Payet proud of France winner
WHUFC.com
Dimitri Payet was full of pride after firing France to victory over Cameroon with another fantastic free-kick on Monday evening. Les Bleus had been pegged back twice in Nantes before Payet clinched a dramatic 3-2 victory by curling past Fabrice Ondoa from fully 30 yards. Payet's winner was his SIXTH successful direct free-kick of the season and his second in consecutive matches for the UEFA Euro 2016 hosts, following another sensational effort against Russia in March. The West Ham United midfielder, who looks set to start the tournament opener against Romania next Friday, was delighted to make another decisive contribution for his country and France supporters. "It's always important to win, especially in front of your own fans," Payet told FFF tv. "We saw at the end just what it meant to them and they supported us during a difficult match against a tough opposition. "It is nice to win and there are, of course, things that could be better and we have the time to make those changes." "I wasn't that far out, but at the same time I was quite far out, so I didn't know whether I should cross it or not," Payet revealed. "Patrice (Evra) told me to have a go and I saw the goalkeeper try to move early to one side, so I tried to put it into the other corner and it hit the post and went in.
"It was a pretty good one because it was really one for a left-footer. I need to see the replay again, but I am pretty pleased with it."
For the player himself, the goal and victory were even more special as they came at the Stade de la Beaujoir, where he began his professional career with Nantes between 2005 and 2007.
"It was special for me to come back here to this stadium, where I spent two beautiful seasons," he explained. "And I was happy to feel the fans get behind us." France's victory came on the back of a 4-2 win over the Russians in Paris and 3-2 victory against the Netherlands in Amsterdam, setting Didier Deschamps' squad up perfectly for Euro 2016. "They equalised twice in the game so to score the third goal is great. In the last three games we have scored quite a few a goals and so that is something to be pleased with. "You don't want to use everything up at once, but it is good for us to leave here confident and when you win, it's always better for the recovery and the morale in the camp."
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Payet bags breathtaking France free-kick
WHUFC.com
Hammers superstar Dimitri Payet curled home an incredible last-minute 30-yard free-kick to win France's friendly with Cameroon 3-2 on Monday night. The Euro 2016 hosts were level in Nantes heading towards added time before the West Ham midfielder placed the ball down to the right of goal and found the back of the net with breathtaking accuracy from a tight angle. It is the second free-kick Payet has scored in consecutive matches for Les Bleus, having converted an equally brilliant effort against Russia back in March. The 29-year-old was of course one of the Premier League's most-feared set-piece takers in 2015/16, and scored with magnificent free-kicks against Bournemouth and Crystal Palace as well as FA Cup strikes over Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United. Blaise Matuidi opened the scoring after 20 minutes for the hosts of this summer's tournament, which kicks off on 10 June, before Vincent Aboubakar equalised for the African nation just two minutes later. Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud then restored Didier Deschamps' side's lead just before the break following a Paul Pogba cross, but Cameroon's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting thought he had spoiled the party two minutes from time. However Payet had other ideas, placing the ball down 30-yards from the target on the right-hand side, before curling his effort into the far corner well beyond the reach of helpless Cameroon stopper Fabrice Ondoa. France face Scotland in their final match before Euro 2016 on Saturday night, then take on Romania in the tournament's opener in Paris.
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Ginge named in Wales Squad
WHUFC.com
James Collins will be heading to UEFA Euro 2016 as part of Wales' squad for their first appearance at a major finals since 1958. West Ham United defender Collins, who has 46 Wales caps to his name, is named in Chris Coleman's 23-man squad for the tournament, which gets underway in France a week on Friday. Wales qualified for Euro 2016 by finishing runners-up in a group containing Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Israel, Cyprus and Andorra, and Collins cannot wait to represent his country this summer. He said: "For all us Welsh lads, it's a new experience so many great Wales players never had, for one reason or another. "We're going into it blind, because none of us really know what to expect, but we're full of excitement. "We've got three games to play and we'll be looking to qualify out of our group, and I think we've got every chance."
Following a friendly against Sweden on Sunday, Wales' Euro 2016 campaign gets underway on Saturday 11 June when they take on Slovakia in Bordeaux. The much-anticipated meeting with England follows in Lens on Thursday 16 June, before the Group B fixtures conclude with Wales taking on Russia in Toulouse on Monday 20 June. Collins sees that opening game as being crucial. He added: "We have got Slovakia first and I think that's a must-win for us. We need to go there and get three points there to kick us off nicely. I think a win and a draw will see us through, so that's what we're looking to do and we're confident we can."
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Excitement growing in North Carolina
WHUFC.com
Excitement is growing ahead of West Ham United's 2016 US Tour visit to North Carolina. Slaven Bilic's squad will make the second stop of their summer visit to the United States in the town of Cary, where they will take on North American Soccer League (NASL) side Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday 12 July at 8pm ET. West Ham will be the first English Premier League club to visit the area known as the Triangle – Cary sits between three prestigious universities – and RailHawks President and General Manager Curt Johnson cannot wait for the big game. "We have the opportunity to test ourselves against one of the top teams in the world," said Johnson. "What we are going to see on 12 July is an absolutely fantastic event with a lot of world-class players and a lot of excitement."
West Ham's Commercial Director Felicity Barnard joined Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke on a visit to North Carolina in mid-May, and both were hugely impressed by what they found. Speaking to CarolinaRailHawks.com, Barnard said the fixture and training facilities would provide West Ham would a superb base at which to prepare for the 2016/17 season. "Coming over to the US is part of our pre-season and a really important part of us getting ready for the Premier League season ahead and, next season, for our European campaign as well," said Barnard.
"Each year we look at where we can get the most competitive matches and the best facilities to do that and the US is a natural choice for us. We want to go somewhere with lots of soccer fans and the sport is on such an upward trajectory that it's an exciting place to be. "Having looked around the facilities, it's a great stadium and the training facilities are fantastic and they will definitely help us to get ready for the new season back home."
Having looked around the facilities, it's a great stadium and the training facilities are fantastic and they will definitely help us to get ready for the new season back home While they may be just a decade old, the RailHawks hail from an area with a long and close association with the sport, where a Youth Soccer League has been in place for 40 years and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels have reached the NCAA final three times since 2001. Barnard explained that the heritage, combined with the RailHawks' own ambitions of winning the NASL and eventually breaking into Major League Soccer (MLS), were part of the thinking behind West Ham's visit this summer. "It's really important for us to pick opposition teams who share our ethos and we are both very attacking sides in the way we play and exciting to watch. "Having looked at the background of the club, their ambitions and what they want to do in their home market, those are very important and it's the same for us. "Looking at both clubs and the region as a whole and how deep-rooted the region is in soccer, it was a natural choice for us to visit North Carolina."
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West Ham chasing Umtiti, say Sky sources
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Lyon's brilliant young central defender Samuel Umtiti is the latest player to be linked with a move to the Olympic Stadium. According to Sky Sports, West Ham are "leading the chase" to capture the 22-year-old, who plays alongside West Ham's Dimitri Payet for the French national squad.
Umtiti, who has been linked with some of Europe's elite clubs this summer, and Tottenham, has spent his entire pro career with Lyon who finished runners-up to Paris St Germain in Ligue 1 last season. Having featured for his country at all levels from Under 17 to Under 21, Umtiti has been included in Didier Deschamps' Euro 16 squad and was an unused substitute in France's 3-2 win over Cameroon last night.
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Payet joins Europe's elite
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham's Dimitri Payet is currently ranked as the fourth best player in Europe, according to UEFA's 'Player Barometer'. United's 29-year-old French star, who scored an injury-time winner for his country in a friendly with Cameroon last night ranks below just three players across the entire continent at present.
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo - who scored the winning penalty in the Champions League Final at the weekend, free agent Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann are the only players to rank higher than West Ham's talisman.
The UEFA chart is decided by comparing what UEFA describe as "official player statistics [run] through a specially designed algorithm to create rankings based on player performances."
Performance data for both club and country since 1 January is considered to rate each individual player, although the table is weighted in favour of more recent data.
The full top ten is as follows:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
2. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (ex-PSG)
3. Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
4. Dimitri Payet (West Ham United)
5. James Milner (Liverpool)
6. Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid)
7. Koke (Atletico Madrid)
8. Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
9. Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
10. Hakan Calhanoglu (Bayer Leverkusen)
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Sunderland launch Sakho bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Sunderland are understood to have opened talks with view to signing West Ham United's Diafra Sakho. The North East club, who narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season have made an opening offer for the striker, according to a KUMB source. Sakho - who cost just West Ham just £4million when moving from Metz two summers ago - has been in and out of the news all season, with his topsy-turvy private life having made almost as many headlines as his on-field achievements in recent months. As a result of his numerous and well-documented personal issues, Slaven Bilic will allow him to leave West Ham - but only for the right offer, with United looking to recoup around £15million. The 26-year-old Senegal international, who was brought to England on Sam Allardyce's watch made just 24 appearances for West Ham last season, scoring just seven goals. DUring his first season in England (2014/15) he fared slightly better, managed 12 goals from 26 appearances.
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Collins makes final cut
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st May 2016
By: Staff Writer
James Collins has been named in Wales' final 23-man squad for the forthcoming European Championships.
West Ham United's experienced central defender is one of seven defenders named by Wales boss Chris Coleman, along with Ashley Williams (Swansea), James Chester (West Brom), Ben Davies (Tottenham), Chris Gunter (Reading), Neil Taylor (Swansea) and Ashley Richards (Fulham).
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Sosa, so good
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 31st May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are poised to make another raid on Slaven Bilic's former club. Having already courted the likes of Gokhan Tore, Veli Kavlak and Oguzhan Ozyakup in recent weeks, West Ham are now said to be lining up a bid for yet another Besiktas star - Argentine international Jose Sosa. The 30-year-old midfielder - who has previously enjoyed spells with Bayern Munich (2007-10) and Napoli (2010-11) - has been in Turkey with the Black Eagles for the past two seasons, having made the move from Atletico in La Liga during the summer of 2014. And according to a KUMB source, the Hammers are lining up a £9million bid for the Carcaraná-born Sosa, who has also been linked with a return home to Argentina this week. Estudiantes, with whom Sosa began his professional career back in 2002 are also rumoured to be keen on re-signing the player. Earlier this week SOsa indicated that he would not be averse to a move back to his first team.
Sosa made 31 appearances for Besiktas last season, scoring seven goals and providing 12 assists.
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West Ham leading Samuel Umtiti race, Sky sources understand
By Dev Trehan
Last Updated: 31/05/16 5:06pm
SSN
West Ham are leading the chase to sign Lyon centre-back Samuel Umtiti, Sky sources understand. The Cameroon-born France Under-21 international made 30 appearances for Lyon last season and is regarded as one of Europe's brightest young talents. Umtiti has previously been linked with moves to Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Spurs. France manager Didier Deschamps has named the 22-year-old on the standby list for this summer's European Championship. The news of West Ham's efforts to sign Umtiti comes on the same day news emerged of a bid from the Hammers for AC Milan's Colombian striker Carlos Bacca. West Ham have already had bids for Alexandre Lacazette and Callum Wilson turned down this summer, but co-chairman David Sullivan told Sky Sports News HQ last week the club are keen to add a world-class goalscorer to their ranks. West Ham have already agreed a deal to sign Norway international Havard Nordtveit, who will join the club on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with German side Borussia Monchengladbach.
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West Ham insist teenager Reece Oxford will not be sold despite interest from Manchester United
22:30, 30 MAY 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
United are lining up a £10m move for the teenager but West Ham rate him as one of the best young talents they have produced
The Mirror
West Ham are determined to fend off Manchester United's attempts to land starlet Reece Oxford. Jose Mourinho wants to make versatile Hammers academy product Oxford, 17, one of the first signings of his Manchester United reign. United are lining up a £10m move for the teenager, who can play in defence or midfield and has represented England's under-19s. But West Ham rate Oxford as the best talent they have produced since former United and England star Rio Ferdinand and insist there is no way he will be sold. They also claim they have not yet received an official bid for Oxford from the Old Trafford outfit. Star man Dimitri Payet is another Hammers player who has been linked with a summer move. Payet signed a fresh £125,000-a-week deal in February after a stunning start to his West Ham career but that hasn't silenced talk that the Frenchman could leave after an impressive debut season in England. But co-chairman David Gold vowed neither player is going anywhere, saying: "We have no plans to let these players go."
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Hammers talk on Sakho/Sunderland link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 31, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Sunderland have shown no interest in signing Diafra Sakho despite regular recent reports that Sam Allardyce is keen on the Irons striker.
Reports in the national press that a deal could be done have been joined by another in the local newspaper The Northern Echo today that both Sak and Swansea City striker Bafetimibi Gomis interest the former Hammers manager.
However, there has been zero contact between the two clubs where it is well known a close relationship exists between the chairmen.
We were told that it would be quite impossible to do business even had there been contact because Slaven Bilic won't firm up his plans until he has watched all his targets at the Euro Finals.
Enner Valencia is known to be available but the manager has given no indication that Sakho is a player he would allow to leave although a bid of between around £20 million might change that.
However, we were told: "If both were to go both would have to be replaced very quickly and it might be too much change too quickly anyway.
"Sakho is very highly regarded and it would be a surprise if he were allowed to move on even should interest emerge but to confirm – there has been no Sunderland contact."
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Slav to watch targets at Euros
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 31, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Slaven Bilic will scout players on his Hammers wanted list at the European Championship in France. ClaretandHugh has already reported that the manager will not be doing any business before the Euros have finished and that his prime targets will be on display in France. Sadly, nobody is letting on at this stage as to who they are and in fact the manager is playing his cards close to his chest on names even to his closest confidantes having clamped down on any leaks. But ClaretandHugh was told this evening that anybody not involved in the competition will "be very low on the manager's list." We were told that both Gokhan Tore and AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca were names that Bilic has mentioned in the past but that there is no movement in either direction at this stage. There has been intense speculation that Gor is a "done deal" but our sources insisted: "That's just guesswork and not very inspired. The manager has one or two targets and will be in France to watch them."
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Former Hammer's £170m goal
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 31, 2016 in Videos, Whispers C and H
Former Hammer Mo Diame scored the only goal in the Championship Play-off final to win Hull City a place in the Premier League on the eve of the biggest ever TV deal in football history. That goal is said to worth a minimum of £170m to Hull as they rejoin the top flight of English football. Diame had earlier hit the post earlier in a final against Sheffield Wednesday which Hull dominated. Diame joined West Ham from Wigan on a free transfer in 2012, playing 79 times and scoring 7 goals for the Hammers. In late August 2014 he signed for Hull City on a three-year contract for a fee believed to be £3.5m. He has scored 9 goals from 38 appearances in the Championship this season for the Hull Tigers. Diame once told a french website while still at West Ham 'I don't want to stop here, I still want more, Joining a club from the top six would be a dream come true.'
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West Ham table £15m bid for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca - reports By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT Tuesday, May 31, 2016
West Ham have lodged a bid for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca, according to reports in Italy. The Hammers are trying to get their transfer business done early this year ahead of their move to the Olympic Stadium and landing a forward is at the top of the agenda. Having failed with bids for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette and Bournemouth's Callum Wilson, West Ham have now turned their attention to the highly-rated Bacca. The Colombian, who scored 24 goals for club and country last season, has been linked with a number of clubs in the last few months, including Manchester United. But now, according to Sky Italia, West Ham have slapped down a £15million offer. Milan are unlikely to sell the former Sevilla hitman for that price so the bid is expected to be rejected. However, the report does suggest that an offer close to the £20m region could tempt the Italian giants to part ways with the 29-year-old - so a deal could still be on the cards.
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Tottenham and West Ham issued with warning over Lyon star Alexandre Lacazette By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has told Tottenham and West Ham they must tie up a deal for Alexandre Lacazette by the end of June. The striker is wanted by several Premier League clubs this summer after scoring 23 goals last season, to go with the 31 he bagged in 2014/15. Tottenham and West Ham are leading the race, but both clubs have so far failed to strike a deal with Lyon. And now Aulas has warned them to get a move on - or else they will have no chance of signing the Frenchman. "If on 28th August, we are offered €80m for Alexandre Lacazette, he will not leave," Aulas told L'Equipe. "However, if he comes to me in the days to come, because he has an offer he cannot refuse, it's possible. "Finally, if there must be departures, they will be before June 30th. There will be none after, except for minor players."
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West Ham launch £16m raid for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca as Slaven Bilic steps up search for top striker The experienced striker is one of several names on the club's wishlist Milan want £20m for the 29-year-old, who is chasing £60k a week wages Manager Slaven Bilic has been scouring the market for different strikers By SIMON JONES FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 00:12, 31 May 2016 | UPDATED: 00:17, 31 May 2016
West Ham have made an offer of £16million for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca. The Colombia international is one of several names on the club's wishlist as they try lure a top class striker to the Olympic Stadium for next season. Milan want £20m for the 29-year-old which would leave no re-sale value and Bacca is understood to be chasing £60,000 a week after tax. He is prolific though and scored 24 goals in all competitions last season. Slaven Bilic and co-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have been scouring the market for different strikers and have been rebuffed in their efforts to sign Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon. They remain in talks with Toulouse over a deal for Martin Braithwaite but he would be a secondary striker with Diafra Sakho likely to leave and a target for Sunderland among others.
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Sunderland step up bid for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho as £10m move edges closer Sunderland are keen on signing Diafra Sakho after staying in top flight West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan is preparing to give the go-ahead The striker, bought for £3.5m in 2014, would cost Sunderland £10m West Ham are working on targets and are keen on Martin Braithwaite By SIMON JONES FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 30 May 2016 | UPDATED: 01:27, 31 May 2016
Sunderland are pressing ahead with a £10million move for West Ham striker Diafra Sakho. Manager Sam Allardyce is ready to speak to the Senegal international as West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan prepares to give the go-ahead. The 26-year-old was signed for £3.5million from Metz and proved an instant success, scoring 12 goals in 26 games in his first season. Although Sakho had his differences with Allardyce, when he was in charge of West Ham, the forward is looking for a fresh challenge after growing frustrated this season, in which he has scored seven goals. West Bromwich Albion showed interest in January and remain keen as they ponder possible replacements for Saido Berahino but Allardyce hopes to convince him to move to the Stadium of Light. West Ham will use the proceeds of any sale to bring in a quality striker and are continuing to work through targets. One forward they hope to sign is Toulouse's Danish international striker Martin Braithwaite. West Ham have made a £3m offer for the 24-year-old.
Meanwhile, West Ham will step up talks with defender Reece Oxford over a new contract. Manchester United have yet to make a formal offer but are keen on the 17-year-old, who has two years left on his current deal. Hammers star Dimitri Payet scored a last-minute free-kick to help France beat Cameroon 3-2 on Monday night.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 1
Tuesday, May 31
Daily WHUFC News - 31st May 2016
Randolph and Ireland's final pre-Euro clash
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph's Republic of Ireland side take on Belarus on Tuesday in
their final match prior to this summer's Euro 2016 in France. The stopper
started and played 90 minutes as Martin O'Neill's team drew 1-1 with Holland
on Friday and is expected to be the country's number one stopper for the
tournament which starts on 10 June. Luuk de Jong grabbed a late equaliser
for the Dutch after Ireland had been in front for 55 minutes thanks to
Southampton forward Shane Long's first half strike. The Boys in Green will
be keen to build their momentum heading into the Euros with a win against a
Belarus side, who did not qualify for the tournament, on Tuesday. Speaking
after West Ham's season finished, Randolph said: "This will be a busy summer
for me, with the Euros and the Club are going to America for a pre-season
tour. "This season, I've played probably a lot more than I could have hoped
for. I played a lot of league games for West Ham and helped Ireland qualify
for the Euros so as first seasons go, it's been pretty unbelievable."
