Noble: It's time for us senior players to stand up and take responsibility
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble believes West Ham United's senior players will step up and take
on the responsibility of keeping the Hammers in the Premier League. The
captain and his teammates have nine games remaining to secure their
top-flight future, kicking-off with the visit of Burnley to London Stadium
on Saturday. And with thousands of Premier League appearances under their
belts, Noble believes the Hammers have the experience, knowhow, resilience
and ability to handle pressure required to collect the points required to
stay up. "They are all big games now and we just need to knuckle down and
get the results we need to get ourselves out of trouble come the end of the
season," said the skipper. "I don't think we will wilt because we're at
home, which is a big plus for us at the minute, because we're playing well
at London Stadium. "We need to get points, it's as simple as that. Do I
think we'll be fine? Yes, because I think we've got enough here and we will
pick up results. "For us now, the season is to get safe and then to rebuild
in the summer and start again from next season."
With six of West Ham's nine outstanding matches to be played in Stratford,
Noble knows home advantage will also be key to the Club's survival hopes,
and says the team and the supporters can inspire each other. "We need to
play with an intensity that we didn't play with at Swansea last weekend. We
need to play with high intensity and go back to how we played against
Chelsea and Arsenal before Christmas, with a real desire not to concede
goals. If we do that, we'll be fine. "I'm sure the fans will be behind us on
Saturday. After the Swansea game I said, and I'm sure they are sick of me
saying it, that it was a poor performance from us and every mistake we made
got punished. "I know a lot of the fans weren't happy, but they were still
there at the Liberty Stadium, despite all the snow and weather around, and I
am sure they will be there again at London Stadium this weekend, and we'll
do all we can to give them all something to shout about."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pearce calls for character in Burnley clash
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's players must display heart and character if they are to
get a positive result in this weekend's match with Burnley, according to
assistant manager Stuart Pearce. The Irons head into a home game with the
Clarets on the back of disappointing losses away to Liverpool and Swansea
City, but have the chance to return to winning ways in front of the Claret
and Blue Army at London Stadium. Pearce knows that it is vital the side make
a marked improvement in Saturday's contest and is calling on the team to
step up their efforts against a Burnley team that sits seventh in the
Premier League. "I think we've got to show some character, especially at
home," Pearce told whufc.com. "We're playing a well organised Burnley side,
and a side who galvanised a victory last weekend. They've been playing
particularly well. Their results have probably not turned around and shown
us the whole picture. They are a good side with an outstanding manager.
"It's a game that we've got to look to get on the front foot in. We've got
to look to play better than we did in the last two matches. One or two
things we felt we didn't do particularly well, like conceding cheap goals,
we're going to have to improve on that."
Although back-to-back losses has ended a strong start to 2018 for the
Hammers in the league, Pearce believes there are still positives to take
from the side's last two contests. Pointing to the development of young
defender Declan Rice, who has become a regular in the first team since his
promotion from the West Ham Academy, the former West Ham player knows that,
even in defeat, there are lessons to be learned. He continued: "Every time
you take to a pitch, there's a learning curve to be had. We had young Declan
in the side and every minute he gets in a Premier League match, and bear in
mind he played at Swansea for 90 minutes, every minute he gets is a bonus to
us as a football club. It's money in the bank for us as a football club in
regard to his knowledge. "There's always positives there. Sometimes when you
get beaten in any individual game, you're very downcast, because it's a
result driven business. But you've got to look and drill deeper than that
and say there's fantastic learning curves all the time."
Just seven points separates 11th and 19th in the English top flight, meaning
every contest is vitally important in the race to Premier League survival,
and Pearce admits the significance of every single match is the one thing
that has surprised him since returning to top flight coaching with the
Hammers. The coach recognises that three points this weekend is critical for
the Irons and has pushed the team to bring the winning feeling back to the
West Ham dressing room. "I think they are always important, three points in
the Premier League. The profile of the Premier League is extending year on
year, week on week even. That's probably the one thing that has surprised me
a little bit – the profile of each individual game and how the media
spotlight every individual game. "The profile of the Premier League is
enormous and with that come the pressures accordingly. The feeling when you
win, in the dressing room afterwards, makes everything worthwhile."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan watch: Snodgrass stars in another Villa victory
WHUFC.com
Robert Snodgrass provided his eleventh assist of the season as Aston Villa
maintained their challenge for automatic promotion back to the Premier
League.
The winger's corner was headed in by James Chester as Villa won 3-0 at
Sunderland on Tuesday evening, collecting three points which kept them third
in the table and four behind second-placed Cardiff City. Villa have won nine
and lost just one of their last eleven league matches, with Snodgrass
scoring five goals and providing five assists in that period. The
30-year-old will hope to keep his run going when Villa host leaders
Wolverhampton Wanderers in a mouth-watering teatime clash on Saturday
evening.
Elsewhere, Martin Samuelsen played the opening 53 minutes for
relegation-threatened Burton Albion in their 2-0 home defeat by Brentford.
The game was still goalless when the Norwegian left the pitch. Burton will
hope to return to winning ways when they host Bristol City this weekend.
There was a better result for Reece Burke, who returned to the Bolton
Wanderers team and helped the Trotters secure a 1-1 draw at Reading. Bolton
remain 19th in the Championship table, five points above the bottom three
ahead of a trip to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Antonio: It's about time I scored a London Stadium goal to celebrate!
WHUFC.com
Michail Antonio hopes there will be no place like home when West Ham United
host Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday. Amazingly, after bagging ten
of his first 13 goals for the Club on home turf, Antonio has not netted at
London Stadium since scoring two headers against Watford in September 2016.
Exactly 18 months on, the No30 is aiming to end his 24-match run without a
home goal when West Ham take on the Clarets, securing three vital points in
the process. "I haven't scored at home since September 2016? Wow!" exclaimed
Antonio, who has scored consolation goals in the Hammers' recent 4-1 defeats
at Liverpool and Swansea City. "I thought I was a 'home scorer' and scored
most of my goals at home, but clearly that hasn't been the case for quite a
while. "I'm on a little run now, though, and hopefully I can continue that
by scoring at London Stadium on against Burnley on Saturday. "I scored three
at home at the start of last season, so it's weird to hear that it's been 18
months since I scored there. It's crazy, in fact, but this Saturday that
curse will be broken!"
Having not scored a meaningful goal since netting the opener at Burnley back
in mid-October, Antonio has also not had an opportunity to expand on his
repertoire of popular celebrations. Having treated fans to the Homer, the
Worm and the Carlton Banks in recent seasons, Antonio was so excited to
break his duck at Turf Moor that he forgot his pre-planned routine. Should
he put his side in front against the same opposition on Saturday, the
27-year-old has vowed to put on his dancing shoes again. "I've not had a
chance to bring out any new celebrations, as I'd not scored for a long time,
then my last two goals have come when we've been behind, so it definitely
wasn't the right time to be celebrating. I'd have looked stupid if I'd
started dancing. "I did score at Burnley earlier this season, which I could
celebrate as it put us 1-0 up. They are going to be hard to beat, as they
were that day, as they are a regimented team, but we can break them down. We
have got to match their work-rate and deal with the crosses we know they are
going to put into the box. "Hopefully we can score some goals against them
on Saturday, pick up some points and go from there. That would be something
we can all celebrate."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham: Premier League club fined £30,000 over anti-doping breach
BBCco.uk
West Ham have been fined £30,000 after admitting to breaching the Football
Association's anti-doping regulations. The Hammers failed to ensure 'club
whereabouts' information was accurate on three occasions within 12 months.
Clubs must provide details of training sessions and where players are
located, so they are available for testing. "The club accepts the charge and
we will endeavour to tighten our procedures to avoid this happening again,"
said a club spokesperson.
"The breach related to administrative oversights on the FA's whereabouts
system, where for example a player's address had been registered and the
house number digits transposed. "We would like to reiterate that the breach
was a club administrative matter and did not concern any of our players."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham defender Winston Reid ruled out for rest of the season
BBC.co.uk
West Ham defender Winston Reid has been ruled out for the rest of the season
because of injury. Reid, 29, was taken off on a stretcher with an oxygen
mask over his face after being knocked unconscious and twisting a knee in
Saturday's defeat by Swansea. Full-back Sam Byram, 24, could also miss the
rest of the campaign after injuring his ankle in the 4-1 loss. David Moyes'
side are currently 14th in the Premier League, three points above the
relegation places. Defenders Angelo Ogbonna and James Collins, who missed
the Swansea game through illness and a tight hamstring respectively, should
be available for the game against Burnley at the London Stadium on Saturday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swansea 4-1 West Ham (And Other Ramblings)
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th March 2018
By: HeadHammerShark
"Sometimes I fantasise, when the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars they burn below me"
- The Stone Roses, "Made of Stone"
I've spent the last two days in my loft. Shuffling boxes to my garden shed
in preparation for a loft conversion, morosely staring into the gloom and
pondering a great many things. Predominant amongst them is a question that
boomerangs around my consciousness. What, I ask aloud, has happened to my
club?
Early entry for that new club crest
I ponder my youth and the first time my dad took me to a game at Upton Park
in 1986. Ipswich under the lights. An electric dreamland. We went behind and
I nearly started crying. We came back to win and I think I did start crying.
We were going to win the league and my football supporting life was going to
be spent in the Elysian fields, watching a style of play from another world.
You can keep your archangels, for I have seen Alan Devonshire. I pitied my
school friends who supported Arsenal. What did they know of life or love? I
had seen Valhalla and it was claret and blue. Plus Geoff Pike was there,
oddly.
My cousin was with me that night, and now we sit next to each other each
week with our own children. A gift passed through the ages from generation
to generation, repeated everywhere through the stadium. I often think the
gift that football gives us is not the game itself, but the time we get to
spend with our loved ones. Our children's experiences don't yet match ours,
but they have the great gift of youthful optimism to tide them over. They
think their day will come and who am I to deny them such a dream.
I urge you to find your own similar place of quiet repose. If, like me, you
had the stuffing knocked out of you this weekend, then it will help you. At
a time when our club seems so devoid of an identity and so bereft of hope, I
found it helpful to look inward. For you it might be Trevor Brooking or Pop
Robson or perhaps Bobby Moore if you're truly lucky. Those names are echoes
in the wind to someone of my age. I settled instead on Ian Bishop, Trevor
Sinclair and Scott Parker - each of them a marker on my emotional journey
supporting West Ham.
All of this, you might think, is a bit melodramatic for a 4-1 loss at
Swansea, especially considering that this result was literally not even the
worst 4-1 defeat we have suffered at the hands of Swansea in the last three
seasons.
But that's not the cause of my malaise. I'm down here in the gutter because
I feel like I lost something this weekend. I can take your 4-1 defeat and
raise you a 6-0 FA Cup slaughter at Old Trafford, a 3-0 disaster at Notts
County that sparked the first sit down anti Board protest, or even a 9-0
aggregate League Cup semi final defeat to Manchester City where I think I
saw a football team declare for the first time ever. We all knew the drill
when we signed up - if you wanted to win every week, go somewhere else. But
this was something different. Something much deeper.
***
"See the lonely boy, out on the weekend, trying to make it pay
Can't relate to joy, he tries to speak, and can't begin to say"
- Neil Young, "Out on the Weekend"
So even as Winston Reid threw himself at a Swansea attack like a walrus
falling off a glacier and knocked himself unconscious, and the home side
swept into a two nil lead before our makeshift backline had even woken up,
nobody was really batting an eyelid. It turns out that David Moyes has
achieved the exact same results as Slaven Bilic in their last eighteen
matches in charge. Plus ca change, perhaps.
I think that's probably a bit unfair as Moyes has had tougher fixtures, and
didn't get the benefit of that soft looking start that Bilic wasted, but
it's undeniable that any gains are being measured in inches and not in
miles. I think we look better organised, fitter and more structured under
the Scot, but here we are, deep in a relegation battle with a squad that
isn't remotely fit for the task. Like I said, now might be a good time to
close your eyes and think of Metz.
After the Reid injury, Moyes probably should have found a way to get Antonio
on to the pitch given our very obvious lack of pace, but instead brought on
Sam Byram and shifted Zabaleta infield, and somehow now we were playing five
defenders and the only one who was a natural central half isn't old enough
to drink on the end of season beano to Vegas. West Ham, baby - next level.
I used to be quite enamoured of Swansea, as I felt that they were at least a
side with a distinctive pattern of play that made them entertaining for
neutrals. Now, rather like us, they are in that indistinguishable pot of
lower half teams who look alright when they win and very Mrs Brown's Boys
when they lose. Here, they battered us by pressing with energy and drive and
taking their chances, which mostly arose as a result of comedic West Ham
defending. They are in the ascendancy while we are hurtling down like a lead
lined corpse in a river.
After a rousing half time team talk from Moyes, the team emerged as if in
that upside down dream sequence from Inception, and immediately conceded a
third when Adrian palmed a corner directly into Javier Hernandez's face, and
watched as it dropped perfectly for Andy King to score against us. That was
King's fifth goal in seven games against us. Imagine Andy King being your
nemesis. Close your eyes. Payet. Old Trafford. Breathe.
That half time team talk
After that, everyone went to sleep and Cheik Kouyate fouled Andre Ayew to
concede a penalty, before Antonio popped up with a late consolation. Prior
to this, Marko Arnautovic should have opened our account when put through by
Manuel Lanzini but took far too long and eventually dithered for so long
that even Theresa May started mocking him. I wonder if Jordan Hugill should
be introduced? What of £39 million pound man and European Champion, Joao
Mario? And then I wonder if the passengers on the Titanic thought umbrellas
would save them.
And thus the team wandered off, humiliated and having repaid absolutely
nothing of the efforts shown by the travelling fans to make the trip through
the springtime snow. I think we'll escape relegation because I think Moyes
has the nous to navigate his way through the icebergs, but then again I once
thought Paul Jewell would make a good West Ham manager. You can't trust me.
As you left Wales, I hope some of you were able to gaze fondly towards
Cardiff and dream a little dream of Bobby Zamora in the hazy sunlight of a
Play Off final. You deserved it.
***
"Outside, I'm masquerading
Inside, my hope is fading"
- Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, "Tracks of My Tears"
But as I sit here now, writing and rewriting this piece, I can't shake the
nagging feeling that is eating away at me. What happened on the pitch on
Saturday was shambolic, but it was just football.
What happened off the pitch disturbed me far more.
Most of you will be aware that a variety of fans groups had banded together
under the moniker of West Ham Groups United with a view to engaging the club
on a variety of points. The lead focus of this was the Real West Ham Fans
(RWHF), an organisation put together at staggeringly short notice just
before Christmas, with a large Facebook following and an ability to organise
numbers in a way that I don't recall seeing before at West Ham. The lead men
were former ICF faces, but were at pains to distance themselves from that
era.
Other groups joined them - KUMB, WHUISA, Hammers Chat among them - and
before long they had an audience with Karren Brady. I thought the demands
that were made of the club were curiously low level, but accepted that a
stratagem of starting slowly and building was more likely to succeed than
simply demanding the owners sell up.
Before long, that wasn't moving swiftly enough and RWHF announced a march.
Again, I thought that was strange as it seemed to be an over the top
response, but again indicative of the pressure cooker atmosphere among fans,
as the team stumbled along with a typically enormous injury list and an even
more typically useless January transfer window.
So, with me being in the very small minority who didn't fancy a march, huge
numbers were mobilised for a protest on 10th March. Whatever I might have
thought of the tactics I couldn't argue with the effectiveness of it all.
Kids, women, disabled fans and all comers were welcome. I might not have
been flying the plane, but it didn't mean I wasn't keen on the destination.
And then, talks proceeded and suddenly, RWHF cancelled the march. Leaving
aside what impact that might have on future attempts to galvanise West Ham
fans into public action, it left a gaping hole. Fans wanted to march, and
the concessions seemingly drawn from Karren Brady didn't seem to amount to
much more than asking the landlord we routinely sue to uphold his agreement
with us for a few favours. It was, in short, baffling.
Now, I wasn't in the meetings and have only read the same notes as all of
you. Who knows what really happened but one point to note is that the Club
will be making a contribution to the fund for cancer patient, Isla Caton, a
cause dear to the West Ham heart and something that surely transcends club
badges and retractable seating and half time beer queues. Before you quibble
about that, and the ethical element of the club making that offer is highly
fucking questionable, it's probably worth asking how easy it would be to
look her family in the eye and tell them you turned down that money.
But that doesn't excuse what happened next.
Fans still wanted to march, and as the group with the best links to the
council, Football Supporters Federation and the Police, WHUISA stepped into
the breach. The feeling was that the march would still happen, with the RWHF
group stepping aside to pursue their apparent links to the Board, and others
putting forth their objections on the streets.
