26/08/2007 11:31
A lot of water has passed under the West Ham United bridge since the epic
2006 FA Cup final against Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium. But 472 days
since kicking off in Cardiff, Dean Ashton finally looks all set to start a
game for the Hammers at Bristol Rovers tomorrow night. And patient Alan
Curbishley cannot wait to see how the £7.25million striker - who has scored
six goals in 18 outings since his arrival from Norwich City in January 2006
- fares in what could be his first full competitive game for the Hammers
boss. "I class Deano as a new signing because I've been here for nine months
and I've never really seen him play until now," says Curbs ahead of the
Carling Cup second round clash at the Memorial Stadium. "We think we've got
him to where he should be and having got through his ankle problems, he just
needs a clean run now. "Dean's in a similar position to Michael Owen, who
has also been out for a long time, but with every week and every game he has
the chance to get fitter and stronger. He needs lots of matches but since
pre-season he hasn't really had the chance to play any more games. "He
managed to get through the season without any hiccups and he's now going
along quite nicely, so the Bristol Rovers tie will give him the chance to
get 90 minutes of competitive football under his belt. "At the moment, Deano
needs football, football, football," continues Curbs, who gave his fit-again
striker another half-hour run-out in the 1-1 draw against Wigan Athletic on
Saturday. "We hadn't scored and the crowd were getting restless for him to
come on but I want to ease him back. It's difficult when the supporters are
calling for him but we do know what we're doing and it's a very different
situation to last year, when we were losing and they were asking for Carlos
Tevez. "Anyway, Dean's not coming to me asking to play and like us all, he's
being realistic. There's no problem with him, he's worked so hard to get
back to full fitness and the big fear was that something else, other than
the ankle, would happen to him in pre-season. Now, he's just delighted that
he's come through all this and we've got to make sure that we're doing the
right thing, both for the team and individuals as we ease him back."
"We go to Bristol Rovers trying to win the game and Deano will probably get
90 minutes," reveals Curbs looking to mount a serious challenge for the
Carling Cup. "Apart from that, I won't I be tampering with the side too much
and if you look back at my managerial history then you'll see that I've
always attacked this competition. "It's a tournament that a Premiership club
should win, so why can't it be West Ham United this time?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bristol Rovers v West Ham - BBC
West Ham striker Dean Ashton is expected to start a match for the first time
under boss Alan Curbishley against Bristol Rovers in the Carling Cup. Ashton
broke his ankle training with England in August 2006 but is fit again and
has made two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season. Craig
Bellamy is a doubt with the groin injury he picked up against Wigan. Bristol
Rovers boss Paul Trollope will pick from the same squad that defeated Oldham
1-0 on Saturday. However, Trollope could recall forward duo Andy Williams
and Lewis Haldane, who started the previous Carling Cup game against Crystal
Palace but had to be content with coming off the bench at Oldham. Trollope
said: "The pressure is all on West Ham. "We will give them a huge amount of
respect because we know they are a real force and will provide a very tough
challenge for us. But we will not fear them."
Ashton joined the Hammers from Norwich for £7.25m in January 2006 and was
called into the England squad for the first time ahead of last August's
friendly with Greece. However, Ashton sustained the ankle injury that ended
his season in training with England and the Hammers went on to battle
against relegation from the Premier League, eventually securing their
survival with victory over Manchester United on the final day of the season.
Hammers trio Freddie Ljungberg (ankle), Julian Faubert (Achilles) and Scott
Parker (knee) all miss the match.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lazaridis gets 12-month drug ban - BBC
Former Birmingham and West Ham winger Stan Lazaridis has been banned for 12
months after failing a drugs test. The 35-year-old tested positive for the
masking agent finasteride which he was taking in a bid to prevent hair loss.