Ireland have been drawn in the trickiest-looking group for this summer's
competition, and go up against Sweden in Paris before tough matches against
Belgium in Bordeaux and Italy in Lille.
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West Ham braced for Oxford bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are expecting to receive a bid for England youth
international Reece Oxford from Manchester United. A rumour emerged this
morning suggesting that a £15million bid had been made for the central
defender, who made his Premier League debut in a 2-0 win at Arsenal last
season.
However KUMB understands that whilst the Red Devils have expressed interest
in signing Oxford, no official offer has yet been forthcoming. A fortnight
ago the England youth international laughed off rumours linking him with a
move to Old Trafford. You may find the best betting offers for 2016 here.
Taking to Twitter, he posted the above message in response to a suggestion
that Man Utd had launched a £10million bid for his signature.
Oxford was named Young Player of the Year at the KUMB Awards earlier this
month, beating Martin Samuelsen (third) and Reece Burke (runner-up and last
year's winner).
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Austrian international on West Ham's radar
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Zlatko Junuzovic is eyeing a potential
move to the Premier League. And West Ham - along with fellow Europa League
qualifiers Southampton - are both being linked with a bid for the
28-year-old.
Junuzovic - who has been with Die Werderaner since moving from Austria Wien
in 2012 - has been tipped to leave Weserstadion this summer having fallen
out with head coach Viktor Skrypnyk.
The disagreement centres around the Ukranian manager's decision to play
Junuzovic on the left wing as opposed to his favoured, central role - a
position in which the Austrian international plays for his country.
That, says Kicker (via Krone) has led to interest from both Premier League
clubs who are seeking to enhance their squads ahead of next season's
potentially long and arduous Europa League campaign.
Under contract at Werder until 2018, Junuzovic is expected to make a final
decision on his future after the forthcoming European Championships, where
he is set to feature for his country in the competition's Group F.
However Bremen have already signalled their intentions to persuade the
free-kick specialist to stay in the Bundesliga, with former club captain and
General Manager Frank Baumann having already visited the player at the
Austrian's training camp.
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Athletic chasing Burke
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Teenage defender Reece Burke is rumoured to be a target for newly-promoted
Wigan Athletic. The Latics were promoted to the Championship after just one
season back in the third tier of English football and are understood to have
targeted the 19-year-old central defender as a potential loan signing.
Burke, who was voted as Bradford's Player of the Year last season spent the
entire campaign on loan with the Bantams, for whom he made 36 appearances.
And Wigan boss Gary Caldwell believes the England youth international can be
as successful at a higher level, with a full season of League One football
under his belt. Wigan, who won last season's League One title by two points
also boast former Hammer Jussi Jasskelainen in their ranks. The 37-year-old
Fin featured on 38 occasions for the Latics last season.
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Oxford shares Sterling agent
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Now the purpose of this piece is not to worry anybody but just to keep you
entirely in the picture on the stories that matter.
Today's West Ham headlines have been dominted by the Reece Oxford affair
which has seen suggestions from the national press that he will soon be the
subject of a £10 million plus bid from Manchester United.
There were suggestions elsewhere that a bid had actually been received for
£15 milion which turned out to be inaccurate when own sources inside the
club made it clear there had been no enquiry or offer from anywhere.
Agents are always around but there's no suggestion of anything untoward
here. Reece Oxford's is Aidy Ward who also acts for Raheem Sterling but any
idea that top clubs will be ready to pay such monstrous figures for a
teenager are patently absurd.
Why? Because two years is the maximum allowed for a 17-year-old but he can
sign a long-term deal when he reaches eighteen in December 2016.
Clearly, therefore, no transfer is going to happen in this window – it's
about seen months to soon minimum and 19 months maximum.
In the meantime Slaven Bilic has an important job convincing the best young
Academy prouct of his generation that West Ham is the club that can best
further his career.
The national newspaper that broke this story really has been left with
enough egg on its face to make an omlette and the rest of us can relax –
this was an extremely over cooked story.
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Silkman seeks Pereyra Twitter apology
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Agent Barry Silkman has furiously denied that he has ever claimed Juventus
midfielder Roberto Pereyra is the subject of a £10.8 million bid from West
Ham. The "story" appeared on Twitter earlier today (Mon) where it was
declared: "BREAKING: Football agent Barry Silkman says West Ham have made a
£10.8m bid for Roberto Pereyra of Juventus." But Silkman – speaking
exclusively to ClaretandHugh – said: "I hope whoever tweeted that has a link
showing that I said it because I don't even know who the plaer is – never
mind whether he is even available." "I have no knowledge of any bid because
as I say I know nothing about the player. I would expect an apology as this
is out of order and I am very unhappy about it."
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Hammers give Oxford update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham were today insisting they have received no offers for Reece Oxford.
The Mail ran a story on line declaring that the Irons are bracing thmselves
for a £10 million plus bid from Manchester United. But our top source at the
club told us a few minutes ago: "There has been no bid and we are not
expecting one. Mind you there is quite possibly a lot of agent activity
going on as one might expect." The Mail story had claimed the Hammers were
bracing themselves for a bid for the defender and added it could arrive
sooner rather than later, even as early as this week.
But co-owner David Gold has denied any interest in selling the defender and
our source said: "There has been nothing from anywhere and he remains our
player on contract. And our source said: "As for bracing ourselves for a bid
– there has been nothing from anywhere so that wouldn't be true."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Darren Randolph's Republic of Ireland side take on Belarus on Tuesday in
their final match prior to this summer's Euro 2016 in France. The stopper
started and played 90 minutes as Martin O'Neill's team drew 1-1 with Holland
on Friday and is expected to be the country's number one stopper for the
tournament which starts on 10 June. Luuk de Jong grabbed a late equaliser
for the Dutch after Ireland had been in front for 55 minutes thanks to
Southampton forward Shane Long's first half strike. The Boys in Green will
be keen to build their momentum heading into the Euros with a win against a
Belarus side, who did not qualify for the tournament, on Tuesday. Speaking
after West Ham's season finished, Randolph said: "This will be a busy summer
for me, with the Euros and the Club are going to America for a pre-season
tour. "This season, I've played probably a lot more than I could have hoped
for. I played a lot of league games for West Ham and helped Ireland qualify
for the Euros so as first seasons go, it's been pretty unbelievable."
Ireland have been drawn in the trickiest-looking group for this summer's
competition, and go up against Sweden in Paris before tough matches against
Belgium in Bordeaux and Italy in Lille.
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West Ham braced for Oxford bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are expecting to receive a bid for England youth
international Reece Oxford from Manchester United. A rumour emerged this
morning suggesting that a £15million bid had been made for the central
defender, who made his Premier League debut in a 2-0 win at Arsenal last
season.
However KUMB understands that whilst the Red Devils have expressed interest
in signing Oxford, no official offer has yet been forthcoming. A fortnight
ago the England youth international laughed off rumours linking him with a
move to Old Trafford. You may find the best betting offers for 2016 here.
Taking to Twitter, he posted the above message in response to a suggestion
that Man Utd had launched a £10million bid for his signature.
Oxford was named Young Player of the Year at the KUMB Awards earlier this
month, beating Martin Samuelsen (third) and Reece Burke (runner-up and last
year's winner).
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Austrian international on West Ham's radar
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Zlatko Junuzovic is eyeing a potential
move to the Premier League. And West Ham - along with fellow Europa League
qualifiers Southampton - are both being linked with a bid for the
28-year-old.
Junuzovic - who has been with Die Werderaner since moving from Austria Wien
in 2012 - has been tipped to leave Weserstadion this summer having fallen
out with head coach Viktor Skrypnyk.
The disagreement centres around the Ukranian manager's decision to play
Junuzovic on the left wing as opposed to his favoured, central role - a
position in which the Austrian international plays for his country.
That, says Kicker (via Krone) has led to interest from both Premier League
clubs who are seeking to enhance their squads ahead of next season's
potentially long and arduous Europa League campaign.
Under contract at Werder until 2018, Junuzovic is expected to make a final
decision on his future after the forthcoming European Championships, where
he is set to feature for his country in the competition's Group F.
However Bremen have already signalled their intentions to persuade the
free-kick specialist to stay in the Bundesliga, with former club captain and
General Manager Frank Baumann having already visited the player at the
Austrian's training camp.
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Athletic chasing Burke
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Teenage defender Reece Burke is rumoured to be a target for newly-promoted
Wigan Athletic. The Latics were promoted to the Championship after just one
season back in the third tier of English football and are understood to have
targeted the 19-year-old central defender as a potential loan signing.
Burke, who was voted as Bradford's Player of the Year last season spent the
entire campaign on loan with the Bantams, for whom he made 36 appearances.
And Wigan boss Gary Caldwell believes the England youth international can be
as successful at a higher level, with a full season of League One football
under his belt. Wigan, who won last season's League One title by two points
also boast former Hammer Jussi Jasskelainen in their ranks. The 37-year-old
Fin featured on 38 occasions for the Latics last season.
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Oxford shares Sterling agent
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Now the purpose of this piece is not to worry anybody but just to keep you
entirely in the picture on the stories that matter.
Today's West Ham headlines have been dominted by the Reece Oxford affair
which has seen suggestions from the national press that he will soon be the
subject of a £10 million plus bid from Manchester United.
There were suggestions elsewhere that a bid had actually been received for
£15 milion which turned out to be inaccurate when own sources inside the
club made it clear there had been no enquiry or offer from anywhere.
Agents are always around but there's no suggestion of anything untoward
here. Reece Oxford's is Aidy Ward who also acts for Raheem Sterling but any
idea that top clubs will be ready to pay such monstrous figures for a
teenager are patently absurd.
Why? Because two years is the maximum allowed for a 17-year-old but he can
sign a long-term deal when he reaches eighteen in December 2016.
Clearly, therefore, no transfer is going to happen in this window – it's
about seen months to soon minimum and 19 months maximum.
In the meantime Slaven Bilic has an important job convincing the best young
Academy prouct of his generation that West Ham is the club that can best
further his career.
The national newspaper that broke this story really has been left with
enough egg on its face to make an omlette and the rest of us can relax –
this was an extremely over cooked story.
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Silkman seeks Pereyra Twitter apology
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Agent Barry Silkman has furiously denied that he has ever claimed Juventus
midfielder Roberto Pereyra is the subject of a £10.8 million bid from West
Ham. The "story" appeared on Twitter earlier today (Mon) where it was
declared: "BREAKING: Football agent Barry Silkman says West Ham have made a
£10.8m bid for Roberto Pereyra of Juventus." But Silkman – speaking
exclusively to ClaretandHugh – said: "I hope whoever tweeted that has a link
showing that I said it because I don't even know who the plaer is – never
mind whether he is even available." "I have no knowledge of any bid because
as I say I know nothing about the player. I would expect an apology as this
is out of order and I am very unhappy about it."
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Hammers give Oxford update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham were today insisting they have received no offers for Reece Oxford.
The Mail ran a story on line declaring that the Irons are bracing thmselves
for a £10 million plus bid from Manchester United. But our top source at the
club told us a few minutes ago: "There has been no bid and we are not
expecting one. Mind you there is quite possibly a lot of agent activity
going on as one might expect." The Mail story had claimed the Hammers were
bracing themselves for a bid for the defender and added it could arrive
sooner rather than later, even as early as this week.
But co-owner David Gold has denied any interest in selling the defender and
our source said: "There has been nothing from anywhere and he remains our
player on contract. And our source said: "As for bracing ourselves for a bid
– there has been nothing from anywhere so that wouldn't be true."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, May 30
Daily WHUFC News - 30th May 2016
Payet's France face Cameroon
WHUFC.com
Euro 2016 hosts France take on Cameroon on Monday night and Hammers star Dimitri Payet could be involved for Les Bleus. The 29-year-old was included in Didier Deschamps' European Championship squad earlier this month thanks to a collection of terrific performances for both his national and club side. Payet was named Hammer of the Year at the Boleyn Ground after a sublime debut season in English football, in which he bagged 12 goals and set up 15. His goal tally for Slaven Bilic's side included four world class free-kicks and just days after the fantastic set-piece strike against Manchester United at Old Trafford, he replicated it for France in a friendly win over Russia. Ahead of the match against Cameroon in Nantes, fans' favourite Payet said: "Of course I'll do my very best in what will be a very important tournament held by my country France, the host nation. "It has been a magnificent first year for me and looking back at the results I've had for club and country it has been really fantastic and also the individual accolades are lovely to receive. "Of course it is fantastic to receive recognition from fellow players and, on top of that, it's in the hardest league in the world so it is really a great feeling and I feel very honoured [to win Hammer of the Year]."
As hosts, France did not have to qualify for this summer's tournament and have therefore been contesting friendly matches since 2014's FIFA World Cup ended. Scoring in his country's last match – the free-kick against Russia – Payet also followed that up with an assist as France were 4-2 winners over England's fellow group stage side.
As Payet joined West Ham last summer, the Frenchman had not featured in an international match since June 2015, however as he continued to impress for the east Londoners, Deschamps could no longer ignore the midfielder. Hosts France, who face Cameroon at 8pm on Monday, will battle with Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A for a place in the knockout-stages of the tournament which begins on 10 June.
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Oxford looks back on breakthrough season
WHUFC.com
Defender Reece Oxford admitted he has enjoyed an amazing breakthrough season at West Ham United and expressed his delight at picking up the Young Hammer of the Year award. The centre-back made 12 first team appearances for the Hammers this season, and also led the Development Squad to U21 Premier League Cup glory as captain. The campaign for the teenager began with three UEFA Europa League games before he made his Premier League debut at title contenders Arsenal, helping the Hammers to record an opening day 2-0 victory. Looking back on the campaign, Oxford said: "It's been unbelievable. I won the Dylan Tombides award last year, so to win the Young Hammer of the Year award is unbelievable. It is a real pleasure. "I feel like my hard work has paid off now so I'm happy that I have been awarded [the award] by the Club. I didn't think I'd have moved to where I am now so quickly. "I did think I was going to push on, but I'm just happy I'm here right now doing what I'm doing. Hopefully I'll be playing week in, week out [in twelve months' time]."
Oxford's progress has been overseen by Academy Director and Head of Player Coaching and Development Terry Westley, and he believes Oxford has been nothing but outstanding this term. "He's just got one award left to win!" Westley exclaimed. "Next year he could be our Player of the Year! His progress has been exceptional this year. "It could have been one of anyone this year because the standard has been so good. Reece is the stand out player. "Anyone who is an U16 and plays every week for the U21s and is captain, and the following season plays in the first team, just shows you his progression. He fully deserves the accolade he's getting."
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Slaven Bilic NBA special - Part One
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has shared his love for the sport of basketball in a revealing two-part interview with NBA UK.
Bilic hails from the traditional European basketball powerhouse of Croatia, which has provided dozens of players to America's fabled NBA (National Basketball Association) league.
Speaking ahead of the Hammers' US Tour 2016, which will see Bilic and his squad visit Seattle, Washington and Cary, North Carolina, in July the manager told of his passion for basketball, its players and its coaches.
In Part One, the manager reveals his long-time love of the game and his respect for Croatia's greatest-ever player, the late Drazen Petrovic.
Slaven, you were born in the city of Split in the former Yugoslavia in what is now Croatia – countries which have had a great tradition in basketball…
"At one time in the 1990s when there weren't a lot of foreign players in the NBA, but at that moment there were more players from the city of Split in Croatia in the NBA than from the rest of the whole world.
"There were five or six of them, I think – Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, Dino Rada, Stojko Verankovic and Zan Tabak – from the same hometown, than from the rest of Europe.
"I was more of a football fan growing up in Yugoslavia and then, as it is now in Croatia, it was football and then basketball as the two main sports. The team from my town, Split, were three-times European champions in 1989, 1990 and 1991 with some of those future NBA players.
"We had a big basketball culture and tradition in the former Yugoslavia, it was unbelievable. Even now, Croatia is OK, Serbia and Slovenia are good and have sent a few players to the NBA.
"At that time in the late 1980s and early 1990s there were also many from Serbia at that time – Vlade Divac, Halilovic, Paspac and Peja Stojakovic with the three-pointers!
"We are a very tall people and are very good in team sports. We have three Croatian players in the NBA now – Bojan Bogdanovic with the New Jersey Nets, Mario Hezonja for Orlando Magic and Damjan Rudej with the Indiana Pacers – then they are all talking about Dario Saric who went very high in the draft in 2014 but still plays in Europe, in Turkey. We have good tradition."
You were born four years after Croatia's greatest-ever player, Drazen Petrovic, a guard who played in his homeland with Sibenka and Cibona, before rising to greatness with Real Madrid in Spain and then the NBA with the Portland Trailblazers and New Jersey Nets.
Drazen was tragically killed in a car crash in Germany at the age of 28 in 1993, but presumably you still have great memories of his career and a fabulous time in Croatian basketball…
"In 1992, we were in the Olympic final and we were leading 25-23 at one stage, but then of course the American Dream Team was much better.
"Drazen was great, because he wanted to show himself. He was unbelievable. When he died in that car crash, he was a role model of a sportsman who was so crazy about the game that he trained 24/7.
"He was such a different player when he played in Sibenka, then Sabona, then Real Madrid, Portland and New Jersey. He was skinny and all that, but he scored 62 points in the European Cup Winners Cup final for Real Madrid in 1989.
"When he died, he was on the verge and we were hoping he would become an All-Star. In Portland, he had two guards in front of him in Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter so he didn't get very many minutes, but with the Nets he really shone."
The successful San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was born in the United States to a Serb father and a Croat mother and has often talked about how important his heritage is to him. However, there has yet to be a European head coach in the NBA. Is that a situation you would like to see change?
"I never met Gregg Popovich, but I know he has Croatian roots from reading and watching interviews about that. When I was in Turkey, he came with his San Antonio Spurs to play against Fenerbahce.
"I have spoken a few times about the similarities in coaching between the two sports, but more about European basketball than NBA.
"My good friend is Neven Spahija, who was a coach in Turkey and Croatia and was Drazen Petrovic's friend. He is now an assistant coach on the staff with the Atlanta Hawks and of course there are similarities.
"There should be European coaches in the NBA. The Italian Ettore Messina was in CSKA Moscow when I was with Lokomotiv and he has been very successful, winning four Euroleague titles.
"We have good coaches in Croatia but the one who impresses me the most is Zeljko Obradovic, who is with Fenerbahce and was there when I was with Besiktas. What he has done is amazing, winning eight Euroleague titles and dozens of domestic leagues and cups.
"I don't know if there is anyone in any sport who has been so dominating. Guardiola, Ancelotti, Mourinho and Ferguson are nowhere near Obradovic – everywhere he goes, he wins!"
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Slaven Bilic NBA special - Part Two
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has shared his love for the sport of basketball in a revealing two-part interview with NBA UK.
Bilic hails from the traditional European basketball powerhouse of Croatia, which has provided dozens of players to America's fabled NBA (National Basketball Association) league.
Speaking ahead of the Hammers' US Tour 2016, which will see Bilic and his squad visit Seattle, Washington and Cary, North Carolina, in July the manager told of his passion for basketball, its players and its coaches.
In Part Two, the manager reveals his respect for legendary coach Phil Jackson and picks his all-time greatest NBA starting five...
Slaven, we talked in Part One about the similarities between coaching in football and basketball. Which NBA coaches do you look up to?
