10/08/2007 00:01
West Ham United announced today that the Club intends to donate £500,000 of the fee received from MSI/Just Sports Inc for the settlement of the dispute relating to Carlos Tevez, to the Football Foundation. The contribution will be earmarked specifically for the creation of football mini-pitches in the London Borough of Newham. West Ham United Honorary Life President Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and Chairman and CEO Eggert Magnusson confirmed the decision on behalf of the Club's board. Eggert Magnusson said: "When we arrived at West Ham United last year, we said that we must not forget our responsibility towards our local community. Our supporters are at the heart of everything we do and make West Ham United what it is. "The Football Foundation plays an important role in promoting grassroots sport by investing in parks, schools and playing fields and we are delighted to be able to support this work in the East End of London."
Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson added: "We hope our donation will provide young people in the East End of London with better opportunities to get active and play the game we love. "We know that our supporters invest a lot of time and energy following West Ham United so passionately, and we recognize the importance of being able to give something back to the local community."
Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of the London Borough of Newham said: "This is great news for the kids of Newham. I am delighted that the leaders of West Ham United are once again showing their commitment to our local communities. I am proud of the Club and extend my personal thanks to Eggert Magnusson and Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson for this investment."
Paul Thorogood, CEO of the Football Foundation said: "West Ham United should be congratulated for making this generous contribution to the Newham community. The Football Foundation will ensure this significant funding is targeted towards where it is most needed."
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Magnusson wants third-party ban - BBC
West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has called on football's world governing body Fifa to banish third-party ownership from football. His comments come after the long legal wrangle over who owned Carlos Tevez, which came to an end before his planned £30m transfer to Manchester United. Magnusson told Five Live: "I'm against third-party ownership and that has been strengthened by what has happened. "I hope Fifa changes the rules and banish it from football." The saga was set to go to the High Court but West Ham agreed an out-of-court settlement of £2m with Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian that resulted in the 23-year-old being formally released from his contract. Magnusson added: "This whole Tevez stuff has opened up everybody's eyes. It's not healthy for football. I hope they look seriously into this."
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has already promised a tightening of rules to prevent a repeat of the affair. Rule changes are expected to be ratified at a Premier League board meeting next week. Meanwhile, Magnusson revealed he had wanted to retain the services of the Argentine forward.
"Tevez was an important part of last year's team and I would have loved to have kept him - I tried," he confirmed. "But, as with other great players, his heart was set on playing in the Champions League."
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Five years and counting - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 9th August 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Eggert Magnusson has repeated his ambition to lead West Ham United into the Champions League within the next five years. Magnusson, talking to the BBC in an extended interview on the eve of the new season said that he was 'certain' that the club would break into the big four by 2012. That would tie in roughly with an expected date for a move to the new stadium in 2011 - confirmation of which is expected later in the year. "It's no secret that our long-term ambition is to break into the top four," said Magnusson. "It will cost money because you have to invest to get to that level. "It will not happen tomorrow, or the day after; it takes time. Give us at least five years."
During the interview - which you can watch in full here - Magnusson also confirmed that his predecessor, Terry Brown, is no longer on the guest list at The Boleyn. "He's not, at the moment, welcome at Upton Park," confirmed Magnusson. "It's not personal, but while we are thinking about what to do and our next steps it's hard to see him at Upton Park."
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Hammers hold Barnes talks - SSN
Curbishley wants Derby star
By Graeme Bailey Last updated: 9th August 2007
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has confirmed the club have held talks with Derby over the signing of Giles Barnes. Curbishley also refused to completely rule out the possibility of resurrecting the Kieron Dyer deal which collapsed last week. Barnes is one of the most sought after young players in England and played a huge part in helping Derby get into the Premier League. After seeing the Rams promoted, it was expected that Barnes would stay put at Pride Park.
However, Curbishley has now revealed that The Hammers have been talking with Derby about a possible deal for the 19-year-old - who was actually born in East London.
"We have been looking at the situation and we have spoken to Derby about it," Curbishley told Sky Sports News. The Hammers boss explained that the two clubs cannot agree a fee for Barnes. "At the moment nothing is happening - their valuation is not where we are at and he is a Derby player so I shouldn't be talking too much about it."
Curbishley did admit that he could revive his interest in Dyer - after Newcastle pulled the plug on the deal last week. "It is a difficult situation, lets just say we found it very difficult so we will have to see what happens and unfortunately Kieron Dyer is stuck in the middle and we will have to see what happens." Hammers chairman Eggert Magnusson has again vented his anger at Newcastle, who asked for an extra £2 million for Dyer, after a deal for £6 million had been struck. "The fact that Newcastle moved the goalposts in the middle of the game is not how to do business," he said. "They had given us permission to speak to the player, he had had a medical and we had agreed a fee when we received a phone call that they wanted £2 million more for the player."
Magnusson himself does not see how the Dyer deal could be resurrected. "We could not believe it. But I think the deal is now gone and I feel very sorry for the player, he wanted a move, he wanted to come closer to his family in Ipswich and now that has gone," he added. "I think this business with Newcastle has shown that we are not prepared to pay any price that a club puts on a player. If there are perceptions that we will do that, they are not correct."