In its judgement, the Football Federation of Australia said Lazaridis, now
playing for Perth Glory, had not intended to cheat. "To suggest Mr Lazaridis
was a drug cheat would be doing him a very grave disservice indeed," it
said. The ban has been backdated to the date of the positive test so he will
be eligible to play for Perth Glory again on 2 December. "The tribunal found
that Stan had not taken the prohibited substance to mask a performance
enhancing drug, but for legitimate therapeutic purposes as prescribed by his
doctor," said FFA chief executive Ben Buckley. "The problem related to the
processes, which is why it is so important for all athletes to be vigilant."
Lazaridis spent four seasons at West Ham before joining Birmingham for a fee
of £1.5m. The Australian left St Andrews for Perth last year. He had
permission to use the drug, which he takes for alopecia, in England but
failed to receive the necessary clearance in Australia until January this
year - two months after he gave a positive drugs test.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bellamy desperate for start - SSN
Striker keen for first XI place
By Peter Fraser Last updated: 27th August 2007
Craig Bellamy has admitted he is just as desperate as strike partner Dean
Ashton to start for West Ham. Ashton has been promised he will begin the
Hammers' Carling Cup meeting with Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night as he
continues his bid to resurrect his West Ham and England careers after last
season's broken ankle. Bellamy, though, is equally keen to feature against
Rovers as he bids to make a mark in what would be a new-look West Ham
attack. The Welsh striker, who joined the Hammers in the summer from
Liverpool, is struggling with a groin strain but he has revealed his
desperation to play and to settle at Upton Park. "I would love to be
involved, if I'm honest," said Bellamy. "Rovers are the first club I was
ever with. "I was in their kind of School of Excellence at the age of nine
when my local club Cardiff didn't have much for youngsters and I had to
cross the bridge. "I've signed for five years [at West Ham] and, touch wood,
I will see out my career here. "Maybe because of the surgery I had to have
as a very young player that might not take me to 34 or 35 but those five
years are going to be very important for me to cement my name here. "There
is big competition for places at West Ham, what with Deano coming back and
there might be another forward coming in but you need that because you know
if you don't do well somebody will take your place. "It is not rotation here
it is a case if you are playing well, you are in. That is what everybody
wants. You want to be fighting and looking over your shoulder. "I don't care
what people say about what happened at Liverpool and the other clubs. I'm
here now and want to get my first goal."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Match Preview - Bristol Rovers v West Ham United - West Ham Online
Match Reporter - Fri Aug 24 2007
Bristol Rovers v West Ham United
Tuesday 28th August 2006
Kick Off 7.45pm Live on Sky
Carling Cup 2nd Round
This is written before this weekends games.
Alan Curbishley and his team travel down to the West Country on Tuesday
night for the 2nd round of the Carling Cup when they visit the Memorial
Ground for the first time.
Chosen as the live TV game by Sky who will be hoping for a repeat of last
year, where West Ham crashed at first time of asking in the competition away
at Chesterfield. West Ham's recent Carling Cup record hasn't been anything
to shout about.
However West Ham have an outstanding record against Rovers. They have never
lost away to Rovers and have lost just once in 24 encounters down the years.
League one new boys Bristol Rovers have started life in League One with
three straight 1-1 draws, including a first round knock out by way of a 4-1
penalty shoot out win over Championship side Crystal Palace.
Finishing 6th in League Two last season, they knocked out Lincoln City in
the play off semi-finals before disposing of Shrewsbury Town 3-1 at Wembley
in front of over 60,000 fans to win promotion.
Current Form
Bristol Rovers
West Brom H Drew 3-3
Plymouth A Lost 3-7
Port Vale A Drew 1-1
Crystal Palace H Drew 1-1 (Won 4-1 on Penalties)
Crewe Alexander H Drew 1-1
Oldham Athletic A
West Ham United
Southend United A Won 3-1
Norwich City A Won 2-1
AS Roma H Won 2-1
Manchester City H Lost 0-2
Birmingham City A Won 1-0
Wigan Athletic H
Bristol Rovers go looking for their 14th game unbeaten, a run stretching
back until 1st April when they lost 2-3 at home to Doncaster Rovers in the
FA Trophy when they take on Oldham on Saturday.
