Cole urges fans to join Ebola fight
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is calling on West Ham United fans to support Football Fighting
Ebola. The Hammers striker co-founded the campaign in late 2014 to raise
funds to battle the spread of the deadly Ebola virus, which has killed
thousands of people across West Africa. Cole, whose parents were both born
in the region, feels a personal duty to fight the disease and has joined
forces with fellow England international Nathaniel Clyne to host a Football
Fighting Ebola fundraising event in central London on Sunday 12 April. The
reception will raise funds for the King's Sierra Leone Partnership, which is
providing volunteer doctors and nurses and medical expertise and supplies
for hospitals in the country's capital, Freetown. While the Ebola outbreak,
which surfaced in Guinea in late 2013, was thought to be on the wane, new
fears of the disease re-appearing and spreading to new parts of Guinea,
Sierra Leone and neighbouring Liberia have been raised in recent weeks.
"Everyone can see what is happening out in West Africa," Cole began. "My Mum
is from Sierra Leone and my Dad is from Nigeria and the region holds a big
place in my heart. "My uncle Duncan is still living out there working and
trying to help with aid in the area, and I'm doing my best by getting
involved in Football Fighting Ebola. "Myself and Nathaniel Clyne are
Ambassadors and we will attending the fundraiser, which will be hosted by my
good friend Godfrey Torto, who co-founded the campaign and who has helped me
with all my other fundraisers in the past. "Hopefully we can raise some
money to help the people out there in West Africa."
Aside from inviting his West Ham teammates to back Football Fighting Ebola
on social media, Cole has also been working alongside actor Idris Elba,
whose own parents are from Sierra Leone and Ghana. As part of the Africa
United campaign, London-based Elba has filmed television commercials
instructing residents of the affected countries to help prevent the spread
of Ebola, which is transmitted through bodily fluids. Meanwhile, Cole and
other footballers have been wearing shirts with the names of healthcare
workers on the backs. "I've done a load of other stuff with Idris Elba as
well to aid the workers out there, because they don't get any recognition
for what they are doing. "We are just trying to help in any way we can to
fight Ebola, because we need to get this crisis over and done with as soon
as possible."
Tickets for the Football Fighting Ebola fundraising reception, which will
take place at Searcy's in Knightsbridge from 6.30pm on Sunday 12 April, are
priced at £100 per person and available here.
Alternatively, you can donate £10 to the King's Sierra Leone Project by
texting 'StopEbola' to 70030.
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Former Player Blog - Tony Cottee
WHUFC.com
Tony Cottee scored 146 goals for the Hammers
Hello everyone,
We face one of my old clubs, Leicester City, at the King Power Stadium on
Saturday and it's a massive game for them considering they are bottom of the
table as things stand. Leicester are just not taking their chances and
that's been their problem all season. They had a slow start to the season,
then famously beat Manchester United 5-3 in a fantastic game, but then they
had a dip in form and have been struggling in the bottom three ever since.
Aside from the odd game, Leicester have got a big problem with scoring
goals. They paid a lot of money for Leonardo Ulloa and he started well, but
he has faded off a little bit. They also paid a lot of money for the
Croatian Andrej Kramaric and he got a couple of goals when he first came
into the team but hasn't scored for a while. They've also got David Nugent
and Jamie Vardy as well, so they have got a lot of forward players there but
they have struggled to take their chances and convert draws into wins.
If they had converted some of them, they would be higher up the league. I
always felt it was going to be a difficult season for them, because coming
up from the Championship is always tough. The main aim for a club like
Leicester is to finish 17th or above, even if it comes down to the last kick
of the season, just stay in the Premier League. They have still got a chance
of doing that, but they've got to start taking chances and winning games.
If you look at their squad, you would say it has enough quality in it to
stay in the Premier League, but you've got to get results. Speaking from
experience, even though it is 15 years since I played in the Premier League,
I am sure every single game is a hard slog because it is a physically and
mentally demanding league.
You have to be on your game every week and if you are in a
relegation-threatened team, it happens too often that you are not quite on
your game as an individual or as a team and you go three goals down and you
start playing and can't make up the goals. It's a difficult league and
you've got to be on your game. Yes, there is enough quality in that squad,
but you have got to get the results. There has been some turmoil with Nigel
Pearson and you've got to have stability at a football club to get the best
out of the players. Yes, I believe Leicester can stay up but they are
certainly making hard work of it. Talking of Nigel, I think he has done
well. He took over and got Leicester promoted with a really great season
last year. He has got his own unique way of managing, I think it is fair to
say. I was in his press conferences and it is interesting to listen to him.
You don't always get what you want out of him, but it's always an
interesting interview when you watch him. He likes to manage from the stands
and has been criticised for that, but I don't get it because you get a
better view from the stand. If that's what he wants to do, then as long as
you're in contact with the bench, I don't see it as a problem.
As I say, he has a unique way of managing but he'll ultimately be judged on
results. It's a harsh world out there and everyone wants immediate success
and to stay in the Premier League, but it's immensely difficult for
Leicester to do that. There are a lot of teams scrapping away to try to keep
their heads above water. I hope it doesn't happen, but if Leicester do get
relegated there will be big pressure on Nigel and I think he is big enough
to handle that pressure. When you are relegated, there are no guarantees
that you will come back up. I cover the Championship games week-in, week-out
for Sky and I turn up not knowing who is going to beat who. I covered a game
recently between Fulham and Derby and everyone was expecting Derby to win
four or five-nil, yet Fulham won two-nil. Fulham, Cardiff and Norwich have
all had difficult times this season and once you drop into the Championship
there is no guarantee you will get out of it.
No-one should under-estimate the job Sam did in getting the Club back into
the Premier League after just one season out of it. We did it the best
possible way by winning the Play-Off final at Wembley – a great day my two
sons still talk about now. We did a great job getting back because the
Championship is a really tough league and it's somewhere you don't want to
go back to. We've had a good season and don't need to talk about relegation.
We were safe by Christmas and that's where we want to be as a football club,
looking up above us and seeing if we can compete with the top seven and for
a place in the Europa League. We need to steady the ship and gradually build
for the coming years.
Enjoy the game on Saturday. Come on you Irons!
Tony Cottee
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Jenkinson stars in U21 victory
WHUFC.com
Carl Jenkinson gave a Man of the Match performance as England U21 twice came
from behind to defeat old rivals Germany 3-2 in an international friendly at
Middlesbrough on Monday night. Gareth Southgate's team had to show plenty of
spirit after Germany started impressively and Philipp Hofmann gave the
visitors an early lead. England rallied with Jenkinson, who was a used
substitute in Friday's victory in the Czech Republic, laying on the leveller
for Manchester United's Jesse Lingaard. Shortly after the interval England
found themselves behind again with Hofmann once more the man to strike. Just
as before, England responded strongly with two goals inside the final ten
minutes turning the contest around. Nathan Redmond swept in the second
equaliser from twelve yards, then, with seven minutes left to play,
Jenkinson fed Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, who beat Barcelona stopper
Marc-Andre ter Stegen to seal the success. England's attentions now turn to
the summer's U21 European Championships in the Czech Republic, with
Jenkinson hoping to play his part.
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Valencia and Nene welcomed in Essex
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st March 2015
By: Staff Writer
A large crowd assembled in Basildon's Eastgate Shopping Centre this
afternoon to greet Hammers stars Enner Valencia and recent arrival Nene. The
South American duo generated huge interest in South East Essex when they
made a guest appearance at the club's newest store, which is a 100 yards or
so away from where West Ham's former shop used to be. An orderly queue that
formed outside the store from around 2pm had doubled back on itself by the
time the players arrived an hour later. They remained on site to meet and
greet Hammers fans - both young and old! - for around two hours, before
calling it a day.
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West Ham register 12 point improvement on last term
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st March 2015
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have accrued 12 points more this season than from the
corresponding matches in 2013/14.
With just eight games of the current campaign left to play, Sam Allardyce's
Class of 2015 are a dozen points clear of the total achieved last season
from the equivalent opposition.
The Hammers have improved on their corresponding results from 2013/14 on no
less than ten occasions (replacing relegated teams with promoted teams) -
and on only five occasions have they fared worse that last season.
With a further 24 points left to play for, the Hammers are currently just 15
points behind the club's record Premier League total of 57, achieved some 16
years ago during Harry Redknapp's reign.
That was enough to catapult West Ham into European competition in the late
nineties - a feat only likely to be emulated this year via the UEFA Fair
Play table, which West Ham currently lead.
On the Up: Better Than Last Season
1. Crystal Palace (a) 3pts (last season 0pts) +3pts
2. Hull City (a) 1pt (0pts) +1pt
3. Liverpool (h) 3pts 3-1 (0pts) +3pts
4. Burnley (a) 3pts (Fulham, 0pts) +3pts
5. Man City (h) 3pts (0pts) +3pts
6. Stoke City 1pt (0pts) +1pt
7. Newcastle Utd (h) 3pts (0pts) +3pts
8. West Brom (a) 3pts (0pts) +3pts
9. Man Utd (h) 1pt (0pts) +1pt
10. Sunderland (h) 3pts (1pt) +2pts
Total: +23pts
On The Slide: Worse Than Last Season
1. Tottenham (h) 0pts (last season 3pts) -3pts
2. Southampton (h) 0pts (3pts) -3pts
3. Sunderland (a) 1pt (3pts) -2pts
4. Chelsea (a) 0pts (1pt) -1pt
5. Tottenham (a) 1pt (3pts) -2pts
Total: -11pts
The Same As It Ever Was
1. Man Utd (a) 0pts (0pts)
2. QPR (h) 3pts (Cardiff, 3pts)
3. Aston Villa (h) 1pt (1pt)
4. Everton (a) 0pts (0pts)
5. Swansea (h) 3pts (3pts)
6. Leicester (h) 3pts (Norwich, 3pts)
7. Arsenal (h) 0pts (0pts)
8. West Brom (h) 1pt (1pt)
9. Swansea (a) 1pt (1pt)
10. Hull CIty (h) 3pts (3pts)
11. Liverpool (a) 0pts (0pts)
12. Southampton (a) 1pt (1pt)
13. Crystal Palace (h) 0pts (0pts)
14. Arsenal (a) 0pts (0pts)
Still To Play
1. Leicester (a) (Norwich, 0pts)
2. Stoke City (h) (0pts)
3. Man City (a) (0pts)
4. QPR (a) (Cardiff, 3pts)
5. Burnley (h) (Fulham, 3pts)
6. Aston Villa (a) (3pts)
7. Everton (h) (0pts)
8. Newcastle (a) (1pt)
Total last season: 10pts
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Diafra Sakho eager to become West Ham's first goalscorer at the Olympic
Stadium
17:18, 31 March 2015 By Darren Lewis
The Senegal striker, who has had an impressive first season at the club,
also aims to be the last scorer at Upton Park before the Irons move out next
year
The Mirror
Diafra Sakho wants to carve his name into West Ham legend by becoming the
first scorer at the club's new stadium. The Senegal striker, who has had an
impressive first season at the club, also aims to be the last scorer at
Upton Park before the Irons move out next year.
West Ham are gearing up for an emotional final campaign at the Boleyn before
their move to the 54,000-seater Olympic Stadium in the summer of 2016. They
are looking to brink in more firepower this summer with his international
team-mate Moussa Konate among the candidates. But Sakho wants to be the man
who makes history when the club kick off in their new arena. The former Metz
forward, who has scored 12 goals this season, said: "Everyone dreams of
playing there. "I would even like to score the first goal in the new
stadium. That would be amazing. "I hope to score the last goal at Upton Park
as well and then the first one at the Olympic Stadium. You have to be
ambitious.
To go from 35,000 to 54,000 is massive. I think season tickets are going to
go very quickly this year. That's for sure." West Ham's impressive first
half of the season led to growing optimism within the club that they could
launch a shock bid for the Champions League places. They have fallen away
during the second half of the season with their most recent victory, 1-0
over Sunderland , only their second in 12 matches. Sakho, however, maintains
the Hammers will be stronger for the experience next season. He also
insisted the club will be striving to ensure the club are able to conclude
their tenure at Upton Park by taking European football into the Olympic
Stadium.
"It's the club's objective at the moment to play European football at the
new stadium. We as players are here to make that happen. We'll give it our
all in the next year to get there.
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Right lads action this time please – not words!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 31, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
I remember laughing out loud when I was told by a Boleyn big hitter a few
weeks ago: "Don't worry about our finishing position – we have an easy run
in and will end up in the top eight!" I guess if we consider games against
relegation threatened teams such as Leicester City, QPR and Aston Villa (
all away) , Manchester City (away) and an end of season game at Newcastle as
easy then all will be well.
Stoke City, Burnley and Everton at home aren't the easiest either with the
Clarets in particular fighting hard in every game to secure their Premier
League future. But there we are, it's all in the eyes of the beholder
although personally I can't see any genuine gimmees on our run-in although
I find it hard to believe that QPR won't be beaten and anything other that a
win on Saturday would be hard to take. Morgan Amalfitano – like most players
before games – says the right things but we know all about words and
actions. He says:"We have a lot of games against the teams below us, but
that's not going to be easy. You have to be focused and we will be against
Leicester." "We've had a week's rest due to the international break and
hopefully we will be able to follow the last game and build on the win we
had against Sunderland at home, because we need that. "Maybe it is not good
to have that break straight away after a win, but we will see. The rest
could do us good." As he says: "We'll see" but after the mid-season slump
the fans deserve a big finish. Let's hope it really is about the action
this time and not all those well rehearsed words.
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Valencia "chat" despite watertight contract
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 31, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Enner Valencia has been told he will be going nowhere this summer despite
murmurings that Chelsea retain an interest. Valencia was at the centre of
transfer speculation in January that he could be on his way to Stamford
Bridge but no formal bid was tabled. However, Upton Park sources have again
heard "some agent talk" that the Ecuador striker may be on Jose Mourinho's
summer wanted list. We were told: "The same people who originated the chat
last time – basically agents – are at it again and no doubt it will all
start to fizz up when the window gets underway. "Enner has a watertight
contract with the club – there are no escape clauses involved – and he's
going nowhere. He has had a campaign of adjustment and we expect to see the
finished article next season. "He has been settling into a very different
way of life and that takes time. We are looking forward to seeing him reach
his full potential at West Ham United."
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Irons linked to Senegal striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 31, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
The Irons are this morning (Tues) reported as being ready to make a summer
move for Senegal striker Moussa Konate. There has been no formal
confirmation but the claim is he is also of interest to Newcastle and Aston
villa after replacing Diafra Sakho at January's Africa Cup of Nations. The
6ft 21 year old came off the bench to score twice in his country's 2-1 win
over Ghana and has scored 11 times in 17 appearances for his club, Swiss
side FC Sion, this season.
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Hammers on Senegal striker link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 31, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham today moved quickly to dispel speculation surrounding their
possible interest in Senegal striker Moussa Konate. The story emerged this
morning, probably as a result of the growing Senegal connection, but top
insiders were quick to knock the rumour down There has been no formal
comment on the story until now but when ClaretandHugh approached it's best
source inside the club we were told: "There's nothing in that whatsoever –
someone has a rich imagination." Newcastle and Aston Villa are reported as
being interested but we are entirely convinced Upton Park is not a
destination for the guy who replaced Diafra Sakho at January's Africa Cup of
Nations.
He came off the bench to score twice in his country's 2-1 win over Ghana and
has scored 11 times in 17 appearances for his club, Swiss side FC Sion, this
season.
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Amalfitano: Why I signed
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 31, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Morgan Amalfitano is a very happy Hammer! Having earned himself a new deal
the Frenchman – speaking better English at any time over his time at West
Brom on loan and now a full time Iron – has spoken of his delight at being a
permanent part of Upton Park scene. He told the official site: ""It was good
to sign because I like England and English football, The Premier League is
the best I think and I wanted to stay and try to improve my game again. "I
feel happy here, my family do too and I want to learn better English. London
is a very nice place and in my head it was that reason that I decided to
sign a new deal. "I think the club is right for me and I would like to give
as much as I can back. As long as I do my best that is all I need to do." He
could have ended with a quick chorus of 'Maybe it's because i'm a Londoner'
but not sure the English stretched that far!
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Sullivan open to Hammers defender Doneil Henry leaving on loan
HITC
John Verrall
West Ham are happy for Doneil Henry to rejoin Blackburn Rovers next season.
West Ham United co-chairman David Sullivan has told the Lancashire Telegraph
that Doneil Henry could be loaned out again next campaign, as he continues
to adapt to English football. Henry has already been on a temporary spell at
Blackburn Rovers this season, but injury cut his time at the Championship
club short. That was a disappointment for all parties, as Henry was
performing well at Blackburn, but Sullivan's words today should boost Gary
Bowyer's side.
Bowyer has made no secret of his desire to re-sign the Canadian defender for
next term, and it seems that West Ham would be open to the move. "If he's
ready for the Premier League then he could get a chance, otherwise it might
be that he goes out on loan again to gain more experience," he said. West
Ham already have a number of defensive options, with the likes of Winston
Reid, James Tomkins and James Collins all ahead of Henry in the pecking
order and therefore the powerful defender's chances of breaking through in
the near future seem slim. It means that the likelihood is that Blackburn
could be in luck if they do continue their pursuit of the 21-year-old. If
Henry does leave on loan again he will be hoping to pick up where he left
off, because his initial impression in English football has been a very
positive one.