And then, on Saturday night the RWHF Facebook page went fully
hallucinogenic. It was announced that the group was now under the control of
the ICF, and that anybody marching would be met with violence. Suddenly, the
march was apparently under the control of Antifa activists and would now be
political in nature, and would thus be forcibly stopped from entering
Stratford. This was news to the thousands of West Ham fans still planning to
march, but in this instance the lie was twice around the world before the
truth even knew there was a race to be run.
Leaving aside for a moment the concept of Antifa being used in a pejorative
sense, the entire episode was odd because it amounted to the organisers of a
march threatening anyone who then wanted to go on it. Eventually, it was
cancelled on the grounds of safety. Go find your happy place. Brooking.
Wembley. A white Admiral kit.
More sinisterly, the chair of WHUISA, a guy called Mark Walker, was being
described as a political activist with links to Sadiq Khan. The evidence for
this seems to have amounted to Walker once working for the Labour Party and
having the temerity to vote for Khan in the Mayoral election.
Unable to process any of what was happening, and finding myself distressed
like the liberal snowflake I am by the sight of West Ham fans being
threatened by West Ham fans, I decided to ask around. First up I messaged
Walker and asked about the notion that he was a lefty activist. He explained
that after the meetings with Brady he had taken her public comments and fact
checked them with the landlord. I'm pretty sure that sounds like the kind of
thing an Independent Supporters Association is supposed to do. When you're
in a negotiation you don't take the word of the other party at face value.
You robustly check it. Other people have told me that Brady isn't especially
happy that WHUISA have been doing this. Good.
I also asked Walker how he was. He replied that he had been physically
threatened and wasn't sleeping. An away season ticket holder, he doesn't
think he'll ever attend another game. Just process that for a moment.
I understand the allure of the RWHF group and I can see the progress they
have made. But this is reprehensible. I can't in good conscience support it
and I don't know how anyone else can. If our fan representatives are just
going to threaten us when public opinion moves in a different direction to
their own then I struggle to see how that is representation. I was told I
could take my daughters on that march, and then suddenly we were at risk if
we were marching with WHUISA. Well, I would have been under their banner,
and that is terrifying. And suddenly that thought boomerangs back again, and
no FA Cup win over Everton or three goal Wembley comeback at Spurs can shake
it from my mind. What has happened to my club?
When you next make that little list of West Ham heroes, you should probably
add Mark Walker to it.
***
"Shake your fist at him, tell him it's alright
Say it's alright"
- The Flying Burrito Brothers, "Down in the Churchyard"
As a kid, one of the single most thrilling sporting events I can remember
watching was the World Athletics 4x400m relay in Tokyo.
Watch this. You will stand a little taller in your shoes (if you're
British).
But what was especially thrilling to the twelve year old me, was that the
hero of the British team - Kriss Akabussi - was a West Ham fan. And there it
was. That indelible connection. An invisible rope between us. That feeling
that if ever we were to meet I would be able to look at him and he at me and
we would have a shared bond that only a few could understand. And in the
end, isn't that what football is supposed to give you? An entrance to an
exclusive club that only the privileged few get to see? When I say Oldham,
Valentines Day - you all know what that means. It's a link forged without us
even knowing.
I think of the friends that West Ham and this blog have made for me. The
Princeton graduate, the soldiers, the writers, the taxi drivers, the
comedians, the accountants, the ones who have jobs with consultant in them
that I don't really understand. And above it all. Claret and blue. West Ham.
I've never met Mark Walker and yet when I hear about a West Ham fan being
threatened by others it runs completely contrary to all of that. It doesn't
just break a code, it smashes it. I was never in thrall to the ICF as a kid
because I was too young for it, but I understand why others are. There is a
mythology to that time, and when there seems to be so little of our club
left, I get why people look backwards. Hell, I suggested it myself at the
top of this article.
But this can't happen. Marches can't be cancelled because of threats of
violence. I once climbed a huge hill in the Marlborough Sounds in New
Zealand and got to the top to find the only other human being within a five
mile radius was a West Ham fan from Manor Park. I don't want to have to
wonder if he is with "us" or "them". I just want to nod and say "Joey
Beauchamp, eh?" and leave it at that.
I doubt that the Tory commentator Iain Dale and I will ever agree on
anything politically but I respect his love for the club, respect his
opinions and would be proud to stand next to him at a game. His politics
don't matter to me, and I doubt mine do to him, when we're both stood at the
ground wondering exactly how Liverpool managed to score from our corner.
I want West Ham to be the most inclusive club in the country. I want to see
more women in the ground, more ethnic minorities to better reflect our
natural catchment area, I want to be the most welcoming place for those in
the LGBT community and above all a safe place to watch football for anyone.
And I don't give a shit if that makes me that liberal snowflake again.
As someone who supported the move I've done a lot of soul searching over the
last couple of months and I can't help but feel that I failed West Ham by
not doing a better job of interrogating the specifics of the new stadium.
Not that my opinion carries any weight but more in the sense that each of us
should now be asking ourselves that question. I still believe that moving
could and should have been the springboard to a new era but it is becoming
increasingly clear that moving under these owners and to this stadium has
damaged the club, possibly irrevocably.
As I look down at the club crest on my shirt I keep returning to a single
thought - "I didn't do enough". It's not a great feeling to say out loud
that you have failed, but there is no doubt that I have. I certainly failed
to heed those who didn't want to move. I believed them to be dinosaurs
unable to see obvious progress when it stared them in the face. To you, I
apologise.
I believed the hype, believed that modernity and progress were more
important than tradition, and could not possibly be mismanaged, and for that
we have paid the highest possible price. While West Ham is run as it
currently is, the soulless husk of a football club that is currently
traipsing around the country will be our weekly reminder of that solipsism.
I can't speak for any of you, but I should have done better by this football
club I have loved my entire life.
And that is the great danger of all this. Something changed for me on
Saturday. I'm not sure I will ever view my club in the same way again. The
owners might be delighted that the march is off, and the divide and conquer
approach has worked, but there is a cost to all of these things. While they
remain, I will view West Ham like a lost love. After all, this isn't the
club I fell for all those years ago.
I'm devastated tonight.
Julian Dicks. Forest away. The free kick into the top corner. Pandemonium.
What the hell has happened to my club?
***
Oh yeah, and if you agree with any of that, then you too should join WHUISA
today. Sometimes it's not enough to just nod your head and murmur agreement.
They need your numbers so that they can keep holding the club to account.
Help them.
Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Psycho backing Rice
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
Stuart Pearce believes that teenage central defender Declan Rice is
benefiting from receiving more first team action than he may have expected.
As a result of a string of injuries, loans and player sales, the 19-year-old
has featured 23 times for Slaven Bilic and David Moyes thus far in West
Ham's first team this season.
And with the latter having only Rice and team mate James Collins currently
fit and available from his pool of centre halves, the Irish-born talent is
likely to feature extensively between now and the end of the season too.
However that is not likely to be a cause for concern according to first team
coach Stuart Pearce, who told whufc.com that Rice was improving with every
game. "Every time you take to a pitch, there's a learning curve to be had,"
said the former England full back.
"We had young Declan in the side [at Swansea]; every minute he gets in a
Premier League match is a bonus to us as a football club. Bear in mind he
played for 90 minutes [on Saturday]. It's money in the bank for us as a
football club in regard to his knowledge."
Pearce also called for the squad as a whole to regroup and secure a
much-needed victory against Burnley at Stratford this this weekend - West
Ham's final match before a three-week break.
"We've got to show some character, especially at home," he added. "We're
playing a well organised Burnley side, and a side who've been playing
particularly well. Their results have probably not turned around and shown
us the whole picture. They are a good side with an outstanding manager.
"It's a game that we've got to look to get on the front foot in. We've got
to look to play better than we did in the last two matches. One or two
things we felt we didn't do particularly well, like conceding cheap goals,
we're going to have to improve on that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Double disaster for Moyes
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
Winston Reid and Sam Byram have been ruled out for the remainder of the
season after picking up knocks against Swansea.
The New Zealand international spent around ten minutes receiving treatment
for a knee injury during the first half of Saturday's 4-1 defeat, before
being carried off the field on a stretcher.
Meanwhile Byram - who replaced the unfortunate Reid on Saturday - is also
expected to miss the rest of the campaign after sustaining a fresh ankle
injury during the same game, despite remaining on the field until the final
whistle.
The news will come as a massive blow to David Moyes, who lost Angelo Ogbonna
to injury before the Swansea trip and can no longer call upon the services
of Jose Fonte, who was sold to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifang last
month.
That leaves an aging James Collins and the inexperienced Declan Rice as the
club's only fit central defenders - and veteran Pablo Zabaleta as West Ham's
only available right back for the final nine matches of the season.
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Why are West Ham's board holding meetings with self-professed hooligans?
Hooligans from the notorious Inter City Firm have sat down with
vice-chairman Karren Brady in recent weeks, and have since threatened other
fans planning on marching against the board
Miguel Delaney Chief Football Writer @MiguelDelaney 40 mins ago2 comments
The Independent Sport
Around West Ham United right now, there is a toxic atmosphere of proper
nervousness and tension, and it goes way beyond what happens on a football
pitch.
There was first of all the advice from Newham Council to postpone a planned
protest march against the owners ahead of Saturday's crucial home match
against Burnley, with "safety" cited as a primary reason. Some involved
still feel in outright danger. Really, there's no other way to feel, given
the online comments of members of a fans group called Real West Ham Fans
(Real WHF) – until last week known as the Real West Ham Fans Action Group –
who were founded by the 1970s Inter-City Firm members and who multiple
sources have claimed want a Lazio Ultras-style relationship with the club.
The Real WHF initially announced the march, only to call it off after what
they cite as "positive dialogue with the board" (when they also dropped
'Action' from their name). Some members then aggressively spoke out against
the West Ham United Independent Supporters' Association (WHUISA), who took
up the baton on the protest, with coarse and politically-charged language
used.
"All your left wing fucks you ain't passing through our manor," one posted
on Facebook on Saturday. "The ICF won't allow it don't cross us." "No your
not your left wing c**t your not passng [sic]." "March if you want but if
you march with WHUISA it ain't happening we ain't left wing I'll not left
Anifita pass so now ICF you stand with me or your against me your choice
[sic]."
These are just vignettes of how ugly this situation has got. This is also
who West Ham have been in dialogue with, in meetings that involved other
fans' organisations. It is a situation that people who work in the Football
Supporters' Federation (FSF) have described as "one of the worst come
across", and "wild-west stuff" that raises some serious questions for the
club.
Mark Walker, the democratically elected head of WHUISA – an FSF-recognised
body – is said by those who know him to feel "distraught", hugely concerned
for his physical safety and will probably never return to a game again. He
had his Facebook account posted on the Real West Ham Fans own page, where he
has been described as a "traitor to London" and had his support for Sadiq
Khan brought up. The mayor himself is described by one member as a
"terrorist sympathiser".
For his part, Real WHF founding member Andrew Swallow initially responded to
a list of questions emailed by The Independent, insisting it had "all been
blown out of proportion" and stating that he would explain all in an
interview at an agreed time. Swallow did not ring back, and did not respond
to repeated phone calls.
Beyond those questions, it is a story that also cuts to the core of what a
club represents, of who it represents, of its identity and soul.
It is also a story with some genuinely eye-opening elements, not least the
bizarre and aggressive political allegations, but one that stems from
widespread and general fan concern at what many West Ham supporters describe
as "the worst-run club in the Premier League".
"We have been failed," supporter Jim Kearns wrote in his 'The H list' blog,
an account that also describes a "tinderbox atmosphere that exists between
us and the owners."
Fan groups just feel misinformed, and let down.
Some of the reasons for that are well known, some are not, some range from
the remarkably pedantic to the rigorous fundamentals of a football club's
identity.
Among the concerns that have been brought up in recent meetings between fan
groups and the club are: the ongoing situation with the move away from the
Boleyn Ground, to a stadium they feel is not fit for football; who is
actually running the club, given co-chairman David Sullivan's recent illness
and co-chairman David Gold's age; how much money is actually being invested
in the team; what kind of process exists for signing players; ticket prices;
media comments by the owners; appropriate recognition of the club's history;
stewarding – where it was cited that one wears a Charlton Athletic jersey
under his jacket; Boxing Day home fixtures; the memorial garden at the
Boleyn; "amnesties" for supporters ejected from the stadium and not charged;
and the club badge.
The last point has been of particular importance to the Real WHF group, as
it is felt the use of the word "London" in the crest is an abandonment of
the club's east-end heritage. Those wider concerns for identity underlie a
lot of this, and directly fire the situation. Kearns is one fan who feels
some of this is wrapped up in the "distinctive mythology" about West Ham, a
willingness to embrace "glorious failure", and "a fetishisation of one of
the few things they've ever been best at: hooliganism", and principally
through the ICF.
This is where Swallow and Micky Morgan come in, two individuals involved in
the founding of the firm, and then the Real WHF – called the Real West Ham
Fans Action Group until last week.
It was in the first few months of this season that the latter emerged,
ostensibly out of all these concerns. A Facebook account was set up, and
16,000 people 'liked' the page. It was an impressive mobilisation. This also
reflected the strength of feeling around the club. Sullivan was due to meet
with the Real WHF, but that was subsequently cancelled.
Swallow has a colourful history, that he has willingly spoken about.
"We originally formed the EELF [Essex & East London Firm] and we made our
name in the South Bank cage," Swallow told the 'Knees Up Mother Brown' West
Ham supporters' website when things properly started to gather pace in
January. "That's where the ICF was born around 1976.
"The ICF name was the idea of me, Grant [Fleming] and Micky [Morgan]."
"In 1987 we got nicked for the ICF and Cass Pennant did the film
'Hooligan'," Swallow himself admitted. "Then we got into acid house. I came
back [to West Ham] in around 91/92 and we carried on the Inter City Firm as
it was. I had two or three court cases with the ICF and spent
three-and-a-half years on trial in three different trials."
He also confirmed: "So I've never left the Inter City Firm."
With the 40th anniversary of the ICF approaching, multiple sources say
Swallow has been involved in trying to set up a fund-raising match between
former West Ham and Lazio players, and many sources close to the situation
have suggested he ultimately wants the Real WHF group to emulate the
organisation of the Serie A club's Ultras.
Swallow has also been involved with the Football Lads Alliance, an
"anti-terrorism" group, that is being monitored by many anti-racism groups
and viewed with concern among football authorities. As many as 2,500 West
Ham fans are estimated to have taken part in an anti-terrorism march last
year, with the 'Knees Up Mother Brown' interview crediting Swallow for
mobilising that number.
Swallow has a previous relationship with Sullivan, too, as his involvement
with non-league Grays Athletic temporarily saw the club play at West Ham's
training ground, Rush Green. That ended acrimoniously when Sullivan pulled
the plug, and Swallow referenced this in one of the recent meetings, when
vice-chairman Baroness Karen Brady asked why he doesn't trust the club.
The minutes of that meeting state that Swallow said "personally it goes back
to [Swallow] being let down when he was at Grays Athletic FC." The minutes
then go on: "KB [Brady] listened to AS [Swallow] comments as to having
effectively been kicked out of rush green and finding out from man at
turnstiles. KB apologised for those circumstances and gave various reasons
behind that situation ie manager wanted that venue as training ground and
that nothing was going to stop that happening."
Swallow's trust in the club appears to have been rebuilt, though, and the
road to that is where so many of the questions lie.
The Real WHF group – at that point called the Real West Ham Fans Action
group – then began holding meetings through December, and came up with a
five-point plan. It is the first time a march is mentioned, but does not
raise the concerns around the stadium or running of the club. Taken from the
group's own posts, it reads:
"1 [club] Must take up full away ticket allocation
2 : Memorial [garden] to be maintained regularly
3: The Hammer and Castle badge to be reconised [sic] with immediate effect
on match programme and in future in the stadium
4 : The owners to be more proffesional [sic] on social media ie remove the
sullivan [sic] kids from speaking on the clubs behalf :
5 The 15 minute interval must be addressed its impossible to get to the
toilets get a drink and be back for the restart a for the second half .
They club have 7 days to respond if they fail to deliver a full demo / march
will take place ."
With West Ham still refusing to meet Real WHF, and the group generally
unhappy at the lack of progress, a march was then called for 10 March. It
was estimated that over 10,000 would turn up, and that was what finally gets
a response from the club.
Brady called for a meeting with supporters groups for 19 February, that
involved Swallow, his Real WHFG, the WHUISA and a number of websites.
"You'll begin to recognise the Judaean People's Front element of West Ham
supporters groups by this stage," Kearns quips, and the amount of acronyms
sums it up. All groups are however united on the need for action and
supportive of the march.