"When I was preparing myself for this job, one of the best books I ever read was Phil Jackson's book Sacred Hoop. It's unbelievable. Everything is in there about tactics, management, how to cope with Michael Jordan and the other guys, and the two ways basketball was played in the United States, college style with a one-man team and then professional style.
"He talked about how he changed that and went from one style to the other without Jordan losing his importance and used other big stars like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman."
As in basketball, is tactical knowledge the most important coaching quality you can possess in football?
"Without tactical knowledge you can't apply for the job, but knowing that is not everything because you are dealing with people.
"As important as tactics is man-management because basically you are coping with up to 25 young athletes who have big egos because they wouldn't be there if they weren't strong characters.
"Ten or 12 of them might be unhappy to start with, but during the course of the season you will have to call on them so you have to learn how to cope with them and keep those who don't play less unhappy and motivated."
Who were your favourite players growing up?
"I was a big Utah Jazz fan, with the Mailman Karl Malone, John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek. I remember during the 1998 World Cup in France and we had beaten Jamaica in the first game, I was rooming with Robert Prosinecki who was also NBA-crazy, and we came back to the hotel at 1am and watched the famous NBA finals game against the Jazz when Michael Jordan scored the winning shot and I was gutted!
"Of course the Chicago Bulls had my fellow Croatian Toni Kukoc but I was a Jazz fan and we'd stayed up all night to watch it!
"I also loved Detroit Pistons with Rasheed Wallace and the Bulls. Now, they have Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors and he is not human! I saw Jordan and all them but what he is doing you think 'this is really not possible' because he does it whenever he wants - it's unbelievable!
"I also love Derrick Rose, and I liked Allen Iverson, who played for Besiktas in Turkey at one time!"
Slaven, it would be remiss of us not to ask you to name your all-time NBA starting five...
"Of course I would have Drazen Petrovic. The guards would be Isiah Thomas... Actually no, the guards would be John Stockton and Drazen, then the Mailman and Michael Jordan. For my big man, I'll have Toni Kukoc."
Finally, who will win the 2016 NBA Finals?
"I didn't like when LeBron James left Cleveland and now he has come back and I would like them to win it."
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Mears ready for Hammers reunion
WHUFC.com
The Hammers will be coming up against a familiar face when they play Seattle Sounders as part of their 2016 summer tour to America on Tuesday 5 July. Tyrone Mears played at the Boleyn Ground back in 2006/07 and will always remember his brief spell in east London. The 33-year-old has now made a successful switch to the United States and is enjoying his football at the Sounders who are the best-supported and most-valuable franchise team in Major League Soccer (MLS). Mears is looking forward to welcoming Premier League opposition to Seattle and knows it will be a memorable occasion when the two teams meet at CenturyLink Field. Mears said: "West Ham are a great club. When I went there they had just got to the FA Cup Final under Alan Pardew. "We had a good group of players. The one thing that stands out about West Ham is the fans support. "I know they have been talking about the move to the new Stadium and I think it is great for the club. "There is a lot of history at the old ground, but moving forward it is massive for the club and they can easily join the top four teams in the Premier League now."
West Ham will also face North American Soccer League (NASL) team Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday 12 July as part of their Stateside tour.
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I'm still improving, says Dimitri Payet
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Dimitri Payet may be hitting his 30th birthday before the 2016/17 season is complete - but still believes he can improve as a footballer. The French international, who is set to represent his country this summer at the European Championships told 442 magazine that his career had taken a major upturn in the last two years - his last at Merseille and his first with West Ham. And he fully expects to continue his progression with United at the Olympic Stadium. "It's true that the last two years have been the best [of my career], but I still hope to progress," he said. "You can always learn and I work hard to be able to raise my level."
Payet, who was named as the KUMB.com Player of the Year earlier this month also laughed off reports of a move away from the club. "Journalists have placed me everywhere!" he said. "But I currently have no contact [with any other club] and I signed a very long contract with West Ham - so it is very likely that I'll still be here next season."
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West Ham's Champions League pedigree
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Real Madrid were crowned kings of Europe last night as they beat Atletico Madrid in a tense penalty shootout to claim the Champions League title in Milan. Following 120 minutes of football, spot kicks were required to separate the two Spanish clubs and Cristiano Ronaldo struck the winning penalty shortly before midnight to win Real their 11th European Cup/Champions League title. And although West Ham have never qualified for the competition in their history (thanks this season to some dreadful refereeing), United have produced more Champions League finalists than any other English club - bar Manchester United. According to an article for Bwin, West Ham's three home-grown Champions League finalists - Frank Lampard (who represented Chelsea in 2011's all-English Final), Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick (Man Utd) - have only been beaten by the Red Devils with six (Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Wes Brown, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs). And even Arsenal, who appeared in the Final back in 2005/06 when they were comfortably beaten by Barcelona have only produced two players to feature in the big game (Ashley and Andy Cole) - the same number as clubs such as Dinamo Zagreb, Cesena and Montenegro's FK Buducnost Podgorica.
All in all, just 26 clubs have produced more than one player to feature in the Champions League final - with Barcelona topping the lot having prodcued nine players from their Academy (Valdes, Puyol, Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro and Garcia).
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Clyde Best autobiography due soon
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Clyde Best, one of the first black players to represent West Ham United will tell the story of his fascinating journey in a new book coming out later this year.
The as-yet-untitled retrospective looks back at Best's career as a professional player in both the UK and abroad, plus his subsequent career as a football administrator.
And by way of a little bonus to Hammers fans, publishers deCoubertin Books are asking supporters to send in questions for the big man which will appear in the book's appendix.
If you'd like to see your question appear in the final publication, simply visit the following thread on the KUMB Forum and post it there. (Please note that whilst all questions will be considered for publication, space may preclude some from being used.)
He became part of the first black triumverate - alongside Clive Charles and Ade Coker - to feature in a top-flight English team when West Ham beat Tottenham 2-0 on April Fools' Day 1972
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DG hits out at Spurs digs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has again hit out at crazy complaints that West Ham are ripping off taxpayers in the Olympic Stadium deal. DG becomes more heated on the subject than any other and once again has slammed those who have been taking a pop on Twitter. Tottenham have reached a deal to play their Champions League home games at Wembley next season. The Premier League club also has the option to play all home league and cup matches, as well as any European games, at the national stadium during the 2017-18 campaign. Spurs are having a new £400m stadium built next to their existing White Hart Lane ground.
And following the news a Tottenham twitter account commented: "Why are West Ham fans angered? #THFC are paying for Wembley out their own pocket, unlike #WHUFC where taxpayers are paying for their stadium." That immediately started the fur flying and DG immediately reacted: "THFC are paying rent for Wembley out of their own pockets. WHUFC are paying rent for OS out of their own pockets. dg"
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Olympic Bell re-installed next to Iron's new home
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
The £1million Olympic bell has been re-installed in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park just outside the stadium in Champions place. The bell will never toll again due to concerns it is so loud that it will disturb residents living nearby.
The Olympic Bell was commissioned and cast for the 2012 London Olympic Games, and is the largest harmonically-tuned bell in the world.The bell is cast in bronze and is two metres high with a diameter of 3.34 metres, and weighs 22.91 tonnes.
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry, a few miles from the Olympic Stadium, was commissioned to make the bell in 2011.
The bell has the lowest tone in the world – a sound that can be heard for miles around – and was first rung by Sir Bradley Wiggins during the £27million Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2012.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) paid to re-install the 23-ton bell, however, it will be purely ornamental as it is feared that the sound would be so loud that it would be totally unbearable for anyone living in the area.
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Majority of stewards will move to the OS
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Claret and Hugh understands that 138 West Ham stewards from the Boleyn Ground are registered to carry on working at the former Olympic Stadium, 53 of whom are already working at the new Stadium stewarding previous non-football events.
While some stewards have opted not to transfer when they were told that their location within the stadium could not be guaranteed sources close to the club say the vast majority have registered.
We have been told that the club went to huge lengths to ensure that every steward who wanted to transfer to the new Stadium was able to do so with minimum difficulty, and the large majority have done so. That process started six months before the end of the season, with letters and emails sent to every single steward.
Six meetings were held for them to talk them through that process on match days so that everyone would know they were happening and be able to attend. Individual meetings were offered to every member of staff.
The stewards will be employed by event management company OCS and French stadium operators London Stadium 185 and all costs will be covered by the stadium owners E20 Stadium LLP.
If you were a West Ham steward who decided against moving to the new stadium we would like to hear from you at mrwesthamfootball@gmail.com to hear your story.
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Hammers linked with Juventus bid
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham has again been linked again with Roberto Pereyra from Juventus. Italian football website, Tuttosport claims West Ham have actually made an offer for the Argentine playmaker.
They suggest the Hammers have made a €15 million (£11.4 million) bid for the player.
The midfielder joined Juventus from Udinese in 2014, initially on loan, and the deal was made permanent last summer for a fee of around €14m, after an outstanding debut season for Juventus with 52 appearances, six goals and four assist he failed to live up to expectations last season racking up only 14 appearances and one assist. A couple of injuries have undermined his consistency but the Argentinean has never proved to be at the same level of the previous campaign this season.
Juventus are ready to listen to any offers and Italian press say West Ham are the club in pole position to sign the 25-year-old midfielder. Pereyra has earned ten international caps for Argentine and has a contract until 2020 with Juventus.
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DG confirms an iconic move
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has confirmed that the famous World Cup statue will be taken to our new home in Stratford.
Several Twitter followers were concerned that the iconic statue (pictured above) would be left behind but Mooro and the boys will be given a place of honour with the OS.
Commenting on Twitter the co chairman said: "The World Cup statue will becoming with us to the new stadium. dg"
The work is a one-and-a-half times life-size bronze piece, 16 feet (4.9 m) tall and weighing four tonnes and has stood at the junction of Barking Road and Green Street since 2003.
At the time it was unveiled Paul Hayward, writing in The Telegraph described it as "stunning", and that it "radiates golden light and transforms a mundane road junction into a shrine both to England's finest hour and West Ham's contribution to the game in these isles"
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Take Payet at his word!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Footballers don't necessarily have the final say over their destiny.
The club which may be after them, or the one by which they are currently employed , plus agents , family, friends and an army of conflictng emotions can influence a major decison.
So when a major star declares that "it's very likely" he will be with his club the following season you can normally take that as meaning exactly what it says.
That's why I was entirely unperturbed by Dimi Payet's choice of words when asked the qustion whilst away preparing for duty at Euro '16.
Some were worried that he didn't give a catergorical "I'm staying" declaration but how can he? The matter can always be taken out of his hands should a massive bid be made – IT HASN'T !
Payet was trying to tell everyone exactly that – a position ClaretandHugh can confirm – and that he is ready to enjoy the summer tournament and return to the Irons ready for action.
We spoke to a major Hammers source immediately following Dimi's words in a press conference and were told: "There have been no inquries or bids. He is our player on a new deal and is all set for another big season.
"He is key to everything that is happening at this club and the manager has already made it clear he helps other players perform. We have no interntion of selling him."
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Irons move in on Danish striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 29, 2016 in News, Whispers
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West Ham are understood to be in for Toulouse striker Martin Braithwaite whose 12 goals played a major part in keeping the French club up this season.
And the goals came despite him figuring mainly in a wide role.
Braithwaite has a year left on his contract and the Irons have been scouting him throughout last season after he was told he'd be allowed to leave if the club stayed up.
He is represented by agent Mark McKay with whom the Hammers have a close relationship and the agent commented: 'Martin has fulfilled his part of the promise he made to Toulouse and now wants to take his career to the next level in the Premier League. It is an exciting opportunity for him.
This is not the major signing the Hammers are looking to ae this summer but it is in in line with their vlue for money policy which could see him come to the club for as little as £4milion – which is beleived to be their latest offer.
De facto Director of Football David Sullivan insists the " pack will be shaken up this summer" and should Enner Valencia leave as a result for around £10 million the club will see that as great business.
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This agent's name marks the Irons spot
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 29, 2016 in Fans Forum, News, Whispers
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The fact that agent Mark McKay is being quoted on a Hammers move for Toulouse striker Martin Braithwaite means the story reported here earlier can be trusted.
His name marks the spot when Hammers transfers are under the microscope.
McKay was the guy involved in the move which brough Dimi Payet to West Ham and at the time he was famously quoted as claiming that had his company not been involved it could have cost the Irons around £25 million instead of the £10 plus ultimately paid.
The young man is the son of controversial Willie McKay who was involved in much, often adverse publicity, in the 80s and 90s.
However, young Mark has become one of David Sullivan's most trusted agents – hardly surprising given the Payet coup.
And at this time of the year – with so may ridiculous stories doing the rounds – the name McKay alongside a Hammers related story is a good guide to its authenticity.
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MANCHESTER UNITED LODGE OFFICIAL BID FOR OXFORD!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 30 MAY 2016 AT 9:37AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
We can exclusively confirm (through ExWHUEmployee's sources) that Manchester United have lodged an official bid for highly rated youngster Reece Oxford. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about this and we can reveal that an official offer in the region of £15m has arrived at the club for Bilic to consider. This proves a tricky problem for the manager to face. The club had offered Reece a new deal but his agent has been gunning for more money and the terms have not been signed. Manchester United and their new manager Jose Mourinho are long term admirers of the talented youngster. Mourinho thinks that Oxford could be a perfect short term replacement for Michael Carrick or equally be able to slot into the defence (his natural position) this season especially in the Europa League.
Oxford has two years remaining on his current terms and it will be up to the manager Slaven Bilic to agree to the move. He faces having an unhappy youngster should he reject it (unless a change of heart happens) or he faces losing a highly talented youngster who will no doubt be a regular international player in a few years time. Should the bid be accepted this would bring better news for the likes of James Tomkins and Reece Burke who will see their major competition for a place leave the club and make their futures more secure.
Whatever happens with this deal and others make sure you check regularly with the West Ham Way and our ITK team for exclusive breaking transfer news. We have seen many websites and national newspaper claim our news as their own, we would urge you to quote the site as we seek legal advice on this matter.
As a site we hope that Oxford will chose to stay at the club as he has a great future, as do we as a club and the gulf between us and Manchester United is no longer as great as it used to be.
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HAMMERS OFFER VAN DER WIEL A CONTRACT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 28 MAY 2016 AT 4:57PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
AS Roma, AS Monaco and West Ham United have all submitted formal offers to PSG right-back Gregory van der Wiel, who is a free agent at the end of next month.
It is GFFN's understanding that the player has yet to make a decision on his future, unsure as to where to go next.
Publicly, Mino Raiola remains the player's agent, but privately the relationship between Raiola and van der Wiel is understood to be at breaking point, the two individuals having had a large difference of opinion concerning the two contract extension offers that PSG made for the player over the course of the last 18 months.
Time is on van der Wiel side, what is certain is that he will make his own decision, with or without Raiola on his side.
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WEST HAM MAKE OFFER TO FENERBAHCE STAR?
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 28 MAY 2016 AT 5:08PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Fenerbahce full-back Gokhan Gonul has received Premier League interest according to his agent Ahmet Bulut. Bulut stated: "Other than Besiktas there have been five offers which have come from England and Spain." Besiktas have been closely linked with Gonul but Bulut underlined that an agreement has not been reached. Bulut also confirmed that he will not hold talks with Fenerbahce over extending the contract of Gonul. The experienced Turkish international full-back is available on a free transfer after the Yellow Canaries failed to extend his deal.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Euro 2016 hosts France take on Cameroon on Monday night and Hammers star Dimitri Payet could be involved for Les Bleus. The 29-year-old was included in Didier Deschamps' European Championship squad earlier this month thanks to a collection of terrific performances for both his national and club side. Payet was named Hammer of the Year at the Boleyn Ground after a sublime debut season in English football, in which he bagged 12 goals and set up 15. His goal tally for Slaven Bilic's side included four world class free-kicks and just days after the fantastic set-piece strike against Manchester United at Old Trafford, he replicated it for France in a friendly win over Russia. Ahead of the match against Cameroon in Nantes, fans' favourite Payet said: "Of course I'll do my very best in what will be a very important tournament held by my country France, the host nation. "It has been a magnificent first year for me and looking back at the results I've had for club and country it has been really fantastic and also the individual accolades are lovely to receive. "Of course it is fantastic to receive recognition from fellow players and, on top of that, it's in the hardest league in the world so it is really a great feeling and I feel very honoured [to win Hammer of the Year]."
As hosts, France did not have to qualify for this summer's tournament and have therefore been contesting friendly matches since 2014's FIFA World Cup ended. Scoring in his country's last match – the free-kick against Russia – Payet also followed that up with an assist as France were 4-2 winners over England's fellow group stage side.
As Payet joined West Ham last summer, the Frenchman had not featured in an international match since June 2015, however as he continued to impress for the east Londoners, Deschamps could no longer ignore the midfielder. Hosts France, who face Cameroon at 8pm on Monday, will battle with Romania, Albania and Switzerland in Group A for a place in the knockout-stages of the tournament which begins on 10 June.
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Oxford looks back on breakthrough season
WHUFC.com
Defender Reece Oxford admitted he has enjoyed an amazing breakthrough season at West Ham United and expressed his delight at picking up the Young Hammer of the Year award. The centre-back made 12 first team appearances for the Hammers this season, and also led the Development Squad to U21 Premier League Cup glory as captain. The campaign for the teenager began with three UEFA Europa League games before he made his Premier League debut at title contenders Arsenal, helping the Hammers to record an opening day 2-0 victory. Looking back on the campaign, Oxford said: "It's been unbelievable. I won the Dylan Tombides award last year, so to win the Young Hammer of the Year award is unbelievable. It is a real pleasure. "I feel like my hard work has paid off now so I'm happy that I have been awarded [the award] by the Club. I didn't think I'd have moved to where I am now so quickly. "I did think I was going to push on, but I'm just happy I'm here right now doing what I'm doing. Hopefully I'll be playing week in, week out [in twelve months' time]."
Oxford's progress has been overseen by Academy Director and Head of Player Coaching and Development Terry Westley, and he believes Oxford has been nothing but outstanding this term. "He's just got one award left to win!" Westley exclaimed. "Next year he could be our Player of the Year! His progress has been exceptional this year. "It could have been one of anyone this year because the standard has been so good. Reece is the stand out player. "Anyone who is an U16 and plays every week for the U21s and is captain, and the following season plays in the first team, just shows you his progression. He fully deserves the accolade he's getting."
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Slaven Bilic NBA special - Part One
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has shared his love for the sport of basketball in a revealing two-part interview with NBA UK.
Bilic hails from the traditional European basketball powerhouse of Croatia, which has provided dozens of players to America's fabled NBA (National Basketball Association) league.
Speaking ahead of the Hammers' US Tour 2016, which will see Bilic and his squad visit Seattle, Washington and Cary, North Carolina, in July the manager told of his passion for basketball, its players and its coaches.
In Part One, the manager reveals his long-time love of the game and his respect for Croatia's greatest-ever player, the late Drazen Petrovic.
Slaven, you were born in the city of Split in the former Yugoslavia in what is now Croatia – countries which have had a great tradition in basketball…
"At one time in the 1990s when there weren't a lot of foreign players in the NBA, but at that moment there were more players from the city of Split in Croatia in the NBA than from the rest of the whole world.
"There were five or six of them, I think – Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, Dino Rada, Stojko Verankovic and Zan Tabak – from the same hometown, than from the rest of Europe.
