was demolished
in 1955. The tacky yellow castles were emerged in 2001 during the
rebuilding of West stand and have made us a laughing stock for visiting
supporters - they will not be missed when demolished in 2017.
Traditionalists won't want change but the removal of the castle doesn't
bother me in the slightest but I would not support it being replaced by the
Olympic Stadium. The more contentious issue in my opinion is the use of the
word London on the badge. Traditionalists will point out West Ham was
originally part of Essex and not at the heart of London but we have to
understand that the Premier League is now a global brand. I am sure many
overseas supporters do not automatically know West Ham is a London club and
I do see the attraction of associating the Hammers to a super brand like
London. Many will say it should say East of London, Pride of London, Made in
London but I don't see an issue with a small discreet London somewhere on
the badge. I know football supporters do not like talking about marketing
and brands but the most successful Premier league teams such as Manchester
United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal do it so well. We need to as
well if we are to complete on the global stage. If we want better football
and one day achieve a European dream we need to generate more money so in
the end we need to be a global player with a global brand. For those reasons
I back a change of the badge but I agree with the club that the majority of
fans should decide.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Saturday, June 7
Daily WHUFC News - 7th June 2014
World Cup Countdown - James Tomkins
WHUFC.com
Hammers defender James Tomkins is the latest to give his thoughts on the
upcoming FIFA World Cup
06.06.2014
James Tomkins chose the patriotic route when opting for his favourites to
win this summer's FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Hammers defender, capped 10
times by England at U21 level earlier in his career, would love to see the
Three Lions triumph, although he admits that will be no easy task. "Am I
allowed to say England or not?" he smiled. "Let's say if it's not England,
then Spain because of their style of play and their attacking threat.
"Belgium would pose an outside threat, they've got some great players. I can
see them getting to the quarters or the semis. "They're not a massive
country, but people might see team as a threat because of the players
they've got. "As for England, hopefully they don't get any injuries to the
starting XI, and I think they can pose a threat because they've got players
who are involved in the Premier League week in, week out, and that's the
best league in the world."
With Spain one of his picks to challenge for the title, Tomkins also expects
one of their midfield stars to shine on the biggest stage too. He added: "I
reckon Iniesta will be the outstanding player of the tournament. I love him
as a player, and playing for Spain if they go all the way then he'd be in
the looking for the Player of the Tournament."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam ready for Soccer Aid
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce will lock horns with Jose Mourinho in the Soccer Aid charity
match this Sunday
06.06.2014
Sam Allardyce will make an early return to the dugout this Sunday when he
takes charge of the England side in the biennial Soccer Aid charity match at
Old Trafford. Soccer Aid pits a mixture of celebrities and former
professionals together in an England v the Rest of the World fixture played
out in front of over 65,000 fans to raise money for Unicef. Big Sam led
England to victory last time out in 2012 and he is confident of getting one
over opposite number Jose Mourinho to retain the trophy. "This is the second
time I've been invited to be the England manager for Soccer Aid for the
Unicef charity," the Hammers boss explained. "I'm sure West Ham fans would
have seen a couple of years ago that we regained the Soccer Aid trophy for
England at Old Trafford. There were 65,000 there that evening and we expect
that crowd again. "We've been training the celebs and legends at Fulham's
training ground this week, then we travel up to Manchester on Saturday to
play on Sunday."
Allardyce's team brings together star names from the worlds of showbiz and
football and the manager thinks he has found the right blend. He added:
"There are some well known faces in our team, from both the legends and
celebs point of view. It's nearly the same as two years ago - Teddy
Sheringham's back with us, we've got John Bishop, Jack Whitehall and Paddy
McGuinness so we should have some fun. "We're looking okay and there's a lot
of excited celebrities about. Robbie Williams is going to stand alongside me
as assistant manager and not participate in playing this time - we've got a
good squad together, hopefully they'll all stay fit and we'll get another
victory at Old Trafford."
The opposition are sure to put up a fight with a number of notable
international names among their ranks. Allardyce added: "We're a little
concerned about the legs of our legends compared to the legs of the legends
on the Rest of the World side, because they've popped Del Piero, Seedorf and
Jaap Stam in there and they're all extremely good. "It's going to be a test
for us, but we think with our legends and celebs combined and with the team
spirit we'll hopefully re-clinch the trophy. "It's a bit of fun, but it's
very serious when it comes to the last couple of days and we actually get to
Old Trafford. The reception the celebs get when they get out on the pitch
stands the hairs up on the back of the neck. "We ask the legends to calm
them down, play as a team and try to enjoy the occasion. At the end of it
all these lads want to win, that's all they talk about - winning."
We live in a world with enough food and where most life-saving vaccines for
children cost pennies. Yet millions of children still die of malnutrition
and deadly diseases every year. Donate to Soccer Aid and help the world's
most vulnerable children get life-saving food, medicine and clean water.
Every pound donated to Soccer Aid 2014 will be doubled by the UK government,
up to a total of £5 million, so together we can reach even more children.
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On this day - 7 June
WHUFC.com
West Ham United played their latest-ever league match on this day in 1941
07.06.2014
Classic match
West Ham United 2-3 Queens Park Rangers
Southern Regional League
Saturday 7 June 1941, Boleyn Ground
By 7 June, modern-day footballers have usually packed their boots away for
the summer in favour of flip-flops and swimming trunks. Back in 1941, at the
height of the Second World War, it was a different story. West Ham United
arrived on this day in 1941 still playing for the Southern Regional League
title. The Hammers knew, however, that they would have to overcome Queens
Park Rangers at the Boleyn Ground to overhaul leaders Crystal Palace on goal
average.
This task proved impossible as the visitors won a thrilling match by the odd
goal in five, with the prolific Alec George Foreman and 1940 War Cup final
hero Sam Small on target for the hosts. Foreman's goal was his 34th in 39
games that season, but it was not enough to hold off the Hoops in front of a
brave crowd of just 2,100. The title was decided on goal average as
hostilities left many fixtures unfulfilled. The following season, 1941/42,
West Ham competed in a London-only competition to save on resources and
costs.
Anniversary
Brazil 1-0 England
FIFA World Cup Group 3
Sunday 7 June 1970, Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico
Today marks the anniversary of 'that tackle' by West Ham United and England
legend Bobby Moore MBE. Moore was captaining England at the 1970 FIFA World
Cup finals in Mexico when they faced Brazil in their second group-stage
fixture in Guadalajara. Playing alongside fellow Hammers Martin Peters and
Geoff Hurst in stifling heat, England started well before Brazil countered
and Pele forced Gordon Banks into what is considered to be the greatest save
of all time. Peters himself then missed a headed chance, while Brazil's
attacks were repeatedly repelled by the imperious Moore. Moore's performance
was a highlight reel in itself, but the West Ham defender's greatest moment
arrived when he bent down on one knee to make a perfect block tackle to deny
Jairzinho. Unfortunately, the same player would score Brazil's winner just
before the hour-mark to secure the narrowest of victories for the South
Americans. England would go on to beat Czechoslovakia 1-0 in their third
group fixture but were edged out 3-2 by West Germany at the quarter-final
stage.
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Hammers tracking Swiss international
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are interested in signing Napoli's Swiss midfielder Blerim
Dzemaili.
Dzemaili - who worked with Hammers boss Sam Allardyce at Bolton as a young
youngster - has been linked with a move to United's Premier League rivals
Tottenham in recent weeks but fresh reports suggest that whilst London still
appears to be a likely destination, it's West Ham who could land the
28-year-old.
* West Ham's prolonged interest in Leeds United striker Ross McCormack could
be coming to an end after it was claimed that Newcastle United had made a
hugely-generous £8million offer for the 27-year-old Scottish international.
McCormack was strongly linked with a deadline day move to the Boleyn Ground
back in January.
* Further to our news in Wednesday's transfer bulletin regarding Dortmund
striker Julian Schieber, it is reported that although the player is keen to
move to the Premier League West Ham want to take the 25-year-old on loan -
something Die Borussen, who are looking to sell Schieber, are not willing to
accept. The former German Under 21 international made 20 starts for Dortund
last season, scoring just one goal.
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West Ham loan offer for Niang rejected
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
M'Baye Niang will not be moving to West Ham, according to his agent Stephane
Courbis. Talks between West Ham and Niang's representatives took place in
London earlier this week but the 19-year-old was only offered a season-long
loan deal; not good enough, according to Courbis. "On Monday I met with
West Ham, who were interested in the player," the agent told TMW. "I talked
to, Sam Allardyce but I did not find him willing to make a better offer. The
Hammers would like to loan Niang, but I don't think that is the right choice
and therefore rejected the offer."
Despite rejecting West Ham's offer, Courbis - who recently replaced Oscar
Damiani (who was also Julian Faubert's former agent) as Niang's chief
representative - maintained that his client will almost certainly leave
Milan this summer. "It's definitely a possibility," he added. "Milan already
has many strikers in the team and did not qualify for Europe so spaces will
be reduced. We were told to find another team because in Milan, Niang's
growth path could not proceed according to plan. "The important thing now is
for him to play with continuity, perhaps even in a team at a level slightly
lower at Milan. He needs a coach who believes strongly in him."
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A well-deserved rest
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sir Trevor Brooking is stepping down from his role with the Football
Association after a decade in the post. Now 65, the West Ham United legend
has decided to call it a day when the 2014 World Cup Finals - at which he
will be part of the official England party - end. Speaking to The FA,
Brooking revealed that he felt it was a good to resign. "I believe now is
the right time to step away from my full-time role at The FA and I feel
extremely positive about the future of Football Development moving forward,"
he said. "Under the leadership and guidance of Dan Ashworth and Gareth
Southgate we have now put in place a strong, credible, elite structure to
support the professional game. "They also appreciate how crucial it is to
work in tandem with our grassroots infrastructure who've always been a
consistent supporter of our work programmes across coaching and player
development. "I'd also like to convey massive thanks for the tremendous
efforts of all FA staff, who often don't get the public recognition they
deserve, and good luck to everyone in the future."