When asked about that meeting and a number of other concerns raised, a West
Ham statement to The Independent said the following:
"West Ham United met with representatives of 15 fans' groups to try to work
together to give our supporters a better match-day experience at the London
Stadium. In our talks we agreed a number of action points and we are working
to deliver them.
"All the groups chose their own representatives which we accepted in good
faith.
"All of those who attended expressed a desire to achieve the same ambition.
The meetings were cordial and constructive. Many of them had travelled long
distances to meet with us.
"We will in future be working with the long-standing Supporters Advisory
Board to achieve those common aims on behalf of all supporters."
For that first meeting, Brady had initially suggested both Sullivan and Gold
would attend, but it was in the end only the vice-chairman that did.
She later sent a nine-page letter to all involved, going through the various
issues discussed, and thanking everyone for a "highly constructive" meeting.
The letter however also references that it "followed a three-and-half-hour
meeting David Sullivan had with the lead representatives co-ordinating these
groups".
The WHUISA however claim no-one from their groups attended such a meeting.
One source says that "as far as I can tell, this was solely with the Real
WHF group. No minutes are available of that meeting".
Other sources claim Swallow has been saying he "met with Sullivan in his
house". West Ham deny this meeting ever took place.
The various supporters' groups then gathered again on 26 February and agreed
to release the letter in the interests of transparency.
It was at this point something else changed. Swallow wanted to call off the
march. It was felt Brady's commitments were insufficient to prevent it.
Brady then called a second meeting for 28 February. The Independent
understands WHUISA only found out about the meeting on the day, but still
managed to attend, along with Swallow's Real WHF and Hammers Chat website.
The meeting went through the points of the letter, and after 90 minutes came
to a discussion of what it would take to prevent the march. Brady pointed to
how it would be "damaging to employees that work hard thinking they are not
appreciated. Damage to team.. damage to sponsors."
From a Swallow question, Brady said the club would reimburse those who had
made arrangements to travel for the march, and "look at providing match
tickets".
Most of those who attended the meeting still felt West Ham's commitments
were insufficient, and that they wanted to march.
It was on Thursday 1 March that Swallow's Real WHF group then unilaterally
announced the march was off, without consulting other groups.
Many were baffled because there had been no promises from the club, and few
concessions, beyond making the stadium more "homely". As one source puts it,
"all hell broke loose"
"Wild" debate broke out on the Real WHF Facebook page, as so many people
were still desperate to march.
It was in this situation WHUISA were pushed into a leading role, since they
are the only FSF-affiliated group, and due to the absence of anyone else
willing to organise. There was also the fact that Walker was democratically
elected, and felt a responsibility. The WHUISA were also conscious of the
possibility that people would just turn up anyway, and that the lack of any
proper planning could lead to disorder.
That concern was all the greater because of the posts made on the Real WHFG
Facebook account on Saturday night. This was when the group stridently
declared themselves against the protest, and the WHUISA were accused of
left-wing agitation and involvement in AntiFa, amid threats of physical
obstruction.
It is believed the accusations arose because of Walker's history of work for
the Labour Party, and his Facebook declarations of support for Sadiq Kahn.
Concerned friends say this has left Walker "distraught", and fearful of his
safety.
The Real WHF group's sudden oppositions to the march – and the possible
reasons for it – were not the only striking curiosities to the situation.
There was also what happened when Walker and the WHUISA began to plan for
the protest, and is alluded to in the correspondence sent by Newham Council
asking for the protest to be delayed.
"Unfortunately it is not simply a case of 'taking over the existing plan'
because there is no existing plan to speak of," the Council wrote. "We had
one brief meeting last week with the previous organiser where a couple of
alternative routes were discussed and we were awaiting a detailed route plan
and event management plan but have not received anything since."
In other words, the Real WHF group hadn't gone through the process required,
raising one of many pertinent questions about the situation – whether they
ever intended to march.
It is an uncertain atmosphere, as well as a toxic one.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, March 8
Wednesday, March 7
Daily WHUFC News - 7th March 2018
A grand achievement - West Ham United hit 1,000 Premier League goals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's goal at Swansea City on Saturday saw the Hammers become
the tenth team to score 1,000 in the Premier League. Nearly 25 years since
Dale Gordon opened the Hammers' Premier League account at Coventry City in
August 1993, Michail Antonio hit number 1,000 in the otherwise forgettable
4-1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium. Since Gordon's scrambled strike in a 1-1
draw at Highfield Road nearly a quarter of a century ago, West Ham have
scored against 48 different clubs in the Premier League, with the
most-recent being Chicharito's goal in the 3-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove
Albion in February. The east Londoners have scored more Premier League goals
against Tottenham Hotspur (52 in 44 meetings) than any other opponent,
followed by Newcastle United (45 in 40), Blackburn Rovers (43 in 28) and
Southampton (43 in 31).
The Hammers have scored six goals in a game once, in a 6-0 win over Barnsley
at the Boleyn Ground in January 1998, five goals in the same match on seven
occasions, and four goals in the same game 17 times. At the other end of the
scale, the Hammers have scored just one Premier League goal against Brighton
and Swindon Town. West Ham's best goals-to-games ratio against any opponent
is 4:1, with the Hammers having netted eight goals in just two matches
against Barnsley back in the 1997/98 season. They have also scored 14 in
just seven meetings with Burnley, who visit London Stadium on Saturday.
Conversely, the Hammers have netted just 12 goals in 20 Premier League
meetings with Leeds United, losing 14 of those matches and winning just two.
Individually, no player has scored more Premier League goals in Claret and
Blue than Paolo Di Canio, who netted 48 times between 1999 and 2003.
In second place is Carlton Cole, who bagged 41 in two spells between 2006
and 2015, with Trevor Sinclair and current captain Mark Noble in joint-third
with 36, Andy Carroll fifth with 32 and the top ten rounded out by Frederic
Kanoute (29), Frank Lampard Jr and John Hartson (24), Tony Cottee (23) and
Julian Dicks (21).
Carroll and Cottee are among five players to have netted Premier League
hat-tricks for the Club, with Kevin Nolan and Marlon Harewood each bagging
trebles, and Paul Kitson being the only player to score three goals in a
game on more than one occasion.
West Ham's oldest scorer is also the Premier League's all-time oldest
marksman, Teddy Sheringham, who was aged 40 years and 268 days when he
netted against Portsmouth on Boxing Day 2006.
The Hammers' youngest Premier League scorer was Joe Cole, who was 18 years,
four months and three days old when he netted in a 5-4 win over Bradford
City on 12 February 2000.
In all, 140 different players have scored Premier League goals for West Ham,
not including own-goals, with 30 of them scoring just once in the top flight
in Claret and Blue.
Of those 140, 17 came through the Academy of Football, while they hail from
a total of 37 different countries, from Algerian Sofiane Feghouli to
Welshmen John Hartson, Craig Bellamy, James Collins, Jack Collison and Carl
Fletcher.
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Zabaleta: We must train and play at maximum intensity to beat Burnley
WHUFC.com
Pablo Zabaleta says West Ham United need to train and play with maximum
intensity if they want to beat Burnley at London Stadium on Saturday. The
Clarets arrive in east London sitting seventh in the Premier League table,
having hit the 40-point mark by beating Everton at Turf Moor last weekend,
and with a reputation for being one of the top-flight's most disciplined and
organised teams. Burnley are ranked in the Premier League's top three in
clearances made, shots blocked and fouls conceded, and only Manchester City
and Tottenham Hotspur have conceded fewer than the 26 goals let in by Sean
Dyche's side.
Zabaleta is acutely aware that Burnley will be tough to break down, and of
the threat their direct attacking style will pose to the West Ham defence,
and knows 100 per cent commitment will be the minimum requirement if the
hosts are to secure a vital victory. "The pressure is always there, whether
you're playing to win the league or to avoid relegation," said the No5. "You
have to deal with it and the best way to take a bit of pressure away is to
come into training every day and work hard and prepare physically and
mentally to be ready for every game. That is the key. "The saying goes that
'We play as we train' and that is so important for us, every day of the
week, to come to Rush Green, train well, look after ourselves physically and
mentally prepare ourselves for games, because we need to win.
"It's definitely a must-win game on Saturday against Burnley, who are a good
side. They have already got to 40 points and they will look to win one more
game to be 100 per cent safe, so it's not going to be easy, but we need to
play well and we have good players who can produce a good performance on
Saturday."
West Ham kick-off against Burnley with 30 points from 29 games and need to
win at least three of their remaining nine to secure their Premier League
status, and Zabaleta is under no illusions about the situation the Hammers
find themselves in. However, with six of those matches to be played at
London Stadium, including three against teams currently in the bottom half
of the table, the defender says West Ham's fate remains very much in their
own hands. "We have got nine finals, that is the reality. If you look at the
whole season and how it's been so far, there have been so many ups and
downs, we have done good things and bad things, there have been many changes
and injuries have been a problem for us as well, in key moments and to key
players. "But we find ourselves in a situation where we are not the only
team fighting against relegation. We are one of about seven or eight teams,
or perhaps even more, with only three to six points between them, which
shows how difficult the Premier League is. It is so competitive. "We are all
in a situation where we have to pick up points if we want to be safe as soon
as possible and be a Premier League team next year, but the good thing is
that it still depends on us. It's not like we're in a situation where we
need to rely on other teams' results. Of course, when the bottom three drop
points it's good, but at the end of the day we need to win our games to make
sure we can be in a better position. "We have two big home games coming up
now with Burnley and Southampton and we need to win against those teams."
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Cullen ready to play his part in West Ham's fight for Premier League
survival
WHUFC.com
Lifelong Hammer Josh Cullen is ready to play his part in securing West Ham
United's Premier League future. The young midfielder has been in and around
the first-team squad since returning from a loan spell at Championship club
Bolton Wanderers, impressing in three Emirates FA Cup ties with his accurate
passing, intelligent movement and courage, particularly when he played on
after losing a tooth at Shrewsbury Town. After a further month of training
and being named in David Moyes' matchday squad for six of the last seven
matches, the 21-year-old is eyeing more Premier League game-time as West Ham
seek the points required to secure their safety.
"It's been great to be back. Obviously being out on loan at Bolton for the
first half of the season was more valuable experience for me, playing in the
Championship and getting some more games under my belt and developing as a
player for a further six months. "There was a change in manager, so I was
keen to come back here and show the new manager what I was all about and try
and impress him, so I came back and played in a few games and have been back
in the mix. Hopefully I've done enough to show him I have a future at the
Club. "I did enough to warrant staying on for the rest of the season, which
I'm doing now, and hopefully I can push on again and try to push from being
on the bench and in the squad to being in the team and getting some
appearances before the end of the season."
Cullen was among three youngsters who returned to the Club in January –
Reece Oxford and Reece Burke were the other two – and he could have been
sent back to Bolton for the remainder of the season. The Republic of Ireland
U21 midfielder therefore took great confidence when Moyes told him he would
remain with the Hammers instead. "I had a couple of conversations with the
gaffer about what was best for me and we came to the decision that it was
best for me to stay here, and I was up for that challenge. "I never for one
minute thought that I would stay and go straight into the first team, but
I'm up for the fight and hopefully, as time goes on, I can keep impressing
him in training. "It was a good sign that he wanted to keep me around, so
hopefully I can keep developing and hopefully my chance will come and, when
it comes, I can take it."
Cullen certainly took his chance in the aforementioned FA Cup ties, and has
since more than held his own in training sessions that have seen him tackle
experienced international players on a daily basis. While he may not have
the same resume as his teammates yet, the Essex-born player is determined to
make his own mark in a Claret and Blue shirt, whenever the next opportunity
arises. "As a young player, you have to take every day training with those
players as experience. People say about getting experience by going out on
loan, but coming back and training with the quality of players we have got
at this Club is an experience in itself and one which should help develop me
as a player. "Going up against those players is a great challenge for me and
hopefully I can push them and create some healthy competition, and that they
know I'm here and pushing for a first team spot. It will also push me on as
I know I have to be even better to get into the team, so it's good to have
that competition around. "I've just got to stay patient, keep doing what I
am doing in training, keep working and when the manager calls upon me, make
sure I'm ready, I do myself justice when I go out there and do as well as I
know I can."
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Boleyn Ground levelled for £8million
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's latest annual accounts have revealed that the club's
turnover increased by circa £8million as a result of leaving Upton Park for
Stratford.
Prior to the stadium move, it had been claimed by the Board that West Ham
needed to move to the vacated Olympic Stadium in order for the club to
progress and increase its annual turnover.
However the latest set of accounts - that show an overall increase in
turnover of approximately £40million - reveal that money from the TV deal
represents in the region of 80 per cent of that figure, with only an
additional £8million having been generated as a result of leaving the club's
historic Boleyn Ground in 2016.
Released ths morning, the club's latest accounts also reveal that the club
made an overall profit of £43million - largely as a result of player
trading, having sold Dimitri Payet and James Tomkins for a combined
£40million. £80million was 'spent' on incoming players, although those fees
are generally spread over a number of years.
Meanwhile it was confirmed that the Boleyn Ground was sold for circa
£40million, a profit of just under £9million once an outstanding mortgage
and the £15million contribution to converting the Olympic Stadium were
paid°.
Additionally, new Director J Albert 'Tripp' Smith was confirmed as having
joined the club on 21 September (replacing Straumur's outgoing
representative, Daniel Svanstrom, finally ending the club's 12-year
Icelandic association). Smith later made an interest-free loan of
£9.5million to the club.
Meanwhile Karren Brady's rhetoric regarding the stadium had changed
considerably - the "world's best stadium migration" is now referred to as "a
satisfactory move" in the document.
Speaking in October 2017, when the accounts were signed off, co-owner David
Sullivan said: "This season, our second at the London Stadium, we know will
bring its own challenges but we continue to believe we will deliver both on
and off the pitch by investing in the team, the brand and managing the
business well."
Some key figures from this year's accounts include:
* Turnover rose by £41.3million to £183.3million - largely as a result of
the improved TV deal
* The TV deal was worth £119.3million to the club in 2016/17 - nearly two
thirds of its entire annual income
* Tickets sales rose from £26.9million at the Boleyn to £28.6million at the
Olympic Stadium - an increase of just £1.7million
* Despite adding the new club shop in Stratford to its portfolio, the club's
retail revenue increased by just 2 per cent (£9.6million)
* The club's commercial and sponsorship departments saw an 35.7 per cent
increase in turnover (up to £25.8million)*
° The Boleyn Ground site, sold to Galliard (as Boleyn Phoenix Limited) was
later sold to another development company for circa £60million.
David Sullivan was previously quoted as saying he had received better offers
for the ground, but sold to local firm Galliard as they would ensure the
club's legacy would be respected. Galliard are believed to have sold the
ground less than 24 hours after it was purchased to a subsidiary of
Barretts.
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Isla recovering following major surgery
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
An operation to remove a tumour from little Isla Caton has been a success,
according to her parents. The three-year-old, who is suffering from
Neuroblastoma and whose plight has captured the hearts of all West Ham
supporters - and many from outside the club - underwent surgery to remove a
tumour from her brain earlier today, according to a post from her mother.
And fortunately, initial reports suggest that the operation has been a
success - as mum Nicola has just confirmed via social media.
Earlier in the day, West Ham captain Mark Noble had sent the following
message in support of little Isla, who he carried out onto the pitch ahead
of the recent Premier League meeting with AFC Bournemouth.
If you'd like to contribute to the fund to get Isla to the US for
much-needed treatment, visit the Bradley Lowery Foundation in order to to
make a donation.
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ISA rally postponed on Newham advice
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
The West Ham United Independent Supporters' Association (WHUISA) has
confirmed that they will not be staging a rally in Stratford this weekend on
the advice of local authorities.
In a statement released by the ISA this afternoon, it was revealed that
Newham Council had asked for more time to discuss plans with the group, who
had hoped to re-arrange a fans' protest following the Real West Ham Fans
Action Group's (RWHFAG) decision to cancel theirs last week.
"The West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA) wishes to
register its disappointment that the group has been unable to gain
permission to hold a peaceful, lawful demonstration this Saturday, 10th
March 2018," read a statment released by the Association.
"Correspondence received today from Newham Council stated 'it would be
beneficial to all parties if we could postpone for a short period of time to
give everyone time to consider a proposal which would be safe for
participants, without substantial disruption to the road network and
agreeable to stakeholders, landowners and those with responsibility for
safety in the area.'
