WHUFC.com
West Ham United lost 1-0 to Baniyas FC in the Youth Championship of Football final in Abu Dhabi
13.01.2011
West Ham United Under-18s were edged out 1-0 by host club Baniyas FC in the inaugural Youth Championship of Football final in Abu Dhabi. The Hammers lost out to a 75th-minute free-kick from long range in the United Arab Emirate. Dylan Tombides and Matthias Fanimo both missed a pair of opportunities to give West Ham the lead, but all of them were squandered before Baniyas made the English team pay late on. Academy Director Tony Carr said the squad had thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Middle East, despite the final result. "Dylan and Matthias had a couple of chances and getting the first goal would have been vital, as I'm sure if we had gone 1-0 up then we would have won the game," said Carr. "Unfortunately, we couldn't make the breakthrough and they managed to score. What was more disappointing was that the winning goal was a struck from so far out."
West Ham defeated German side Hamburger SV 3-1 in the semi-finals on Tuesday before spending Wednesday touring the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 track and the Ferrari World theme park. Carr said the all-expenses paid tournament had been a fantastic experience for his young charges. "We didn't play with the same sharpness as we did in the semi-final victory over Hamburg, but the whole tournament and trip have been a great experience for all the boys.
"We host Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup next week and training and playing out here in the warm weather has been the perfect preparation."
The Hammers return to competitive action on Wednesday evening, when Manchester United visit the Boleyn Ground in the FA Youth Cup fourth round, with kick-off at 7pm.
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Forest prices chopped
WHUFC.com
The club are delighted to confirm ticket prices have been slashed again for the FA Cup fourth round
13.01.2011
West Ham United are delighted to confirm that ticket prices have been slashed for the FA Cup fourth-round fixture with Nottingham Forest. As a reward for their continued loyal support, season ticket holders will once again be able to make a great saving on their usual seat, with the Board reducing prices to just £15 for adults and £5 for Under-16s - the lowest price that could be agreed with the visitors. All other adult supporters will pay only £2 more with general adult tickets costing £17 and Under-16s £5 - meaning the match could be the perfect family football day-out.
The tie is provisionally scheduled to take place at 3pm on Saturday 29 January at the Boleyn Ground - although looks likely to be changed to Sunday 30 January, but not for television broadcast. whufc.com will confirm the finalised time and date as soon as confirmed. For supporters on the Automatic Cup Scheme, payment will be processed at close of business on Friday 14 January.
The selling dates for the fourth-round meeting with the Championship promotion-chasers are as follows:
*Season ticket holders - Now to 5pm on Tuesday 18 January
*Academy members - 9am to 5pm on Wednesday 19 January
*General sale - 9am on Thursday 20 January onwards
The club have continued to offer great ticket savings for the cup competitions this season, with some of the lowest prices seen at the Boleyn Ground in more than a decade. As such, demand is expected to be high as this season's FA Cup adventure continues, so move fast to avoid disappointment.
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Noble cause on Saturday
WHUFC.com
The club's longest-serving player is relishing the prospect of a London derby with Arsenal
13.01.2011
Mark Noble is looking forward to a "lovely game" when West Ham United welcome Arsenal - but knows points take precedence over a performance.
The Hammers are looking for a third Boleyn Ground win in a week and fourth straight success at home, but the high-flying Gunners will be looking to shoot them down with the likes of Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Marouane Chamakh likely to figure. Noble is ready for what he thinks could be a beautiful batle and sees no reason why the home side cannot do the job. "Arsenal are a fantastic side and it is a lovely game to play in," said Noble, a major influence in Tuesday's 2-1 win in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg with Birmingham City. "Everyone admires the way they play but they are coming here and we are looking forward to it. "They play fantastic football and you want to play against the best and they are one of the best. [We can be confident and ] if you look 90 per cent of our games this year you wouldn't think we would be struggling in the league. We have made mistakes, probably a bit of naivety and not taking chances as we should have but then again hopefully we can change that. "We will take confidence from the Carling Cup run and hopefully slowly climb the league. Obviously winning games gives you confidence - you score goals, you win games,you get confident. We need to keep pushing on. [Arsenal and Everton away next Saturday week] are two hard league games and we need to do as best we can in them."
Looking further ahead to the semi-final return at St Andrew's a week on Wednesday, Noble added: "Hopefully we can go to Birmingham and put on another good performance in the second leg. "We didn't play as well in the second half but we won the game. We scored a winning goal in the second half, i don't think we were too worried about the performance at that point. It was all about winning the game and that's what we've done." No doubt, the same would apply this Saturday.
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Mad for it
WHUFC.com
Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen is looking forward to Saturday's Barclays Premier League derby with Arsenal
13.01.2011
Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen is chomping at the bit ahead of the Barclays Premier League London derby between West Ham United and Arsenal on Saturday.
Fans of both clubs enjoy the rivalry between the two clubs, and the former West Ham midfielder is no different. Allen has special memories of playing against the north Londoners. "I used to love playing the Arsenal. My Dad always told me about the history of the club. Highbury was a special stadium - I remember the heated marble floors and the stewards were very welcoming. It's what I call a proper football club."
The Hammers faithful have seen some notable goals against Arsenal, one of the more remarkable being Allen's strike at Highbury in 1994. "It was a real memorable moment - the 30-yarder," recalled Allen. "Right behind that goal - and I knew where they were - were my dad Dennis, son George and uncle Charlie. I ran straight to them. To score at the Clock End was just incredible. It was a magical moment in my life."
Another magical moment occurred 14 years earlier in May 1980, when a 14-year-old Martin travelled to Wembley to watch cousin Paul play for West Ham against Arsenal in the FA Cup final. "Dad sat with Paul's dad and I had a ticket with my Mum. As Paul went past Willie Young everyone stood to see him score. When Young brought him down I swore in front of my Mum for the first time. As soon as I said it I sat straight back down. My Mum looked down at me and said, 'Don't worry, he is one!'"