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Magnusson: Magpies should be embarrassed - Soccernet
West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has criticised Newcastle over the collapsed Kieron Dyer transfer and said the Magpies must have been 'embarrassed' at their handling of the deal. Dyer's move fell through after Newcastle, having initially agreed a £6million fee, raised the cost of the player by £2million. Magnusson, who also outlined his ambition for West Ham to break into the top four of the Premier League within four years, said he was amazed at the sudden price increase. He told PA Sport: 'The fact that Newcastle moved the goalposts in the middle of the game is not how to do business. 'They had given us permission to speak to the player, he had had a medical and we had agreed a fee when we received a phone call that they wanted £2million more for the player. 'We could not believe it and I think some of the people there seem to be a little bit embarrassed. 'But I think the deal is now gone and I feel very sorry for the player, he wanted a move, he wanted to come closer to his family in Ipswich and now that has gone. 'I think this business with Newcastle has shown that we are not prepared to pay any price that a club puts on a player. If there are perceptions that we will do that, they are not correct.'
Magnusson did make clear however that other players could be on the way t Upton Park before the transfer window closes as West Ham have their sights set very high. Magnusson added: 'The club have ambitions and we want to break into the top four within the next few years and we have to invest money - it doesn't happen otherwise. 'Those are our ambitions and that we believe they are entirely realistic otherwise I would not be here today. 'We are going to have a new stadium and that is something we are going to make happen, hopefully by 2011.'
The Icelandic businessman said he had complete faith in manager Alan Curbishley being the right man to take West Ham forward. Magnusson said: 'There is no question in my mind that he has got what it takes to get us to where we want to go. 'He is West Ham through and through but it's also a big challenge for him. 'He has come to a bigger club after many years at Charlton and he now has much more money to spend than ever before.'
Magnusson admitted that the first season had been a roller-coaster. The Icelander added: 'Every morning there seemed to be something new to deal with.
'There was the Carlos Tevez business, the fight against relegation, it has been an ongoing battle but we are looking for a fresh new start with a new promising season. 'Staying in the Premier League was the best thing about it and the emotions were very special for sure. There is enormous excitement at West Ham now - and also back in Iceland - for the new season.'
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Magnusson wants West Ham in the top four - Telegraph
By David Bond
Last Updated: 1:20am BST 10/08/2007
If Eggert Magnusson was left feeling like a deflated balloon after all the nervous tension of last season's climax, it was nothing compared to the mental toll the Carlos Tevez affair took on the West Ham chairman over the summer months. I can happily say that it's all over," he said yesterday. "In a way I felt the same way as after the season, a little bit like a deflated balloon. It took so much out of me, but I feel very good about the new season."
And so he should. Having escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth, the Icelandic millionaire knows how lucky West Ham are to be opening their new campaign with a Premier League fixture against Manchester City tomorrow. But already Magnusson is casting his eyes upwards, towards the top four of the Premier League. He said: "We have ambitions to get into that top four, but it will take time. "It's not healthy for the Premier League to have only four clubs who always finish in the top four but it costs money and it costs effort. "The clubs who are up there receive a lot of money from the Champions League and you have to spend a lot to get up there."
In between fighting legal battles with the owners of Tevez, Magnusson has certainly been spending over the last couple of months. To snorts of derision from rivals who have accused them of artificially inflating the transfer market by overpaying for players, West Ham have invested almost £24million. That would have been £30m had Newcastle not suddenly upped their asking price for Kieron Dyer by £2m but with Eidur Gudjohnsen still thinking about a £7m move from Barcelona, and other players being pursued, Magnusson isn't done waving his cheque book around yet. But he says the investment in new talent - Craig Bellamy (£7.5m), Scott Parker (£7m), Julien Faubert (£6.1m) and Freddie Ljungberg (£3m) - is almost cancelled out by takings from players sold. Offloading five players means West Ham's net spending this summer so far is £1.35m.
"I am a little bit surprised that people are saying we are spending a lot of money," he said. "The truth is that we have only spent just over £1m more than we sold. It's a pretty even balance so far. But it's not over."
Magnusson made it clear yesterday that the gap was not about to be plugged by the £2m West Ham received from Tevez's owners, MSI and Just Sports Inc, in settlement of the dispute over the Argentinian striker. After settling their legal fees, as well as those racked up by the Premier League in handling not only the Tevez case but also the subsequent arbitration challenge from Sheffield United, around £500,000 will be given to the Football Foundation to fund grass roots projects in the London Borough of Newham.
With Tevez now gone, Magnusson says he and manager Alan Curbishley are looking forward to sending their own team into battle for the first time since he bought the club for £85m last December. But having delivered a miracle last season, the pressure is now on Curbishley to deliver phase two of Magnusson's five year plan, namely reaching the top 10. Magnusson added: "There is no question in my mind about his abilities. But he has to show that he has what it takes to go to the next step."
Last season there were a number of damaging leaks from the dressing room which destabilised the club. But with a number of influential figures now gone, Magnusson says the dressing room is a happy place once again. "It's no secret that there was a lot going on in the dressing room last year that we wanted to get rid of," he added. "We had to make some changes. I won't go into detail but there were some things that shouldn't have been in a normal dressing room. But I think the group as a whole now is a very happy dressing room at the moment."
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Hammers donate cash to charity - TeamTalk
West Ham are to donate £500,000 from the £2million settlement fee they received for Carlos Tevez to build mini-pitches in London's East End. The club say the money is the balance remaining after the legal fees for the lengthy dispute have been paid. West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson said: "We are going to donate the money to the Football Foundation to build mini-pitches in the East End. "When you look back to when the player was signed there was no transfer fee paid so we believe this is the best way to end the whole saga.'' West Ham honorary life president Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, the Icelandic banker who provided the money for the takeover of the club last year, added: "We know that our supporters invest a lot of time and energy following West Ham United so passionately, and we recognise the importance of being able to give something back to the local community.'' Sir Robin Wales, mayor of the London Borough of Newham where the pitches will be built, said he was proud of the club. He said: "This is great news for the kids of Newham. "I am delighted that the leaders of West Ham are once again showing their commitment to our local communities. "I am proud of the club and extend my personal thanks to Eggert Magnusson and Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson for this investment.''