"Since Thursday 1st March, the WHUISA committee has worked tirelessly with
the authorities in order to comply with all proper regulations and
procedures needed to hold a march. On behalf of the WHUISA committee, we
would like to thank all those who have been involved with the efforts
including the hundreds of new members who have joined us. The issue of a
protest march will not be raised again until the WHUISA AGM later in the
year, details of which will be sent to members."
The FSF-recognised organisation - who are the latest in a long line of
independent supporter associations (ISAs) to represent West Ham in recent
years, following on from the likes of WHUST (West Ham United Supporters
Trust, 2002-2005) and WHISA (West Ham Independent Supporters' Association,
2013-2015) - also denied suggestions that they are affiliated with any
particular political party.
"Claims were also made that the group is affiliated with the Mayor of
London's office," added the statement. "This is untrue. WHUISA is a
resolutely non-political, democratic, completely independent organisation,
proudly affiliated to the FSF and will continue to work for the benefit of
all West Ham United supporters and to hold the board to account.
"We believe that this commitment to transparency is a fundamental
requirement of WHUISA's role as a voice of West Ham fans. All our work is
done in consultation with our members so we hope if you are not already a
member you will join us now for just £1."
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WHUISA STATEMENT ON MARCH
By Sean Whetstone 6 Mar 2018 at 16:29
WTID
The West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA) wishes to
register its disappointment that the group has been unable to gain
permission to hold a peaceful, lawful demonstration this Saturday, 10th
March 2018.
Correspondence received today from Newham Council stated "it would be
beneficial to all parties if we could postpone for a short period of time to
give everyone time to consider a proposal which would be safe for
participants, without substantial disruption to the road network and
agreeable to stakeholders, landowners and those with responsibility for
safety in the area."
Since Thursday 1st March, the WHUISA committee has worked tirelessly with
the authorities in order to comply with all proper regulations and
procedures needed to hold a march. On behalf of the WHUISA committee, we
would like to thank all those who have been involved with the efforts
including the hundreds of new members who have joined us. The issue of a
protest march will not be raised again until the WHUISA AGM later in the
year, details of which will be sent to members.
Claims were also made that the group is affiliated with the Mayor of
London's office. This is untrue. WHUISA is a resolutely non-political,
democratic, completely independent organisation, proudly affiliated to the
FSF and will continue to work for the benefit of all West Ham United
supporters and to hold the board to account.
We believe that this commitment to transparency is a fundamental requirement
of WHUISA's role as a voice of West Ham fans. All our work is done in
consultation with our members so we hope if you are not already a member you
will now join us now for just £1 (www.whuisa.org/join)
West Ham United Independent Supporters Association Committee – 6th March
2018
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WEST HAM FINANCIAL UPDATE
By Sean Whetstone 6 Mar 2018 at 09:56
WTID
West Ham's newly announced financial accounts show a record turnover and
record profit but mostly due to the new TV deal which came in last season.
The accounts published at companies house today show figures for last season
up to 31st May 2017.
The main areas show:
O Turnover increase of 28.9% (£41.2m) from £142.1m to £183.3m
O TV income grew by 7% (£32.6m) from £86.7m to £119.3m
This is in line with many other Premier League clubs when the new Sky/BT
deal came into effect last season. Most clubs have increased their turnover
by a similar amount.
O Ticket income grew by 6.3% from £26.9m to £28.6m
The modest increase might be a surprise to some but with 10,000 Under 16
season tickets for £99 and 8,000 Band 5 season tickets for £289 and prizes
frozen the only way to increase revenue in this area is to increase ticket
pricing which would not go down well with fans.
O Commercial and sponsorship including corporate hospitality sales were up
by 35.7% from £19m to £25.8m
This area includes the corporate hospitality called Club London which
increased to 3,200 members and better sponsorship deals in the new stadium.
O Retail and shop sales grew by 2% from £9.3m to £9.6m
Again a rather small increase but there are some mitigating factors. The
last year in the Boleyn Ground saw record revenue from retail from dedicated
merchandise the club shop currently lacks a car park and has limited
footfall or passing trade outside of match days.
O The club published a gross profit of £64.4m but this reduced to a net
profit of £43m after playing trading, taxation and interest.
While the profit is impressive the club remains relatively cash poor as many
transactions are paid for upfront but accounted for (depreciated) over many
years in the accounts. These include the £15m for the stadium (depreciated
over 99 years, the club shop, office and Westhamification of the London
Stadium (depreciated over 10 years) and many players 50% up front but
depreciated over the length of the player's contract.
O The accounts confirm the Boleyn Ground was sold for £38m.
West Ham had already received £10m up front in previous years so the balance
of £28m was paid in July 2016 by the developers. This was used mostly pay
off bank loans of £14.7m and London Stadium upfront fee of £15m.
O Wages increased by £10.4m from £84.6m to £95m which means wages account
for 51.8% of turnover.
The highest paid director wages (believed to be West Ham Vice-Chairman
Karren Brady) reduced her salary from £907,000 to £868,000. In comparison,
Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis was paid £2.65m plus a £1m bonus in 2016 despite
not winning anything as a club so it could be argued her salary remains
below the market rate. David Gold and David Sullivan did not draw a wage or
claim any expenses.
O An update on West Ham loans:
External bank loans totalling £14.7m to shareholders CB Holding ehf
(Icelandics) and (GC Co 102 Limited) David Sullivan were repaid on 15th July
2016 to make West Ham externally debt free of long-term non-share holder
loans. Interest was charged at under 5%.
The club re-paid their £30m short-term loan to Media Rights and Funding
secured against TV money on 14th July 2017. In August 2017 they took out two
new short-term loans with Media Rights and Funding totalling £25m secured
against the training grounds and Stadium lease to help with cash flow. These
loans are due for repayment in July 2018.
The Share Holder loan balance has reduced from £49.2m to £45m in August 2016
after David Gold and David Sullivan were repaid £4.2m of their loans plus
£2.2m in interest.
Interest on shareholder loans totalled £12.7m in May 2017 but £10m of this
was later paid back to David Gold and David Sullivan on 18th August 2017.
The interest on the remaining balance has reduced from 7% to 4% from 1st
April 2017 with the shareholder loan balance due for repayment on 1st
January 2020.
Shareholder Tripp Smith paid a £9.5m interest-free loan to West Ham in
September 2017 after buying 10% of the shares from the Icelandic's.
A full copy of the accounts can be found at:
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05993863/filing-history
The club have published their own summary at
https://www.whufc.com/news/club-accounts-published-for-2016-17
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CLUB PRESIDENT CONFIRMS WEST HAM'S INTEREST IN STARLET VIA OFFICIAL
COMMUNICATIONFeatured Image
Date: 6th March 2018 at 9:59pm
Written by: Josh Challies
Forever WestHam
West Ham's recruitment drive at the end of the season is likely to be
extremely diverse, following a campaign where the Hammers have struggled to
find consistency and sit just three points above the relegation zone.
Amongst the areas that David Moyes' side are likely to want to improve is
between the sticks, where Manchester City loanee Joe Hart has failed to
catch the eye and Spaniard Adrian was criticised after his performance in
the recent 4-1 defeat to Chelsea.
Interestingly, reports on the continent in recent days have revealed West
Ham's interest in 17-year-old goalkeeper Marco Meneghetti, who's currently
playing in Italy's third-tier with Pordenone.
Now the Italian club's president Mauro Lovisa has weighed in on the
situation, confirming that West Ham are interested in the teenager with
quotes made to TuttoMercatoWeb.
"Marco Meneghetti is in the sights of the Hammers. I have the official
e-mail from the British club. The fact is that Marco also interests Inter."
Interest from Inter Milan will be a concern to West Ham though, as they're
unlikely to be able to match the offer from the Italian giants.
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THILL KEEN TO LEAVE METZ AMID LINKS WITH WEST HAM
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
Reported West Ham target Vincent Thill is understood to be keen on making a
summer move away from Metz this summer.
It was reported last month that David Moyes is seemingly intent on staying
put at the London Stadium for the foreseeable future. This prompted claims
that he has already set his sight on a number of targets to inject some life
into his ageing West Ham squad – including Thill.
The 18-year-old is held in high regard out in France and has been dubbed as
one for the future. However, as per the Luxembourg Wort – a media source in
the player's homeland – he is out to secure a move away from Metz in the
coming months.
Thill has only managed to feature in one Ligue 1 game for his side this
season, which he is understood to have been left frustrated by. This has led
to him to seek pastures new ahead of the summer transfer window.
It's stated in the report that the Luxembourg international's future is
being discussed by chiefs at Metz. Conversations are said to be taking place
with regards to whether or not Thill should be sold or loaned out for the
season.
West Ham will face competition from Juventus for Thill's signature, though,
if they do press ahead with their efforts to land him. According to
Luxembourg Wort, the youngster's agent Meissa N'Diaye held talks with the
Serie A giants over a potential move.
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West Ham make major transfer admission following release of 2016-17 accounts
Co-owner David Sullivan pledges to invest more after the club reported
record turnover for the 2017-18 season.
Club spent £33.6m net on players, a minor increase in the first year of the
new Premier League TV deal.
Nick Howson By Nick Howson
March 6, 2018 13:03 GMT
IBTimes.co.uk
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has committed to investing more on
new players in the transfer market after admitting the club have underspent
in recent windows. The claim comes following the release of the Hammers'
financial results for the 2016-17 season which shows a record turnover of
£183.3m, centrally due to an increase in the Premier League television deal.
Yet despite broadcast income increasing to £119.3m, ticket sales revenue
swelling to £28.4m and the new deal with Betway enhancing their sponsorship
income to £25.8m, West Ham invested a paltry amount in their playing squad.
Net cash investment in players totaled £33.6m, up from the £32.4m they had
outlaid the previous campaign. However, given that clubs benefited from the
record £5.1bn television deal for the first time last term, the 3.7%
increase represents a poor return. Andre Ayew, Robert Snodgrass, Manuel
Lanzini, Jose Fonte, Arthur Masuaku, Edimilson Fernandes and loan players
Simone Zaza, Jonathan Calleri and Gokhan Tore all arrived across the summer
and January windows to help the club finish 11th in the Premier League under
then coach Slaven Bilic. But with West Ham debt free and having invested
heavily in infrastructure – a £3.5m overhaul of their academy is also
planned – Sulllivan insists the club are in a strong financial position and
can look to spend freely in the coming years. "The club is in the healthiest
financial position it has been in for years," said 69-year-old Sullivan, who
has a 51.1% controlling stake in West Ham, in a review of the season. "In
each of the last two seasons we have broken our transfer record and
improvements in our overall financial position will help us to increase
investment again this summer. "I know some of our supporters will argue we
have not spent enough in the transfer windows and signed the right targets -
I accept that. "I have explained in recent weeks we are changing the
structure of our scouting and recruitment setup and will make every effort
to improve our performance in those areas in the future."
Now in their second season at the much-derided London Stadium, West Ham have
revealed the full cost of the move from Upton Park. The east Londoners made
an £8.7m profit on the sale of the ground and other stadium assets to
Barratt Homes. They will pay a one-off pre-agreed £15m fee for access to the
stadium – though that will be spread over the term of the lease - and used
two £5m deposits to help pay off legacy bank loans amounting to £14.7m.
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West Ham yet to feel benefit of move to London Stadium as accounts reveal
they would have made 'a similar profit' if they'd stayed at Upton Park
West Ham have revealed a record profit of £43million in their 2016-17
accounts
Club admit they would have made a similar profit if they'd stayed at Upton
Park
Most of the money was generated by TV deal (£119m) and player sales (£28m)
Fans are likely to call for the profit to be reinvested in playing squad in
summer
By Kieran Gill for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 13:04, 6 March 2018 | UPDATED: 15:28, 6 March 2018
West Ham are yet to feel the financial benefit of their move from Upton Park
to the London Stadium, the Premier League club's accounts have confessed.
The Hammers' finances for 2016-17 - their first season at their new home in
Stratford - show they managed to make a record profit of £43million. Yet a
standout line in the accounts, which were released on Tuesday, states: 'It
is worth noting that the club would have made a similar profit had it
remained at the old stadium.'
Most of the money for the year was generated by the new bumper TV deal
(£119.3m) and from player sales (£28.4m). That included Dimitri Payet's
high-profile move to Marseille in January 2017. The sale of the Boleyn
Ground also brought in £8.7m. West Ham believed the 57,000-seater London
Stadium would benefit them in their search for European football. After
finishing seventh in their last season at the Boleyn, they finished 11th in
their first in Stratford.
A statement from Karren Brady in the accounts discusses the London Stadium:
'It is already apparent that our new home is one of the greatest arenas in
world football and a platform to transform the future of our great club. 'We
have been very focused on delivering a ground that looks and feels like the
home ground of West Ham United. We invested a significant amount of money,
running into millions of pounds, in the external wrap, the digital screen
and branding inside and outside the stadium.'
West Ham suffered a £4.9m loss after tax in 2015-16 so the club are
satisfied with their £43m profit. Most fans will call for that to be
reinvested in the squad.
Co-chairman David Sullivan added: 'The club is in the healthiest financial
position it has been in for years. In each of the last two seasons we have
broken our transfer record and improvements in our overall financial
position will help us to increase investment again this summer. 'I know some
of our supporters will argue we have not spent enough in the transfer
windows and signed the right targets - I accept that. I have explained in
recent weeks we are changing the structure of our scouting and recruitment
set-up and will make every effort to improve our performance in those areas
in the future.'
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's goal at Swansea City on Saturday saw the Hammers become
the tenth team to score 1,000 in the Premier League. Nearly 25 years since
Dale Gordon opened the Hammers' Premier League account at Coventry City in
August 1993, Michail Antonio hit number 1,000 in the otherwise forgettable
4-1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium. Since Gordon's scrambled strike in a 1-1
draw at Highfield Road nearly a quarter of a century ago, West Ham have
scored against 48 different clubs in the Premier League, with the
most-recent being Chicharito's goal in the 3-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove
Albion in February. The east Londoners have scored more Premier League goals
against Tottenham Hotspur (52 in 44 meetings) than any other opponent,
followed by Newcastle United (45 in 40), Blackburn Rovers (43 in 28) and
Southampton (43 in 31).
The Hammers have scored six goals in a game once, in a 6-0 win over Barnsley
at the Boleyn Ground in January 1998, five goals in the same match on seven
occasions, and four goals in the same game 17 times. At the other end of the
scale, the Hammers have scored just one Premier League goal against Brighton
and Swindon Town. West Ham's best goals-to-games ratio against any opponent
is 4:1, with the Hammers having netted eight goals in just two matches
against Barnsley back in the 1997/98 season. They have also scored 14 in
just seven meetings with Burnley, who visit London Stadium on Saturday.
Conversely, the Hammers have netted just 12 goals in 20 Premier League
meetings with Leeds United, losing 14 of those matches and winning just two.
Individually, no player has scored more Premier League goals in Claret and
Blue than Paolo Di Canio, who netted 48 times between 1999 and 2003.
In second place is Carlton Cole, who bagged 41 in two spells between 2006
and 2015, with Trevor Sinclair and current captain Mark Noble in joint-third
with 36, Andy Carroll fifth with 32 and the top ten rounded out by Frederic
Kanoute (29), Frank Lampard Jr and John Hartson (24), Tony Cottee (23) and
Julian Dicks (21).
Carroll and Cottee are among five players to have netted Premier League
hat-tricks for the Club, with Kevin Nolan and Marlon Harewood each bagging
trebles, and Paul Kitson being the only player to score three goals in a
game on more than one occasion.
West Ham's oldest scorer is also the Premier League's all-time oldest
marksman, Teddy Sheringham, who was aged 40 years and 268 days when he
netted against Portsmouth on Boxing Day 2006.
The Hammers' youngest Premier League scorer was Joe Cole, who was 18 years,
four months and three days old when he netted in a 5-4 win over Bradford
City on 12 February 2000.
In all, 140 different players have scored Premier League goals for West Ham,
not including own-goals, with 30 of them scoring just once in the top flight
in Claret and Blue.
Of those 140, 17 came through the Academy of Football, while they hail from
a total of 37 different countries, from Algerian Sofiane Feghouli to
Welshmen John Hartson, Craig Bellamy, James Collins, Jack Collison and Carl
Fletcher.
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Zabaleta: We must train and play at maximum intensity to beat Burnley
WHUFC.com
Pablo Zabaleta says West Ham United need to train and play with maximum
intensity if they want to beat Burnley at London Stadium on Saturday. The
Clarets arrive in east London sitting seventh in the Premier League table,
having hit the 40-point mark by beating Everton at Turf Moor last weekend,
and with a reputation for being one of the top-flight's most disciplined and
organised teams. Burnley are ranked in the Premier League's top three in
clearances made, shots blocked and fouls conceded, and only Manchester City
and Tottenham Hotspur have conceded fewer than the 26 goals let in by Sean
Dyche's side.
