Daily WHUFC News - 23rd August 2016

Masuaku - It is a great stadium
WHUFC.com

Masuaku reveals players are excited to be playing at London Stadium
The French defender has quickly settled into his new surroundings
Masuaku praises the whole squad for their impact during the game

West Ham United defender Arthur Masuaku reveals the players are excited to
be playing at the new Stadium and hopes it can help them move onto another
level following their first Premier League win over Bournemouth on Sunday.
Masuaku has wasted no time settling into his new surroundings following his
recent £6.2million move from Olympiacos and produced another impressive
display at left back. The French defender was thrilled to see his side get
off to the perfect start at London Stadium and hopes it can be the catalyst
for another memorable season.
A Club record Premier League attendance of 56,977 saw Michail Antonio score
a dramatic late winner to seal all three points and Masuaku believes the new
facilities can only help them grow stronger as a team. Masuaku said: "It's a
beautiful stadium. I had seen it when I came to sign for the Club at the
Juventus game. "It is a great stadium, the pitch, the atmosphere, it really
is special and we are really excited to be playing in this stadium. "After
the loss to Chelsea last week, the most important thing for us was to get
the victory. "I think that the starting eleven did their jobs and that was
then supplemented by the guys that came off the bench. "We take away three
points and that now puts us into 10th place in the Premier League and we
will now begin to concentrate on the next game."

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Loan round-up
WHUFC.com

Josh Cullen and Lewis Page – on loan in League One – faced each other on
Saturday
Stephen Hendrie was in action for Blackburn Rovers in the Championship
George Dobson and Josh Pask both played in England's third tier too

West Ham United youngsters Josh Cullen and Lewis Page faced each other in
loan action on Saturday as Bradford City took on Coventry City in League
One. Cullen, who scored in midweek for the Bantams in their 2-1 win at MK
Dons, started in midfield and played 90 minutes for the Yorkshire side as
they beat Page's Coventry. The defender, who played on the left side of the
Sky Blues' five-man defence, also completed the full game, but Stuart
McCall's side were 3-1 winners at Valley Parade. Coventry took the lead
after just 13 minutes through Dan Agyei and held onto the advantage until
the final quarter of the encounter, but an eight-minute bombardment from the
hosts saw them come from behind to race into a 3-1 lead. Two Tony McMahon
penalties either side of a 25-yard Mark Marshall cracker stunned Tony
Mowbray's outfit, and Jordan Turnbull's red card – awarded after the first
foul in the penalty area – hardly helped the visitors. The victory
maintained an unbeaten record in the league so far for Cullen and his
teammates and Bradford currently sit in third, while Coventry slipped into
the relegation zone after the defeat.

In the Championship, there was also 90 minutes for Scottish left-back
Stephen Hendrie who completed his third full match on loan at Blackburn
Rovers. The struggling Lancashire side were held at home by Burton Albion,
who came from behind twice to draw 2-2. Craig Conway and Sam Gallagher got
on the scoresheet for Rovers either side of a Jackson Irvine header, but
with the hosts heading for their first league win of the season, Tom Naylor
nodded home to snatch a late point at Ewood Park.

Back in League One, George Dobson and Josh Pask also started for their
respective loan sides Walsall and Gillingham. The Saddlers were in action
against Charlton Athletic, but after levelling the game at 1-1 with less
than 20 minutes remaining, conceded two minutes later to hand the Addicks
maximum points. Nicky Ajose was at the double for the south east Londoners,
bagging either side of Kieron Morris' equaliser. Dobson played 81 minutes in
midfield at the Bescot Stadium. Pask also endured a difficult afternoon with
Gillingham, suffering a 5-0 thrashing away at Scunthorpe United.

Kevin van Veen, Jordan Clarke and Tom Hopper all bagged for the Iron as well
a Josh Morris double. Finally, Kyle Knoyle – on loan at Wigan Athletic –
missed out again through injury as his side lost a seven-goal thriller 4-3
at Nottingham Forest.

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Statement from London Stadium
WHUFC.com

Stadium operator LS185 has released the following statement in response to
missing seats at the game against AFC Bournemouth.
West Ham United will ensure that the issue will be resolved immediately and
the 56 supporters affected are compensated.
London Stadium wish to apologise to those West Ham United Season Ticket
Holders who were unable to sit in their allocated seats for Sunday's Premier
League match against AFC Bournemouth.

An error in administration meant that a small number of supporters had to
use alternative seats after the issue was recognised by our event stewards.
All affected seats will be re-installed as a matter of priority ahead of
Thursday's UEFA Europa League match with Astra Giurgiu.

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From the Boardroom - David Sullivan
WHUFC.com

We are elated that a team hit with injuries managed to grind out a 1-0
victory over Bournemouth in our first ever game at London Stadium. It was
certainly a day to remember for everyone connected with the Club and we
desperately needed the points. To win our first Premier League game and
second successive competitive game at the new Stadium was equally important.
All the board have been devastated by the injuries that we are suffering at
the moment and it has been a difficult spell for Slaven as he looks to name
the best possible team. But the squad showed once again that there is a
special spirit among the players and everyone played their part in a
memorable victory. I want to pay special tribute to Michail Antonio. It was
great to see him playing in a more attacking position and he stole all the
headlines with his late winner. He was among the highest scorers of headed
goals in any top league in Europe last season and once again showed his
quality with another superb effort. He must be the best winger in the
Premier League in the air and I was so pleased that he got on the scoresheet
once again. The squad is certainly being tested at the moment but things are
looking more positive as Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini look close to
making a first-team return. This is another big week for the Club and we
hope to make it another successful night at the new Stadium when we play
Astra Giurgiu in the Europa League on Thursday. Your support was magnificent
on Sunday against Bournemouth and with all the adversity we are facing, we
need you more than ever to keep getting behind the team because it makes
such a difference.

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Burke signs new contract
WHUFC.com

West Ham United youngster Reece Burke pens new four-year deal
19-year-old defender was Bradford City's Player of the Year in loan deal
last term
Centre back has already made a European appearance for West Ham this season

West Ham United are delighted to announce that Reece Burke has signed a new
four-year contract.

The outstanding young defender and lifelong Hammer has been rewarded for an
outstanding 18 months by putting pen to paper on a deal that will keep him
at London Stadium until summer 2020.

The Newham-born Academy graduate broke into the first-team squad in spring
2014, was named Young Hammer of the Year in 2014/15 and secured Bradford
City's Player of the Year award last season.

Still just 19, Burke is already approaching 50 senior appearances and
impressed hugely as a left-back during the Hammers' UEFA Europa League
play-off round first leg with Astra Giurgiu.

The teenager is delighted to have his secured his Claret and Blue future at
a time when the Club has just moved into the iconic London Stadium.

"Obviously as a West Ham fan as well as a player, it's fantastic to be
involved with the Club during this period," said Burke. "It's still sinking
in to be honest, the move and the changes here. Over time, I really believe
everything will settle in, and it will feel like home very, very soon.

"When the league season is really underway I think it will definitely feel
more like home."

Burke has already enjoyed the London Stadium experience, coming on at
right-back in the Betway Cup against Italian champions Juventus, before
being handed a start in Romania last week.

Having signed his new long-term contract, the tall defender is hopeful of
being handed another chance to impress when Astra visit his home borough on
Thursday evening.

"It's an unreal Stadium to play in," he continued. "It's been done really
well, the entire arena, and the pitch and surface is quality too. I played
there against Juventus at right-back and really enjoyed the experience. If
I'm playing again, which hopefully I will be, I'll do my best to help the
team progress to the group stages.

"I'm hoping to be involved, and if Slaven asks me to do a job anywhere on
the pitch I'll definitely be up for it. The Club has a few centre-halves
this season so there's a lot of competition there. If he asks me, I'm just
going to say 'Yes'."

Looking further into the future, Burke expects to be given the opportunity
to go out on loan again this season – potentially to a Championship club
after impressing for Bradford in League One last term.

"This season for me, another loan move may happen for me," he revealed. "I
think I'm going to try and do Championship – the next step – and see how the
season goes hopefully playing Championship football and I'll hopefully get
another load of games under my belt.

"I want to build on that experience and come back next year even better,
just similarly building like I did last season. Hopefully I could have a
similarly positive season this year in the Championship."

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From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com

Sam Cunningham is a sports reporter for the Daily Mail and has been covering
West Ham on a regular basis.

Sam was at the first ever Premier League game to be played at London Stadium
on Sunday and has nothing but good things to say about the new Stadium....


I have been really impressed with the new Stadium and the way West Ham have
managed to fill it.

Karren Brady and her team behind-the-scenes have done a good job in making
sure that happened and the atmosphere has been really good in the first few
games.

There were question marks over whether the Club could take the atmosphere
from the Boleyn Ground into the new Stadium, but I think that has been
answered already.

I recently spoke to Mark Noble and he said when the fans are singing
'Bubbles' it is much louder than what he encountered at the Boleyn Ground.

There was an even bigger cheer when Michail Antonio scored the late winner
against Bournemouth and it capped a memorable first Premier League game.

Mark Noble also mentioned that they need to get the first Premier League win
quickly as it feels like your have feet up on the sofa and it feels right at
home.

It could certainly mount on you if you don't win for a while and it can
affect the players but thankfully West Ham have managed to avoid that.

In terms of the game West Ham were missing a number of key players through
injury, but they still created good chances and were lacking a finishing
touch that the likes of Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew and Dimitri Payet would
have given you.

I was really impressed with Cheikhou Kouyate, Michail Antonio and Gokhan
Tore and they were really good in driving the team forward.

Antonio got the late goal and it will certainly keep Slaven and the fans
happy.

Slaven said after the game that he will do whatever is best for the team,
but Michail is such an exciting player on the wing and he has comfortably
made the step up from the Championship. I enjoy watching him play.

You hope West Ham can have a good run in the Europa League this season
because the Premier League is so hard this season.

But as Leicester showed last season there is always a surprise and the
Hammers will be hoping to qualify for Europe once again.

Getting Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini back in action makes them stronger
and they have every chance of doing well this season.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United

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FT - West Ham United PL2 3-1 Newcastle United
WHUFC.com

FT: The youngsters next face Swansea City away from home on Friday, so make
sure you keep up to date with all the action on whufc.com later in the week.
Reaction is to come on the website, so stay tuned Hammers!