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Wednesday, April 1
Tuesday, March 31
Daily WHUFC News - 31st March 2015
Reid - 'It's going to be amazing'
WHUFC.com
Having recently penned a new long-term deal, West Ham United defender
Winston Reid looks set to be a major part of the Club's move to their
impressive new Stadium in Stratford. West Ham are now just a year-and-a-half
away from making the switch from the Boleyn Ground and Reid paid a visit to
the former Olympic Stadium last week as part of the announcement of
Lycamobile's extended partnership with the Club. The 26-year-old centre back
is impressed with the progress made at the stadium and cannot wait to run
out there for the first time in claret and blue. "A lot's changed since I
was last here 18 months ago," he explained. "There's no grass on the pitch,
but when you look around they're towards finishing the stadium so it's
exciting. "You can see there have been improvements made, and I'm looking
forward to eventually coming in here and playing a game. "The roof looks
impressive, as does everything they've done so far and the people are
working all around the day to make it an amazing place. "I can envisage
myself playing here in 18 months' time. We'll be eager to get on with it and
playing in front of 54,000 West Ham fans will be amazing. "Even now it's
really good, but this will take the Club to a new level and take the team to
a new level as well hopefully. "Getting a better and bigger stadium will
improve us. It's definitely exciting times ahead."
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First team stars to attend Fans' Forum
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce ticketing details for an exclusive
free fans' forum for Season Ticket Holders and Academy/Youth Academy Members
at the Boleyn Ground with Hammers stars Adrian, James Collins and Carlton
Cole on Tuesday 7 April at 6.30pm. The trio will be on hand to answer
questions on all manner of West Ham subjects as the squad prepare to face
Stoke City at home the following Saturday.
You could quiz Adrian on how he has settled into life in London over an
outstanding first two seasons with the Hammers, Cole on his long and
successful West Ham career or Collins on keeping out the league's top
strikers. This, the second fans' forum of the season, continues a regular
series of events throughout the campaign, keeping fans abreast of all the
goings on at the Club. The Q&A session will kick-off at 7pm prompt, and
after there will be an informal opportunity for supporters to meet the
players, collect autographs and take photos.
A pay bar will be in operation on the evening. Tickets will be allocated on
a strictly first come, first served basis at a rate of one per successful
applicant with a capacity of 300 attendees. Please note, Under-16s must be
accompanied by an adult Season Ticket Holder.
To secure one of the places available for this exclusive event, please call
the Ticket Office on 0871 529 1966 - option 3*. The Club will announce, via
whufc.com, as and when all spaces are filled.
Supporters who have secured tickets for the event can submit questions for
consideration by emailing seasonticketholder@westhamunited.co.uk, clearly
stating if it is for Adrian, Carlton Cole or James Collins.
If your question is selected we will then come to you on the night so please
ensure you remember what you send in!
*Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras.
Please note that due to the Bank Holiday, physical tickets will not be
issued for the event, so supporters who secure a place should bring their
Season Ticket and booking confirmation with them.
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Ladies lose at Gillingham
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies suffered a 3-2 FA Women's Premier League Southern
Division defeat at Gillingham Ladies on Sunday. Winger Lily Mellors had put
the Hammers ahead with just four minutes on the clock, before Ashlee Hincks
and Lauren Phillips turned the game on its head with goals of their own for
the Gills. West Ham dragged themselves level when April Bowers fired past
Courtney Shanley from distance, before Ellie Manning popped up with the
winner shortly thereafter to secure a surprise win for the home side. Ladies
boss Julian Dicks made just one change to the starting line-up that had
defeated the same opponents 5-1 in Essex just ten days earlier. Vicky King
came in to replace the injured Ruby Baxter, while new signing Kayleigh
Xidhas was named on the bench. It took the Hammers little more than three
minutes when a deflection in the midfield saw the ball slip through the home
defence into the path of Mellors, who composed herself and finished for her
third goal in the two games against Gillingham. West Ham goalkeeper Nikki
Duncan then saved from Louise Lorton, but she was powerless to prevent
Hincks from smashing the equalizer in via the underside of the crossbar
moments later. Just before half-time, Gillingham went ahead when Phillips
finished after the home side had twice hit the frame of the goal in the
build-up.
After the break, the Hammers came out and played into a strong wind, but
they overcame that problem to hit the crossbar themselves through Mellors'
shot. With 68 minutes gone, Bowers did fashion an equaliser, picking up the
ball 25 yards out and beating Shanley with a venomous shot. Just when Dicks
and his players might have had hopes of winning the game, however, they
found themselves behind again when Hincks whipped in a right-wing cross and
manning bundled past Duncan at the far post. The unexpected defeat left the
Ladies manager unhappy, as he explained: "It's a disappointing result anyway
but it is made even more hard-hitting by the fact that we beat this team 5-1
at home recently. The performance that the girls put in wasn't good enough
for us to deserve any sort of positive result. "With me, it's all about
passing and tempo. Whether that's in training or in matches, you need to be
able to pass the ball and do it quickly to put the pressure on your
opponent. In this game, I could've played with my knee the way it is and I
wouldn't have had to run. That's how slow it was! "In the past few weeks,
we've played some teams that are below us in the league and haven't got
anything from those games. Now, the girls have got a tough run-in towards
the end of the season which includes a London FA Capital Cup final and is
nothing changes over the next few weeks, then they will continue to get
nothing from the games."
The Ladies will be hoping for a better result when they travel to Cardiff
City Ladies on Sunday 5 April, with kick off at 2pm.
Ladies: Duncan, King (Xidhas), Revell, Little, Bottom, Bowers, Stimson,
Mellors (Smith), Blanchflower, Kinsman, Sherwood
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U17s held in final Abu Dhabi fixture
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U17s were held to a goalless draw by host club Al Ain FC in
their final group game of the Hazza bin Zayed International Football
Tournament in Abu Dhabi. After triumphing 1-0 in their opener against
Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol, the young Hammers played a real game of two
halves against Spanish outfit Espanyol in their second fixture, going down
3-1. Idris Kanu was on target against Reysol, while Jahmal Hector-Ingram
scored against Espanyol, but West Ham could not find a way through against
Al Ain, denying them a place in the final or third/fourth-place match. On
Saturday, Assistant Academy Manager James Rowe, his staff and the squad
attended the tournament's gala dinner, where former Hammer Frederic Kanoute,
who now runs an Academy in nearby Dubai, was the guest of honour. West Ham's
Korrey Henry asked Kanoute about how young players should adjust to life in
the Premier League, with Kanoute also giving kind words about his time at
the Boleyn Ground. The two group winners will contest the final on Monday,
with West Ham returning to England on Tuesday to prepare for the Barclays
U18 Premier League Tier 2 Play-Off trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on
Saturday 11 April (12noon).
The four other clubs taking part in the tournament were Internazionale
(Italy), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Al Afriqi (Tunisia) and Al Ahly (Egypt).
Waleed Al Hosani, Member of the Organising Committee, said: "All teams have
various strengths that they bring with them to Al Ain, which we anticipate,
will be beneficial to the tournament as a whole." Alongside the Hazza bin
Zayed International Football Tournament, a festival of football is being
hosted by the UAE's most successful club, Al Ain FC, including an amateur
competition for local clubs and a coaches' clinic hosted by renowned Dutch
coach Raymond Verheijen. Known locally as Al Zaeem ('The Boss'), Al Ain have
won the Arabian Gulf League trophy eleven times, the H.H. The President's
Cup trophy six times, the UAE FA Cup on three occasions and the Arabian Gulf
Cup. Al Ain FC is the only Emirati club to have won the AFC Champions
League, doing so in 2003.
For more information, follow @HBZstadium on Twitter.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers pair feature in charity match
WHUFC.com
West Ham United pair Kevin Nolan and Stewart Downing were both involved in a
charity game involving the likes of Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry and Fernando
Torres at Anfield on Sunday.
The duo lined-up on opposite sides as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
brought teams together for a game in aid of various charitable organisations
in Liverpool.
Nolan was on Gerrard's team, while Downing featured for Carragher in the
game which ended 2-2. Gerrard scored twice, while Mario Balotelli and Didier
Drogba were also on target.
Guy Demel also featured in action on Sunday, turning out for David Jarolim's
testimonial at his former club Hamburg.
On the international stage, Diego Poyet played his second game of the week
for Uruguay U20 on Sunday and made his first start as the South Americans
suffered a 1-0 defeat against Uzbekistan.
James Collins started on Saturday as Wales defeated Israel 3-0 to give their
hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 a major boost.
Also on Saturday, Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal defeated Ghana 2-1 in a
friendly, Sam Howes played in England U18s' 6-1 victory against Switzerland
and Josh Cullen played the 90 minutes of Republic of Ireland U19s' narrow
3-2 defeat to Germany.
On Monday, Carl Jenkinson will hope to feature as England U21 take on
Germany in Middlesbrough.
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Song, Jenkinson, Nolan and Downing: Mondays News
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 30th March 2015
By: Staff Writer #2
Get the very latest West Ham news in one place, with our new daily media
round-up!
Chelsea 'are considering a £10m summer transfer raid for Barcelona
midfielder Alex Song'
Alex Song has emerged as a surprise transfer target for Chelsea.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/29/chelsea-are-considering-a-10m-summer-transfer-
raid-for-barcelona-midfielder-alex-song-5126037/
Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson 'will be told he is free to join West Ham on
a permanent deal this summer'
Carl Jenkinson will be told he is free to make a permanent switch to West
Ham this summer.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/29/arsenal-defender-carl-jenkinson-will-be-told-h
e-is-free-to-join-west-ham-on-a-permanent-deal-this-summer-5126006/
Hammers pair feature in charity match
West Ham United pair Kevin Nolan and Stewart Downing were both involved in a
charity game involving the likes of Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry and Fernando
Torres at Anfield on Sunday.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/29-March/Hammers-pair-feature-
in-charity-match
Chelsea line up SHOCK move for former Arsenal star as Nemanja Matic back-up
JOSE MOURINHO is weighing up a move for Barcelona's Alex Song at the end of
the season, according to reports.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/567107/Alex-Song-Chelsea-transfer-ne
ws
WEST HAM OFFERED EUROPEAN LIFELINE?
Sam Allardyce's sides are known to be physical, aggressive and in-your-face,
partial to the odd crunching tackle which inevitably leads to the odd yellow
or even red card being brandished.
http://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/west-ham/west-ham-on-course-fo
r-european-qualification
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CLUB OR COUNTRY?
By Tony Hanna 30 Mar 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
It may be difficult for younger fans to comprehend that the following
question I am going to ask used to be a difficult one. It would be my bet
that today's answers would deliver a landslide result yet a few decades ago
it would have probably eventuated in a hung parliament. So to the question.
"What would you rather. West Ham win the (PL) league or England win the
World Cup?"
Certainly, following the Nations long lived celebrations on winning the 1966
World Cup the answer would have probably swung to England. It was a time
when our National pride was at an all time high. The whole country
celebrated and eating baked beans on toast still felt like a three hat
experience. Just how much it meant to everyone radiated through to our core
with the disappointment of defeat when trying to retain the Cup in 1970.
Giving up a 2-0 lead against West Germany in the quarter final was like a
dagger to the heart.
Back in those days many England games were shown live on free to air
television. Certainly all the World Cup games were on the box although for
most in '66 and '70 it was still in black and white. In contrast none of the
league games were shown live and if you did not get to games you had to rely
on the BBC and ITV showing highlights and goals only from selected matches.
This was an era when many football fans would prefer an FA Cup to a League
title. The Cup was really something back in those days as was the European
Cup Winners Cup.
But what of today? Unlike yesteryear, domestic football is everywhere.
Depending on where you live in the World or what internet streams you are
prepared to risk, you can watch any and every game played each weekend. The
back page coverage of football has now turned into many pages and the
internet now provides sites like these if you want another dose of the
football drug. Some of the best footballers from all over the World now play
the game on our shores and the whole game has been revolutionised. Forty
five years ago the players that were selected for England were the best of
what the domestic league had to offer and there were plenty to choose from
as the vast majority were English. In recent times some of the players
selected can't even get a decent run in their club team due to the foreign
influx.
Perhaps too, the English public has got fed up with the same old, same old
stuff from the National side. A failure to perform in the big games and a
seemingly too often passive approach from the players has hardly inspired.
There appears to be a lop sided system in place where unless the players are
playing for the top sides they won't be selected. It makes it a bit more
special to follow England if there is a player from the club you support in
the set up and quite a few clubs in the Premier League seem starved of this
opportunity.
So, what would you rather? If you are not English, please feel free to
comment on your own National team.
Please note due to holiday commitments this will be my last article until
May.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham lining up summer transfer swoop for 21-year-old Senegal striker
Moussa Konate
22:30, 30 March 2015 By Darren Lewis
The forward has netted 11 times in 17 games for Swiss side FC Sion this
season, attracting attention from the Upton Park club
The Mirror
West Ham are poised to make a summer move for Senegal striker Moussa Konate
. The 21-year-old – who replaced the Irons' injured Diafra Sakho at
January's Africa Cup of Nations – has also attracted interest from Newcastle
and Aston Villa. The 6ft marksman enhanced his glowing reputation on
Saturday when he came off the bench to score twice in his country's 2-1 win
over Ghana. Konate has also netted 11 times in 17 appearances for his club,
Swiss side FC Sion, this season. His is keen to play in the Premier League
Hammers are equally determined to land him following the success of Sakho ,
bought for just £4.7million from Metz last summer. Sakho has hit 12 goals in
24 appearances this season, including seven in as many matches and the
winner in West Ham's last game, a 1-0 win over Sunderland. Hammers
co-chairman David Sullivan has already revealed that the club are seeking
more firepower in the summer after having their bid for European football
hampered by injury to Andy Carroll. Outlining the club's summer strategy to
fans, he said last week: "I think we need goalscorers, a right back and
maybe a central defender."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manager hunt delays player targets
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Transfer gossip is always fun but as the season winds down that's exactly
what it is at West Ham right now – GOSSIP – nothing more, nothing less. With
the club's managerial situation almost certainly in a state of transition no
names we read at this stage of things can be taken in any way seriously. I
mention this only because at the same time as I was earlier writing that the
managerial hunt was still going on and that Rafa Benitez was a hopeful
rather than optimistic target,new player faces were being put in the frame.
One was Parma striker Ishak Belfodil who had apparently become a target amid
claims Torino have entered the running for him. The report adds that " the
Hammers are determined to strengthen their forward line," a strange claim
given David Sullivan has admitted defensive signings will be the priority.
Take it all with a pinch of salt because with every passing day it looks as
if a new man – whoever that maybe – is on the way in anything you may or may
not read in the media is speculative at the very best. Expect the action to
stay in towards the end of May or early June when some serious decisions
will have been made.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons new boss: The French connection grows
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Marseilles boss Marco Bielsa is very back in the frame to become the next
Irons boss. The Argentinian boss is enjoying a highly successful season in
the French Ligue and the club is currently sitting in third place – one
point behind Lyon in second and two behind leaders PSG.
The team scored a fine 4-0 away win at RC Lens over the weekend as the
Hammers continue to monitor the former Argentine and Chile national team
chief. The 59 year old has been on the Hammers list of candidates to replace
Sam Allardyce at the end of the season for some weeks but ClaretandHugh has
learned his 'star' is in the ascendancy right now. We were told today: "He
doesn't fit the required criteria exactly in that he has no Premier League
experience but he is doing a superb job in France and his track record is
excellent. "He keeps coming back onto the radar and it would be no surprise
to see a formal inquiry made to speak with him." His flamboyant personality
has made him a favourite of the media in past years and he is a very
demonstrative individual who wears his heart on his sleeve.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers on the Rafa link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are still tracking Rafa Benitez as a replacement for Sam Allardyce
at the end of the season but fear they will be unable to attract the former
Liverpool boss. Benitez is definitely keen on a Premier League return after
what is seen as a disappointing season with Napoli who sit in fifth place in
Serie A – twenty points off leaders Juventus. And the 1-1 home draw against
17th Atalanta at the weekend only cranked up the pressure on the former Kop
boss. With his family still in Liverpool – where they are very settled –
Benitez was reported by former Kop keeper Pepe Reina – as being ready to
make a PL return. And sources inside West Ham admitted to ClaretandHugh this
morning that he is a manager who would be very much a target were he
available. However one added: "Our understanding is that he wants either
Liverpool or Manchester City. He's a top manager and most clubs would be
interested but whether we could attract him is another question. "
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Song at centre of mischievous Chelsea link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Mischief-making reports that Chelsea are keen to get involved in moves for
Alex Song are wide of the mark. With genuine news thin on the ground right
now – yes we admit it – some media outlets have been creating a story out of
very little suggesting the Hammers are no longer interested in the
midfielder. Not true! Talks with Barcelona will start within four weeks
assuming Song decides he would be open to an Upton Park move and should a
fee be found suitable then personal terms will be discussed with the player.
Should Jose Mourinho show any interest at any time – as is being suggested
by the Spanish tabloid Sport but to which currently there is no substance –
the 27 year old would be very much a squad player. The Hammers would be
ready to make him top man and possibly offer him the captain's armband as
they head for the Olympic Stadium in 2017. We have reported previously that
it is of course all down to fees and personal terms with a source telling
Claretandhugh: "He's a top player and we would be keen to talk to Barca soon
and later Alex if the numbers add up."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Neville awards Arsenal's Jenkinson MOTM in superb England Under-21 win
HITC
Che Thomas
England Under-21s beat Germany 3-2 in a terrific match at the Riverside
Stadium, and the West Ham loan star was a standout performer.
Phil Neville is a former player that knows a thing or two about what makes a
top fullback. The former Manchester United and Everton man played at left
and right back for many years before retiring in 2013, and he told BT Sport
how impressed he was with one young member of the fullback's union after an
impressive attacking performance on Monday night. Commentating on England
Under-21s 3-2 win over Germany in Middlesbrough, the 59-cap defender
highlighted the work done by Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson on the right side of
defence as the home team twice came from behind to seal victory. The
right-back was a real threat down the wing for England, and Jenkinson
managed to set up Jesse Lingard's goal for the equaliser at 1-1, as well
James Ward-Prowse's late winner. "He's been like a right-winger at times
against Germany," Neville said of Jenkinson. "He's been fantastic tonight.