West Ham go to Bristol Rovers looking for their 4th straight away win on
their travels.
Top Scorers all competitions
Bristol Rovers – Disley 2
West Ham – Noble 1
West Ham have won 18 drawn 5 and lost 1 in all competitions
West Ham have won 3 drawn 1 and lost 0 in the League Cup
West Ham's biggest away win 1992/93 4-0
West Ham's biggest away defeat –
Last time we met at Bristol Rovers
League Cup 20th September 1995
A 25 yard strike by John Moncur just after the half hour mark sealed a first
leg victory in a difficult tie in front 7103 people at the Twerton Park
ground in Bath.
West Ham won the 2nd leg at Upton Park 3-0 to go through 4-0 on aggregate
comfortably in the end
Line Ups
Bristol Rovers
Unknown
West Ham United
Ludo Miklosko
Timmy Breaker
Alvin Martin
Steve Potts
Julian Dicks
Stan Lazaridis
Ian Bishop
John Moncur
Stuart Slater
Tony Cottee
Iain Dowie
Driving
Exit M5 at junction 16 (Signposted Filton) and join the A38 (South) towards
Bristol City Centre. The ground is about five miles down the A38. You will
pass the large British Aerospace works and further on, you will pass on your
left the Royal George and Duke Of York pubs. At the next traffic lights, the
Memorial Ground is signposted to the left and is about 100 yards down this
road.
Parking
Plenty of street parking around the area where the ground is.
By Train
Bristol is served by First Great Western from London Paddington with a
journey time of around 2 hours. Head for Bristol Parkway, which is 2 miles
from the ground. Jump in a taxi or on the 73 or 74 buses.
After the game the last train is 22:33 from Bristol Temple Mead, which is 4
miles away. Check the buses or jump in a cab. If the game goes into extra
time and penalties you could be stuck.
Pubs
Gloucester Road, which is 5 minutes from the ground, is a large student area
and has a wide choice of pubs running along it.
The best bet maybe to try the Victoria and keep out of the John Cabot.
Prediction
0-2
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dean Ashton starts off on another cup quest - Telegraph
By Martin Smith
Last Updated: 1:57am BST 28/08/2007
Dean Ashton's promising career, interrupted by injury, resumes after a
15-month hiatus tonight when he starts West Ham's Carling Cup match at
Bristol Rovers. Ashton, 23, has not begun a game for West Ham since the FA
Cup final against Liverpool in May 2006 after breaking an ankle while
training with England before the friendly international against Greece last
August. advertisementAlan Curbishley, his club manager, has adopted a
cautious approach to Ashton's return, restricting him to two substitute
appearances so far this season. However, he believes the striker is now
ready to play a full match. "We didn't want him starting straight away,
getting tired and causing himself other problems," Curbishley said before
tonight's second-round tie. "But we think we have him back to where he
should be now, and he'll get his chance at Bristol. He just needs a clear
run now.''
Ashton wants to get back to where he was little more than a year ago, and
that means manoeuvring himself back into the England squad. "That has always
been my dream," he said, "and I'm determined to make it come true." West
Ham, who were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Chesterfield last autumn,
are at least paying lip service to a competition that Premier League clubs
do not take as seriously as they might. "It's definitely important to this
club," Ashton said. "We want to do well in every competition. We had the
experience with the FA Cup, which was special and something we want to
recreate in the Carling Cup."
Curbishley added: "If you go back in my history, we've always attacked the
League Cup. I think it's a tournament a Premier club are going to win, so
why not West Ham?" That others are lukewarm about the competition was
evident by results a year ago. Of the dozen non-European participants who
enter every year at this stage, four (Fulham, Middlesbrough, Manchester City
and Wigan) went out to lower-division opposition, and two more (Watford and
Reading) needed penalties to progress.