"I was more of a football fan growing up in Yugoslavia and then, as it is now in Croatia, it was football and then basketball as the two main sports. The team from my town, Split, were three-times European champions in 1989, 1990 and 1991 with some of those future NBA players.
"We had a big basketball culture and tradition in the former Yugoslavia, it was unbelievable. Even now, Croatia is OK, Serbia and Slovenia are good and have sent a few players to the NBA.
"At that time in the late 1980s and early 1990s there were also many from Serbia at that time – Vlade Divac, Halilovic, Paspac and Peja Stojakovic with the three-pointers!
"We are a very tall people and are very good in team sports. We have three Croatian players in the NBA now – Bojan Bogdanovic with the New Jersey Nets, Mario Hezonja for Orlando Magic and Damjan Rudej with the Indiana Pacers – then they are all talking about Dario Saric who went very high in the draft in 2014 but still plays in Europe, in Turkey. We have good tradition."
You were born four years after Croatia's greatest-ever player, Drazen Petrovic, a guard who played in his homeland with Sibenka and Cibona, before rising to greatness with Real Madrid in Spain and then the NBA with the Portland Trailblazers and New Jersey Nets.
Drazen was tragically killed in a car crash in Germany at the age of 28 in 1993, but presumably you still have great memories of his career and a fabulous time in Croatian basketball…
"In 1992, we were in the Olympic final and we were leading 25-23 at one stage, but then of course the American Dream Team was much better.
"Drazen was great, because he wanted to show himself. He was unbelievable. When he died in that car crash, he was a role model of a sportsman who was so crazy about the game that he trained 24/7.
"He was such a different player when he played in Sibenka, then Sabona, then Real Madrid, Portland and New Jersey. He was skinny and all that, but he scored 62 points in the European Cup Winners Cup final for Real Madrid in 1989.
"When he died, he was on the verge and we were hoping he would become an All-Star. In Portland, he had two guards in front of him in Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter so he didn't get very many minutes, but with the Nets he really shone."
The successful San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was born in the United States to a Serb father and a Croat mother and has often talked about how important his heritage is to him. However, there has yet to be a European head coach in the NBA. Is that a situation you would like to see change?
"I never met Gregg Popovich, but I know he has Croatian roots from reading and watching interviews about that. When I was in Turkey, he came with his San Antonio Spurs to play against Fenerbahce.
"I have spoken a few times about the similarities in coaching between the two sports, but more about European basketball than NBA.
"My good friend is Neven Spahija, who was a coach in Turkey and Croatia and was Drazen Petrovic's friend. He is now an assistant coach on the staff with the Atlanta Hawks and of course there are similarities.
"There should be European coaches in the NBA. The Italian Ettore Messina was in CSKA Moscow when I was with Lokomotiv and he has been very successful, winning four Euroleague titles.
"We have good coaches in Croatia but the one who impresses me the most is Zeljko Obradovic, who is with Fenerbahce and was there when I was with Besiktas. What he has done is amazing, winning eight Euroleague titles and dozens of domestic leagues and cups.
"I don't know if there is anyone in any sport who has been so dominating. Guardiola, Ancelotti, Mourinho and Ferguson are nowhere near Obradovic – everywhere he goes, he wins!"
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Slaven Bilic NBA special - Part Two
WHUFC.com
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has shared his love for the sport of basketball in a revealing two-part interview with NBA UK.
Bilic hails from the traditional European basketball powerhouse of Croatia, which has provided dozens of players to America's fabled NBA (National Basketball Association) league.
Speaking ahead of the Hammers' US Tour 2016, which will see Bilic and his squad visit Seattle, Washington and Cary, North Carolina, in July the manager told of his passion for basketball, its players and its coaches.
In Part Two, the manager reveals his respect for legendary coach Phil Jackson and picks his all-time greatest NBA starting five...
Slaven, we talked in Part One about the similarities between coaching in football and basketball. Which NBA coaches do you look up to?
"When I was preparing myself for this job, one of the best books I ever read was Phil Jackson's book Sacred Hoop. It's unbelievable. Everything is in there about tactics, management, how to cope with Michael Jordan and the other guys, and the two ways basketball was played in the United States, college style with a one-man team and then professional style.
"He talked about how he changed that and went from one style to the other without Jordan losing his importance and used other big stars like Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman."
As in basketball, is tactical knowledge the most important coaching quality you can possess in football?
"Without tactical knowledge you can't apply for the job, but knowing that is not everything because you are dealing with people.
"As important as tactics is man-management because basically you are coping with up to 25 young athletes who have big egos because they wouldn't be there if they weren't strong characters.
"Ten or 12 of them might be unhappy to start with, but during the course of the season you will have to call on them so you have to learn how to cope with them and keep those who don't play less unhappy and motivated."
Who were your favourite players growing up?
"I was a big Utah Jazz fan, with the Mailman Karl Malone, John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek. I remember during the 1998 World Cup in France and we had beaten Jamaica in the first game, I was rooming with Robert Prosinecki who was also NBA-crazy, and we came back to the hotel at 1am and watched the famous NBA finals game against the Jazz when Michael Jordan scored the winning shot and I was gutted!
"Of course the Chicago Bulls had my fellow Croatian Toni Kukoc but I was a Jazz fan and we'd stayed up all night to watch it!
"I also loved Detroit Pistons with Rasheed Wallace and the Bulls. Now, they have Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors and he is not human! I saw Jordan and all them but what he is doing you think 'this is really not possible' because he does it whenever he wants - it's unbelievable!
"I also love Derrick Rose, and I liked Allen Iverson, who played for Besiktas in Turkey at one time!"
Slaven, it would be remiss of us not to ask you to name your all-time NBA starting five...
"Of course I would have Drazen Petrovic. The guards would be Isiah Thomas... Actually no, the guards would be John Stockton and Drazen, then the Mailman and Michael Jordan. For my big man, I'll have Toni Kukoc."
Finally, who will win the 2016 NBA Finals?
"I didn't like when LeBron James left Cleveland and now he has come back and I would like them to win it."
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Mears ready for Hammers reunion
WHUFC.com
The Hammers will be coming up against a familiar face when they play Seattle Sounders as part of their 2016 summer tour to America on Tuesday 5 July. Tyrone Mears played at the Boleyn Ground back in 2006/07 and will always remember his brief spell in east London. The 33-year-old has now made a successful switch to the United States and is enjoying his football at the Sounders who are the best-supported and most-valuable franchise team in Major League Soccer (MLS). Mears is looking forward to welcoming Premier League opposition to Seattle and knows it will be a memorable occasion when the two teams meet at CenturyLink Field. Mears said: "West Ham are a great club. When I went there they had just got to the FA Cup Final under Alan Pardew. "We had a good group of players. The one thing that stands out about West Ham is the fans support. "I know they have been talking about the move to the new Stadium and I think it is great for the club. "There is a lot of history at the old ground, but moving forward it is massive for the club and they can easily join the top four teams in the Premier League now."
West Ham will also face North American Soccer League (NASL) team Carolina RailHawks on Tuesday 12 July as part of their Stateside tour.
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I'm still improving, says Dimitri Payet
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Dimitri Payet may be hitting his 30th birthday before the 2016/17 season is complete - but still believes he can improve as a footballer. The French international, who is set to represent his country this summer at the European Championships told 442 magazine that his career had taken a major upturn in the last two years - his last at Merseille and his first with West Ham. And he fully expects to continue his progression with United at the Olympic Stadium. "It's true that the last two years have been the best [of my career], but I still hope to progress," he said. "You can always learn and I work hard to be able to raise my level."
Payet, who was named as the KUMB.com Player of the Year earlier this month also laughed off reports of a move away from the club. "Journalists have placed me everywhere!" he said. "But I currently have no contact [with any other club] and I signed a very long contract with West Ham - so it is very likely that I'll still be here next season."
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West Ham's Champions League pedigree
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Real Madrid were crowned kings of Europe last night as they beat Atletico Madrid in a tense penalty shootout to claim the Champions League title in Milan. Following 120 minutes of football, spot kicks were required to separate the two Spanish clubs and Cristiano Ronaldo struck the winning penalty shortly before midnight to win Real their 11th European Cup/Champions League title. And although West Ham have never qualified for the competition in their history (thanks this season to some dreadful refereeing), United have produced more Champions League finalists than any other English club - bar Manchester United. According to an article for Bwin, West Ham's three home-grown Champions League finalists - Frank Lampard (who represented Chelsea in 2011's all-English Final), Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick (Man Utd) - have only been beaten by the Red Devils with six (Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Wes Brown, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs). And even Arsenal, who appeared in the Final back in 2005/06 when they were comfortably beaten by Barcelona have only produced two players to feature in the big game (Ashley and Andy Cole) - the same number as clubs such as Dinamo Zagreb, Cesena and Montenegro's FK Buducnost Podgorica.
All in all, just 26 clubs have produced more than one player to feature in the Champions League final - with Barcelona topping the lot having prodcued nine players from their Academy (Valdes, Puyol, Pique, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Pedro and Garcia).
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Clyde Best autobiography due soon
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 29th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Clyde Best, one of the first black players to represent West Ham United will tell the story of his fascinating journey in a new book coming out later this year.
The as-yet-untitled retrospective looks back at Best's career as a professional player in both the UK and abroad, plus his subsequent career as a football administrator.
And by way of a little bonus to Hammers fans, publishers deCoubertin Books are asking supporters to send in questions for the big man which will appear in the book's appendix.
If you'd like to see your question appear in the final publication, simply visit the following thread on the KUMB Forum and post it there. (Please note that whilst all questions will be considered for publication, space may preclude some from being used.)
He became part of the first black triumverate - alongside Clive Charles and Ade Coker - to feature in a top-flight English team when West Ham beat Tottenham 2-0 on April Fools' Day 1972
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DG hits out at Spurs digs
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
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David Gold has again hit out at crazy complaints that West Ham are ripping off taxpayers in the Olympic Stadium deal. DG becomes more heated on the subject than any other and once again has slammed those who have been taking a pop on Twitter. Tottenham have reached a deal to play their Champions League home games at Wembley next season. The Premier League club also has the option to play all home league and cup matches, as well as any European games, at the national stadium during the 2017-18 campaign. Spurs are having a new £400m stadium built next to their existing White Hart Lane ground.
And following the news a Tottenham twitter account commented: "Why are West Ham fans angered? #THFC are paying for Wembley out their own pocket, unlike #WHUFC where taxpayers are paying for their stadium." That immediately started the fur flying and DG immediately reacted: "THFC are paying rent for Wembley out of their own pockets. WHUFC are paying rent for OS out of their own pockets. dg"
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Olympic Bell re-installed next to Iron's new home
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
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The £1million Olympic bell has been re-installed in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park just outside the stadium in Champions place. The bell will never toll again due to concerns it is so loud that it will disturb residents living nearby.
The Olympic Bell was commissioned and cast for the 2012 London Olympic Games, and is the largest harmonically-tuned bell in the world.The bell is cast in bronze and is two metres high with a diameter of 3.34 metres, and weighs 22.91 tonnes.
The Whitechapel Bell Foundry, a few miles from the Olympic Stadium, was commissioned to make the bell in 2011.
The bell has the lowest tone in the world – a sound that can be heard for miles around – and was first rung by Sir Bradley Wiggins during the £27million Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2012.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) paid to re-install the 23-ton bell, however, it will be purely ornamental as it is feared that the sound would be so loud that it would be totally unbearable for anyone living in the area.
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Majority of stewards will move to the OS
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Claret and Hugh understands that 138 West Ham stewards from the Boleyn Ground are registered to carry on working at the former Olympic Stadium, 53 of whom are already working at the new Stadium stewarding previous non-football events.
While some stewards have opted not to transfer when they were told that their location within the stadium could not be guaranteed sources close to the club say the vast majority have registered.
We have been told that the club went to huge lengths to ensure that every steward who wanted to transfer to the new Stadium was able to do so with minimum difficulty, and the large majority have done so. That process started six months before the end of the season, with letters and emails sent to every single steward.
Six meetings were held for them to talk them through that process on match days so that everyone would know they were happening and be able to attend. Individual meetings were offered to every member of staff.
The stewards will be employed by event management company OCS and French stadium operators London Stadium 185 and all costs will be covered by the stadium owners E20 Stadium LLP.
If you were a West Ham steward who decided against moving to the new stadium we would like to hear from you at mrwesthamfootball@gmail.com to hear your story.
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Hammers linked with Juventus bid
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
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West Ham has again been linked again with Roberto Pereyra from Juventus. Italian football website, Tuttosport claims West Ham have actually made an offer for the Argentine playmaker.
They suggest the Hammers have made a €15 million (£11.4 million) bid for the player.
The midfielder joined Juventus from Udinese in 2014, initially on loan, and the deal was made permanent last summer for a fee of around €14m, after an outstanding debut season for Juventus with 52 appearances, six goals and four assist he failed to live up to expectations last season racking up only 14 appearances and one assist. A couple of injuries have undermined his consistency but the Argentinean has never proved to be at the same level of the previous campaign this season.
Juventus are ready to listen to any offers and Italian press say West Ham are the club in pole position to sign the 25-year-old midfielder. Pereyra has earned ten international caps for Argentine and has a contract until 2020 with Juventus.
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DG confirms an iconic move
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
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David Gold has confirmed that the famous World Cup statue will be taken to our new home in Stratford.
Several Twitter followers were concerned that the iconic statue (pictured above) would be left behind but Mooro and the boys will be given a place of honour with the OS.
Commenting on Twitter the co chairman said: "The World Cup statue will becoming with us to the new stadium. dg"
The work is a one-and-a-half times life-size bronze piece, 16 feet (4.9 m) tall and weighing four tonnes and has stood at the junction of Barking Road and Green Street since 2003.
At the time it was unveiled Paul Hayward, writing in The Telegraph described it as "stunning", and that it "radiates golden light and transforms a mundane road junction into a shrine both to England's finest hour and West Ham's contribution to the game in these isles"
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Take Payet at his word!
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 30, 2016 in News, Whispers
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Footballers don't necessarily have the final say over their destiny.
The club which may be after them, or the one by which they are currently employed , plus agents , family, friends and an army of conflictng emotions can influence a major decison.
So when a major star declares that "it's very likely" he will be with his club the following season you can normally take that as meaning exactly what it says.
That's why I was entirely unperturbed by Dimi Payet's choice of words when asked the qustion whilst away preparing for duty at Euro '16.
Some were worried that he didn't give a catergorical "I'm staying" declaration but how can he? The matter can always be taken out of his hands should a massive bid be made – IT HASN'T !
Payet was trying to tell everyone exactly that – a position ClaretandHugh can confirm – and that he is ready to enjoy the summer tournament and return to the Irons ready for action.
We spoke to a major Hammers source immediately following Dimi's words in a press conference and were told: "There have been no inquries or bids. He is our player on a new deal and is all set for another big season.
"He is key to everything that is happening at this club and the manager has already made it clear he helps other players perform. We have no interntion of selling him."
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Irons move in on Danish striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 29, 2016 in News, Whispers
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West Ham are understood to be in for Toulouse striker Martin Braithwaite whose 12 goals played a major part in keeping the French club up this season.
And the goals came despite him figuring mainly in a wide role.
Braithwaite has a year left on his contract and the Irons have been scouting him throughout last season after he was told he'd be allowed to leave if the club stayed up.
He is represented by agent Mark McKay with whom the Hammers have a close relationship and the agent commented: 'Martin has fulfilled his part of the promise he made to Toulouse and now wants to take his career to the next level in the Premier League. It is an exciting opportunity for him.
This is not the major signing the Hammers are looking to ae this summer but it is in in line with their vlue for money policy which could see him come to the club for as little as £4milion – which is beleived to be their latest offer.
De facto Director of Football David Sullivan insists the " pack will be shaken up this summer" and should Enner Valencia leave as a result for around £10 million the club will see that as great business.
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This agent's name marks the Irons spot
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 29, 2016 in Fans Forum, News, Whispers
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The fact that agent Mark McKay is being quoted on a Hammers move for Toulouse striker Martin Braithwaite means the story reported here earlier can be trusted.
His name marks the spot when Hammers transfers are under the microscope.
McKay was the guy involved in the move which brough Dimi Payet to West Ham and at the time he was famously quoted as claiming that had his company not been involved it could have cost the Irons around £25 million instead of the £10 plus ultimately paid.
The young man is the son of controversial Willie McKay who was involved in much, often adverse publicity, in the 80s and 90s.
However, young Mark has become one of David Sullivan's most trusted agents – hardly surprising given the Payet coup.
And at this time of the year – with so may ridiculous stories doing the rounds – the name McKay alongside a Hammers related story is a good guide to its authenticity.
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MANCHESTER UNITED LODGE OFFICIAL BID FOR OXFORD!
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 30 MAY 2016 AT 9:37AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
We can exclusively confirm (through ExWHUEmployee's sources) that Manchester United have lodged an official bid for highly rated youngster Reece Oxford. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about this and we can reveal that an official offer in the region of £15m has arrived at the club for Bilic to consider. This proves a tricky problem for the manager to face. The club had offered Reece a new deal but his agent has been gunning for more money and the terms have not been signed. Manchester United and their new manager Jose Mourinho are long term admirers of the talented youngster. Mourinho thinks that Oxford could be a perfect short term replacement for Michael Carrick or equally be able to slot into the defence (his natural position) this season especially in the Europa League.
Oxford has two years remaining on his current terms and it will be up to the manager Slaven Bilic to agree to the move. He faces having an unhappy youngster should he reject it (unless a change of heart happens) or he faces losing a highly talented youngster who will no doubt be a regular international player in a few years time. Should the bid be accepted this would bring better news for the likes of James Tomkins and Reece Burke who will see their major competition for a place leave the club and make their futures more secure.
Whatever happens with this deal and others make sure you check regularly with the West Ham Way and our ITK team for exclusive breaking transfer news. We have seen many websites and national newspaper claim our news as their own, we would urge you to quote the site as we seek legal advice on this matter.
As a site we hope that Oxford will chose to stay at the club as he has a great future, as do we as a club and the gulf between us and Manchester United is no longer as great as it used to be.
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HAMMERS OFFER VAN DER WIEL A CONTRACT
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 28 MAY 2016 AT 4:57PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
AS Roma, AS Monaco and West Ham United have all submitted formal offers to PSG right-back Gregory van der Wiel, who is a free agent at the end of next month.
It is GFFN's understanding that the player has yet to make a decision on his future, unsure as to where to go next.
Publicly, Mino Raiola remains the player's agent, but privately the relationship between Raiola and van der Wiel is understood to be at breaking point, the two individuals having had a large difference of opinion concerning the two contract extension offers that PSG made for the player over the course of the last 18 months.
Time is on van der Wiel side, what is certain is that he will make his own decision, with or without Raiola on his side.
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WEST HAM MAKE OFFER TO FENERBAHCE STAR?
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 28 MAY 2016 AT 5:08PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Fenerbahce full-back Gokhan Gonul has received Premier League interest according to his agent Ahmet Bulut. Bulut stated: "Other than Besiktas there have been five offers which have come from England and Spain." Besiktas have been closely linked with Gonul but Bulut underlined that an agreement has not been reached. Bulut also confirmed that he will not hold talks with Fenerbahce over extending the contract of Gonul. The experienced Turkish international full-back is available on a free transfer after the Yellow Canaries failed to extend his deal.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, May 28
Daily WHUFC News - 28th May 2016
New Stadium progress report
WHUFC.com
The concourse of West Ham United's new home has a familiar feel to it, with all three of the Hammers' World Cup winners adorning a giant model shirt.