FT: That's it - West Ham are 3-1 winners, and although the Magpies staged a
small late fightback, it was comfortable in the end for the hosts. Martinez
bagging two after his goal on the opening day at Stoke City last week is a
huge positive for the side, and the performances of Browne, Rice, Makasi,
Trott and more out there will also please Terry Westley.

93: Hector-Ingram was almost in for a fourth! Good last ditch tackle by
Cameron at the back for Newcastle though.

90: There's five of them! You're as shocked as we are...

89: Nathan Trott makes a late save to deny United a second, and grabs hold
of the resulting corner. Good work by the young keeper, and West Ham look to
have the three points in the bag. We're almost into injury time minutes.

86: Newcastle come forward again but Armstrong again fires over. It's been a
spirited last ten minutes from the visitors but it's going to be too little,
too late.

82: Goal for Newcastle. Tom Heardman finishes well inside the box after a
cross from the right hand side. Consolation for the Magpies.

81: Hector-Ingram is instantly holding the ball up well out here. It's hard
to pick out a Hammers player who hasn't performed tonight!

77: Martinez won't get the chance to complete his hat-trick tonight, as he
is replaced by Jahmal Hector-Ingram. Jaanai Gordon is also on for Grady
Diangana.

75: With 15 minutes remaining, can Newcastle salvage anything from this
game? I don't think Magpies legend Peter Beardsley will be too disappointed
with how his side have played, the Hammers have just been too strong for
them tonight.

72: Don't forget that's now three in two for Martinez, who of course bagged
in the opener last weekend at Stoke. Great stuff by the Spaniard!

70: THIRD FOR THE HAMMERS! It's a delightful finish from Toni Martinez, who
fires low across the keeper with the outside of his right foot. Surely
that's job done by the hosts now!

67: It's red sky at night, Hammers delight at the moment. A beautiful
evening in east London is being marked by some beautiful football from the
hosts.

65: Newcastle squander their best chance through Longstaff, as he fires over
Heardman's cross unmarked in the box. What a chance to cut the deficit.

64: Subs for the visitors. Bigirimana and Vuckic are replaced by Barlaser
and Heardman.

62: We've said it before, but it's hard not to be impressed by Dec Rice
tonight. He's been immense at the back. Another superbly timed challenge
comes in this time by the youngster who wears the armband tonight.

60: Another attempt by Newcastle, another save by Nathan Trott between the
sticks. This one is far simpler, as Vuckic's shot falls into his chest.

58: Again it's Browne who is driving West Ham forward, and this time,
Martinez strays offside after the forward's pass. Newcastle are starting to
probe, however, but it remains 2-0.

53: Great save! Nathan Trott denies Longstaff, diving away to his left.
Fantastic stop by the Bermudian!

51: Good work by Diangana on the right, who cuts in and shoots but his
attempt is blocked. With all the attacking flair West Ham on the pitch, you
feel there are more goals in this!

49: Moses Makasi is now filling in at left-back since Lewis' introduction.
Lewis has scored two in two for the U18s' so far this campaign - can he add
another to his tally tonight?

47: Great chance for Newcastle to make it interesting instantly in this
second half, but Armstrong fluffs his lines and lashes over inside the box.

46: Sub for the Hammers at the start of this second half, with Alfie Lewis
coming on for Vashon Neufville.

HT: Great first half here from the Hammers, who looked unstoppable at times
in the final 20 minutes. The Magpies have a lot of work to do if they're to
get back in this one. 2-0!

43: Browne is in again in a similar position to his goal, but this time he
smashes it wide. The Magpies can't deal with his pace up front!

42: Declan Rice is dealing with everything thrown at him tonight. He's cut
out every pass that has come his way from a Black and White shirt.

39: After countless passes, the ball nearly canons in off Alex Pike's back!
Good save by Woodman in goal.

38: The hosts are really strutting their stuff now. Newcaslte can't get near
them as they pass it around with ease. A great first half so far for West
Ham.

36: GOAL!!! There's a second for the Hammers! It's Marcus Browne who gets on
the scoresheet, firing home from the right after being supplied by Grady
Diangana. Excellent work by Terry Westley's men!

32: The Hammers are still on top following their opener. A Marcus Browne
free-kick from the left flashes across goal and just wide.

28: GOAL!!!! Martinez hits it low to the keeper's right and puts the Hammers
in front, which is probably what the hosts deserve! Two in two for the
Spaniard!

27: Penalty for the Hammers! Samuelsen goes down under the challenge of
Satka with the foul...Martinez from the spot...

25: Stoppage in play here as Toni Martinez goes to ground after an off the
ball clash. There looked to be some sort of flailing hand, there. The
referee calms things down with just a talking to.

23: Newcastle create their first dangerous chance, as Longstaff works
himself some space and drives a low shot goalwards. Nathan Trott is down
well and more than equal to the attempt, though.

22: In an even first quarter, it's the Hammers who have had the better
chances on goal. Both sides won their Premier League 2 opener last week, so
there's all to play for this evening!

18: Excellent defending again by skipper Rice who charges down a Gilliead
cross. Corner to Newcastle, which Findlay heads wide.

15: Close! The Hammers create the first real golden chance of the game, as
Marcus Browne meets a Neufville cross but his header lands on the top of the
net. Less than a minute later, Diangana curls an effort over the bar.

13: Instantly Terry Westley's side react, and break this time down the left.
Neufville - who has just returned from injury - is denied a cross right at
the death by Newcastle's Lubomir Satka.

12: After a quiet period, the Hammers break down the right and Grady
Diangana feels hard done by to not win a corner. The referee signals a goal
kick. Still goalless here.

7: Lovely stuff from Vashon Neufville, who nutmegs a defender before feeding
Marcus Browne. The forward, who made his first team debut on Thursday, fires
over from 25 yards though.

5: Adam Armstrong, who was on loan at Coventry City last season, makes some
space for himself down the left, but Declan Rice superbly shephards the ball
out of play. Excellent work by the defender!

4: Longstaff's shot on the left-hand-side of the area is well blocked by
Tunji Akinola. Corner for the visitors. It's taken short, and West Ham deal
with it easily and can re-group.

3: The hosts have started on the front foot, controlling possession and
winning a couple of throw-ins in an advanced position. A good start for
Terry Westley's men.

1: And we're off! The Hammers are kicking from left to right and are in
their traditional Claret and Blue strip, the Magpies in theirs of Black and
White stripes.

6:55pm: The Hammers are out and handshakes between the two sides take place
in front of the supporters. Come on you Irons!

6:40pm: There are a number of Hammers supporters starting to filter into the
Chigwell Construction Stadium as the clock ticks on towards kick-off. The
hosts are fielding a strong starting XI this evening, with goalscorer from
their last league clash Toni Martinez starting up-top alongside Marcus
Browne. Can they pick up their second win from as many Premier League 2
matches?

WHU PL2: Trott, Pike, Neufville (Lewis 46), Sylvestre, Akinola, Rice,
Diangana (Gordon 77), Makasi, Martinez (Hector-Ingram 77), Browne,
Samuelsen.

Subs not used: Matrevics, Kemp.

Goals: Martinez 28 (pen), 70, Browne 36

Newcastle United: Woodman, Satka, Gibson, Cameron, Bigirimana (Barlaser 64),
Findlay, Gilliead, Hunter, Armstrong, Vuckic (Heardman 64), Longstaff.

Subs not used: Broccoli, Harker, Ward.

Goals: Heardman 82

5:50pm: So, the young Hammers embark on a new era this evening, as they
contest their first home fixture at Dagenham & Redbridge's Chigwell
Construction Stadium. It's a beautiful evening here in east London, so we're
all set for a cracker with both sides having won their opening league
fixture. Team news to come shortly!

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Where's Bonzo?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

Fans who received yesterday's free sticker book along with their match day
programme may have been surprised to note one or two bona fide stars missing
from the legends section.
Yesterday's programme for the clash with Bournemouth was accompanied by a
free 'Hammers Heroes' sticker album, for which stickers will be provided
with every home programme this season.
Broken down into several sections - managers, legends, plus the various
positions - a whole host of current stars and genuine West Ham legends are
represented in the album. Yet curiously, two of West Ham's most notable
players of all time are missing, Billy Bonds - the club's record appearance
holder with 793 games under his belt - and Martin Peters, one third of the
club's triumverate of World Cup Winners have both been myteriously omitted
from the album. However the likes of Tomas Repka and Jermain Defoe - who
famously insisted on a transfer the day after West Ham were relegated from
the Premiership in 2003 - are included.

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Bournemouth clash marred by angry scenes
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

There were more reports of fights and angry confrontations breaking out
between home fans broke during yesterday's Bournemouth game. And central to
almost every disagreement was the issue regarding fans standing in their
seats versus those preferring to sit, as per the stadium's conditions of
entry. Several scuffles were witnessed in the East Stand in particular
during the game - one of which involved a large group of stewards who were
attempting to force people to sit - whilst further ugly scenes broke out in
the Upper Tier. Additionally, there have been numerous reports from all
around the Olympic Stadium of fans confronting each other as the issue
regarding standing continues to prove a major headache. KUMB member
onestuartslater, whose season ticket is in Block 254 (Upper Tier) was close
to one such incident. "Today I saw sitters and standers swapping punches
(not sure who started it) and stewards being abused," he said. "I will be
delighted if a few season tickets don't go beep in the a couple of weeks
time."

Meanwhile fellow KUMB member Bernie Bilic also saw one fan ejected from
Block 141 for refusing to sit. "He had been asked politely to sit by several
around me, but he seemed to ignore them. As the game wore on I could hear a
few words between various people, mainly aimed at the bloke who got thrown
out. "Come the second half it got more heated after the bloke started
taking pictures of people; this is when the handbags started and a few
others wanted to join in. When you've got grown men having a go at each
other whilst my boy is cowering under my arm, then that's not on."

Sadly these were far from isolated incidents, with trouble erupting all
around the stadium - though most notably in the East Stand, especially
towards the corners of the stand where it approaches the Bobby Moore and
Trevor Brooking ends. However some, at least were able to watch the game
without it being marred by fights and angry outbursts. "I feel blessed to be
a stander in Block 113 tonight," said KUMB member LincolnshireHammer. "The
stewards got it bob on this afternoon in my opinion. "They made sure that
they looked like they were doing their job in the first few minutes but then
spent the rest of the game patrolling the stairways and chatting to people
about how they will never get the block to sit!"