Rampaging down the right hand side at every opportunity. "With the two goals
he set up and driving raids down that right hand side, he just shaded man of
the match over [Nathan] Redmond."
It was no surprise that Neville gave the nod to Jenkinson, whose attacking
instincts from fullback were an impressive feature of England's performance,
and the United graduate paid tribute to the West Ham loanee by awarding him
man of the match. It's easy for people to forget about the former Charlton
defender, given the clamour that surrounded Calum Chambers' early
performances at Arsenal, but Jenkinson has been a solid performer for West
Ham this season, and it might be worthwhile Arsene Wenger keep an eye on his
youngster's performances in the European Championship finals in Czech
Republic this summer, before he entertains the idea of selling the
23-year-old.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former West Ham player Jack Collison still chasing his footballing dream
Injuries have badly disrupted the Wales midfielder's career but he is
determined to find another club despite being released by Ipswich Town in
December
Jacob Steinberg
Monday 30 March 2015 12.08 BST Last modified on Monday 30 March 2015 15.16
BST
Jack Collison is reminiscing about the start of his obsession with football.
He remembers that he always had a ball at his feet, whether he was going to
the shops or to the park, and that he would dribble around the cushions at
home, pretending he was Paul Scholes.
Chelsea were his team and he idolised Gianfranco Zola. "I was that kid
playing football 24/7, whether it was volleying a ball against my mum's
walls or knocking her vases over," Collison says. "I put a golf ball through
the front window once."
Collison is looking and sounding a little sheepish as he confesses to these
sins and this should be a heartwarming tale of how he saw his dream of
becoming a professional footballer come true. But this is a story with a
twist as jarring as the one that led to the former West Ham United
midfielder dislocating his right kneecap against Wigan Athletic in March
2009, a cruel and desperately unlucky injury that changed the course of a
career that was heading in a different direction at the time. "People have
this vision of footballers having an easy life," Collison says and he is
about to debunk that theory.
Collison is 26 and he should be approaching his prime. Alan Curbishley gave
him his debut for West Ham in a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on New Year's Day in
2008 and Collison started to establish himself as a prominent member of the
first team when Zola, his childhood hero, was appointed manager later that
year.
Yet injuries have taken their toll on a player whose ability meant that he
was once linked with a move to Arsenal, and Collison has not played a
competitive match since last May. West Ham released him with a heavy heart
at the end of last season and although Ipswich Town handed him a short-term
contract in September, he injured his left knee in a practice match and was
unable to make a single appearance for Mick McCarthy's side. He was released
in December and Collison now finds himself training on his own every day,
pushing his body and his mind as he looks for a new club. He has had a
couple of offers but he is prepared to be patient, continue his fitness work
and wait until the summer before committing to anything. It is a lonely and
frustrating existence.
Collison is not the kind of person who wants sympathy. He has a fiancee,
watching The Lion King with his two-year-old daughter, Lucia, puts a smile
on his face, he has a solid group of people around him and he is keeping
himself busy. He has just opened the Jack Collison Soccer School with an old
friend, plans to take his Uefa B licence in the summer and reveals that he
is studying for a degree in sports writing and broadcasting.
Yet when he recalls how excited he was when he made his debut against
Arsenal, how Curbishley caught him and James Tomkins in the lift on the
morning of the game and told them that they were on the bench, it is hard
not to feel sorry for him. "I remember going to warm up down the touchline
and the Arsenal fans didn't have a clue who we were and we got quite a bit
of stick: 'Oh, you two look like hairdressers,'" Collison says. "We had a
great set of barnets. We quite enjoyed that and before I knew it Freddie
Ljungberg was going off and it was: 'Right, you're going on, enjoy it ...
try and get near Fàbregas if you can.' I didn't get anywhere near him."
When Zola replaced Curbishley in September 2008, Collison became a fixture
in the side and on 19 November 2008 he made his debut for Wales in a 1-0
victory away to Denmark, the first of 17 caps.
On 1 March 2009, he scored West Ham's winner in a 1-0 victory over
Manchester City. It was a fine goal, a beautifully judged lob over Shay
Given, but the injury came three days later. West Ham were closing in on
another three points, this time away to Wigan, when Collison controlled a
clearance from Robert Green on his chest and collapsed in agony by the right
touchline. There was no one near him but his studs seemed to get caught in
the turf, causing his knee to buckle and give way. It was a freak accident.
"I think that was a big turning point," Collison says. "Ever since then I've
had to be very careful with myself. At the time, I was flying and loving my
football. I was enjoying playing under my hero as a kid and the boys were
doing well in the league."
He returned two months later, but it was too soon. "Injuries are part of the
game, but it was a serious injury," Collison says. "Looking back, that was a
massive mistake. It's hard to tell a 20-year-old kid you can go one way
about it and you'll be back in a couple of months, or you go the long way,
have the surgery and miss over a year of football.
"I think it's hard. I was 20 and I was playing week-in, week-out in the
Premier League. At the end of the day, it's all in the past. It's happened
now. It's hard to tell someone they should stop playing and no one said
maybe you think should about your future rather than trying to play again in
a couple of months time."
It was a difficult time for Collison, both on and off the pitch. Tragedy
stuck at the start of the following season when his father, Ian, was killed
in a motorcycle accident while he was on his way to watch Collison play
against Tottenham Hotspur. Collison found out after the game and two days
later he walked off in tears at the end of a League Cup match against
Millwall at Upton Park.
He continued to play, but his knee was bothering him and he underwent
surgery in March 2010. He was out for 14 months, Zola was sacked and Avram
Grant took West Ham down. The game that sealed their fate, a 3-2 defeat at
Wigan in May 2011, was Collison's first start of the season.
"There's a different way for an injured player to be," he says. "Though
you're around the boys a lot, it's very lonely. People would try and talk to
you and build you up, but you need to get in the right mindset and realise
you're on your own now. This is what I'm going to do, this is what it's
going to take. You have to focus so much energy on coming back. I had a lot
of good people around me, but they're not the ones going in watching the
boys training and doing the hours in the gym. Then you've got treatment,
then you've got to go down the swimming pool and then spend all night icing
your knee. It's very lonely. Times like that aren't easy."
Collison pauses for a moment and searches for the right words. "It's
heartbreaking," he says, softly and without a hint of melodrama.
"One of my most difficult moments was when my agent came to me pick me up
after my operation," he says. "I'd been in for two days and they said I
should stay, but I just wanted to get home. I was in the back of the car and
I was nearly in tears, I was in so much pain on the way back. I just wanted
to get home and start my recovery away from the hospital. Over a 14-month
period there was lots of progress and then a setback. Two steps forward, one
step back. You think you're getting close and you're still a mile off. You
get outside and something else crops up. It's tough.
"I kept a blog every day, of every single bit of treatment that I did, from
day one to 14 months later. I've got about three or four books of that. I
was really focused about getting back."
Sam Allardyce replaced Grant, and Collison had a productive season as West
Ham battled their way out of the Championship. He scored both goals when
they beat Cardiff City 2-0 in the first leg of their play-off semi-final and
played in the 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the final, even though he was
struggling with a shoulder injury. "It was a bit of a patch-up job," he
says. "I had a jab on the day of the game. I was fully strapped up. I could
hardly move to be honest but there was no way I wasn't going to go out
there; you would have had to shoot me in both legs.
"Near the end I was dribbling with the ball. I got cramp in both legs and I
fell over on my shoulder. I was in agony. Kevin Nolan picked me up and said:
'What are you doing?' But Winston Reid was there to mop up. Then I fell over
the boards when we were celebrating."
West Ham were back in the Premier League but his knee was bothering him
again. He missed the first three months of the season and when he scored
West Ham's goal in a 5-1 defeat at Arsenal in January 2013, he ran straight
to the bench and celebrated with the physio, Andy Rolls.
Yet his form was patchy and West Ham decided to let him go at the end of
last season. Collison's response? He said farewell to supporters by
publishing a 2,800-word open letter on West Ham's website and the feedback
was so positive that it made him want to see whether he could work in the
media one day.
"I'm going to be picking your brains," he jokes. "I've always been
interested in writing and the radio, because obviously it's something that
comes with football. I've always kept blogs and diaries, but it's been more
private. After I wrote the letter to the West Ham fans, which took me a
while, I had a lot of feedback. I got an email from the PFA, who have been
fantastic, about their sports writing degree, so I thought let's have a
crack at it and see how it goes. I'm about four or five months into it.
"It's a bit harder than I expected. The workload's really gone up and we've
got a little group of 10 of us. It's ex-pros through the PFA. Chris
Iwelumo's doing it and a few others. We've just started doing small pieces,
little articles. We've been working on interview techniques and then in the
summer it moves into the television and radio side of it."
Collison loves to write. "I found that it was a good way to sometimes let
off a bit off steam," he says. "I sometimes wrote about my games, it just
depended on what mood I was in. Sometimes I would go ages without writing
and sometimes I'd be writing every day. It might be a little paragraph or
sometimes I might really get into one and get all my feelings and thoughts
out on the page.
"I've never published anything. The letter to the West Ham fans is the only
thing I've put out there. I felt that was quite therapeutic. It was nice to
get everything out and close the chapter on a long time at West Ham.
"I've got pages and pages of stuff on my computer. I'm actually working on a
book with Kit Carson, who used to be my youth coach at Peterborough and
Cambridge. We're working on something at the moment, to try and bring some
of the stuff together and see where we go with that. I've got everything,
from debuts, from bad games, from coming back from injury, from being
injured."
The soccer school has also given Collison a buzz. "One of my friends who I
played with at Cambridge, Russell Short, we were just having a conversation
one day," he says. "I had a lot of time on my hands and he's a semi-pro now
and we just thought it would be great to set it up. I know how fantastic it
was for me as a youngster to go to something like that. They have the
opportunity to get trained by ex-pros and I do as much as I can. I have
David Blackmore, an ex-West Ham academy goalkeeper, coming in with the
goalies. They just enjoy their football, which I think every kid wants.
"They're normal schoolkids. It's not to find the best players. We're in a
great position where if we find a little gem we can help them out. It would
be amazing. Imagine having a kid coming from your soccer school going on to
a pro club and then doing well. But the three days we have had so far, I got
so much enjoyment out of it. It's such a great feeling seeing how happy the
kids were and how much they were enjoying it."
Collison's main target, however, is to find a new club. He feels strong and
he knows his body now. "I've spent a lot of time researching," he says. "If
you wanted to talk about knees, I could probably talk about them for 10
hours."
And despite everything that has happened, he has remained positive. "I don't
think I have any choice," Collison says. "If ever I have a day where I feel
down, I just go and look at my daughter. She's my first child. It's so great
watching her grow and her personality grow."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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http://www.avast.com
WHUFC.com
Having recently penned a new long-term deal, West Ham United defender
Winston Reid looks set to be a major part of the Club's move to their
impressive new Stadium in Stratford. West Ham are now just a year-and-a-half
away from making the switch from the Boleyn Ground and Reid paid a visit to
the former Olympic Stadium last week as part of the announcement of
Lycamobile's extended partnership with the Club. The 26-year-old centre back
is impressed with the progress made at the stadium and cannot wait to run
out there for the first time in claret and blue. "A lot's changed since I
was last here 18 months ago," he explained. "There's no grass on the pitch,
but when you look around they're towards finishing the stadium so it's
exciting. "You can see there have been improvements made, and I'm looking
forward to eventually coming in here and playing a game. "The roof looks
impressive, as does everything they've done so far and the people are
working all around the day to make it an amazing place. "I can envisage
myself playing here in 18 months' time. We'll be eager to get on with it and
playing in front of 54,000 West Ham fans will be amazing. "Even now it's
really good, but this will take the Club to a new level and take the team to
a new level as well hopefully. "Getting a better and bigger stadium will
improve us. It's definitely exciting times ahead."
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First team stars to attend Fans' Forum
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce ticketing details for an exclusive
free fans' forum for Season Ticket Holders and Academy/Youth Academy Members
at the Boleyn Ground with Hammers stars Adrian, James Collins and Carlton
Cole on Tuesday 7 April at 6.30pm. The trio will be on hand to answer
questions on all manner of West Ham subjects as the squad prepare to face
Stoke City at home the following Saturday.
You could quiz Adrian on how he has settled into life in London over an
outstanding first two seasons with the Hammers, Cole on his long and
successful West Ham career or Collins on keeping out the league's top
strikers. This, the second fans' forum of the season, continues a regular
series of events throughout the campaign, keeping fans abreast of all the
goings on at the Club. The Q&A session will kick-off at 7pm prompt, and
after there will be an informal opportunity for supporters to meet the
players, collect autographs and take photos.
A pay bar will be in operation on the evening. Tickets will be allocated on
a strictly first come, first served basis at a rate of one per successful
applicant with a capacity of 300 attendees. Please note, Under-16s must be
accompanied by an adult Season Ticket Holder.
To secure one of the places available for this exclusive event, please call
the Ticket Office on 0871 529 1966 - option 3*. The Club will announce, via
whufc.com, as and when all spaces are filled.
Supporters who have secured tickets for the event can submit questions for
consideration by emailing seasonticketholder@westhamunited.co.uk, clearly
stating if it is for Adrian, Carlton Cole or James Collins.
If your question is selected we will then come to you on the night so please
ensure you remember what you send in!
*Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras.
Please note that due to the Bank Holiday, physical tickets will not be
issued for the event, so supporters who secure a place should bring their
Season Ticket and booking confirmation with them.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ladies lose at Gillingham
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies suffered a 3-2 FA Women's Premier League Southern
Division defeat at Gillingham Ladies on Sunday. Winger Lily Mellors had put
the Hammers ahead with just four minutes on the clock, before Ashlee Hincks
and Lauren Phillips turned the game on its head with goals of their own for
the Gills. West Ham dragged themselves level when April Bowers fired past
Courtney Shanley from distance, before Ellie Manning popped up with the
winner shortly thereafter to secure a surprise win for the home side. Ladies
boss Julian Dicks made just one change to the starting line-up that had
defeated the same opponents 5-1 in Essex just ten days earlier. Vicky King
came in to replace the injured Ruby Baxter, while new signing Kayleigh
Xidhas was named on the bench. It took the Hammers little more than three
minutes when a deflection in the midfield saw the ball slip through the home
defence into the path of Mellors, who composed herself and finished for her
third goal in the two games against Gillingham. West Ham goalkeeper Nikki
Duncan then saved from Louise Lorton, but she was powerless to prevent
Hincks from smashing the equalizer in via the underside of the crossbar
moments later. Just before half-time, Gillingham went ahead when Phillips
finished after the home side had twice hit the frame of the goal in the
build-up.
After the break, the Hammers came out and played into a strong wind, but
they overcame that problem to hit the crossbar themselves through Mellors'
shot. With 68 minutes gone, Bowers did fashion an equaliser, picking up the
ball 25 yards out and beating Shanley with a venomous shot. Just when Dicks
and his players might have had hopes of winning the game, however, they
found themselves behind again when Hincks whipped in a right-wing cross and
manning bundled past Duncan at the far post. The unexpected defeat left the
Ladies manager unhappy, as he explained: "It's a disappointing result anyway
but it is made even more hard-hitting by the fact that we beat this team 5-1
at home recently. The performance that the girls put in wasn't good enough
for us to deserve any sort of positive result. "With me, it's all about
passing and tempo. Whether that's in training or in matches, you need to be
able to pass the ball and do it quickly to put the pressure on your
opponent. In this game, I could've played with my knee the way it is and I
wouldn't have had to run. That's how slow it was! "In the past few weeks,
we've played some teams that are below us in the league and haven't got
anything from those games. Now, the girls have got a tough run-in towards
the end of the season which includes a London FA Capital Cup final and is
nothing changes over the next few weeks, then they will continue to get
nothing from the games."
The Ladies will be hoping for a better result when they travel to Cardiff
City Ladies on Sunday 5 April, with kick off at 2pm.
Ladies: Duncan, King (Xidhas), Revell, Little, Bottom, Bowers, Stimson,
Mellors (Smith), Blanchflower, Kinsman, Sherwood
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U17s held in final Abu Dhabi fixture
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U17s were held to a goalless draw by host club Al Ain FC in
their final group game of the Hazza bin Zayed International Football
Tournament in Abu Dhabi. After triumphing 1-0 in their opener against
Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol, the young Hammers played a real game of two
halves against Spanish outfit Espanyol in their second fixture, going down
3-1. Idris Kanu was on target against Reysol, while Jahmal Hector-Ingram
scored against Espanyol, but West Ham could not find a way through against
Al Ain, denying them a place in the final or third/fourth-place match. On
Saturday, Assistant Academy Manager James Rowe, his staff and the squad
attended the tournament's gala dinner, where former Hammer Frederic Kanoute,
who now runs an Academy in nearby Dubai, was the guest of honour. West Ham's
Korrey Henry asked Kanoute about how young players should adjust to life in
the Premier League, with Kanoute also giving kind words about his time at
the Boleyn Ground. The two group winners will contest the final on Monday,
with West Ham returning to England on Tuesday to prepare for the Barclays
U18 Premier League Tier 2 Play-Off trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on
Saturday 11 April (12noon).
The four other clubs taking part in the tournament were Internazionale
(Italy), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Al Afriqi (Tunisia) and Al Ahly (Egypt).