Allen has great respect for former Arsenal and West Ham favourite Ian Wright, who scored more than 150 goals for the Gunners during a glittering career before moving the Boleyn Ground. "Ian Wright was a lovely man off the pitch but on the pitch he was horrible! We used to give each other stick and he would ridicule me - he was such a good player and I was just a dog!"
Despite the lack of trophies at the Emirates recently, Allen firmly believes it isn't the end of the road for Saturday's opponents' title tilt. "I do see them as contenders, as Arsene Wenger has a great squad. To stay around the top of the league and in the Champions League, bringing through quality players and to not be in any debt is quite remarkable."
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Fantastic offer on shirt printing
WHUFC.com
Supporters can save 18 pounds on shirt printing featuring midweek heroes Mark Noble and Carlton Cole
13.01.2011
Fans still on a high after the midweek Carling Cup semi-final win against Birmingham City can take advantage of a great kit promotion featuring Mark Noble and Carlton Cole.
Anyone visiting Lakeside Thurrock, Liberty Romford or the Stadium Superstore can get free shirt printing, plus official numbers and badges, for free on Noble and Cole shirts. Both scored in the 2-1 win on Tuesday that has given the team a great chance before the second leg at St Andrew's on Wednesday 26 January.
This offer means a saving of £18 and applies to Macron 2010/11 home and away shirts. This fantastic offer will run until close of business on Friday 14 January.
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Parker backs Grant
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 13th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Scott Parker has dismissed rumours suggesting Avram Grant has 'lost the dressing room'. The United vice-captain, who was part of the team that narrowly beat Birmingham in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi final on Tuesday night laughed off the reports, saying: "We're definitely playing for our manager. If you believed everything that you hear about West Ham in the press then you'd be rather a stressed man. "He [Grant] seems relaxed - that's his demeanour. He seems relaxed and chilled out, which I think echoes to the players as well. Spirit is high. I think as much as the gaffer is fighting, we're all fighting as well. "We're all in the same corner, we're all trying to do our best for ourselves, the manager and the club. The manager has tons and tons of experience, so he's doing a good job."
Parker - who is set to start against Arsenal in this weekend's big London derby - believes that the Hammers can continue their good run of recent form in which they have picked up four wins in all competitions from their last six games, with just one defeat during that period. "We are feeling positive," he continued. "We've been on a run of good form if you take the Newcastle result out of it. Other than that, we have picked up some good results. "We'll go into the Arsenal game confident - it's a London derby and hopefully we can pick up some more points."
Grant - who was widely tipped to be on his way out yesterday - refused to confirm whether he would still be in charge of the club come the end of the month following Tuesday's win against Birmingham.
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Wenger silent on Upson link
Gunners boss won't blame defence for shock Ipswich defeat
Last updated: 13th January 2011
SSN
Arsene Wenger has refused to comment on reports that Matthew Upson is the player he wants to solve Arsenal's current defensive crisis. Arsenal boss Wenger is keen to bring in a new centre-half in January after Sebastien Squillaci joined Thomas Vermaelen on the sidelines. West Ham United defender Upson has been linked with a return to the Gunners and would be a cheap option for Wenger as he is out of contract at the end of the season. However, after refusing to blame his defence for the surprise 1-0 defeat by Ipswich Town on Wednesday evening, Wenger did not wish to identify his transfer targets.
Disappointed
"Let's not think that we lost the game because we haven't bought a central defender," said Wenger. "We lost the game because we didn't play as well as we can. "We have only two central defenders and we are short but I do not want to speak about any particular name. "Frankly I am just disappointed about our defeat. It is early to talk about a player coming in. "We have nine games in January and it happens sometimes that you don't always play well in every game. "As a team we did not have the performance we wanted. We were below our usual level in every department and it would be unfair to put the blame in the defence."
Wenger previously signed Upson from Luton Town in 1997 and the England international made 57 appearances for Arsenal before joining Birmingham City in 2003.
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Hammers in for Mouche
West Ham hope for Argentine loan
By Graeme Bailey - Follow me on Twitter @graemebailey Last updated: 13th January 2011
SSN
West Ham United have made a bid for Argentine starlet Pablo Mouche, skysports.com understands. The Boca Juniors ace is being targeted by a plethora of clubs from across Europe, but he looks set for a move to England. Mouche would like to emulate Carlos Tevez's impact in the Premier League and he could start on the same path as his idol. Tevez's first move to Europe was with West Ham before joining Manchester United, and now the Hammers hope Mouche will also sign on an initial loan with a view to a permanent move in the summer. The 23-year-old, though, is being tracked by a host of clubs with Blackburn and Birmingham already confirmed admirers whilst skysports.com understands there is fresh interest from elsewhere in England.
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Feindouno claims Hammers contact
Out-of-contract midfielder is waiting for best offer
By Patrick Haond Last updated: 13th January 2011
SSN
Pascal Feindouno claims West Ham are the latest club to come in for the Guinea international. The 29-year-old midfielder is currently out of contract and claims there has been contact from the Premier League strugglers after recently having a successful trial at Celtic. Although Feindouno was offered a contract by the Scottish giants, they were unable to agree terms and he is now weighing up his options. The former St Etienne man, who came through the junior ranks at Bordeaux, was released by Al-Sadd last month after leaving France for Qatar in 2008 and insists there has also been an interest from Bordeaux and Monaco.
Options
"I am waiting for a good proposition," he told France Football. "Bordeaux is my home, where I was educated, and coming back there would be great fun.
"As for Monaco, there were contacts with the club and they made me an offer, but we haven't found an agreement so far. "But I had contacts first with Celtic and West Ham."