Zabaleta is acutely aware that Burnley will be tough to break down, and of
the threat their direct attacking style will pose to the West Ham defence,
and knows 100 per cent commitment will be the minimum requirement if the
hosts are to secure a vital victory. "The pressure is always there, whether
you're playing to win the league or to avoid relegation," said the No5. "You
have to deal with it and the best way to take a bit of pressure away is to
come into training every day and work hard and prepare physically and
mentally to be ready for every game. That is the key. "The saying goes that
'We play as we train' and that is so important for us, every day of the
week, to come to Rush Green, train well, look after ourselves physically and
mentally prepare ourselves for games, because we need to win.
"It's definitely a must-win game on Saturday against Burnley, who are a good
side. They have already got to 40 points and they will look to win one more
game to be 100 per cent safe, so it's not going to be easy, but we need to
play well and we have good players who can produce a good performance on
Saturday."
West Ham kick-off against Burnley with 30 points from 29 games and need to
win at least three of their remaining nine to secure their Premier League
status, and Zabaleta is under no illusions about the situation the Hammers
find themselves in. However, with six of those matches to be played at
London Stadium, including three against teams currently in the bottom half
of the table, the defender says West Ham's fate remains very much in their
own hands. "We have got nine finals, that is the reality. If you look at the
whole season and how it's been so far, there have been so many ups and
downs, we have done good things and bad things, there have been many changes
and injuries have been a problem for us as well, in key moments and to key
players. "But we find ourselves in a situation where we are not the only
team fighting against relegation. We are one of about seven or eight teams,
or perhaps even more, with only three to six points between them, which
shows how difficult the Premier League is. It is so competitive. "We are all
in a situation where we have to pick up points if we want to be safe as soon
as possible and be a Premier League team next year, but the good thing is
that it still depends on us. It's not like we're in a situation where we
need to rely on other teams' results. Of course, when the bottom three drop
points it's good, but at the end of the day we need to win our games to make
sure we can be in a better position. "We have two big home games coming up
now with Burnley and Southampton and we need to win against those teams."
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Cullen ready to play his part in West Ham's fight for Premier League
survival
WHUFC.com
Lifelong Hammer Josh Cullen is ready to play his part in securing West Ham
United's Premier League future. The young midfielder has been in and around
the first-team squad since returning from a loan spell at Championship club
Bolton Wanderers, impressing in three Emirates FA Cup ties with his accurate
passing, intelligent movement and courage, particularly when he played on
after losing a tooth at Shrewsbury Town. After a further month of training
and being named in David Moyes' matchday squad for six of the last seven
matches, the 21-year-old is eyeing more Premier League game-time as West Ham
seek the points required to secure their safety.
"It's been great to be back. Obviously being out on loan at Bolton for the
first half of the season was more valuable experience for me, playing in the
Championship and getting some more games under my belt and developing as a
player for a further six months. "There was a change in manager, so I was
keen to come back here and show the new manager what I was all about and try
and impress him, so I came back and played in a few games and have been back
in the mix. Hopefully I've done enough to show him I have a future at the
Club. "I did enough to warrant staying on for the rest of the season, which
I'm doing now, and hopefully I can push on again and try to push from being
on the bench and in the squad to being in the team and getting some
appearances before the end of the season."
Cullen was among three youngsters who returned to the Club in January –
Reece Oxford and Reece Burke were the other two – and he could have been
sent back to Bolton for the remainder of the season. The Republic of Ireland
U21 midfielder therefore took great confidence when Moyes told him he would
remain with the Hammers instead. "I had a couple of conversations with the
gaffer about what was best for me and we came to the decision that it was
best for me to stay here, and I was up for that challenge. "I never for one
minute thought that I would stay and go straight into the first team, but
I'm up for the fight and hopefully, as time goes on, I can keep impressing
him in training. "It was a good sign that he wanted to keep me around, so
hopefully I can keep developing and hopefully my chance will come and, when
it comes, I can take it."
Cullen certainly took his chance in the aforementioned FA Cup ties, and has
since more than held his own in training sessions that have seen him tackle
experienced international players on a daily basis. While he may not have
the same resume as his teammates yet, the Essex-born player is determined to
make his own mark in a Claret and Blue shirt, whenever the next opportunity
arises. "As a young player, you have to take every day training with those
players as experience. People say about getting experience by going out on
loan, but coming back and training with the quality of players we have got
at this Club is an experience in itself and one which should help develop me
as a player. "Going up against those players is a great challenge for me and
hopefully I can push them and create some healthy competition, and that they
know I'm here and pushing for a first team spot. It will also push me on as
I know I have to be even better to get into the team, so it's good to have
that competition around. "I've just got to stay patient, keep doing what I
am doing in training, keep working and when the manager calls upon me, make
sure I'm ready, I do myself justice when I go out there and do as well as I
know I can."
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Boleyn Ground levelled for £8million
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's latest annual accounts have revealed that the club's
turnover increased by circa £8million as a result of leaving Upton Park for
Stratford.
Prior to the stadium move, it had been claimed by the Board that West Ham
needed to move to the vacated Olympic Stadium in order for the club to
progress and increase its annual turnover.
However the latest set of accounts - that show an overall increase in
turnover of approximately £40million - reveal that money from the TV deal
represents in the region of 80 per cent of that figure, with only an
additional £8million having been generated as a result of leaving the club's
historic Boleyn Ground in 2016.
Released ths morning, the club's latest accounts also reveal that the club
made an overall profit of £43million - largely as a result of player
trading, having sold Dimitri Payet and James Tomkins for a combined
£40million. £80million was 'spent' on incoming players, although those fees
are generally spread over a number of years.
Meanwhile it was confirmed that the Boleyn Ground was sold for circa
£40million, a profit of just under £9million once an outstanding mortgage
and the £15million contribution to converting the Olympic Stadium were
paid°.
Additionally, new Director J Albert 'Tripp' Smith was confirmed as having
joined the club on 21 September (replacing Straumur's outgoing
representative, Daniel Svanstrom, finally ending the club's 12-year
Icelandic association). Smith later made an interest-free loan of
£9.5million to the club.
Meanwhile Karren Brady's rhetoric regarding the stadium had changed
considerably - the "world's best stadium migration" is now referred to as "a
satisfactory move" in the document.
Speaking in October 2017, when the accounts were signed off, co-owner David
Sullivan said: "This season, our second at the London Stadium, we know will
bring its own challenges but we continue to believe we will deliver both on
and off the pitch by investing in the team, the brand and managing the
business well."
Some key figures from this year's accounts include:
* Turnover rose by £41.3million to £183.3million - largely as a result of
the improved TV deal
* The TV deal was worth £119.3million to the club in 2016/17 - nearly two
thirds of its entire annual income
* Tickets sales rose from £26.9million at the Boleyn to £28.6million at the
Olympic Stadium - an increase of just £1.7million
* Despite adding the new club shop in Stratford to its portfolio, the club's
retail revenue increased by just 2 per cent (£9.6million)
* The club's commercial and sponsorship departments saw an 35.7 per cent
increase in turnover (up to £25.8million)*
° The Boleyn Ground site, sold to Galliard (as Boleyn Phoenix Limited) was
later sold to another development company for circa £60million.
David Sullivan was previously quoted as saying he had received better offers
for the ground, but sold to local firm Galliard as they would ensure the
club's legacy would be respected. Galliard are believed to have sold the
ground less than 24 hours after it was purchased to a subsidiary of
Barretts.
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Isla recovering following major surgery
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
An operation to remove a tumour from little Isla Caton has been a success,
according to her parents. The three-year-old, who is suffering from
Neuroblastoma and whose plight has captured the hearts of all West Ham
supporters - and many from outside the club - underwent surgery to remove a
tumour from her brain earlier today, according to a post from her mother.
And fortunately, initial reports suggest that the operation has been a
success - as mum Nicola has just confirmed via social media.
Earlier in the day, West Ham captain Mark Noble had sent the following
message in support of little Isla, who he carried out onto the pitch ahead
of the recent Premier League meeting with AFC Bournemouth.
If you'd like to contribute to the fund to get Isla to the US for
much-needed treatment, visit the Bradley Lowery Foundation in order to to
make a donation.
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ISA rally postponed on Newham advice
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th March 2018
By: Staff Writer
The West Ham United Independent Supporters' Association (WHUISA) has
confirmed that they will not be staging a rally in Stratford this weekend on
the advice of local authorities.
In a statement released by the ISA this afternoon, it was revealed that
Newham Council had asked for more time to discuss plans with the group, who
had hoped to re-arrange a fans' protest following the Real West Ham Fans
Action Group's (RWHFAG) decision to cancel theirs last week.
"The West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA) wishes to
register its disappointment that the group has been unable to gain
permission to hold a peaceful, lawful demonstration this Saturday, 10th
March 2018," read a statment released by the Association.
"Correspondence received today from Newham Council stated 'it would be
beneficial to all parties if we could postpone for a short period of time to
give everyone time to consider a proposal which would be safe for
participants, without substantial disruption to the road network and
agreeable to stakeholders, landowners and those with responsibility for
safety in the area.'
"Since Thursday 1st March, the WHUISA committee has worked tirelessly with
the authorities in order to comply with all proper regulations and
procedures needed to hold a march. On behalf of the WHUISA committee, we
would like to thank all those who have been involved with the efforts
including the hundreds of new members who have joined us. The issue of a
protest march will not be raised again until the WHUISA AGM later in the
year, details of which will be sent to members."
The FSF-recognised organisation - who are the latest in a long line of
independent supporter associations (ISAs) to represent West Ham in recent
years, following on from the likes of WHUST (West Ham United Supporters
Trust, 2002-2005) and WHISA (West Ham Independent Supporters' Association,
2013-2015) - also denied suggestions that they are affiliated with any
particular political party.
"Claims were also made that the group is affiliated with the Mayor of
London's office," added the statement. "This is untrue. WHUISA is a
resolutely non-political, democratic, completely independent organisation,
proudly affiliated to the FSF and will continue to work for the benefit of
all West Ham United supporters and to hold the board to account.
"We believe that this commitment to transparency is a fundamental
requirement of WHUISA's role as a voice of West Ham fans. All our work is
done in consultation with our members so we hope if you are not already a
member you will join us now for just £1."
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WHUISA STATEMENT ON MARCH
By Sean Whetstone 6 Mar 2018 at 16:29
WTID
The West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA) wishes to
register its disappointment that the group has been unable to gain
permission to hold a peaceful, lawful demonstration this Saturday, 10th
March 2018.
Correspondence received today from Newham Council stated "it would be
beneficial to all parties if we could postpone for a short period of time to
give everyone time to consider a proposal which would be safe for
participants, without substantial disruption to the road network and
agreeable to stakeholders, landowners and those with responsibility for
safety in the area."
Since Thursday 1st March, the WHUISA committee has worked tirelessly with
the authorities in order to comply with all proper regulations and
procedures needed to hold a march. On behalf of the WHUISA committee, we
would like to thank all those who have been involved with the efforts
including the hundreds of new members who have joined us. The issue of a
protest march will not be raised again until the WHUISA AGM later in the
year, details of which will be sent to members.
Claims were also made that the group is affiliated with the Mayor of
London's office. This is untrue. WHUISA is a resolutely non-political,
democratic, completely independent organisation, proudly affiliated to the
FSF and will continue to work for the benefit of all West Ham United
supporters and to hold the board to account.
We believe that this commitment to transparency is a fundamental requirement
of WHUISA's role as a voice of West Ham fans. All our work is done in
consultation with our members so we hope if you are not already a member you
will now join us now for just £1 (www.whuisa.org/join)
West Ham United Independent Supporters Association Committee – 6th March
2018
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WEST HAM FINANCIAL UPDATE
By Sean Whetstone 6 Mar 2018 at 09:56
WTID
West Ham's newly announced financial accounts show a record turnover and
record profit but mostly due to the new TV deal which came in last season.
The accounts published at companies house today show figures for last season
up to 31st May 2017.
The main areas show:
O Turnover increase of 28.9% (£41.2m) from £142.1m to £183.3m
O TV income grew by 7% (£32.6m) from £86.7m to £119.3m
This is in line with many other Premier League clubs when the new Sky/BT
deal came into effect last season. Most clubs have increased their turnover
by a similar amount.
O Ticket income grew by 6.3% from £26.9m to £28.6m
The modest increase might be a surprise to some but with 10,000 Under 16
season tickets for £99 and 8,000 Band 5 season tickets for £289 and prizes
frozen the only way to increase revenue in this area is to increase ticket
pricing which would not go down well with fans.
O Commercial and sponsorship including corporate hospitality sales were up
by 35.7% from £19m to £25.8m
This area includes the corporate hospitality called Club London which
increased to 3,200 members and better sponsorship deals in the new stadium.
O Retail and shop sales grew by 2% from £9.3m to £9.6m
Again a rather small increase but there are some mitigating factors. The
last year in the Boleyn Ground saw record revenue from retail from dedicated
merchandise the club shop currently lacks a car park and has limited
footfall or passing trade outside of match days.
O The club published a gross profit of £64.4m but this reduced to a net
profit of £43m after playing trading, taxation and interest.
While the profit is impressive the club remains relatively cash poor as many
transactions are paid for upfront but accounted for (depreciated) over many
years in the accounts. These include the £15m for the stadium (depreciated
over 99 years, the club shop, office and Westhamification of the London
Stadium (depreciated over 10 years) and many players 50% up front but
depreciated over the length of the player's contract.
O The accounts confirm the Boleyn Ground was sold for £38m.
West Ham had already received £10m up front in previous years so the balance
of £28m was paid in July 2016 by the developers. This was used mostly pay
off bank loans of £14.7m and London Stadium upfront fee of £15m.
O Wages increased by £10.4m from £84.6m to £95m which means wages account
for 51.8% of turnover.
The highest paid director wages (believed to be West Ham Vice-Chairman
Karren Brady) reduced her salary from £907,000 to £868,000. In comparison,
Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis was paid £2.65m plus a £1m bonus in 2016 despite
not winning anything as a club so it could be argued her salary remains
below the market rate. David Gold and David Sullivan did not draw a wage or
claim any expenses.
O An update on West Ham loans:
External bank loans totalling £14.7m to shareholders CB Holding ehf
(Icelandics) and (GC Co 102 Limited) David Sullivan were repaid on 15th July
2016 to make West Ham externally debt free of long-term non-share holder
loans. Interest was charged at under 5%.
The club re-paid their £30m short-term loan to Media Rights and Funding
secured against TV money on 14th July 2017. In August 2017 they took out two
new short-term loans with Media Rights and Funding totalling £25m secured
against the training grounds and Stadium lease to help with cash flow. These
loans are due for repayment in July 2018.
The Share Holder loan balance has reduced from £49.2m to £45m in August 2016
after David Gold and David Sullivan were repaid £4.2m of their loans plus
£2.2m in interest.
Interest on shareholder loans totalled £12.7m in May 2017 but £10m of this
was later paid back to David Gold and David Sullivan on 18th August 2017.
The interest on the remaining balance has reduced from 7% to 4% from 1st
April 2017 with the shareholder loan balance due for repayment on 1st
January 2020.
Shareholder Tripp Smith paid a £9.5m interest-free loan to West Ham in
September 2017 after buying 10% of the shares from the Icelandic's.
A full copy of the accounts can be found at:
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/05993863/filing-history
The club have published their own summary at
https://www.whufc.com/news/club-accounts-published-for-2016-17
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CLUB PRESIDENT CONFIRMS WEST HAM'S INTEREST IN STARLET VIA OFFICIAL
COMMUNICATIONFeatured Image
Date: 6th March 2018 at 9:59pm
Written by: Josh Challies
Forever WestHam
West Ham's recruitment drive at the end of the season is likely to be
extremely diverse, following a campaign where the Hammers have struggled to
find consistency and sit just three points above the relegation zone.
Amongst the areas that David Moyes' side are likely to want to improve is
between the sticks, where Manchester City loanee Joe Hart has failed to
catch the eye and Spaniard Adrian was criticised after his performance in
the recent 4-1 defeat to Chelsea.
Interestingly, reports on the continent in recent days have revealed West
Ham's interest in 17-year-old goalkeeper Marco Meneghetti, who's currently
playing in Italy's third-tier with Pordenone.
Now the Italian club's president Mauro Lovisa has weighed in on the
situation, confirming that West Ham are interested in the teenager with
quotes made to TuttoMercatoWeb.
"Marco Meneghetti is in the sights of the Hammers. I have the official
e-mail from the British club. The fact is that Marco also interests Inter."
Interest from Inter Milan will be a concern to West Ham though, as they're
unlikely to be able to match the offer from the Italian giants.
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THILL KEEN TO LEAVE METZ AMID LINKS WITH WEST HAM
LUKE OSMAN @LukeOsmanRS
ReadWestHam
Reported West Ham target Vincent Thill is understood to be keen on making a
summer move away from Metz this summer.
It was reported last month that David Moyes is seemingly intent on staying
put at the London Stadium for the foreseeable future. This prompted claims
that he has already set his sight on a number of targets to inject some life
into his ageing West Ham squad – including Thill.
The 18-year-old is held in high regard out in France and has been dubbed as
one for the future. However, as per the Luxembourg Wort – a media source in
the player's homeland – he is out to secure a move away from Metz in the
coming months.
Thill has only managed to feature in one Ligue 1 game for his side this
season, which he is understood to have been left frustrated by. This has led
to him to seek pastures new ahead of the summer transfer window.
It's stated in the report that the Luxembourg international's future is
being discussed by chiefs at Metz. Conversations are said to be taking place
with regards to whether or not Thill should be sold or loaned out for the
season.
West Ham will face competition from Juventus for Thill's signature, though,
if they do press ahead with their efforts to land him. According to
Luxembourg Wort, the youngster's agent Meissa N'Diaye held talks with the
Serie A giants over a potential move.
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West Ham make major transfer admission following release of 2016-17 accounts
Co-owner David Sullivan pledges to invest more after the club reported
record turnover for the 2017-18 season.
Club spent £33.6m net on players, a minor increase in the first year of the
new Premier League TV deal.
Nick Howson By Nick Howson
March 6, 2018 13:03 GMT
IBTimes.co.uk
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has committed to investing more on
new players in the transfer market after admitting the club have underspent
in recent windows. The claim comes following the release of the Hammers'
financial results for the 2016-17 season which shows a record turnover of
£183.3m, centrally due to an increase in the Premier League television deal.
Yet despite broadcast income increasing to £119.3m, ticket sales revenue
swelling to £28.4m and the new deal with Betway enhancing their sponsorship
income to £25.8m, West Ham invested a paltry amount in their playing squad.
Net cash investment in players totaled £33.6m, up from the £32.4m they had
outlaid the previous campaign. However, given that clubs benefited from the
record £5.1bn television deal for the first time last term, the 3.7%
increase represents a poor return. Andre Ayew, Robert Snodgrass, Manuel
Lanzini, Jose Fonte, Arthur Masuaku, Edimilson Fernandes and loan players
Simone Zaza, Jonathan Calleri and Gokhan Tore all arrived across the summer
and January windows to help the club finish 11th in the Premier League under
then coach Slaven Bilic. But with West Ham debt free and having invested
heavily in infrastructure – a £3.5m overhaul of their academy is also
planned – Sulllivan insists the club are in a strong financial position and
can look to spend freely in the coming years. "The club is in the healthiest
financial position it has been in for years," said 69-year-old Sullivan, who
has a 51.1% controlling stake in West Ham, in a review of the season. "In
each of the last two seasons we have broken our transfer record and
improvements in our overall financial position will help us to increase
investment again this summer. "I know some of our supporters will argue we
have not spent enough in the transfer windows and signed the right targets -
I accept that. "I have explained in recent weeks we are changing the
structure of our scouting and recruitment setup and will make every effort
to improve our performance in those areas in the future."
Now in their second season at the much-derided London Stadium, West Ham have
revealed the full cost of the move from Upton Park. The east Londoners made
an £8.7m profit on the sale of the ground and other stadium assets to
Barratt Homes. They will pay a one-off pre-agreed £15m fee for access to the
stadium – though that will be spread over the term of the lease - and used
two £5m deposits to help pay off legacy bank loans amounting to £14.7m.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham yet to feel benefit of move to London Stadium as accounts reveal
they would have made 'a similar profit' if they'd stayed at Upton Park
West Ham have revealed a record profit of £43million in their 2016-17
accounts
Club admit they would have made a similar profit if they'd stayed at Upton
Park
Most of the money was generated by TV deal (£119m) and player sales (£28m)
Fans are likely to call for the profit to be reinvested in playing squad in
summer
By Kieran Gill for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 13:04, 6 March 2018 | UPDATED: 15:28, 6 March 2018
West Ham are yet to feel the financial benefit of their move from Upton Park
to the London Stadium, the Premier League club's accounts have confessed.
The Hammers' finances for 2016-17 - their first season at their new home in
Stratford - show they managed to make a record profit of £43million. Yet a
standout line in the accounts, which were released on Tuesday, states: 'It
is worth noting that the club would have made a similar profit had it
remained at the old stadium.'
Most of the money for the year was generated by the new bumper TV deal
(£119.3m) and from player sales (£28.4m). That included Dimitri Payet's
high-profile move to Marseille in January 2017. The sale of the Boleyn
Ground also brought in £8.7m. West Ham believed the 57,000-seater London
Stadium would benefit them in their search for European football. After
finishing seventh in their last season at the Boleyn, they finished 11th in
their first in Stratford.
A statement from Karren Brady in the accounts discusses the London Stadium:
'It is already apparent that our new home is one of the greatest arenas in
world football and a platform to transform the future of our great club. 'We
have been very focused on delivering a ground that looks and feels like the
home ground of West Ham United. We invested a significant amount of money,
running into millions of pounds, in the external wrap, the digital screen
and branding inside and outside the stadium.'
West Ham suffered a £4.9m loss after tax in 2015-16 so the club are
satisfied with their £43m profit. Most fans will call for that to be
reinvested in the squad.
Co-chairman David Sullivan added: 'The club is in the healthiest financial
position it has been in for years. In each of the last two seasons we have
broken our transfer record and improvements in our overall financial
position will help us to increase investment again this summer. 'I know some
of our supporters will argue we have not spent enough in the transfer
windows and signed the right targets - I accept that. I have explained in
recent weeks we are changing the structure of our scouting and recruitment
set-up and will make every effort to improve our performance in those areas
in the future.'
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 6
Daily WHUFC News - 6th March 2018
Moyes: Our next two home games could define our Premier League season
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says West Ham United's next two home games could 'define' their
Premier League season. The Hammers host Burnley and Southampton in their
only top-flight fixtures in March and know six points out of six would go a
long way to securing their safety. However, after losing 4-1 at Liverpool
and Swansea City in their last two matches, the manager has demanded more
energy, more quality and more resilience when they return to action at
London Stadium. "The next two games could define the season," he confirmed.
"We've got games now that we know we can get something from. Before, I
thought a point a game could get us to 40 points, as that was the
old-fashioned figure, but we're now finding we need to do more than that.
"We're having to make sure we pick up points, but obviously the games are
not easy against any of the teams, it doesn't matter who you are playing. "I
like the message to be that we're going to be fine, but the truth is we're
not fine yet. I want us to be positive and we are capable of winning games,
but at the moment we have to find a way of not conceding goals. "We have to
give our attacking players the chance to win us games. We're not fine yet,
but I want us to be positive and look forward. We have got a squad that can
do it, but on Saturday we went without four big players, including two
centre-halves. Angelo [Obgonna] was an illness, so he shouldn't be out too
long. Ginge [James Collins] felt a bit of tightness in his hamstring during
the week, so that made it a little bit difficult."
West Ham went on a fine run over Christmas and the New Year, picking up 20
points and losing just two of 12 Premier League matches, but their heavy
defeats at Anfield and the Liberty Stadium have led Moyes to call on his
players to go back to basics and rediscover that level of performance. "The
big thing for the players is that we're not reaching the standards we were
six weeks ago. We're not reaching the energy levels, or the quality or
making ourselves hard to beat – all the things we wanted to instil since we
came in. "To be fair, we probably have been playing better football, but
ultimately we need to get results. We're not in a good enough place, because
we need to win more games. "Saturday was miles away from where we want to be
going and if we play like that, none of those players will be here. The
players need to show a bit and I think they are good enough, but in the last
two games they didn't show anywhere near enough to win games. "At Swansea,
we should have saved the first goal, the second one was a corner kick which
we should easily deal with at the back post, the third one was a corner kick
we should easily deal with, and the fourth one was a penalty kick, so if you
go through it, it was a really poor performance because we didn't do the
basics well enough, and if we do the basics well enough we'll be OK."
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Loan watch: Oxford starts in draw, but snow puts paid to domestic action
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford was the only one of West Ham United's five loanees to see
action over the weekend. The defender started Borussia Monchengladbach's 2-2
Bundesliga draw with Werder Bremen in snowy Germany at right-back, but was
powerless to prevent the visitors coming from two goals down to snatch a
share of the spoils at Stadion im Borussia-Park. Friday's draw leaves
Monchengladbach eighth in the table ahead of a trip to fifth-place Bayer
Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon.
Toni Martinez was an unused substitute as Valladolid draw 1-1 with Rayo
Vallecano in Spain's Segunda Division. Valladolid sit tenth in the table,
but just three points outside the Promotion Play-Off positions. They travel
to lowly Alcorcon on Saturday.
Closer to home, Reece Burke was also an unused substitute for Bolton
Wanderers in their 3-1 EFL Championship defeat by Preston North End at the
Macron Stadium. Burke's former West Ham Academy teammate Sean Maguire was
Preston's hero, scoring twice on his return from a three-month injury
layoff. Bolton and Burke will hope to return to winning ways at Reading on
Tuesday evening.
Elsewhere, the wintry weather put paid to Robert Snodgrass and Aston Villa's
home Championship game against Queens Park Rangers, Martin Samuelsen and
Burton Albion's Championship fixture at Sheffield United, as well as Moses
Makasi and Plymouth Argyle's League One trip to Rochdale.
Snodgrass and Samuelsen should be back in action in midweek, with Villa
travelling to Sunderland and Burton hosting Brentford on Tuesday.
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Dale Gordon reflects on West Ham's historic first Premier League goal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's first-ever Premier League goalscorer Dale Gordon still
keeps an eye on the Hammers' fortunes. Michail Antonio hit the east
Londoners' 1,000th Premier League goal in Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Swansea
City, nearly 25 years since winger Gordon netted the very first in a 1-1
draw at Coventry City on 21 August 1993. Having been promoted from the old
Division One, West Ham had lost their opening two matches, 2-0 at home to
Wimbledon and 1-0 at Leeds United, to drop to the bottom of the 22-team
table. In contrast, Coventry had won their first two games, 3-0 at Arsenal
and 2-1 at home to Newcastle United. The Hammers upset the form book, going
ahead through Gordon's scrambled effort on the stroke of half-time.
Two-and-a-half decades on, the 51-year-old remembers the goal he scored in
front of just 12,864 fans at Highfield Road clearly. "I remember we had a
really bad start against Wimbledon at home and that getting a result at
Coventry was going to be difficult," recalled Gordon, who had joined the
Club from Rangers for £750,000 the previous month. "We started well and got
the lead and showed good character. "As for my goal, it wasn't the 25-yard
screamer I wanted to score! It was a tap-in from two yards, but they all
count and goes down in history so I guess I can live with that. "So, a 1-1
draw was a good response after the defeats against Wimbledon and Leeds."
After injury ended his career at the age of 30 after a short spell with AFC
Bournemouth, former Norwich City star Gordon returned to his native Norfolk
to coach young footballers. He is now based in Dubai, where he runs his own
Academy and also works as a radio pundit. "I have been in Dubai for six
years now. I was director of football for an academy here and have now set
up my own academy called DG PRO FC. I have age groups from U8s up to U12s
and will be coming back to UK at the end of March with my U12s team for a
tour, playing against my old club Norwich City, Ipswich Town and to take
part in an international tournament."
While Gordon is busy coaching young footballers in the United Arab Emirates,
he still keeps up to date with how the Club he was part of for three seasons
between 1993 and 1996 are faring, and believes David Moyes is the right
manager to lead West Ham forward. "I still keep an eye on all the teams I
played for and their results, especially lately when Slaven Bilic was the
manager, as I was at the Club as a player with him. "Focusing on this
season, even though they had a tough start and a change of manager, David
Moyes has settled the team and brought back the confidence in the group, and
players who have great ability have now showed their true potential to help
them climb the table. "I think they will survive this season and, with David
Moyes and good summer in the transfer market, they do need to push on next
season and a maybe a good cup run will give the west ham supporters some
welcome cheer after a couple of inconsistent seasons."
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Smith hails 'tremendous effort' in Ladies semi-final win
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies assistant coach Myles Smith was impressed with the
side's effort in the 3-0 WPL Plate semi-final win over Hull City. Two goals
from Kelly Wealthall put the Irons on their way to victory on Sunday before
a terrific strike from Andria Georgiou sealed the result. The semi-final win
comes after a difficult week for the Ladies, with training interrupted due
to the snowy conditions, but Smith was thrilled with how his team conducted
themselves in the contest. "I think the effort and the hard work from all
the girls this week has been tremendous," Smith told whufc.com. "It's been a
difficult week with the weather, but the way the girls and the staff have
reacted has been magnificent. Everyone involved has put in a maximum effort,
and that has been huge, and we've got the rewards for that in this win."
On the match itself, he added: "Before the game we knew Hull were going to
be a challenging opponent. We never underestimated them and we always knew
it was going to be tough. At half-time we recognised that further. "One of
the things we said was asking Kelly to get higher and stretch their defence
a bit more, which would allow our midfield attackers to have more space on
the ball. Today, the credit goes to the players. They recognised where the
space was on the pitch and where to move the ball to."
As an active coach in the West Ham Ladies Academy, Smith took particular
delight in the performance of 16-year-old Wealthall, with her two goals
putting the Hammers on their way to the win. "For me, Kelly's performance
was absolutely fantastic," the coach continued: "To have a 16-year-old
player who has come through the ranks, scoring twice in a semi-final, is
massive. "She had a great tournament away and now she's come back and
continued that form. She showed on the pitch today that she's a quality
player and she's given us a lot of think about, which ultimately is what we
want. We want these young players to come through and push for their spots."
With two cup finals now in the imminent future for West Ham United Ladies,
Smith admits there is a growing excitement among the squad for the chance to
win silverware this campaign. "Part of the challenge now is keeping the
player's heads level and feet on the ground. We said to our girls that this
game, in a way, was like a final. Now we're in two actual finals and we will
need to manage that. "The major part though, is to keep doing what we've
been doing. We have to keep putting in the same effort every single week and
we have to keep improving. We've had a fantastic 2018 and if we keep doing
what we've doing and keep pushing to be better, we will enjoy a successful
end to the season."
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West Ham must put "embarrassing" defeat behind them against Burnley
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 5th March 2018
By: Staff Writer #3
West Ham United host Burnley on Saturday desperately needing to pick up
three points to boost their fight for Premier League survival. With West
Bromwich Albion looking doomed, there are 12 clubs still nervously looking
over their shoulders as the season heads into the final couple of months.
Just 10 points separates eighth-placed Leicester City and Stoke City in
19th, and the Hammers remain bang in trouble after picking up just one in
their last five matches.
Last Saturday's dismal 4-1 defeat at Swansea City saw the Welsh club draw
level on points with West Ham and manager David Moyes' assessment of his
team's performance was damning. "Embarrassing" and "impossible to assess"
were the standout comments from Moyes' post-match interview, but the Scot
needs to quickly find some answers if he is to keep West Ham safe this
season.
Despite the defeat, West Ham are priced at 23/20 to beat Burnley. The
visitors are available at 13/5, with the draw on offer at 21/10. The
Hammers can take plenty of encouragement from their recent record against
Burnley, having lost just one of their last nine meetings with the
Lancashire club in all competitions.
The two sides drew 1-1 at Turf Moor earlier in the season, although the
Hammers could count themselves unfortunate not to have picked up all three
points.
Chris Wood's header for the home side five minutes from time cancelled out
Michail Antonio's opener to rescue a point for Burnley, as West Ham played
the majority of the contest with 10 men following Andy Carroll's stupid
first-half dismissal. A repeat of that scoreline can be backed at 51/10, but
it's getting to the point in the season where home draws simply aren't good
enough for the Hammers.
Burnley head into the match having ended an 11-game winless run with a 2-1
victory at home to Everton to move on to 40 points for the season. However,
they haven't won away from home since last November and this is a game West
Ham must win if they are serious about staying in the Premier League. Sean
Dyche's side are functional rather than spectacular and the fact they remain
7th in the table must be a serious source of embarrassment for plenty of
clubs below them.
Last season's corresponding fixture finished 1-0 to West Ham and Moyes would
undoubtedly be delighted if that particular 5/1 punt came home.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
David Moyes warns his West Ham players they are 'miles' from where they
should be
By Matthew Treadwell
Last Updated: 04/03/18 11:27pm
SSN
West Ham boss David Moyes has warned his players they must improve if they
are to secure their futures at the club. The Hammers were beaten 4-1 by
Swansea on Saturday, a result that leaves them just three points above the
Premier League relegation zone. West Ham boss David Moyes apologised to the
supporters and says the players are disappointed with their own performances
after a heavy defeat at Swansea. Former West Ham striker Andre and his
younger sibling Jordan, who scored the Swans' final goal at the Liberty
Stadium, consistently caused problems for a rejigged defence. "They have
been told this was miles and miles away from where I'm going - or they are
going," said Moyes, himself under-fire after guiding his side to just one
win in their last six matches. "If they are going to play like that, then
there'll be none of us here. The players need to show a wee bit, but I think
they are good enough to do that. "But they definitely all need to up their
levels, because this wouldn't be good enough to win the games we've got
coming up."
Two goals in each half helped Swansea thrash West Ham 4-1 at the Liberty
Stadium to climb out of the bottom three. West Ham are 14th in the Premier
League table having picked up 30 points from 29 games. Moyes' side have the
joint-worst defensive record with Stoke - both having conceded 54 goals -
and successive home games against Burnley and Southampton have now taken on
added importance. "Those games could define our season," Moyes added. "We
are down to nine games now. Before I was thinking, a point a game will get
you to about 40 points. "That's always been the old-fashioned figure [for
safety], but we are now having to do more than that. "I'd like the message
to be that we'll be fine, but the truth of the matter is we're not. I want
us to be positive and look forward, but we have to stop conceding goals."
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ANOTHER BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE ? I THINK IT'S A BAD OFFICE AT WEST HAM
By HamburgHammer 5 Mar 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Inept, poor, lackluster, shambolic, spineless, pathetic – choose any
adjective with a negative connotation and it should fit West Ham's
performance at Swansea. Bear in mind that this is a Swansea rummaging around
the basement of the table, desperate for any point to escape relegation – so
not exactly powerhouse opposition.
But there is an awful lot going on and going wrong at West Ham this season –
and when your paper-thin squad gets reduced further by illnesses and
injuries you shouldn't be surprised to see a team with their backs to the
wall struggling to play anything resembling Premier League quality football.
Like in so many other games this season though, just like under Bilic during
his bad run, a lot of the players look disinterested, as if the game (which
should be the highlight and focus of the week and the centerpiece of their
professional pride) is nothing but a distraction of their everyday routine.
I can sympathise that it's probably not wall to wall fun to be a West Ham
player at the moment, but they are professionals and should act accordingly.
Also it looks like Moyes's honeymoon is finally over. I have been an
advocate of finding a manager and then giving him a long term deal to lay a
foundation for a long term strategy and gameplan for the entire club. I have
my doubts though if Moyes is the right man to succeed with this particular
bunch of players. I always try to find positives to talk about in my column
when it comes to West Ham, but like the team I'm struggling.
Rice was the best player on the pitch yesterday and when a 19 year old is
the only player coming out of a game with any professional dignity it's a
worrying sign.
Our league position is still perilous, we may still have a three point
cushion, but have destroyed our goal difference in the last two games which
can be a relegation clincher at the end of the season. If we have to lose we
cannot afford to concede a shipload like we tend to do. We don't just lose,
we capitulate, waving white flags all over the shop.
The entire club is in turmoil, from top to bottom, and I am sick and tired
of hearing claims that the fans are putting a millstone of negativity around
the club's neck, affecting the players.
Pardon my French, but this is hogwash. The fans so far have been remarkably
patient and unwaveringly positive and supportive, especially the travelling
parties creating a fantastic atmosphere for our away games. I don't remember
too many occasions when the team actually repaid the away supporters with a
great performance on the pitch.
The fans have done their bit, it's about time the players, the manager and
yes, the bloody board gave something back – and I am not talking about
letters promising all kinds of things, beer shelves or flags of former
Hammers legends being draped all over the concourse. Those are minor issues
that should have been sorted the moment we moved into the new place.
Every week another thing happens that easily opens up the board for more
criticism. Reid going down the way he did of course was a freak injury, a
stroke of bad luck and by the looks of it he could now be out for the rest
of the season and beyond. This is significant because we just recently
happened to allow Fonte to leave to China, getting in some funds to balance
the books.
Sorry, but surely the priority this transfer window should have been to add
to our squad in preparation for the relegation battle, not make it weaker.
What was the point in letting so many players leave ? And what if we get
relegated ? Expect plenty of transfer requests to arrive on Sullivan's desk
within days after the final game.
Talking of relegation I would be sad, angry, disappointed, distraught, but
probably not for long.
It would be much harder for me to watch games of course in terms of finding
internet streams for Championship games, but that's not really the main
issue. The issue is that once you're down there it's incredibly hard to get
back up again, especially in the current circumstances. We could easily do a
Leeds, a Forest or a Bolton.
Would I be happy to see the Daves take a financial hit in case of relegation
?
Well, not really. They are so rich that a financial hit for them is very
relative. They could still keep their Bentleys including chauffeur, their
crystal panthers at home would be safe and they could also still afford two
warm meals a day.
But West Ham, fans and club, would suffer going down and I don't want West
Ham to suffer. Parachute payments alone won't guarantee anything anymore.
The board may well be gone in a few years, but the fans would still be there
in the Championship in their droves and that's why I can sympathise with any
fan who still feels the desire and need to march.
The frustration and anger simply needs to go somewhere. Is a march the best
way to let off steam ? I don't know. Will it help the club ? Maybe not.
Is it better instead to vent your anger at home games inside the stadium
with chants and banners ? Probably not, it may affect the players, but can
they honestly play any worse than they did in recent weeks and for most of
the season ? And that was with solid support from the West Ham faithful
throughout.
As you can gather from my ramblings, I don't have any answers really and
even if I had it wouldn't matter really as the decision makers are elsewhere
and they seem to think their decisions have been spot on and they are the
best people really to make this club a success. If you define success by
just staying up in the Premier League even that task becomes quite tricky
with every game we fail to win.
It's gonna be a tense remainder of the season and not for the faint of
heart. You reap what you sow and it could be argued we have sown little and
sown badly in recent years.
A Championship team as anchor tenant in the Olympic Stadium. A bizarre
thought. But then again our club are the masters of the bizarre and we make
the surreal possible.
COYI!!!
PS: Not much else to report on a personal level. All lower level football in
Hamburg got postponed due to the weather conditions. Hamburg only drew
against Mainz, edging ever closer to relegation, getting a goal disallowed
after VAR ruled it offside. And my brother is off on rehab in a place in the
middle of nowhere near Mölln, the Eulenspiegel town. Eulenspiegel was a
legendary trickster exposing vices many hundred years ago.
Tricksters aren't a thing of the past though, some of them are still alive
and kicking, running football clubs…
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ANGELO OGBONNA EXPECTED TO RETURN FOR BURNLEY GAME
STE HOARE @Stehoare
ReadWestHam
David Moyes expects to have centre-back Angelo Ogbonna available for this
weekend's Premier League fixture with Burnley. The Italian international was
missing from the Hammers squad as they were heavily beaten 4-1 at Swansea
City on Saturday. At one point, West Ham were forced to full-back Pablo
Zabaleta at centre-back as Winston Reid went off injured and with the New
Zealander set to miss a significant period of time, the timing of Ogbonna's
return will be welcomed.
Speaking to Football.London, Moyes said: Angelo Ogbonna was an illness, so
he shouldn't be out too long. Despite an upturn in results since Moyes
arrived, West Ham are still not certain to be playing Premier League
football next season and as such, they'lll be targeting a win against a
Burnley side who had been on a winless run before they defeated Everton 2-1
at the weekend. The return of Ogbonna will be most welcome and he'll be
expected to start the game.
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WEST HAM DEFENDER SET FOR BIG CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTUREFeatured Image
Date: 5th March 2018 at 9:05pm
Written by: Josh Challies
West Ham have plenty left to fight for in the remainder of the Premier
League season, after Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Swansea City left the Hammers
hovering just three points above the relegation zone, and one player in
particular has his sights on a new venture.
Left-back Arthur Masuaku recently declared his intention to represent DR
Congo at the 2022 World Cup, as he aims to help the African nation
qualifying for the tournament in Qatar- but he needs FIFA approval to switch
his allegiance from France.
However, reports from DR Congo state that Masuaku is set to be given the
green-light to make the international change- although the African nation
have stated that, as of yet, they're yet to receive official clearance.
It's unknown when an outcome will be made but it appears that everything is
in line for 24-year-old Masuaku to make the change to kickstart his
international career, as he has very little chance of representing France,
his nation of birth.
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West Ham fans plan protest march amid toxic atmosphere
KEN DYER
ES Football Newsletter
West Ham will go into their most important match of the season at home
against Burnley on Saturday amid an atmosphere of toxicity among a section
of their supporters. Saturday's 4-1 away defeat to relegation rivals Swansea
added to growing feelings of resentment towards the club owners, and the
anger spilled over straight after the match when co-chairman David Gold's
car was stopped and he was confronted by an abusive fan as he left the
Liberty Stadium. A planned protest march organised by the Real West Ham Fans
Action Group was cancelled on Friday following a meeting between fans'
groups and vice- chairman Karren Brady. But other factions, including the
West Ham United Independent Supporters Association, still hope to stage a
march before Saturday's match at the London Stadium. The association has
contacted the London Legacy Development Corporation, landlords of the London
Stadium, asking to stage the march on their property since arrangements
with the police on the original route had been cancelled.
A statement on the association website read: "WHUISA exists to represent our
members, and the feeling among fans, as best we can. Our members and the
wider fan base made it abundantly clear that they want the march to happen
so we have taken action. "We have worked with the FSF (Football Supporters'
Federation), the Met Police and spoken to Newham Council to save the march
and give our fans a chance to show their lack of confidence in the current
direction of West Ham United. "As it stands there will be a change of route
but the authorities are in consultation for a peaceful protest to go ahead
on Saturday March 10."
l
Meanwhile, amid this toxic atmosphere, West Ham manager David Moyes must try
to pick his team up following their morale-sapping defeat at Swansea, which
leaves them just three points above the bottom three in the Premier League.
Moyes offered no excuses for what he admitted was the team's worst
performance since he took charge in November. However, he was up against it
before the match started when he lost two of his central defenders, James
Collins (hamstring) and Angelo Ogbonna (illness), followed by a third during
the match when Winston Reid was taken off on a stretcher with a damaged knee
and suspected concussion.
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National Portrait Gallery remembers football legend Bobby Moore with new
exhibition
ROBERT DEX
11 hours ago
GO London Newsletter
Football legend Bobby Moore is being remembered with a new exhibition which
opens today at the National Portrait Gallery. Bobby Moore: First Gentleman
of English Football features family photographs tracing his career. The West
Ham and Fulham player, who died in 1993 aged 51, captained England to World
Cup victory in 1966. The photographs include one of him playing chess with
his West German opposite number and great rival Franz Beckenbauer who said
Moore was the "best defender in the history of the game". Another is of him
sheltering from the rain with West Ham teammate Johnny Byrne. There are also
images of the star at home in Chigwell, Essex, in 1975, left, with first
wife Tina, son Dean and daughter Roberta, who collected the pictures. She
said the new exhibition, which runs until January, is "a wonderful tribute"
to a man who "emanated grace both on and off the pitch".
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
David Moyes says West Ham United's next two home games could 'define' their
Premier League season. The Hammers host Burnley and Southampton in their
only top-flight fixtures in March and know six points out of six would go a
long way to securing their safety. However, after losing 4-1 at Liverpool
and Swansea City in their last two matches, the manager has demanded more
energy, more quality and more resilience when they return to action at
London Stadium. "The next two games could define the season," he confirmed.
"We've got games now that we know we can get something from. Before, I
thought a point a game could get us to 40 points, as that was the
old-fashioned figure, but we're now finding we need to do more than that.
"We're having to make sure we pick up points, but obviously the games are
not easy against any of the teams, it doesn't matter who you are playing. "I
like the message to be that we're going to be fine, but the truth is we're
not fine yet. I want us to be positive and we are capable of winning games,
but at the moment we have to find a way of not conceding goals. "We have to
give our attacking players the chance to win us games. We're not fine yet,
but I want us to be positive and look forward. We have got a squad that can
do it, but on Saturday we went without four big players, including two
centre-halves. Angelo [Obgonna] was an illness, so he shouldn't be out too
long. Ginge [James Collins] felt a bit of tightness in his hamstring during
the week, so that made it a little bit difficult."
West Ham went on a fine run over Christmas and the New Year, picking up 20
points and losing just two of 12 Premier League matches, but their heavy
defeats at Anfield and the Liberty Stadium have led Moyes to call on his
players to go back to basics and rediscover that level of performance. "The
big thing for the players is that we're not reaching the standards we were
six weeks ago. We're not reaching the energy levels, or the quality or
making ourselves hard to beat – all the things we wanted to instil since we
came in. "To be fair, we probably have been playing better football, but
ultimately we need to get results. We're not in a good enough place, because
we need to win more games. "Saturday was miles away from where we want to be
going and if we play like that, none of those players will be here. The
players need to show a bit and I think they are good enough, but in the last
two games they didn't show anywhere near enough to win games. "At Swansea,
we should have saved the first goal, the second one was a corner kick which
we should easily deal with at the back post, the third one was a corner kick
we should easily deal with, and the fourth one was a penalty kick, so if you
go through it, it was a really poor performance because we didn't do the
basics well enough, and if we do the basics well enough we'll be OK."
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Loan watch: Oxford starts in draw, but snow puts paid to domestic action
WHUFC.com
Reece Oxford was the only one of West Ham United's five loanees to see
action over the weekend. The defender started Borussia Monchengladbach's 2-2
Bundesliga draw with Werder Bremen in snowy Germany at right-back, but was
powerless to prevent the visitors coming from two goals down to snatch a
share of the spoils at Stadion im Borussia-Park. Friday's draw leaves
Monchengladbach eighth in the table ahead of a trip to fifth-place Bayer
Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon.
Toni Martinez was an unused substitute as Valladolid draw 1-1 with Rayo
Vallecano in Spain's Segunda Division. Valladolid sit tenth in the table,
but just three points outside the Promotion Play-Off positions. They travel
to lowly Alcorcon on Saturday.
Closer to home, Reece Burke was also an unused substitute for Bolton
Wanderers in their 3-1 EFL Championship defeat by Preston North End at the
Macron Stadium. Burke's former West Ham Academy teammate Sean Maguire was
Preston's hero, scoring twice on his return from a three-month injury
layoff. Bolton and Burke will hope to return to winning ways at Reading on
Tuesday evening.
Elsewhere, the wintry weather put paid to Robert Snodgrass and Aston Villa's
home Championship game against Queens Park Rangers, Martin Samuelsen and
Burton Albion's Championship fixture at Sheffield United, as well as Moses
Makasi and Plymouth Argyle's League One trip to Rochdale.
Snodgrass and Samuelsen should be back in action in midweek, with Villa
travelling to Sunderland and Burton hosting Brentford on Tuesday.
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Dale Gordon reflects on West Ham's historic first Premier League goal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's first-ever Premier League goalscorer Dale Gordon still
keeps an eye on the Hammers' fortunes. Michail Antonio hit the east
Londoners' 1,000th Premier League goal in Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Swansea
City, nearly 25 years since winger Gordon netted the very first in a 1-1
draw at Coventry City on 21 August 1993. Having been promoted from the old
Division One, West Ham had lost their opening two matches, 2-0 at home to
Wimbledon and 1-0 at Leeds United, to drop to the bottom of the 22-team
table. In contrast, Coventry had won their first two games, 3-0 at Arsenal
and 2-1 at home to Newcastle United. The Hammers upset the form book, going
ahead through Gordon's scrambled effort on the stroke of half-time.
Two-and-a-half decades on, the 51-year-old remembers the goal he scored in
front of just 12,864 fans at Highfield Road clearly. "I remember we had a
really bad start against Wimbledon at home and that getting a result at
Coventry was going to be difficult," recalled Gordon, who had joined the
Club from Rangers for £750,000 the previous month. "We started well and got
the lead and showed good character. "As for my goal, it wasn't the 25-yard
screamer I wanted to score! It was a tap-in from two yards, but they all
count and goes down in history so I guess I can live with that. "So, a 1-1
draw was a good response after the defeats against Wimbledon and Leeds."
After injury ended his career at the age of 30 after a short spell with AFC
Bournemouth, former Norwich City star Gordon returned to his native Norfolk
to coach young footballers. He is now based in Dubai, where he runs his own
Academy and also works as a radio pundit. "I have been in Dubai for six
years now. I was director of football for an academy here and have now set
up my own academy called DG PRO FC. I have age groups from U8s up to U12s
and will be coming back to UK at the end of March with my U12s team for a
tour, playing against my old club Norwich City, Ipswich Town and to take
part in an international tournament."
While Gordon is busy coaching young footballers in the United Arab Emirates,
he still keeps up to date with how the Club he was part of for three seasons
between 1993 and 1996 are faring, and believes David Moyes is the right
manager to lead West Ham forward. "I still keep an eye on all the teams I
played for and their results, especially lately when Slaven Bilic was the
manager, as I was at the Club as a player with him. "Focusing on this
season, even though they had a tough start and a change of manager, David
Moyes has settled the team and brought back the confidence in the group, and
players who have great ability have now showed their true potential to help
them climb the table. "I think they will survive this season and, with David
Moyes and good summer in the transfer market, they do need to push on next
season and a maybe a good cup run will give the west ham supporters some
welcome cheer after a couple of inconsistent seasons."
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Smith hails 'tremendous effort' in Ladies semi-final win
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies assistant coach Myles Smith was impressed with the
side's effort in the 3-0 WPL Plate semi-final win over Hull City. Two goals
from Kelly Wealthall put the Irons on their way to victory on Sunday before
a terrific strike from Andria Georgiou sealed the result. The semi-final win
comes after a difficult week for the Ladies, with training interrupted due
to the snowy conditions, but Smith was thrilled with how his team conducted
themselves in the contest. "I think the effort and the hard work from all
the girls this week has been tremendous," Smith told whufc.com. "It's been a
difficult week with the weather, but the way the girls and the staff have
reacted has been magnificent. Everyone involved has put in a maximum effort,
and that has been huge, and we've got the rewards for that in this win."
On the match itself, he added: "Before the game we knew Hull were going to
be a challenging opponent. We never underestimated them and we always knew
it was going to be tough. At half-time we recognised that further. "One of
the things we said was asking Kelly to get higher and stretch their defence
a bit more, which would allow our midfield attackers to have more space on
the ball. Today, the credit goes to the players. They recognised where the
space was on the pitch and where to move the ball to."
As an active coach in the West Ham Ladies Academy, Smith took particular
delight in the performance of 16-year-old Wealthall, with her two goals
putting the Hammers on their way to the win. "For me, Kelly's performance
was absolutely fantastic," the coach continued: "To have a 16-year-old
player who has come through the ranks, scoring twice in a semi-final, is
massive. "She had a great tournament away and now she's come back and
continued that form. She showed on the pitch today that she's a quality
player and she's given us a lot of think about, which ultimately is what we
want. We want these young players to come through and push for their spots."
With two cup finals now in the imminent future for West Ham United Ladies,
Smith admits there is a growing excitement among the squad for the chance to
win silverware this campaign. "Part of the challenge now is keeping the
player's heads level and feet on the ground. We said to our girls that this
game, in a way, was like a final. Now we're in two actual finals and we will
need to manage that. "The major part though, is to keep doing what we've
been doing. We have to keep putting in the same effort every single week and
we have to keep improving. We've had a fantastic 2018 and if we keep doing
what we've doing and keep pushing to be better, we will enjoy a successful
end to the season."
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West Ham must put "embarrassing" defeat behind them against Burnley
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 5th March 2018
By: Staff Writer #3
West Ham United host Burnley on Saturday desperately needing to pick up
three points to boost their fight for Premier League survival. With West
Bromwich Albion looking doomed, there are 12 clubs still nervously looking
over their shoulders as the season heads into the final couple of months.
Just 10 points separates eighth-placed Leicester City and Stoke City in
19th, and the Hammers remain bang in trouble after picking up just one in
their last five matches.
Last Saturday's dismal 4-1 defeat at Swansea City saw the Welsh club draw
level on points with West Ham and manager David Moyes' assessment of his
team's performance was damning. "Embarrassing" and "impossible to assess"
were the standout comments from Moyes' post-match interview, but the Scot
needs to quickly find some answers if he is to keep West Ham safe this
season.
Despite the defeat, West Ham are priced at 23/20 to beat Burnley. The
visitors are available at 13/5, with the draw on offer at 21/10. The
Hammers can take plenty of encouragement from their recent record against
Burnley, having lost just one of their last nine meetings with the
Lancashire club in all competitions.
The two sides drew 1-1 at Turf Moor earlier in the season, although the
Hammers could count themselves unfortunate not to have picked up all three
points.
Chris Wood's header for the home side five minutes from time cancelled out
Michail Antonio's opener to rescue a point for Burnley, as West Ham played
the majority of the contest with 10 men following Andy Carroll's stupid
first-half dismissal. A repeat of that scoreline can be backed at 51/10, but
it's getting to the point in the season where home draws simply aren't good
enough for the Hammers.
Burnley head into the match having ended an 11-game winless run with a 2-1
victory at home to Everton to move on to 40 points for the season. However,
they haven't won away from home since last November and this is a game West
Ham must win if they are serious about staying in the Premier League. Sean
Dyche's side are functional rather than spectacular and the fact they remain
7th in the table must be a serious source of embarrassment for plenty of
clubs below them.
Last season's corresponding fixture finished 1-0 to West Ham and Moyes would
undoubtedly be delighted if that particular 5/1 punt came home.
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David Moyes warns his West Ham players they are 'miles' from where they
should be
By Matthew Treadwell
Last Updated: 04/03/18 11:27pm
SSN
West Ham boss David Moyes has warned his players they must improve if they
are to secure their futures at the club. The Hammers were beaten 4-1 by
Swansea on Saturday, a result that leaves them just three points above the
Premier League relegation zone. West Ham boss David Moyes apologised to the
supporters and says the players are disappointed with their own performances
after a heavy defeat at Swansea. Former West Ham striker Andre and his
younger sibling Jordan, who scored the Swans' final goal at the Liberty
Stadium, consistently caused problems for a rejigged defence. "They have
been told this was miles and miles away from where I'm going - or they are
going," said Moyes, himself under-fire after guiding his side to just one
win in their last six matches. "If they are going to play like that, then
there'll be none of us here. The players need to show a wee bit, but I think
they are good enough to do that. "But they definitely all need to up their
levels, because this wouldn't be good enough to win the games we've got
coming up."
Two goals in each half helped Swansea thrash West Ham 4-1 at the Liberty
Stadium to climb out of the bottom three. West Ham are 14th in the Premier
League table having picked up 30 points from 29 games. Moyes' side have the
joint-worst defensive record with Stoke - both having conceded 54 goals -
and successive home games against Burnley and Southampton have now taken on
added importance. "Those games could define our season," Moyes added. "We
are down to nine games now. Before I was thinking, a point a game will get
you to about 40 points. "That's always been the old-fashioned figure [for
safety], but we are now having to do more than that. "I'd like the message
to be that we'll be fine, but the truth of the matter is we're not. I want
us to be positive and look forward, but we have to stop conceding goals."
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ANOTHER BAD DAY AT THE OFFICE ? I THINK IT'S A BAD OFFICE AT WEST HAM
By HamburgHammer 5 Mar 2018 at 08:00
WTID
Inept, poor, lackluster, shambolic, spineless, pathetic – choose any
adjective with a negative connotation and it should fit West Ham's
performance at Swansea. Bear in mind that this is a Swansea rummaging around
the basement of the table, desperate for any point to escape relegation – so
not exactly powerhouse opposition.
But there is an awful lot going on and going wrong at West Ham this season –
and when your paper-thin squad gets reduced further by illnesses and
injuries you shouldn't be surprised to see a team with their backs to the
wall struggling to play anything resembling Premier League quality football.
Like in so many other games this season though, just like under Bilic during
his bad run, a lot of the players look disinterested, as if the game (which
should be the highlight and focus of the week and the centerpiece of their
professional pride) is nothing but a distraction of their everyday routine.
I can sympathise that it's probably not wall to wall fun to be a West Ham
player at the moment, but they are professionals and should act accordingly.
Also it looks like Moyes's honeymoon is finally over. I have been an
advocate of finding a manager and then giving him a long term deal to lay a
foundation for a long term strategy and gameplan for the entire club. I have
my doubts though if Moyes is the right man to succeed with this particular
bunch of players. I always try to find positives to talk about in my column
when it comes to West Ham, but like the team I'm struggling.
Rice was the best player on the pitch yesterday and when a 19 year old is
the only player coming out of a game with any professional dignity it's a
worrying sign.
Our league position is still perilous, we may still have a three point
cushion, but have destroyed our goal difference in the last two games which
can be a relegation clincher at the end of the season. If we have to lose we
cannot afford to concede a shipload like we tend to do. We don't just lose,
we capitulate, waving white flags all over the shop.
The entire club is in turmoil, from top to bottom, and I am sick and tired
of hearing claims that the fans are putting a millstone of negativity around
the club's neck, affecting the players.
Pardon my French, but this is hogwash. The fans so far have been remarkably
patient and unwaveringly positive and supportive, especially the travelling
parties creating a fantastic atmosphere for our away games. I don't remember
too many occasions when the team actually repaid the away supporters with a
great performance on the pitch.
The fans have done their bit, it's about time the players, the manager and
yes, the bloody board gave something back – and I am not talking about
letters promising all kinds of things, beer shelves or flags of former
Hammers legends being draped all over the concourse. Those are minor issues
that should have been sorted the moment we moved into the new place.
Every week another thing happens that easily opens up the board for more
criticism. Reid going down the way he did of course was a freak injury, a
stroke of bad luck and by the looks of it he could now be out for the rest
of the season and beyond. This is significant because we just recently
happened to allow Fonte to leave to China, getting in some funds to balance
the books.
Sorry, but surely the priority this transfer window should have been to add
to our squad in preparation for the relegation battle, not make it weaker.
What was the point in letting so many players leave ? And what if we get
relegated ? Expect plenty of transfer requests to arrive on Sullivan's desk
within days after the final game.
Talking of relegation I would be sad, angry, disappointed, distraught, but
probably not for long.
It would be much harder for me to watch games of course in terms of finding
internet streams for Championship games, but that's not really the main
issue. The issue is that once you're down there it's incredibly hard to get
back up again, especially in the current circumstances. We could easily do a
Leeds, a Forest or a Bolton.
Would I be happy to see the Daves take a financial hit in case of relegation
?
Well, not really. They are so rich that a financial hit for them is very
relative. They could still keep their Bentleys including chauffeur, their
crystal panthers at home would be safe and they could also still afford two
warm meals a day.
But West Ham, fans and club, would suffer going down and I don't want West
Ham to suffer. Parachute payments alone won't guarantee anything anymore.
The board may well be gone in a few years, but the fans would still be there
in the Championship in their droves and that's why I can sympathise with any
fan who still feels the desire and need to march.
The frustration and anger simply needs to go somewhere. Is a march the best
way to let off steam ? I don't know. Will it help the club ? Maybe not.
Is it better instead to vent your anger at home games inside the stadium
with chants and banners ? Probably not, it may affect the players, but can
they honestly play any worse than they did in recent weeks and for most of
the season ? And that was with solid support from the West Ham faithful
throughout.
As you can gather from my ramblings, I don't have any answers really and
even if I had it wouldn't matter really as the decision makers are elsewhere
and they seem to think their decisions have been spot on and they are the
best people really to make this club a success. If you define success by
just staying up in the Premier League even that task becomes quite tricky
with every game we fail to win.
It's gonna be a tense remainder of the season and not for the faint of
heart. You reap what you sow and it could be argued we have sown little and
sown badly in recent years.
A Championship team as anchor tenant in the Olympic Stadium. A bizarre
thought. But then again our club are the masters of the bizarre and we make
the surreal possible.
COYI!!!
PS: Not much else to report on a personal level. All lower level football in
Hamburg got postponed due to the weather conditions. Hamburg only drew
against Mainz, edging ever closer to relegation, getting a goal disallowed
after VAR ruled it offside. And my brother is off on rehab in a place in the
middle of nowhere near Mölln, the Eulenspiegel town. Eulenspiegel was a
legendary trickster exposing vices many hundred years ago.
Tricksters aren't a thing of the past though, some of them are still alive
and kicking, running football clubs…
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ANGELO OGBONNA EXPECTED TO RETURN FOR BURNLEY GAME
STE HOARE @Stehoare
ReadWestHam
David Moyes expects to have centre-back Angelo Ogbonna available for this
weekend's Premier League fixture with Burnley. The Italian international was
missing from the Hammers squad as they were heavily beaten 4-1 at Swansea
City on Saturday. At one point, West Ham were forced to full-back Pablo
Zabaleta at centre-back as Winston Reid went off injured and with the New
Zealander set to miss a significant period of time, the timing of Ogbonna's
return will be welcomed.
Speaking to Football.London, Moyes said: Angelo Ogbonna was an illness, so
he shouldn't be out too long. Despite an upturn in results since Moyes
arrived, West Ham are still not certain to be playing Premier League
football next season and as such, they'lll be targeting a win against a
Burnley side who had been on a winless run before they defeated Everton 2-1
at the weekend. The return of Ogbonna will be most welcome and he'll be
expected to start the game.
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WEST HAM DEFENDER SET FOR BIG CHANGE IN THE NEAR FUTUREFeatured Image
Date: 5th March 2018 at 9:05pm
Written by: Josh Challies
West Ham have plenty left to fight for in the remainder of the Premier
League season, after Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Swansea City left the Hammers
hovering just three points above the relegation zone, and one player in
particular has his sights on a new venture.
Left-back Arthur Masuaku recently declared his intention to represent DR
Congo at the 2022 World Cup, as he aims to help the African nation
qualifying for the tournament in Qatar- but he needs FIFA approval to switch
his allegiance from France.
However, reports from DR Congo state that Masuaku is set to be given the
green-light to make the international change- although the African nation
have stated that, as of yet, they're yet to receive official clearance.
It's unknown when an outcome will be made but it appears that everything is
in line for 24-year-old Masuaku to make the change to kickstart his
international career, as he has very little chance of representing France,
his nation of birth.
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West Ham fans plan protest march amid toxic atmosphere
KEN DYER
ES Football Newsletter
West Ham will go into their most important match of the season at home
against Burnley on Saturday amid an atmosphere of toxicity among a section
of their supporters. Saturday's 4-1 away defeat to relegation rivals Swansea
added to growing feelings of resentment towards the club owners, and the
anger spilled over straight after the match when co-chairman David Gold's
car was stopped and he was confronted by an abusive fan as he left the
Liberty Stadium. A planned protest march organised by the Real West Ham Fans
Action Group was cancelled on Friday following a meeting between fans'
groups and vice- chairman Karren Brady. But other factions, including the
West Ham United Independent Supporters Association, still hope to stage a
march before Saturday's match at the London Stadium. The association has
contacted the London Legacy Development Corporation, landlords of the London
Stadium, asking to stage the march on their property since arrangements
with the police on the original route had been cancelled.
A statement on the association website read: "WHUISA exists to represent our
members, and the feeling among fans, as best we can. Our members and the
wider fan base made it abundantly clear that they want the march to happen
so we have taken action. "We have worked with the FSF (Football Supporters'
Federation), the Met Police and spoken to Newham Council to save the march
and give our fans a chance to show their lack of confidence in the current
direction of West Ham United. "As it stands there will be a change of route
but the authorities are in consultation for a peaceful protest to go ahead
on Saturday March 10."
l
Meanwhile, amid this toxic atmosphere, West Ham manager David Moyes must try
to pick his team up following their morale-sapping defeat at Swansea, which
leaves them just three points above the bottom three in the Premier League.
Moyes offered no excuses for what he admitted was the team's worst
performance since he took charge in November. However, he was up against it
before the match started when he lost two of his central defenders, James
Collins (hamstring) and Angelo Ogbonna (illness), followed by a third during
the match when Winston Reid was taken off on a stretcher with a damaged knee
and suspected concussion.
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National Portrait Gallery remembers football legend Bobby Moore with new
exhibition
ROBERT DEX
11 hours ago
GO London Newsletter
Football legend Bobby Moore is being remembered with a new exhibition which
opens today at the National Portrait Gallery. Bobby Moore: First Gentleman
of English Football features family photographs tracing his career. The West
Ham and Fulham player, who died in 1993 aged 51, captained England to World
Cup victory in 1966. The photographs include one of him playing chess with
his West German opposite number and great rival Franz Beckenbauer who said
Moore was the "best defender in the history of the game". Another is of him
sheltering from the rain with West Ham teammate Johnny Byrne. There are also
images of the star at home in Chigwell, Essex, in 1975, left, with first
wife Tina, son Dean and daughter Roberta, who collected the pictures. She
said the new exhibition, which runs until January, is "a wonderful tribute"
to a man who "emanated grace both on and off the pitch".
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