In this, the summer of the 50th anniversary of England's World Cup triumph, the names of West Ham's three home-grown heroes of 1966 are now displayed in all their glory.
The imposing shirts, each four-metres wide, were installed in succession over the past 24 hours and now sit as both a permanent and striking tribute to the Club's famous three sons, Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
Five-time Hammer of the Year and 1980 FA Cup final hero Sir Trevor Brooking has likewise been honoured, joining the legendary Billy Bonds and newly-crowned Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet.
As has been the Club's commitment to supporters from the outset, West Ham will celebrate its heroes of yesteryear throughout the Stadium, with six such shirts already in situ around the world-class arena. Elsewhere on the concourse, Hammers fans will be greeted by a colossal set of the iconic crossed hammers, complete with the lettering TIW, a nod to the rivet hammers used in the Thames Ironworks.
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Chadwell Chatter - Darren Randolph
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone,
When I look back at the season I don't think it could have gone any better for me. I played a lot more football than I thought I would play and have got into the Ireland team and helped us qualify for the Euro Finals this summer. I have played league games and had a great cup run. As first seasons go it has been pretty unbelievable. There is a great feeling around the football club and it is probably one of the best changing rooms I have been part of. I know everyone talks about a great team spirit but we genuinely have that and there is no little cliques in the dressing room and everyone gets on. We have a laugh and a joke and that is down to the core players and the boys who have been there the longest – players like Nobes, Ginge, Tonks and they make it easy for everyone else who comes in. At the start of the year it is a bit weird coming into the dressing room when you have seen all the players on Match of the Day and then you are playing alongside them. You get to train with Adrian who has been on fire for the last four seasons but it is very exciting to play alongside these players. Chris Woods has worked with some great keepers and with his experience and the keepers he has worked with, I am only going to improve. The performances help and when you are playing well it builds confidence, not only for myself but the whole team as you have seen throughout the season. This will be a busy summer with the Euros and the Club are going to America for a pre-season tour.
The fans in Seattle are very enthusiastic about their sports and it will be a big thing for them having West Ham United there. They have got a nice stadium and great facilities and I am a bit gutted that I will miss the trip!
Darren
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Declan Rice - It has been a great season WHUFC.com
West Ham United's rising star Declan Rice has enjoyed a memorable campaign for the U18s and the Development Squad and was rewarded for his impressive displays when he won the Dylan Tombides Award. Rice signed his first pro contract back in December and went on to make 17 appearances for the U18 side. He also featured for the Development Squad and played in the second leg of the U21 Premier League Cup Final where he helped the team came away with a famous victory. Rice follows in the footsteps of Josh Cullen and Reece Oxford to have picked up the prestigious award and hopes he can continue to show his best form for the Hammers. Rice said: "I am delighted and very honoured to have won the award. I didn't get to meet Dylan but I have heard he was a lovely lad and he was an excellent footballer. "All the time people are talking about him and it was lovely to see his brother Taylor score in Mark Noble's Testimonial. "I have got my head down this season and all the hard work has paid off. I signed my first pro contract and it has been a great season for me. "I just need to keep working hard and see what happens in the future."
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Randolph helps Ireland to warm-up draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham stopper Darren Randolph played 90 minutes for the Republic of Ireland on Friday night as they drew a Euro 2016 warm-up match against the Netherlands 1-1.
Martin O'Neill's side grabbed the opening goal courtesy of a Shane Long strike in the 30th minute before former Newcastle United striker Luuk de Jong equalised in the final ten minutes.
Southampton forward Long put away a left-footed strike in the first period against a Dutch side containing the likes of Premier League duo Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, but de Jong headed home with five minutes remaining to earn a share of the spoils.
Holland did not qualify for this summer's tournament in France, yet it was still a respectable result for the Republic of Ireland who play their final friendly game against Belarus on Tuesday before the tournament kicks off in June.
Randolph, who is expected to start the Euros as Ireland's number one goalkeeper, had little to do at the Aviva Stadium as the visitors had just one attempt on target; their equalising goal.
Ireland have been drawn in the toughest-looking European Championship group, and face the highly-rated Belgium and Italy after an opening fixture against Sweden.
The match on 13 June against the Scandinavians is in Paris' Stade de France, before they travel to Bordeaux to face Beligum before the Italians take on O'Neill's team in Lille.
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EXCLUSIVE: Sullivan on transfers
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan is expecting another busy summer of transfer activity and hopes to sign a number of new players over the next few months.
Mr Sullivan is working tirelessly behind the scenes alongside Slaven Bilic to bring the best possible players to Club and has already made multi-million pound offers for some of the best talent in Europe.
West Ham have already announced the arrival of Norway international Havard Nordtveit, who will join up with his new team-mates at the start of July.
With the Club qualifying for the Europa League next season, the Board are determined to help Bilic possess the strength in depth to cope with the prospect of additional fixtures, should the Hammers progress into the group stage.
West Ham enjoyed a memorable campaign in the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground and much of that was down to the new arrivals who arrived last summer, including Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet, Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio.
Mr Sullivan is hopeful the Club can find the same calibre of players and says they will continue to work hard to get the best possible deals for West Ham United.
"We have done well with our signings and we hope we can sign a few more this summer who will do equally as well or better," he added.
"We know that we need a top striker which is the hardest thing to sign. We need a 20-goal-a-season striker and that will cost us £25m or £30million. That is where the bulk of the money goes.
"We also need the occasional long shot which is the cheaper player that may come good. We want to sign more players.
"There might be a few fringe players who we will let go and use that to bring in two or three more players.
"We have already signed one player for next season and there will be other signings. I would think that four, five or six players will come in this summer depending on how many go and hopefully we do just as well or even better next season."
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West Ham linked with Cameroon international KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 27th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are one of a number of clubs said to have taken a look at Cameroon international Henri Bedimo. The left-sided full back, who featured for Lyon in Ligue 1 last season is available on a free transfer this summer. And the Hammers are just one of several clubs who are reported to have investigated the possibility of signing the 31-year-old this summer. Although West Ham, West Bromwich Albion and Premier League newcomers Middlesbrough are all said to have made tentative enquiries into the player's availability, fellow Ligue 1 side Nantes are currently considered front runners to sign Bedimo who has spent his entire professional career in France. West Ham currently boast just one dedicated left back on their books, that being former Ipswich defender Aaron Cresswell. Joey O'Brien, a right back who has also played on the left will leave the club this summer following the expiry of his contract. And whilst Angelo Ogbonna can also fill the role, Slaven Bilic will be keen to ensure he enters next season with a more adequate alternative.
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PSG favourites to sign Lacazette - but still no bid KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 27th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Paris St Germain are widely considered favourites to sign Lyon striker and West Ham target Alexandre Lacazette. The Ligue 1 champions parted company with leading goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the end of the 2015/16 season and are currently seeking a replacement, with the Lyon star said to be top of their list. However it remains the case that no other club has yet come close to matching West Ham United's ?€40million bid for the 24-year-old, who has been on United's radar for several months. The Hammers, who had been keen to complete an early deal before the summer transfer window opens on 1 July baulked at Lyon's ?€50million valuation of Lacazette, whose 23 goals for Lyon last season helped his club finish second in Ligue 1 behind PSG (albeit by 31 points). And although West Ham's bid remains on the table, Lyon - in seeking to maximise their windfall for parting with Lacazette - are unlikely to accept any offer until all other interested parties have ruled themselves out of the reckoning.
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Hammers "excellent" midfielder deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
ClaretandHugh has learned that West Ham did an extraordinary piece of business in convncing midfielder Havard Nordtveit to join the club on wages of around £35k a week. The former Borussia Moenchengladbach man joins the club on July 1 with the Hammers reportedly beating off off competition from several top European outfits to land their man. Nordtveit, 25, signs on a five-year deal and returns to London six years after leaving Arsenal to join Monchengladbach. However, to have picked him up on such "sensible" wages is a coup for the Hammers who did a great job in selling the club to the player. And it's another indication of the club to ensure that they get true value for money with a source saying: "He's a genuine utility player and to have picked him up on the sort of wages we are talking about was excellent business. "He can play as a defensive midfielder which is his strongest position but is also capable of slotting in to the defence at right back or central defence."
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Irons give £12.5k to the Tories
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 27, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
West Ham have decided to swim in some murky political waters. It emerged this morning that for reasons of their own they have donated£12,500 to the Tory Party which frankly seems bizarre at best and totally out of order at worst. The explanation they have given via a spoksesman is that as a private compay they "make donations to whatever causes they see fit."
Whether or not many fans would agree that this is a worthy cause can be judged by this cut http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/inside-tory-black-white-ball-7335521
Ok, in the great scheme of things £12.5k is nether her of there and let's remember that Karren Brady is a Tory peer, David Gold is a regular donator to the party whilst David Sullivan once described himself as a moderate Conservative Whatever one's politics, and I readily admit I don't share theirs, it's a strange and odd decision. It should be added – for balance – that the club supports many other charities but gifts to political parties? That will attract a lot of criticsm at a time when they are auctioning club memorobilia off to support the Hammers academy. Frankly, it wouldn't matter to me which party was the beneficiary of a £12.5k gift from a football club. I would consider it ill advised, unecesary and wrong because it is divisive.
Not sure that our manager – an avowed Socialist – would be very impressed either!
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Hells Bell arrives at the Olympic Stadium Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
A massive stage prop called Hells Bell has arrived at the Olympic Stadium ahead of its transformation into a music concert arena in just eight days time. As the WestHamification of the former Olympic Stadium continues a series of events will be staged there before the Hammers move in on the 1st August. Saturday 4th June sees the first ever music concert to be staged at the venue. Rock fans have paid between £65 and £95 each to watch the 'Rock or Bust' concert, part of AC/DC's European tour. Later in the summer, 14,000 runners take part in the Great Newham London Run on Sunday 17th July. All runners in the will have their very own Olympic moment as they finish in the Stadium over the running track finishing line. The London Anniversary Games will be hosted on the weekend beginning Friday 22nd July. The Stadium will play host to the IAAF Diamond League Athletics meet on 22-23 July, the IPC Grand Prix Final will also be incorporated into Saturday's programme. World record holder Bolt will grace the track at the London Anniversary Games, along with many of the world's best athletes and Paralympic stars.
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West Ham will sign "£25million or £30m striker" as part of a summer of spending, says David Sullivan
08:02, 28 MAY 2016 UPDATED 08:02, 28 MAY 2016
BY AARON FLANAGAN
The Hammers have set out a clear plan for the close season as they hope to build on the success of last year's transfer window
The Mirror
West Ham are preparing to splash the cash on a new striker this summer. Co-owner David Sullivan has confirmed the Hammers' intention to buy a £25million-£30million striker in the coming months to lead the team into the Olympic Stadium. Marseille hotshot Michy Batshuayi is one of the names touted, while Lyon are holding firm over Alexandre Lacazette. But some shock names have also been thrown into the hat, with ambitious attempts to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jamie Vardy in the pipeline. West Ham's dealings in the transfer business, which included the arrivals of Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio, saw them in the mi x for a Champions League place this season. And Sullivan wants to build on that success in front of 60,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium. He told West Ham's official website: "We have done well with our signings and we hope we can sign a few more this summer who will do equally as well or better. "We know that we need a top striker which is the hardest thing to sign. We need a 20-goal-a-season striker and that will cost us £25m or £30million. That is where the bulk of the money goes. "We also need the occasional long shot which is the cheaper player that may come good. We want to sign more players. "There might be a few fringe players who we will let go and use that to bring in two or three more players. "We have already signed one player for next season and there will be other signings. I would think that four, five or six players will come in this summer depending on how many go and hopefully we do just as well or even better next season."
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Irons take edge over Spurs on striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham have moved in front of Spurs as the battle for Michy Batshuayi rumbles on towards the opening of the tranfer window. The Belgian international striker – having made it c.ear he is leaning towards a Premier League move – is concerned about penning a long term White Hart Lane deal. He believes he's likely to be used as a back up to Harry Kane and see West Ham nd possibly interested Liverpool as better options.
Marseilles are believed to want a 40 million euros fee and that saw the Irons cool on the player but news that they may have a real chance – given the Kane situation – is re-igniting interest. So concerned is Batshuyi at the prospect of a possible move that some reports claim that to even consider a Spurs move he would want contract clauses allowng him to leave for a set fee if guarantees over playing time are not met. As a result the Irons – with the Olympic Stadium an inducement are in a position to tempt him with the prospect of regular first team football – and are likely to set up new talks once the Euro Finals conclude.
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POLITICAL 'DONATION' ROW ENGULFS HAMMERS
By Iain Dale 27 May 2016 at 09:14
WTID
A furious row has broken out over the fact that the Conservative Party has registered a donation of £12,500 from West Ham United with the Electoral Commission. The club paid the sum for a table of ten at the party's Black & White Ball fundraiser which took place at the Hurlingham Club in South West London earlier in the year. Karren Brady hosted the club's sponsor Betway at the event.
The club's defence is that it is a private company and it can do what it likes. Local Labour MPs Mike Gapes and Jim Fitzpatrick are naturally less than gruntled. However, they fail to mention the Directors' Box season tickets which were made available to more than one Labour Minister during their time in government. I suspect the value of those would far exceed £12,500.
In the wider scheme of things it's a trifling sum, but from a PR point of view it certainly counts as an own goal. To my mind if any high profile company is going to make a political donation (and you could question whether this is a donation in the normal sense of the word, seeing as it was for event tickets) it is probably best to split it between several parties, given that its customers will be voters of all persuasions.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The concourse of West Ham United's new home has a familiar feel to it, with all three of the Hammers' World Cup winners adorning a giant model shirt.
In this, the summer of the 50th anniversary of England's World Cup triumph, the names of West Ham's three home-grown heroes of 1966 are now displayed in all their glory.
The imposing shirts, each four-metres wide, were installed in succession over the past 24 hours and now sit as both a permanent and striking tribute to the Club's famous three sons, Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
Five-time Hammer of the Year and 1980 FA Cup final hero Sir Trevor Brooking has likewise been honoured, joining the legendary Billy Bonds and newly-crowned Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet.
As has been the Club's commitment to supporters from the outset, West Ham will celebrate its heroes of yesteryear throughout the Stadium, with six such shirts already in situ around the world-class arena. Elsewhere on the concourse, Hammers fans will be greeted by a colossal set of the iconic crossed hammers, complete with the lettering TIW, a nod to the rivet hammers used in the Thames Ironworks.
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Chadwell Chatter - Darren Randolph
WHUFC.com
Hello everyone,
When I look back at the season I don't think it could have gone any better for me. I played a lot more football than I thought I would play and have got into the Ireland team and helped us qualify for the Euro Finals this summer. I have played league games and had a great cup run. As first seasons go it has been pretty unbelievable. There is a great feeling around the football club and it is probably one of the best changing rooms I have been part of. I know everyone talks about a great team spirit but we genuinely have that and there is no little cliques in the dressing room and everyone gets on. We have a laugh and a joke and that is down to the core players and the boys who have been there the longest – players like Nobes, Ginge, Tonks and they make it easy for everyone else who comes in. At the start of the year it is a bit weird coming into the dressing room when you have seen all the players on Match of the Day and then you are playing alongside them. You get to train with Adrian who has been on fire for the last four seasons but it is very exciting to play alongside these players. Chris Woods has worked with some great keepers and with his experience and the keepers he has worked with, I am only going to improve. The performances help and when you are playing well it builds confidence, not only for myself but the whole team as you have seen throughout the season. This will be a busy summer with the Euros and the Club are going to America for a pre-season tour.
The fans in Seattle are very enthusiastic about their sports and it will be a big thing for them having West Ham United there. They have got a nice stadium and great facilities and I am a bit gutted that I will miss the trip!
Darren
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Declan Rice - It has been a great season WHUFC.com
West Ham United's rising star Declan Rice has enjoyed a memorable campaign for the U18s and the Development Squad and was rewarded for his impressive displays when he won the Dylan Tombides Award. Rice signed his first pro contract back in December and went on to make 17 appearances for the U18 side. He also featured for the Development Squad and played in the second leg of the U21 Premier League Cup Final where he helped the team came away with a famous victory. Rice follows in the footsteps of Josh Cullen and Reece Oxford to have picked up the prestigious award and hopes he can continue to show his best form for the Hammers. Rice said: "I am delighted and very honoured to have won the award. I didn't get to meet Dylan but I have heard he was a lovely lad and he was an excellent footballer. "All the time people are talking about him and it was lovely to see his brother Taylor score in Mark Noble's Testimonial. "I have got my head down this season and all the hard work has paid off. I signed my first pro contract and it has been a great season for me. "I just need to keep working hard and see what happens in the future."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Randolph helps Ireland to warm-up draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham stopper Darren Randolph played 90 minutes for the Republic of Ireland on Friday night as they drew a Euro 2016 warm-up match against the Netherlands 1-1.
Martin O'Neill's side grabbed the opening goal courtesy of a Shane Long strike in the 30th minute before former Newcastle United striker Luuk de Jong equalised in the final ten minutes.
Southampton forward Long put away a left-footed strike in the first period against a Dutch side containing the likes of Premier League duo Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, but de Jong headed home with five minutes remaining to earn a share of the spoils.
Holland did not qualify for this summer's tournament in France, yet it was still a respectable result for the Republic of Ireland who play their final friendly game against Belarus on Tuesday before the tournament kicks off in June.
Randolph, who is expected to start the Euros as Ireland's number one goalkeeper, had little to do at the Aviva Stadium as the visitors had just one attempt on target; their equalising goal.
Ireland have been drawn in the toughest-looking European Championship group, and face the highly-rated Belgium and Italy after an opening fixture against Sweden.
The match on 13 June against the Scandinavians is in Paris' Stade de France, before they travel to Bordeaux to face Beligum before the Italians take on O'Neill's team in Lille.
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EXCLUSIVE: Sullivan on transfers
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Joint-Chairman David Sullivan is expecting another busy summer of transfer activity and hopes to sign a number of new players over the next few months.
Mr Sullivan is working tirelessly behind the scenes alongside Slaven Bilic to bring the best possible players to Club and has already made multi-million pound offers for some of the best talent in Europe.
West Ham have already announced the arrival of Norway international Havard Nordtveit, who will join up with his new team-mates at the start of July.
With the Club qualifying for the Europa League next season, the Board are determined to help Bilic possess the strength in depth to cope with the prospect of additional fixtures, should the Hammers progress into the group stage.
West Ham enjoyed a memorable campaign in the final ever season at the Boleyn Ground and much of that was down to the new arrivals who arrived last summer, including Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet, Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio.
Mr Sullivan is hopeful the Club can find the same calibre of players and says they will continue to work hard to get the best possible deals for West Ham United.
"We have done well with our signings and we hope we can sign a few more this summer who will do equally as well or better," he added.
"We know that we need a top striker which is the hardest thing to sign. We need a 20-goal-a-season striker and that will cost us £25m or £30million. That is where the bulk of the money goes.
"We also need the occasional long shot which is the cheaper player that may come good. We want to sign more players.
"There might be a few fringe players who we will let go and use that to bring in two or three more players.