That attitude does not appear to have changed. Portsmouth are planning to
rest the likes of David James, Sol Campbell and Kanu for the tricky visit of
unbeaten Leeds; Steve Bruce will likewise take the opportunity to stand down
some of Birmingham's internationals who have played five times in 13 days,
against Hereford, while Reading will utilise fringe players at Swansea.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers eye Shorey swoop - The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
August 28, 2007
WEST HAM have made an official £5million bid for England left-back Nicky
Shorey. Reading rejected the offer but the Hammers will not give up. And
boss Alan Curbishley is confident Shorey will be lining up for him at the
Madejski Stadium on Saturday after the transfer window shuts. Curbishley has
tracked Shorey for weeks but made his move yesterday morning in the wake of
last Saturday's disappointing home draw with Wigan. West Ham's firm offer is
the first concrete bid for Shorey from any top-flight club although
Newcastle are also interested. Ambitious Shorey, 26, is refusing to sign a
new contract with the Royals and has less than two years left on his current
deal. Curbishley has contemplated using Danny Gabbidon as a left-back and
experimented by deploying the Wales centre-half there during pre-season.
Northern Ireland's George McCartney will fill the role for tonight's tricky
Carling Cup tie at Bristol Rovers where West Ham's record £7.5m signing
Craig Bellamy started his nomadic career — at nine years old.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rovers will fail to burst West Ham bubble - The Times
Mike Brewer
West Ham United can avoid further Carling Cup embarrassment and land general
odds of 4-6 by winning away to Bristol Rovers in the second round of the
knockout competition on Tuesday evening. The match is live on Sky.
The Hammers have suffered defeats to Oldham, Northampton and, more recently,
Chesterfield in this competition but have strengthened considerably since
the club's takeover by a consortium headed by Eggert Magnusson and should
hold too much fire-power for their League One rivals.
Magnusson is determined to bring European football to Upton Park and his
open cheque book has enabled manager Alan Curbishley to recruit a host of
established names, including such as Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy, Lucas
Neill, Matthew Upson, Freddie Ljungberg and Kieron Dyer.
Ironically, it could be the return from injury of Dean Ashton, a player
already on the club's books at the time of Magnusson's arrival, that prompts
an improvement in the team's fortunes.
Ashton, after nearly a year in the wilderness recovering from the ankle he
fractured in training with the England squad, looked sharp when appearing as
a second-half substitute in West Ham's weekend stalemate with Wigan Athletic
and has been promised his first start of the campaign by Curbishley at the
Memorial Stadium.
Bellamy must prove his fitness after straining a groin muscle in the 1-1
draw with Wigan, while Parker and Ljungberg remain sidelined, but
Curbishley, mindful of previous West Ham shock defeats in this competition,
has promised to field a strong side.
Bristol Rovers ousted Crystal Palace on penalties in the first round and
have started their league campaign with two draws and a win. They are
best-priced at 9-2 with Coral. The draw is a general 13-5
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham to make £8m bid for Blackburn ace? - Talking Soccer
Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy is believed to be an £8 million
target for West Ham United. The Daily Mail are reporting that the South
African hitman has moved to the top of West Ham boss' Alan Curbishley's list
after the Hammers missed out on Eidur Gudjohnsen and Nicolas Anelka. It is
believed big spending West Ham will make an £8 million bid this week.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MCAVENNIE: ZAMORA HAS TO GO - Daily Express
Tuesday August 28,2007
FRANK McAVENNIE has warned West Ham boss Alan Curbishley: Keep picking Bobby
Zamora and you will end up with the sack. The former Scotland striker, who
enjoyed two headline-making spells at Upton Park in the Eighties, reckons
the Hammers will prosper once Dean Ashton is partnered with Craig Bellamy.