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Potters reject link to duo
Coates insists there have been no enquiries for Noble and Davies
Last updated: 13th January 2011
SSN
Stoke City chairman Peter Coates insists the club have not made enquiries for West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble and Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies. Noble has been linked with a £4million move to the Britannia Stadium as Potters boss Tony Pulis considers January signings. Davies, who is out of favour at Villa and has recently been on loan at Leicester City, has also been linked with a move to Stoke. However, Coates has played down reports that Pulis is looking to add the duo to his squad before the close of the transfer window. "We have made no inquiries for either player," Coates told The Sentinel. West Ham would likely be reluctant to let Noble leave Upton Park as manager Avram Grant seeks to keep his team in the Premier League. Davies, meanwhile, is expected to depart Villa and has been linked with the likes of Wolves and Werder Bremen in addition to being wanted back at Leicester.
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Parker backing Grant
Players support Hammers boss
By Graeme Bailey - Follow me on Twitter @graemebailey Last updated: 13th January 2011
SSN
West Ham ace Scott Parker insists the players are completely behind under-fire boss Avram Grant. Grant is the subject of continued speculation about his future and he appears to have survived following a board meeting at Upton Park on Wednesday. Despite the pressure, West Ham have lost just one of their last seven matches and are just one game away from Wembley as they lead Birmingham 2-1 following the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final earlier this week. And Parker insists that he and his team-mates are fully committed in their support of Grant. Asked if the players were united behind him, he replied: "Yes, definitely. "The lads are fighting as much as the gaffer is fighting. We're all in the same corner. "We're all trying to do our best for ourselves, for the manager, for the club. The manager's got tons and tons of experience and he's doing a good job. "If you believed everything you heard about this club, you'd be rather a stressed man. "Avram's demeanour seems quite relaxed and chilled out and I think that filters down to the players.
"Obviously we're feeling positive. We have been on a run of good form, if you take the 5-0 defeat at Newcastle out of it. "We have picked up some good results and we will go into the Arsenal game confident. "It's a London derby and hopefully we can pick up some more points."
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Pascal gets Hammers trial
The Sun
Published: Today
WEST HAM are eyeing Guinea winger Pascal Feindouno, who has been released by Qatar club Al-Sadd where he was on £50,000 a week after tax.
The ex-St Etienne star, 29, who has snubbed Celtic, is due for a trial at Upton Park within the next week. He said: "I'm willing to take a pay cut, but won't work for a pittance."
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Pulis to raise Ba in Dem chase
The Sun
By MARK IRWIN
Published: Today
STOKE boss Tony Pulis is set to hijack West Ham's move for Hoffenheim hitman Demba Ba. Senegal star Ba, 25, who started his career at Watford, had set his heart on a return to London. But the Hammers have been unable to agree terms with the German club and now Stoke have made a firm £5.9million bid. Ba has refused to report back for training following the Bundesliga's winter break. He said: "I have told Hoffenheim of my desire to join the Premier League and a club gave me the opportunity to achieve my dream. "Hoffenheim gave me the green light to leave under certain conditions, which have been met. Now I hope those promises will be fulfilled. I just ask the club to stick to their word." Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan, 26, will snub West Brom and Newcastle to join Wolves in a £1.2m deal.
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Lambert joins Hammers list
The Sun
XCLUSIVE
By CHARLIE WYETT
Published: Today
NORWICH boss Paul Lambert is a shock contender for the West Ham job. A shortlist of candidates has been drawn up to replace Avram Grant. Martin O'Neill remains favourite but the former Aston Villa boss is sending out mixed messages about whether he would be interested. West Ham's board are understood to be keen on Lambert, 41, who ironically sees O'Neill as his mentor after their days at Celtic. Lambert has worked wonders at Carrow Road and turned down an approach from Burnley last week.
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Arsenal offer Hammers just £500k for Upson
Published 23:00 13/01/11 By John Cross
The Mirror
Arsenal's Arsene Wenger is eyeing a bargain deal for former Gunner Matt Upson – but is only willing to pay a cut-price £500,000. But he faces competition for the West Ham defender from Sunderland boss Steve Bruce. England man Upson is out of contract at the end of the season and the Hammers may consider cashing in now rather than losing him for free in the summer. They would still want more than £500,000 and that could give Bruce a chance. Bolton's Gary Cahill tops Wenger's wish-list, while he also likes Per Mertesacker and Phil Jagielka.
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Why the scandalous treatment of Avram Grant is a black mark on West Ham that will take some time to wash away
By Martin Lipton in Laptop with Martin Lipton
Published 11:10 13/01/11
The Mirror
His name is Avram, not Joseph. But the situation is the same. And just like the lead character in Saul Bellow's first novel, the manager of West Ham has been left a "Dangling Man", waiting for the inevitable. For all the self-regard the Upton Park board have for themselves, the treatment of Avram Grant over the past few weeks has shown them in their true colours. Newcastle and Blackburn were rightly criticised for the way they axed Chris Hughton and Sam Allardyce respectively, while the departure of Roy Hodgson at Liverpool was hardly a shock given what had happened. Yet the way the Israeli has been left in a constant state of managerial limbo by the men he is expected to provide with results has been nothing short of scandalous. If Grant had been sacked two months ago, on the back of a poor start to the season - even though David Sulivan, David Gold and even Karren Brady conceded he had inherited a team that should have been relegated last term - it might have been understandable. After all, even if the Hammers had won their next game, they would still have been rock-bottom of the Premier League pile. But now it is different. Still bottom, yes. But, as Grant ruefully pointed out in his programme notes before the Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Birmingham, a win in their next game could take them 14th. No matter how much negative attention any manager gets, it is normally results that kill them. On that normal measure, though, Grant should not even be a candidate for the chop, let alone the prime contender to be next out of the door. West Ham have suffered one defeat in their last seven games, winning four of them.
Admittedly, as Grant readily concurs, that defeat was a shocker, his team simply not turning up at Newcastle, although the Israeli would point to the fact that he did not have the possibility of refreshing his side and did not have a left-back at the club fit to play.