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Antonio, he's a winger
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd August 2016
By: Staff Writer

David Sullivan has sent what might be interpreted as a thinly-veiled message
to manager Slavan Bilic regarding Michail Antonio. The 26-year-old began
life this season as a full back at the behest of manager Bilic, despite
having made his name in the Premier League as a goalscoring winger.
Yesterday afternoon he popped up to nod home the only goal of the game in
West Ham's 1-0 win over Bournemouth - prompting co-owner Sullivan to sing
his praises, whilst reminding Bilic what role Antonio was purchased to
fulfil. "It was great to see him playing in a more attacking position and he
stole all the headlines with his late winner," wrote Sullivan via whufc.com.
"He was among the highest scorers of headed goals in any top league in
Europe last season and once again showed his quality with another superb
effort. "He must be the best winger in the Premier League in the air and I
was so pleased that he got on the scoresheet once again."
Sullivan also praised the team's "special spirit" following the narrow
victory, insisting that he and his fellow Board members had been
"devastated" by the sheer number of injuries sustained in recent weeks.

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EXWHUEMPLOYEE TRANSFER AND INJURY ROUND UP
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 20 AUGUST 2016 AT 10:48PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

So I haven't written one of these columns in a while. I have be using the
traditional methods of twitter mainly and of course our radio show for
sharing the news recently. I felt it was time to do a little summary of
what has been going on recently.

So let us start with the injury situation. I said on the radio show that
both Nordveit and Payet had picked up injuries against Chelsea. Payet's was
from a Kante challenge which could have possibly seen him sent off the
pitch. I am told it is unlikely that Payet will be fit to start against
Bournemouth. I then said on my twitter that Kouyate was injured and he had
picked this up in training out in Romania and then he appeared on the bench
for the game. I have never seen such a reaction from so many people on
twitter. I believe I had near to 25 people wanting to tell me how wrong I
was and what a fraud I am. I personally do not get this mentality, surely if
you have an issue with me you block me and then you don't have to see any
news. Why these people are so determined for me to get something wrong is
quite baffling and it does get tiresome.

To read all the abuse that Jack Sullivan also gets when trying to tell
information as well it has made me question why I use the account which I
have done many times before but for now things will stay as they are. Anyway
to the trolls' disappointment, as I tried to explain on the day, Kouyate was
only on the bench because we didn't actually have enough players to make up
the numbers. It was far less eye catching to just sit him there with an ice
pack on his thigh than admit we only had six subs. People questioned why
Samuelsen wasn't on the bench, he didn't make the trip to Romania.

I have also heard devastating news that Andy Carroll may have also sustained
an injury and is not likely to play tomorrow either and for quite a long
time afterwards. This has been said by two sources to me now and I am
really really praying that it isn't the case. I trust my sources but I
just hope they have got it wrong this time because this is beginning to be
like a sick joke. It has therefore forced our hand in the transfer market.

So it looked like our window had pretty much ground to a halt but the Ayew
and now potential Carroll situation has meant that we have started looking
around frantically. The club knew that it was very unlikely to be able to
reach a deal for Bony due to the fact that Chinese clubs were looking at him
and we wouldn't be able to match the ridiculous wages that they can offer.
His agent then approached us and said that Manchester City would consider
loaning him to us until his move to China takes place. This interest had
been confirmed by three sources and it also appears that Hammers Chat had
similar news that he was off to China. This deal works well for us as it
would give us a proven Premier League forward until January when we can
explore other options. Sakho would also be ready to sell then too so there
may be a sizable budget for a new forward. Bony would also be leaving to
the African Nations in February so if it were a season long loan we would
have lost him for those two months anyhow. Bony was extremely close to
signing a few years ago but Big Sam preferred to sign Andy Carroll. I can
confirm we are not interested in Bony's teammate Joe Hart for a similar loan
deal. The club believe that we already have two very good goalkeepers and
therefore that position is not a priority.

Another forward which we broke about a month ago was Loic Remy. There is
still some interest there as well and we may go for him or Zaza from
Juventus if they are available on loan or for a reasonable fee. There are
other targets such as Vincent Aboubakar of Porto and Braithwaite of Toulouse
who we could go back in for too. A forward signing is likely to see Fletcher
leaving for a loan spell to the Championship where a number of clubs have
been interested. Leeds are apparently one of those clubs alongside Norwich
City but this does depend on us bringing someone in.

We are also exploring the option of signing Newcastle's Daryl Janmaat on
loan. Janmaat has been a target for a while before Bilic felt he could
convert Antonio to a right back. As our Olympic Insider revealed back in
May. Debuchy of Arsenal is someone who we could consider for a loan deal.
The problem we have is that Bilic isn't overly keen to sanction either of
these deals. Bilic is convinced he has two good right backs already in Byram
and Antonio and so is not that keen to bring in another. The club also
plan to see how the transfer window pans out and may make some late moves on
transfer deadline day. The best place to hear what is going on will be our
radio show on Phoenix 98 fm. SDCC, myself and special guest Jack Sullivan
will be live from 9pm up until the window closes at 11 and we will be
talking through deals as they happen and getting live up dates from Jack on
our business.

People have asked me when Bilic will get a new deal and I was told this will
be in January when a clear example of our performance this year can be
measured. The club want to see that last year was not a flash in the pan
and we have improved this year until committing to a longer term
arrangement.

The club are determined to make fans sit tomorrow. Until fans can prove that
they can sit down and remain seated in the new stand our full capacity of
60k cannot be used and the ground cannot be extended to 66k in the next few
years until our license is granted.

The Bournemouth game is now turning into a huge match and it is really
important that we pick up a win as I can't see us getting anything at
Manchester City. We do not want to go into the international break and end
of the transfer window being bottom of the league. It could have a very
damaging effect to our confidence.

One positive is that the Under 18s beat Tottenham today and have won both
their games of the season so far.

Life is never dull as a West Ham fan.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham youngster Reece Burke signs new four-year contract
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 22/08/16 8:36pm
SSN

West Ham youngster Reece Burke has signed a new four-year contract. The
promising 19-year-old centre-back has committed his future at the London
Stadium until the summer of 2020. Newham-born academy graduate Burke, who
has made 11 senior appearances for the Hammers so far, signed his first pro
contract in 2014. The England U20 international was named Young Hammer of
the Year in 2014-15 and secured Bradford City's Player of the Year award
after a successful loan spell last season. And, after penning new terms,
Burke said: "Obviously, as a West Ham fan as well as a player, it's
fantastic to be involved with the club during this period. "It's still
sinking in to be honest, the move and the changes here. Over time I really
believe everything will settle in, and it will feel like home very, very
soon. "When the league season is really underway I think it will definitely
feel more like home."

Burke has only featured in West Ham's Europa League play-off first leg
against Astra Giurgiu so far this season, but is expected to play in the
second at the London Stadium on Thursday. And he said: "It's an unreal
stadium to play in. It's been done really well - the entire arena - and the
pitch and surface are quality too. I played there against Juventus (in
pre-season) at right-back and really enjoyed the experience. "If I'm playing
again, which hopefully I will be, I'll do my best to help the team progress
to the group stages."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic frustrated by Any Carroll injury
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 22/08/16 1:27pm
SSN

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says it is a "big frustration" to lose forward
Andy Carroll to a knee injury. The 27-year-old England international has
been very unfortunate with injuries since joining the Hammers in 2012 and is
now facing a few weeks on the sidelines, after picking up a knock during
last week's Europa League 1-1 draw with Astra Giurgia. Carroll joined West
Ham on loan initially before completing a permanent move from Liverpool, but
a series of injuries have meant that he has only been available for around
half the matches during his time with the club. And Bilic said he would be
delighted if he could get the striker back in four to six weeks and then
have him available for the rest of the campaign. "I will sign now the
contract if his injury is four weeks or six weeks and, after that, good
until the end of the season," said Bilic. "I will take it. "Andy is Andy.
He's dedicated now to training, to everything. It's a big blow for us, a big
question mark also, and big frustration with these things that are happening
to him. "The worst situation is when you plan, then you can't count on him.
All the time."
The Hammers now find themselves dealing with an early-season injury crisis,
Carroll having joined Aaron Cresswell, Manuel Lanzini and new signing Andre
Ayew on the sidelines. Bilic's team still managed to open their Premier
League account for the season on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth at
their new home ground, the London Stadium. And Bilic says the club are
hoping to make one more 'proper' signing before the transfer window closes.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Gold says stewards could not cope with standing West Ham fans
By Andrew Dickson
Last Updated: 22/08/16 2:02pm
SSN

West Ham chairman David Gold has admitted the number fans standing during
their game with Bournemouth meant stewards could not cope. The club's first
Premier League match at the London Stadium saw the team win 1-0 through
Michail Antonio's late header. While that ensured a positive start to
top-flight football at the venue, there were significant problems with
supporters standing during the game. West Ham displayed messages asking
spectators to sit down and Newham Council have said they will not lift the
ground's capacity above 57,000 until the persistent offending stops. There
were similar issues during previous games there against Domzale in the
Europa League qualifiers and in a friendly against Juventus. Gold concedes
the volume of those going against the club's wishes was such that the crowd
could not be marshalled sufficiently. In a series of tweets published on his
account @davidgold on Tuesday morning, he said: "There are thousands of
standing fans home and away, too many for the stewards to cope with. "So the
stewards concentrate on standing fans who are obscuring the view of seated
fans (including elderly and kids). "Over the years it has evolved that away
fans stand and that the kids, elderly and disabled are in the front rows."
West Ham's vice-chairman Karren Brady has previously said fans who
persistently stand during matches are at risk of having their season tickets
permanently revoked. When the club previously played at the Boleyn Ground,
standing in certain areas was unofficially tolerated but the need to sit is
being enforced on a stricter basis. If the problem recedes, there is scope
for the former Olympic Stadium's capacity to increase to 60,000. One other
issue saw a number of fans left with no choice but to stand after appearing
where they were meant to sit only to find the seats had not been fitted.
West Ham are working with their stadium partners to rectify the problem in
time for Thursday's European fixture against Romanian side Astra Giurgiu and
the 56 supporters affected with be compensated. A statement from stadium
operator LS185 said: "London Stadium wish to apologise to those West Ham
United season ticket holders who were unable to sit in their allocated seats
for Sunday's Premier League match against AFC Bournemouth. "An error in
administration meant that a small number of supporters had to use
alternative seats after the issue was recognised by our event stewards. "All
affected seats will be re-installed as a matter of priority ahead of
Thursday's UEFA Europa League match with Astra Giurgiu."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic can make London Stadium feel like home for West Ham, says Niall
Quinn
Last Updated: 22/08/16 3:31pm
SSN