But McAvennie fears Ashton, whose career was put on hold by a broken ankle a
year ago, will not be fully fit for months and that current first-pick
Zamora simply cannot cut it in the Premier League. He urged Curbishley to
buy a proven goalscorer before the transfer window closes on Friday –
insisting chairman Eggert Magnusson is sure to fire him if the Hammers
struggle for a second successive season. McAvennie said: "Dean Ashton is
nowhere near ready to return. I watched him against Wigan on Saturday and as
soon as he came on the park everyone looked jumpy. They are scared of losing
him again, so I would like to see them go out and buy a striker. "They need
a partner for Bellamy because Bobby is still wanting that extra touch. You
just don't get two touches inside the 18-yard box in this league. "No
disrespect to Bobby, but if he's not doing it now then he's never going to
do it. If Ashton's fit then fine but he's months away. "I would rather keep
Ashton out until he is ready than risk him and then he's out for another
year."
Four points from the first three games is a modest return from a squad that
has had numerous expensive additions since Magnusson took over last
November. McAvennie added: "One thing about Mr Magnusson is that he is
ruthless. If he doesn't get results, then he will get someone else in. "I
did think Curbishley was the right man for the job but I don't know how long
he can last if he doesn't get results."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Attempt to have hair tomorrow means that Lazaridis is gone today - The
Independent
By Matt Gatward
Published: 28 August 2007
Stan Lazaridis must feel like tearing his hair out. The former West Ham
United and Birmingham City winger was banned for 12 months by the Football
Federation of Australia yesterday after failing a drugs test. But it wasn't
cocaine or performance enhancers that led to his downfall. No, instead
Lazaridis fell foul of the banned substance finasteride – a masking agent –
which was present in the medication he was taking to treat hair loss.
Not very Rock 'n' Roll.
Lazaridis tested positive in November last year and, as such, his ban will
be backdated to the day of the test, which means he would be available to
play for his A-League club Perth Glory in December, the FFA said.
"The tribunal made certain express findings regarding Stan's good character
which FFA welcomes," the FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said.
"In particular, it found that Stan had not taken the prohibited substance to
mask a performance-enhancing drug, but for legitimate therapeutic purposes
as prescribed by his doctor. The problem related to the processes, which is
why it is so important for all athletes to be vigilant."
Lazaridis, 35, made over 50 appearances for the Socceroos and played his
last match against Paraguay last year. He arrived back in Australia from
England in 2006 to play for Perth. Despite having permission to use the drug
in England, he was only given formal approval to use the drug by Australian
authorities in January of this year – two months after the positive test.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A Hammer for life SAYS CRAIG BELLAMY - The Mirror
CARLING CUP Bristol Rovers v West Ham TONIGHT. KO 7.45 (WHO HAS PLAYED FOR 7
CLUBS IN 8 SEASONS)
Neil Mcleman 28/08/2007
Craig Bellamy has claimed his wandering days are over and he wants to finish
his colourful career as a West Ham legend. The Wales striker joined his
seventh club in eight action-packed seasons when he signed for the Hammers
for £7.5million from Liverpool last month. And as he prepared for a return
to his first club, Bristol Rovers, in the Carling Cup tonight, the
28-year-old said he hoped his move to Upton Park will be his last. It's a
really good club and I've made a really good choice coming here," he said.
"It's probably because I knew a lot of people at the club and I knew what I
was coming into. Touch wood, hopefully I'll finish my career here. "Maybe
because of the surgery I had as a very young player, it might not take me to
34 or 35. Advertisement"So these five years are going to be very important
for me. I can cement my name here. Hopefully with a few better performances
I will have a good chance of doing that."
Bellamy limped off with a groin strain in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Wigan but
should be fit for tonight as he seeks his first goal for his new club. "You
want that goal," he admitted after having an effort disallowed for offside
against the Latics. Sometimes that takes over everything, which it shouldn't
do. "Psychologically you want to get off the mark. I thought I had against
Wigan but it was disallowed. But I think it was the right decision, to be
fair to the linesman."