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Eggert hits out at Toon over Dyer - TeamTalk
West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has criticised Newcastle over the collapsed Kieron Dyer transfer - and admitted the deal is now dead. Magnusson, who also outlined his ambition for West Ham to break into the top four of the Premier League within four years, said he was amazed at the sudden price increase.
He said: "The fact that Newcastle moved the goalposts in the middle of the game is not how to do business. "They had given us permission to speak to the player, he had had a medical and we had agreed a fee when we received a phone call that they wanted £2million more for the player. "We could not believe it. But I think the deal is now gone and I feel very sorry for the player, he wanted a move, he wanted to come closer to his family in Ipswich and now that has gone. "I think this business with Newcastle has shown that we are not prepared to pay any price that a club puts on a player. If there are perceptions that we will do that, they are not correct."
Magnusson did make it clear however that other players could be on the way to Upton Park before the transfer window closes. He added: "The club have ambitions and we want to break into the top four within the next few years and we have to invest money - it doesn't happen otherwise. "Those are our ambitions and that we believe they are entirely realistic otherwise I would not be here today. "We are going to have a new stadium and that is something we are going to make happen, hopefully by 2011."
The Icelandic businessman said he had complete faith in Alan Curbishley being the right man to take West Ham forward. Magnusson said: "There is no question in my mind that he has got what it takes to get us to where we want to go. "He is West Ham through and through but it's also a big challenge for him. "He has come to a bigger club after many years at Charlton and he now has much more money to spend than ever before."
Magnusson admitted that the first season had been a roller-coaster. The Icelander added: "Every morning there seemed to be something new to deal with.
"There was the Carlos Tevez business, the fight against relegation, it has been an ongoing battle but we are looking for a fresh new start with a new promising season. "Staying in the Premier League was the best thing about it and the emotions were very special for sure. There is enormous excitement at West Ham now - and also back in Iceland - for the new season."
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Gudjohnsen 'No' to Curbs - The Sun
By MARK IRWIN
August 10, 2007
EIDUR GUDJOHNSEN has rejected a move to West Ham — after Barcelona accepted an £8million bid. Hammers boss Alan Curbishley wants the ex-Chelsea striker to fill the hole left by Carlos Tevez. Upton Park owner Eggert Magnusson tried to use his connections from his time with the Icelandic FA to clinch a deal. But the player does not want to quit his life of luxury in his home on the Barcelona beachfront — and not even an £80,000-a- week contract offer could lure him away. Sven Goran Eriksson also wants Gudjohnsen, 28, at Manchester City.
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The bad eggs had to go - The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
August 10, 2007
EGGERT MAGNUSSON has launched a blistering attack on the men who came close to wrecking West Ham's bid to remain among the Premier League elite.
And ahead of their season opener against Manchester City tomorrow, the Hammers chairman laid bare his feelings for the first time since his shock takeover in November.
And he pointed to:
* Bad egg players who had to go.
* The fact ex-chairman Terry Brown is now not welcome at Upton Park.
* Boss Alan Curbishley must prove himself.
* The spending will carry on until West Ham make it into the big four.
The Hammers have had a major summer clear-out — with former captain Nigel Reo-Coker, striker Marlon Harewood, full-back Paul Konchesky, Yossi Benayoun and Tyrone Mears all leaving. Reo-Coker bore the brunt of fans frustrations last season when West Ham only escaped the drop on the last day of the campaign. The midfielder slapped in a transfer request and eventually got his wish to leave when Aston Villa paid £8.5million. And supporters turned on Harewood for his lack of goals with Villa again rescuing his career with £4m. Konchesky fell out badly with Curbs when both were at Charlton and the feud carried on at Upton Park. Curbishley was privately concerned at the atmosphere in the dressing room from day one. Magnusson admitted: "It is no secret there was a lot going on in the dressing room last season and we wanted to get rid of it. "Whether it was individual players or as a group, we had to make some changes in there. "I won't go into detail but there was some unrest and things going on that should not have been. It was damaging the spirit of the team and it was generally not a very happy dressing room. "Alan Curbishley is totally in control of sporting matters and the players. It is now a very happy dressing room."
Magnusson and fellow Icelandic Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson bought West Ham from Brown for £85m when businessman Kia Joorabchian failed to raise sufficient funds. Brown oversaw the controversial arrival of Argentine stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano just before Magnusson took over. It led to accusations the club lied over the duo's contracts and they were eventually fined a record £5.5m by the Premier League for breaching registration rules. Magnusson remains bitter with Brown and believes West Ham's reputation has been severely damaged. He added: "Terry Brown is not welcome at Upton Park and I don't think I need to explain why because it is so obvious. "I've nothing personal against him, it's just the way things happened and how it affected my club. "The Tevez affair started before we came to the club. They were being offered to the top four clubs and were 'parked' at West Ham. I'd never have agreed to that.
"What has happened since has damaged the reputation of the club. I'm talking about those people, the chairman and the directors of the club who were responsible for what happened."
Magnusson has embarked on a huge spending spree aimed at getting West Ham into the Champions League. He said: "People are saying we are spending a lot of money and the transfer market is becoming distorted. "But it's not healthy for the Premier League to be dominated by just four clubs and it costs money to get there. "That includes moving to a new 50,000-seat stadium by 2011, opposite West Ham tube station. When you are in the top four and have a big stadium it generates bigger revenue."