Brooking - who was a key figure in the planning and development of the new
national football centre at St George's Park - joined the FA as Director of
Development in December 2003. A year later he was knighted for his
dedication to sport.
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SAB members jump ship over NDA dispute
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Several members of the Supporter Advisory Board have declared their
intention to leave the focus group as a result of the club's insistence that
all members sign an NDA before attending meetings. Every member of the fans'
group, which currently numbers around 200 was once again asked to sign a
non-disclosure agreement ahead of Tuesday night's meeting at the Boleyn
Ground at which a possible change to the club crest was one of several
sensitive subjects aired.
The NDAs prohibit fans from sharing the content of the meeting with fellow
supporters - something that has sparked major criticism of the entire
process from both members, who believed they were appointed to represent and
report back to their fellow fans, and non-members of the group.
One former SAB member spoke passionately about the subject via the KUMB
Forum this morning, insisting that he would never return unless the entire
process, which he referred to as a "sham", changes. "I was once proud to act
as a voice for those season ticket holders that supported my application and
to represent their (and other supporters) interests," said the ex-member
this morning. "The NDA's are nothing new, and have been sprung on SAB
members before, with little opportunity to review or read what they were
being asked to sign (copies were not circulated in advance of previous
meetings). Now the club asks that phones and other potential recording
devices, are handed in at the door too. It all stinks."
Another member who spoke to KUMB intends to remain in the SAB, but is under
no illusion as to the exact role of the group. "The SAB is a box ticking
exercise to comply with UEFA," he claimed. "Basically we're a glorified
focus group. There's influence to be had, but on major decisions who in
their right mind believes that David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady
will not back their own calls? With regard to the NDAs, they're bog
standard. I don't have a problem signing them."
However another member of KUMB/the SAB spoke out in defence of the
organisation. "I believe the SAB does a good job," he said. "I've only
spoken to a few [members], but those that I have spoken to are decent fans
who are passionate about the club and want to take part in constructive
dialogue."
The club itself revealed some details of the top-secret meeting earlier
today after the news that a change to the club's crest, which was last
redesigned in 1999, was met with dismay by a number of supporters who had
learned of the planned changes.
"The evening's agenda focused on how the Club could look at better
communicating West Ham United's values and how best to recognise and
celebrate our history as we move to a new iconic home," read a statement
posted on whufc.com.
"This included discussions regarding evolving the Club's crest, an
initiative which had been fully endorsed by the SAB at their AGM."
However the club's claim of unequivocal backing from those in attendance has
been disputed by another member of the SAB who attended the meeting. "This
is a misrepresentation," he told KUMB. "It was not fully endorsed. There was
a presentation and a few comments, but no show of hands."
Those attending the meeting were shown several new design mock-ups of the
club crest, most of which were rejected by those present. It was
subsequently agreed that the entire fan base should be consulted over any
changes that may take place.
Concern by fans over plans to change the club's crest - fears that emerged
after details of the meeting were leaked - prompted Jack Sullivan, son of
co-owner David to take to Twitter last night.
"Contrary to rumours there is ZERO possibility of the club's name changing
to incorporate London," he wrote. "We will always be West Ham United.
'London' could be added to the club badge IF supporters vote in favour of
it. NOTHING will change for the coming season."
* DID YOU KNOW? A castle first appeared on West Ham's crest in 1904.
The castle depicted was a replica of Green Street House, a building with
turrets that stood in Green Street before it was demolished in 1954. The
Green Street House turrets also regularly featured in the Club's programmes
between the 1920s and 1950s. Visit Steve Marsh's 'They Fly So High' website
for more information about the history of West Ham's castle.
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New West Ham signing Mauro Zarate hopes to emulate Carlos Tevez
Last Updated: 06/06/14 1:28pm
SSN
New West Ham United striker Mauro Zarate hopes to emulate fellow Argentine
and former Upton Park favourite Carlos Tevez. Zarate has signed for the
Hammers on a three-year contract from Velez Sarsfield, after finishing as
top scorer for the Argentine side last season with 20 goals in 35
appearances in all competitions. The 27-year-old first graced the Premier
League while on loan at Birmingham City in 2008, where he scored four goals
in 14 appearances for the struggling Blues. The Argentine striker now hopes
to make an impact at Upton Park, following in the footsteps of Tevez, who
dramatically inspired West Ham to Premier League safety in 2006. "Carlos is
a fantastic player and a fantastic person," Zarate told the club's official
website. "I don't think I can do the same as he did, but I hope I can become
as big a favourite at this club as he was. "I hope I will play good football
and reach the highest possible level. I am very confident I am going to
succeed here. "I have played with Lazio and Inter Milan in Serie A and the
Champions League and now I am looking forward to playing in the Premier
League for a second time." "I have played with Lazio and Inter Milan in
Serie A and the Champions League and now I am looking forward to playing in
the Premier League for a second time. "English football is beautiful. I
always said I wanted to come back to England to play and now I have this
chance and I don't want to lose it." Zarate is looking forward to teaming up
with target man Andy Carroll next season, and both players will hope to
benefit from new attacking coach and former West Ham striker Teddy
Sheringham, who has been appointed by manager Sam Allardyce in a bid to help
the Hammers play more attractive football. "I know Andy Carroll," said
Zarate. "He is a fantastic player and a centre forward who is physical and
very important for the team." The 5ft 9in forward hopes his performances
could see him earn a call-up to the Argentina national team, but he remains
realistic over his chances.
"It will be very difficult for me to break into the squad because it is so
strong and we have so many good strikers, but I will certainly try," said
Zarate.
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AC Milan forward M'Baye Niang rejects loan move to West Ham
By Nadia Carminati and Simone Bargellini | Last Updated: 06/06/14 5:00pm
SSN
West Ham have failed in a loan bid for French forward M'Baye Niang, who is
set to leave AC Milan this summer. Niang's agent Stephane Courbis confirmed
that he held talks with Hammers boss Sam Allardyce but did not think a move
to Upton Park was the 'right choice' for the 19-year-old, who spent last
season on loan at Montpellier. The talks came after the teenager was told he
was surplus to requirements by the Serie A side following the club's failure
to qualify for Europe. In comments reported by TMW, Courbis is quoted as
saying: "On Monday I met with West Ham, who were interested in the player.
"The Hammers would like him on loan, but I don't think it is the right
choice, so I excluded it. "We prefer a permanent deal and we seek a coach
who strongly believes in Niang." Courbis added he met AC Milan vice
president Adriano Galliani about three weeks ago, who informed him to find a
new team for Niang. "Milan, he told me, have many forwards in the group and,
with not playing in Europe, there will be reduced places. "For this reason,
we were told to find another team. M'baye could leave on a permanent move."
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WEST HAM CHASE KOLO
By Sean Whetstone 6 Jun 2014 at 18:58
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham are in talks with Nice left back Timothee Kolodziejczak known as
Kolo . The 22 year old Frenchman has been linked with West Ham for some time
but he now appears to be confirmed as one of the four left backs we are
talking to. Kolo's senior career started at Lyon when he made 9 appearances
until he moved to Nice in 2012 where he has made 64 appearances scoring one
goal. French media outlet Le 10 Sport claim West Ham made an offer of £2.5m.
The left back is valued at 6 million euros by Nice but a bid of 4 million
euros could tempt them to sell him as they are currently suffering from
financial troubles. We are likely to have competition from Southampton who
see him as a perfect replacement for Luke Shaw who looks likely to leave
them in the summer. Kolo was being tracked by David Moyes when he was
Manchester United boss as a replacement for Patrice Evra. But Manchester
United have instead decided to pursue Southampton's Luke Shaw.
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OLSSON IN TALKS WITH WEST HAM
By Sean Whetstone 6 Jun 2014 at 13:00
West Ham Till I Die
Norwich defender Martin Olsson is back in talks with West Ham to fill the
left back position, The Sweden international is highly likely to leave
Carrow Road this summer following the club's relegation to the Championship.
Allardyce has identified left-back as key position to strengthen this summer
and Olsson is one of four targets the Hammers are looking at.
Back in January last year Allardyce made attempts to sign Olsson from his
old club Blackburn but it is alleged they were reluctant to sell to their
former manager.
At that time Allardyce said: "If they have made Martin available I would
definitely be interested because I worked with the lad at Blackburn when I
was there for two years. I had a really good time developing him into what I
consider to be quite a good player."
As Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce previously reprimanded Martin Olsson for
cheating to win a crucial penalty against Burnley. Olsson provoked outrage
among Burnley fans when he appeared to dive over goalkeeper Brian Jensen,
only for referee Mike Dean to award a spot-kick.The Swede then compounded
his offence by admitting it publicly and revealing that he targeted Dean in
advance because he has awarded more penalties than any other referee this
season. Olsson somehow escaped FA censure at the time.
The 26-year-old made 117 appearances for Blackburn scoring 3 goals including
the one below. He was sometimes deployed as a defensive midfielder. He
joined Norwich in 2013 making 27 appearances and scoring one goal. He is
also a member of the Swedish national team since 2010 earning 22 caps and
scoring 5 goals.
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A WHIZZ BANG IDEA - APPROACH WITH CAUTION!
By S J Chandos 6 Jun 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
So, are there major corporate/rebranding changes afoot at West Ham United
FC? It is notable that we were the first of the capital's Premier League
clubs to secure one of the new london.com web addresses. One must wonder if
there are some specific marketing/commercial reason for this haste? Is
reviewing the badge part of some wider 'whizz bang' proposal to align the
image of the club with that of the Olympic Stadium? Over the last 24 hours,
social media has been speculating that some sort of change of corporate
identity is on the cards, whether that is a name change, a revised club
badge or both and more beside. This has been partly fuelled by the recent
SAB meeting and news that its members were required to sign another
non-disclosure agreement in order to be privy to the club's latest thinking.
The club website has subsequently rushed to counter the wilder conjecture,
denying that a name change was ever planned and reassuring the Hammers
faithful that no updating/revising of the badge will be implemented without
the prior agreement of the wider fan base.