"We have already signed one player for next season and there will be other signings. I would think that four, five or six players will come in this summer depending on how many go and hopefully we do just as well or even better next season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham linked with Cameroon international KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 27th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are one of a number of clubs said to have taken a look at Cameroon international Henri Bedimo. The left-sided full back, who featured for Lyon in Ligue 1 last season is available on a free transfer this summer. And the Hammers are just one of several clubs who are reported to have investigated the possibility of signing the 31-year-old this summer. Although West Ham, West Bromwich Albion and Premier League newcomers Middlesbrough are all said to have made tentative enquiries into the player's availability, fellow Ligue 1 side Nantes are currently considered front runners to sign Bedimo who has spent his entire professional career in France. West Ham currently boast just one dedicated left back on their books, that being former Ipswich defender Aaron Cresswell. Joey O'Brien, a right back who has also played on the left will leave the club this summer following the expiry of his contract. And whilst Angelo Ogbonna can also fill the role, Slaven Bilic will be keen to ensure he enters next season with a more adequate alternative.
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PSG favourites to sign Lacazette - but still no bid KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 27th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Paris St Germain are widely considered favourites to sign Lyon striker and West Ham target Alexandre Lacazette. The Ligue 1 champions parted company with leading goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the end of the 2015/16 season and are currently seeking a replacement, with the Lyon star said to be top of their list. However it remains the case that no other club has yet come close to matching West Ham United's ?€40million bid for the 24-year-old, who has been on United's radar for several months. The Hammers, who had been keen to complete an early deal before the summer transfer window opens on 1 July baulked at Lyon's ?€50million valuation of Lacazette, whose 23 goals for Lyon last season helped his club finish second in Ligue 1 behind PSG (albeit by 31 points). And although West Ham's bid remains on the table, Lyon - in seeking to maximise their windfall for parting with Lacazette - are unlikely to accept any offer until all other interested parties have ruled themselves out of the reckoning.
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Hammers "excellent" midfielder deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
ClaretandHugh has learned that West Ham did an extraordinary piece of business in convncing midfielder Havard Nordtveit to join the club on wages of around £35k a week. The former Borussia Moenchengladbach man joins the club on July 1 with the Hammers reportedly beating off off competition from several top European outfits to land their man. Nordtveit, 25, signs on a five-year deal and returns to London six years after leaving Arsenal to join Monchengladbach. However, to have picked him up on such "sensible" wages is a coup for the Hammers who did a great job in selling the club to the player. And it's another indication of the club to ensure that they get true value for money with a source saying: "He's a genuine utility player and to have picked him up on the sort of wages we are talking about was excellent business. "He can play as a defensive midfielder which is his strongest position but is also capable of slotting in to the defence at right back or central defence."
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Irons give £12.5k to the Tories
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 27, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
West Ham have decided to swim in some murky political waters. It emerged this morning that for reasons of their own they have donated£12,500 to the Tory Party which frankly seems bizarre at best and totally out of order at worst. The explanation they have given via a spoksesman is that as a private compay they "make donations to whatever causes they see fit."
Whether or not many fans would agree that this is a worthy cause can be judged by this cut http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/inside-tory-black-white-ball-7335521
Ok, in the great scheme of things £12.5k is nether her of there and let's remember that Karren Brady is a Tory peer, David Gold is a regular donator to the party whilst David Sullivan once described himself as a moderate Conservative Whatever one's politics, and I readily admit I don't share theirs, it's a strange and odd decision. It should be added – for balance – that the club supports many other charities but gifts to political parties? That will attract a lot of criticsm at a time when they are auctioning club memorobilia off to support the Hammers academy. Frankly, it wouldn't matter to me which party was the beneficiary of a £12.5k gift from a football club. I would consider it ill advised, unecesary and wrong because it is divisive.
Not sure that our manager – an avowed Socialist – would be very impressed either!
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Hells Bell arrives at the Olympic Stadium Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 27, 2016 in News, Whispers C and H
A massive stage prop called Hells Bell has arrived at the Olympic Stadium ahead of its transformation into a music concert arena in just eight days time. As the WestHamification of the former Olympic Stadium continues a series of events will be staged there before the Hammers move in on the 1st August. Saturday 4th June sees the first ever music concert to be staged at the venue. Rock fans have paid between £65 and £95 each to watch the 'Rock or Bust' concert, part of AC/DC's European tour. Later in the summer, 14,000 runners take part in the Great Newham London Run on Sunday 17th July. All runners in the will have their very own Olympic moment as they finish in the Stadium over the running track finishing line. The London Anniversary Games will be hosted on the weekend beginning Friday 22nd July. The Stadium will play host to the IAAF Diamond League Athletics meet on 22-23 July, the IPC Grand Prix Final will also be incorporated into Saturday's programme. World record holder Bolt will grace the track at the London Anniversary Games, along with many of the world's best athletes and Paralympic stars.
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West Ham will sign "£25million or £30m striker" as part of a summer of spending, says David Sullivan
08:02, 28 MAY 2016 UPDATED 08:02, 28 MAY 2016
BY AARON FLANAGAN
The Hammers have set out a clear plan for the close season as they hope to build on the success of last year's transfer window
The Mirror
West Ham are preparing to splash the cash on a new striker this summer. Co-owner David Sullivan has confirmed the Hammers' intention to buy a £25million-£30million striker in the coming months to lead the team into the Olympic Stadium. Marseille hotshot Michy Batshuayi is one of the names touted, while Lyon are holding firm over Alexandre Lacazette. But some shock names have also been thrown into the hat, with ambitious attempts to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jamie Vardy in the pipeline. West Ham's dealings in the transfer business, which included the arrivals of Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio, saw them in the mi x for a Champions League place this season. And Sullivan wants to build on that success in front of 60,000 fans at the Olympic Stadium. He told West Ham's official website: "We have done well with our signings and we hope we can sign a few more this summer who will do equally as well or better. "We know that we need a top striker which is the hardest thing to sign. We need a 20-goal-a-season striker and that will cost us £25m or £30million. That is where the bulk of the money goes. "We also need the occasional long shot which is the cheaper player that may come good. We want to sign more players. "There might be a few fringe players who we will let go and use that to bring in two or three more players. "We have already signed one player for next season and there will be other signings. I would think that four, five or six players will come in this summer depending on how many go and hopefully we do just as well or even better next season."
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Irons take edge over Spurs on striker
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 28, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham have moved in front of Spurs as the battle for Michy Batshuayi rumbles on towards the opening of the tranfer window. The Belgian international striker – having made it c.ear he is leaning towards a Premier League move – is concerned about penning a long term White Hart Lane deal. He believes he's likely to be used as a back up to Harry Kane and see West Ham nd possibly interested Liverpool as better options.
Marseilles are believed to want a 40 million euros fee and that saw the Irons cool on the player but news that they may have a real chance – given the Kane situation – is re-igniting interest. So concerned is Batshuyi at the prospect of a possible move that some reports claim that to even consider a Spurs move he would want contract clauses allowng him to leave for a set fee if guarantees over playing time are not met. As a result the Irons – with the Olympic Stadium an inducement are in a position to tempt him with the prospect of regular first team football – and are likely to set up new talks once the Euro Finals conclude.
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POLITICAL 'DONATION' ROW ENGULFS HAMMERS
By Iain Dale 27 May 2016 at 09:14
WTID
A furious row has broken out over the fact that the Conservative Party has registered a donation of £12,500 from West Ham United with the Electoral Commission. The club paid the sum for a table of ten at the party's Black & White Ball fundraiser which took place at the Hurlingham Club in South West London earlier in the year. Karren Brady hosted the club's sponsor Betway at the event.
The club's defence is that it is a private company and it can do what it likes. Local Labour MPs Mike Gapes and Jim Fitzpatrick are naturally less than gruntled. However, they fail to mention the Directors' Box season tickets which were made available to more than one Labour Minister during their time in government. I suspect the value of those would far exceed £12,500.
In the wider scheme of things it's a trifling sum, but from a PR point of view it certainly counts as an own goal. To my mind if any high profile company is going to make a political donation (and you could question whether this is a donation in the normal sense of the word, seeing as it was for event tickets) it is probably best to split it between several parties, given that its customers will be voters of all persuasions.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, May 27
Daily WHUFC News - 27th May 2016
Late goal downs Valencia's Ecuador
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia's Ecuador were beaten 1-0 by the USA in a Copa America warm-up match on Wednesday night. The South Americans faced the tournament's hosts in Texas but a last minute strike by Darlington Nagbe of the Portland Timbers saw the States grab the victory. Hammers striker Valencia played 90 minutes in the final game before the competition kicks-off next month for the Yellows, who will go up against Brazil, Haiti and Peru in Group B of the tournament which is the first to be held outside South America. Despite the defeat, Valencia remains confident his side can progress from the group stages. He said: "I had a short time with my family after the season with West Ham finished and then we started preparing for the Copa America. "We are in a group with a massive team in Brazil, but we have a very good chance to get through to the next stage because Ecuador is doing very well in qualification for the 2018 World Cup. "We also have Peru and Haiti in our group and we hope to have a very good Copa America. It will be played in the United States, too, where I scored against England, so I am looking forward to it very much!"
Ecuador kick-off their campaign against five-time World Cup winners Brazil in California on 4 June, before heading to Arizona to take on Peru four days later. Their final group stage game against Haiti is in New Jersey on 12 June. They are currently joint-top of the South American qualification standings, with only Uruguay keeping apace at the summit with 13 points.
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Former Player Interview - Frank McAvennie
WHUFC.com
Hammers legend Frank McAvennie believes his former Club can achieve even bigger things under Slaven Bilic when they move into the new Stadium and sees no reason why they cannot challenge for major silverware. McAvennie was thrilled to be back in east London for the final ever game at the Boleyn Ground as he saw West Ham record a famous victory over Manchester United.
The 56-year-old has nothing but praise for the job Bilic has done following his move back to the Club last summer and feels he has assembled one of the best squads in recent years. With the Club moving into a new 60,000 Stadium, McAvennie is convinced the the Hammers will only grow stronger and can mount a serious challenge for a Champions League place. McAvennie said: "I said as soon as Slaven got the job that he would be fantastic. "The first signing he made was Julian Dicks and they have been brilliant together. He is such a legend down here and used to be my room-mate. "The fans are onside straight away and they both look like they are enjoying it. It is the same as any job - when you are enjoying it you smile and it makes you a better manager and a player. There is a good atmosphere down here now. "The supporters deserve a good team and they deserve a team who are fighting for Europe. "It can only get better from now on when they move into the new Stadium. "Slaven has got his eye on a few players. He has brought some great players in and West Ham deserve to be challenging for a Champions League place."
McAvennie will never forget his memorable spell at the Boleyn Ground and became a fans favourite after being part of the one of the greatest ever strike forces at West Ham United. The former Scottish international enjoyed a formidable partnership with Tony Cottee where he scored 60 goals in just 190 appearances and helped the Hammers secure their highest ever finish in the top flight when they finished third back in 1986. McAvennie is still treated like a hero every time he makes a return to the Club and says he will always have a special relationship with the West Ham United fans. McAvennie added: "I am always amazed how well the fans treat me. I was born and bred in Glasgow but the fans down here are incredible. I feel so welcome here and feel at home. "It gives me pride when I look back at my time here and we enjoyed our football under John Lyall. "I remember when I played with Tony, it was not when we were going to score but what type of goal we were going to score and that rubbed off onto the supporters. "It a shame that John Lyall was not able to see the end of the Boleyn Ground but I am sure he is looking down smiling."
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New Stadium progress report
WHUFC.com
The concourse of West Ham United's new home has a familiar feel to it, with all three of the Hammers' World Cup winners adorning a giant model shirt.
In this, the summer of the 50th anniversary of England's World Cup triumph, the names of West Ham's three home-grown heroes of 1966 are now displayed in all their glory.
The imposing shirts, each four-metres wide, were installed in succession over the past 24 hours and now sit as both a permanent and striking reminder of the Club's famous three sons, Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
Five-time Hammer of the Year and 1980 FA Cup final hero Sir Trevor Brooking has likewise been honoured, joining the legendary Billy Bonds and newly-crowned Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet.
As has been the Club's commitment to supporters from the outset, West Ham will celebrate its heroes of yesteryear throughout the Stadium, with six such shirts already in situ around the world-class arena.
Elsewhere on the concourse, Hammers fans will be greeted by a colossal set of the iconic crossed hammers, complete with the lettering TIW, a nod to the rivet hammers used in the Thames Ironworks.
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Sylvestre pens new Hammers deal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that Swiss midfielder Noha Sylvestre has signed a professional deal with the Club. The 18-year-old was a regular for the Hammers' U18s side last season, making 17 appearances and scoring once, while he also featured on a handful of occasions for the Development Squad. Thrilled to put pen to paper on a one-year deal, Sylvestre said: "It's like a dream for me. It's a dream for everyone who plays football to get a professional contract but the hardest thing now is to keep going and pushing and working hard. "I've enjoyed my time here so far very much because as soon as I joined, I felt really comfortable with my teammates and everyone at the Club and it's a big family for me. That's why my football has been good as well. "My target next season is to play every game for the U21s and get my place in that team, and then you never know. Why not go with the first team a couple of times and train with them if I can? I want to do as well as possible."
Sylvestre, who describes himself as an "aggressive number four" who "likes to make a challenge" is the son of former Swiss international Patrick, who hopes his career can inspire his son to a successful time at West Ham. "I'm delighted for Noha to sign his first contract. West Ham is an incredible Club. With the last year in this stadium, and with the people here, it's a great story and with the next year in the new stadium, it's good. "I hope for Noha [to follow in my footsteps] but there is a lot of hard work to do. To play in England is a dream. Now he has to work hard and maybe one day it is possible [for him to play for Switzerland]."
With the Club moving to their new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park ahead of next season, Sylvestre admitted it is an exciting time to be involved with the Hammers. "It's going to be a massive thing," he continued. "I've always come here to watch the games and seeing the Club develop like this really means something for me. "I've only been here three years, but I'm really looking forward to it all."
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Bilic linked with 'the Turkish Ozil'
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are said to be considering making an offer for Besiktas star Oguzhan Ozyakup. A team mate of Slaven Bilic's top transfer target Gokhan Tore, 'Ozzy' - as he is popularly known - is a Dutch-born midfielder who appeared for both the Netherlands and Turkey at youth level before deciding to feature for the latter at full senior level. The 23-year-old started life at AZ Alkmaar's Academy before joining Arsenal's youth set-up in 2008 - where he remained for four years, making just two first team appearances, before joining Besiktas for whom he has already featured on 110 occasions. Although Ozyakup was already at Besiktas before Hammers boss Bilic became general manager in 2013, he became a firm favourite of the Croatian manager's. And only last year, Bilic hailed the midfielder as Turkey's best player - likening him to Arsenal's Mesuit Ozil.
"Oguzhan Ozyakup is, for me, Turkey's most talented footballer," he said during an interview last October. "The intelligence and quality in the pass really needs to be appreciated. "I liken him to a snake, he moves like a snake, he rules out the competition. The more muscle means you are less limber. See Mesut Ozil, physically he and Oguzhan are exactly the same."
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Noha signs one-year deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Yet another young Hammer has put pen to paper on their first professional contract. 18-year-old Noha Sylvestre, a regular in the Under 18s last season has signed a 12-month contract with the Hammers. And the young midfielder hopes to become a regular with Terry Westley's Development Squad next season, after experiencing a handful of games at the higher level last term. "My target next season is to play every game for the U21s and get my place in that team," he told West Ham's website. "I want to do as well as possible. "I've enjoyed my time here so far very much because as soon as I joined, I felt really comfortable with my team mates and everyone at the club. It's a big family for me - and that's why my football has been good as well." Basel-born Sylveste - who joined West Ham from Concordia Basel as a 16-year-old and couldn't speak a word of English when he first arrived in London - made 17 appearances for the Under 18s last season, scoring just once.
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Michy Batshuayi "attracted" to Premier League switch as Tottenham send scout to watch West Ham target
21:44, 26 MAY 2016 UPDATED 21:44, 26 MAY 2016
BY ED MALYON , ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Batshuayi is expected to move this summer and Liverpool and West Ham also interested in the £30million-rated centre-forward
The Mirror
Tottenham and West Ham target Michy Batshuayi admits he is "attracted" to the Premier League. But Marseille's Belgian striker, 22, won't decide on his future until after the Euros. Batshuayi hit 27 goals for club and country this season to attract interest from Spurs, the Hammers and Italian duo Juventus and Roma. He said: "Everybody likes the Premier League. It has a lot of spectacle, a lot of goals and many good players.
"It is natural that every good player is attracted by that league. "(But) I don't think about that (a transfer). I prefer to concentrate 100 per cent on the Euros. Then we will see what happens."
Marseille's caretaker boss Franck Passi has already confirmed Batshuayi will be allowed to leave the Ligue 1 club this summer. Tottenham's head of recruitment Paul Mitchell watched Marseille's Michy Batshuayi in the French Cup final last weekend but faces a struggle to convince the Belgium striker to sign on the dotted line. Batshuayi is expected to move this summer with Liverpool also interested in the £30million-rated centre-forward. The 22-year-old is concerned about penning a long-term deal at White Hart Lane when he is likely to be backup to homegrown star Harry Kane. The young Englishman has established himself as one of the Premier League's best after sustaining the remarkable form of his breakout 2014/15 campaign. Batshuayi prefers a move to Tottenham over other Premier League options, with Mauricio Pochettino's side playing in the Champions League. But sources in France have told Mirror Sport that he may seek contract clauses that would allow him to leave for a set fee if guarantees over playing time are not met.
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Gokhan Tore: super sharp shooter
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Gokhan Tore is close to sealing a move to West Ham United, despite Besiktas holding out for an improved transfer fee. So we asked one of the KUMB Forum's Turkish members to give us the lowdown on the highly-rated, 24-year-old winger who Slaven Bilic views as integral to future success. "Tore is excellent on the wing," said Turk123. "He's fantastic with the ball at his feet, possesses great pace, great vision and above average shooting. "He had a spell with Chelsea when he was a youth player so adapting to Premier League is unlikely to be a problem. However he's crazy. A pure, crazy guy. "Turkey's national team will be missing Leverkusen's Omer Toprak this summer because he refused to play alongside Tore. That's because a friend of Tore's put a gun to his head a couple of years ago. "He will also miss the first two games of Turkey's Euro 2016 campaign because he was sent off recently."
Expanding upon the 2013 firearms incident, Toprak's club and international colleague Hakan Calhanoglu revealed how they found Tore and a friend in their hotel room following an international fixture. The situation arose after Tore became incensed after learning his ex-girlfriend was now in a relationship with Calhanoglu. "Gokhan's friend walked over to Omer, pulled out a gun from his jacket and told him he would be shot if he didn't lay flat on the floor," he told German TV. "I was hit and then I was lying in a corner. He then came up to me and said: 'Don't move or I will shoot you'. I was curled up in the corner of the room, I couldn't move, I was scared for my life."
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Besiktas reject Tore bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's £12million bid for Besiktas winger Gokhan Tore has been rejected by his current club. And the Hammers have been told to come back with an improved offer if they intend to land one of Slaven Bilic's key summer targets. Although KUMB understands Tore has privately expressed a desire to move to England, Besiktas are unwilling to do business unless West Ham raise their offer by £5million. Besiktas spokesman Rebecca Wood said: "Gokhan Tore is an important part of our team. We will participate in the Champions League next season and are in favour of keeping Tore. "For us to consider selling, we would look for a fee of around £17million." Tore moved to Turkey in 2013 when he spent a season on loan at Besiktas, before making the switch from Russian side Rubin Kazan permanent. The Super Lig side paid in the region of €4.5million for his services.
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Hammers linked with second Lyon star
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are said to have expressed an interest in signing Lyon winger Rachid Ghezzal, according to reports emanating from France. Although Besiktas forward Gokhan Tore remains Slaven Bilic's first choice, the Hammers are reported to have also taken a look at Ghezzal, a French-born, Algerian international. Speaking recently about Ghezzal's situation, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas admitted that his immediate future remained uncertain with the player having just 12 months left on his current contract - which he has thus far refused to renew.
"We have real affection for him," said Aulas. "He's a boy who for years did not have a chance. He's shown six months of high quality; he's found the urge. "He has one year on his contract. Either he re-signs with Lyon or we will sell. We'll see. We have made a valid proposal and we'll do everything we can to keep him."
The 24-year-old - who had only been a regular fixture in Lyon's first team since the beginning of 2016 - is also reported to be on the radar of Sunderland and former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce.
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Tottenham and West Ham target Michy Batshuayi says he will move clubs after Euro 2016
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 26/05/16 9:27am
SSN
Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi says he is attracted by a move to the Premier League but he will not change clubs until after Euro 2016. The Belgium international, currently part of his country's preparations for the tournament next month, is of interest to Tottenham and West Ham, as well as other top clubs in Europe. After scoring 24 goals in Ligue 1 last season, he has confirmed he is leaving the French club, who must sell him due to financial difficulties. But the 22-year-old insists he is concentrating on performing for Belgium first. "I don't think about that, I prefer to concentrate 100 per cent on the Euros, then we will see what happens," Batshuayi told Sky Sports News HQ. "Everybody likes the Premier League. It has a lot of spectacle, a lot of goals and many good players. It is natural that every good player is attracted by that league." Belgium play Switzerland in Geneva on Saturday as part of their Euro 2016 preparations, where they will compete in Group E alongside Italy, Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
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Hammers "excellent" midfielder deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
ClaretandHugh has learned that West Ham did an extraordinary piece of business in convncing midfielder Havard Nordtveit to join the club on wages of around £35k a week. The former Borussia Moenchengladbach man joins the club on July 1 with the Hammers reportedly beating off off competition from several top European outfits to land their man. Nordtveit, 25, signs on a five-year deal and returns to London six years after leaving Arsenal to join Monchengladbach. However, to have picked him up on such "sensible" wages is a coup for the Hammers who did a great job in selling the club to the player. And it's another indication of the club to ensure that they get true value for money with a source saying: "He's a genuine utility player and to have picked him up on the sort of wages we are talking about was excellent business. "He can play as a defensive midfielder which is his strongest position but is also capable of slotting in to the defence at right back or central defence."
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Hammers linked with Inter Milan centre back
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham are said weighing up a move for Inter Milan centre back Jeison Murillo in the summer, according to Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset.
The report claims the 23-year-old is wanted by Leicester City, Stoke City, Everton in addition to the Hammers and was previously a target for Manchester United. It has been claimed that Murillo, whose present contract with Inter Milan runs until 2020, could fetch around £15m, meaning the Italian club are open to letting him go. He has 16 caps and a goal for Colombia to his name and is expected to represent his nation in the Copa America next month. One major concern is Murillo's disciplinary record after he was sent off four times last season. Corriere dello Sport claim the 23-year-old centre-back has turned down approaches from Stoke City, West Ham and Everton in the hope that he can attract a "bigger club" A source close to player allegedly told the Italian press "Murillo is a hot name on Inter's transfer list and the club has already fielded inquiries from West Ham, Stoke City and Everton. But Murillo will hardly choose to go to a lower level club than Inter. He is prepared to wait for a big proposal."
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Season ticket holders put pressure on Umbro
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham season ticket holders are applying pressure to Hammers kit partner Umbro to release a high definition version of the advert they used in the last ever West Ham programme at the Boleyn Ground. The advert is claimed to contain the name of each and every Irons season ticket holder at the Boleyn Ground in the last season, thought to be in excess of twenty-six thousand supporters. Each name has been printed in very, very small typeface incorporated secretly in the advert. A social media campaign on twitter has been asking Umbro UK to release the advert in a version that supporters can read their own names, this is turn has led to an online petition to persuade the kit manufacturer to publish a high definition version. The petition reads "Please will you produce and share a large high resolution copy of your excellent advert in the West Ham United V Manchester United programme. It would be great for season ticket holders to be able to find their names as it was a thoughtful and excellent idea and would be sad to go to waste.
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Batsuhayi talks on his future
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News
C and H
Michy Batsuhayi has revealed that he may be leaning towards a Premier League move this summer. The striker though is refusing to give any hint of where he may finally end up as West Ham, Spurs and various other PL clubs watch the Belgian striker. The player is now with his national squad ahead of the Euro 2016 Finals in France and inerviewed by Sky Sports made it clear the Premier League interested him. He said: "Yes I like the Premier League. It is exciting with lots of goals and excitement." But he added however: "But I don't think about it now – I am focused 100 per cent on the tournament an I'll think about that afterwards."
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TV cash hike hits Hammers transfer talks
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham's hopes of landing top players this summer are being handicapped by the massive influx of TV money next year. The club has admitted through Jack Sullivan's twitter account that they are struggling to find value for money in the market place. With, for example, around £100 million available to the bottom placed club next season the financial inducements to players to ply their trade in the Premier League are huge for players globally. And ClaretandHugh has been told that already demands on transfer fees and wages are on a "big inflationary upward spiral." A top insider told us: "The new TV money aailable is great in itself but I would estimate that t has already put around 10 – 15 per cent on prices for players but we have a list of around 25 and we will be sorting things as the summer progresses. "The attitude of selling clubs is understandable – it may be a seller's market but we won't be held to ransom."
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West Ham could play Europa in Athletics mode
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Claret and Hugh understands that West Ham have an emergency contingency plan to play the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round in Athletics mode at the former Olympic Stadium if they are forced to do so. The first leg of the Europa League is due to be played on Thursday 28th July but UK Athletics only finish their Olympic Stadium weekend event on Sunday 24th July. It takes seven days to convert the stadium from Athletics mode to football mode by bringing the retractable seats forward. Although many of the seats are on wheels many need to be craned in and built manually each time the stadium switches from Athletics to football use. Should West Ham be unlucky in not drawing the first leg away they will ask UEFA and their opponents to switch the legs around. In the unlikely event UEFA or their opponents refuse that request they will play the 28th July first leg tie in Athletics mode with the running track between the pitch and the crowd. The proper conversion could then take place between Friday 29th July and Thursday 4th August which would allow the Hammers to play the 7th August Juventus friendly in football mode at the Olympic Satdium.
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Irons hand Beskitas a Tore response
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham have reacted with great cynicm to reports they will need to find £17 million to land Beskitas winger Gokhan Tore. The club is today reported as having seen a £12 million offer rejected by the Turkish club who are quoted as wanting £17 million for the player – double what it was claimed we were ready to pay when one of the regular reports surfaced a couple of months back!
A cental striker remains the club's main priority and they have made it clear on several occasions that for Tore to arrive someone is going to have to leave. We were told again today – as we were two months ago: " Our spending plan well mapped out. We need a top striker and a right back. "For us to get involved in a serious move for Tore, somebody would have to leave. Iit was claimed back in March that we would announce him as a signing at around £8.5 million in May – what happened to that? "And regular statements from Besiktas that they want this, that or the other should be taken with a pinch of salt. That's not the way business is done if talks have reached an advanced stage."
Besiktas spokesman Rebecca Wood is reported as saying today: "Gokhan Tore is an important part of our team. We will participate in the Champions League next season and are in favour of keeping Tore. For us to consider selling, we would look for a fee of around £17million."
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Slaven Bilic signs up for Euro 2016
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham manager, Slaven Bilic has signed up to the ITV commentary team for Euro 2016 Championships in France. ITV's team will be based at a studio in Paris, overlooking the Seine and the Notre Dame. A press release from ITV says their team will criss-cross the country to deliver build-up, live coverage and analysis of games from in and around the stadia in the various tournament locations. Those joining Slaven Bilic in ITV Sport team include Mark Pougatch, Lothar Matthaus, Glenn Hoddle, Ian Wrigh, Lee Dixon, Peter Crouch, Tony Pulis, Emmanuel Petit, Christian Karembeu, Louis Saha, Norman Whiteside, Eniola Aluko and Richard Dunne. Key fixtures on ITV include England's first and final group games against Russia and Slovakia, Northern Ireland v Ukraine, Russia v Wales and the Republic of Ireland's games against Belgium and Italy. ITV's group stage coverage also includes all of holders Spain's matches and a standout tie between World Champions Germany and fierce rivals Poland. ITV will have first pick of the round of 16 and semi finals, whilst joint Euro 2016 broadcaster, the BBC, has first two picks of the quarter-finals. Both ITV and BBC will show the final.
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Besiktas name their price for West Ham target Gokhan Tore
Gokhan Tore is rated as £17m by Besiktas
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Besiktas have slapped a £17m price tag on West Ham target Gokhan Tore, according to reports in Turkey. Former Besiktas manager Slaven Bilic is a big admirer of the winger, having signed him from Rubin Kazan for £3m back in 2014, and now wants to bring him to east London. West Ham have held preliminary talks with Besiktas and a deal of around £12m had been mooted. However, according to Fanatik, the Istanbul club have now raised their asking price by a further £5m which has forced West Ham to stall in their pursuit of the 24-year-old. But, having already failed with bids for Alexandre Lacazette, Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie, West Ham are worried about seeing another potential deal fall through and are likely to return to Besiktas with a higher offer.
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STABILITY - EVERYONE NEEDS IT, BUT DOES ANYONE WANT IT?
By Benjamin Cronin 26 May 2016 at 08:00
WTID
He's often seen as a managerial enigma. Some see him as a tactical genius, while others say he can only buy success. The self-proclaimed 'Special One', Jose Mourinho, has amassed 21 trophies in his career; the Champions League, Europa League, domestic titles and cups from Portugal, England, Italy and Spain. The soon to be Manchester United manager certainly has decent grounds for argument against anyone who contests he isn't one of the best managers in the world. You'll be pleased to know, this article won't be focussing on what Mourinho brings to Manchester United, nor the impact his employment will have on West Ham. Instead, it's to analyse a quote taken from his interview with Gentleman's Journal;
"I think the managers are the only ones that want stability. Nobody else wants stability. Agents don't want stability – stability doesn't make money. What makes money is instability. Players, they don't want stability. Players want to be in the market. They want to go to better clubs. The media don't want stability. Stability doesn't sell. Clubs – some want stability."
Take from that what you will. You can agree with it or disagree with it but one thing can't be argued, it raises some interesting points. There's no denying the fact that the notion of stability has wavered amongst football clubs in England in recent times. Whether it's financial, managerial, stability amongst players, styles or as we've recently found out, location, absurd amounts of money and desire for instant success mean things change far too often in what is now loosely referred to as 'the beautiful game'. It may seem obvious to those who pay to watch their club play every week that sticking to a plan and having the confidence to see it through could lead to success, yet the multi-million pound owners seem intent on changing things the minute it doesn't go exactly how they planned.
Leeds United is one example of a club that love a managerial shake-up. The blame may lie with their crazed owner owner, Massimo Cellino, but they have sacked a staggering six managers (assuming Steve Evans will soon be out the door) in less than two years. The stats make more interesting when looked at over a longer period though. In the last 20 years, Watford have hung 17 managers out to dry, Southampton 18 and Crystal Palace 19. When you compare that to the fact that West Ham have had 15 managers in their entire history, it begs the question; why are these managers given just a year to prove their worth?
A lack of stability is perhaps most obvious when looking at managers, but even players nowadays have an incredibly limited amount of time to impress at a new club. Angel Di Maria cost Manchester United nigh on £60m almost two years ago, yet with just one season of Premier League football under his belt, he was shipped off to PSG for a £15m loss. Liverpool shelled out £16m for Mario Balotelli and after 16 appearances, they already appear to have given up on the Italian. These are just two fairly high profile examples, but it's now seen as the done thing to send a player off on loan after less than a year of plying their trade and give someone else a shot.
Constant changes in football might be most evident amongst those who make the difference on the pitch, but it's also become a rather frequent occurrence amongst those who make the decisions in the boardroom. I'm not just talking about mega money takeovers at the likes of Manchester City, Leicester and Everton. Aston Villa (who have also recently been taken over) board members David Bernstein and Mervyn King had their feet under the desk for less than two months before deciding to pack up and leave.
So, money may be the overriding factor, but does this approach really work out? Have these clubs that change things up on a consistent basis really achieved the success that they so desperately crave? In a word, no. There may well be evidence to suggest otherwise but I just can't see it. The hope is that West Ham and our current board implement a different approach and buck the trend of modern football. A change of ground may not sit well with a lot of fans but it's certainly one that can take the club forward. The challenge will be to guard against the those who benefit most from instability, the agents.
West Ham has the potential to grow as a club and challenge the top four in the Premier League, but only if we hold on to our most valuable assets. In Slaven Bilic, we have a great tactician who knows how to man manage his players. He's someone we need to stay at the club in order to progress to where we want to be. Whilst rival clubs may become a tempting option for Bilic, they could also potentially nab some of our best players. Reece Oxford is one notable option that, according to the media, could be convinced to make a move for more money (although the claim will be to progress his career). A potential transfer of Dimitri Payet to Real Madrid may seem absurd to some of us but there will always be a seed of doubt, courtesy of the wage figures that get banded around. Manuel Lanzini is only half a season of decent performances away from being linked to here, there and everywhere and I can already predict some January transfer talk of Kouyate to Arsenal when they are still in need of a ball-winning central midfielder.
This article isn't here to prove a point, I simply want to open up the floor to opinion. Can West Han consider themselves a 'stable' football club and if we are, will we remain so? If we want success, is stability the best way to go about achieving it?
COYI!
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Enner Valencia's Ecuador were beaten 1-0 by the USA in a Copa America warm-up match on Wednesday night. The South Americans faced the tournament's hosts in Texas but a last minute strike by Darlington Nagbe of the Portland Timbers saw the States grab the victory. Hammers striker Valencia played 90 minutes in the final game before the competition kicks-off next month for the Yellows, who will go up against Brazil, Haiti and Peru in Group B of the tournament which is the first to be held outside South America. Despite the defeat, Valencia remains confident his side can progress from the group stages. He said: "I had a short time with my family after the season with West Ham finished and then we started preparing for the Copa America. "We are in a group with a massive team in Brazil, but we have a very good chance to get through to the next stage because Ecuador is doing very well in qualification for the 2018 World Cup. "We also have Peru and Haiti in our group and we hope to have a very good Copa America. It will be played in the United States, too, where I scored against England, so I am looking forward to it very much!"
Ecuador kick-off their campaign against five-time World Cup winners Brazil in California on 4 June, before heading to Arizona to take on Peru four days later. Their final group stage game against Haiti is in New Jersey on 12 June. They are currently joint-top of the South American qualification standings, with only Uruguay keeping apace at the summit with 13 points.
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Former Player Interview - Frank McAvennie
WHUFC.com
Hammers legend Frank McAvennie believes his former Club can achieve even bigger things under Slaven Bilic when they move into the new Stadium and sees no reason why they cannot challenge for major silverware. McAvennie was thrilled to be back in east London for the final ever game at the Boleyn Ground as he saw West Ham record a famous victory over Manchester United.
The 56-year-old has nothing but praise for the job Bilic has done following his move back to the Club last summer and feels he has assembled one of the best squads in recent years. With the Club moving into a new 60,000 Stadium, McAvennie is convinced the the Hammers will only grow stronger and can mount a serious challenge for a Champions League place. McAvennie said: "I said as soon as Slaven got the job that he would be fantastic. "The first signing he made was Julian Dicks and they have been brilliant together. He is such a legend down here and used to be my room-mate. "The fans are onside straight away and they both look like they are enjoying it. It is the same as any job - when you are enjoying it you smile and it makes you a better manager and a player. There is a good atmosphere down here now. "The supporters deserve a good team and they deserve a team who are fighting for Europe. "It can only get better from now on when they move into the new Stadium. "Slaven has got his eye on a few players. He has brought some great players in and West Ham deserve to be challenging for a Champions League place."
McAvennie will never forget his memorable spell at the Boleyn Ground and became a fans favourite after being part of the one of the greatest ever strike forces at West Ham United. The former Scottish international enjoyed a formidable partnership with Tony Cottee where he scored 60 goals in just 190 appearances and helped the Hammers secure their highest ever finish in the top flight when they finished third back in 1986. McAvennie is still treated like a hero every time he makes a return to the Club and says he will always have a special relationship with the West Ham United fans. McAvennie added: "I am always amazed how well the fans treat me. I was born and bred in Glasgow but the fans down here are incredible. I feel so welcome here and feel at home. "It gives me pride when I look back at my time here and we enjoyed our football under John Lyall. "I remember when I played with Tony, it was not when we were going to score but what type of goal we were going to score and that rubbed off onto the supporters. "It a shame that John Lyall was not able to see the end of the Boleyn Ground but I am sure he is looking down smiling."
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New Stadium progress report
WHUFC.com
The concourse of West Ham United's new home has a familiar feel to it, with all three of the Hammers' World Cup winners adorning a giant model shirt.
In this, the summer of the 50th anniversary of England's World Cup triumph, the names of West Ham's three home-grown heroes of 1966 are now displayed in all their glory.
The imposing shirts, each four-metres wide, were installed in succession over the past 24 hours and now sit as both a permanent and striking reminder of the Club's famous three sons, Bobby Moore, Sir Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
Five-time Hammer of the Year and 1980 FA Cup final hero Sir Trevor Brooking has likewise been honoured, joining the legendary Billy Bonds and newly-crowned Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet.
As has been the Club's commitment to supporters from the outset, West Ham will celebrate its heroes of yesteryear throughout the Stadium, with six such shirts already in situ around the world-class arena.
Elsewhere on the concourse, Hammers fans will be greeted by a colossal set of the iconic crossed hammers, complete with the lettering TIW, a nod to the rivet hammers used in the Thames Ironworks.
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Sylvestre pens new Hammers deal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce that Swiss midfielder Noha Sylvestre has signed a professional deal with the Club. The 18-year-old was a regular for the Hammers' U18s side last season, making 17 appearances and scoring once, while he also featured on a handful of occasions for the Development Squad. Thrilled to put pen to paper on a one-year deal, Sylvestre said: "It's like a dream for me. It's a dream for everyone who plays football to get a professional contract but the hardest thing now is to keep going and pushing and working hard. "I've enjoyed my time here so far very much because as soon as I joined, I felt really comfortable with my teammates and everyone at the Club and it's a big family for me. That's why my football has been good as well. "My target next season is to play every game for the U21s and get my place in that team, and then you never know. Why not go with the first team a couple of times and train with them if I can? I want to do as well as possible."
Sylvestre, who describes himself as an "aggressive number four" who "likes to make a challenge" is the son of former Swiss international Patrick, who hopes his career can inspire his son to a successful time at West Ham. "I'm delighted for Noha to sign his first contract. West Ham is an incredible Club. With the last year in this stadium, and with the people here, it's a great story and with the next year in the new stadium, it's good. "I hope for Noha [to follow in my footsteps] but there is a lot of hard work to do. To play in England is a dream. Now he has to work hard and maybe one day it is possible [for him to play for Switzerland]."
With the Club moving to their new home on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park ahead of next season, Sylvestre admitted it is an exciting time to be involved with the Hammers. "It's going to be a massive thing," he continued. "I've always come here to watch the games and seeing the Club develop like this really means something for me. "I've only been here three years, but I'm really looking forward to it all."
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Bilic linked with 'the Turkish Ozil'
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are said to be considering making an offer for Besiktas star Oguzhan Ozyakup. A team mate of Slaven Bilic's top transfer target Gokhan Tore, 'Ozzy' - as he is popularly known - is a Dutch-born midfielder who appeared for both the Netherlands and Turkey at youth level before deciding to feature for the latter at full senior level. The 23-year-old started life at AZ Alkmaar's Academy before joining Arsenal's youth set-up in 2008 - where he remained for four years, making just two first team appearances, before joining Besiktas for whom he has already featured on 110 occasions. Although Ozyakup was already at Besiktas before Hammers boss Bilic became general manager in 2013, he became a firm favourite of the Croatian manager's. And only last year, Bilic hailed the midfielder as Turkey's best player - likening him to Arsenal's Mesuit Ozil.
"Oguzhan Ozyakup is, for me, Turkey's most talented footballer," he said during an interview last October. "The intelligence and quality in the pass really needs to be appreciated. "I liken him to a snake, he moves like a snake, he rules out the competition. The more muscle means you are less limber. See Mesut Ozil, physically he and Oguzhan are exactly the same."
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Noha signs one-year deal
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Yet another young Hammer has put pen to paper on their first professional contract. 18-year-old Noha Sylvestre, a regular in the Under 18s last season has signed a 12-month contract with the Hammers. And the young midfielder hopes to become a regular with Terry Westley's Development Squad next season, after experiencing a handful of games at the higher level last term. "My target next season is to play every game for the U21s and get my place in that team," he told West Ham's website. "I want to do as well as possible. "I've enjoyed my time here so far very much because as soon as I joined, I felt really comfortable with my team mates and everyone at the club. It's a big family for me - and that's why my football has been good as well." Basel-born Sylveste - who joined West Ham from Concordia Basel as a 16-year-old and couldn't speak a word of English when he first arrived in London - made 17 appearances for the Under 18s last season, scoring just once.
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Michy Batshuayi "attracted" to Premier League switch as Tottenham send scout to watch West Ham target
21:44, 26 MAY 2016 UPDATED 21:44, 26 MAY 2016
BY ED MALYON , ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Batshuayi is expected to move this summer and Liverpool and West Ham also interested in the £30million-rated centre-forward
The Mirror
Tottenham and West Ham target Michy Batshuayi admits he is "attracted" to the Premier League. But Marseille's Belgian striker, 22, won't decide on his future until after the Euros. Batshuayi hit 27 goals for club and country this season to attract interest from Spurs, the Hammers and Italian duo Juventus and Roma. He said: "Everybody likes the Premier League. It has a lot of spectacle, a lot of goals and many good players.
"It is natural that every good player is attracted by that league. "(But) I don't think about that (a transfer). I prefer to concentrate 100 per cent on the Euros. Then we will see what happens."
Marseille's caretaker boss Franck Passi has already confirmed Batshuayi will be allowed to leave the Ligue 1 club this summer. Tottenham's head of recruitment Paul Mitchell watched Marseille's Michy Batshuayi in the French Cup final last weekend but faces a struggle to convince the Belgium striker to sign on the dotted line. Batshuayi is expected to move this summer with Liverpool also interested in the £30million-rated centre-forward. The 22-year-old is concerned about penning a long-term deal at White Hart Lane when he is likely to be backup to homegrown star Harry Kane. The young Englishman has established himself as one of the Premier League's best after sustaining the remarkable form of his breakout 2014/15 campaign. Batshuayi prefers a move to Tottenham over other Premier League options, with Mauricio Pochettino's side playing in the Champions League. But sources in France have told Mirror Sport that he may seek contract clauses that would allow him to leave for a set fee if guarantees over playing time are not met.
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Gokhan Tore: super sharp shooter
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
Gokhan Tore is close to sealing a move to West Ham United, despite Besiktas holding out for an improved transfer fee. So we asked one of the KUMB Forum's Turkish members to give us the lowdown on the highly-rated, 24-year-old winger who Slaven Bilic views as integral to future success. "Tore is excellent on the wing," said Turk123. "He's fantastic with the ball at his feet, possesses great pace, great vision and above average shooting. "He had a spell with Chelsea when he was a youth player so adapting to Premier League is unlikely to be a problem. However he's crazy. A pure, crazy guy. "Turkey's national team will be missing Leverkusen's Omer Toprak this summer because he refused to play alongside Tore. That's because a friend of Tore's put a gun to his head a couple of years ago. "He will also miss the first two games of Turkey's Euro 2016 campaign because he was sent off recently."
Expanding upon the 2013 firearms incident, Toprak's club and international colleague Hakan Calhanoglu revealed how they found Tore and a friend in their hotel room following an international fixture. The situation arose after Tore became incensed after learning his ex-girlfriend was now in a relationship with Calhanoglu. "Gokhan's friend walked over to Omer, pulled out a gun from his jacket and told him he would be shot if he didn't lay flat on the floor," he told German TV. "I was hit and then I was lying in a corner. He then came up to me and said: 'Don't move or I will shoot you'. I was curled up in the corner of the room, I couldn't move, I was scared for my life."
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Besiktas reject Tore bid
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's £12million bid for Besiktas winger Gokhan Tore has been rejected by his current club. And the Hammers have been told to come back with an improved offer if they intend to land one of Slaven Bilic's key summer targets. Although KUMB understands Tore has privately expressed a desire to move to England, Besiktas are unwilling to do business unless West Ham raise their offer by £5million. Besiktas spokesman Rebecca Wood said: "Gokhan Tore is an important part of our team. We will participate in the Champions League next season and are in favour of keeping Tore. "For us to consider selling, we would look for a fee of around £17million." Tore moved to Turkey in 2013 when he spent a season on loan at Besiktas, before making the switch from Russian side Rubin Kazan permanent. The Super Lig side paid in the region of €4.5million for his services.
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Hammers linked with second Lyon star
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 26th May 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are said to have expressed an interest in signing Lyon winger Rachid Ghezzal, according to reports emanating from France. Although Besiktas forward Gokhan Tore remains Slaven Bilic's first choice, the Hammers are reported to have also taken a look at Ghezzal, a French-born, Algerian international. Speaking recently about Ghezzal's situation, Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas admitted that his immediate future remained uncertain with the player having just 12 months left on his current contract - which he has thus far refused to renew.
"We have real affection for him," said Aulas. "He's a boy who for years did not have a chance. He's shown six months of high quality; he's found the urge. "He has one year on his contract. Either he re-signs with Lyon or we will sell. We'll see. We have made a valid proposal and we'll do everything we can to keep him."
The 24-year-old - who had only been a regular fixture in Lyon's first team since the beginning of 2016 - is also reported to be on the radar of Sunderland and former Hammers boss Sam Allardyce.
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Tottenham and West Ham target Michy Batshuayi says he will move clubs after Euro 2016
By Lyall Thomas
Last Updated: 26/05/16 9:27am
SSN
Marseille striker Michy Batshuayi says he is attracted by a move to the Premier League but he will not change clubs until after Euro 2016. The Belgium international, currently part of his country's preparations for the tournament next month, is of interest to Tottenham and West Ham, as well as other top clubs in Europe. After scoring 24 goals in Ligue 1 last season, he has confirmed he is leaving the French club, who must sell him due to financial difficulties. But the 22-year-old insists he is concentrating on performing for Belgium first. "I don't think about that, I prefer to concentrate 100 per cent on the Euros, then we will see what happens," Batshuayi told Sky Sports News HQ. "Everybody likes the Premier League. It has a lot of spectacle, a lot of goals and many good players. It is natural that every good player is attracted by that league." Belgium play Switzerland in Geneva on Saturday as part of their Euro 2016 preparations, where they will compete in Group E alongside Italy, Republic of Ireland and Sweden.
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Hammers "excellent" midfielder deal
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
ClaretandHugh has learned that West Ham did an extraordinary piece of business in convncing midfielder Havard Nordtveit to join the club on wages of around £35k a week. The former Borussia Moenchengladbach man joins the club on July 1 with the Hammers reportedly beating off off competition from several top European outfits to land their man. Nordtveit, 25, signs on a five-year deal and returns to London six years after leaving Arsenal to join Monchengladbach. However, to have picked him up on such "sensible" wages is a coup for the Hammers who did a great job in selling the club to the player. And it's another indication of the club to ensure that they get true value for money with a source saying: "He's a genuine utility player and to have picked him up on the sort of wages we are talking about was excellent business. "He can play as a defensive midfielder which is his strongest position but is also capable of slotting in to the defence at right back or central defence."
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Hammers linked with Inter Milan centre back
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham are said weighing up a move for Inter Milan centre back Jeison Murillo in the summer, according to Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset.
The report claims the 23-year-old is wanted by Leicester City, Stoke City, Everton in addition to the Hammers and was previously a target for Manchester United. It has been claimed that Murillo, whose present contract with Inter Milan runs until 2020, could fetch around £15m, meaning the Italian club are open to letting him go. He has 16 caps and a goal for Colombia to his name and is expected to represent his nation in the Copa America next month. One major concern is Murillo's disciplinary record after he was sent off four times last season. Corriere dello Sport claim the 23-year-old centre-back has turned down approaches from Stoke City, West Ham and Everton in the hope that he can attract a "bigger club" A source close to player allegedly told the Italian press "Murillo is a hot name on Inter's transfer list and the club has already fielded inquiries from West Ham, Stoke City and Everton. But Murillo will hardly choose to go to a lower level club than Inter. He is prepared to wait for a big proposal."
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Season ticket holders put pressure on Umbro
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham season ticket holders are applying pressure to Hammers kit partner Umbro to release a high definition version of the advert they used in the last ever West Ham programme at the Boleyn Ground. The advert is claimed to contain the name of each and every Irons season ticket holder at the Boleyn Ground in the last season, thought to be in excess of twenty-six thousand supporters. Each name has been printed in very, very small typeface incorporated secretly in the advert. A social media campaign on twitter has been asking Umbro UK to release the advert in a version that supporters can read their own names, this is turn has led to an online petition to persuade the kit manufacturer to publish a high definition version. The petition reads "Please will you produce and share a large high resolution copy of your excellent advert in the West Ham United V Manchester United programme. It would be great for season ticket holders to be able to find their names as it was a thoughtful and excellent idea and would be sad to go to waste.
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Batsuhayi talks on his future
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News
C and H
Michy Batsuhayi has revealed that he may be leaning towards a Premier League move this summer. The striker though is refusing to give any hint of where he may finally end up as West Ham, Spurs and various other PL clubs watch the Belgian striker. The player is now with his national squad ahead of the Euro 2016 Finals in France and inerviewed by Sky Sports made it clear the Premier League interested him. He said: "Yes I like the Premier League. It is exciting with lots of goals and excitement." But he added however: "But I don't think about it now – I am focused 100 per cent on the tournament an I'll think about that afterwards."
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TV cash hike hits Hammers transfer talks
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham's hopes of landing top players this summer are being handicapped by the massive influx of TV money next year. The club has admitted through Jack Sullivan's twitter account that they are struggling to find value for money in the market place. With, for example, around £100 million available to the bottom placed club next season the financial inducements to players to ply their trade in the Premier League are huge for players globally. And ClaretandHugh has been told that already demands on transfer fees and wages are on a "big inflationary upward spiral." A top insider told us: "The new TV money aailable is great in itself but I would estimate that t has already put around 10 – 15 per cent on prices for players but we have a list of around 25 and we will be sorting things as the summer progresses. "The attitude of selling clubs is understandable – it may be a seller's market but we won't be held to ransom."
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West Ham could play Europa in Athletics mode
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Claret and Hugh understands that West Ham have an emergency contingency plan to play the first leg of their Europa League third qualifying round in Athletics mode at the former Olympic Stadium if they are forced to do so. The first leg of the Europa League is due to be played on Thursday 28th July but UK Athletics only finish their Olympic Stadium weekend event on Sunday 24th July. It takes seven days to convert the stadium from Athletics mode to football mode by bringing the retractable seats forward. Although many of the seats are on wheels many need to be craned in and built manually each time the stadium switches from Athletics to football use. Should West Ham be unlucky in not drawing the first leg away they will ask UEFA and their opponents to switch the legs around. In the unlikely event UEFA or their opponents refuse that request they will play the 28th July first leg tie in Athletics mode with the running track between the pitch and the crowd. The proper conversion could then take place between Friday 29th July and Thursday 4th August which would allow the Hammers to play the 7th August Juventus friendly in football mode at the Olympic Satdium.
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Irons hand Beskitas a Tore response
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham have reacted with great cynicm to reports they will need to find £17 million to land Beskitas winger Gokhan Tore. The club is today reported as having seen a £12 million offer rejected by the Turkish club who are quoted as wanting £17 million for the player – double what it was claimed we were ready to pay when one of the regular reports surfaced a couple of months back!
A cental striker remains the club's main priority and they have made it clear on several occasions that for Tore to arrive someone is going to have to leave. We were told again today – as we were two months ago: " Our spending plan well mapped out. We need a top striker and a right back. "For us to get involved in a serious move for Tore, somebody would have to leave. Iit was claimed back in March that we would announce him as a signing at around £8.5 million in May – what happened to that? "And regular statements from Besiktas that they want this, that or the other should be taken with a pinch of salt. That's not the way business is done if talks have reached an advanced stage."
Besiktas spokesman Rebecca Wood is reported as saying today: "Gokhan Tore is an important part of our team. We will participate in the Champions League next season and are in favour of keeping Tore. For us to consider selling, we would look for a fee of around £17million."
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Slaven Bilic signs up for Euro 2016
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 26, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham manager, Slaven Bilic has signed up to the ITV commentary team for Euro 2016 Championships in France. ITV's team will be based at a studio in Paris, overlooking the Seine and the Notre Dame. A press release from ITV says their team will criss-cross the country to deliver build-up, live coverage and analysis of games from in and around the stadia in the various tournament locations. Those joining Slaven Bilic in ITV Sport team include Mark Pougatch, Lothar Matthaus, Glenn Hoddle, Ian Wrigh, Lee Dixon, Peter Crouch, Tony Pulis, Emmanuel Petit, Christian Karembeu, Louis Saha, Norman Whiteside, Eniola Aluko and Richard Dunne. Key fixtures on ITV include England's first and final group games against Russia and Slovakia, Northern Ireland v Ukraine, Russia v Wales and the Republic of Ireland's games against Belgium and Italy. ITV's group stage coverage also includes all of holders Spain's matches and a standout tie between World Champions Germany and fierce rivals Poland. ITV will have first pick of the round of 16 and semi finals, whilst joint Euro 2016 broadcaster, the BBC, has first two picks of the quarter-finals. Both ITV and BBC will show the final.
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Besiktas name their price for West Ham target Gokhan Tore
Gokhan Tore is rated as £17m by Besiktas
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Besiktas have slapped a £17m price tag on West Ham target Gokhan Tore, according to reports in Turkey. Former Besiktas manager Slaven Bilic is a big admirer of the winger, having signed him from Rubin Kazan for £3m back in 2014, and now wants to bring him to east London. West Ham have held preliminary talks with Besiktas and a deal of around £12m had been mooted. However, according to Fanatik, the Istanbul club have now raised their asking price by a further £5m which has forced West Ham to stall in their pursuit of the 24-year-old. But, having already failed with bids for Alexandre Lacazette, Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie, West Ham are worried about seeing another potential deal fall through and are likely to return to Besiktas with a higher offer.
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STABILITY - EVERYONE NEEDS IT, BUT DOES ANYONE WANT IT?
By Benjamin Cronin 26 May 2016 at 08:00
WTID
He's often seen as a managerial enigma. Some see him as a tactical genius, while others say he can only buy success. The self-proclaimed 'Special One', Jose Mourinho, has amassed 21 trophies in his career; the Champions League, Europa League, domestic titles and cups from Portugal, England, Italy and Spain. The soon to be Manchester United manager certainly has decent grounds for argument against anyone who contests he isn't one of the best managers in the world. You'll be pleased to know, this article won't be focussing on what Mourinho brings to Manchester United, nor the impact his employment will have on West Ham. Instead, it's to analyse a quote taken from his interview with Gentleman's Journal;
"I think the managers are the only ones that want stability. Nobody else wants stability. Agents don't want stability – stability doesn't make money. What makes money is instability. Players, they don't want stability. Players want to be in the market. They want to go to better clubs. The media don't want stability. Stability doesn't sell. Clubs – some want stability."
Take from that what you will. You can agree with it or disagree with it but one thing can't be argued, it raises some interesting points. There's no denying the fact that the notion of stability has wavered amongst football clubs in England in recent times. Whether it's financial, managerial, stability amongst players, styles or as we've recently found out, location, absurd amounts of money and desire for instant success mean things change far too often in what is now loosely referred to as 'the beautiful game'. It may seem obvious to those who pay to watch their club play every week that sticking to a plan and having the confidence to see it through could lead to success, yet the multi-million pound owners seem intent on changing things the minute it doesn't go exactly how they planned.
Leeds United is one example of a club that love a managerial shake-up. The blame may lie with their crazed owner owner, Massimo Cellino, but they have sacked a staggering six managers (assuming Steve Evans will soon be out the door) in less than two years. The stats make more interesting when looked at over a longer period though. In the last 20 years, Watford have hung 17 managers out to dry, Southampton 18 and Crystal Palace 19. When you compare that to the fact that West Ham have had 15 managers in their entire history, it begs the question; why are these managers given just a year to prove their worth?
A lack of stability is perhaps most obvious when looking at managers, but even players nowadays have an incredibly limited amount of time to impress at a new club. Angel Di Maria cost Manchester United nigh on £60m almost two years ago, yet with just one season of Premier League football under his belt, he was shipped off to PSG for a £15m loss. Liverpool shelled out £16m for Mario Balotelli and after 16 appearances, they already appear to have given up on the Italian. These are just two fairly high profile examples, but it's now seen as the done thing to send a player off on loan after less than a year of plying their trade and give someone else a shot.
Constant changes in football might be most evident amongst those who make the difference on the pitch, but it's also become a rather frequent occurrence amongst those who make the decisions in the boardroom. I'm not just talking about mega money takeovers at the likes of Manchester City, Leicester and Everton. Aston Villa (who have also recently been taken over) board members David Bernstein and Mervyn King had their feet under the desk for less than two months before deciding to pack up and leave.
So, money may be the overriding factor, but does this approach really work out? Have these clubs that change things up on a consistent basis really achieved the success that they so desperately crave? In a word, no. There may well be evidence to suggest otherwise but I just can't see it. The hope is that West Ham and our current board implement a different approach and buck the trend of modern football. A change of ground may not sit well with a lot of fans but it's certainly one that can take the club forward. The challenge will be to guard against the those who benefit most from instability, the agents.
West Ham has the potential to grow as a club and challenge the top four in the Premier League, but only if we hold on to our most valuable assets. In Slaven Bilic, we have a great tactician who knows how to man manage his players. He's someone we need to stay at the club in order to progress to where we want to be. Whilst rival clubs may become a tempting option for Bilic, they could also potentially nab some of our best players. Reece Oxford is one notable option that, according to the media, could be convinced to make a move for more money (although the claim will be to progress his career). A potential transfer of Dimitri Payet to Real Madrid may seem absurd to some of us but there will always be a seed of doubt, courtesy of the wage figures that get banded around. Manuel Lanzini is only half a season of decent performances away from being linked to here, there and everywhere and I can already predict some January transfer talk of Kouyate to Arsenal when they are still in need of a ball-winning central midfielder.
This article isn't here to prove a point, I simply want to open up the floor to opinion. Can West Han consider themselves a 'stable' football club and if we are, will we remain so? If we want success, is stability the best way to go about achieving it?
COYI!
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