Moving house is tough but West Ham's new London Stadium will soon be a
"flesh and blood" home with Slaven Bilic on the touchline, says Niall Quinn.
I was in the London Stadium yesterday for West Ham's first ever Premier
League game in their new home. Thousands of miles away the curtain was
coming down on the Rio Olympics. It was strange to think that when the
crowds go home and Rio gets back to normal Botafogo will just continue
playing in the athletics stadium and Fluminense and Flamengo will continue
sharing the Maracana. And the city authorities will still own both places.
Compared with the drawn-out drama involving West Ham, Tottenham, Leyton
Orient, some lawyers and the flagship London Olympic venue it all seems very
sensible and simple. Rio will have plenty of money worries but the big
stadiums won't be among them. Given the sweetheart of a deal that West Ham
finally worked out it is important they make a success of their new stadium.
I played at the old Boleyn Ground many times where the crowd were right in
your ear and the sights and smells of the place reflected the personality of
the club. It was a tough place to go to. The dressing rooms were so tight
and so cramped I had to choose whether to have my head inside and my feet
outside or the other way around. Andy Carroll, I know your pain.
It's up to Slaven Bilic to create the memories which will make the London
Stadium truly feel like home. For now it's not totally unlike playing at a
neutral venue given the considerable added pitch dimensions for a start -
six yards longer and five wider than before. The stadium's technical
director is Stephen Rice, the son of Pat Rice of Arsenal fame. I remember
him as a kid around Highbury. Yesterday he gave me the lowdown on the place.
It was hard not to be impressed; from the 50m synthetic running track under
the stands to the dressing rooms built for American football teams,
everything is of top specification. I think in Bilic, West Ham have the
right man to turn a spanking new stadium into a flesh and blood home. He has
the charisma and the ambition to make West Ham his club and to bring people
with him. Even in a blockbuster league dotted with big-name managers like
Mount Rushmore is dotted with those giant stone effigies, a passionate,
socialist, guitar-playing, multi-lingual charmer with a law degree is a
stand-out. I played against him many times and he was always - what's the
word? - interesting. He'd constantly debate with the referee, he'd play
every percentage, he'd be in your ear, in your face and snapping at your
ankles. And when it was over he'd shake your hand and have a word with a
giant smile. Anytime I have met him since he has time to stop and chat: one
of the good guys.

The new stadium is all about space. There were 15,000 more fans present on
Sunday than have ever watched the Hammers play a home league game before.
Looking around I thought about the way young players often buy their mum and
dad a new house when they 'make it' in football. The folks rattle around in
the new place, not quite at home and always wondering if they wouldn't have
been happier back in the old two up, two down terrace house that held so
many memories. It was a bit like that yesterday. The atmosphere before
kick-off was brilliant - everybody happy and optimistic and glad to just say
they were there. The football, when it started, did its best to tame the
atmosphere and for a while it went dead and you began to wonder what the
place would be like if West Ham hit a long slump.

Even in a blockbuster league dotted with big-name managers like Mount
Rushmore is dotted with those giant stone effigies, a passionate,
guitar-playing, multi-lingual charmer with a law degree is a stand-out. Some
parts of the stands had no seats installed yet. The technical areas looked
as big as tennis courts. There was room to play a five-a-side tournament
between either sideline and the stands. But it's up to Bilic to build a team
that will make the stadium loved and not just admired. It's always tough.
Southampton found it difficult when they moved from The Dell. At Sunderland
when we moved from Roker Park to the Stadium of Light we were newly
relegated and in the Championship but it took us until after Christmas to
start playing football that made people feel a bit of passion. By then it
was too late to gain promotion, so it was a long haul for the club and the
fans to get used to the place.

In that way yesterday was a very big win because West Ham really need to
feel at home in this huge new space of theirs. And it was a tricky win to
pull off. West Ham lost this fixture 4-3 last season and yesterday they
were missing their two most creative players, Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri
Payet. Worse than that, they were missing anybody for Lanzini or Payet to
provide for. The Frenchman who we were told "had a knock" was a big loss.
The stat of the day though was that of the 29 Premier League games he has
played for West Ham, they have won 48 per cent of them. Of the 10 games he
has missed they have won 20 per cent. Andre Ayew is out till December. Andy
Carroll has gone back to his residency in physio. Enner Valencia had a lot
to carry on his big shoulders yesterday. West Ham had also had the week from
hell; talk about hitting the ground running. Bilic said on Sunday that he
had been gutted by the loss to Chelsea on Monday night; maybe not as gutted
as Michail Antonio, who gave away a bad late penalty and got taken off
instantly, but gutted all the same. Then on Thursday night they were in
Romania putting in a hard Europa League shift.They got back to their homes
at 5am and Bilic had them on the training pitch a few hours later. It paid
off. Antonio seems to have done enough to convince Bilic that he isn't a
full-back so he was released for a gallop further up the field. He scored
the first league goal at the new stadium when Gokhan Tore hit him with a
lovely cross to the far stick and the Bournemouth defence kindly gave
Antonio a free header. Tore, brought in from Bilic's last club Besiktas
with an option to buy at the end of the season, looks like an interesting
piece of business. No Payet but he had his moments. With injuries biting,
the obvious post-match question was will Bilic be spending serious money
before deadline day? With his usual appealing turn of phrase he said
confidently that, while he hadn't spoken to him yet on the matter, he knows
his chairman is going to be "very generous". No pressure on the chairman
then, Slaven!

Like the referees from his playing days, Mr Sullivan will find it hard to
turn down a man like that!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham agree sponsorship deal with Ocean Holidays
http://www.footballtradedirectory.com/

Premier League side West Ham United have confirmed a tie-up with tourism
group Ocean Holidays. Essex-based Ocean will be the Premier League club's
official travel partner for the next three years, gaining TV-visible
advertising space on the giant digital screens at West Ham's new London
Stadium, formerly the Olympic Stadium. The deal comes just a short time
after the London club announced Florida tourism authority Experience
Kissimmee as their first destination partner. "At a time when the club is
growing its international portfolio, it is all the more important that we
remain true to our rich heritage and so it is particularly pleasing to have
joined forces with a prominent local business," said West Ham vice chairman
Karren Brady. "On behalf of all at West Ham United, I would like to welcome
Ocean Holidays on board and I hope this is the start of a very successful
relationship over the coming three years."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Referee appointed for Manchester City vs. West Ham
ByCity WatchPosted on August 22, 2016 andre-marriner
mcfcwatch.com

Manchester City host West Ham at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday and will
hope to avoid a repeat of last year, when the Hammers visited the Etihad and
ended a promising unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign for Manuel
Pellegrini's men.

For City's third Premier League game of the new season, Andre Marriner has
been appointed referee. This will be Marriner's first City match since May
when he oversaw Southampton's 4-2 victory over the Blues at St. Mary's.
Prior to that, he took charge of City's 5-1 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup,
when Pellegrini sent out his young guns.

This weekend's match officials in full:

Referee: Andre Marriner
Assistants: S Beck, S Ledger
Fourth official: Mike Jones

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham transfer news: Simone Zaza 'seriously considering' move, Juventus
striker's father confirms
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

Simone Zaza is seriously considering a move to West Ham with the club keen
to add attacking additions in the final days of the transfer window. The
Juventus striker and Manchester City's Wilfried Bony are the two leading
contenders to arrive at the London Stadium after a string of injuries to
Andre Ayew, Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho left Slaven Bilic
desperately short on attacking options. Zaza, who has previously interested
Crystal Palace, is not part of Massimiliano Allegri's plans at Juventus and
saw a move to Wolfsburg collapse earlier in the summer. The German side have
since signed Mario Gomez, another long-standing target for the Hammers. West
Ham may have to pay up to £20million to bring in Zaza but the striker's
father Antonio has made clear that his son would be open to trading in
Juventus for the Premier League. "West Ham are a solution we'd appreciate
and represent something more concrete," he told Mediaset Premium. "We'll
have to see what Juventus do and expect news soon. "We are taking London
into serious consideration as his next destination. Simone still has four
years on his contract and would happily remain in Turin to give his
contribution. "Juventus don't want to sell Simone to a direct rival. Milan,
Napoli and Roma would be the options, we'll see what happens."
Zaza made just 24 appearances for Juventus last season, his first term at
the club since moving from Sassuolo. Though his opportunities were limited
the 25-year-old remained impressive when called upon, averaging a goal every
133 minutes in Serie A.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Watford eye £10m-rated Newcastle star Daryl Janmaat
Daryl Janmaat has played two Championship matches this season
Newcastle defender could make an instant Premier League return
West Ham and Watford registered their interest in the Dutchman
The 27-year-old right back is open to a return to the top flight
By SAMI MOKBEL FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 11:44, 22 August 2016 | UPDATED: 11:49, 22 August 2016

Daryl Janmaat is set for an instant return to the Premier League after West
Ham and Watford registered their interest in the defender. The right back,
one of the Magpies' most consistent performers over the past two years, is
open to a return to the top-flight. The Hammers and Hornets have both
enquired about the Holland defender and remain in talks over a move.
Newcastle want in-excess of £10million for the 27-year-old, a fee both clubs
are currently unwilling to pay. But with just nine days of the transfer
window to run, Janmaat looks set to leave St James' Park before the end of
the month.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham analysis: Wilfried Bony and Simone Zaza on Hammers radar after
nervy first win
KEN DYER at the London Stadium
Evening Standard