This re-assurance, that any such changes will be subject to fan approval, is
comforting and the club should be praised for providing that guarantee. They
have said the club name is sacrosanct. Anyway, I suppose that the chances of
obtaining FA approval for a name change are minimal in the aftermath of the
'Hull Tigers' episode. So, that one is not a runner and is probably just a
distraction. The actual issue is likely to be a change in the club badge and
possibly the incorporation of 'London' in to a revised design. But how
radical might that redesign be? Will it be a Arsenal type re-styling of the
traditional club badge or might it prove to be more of a departure from the
past? It seems that there is now an emerging view online that the plans
revolve around phasing out the castle. Obviously, this makes sense if the
castle symbolises our current stadium. The rationale presumably being, no
Boleyn Stadium, no castle in the badge! Although I cannot speculate in
advance on anything they may seek to add in its place.
This issue does not worry me unduly. Let the club commission a new design
and it will take its chances against the current badge. If it is too radical
a departure, then it will be rejected by the fans, there is no doubt about
that. After all, how can some ad agency effort possibly compete with the
current badge? It will an unequal contest between history and tradition,
1964, 1965, 1975, 1980, Moore, Hurst, Peters, Bonds, Brooking, Devonshire,
Di Canio, et al, and something (worst case scenario) off a drawing board. My
gut instincts are to stick with the current version (albeit maybe restyled),
but I am open to being convinced otherwise and while we fans are the final
decision-makers (as the club have promised) I am relaxed about the issue.
However, what does interest me is this emphasis upon 'London.' Yes, we are a
London club, but as we all know, we are far from having an exclusive status
in that respect. Being geographically included since 1965 in the London
urban conurbation is a fact, and it has had an impact, but by far the
strongest formative influences on our club pre-dates that event. Firstly, we
are West Ham, that is our core identity, secondly we recognise ourselves as
an 'East London' club and thirdly we increasingly see ourselves as an Essex
club. That is our triple layered identity and it directly reflects the
historical development of the club, and indeed its fan base, since its
formation in 1895.
Yet, on page 13 of yesterday's Evening Standard an advert was published by
makeit.london. The advert featured West Ham Utd players, against the
backdrop of the OS, and contained a club statement that effectively revised
the history of the club. It stated:
'Since 1895, the Hammers have been at the heart of London. Our web address
and new stadium keeps us there.'
Apart from the first sentence being historically inaccurate, it is
interesting that we are portrayed, in the second, as being at the 'heart' of
London by moving to the OS. Is this advert just a product of a lack of
historical knowledge and an innocent zeal for london.com? Or is there
something more subtle and interesting at play here. Namely, the opening
shots in a shift to identify a relocated club with 'London' as a whole and,
thereafter, consistently market themselves on that basis? After all, in
marketing and commercial terms, it probably makes sense. Aligning the club
name with London will make the club more instantly recognisable in lucrative
overseas markets, with their potential new fan base and merchandising sales
potential. Might it also be highly attractive to all those
corporate/multi-national interests with their huge sponsorship and
commercial revenue to invest? It is also interesting that it mirrors a
significant corporate change made by Newham Council, in the run up to London
2012, when they rebranded the borough Newham-London. Is there a bit of a
trend there?
Everyone wants the club to succeed commercially when it moves to the OS. It
is perfectly understood that new revenue streams improve our chance of
becoming a bigger, more successful PL club. The club must get those new
external income streams flowing and also, closer to home, fill those
c.60,000 seats on a consistent basis. That probably means selling seats
across the capital, including to tourists, occasional spectators, business
interests and alike. Fair enough. But at the same time, most fans will
instinctively oppose processes that contribute to the dilution of West Ham's
strong identity and history in some sort of pan-London acid. Many fans are
fearful of just that, the move to the OS resulting in a loss of the club's
hitherto strong and unique identity. The club must be aware of this and
steer a course that both preserves the clubs identity/heritage and employs
strategies that maximize the marketing/commercial potential of the move to
the OS. Is it possible to square this particular circle? One hopes so.
'Whizz bang' ideas, if ill conceived and/or mis-managed, do have an
unfortunate habit of flaring up suddenly and burning fingers. Forewarned is
forearmed!
SJ. Chandos
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WHUFC.com
Hammers defender James Tomkins is the latest to give his thoughts on the
upcoming FIFA World Cup
06.06.2014
James Tomkins chose the patriotic route when opting for his favourites to
win this summer's FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The Hammers defender, capped 10
times by England at U21 level earlier in his career, would love to see the
Three Lions triumph, although he admits that will be no easy task. "Am I
allowed to say England or not?" he smiled. "Let's say if it's not England,
then Spain because of their style of play and their attacking threat.
"Belgium would pose an outside threat, they've got some great players. I can
see them getting to the quarters or the semis. "They're not a massive
country, but people might see team as a threat because of the players
they've got. "As for England, hopefully they don't get any injuries to the
starting XI, and I think they can pose a threat because they've got players
who are involved in the Premier League week in, week out, and that's the
best league in the world."
With Spain one of his picks to challenge for the title, Tomkins also expects
one of their midfield stars to shine on the biggest stage too. He added: "I
reckon Iniesta will be the outstanding player of the tournament. I love him
as a player, and playing for Spain if they go all the way then he'd be in
the looking for the Player of the Tournament."
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Big Sam ready for Soccer Aid
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce will lock horns with Jose Mourinho in the Soccer Aid charity
match this Sunday
06.06.2014
Sam Allardyce will make an early return to the dugout this Sunday when he
takes charge of the England side in the biennial Soccer Aid charity match at
Old Trafford. Soccer Aid pits a mixture of celebrities and former
professionals together in an England v the Rest of the World fixture played
out in front of over 65,000 fans to raise money for Unicef. Big Sam led
England to victory last time out in 2012 and he is confident of getting one
over opposite number Jose Mourinho to retain the trophy. "This is the second
time I've been invited to be the England manager for Soccer Aid for the
Unicef charity," the Hammers boss explained. "I'm sure West Ham fans would
have seen a couple of years ago that we regained the Soccer Aid trophy for
England at Old Trafford. There were 65,000 there that evening and we expect
that crowd again. "We've been training the celebs and legends at Fulham's
training ground this week, then we travel up to Manchester on Saturday to
play on Sunday."
Allardyce's team brings together star names from the worlds of showbiz and
football and the manager thinks he has found the right blend. He added:
"There are some well known faces in our team, from both the legends and
celebs point of view. It's nearly the same as two years ago - Teddy
Sheringham's back with us, we've got John Bishop, Jack Whitehall and Paddy
McGuinness so we should have some fun. "We're looking okay and there's a lot
of excited celebrities about. Robbie Williams is going to stand alongside me
as assistant manager and not participate in playing this time - we've got a
good squad together, hopefully they'll all stay fit and we'll get another
victory at Old Trafford."
The opposition are sure to put up a fight with a number of notable
international names among their ranks. Allardyce added: "We're a little
concerned about the legs of our legends compared to the legs of the legends
on the Rest of the World side, because they've popped Del Piero, Seedorf and
Jaap Stam in there and they're all extremely good. "It's going to be a test
for us, but we think with our legends and celebs combined and with the team
spirit we'll hopefully re-clinch the trophy. "It's a bit of fun, but it's
very serious when it comes to the last couple of days and we actually get to
Old Trafford. The reception the celebs get when they get out on the pitch
stands the hairs up on the back of the neck. "We ask the legends to calm
them down, play as a team and try to enjoy the occasion. At the end of it
all these lads want to win, that's all they talk about - winning."
We live in a world with enough food and where most life-saving vaccines for
children cost pennies. Yet millions of children still die of malnutrition
and deadly diseases every year. Donate to Soccer Aid and help the world's
most vulnerable children get life-saving food, medicine and clean water.
Every pound donated to Soccer Aid 2014 will be doubled by the UK government,
up to a total of £5 million, so together we can reach even more children.
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On this day - 7 June
WHUFC.com
West Ham United played their latest-ever league match on this day in 1941
07.06.2014
Classic match
West Ham United 2-3 Queens Park Rangers
Southern Regional League
Saturday 7 June 1941, Boleyn Ground
By 7 June, modern-day footballers have usually packed their boots away for
the summer in favour of flip-flops and swimming trunks. Back in 1941, at the
height of the Second World War, it was a different story. West Ham United
arrived on this day in 1941 still playing for the Southern Regional League
title. The Hammers knew, however, that they would have to overcome Queens
Park Rangers at the Boleyn Ground to overhaul leaders Crystal Palace on goal
average.
This task proved impossible as the visitors won a thrilling match by the odd
goal in five, with the prolific Alec George Foreman and 1940 War Cup final
hero Sam Small on target for the hosts. Foreman's goal was his 34th in 39
games that season, but it was not enough to hold off the Hoops in front of a
brave crowd of just 2,100. The title was decided on goal average as
hostilities left many fixtures unfulfilled. The following season, 1941/42,
West Ham competed in a London-only competition to save on resources and
costs.
Anniversary
Brazil 1-0 England
FIFA World Cup Group 3
Sunday 7 June 1970, Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico
Today marks the anniversary of 'that tackle' by West Ham United and England
legend Bobby Moore MBE. Moore was captaining England at the 1970 FIFA World
Cup finals in Mexico when they faced Brazil in their second group-stage
fixture in Guadalajara. Playing alongside fellow Hammers Martin Peters and
Geoff Hurst in stifling heat, England started well before Brazil countered
and Pele forced Gordon Banks into what is considered to be the greatest save
of all time. Peters himself then missed a headed chance, while Brazil's
attacks were repeatedly repelled by the imperious Moore. Moore's performance
was a highlight reel in itself, but the West Ham defender's greatest moment
arrived when he bent down on one knee to make a perfect block tackle to deny
Jairzinho. Unfortunately, the same player would score Brazil's winner just
before the hour-mark to secure the narrowest of victories for the South
Americans. England would go on to beat Czechoslovakia 1-0 in their third
group fixture but were edged out 3-2 by West Germany at the quarter-final
stage.