Bellamy told how Bristol Rovers has a special place in his affections. "It's
the first club I was ever with," he said. "I was nine years of age when I
went to their school of excellence. Cardiff didn't have much then so I had
to go across the bridge. I was there for about two years as a kid and the
scouts and some of the coaches got poached by Norwich, and ended up there
too. "I remember seeing Gerry Francis and a few other players at Rovers. So
it was a good side for the Pirates."
Dean Ashton is set to start his first competitive game under Alan Curbishley
tonight after 12 months out with a broken ankle. With the Hammers boss also
seeking another striker, Bellamy welcomed the competition. "You do need
that," he said. "If I have a few bad matches then someone is going to come
in and take my place. "You want to be fighting and looking over your
shoulder."
West Ham keeper Robert Green reckons Sky Sports are "sensing blood again" by
showing tonight's tie at the Memorial Stadium. Last season, the Premier
League club's third-round defeat at Chesterfield was another nail in the
coffin of Alan Pardew's managerial reign at the club. "The game at
Chesterfield was a massive disappointment and Sky are sensing blood again,"
said Green. "I've played there before and it's not the prettiest place in
the world. But it's pitch with white lines and goals at either end. The
outside stuff shouldn't really bear any relevance on the game."
Live on Sky Sports 2 from 7.30pm
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss: Ashton ready to start
tribalfooball.com - August 27, 2007
West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is ready to give Dean Ashton his first start
in 472 days in their Carling Cup clash with Bristol Rovers. "I class Deano
as a new signing because I've been here for nine months and I've never
really seen him play until now," Curbishley told whufc.com. "We think we've
got him to where he should be and having got through his ankle problems, he
just needs a clean run now. "Dean's in a similar position to Michael Owen,
who has also been out for a long time, but with every week and every game he
has the chance to get fitter and stronger. He needs lots of matches but
since pre-season he hasn't really had the chance to play any more games. "He
managed to get through the season without any hiccups and he's now going
along quite nicely, so the Bristol Rovers tie will give him the chance to
get 90 minutes of competitive football under his belt. "Anyway, Dean's not
coming to me asking to play and like us all, he's being realistic. There's
no problem with him, he's worked so hard to get back to full fitness and the
big fear was that something else, other than the ankle, would happen to him
in pre-season. Now, he's just delighted that he's come through all this and
we've got to make sure that we're doing the right thing, both for the team
and individuals as we ease him back."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Curbishley happy with West Ham transfer business
tribalfooball.com - August 27, 2007
West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley is delighted with the club's summer
market work. He told the Hammers website: "Sure, I'm pleased with the
business that I've done during the summer and, although I may have spent
around £28million, I've also got around £21m back in sales and have managed
to replace the players that have left the club. About ten teams have spent
more than West Ham United this summer and that has made the Premier League
more difficult but we can only get stronger."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Bellamy: Norwich poached me from Bristol Rovers
tribalfooball.com - August 27, 2007
West Ham striker Craig Bellamy admits he was "poached" by Norwich City out
of Bristol Rovers' youth system. The Hammers face Rovers in the Carling Cup
this week and Bellamy revealed: "I would love to be involved, if I'm honest.
"Rovers are the first club I was ever with. I was in their kind of School of
Excellence at the age of nine when my local club Cardiff didn't have much
for youngsters and I had to cross the bridge. "Their fans today won't know
this but I was there for about two years - before Jamie Cureton and then me
were both poached by Norwich."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham press Reading for Shorey sale
tribalfooball.com - August 27, 2007
West Ham United are pressing ahead with a bid for Reading left-back Nicky
Shorey. The Sun says Reading have rejected a £5 million offer but the
Hammers will not give up. And boss Alan Curbishley is confident Shorey will
be lining up for him at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday after the transfer
window shuts.