Waleed Al Hosani, Member of the Organising Committee, said: "All teams have
various strengths that they bring with them to Al Ain, which we anticipate,
will be beneficial to the tournament as a whole." Alongside the Hazza bin
Zayed International Football Tournament, a festival of football is being
hosted by the UAE's most successful club, Al Ain FC, including an amateur
competition for local clubs and a coaches' clinic hosted by renowned Dutch
coach Raymond Verheijen. Known locally as Al Zaeem ('The Boss'), Al Ain have
won the Arabian Gulf League trophy eleven times, the H.H. The President's
Cup trophy six times, the UAE FA Cup on three occasions and the Arabian Gulf
Cup. Al Ain FC is the only Emirati club to have won the AFC Champions
League, doing so in 2003.
For more information, follow @HBZstadium on Twitter.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers pair feature in charity match
WHUFC.com
West Ham United pair Kevin Nolan and Stewart Downing were both involved in a
charity game involving the likes of Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry and Fernando
Torres at Anfield on Sunday.
The duo lined-up on opposite sides as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
brought teams together for a game in aid of various charitable organisations
in Liverpool.
Nolan was on Gerrard's team, while Downing featured for Carragher in the
game which ended 2-2. Gerrard scored twice, while Mario Balotelli and Didier
Drogba were also on target.
Guy Demel also featured in action on Sunday, turning out for David Jarolim's
testimonial at his former club Hamburg.
On the international stage, Diego Poyet played his second game of the week
for Uruguay U20 on Sunday and made his first start as the South Americans
suffered a 1-0 defeat against Uzbekistan.
James Collins started on Saturday as Wales defeated Israel 3-0 to give their
hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 a major boost.
Also on Saturday, Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal defeated Ghana 2-1 in a
friendly, Sam Howes played in England U18s' 6-1 victory against Switzerland
and Josh Cullen played the 90 minutes of Republic of Ireland U19s' narrow
3-2 defeat to Germany.
On Monday, Carl Jenkinson will hope to feature as England U21 take on
Germany in Middlesbrough.
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Song, Jenkinson, Nolan and Downing: Mondays News
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 30th March 2015
By: Staff Writer #2
Get the very latest West Ham news in one place, with our new daily media
round-up!
Chelsea 'are considering a £10m summer transfer raid for Barcelona
midfielder Alex Song'
Alex Song has emerged as a surprise transfer target for Chelsea.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/29/chelsea-are-considering-a-10m-summer-transfer-
raid-for-barcelona-midfielder-alex-song-5126037/
Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson 'will be told he is free to join West Ham on
a permanent deal this summer'
Carl Jenkinson will be told he is free to make a permanent switch to West
Ham this summer.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/29/arsenal-defender-carl-jenkinson-will-be-told-h
e-is-free-to-join-west-ham-on-a-permanent-deal-this-summer-5126006/
Hammers pair feature in charity match
West Ham United pair Kevin Nolan and Stewart Downing were both involved in a
charity game involving the likes of Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry and Fernando
Torres at Anfield on Sunday.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/29-March/Hammers-pair-feature-
in-charity-match
Chelsea line up SHOCK move for former Arsenal star as Nemanja Matic back-up
JOSE MOURINHO is weighing up a move for Barcelona's Alex Song at the end of
the season, according to reports.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/567107/Alex-Song-Chelsea-transfer-ne
ws
WEST HAM OFFERED EUROPEAN LIFELINE?
Sam Allardyce's sides are known to be physical, aggressive and in-your-face,
partial to the odd crunching tackle which inevitably leads to the odd yellow
or even red card being brandished.
http://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/west-ham/west-ham-on-course-fo
r-european-qualification
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CLUB OR COUNTRY?
By Tony Hanna 30 Mar 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
It may be difficult for younger fans to comprehend that the following
question I am going to ask used to be a difficult one. It would be my bet
that today's answers would deliver a landslide result yet a few decades ago
it would have probably eventuated in a hung parliament. So to the question.
"What would you rather. West Ham win the (PL) league or England win the
World Cup?"
Certainly, following the Nations long lived celebrations on winning the 1966
World Cup the answer would have probably swung to England. It was a time
when our National pride was at an all time high. The whole country
celebrated and eating baked beans on toast still felt like a three hat
experience. Just how much it meant to everyone radiated through to our core
with the disappointment of defeat when trying to retain the Cup in 1970.
Giving up a 2-0 lead against West Germany in the quarter final was like a
dagger to the heart.
Back in those days many England games were shown live on free to air
television. Certainly all the World Cup games were on the box although for
most in '66 and '70 it was still in black and white. In contrast none of the
league games were shown live and if you did not get to games you had to rely
on the BBC and ITV showing highlights and goals only from selected matches.
This was an era when many football fans would prefer an FA Cup to a League
title. The Cup was really something back in those days as was the European
Cup Winners Cup.
But what of today? Unlike yesteryear, domestic football is everywhere.
Depending on where you live in the World or what internet streams you are
prepared to risk, you can watch any and every game played each weekend. The
back page coverage of football has now turned into many pages and the
internet now provides sites like these if you want another dose of the
football drug. Some of the best footballers from all over the World now play
the game on our shores and the whole game has been revolutionised. Forty
five years ago the players that were selected for England were the best of
what the domestic league had to offer and there were plenty to choose from
as the vast majority were English. In recent times some of the players
selected can't even get a decent run in their club team due to the foreign
influx.
Perhaps too, the English public has got fed up with the same old, same old
stuff from the National side. A failure to perform in the big games and a
seemingly too often passive approach from the players has hardly inspired.
There appears to be a lop sided system in place where unless the players are
playing for the top sides they won't be selected. It makes it a bit more
special to follow England if there is a player from the club you support in
the set up and quite a few clubs in the Premier League seem starved of this
opportunity.
So, what would you rather? If you are not English, please feel free to
comment on your own National team.
Please note due to holiday commitments this will be my last article until
May.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham lining up summer transfer swoop for 21-year-old Senegal striker
Moussa Konate
22:30, 30 March 2015 By Darren Lewis
The forward has netted 11 times in 17 games for Swiss side FC Sion this
season, attracting attention from the Upton Park club
The Mirror
West Ham are poised to make a summer move for Senegal striker Moussa Konate
. The 21-year-old – who replaced the Irons' injured Diafra Sakho at
January's Africa Cup of Nations – has also attracted interest from Newcastle
and Aston Villa. The 6ft marksman enhanced his glowing reputation on
Saturday when he came off the bench to score twice in his country's 2-1 win
over Ghana. Konate has also netted 11 times in 17 appearances for his club,
Swiss side FC Sion, this season. His is keen to play in the Premier League
Hammers are equally determined to land him following the success of Sakho ,
bought for just £4.7million from Metz last summer. Sakho has hit 12 goals in
24 appearances this season, including seven in as many matches and the
winner in West Ham's last game, a 1-0 win over Sunderland. Hammers
co-chairman David Sullivan has already revealed that the club are seeking
more firepower in the summer after having their bid for European football
hampered by injury to Andy Carroll. Outlining the club's summer strategy to
fans, he said last week: "I think we need goalscorers, a right back and
maybe a central defender."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manager hunt delays player targets
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Transfer gossip is always fun but as the season winds down that's exactly
what it is at West Ham right now – GOSSIP – nothing more, nothing less. With
the club's managerial situation almost certainly in a state of transition no
names we read at this stage of things can be taken in any way seriously. I
mention this only because at the same time as I was earlier writing that the
managerial hunt was still going on and that Rafa Benitez was a hopeful
rather than optimistic target,new player faces were being put in the frame.
One was Parma striker Ishak Belfodil who had apparently become a target amid
claims Torino have entered the running for him. The report adds that " the
Hammers are determined to strengthen their forward line," a strange claim
given David Sullivan has admitted defensive signings will be the priority.
Take it all with a pinch of salt because with every passing day it looks as
if a new man – whoever that maybe – is on the way in anything you may or may
not read in the media is speculative at the very best. Expect the action to
stay in towards the end of May or early June when some serious decisions
will have been made.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons new boss: The French connection grows
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Marseilles boss Marco Bielsa is very back in the frame to become the next
Irons boss. The Argentinian boss is enjoying a highly successful season in
the French Ligue and the club is currently sitting in third place – one
point behind Lyon in second and two behind leaders PSG.
The team scored a fine 4-0 away win at RC Lens over the weekend as the
Hammers continue to monitor the former Argentine and Chile national team
chief. The 59 year old has been on the Hammers list of candidates to replace
Sam Allardyce at the end of the season for some weeks but ClaretandHugh has
learned his 'star' is in the ascendancy right now. We were told today: "He
doesn't fit the required criteria exactly in that he has no Premier League
experience but he is doing a superb job in France and his track record is
excellent. "He keeps coming back onto the radar and it would be no surprise
to see a formal inquiry made to speak with him." His flamboyant personality
has made him a favourite of the media in past years and he is a very
demonstrative individual who wears his heart on his sleeve.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers on the Rafa link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are still tracking Rafa Benitez as a replacement for Sam Allardyce
at the end of the season but fear they will be unable to attract the former
Liverpool boss. Benitez is definitely keen on a Premier League return after
what is seen as a disappointing season with Napoli who sit in fifth place in
Serie A – twenty points off leaders Juventus. And the 1-1 home draw against
17th Atalanta at the weekend only cranked up the pressure on the former Kop
boss. With his family still in Liverpool – where they are very settled –
Benitez was reported by former Kop keeper Pepe Reina – as being ready to
make a PL return. And sources inside West Ham admitted to ClaretandHugh this
morning that he is a manager who would be very much a target were he
available. However one added: "Our understanding is that he wants either
Liverpool or Manchester City. He's a top manager and most clubs would be
interested but whether we could attract him is another question. "
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Song at centre of mischievous Chelsea link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Mischief-making reports that Chelsea are keen to get involved in moves for
Alex Song are wide of the mark. With genuine news thin on the ground right
now – yes we admit it – some media outlets have been creating a story out of
very little suggesting the Hammers are no longer interested in the
midfielder. Not true! Talks with Barcelona will start within four weeks
assuming Song decides he would be open to an Upton Park move and should a
fee be found suitable then personal terms will be discussed with the player.
Should Jose Mourinho show any interest at any time – as is being suggested
by the Spanish tabloid Sport but to which currently there is no substance –
the 27 year old would be very much a squad player. The Hammers would be
ready to make him top man and possibly offer him the captain's armband as
they head for the Olympic Stadium in 2017. We have reported previously that
it is of course all down to fees and personal terms with a source telling
Claretandhugh: "He's a top player and we would be keen to talk to Barca soon
and later Alex if the numbers add up."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Neville awards Arsenal's Jenkinson MOTM in superb England Under-21 win
HITC
Che Thomas
England Under-21s beat Germany 3-2 in a terrific match at the Riverside
Stadium, and the West Ham loan star was a standout performer.
Phil Neville is a former player that knows a thing or two about what makes a
top fullback. The former Manchester United and Everton man played at left
and right back for many years before retiring in 2013, and he told BT Sport
how impressed he was with one young member of the fullback's union after an
impressive attacking performance on Monday night. Commentating on England
Under-21s 3-2 win over Germany in Middlesbrough, the 59-cap defender
highlighted the work done by Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson on the right side of
defence as the home team twice came from behind to seal victory. The
right-back was a real threat down the wing for England, and Jenkinson
managed to set up Jesse Lingard's goal for the equaliser at 1-1, as well
James Ward-Prowse's late winner. "He's been like a right-winger at times
against Germany," Neville said of Jenkinson. "He's been fantastic tonight.
Rampaging down the right hand side at every opportunity. "With the two goals
he set up and driving raids down that right hand side, he just shaded man of
the match over [Nathan] Redmond."
It was no surprise that Neville gave the nod to Jenkinson, whose attacking
instincts from fullback were an impressive feature of England's performance,
and the United graduate paid tribute to the West Ham loanee by awarding him
man of the match. It's easy for people to forget about the former Charlton
defender, given the clamour that surrounded Calum Chambers' early
performances at Arsenal, but Jenkinson has been a solid performer for West
Ham this season, and it might be worthwhile Arsene Wenger keep an eye on his
youngster's performances in the European Championship finals in Czech
Republic this summer, before he entertains the idea of selling the
23-year-old.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former West Ham player Jack Collison still chasing his footballing dream
Injuries have badly disrupted the Wales midfielder's career but he is
determined to find another club despite being released by Ipswich Town in
December
Jacob Steinberg
Monday 30 March 2015 12.08 BST Last modified on Monday 30 March 2015 15.16
BST
Jack Collison is reminiscing about the start of his obsession with football.
He remembers that he always had a ball at his feet, whether he was going to
the shops or to the park, and that he would dribble around the cushions at
home, pretending he was Paul Scholes.
Chelsea were his team and he idolised Gianfranco Zola. "I was that kid
playing football 24/7, whether it was volleying a ball against my mum's
walls or knocking her vases over," Collison says. "I put a golf ball through
the front window once."
Collison is looking and sounding a little sheepish as he confesses to these
sins and this should be a heartwarming tale of how he saw his dream of
becoming a professional footballer come true. But this is a story with a
twist as jarring as the one that led to the former West Ham United
midfielder dislocating his right kneecap against Wigan Athletic in March
2009, a cruel and desperately unlucky injury that changed the course of a
career that was heading in a different direction at the time. "People have
this vision of footballers having an easy life," Collison says and he is
about to debunk that theory.
Collison is 26 and he should be approaching his prime. Alan Curbishley gave
him his debut for West Ham in a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on New Year's Day in
2008 and Collison started to establish himself as a prominent member of the
first team when Zola, his childhood hero, was appointed manager later that
year.
Yet injuries have taken their toll on a player whose ability meant that he
was once linked with a move to Arsenal, and Collison has not played a
competitive match since last May. West Ham released him with a heavy heart
at the end of last season and although Ipswich Town handed him a short-term
contract in September, he injured his left knee in a practice match and was
unable to make a single appearance for Mick McCarthy's side. He was released
in December and Collison now finds himself training on his own every day,
pushing his body and his mind as he looks for a new club. He has had a
couple of offers but he is prepared to be patient, continue his fitness work
and wait until the summer before committing to anything. It is a lonely and
frustrating existence.
Collison is not the kind of person who wants sympathy. He has a fiancee,
watching The Lion King with his two-year-old daughter, Lucia, puts a smile
on his face, he has a solid group of people around him and he is keeping
himself busy. He has just opened the Jack Collison Soccer School with an old
friend, plans to take his Uefa B licence in the summer and reveals that he
is studying for a degree in sports writing and broadcasting.
Yet when he recalls how excited he was when he made his debut against
Arsenal, how Curbishley caught him and James Tomkins in the lift on the
morning of the game and told them that they were on the bench, it is hard
not to feel sorry for him. "I remember going to warm up down the touchline
and the Arsenal fans didn't have a clue who we were and we got quite a bit
of stick: 'Oh, you two look like hairdressers,'" Collison says. "We had a
great set of barnets. We quite enjoyed that and before I knew it Freddie
Ljungberg was going off and it was: 'Right, you're going on, enjoy it ...
try and get near Fàbregas if you can.' I didn't get anywhere near him."
When Zola replaced Curbishley in September 2008, Collison became a fixture
in the side and on 19 November 2008 he made his debut for Wales in a 1-0
victory away to Denmark, the first of 17 caps.
On 1 March 2009, he scored West Ham's winner in a 1-0 victory over
Manchester City. It was a fine goal, a beautifully judged lob over Shay
Given, but the injury came three days later. West Ham were closing in on
another three points, this time away to Wigan, when Collison controlled a
clearance from Robert Green on his chest and collapsed in agony by the right
touchline. There was no one near him but his studs seemed to get caught in
the turf, causing his knee to buckle and give way. It was a freak accident.
"I think that was a big turning point," Collison says. "Ever since then I've
had to be very careful with myself. At the time, I was flying and loving my
football. I was enjoying playing under my hero as a kid and the boys were
doing well in the league."
He returned two months later, but it was too soon. "Injuries are part of the
game, but it was a serious injury," Collison says. "Looking back, that was a
massive mistake. It's hard to tell a 20-year-old kid you can go one way
about it and you'll be back in a couple of months, or you go the long way,
have the surgery and miss over a year of football.
"I think it's hard. I was 20 and I was playing week-in, week-out in the
Premier League. At the end of the day, it's all in the past. It's happened
now. It's hard to tell someone they should stop playing and no one said
maybe you think should about your future rather than trying to play again in
a couple of months time."
It was a difficult time for Collison, both on and off the pitch. Tragedy
stuck at the start of the following season when his father, Ian, was killed
in a motorcycle accident while he was on his way to watch Collison play
against Tottenham Hotspur. Collison found out after the game and two days
later he walked off in tears at the end of a League Cup match against
Millwall at Upton Park.
He continued to play, but his knee was bothering him and he underwent
surgery in March 2010. He was out for 14 months, Zola was sacked and Avram
Grant took West Ham down. The game that sealed their fate, a 3-2 defeat at
Wigan in May 2011, was Collison's first start of the season.
"There's a different way for an injured player to be," he says. "Though
you're around the boys a lot, it's very lonely. People would try and talk to
you and build you up, but you need to get in the right mindset and realise
you're on your own now. This is what I'm going to do, this is what it's
going to take. You have to focus so much energy on coming back. I had a lot
of good people around me, but they're not the ones going in watching the
boys training and doing the hours in the gym. Then you've got treatment,
then you've got to go down the swimming pool and then spend all night icing
your knee. It's very lonely. Times like that aren't easy."
Collison pauses for a moment and searches for the right words. "It's
heartbreaking," he says, softly and without a hint of melodrama.