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Hammers tracking Swiss international
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are interested in signing Napoli's Swiss midfielder Blerim
Dzemaili.
Dzemaili - who worked with Hammers boss Sam Allardyce at Bolton as a young
youngster - has been linked with a move to United's Premier League rivals
Tottenham in recent weeks but fresh reports suggest that whilst London still
appears to be a likely destination, it's West Ham who could land the
28-year-old.
* West Ham's prolonged interest in Leeds United striker Ross McCormack could
be coming to an end after it was claimed that Newcastle United had made a
hugely-generous £8million offer for the 27-year-old Scottish international.
McCormack was strongly linked with a deadline day move to the Boleyn Ground
back in January.
* Further to our news in Wednesday's transfer bulletin regarding Dortmund
striker Julian Schieber, it is reported that although the player is keen to
move to the Premier League West Ham want to take the 25-year-old on loan -
something Die Borussen, who are looking to sell Schieber, are not willing to
accept. The former German Under 21 international made 20 starts for Dortund
last season, scoring just one goal.
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West Ham loan offer for Niang rejected
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
M'Baye Niang will not be moving to West Ham, according to his agent Stephane
Courbis. Talks between West Ham and Niang's representatives took place in
London earlier this week but the 19-year-old was only offered a season-long
loan deal; not good enough, according to Courbis. "On Monday I met with
West Ham, who were interested in the player," the agent told TMW. "I talked
to, Sam Allardyce but I did not find him willing to make a better offer. The
Hammers would like to loan Niang, but I don't think that is the right choice
and therefore rejected the offer."
Despite rejecting West Ham's offer, Courbis - who recently replaced Oscar
Damiani (who was also Julian Faubert's former agent) as Niang's chief
representative - maintained that his client will almost certainly leave
Milan this summer. "It's definitely a possibility," he added. "Milan already
has many strikers in the team and did not qualify for Europe so spaces will
be reduced. We were told to find another team because in Milan, Niang's
growth path could not proceed according to plan. "The important thing now is
for him to play with continuity, perhaps even in a team at a level slightly
lower at Milan. He needs a coach who believes strongly in him."
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A well-deserved rest
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sir Trevor Brooking is stepping down from his role with the Football
Association after a decade in the post. Now 65, the West Ham United legend
has decided to call it a day when the 2014 World Cup Finals - at which he
will be part of the official England party - end. Speaking to The FA,
Brooking revealed that he felt it was a good to resign. "I believe now is
the right time to step away from my full-time role at The FA and I feel
extremely positive about the future of Football Development moving forward,"
he said. "Under the leadership and guidance of Dan Ashworth and Gareth
Southgate we have now put in place a strong, credible, elite structure to
support the professional game. "They also appreciate how crucial it is to
work in tandem with our grassroots infrastructure who've always been a
consistent supporter of our work programmes across coaching and player
development. "I'd also like to convey massive thanks for the tremendous
efforts of all FA staff, who often don't get the public recognition they
deserve, and good luck to everyone in the future."
Brooking - who was a key figure in the planning and development of the new
national football centre at St George's Park - joined the FA as Director of
Development in December 2003. A year later he was knighted for his
dedication to sport.
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SAB members jump ship over NDA dispute
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 6th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Several members of the Supporter Advisory Board have declared their
intention to leave the focus group as a result of the club's insistence that
all members sign an NDA before attending meetings. Every member of the fans'
group, which currently numbers around 200 was once again asked to sign a
non-disclosure agreement ahead of Tuesday night's meeting at the Boleyn
Ground at which a possible change to the club crest was one of several
sensitive subjects aired.
The NDAs prohibit fans from sharing the content of the meeting with fellow
supporters - something that has sparked major criticism of the entire
process from both members, who believed they were appointed to represent and
report back to their fellow fans, and non-members of the group.
One former SAB member spoke passionately about the subject via the KUMB
Forum this morning, insisting that he would never return unless the entire
process, which he referred to as a "sham", changes. "I was once proud to act
as a voice for those season ticket holders that supported my application and
to represent their (and other supporters) interests," said the ex-member
this morning. "The NDA's are nothing new, and have been sprung on SAB
members before, with little opportunity to review or read what they were
being asked to sign (copies were not circulated in advance of previous
meetings). Now the club asks that phones and other potential recording
devices, are handed in at the door too. It all stinks."
Another member who spoke to KUMB intends to remain in the SAB, but is under
no illusion as to the exact role of the group. "The SAB is a box ticking
exercise to comply with UEFA," he claimed. "Basically we're a glorified
focus group. There's influence to be had, but on major decisions who in
their right mind believes that David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady
will not back their own calls? With regard to the NDAs, they're bog
standard. I don't have a problem signing them."
However another member of KUMB/the SAB spoke out in defence of the
organisation. "I believe the SAB does a good job," he said. "I've only
spoken to a few [members], but those that I have spoken to are decent fans
who are passionate about the club and want to take part in constructive
dialogue."
The club itself revealed some details of the top-secret meeting earlier
today after the news that a change to the club's crest, which was last
redesigned in 1999, was met with dismay by a number of supporters who had
learned of the planned changes.
"The evening's agenda focused on how the Club could look at better
communicating West Ham United's values and how best to recognise and
celebrate our history as we move to a new iconic home," read a statement
posted on whufc.com.
"This included discussions regarding evolving the Club's crest, an
initiative which had been fully endorsed by the SAB at their AGM."
However the club's claim of unequivocal backing from those in attendance has
been disputed by another member of the SAB who attended the meeting. "This
is a misrepresentation," he told KUMB. "It was not fully endorsed. There was
a presentation and a few comments, but no show of hands."
Those attending the meeting were shown several new design mock-ups of the
club crest, most of which were rejected by those present. It was
subsequently agreed that the entire fan base should be consulted over any
changes that may take place.
Concern by fans over plans to change the club's crest - fears that emerged
after details of the meeting were leaked - prompted Jack Sullivan, son of
co-owner David to take to Twitter last night.
"Contrary to rumours there is ZERO possibility of the club's name changing
to incorporate London," he wrote. "We will always be West Ham United.
'London' could be added to the club badge IF supporters vote in favour of
it. NOTHING will change for the coming season."
* DID YOU KNOW? A castle first appeared on West Ham's crest in 1904.
The castle depicted was a replica of Green Street House, a building with
turrets that stood in Green Street before it was demolished in 1954. The
Green Street House turrets also regularly featured in the Club's programmes
between the 1920s and 1950s. Visit Steve Marsh's 'They Fly So High' website
for more information about the history of West Ham's castle.
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New West Ham signing Mauro Zarate hopes to emulate Carlos Tevez
Last Updated: 06/06/14 1:28pm
SSN
New West Ham United striker Mauro Zarate hopes to emulate fellow Argentine
and former Upton Park favourite Carlos Tevez. Zarate has signed for the
Hammers on a three-year contract from Velez Sarsfield, after finishing as
top scorer for the Argentine side last season with 20 goals in 35
appearances in all competitions. The 27-year-old first graced the Premier
League while on loan at Birmingham City in 2008, where he scored four goals
in 14 appearances for the struggling Blues. The Argentine striker now hopes
to make an impact at Upton Park, following in the footsteps of Tevez, who
dramatically inspired West Ham to Premier League safety in 2006. "Carlos is
a fantastic player and a fantastic person," Zarate told the club's official
website. "I don't think I can do the same as he did, but I hope I can become
as big a favourite at this club as he was. "I hope I will play good football
and reach the highest possible level. I am very confident I am going to
succeed here. "I have played with Lazio and Inter Milan in Serie A and the
Champions League and now I am looking forward to playing in the Premier
League for a second time." "I have played with Lazio and Inter Milan in
Serie A and the Champions League and now I am looking forward to playing in
the Premier League for a second time. "English football is beautiful. I
always said I wanted to come back to England to play and now I have this
chance and I don't want to lose it." Zarate is looking forward to teaming up
with target man Andy Carroll next season, and both players will hope to
benefit from new attacking coach and former West Ham striker Teddy
Sheringham, who has been appointed by manager Sam Allardyce in a bid to help
the Hammers play more attractive football. "I know Andy Carroll," said
Zarate. "He is a fantastic player and a centre forward who is physical and
very important for the team." The 5ft 9in forward hopes his performances
could see him earn a call-up to the Argentina national team, but he remains
realistic over his chances.
"It will be very difficult for me to break into the squad because it is so
strong and we have so many good strikers, but I will certainly try," said
Zarate.
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AC Milan forward M'Baye Niang rejects loan move to West Ham
By Nadia Carminati and Simone Bargellini | Last Updated: 06/06/14 5:00pm
SSN
West Ham have failed in a loan bid for French forward M'Baye Niang, who is
set to leave AC Milan this summer. Niang's agent Stephane Courbis confirmed
that he held talks with Hammers boss Sam Allardyce but did not think a move
to Upton Park was the 'right choice' for the 19-year-old, who spent last
season on loan at Montpellier. The talks came after the teenager was told he
was surplus to requirements by the Serie A side following the club's failure
to qualify for Europe. In comments reported by TMW, Courbis is quoted as
saying: "On Monday I met with West Ham, who were interested in the player.
"The Hammers would like him on loan, but I don't think it is the right
choice, so I excluded it. "We prefer a permanent deal and we seek a coach
who strongly believes in Niang." Courbis added he met AC Milan vice
president Adriano Galliani about three weeks ago, who informed him to find a
new team for Niang. "Milan, he told me, have many forwards in the group and,
with not playing in Europe, there will be reduced places. "For this reason,
we were told to find another team. M'baye could leave on a permanent move."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM CHASE KOLO
By Sean Whetstone 6 Jun 2014 at 18:58
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham are in talks with Nice left back Timothee Kolodziejczak known as
Kolo . The 22 year old Frenchman has been linked with West Ham for some time
but he now appears to be confirmed as one of the four left backs we are
talking to. Kolo's senior career started at Lyon when he made 9 appearances
until he moved to Nice in 2012 where he has made 64 appearances scoring one
goal. French media outlet Le 10 Sport claim West Ham made an offer of £2.5m.
The left back is valued at 6 million euros by Nice but a bid of 4 million
euros could tempt them to sell him as they are currently suffering from
financial troubles. We are likely to have competition from Southampton who
see him as a perfect replacement for Luke Shaw who looks likely to leave
them in the summer. Kolo was being tracked by David Moyes when he was
Manchester United boss as a replacement for Patrice Evra. But Manchester
United have instead decided to pursue Southampton's Luke Shaw.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OLSSON IN TALKS WITH WEST HAM
By Sean Whetstone 6 Jun 2014 at 13:00
West Ham Till I Die
Norwich defender Martin Olsson is back in talks with West Ham to fill the
left back position, The Sweden international is highly likely to leave
Carrow Road this summer following the club's relegation to the Championship.
Allardyce has identified left-back as key position to strengthen this summer
and Olsson is one of four targets the Hammers are looking at.
Back in January last year Allardyce made attempts to sign Olsson from his
old club Blackburn but it is alleged they were reluctant to sell to their
former manager.
At that time Allardyce said: "If they have made Martin available I would
definitely be interested because I worked with the lad at Blackburn when I
was there for two years. I had a really good time developing him into what I
consider to be quite a good player."
As Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce previously reprimanded Martin Olsson for
cheating to win a crucial penalty against Burnley. Olsson provoked outrage
among Burnley fans when he appeared to dive over goalkeeper Brian Jensen,
only for referee Mike Dean to award a spot-kick.The Swede then compounded
his offence by admitting it publicly and revealing that he targeted Dean in
advance because he has awarded more penalties than any other referee this
season. Olsson somehow escaped FA censure at the time.
The 26-year-old made 117 appearances for Blackburn scoring 3 goals including
the one below. He was sometimes deployed as a defensive midfielder. He
joined Norwich in 2013 making 27 appearances and scoring one goal. He is
also a member of the Swedish national team since 2010 earning 22 caps and
scoring 5 goals.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A WHIZZ BANG IDEA - APPROACH WITH CAUTION!
By S J Chandos 6 Jun 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
So, are there major corporate/rebranding changes afoot at West Ham United
FC? It is notable that we were the first of the capital's Premier League
clubs to secure one of the new london.com web addresses. One must wonder if
there are some specific marketing/commercial reason for this haste? Is
reviewing the badge part of some wider 'whizz bang' proposal to align the
image of the club with that of the Olympic Stadium? Over the last 24 hours,
social media has been speculating that some sort of change of corporate
identity is on the cards, whether that is a name change, a revised club
badge or both and more beside. This has been partly fuelled by the recent
SAB meeting and news that its members were required to sign another
non-disclosure agreement in order to be privy to the club's latest thinking.
The club website has subsequently rushed to counter the wilder conjecture,
denying that a name change was ever planned and reassuring the Hammers
faithful that no updating/revising of the badge will be implemented without
the prior agreement of the wider fan base.
This re-assurance, that any such changes will be subject to fan approval, is
comforting and the club should be praised for providing that guarantee. They
have said the club name is sacrosanct. Anyway, I suppose that the chances of
obtaining FA approval for a name change are minimal in the aftermath of the
'Hull Tigers' episode. So, that one is not a runner and is probably just a
distraction. The actual issue is likely to be a change in the club badge and
possibly the incorporation of 'London' in to a revised design. But how
radical might that redesign be? Will it be a Arsenal type re-styling of the
traditional club badge or might it prove to be more of a departure from the
past? It seems that there is now an emerging view online that the plans
revolve around phasing out the castle. Obviously, this makes sense if the
castle symbolises our current stadium. The rationale presumably being, no
Boleyn Stadium, no castle in the badge! Although I cannot speculate in
advance on anything they may seek to add in its place.
This issue does not worry me unduly. Let the club commission a new design
and it will take its chances against the current badge. If it is too radical
a departure, then it will be rejected by the fans, there is no doubt about
that. After all, how can some ad agency effort possibly compete with the
current badge? It will an unequal contest between history and tradition,
1964, 1965, 1975, 1980, Moore, Hurst, Peters, Bonds, Brooking, Devonshire,
Di Canio, et al, and something (worst case scenario) off a drawing board. My
gut instincts are to stick with the current version (albeit maybe restyled),
but I am open to being convinced otherwise and while we fans are the final
decision-makers (as the club have promised) I am relaxed about the issue.
However, what does interest me is this emphasis upon 'London.' Yes, we are a
London club, but as we all know, we are far from having an exclusive status
in that respect. Being geographically included since 1965 in the London
urban conurbation is a fact, and it has had an impact, but by far the
strongest formative influences on our club pre-dates that event. Firstly, we
are West Ham, that is our core identity, secondly we recognise ourselves as
an 'East London' club and thirdly we increasingly see ourselves as an Essex
club. That is our triple layered identity and it directly reflects the
historical development of the club, and indeed its fan base, since its
formation in 1895.
Yet, on page 13 of yesterday's Evening Standard an advert was published by
makeit.london. The advert featured West Ham Utd players, against the
backdrop of the OS, and contained a club statement that effectively revised
the history of the club. It stated:
'Since 1895, the Hammers have been at the heart of London. Our web address
and new stadium keeps us there.'
Apart from the first sentence being historically inaccurate, it is
interesting that we are portrayed, in the second, as being at the 'heart' of
London by moving to the OS. Is this advert just a product of a lack of
historical knowledge and an innocent zeal for london.com? Or is there
something more subtle and interesting at play here. Namely, the opening
shots in a shift to identify a relocated club with 'London' as a whole and,
thereafter, consistently market themselves on that basis? After all, in
marketing and commercial terms, it probably makes sense. Aligning the club
name with London will make the club more instantly recognisable in lucrative
overseas markets, with their potential new fan base and merchandising sales
potential. Might it also be highly attractive to all those
corporate/multi-national interests with their huge sponsorship and
commercial revenue to invest? It is also interesting that it mirrors a
significant corporate change made by Newham Council, in the run up to London
2012, when they rebranded the borough Newham-London. Is there a bit of a
trend there?
Everyone wants the club to succeed commercially when it moves to the OS. It
is perfectly understood that new revenue streams improve our chance of
becoming a bigger, more successful PL club. The club must get those new
external income streams flowing and also, closer to home, fill those
c.60,000 seats on a consistent basis. That probably means selling seats
across the capital, including to tourists, occasional spectators, business
interests and alike. Fair enough. But at the same time, most fans will
instinctively oppose processes that contribute to the dilution of West Ham's
strong identity and history in some sort of pan-London acid. Many fans are
fearful of just that, the move to the OS resulting in a loss of the club's
hitherto strong and unique identity. The club must be aware of this and
steer a course that both preserves the clubs identity/heritage and employs
strategies that maximize the marketing/commercial potential of the move to
the OS. Is it possible to square this particular circle? One hopes so.
'Whizz bang' ideas, if ill conceived and/or mis-managed, do have an
unfortunate habit of flaring up suddenly and burning fingers. Forewarned is
forearmed!
SJ. Chandos
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Friday, June 6
Daily WHUFC News - 6th June 2014
We are always West Ham United
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Supporter Advisory Board held an update meeting this week
05.06.2014
The West Ham United Supporter Advisory Board held a follow-up meeting on Tuesday to continue discussion from the AGM on 15 May. The evening's agenda focused on how the Club could look at better communicating West Ham United's values and how best to recognise and celebrate our history as we move to a new iconic home. This included discussions regarding evolving the Club's crest, an initiative which had been fully endorsed by the SAB at their AGM on the basis that the Club's current crest has not been updated since 1997. The Club were explicit that whilst it is considering an evolution of the crest in close consultation with supporters, contrary to some recent speculation, it is categorically not looking to change the Club name, which will always remain as West Ham United.
The Club also made clear that the Board has no plans to make any changes to the crest without the full support of its fans. A detailed presentation followed that illustrated how various aspects of the Club's crest have evolved over time. The SAB were shown a wide variety of potential creative routes to evolve the crest.
Following a productive discussion, the SAB was asked whether the Club should continue to explore an evolution of the badge with a view to opening up consultation to the wider supporter base. The group have been asked to feedback by the end of the week. It was agreed that a consultation process with the wider supporter base should follow. This will take place within the next two weeks after due consideration of the SAB members' feedback.
whufc.com will provide a further update on the details of the consultation in due course.
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Sir Trevor Brooking to retire
WHUFc.com
Hammers legend Sir Trevor Brooking is to retire from his role as The FA's Director of Football Development
05.06.2014
West Ham United legend Sir Trevor Brooking is to retire from his role as The FA's Director of Football Development following the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The five-time Hammer of the Year, two-time FA Cup winner, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, caretaker manager and former England international will retire on 31 August following an outstanding career that also saw him excel as a broadcaster and administrator with Sport England and The FA. Since taking up his current post in December 2003, Sir Trevor has achieved great things for the national game at all levels. "I believe now is the right time to step away from my full-time role at The FA and I feel extremely positive about the future of Football Development moving forward," said Sir Trevor, 65, who scored 102 goals in 649 appearances for West Ham between 1967 and 1984, including the winning goal in the 1980 FA Cup final. "Under the leadership and guidance of Dan Ashworth and Gareth Southgate, we have now put in place a strong, credible, elite structure to support the professional game. They also appreciate how crucial it is to work in tandem with our grassroots infrastructure who've always been a consistent supporter of our work programmes across coaching and player development. "I'd also like to convey massive thanks for the tremendous efforts of all FA staff, who often don't get the public recognition they deserve, and good luck to everyone in the future."
Throughout his time with The FA, Sir Trevor has been responsible for restructuring the Football Development Division including the recent appointments of Dan Ashworth, Gareth Southgate and Mark Sampson. He was a significant supporter of the building of England's National Football Centre, and is a member of the St. George's Park Board. His commitment to the development of improved coaching standards both at grassroots level with children through The FA's Skills programme, and through the promotion of coaching qualifications across the professional game has been considerable. Through the Skills programme, nearly five million places have gone to children since its inception both out of school and in schools where FA Skills Coaches deliver an accredited football-based physical education programme up and down the country. Sir Trevor, who is in Miami with the England World Cup squad, has been a member of the Club England Board since its creation in 2010 and was part of the group who appointed Roy Hodgson as England's senior team manager.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Sir Trevor a very happy retirement.
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Zarate confident of success
WHUFc.com
Mauro Zarate dreams of emulating compatriot Carlos Tevez and becoming a West Ham United hero
05.06.2014
Mauro Zarate dreams of making the same impact at West Ham United as fellow countryman Carlos Tevez. Argentine Tevez became an instant Hammers hero when his goals and all-round performances helped the Club to achieve a Great Escape from Premier League relegation in 2006/07. Eight years on and compatriot Zarate has arrived at the Boleyn Ground eager to make a similarly positive impression on English football. Having top-scored for Velez Sarsfield in the Argentine Primera Division last season and played in the UEFA Champions League, Serie A and Premier League during spells with Lazio, Internazionale and Birmingham City, the 27-year-old is confident he will flourish in a Claret and Blue shirt. "I have played with Lazio and Inter in Serie A and the Champions League and now I am looking forward to playing in the Premier League for a second time," he said. "I hope I will play good football and reach the highest possible level. I am very confident I am going to succeed here. "Carlos is a fantastic player and a fantastic person. I don't think I can do the same as he did, but I hope I can become as big a favourite at this Club as he was."
Zarate tasted English football as a promising young forward with Birmingham City in 2008, spending six months on loan at St Andrews from Qatari side Al-Sadd.
Then just 20, the Haedo-born player caught the eye in a struggling Blues team, scoring four goals in 14 appearances. During that time, he developed a deep respect for the traditions of the game in this country. "English football is beautiful. I always said I wanted to come back to England to play and now I have this chance and I don't want to lose this chance."
One player who Zarate is looking forward to lining up alongside is England centre forward Andy Carroll, with both set to benefit from each other's presence on the pitch. The tall, dominating figure of Carroll and the smaller, lively figure of Zarate make for a mouth-watering combination that spells danger for opposition defences. "I know Andy Carroll. He is a fantastic player and a centre forward who is physical and very important for the team," Zarate explained, when asked about the qualities of his new team-mate. Should Zarate hit the ground running he could well emulate Tevez by becoming a West Ham favourite, while a glut of goals may also lead him following his fellow countryman into the senior Argentina squad. "It will be very difficult for me to break into the squad because it is so strong and we have so many good strikers, but I will certainly try!"
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Hammers eye French full back
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 5th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have made a €3million offer for Nice's 22-year-old full back Timothee Kolodziejczak, according to reports emanating from France. The former French youth international - who has represented his country at all levels from Under 16 to Under 20 but could still represent Poland at full international level due to his dual nationality - joined Les Aiglons in 2012 and is valued at the €6million mark by his club.
* Anderlecht are rumoured to be taking a close look at Argentinian Under 20 international Lucas Romero as a potential replacement for Cheikhou Kouyate, who has been in talks with West Ham over a permanent switch to London. 20-year-old Romero, a former team mate of Mauro Zarate at Velez Sarsfield have told the Belgian club Romero will cost around €4.5million.
* Alou Diarra could be involved in the deal that brings the aforementioned Kouyate to West Ham. Diarra has barely featured for West Ham since joining the club in August 2012 and it is understood that a swap deal plus cash has been mooted by West Ham. The Senegal international is rated at the €10million mark by his club.
* Jussi Jaaskelainen may have signed a one-year contract extension but that hasn't stopped West Ham increasing their hunt for a new goalkeeper, according to the prolific Mail Online.
Manchester City's Romanian stopper Costel Pantilimon is said by the tabloid to be a target for West Ham, having made 18 appearances for the League Champions last season. Still only 27, Pantilimon cost the Citizens just £3million when joining City from the gloriously-named Politehnica Timisoara two years ago.
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Borussia Dortmund admit Julian Schieber could be set for an exit
By Thomas Zocher | Last Updated: 05/06/14 10:02pm
SSN
Borussia Dortmund general manager Michael Zorc has admitted that striker Julian Schieber could be set for an exit this summer, with a host of British clubs reported to be interested in him. The 25-year-old, who joined from Stuttgart in 2012, is yet to truly establish himself at the Westfaledstadion and West Ham, Wigan and Celtic have been among those linked with a move. Fellow Bundesliga outfit 1899 Hoffenheim have also been reported to be tracking the former Germany Under-21 international, who failed to score in his 12 league appearances last season. Schieber has another two years remaining on his current contract with Dortmund, but Zorc says that they would be prepared to sell if the striker is looking to leave. "We have been talking to Julian Schieber and his agent in the last week," he told kicker-Sportmagazin. "He had been out to have his Borussia Dortmund breakthrough within his first two years at the club.
"If he is out for a transfer after these first two years at our club, we would certainly be considering that. Of course."
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West Ham striker Andy Carroll can't wait for next season
Last Updated: 05/06/14 2:43pm
SSN
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll has said that he is looking forward to next season already. The 25-year-old struggled with a foot injury for much of this campaign and was able to make only 15 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, scoring two goals and providing four assists in the process. The former Liverpool forward also missed out on England's 23-man World Cup squad, but is on manager Roy Hodgson's standby list. Carroll has now said that he is relishing the prospect of starting the 2014/15 campaign fresh and without injuries. "I can't wait for the new season to start," he told West Ham's official website. "I didn't want the last one to end to be honest, I still felt fresh and ready to play more games as I had missed the opening half of the season. "We had a talk after the last match about the positives and the tough times we had when we were sucked into the relegation fight for a bit, but the gaffer, staff and all the lads had the belief that, once we came through those times and got players back, we could get better and we did. "Now the focus is to push on and look forward to the new season."
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NO NAME CHANGE FOR WEST HAM UNITED
By Sean Whetstone 5 Jun 2014 at 20:34
West Ham Till I Die
False rumours spread across the social media today that West Ham United were thinking renaming themselves as West Ham London.
The rumour followed a Supporters Advisory board meeting on Tuesday night where members were updated on the Olympic Stadium, shown a preview of the new Away kit and an idea about a possible crest change among other things. The SAB members were asked to sign a non disclosure agreement to protect commercial sensitive information but some information leaked causing wide speculation online.
West Ham released a statement about the SAB meeting this evening in an attempt to calm the speculation.
"The evening's agenda focused on how the Club could look at better communicating West Ham United's values and how best to recognise and celebrate our history as we move to a new iconic home.This included discussions regarding evolving the Club's crest, an initiative which had been fully endorsed by the SAB at their AGM on the basis that the Club's current crest has not been updated since 1997.The Club were explicit that whilst it is considering an evolution of the crest in close consultation with supporters, contrary to some recent speculation, it is categorically not looking to change the Club name, which will always remain as West Ham United.The Club also made clear that the Board has no plans to make any changes to the crest without the full support of its fans. A detailed presentation followed that illustrated how various aspects of the Club's crest have evolved over time. The SAB were shown a wide variety of potential creative routes to evolve the crest.Following a productive discussion, the SAB was asked whether the Club should continue to explore an evolution of the badge with a view to opening up consultation to the wider supporter base. The group have been asked to feedback by the end of the week. It was agreed that a consultation process with the wider supporter base should follow. This will take place within the next two weeks after due consideration of the SAB members' feedback. whufc.com will provide a further update on the details of the consultation in due course".
As a member of the SAB myself I am bound by the same Non Disclosure Agreement but I can confirm what the club said is correct and there will be a full consultation with fans to decide whether they want the crest changed.
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Irons talking to FOUR left backs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 5, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are currently in talks with FOUR left backs as they bid to solve their problem position. ClaretandHugh can confirm that Norwich City's Martin Olsson is high on the wanted list after we revealed this afternoon that young Frenchman Timothee Kolodziejczak is also in talks. The other two names are a closely guarded secret but we have learned that the third player on the list is a highly rated Portuguese star whilst the fourth remains a mystery. A well placed Upton Park source confirmed that the club was "bidding" for four players in the position. He added: "Things take time and we are not going to pay over the odds because our budgets don't allow for that."
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OUR FLAWS WITH THE WEST HAM ALLARDYCE COMPROMISE
Betfair: 5th June 2014
SportingPreview.com
Sam Allardyce has been told he can keep his job, but with style of play and transfer policy dictated to him...
At one stage, it appeared certain that West Ham would change manager this summer, but having snooped at the alternatives to Sam Allardyce and realised that none carry the current incumbent's near-guarantee of Premier League survival, they have opted to stick. Having previously traded at 6.8, No Managerial Change at the Boleyn Ground by August 16th is now judged a 1.05 possibility.
The problem though is finding a way of retaining Allardyce without alienating the fans wanting him gone. The club's solution is an ugly compromise in which Big Sam surrenders final say on transfers, has an attacking coach forced on him in a bid to alter his ideology and is set a top-ten finish as a minimum target, all of which has been made public in this extraordinary statement.
Here are four problems with the Irons blueprint that threaten to cause them chaos during 2013/14...
A top-half finish is an unfair demand
"The Club have made clear that they want to see progression on the pitch and at least a top-ten finish" hints that failure to rank above halfway will see Allardyce ditched. However, it is an ambitious minimum goal in a division where seven of the spots are locked down, especially as the gap between tenth and 13th/14th/15th is often minimal.
It also ignores the role of cup runs - clearly not a priority for the owners due to their desperation to be a Premier League side upon arrival at the Olympic Stadium. Yet Hull fans will have enjoyed coming 16th, reaching an FA Cup Final and the Europa League in their first post-promotion campaign far more than West Ham celebrated tenth in 2012/13. Top-half odds of 2.52 indicate that Allardyce is more likely to miss than hit.
Allardyce's transfer record is decent
"The Board (will) have a greater involvement in the players who are signed, as the Board will once again be investing considerable funds into the Club this summer" suggests that transfer policy will be controlled by David Sullivan rather than Allardyce from now on, though it would be harsh to criticise the acquisitions overseen by Big Sam since his 2011 appointment.
Three of the back five lauded in the statement for West Ham's 14 Premier League clean sheets were recruited cheaply - Adrian and Joey O'Brien on free transfers and Guy Demel for next to nothing - as were Matt Taylor, George McCartney and James Collins, who all helped keep them up. It has only been a few high-profile attacking purchases that have been questionable (a fate that befalls almost every manager), and the most high-profile of those, Andy Carroll, definitely had owner approval.
Something about leopards and spots
"The Board have insisted on improvements to the set-up of the playing and backroom staff to ensure the team provides more entertainment next season," reveals the statement. Allardyce has been managing for 23 years and turns 60 in October, so the idea of enforcing a tactical straitjacket on him that is alien to his preferred ethos is rather ludicrous.
West Ham knew what they were getting in hiring Big Sam, who even mocked the 'West Ham Way' referenced in the statement in his debut press conference: a stubborn boss with a specific approach that he insists works. He can point to promotion at the first try, tenth in their first Premier League campaign and a cup semi-final and the swerving of second-season syndrome in the second as proof.
If they feel it is time for a different strategy, stump up the cash to pay up his contract and find one fitting their requirements. Instead, they are asking Allardyce to abandon his beliefs and judging him on style points that aren't really measurable, at least not without installing a boo-o-meter and handing out marking paddles at the Boleyn Ground.
The issue of accountability
If West Ham's board tell Allardyce how to coach the team, decide who he signs and dictate the style of play, how can they justifiably hold him accountable if he fails with the tools they have given him?
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Sir Trevor Brooking to retire from FA role after the World Cup
ED OSMOND Thursday 05 June 2014
The Independent
Sir Trevor Brooking will step down from his job as the English FA's director of football development after the World Cup, the ruling body said on its website on Thursday. The 65-year-old has been in the role for over 10 years, restructuring the FA's development division and playing a key role in the establishment of England's National Football Centre. "I believe now is the right time to step away from my full-time role at The FA and I feel extremely positive about the future of Football Development moving forward," the former England midfielder said in a statement. "We have now put in place a strong, credible, elite structure to support the professional game."
Brooking, a technically gifted footballer and fine passer of the ball, played over 600 games for West Ham United and 47 times for his country before working as a commentator for the BBC and as chairman of Sport England. I watched Sir Trevor as a player and admired greatly his talent and commitment to his only club West Ham United." FA chairman Greg Dyke said. "We've been lucky to have benefited from his vast experience and The FA has undoubtedly gained from this.
"His great legacy will be the development of the Skills programme, which now has over 160 full-time coaches working to teach children the benefits of playing football for fun."
Brooking is with the England squad in Miami preparing for this month's World Cup in Brazil. "Trevor is a football man and has been a great friend to me," England manager Roy Hodgson said. "He was a fine footballer, one that any England team would be grateful of and he has proven to be equally adept in his role at The FA."
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West Ham make £3million bid for highly-rated left back Timothee Kolodziejcak
Hammers have made £3m bid for highly-rated Nice left back
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:52, 5 June 2014 | UPDATED: 22:52, 5 June 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham have made a £3million offer for Nice left back Timothee Kolodziejczak. Sportsmail revealed interest from West Ham and Southampton last month but Sam Allardyce has taken the initiative with an opening bid. The 22-year-old is regarded as one of the best young defenders in France and was wanted by Manchester United while a teenager at Lens, but turned them down as he preferred to join Lyon instead.
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WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Supporter Advisory Board held an update meeting this week
05.06.2014
The West Ham United Supporter Advisory Board held a follow-up meeting on Tuesday to continue discussion from the AGM on 15 May. The evening's agenda focused on how the Club could look at better communicating West Ham United's values and how best to recognise and celebrate our history as we move to a new iconic home. This included discussions regarding evolving the Club's crest, an initiative which had been fully endorsed by the SAB at their AGM on the basis that the Club's current crest has not been updated since 1997. The Club were explicit that whilst it is considering an evolution of the crest in close consultation with supporters, contrary to some recent speculation, it is categorically not looking to change the Club name, which will always remain as West Ham United.
The Club also made clear that the Board has no plans to make any changes to the crest without the full support of its fans. A detailed presentation followed that illustrated how various aspects of the Club's crest have evolved over time. The SAB were shown a wide variety of potential creative routes to evolve the crest.
Following a productive discussion, the SAB was asked whether the Club should continue to explore an evolution of the badge with a view to opening up consultation to the wider supporter base. The group have been asked to feedback by the end of the week. It was agreed that a consultation process with the wider supporter base should follow. This will take place within the next two weeks after due consideration of the SAB members' feedback.
whufc.com will provide a further update on the details of the consultation in due course.
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Sir Trevor Brooking to retire
WHUFc.com
Hammers legend Sir Trevor Brooking is to retire from his role as The FA's Director of Football Development
05.06.2014
West Ham United legend Sir Trevor Brooking is to retire from his role as The FA's Director of Football Development following the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The five-time Hammer of the Year, two-time FA Cup winner, Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, caretaker manager and former England international will retire on 31 August following an outstanding career that also saw him excel as a broadcaster and administrator with Sport England and The FA. Since taking up his current post in December 2003, Sir Trevor has achieved great things for the national game at all levels. "I believe now is the right time to step away from my full-time role at The FA and I feel extremely positive about the future of Football Development moving forward," said Sir Trevor, 65, who scored 102 goals in 649 appearances for West Ham between 1967 and 1984, including the winning goal in the 1980 FA Cup final. "Under the leadership and guidance of Dan Ashworth and Gareth Southgate, we have now put in place a strong, credible, elite structure to support the professional game. They also appreciate how crucial it is to work in tandem with our grassroots infrastructure who've always been a consistent supporter of our work programmes across coaching and player development. "I'd also like to convey massive thanks for the tremendous efforts of all FA staff, who often don't get the public recognition they deserve, and good luck to everyone in the future."
Throughout his time with The FA, Sir Trevor has been responsible for restructuring the Football Development Division including the recent appointments of Dan Ashworth, Gareth Southgate and Mark Sampson. He was a significant supporter of the building of England's National Football Centre, and is a member of the St. George's Park Board. His commitment to the development of improved coaching standards both at grassroots level with children through The FA's Skills programme, and through the promotion of coaching qualifications across the professional game has been considerable. Through the Skills programme, nearly five million places have gone to children since its inception both out of school and in schools where FA Skills Coaches deliver an accredited football-based physical education programme up and down the country. Sir Trevor, who is in Miami with the England World Cup squad, has been a member of the Club England Board since its creation in 2010 and was part of the group who appointed Roy Hodgson as England's senior team manager.
Everyone at West Ham United would like to wish Sir Trevor a very happy retirement.
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Zarate confident of success
WHUFc.com
Mauro Zarate dreams of emulating compatriot Carlos Tevez and becoming a West Ham United hero
05.06.2014
Mauro Zarate dreams of making the same impact at West Ham United as fellow countryman Carlos Tevez. Argentine Tevez became an instant Hammers hero when his goals and all-round performances helped the Club to achieve a Great Escape from Premier League relegation in 2006/07. Eight years on and compatriot Zarate has arrived at the Boleyn Ground eager to make a similarly positive impression on English football. Having top-scored for Velez Sarsfield in the Argentine Primera Division last season and played in the UEFA Champions League, Serie A and Premier League during spells with Lazio, Internazionale and Birmingham City, the 27-year-old is confident he will flourish in a Claret and Blue shirt. "I have played with Lazio and Inter in Serie A and the Champions League and now I am looking forward to playing in the Premier League for a second time," he said. "I hope I will play good football and reach the highest possible level. I am very confident I am going to succeed here. "Carlos is a fantastic player and a fantastic person. I don't think I can do the same as he did, but I hope I can become as big a favourite at this Club as he was."
Zarate tasted English football as a promising young forward with Birmingham City in 2008, spending six months on loan at St Andrews from Qatari side Al-Sadd.
Then just 20, the Haedo-born player caught the eye in a struggling Blues team, scoring four goals in 14 appearances. During that time, he developed a deep respect for the traditions of the game in this country. "English football is beautiful. I always said I wanted to come back to England to play and now I have this chance and I don't want to lose this chance."
One player who Zarate is looking forward to lining up alongside is England centre forward Andy Carroll, with both set to benefit from each other's presence on the pitch. The tall, dominating figure of Carroll and the smaller, lively figure of Zarate make for a mouth-watering combination that spells danger for opposition defences. "I know Andy Carroll. He is a fantastic player and a centre forward who is physical and very important for the team," Zarate explained, when asked about the qualities of his new team-mate. Should Zarate hit the ground running he could well emulate Tevez by becoming a West Ham favourite, while a glut of goals may also lead him following his fellow countryman into the senior Argentina squad. "It will be very difficult for me to break into the squad because it is so strong and we have so many good strikers, but I will certainly try!"
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Hammers eye French full back
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 5th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have made a €3million offer for Nice's 22-year-old full back Timothee Kolodziejczak, according to reports emanating from France. The former French youth international - who has represented his country at all levels from Under 16 to Under 20 but could still represent Poland at full international level due to his dual nationality - joined Les Aiglons in 2012 and is valued at the €6million mark by his club.
* Anderlecht are rumoured to be taking a close look at Argentinian Under 20 international Lucas Romero as a potential replacement for Cheikhou Kouyate, who has been in talks with West Ham over a permanent switch to London. 20-year-old Romero, a former team mate of Mauro Zarate at Velez Sarsfield have told the Belgian club Romero will cost around €4.5million.
* Alou Diarra could be involved in the deal that brings the aforementioned Kouyate to West Ham. Diarra has barely featured for West Ham since joining the club in August 2012 and it is understood that a swap deal plus cash has been mooted by West Ham. The Senegal international is rated at the €10million mark by his club.