Final Premier League game at the Boleyn - a win. First Premier League game
at the London Stadium - a win. Could Slaven Bilic realistically have asked
for more? Okay, the victory over Bournemouth was no classic — it wasn't even
average — but there is no doubt about the importance of this match for West
Ham. Yes, the 56,977 fans would ideally have liked their team to have purred
silkily around their new home with a debut Premier League performance to
match the change of environment but that was perhaps asking too much —
especially when you are missing seven players through injury. Bilic himself
was not expecting his injury-ravaged side to out-pass Bournemouth but the
manager did demand a performance full of character and conviction — and his
players delivered. His biggest fear was that his team, still coming to terms
with the disruptive Europa League, would go into the international break
pointless after three Premier League matches. Michail Antonio's 85th-minute
header ensured Bilic and more importantly his co-chairman David Sullivan,
now have some breathing space as they try to bring in a quality striker to
fill the void caused by the injuries to Andre Ayew, Andy Carroll and Diafra
Sakho. A loan deal for Manchester City's Wilfried Bony remains a
possibility, as does a firm bid for Juventus front man Simone Zaza. Bilic
said he expects his chairman to be "generous" and he will need to be. Bony,
who will go to the Chinese Super League in January, earns £128,000 a week
and West Ham will want City to cover at least part of that sum to make any
deal possible. Zaza, meanwhile, seems keen to come to London but West Ham
could baulk at the £20million fee, especially after agreeing a similar deal
to land Ayew, who is now out of action until December. There are signs,
though, that Bilic is finally losing patience with Carroll after this latest
injury setback. "It's a big blow for us but also a big question mark," said
the Hammers boss. "It is frustrating when these things happen. You make a
big circle around his name because he is 'the one' and then you can't rely
on him." Speaking of question marks, there was another big one beside the
name of Antonio after the defeat at Chelsea where, playing in the full-back
position he patently dislikes, he conceded a needless penalty and was
immediately substituted. Restored to his favoured wide midfield position
against Bournemouth, Antonio was off the leash and when told by captain Mark
Noble to "go and be a hero", did just that with his winning header from a
Gokhan Tore cross. It was Noble, West Ham's best player on the day, who
summed up the importance of the win, saying: "When you miss seven players it
is bad enough but when you're missing seven of your best players it starts
to hurt you. "In this League you don't just roll teams over, we hardly did
that last season and we played the best football we've done for a long time.
"The win was massive for us. It gives us breathing space because if you lose
good players, like Aaron Cresswell, Manuel Lanzini, Dimitri Payet, Sofiane
Feghouli and now Andy Carroll out for four weeks, you have to take a
backward step."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic says he 'can't count' on Andy Carroll after the
forward suffered yet another injury
Andy Carroll is out for up to six weeks after suffering a knee injury
The English forward has struggled with injuries throughout his career
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic said 'when you plan, you can't count on him'
West Ham beat Bournemouth 1-0 thanks to a late Michail Antonio goal
By RHODRI CANNON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 10:49, 22 August 2016 | UPDATED: 10:53, 22 August 2016

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic says he 'can't count' on Andy Carroll, who is
out for up to six weeks with a knee problem. Carroll suffered the injury
during his side's draw with Astra Giurgiu last week and is the latest name
on Bilic's long list of sidelined players, which also includes Dimitri
Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Andre Ayew. The Croat said losing the former
Newcastle forward is a 'big frustration', especially given the dearth of fit
attacking options currently available at the London Stadium, but did say
Carroll is fully dedicated to training.

WEST HAM'S INJURY LIST
Andy Carroll - Knee inury
Andre Ayew - Thigh injury
Dimitri Payet - Undefined knock
Sofiane Feghouli - Hamstring injury
Aaron Cresswell - Knee injury
Manuel Lanzini - Knee injury
Doneil Henry - Knee injury
Diafra Sakho - Back injury

'I will sign now the contract if his injury is four weeks or six weeks and,
after that, good until the end of the season. I will take it.' Bilic said,
reported by FourFourTwo. 'Andy is Andy. He's dedicated now to training, to
everything, it's a big blow for us, a big question mark also and big
frustration with these things that are happening to him. The worst situation
is when you plan, then you can't count on him. All the time.' West Ham had
to make do without Carroll as they beat Bournemouth 1-0 in a drab affair at
the London Stadium on Sunday. Michail Antonio headed in Gokhan Tore's cross
five minutes from time but the Hammers' lack of firepower was evident
throughout the contest. Young forward Ashley Fletcher was brought off the
bench while new signing Jonathan Calleri was also given his debut against
Bournemouth, just five days after joining on loan from Deportivo Maldonado.
Bilic's injury crisis is set to improve this week with Manuel Lanzini
closing in on full fitness after recovering earlier than initially thought
from a knee injury.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tony Evans: West Ham's London Stadium is soulless - the Hammers now face the
same problems as Arsenal
TONY EVANS
Evening Standard

It must have seemed that West Ham struck gold when they were given the keys
to the Olympic Stadium. Arsene Wenger compared it to "winning the lottery."
The Arsenal manager may review that statement when he visits the renamed
London Stadium in December. The financial benefits of moving from Upton Park
made it a simple decision to leave. An initial payment of £15million and
yearly rent of £2.5m for a 60,000-seater venue – plus other benefits – made
relocation a no-brainer. Some things do not show up on the balance sheet,
though. Hammers fans have embraced their new home with gusto, trying to
create a raucous background to the game. Against Bournemouth, in their first
Premier League match in Stratford, they rose to the occasion. But it will
take a serious level of commitment to keep up the clamour. This is a
building that seems to have been designed to drain atmosphere. The hollering
in the stands does not echo. It evaporates. Upton Park earned West Ham 10
points a season. The London Stadium may well cost them that number. It is
not designed for football. The £272m spent on making the conversion has not
justified the price tag. Players and supporters feel like visitors from
another sport. It will make Slaven Bilic's task harder. The dugouts are a
penalty-area's length away from the pitch. The West Ham manager needs a
mobile phone to consult with his assistants as he prowls the line. Yet it is
not just logistics. Can the East End earthiness, the homeliness, the humour
– and, even, the threat – be conjured up in this soulless place? Wenger may
recognise something when he experiences the atmosphere first-hand. The
Emirates has never recreated the maelstrom that Highbury generated. One of
the most successful periods in Arsenal history ended when the team switched
homes. The Frenchman blames the mortgage repayments, but that was only part
of the story. A sense of purpose left with the sense of place. The move has
made the Hammers wealthier, but some of the richness of the club's culture
has been lost. Four years on from the London Games it is hard to believe
this site will ever reach the heights of 2012. West Ham will have to work
hard to ensure they were not given fool's gold when they were handed this
stadium.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham supporters left without seats for first league game at new home
London Stadium
Mark Critchley @mjcritchley 10 minutes ago0 comments
The Independent

Several West Ham United supporters were left without seats to sit in during
their side's first Premier League game at the London Stadium. Images taken
during Sunday's narrow 1-0 victory over ten-man Bournemouth show a group of
fans watching the game while perched on concrete slabs. One Twitter user,
@PreMatchMeal, sent an image of the supporters to club officials Karren
Brady and David Gold, with the message: "Block 214 row 73 no seats! Not
happy!"

Paul @PreMatchMeal
@karren_brady @davidgold Block 214 row 73 no seats! Not happy!
4:53 PM - 21 Aug 2016
3,280 3,280 Retweets 1,314 1,314 likes

The same user later sent another message, directed solely to Brady, reading:
"Where's my 'kin seat??" West Ham were forced to reduce the stadium's 60,000
capacity to 57,000 for their fixture as too many home fans had stood during
a Europa League qualifier against NK Domzale. The London Stadium Safety
Advisory Group (LSSAG) and Newham Council recommended a reduction after
LSSAG identified supporters standing to be "dangerous and contrary to ground
regulations".
Supporters were repeatedly reminded by the stadium's Tannoy system that
persistent standing would result in ejection, yet a handful were left with
no choice. The club are carrying out an investigation into the incident and
the stadium operators, London Stadium 185, are expected to make a statement
on Monday. The majority of West Ham's support left the London Stadium happy
after Michail Antonio's late header gave Slaven Bilic's side their first
league win of the season. The Hammers capitalised on Harry Arter's
sending-off to snatch three points from an largely uninspiring affair.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham are targeting 'one more' signing before transfer deadline, confirms
Slaven Bilic
SAM LONG
Evening Standard

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed the Hammers are in the market
for "one more" signing before the transfer window closes. Bilic has already
strengthened his squad significantly this summer, having overseen nine new
arrivals at the London Stadium, including club-record signing Andre Ayew.
But the Ghana international is facing an extended period on the sidelines
after suffering a thigh injury during his debut against Chelsea last week.
Fellow striker Andy Carroll has also picked up an injury and is expected to
be absent for up to six weeks, which has left Bilic short of options up
front. The Croatian manager is keen to bring in one more player before the
deadline on August 31 and is hopeful the club's hierarchy will allow him to
do so.
"Are we going to try to get one? We're going to try to get one if possible,"
he told the club's official website. "The Chairman is going to be very
generous, I think, and we're going to get one if we can find a proper one,
but they're very hard to find. "I'm going to speak to the Chairman and our
Head of Recruitment on Monday morning and if we can get one, it has to be a
good one. "If we don't get one, I have lads who are going to fight for West
Ham, big time!"

West Ham's 1-0 victory over Bournemouth at the weekend took the Hammers up
to 10th place ahead of a big week for the club. The Hammers will take on
Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in a Europa League qualifier on Thursday before
facing Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium three days later.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United want Wilfried Bony on loan as injury crisis continues
The Telegraph
Jason Burt, chief football correspondent
22 AUGUST 2016 • 7:55AM

West Ham United have asked to take Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony on
loan until the new year to help deal with their crippling injury crisis.
Telegraph Sport understands that a deal has already been struck for Bony to
leave City and move to the cash-rich Chinese Super League next January on a
highly-lucrative permanent transfer which will bring to an end his
frustrating spell at the club following his £25million switch from Swansea
City in January 2015. However it is hoped that City may be willing to allow
Bony to leave on loan until then with West Ham wanting to cover for their
record £20million signing Andre Ayew who is out until December, at least,
with a thigh injury. It is unlikely that Bony will feature under new City
manager Pep Guardiola who is keen to move a number of unwanted players out
of the club before the summer transfer window closes. Bony is among that
group along with goalkeeper Joe Hart and Samir Nasri.
It would, therefore, make sense for City to allow Bony to be loaned out
until then with West Ham keen to do a deal with Andy Carroll also injured
for at least the next four weeks due to a knee problem and with Diafra Sakho
wanting to leave the club. A stumbling block, of course, could be Bony's
wages which are believed to be as high as £128,000 which is far in excess of
the £90,000 earned by West Ham's current highest-paid player, Carroll.
However it is likely that City may be willing to help cover part of Bony's
wages as Guardiola looks to trim his squad before the closure of the window.
The irony for West Ham is that Bony was a transfer target for the club
before he signed for Swansea from Vitesse Arnhem but former manager Sam
Allardyce preferred a move for Carroll who has been plagued with injuries.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 22nd August 2016

Antonio late show crushes Cherries
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio stole the headlines as he scored a dramatic late winner to
hand West Ham their first ever Premier League victory at the new Stadium
with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.

Antonio wrote his name into the record books when he became the first ever
scorer for the Club at their new home in the top flight and it was a moment
to remember for the talented winger.

The game looked to be heading for a draw until Gokhan Tore picked up the
ball down the left hand side on 84 minutes and played in a superb cross
towards the far post.

Antonio rose above the Bournemouth defence and directed an unstoppable
header into the back of the net to hand West Ham a memorable first victory
in the top flight this season.

The Hammers winger is no stranger to scoring big goals for the Club having
scored the winner against Tottenham last season and also got on the
scoresheet in the final ever game at the Boleyn Ground.

It was always going to be an emotional day for the Hammers as they played
the first Premier League at the new Stadium, but Slaven Bilic and his
players marked the occasion with all three points.

The London Stadium became the 55th different venue to host a Premier League
game and the Club record attendance of 57,977 fans who were present made it
a day to remember with a superb atmosphere.

Despite having to make a number of changes to the side, Slaven Bilic's side
still created the best openings in the first half and could have taken the
lead after just seven minutes.

Michail Antonio was employed in a more attacking role playing down the left
hand side and caused all kinds of problems for the Bournemouth defence with
his pace and trickery.

The ball eventually fell to Gokhan Tore who curled a shot just past the
post.

Another new signing Arthur Masuaku looked impressive once again at left back
and tried his luck from 30-yards but the ball flew well wide of the post.

The Hammers continued to dominate and came close again on 36 minutes.

Tore broke free into the Bournemouth half and raced towards goal before
laying the ball into the path of Antonio who struck his shot into the side
netting.

The home side came the closest to breaking the deadlock on 40 minutes when
Enner Valencia struck a shot from the tightest of angles but his shot
produced a fine save from Artur Boruc diving away to his left hand side.

Bournemouth created their first major chance on 53 minutes when Joshua King
broke free in the West Ham half and fired a shot which produced a superb one
handed save from Adrian diving away to his left hand side.

The Hammers came close again on 59 minutes when Mark Noble released Antonio
down the left hand side and his first time cross picked out Tore who struck
an acrobatic volley inches past the post.

Bournemouth were reduced to ten-men on 77 minutes when Harry Arter picked up
his second yellow card of the game following a reckless challenge on
Cheikhou Kouyate.

The Hammers made the extra man count as they scored the decisive winner on
85 minutes.

Tore did superbly well to cross in from the left hand side and Antonio rose
the highest at the far post to direct a powerful header into the back of the
net.

The Hammers produced a great piece of defending in injury time to hold onto
the three points as Adrian produced a fine save to stop King's shot and when
the rebound fell to Simon Francis, his powerful goalbound shot was superbly
blocked by Winston Reid.

New signing Jonathan Calleri also had a chance to seal the victory when he
was clean through on goal but he fired his shot inches past the post.

West Ham held on to record a crucial victory and will now prepare for the
second leg of the Europa League Play-Off game against Astra Giurgiu on
Thursday night.

West Ham: Adrian; Byram, Reid, Collins, Masuaku; Kouyate, Nordtveit
(Fletcher 79), Noble; Tore (Obiang 89), Valencia (Calleri 63), Antonio

Subs not used: Randolph, Ogbonna, Burke, Oxford

Bookings: Byram, Reid

Bournemouth: Boruc; Adam Smith, Francis, Steve Cook, Daniels; Fraser
(Gosling 86), Surman, Arter; Ibe (Ake 78), Callum Wilson (Grabban 74), King

Subs not used: Afobe, Gradel, Brad Smith, Federici

Bookings: Arter, Cook

Sent Off: Arter

Referee: Craig Pawson

Attendance: 56,977

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bilic - We just deserved it
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic said West Ham United 'just deserved' to open Premier League
life at London Stadium with a 1-0 win over ten-man AFC Bournemouth.

Michail Antonio – restored to a more attacking role on the left wing –
headed the Hammers to victory with just five minutes remaining, rising above
Charlie Daniels to power home Gokhan Tore's left-wing cross.

Moments after Cherries midfielder Harry Arter had been sent-off, the No30
ended a challenging week on a high and celebrated with a Macarena dance
before being engulfed by his delighted teammates.

For manager Bilic, the pleasure of seeing his side win was all the greater
as he was without the combined attacking talents of Dimitri Payet, Manuel
Lanzini, Andy Carroll, Andre Ayew, Sofiane Feghouli and Diafra Sakho.

"I'm good as it was a nice day today as the lads were brilliant," he said.
"We didn't expect to play great football and play like Brazil and pass,
pass, pass because, with the greatest respect, we were missing four of our
most-creative players.

"Against Bournemouth, a team full of energy and really good in terms of team
spirit, we showed aggression and compactness and created a few chances. I
didn't expect more than that, but we scored from one of those moves, so I
think we just deserved it."

Bilic praised the approach shown by match-winner Antonio, who began his week
by giving away a penalty and being substituted at Chelsea on Monday, and
ended it as the Hammers' match-winner in their first-ever Premier League
match at London Stadium.

"Michail is that kind of player," he said. "He is very versatile and can
play in a few positions. He could play really well as a striker as well,
with his pace and in the air.

"When balls come in and are delivered to the far post and he's in a
challenge with any full-back in the Premier League, it's up to him. Last
year he scored six of his seven goals with his head, so he is good at it."

The manager gave fans a further boost by revealing that attacking midfield
pair Lanzini and Payet could both return from injury for Thursday's UEFA
Europa League play-off second leg with Romanian champions Astra Giurgiu.

At the same time, with Ayew and Carroll out for a while, Bilic did suggest
that West Ham's summer transfer dealings might not quite be over.

"A few of them, like Lanzini and Payet, should be back Thursday and if not
Thursday then Sunday," he said. "So if we are talking about creation from
midfield we will be more than all right with them, because nobody has got
five players like them. With Andy and Andre, they are more long-term
injuries. Hopefully Andre will be back on 1 December.

"Are we going to try to get one? We're going to try to get one if possible.
The Chairman is going to be very generous, I think, and we're going to get
one if we can find a proper one, but they're very hard to find.

"I'm going to speak to the Chairman and our Head of Recruitment on Monday
morning and if we can get one, it has to be a good one. If we don't get one,
I have lads who are going to fight for West Ham, big time!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio – It's great to write history
WHUFC.com

Michail Antonio scores West Ham United's first Premier League goal at London
Stadium
85th minute header gives Slaven Bilic's men 1-0 win over AFC Bournemouth
26-year-old thrilled to get the Hammers' season up and running

Michail Antonio was thrilled to write his name in the history books as West
Ham United's first Premier League goalscorer at London Stadium and help his
team to a hard-fought 1-0 victory over AFC Bournemouth on Sunday.

Antonio rose at the far post to nod Gokhan Tore's pinpoint cross beyond
Artur Boruc and break the Cherries' resistance with just five minutes left.

The 26-year-old has developed a handy knack of notching vital goals for the
Hammers and this was no different as Slaven Bilic's men got their league
season up and running.

"It feels amazing to be the first Premier League goalscorer at London
Stadium and it's one of those things I can always tell my kids," he beamed.

"I had an interview last year and I was asked if I'd rather be the last
goalscorer at the Boleyn Ground or the first goalscorer here – I said both,
but this is a great feeling!

"It's always great to be in history and especially so as the goal won us the
match.

"It was a nice bit of play, the ball held up nicely for Gokhan and it was
one of those that I'm always going to be there [at the far post].

"I tell the boys if I'm not there they can cane me, because if I'm not at
the far stick it's my fault. They can expect me to be there, and today he's
done it for me. It was easy pickings."


Antonio has become renowned for his eye-catching goal celebrations during
his time with the Hammers and Sunday was no different.

"It was the Macarena this time," he added. "I didn't get to finish it as the
boys were jumping all over me and to be honest the emotion was amazing.

"The roar from the fans was outrageous. It was deafening. What a great day."

The former Nottingham Forest man is sure the Hammers will push on from the
boost of recording their first league win of the season, with vital games
against Astra Giurgiu and Manchester City to follow this week.

He explained: "We've always had the grit and we're always going to keep
going. Right now we've got the first three points in the Premier League and
hopefully we can keep going and push on.

"It's going to be a massive lift for us. To get the first three points as
early as possible is always important. We've got it in the second game of
the season and that's nice."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers midfielder ready for Newcastle test
WHUFC.com

Midfielder Noha Sylvestre is ready for West Ham PL2's clash against
Newcastle United on Monday
The side beat Stoke City in their Premier League 2 opener last weekend
They take on the Magpies at their new home at Dagenham & Redbridge FC's
Chigwell Construction Stadium

West Ham United Premier League 2 face Newcastle United in their first home
match at Dagenham & Redbridge's Chigwell Construction Stadium on Monday and
midfielder Noha Sylvestre can't wait for the clash.

The Swiss youth international played 30 minutes in the side's 3-0 victory
over Stoke City last weekend as Terry Westley's team began their league
campaign with a win.

And, playing in front of what is hoped will be a big crowd on Monday at the
Daggers' ground, Sylvestre is looking forward to the occasion.

He said: "I've never played at Dagenham & Redbridge's ground before, and I
can't wait to get out there against Newcastle. We're hoping to get lots of
supporters there for the whole of this season, so I think it will be great
for us to play there.

"I played half an hour against Stoke at right-back, and I enjoyed the game.
Our performance was very good, and I put some good crosses in during my
time. I still have to work hard at right-back, because I'm still learning
the position, but I'm trying to be better every game.

"I think the important thing with the win was to get confident for the rest
of the season. That first game is always a big thing, and you have to get
through that after a long pre-season. A 3-0 win is not easy, but it has left
us feeling very confident and we're ready to go again and try and get
another good result against Newcastle."

Toni Martinez and Ashley Fletcher, as well as a Stoke own goal, helped the
Hammers to victory in Staffordshire, and Sylvestre believes the Hammers' PL2
squad is stronger than ever.

"We have a really great group of players this season," he continued. "We
have to do well this season with the players that we have got.

"It's obviously good for me because it means I can progress more, playing
with quality players. The likes of having Toni and Ash up front is really
exciting for us.

"Everyone is ready for Newcastle. We're obviously working hard in training,
and we have two big games coming up. The first one is a bit like a second
game; it's about getting ready for the rest of the campaign. I think we'll
do well."

Entrance to Monday's Premier League 2 clash is free for season ticket
holders, with adults and children tickets priced at £5 and £3 respectively.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SUN, 21 AUG 2016
PREMIER LEAGUE
West Ham United 1-0 Bournemouth
By Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport

Michail Antonio scored five minutes from time to give West Ham victory over
Bournemouth in the first Premier League match at the London Stadium.

Antonio rose highest at the back post to head in Gokhan Tore's cross and
decide a game of few chances.

The goal came eight minutes after Bournemouth's Harry Arter was sent off for
a second bookable offence.

Cherries goalkeeper Artur Boruc saved well from Enner Valencia in the first
half, while Adrian denied Joshua King.

London Stadium
Large banks of seats were left vacated inside the London Stadium
A club-record 56,977 supporters were in attendance as West Ham played their
first league match at their new home, having left Upton Park at the end of
last season.

As the players came on to the pitch, the traditional bubbles were blown in
to the air and their club song played over the tannoy.

For the most part the home supporters were fairly quiet, though, with the
vast arena meaning they are not as close to the pitch.

In fact, the noise levels were so low the travelling Bournemouth contingent
chanted "is this the Emirates?" in reference to the atmosphere at Arsenal's
stadium.

But having seen their team concede late in Monday's league defeat by Chelsea
and Thursday's Europa League qualifying draw with Astra Giurgiu, the Hammers
fans had a late goal of their own to cheer when Antonio nodded in.

South coast side's stuttering start

Bournemouth's start to the season will concern manager Eddie Howe. The
Cherries have lost their opening two games to slip to the bottom of the
table.

They created very little against West Ham and tested goalkeeper Adrian just
twice through King - the second in stoppage time when the Spaniard got down
well to save.

Club-record signing Jordon Ibe showed flashes of his talent with his direct
running, but fluffed a big chance in the second half when he squared the
ball rather than shooting when in front goal.

Once midfielder Arter was dismissed - his first yellow card for dissent
towards the assistant referee, and second for dragging back Cheikhou Kouyate
- Bournemouth dropped closer to their own area and were soon punished.

What they said:

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "It was difficult, we knew it would be. The guys
did brilliantly. Bournemouth were better than us in the first 15 minutes of
the second half but they didn't hurt us.

"We just deserved it. We were pushing and wanted it more. We're delighted to
end the first game at this beautiful stadium with a win and a clean sheet."

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: "It was a tight game with little goalmouth
action. It was going to swing on a moment of brilliance or a mistake.
Unfortunately the mistake for us was going down to 10 men.

"We've been told about dissent - it's been drilled into us. If we lose our
discipline we could have a flurry of red cards. Unfortunately we fell victim
to that. The first booking has really cost us."

What next?

West Ham host Romanian side Astra Giurgiu in the second leg of their Europa
League qualifying play-off match on Thursday (kick-off 19:45 BST). The match
is tied 1-1 after the first leg.

Bournemouth travel to Morecambe in the EFL Cup on Tuesday at 19:45 BST.

The stats you need to know

The London Stadium became the 55th different venue to host a Premier League
match
Michail Antonio scored in West Ham's final Premier League match at Upton
Park and netted their first league goal at the London Stadium
Seven of Antonio's nine Premier League goals for West Ham have come at home
Antonio has scored a joint league-high seven headed goals since the start of
the 2015-16 season (level with Arsenal's Olivier Giroud)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll: West Ham striker out for up to six weeks
BBc.co.uk

West Ham striker Andy Carroll has been ruled out for between four and six
weeks with a knee injury.

The 27-year-old was injured during Thursday's 1-1 draw away to Romanian
champions Astra Giurgiu in their Europa League play-off first leg.

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic told BBC Sport: "Hopefully it will be four weeks.
It's nothing major. But it's very sad for him and us.

"It's a big problem for us without him. We're counting on him big time."

Earlier this week, Bilic lost £20m club-record signing Andre Ayew to a thigh
injury for four months.

Carroll has had a series of injury setbacks since joining West Ham from
Liverpool in 2012, initially on a season's loan before the deal was made
permanent.

The forward, who has played nine times for England, has spent about half of
his time at the club out injured.

His latest setback adds to a growing casualty list for Bilic.

Aaron Cresswell, Sofiane Feghouli and Manuel Lanzini are also out injured,
while midfielder Dimitri Payet is still regaining full fitness, having been
given a break after helping France reach the final at Euro 2016 in July.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 1-0 Bournemouth: Michail Antonio secures win on London Stadium
league debut
By James Walker-Roberts
Last Updated: 21/08/16 8:50pm
SSN

Michail Antonio's late goal earned West Ham a 1-0 victory over 10-man
Bournemouth in their first Premier League match at the London Stadium.

For most of the afternoon, it looked as though the Hammers were set to be
frustrated on their league debut at their new home, with clear chances
scarce at either end.

However, after Harry Arter was shown a second yellow card for bringing down
Cheikhou Kouyate, the hosts got the breakthrough as Antonio headed home from
Gokhan Tore's cross in the 85th minute.

Adrian pulled off a sharp save to deny Josh King in injury-time and Jonathan
Calleri spurned a brilliant chance for a goal on his Premier League debut
when he shot wide with just the keeper to beat.

Before Arter's dismissal there had been little to excite a club-record
attendance of 56,977, as the action on the pitch failed to match the
occasion.

The Hammers were not helped by the unavailability of a number of first-team
players, including striker Andy Carroll, who is facing a few weeks out with
a knee injury.

Dimitri Payet and Sofiane Feghouli were also not involved, along with
club-record signing Andre Ayew, who has been ruled out for several months
after suffering a thigh injury in the opening game against Chelsea.

Bournemouth made one change from last weekend as Ryan Fraser replaced Lewis
Cook.

In their only previous competitive match at the London Stadium, in the
Europa League, the Hammers scored twice in the first half, but a repeat of
that looked unlikely throughout a tight opening 45 minutes.

While the hosts dominated possession, they struggled to create any clear
chances.

Gokhan Tore shot over the bar and then might have won a penalty when he was
fouled right on the edge of the box by Charlie Daniels, with a free-kick
given instead.

It took until the 40th minute for the first shot on target as Artur Boruc
kept out a near-post shot from Enner Valencia.

The visitors rarely threatened in the opening 45 minutes, but went close
after the interval as Josh King's long-range shot was brilliantly tipped
over by Adrian.

At the other end, Tore volleyed into the side netting, but opportunities
remained at a premium until Arter was dismissed in the 78th minute for
bringing down Kouyate.

The Hammers then pressed for a winner and it was Antonio who delivered,
heading home at the back post from Tore's cross.

King almost equalised in injury-time when he saw a close-range shot kept out
by Adrian, before Calleri raced clear, only to shoot wide.

Player ratings

West Ham: Adrian (7), Byram (6), Collins (6), Reid (7), Masuaku (6),
Nordtveit (6), Tore (6), Noble (6), Kouyate (7), Antonio (7), Valencia (6).

Subs: Obiang (n/a), Fletcher (n/a), Calleri (5).

Bournemouth: Boruc (6), Francis (6), Cook (6), A.Smith (6), Daniels (6),
Surman (6), Arter (5), Fraser (6), Ibe (5), King (6), Wilson (6).

Subs used: Ake (n/a), Gosling (n/a), Grabban (6).

Man of the Match: Michail Antonio

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic: West Ham are looking for one more 'good' signing
By James Walker-Roberts
Last Updated: 21/08/16 7:48pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic says West Ham are going to try to sign one more "good" player
before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.

The Hammers won on their Premier League debut at their new London Stadium on
Sunday, with Michail Antonio's late goal securing a 1-0 victory over
Bournemouth.

However, they have been beset by injuries, with Andy Carroll out for a few
weeks with a knee problem and club-record signing Andre Ayew facing several
months on the sidelines after suffering a thigh injury in the opening day
defeat to Chelsea.

Bilic admitted the Hammers could now make another move in the transfer
market in a bid to strengthen their squad.

"Are we going to be very active? We are going to try to get one," the West
Ham boss told Sky Sports. "The chairman is going to be very generous and he
will get one if we find the proper one, it's very hard now.

"There is no club in Europe that has been linked with more players than West
Ham and most of them are not true.

"I am going to speak with the chairman and director of recruitment on Monday
and if we get one, it's got to be a good one."

The Hammers struggled to create chances against Bournemouth and it looked
like they might be frustrated on their league debut at their new home.

However, Antonio's 85th-minute header secured victory after Harry Arter had
been sent off for a second booking.

"It was a nice day," said Bilic. "The lads were brilliant, it wasn't a great
game, we didn't expect to play like Brazil because we were missing four out
of six of those kind of players.

"We were really good in terms of effort, team spirit, aggression and we
created a few chances. I didn't expect us to create more, and from one of
those we scored, I thought we deserved it."

Bilic also praised Antonio, who was taken off in the defeat to Chelsea on
the opening weekend after conceding a penalty.

"He is very versatile and when the balls are coming in towards the far post
and he is in a challenge with any full-back it's up to him," he said. "Last
year six of his seven goals were headers."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham need time to adapt to London Stadium, says Alan Smith
Former Olympic Stadium "flat" on Premier League bow, says Sky Sports
co-commentator

Last Updated: 21/08/16 7:46pm
SSN

Alan Smith believes it could take West Ham some time to adapt to their new
surroundings at the London Stadium, following a "flat" Premier League bow
against Bournemouth. The Hammers opened the doors to their new 57,000-seater
home on Super Sunday, as it hosted its first top-flight encounter following
the club's move from Upton Park. Michail Antonio's late header ensured the
West Ham supporters went home with something to cheer about, sealing a 1-0
victory over the Cherries. Until that point, though, there was little to get
those attendance excited as a drab affair on the pitch replicated itself in
the stands of the former Olympic Stadium "At times it was flat," Sky Sports
co-commentator Smith said. "The fans didn't have much to shout about for
large parts of the match, did they? "I think they wanted to get behind the
team and, every now and then, the West Ham fans did burst into song. "I
suppose the fans will have to get used to the stadium, just like Arsenal
fans at the Emirates. "It's a different sort of feeling at the London
Stadium than it was at Upton Park."
Of course, West Ham have already played at their new stadium ahead of making
its Premier League debut Slovenian side NK Domzale had the honour of being
the first visiting team to play at the Hammers' Stratford-based ground,
losing 3-0 in a Europa League qualifier. The stadium was officially opened
three days after that when Serie A champions Juventus travelled over for a
pre-season friendly. And, having spoken to people in attendance at those
games, Smith is certain it will not be long before the spine-tingling
atmosphere synonymous with the Boleyn Ground could be sampled at West Ham's
new home. "Some people that were here for the Juventus game, when they
played better, did say the noise was incredible," he added. "The stadium is
designed to keep in the noise so when they get used to it, feel at home and
get the 57,000 fans behind them, it will be a noisy place to come."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
REF WATCH – WEST HAM V BOURNEMOUTH – CRAIG PAWSON
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 21 AUGUST 2016 AT 7:18PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

Written by Sam Royden-Ryell

After a tough opening fixture away to Chelsea on Monday night, big decisions
going against us and injuries pilling up, we welcomed a very good
Bournemouth side to the London Stadium; a team who beat us 4-3 at the Boleyn
Ground last season. The referee appointed for this game week two fixture was
Craig Pawson.

In a first half, which lacked quality from both teams, Pawson had a
relatively quiet half until the 23rd minute when Gökhan Töre was brought
down on the edge of the Bournemouth area by Charlie Daniels. In realtime and
without replays, the foul looked like it was outside the area but the
replays showed that contact was made on Töre's right foot, which was planted
on the white line of the 18 yard box. If Pawson or his assistant saw this,
it would of been a penalty as the 18 yard line is considered part of the
area. This would have been an extremely difficult decision to make from
Pawson's position. The assistant referee also had a tough view as he would
have been on the shoulder of the last defender, around 10 yards away from
the incident without a clear view.

We saw two cautions in the first half for dissent with the referees and as
mentioned before, the FA are wanting to crack down on intolerable behaviour
by the players. The first caution was for Harry Arter after the Bournemouth
player raised his arm to block Cheikhou Kouyaté cross. Arter protested with
the assistant referee and that was enough to be punished. Winston Reid was
the second player to be cautioned in the final stages of the first half
after the Kiwi international protested the assistant referee's decision
after Reid thought it came off the Bournemouth player for a goal kick;
instead the assistant referee signalled for a corner. Pawson cautioned Reid
for his over animated reaction.



Steve Cook was another one of the four players cautioned in the first half.
West Ham were on a promising attack on the half way line when Enner Valencia
was fouled from behind by Cook. Pawson correctly played the advantage as
West Ham were on the attack and cautioned Cook before Pawson restarted the
game. Sam Byram was also cautioned in the first half after a series of poor
challenges by the West Ham right back. Byram blocked a Bournemouth player
just outside the Bournemouth 18 yard box and then fouled Callum Wilson from
behind just inside West Ham's half. If these fouls were separate incidences
during the game, both would warrant a caution. However, Pawson made the
decision to only caution Byram for both fouls rather than two separate
bookable offences for each foul, therefore you could say Byram was lucky.

In my opinion the second half was as poor as the first half unfortunately.
There were a few things Pawson had to deal with including a sending off for
the Bournemouth side. After being cautioned in the first half for dissent,
Harry Arter was sent off for a second bookable offence after pulling
Cheikhou Kouyaté. The West Ham powerhouse midfielder was steaming down the
right wing on a counter attack. Pawson got this spot on and it shows how
costly it is to receive a booking for something as unnecessary as dissent.
Pawson cautioned Pedro Obiang after being on the pitch for less than 60
seconds for bringing downing down Bournemouth's Adam Smith. There were a
range of other fouls throughout the second half however these required no
action.

In my opinion, I thought that Craig Pawson had a good game. Pawson was in
control of the game from the first minute to the last and I agreed with his
decision making throughout the game. The only thing that we could spend time
talking about was the potential penalty in the first half but I guarantee
that without replays, we would not be speaking about this. As a referee, you
make a decision on what you can see and I feel that Pawson's position was
good however it is always an extremely tight decision to make and you cannot
take anything away from his performance. A note on West Ham; It was a poor
game for all and our performance was nowhere near to what we can do but
considering playing Chelsea on Monday and against Astra in Romania on
Thursday – it was always going to be a tough game. On the other hand, 3
point is 3 points in the Premier League and hopefully we can kick start
again after the first win at the London Stadium. We welcome Astra to the
London Stadium on Thursday and a win will secure us Europa League football
this season.

Let us know your thoughts @TheWestHamWay and @SamRoyden using the hashtag
#AskWestHamWayRef with your thoughts, opinions and questions.

Sam

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM 1-0 BOURNEMOUTH – MATCH REPORT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 21 AUGUST 2016 AT 7:08PM
tehWestHamWay.co.uk
West Ham United 1- AFC Bournemouth 0

By @WestHamAmerican



West Ham won 1-0 today against AFC Bournemouth in the first Premier League
match ever in the Hammer's new Olympic Stadium home. Despite the
long-awaited excitement surrounding the home side's new grounds, the feel in
East London has been one of frustration. An epidemic outbreak of injuries
has struck the starting XI of the team over the past two weeks. Late word
last night that Andy Carroll had also picked up a knee injury during his
play in the Europa League meant that West Ham's attacking options were
severely limited.

Fortunately as play opened, Bournemouth showed similar dysfunction in their
own attack. During the first half of play it was primarily a defensive
affair. Neither goalkeeper suffered too much stress during the opening 45
minutes in the sun of an East London Sunday afternoon. Enner Valencia,
taking the start at striker in place of the injured Carroll and Ayew, was
unable to find that first goal in the new stadium. He did have the first
shot on target in the 40th minute of play; however Boruc was able to handle
the strike. Two minutes later Antonio, finally playing in his preferred
wing spot, had another shot, but failed to threaten the goal.

For all of West Ham's problems in the final third of the pitch, Eddie Howe's
side showed even less action in the opening half of play.

During the second half, Howe seemed to inspire his players a bit as they
dominated the opening ten minutes of play. Adrian was forced into action a
number of times, including a 53rd Joshua King strike which the Spaniard
acrobatically tapped over the crossbar.

In the 61st minute, Bilic felt he needed a change of pace at forward and
replaced Valencia with Jonathan Calleri. He also switch Antonio and Tore to
opposite side wingers. The change failed to yield immediate result as the
Cherries played stubborn defense behind the ball.

The sleepy home opener for the Hammers changed greatly when Kouyate was
striding down the far touchline on counter attack and Harry Arter, already
on a yellow, pulled him to the turf. With Arter receiving a red card, Bilic
quickly changed the makeup of this attack. He brought 20 year old Ashley
Fletcher in for Nordtviet, as a second forward to find the match winning
goal.

Moments later the Stratford crowd cheered as Antonio driving towards goal
sent his cross towards Fletcher. Drifting too high for Fletcher, Tore
chased the ball towards the opposite touch line, turned it into the box, and
crossed back to Antonio, who was crashing from the far side post and his
header gave West Ham their long-awaited lead.

Hoping to preserve the slim lead against a ten-man squad, Bilic brought on
Pedro Obiang for Tore, to give more defensive aggressiveness in the
midfield. The Cherries weren't about to go into the night quietly. During
the final minutes of the stoppage time a Bournemouth freekick fell to King
who sent a mighty strike straight to Adrian who parried it back to Francis.
His shot was blocked by a heady Winston Reid standing on the line averting
disaster in the late minutes of play.

Bournemouth had a corner kick in the closing seconds but it was sent clear
to Mark Noble and Calleri who had a clear drive to goal beyond as the final
moments of added time ticked off. Calleri's shot on goal was wide, but
Craig Pawson's final whistle gave West Ham their first Premier League
victory of the season and first at the new stadium.

With at least seven of the top eleven players for the West Ham first team
healing from injury this week, West Ham will have to patch together another
close match to win the second leg of the Europa round with Astra Giurgiu on
Tuesday evening. The sledding doesn't get easier as Sunday West Ham travels
to Manchester City to face their expensive starting XI. Slaven Bilic will
certainly welcome the international break before the Hammers return home to
face Watford on September 10. By then the summer transfer window will close
and there will be a lot more questions answered regarding the depth of this
seemingly fragile team.

But after a week of crying for more transfers, outcry over standing and
sitting, and a longing for the familiar feel of Upton Park, West Ham walked
off today with three points and a much better feel going into a brutal week
of football.

West Ham: Adrian; Byram, Reid, Collins, Masuaku; Kouyate, Nordtveit
(Fletcher 79), Noble; Tore (Obiang 89), Valencia (Calleri 63), Antonio

Subs not used: Randolph, Ogbonna, Burke, Oxford

Bookings: Byram, Reid

Bournemouth: Boruc; Adam Smith, Francis, Steve Cook, Daniels; Fraser
(Gosling 86), Surman, Arter; Ibe (Ake 78), Callum Wilson (Grabban 74), King

Subs not used: Afobe, Gradel, Brad Smith, Federici

Bookings: Arter, Cook

Sent Off: Arter

Referee: Craig Pawson

Attendance: 56,977

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