Curbishley has spent around £25m this summer and Magnusson admits it is a time for the boss to prove he deserves to be running a top club. Magnusson added: "There is no question about Alan's ability in my mind. "But of course he has to show he has what it takes to help West Ham make that next step up.
"He already has had to do a lot of things with us and so there must be a lot of qualities that he has — I hope he will come through." He also believes there should be a cap on foreign players to help put England back on the football map. Magnusson, an Iceland FA member, said: "You have to ask why there are not enough English players coming through? "I've always been in favour of some kind of restriction. To have a good national team, there has to be a certain amount of domestic players in their own top league."
He revealed the British Olympic Association turned down West Ham's offer of £100,000 towards building the 2012 Olympic Stadium. The West Ham chief had hoped to move to the Stratford stadium after the London Games. But his plan was snubbed because the BOA wanted the running track available all year round.
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Eggert targets top four - and life away from Upton Park - This Is London
09.08.07
Free at last from the Carlos Tevez dispute, West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson is keen to focus on romance again, like breaking into the Premier League's top four and building a new home fit for a Champions League team. Magnusson arrived at Upton Park last November full of grand ambitions only to be overwhelmed by more pressing problems - notably a dressing- room revolt, a Premier League investigation and fellow chairmen trying to boot his team out of the competition. His bid to move the club into the Olympic Stadium was snubbed, despite his £100million offer, and the team only escaped relegation on the last day of the season, thanks to a Tevez winner at Old Trafford. It was a baptism of fire and it has left scars, with former chairman Terry Brown no longer welcome at the club. But, after settling the Tevez affair and weeding out some problem players, Magnusson feels he is making progress. He has earmarked a site for a new 60,000- capacity stadium, near the original Thames Ironworks site where the club was founded and he is happy with manager Alan Curbishley and the shape his new team is taking.
"There is no question about Alan Curbishley in my mind," explained Magnusson, who said finishing in the top 10 was the target for the new season followed by a Champions League place the season after. "He was not given the credit he deserved for keeping us up. He has to show now he has what it takes to go to the next step but I think he has the qualities to do that."
This is a warning that Curbishley must attract players who will turn West Ham into Champions League material and manage their egos. Magnusson said: "It is possible to break into the top four. We have ambitions. It will not happen overnight but people should be pleased if it's not always the same four teams.
"The teams up there receive a lot of money from the Champions League and you have to spend a lot to get on the same level."
In Magnusson's mind, the key to West Ham's chances of cracking the top four lie in moving to a new stadium. He said: "In 10 years it will be difficult to be in the Premier League if you don't fill a stadium of 50,000 every week."
West Ham are believed to have offered the Olympic authorities £100m to reduce the 80,000- seat Olympic stadium in Stratford to 60,000 after the 2012 Games. It was rejected and Magnusson is focusing on a 31-acre site in West Ham. "We are looking at 2011 to move to a new ground," he said. "It will be interesting for Londoners to see our ground being built, looking across at the Olympic Stadium and wondering 'What is happening here?'."
A new training ground is on the agenda and, of course, more new players.
West Ham have agreed a fee of £6.8m with Barcelona for Eidur Gudjohnsen but the player has yet to agree. Moves for Nicky Shorey and Giles Barnes have also stalled because Reading and Derby are reluctant to sell and hopes of bringing Kieron Dyer to Upton Park are "dead at the moment".
Despite the ambitious transfer policy, Magnusson is keen to stress that the club's net transfer spending this summer is only £1m. This covers four players in: Craig Bellamy, Scott Parker, Julien Faubert and Freddie Ljungberg and five out: Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood, Paul Konchesky, Tyrone Mears and Yossi Benayoun.
Without naming names, Magnusson explained: "It's no secret there was a lot going on in the dressing room we wanted to get rid of. There was unrest and things that shouldn't be happening in a dressing room damaging the spirit. The group now is very happy."
Magnusson is also happier now the Tevez transfer is settled. It was concluded when Kia Joorabchian, the man who owns Tevez's economic rights, agreed to pay West Ham £2m to release the player's registration so he could move to Manchester United. The Hammers, after paying £1.5m in legal fees, yesterday pledged to donate the remaining £500,000 to the Football Foundation to be spent on pitches in Newham. The act of goodwill is a step towards rebuilding the club's battered image. Magnusson said: "What a few individuals did last August has damaged the reputation of West Ham."
He hopes this season will complete the rehabilitation.
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Curbishley has plenty to prove, says Magnusson - The Independent
By Jason Burt
Published: 10 August 2007
Eggert Magnusson said yesterday that he had weeded out the "unrest" at West Ham United with the sale of certain players over the summer but also warned that Alan Curbishley still has to prove he's the right manager to fulfil the club's ambitions.
The departures of Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood and Paul Konchesky, although not named by the chairman, had led to a "happy dressing room", he said. "It's no secret that there was a lot going on last year that we wanted to get rid of," Magnusson added.
"Whether it was due to individual players or the group as a whole, we needed to make some changes. I won't go into detail but there was some things, unrest, that should not be in a normal dressing room."
And despite praising Curbishley, Magnusson added that if West Ham were to fulfil his ambition to become a Champions League club within the next four years, the manager still "has to show that he has what it takes to go to the next step". Magnusson said: "If he achieves success with us and moves us a little bit higher up, and there is no question in my mind about Alan Curbishley and his abilities. He was at Charlton where he did not have as much money to spend on players as he has with us and he has a lot of things to prove with us.
"But there must have been a reason why he was in the reckoning to become the full England manager. There must be a lot of qualities that can come through with West Ham."
Given the haste with which Magnusson sacked Curbishley's predecessor Alan Pardew – after just three games – it will set the alarm bells ringing even if the Icelander was at pains to stress how disappointed he was that the Carlos Tevez affair overshadowed the manager's achievement in keeping West Ham in the Premier League.
The target this time round is a "top-10" finish but with Magnusson pushing ahead with plans to build a 60,000 seat stadium – a site next to West Ham tube station has been earmarked – the Champions League is the mid-term goal. Magnusson also bridled at suggestions, recently voiced by the Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn, that West Ham had inflated the transfer market.
"I'm a bit surprised that people are saying we are spending a lot of money and then also complaining that it's the same four clubs who take the first four places," he said. "We have ambitions, it's not going to happen tomorrow, but we have ambitions to get into that top four. People should be pleased. It's not healthy for the Premier League to have those four clubs but it costs money and effort and you have to spend to get on the same basis as they are."
So far, West Ham have also produced only a net spend of £1m – £23m spent, £22m earned – in the transfer market although the expenditure will rocket if their targets are all landed before the end of the transfer window to add to the £20m spent last January. "We will be trying to run the club in a healthy way," Magnusson said. "But you have to invest to get there."
There is also annoyance at West Ham over the collapse of their bid to occupy the Olympic Stadium. The club offered the Government £100m to take over the new ground following the 2012 games but were rebuffed. "We have had the discussion and found out that we could not accommodate all the different views," he said. "We at least tried to do it the correct way. We offered money and sent letters describing how we saw things happening. Maybe it was too far down the line with the planning of the stadium. But for a businessman it makes no sense to build an 80,000-seat stadium and then take it down to 25,000."
Magnusson said it was imperative that his club built a new stadium, adding: "I worry about the future of the Premiership and the clubs involved. Maybe in 10 years' time it will be difficult to be in the Premiership and not have a stadium of 50,000 which is full."
It was a relief for him to also draw a line under the Tevez affair with Magnusson also announcing that £500,000 from the £2m the club received from the company MSI – the rest will go on legal costs – will be handed to the Football Foundation to create "mini-pitches in the borough of Newham". It means, in a clear message, that West Ham are not keeping a penny of the Tevez money.
Magnusson said he was concerned at the damage to West Ham's reputation and put the blame for the saga on the shoulders of the former chairman Terry Brown and the then managing director Paul Aldridge from who he bought the club in December. Magnusson confirmed that there remained the possibility of civil legal action against the pair. "We will look into that now that the Tevez affair is over."
It may be that West Ham eventually prefer to draw a line under the saga rather than risk reopening it in the courts should they seek damages – the obvious recompense is trying to recoup the £5.5m fine for the irregularities in Tevez's contract.
However, Magnusson declared that Brown was banned from the club. "He's not welcome at Upton Park at the moment," he said. "I don't need to explain why in detail. It's obvious."
Magnusson welcomed the comments from the Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore that the rules over third-party ownership would now be tightened up.
He went further, arguing that he would like to see such agreements banned by Uefa, who Magnusson also urged to impose quotas on the number of home players in domestic leagues. "There has to be a certain number of English players in the Premier League in each team," he said.
There were also barbed comments directed at some of his fellow Premier League chairmen – especially Fulham's Mohamed Al Fayed who had sent a letter denouncing West Ham's behaviour. Magnusson confirmed that when he signed Luis Boa Morte for £5.5m in January, that Fulham had tried to insist he did not play against them. "How can we pay £5.5m for a player and not play him. It was crazy," he said.
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Mort: Hammers must pay more - SSN
Magpies chairman comments on Dyer deal
By Mark Buckingham Last updated: 10th August 2007
Newcastle United chairman Chris Mort claims West Ham United went about the Kieron Dyer transfer 'the wrong way'. The Hammers appeared to have agreed a deal to sign the midfielder last week, only for Alan Curbishley to reveal the move had been 'pulled' by Newcastle. Magpies boss Sam Allardyce confirmed the club had increased their valuation of Dyer, but was unhappy Curbishley had gone public on the matter. West Ham remain hopeful the deal can be revived, with the England international keen to return south for family reasons. Mort understands the player's desire to leave St James' Park, but says West Ham's conduct was the reason for the collapse.
"He's No.8 for Newcastle and if he stays No.8 for Newcastle this season then I have no problem with that," Mort told the Independent. "He is a player who's played for England. He's a very strong, valuable player for the club. "Clearly his wife and children would prefer to move south and that's something he's talked to West Ham about. "It got uncomfortable the way West Ham went about trying to do the transfer. "Therefore we felt we'd be happy for Kieron to stay and they would have to pay more to acquire him. I'm not going to elaborate. "But they went about their business the wrong way, to my mind."
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WEST HAM STILL LINKED WITH FOUR - football365
As there are so many, we'll give you the gist about West Ham's latest transfer targets one by one...
Eidur Gudjohnsen: The Sun says that the striker has rejected a move to Upton Park despite Barca accepting an £8m bid. 'The player does not want to quit his life of luxury in his home on the Barcelona beachfront - and not even an £80,000-a- week contract offer could lure him away,' it reports.
The Indy, though, reckon the Hammers aren't taking no for an answer.
'That [his rejection] may change if he does not feature in the first team with West Ham concentrating their efforts on persuading the Icelander that his future lies with them. They will match his Barça wages - which would smash their own pay structure - and are not at present pursuing any other strikers, having given up on Bolton's Nicolas Anelka because of his personal demands and deciding that Middlesbrough's Yakubu is vastly overpriced.'
Mark Bresciano: With his move to Man Citeh stalled, West Ham could make a bid for the Aussie after missing out on Kieron Dyer.
Giles Barnes: To quote Hammers chairman Eggert Magnusson: "There is no secret that we are interested in Giles Barnes. We also know that Derby don't want to sell at the moment."
Nicky Shorey: 'West Ham have also not given up hope of signing the left-back Nicky Shorey who wants to join them after turning down a new contract. It's believed that although Reading have said the £5m-rated England international is not for sale they are actively seeking a replacement. If one is found quickly he can move to West Ham before the end of the transfer window,' claims the Indy.
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Sven not fearful of Hammers trip - TeamTalk
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is not expecting to be singled out for any special treatment from West Ham fans on Saturday. City's trip to Upton Park represents the acid test of Eriksson's popularity in England. Although he has received a warm and enthusiastic welcome from City supporters, there remains a lingering fear he could become the target of abuse from other clubs' followers, who were less than impressed by his stint as England manager.
As the Premier League side whose fans are among the most patriotic, West Ham may be a prime example. Yet Eriksson does not foresee a problem. The Swede understands perfectly he may be on the wrong end of some abuse but he does not believe it will be significantly worse than any other opposing manager would get. "I think the reception I get will be just like any manager whose side are playing away," he said. "I have never done anything wrong against West Ham, so I don't expect any different kind of treatment. "Of course the away manager is not going to be as popular as the home one. I expect that - but nothing else."
City's opening Premier League game represents Eriksson's first match as a club boss in almost seven years. Yet, in a way, the clash has arrived a little bit too quickly for the Swede given the vast numbers of players he has had to bring into the Eastlands outfit. Even at this late stage, the search for a goalkeeper goes on, while Eriksson must wait for international clearance on both Vedran Corluka and Valeri Bojinov before he can even consider whether to name the eastern European duo in his squad. It seems highly unlikely either player will start, leaving Eriksson to field roughly the same side which began last weekend's friendly defeat to Valencia.
Eriksson acknowledges it is not an ideal situation, particularly as a high-profile attempt to sign Australia midfielder Mark Bresciano has ground to a halt. The problems make it understandable that while Eriksson is hoping for the best this weekend, he will reserve judgement on the overall aims for his team until the transfer window closes on August 31. "I have not made a decision about the targets for the season," he said. "At the moment, I don't know what is happening with too many players. "Once I know what my squad is, then I will give you a target."
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Magnusson in talks over new site for West Ham stadium
David Hytner
Friday August 10, 2007
The Guardian
Eggert Magnusson has revealed that West Ham United are in negotiations with the London Development Agency about building a new stadium for the 2011-12 season. The club's owner and chairman has identified a site opposite the West Ham underground station, which was used as a depot by Parcelforce and is largely brown-field.
The development follows Magnusson's failure to seal a move to the capital's Olympic stadium after the 2012 Games. Magnusson had offered £100m to the government and Olympic authorities for the stadium in east London, proposing a reduction in capacity from 80,000 to 60,000, with 20,000 retractable seats to allow the continued use of a permanent athletics track.
As the Olympic budget spirals upwards, it is unclear whether Magnusson's decision to make public his designs on the new site, owned by the LDA, is intended to inspire a rethink on the Olympic stadium, which will be cut to a 25,000 capacity after the Games.
"It will be interesting to see what Londoners think when they see our [new] ground and also the Olympic stadium [close by]," Magnusson said. "I don't understand why we are not able to go to the Olympic stadium. We offered money, we sent letters and we described how we saw things happening. We had a meeting at the House of Commons with [Olympics minister] Tessa Jowell and [Mayor of London] Ken Livingstone and it was not possible. As a businessman it makes no sense to me [to] build a new stadium and then take it down to 25,000."
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Man City pair Corluka, Bojinov unlikely to make West Ham trip
tribalfooball.com - August 09, 2007
Manchester City duo Vedran Corluka and Valeri Bojinov are unlikely to feature against West Ham on Saturday, despite both receiving work permits yesterday.
Although neither player met the strict criteria required for the permits, City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made a personal appearance at the pair's appeal hearing in Sheffield and was rewarded by confirmation they will be able to take up their contracts. In theory, both could feature in Saturday's Premier League opener against West Ham at Upton Park. However, neither Bulgarian striker Bojinov or Croatian defender Corluka has played a pre-season match so far, which is sure to figure in Eriksson's thoughts. And there is an added complication in Corluka's case in that he was forced to board a flight back to Zagreb in order to get an official passport stamp allowing him to work in the UK. It means Corluka may not even be able to feature in City's final training session before they head to London, making it somewhat unlikely he would be involved.
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Barcelona's Gudjohnsen rejects West Ham
tribalfooball.com - August 09, 2007
Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen has rejected a move to West Ham after an £8 million offer was accepted for him. The Sun says Hammers boss Alan Curbishley wants the ex-Chelsea striker to fill the hole left by Carlos Tevez. Upton Park owner Eggert Magnusson tried to use his connections from his time with the Icelandic FA to clinch a deal. But the player does not want to quit his life of luxury in his home on the Barcelona beachfront - and not even an £80,000-a- week contract offer could lure him away. Sven Goran Eriksson also wants Gudjohnsen, 28, at Manchester City.
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West Ham chairman Eggy: Foreign investment good for Premiership
tribalfooball.com - August 09, 2007
West Ham United chairman Eggert Magnusson says critics should welcome the Premiership's new foreign owners. "It is very easy to blame foreign owners for all that is wrong with English football," Magnusson said. "But I think it is strange when people say we are spending a lot of money and then they complain there are the same four clubs in the top places all the time. How will that change unless a club has ambition? Everybody should be pleased that somebody is trying to stop it because this is not a healthy situation for the Premier League. "It would be good if you could just get up there with effort, but that is not possible. It costs money because the teams that are already there receive money each year from Uefa for playing in the Champions League. We will run the club in a healthy way, combining business and ambition, but you have to invest. "It will take time, but I think it is possible to challenge the top four. You need a big stadium, though, because maybe in ten years it will even be difficult to be in the Premier League if you do not have a ground for at least 50,000."
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West Ham boss confirms talks for Derby's Barnes
tribalfooball.com - August 09, 2007
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley has revealed they're in talks with Derby for midfielder Giles Barnes. "We have been looking at the situation and we have spoken to Derby about it," Curbishley told Sky Sports News. The Hammers boss explained that the two clubs cannot agree a fee for Barnes. "At the moment nothing is happening - their valuation is not where we are at and he is a Derby player so I shouldn't be talking too much about it."
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West Ham chairman has dig at sold players
tribalfooball.com - August 09, 2007
West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson has had a dig at some of the players they offloaded this summer. Despite the ambitious transfer policy, Magnusson is keen to stress that the club's net transfer spending this summer is only £1m. This covers four players in: Craig Bellamy, Scott Parker, Julien Faubert and Freddie Ljungberg and five out: Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood, Paul Konchesky, Tyrone Mears and Yossi Benayoun.
Without naming names, Magnusson explained: "It's no secret there was a lot going on in the dressing room we wanted to get rid of. There was unrest and things that shouldn't be happening in a dressing room damaging the spirit. The group now is very happy."
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West Ham boss: Ashton, Upson like new signings
tribalfooball.com - August 09, 2007
West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley rates three of his fit-again senior players like having three new signings added to his squad. Curbs told whufc.com: "This is a new season and it feels like we've gained three new players in Dean Ashton, Matty Upson and Danny Gabbidon, who are all fit and looking forward to the season ahead. "West Ham United are a big Club we made the back pages for the wrong reasons too many times last season. The Club needs a solid season now, after four topsy-turvy years. "The players that have been through all that will have grown up immensely and this season will hopefully provide the base for pushing on. We're looking for a top ten finish. We'd like to finish in the first part of Ceefax, rather than the second!"
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West Ham want top four - Magnusson
tribalfooball.com - August 09, 2007
West Ham want to break into the top four, says chairman Eggert Magnusson. He said: "The club have ambitions and we want to break into the top four within the next few years and we have to invest money - it doesn't happen otherwise. "Those are our ambitions and that we believe they are entirely realistic otherwise I would not be here. "We are going to have a new stadium and that is something we are going to make happen, hopefully by 2011." The Icelandic businessman said he had complete faith in manager Alan Curbishley being the right man to take West Ham forward. Magnusson said: "There is no question in my mind that he has got what it takes to get us to where we want to go. "He is West Ham through and through but it's also a big challenge for him. "He has come to a bigger club after many years at Charlton and he now has much more money to spend than ever before." Magnusson admitted that the first season had been a roller-coaster. The Icelander added: "Every morning there seemed to be something new to deal with. "There was the Carlos Tevez business, the fight against relegation, it has been an ongoing battle but we are looking for a fresh new start with a new promising season. "Staying in the Premier League was the best thing about it and the emotions were very special for sure. There is enormous excitement at West Ham now - and also back in Iceland - for the new season."
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Hammers eye chance to snap up Bresciano - The Independent
By Jason Burt
Published: 10 August 2007
Despite agreeing a €10m (£6.8m) fee with Barcelona to sign Eidur Gudjohnsen, West Ham are facing strong competition from Manchester City and Newcastle United for the striker. At the same time West Ham are also pursuing the Australian midfielder Mark Bresciano whose £4m move to City has stalled.
Manchester United dropped out of the running for Gudjohnsen following their capture of Carlos Tevez. But despite the interest, and Barça's willingness to sell, the former Chelsea player is at present indicating that he wants to stay where he is for one more season having only been in Spain for a year.
That may change if he does not feature in the first team with West Ham concentrating their efforts on persuading the Icelander that his future lies with them. They will match his Barça wages – which would smash their own pay structure – and are not at present pursuing any other strikers, having given up on Bolton's Nicolas Anelka because of his personal demands and deciding that Middlesbrough's Yakubu is vastly overpriced.
It still appears that Gudjohnsen is a long-term project, although there is hope he may arrive this summer – "time will tell," the chairman Eggert Magnusson said yesterday – but Bresciano, who plays for the Italian side Palermo and featured in the Uefa Cup against West Ham last season, is a definite target. West Ham are looking for a right-sided midfielder following the serious injury to Julien Faubert and the collapse of Kieron Dyer's move to Upton Park.
Magnusson said the Dyer deal was "dead at the moment" following Newcastle's decision to raise the asking price from £6m to £8m even if West Ham claim they have written confirmation that the lower fee had been agreed. "They cannot come back and ask for £2m more," he said.
He also confirmed his club's interest in Giles Barnes but said that the indications were Derby don't want to sell. "There is no secret that we are interested in Giles Barnes. We also know that Derby don't want to sell at the moment."
West Ham have also not given up hope of signing the left-back Nicky Shorey who wants to join them after turning down a new contract. It's believed that although Reading have said the £5m-rated England international is not for sale they are actively seeking a replacement. If one is found quickly he can move to West Ham before the end of the transfer window.
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Magnusson faces life after the storm with steely determination - the Times
As dust begins to settle on the Tévez affair, the West Ham chairman can focus on his drive to move the club onwards and upwards
Martin Samuel, Chief Football Correspondent
In the post Carlos Tévez era, West Ham United will not be garnering much sympathy from neutrals this season. Eggert Magnússon, the club's chairman, chose the eve of the new campaign, however, to offer an insight into how modern football works and a tale to suggest that his was not the only club to lose their moral compass last time around.
Luis Boa Morte joined West Ham from Fulham for £5.5 million on January 5. Yet when the teams played each other in the league on January 13, Magnússon said that West Ham were under pressure not to select the new signing. Fulham demanded that Boa Morte did not play against them, but they could not make this a written condition of the deal because it would have broken Premier League rules on third-party interference.
Instead, it was to be framed as a gentlemen's agreement, the same form of private understanding that kept Tim Howard out of the Everton team against Manchester United and stopped Steve Kabba playing for Wat-ford against Sheffield United. Fulham were not happy that West Ham reneged on the arrangement and Mo-hamed Al Fayed, the club's chairman, joined a legal campaign against West Ham led by Sheffield United, who were relegated. That campaign was for fairness.
So what does this say about Magnús-son? First, that behind the elf-like exterior he is capable of playing hard-ball. Secondly, that anyone who thinks that only one top-flight club failed to act in good faith last season is probably the sort who falls for that line about gullible not being in the dictionary.
After a season of confrontation, Magnússon is doing his best to be diplomatic, with varying levels of success. "It seems to me that things have happened to suggest we were not the only club that was wrong," he said. "Yes, Fulham asked us not to play Luis Boa Morte against them and we played him, of course. How can you sign a player for £5.5 million and not play him? Come on, it's crazy.
"I cannot comment on why other clubs accepted those arrangements, but the Premier League will deal with these things now because it has been brought into the daylight. Fulham attempted an outside influence on our team, of course they did." January 12, 2008, is their next meeting, if you are interested.
Before that, Magnússon will welcome Dave Whelan, the equally vocal Wigan Athletic chairman, to Upton Park, on August 25. "Some of my colleagues have been trying to damage the image of my club," Magnússon said. "But they were not there when I attended the Premier League AGM this summer. Not Dave Whelan, not Steve Gibson, of Middlesbrough, the critics did not show, I was surprised. So I did not feel that West Ham were not welcome, not at all. And Al Fayed was not there. But I got a letter from him that said it all anyway. He didn't need to be there."
There will inevitably be a hangover of ill will, but Magnússon is hoping to draw a line under the Tévez affair before tomorrow's match against Manchester City.
Terence Brown, the former West Ham chairman who entered into the infamous third-party agreements, is no longer welcome at Upton Park and Magnússon will not rule out legal action against him.
The £2 million bona fide litigation settlement paid by Media Sports Investments, the owners of Tévez's economic rights, went through on Wednesday and, having settled all legal bills from a variety of claimants, the club intend to place the remaining £500,000 with the Football Foundation, ring-fenced for the development of mini-pitches in the London Borough of Newham. Some will say that it is the least they can do, others that they did not have to do anything. Either way, inner-city children get football pitches. Make of it what you will.
What concerns Magnússon more is the accusation that West Ham have interfered with football's financial bio-rhythms with their forays into the transfer market. There was an outcry last season when Lucas Neill, the Blackburn Rovers full back, chose Upton Park ahead of Anfield and while this summer has been marked as much by high-profiles failures � Dar-ren Bent, Kieron Dyer � as successes, the club were still accused by Niall Quinn, the Sunderland chairman, of recklessly inflating wages and fees. This was before he paid £9 million for a Scottish goalkeeper, naturally.
"It is very easy to blame foreign owners for all that is wrong with English football," Magnússon said. "But I think it is strange when people say we are spending a lot of money and then they complain there are the same four clubs in the top places all the time. How will that change unless a club has ambition? Everybody should be pleased that somebody is trying to stop it because this is not a healthy situation for the Premier League.
"It would be good if you could just get up there with effort, but that is not possible. It costs money because the teams that are already there receive money each year from Uefa for playing in the Champions League. We will run the club in a healthy way, combining business and ambition, but you have to invest.
"It will take time, but I think it is possible to challenge the top four. You need a big stadium, though, because maybe in ten years it will even be difficult to be in the Premier League if you do not have a ground for at least 50,000."
What remains to be seen is whether Alan Curbishley, the manager, getting his first opportunity at a club with financial clout, has the presence to match Magnússon's ambitions. Mas-terminding the great escape has bought him at least one season, but the underlying message is that the manager has to adapt quickly to a financial change of circumstances, too.
"Alan has to show he has got what it takes to go the next step," Magnússon said. "I think he has. At Charlton Athletic he did not have the money, so he has to prove a lot of new things with us. But there must have been a reason he was in the reckoning to be the England manager, a lot of qualities that I hope will come through with West Ham.
"Tomorrow is the first time we can say we are putting our team out. It was no secret there was a lot going on in the dressing-room last year, players we needed to get rid of. Whether it was down to individuals or the group as a whole, changes had to be made. There was unrest and things that should not have happened, and that was not good for team spirit. It is a happy dressing-room now."
A happier boardroom, too? "I feel very healthy," Magnússon said. "But when I go back to Iceland for a day, people come up to me and say, 'Egg-ert, you look very tired, you should get some holiday.' " No time for that now. Maybe a weekend away later in the year. January 12 looks nice.
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