* Jussi Jaaskelainen may have signed a one-year contract extension but that hasn't stopped West Ham increasing their hunt for a new goalkeeper, according to the prolific Mail Online.
Manchester City's Romanian stopper Costel Pantilimon is said by the tabloid to be a target for West Ham, having made 18 appearances for the League Champions last season. Still only 27, Pantilimon cost the Citizens just £3million when joining City from the gloriously-named Politehnica Timisoara two years ago.
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Borussia Dortmund admit Julian Schieber could be set for an exit
By Thomas Zocher | Last Updated: 05/06/14 10:02pm
SSN
Borussia Dortmund general manager Michael Zorc has admitted that striker Julian Schieber could be set for an exit this summer, with a host of British clubs reported to be interested in him. The 25-year-old, who joined from Stuttgart in 2012, is yet to truly establish himself at the Westfaledstadion and West Ham, Wigan and Celtic have been among those linked with a move. Fellow Bundesliga outfit 1899 Hoffenheim have also been reported to be tracking the former Germany Under-21 international, who failed to score in his 12 league appearances last season. Schieber has another two years remaining on his current contract with Dortmund, but Zorc says that they would be prepared to sell if the striker is looking to leave. "We have been talking to Julian Schieber and his agent in the last week," he told kicker-Sportmagazin. "He had been out to have his Borussia Dortmund breakthrough within his first two years at the club.
"If he is out for a transfer after these first two years at our club, we would certainly be considering that. Of course."
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West Ham striker Andy Carroll can't wait for next season
Last Updated: 05/06/14 2:43pm
SSN
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll has said that he is looking forward to next season already. The 25-year-old struggled with a foot injury for much of this campaign and was able to make only 15 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, scoring two goals and providing four assists in the process. The former Liverpool forward also missed out on England's 23-man World Cup squad, but is on manager Roy Hodgson's standby list. Carroll has now said that he is relishing the prospect of starting the 2014/15 campaign fresh and without injuries. "I can't wait for the new season to start," he told West Ham's official website. "I didn't want the last one to end to be honest, I still felt fresh and ready to play more games as I had missed the opening half of the season. "We had a talk after the last match about the positives and the tough times we had when we were sucked into the relegation fight for a bit, but the gaffer, staff and all the lads had the belief that, once we came through those times and got players back, we could get better and we did. "Now the focus is to push on and look forward to the new season."
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NO NAME CHANGE FOR WEST HAM UNITED
By Sean Whetstone 5 Jun 2014 at 20:34
West Ham Till I Die
False rumours spread across the social media today that West Ham United were thinking renaming themselves as West Ham London.
The rumour followed a Supporters Advisory board meeting on Tuesday night where members were updated on the Olympic Stadium, shown a preview of the new Away kit and an idea about a possible crest change among other things. The SAB members were asked to sign a non disclosure agreement to protect commercial sensitive information but some information leaked causing wide speculation online.
West Ham released a statement about the SAB meeting this evening in an attempt to calm the speculation.
"The evening's agenda focused on how the Club could look at better communicating West Ham United's values and how best to recognise and celebrate our history as we move to a new iconic home.This included discussions regarding evolving the Club's crest, an initiative which had been fully endorsed by the SAB at their AGM on the basis that the Club's current crest has not been updated since 1997.The Club were explicit that whilst it is considering an evolution of the crest in close consultation with supporters, contrary to some recent speculation, it is categorically not looking to change the Club name, which will always remain as West Ham United.The Club also made clear that the Board has no plans to make any changes to the crest without the full support of its fans. A detailed presentation followed that illustrated how various aspects of the Club's crest have evolved over time. The SAB were shown a wide variety of potential creative routes to evolve the crest.Following a productive discussion, the SAB was asked whether the Club should continue to explore an evolution of the badge with a view to opening up consultation to the wider supporter base. The group have been asked to feedback by the end of the week. It was agreed that a consultation process with the wider supporter base should follow. This will take place within the next two weeks after due consideration of the SAB members' feedback. whufc.com will provide a further update on the details of the consultation in due course".
As a member of the SAB myself I am bound by the same Non Disclosure Agreement but I can confirm what the club said is correct and there will be a full consultation with fans to decide whether they want the crest changed.
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Irons talking to FOUR left backs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 5, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are currently in talks with FOUR left backs as they bid to solve their problem position. ClaretandHugh can confirm that Norwich City's Martin Olsson is high on the wanted list after we revealed this afternoon that young Frenchman Timothee Kolodziejczak is also in talks. The other two names are a closely guarded secret but we have learned that the third player on the list is a highly rated Portuguese star whilst the fourth remains a mystery. A well placed Upton Park source confirmed that the club was "bidding" for four players in the position. He added: "Things take time and we are not going to pay over the odds because our budgets don't allow for that."
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OUR FLAWS WITH THE WEST HAM ALLARDYCE COMPROMISE
Betfair: 5th June 2014
SportingPreview.com
Sam Allardyce has been told he can keep his job, but with style of play and transfer policy dictated to him...
At one stage, it appeared certain that West Ham would change manager this summer, but having snooped at the alternatives to Sam Allardyce and realised that none carry the current incumbent's near-guarantee of Premier League survival, they have opted to stick. Having previously traded at 6.8, No Managerial Change at the Boleyn Ground by August 16th is now judged a 1.05 possibility.
The problem though is finding a way of retaining Allardyce without alienating the fans wanting him gone. The club's solution is an ugly compromise in which Big Sam surrenders final say on transfers, has an attacking coach forced on him in a bid to alter his ideology and is set a top-ten finish as a minimum target, all of which has been made public in this extraordinary statement.
Here are four problems with the Irons blueprint that threaten to cause them chaos during 2013/14...
A top-half finish is an unfair demand
"The Club have made clear that they want to see progression on the pitch and at least a top-ten finish" hints that failure to rank above halfway will see Allardyce ditched. However, it is an ambitious minimum goal in a division where seven of the spots are locked down, especially as the gap between tenth and 13th/14th/15th is often minimal.
It also ignores the role of cup runs - clearly not a priority for the owners due to their desperation to be a Premier League side upon arrival at the Olympic Stadium. Yet Hull fans will have enjoyed coming 16th, reaching an FA Cup Final and the Europa League in their first post-promotion campaign far more than West Ham celebrated tenth in 2012/13. Top-half odds of 2.52 indicate that Allardyce is more likely to miss than hit.
Allardyce's transfer record is decent
"The Board (will) have a greater involvement in the players who are signed, as the Board will once again be investing considerable funds into the Club this summer" suggests that transfer policy will be controlled by David Sullivan rather than Allardyce from now on, though it would be harsh to criticise the acquisitions overseen by Big Sam since his 2011 appointment.
Three of the back five lauded in the statement for West Ham's 14 Premier League clean sheets were recruited cheaply - Adrian and Joey O'Brien on free transfers and Guy Demel for next to nothing - as were Matt Taylor, George McCartney and James Collins, who all helped keep them up. It has only been a few high-profile attacking purchases that have been questionable (a fate that befalls almost every manager), and the most high-profile of those, Andy Carroll, definitely had owner approval.
Something about leopards and spots
"The Board have insisted on improvements to the set-up of the playing and backroom staff to ensure the team provides more entertainment next season," reveals the statement. Allardyce has been managing for 23 years and turns 60 in October, so the idea of enforcing a tactical straitjacket on him that is alien to his preferred ethos is rather ludicrous.
West Ham knew what they were getting in hiring Big Sam, who even mocked the 'West Ham Way' referenced in the statement in his debut press conference: a stubborn boss with a specific approach that he insists works. He can point to promotion at the first try, tenth in their first Premier League campaign and a cup semi-final and the swerving of second-season syndrome in the second as proof.
If they feel it is time for a different strategy, stump up the cash to pay up his contract and find one fitting their requirements. Instead, they are asking Allardyce to abandon his beliefs and judging him on style points that aren't really measurable, at least not without installing a boo-o-meter and handing out marking paddles at the Boleyn Ground.
The issue of accountability
If West Ham's board tell Allardyce how to coach the team, decide who he signs and dictate the style of play, how can they justifiably hold him accountable if he fails with the tools they have given him?
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Sir Trevor Brooking to retire from FA role after the World Cup
ED OSMOND Thursday 05 June 2014
The Independent
Sir Trevor Brooking will step down from his job as the English FA's director of football development after the World Cup, the ruling body said on its website on Thursday. The 65-year-old has been in the role for over 10 years, restructuring the FA's development division and playing a key role in the establishment of England's National Football Centre. "I believe now is the right time to step away from my full-time role at The FA and I feel extremely positive about the future of Football Development moving forward," the former England midfielder said in a statement. "We have now put in place a strong, credible, elite structure to support the professional game."
Brooking, a technically gifted footballer and fine passer of the ball, played over 600 games for West Ham United and 47 times for his country before working as a commentator for the BBC and as chairman of Sport England. I watched Sir Trevor as a player and admired greatly his talent and commitment to his only club West Ham United." FA chairman Greg Dyke said. "We've been lucky to have benefited from his vast experience and The FA has undoubtedly gained from this.
"His great legacy will be the development of the Skills programme, which now has over 160 full-time coaches working to teach children the benefits of playing football for fun."
Brooking is with the England squad in Miami preparing for this month's World Cup in Brazil. "Trevor is a football man and has been a great friend to me," England manager Roy Hodgson said. "He was a fine footballer, one that any England team would be grateful of and he has proven to be equally adept in his role at The FA."
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West Ham make £3million bid for highly-rated left back Timothee Kolodziejcak
Hammers have made £3m bid for highly-rated Nice left back
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:52, 5 June 2014 | UPDATED: 22:52, 5 June 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham have made a £3million offer for Nice left back Timothee Kolodziejczak. Sportsmail revealed interest from West Ham and Southampton last month but Sam Allardyce has taken the initiative with an opening bid. The 22-year-old is regarded as one of the best young defenders in France and was wanted by Manchester United while a teenager at Lens, but turned them down as he preferred to join Lyon instead.
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