25/10/2007 17:05
West Ham United fans turned up in great numbers this week at the club shops
to meet their favourite players and check out the new winter sportswear
range.
The three events - two at the stadium store and one at Lakeside shopping
centre - were a big hit with the supporters who had the chance to get up
close to the players they watch week in, week out at the Boleyn Ground.
Those taking part were Dean Ashton, Freddie Ljungberg, James Collins, Mark
Noble, Lucas Neill and Robert Green.
While many young and old were delighted with the opportunity, the players
also had positive things to say about the experience. Chief among them were
the ever-popular Collins and Noble, who were given a round of applause as
they entered the Lakeside shop on Wednesday. For the surprised Wales
defender, it was a particularly "nice touch".
He said: "The fans have been really friendly and we had a good bit of banter
with several of them." All walks of life turned up and many had a novel way
of getting autographs. "We weren't asked to sign anything unusual, but we
have had a fair few people here in plaster and had to sign those," Collins
added.
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Sanchez elbows Zamora rumour - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 25th October 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Fulham boss Laurie Sanchez says there is no truth in rumours linking Hammers
striker Bobby Zamora with a move to Fulham. Some tabloids reported earlier
this week that Zamora was being lined up as a £4m January transfer window
target for Sanchez, whose Fulham side have struggled in the opening quarter
of the season. But when asked about the rumour earlier today, the former
Northern Ireland manager denied that Zamora was on his radar. "Bobby was a
player we asked about during the close season and were told no," he said.
"I've seen that we've been linked with several players all of a sudden, I
don't know where that's come from because there's nothing we can do right
now."But somewhat mischieviously, he added: "We wouldn't make our interest
known earlier because you look foolish if you don't get the player. It
alerts other people, too." Zamora has made just four appearances for the
Hammers thus far this season, and is yet to score a goal.
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Curbs in the loop - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 25th October 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Alan Curbishley has revealed that he is fully involved with the club's
search for a technical director. It was revealed last weekend that the
Hammers are to bring in 'someone with a football background' to oversee the
transition to the new stadium and training centre. And United boss
Curbishley has spoken out to allay fears over his own future, insisting that
he is 'whole-heartedly involved' with the plans. "We're looking at a new
stadium and a new training ground and with everything else going on here the
workload will be immense," he said. "So it makes sense to bring someone in
to oversee the changes. "We need to push on. We're looking at everything in
the club and we need a bit of help with that. I've been filled in and I'm
onside with it - we've been talking about it for some months. "It's a big
club and we need someone who can spend more time on that than the manager
can."
The Hammers are set to leave Upton Park in 2010 when they will move to a
brand new 70,000 capacity stadium on the current Parcel Force site by West
Ham station.
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Magnusson reveals striker interest - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 25th October 2007
By: Matthew O'Greel
Eggert Magnusson has revealed how the Hammers narrowly missed out on signing
highly-rated Icelandic striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson in the summer.
Magnusson, talking to westham.is revealed that the Hammers - along with the
likes of Chelsea and Arsenal - missed out on signing the 17-year-old teen
star, who was being chased by a whole host of European clubs. Sigthorsson
eventually signed for Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar - although Magnusson still
believes his fellow countryman could yet end up at Upton Park one day. "I
spoke with him and his parents with a view to bring him to the club," he
said. "There was strong interest from us but he judged he would get into the
AZ first team quicker than at West Ham - so he's not ours for a while yet."
Sigthorsson is yet to break through to Alkmaar's first team.
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Curbs on board with plan - SSN
Hammers boss happy with technical director
Last updated: 25th October 2007
Alan Curbishley insists he is 'onside' with West Ham United's plan to
appoint a technical director. The Hammers are exploring the possibility of
bringing in someone to help with the club's proposed switch to a new ground.
Curbishley is happy with the club's intention and does not expect the new
arrival to impinge on his work with the playing squad. "We're looking at a
new stadium and a new training ground and with everything else going on here
the workload will be immense, so it makes sense to bring someone in to
oversee the changes," said Curbishley. "I've been filled in and I'm onside
with it. We've been talking about it for some months. "It's a big club and
the structure of it is going to get bigger, so we need someone who can spend
more time on that than the manager can. "A lot of clubs have people with
different titles, but it's the job description, and what we want from the
person we bring in, that we're formulating at the moment. "We need to push
on. We're looking at everything in the club and we need a bit of help with
that.
Confusion
"Obviously there's a lot of confusion over the role and perhaps other people
at other clubs have a different brief. "But our brief is someone will come
in to oversee the changes that we envisage. "Arsene Wenger at Arsenal took
on board the new stadium and the training ground, but he must have had some
help there, and if we're looking to push on we'll need that manpower. "It
will be someone with a football background to oversee what we see as the
future of the club. "It's not something that will happen above me. I'm
whole-heartedly involved in it. (Recruitment) will still be down to me and
the scouts."
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Zamora link played down - SSN
Fulham boss denies new interest
By Graeme Bailey Last updated: 25th October 2007
Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez has played down reports that he is lining up
another bid for Bobby Zamora. The Cottagers boss tried to land the West Ham
striker in the summer and reports have claimed that Sanchez was ready to
renew his interest in the 26-year-old in January. However, Sanchez says he
has not thought about making a new bid for the former Tottenham and Brighton
striker. "There is money still available. Bobby was a player we asked about
during the close season and were told no," said Sanchez. "I've seen that
we've been linked with several players all of a sudden, I don't know where
that's come from because there's nothing we can do right now. "We wouldn't
make our interest known earlier because you look foolish if you don't get
the player. It alerts other people, too." Sanchez admits he is frustrated by
his team's lack of goals, having gone three matches without finding the back
of the net. "We were scoring goals for fun but then haven't scored in the
last three games," he said. "We couldn't keep a clean sheet for love nor
money, yet two of our last three games have been clean sheets. "We've got
goals in the team, but it's about the players showing this. "A lot of the
teams near the bottom have been suffering heavy defeats, but our worst loss
was 2-0 to Portsmouth. "Some teams have more points than us but have
suffered from what I call bad defeats."
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Eggert backs American football - SSN
Chairman backs Premier League game in the USA
By James Dall Last updated: 25th October 2007
West Ham United non-executive chairman Eggert Magnusson believes that
playing a competitive Premier League game in the USA would be 'good for the
game'. The NFL's decision to play the first regular season game away from
North America has fuelled a debate so to whether the Premier League should
return the favour and play a game in the US. "I can see that happening
sooner rather than later. It would be good for the game," Magnusson told Sky
Sports News. Arsenal's American shareholder Stan Kroenke added: "There is
probably a good chance of getting a game to go over there because both
owners could agree to it. "I think there is a reasonable chance it could
take place in the future."
Wembley is the venue for the encounter between The Miami Dolphins and New
York Giants, which takes place on Sunday. And Jonathan Tisch, co-owner of
NFL franchise the New York Giants, admits he would love to stage a Premier
League clash in the Big Apple. "Wearing another one of my hats as head of
tourism in New York City, we would welcome an English game in the states,"
he said. "It would be great for New York's tourism, it would be great in the
United States too to spread the game internationally. "People want to be
part of this global environment, and sport is a rallying point where people
can put aside their differences and root for a team."
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