Curbishley has tracked Shorey for weeks but made his move yesterday morning
in the wake of last Saturday's disappointing home draw with Wigan. West
Ham's firm offer is the first concrete bid for Shorey from any top-flight
club although Newcastle are also interested.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham make £5m Shorey bid - lep.co.uk
West Ham have made an official bid for England international Nicky Shorey,
according to reports. Reading have rejected the offer but The Sun newspaper
reports that West ham United will continue their pursuit of the full-back.
And Alana Curbishley is said to be confident that the player will join the
club before Friday's transfer deadline. West Ham's offer is said to be the
first concrete bid Reading has received for the player, although Newcastle
are also poised to make a move.
Last Updated: 28 August 2007 7:41 AM
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Could Benayoun Be On His Way Back To West Ham - West Ham Fans.org
Submitted by Neville Nixon on 27 August, 2007 - 20:55.
In what would be an incredible turn of events Israel captain Yossi Benayoun
might well be returning to West Ham from Liverpool on loan. Benayoun is
extremely unhappy at being left out of Rafa Benitez's plans and has
expressed a desire to leave the club to his agent. Quite what has gone wrong
between Benitez and Benayoun is unclear, but reliable sources close to
Liverpool have confirmed that there has been a distinct lack of
communication between the manager and the player he 'tapped up' and signed
for £5 Million from the Hammers.
It seems that Benayoun's protestation at the time of his transfer that " I
wouldn't have signed for any other club apart from Liverpool, West Ham is
true to my heart and only Liverpool could have prised me away" may have
actually had a degree of truth attached. Whether Benayoun's return would be
greeted with favour by the Upton Park faithful is a matter of choice,
football is all about winning, and loyalty has long been confined to the
grainy imagery of the past.
Benayoun's creativity has been sorely missed and perhaps a return of the
player to the club on loan might be a fitting way of paying West Ham a
little back for getting Mascherano on the cheap and for Rick the Grass
Parry's attempts at smearing the club's reputation by his support for
Sheffield United in their ill fated legal action over 'Tevezgate'. - Ed
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lazaridis pulling hair out over ban - The Australian
Ray Gatt | August 28, 2007
FORMER Socceroo Stan Lazaridis has vowed to fight a decision banning him
from playing for 12 months following a positive drug test last November.
Football Federation Australia confirmed yesterday its Anti-Doping Tribunal
had ruled Lazaridis ineligible to play for Perth Glory in the A-League until
November 27 after he tested positive to to the drug finasteride. Lazaridis
tested positive to the drug, which is used to combat the hair-loss condition
alopecia, late in 2006 and faced a maximum two-year ban. The tribunal
back-dated the penalty to November 27 last year, which means he will be
eligible to resume his career in round 15 on December 2. That will leave him
seven regular season matches and the possibility of more if Glory reaches
the finals. Lazaridis, who had a distinguished career playing in England
with West Ham United and Birmingham, has been advised not to talk to the
media until an arranged press conference in Perth today. He is known to be
bitterly upset with the decision. Those close to him say he is determined to
fight on to clear his name because he believes he has done nothing wrong.
Finasteride is also regarded as a masking agent. However, Lazaridis' legal
advisers argue the player had told the authorities and produced
documentation as far back as 2005 about his medical condition. And it had
been accepted in regard to his treatment. There is also concern about the
length of time the tribunal took to hand down its decision. But FFA
explained in a statement issued yesterday that, "in accordance with the
anti-doping by-law, it could not be made public until the period for
lodgement of any appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport had expired.
"That period had now passed with no appeal being lodged by any of the
parties with appeal rights (including the player, FIFA, the Australian
Sports Anti-Doping Authority and the World Anti-Doping Authority)."
FFA also confirmed that the Professional Footballers Association is pursuing
another legal avenue on behalf of Lazaridis. It involves an application for
a retroactive therapeutic use exemption with the Australian Sports Drug
Medical Advisory Committee. ASDMAC denied the application and the PFA is
appealing the decision, although Lazaridis' suspension will stand while the
process continues.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment