West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has revealed his despair after the late
collapse of the Hammers' £17m bid to sign Charlton striker Darren Bent.
Tottenham are favourites to land the 23-year-old England international after
he turned down a move to Upton Park. "The whole situation left me very
frustrated," Magnusson told The Sun. "We were so close to signing Darren and
thought everything was in place to conclude what would have been the biggest
signing in West Ham's history." The Hammers had agreed a fee for Bent and
boss Alan Curbishley had hoped to make him his second summer signing after
bringing in Scott Parker from Newcastle for £7m. Throughout the
negotiations all the signs were positive. Therefore I was surprised when I
learned Darren had decided not to join us. "West Ham acted in good faith in
discussions throughout with Charlton, the player and his representatives.
"The deal we put in place seemed to work for everybody concerned. Throughout
the negotiations all the signs were positive. Therefore I was surprised when
I learned Darren had decided not to join us. "I feel let down and
disappointed. But it is time to move on."
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Eggert in Bent heartache - Sky
By Graeme Bailey - Created on 16 Jun 2007
West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has revealed his disappointment at
missing out on Darren Bent. The Hammers agreed a £17 million deal with
Charlton for the England striker, but the move collapsed after the
23-year-old shunned the move to Upton Park. "The whole situation left me
very frustrated," Magnusson told the Sun. "We were so close to signing
Darren and thought everything was in place to conclude what would have been
the biggest transfer in West Ham's history. "I was really looking forward to
making an announcement to our fans as we continue our plans to take this
club forward and challenge the best teams in England. "West Ham acted in
good faith in discussions throughout with Charlton, the player and his
representatives. "The deal we put in place seemed to work for everybody
concerned. Throughout the negotiations all the signs were positive.
Therefore I was surprised when I learned Darren had decided not to join us.
"I feel let down and disappointed. But it is time to move on. "In the
aftermath of this I have been encouraged by the reaction of the West Ham
supporters. I visited some of their internet chat sites. "They appreciate
the efforts we made and they are less disappointed than I thought they might
be. The view seems to be that perhaps this wasn't the best deal we could do
at this stage. "I'd like to think this experience will eventually stand us
in good stead. There's no doubt about it, lessons have been learned."
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The Feral Beasts of the Back Pages - West Ham Till I Die
June 16th, 2007
I've never heard of the Daily Mirror's Brian Reade, and in many ways I am
quite thankful. Today he's written a ridiculous column which seeks to blame
West Ham for football's ills. Read it HERE if you must. Here's an extract…
West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson says he's doing nothing wrong apart from
trying to take on the top teams. But he is. Forget morals if you will and
look at economics. When Viduka was offered £75,000 a week by West Ham he
used it as a bargaining tool with Newcastle, who were forced to pick up an
extra £2.4m tab on his contract. Not that all players snub the Icelandic
sugar-daddy, who is rapidly earning the nickname of Father Christmas. Look
at Lucas Neill. He could have been playing in a European Cup Final with
Liverpool last month, but chose a relegation fight for £60,000 a week. Think
of the knock-on effect when agents thump these new numbers into their
calculators. Andy Johnson and Craig Bellamy have reputedly been offered
£90,000 a week by the East End Santa.
They might not take it but they may use it to win even heftier salaries.
Salaries their agents will use as starting points when other clients' deals
are up for renewal. West Ham's obscene rewriting of salary bands won't
affect the Big Four. They will still draw men who want medals as well as
cash. But it will dramatically hit the teams below them who need a form of
sanity in the wage market to operate. When the extra TV billions poured into
the Premiership there was talk about significant cuts in ticket prices. A
few clubs have, the majority haven't. Instead they've decided the best way
to stay viable is to hand the new wealth to agents and players. Magnusson's
Law says that the only guaranteed way of keeping your head in the
Premiership's deep trough is to bribe players with outrageous offers. And
the likes of Newcastle have been forced to comply. But at what price?
The trouble is he is completely wrong. Magnusson has a £55,000 a week wage
cap. The papers all seem to act, as Tony Blair might put it, in a herd. If
one of them mentions Lucas Neill is on £70,000 a week, the rest follow like
sheep. These feral beasts of the sports pages must be held to account. Brian
Reade, hang your head in shame.
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Hammers move for £10m SWP - The Sun
By IAN McGARRY
June 16, 2007
SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS is a £10million target for West Ham after being told
he can leave Chelsea this summer. The Hammers agreed a £10.8m fee for the
England winger in January but he refused to leave and vowed to fight for his
place. But boss Jose Mourinho's summer squad review has put Wright-Phillips'
future in doubt again and Chelsea will listen to offers. Wright-Phillips,
24, was given a run of games towards the end of last season and a string of
impressive displays, coupled with injuries to Joe Cole and Arjen Robben, saw
him become a first-team regular. But Chelsea's cost- cutting plans mean they
have decided to recoup half of the £21m they paid to Manchester City 18
months ago and save his £3m-a-year salary. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is
still smarting from the collapse of his £17m move for striker Darren Bent
and Wright-Phillips would boost his attacking options. West Ham are one of
the only clubs who can match his salary and allow him to stay in London.
Hayden Mullins is still set to join Charlton, despite the collapse of the
Bent deal. The midfielder, 28, agreed to being a makeweight in the switch
and Addicks boss Alan Pardew will bid £1m. Mullins has been told he can
leave after the £7m signing of Scott Parker from Newcastle United.
Curbishley also wants to prise striker Yakubu, 24, away from Middlesbrough
with a £10m bid. Boro boss Gareth Southgate has already lost Mark Viduka to
Newcastle and is desperate keep hold of the Nigerian. But Curbishley is
ready to offer Yakubu £65,000 a week. Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp is also
keen on Yakubu. He wants to take the striker back to Fratton Park but is
unlikely to be able to compete financially with the Hammers. Redknapp also
wants Wigan striker Henri Camara and is willing to swap him for Lomana Lua
Lua. Keep up-to-date with the latest transfer news by logging on to
thesun.co.uk/sport
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West Ham star arrested
tribalfooball.com - June 16, 2007
West Ham United striker Bobby Zamora has been arrested. The Mail on Sunday
says Zamora was arrested after allegedly trying to avoid a speeding ticket
by pretending a friend was driving. The West Ham forward, 26, was held on
Wednesday over allegations he gave false details in relation to police
camera footage of a car apparently speeding. He was later freed on bail
after being questioned by officers on suspicion of perverting the course of
justice, police sources said. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "On June 13 a
26-year-old man was arrested at his home address on suspicion of perverting
the course of justice. "He was bailed to return to Limehouse police station
on a date in July. It is alleged that he gave false details re an alleged
speeding offence."
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Man Utd's Ferdinand to launch Uganda academy
tribalfooball.com - June 16, 2007
Rio Ferdinand is in Uganda to discuss launching a local academy backed by
Manchester United and former club West Ham. The United defender is in East
Africa to meet President Yoweri Museveni, who has offered Ferdinand - backed
by Nike, West Ham and Manchester United - land on which to build a Proline
Soccer Academy. "I thought there might be the odd fan and a couple of
workers from the football school at the airport," Ferdinand said of the
throng that jammed the 10-mile route from Entebbe airport to the capital,
Kampala. "I was waving out of the window but then was told that I should
really acknowledge it so I stood out of the roof. At one point I welled up."
The Observer says Ferdinand met President Museveni yesterday evening. Work
on the academy, which will focus on education as well as football, will
start immediately and should be finished by the end of next year. It targets
150 children aged three to 17, half of whom will be drawn from
underprivileged families. The school will cost about £300,000.
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Noble: West Ham can be top five regular
tribalfooball.com - June 16, 2007
Mark Noble believes West Ham can establish themselves as a top five club
given the financial backing chairman Eggert Magnusson has brought to Upton
Park.
"I really think we can go on to be a major top-five team in the next few
years if we sign the players all the talk is about," said Noble, a life-long
Hammers fan born near Upton Park. "If we do that and we push on to get some
of the best players in the world to Upton Park I'm sure I'll be there for
years to come." Scott Parker has already arrived but Nigel Reo-Coker, the
Under-21 captain, appears set to leave after handing in a transfer request.
It means Curbishley will need to appoint a new skipper, a role Noble would
like to fill one day. "I've been captain through the youth teams for West
Ham and it would be a dream to captain them in the Premier League and to
take us onto better things," he added. "I think we've got the chairman now,
and I think we've got the players, manager and staff to kick on this season
and show everyone what we can do. "Obviously there's speculation around
Nigel Reo-Coker. He's a good friend of mine, I've played with him a lot and
been with him a few years now, but he's got his own reasons and what he does
he does. "But we've got Scott Parker now, who's a fantastic player and I'm
really looking forward to playing with him. "I'm hoping I come back from
here fully fit and I'll be firing for my place in that team in the first
game of the season."
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Oh Dear, Blades Hypocrisy Exposed In Wake Of West Ham Protest - West Ham
Fans.org
Submitted by Neville Nixon on 16 June, 2007 - 23:57.
Inevitably Sheffield United have 'reaped what they have sown' with the news
that they are being probed for allegedly breaking the same transfer rule as
West Ham, the Blades who have been running a scurrilous campaign to get
Hammers thrown out of the Premiership for their involvement in the Carlos
Tevez affair are under investigation into one of their own dealings. The
Premier League have demanded to know why the Yorkshire club stopped one of
their former players, Steve Kabba, playing against them after he had gone to
join Watford which may amount to third party interference. In addition with
all the furore surrounding Sheffield United's often repeated, but incorrect
claim that West Ham United fielded an ineligible player it has come to
notice that one of their players, Jonathan Stead, represented three clubs in
official matches between 1st July 2006 and 30th June 2007 in contravention
of FIFA's Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players, Chapter 3
Article 5. Between the 6th and 28th of August 2006 he played six games for
Sunderland. Between the 13th of October 2006 and the 2nd January he went on
loan to Derby County, where he played seventeen games. On the 11th of
February he was transferred to Sheffield United where he played fourteen
games. Although the FIFA regulation III 5.3 does permit a player to be
registered to three clubs during the appropriate period it specifically
states that "the player is only eligible to play in Official Matches for two
clubs". Was special clearance sought by Sheffield United to have this FIFA
Regulation waived before Jonathan Stead appeared for them, and was this
clearance granted? If this is not the case, then Sheffield United may also
have fielded an ineligible player on fourteen occasions? Mc Babe had better
get in a good supply of incontinence items, just in case! - Ed
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West Ham Must Push The Boat Out For Carlitos - WestHamFans.org
Submitted by Neville Nixon on 16 June, 2007 - 23:10.
Argentine International Carlos Tevez, England International Mark Noble and
Australian International Lucas Neill were all instrumental in helping
Hammers pull off the 'great escape', they are also all local boys made good.
It is not surprising that their qualities of never giving up inspired the
team to survival from relegation and might well provide a springboard to
potential greatness, in an unlikely triumvant of three different continents
and three different cultures these three players epitomise all that is good
about West Ham United football club, throw in a cockney manager, an
Icelandic chairman and his well resourced backer and you have the equation
necessary to establish the base from which the club can develop to it's
fullest potential. Tevez came from the 'Apache' region of Buenos Aires which
is basically Peckham but with more guns, Noble grew up in the mean streets
around the Boleyn, as did Curbs, and Neill was dispatched half way round the
world as a sixteen year old to begin his footballing apprenticeship far away
from those dear to him. Mistakes will be made, none more so than pushing the
boat out in trying to bring Marcus Bent to the Boleyn, surely now Mr
Magnusson and Curbs MUST be looking at securing the full rights to the
ownership of Carlos Tevez for West Ham United solely, no one doubts the
chairman's business acumen and fans don't buy into the jealousy driven media
hype that Hammers are 'messing with the market' by trying to match the top
four's wages structures in order to entice the players required to take the
club to a higher level, but it must be plainly obvious that Carlitos
represents the future. English is the language most used the world over in
media and technology, but it is closely followed by Spanish, there is a vast
market in the Americas to be tapped into, imagine Hammers playing LA Galaxy
in a pre-season friendly, football is going to be given a major league crank
with the arrival of David Beckham and his presence alone will open doors
that have been closed ever since the demise of the NASF. The marketing alone
from the Hispanic population of both North and South America could be
phenomenal and if Hammers are to realise their global appeal and ambitions
to the fullest, serious attention has to be given to the American options.
As we have previously mentioned it is our opinion along with that of many
fans that Carlos Tevez is worth more than two Darren Bents, by retaining his
services the club will send out a positive message to the movers and shakers
in football, not just in the UK but around the globe. - Ed
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Prem quartet eye move for Bobby - teamTalk
Everton have reportedly joined Fulham, Blackburn and Middlesbrough in the
race to sign West Ham striker Bobby Zamora. The News of the World claims
that Hammers chief Alan Curbishley has told Zamora he is surplus to
requirements at Upton Park and can follow fellow frontman Marlon Harewood
out of the club.
The 26-year-old, who cost West Ham £1.5million when he moved from Tottenham
in February 2004, scored 11 goals in all compeitions last season but has
failed to hold down a regular place at The Boleyn. Harewood has already
courted interest from new Cottagers boss Lawrie Sanchez and it could be that
the former Northern Ireland coach is looking to reunite the pair in west
London. Gareth Southgate needs to strengthen his attacking options at
Middlesbrough after the departure of Mark Viduka to Newcastle, but Zamora
would struggle to break into the starting line-ups at Goodison Park and
Ewood Park so is unlikely to favour a move to either of those grounds.
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Hammers set to keep Tevez - FootballUK
Sunday Jun 17 2007 12:06
West Ham United's controversial striker Carlos Tevez is reportedly close to
agreeing a new deal to remain at Upton Park. The Argentina striker, whose
original signing last summer resulted in the Hammers being fined £5.5million
for breaching Premier League rules, has been linked with a host of Europe's
leading clubs since the end of last season. Hammers chairman Eggert
Magnusson is desperate to keep last season's talisman at the club and
reports claim he is close to sealing a £9million deal with Tevez's
third-party owners. West Ham have already failed in a £17million move for
Charlton Athletic's England striker Darren Bent leading Magnusson to renew
his interest in Tevez. Last month, West Ham's Icelandic chairman revealed
his desire to keep the player at Upton Park. He said: "There is bound to be
a lot of speculation over the summer about our playing squad. It is normal
in a transfer window. "We will work hard over the summer to prepare for next
season and that includes keeping our best players who want to play for us.
"There will be a particular focus on Carlos Tevez and I want him to stay.
"He is a West Ham player, registered with and contracted to the club with
three years remaining on a four-year contract."
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June 16, 2007
Blades know nothing about playing fair - Martin Samuels - NOTW
THE Campaign for Fairness in Football gets its day in court tomorrow. High
on publicity and puffed up with righteous indignation, Sheffield United will
hit town to demand reinstatement to the Premier League at the expense of
West Ham, for a breach of the infamous rule U18. It is only fair, they will
argue. So let us look at what else Sheffield United would appear to believe
is fair — because now it gets interesting. Sheffield United think it is fair
that they can sell striker Steve Kabba to Watford for £500,000, yet keep
him. Sheffield United think it is fair that he should play against three of
the teams that were in the relegation mix in the last month of the season,
but not them. Sheffield United think it is fair that they should paint
themselves as whiter than white, while officially admitting entering into an
arrangement contravening the third party interference ruling that is at the
heart of tomorrow's arbitration hearing. Sheffield United have some serious
questions to answer.
Ethics
Like at what point were they going to explain the strange circumstances
surrounding Kabba's deal. Like how they account for official club
information stating Kabba could not play against his former club because of
a clause that was part of his permanent transfer and would, therefore, be
illegal. Like how they can keep up the pretence that there is one set of
villains in this story, West Ham, and all the other characters display the
business ethics and demeanour of the lovechildren of Bob Cratchit and Mary
Poppins. In reality, they are motley crew, this Campaign for Fairness in
Football.
Mohammed Al Fayed, chairman of Fulham, is a supporter. His transfer market
activities were believed so fair that in January 2004, his club was
temporarily suspended from the international market by FIFA over unpaid
debts on the Steve Marlet deal. Similar action was threatened over the
transfer of Louis Saha. "I am a man of principle," he says.
Then there is Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whe*an. He would know much about
the boundaries of fairness having been fined £5.5m by the Office of Fair
Trading for fixing the price of England and Manchester United shirts at his
company JJB Sports.
Finally, spearheading the movement is that vested interest on legs,
fair-minded Sheffield United plc chairman Kevin McCabe, who wants to
re-referee the match after it has been played, to achieve the precise result
needed for his team to win.
It is no longer suggested that West Ham should merely have points deducted,
because a two-point penalty would not save McCabe's club. A very specific
punishment is required now — three points — the amount needed to keep
Sheffield United up on goal difference and send West Ham down. McCabe has
sanctimoniously demanded the league be adjusted on moral grounds in June,
forgetting the skeleton in his own cupboard — 5ft 10in of striker, sold by
Sheffield United to Watford on the condition he could not come back to haunt
them.
March
Kabba played 14 out of 15 games for Watford immediately after his move. He
played in a 1-0 win against West Ham, and 1-1 draws with Wigan and
Manchester City. But he couldn't feature in the defeat to Sheffield United
on April 28 — because, according to Sheffield's website, his former club
would not let him.
Manchester United insisted on a similar arrangement when goalkeeper Tim
Howard moved to Everton — but at least chief executive David Gill did not
march on Parliament bleating about fairness, when all the time his club had
bent the rulebook until its spine snapped.
West Ham's actions over Tevez were wrong and the club was found guilty and
punished. Yet what is equally wrong is to pretend this is a rogue
institution, out of step with its compatriots, when the merest scratch at
the surface reveals an industry that is rife with suspicious discrepancies
and transgressions. Fairness, it seems, begins at home which, if he is to
leave the Premier League with his credibility intact, is perhaps where
McCabe and his fellow campaigners should stay tomorrow
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£12M MAN HUNTER
EXCLUSIVE HOTLINE SPECIAL BARCLAYS PREMIERSHIP The ORIGINAL Column for
Transfer News
Curbs chasing Fernandes
By Jack Steggles
MONEYBAGS West Ham have made Portuguese kid Manuel Fernandes their latest
transfer target. The club with money burning a hole in their pocket are
ready to splash £12million on Benfica ace Fernandes - currently playing for
Portugal in the Euro Under-21 Championship in Holland. Fernandes had a taste
of Premiership football last season. He wants more of it and Benfica are
prepared to let him go if the price is right. He started the last campaign
with Portsmouth. But their boss, Harry Redknapp, was not prepared to meet
the £12m asking price, so he moved on to Everton. Fernandes got the same
response from Goodison chief David Moyes and went back to Lisbon. Now he is
hoping to be part of the revolution taking place at Upton Park.
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley will console himself for missing out on Darren
Bent by moving for Preston's England striker David Nugent. Charlton striker
Bent snubbed a £17m switch in favour of a move to a bigger club. So
Curbishley will instead turn his attentions to Preston's £7m-rated Nugent.
Nugent was tracked by several Premiership sides as he scored 18 goals in the
Championship last season and won his first senior international cap. The
Liverpool-born 22-year-old wants a move to Everton, but they have so far
refused to come up with the cash.
Portsmouth boss Redknapp is also an admirer, but has been put off by the
price. One man prepared to gamble on Nugent is Sunderland boss Roy Keane,
who has already offered £5m plus Stern John and will meet Preston's
valuation. They would like to do a deal as soon as possible, aware that some
good performances at the Under-21 tournament would drive up the price.
Nugent, however, would prefer to go to an established Premiership club and
does not fancy newly-promoted Sunderland. That has left the way clear for
Curbishley to make a move, as he has the money available. Curbishley fancies
pairing Nugent with Dean Ashton when he returns to action this season as a
fresh young strikeforce to take on the Premiership.
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Blades set for Kabba probe - Sky
By Alex Dunn - Created on 17 Jun 2007
Sheffield United could be the subject of an investigation for allegedly
breaching the same rule that they want to see West Ham relegated for,
according to a newspaper report. The Yorkshire club believe they have a
realistic chance of being reinstated to the Premier League when their case
is heard on Monday, at the expense of West Ham, following the irregularities
that occurred as a result of the third party ownership issues involved in
the transfers of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez. However, in a further
twist, the Premier League have now confirmed that they are to look at Steve
Kabba's transfer from Sheffield United to Watford, with the possibility of
third party interference being investigated. Kabba was not allowed to face
former club Sheffield United following his switch to Vicarage Road in
January and the Premier League are eager to learn why the player was deemed
ineligible - as any attempt to block the striker from appearing would
contravene existing laws.
"The current rule makes clear that once a move becomes permanent there can
be no contractual terms to prevent a player playing against his old club," a
Premier League spokesman told the News of the World. "The statements
surrounding the Steve Kabba transfer were brought to our attention late on
Friday and early next week we will look at our documentation and ask our two
clubs to submit any further documents, or agreements, for scrutiny." The
case mirrors that of Tim Howard, who was prevented from playing against
Manchester United, despite the fact a deal had been put in place for the
American to move to Goodison Park on a permanent basis.
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Everton, Blackburn, Middlesbrough go for Zamora
tribalfooball.com - June 17, 2007
A host of Premiership rivals are chasing West Ham United striker Bobby
Zamora. Zamora is expected to be made available by Hammers boss Alan
Curbishley as he seeks to boost his strike-force with big names this summer.
The News of the World says Everton have joined Fulham, Blackburn and
Middlesbrough in the battle for Zamora.
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Everton, West Ham eyeing Kapo
tribalfooball.com - June 17, 2007
Premiership clubs have been alerted to the availability of France
international midfielder Olivier Kapo. xuventus midfielder Kapo has spent
this season on-loan at Levante, but the Spanish Liga club have decided
against signing him permanently. Juve are ready to listen to offers and
among a host of European clubs, Birmingham City, West Ham and Everton are
monitoring developments closely.
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Hammers make bid to keep Carlos - TeamTalk
West Ham striker Carlos Tevez is reportedly on the verge of agreeing a new
deal to remain at Upton Park for next season. Hammers chairman Eggert
Magnusson is desperate to keep the Argentinian star after his heroics in
almost single-handedly keeping the club up last season. The deal for the
23-year-old to remain in east London for a further campaign would reportedly
cost a huge £9m, but that figure will not deter Magnusson, who saw a big
money swoop for Charlton's Darren Bent fall through last week when the
England striker decided against a move across the capital. Liverpool and
Manchester United are known admirers of the playmaker, while Inter Milan are
rumoured to have made a £32m bid. However, a top source told the News of the
World: "Mr Magnusson has pulled out all the stops to keep Carlos for at
least another season. "The package will cost £9m in wages and payments to
his owner Kia Joorabchian but the chairman is convinced the deal is done.
"[Darren] Bent's decision to do the dirty on West Ham, after agreeing a
deal, has made Eggert do whatever it takes to make the fans happy."
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West Ham bid for Middlesbrough striker Yakubu
tribalfooball.com - June 16, 2007
West Ham United are moving for Middlesbrough striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni. The
Sun says Hammers boss Alan Curbishley wants to prise striker Yakubu, 24,
away from Middlesbrough with a £10m bid. Boro boss Gareth Southgate has
already lost Mark Viduka to Newcastle and is desperate keep hold of the
Nigerian.
But Curbishley is ready to offer Yakubu £65,000 a week. Portsmouth boss
Harry Redknapp is also keen on Yakubu. He wants to take the striker back to
Fratton Park but is unlikely to be able to compete financially with the
Hammers.
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Charlton to wrap up deal for West Ham's Mullins
tribalfooball.com - June 16, 2007
West Ham midfielder Hayden Mullins is set to join Charlton, despite the
collapse of the Darren Bent deal. The midfielder, 28, agreed to being a
makeweight in the switch and Addicks boss Alan Pardew will bid £1m. Mullins
has been told he can leave after the £7m signing of Scott Parker from
Newcastle United.
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West Ham alerted as Chelsea listen to SWP offers
tribalfooball.com - June 16, 2007
Shaun Wright-Phillips has been told he can leave Chelsea. The Sun says boss
Jose Mourinho's summer squad review has put Wright-Phillips' future in doubt
again and Chelsea will listen to offers. Chelsea's cost- cutting plans mean
they have decided to recoup half of the £21m they paid to Manchester City 18
months ago and save his £3m-a-year salary. West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is
still smarting from the collapse of his £17m move for striker Darren Bent
and Wright-Phillips would boost his attacking options. West Ham are one of
the only clubs who can match his salary and allow him to stay in London.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Is Darren Bent playing with fire in holding out for Spurs? - Sportigo
Sat, Jun 16, 07 07:17Graham Smith
The Charlton striker could be priced out of the market with Tottenham's
budget seemingly considerably lower than that of West Ham, the club he
rejected. And that could mean Bent starting the new season in the
Championship. 'Is Bent really wanting to join Tottenham because he feels
it's the best career move or is he hoping that a bigger club will come in at
the 11th hour to save him from a Championship nightmare?' With Darren Bent
turning down the opportunity to take home £75,000 per week next season at
West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur are the only club left that have expressed an
interested in the player to Charlton via the media. Not only is Bent's
refusal to join the Hammers a risk on his part, it also throws up some
questions regarding why he decided against the move.
Is he convinced that Tottenham are willing to meet the asking price? Are
there other clubs eyeing the striker? What it does mean is that there's a
chance that no-one meets the price, no-one else is interested and that he'll
be a Championship player with Charlton come August.
Other questions that I feel need clarifying are 'When will he play?', 'Who
with?' and 'Does Martin Jol drop a working goal-machine partnership of
Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov?'
To throw money at a player with a great record (over a goal every three
games at Charlton), would Jol turn to Robbie or Dimitar and say "Thanks for
last season, fight for your place"? Could he then justify having Jermain
Defoe plus one sitting on the bench under Bent in the pecking order? Or
more importantly, could he put a £17 million purchase next to him? (all
assuming the inevitable happens to Mido).
Or am I over-complicating things? Is Bent really wanting to join Tottenham
because he feels it's the best career move or is he hoping that a bigger
club will come in at the 11th hour to save him from a Championship
nightmare?
Could it be that he's simply looking at a progressing team, verging on the
top four, with youthful talent from top to bottom, thinking that we're
either the best chance of silverware or simply a stepping-stone to a future
elsewhere?
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SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW WHEN TO PASS, MAGNUSSON - the Mirror
Brian Reade 16/06/2007
WHO could have predicted that Carlos Tevez's signing for West Ham last
summer would lead to Sean Bean standing outside the House of Commons
demanding the club be thrown out of the Premiership?
It's like one of those surreal dreams where you're stood nude at a bus stop
next to Julie Andrews. How utterly bizarre that an actor famed for playing a
piece of Napoleonic War beefcake should be telling MPs that West Ham are a
criminal outfit who need the stiffest of punishments.
Especially when there are far more serious goings-on at West Ham this summer
than a debate over who "owns" a player. Surely offering weekly wages of
between £65,000 to £90,000 to the likes of Scott Parker, Darren Bent, Andy
Johnson, Joey Barton and Mark Viduka, makes the Tevez charge look as petty
as a baby peeing behind a tree.
Let's get the moral outrage out of the way first. The average weekly wage in
Britain is £447. The average for a newly-qualified nurse is £297. "But how"
I hear Gordon Taylor sigh, "can you compare ordinary workers to Premiership
footballers?" Well let's make the common factor the word "average". Players
like Bent and Parker, who are so average they can't even make it into Steve
McClaren's plans, are being offered £75,000 a week. Or £20million over five
years. On current pay, a newly-qualified nurse would earn £77,225 over five
years, or two grand more than Parker can expect every seven days. For the
relatively minor task of saving lives.
At what point do we bypass the observation that "at least Dick Turpin wore a
mask" and shout about players' wages becoming an obscenity too far.
West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson says he's doing nothing wrong apart from
trying to take on the top teams. But he is. Forget morals if you will and
look at economics.
When Viduka was offered £75,000 a week by West Ham he used it as a
bargaining tool with Newcastle, who were forced to pick up an extra £2.4m
tab on his contract.
Not that all players snub the Icelandic sugar-daddy, who is rapidly earning
the nickname of Father Christmas. Look at Lucas Neill. He could have been
playing in a European Cup Final with Liverpool last month, but chose a
relegation fight for £60,000 a week.
Think of the knock-on effect when agents thump these new numbers into their
calculators. Andy Johnson and Craig Bellamy have reputedly been offered
£90,000 a week by the East End Santa.
They might not take it but they may use it to win even heftier salaries.
Salaries their agents will use as starting points when other clients' deals
are up for renewal.
West Ham's obscene rewriting of salary bands won't affect the Big Four. They
will still draw men who want medals as well as cash. But it will
dramatically hit the teams below them who need a form of sanity in the wage
market to operate. When the extra TV billions poured into the Premiership
there was talk about significant cuts in ticket prices.
A few clubs have, the majority haven't. Instead they've decided the best way
to stay viable is to hand the new wealth to agents and players.
Magnusson's Law says that the only guaranteed way of keeping your head in
the Premiership's deep trough is to bribe players with outrageous offers.
And the likes of Newcastle have been forced to comply. But at what price?
Surely the £200,000-a-week player is only a summer or two away. By which
time, the average weekly age may have hit the £500 mark. A mere 400 times
less than what a footballer earns.
At what point does the average worker take a stand? We have to be close to
it. Which means it is surely in the interests of Premiership chairmen to
take a united stand now.
Father Christmas's presents may have started football's implosion, but, to
misquote that other Magnusson, we can't let him finish.
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