John Pantsil played his part as Ghana finished their summer schedule with a
key World Cup success
22.06.2008
John Pantsil signed off for the season on a high note as Ghana won 2-0
against Gabon on Sunday night to stay firmly on track in 2010 World Cup
qualifying.
Goals from Prince Tagoe and Sulley Muntari were enough for the Black Stars
to finish the 2007/08 campaign positively and moved them moved back to the
top of African zone Group 5 with two matches to play. The West Ham United
full-back played his fourth consecutive full 90 minutes this month in the
Accra contest and will be confident he and his team-mates will go on to
reach the second qualifying stage from the four-nation section.
Ghana and Libya both have nine points, Gabon have three and Lesotho none -
although the bottom two countries have three games left apiece. Pantsil will
now get a well-deserved international break until his country take on Libya
on 5 September in a potentially decisive fixture in Tripoli. Ghana then
conclude the first qualifying stage at home to Lesotho on 12 October.
Pantsil was a part of the squad that reached the second round of the 2006
World Cup and they are ultimately expected to be among the five African
nations that will join hosts South Africa at the 2010 finals.
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Parris pleased with 'special day' - WHUFC
Former midfielder George Parris has yet again staged his summer competitions
at West Ham United
20.06.2008
George Parris has helped make youngsters' dreams come true after another
successful staging of his annual mini-soccer tournaments at the Boleyn
Ground.
The former West Ham United favourite, who served the club to distinction
between 1982 and 1993 and is still a familiar face around the stadium, saw
66 clubs from 16 counties take part with teams coming from as far afield as
Devon and Nottinghamshire. "The tournaments, as always, were keenly
contested, the action was non-stop and there was some great talent on show,"
Parris said.
The homegrown midfielder was also pleased that a very worthy charity could
also benefit from the proceedings. He added: "The events give kids the
unique chance to play at Upton Park and it is obvious how much they enjoy
the experience and of course it is a special day for their parents as well.
The weather was great, the raffles helped raise £3,000 for the Great Ormond
Street Hospital so the event couldn't really have gone any better."
Over the two-day event, there were separate competitions for Under-7s
(friendlies), U8s, U9s, U10s, U11s and U12s. The victorious teams were:
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (U8s - Trophy)
Hove Rivervale, East Sussex (U8s - Plate)
Hove Rivervale A, East Sussex (U9s - Trophy)
Halliford Colts, Surrey (U9s - Plate)
Glebe FC, Kent (U10s - Trophy)
County Park, Essex (U10s - Plate)
Stanway Villa - Team 1, Essex (U11s - Trophy)
Stanway Villa - Team 2, Essex (U11s - Plate)
Didcot Boys, Oxfordshire (U12s - Trophy)
Leaside Colts Reds, Essex (U12s - Plate)
There have been various pitch events at the Boleyn Ground this summer. If
you are interested in playing on the hallowed turf yourself next year,
contact corporate hospitality on 0208 548 2777.
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Hammers linked with Coloccini move - TeamTalk
West Ham are reportedly lining up a move for Deportivo La Coruna defender
Fabricio Coloccini as a potential replacement for Anton Ferdinand. The
Hammers defender has been strongly linked with a £6million move to Tottenham
although Spurs have denied any interest in the 22-year-old. However, Upton
Park Park chief Alan Curbishley is not taking any chances and is actively
looking for defensive reinforcements. Highly-rated Argentine Coloccini is
rated in the £10million bracket but it could be difficult to tempt the
26-year-old away from The Riazor.
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McFadden wants Blues exit - Agent - TeamTalk
Scotland striker James McFadden is keen to leave Birmingham following their
relegation to the Championship, according to his agent. McFadden joined
Birmingham from Everton in January for £5million but could not keep Alex
McLeish's side in the Premier League. With Celtic interested, McFadden
could move back to Scotland, while Middlesbrough, West Ham and Aston Villa
are also thought to be interested. Agent Willie McKay said: "James has told
me that he wants to leave. "He is happy when Alex McLeish gave him an
opportunity to play first-team football every week but it's a short career
and he wants to play at the highest level." However, Blues manager Alex
McLeish is keen to keep hold of the former Motherwell star and said: "We
want to keep hold of our best players and James is absolutely vital to our
plans." McFadden, 25, signed a three-and-a-half-year contract when he
arrived at Birmingham and has scored four goals in 12 games.
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Let's hope West Ham have learnt a lesson from last summer! -
footballfancast.com
Posted by: , yesterday
Tagged: Premiership, West Ham
Football FanCast guest columnist Colin Woods is hopeful that West Ham learn
from their mistakes of last summer and bring in the right calibre of player.
I remember my late father once saying to me, "Son if you are going to
support the hammers, embrace yourself as it is never easy." It was not quite
what I wanted to hear as I set off with him for my first ever game, but it's
fair to say the old man had a point.
We have had our disappointment's that is without question and moments of
adulation have been few and far between, but it has never stopped us
believing that one day we will become a force, live up to our potential and
finally challenge at the top end of the table on a regular basis.
I'm sure that I am one of many hammers fans that thought our time had come,
when the Icelandic consortium moved in and all our previous limitations
seemed a thing of the past. There was a new vibrancy around the place,
belief that we could now compete financially and the common practice of
selling of our best players confined to the past. Curbishley now had a
seemingly open chequebook and we all waited and wondered who would arrive
last summer.
All in all I don't think there were many West Ham fans that were over the
moon about the arrivals last summer. Sure the likes of Scott Parker and
Julien Faubert were considered excellent acquisitions; however there were
certain question marks around the signings of Dyer, Ljungberg and Bellamy.
All very good players when fit, but that is just it. It was a massive gamble
by Curbs that backfired and that is why I refute any claims by the manager
that last year we were unlucky with injuries, what did he really expect?
It is vital that we don't make the same mistakes this summer if Curbs has
any hopes of being in the job come next year. He has an experience guy in
Nani alongside him who will hopefully assist in bringing in the right
calibre of player. There was a time at West Ham where you had to accept the
clubs limitations, due to financial constraints however no such problems now
exist so in my eyes, there is no longer an excuse - it is time we stepped
up.
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HAMMERS TALK: West Ham keeper could be on the move - Guardian Series
CHAMPIONSHIP outfit Southampton look set to offer West Ham miss-fit Richard
Wright an escape route from Upton Park. The former Arsenal and Everton
stopper has failed to make a single league appearance for the Hammers since
arriving on a free from the Toffees in July 2007. And having made just three
League Cup starts, the two-cap England gloveman was loaned out to the Saints
at the end of last season, where he helped them avoid relegation to League
One. And according to The News of the World, Wright is now mulling over an
offer to move to St Mary's.
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Curbishley in queue for Kapo - Clubcall
2008-06-22 14:33:00.0
West Ham are ready to join Wigan and Blackburn in the race to sign
midfielder Olivier Kapo from relegated Birmingham. JJB boss Steve Bruce
heads the queue to sign the 26-year-old having brought the France
international to England when he was manager at St Andrews. However, Upton
Park boss Alan Curbishley is a big fan of the former Juventus, Auxerre and
Monaco star and is ready to rival Bruce in the chase for his signature this
summer if Blues decide to cash in.
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Dyer available for West Ham preseason
tribalfootball.com - June 22, 2008
West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer hopes to be ready for pre-season after a
double leg break. In a further for the Hammers, defender James Collins has
recovered from his cruciate knee-ligament injury and is also set to be
available for preseason
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West Ham's Gabbidon visits Italian specialists
tribalfooball.com - June 22, 2008
West Ham defender Danny Gabbidon is visiting specialists in Italy to get
over his injury concerns. Welsh star Gabbidon, 28, started only seven
Premier League games last year due to stomach and pelvic problems.
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Southampton offer for West Ham keeper Wright
tribalfooball.com - June 22, 2008
Southampton have moved for West Ham goalkeeper Richard Wright. The News of
the World says Wright is now mulling over an offer to move to St Mary's.
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HAMMERS TALK: West ham linked with French international midfielder -
Guardian Series
MEDIA reports claim that West Ham are set to battle it out for Birmingham's
French international midfielder Olivier Kapo. The relegated Blues could be
ready to cash-in on the 26-year-old, with Wigan boss Steve Bruce, who signed
the player for the Midlands club from Juventus last summer believed to be
winning the race. But the Hammers and Blackburn are also reported to be
interested, and are set to battle the latics and French outfit Marseille for
the former Auxerre and Monaco star. Kapo, who scored five goals in 26
appearances at St Andrews, despite Birmingham's unsuccessful bid to avoid
the drop to the Championship, could be allowed to leave for around
£3million, which would fit Alan Curbishley's strict transfer budget this
summer.
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