"One of my most difficult moments was when my agent came to me pick me up
after my operation," he says. "I'd been in for two days and they said I
should stay, but I just wanted to get home. I was in the back of the car and
I was nearly in tears, I was in so much pain on the way back. I just wanted
to get home and start my recovery away from the hospital. Over a 14-month
period there was lots of progress and then a setback. Two steps forward, one
step back. You think you're getting close and you're still a mile off. You
get outside and something else crops up. It's tough.
"I kept a blog every day, of every single bit of treatment that I did, from
day one to 14 months later. I've got about three or four books of that. I
was really focused about getting back."
Sam Allardyce replaced Grant, and Collison had a productive season as West
Ham battled their way out of the Championship. He scored both goals when
they beat Cardiff City 2-0 in the first leg of their play-off semi-final and
played in the 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the final, even though he was
struggling with a shoulder injury. "It was a bit of a patch-up job," he
says. "I had a jab on the day of the game. I was fully strapped up. I could
hardly move to be honest but there was no way I wasn't going to go out
there; you would have had to shoot me in both legs.
"Near the end I was dribbling with the ball. I got cramp in both legs and I
fell over on my shoulder. I was in agony. Kevin Nolan picked me up and said:
'What are you doing?' But Winston Reid was there to mop up. Then I fell over
the boards when we were celebrating."
West Ham were back in the Premier League but his knee was bothering him
again. He missed the first three months of the season and when he scored
West Ham's goal in a 5-1 defeat at Arsenal in January 2013, he ran straight
to the bench and celebrated with the physio, Andy Rolls.
Yet his form was patchy and West Ham decided to let him go at the end of
last season. Collison's response? He said farewell to supporters by
publishing a 2,800-word open letter on West Ham's website and the feedback
was so positive that it made him want to see whether he could work in the
media one day.
"I'm going to be picking your brains," he jokes. "I've always been
interested in writing and the radio, because obviously it's something that
comes with football. I've always kept blogs and diaries, but it's been more
private. After I wrote the letter to the West Ham fans, which took me a
while, I had a lot of feedback. I got an email from the PFA, who have been
fantastic, about their sports writing degree, so I thought let's have a
crack at it and see how it goes. I'm about four or five months into it.
"It's a bit harder than I expected. The workload's really gone up and we've
got a little group of 10 of us. It's ex-pros through the PFA. Chris
Iwelumo's doing it and a few others. We've just started doing small pieces,
little articles. We've been working on interview techniques and then in the
summer it moves into the television and radio side of it."
Collison loves to write. "I found that it was a good way to sometimes let
off a bit off steam," he says. "I sometimes wrote about my games, it just
depended on what mood I was in. Sometimes I would go ages without writing
and sometimes I'd be writing every day. It might be a little paragraph or
sometimes I might really get into one and get all my feelings and thoughts
out on the page.
"I've never published anything. The letter to the West Ham fans is the only
thing I've put out there. I felt that was quite therapeutic. It was nice to
get everything out and close the chapter on a long time at West Ham.
"I've got pages and pages of stuff on my computer. I'm actually working on a
book with Kit Carson, who used to be my youth coach at Peterborough and
Cambridge. We're working on something at the moment, to try and bring some
of the stuff together and see where we go with that. I've got everything,
from debuts, from bad games, from coming back from injury, from being
injured."
The soccer school has also given Collison a buzz. "One of my friends who I
played with at Cambridge, Russell Short, we were just having a conversation
one day," he says. "I had a lot of time on my hands and he's a semi-pro now
and we just thought it would be great to set it up. I know how fantastic it
was for me as a youngster to go to something like that. They have the
opportunity to get trained by ex-pros and I do as much as I can. I have
David Blackmore, an ex-West Ham academy goalkeeper, coming in with the
goalies. They just enjoy their football, which I think every kid wants.
"They're normal schoolkids. It's not to find the best players. We're in a
great position where if we find a little gem we can help them out. It would
be amazing. Imagine having a kid coming from your soccer school going on to
a pro club and then doing well. But the three days we have had so far, I got
so much enjoyment out of it. It's such a great feeling seeing how happy the
kids were and how much they were enjoying it."
Collison's main target, however, is to find a new club. He feels strong and
he knows his body now. "I've spent a lot of time researching," he says. "If
you wanted to talk about knees, I could probably talk about them for 10
hours."
And despite everything that has happened, he has remained positive. "I don't
think I have any choice," Collison says. "If ever I have a day where I feel
down, I just go and look at my daughter. She's my first child. It's so great
watching her grow and her personality grow."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
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Monday, March 30
Daily WHUFC News - 30th March 2015
U17s ready for final group game in Abu Dhabi
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U17s head into their final group games of the Hazza bin
Zayed International Football Tournament in Abu Dhabi needing a positive
result to progress. After triumphing in their opener against Kashiwa Reysol,
the young Hammers played a real game of two halves against Espanyol.
Trailing 2-0 at the break, West Ham showed great character to claw their way
back into the contest thanks to a Jahmal Hector-Ingram goal. The Hammers
carved out several openings to level, but could not force a second goal and
were caught on the break to leave Espanyol with a 3-1 victory. The game was
followed by the tournament's gala dinner, where former Hammer Freddie
Kanoute was the guest of honour. West Ham's Korrey Henry asked him about
adjusting to life in the Premier League, with Kanoute giving kind words
about his time at the Boleyn Ground. Man-of-the-Match Idris Kanu scored the
only goal of the game as the young Hammers saw off Japanese side Kashiwa
Reysol at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium. The final group match will see West
Ham face the host club, Al Ain FC, at 7.30pm on Sunday 29 March. The two
group winners will contest the final, while the runners-up in each group
will go through to the third/fourth-place play-off.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ladies' future in good shape
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies are planning for a sustainable future if the club's
Development Squad is anything to go by. Under the direction of manager Andy
Hill, the Ladies' second-string has produced a steady stream of players for
consideration by first-team boss Julian Dicks.
With the Development Squad challenging for the FA Women's Premier League
(Reserves) Southern Division with five matches still to play, Hill is happy
with the way things are going. "Looking back at the season overall for the
Development Squad, I don't think anyone could anticipate just how well we
did in the run up to Christmas," he reflected. "We'd played something like
15 games and were top for a large part of that because we've stood up to
every challenge, worked hard and although as a manger you don't really want
to get carried away with results, a good run can make other teams sit up and
be wary of our squad. "For me, though, this part of the season is a
completely new challenge for them because they are not picking up the
results like they were at the start of this season. "We have been the much
better team in most of our games and got the results that we quite rightly
deserve but now that the going is starting to get a little bit tough, it
will be interesting to see how much the girls really want it."
Hill was alluding to a run of just two league wins since the turn of the
year which has seen West Ham drop off the top of the table.
"Overall this season, I am 100% happy with the standard of my team and one
of the main areas that I wanted to focus on when I took the job in the
summer was the progression of girls through the Development Squad and into
the first team," the 26-year-old confirmed.
"It would be easy to sit and talk about Jade Smith and Whitney Locke, who
have been regularly in and around the first team, but I think we have had
nine Development Squad players either train, travel or play for Julian
Dicks' first team so far this season. "We have then been able to bring
players up from the U18 team and they are making an impact for the
Development Squad – players like Danielle Sillitoe, Natalie Strange, Alleah
Headley and Ciara Bland. Those four have been fantastic this season and have
even been impressing Julian over the past few months, so it shows that we
are on the right track."
The Development Squad traveled to Chichester City last Sunday and returned
to winning ways with a 1-0 victory through Katie Bottom's late goal
Dicks' first-team had a weekend off after coming from a goal down to thrash
Gillingham Ladies 5-1 at Aveley FC. Emma Sherwood and Lily Mellors scored
twice each, while Vicky King was also on target. West Ham will look to
repeat that scoreline when they head to Kent for the reverse fixture on
Sunday 29 March, before traveling to South Wales to face top side Cardiff on
5 April.
The next home match will see Charlton visit Aveley FC on Tuesday 7 April at
7.45pm. Follow updates from all Ladies' fixtures on Twitter @westhamladies.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jenkinson helps U21s to victory
WHUFC.com
Carl Jenkinson came off the bench as England U21 defeated Czech Republic 1-0
on Friday evening. The on-loan right back replaced Arsenal's Calum Chambers
in the second half after Tom Carroll's 48th minute goal settled the friendly
meeting in Prague. Meanwhile. West Ham United Academy duo Sean Maguire and
Reece Oxford were both involved in wins on the international stage on
Thursday night. Maguire came off the bench in the Republic of Ireland U21s'
1-0 victory over Andorra, while Oxford was also a used substiture as England
U17s rounded off their UEFA U17 Championship qualifying campaign with a 2-1
win against Romania. For Maguire, 20, his late run-out represented a first
cap at Under-21 level as the young Irish got their qualification matches for
the 2017 UEFA U21 Championship off to the best possible start.
The former Waterford United player, back on home turf, had an injury time
effort saved by Andorra keeper Victor Silverio, while the winning goal came
on 31 minutes through Ipswich Town's Dylan Connolly.
Oxford moved down to the bench after two wins from two had already sealed
England U17's place in this summer's finals tournament.
After scoring in Monday's 3-1 win against Slovenia, the centre back came on
for the final 12 minutes against Romania to help see out a 2-1 success
gained thanks to Chelsea forward Ike Ugbo's double. The attention turns to
the seniors on Saturday, with James Collins' Wales taking on Israel in a
Euro 2016 qualifier, and Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal facing Ghana in a
friendly.
Josh Cullen will also be hoping to help the Republic of Ireland U19s bounce
back from defeat to Czech Republic when they face Germany on the same day.
Jenkinson could also face Germany on Monday, as England U21s play another of
their co-finalists for the summer's UEFA U21 Championship, in a friendly at
Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.
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Benitez, Baumgartlinger, Noble and Nolan: Saturday latest
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th March 2015
By: Staff Writer #2
Get the very latest West Ham news in one place, with our new daily media
round-up!
Latest Stories
West Ham monitoring Mainz midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger as potential Alex
Song replacement
The Austria international's contract expires at the end of the season and
the Hammers are among a number of clubs ready to swoop
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-monitoring-mai
nz-midfielder-5414006
West Ham, West Brom and Everton set for summer scrap over £5million Lewis
Dunk
The Brighton centre-back has impressed for the Seagulls this term and could
be set for a summer move to the Premier League
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-west-brom-ever
ton-5412870
Kevin Nolan: Anfield charity game is a special moment
West Ham captain and boyhood Liverpool fan looking forward to being on
Steven Gerrard's side for once
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/kevin-nolan-anfield-charity-game-893481
8
Nolan excited by All-Star appearance
Kevin Nolan is looking forward to returning home to play in the Liverpool FC
Foundation All-Star charity match.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/27-March/Nolan-excited-by-All-
Star-appearance
West Ham and Newcastle managerial target 'looking forward' to Premier League
return
Rafa Benitez is keen to return to England and the Premier League this
summer, according to friend and former Napoli and Liverpool man Pepe Reina
http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/west-ham/west_ham_and_newcastle
_managerial_target_looking_forward_to_premier_league_return_1_4012527
The reasons why West Ham's Mark Noble should have a national call-up
As the thrilling final quarter of the Premier League comes to a shuddering
week-long halt and dust blooms into the air, we all have to brush ourselves
down, squint through the drifting grit, and lean in close to hear the names
of the chosen few announced.
http://outside90.com/312west-hams-noble-should-be-capped/
West Ham monitoring Mainz midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger as potential Alex
Song replacement
The Austria international's contract expires at the end of the season and
the Hammers are among a number of clubs ready to swoop
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-monitoring-mai
nz-midfielder-5414006
Sakho dreaming of Stadium goals
Diafra Sakho took one look at West Ham United's new home this week and, true
to form, set his sights on scoring the first goal there.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/27-March/Sakho-dreaming-of-Sta
dium-goals
Hammers duo taste international success
West Ham United Academy duo Sean Maguire and Reece Oxford were both involved
in wins on the international stage on Thursday night.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/27-March/Hammers-duo-taste-int
ernational-success
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FOOTBALL MAD: THE STORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUICIDE IN THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
By Iron Liddy 29 Mar 2015 at 08:00
West Ham till I Die
When I look back at the past two seasons as a West Ham fan in years to come
sadly the word that will define them for me will be 'abuse.' I feel as
though my senses have been battered by an incessant stream of vitriol aimed
at our owners; our manager; some of our players, one in particular; and at
fellow fans.
I looked at Carlton Cole's face as he sat on the sofa on Goals on Sunday
last weekend and I saw a very unhappy man. His mouth was smiling but his
eyes weren't; his time at West Ham has extinguished some of the spark in of
one of the sweetest, funniest men in the game. Football's Mr Nice Guy was
forced to sit there and admit that he has been fined £40,000 for losing his
temper and retaliating in kind to an abusive tweet from an opposition fan.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Although he is a favourite
among many West Ham fans he has also had to endure constant criticism and
abuse from other factions of our fan base and beyond. You really hope that
the love that he receives from his supporters helps to cushion the pain of
the virtual blows that he's subjected to on social media; a subject which
brings me on to our most vilified player in the past couple of years, Kevin
Nolan.
In his recent interview with Dave Evans in the Newham Recorder Kevin said:
"It has been a tough couple of months ….. people talking about me and saying
things about me, it has been hard, I am not going to deny it, but the only
thing I have ever known is playing football. That is the only thing I can do
now. I have got nothing to prove to anyone. I have done a lot in my career
and a lot of what has been said has been unfair, but that's life I suppose."
Anybody who regularly follows West Ham's fortunes will know that Kevin
Nolan's response to the vicious and personal abuse he has been subjected to
for months on end is an understatement. For somebody not in the public eye
it's difficult to comprehend what it must be like to be exposed to a daily
barrage of abusive and crass criticism. As a woman I also feel for his wife
and try to imagine how upset I would be at having to watch my husband endure
such hatred and venom simply for trying to do his job; not to mention the
stress of trying to ensure that it didn't reach the ears and eyes of my
children.
Nolan went on to say:
"I've come to the stage in my career with all the negativity surrounding me
and I have just taken it on the chin. It's water off a duck's back for me.
Sometimes it hurts of course, but I've got a fantastic family, fantastic
support system and not just with family and friends but also within the
club."
So Kevin is still smiling and still coping, at least he seems to be. Anyway,
isn't he fair game for all the critics and abusers given his dream job and
huge salary? Maybe, maybe not. A popular consensus seems to be that
professional footballers, as well as other people in the public eye, are
exempt from the consideration afforded to 'regular' people. It's as if a
proportion of society considers that their wealth and celebrity makes them
somehow immune from the frailties of the human condition and that they can
either just absorb or repel any abuse without it affecting their mental and
physical wellbeing.
As the cruelty and contempt that they have had to tolerate reaches its
height both Carlton Cole and Kevin Nolan have also arrived at a stage in
their careers as professional footballers where they need to take stock and
ask themselves the question "what next?" It sounds like a lovely problem to
have doesn't it? All that money in the bank, not too many medals granted,
but scrapbooks filled with memories of a job that most people can only dream
of, what have they got to worry about? In fact they are probably at a very
vulnerable stage of their lives and you can only hope that they have the
mental strength and support networks that will enable them to navigate it
successfully as they continue to deflect the scorn and bile that is heaped
upon them every day.
For the majority of these relatively still young men football has been the
only way of life that they've known since they were children; it defines
them as human beings and shapes their self-worth and self-identity. When
they come to the end of their footballing career they are in danger of
losing so much more than a big income and the chance to play football in
front of thousands of people. Unfortunately no amount of money, fame or
privilege can protect mentally vulnerable people from the irrationality and
despair of depression and mental illness; conditions which are exacerbated
by external circumstances and the stresses of abuse and criticism.
A few weeks ago Clarke Carlisle, the former Burnley and QPR defender and
one-time Chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, left
hospital following his second suicide attempt.
He told The Sun newspaper that he had been left severely depressed by the
end of his football career, financial problems and the loss of a TV punditry
role. Seeing death as the only escape from his despair Carlisle stepped in
front of a lorry on the A64 on the 22nd of December and hoped for oblivion.
As it turned out he survived the impact and was airlifted to Leeds General
Infirmary suffering from cuts, bruises, internal bleeding, a broken rib and
shattered left knee. On Christmas Day 2014 he was admitted as an in-patient
to a psychiatric unit in Harrogate before his release in January this year.
Carlisle's battle with depression has been well documented in the media and
in 2013 he made a poignant semi-autobiographical documentary for BBC3 called
'Football's Suicide Secret'; which told the story of his final season before
retirement – a season which, like much of his playing career, was marked by
periodic bouts of depression. His first suicide attempt came at the age of
21, just as his team Queens Park Rangers had been promoted to the Premier
League. Here was a young professional footballer apparently approaching the
zenith of his career and about to enjoy the prestige, accolades and wealth
that entails, when he decided to take his own life with a handful of pills
on a shabby park bench. In an article that Carlisle wrote for the BBC in
2013 he said:
"Everyone else thought I'd made it, that I had the dream life. And I did. I
was a 21-year-old professional footballer for QPR and the England Under-21s.
I had a nice flat, a nice car and a loving family. My irrational mind had
made me think suicide was a rational action though. So I went to a park near
my home in Acton armed with lots of painkillers and thought "I'm going to
take all these pills and kill myself, because I'm no use to anyone". I'd
just suffered a severe knee injury and had convinced myself that without
football people would see me for what I really was, which was nothing. I sat
on a bench in that park, washed the pills down with a can of beer, and
waited for it to happen. In the end I was incredibly lucky, because my
girlfriend found me and I was rushed to hospital in time to have my stomach
pumped. I survived and didn't tell another soul about the incident for years
and didn't ask for any help. I just locked this suicide attempt away in
Pandora's Box."
The film also highlighted the tragic and shocking death of former Premier
League and Welsh international player Gary Speed. Despite his glittering
playing career and his recent appointment as Manager of the Wales team
Speed's wife Louise found his lifeless body hanging in the garage of their
luxury home in November 2011. At the inquest into his death the coroner
reached a narrative verdict but stated that cause of death was by "self
suspension."
On the morning of his death he had appeared full of smiles as a guest on the
BBC One TV programme Football Focus, with presenter Dan Walker later
describing 42 year old Speed as being in "fine form." After the programme
finished Speed joined former Newcastle United team-mate and friend Alan
Shearer to watch their old club play against Manchester United at Old
Trafford. Although he never discussed any possible mental health issues with
anyone, he had told Shearer that the pressure of management had put some
strain on his marriage and that he and Louise had argued the night before
his death. Four days before he hanged himself he had also texted Louise
about the possibility of suicide, but he dismissed such an action because of
the importance of his wife and two children. At the inquest his mother
Carole Speed described him as a "glass half-empty person."
During his documentary Clarke Carlisle spoke to Speed's sister Lesley and
she said that if somebody had asked her whether Gary was suffering from
depression before that, she would have said absolutely not. She went on to
say:
"He hid it from us and it stopped him asking for help ….. we were just so
sad that we couldn't help him through….. that's a huge regret that I didn't
get him to one side and say 'is everything alright?'"
Carlisle commented:
"I know only too well that most depressives are great actors who can put on
a different persona, a facade. What you need to be able to do is open up,
yet the cruelty of the illness is that it won't let you."
Speed's sister Lesley also made the telling point that now that she knows
more about the condition she knows that people suffering from depression are
not just fighting an illness but also dealing with the stigma that comes
with it. During a short interview for the film, Aidy Boothroyd, Carlisle's
manager at Northampton, reinforced the view that depression and mental
illness are not something that you admit to in professional football. He
said that he had tried to protect his player by telling the team and the
press that Carlisle was suffering from flu when depression had forced him to
miss work.
Carlisle spoke to other young footballers about their experiences with
depression, including Simon Jordan, Lee Hendrie and Leon McKenzie and he
tried to show that depression, just like a physical illness, can strike even
those who have found their dream jobs and adulation. While it may not always
be helpful to view depression as something triggered by circumstances, there
is no doubt that a footballer's career cycle contains plenty of triggers.
Carlisle investigated the effect of that first rejection with a visit to an
academy full of young players who hadn't begun to consider that they might
not hit the big time; and also looked at how injuries and defeats can drag a
player down and what awaits them after retirement.
As my research continued I was shocked at the prevalence of suicide and
attempted suicide within the professional game. No doubt most football fans
are aware of the tragic case of Justin Fashanu, Britain's first million
pound black footballer and the first professional footballer in Britain to
openly 'come out' and admit he was gay. His courage drew many admirers among
the wider audience, but some observers said it was less appreciated in parts
of the football world. He suffered both homophobic and racist abuse during
his time as a player, with even his own manager, Brian Clough, labelling him
"a bloody poof" His personal torment took its toll professionally and his
promising football career had already nose-dived by the time he came out in
1990. Fashanu embarked on a new career coaching the US football team
Maryland Mania but in 1998 he fled back to England amid allegations of
sexual abuse by a 17 year old youth. On the morning of 3rd May he was found
hanged in a deserted lock-up garage he had broken into in Shoreditch,
London, he was 37. Fashanu's suicide note denied the charges, claiming that
the act was consensual and that he was being blackmailed by his accuser.
Whatever the truth of those allegations, Justin's suicide was a culmination
of a lifetime of rejection. That rejection began when he was given up by his
parents as a child and placed in a Barnardo's Children's Home. It was
compounded by the racist jibes he suffered on the football pitch, and by the
homophobic abuse inflicted on him at Nottingham Forest by his manager Brian
Clough.
A more recent high profile case is that of the former national German
goalkeeper Robert Enke. On 10th November 2009 32 year old Enke committed
suicide when he stood in front of a regional express train at a level
crossing. In this highly emotive video Robert's widow Teresa Enke describes
how the pressure of being a professional footballer contributed to Robert's
depression and death. She says:
"Sport will always be important but you should always see the human being
behind the sports person, you shouldn't just reduce them to a performance.
It's nice if he performs well but you should respect that people make
mistakes. I wish there was more understanding of [being] a professional
sports person."
Sadly self-awareness is no guarantee of protection from the effects of
mental illness. Another former German professional footballer committed
suicide in July 2014 after a long battle with depression. Andreas Biermann,
who started his career at Hertha Berlin, took his own life after struggling
against the illness for five years. The 33-year-old last played for FSV
Spandauer Kickers, based in Berlin and he had published a book called
'Depression: Red Card' where he discussed his struggle. Biermann had
initially revealed that he was suffering from the illness after the death of
Robert Enke and he had previously tried to take his own life on three
occasions.
You might be forgiven for thinking that suicide within professional football
is a relatively modern phenomenon due to media pressure and the added stress
from the abuse inflicted by fans via social media. You may also think that
suicide has never touched West Ham. Sadly neither is true.
This list of professional and ex-professional footballers and managers who
felt driven to take their own lives makes very sad and shocking reading.
Footballers who committed suicide
Among them you will find Syd King, Thames Ironworks' and West Ham's star
full back from 1899 – 1903; who went on to become West Ham's manager, a
position he held for 30 years from 1902 until 1932.
Syd King was considered one of the best full backs in the Southern League
and he recorded 16 appearances in Thames Ironworks' first season in the
Southern League Division One in 1899, also making seven appearances in the
FA Cup that year, an impressive run that ended in a 1-2 home defeat against
arch-rivals Millwall Athletic. In 1900 he was retained as a member of the
squad after the club's transition to West Ham United, and continued to play
for them until 1903, recording 59 league and 7 FA Cup appearances in total.
At the start of his last season as a player he was appointed club secretary,
although he was already considered to be a 'manager' of the club. His tenure
at West Ham included our election to the football league in 1919 and in 1923
he took West Ham to the FA Cup Final for the first time, losing to Bolton
Wanderers but also assuring our place in the top division finishing as
Division Two runners up. An edition of the local newspaper East Ham Echo
proclaimed in 1923 that:
"Syd King is West Ham and West Ham is Syd King."
Following promotion King implemented a period of consolidation for West Ham
in the First Division, the highlight of which was the 1926-1927 season when
West Ham finished in 6th place in Division One. This performance was not
equalled by the Hammers until the 1958-1959 season during Ted Fenton's
tenure. This consistency was partly made possible when King signed players
who went on to become West Ham legends and record holders, as well as
England internationals, including Jimmy Ruffell, Ted Hufton and Vic Watson.
Syd King was appointed a shareholder of West Ham United in 1931 but the team
was relegated in the 1931-32 season back to Division Two. On 5th November
1932 West Ham lost their ninth game of the next season, against Bradford
Park Avenue, and at the same day's board meeting, according to one board
member, during the discussion of the team King was "drunk and
insubordinate." It was no secret that King 'liked a drink' but he had
already appeased the board many times over the issue. On the following day
they announced that:
"It was unanimously decided that until further notice C. Paynter be given
sole control of players and that E. S. King be notified accordingly."
It was also suggested by the board, but never confirmed, that King had been
syphoning off West Ham funds for himself. He was suspended for three months
without pay and also banned from entering the Boleyn Ground. Following a
board meeting on 3rd January 1933 his contract was terminated permanently,
and he was given an ex-gratia payment of £3 a week.
Although comparatively rich for an ex-player working in football, King's
reputation and career were in tatters. Within a month of the sacking he
sadly committed suicide by drinking alcohol mixed with a corrosive liquid.
The inquest into his death declared that he had taken his life 'while of
unsound mind', and had been suffering from persecution delusions. According
to his son his depression had begun when West Ham were relegated in the
summer of 1932, and that his paranoia had followed on from that.
In his book 'At Home With The Hammers' (1960) Ted Fenton, West Ham United
player (1932-46) and manager (1950-61) wrote:
"The boss at West Ham was Syd King, an outsize, larger-than-life character
with close-cropped grey hair and a flowing moustache. He was a personality
plus man, a man with flair. Awe struck, I would tip-toe past his office but
invariably he would spot me. "Boy," he would shout. "Get me two bottles of
Bass." Down to the Boleyn pub on the corner I would go on my errand and when
I got back to the office Syd King would flip me a two-shilling piece for my
trouble."
Isn't it sad and unthinkable that a man with such a big personality and who
had achieved so much at West Ham felt compelled to take his own life when he
lost the support of the board and consequently his position? It really
highlights the fact that nobody is immune from depression, even those with
long and successful careers.
Given the stigma that often comes with mental illness, it's perhaps no
surprise that footballers and managers who suffer from depression often do
their utmost to hide it instead of asking for help; and there are
undoubtedly current and former professional players and managers still
suffering in silence today.
In 2013 Football Association chairman David Bernstein admitted that the
issue of mental illness in the sport has been "badly neglected in the past."
He said:
"This is not something that's been high on my agenda – maybe it should have
been higher."
A spokesman insisted that the FA regards the issue as "vitally important"
and Scott Field, the FA's head of media relations, said:
"The mental well-being of players, managers and indeed all participants in
football is vitally important to the FA, from grassroots to the professional
game."
He said that the FA had helped to produce a handbook for professional
players tackling the subject of mental illness, as well as organising
awareness workshops for coaches in 2011. The FA has also provided financial
backing to the Sporting Chance Clinic, which treats sportsmen with
behavioural problems.
Let's hope that they're taking it as seriously as they say. The latest
suicide statistics reveal a disproportionate rise in the number of male
suicides. In the UK, the male suicide rate is approximately three and a half
times higher than the female suicide rate and the highest rate of male
suicide in the UK is in the 40-44 age group.
The circumstances behind the depression and suicides of these professional
footballers and managers are as varied as their careers but the one thing
they all have in common is that their status within the professional game
didn't protect them from their mental torment; they were just human beings
with the same vulnerabilities as the man on the street. In fact they may be
more vulnerable than the average man on the street. FIFPro, the World
Footballers' Association, conducted an international study into the extent
of Mental Illness in Professional Football More than 300 current and former
professional players and six national unions participated. The first
paragraph of the report's conclusion states:
"The results of our study show that mental illness seems to occur among
former professional footballers more often than in current players and more
often than in other populations. Consequently, mental illness among former
professional footballers cannot be underestimated and should be a subject of
interest for all stakeholders in football. Attention to career planning in
an early stage of a football career might significantly help to prepare the
post-sport life period and to avoid potential problems after retirement
(Alfermann 2007)."
If you've reached the end of this article then you're obviously a thinking
West Ham fan and probably not prone to outbursts of personal abuse where
only professional criticism is required. You're probably also already
cognisant of the issues surrounding depression and mental illness and
understand the fragilities of all human beings, including professional
footballers, and how unwarranted and spiteful personal attacks on a player
or manager could contribute into pushing a vulnerable person over the edge.
The point I'm trying to make probably won't reach those who could benefit
from it the most. Those who won't read have no advantage over those who
can't; so there's little hope of educating either.
I'm not suggesting that professional footballers and managers should be
wrapped in cotton wool and that they shouldn't have to bear professional
criticism but I wish all football fans would stop to think of the words of
German goalkeeper Robert Enke's widow the next time that they feel compelled
to write an abusive comment and ask themselves if it's really necessary or
fair and to consider the impact it could have on a mentally vulnerable
person struggling to cope with a barrage of abuse.
"Sport will always be important but you should always see the human being
behind the sports person, you shouldn't just reduce them to a performance.
It's nice if he performs well but you should respect that people make
mistakes. I wish there was more understanding of [being] a professional
sports person."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham set to snatch a European place - thanks to the Fair Play League
22:30, 28 March 2015 By Chris Davies
England is on course to earn a Europa League spot for good behaviour and the
Hammers currently top the domestic discipline table - but there is one
hitch...
The Mirror
West Ham are in line to grab a place in Europe – thanks to the Fair Play
League, writes Chris Davies in the Sunday People. The Hammers top the
Premier League table which awards points for discipline, positive play,
respect towards opponents and the referee, plus behaviour of team officials
and spectators. UEFA give three places in the Europa League for the
countries with the best Fair Play record and England, the Republic of
Ireland and Holland are currently leading the way. The downside is that West
Ham would have to play their first qualifying round tie on July 2. This
would mean the players having a close season of just one month – the minimum
allowed – before returning to training 11 days before the first tie.
Liverpool are currently second in the table, while struggling Burnley are
not far behind in third. In the 20-112012, Fulham competed in the Europa
League after being awarded a place through winning the Fair Play League.
They played their first match on June 30, against NSI Runavik from the Faroe
Islands.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan holds key to defender switch
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carl Jenkinson's switch from Arsenal to West Ham now appears to be more or
less nailed on. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is ready to let the defender know
of his decision to let him leave the Emorates and his agent will enter talks
on personal terms once a fee has been agreed with Arsenal. The right back is
determined to stay in London and has become a popular member of the Irons
dressing room. But it is the relationship between David Sullivan and the
player's agent which is likely to prove the clincher and which brought the
player to Upton Park in the first place. The two sides pair were quickly in
touch with each other when it became clear he would be allowed out on a
season-long loan and both are keen to make the move permanent. Jenks has
loved life in the east end and is one of the most regular player interview
subjects on the club website. The tricky business will be in agreeing a fee
with Arsenal who will start at £8 million but the final fee is set to be
around £5m – £6m.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons Euro spot very much on!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are edging closer to a Europeans spot courtesy of the Fair Play
League. We are top the Premier League table which awards points for
discipline, positive play, respect towards opponents and the referee, plus
behaviour of team officials and spectators. Three Europa League places are
available for the countries with the best Fair Play record and England, the
Republic of Ireland and Holland in front.
Should the Irons make it they will have to play their first qualifying round
tie on July 2 giving the squad a close season of one month before returning
to training 11 days before the first tie. Liverpool are currently second in
the table and Burnley in third
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce's chance to make us all happy!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has a way to claim some real favour with the fans before the
end of the season. And if he is indeed to leave, there's also a way he can
be remembered by them for one good reason in the years to come. Perhaps it
hasn't occurred to him – perhaps if it has he doesn't particularly care
about the option – but it would do him no harm! There is nothing to lose.
I'm talking about Reece Oxford – commonly accepted as the most exciting
young Hammer to emerge in many years – and the opportunity the manager has
to give him his first team debut. Were Sam to do so he would mark out a
little spot in history for himself as the first manager to give the kid his
chance when in years to come he becomes the massive player and possible
England captain many are predicting. That may just appeal to Mr Allardyce
don't you think! And the truth is that West Ham with nothing to play for
other than mid table respectability he can easily afford to make such a
move. It's not even a gamble. Many believe Reece will be impacting on things
next season anyway and every single one of us want to see the lad given his
opportunity – even if it's only for 20 minutes as a second half sub. I doubt
it will happen but it should as should more inclusions for Morgan Amalfitano
and Brazilian Nene. None of us expected the Brazilian to be very involved
when he arrived…he hasn't been and that again demonstrates the
predictability entrenched in our managerial system. Every one of us can call
virtually everything so come on Mr Allardyce: prove us wrong, give us an
injection of much needed excitement…play young Reece!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reid/Valencia look to Leicester!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Winston Reid is set for a return to action against Leicester City next
weekend with Enner Valencia fifty/fifty. The central defender made his own
decision to stay at home rather than join the New Zealand squad as there
remained a little soreness in the injured hamstring.
The medical staff had always targeted the Leicester City match for his
return and were deloghted to receive the news that he'd be staying at home.
Co chairman David Gold said: "It was always Winston's decision. A long plane
trip out and back to Korea would not have helped and we can now use all our
resources to have him back for next weekend. We are very hopeful." Valencia
– who lacerated his foot on a broken cup at home – is recovering but he
remains fifty fifty for the game.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan opens up on spending plans
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Sullivan admits the Hammers defence this summer – which could well
involve Carl Jenkinson – is likely to be the club's priority areas this
summer. Jenks is valued at around £8million but West Ham will be keen to
negotiate that given the presence of such as of Hector Belerin, Calum
Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy at the Emirates.. Apasr from the right back it
appears the club will be looking hard at central defence where the club has
been thin in the last couple of years. Sullivan told the official website:
"Our planning for strengthening the squad in the summer has been underway
for some time "I think we need goalscorers, a right back and maybe a central
defender. The situation with Carl Jenkinson won't be clear until the end of
the season but we will have to sign a right back one way or another. "We of
course bought Cheik Kouyate to play in midfield and as a fourth choice
centre half but two years in a row now we've been caught out in central
defence so it might be that we look to strengthen in that area for next
season. "We have Doneil Henry of course and he won impressive reviews for
his performances at Blackburn Rovers before getting injured. If he's ready
for the Premier League then he could get a chance, otherwise it might be
that he goes out on loan again to gain more experience. "If we do decide to
buy, the challenge would be then trying to keep four central defenders happy
but you do then have the cover for when you get injuries as we seem to have
a habit of losing our centre halves for key parts of the season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons striker on the move
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Brom boss Tony Pulis remains keen on Carlton Cole and could offer the
Irons loyalist his dream move to the Baggies in the summer.
Coley comes out of contract on June 30 and the Hammers are ready to let the
striker leave with Pulis still interested in making a move.
The Hawthorns chief was deeply disappointed when the deal to sign the front
man broke down in the winter window and despite having other targets
remains ready to do a deal as Cole's wage deal would be relatively low. The
Welshman has made it clear that Cole would offer his squad something they
don't already have and that he has a decent scoring record when he plays.
Cole would love to move to the midlands outfit and was devastated when the
winter move broke down at the last moment. A Hammers source said: "Coley has
been a great servant to the club but nothing's forever and he will be
moving on this summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Sak' aiming for huge Irons double
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Diafra Sakho is one of the very few footballers who can cheer me up on a
grey morning! He's a guy who always seems to say the right thing and that I
believe is because – unlike so many – he means and feels every word. To have
scored a dozen goals in a season when little was expected from a guy who was
very much seen as second string signing to Enner Valencia is a tribute to
his amazing work ethic and determination. And this week he was at the
Olympic Stadium clearly overwhelmed by his first impressions and looking to
grab a personal double. He told West Ham TV: "It's beautiful, I'd even say
magnificent. I'm eager to play there and pleased with everything that I've
seen. Everyone dreams of playing there. I would even like to score the
first goal in the new stadium. That would be amazing. "I hope to score the
last goal at Upton Park as well and then the first one here! You have to be
ambitious. We play for West Ham, if we're not ambitious, we won't be playing
at the new Stadium." "I can't even imagine it. It's going to be something
unforgettable. The first day that we step out there, we're going to feel
that we've really gone to a new level. "To go from 35,000 to 54,000 is
massive. I think Season Tickets are going to go very quickly this year,
that's for sure." All of that may sound like the answer to a public relation
man's name but Sak is a man who says it as he sees it as demonstrated with
his attack on the FA earlier this week. This guy is gonna become one of our
legends!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea may challenge for Adebayor
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's summer hopes of doing a deal for Tottenham striker Emmanuel
Adebayor may be threatened by interest from Chelsea. According to new
reports this morning Jose Mourinho is considering a move for the striker he
took to Real Madrid. Were he to move for Adebayor the 31 year old may have
to consider the lesser of two evils – presumably having few first team
chances at Stamford Bridge or playing second fiddle to Andy Carroll at Upton
Park. Mourinho is reported to be looking in Adebayor's direction as the one
year deal for Didier Drogba, 37, runs out this summer. A Hammers source
refused to rule out their interest in the player saying: "All balls are in
the air – we were interested in January, why wouldn't we be now!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U17s head into their final group games of the Hazza bin
Zayed International Football Tournament in Abu Dhabi needing a positive
result to progress. After triumphing in their opener against Kashiwa Reysol,
the young Hammers played a real game of two halves against Espanyol.
Trailing 2-0 at the break, West Ham showed great character to claw their way
back into the contest thanks to a Jahmal Hector-Ingram goal. The Hammers
carved out several openings to level, but could not force a second goal and
were caught on the break to leave Espanyol with a 3-1 victory. The game was
followed by the tournament's gala dinner, where former Hammer Freddie
Kanoute was the guest of honour. West Ham's Korrey Henry asked him about
adjusting to life in the Premier League, with Kanoute giving kind words
about his time at the Boleyn Ground. Man-of-the-Match Idris Kanu scored the
only goal of the game as the young Hammers saw off Japanese side Kashiwa
Reysol at the Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium. The final group match will see West
Ham face the host club, Al Ain FC, at 7.30pm on Sunday 29 March. The two
group winners will contest the final, while the runners-up in each group
will go through to the third/fourth-place play-off.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ladies' future in good shape
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies are planning for a sustainable future if the club's
Development Squad is anything to go by. Under the direction of manager Andy
Hill, the Ladies' second-string has produced a steady stream of players for
consideration by first-team boss Julian Dicks.
With the Development Squad challenging for the FA Women's Premier League
(Reserves) Southern Division with five matches still to play, Hill is happy
with the way things are going. "Looking back at the season overall for the
Development Squad, I don't think anyone could anticipate just how well we
did in the run up to Christmas," he reflected. "We'd played something like
15 games and were top for a large part of that because we've stood up to
every challenge, worked hard and although as a manger you don't really want
to get carried away with results, a good run can make other teams sit up and
be wary of our squad. "For me, though, this part of the season is a
completely new challenge for them because they are not picking up the
results like they were at the start of this season. "We have been the much
better team in most of our games and got the results that we quite rightly
deserve but now that the going is starting to get a little bit tough, it
will be interesting to see how much the girls really want it."
Hill was alluding to a run of just two league wins since the turn of the
year which has seen West Ham drop off the top of the table.
"Overall this season, I am 100% happy with the standard of my team and one
of the main areas that I wanted to focus on when I took the job in the
summer was the progression of girls through the Development Squad and into
the first team," the 26-year-old confirmed.
"It would be easy to sit and talk about Jade Smith and Whitney Locke, who
have been regularly in and around the first team, but I think we have had
nine Development Squad players either train, travel or play for Julian
Dicks' first team so far this season. "We have then been able to bring
players up from the U18 team and they are making an impact for the
Development Squad – players like Danielle Sillitoe, Natalie Strange, Alleah
Headley and Ciara Bland. Those four have been fantastic this season and have
even been impressing Julian over the past few months, so it shows that we
are on the right track."
The Development Squad traveled to Chichester City last Sunday and returned
to winning ways with a 1-0 victory through Katie Bottom's late goal
Dicks' first-team had a weekend off after coming from a goal down to thrash
Gillingham Ladies 5-1 at Aveley FC. Emma Sherwood and Lily Mellors scored
twice each, while Vicky King was also on target. West Ham will look to
repeat that scoreline when they head to Kent for the reverse fixture on
Sunday 29 March, before traveling to South Wales to face top side Cardiff on
5 April.
The next home match will see Charlton visit Aveley FC on Tuesday 7 April at
7.45pm. Follow updates from all Ladies' fixtures on Twitter @westhamladies.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jenkinson helps U21s to victory
WHUFC.com
Carl Jenkinson came off the bench as England U21 defeated Czech Republic 1-0
on Friday evening. The on-loan right back replaced Arsenal's Calum Chambers
in the second half after Tom Carroll's 48th minute goal settled the friendly
meeting in Prague. Meanwhile. West Ham United Academy duo Sean Maguire and
Reece Oxford were both involved in wins on the international stage on
Thursday night. Maguire came off the bench in the Republic of Ireland U21s'
1-0 victory over Andorra, while Oxford was also a used substiture as England
U17s rounded off their UEFA U17 Championship qualifying campaign with a 2-1
win against Romania. For Maguire, 20, his late run-out represented a first
cap at Under-21 level as the young Irish got their qualification matches for
the 2017 UEFA U21 Championship off to the best possible start.
The former Waterford United player, back on home turf, had an injury time
effort saved by Andorra keeper Victor Silverio, while the winning goal came
on 31 minutes through Ipswich Town's Dylan Connolly.
Oxford moved down to the bench after two wins from two had already sealed
England U17's place in this summer's finals tournament.
After scoring in Monday's 3-1 win against Slovenia, the centre back came on
for the final 12 minutes against Romania to help see out a 2-1 success
gained thanks to Chelsea forward Ike Ugbo's double. The attention turns to
the seniors on Saturday, with James Collins' Wales taking on Israel in a
Euro 2016 qualifier, and Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal facing Ghana in a
friendly.
Josh Cullen will also be hoping to help the Republic of Ireland U19s bounce
back from defeat to Czech Republic when they face Germany on the same day.
Jenkinson could also face Germany on Monday, as England U21s play another of
their co-finalists for the summer's UEFA U21 Championship, in a friendly at
Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Benitez, Baumgartlinger, Noble and Nolan: Saturday latest
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th March 2015
By: Staff Writer #2
Get the very latest West Ham news in one place, with our new daily media
round-up!
Latest Stories
West Ham monitoring Mainz midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger as potential Alex
Song replacement
The Austria international's contract expires at the end of the season and
the Hammers are among a number of clubs ready to swoop
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-monitoring-mai
nz-midfielder-5414006
West Ham, West Brom and Everton set for summer scrap over £5million Lewis
Dunk
The Brighton centre-back has impressed for the Seagulls this term and could
be set for a summer move to the Premier League
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-west-brom-ever
ton-5412870
Kevin Nolan: Anfield charity game is a special moment
West Ham captain and boyhood Liverpool fan looking forward to being on
Steven Gerrard's side for once
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/kevin-nolan-anfield-charity-game-893481
8
Nolan excited by All-Star appearance
Kevin Nolan is looking forward to returning home to play in the Liverpool FC
Foundation All-Star charity match.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/27-March/Nolan-excited-by-All-
Star-appearance
West Ham and Newcastle managerial target 'looking forward' to Premier League
return
Rafa Benitez is keen to return to England and the Premier League this
summer, according to friend and former Napoli and Liverpool man Pepe Reina
http://www.london24.com/sport/football/clubs/west-ham/west_ham_and_newcastle
_managerial_target_looking_forward_to_premier_league_return_1_4012527
The reasons why West Ham's Mark Noble should have a national call-up
As the thrilling final quarter of the Premier League comes to a shuddering
week-long halt and dust blooms into the air, we all have to brush ourselves
down, squint through the drifting grit, and lean in close to hear the names
of the chosen few announced.
http://outside90.com/312west-hams-noble-should-be-capped/
West Ham monitoring Mainz midfielder Julian Baumgartlinger as potential Alex
Song replacement
The Austria international's contract expires at the end of the season and
the Hammers are among a number of clubs ready to swoop
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/west-ham-monitoring-mai
nz-midfielder-5414006
Sakho dreaming of Stadium goals
Diafra Sakho took one look at West Ham United's new home this week and, true
to form, set his sights on scoring the first goal there.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/27-March/Sakho-dreaming-of-Sta
dium-goals
Hammers duo taste international success
West Ham United Academy duo Sean Maguire and Reece Oxford were both involved
in wins on the international stage on Thursday night.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/27-March/Hammers-duo-taste-int
ernational-success
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FOOTBALL MAD: THE STORY OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND SUICIDE IN THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
By Iron Liddy 29 Mar 2015 at 08:00
West Ham till I Die
When I look back at the past two seasons as a West Ham fan in years to come
sadly the word that will define them for me will be 'abuse.' I feel as
though my senses have been battered by an incessant stream of vitriol aimed
at our owners; our manager; some of our players, one in particular; and at
fellow fans.
I looked at Carlton Cole's face as he sat on the sofa on Goals on Sunday
last weekend and I saw a very unhappy man. His mouth was smiling but his
eyes weren't; his time at West Ham has extinguished some of the spark in of
one of the sweetest, funniest men in the game. Football's Mr Nice Guy was
forced to sit there and admit that he has been fined £40,000 for losing his
temper and retaliating in kind to an abusive tweet from an opposition fan.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Although he is a favourite
among many West Ham fans he has also had to endure constant criticism and
abuse from other factions of our fan base and beyond. You really hope that
the love that he receives from his supporters helps to cushion the pain of
the virtual blows that he's subjected to on social media; a subject which
brings me on to our most vilified player in the past couple of years, Kevin
Nolan.
In his recent interview with Dave Evans in the Newham Recorder Kevin said:
"It has been a tough couple of months ….. people talking about me and saying
things about me, it has been hard, I am not going to deny it, but the only
thing I have ever known is playing football. That is the only thing I can do
now. I have got nothing to prove to anyone. I have done a lot in my career
and a lot of what has been said has been unfair, but that's life I suppose."
Anybody who regularly follows West Ham's fortunes will know that Kevin
Nolan's response to the vicious and personal abuse he has been subjected to
for months on end is an understatement. For somebody not in the public eye
it's difficult to comprehend what it must be like to be exposed to a daily
barrage of abusive and crass criticism. As a woman I also feel for his wife
and try to imagine how upset I would be at having to watch my husband endure
such hatred and venom simply for trying to do his job; not to mention the
stress of trying to ensure that it didn't reach the ears and eyes of my
children.
Nolan went on to say:
"I've come to the stage in my career with all the negativity surrounding me
and I have just taken it on the chin. It's water off a duck's back for me.
Sometimes it hurts of course, but I've got a fantastic family, fantastic
support system and not just with family and friends but also within the
club."
So Kevin is still smiling and still coping, at least he seems to be. Anyway,
isn't he fair game for all the critics and abusers given his dream job and
huge salary? Maybe, maybe not. A popular consensus seems to be that
professional footballers, as well as other people in the public eye, are
exempt from the consideration afforded to 'regular' people. It's as if a
proportion of society considers that their wealth and celebrity makes them
somehow immune from the frailties of the human condition and that they can
either just absorb or repel any abuse without it affecting their mental and
physical wellbeing.
As the cruelty and contempt that they have had to tolerate reaches its
height both Carlton Cole and Kevin Nolan have also arrived at a stage in
their careers as professional footballers where they need to take stock and
ask themselves the question "what next?" It sounds like a lovely problem to
have doesn't it? All that money in the bank, not too many medals granted,
but scrapbooks filled with memories of a job that most people can only dream
of, what have they got to worry about? In fact they are probably at a very
vulnerable stage of their lives and you can only hope that they have the
mental strength and support networks that will enable them to navigate it
successfully as they continue to deflect the scorn and bile that is heaped
upon them every day.
For the majority of these relatively still young men football has been the
only way of life that they've known since they were children; it defines
them as human beings and shapes their self-worth and self-identity. When
they come to the end of their footballing career they are in danger of
losing so much more than a big income and the chance to play football in
front of thousands of people. Unfortunately no amount of money, fame or
privilege can protect mentally vulnerable people from the irrationality and
despair of depression and mental illness; conditions which are exacerbated
by external circumstances and the stresses of abuse and criticism.
A few weeks ago Clarke Carlisle, the former Burnley and QPR defender and
one-time Chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association, left
hospital following his second suicide attempt.
He told The Sun newspaper that he had been left severely depressed by the
end of his football career, financial problems and the loss of a TV punditry
role. Seeing death as the only escape from his despair Carlisle stepped in
front of a lorry on the A64 on the 22nd of December and hoped for oblivion.
As it turned out he survived the impact and was airlifted to Leeds General
Infirmary suffering from cuts, bruises, internal bleeding, a broken rib and
shattered left knee. On Christmas Day 2014 he was admitted as an in-patient
to a psychiatric unit in Harrogate before his release in January this year.
Carlisle's battle with depression has been well documented in the media and
in 2013 he made a poignant semi-autobiographical documentary for BBC3 called
'Football's Suicide Secret'; which told the story of his final season before
retirement – a season which, like much of his playing career, was marked by
periodic bouts of depression. His first suicide attempt came at the age of
21, just as his team Queens Park Rangers had been promoted to the Premier
League. Here was a young professional footballer apparently approaching the
zenith of his career and about to enjoy the prestige, accolades and wealth
that entails, when he decided to take his own life with a handful of pills
on a shabby park bench. In an article that Carlisle wrote for the BBC in
2013 he said:
"Everyone else thought I'd made it, that I had the dream life. And I did. I
was a 21-year-old professional footballer for QPR and the England Under-21s.
I had a nice flat, a nice car and a loving family. My irrational mind had
made me think suicide was a rational action though. So I went to a park near
my home in Acton armed with lots of painkillers and thought "I'm going to
take all these pills and kill myself, because I'm no use to anyone". I'd
just suffered a severe knee injury and had convinced myself that without
football people would see me for what I really was, which was nothing. I sat
on a bench in that park, washed the pills down with a can of beer, and
waited for it to happen. In the end I was incredibly lucky, because my
girlfriend found me and I was rushed to hospital in time to have my stomach
pumped. I survived and didn't tell another soul about the incident for years
and didn't ask for any help. I just locked this suicide attempt away in
Pandora's Box."
The film also highlighted the tragic and shocking death of former Premier
League and Welsh international player Gary Speed. Despite his glittering
playing career and his recent appointment as Manager of the Wales team
Speed's wife Louise found his lifeless body hanging in the garage of their
luxury home in November 2011. At the inquest into his death the coroner
reached a narrative verdict but stated that cause of death was by "self
suspension."
On the morning of his death he had appeared full of smiles as a guest on the
BBC One TV programme Football Focus, with presenter Dan Walker later
describing 42 year old Speed as being in "fine form." After the programme
finished Speed joined former Newcastle United team-mate and friend Alan
Shearer to watch their old club play against Manchester United at Old
Trafford. Although he never discussed any possible mental health issues with
anyone, he had told Shearer that the pressure of management had put some
strain on his marriage and that he and Louise had argued the night before
his death. Four days before he hanged himself he had also texted Louise
about the possibility of suicide, but he dismissed such an action because of
the importance of his wife and two children. At the inquest his mother
Carole Speed described him as a "glass half-empty person."
During his documentary Clarke Carlisle spoke to Speed's sister Lesley and
she said that if somebody had asked her whether Gary was suffering from
depression before that, she would have said absolutely not. She went on to
say:
"He hid it from us and it stopped him asking for help ….. we were just so
sad that we couldn't help him through….. that's a huge regret that I didn't
get him to one side and say 'is everything alright?'"
Carlisle commented:
"I know only too well that most depressives are great actors who can put on
a different persona, a facade. What you need to be able to do is open up,
yet the cruelty of the illness is that it won't let you."
Speed's sister Lesley also made the telling point that now that she knows
more about the condition she knows that people suffering from depression are
not just fighting an illness but also dealing with the stigma that comes
with it. During a short interview for the film, Aidy Boothroyd, Carlisle's
manager at Northampton, reinforced the view that depression and mental
illness are not something that you admit to in professional football. He
said that he had tried to protect his player by telling the team and the
press that Carlisle was suffering from flu when depression had forced him to
miss work.
Carlisle spoke to other young footballers about their experiences with
depression, including Simon Jordan, Lee Hendrie and Leon McKenzie and he
tried to show that depression, just like a physical illness, can strike even
those who have found their dream jobs and adulation. While it may not always
be helpful to view depression as something triggered by circumstances, there
is no doubt that a footballer's career cycle contains plenty of triggers.
Carlisle investigated the effect of that first rejection with a visit to an
academy full of young players who hadn't begun to consider that they might
not hit the big time; and also looked at how injuries and defeats can drag a
player down and what awaits them after retirement.
As my research continued I was shocked at the prevalence of suicide and
attempted suicide within the professional game. No doubt most football fans
are aware of the tragic case of Justin Fashanu, Britain's first million
pound black footballer and the first professional footballer in Britain to
openly 'come out' and admit he was gay. His courage drew many admirers among
the wider audience, but some observers said it was less appreciated in parts
of the football world. He suffered both homophobic and racist abuse during
his time as a player, with even his own manager, Brian Clough, labelling him
"a bloody poof" His personal torment took its toll professionally and his
promising football career had already nose-dived by the time he came out in
1990. Fashanu embarked on a new career coaching the US football team
Maryland Mania but in 1998 he fled back to England amid allegations of
sexual abuse by a 17 year old youth. On the morning of 3rd May he was found
hanged in a deserted lock-up garage he had broken into in Shoreditch,
London, he was 37. Fashanu's suicide note denied the charges, claiming that
the act was consensual and that he was being blackmailed by his accuser.
Whatever the truth of those allegations, Justin's suicide was a culmination
of a lifetime of rejection. That rejection began when he was given up by his
parents as a child and placed in a Barnardo's Children's Home. It was
compounded by the racist jibes he suffered on the football pitch, and by the
homophobic abuse inflicted on him at Nottingham Forest by his manager Brian
Clough.
A more recent high profile case is that of the former national German
goalkeeper Robert Enke. On 10th November 2009 32 year old Enke committed
suicide when he stood in front of a regional express train at a level
crossing. In this highly emotive video Robert's widow Teresa Enke describes
how the pressure of being a professional footballer contributed to Robert's
depression and death. She says:
"Sport will always be important but you should always see the human being
behind the sports person, you shouldn't just reduce them to a performance.
It's nice if he performs well but you should respect that people make
mistakes. I wish there was more understanding of [being] a professional
sports person."
Sadly self-awareness is no guarantee of protection from the effects of
mental illness. Another former German professional footballer committed
suicide in July 2014 after a long battle with depression. Andreas Biermann,
who started his career at Hertha Berlin, took his own life after struggling
against the illness for five years. The 33-year-old last played for FSV
Spandauer Kickers, based in Berlin and he had published a book called
'Depression: Red Card' where he discussed his struggle. Biermann had
initially revealed that he was suffering from the illness after the death of
Robert Enke and he had previously tried to take his own life on three
occasions.
You might be forgiven for thinking that suicide within professional football
is a relatively modern phenomenon due to media pressure and the added stress
from the abuse inflicted by fans via social media. You may also think that
suicide has never touched West Ham. Sadly neither is true.
This list of professional and ex-professional footballers and managers who
felt driven to take their own lives makes very sad and shocking reading.
Footballers who committed suicide
Among them you will find Syd King, Thames Ironworks' and West Ham's star
full back from 1899 – 1903; who went on to become West Ham's manager, a
position he held for 30 years from 1902 until 1932.
Syd King was considered one of the best full backs in the Southern League
and he recorded 16 appearances in Thames Ironworks' first season in the
Southern League Division One in 1899, also making seven appearances in the
FA Cup that year, an impressive run that ended in a 1-2 home defeat against
arch-rivals Millwall Athletic. In 1900 he was retained as a member of the
squad after the club's transition to West Ham United, and continued to play
for them until 1903, recording 59 league and 7 FA Cup appearances in total.
At the start of his last season as a player he was appointed club secretary,
although he was already considered to be a 'manager' of the club. His tenure
at West Ham included our election to the football league in 1919 and in 1923
he took West Ham to the FA Cup Final for the first time, losing to Bolton
Wanderers but also assuring our place in the top division finishing as
Division Two runners up. An edition of the local newspaper East Ham Echo
proclaimed in 1923 that:
"Syd King is West Ham and West Ham is Syd King."
Following promotion King implemented a period of consolidation for West Ham
in the First Division, the highlight of which was the 1926-1927 season when
West Ham finished in 6th place in Division One. This performance was not
equalled by the Hammers until the 1958-1959 season during Ted Fenton's
tenure. This consistency was partly made possible when King signed players
who went on to become West Ham legends and record holders, as well as
England internationals, including Jimmy Ruffell, Ted Hufton and Vic Watson.
Syd King was appointed a shareholder of West Ham United in 1931 but the team
was relegated in the 1931-32 season back to Division Two. On 5th November
1932 West Ham lost their ninth game of the next season, against Bradford
Park Avenue, and at the same day's board meeting, according to one board
member, during the discussion of the team King was "drunk and
insubordinate." It was no secret that King 'liked a drink' but he had
already appeased the board many times over the issue. On the following day
they announced that:
"It was unanimously decided that until further notice C. Paynter be given
sole control of players and that E. S. King be notified accordingly."
It was also suggested by the board, but never confirmed, that King had been
syphoning off West Ham funds for himself. He was suspended for three months
without pay and also banned from entering the Boleyn Ground. Following a
board meeting on 3rd January 1933 his contract was terminated permanently,
and he was given an ex-gratia payment of £3 a week.
Although comparatively rich for an ex-player working in football, King's
reputation and career were in tatters. Within a month of the sacking he
sadly committed suicide by drinking alcohol mixed with a corrosive liquid.
The inquest into his death declared that he had taken his life 'while of
unsound mind', and had been suffering from persecution delusions. According
to his son his depression had begun when West Ham were relegated in the
summer of 1932, and that his paranoia had followed on from that.
In his book 'At Home With The Hammers' (1960) Ted Fenton, West Ham United
player (1932-46) and manager (1950-61) wrote:
"The boss at West Ham was Syd King, an outsize, larger-than-life character
with close-cropped grey hair and a flowing moustache. He was a personality
plus man, a man with flair. Awe struck, I would tip-toe past his office but
invariably he would spot me. "Boy," he would shout. "Get me two bottles of
Bass." Down to the Boleyn pub on the corner I would go on my errand and when
I got back to the office Syd King would flip me a two-shilling piece for my
trouble."
Isn't it sad and unthinkable that a man with such a big personality and who
had achieved so much at West Ham felt compelled to take his own life when he
lost the support of the board and consequently his position? It really
highlights the fact that nobody is immune from depression, even those with
long and successful careers.
Given the stigma that often comes with mental illness, it's perhaps no
surprise that footballers and managers who suffer from depression often do
their utmost to hide it instead of asking for help; and there are
undoubtedly current and former professional players and managers still
suffering in silence today.
In 2013 Football Association chairman David Bernstein admitted that the
issue of mental illness in the sport has been "badly neglected in the past."
He said:
"This is not something that's been high on my agenda – maybe it should have
been higher."
A spokesman insisted that the FA regards the issue as "vitally important"
and Scott Field, the FA's head of media relations, said:
"The mental well-being of players, managers and indeed all participants in
football is vitally important to the FA, from grassroots to the professional
game."
He said that the FA had helped to produce a handbook for professional
players tackling the subject of mental illness, as well as organising
awareness workshops for coaches in 2011. The FA has also provided financial
backing to the Sporting Chance Clinic, which treats sportsmen with
behavioural problems.
Let's hope that they're taking it as seriously as they say. The latest
suicide statistics reveal a disproportionate rise in the number of male
suicides. In the UK, the male suicide rate is approximately three and a half
times higher than the female suicide rate and the highest rate of male
suicide in the UK is in the 40-44 age group.
The circumstances behind the depression and suicides of these professional
footballers and managers are as varied as their careers but the one thing
they all have in common is that their status within the professional game
didn't protect them from their mental torment; they were just human beings
with the same vulnerabilities as the man on the street. In fact they may be
more vulnerable than the average man on the street. FIFPro, the World
Footballers' Association, conducted an international study into the extent
of Mental Illness in Professional Football More than 300 current and former
professional players and six national unions participated. The first
paragraph of the report's conclusion states:
"The results of our study show that mental illness seems to occur among
former professional footballers more often than in current players and more
often than in other populations. Consequently, mental illness among former
professional footballers cannot be underestimated and should be a subject of
interest for all stakeholders in football. Attention to career planning in
an early stage of a football career might significantly help to prepare the
post-sport life period and to avoid potential problems after retirement
(Alfermann 2007)."
If you've reached the end of this article then you're obviously a thinking
West Ham fan and probably not prone to outbursts of personal abuse where
only professional criticism is required. You're probably also already
cognisant of the issues surrounding depression and mental illness and
understand the fragilities of all human beings, including professional
footballers, and how unwarranted and spiteful personal attacks on a player
or manager could contribute into pushing a vulnerable person over the edge.
The point I'm trying to make probably won't reach those who could benefit
from it the most. Those who won't read have no advantage over those who
can't; so there's little hope of educating either.
I'm not suggesting that professional footballers and managers should be
wrapped in cotton wool and that they shouldn't have to bear professional
criticism but I wish all football fans would stop to think of the words of
German goalkeeper Robert Enke's widow the next time that they feel compelled
to write an abusive comment and ask themselves if it's really necessary or
fair and to consider the impact it could have on a mentally vulnerable
person struggling to cope with a barrage of abuse.
"Sport will always be important but you should always see the human being
behind the sports person, you shouldn't just reduce them to a performance.
It's nice if he performs well but you should respect that people make
mistakes. I wish there was more understanding of [being] a professional
sports person."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham set to snatch a European place - thanks to the Fair Play League
22:30, 28 March 2015 By Chris Davies
England is on course to earn a Europa League spot for good behaviour and the
Hammers currently top the domestic discipline table - but there is one
hitch...
The Mirror
West Ham are in line to grab a place in Europe – thanks to the Fair Play
League, writes Chris Davies in the Sunday People. The Hammers top the
Premier League table which awards points for discipline, positive play,
respect towards opponents and the referee, plus behaviour of team officials
and spectators. UEFA give three places in the Europa League for the
countries with the best Fair Play record and England, the Republic of
Ireland and Holland are currently leading the way. The downside is that West
Ham would have to play their first qualifying round tie on July 2. This
would mean the players having a close season of just one month – the minimum
allowed – before returning to training 11 days before the first tie.
Liverpool are currently second in the table, while struggling Burnley are
not far behind in third. In the 20-112012, Fulham competed in the Europa
League after being awarded a place through winning the Fair Play League.
They played their first match on June 30, against NSI Runavik from the Faroe
Islands.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan holds key to defender switch
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Carl Jenkinson's switch from Arsenal to West Ham now appears to be more or
less nailed on. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is ready to let the defender know
of his decision to let him leave the Emorates and his agent will enter talks
on personal terms once a fee has been agreed with Arsenal. The right back is
determined to stay in London and has become a popular member of the Irons
dressing room. But it is the relationship between David Sullivan and the
player's agent which is likely to prove the clincher and which brought the
player to Upton Park in the first place. The two sides pair were quickly in
touch with each other when it became clear he would be allowed out on a
season-long loan and both are keen to make the move permanent. Jenks has
loved life in the east end and is one of the most regular player interview
subjects on the club website. The tricky business will be in agreeing a fee
with Arsenal who will start at £8 million but the final fee is set to be
around £5m – £6m.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons Euro spot very much on!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are edging closer to a Europeans spot courtesy of the Fair Play
League. We are top the Premier League table which awards points for
discipline, positive play, respect towards opponents and the referee, plus
behaviour of team officials and spectators. Three Europa League places are
available for the countries with the best Fair Play record and England, the
Republic of Ireland and Holland in front.
Should the Irons make it they will have to play their first qualifying round
tie on July 2 giving the squad a close season of one month before returning
to training 11 days before the first tie. Liverpool are currently second in
the table and Burnley in third
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Allardyce's chance to make us all happy!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Sam Allardyce has a way to claim some real favour with the fans before the
end of the season. And if he is indeed to leave, there's also a way he can
be remembered by them for one good reason in the years to come. Perhaps it
hasn't occurred to him – perhaps if it has he doesn't particularly care
about the option – but it would do him no harm! There is nothing to lose.
I'm talking about Reece Oxford – commonly accepted as the most exciting
young Hammer to emerge in many years – and the opportunity the manager has
to give him his first team debut. Were Sam to do so he would mark out a
little spot in history for himself as the first manager to give the kid his
chance when in years to come he becomes the massive player and possible
England captain many are predicting. That may just appeal to Mr Allardyce
don't you think! And the truth is that West Ham with nothing to play for
other than mid table respectability he can easily afford to make such a
move. It's not even a gamble. Many believe Reece will be impacting on things
next season anyway and every single one of us want to see the lad given his
opportunity – even if it's only for 20 minutes as a second half sub. I doubt
it will happen but it should as should more inclusions for Morgan Amalfitano
and Brazilian Nene. None of us expected the Brazilian to be very involved
when he arrived…he hasn't been and that again demonstrates the
predictability entrenched in our managerial system. Every one of us can call
virtually everything so come on Mr Allardyce: prove us wrong, give us an
injection of much needed excitement…play young Reece!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Reid/Valencia look to Leicester!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 29, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Winston Reid is set for a return to action against Leicester City next
weekend with Enner Valencia fifty/fifty. The central defender made his own
decision to stay at home rather than join the New Zealand squad as there
remained a little soreness in the injured hamstring.
The medical staff had always targeted the Leicester City match for his
return and were deloghted to receive the news that he'd be staying at home.
Co chairman David Gold said: "It was always Winston's decision. A long plane
trip out and back to Korea would not have helped and we can now use all our
resources to have him back for next weekend. We are very hopeful." Valencia
– who lacerated his foot on a broken cup at home – is recovering but he
remains fifty fifty for the game.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan opens up on spending plans
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Sullivan admits the Hammers defence this summer – which could well
involve Carl Jenkinson – is likely to be the club's priority areas this
summer. Jenks is valued at around £8million but West Ham will be keen to
negotiate that given the presence of such as of Hector Belerin, Calum
Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy at the Emirates.. Apasr from the right back it
appears the club will be looking hard at central defence where the club has
been thin in the last couple of years. Sullivan told the official website:
"Our planning for strengthening the squad in the summer has been underway
for some time "I think we need goalscorers, a right back and maybe a central
defender. The situation with Carl Jenkinson won't be clear until the end of
the season but we will have to sign a right back one way or another. "We of
course bought Cheik Kouyate to play in midfield and as a fourth choice
centre half but two years in a row now we've been caught out in central
defence so it might be that we look to strengthen in that area for next
season. "We have Doneil Henry of course and he won impressive reviews for
his performances at Blackburn Rovers before getting injured. If he's ready
for the Premier League then he could get a chance, otherwise it might be
that he goes out on loan again to gain more experience. "If we do decide to
buy, the challenge would be then trying to keep four central defenders happy
but you do then have the cover for when you get injuries as we seem to have
a habit of losing our centre halves for key parts of the season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Irons striker on the move
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Brom boss Tony Pulis remains keen on Carlton Cole and could offer the
Irons loyalist his dream move to the Baggies in the summer.
Coley comes out of contract on June 30 and the Hammers are ready to let the
striker leave with Pulis still interested in making a move.
The Hawthorns chief was deeply disappointed when the deal to sign the front
man broke down in the winter window and despite having other targets
remains ready to do a deal as Cole's wage deal would be relatively low. The
Welshman has made it clear that Cole would offer his squad something they
don't already have and that he has a decent scoring record when he plays.
Cole would love to move to the midlands outfit and was devastated when the
winter move broke down at the last moment. A Hammers source said: "Coley has
been a great servant to the club but nothing's forever and he will be
moving on this summer."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Sak' aiming for huge Irons double
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Diafra Sakho is one of the very few footballers who can cheer me up on a
grey morning! He's a guy who always seems to say the right thing and that I
believe is because – unlike so many – he means and feels every word. To have
scored a dozen goals in a season when little was expected from a guy who was
very much seen as second string signing to Enner Valencia is a tribute to
his amazing work ethic and determination. And this week he was at the
Olympic Stadium clearly overwhelmed by his first impressions and looking to
grab a personal double. He told West Ham TV: "It's beautiful, I'd even say
magnificent. I'm eager to play there and pleased with everything that I've
seen. Everyone dreams of playing there. I would even like to score the
first goal in the new stadium. That would be amazing. "I hope to score the
last goal at Upton Park as well and then the first one here! You have to be
ambitious. We play for West Ham, if we're not ambitious, we won't be playing
at the new Stadium." "I can't even imagine it. It's going to be something
unforgettable. The first day that we step out there, we're going to feel
that we've really gone to a new level. "To go from 35,000 to 54,000 is
massive. I think Season Tickets are going to go very quickly this year,
that's for sure." All of that may sound like the answer to a public relation
man's name but Sak is a man who says it as he sees it as demonstrated with
his attack on the FA earlier this week. This guy is gonna become one of our
legends!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea may challenge for Adebayor
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 28, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham's summer hopes of doing a deal for Tottenham striker Emmanuel
Adebayor may be threatened by interest from Chelsea. According to new
reports this morning Jose Mourinho is considering a move for the striker he
took to Real Madrid. Were he to move for Adebayor the 31 year old may have
to consider the lesser of two evils – presumably having few first team
chances at Stamford Bridge or playing second fiddle to Andy Carroll at Upton
Park. Mourinho is reported to be looking in Adebayor's direction as the one
year deal for Didier Drogba, 37, runs out this summer. A Hammers source
refused to rule out their interest in the player saying: "All balls are in
the air – we were interested in January, why wouldn't we be now!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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