But on the basis that results should determine a manager's future, look at this list:
Arsene Wenger (two wins, two defeats), Gerard Houllier (two wins, four defeats), Alex McLeish (two wins, three defeats), Steve Kean (three wins, two defeats, in just six games), Ian Holloway (three wins, three defeats), Owen Coyle (three wins, three defeats), Carlo Ancelotti (two wins, three defeats), David Moyes (three wins, one defeat), Mark Hughes (three wins, three defeats), Kenny Dalglish (two defeats from two games), Roberto Mancini (three wins, one defeat), Alan Pardew (three wins, three defeats in six games), Tony Pulis (two wins, three defeats), Steve Bruce (three wins, three defeats), Roberto Di Matteo (one win, six defeats), Roberto Martinez (two wins, one defeat), Mick McCarthy (three wins, three defeats).
So, 17 of the other 19 top flight managers have a worse recent record than Grant. In fact, over those seven games, only Sir Alex Ferguson (five wins, two draws) has a better record, with Harry Redknapp's run at Spurs exactly the same as West Ham have achieved. And yet Grant is the man whose job is being touted around, to Martin O'Neill or Allardyce. Grant does not begrudge those managers listening to the offers. It is a dog eat dog world and you don't get a job unless a vacancy is created. But the very fact that the Israeli has been forced to work against the background of so many leaks and briefings to his detriment is a black mark on the club that will take a very long while to be washed away. Some of Grant's closest friends have been advising him to walk out now, to put the club on the spot and let the world know what has been going on - some of which would make your hair stand on end. It is not his way and the Israeli is determined to keep fighting, keep working, until he has no other choice. What will really irk is the promises that were made over his job being a work in progress, of time to sort things through, of an awareness that this would be a season in which survival mattered but when it was understood that things would be rocky.
Yet here he is, 90 minutes away from taking West Ham to their first Wembley final since 1981 - and facing the chop because of his "demeanour". Was he suddenly expected to transform himself into Frankie Boyle? Grant is Grant but if the West Ham owners have any intelligence they will stop the outrageous behind the scenes posturing and read what David James wrote in his newspaper column last week. James wrote: "The only manager I've ever played for who turned the dressing room around was Avram Grant. When he first came to Portsmouth we kept losing. The club seemed to be going down the pan, we hadn't been paid, and morale was low. "But a good run in the FA Cup kept us buoyant. It was something to focus on, a light at the end of a tunnel. We were happy under him. He kept us together and guided us towards this light. At the time it was awesome and we believed in him." James does not say things for effect. He says them because he means them. Mr Sullivan, Mr Gold, Ms Brady - take notice.
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It's Ba wars for West Ham and Stoke
Published 23:00 13/01/11 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Avram Grant's bid to bring Hoffenheim's Demba Ba to West Ham could be hijacked by Stoke. The striker, 25, has upset his German club by skipping training in a bid to force the move to Upton Park. Hammers chiefs had hoped an £8million bid would bring Ba to London, but Stoke have now made a £7m offer that could eventually rise to £10m depending on appearances. Ba said: "I just hope that there can be a quick solution."
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Hammers to pip Birmingham to Boca star
Published 23:00 13/01/11 By James Nursey
The Mirror
West Ham are new favourites to sign Argentine wonderkid Pablo Mouche. The £12.5million Boca Juniors attacker was tipped to join Birmingham. But now Hammers' co-owner David Sullivan has stepped to offer the 23-year-old a loan deal - providing he can get an Italian passport.
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Olympics chief opposes Spurs plan to pull down 2012 stadium
Published 15:21 13/01/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
Tottenham's bid to take over the Olympic Stadium suffered a blow today when Jacques Rogge revealed he was against its demolition. International Olympic Committee president Rogge wants London 2012 bosses to keep their promise to ensure an athletics track remains at the arena after the Games.
Spurs yesterday confirmed they planned to take the stadium apart and replace it with a 60,000-capacity purpose-built football ground, while revamping Crystal Palace athletics stadium into a 25,000-seater venue with the ability to be increased to 40,000. They claim that would fulfil the legacy pledge made when London were named Games hosts, with the original plan being to reduce the Olympic Stadium from 80,000 to 25,000 seats. However, bid rivals West Ham have promised to retain the stadium itself and reduce capacity to 60,000. London 2012 chief Lord Coe, UK Athletics and the British Olympic Association are all behind the Hammers' plans, which Spurs yesterday insisted would not be as sustainable and lucrative for all involved as theirs.
Bur they have so far failed to convince the most powerful man in the Olympic movement, with Rogge telling the Evening Standard the IOC had "always been keen on a scheme whereby a running track would be retained".
He added: "I don't think there is a lack of will and commitment on the side of Sebastian Coe... "I think (Coe) will fight for that. I think he will be successful and we support that. "There will be a track either here or there and we would prefer to have one in the Olympic Stadium." Meanwhile, it has been claimed Spurs could be forced to change their name if they move from White Hart Lane to Stratford. Leading intellectual property lawyer Alexander Carter-Silk, of law firm Speechly Bircham, said: "It is our view that the club's exclusive right to use the name Tottenham Hotspur would be open to legal challenge if the club continued to use the Tottenham reference when it ceased to have any direct reference with the locality."
That would further anger fans opposed to a move east. Spurs, who also have an alternative plan to rebuild White Hart Lane, continue to insist they will not make a decision on that front until a preferred bidder is chosen in just over two weeks.
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My View On the Olympic Stadium Move
West Ham Till I Die
OK, I think it's time we took a break from transfer speculation and talking about Avram Gran't future… or lack of it. Let's turn our minds to the Olympic Stadium. Our bid has to be lodged with the Olympic Legacy Authority by 21 January. A week later, on 28 January, they will announce their preferred bidder. Until fairly recently it was thought that West Ham had got it sewn up, and that any interest from Spurs was purely as a result of them wanting to put pressure on Haringey Council to play things their way.
But in recent weeks it has become clear that Spurs are deadly serious about wanting to move to Stratford. The appointment of former West Ham director Mike Lee as an adviser to the Spurs bid was a sign that they really mean business. But yesterday things took an astonishing turn. Spurs have so far been very quiet about the details of their bid. The only thing we knew about it was that they did not intend to keep the athletics track, but to preserve an Olympic legacy they would pump money into the Crystal Palace stadium. But yesterday their vice chairman announced that if they won the bid, they would rip down the entire Olympic Stadium and build a new one. This would apparently be cheaper for them than redeveloping White Hart Lane. So the £500 million the London council tax payer has contributed to the building of this magnificent stadium would be gone in the swing of a demolition crane's jib. You could say the Olympic flame has been snuffed out even before it has been lit.
This is a massive PR own goal from Spurs and is hardly likely to endear them to the Olympic Legacy Authority. So through no work on their part, the West Ham bid would again appear to be in the ascendant. West Ham didn't react publicly to yesterday's news from Spurs. I tried to get Brady, Gold or Sullivan onto my programme, but they decided to keep their lips sealed and say nothing. A wise move, probably. The last thing they should want to do is get into a public spat with representatives of the Straftford Hotspur bid.
From the reaction on my show last night and from what I have read it seems clear than Spurs fans are 95% against any move to Stratford. The West Hamm fans' position seems to be more nuanced. When I last conducted a poll on this issue, I think I remember that about 70% said that they were either wholly in favour or at least open to a move to the Olympic Stadium. I suspect that has reduced since then.
Let me tell you my own views, as several of you have asked. I love Upton Park. I'd hate to move. The atmosphere at night games, especially Cup games, is one that could never be replicated elsewhere. My heart wants to stay at Upton Park. None of us like change, and I am no different. Sentiment and emotion are very important factors in football. But hearts cannot always be allowed to rule heads, and that's why I have to say that I am broadly in favour of a move. If we have ambition for our club. If we want to compete with the biggest and the best, we have to have the facilities and ground to be able to do so. That means we need a much bigger capacity than we could ever hope to have at Upton Park. Even if the East Stand was developed, it would still only mean a maximum capacity of 42,000. Even though crowds this season have been disappointing on occasion (Tuesday was a case in point) I still believe that we would be able to get close to filling a 60,000 stadium for quite a few games. It wouldn't happen at every game, but so what? Bayern Munich rarely filled the Olympic Stadium either.
The main argument from opponents of the move is that the cycle track would mean that people would be too far from the pitch. I agree that on the face of it, that is a real issue. But those that have visited the stadium (and I hope to do so soon to see for myself) say that actually, it's a myth, and that the sight lines are brilliant, and even at the ends, you feel quite close to the action. I'm not sure how that can but I am willing to reserve judgement.
And surely we could put temporary seating over the athletics track, which could then be removed at race meets.
Football is not the same as it used to be. It is now a multi million pound business. If we want to be a successful club, challenging at the top of the table rather than floundering at the bottom we have to change the way we do things as a club, in so many ways. Moving to the Olympic Stadium would be a huge sign of confidence by the owners, and it would send a massive signal to the rest of the Premier League. If we stay where we are, we will always a bottom half of the table club, which from time to time might drop into the Championship. Now some of you may be happy with that. It's what we're used to, after all. But I do think, that without jeopardising the future of the entire club, I believe we have no alternative but to actively want to better ourselves and move to the Olympic Stadium and over the next ten years develop a business plan which sees us challenging for Champions League places before the end of the decade.
Of course the atmosphere on Tuesday made me question my support for a move. It was electric. Could we get that kind of atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium? I really don't know. But it has to be more than about the atmosphere at any one game. You have to look at the all round package. And from what I know of what is being planned, I think the initiative deserves the support of all West Ham fans. And even if you're sceptical, I hope we won't descend into the name-calling gutter. I consider myself a diehard fan and I'm not going to take any lectures from anyone about my loyalty to the club. We can all differ in our views but remain members of the same West Ham family. So in the comments, let's keep the debate calm and sane, and avoid any namecalling please.
Take part in the Olympic Stadium poll by clicking HERE.
1. From what you know, do you support the desire of the West Ham board to move the club to the Olympic Stadium?
* Yes
* No
* Not made up my mind yet, but am open to the possibility
* Not made up my mind yet, but am veering towards No
2. If you voted no or are sceptical, what is the main reason for your opposition to a move to the Olympic Stadium?
* Athletics track
* Lack of atmosphere
* Doubts about ability to attract big crowds
* Distance from our original home
* Doubts about ability to afford it
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Is Robbie Keane on His Way to Upton Park?
Reports yesterday evening indicated that West Ham are prioritising a move for Robbie Keane in a potential £4m deal. And the Hammers are allegedly in pole position to land the striker, that Harry Redknapp originally tried to sign from AC Milan back in the early 2000s. Apparently, the player wants to stay in London, to avoid up rooting his family, and Spurs are now prepared to accept a more realistic fee, for the 30 year old striker, than the £7m quoted Birmingham City.
Negotiations are due to open and West Ham are reported to be confident that they can convince Keane of the case for making the switch across London. It has been suggested that Keane is on a c.£65-70,000 a week contract at Spurs, but is prepared to moderate his demands to secure the right move. While the West Ham board are aware of the need to try to 'push the boat out,' in this window to guarantee the club's PL status. The club presumably hope that the parties can find a mutually acceptable, compromise wage package, on a 2 or 3 year contract, that will see off the rival London interest of Fulham.
Keane is an experienced PL striker with a healthy 1 in 3 strike rate. He has the experience and extra nous that are absolutely crucial in a relegation battle. It speaks volumes that the likes of Birmingham City, Wolves, Villa, Fulham and Newcastle are all interested in acquiring his goal scoring ability. If he does sign, Keane could play a vital role in lifting West Ham out of the danger zone and go on to make a major contribution in the 2011/12 PL campaign.
The rumours of a West Ham bid for, Argentinian prospect, Pablo Mouche have also resurfaced. Mouche, who can play wide or as a second striker, is said to be keen to leave Boca Juniors to play in England. There will be quite a bit of healthy PL competition for his signature, but the London and West Ham-Tevez factors could be important. If so, lets just hope that the club triple check with the FA on the basis and content of any potential deal!!!!
As well as expressing an interest in Hammers Carlton Cole and Mark Noble, Stoke City are also, apparently, intending to put in a £5.9m bid for Demba Ba. Who knows if there is any substance to this story or if Stoke pose a threat to West Ham's own alleged ambitions to sign the player? There are, however, also reports that the Potteries club are prepared to sell, ex-Boro forward, Tuncay in this transfer window. Tuncay is a player of substantial ability, who has never really fitted in to the Stoke City style of play. West Ham could do a lot worse than consider a bid, especially if others options do not come to fruition.
Finally, another story circulating is that West Ham are considering signing Sol Campbell from Newcastle Utd. He obviously has the experience to help stabilize a back four, but might any such deal have not come a couple of seasons too late? After all, Campbell has clearly failed to make an impression at Newcastle. I can possible see the case for an emergency defensive signing, until the end of the season, but are there not better, longer term, options available?
The club's priority, defensively, may well be at centre-back, but I would certainly be tempted to bid for Luke Young at Aston Villa. He would form a good full-back partnership with Bridge and minimise the adverse impact of the continued injury absence of Lars Jacobsen. Young and David Wheater (if the Bolton deal has not gone through?), combined, could possibly be signed for little more than approximately £5m. Surely that has to be good value? Of course, it all depends on the total transfer resources available and the relative cost of bringing in our No 1 target, a decent goal scorer.
Bringing Wayne Bridge in on loan from Man City is a very good piece of initial business. It will be important to bring in at least another two quality signings to really boost our survival campaign. Will they follow? We can but live in hope!
SJ. Chandos
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Is Robbie Keane on His Way to Upton Park?
West Ham Till I Die
Reports yesterday evening indicated that West Ham are prioritising a move for Robbie Keane in a potential £4m deal. And the Hammers are allegedly in pole position to land the striker, that Harry Redknapp originally tried to sign from AC Milan back in the early 2000s. Apparently, the player wants to stay in London, to avoid up rooting his family, and Spurs are now prepared to accept a more realistic fee, for the 30 year old striker, than the £7m quoted Birmingham City.
Negotiations are due to open and West Ham are reported to be confident that they can convince Keane of the case for making the switch across London. It has been suggested that Keane is on a c.£65-70,000 a week contract at Spurs, but is prepared to moderate his demands to secure the right move. While the West Ham board are aware of the need to try to 'push the boat out,' in this window to guarantee the club's PL status. The club presumably hope that the parties can find a mutually acceptable, compromise wage package, on a 2 or 3 year contract, that will see off the rival London interest of Fulham.
Keane is an experienced PL striker with a healthy 1 in 3 strike rate. He has the experience and extra nous that are absolutely crucial in a relegation battle. It speaks volumes that the likes of Birmingham City, Wolves, Villa, Fulham and Newcastle are all interested in acquiring his goal scoring ability. If he does sign, Keane could play a vital role in lifting West Ham out of the danger zone and go on to make a major contribution in the 2011/12 PL campaign.
The rumours of a West Ham bid for, Argentinian prospect, Pablo Mouche have also resurfaced. Mouche, who can play wide or as a second striker, is said to be keen to leave Boca Juniors to play in England. There will be quite a bit of healthy PL competition for his signature, but the London and West Ham-Tevez factors could be important. If so, lets just hope that the club triple check with the FA on the basis and content of any potential deal!!!!
As well as expressing an interest in Hammers Carlton Cole and Mark Noble, Stoke City are also, apparently, intending to put in a £5.9m bid for Demba Ba. Who knows if there is any substance to this story or if Stoke pose a threat to West Ham's own alleged ambitions to sign the player? There are, however, also reports that the Potteries club are prepared to sell, ex-Boro forward, Tuncay in this transfer window. Tuncay is a player of substantial ability, who has never really fitted in to the Stoke City style of play. West Ham could do a lot worse than consider a bid, especially if others options do not come to fruition.
Finally, another story circulating is that West Ham are considering signing Sol Campbell from Newcastle Utd. He obviously has the experience to help stabilize a back four, but might any such deal have not come a couple of seasons too late? After all, Campbell has clearly failed to make an impression at Newcastle. I can possible see the case for an emergency defensive signing, until the end of the season, but are there not better, longer term, options available?
The club's priority, defensively, may well be at centre-back, but I would certainly be tempted to bid for Luke Young at Aston Villa. He would form a good full-back partnership with Bridge and minimise the adverse impact of the continued injury absence of Lars Jacobsen. Young and David Wheater (if the Bolton deal has not gone through?), combined, could possibly be signed for little more than approximately £5m. Surely that has to be good value? Of course, it all depends on the total transfer resources available and the relative cost of bringing in our No 1 target, a decent goal scorer.
Bringing Wayne Bridge in on loan from Man City is a very good piece of initial business. It will be important to bring in at least another two quality signings to really boost our survival campaign. Will they follow? We can but live in hope!
SJ. Chandos.
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Why Valon Behrami is not the only David Beckham clone
There have been new Kevin Keegans and George Bests but the new David Beckhams are really the new Uli Hoenesses
Harry Pearson
The Guardian, Friday 14 January 2011
David Beckham will have to check for space for the name of his fourth child to be tattooed on his body. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian
The news that Victoria Beckham is pregnant has caused concern among football fans. Husband David has had the names of all his previous children tattooed on his body and the fear is that unless Posh (still remorselessly sucking in her cheeks like somebody who has just squeezed lemon juice on a paper cut, the love) settles on a short name such as Bo or Q, the right-sided midfielder may have to have an extra arm grafted on to him for skin-art love‑tribute purposes by the top Hollywood body sculptor Dr Horsley Loveratt, the man behind Vin Diesel's neck.
Whatever, it is a sad irony that just as the English David Beckham appears on the verge of returning to London the Swiss David Beckham, Valon Behrami, looks to be on the point of going back to Italy. The fact that Behrami's team‑mate Radoslav Kovac, briefly hailed as the Beckham of Bohemia after taking up with the woman who finished second in the 2003 Miss Czech Republic beauty pageant, is also on the way out of London leaves a glitzy, metrosexual footballer-shaped void in the capital many will feel only the original can fill right up to the edges. I tend to agree, though that is not to denigrate the achievements of the Beckhams of the Aegean, Demis Nikolaidis and his pop‑star wife, Despina Vandi.
Vandi recorded a song to celebrate the couple's wedding and – or so I imagine – clapped in delight as it streaked up the charts to the No1 spot. In Lebanon. Demis and Despina featured on the Discovery Channel's thrilling Europe's Richest People series, so they are clearly no lightweights in the world of chihuahua-hide toilet-seat covers.
That we have so many Beckhams is the result of an eldritch football tradition. For example, back in the 1960s Peter Marinello was the Scottish George Best. Three decades on Ryan Giggs was the Welsh George Best and, briefly, Alan Moore was the Irish Ryan Giggs – the title of Irish George Best having already been snapped up, by George Best.
Note that there was never an English George Best. The same has been true of the Maradonas. These proliferated throughout the 80s and 90s. We had Turkey's Emre Belozoglu (the Maradona of the Bosphorus), Albania's Edvin Murati (the Maradona of the Balkans), Romania's Gheorghe Hagi (the Maradona of the Carpathians) and Saeed al-Owairan of Saudi Arabia (the Maradona of the Desert). For a while some of us nursed the hope that West Ham's Suffolk-born winger Stuart Slater – small, skilful, as one-footed as Long John Silver – might be dubbed "the Maradona of the Fens", but alas the fateful combination of an achilles injury and a move to the SPL put paid to such wistful dreaming.
Of course, it would never have happened. That is not – as some of you are probably thinking – because England has never produced players with the requisite flair and genius. No, it is because the English are never compared to foreigners. Foreigners are compared to us. That is why – despite all points of commonality – Peter Crouch will never be called the Jan Koller of the Cheshire Plain. Perhaps it is time that changed.
Many older readers will see Beckham merely as "the new Kevin Keegan". Keegan was, some believe, the first footballer to embrace modern celebrity culture and become "a brand". The bubble-permed prattler endorsed non-sporting products, cut records and even had an agent, the splendidly named Vic Huglin. Back in 1972, while Keegan burbled away in the background ("If you could graft a new pair of legs on to Ian St John, what a player he'd be!"), Huglin told a reporter from the Observer: "This boy is great. He could be anything from 1974's trendy top model to a third partner for Morecambe & Wise." None of it came to pass, of course. Instead of Keegan singing a duet with the French crooner Slasher Distillery while the Young Generation cavorted in white polo necks, his TV appearances mostly involved him sitting in the punditry chair spouting a stream of semi-consciousness, like a toddler projectile vomiting alphabetti spaghetti.
While no one could doubt that the man given to such matchless comments as "the way the Germans play reminds me of a concertina" was an original, the truth is Keegan wasn't the first player to realise his worth in the commercial marketplace. That honour falls not to an Englishman, or even to someone from the British Isles, but to a butcher's son from Baden-Württemberg, Uli Hoeness.
The balding forward was hardly a glamorous or even a particularly popular figure, but he didn't let that stand between him and cash. When he signed for Bayern Munich he got a car thrown in with the deal. When he got married in 1972 he sold exclusive pictures of his wedding for DM25,000. Uli's father owned a butcher's shop. Uli owned the sausage factory. "It's amazing how Uli develops ideas and makes them into a business," said the usually terminally unimpressed Paul Breitner. "His career radiates the cold glory of a computer," commented the magazine Kicker.
Behrami may be the Swiss Beckham. But is clear that Becks himself is just the British Uli Hoeness, albeit with more tattoos, obviously.
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Wenger looks to Upson for temporary security
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent
Friday, 14 January 2011
Arsene Wenger has not ruled out the possibility of a short-term deal for the former Arsenal defender Matthew Upson to solve his defensive crisis after another shaky performance from Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou in the 1-0 defeat to Ipswich Town in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday.
The issue Arsenal face with Upson, 31, is that the player, who is out of contract with West Ham United in the summer, would want more than a one-year deal this month, which would be all Wenger would be prepared to offer him. As it stands, Upson would be in line for a lucrative free transfer in the summer with the prospect of up to three years in what would be his last major contract as a professional.
One possible solution is that Upson signs for Arsenal until the end of the season only, thereby offering him the possibility of a free transfer in the summer, although that would also be dependent on West Ham letting him leave.
The move by West Ham's owners to sign another former Arsenal man, Sol Campbell, from Newcastle United this month suggests that they are putting a contingency plan in place should Upson decide to leave. Speaking after the game at Ipswich, Wenger refused to discuss the subject of Upson and a potential move back to Arsenal.
It is also understood that Wenger and his scouting staff have looked at the two Ajax centre-backs Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen but feel that they are over-priced by their club. Ideally, Wenger would like a loan signing at centre-half to fill in towards the end of the season but has been unimpressed with the options put before him so far.
Following his team's 1-0 defeat to Tamas Priskin's second-half goal on Wednesday night, Cesc Fabregas showed even less generosity in defeat than his manager by claiming that the Championship team had used "rugby kick" tactics against Arsenal.
Fabregas, who was part of a strong Arsenal side defeated by Ipswich, complained that Ipswich, placed 19th in the Championship, had not tried to play football in the same way as his side. Fabregas said: "I don't know it if it is long ball or it is a rugby kick, but it worked for them.
"In England, a lot of teams play like that and it works for them, they create chances like that and it is their football. We just have to put the ball on the floor and try to play football, that is what we do."
The Arsenal back four – especially Koscielny, Djourou and Emmanuel Eboué – looked badly exposed for Priskin's goal on 78 minutes but it was not the first occasion in the match when Koscielny, in particular, was caught out.
Fabregas said: "It was disappointing, but we will now play at home. We do not need to go over something which is not needed. It is a 1-0, we lost and we did not want to lose, but it is not a 3-0 or 4-0 so we are confident at home we can make it back.
"Maybe it was just one of those nights, but still we have to be disappointed sometime with our decision-making in the first half. If we had just given the ball a bit earlier or had looked for the easier ball, we would have had more opportunities. Sometimes we did not do it and you see that when you do not score, you pay for it."
The 20-year-old goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny should keep his place in the Arsenal team for tomorrow's visit to West Ham with Lukasz Fabianski still "50-50", Wenger said yesterday. There was better news on Thomas Vermaelen who has not played since August because of an Achilles problem. Wenger said: "He has no long-term problem but we still need to be patient in the next weeks."
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Stoke rekindle interest in Hoffenheim rebel and West Ham target Demba Ba
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:49 PM on 13th January 2011
Daily Mail
Stoke City have rekindled their interest in Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba. Manager Tony Pulis has tabled a £7million bid for the rebellious 25-year-old who has also attracted interest from West Ham. Ba has been tracked by Stoke since last January when they were quoted £18m for the Senegal forward - but Pulis is trying to take advantage of Ba's fall out with his German club. He is refusing to return to Hoffenheim and keen to push through a move to England.
Ba would prefer a move to London but Stoke may offer most of the fee up front if Hoffenheim relent on his release and his arrival could herald the end of Tuncay's spell at Stoke with Pulis ready to sell the Turkey international to balance the books.
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Robbie Keane expected to join West Ham from Tottenham in cut-price deal
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 1:04 AM on 14th January 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham are confident of pushing through a cut-price deal for Robbie Keane after emerging as favourites to sign the unsettled Tottenham striker.
Sportsmail can reveal the relegation-threatened Upton Park club are actively pursuing Keane and believe they can see off competition from Birmingham, Newcastle, Fulham, Aston Villa and even America's MLS to help him kick-start a career that has stalled in recent months. With the 30-year old reluctant to uproot his family and in no mood to be dictated to by Tottenham over any decision on his future, West Ham chiefs are hoping to land him for barely half the £8million Birmingham were initially quoted.
They have made it clear they want him, irrespective of manager Avram Grant's precarious position, and are eager to begin the task of convincing him he can help steer them away from trouble in the Barclays Premier League. Though Keane has privately indicated he would like his next club to be in with a chance, at least, of competing for honours, West Ham's negotiating team feel they can still entice him to Upton Park.
Any replacement for Grant would be handed funds this month for further signings, in a recruitment drive aimed not only at safeguarding their Premier League place for another 12 months but laying the foundations for an improvement next season. A financial package including wages that rise to around £75,000 a week, with bonuses, put him beyond Fulham's reach, while reported interest from the MLS, and new franchise Vancouver Whitecaps in particular, has so far failed to materialise. West Ham have also expressed interest in Boca Juniors winger and Birmingham target Pablo Mouche, 23, and have asked about free agent Pascal Feindouno, 29, a Guinea international midfielder who was released by Al-Sadd of Qatar last month.
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From Sol Campbell to Robbie Keane: Top West Ham transfer targets
With Matthew Upson's West Ham exit looking likely, Avram Grant will need a replacement defender to try and stay in the top flight. We look at West Ham's top transfer targets.
Metro.co.uk
Sol Campbell
The veteran defender has had a tough time on Tyneside, failing to replace Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson from the starting line-up since joining in the summer of 2010. His year-long contract runs out at the end of the 2010/2011 season, but it is understood that he will be aloud to leave in the January transfer window. With Matthew Upson looking likely to join Liverpool or Arsenal, Campbell could find regular first-team football at Upton Park.
Robbie Keane
Despite only being 30-years-old, the diminuitive Irish striker has been around for years, playing for a number of clubs. He has enjoyed his longest spell at Spurs, but it seems that his time in north London may be up, as he has only made six appearances so far this season. West Ham could prove another notch on Keane's list of sides. Carlton Cole and Frederic Piquionne have barely set the Premier League alight, so Grant could be looking to bring in a proven goalscorer. Keane's record speaks for itself, finishing top scorer for the club in several seasons, and he could prove a worthy asset for the struggling Hammers. They face competition from Birmingham, who also look likely to go for Keane.
Antonio Floro Flores
If footballing ability was directly proportional to the brilliance of the player's name, Antonio Floro Flores would be a Ballon d'Or nominee. The 27-year-old Udinese striker is an alternative if a deal for Robbie Keane does not come into fruition, but it is believed West Ham will have to splash out at least £4million, as he is under contract for three more years.
Peter Utaka
Portsmouth striker John Utaka's brother, Peter Utaka, could also be a West Ham target, if rumours are to be believed. The east London club will apparently have to pay around £2.5million for his services. At 26, he is in the prime of his career and has had a good season so far for Odense, scoring 15 goals to help them to second place in the Danish league.
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Part of a mass clear-out at Manchester City, the former Chelsea winger will be allowed to leave as he is surplus to requirements. West Ham could prove the perfect solution, as they look to add to their attacking options. He could join Man City team-mate Wayne Bridge at Upton Park, mirroring the left-back's route from Stamford Bridge to the Boleyn Ground, via the City of Manchester Stadium. One sticking point could be his wage packet, as he currently commands £80k-a-week.
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