Dean Ashton and Lucas Neill are relishing the prospect of the summer pre-season trip to the US and Canada
26.06.2008
West Ham United will take on the Major League Soccer All-Stars a month today and the entire squad is looking forward to the experience.
On Thursday 24 July, Alan Curbishley's men will be up against the cream of talent from the leading league in the United States and Canada in Toronto. Fans in North America are voting for the players they would like to see represent the MLS from the 14 top-flight clubs. The match, to be played at BMO Field, will be the fifth time the MLS All-Stars have taken on an overseas club and they have won all four of the previous encounters against CD Guadalajara, Celtic, Fulham and Chelsea.
England striker Dean Ashton, likely to come up against international team-mate David Beckham, is particularly relishing the prospect of a tour that will also include a fixture against top MLS side Columbus Crew in Ohio on Sunday 20 July. "It will be fantastic," he said. "That is what it is about these days. All the big clubs are going away now and playing these games against different kinds of opposition. We are no different and it will be great to go out there and play a high-profile game."
Club captain Lucas Neill sees the trip as crucial to highlighting the club's stature and standing around the world. "The tour to America and Canada is very exciting, especially Canada as I myself have never been there," he said. "It is a great to be able to promote and advertise West Ham in different corners of the world and I am sure a lot of our fans will relish the chance to come and support the team out there. The All-Star game is especially exciting, it is a very high profile occasion against the best players from the MLS so we are very privileged to be playing in it."
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Villarreal to grace Boleyn - WHUFC
Villarreal will be the opponents for West Ham United's home pre-season fixture on Saturday 9 August
26.06.2008
West Ham United are pleased to confirm the club will be taking on Villarreal in the traditional curtain-raiser to the new season on Saturday 9 August at the Boleyn Ground.
The Spanish league runners-up were one of Europe's leading clubs last season and will provide a strong test for Alan Curbishley's side ahead of the new Barclays Premier League campaign. Villarreal finished ten points clear of Barcelona and just behind Real Madrid in 2007/08 and boast several top internationals. Among them are the Spain trio of Joan Capdevila, Marcos Senna and Santi Cazorla and Turkey striker Nihat Kahveci - all of whom have impressed at Euro 2008. Freddie Ljungberg will know all about the Spanish players after the summer finals.
Coached by the highly-rated Manuel Pellegrini, the Chilean who took the club to the 2005/06 Champions League semi-finals, Villarreal are expected to be leading contenders at home and in Europe's premier club competition in the new season. Other famous names include former France midfielder Robert Pires and Denmark striker Jon Dahl Tomasson, both of whom have English league experience. Then there are the exciting new arrivals including versatile World Cup winner Edmilson and the US prospect Jozy Altidore.
The prestige pre-season opener at the Boleyn Ground has attracted a host of leading clubs in recent years including PSV Eindhoven (2-1, 2003), Anderlecht (4-4, Anderlecht win 5-4 on penalties, 2004), Osasuna (1-1, 2005) and Olympiakos (1-1, 2006). Last season, goals from George McCartney and Dean Ashton helped account for Italian giants AS Roma in a 2-1 home victory. Ticket information will follow via whufc.com as soon as available.
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Paul the other one - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 26th June 2008
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Paul Ince says he is looking forward to bringing his new Blackburn side to Upton Park when the clubs meet in October. East Londoner Ince, 40, was named as the successor to Manchester City-bound Mark Hughes earlier this week following an impressive start to his managerial career with Macclesfield and MK Dons. And the boo-boys' favourite, who still follows the Hammers, says he can't wait to stand in the Boleyn technical dugout as manager for the first time. "I looked at the fixtures and noticed straight away that West Ham was the third game," he said last night. "The trip to Upton Park was the one that stood out to me for some reason. I can't think why! "Not long ago I was thinking about games against Darlington and Rochdale, no disrespect to them. "Now here I am looking at when we are going to be playing against Manchester United and Chelsea - and West Ham, of course."
Ince fell foul of Hammers fans back in 1989 when he was pictured on the back page of a tabloid wearing a Manchester United shirt despite still being employed by West Ham. A few weeks later he moved to Old Trafford. The former England midfielder has since apologised for the incident, claiming that he was mislead by his agent at the time. However this has not prevented some elements of the Boleyn faithful booing him almost 20 years on.
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The Real thing - KUMB
Filed: Thursday, 26th June 2008
By: Staff Writer
Villareal have confirmed that they will face West Ham United in a pre-season friendly at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday, 9th August. The La Liga runners-up will travel to East London for the final first team fixture of pre-season a week ahead of the Premier League season opener against Wigan. The Yellows feature a whole host of well-known players including former Arsenal players Pascal Cygan and Robert Pires, ex-Manchester United and Newcastle Utd striker Giuseppe Rossi plus former Liverpool defender Josemi. Other players to watch out for include veteran Danish hitman Jon Dahl Tomasson and Turkish midfielder/striker Nihat Kahveci, who played a major part in Turkey's journey to the Euro 2008 semi-finals before succumbing to injury following the quarter-final win over Croatia. West Ham United are yet to officially confirm the news but an announcement is expected shortly.
* The club have confirmed that West Ham will play one further pre-season friendly this season.
A United XI will visit Tilbury's Chadfields ground on Monday, 11th August 2008.
Pre-season programme: First Team
Thursday, 17th July: Hampton & Richmond Borough (a) - 7.30pm
Sunday, 20th July: Columbus Crew (a) - 5.00pm
Thursday, 24th July: MLS All-Stars (a) - 7.00pm
Tuesday, 29th July: Peterborough United (a) - 7.45pm
Friday, 1st August: Southampton (a) - 7.45pm
Monday, 4th August: Ipswich Town (a) - 7.45pm
Saturday, 9th August: Villareal (h) - 3.00pm
Pre-season programme: Reserves/Youths
Saturday, 19th July: Billericay Town (a) - 3.00pm
Saturday, 26th July: Thurrock (a) - 3pm
Wednesday, 30th July: Cambridge United (a) - 7.45pm
Saturday, 2nd August: Grays Athletic (a) - 3.00pm
Tuesday, 5th August: Bishop's Stortford (a) - 7.30pm
Monday, 11th August: Tilbury (a) - 7.45pm
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Little urges Shorey to head south - TeamTalk
Glen Little has urged Reading full-back and West Ham target Nicky Shorey to follow him to Portsmouth from the Madejski Stadium. Winger Little joined Pompey last Friday after turning down a new deal at Reading, where last season he made just two appearances - as a substitute - due to Achilles trouble which required surgery. Now Harry Redknapp has his eye on Little's team-mate Shorey. The England left-back, who has made clear his desire to stay in the Premier League, has only a year of his contract to run at relegated Reading - and is also on the Hammers' summer shopping list. Redknapp is believed to be considering a £3million bid and Little said: "Nicky is my best mate so of course I am going to say good things about him. But I would love to see him sign for Portsmouth as well." Little told the Portsmouth News: "Reading have already got the hump with me for leaving. So I am not going to try to upset people by saying he should go and sign for so and so. "But at the end of the day I want what's best for him and he should follow me down here. Portsmouth would be getting a very good player." Redknapp has already stated: "I like Nicky Shorey. He's a good footballer who can give us something different down the left."
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Gianluca Nani to Raid Brescia for West Ham and starts with Lithuanian Marius Stankevicius - Cmon Yu Irons
26 Jun
Posted by Joe J
Gianluca Nani is ready to start raiding his former club Brescia to strengthen West Ham's defence. His first target is Lithuanian international Marius Stankevicius. Marius Stankevicius a 6′ 3″ Defender is 26 years old and has made over 100 appearances for the Italian club Brescia and has 25 caps for his National club Lithuania. Nani has been very impressed with the defender and says Stankevicius has great energy and stamina and would be ideal for West Ham. Gianluca Nani is ready to raid more clubs in Europe for players that will enrich West Ham's future as a top premiership club.
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Lawrie Madden meets John Moncur
By Lawrie Madden 26-06-08
John Moncur was a stylish midfielder who started off his career at Spurs. Although Moncur played in the Premiership with Swindon, it is his home town club West Ham where he is most fondly remembered. Givemefootball's Lawrie Madden caught up with him for a chat about 'the good old days' and to find out what he's doing now....
Q. You started off at Spurs. Happy days?
A.. I loved it. I was playing with people like Glenn Hoddle who all the young players looked up to because he was so talented. Then a young Gazza was coming through alongside people like Micky Hazard and Vinny Samways so there was some top players around at the time.
Q. You followed Hoddle to Swindon?
A. It was not a hard decision. Glenn came in for me. He knew somehow what made me tick. Maybe it was because he was a midfield player and knew what they wanted but he was good for me and he came in for me at a time when Gazza was breaking in at Spurs.
Q, What was it like at Swindon, especially reaching the premier league?
A. We had a good side and we got promotion. Then Glenn left and John Gorman took over. We had a struggle and it took a long time to get our first win on the board. I remember one Monday going past a pub and said to John Gorman about bringing the lads in for a drink. He did. One drink led to another. Anyway on the Wednesday we went out and won our first game. John said that we couldn't do that again because he'd get the sack. It was good for team spirit, though.
Q. Then a dream move to West Ham?
A. Glenn came in for me again when he was at Chelsea but there were one or two things happening and West Ham also showed interest. I supported them as a lad and came from the area so it was not really much of a decision to make.
Q. But your move wasn't smooth though, was it?
A. Billy Bonds bought me but he left the club without me having played for him. Harry Redknapp took over and the club was ideal for him. He was like me, a local lad and he went about changing the culture of the club. Harry told you where you stood and he brought some professionalism to the club.
Q. What is it about Harry that's made him a success wherever he's gone?
A. Harry has a knack of getting players to play for him. They would be out on their ears at other clubs but he would bring them in and get the best out of them. Paolo di Canio was a classic case in point.
Q. What are your best memories of the Premiership?
A. Well, I always thought that I was good enough to play in the Premiership against the top players. One memory was a game against Bradford. Shaka Hislop went off after ten minutes with a broken leg and was replaced in goal by Stephen Bywater. We were losing 4-2 and Paolo walked off the pitch after he had been denied a penalty for a third time. Harry forced him back on and we ended up winning 5-4. Incredible game.
Q. What are you up to these days?
A. I run a football academy in Debden in Essex. Myself and three others, all West ham fans, are directors. We have small and large pitches for five-a-side as well as 11-a-side. We have expanded and now have a boxing gym. We also have a couple of tennis courts and recently we have put in an outdoor ice rink. We have been going about a year now. I also coach a couple of teams in the evening. So far it is getting busier each month as we keep adding to it.
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HAMMERS TALK: West Ham linked with Lithuanian defender - Guardian Series
WEST Ham technical director Gianluca Nani is set to raid his former club Brescia for Lithuanian international Marius Stankevicius, writes Trevor Vidler. The 26-year-old defender, who can also play in midfield, has made over 100 appearances for the Italian side. Nani is particularly impressed by the players energy, which he feels will be a vital asset in the Premier League. The Hammers new technical director has been given the task of helping manager Alan Curbishley unearth some of the best talent Europe has to offer. It seems 6ft 3in Stankevicius, capped 25 times by Lithuania, could be Nani's first major signing for the club
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Blackburn's Ince relishing return to Upton Park cauldron - Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 11:21 AM on 26th June 2008
When sifting through the fixture list, new Blackburn boss Paul Ince did not highlight the trips to former employers Manchester United or Liverpool - but his old stomping ground of Upton Park. Blackburn make the trip to east London on August 30, but Rovers' new Guv'nor has been warned that he will not receive a warm welcome from Hammers fans. While Ince made his name at Upton Park, his move to Manchester United 19 years ago remains an open wound for some of the Hammers faithful. Ince told the Sun: 'I looked at the fixtures and noticed straight away that West Ham away was the third game in.
'The trip to Upton Park was the one that stood out to me for some reason, I can't think why! 'But we've got Everton and Hull before then and it will be an exciting time for me at the start of the season. 'Not long ago I was looking at the fixtures and thinking about Darlington and Rochdale - no disrespect to them. 'Now here I am looking at when we are going to be playing against Manchester United and Chelsea - and West Ham, of course.'Famed for his short fuse, Ince is candid enough to admit that he still loses his temper - but that he has calmed considerably since his playing days. He said: 'I'll lose my rag if I have to but I am a bit more mellow these days than I was as a player.'
But Ince may find that the Upton Park faithful have changed little - and may have long memories of how he was snapped in a Manchester United shirt, before leaving West Ham. Gordon Thrower - co-editor of the Knees Up Mother Brown fans website - told the Sun: 'Ince says he's looking forward to it but I think a lot of West Ham fans will be looking forward to letting him know he's not been forgotten. 'There's no doubt there will be booing when he comes back - a lot of West Ham fans have long memories. 'Ince behaved very unprofessionally during his last couple of months and a lot of people were unhappy about it. 'There's some who want to move on and forget about it but they'll stay quiet so the booing is what you will hear. 'It's quite exposed in the technical area at Upton Park and I think every time he stands up he'll get stick. 'But to be honest I don't think it will worry him one bit, in a strange way he might even relish it a bit. 'It won't be the first time he's been jeered by Hammers fans and I'm pretty sure it won't be the last either.'
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Hammers still monitoring Italian market - Setanta
by Adam Marshall, 26 June 2008
West Ham continue to be linked with players plying their trade in Serie A with Gianluca Nani's influence at Upton Park likely to be felt this summer. The technical director's talent-spotting skills are set to boost Alan Curbishley's transfer policy during the close season with a number of names already thrown into the mix. Brescia's Marius Stankevicius has been mentioned in English press reports although Sampdoria appear to be favourites to sign the Lithuanian.
Nani worked at Brescia and the 26-year-old defender will be well known to him but Samp are primed to beat off competition to land the €4 million (£3.17 million)-rated star. Meanwhile, Palermo striker Edison Cavani continues to be forwarded as a possible target for the East Londoners. The Uruguayan is believed to be available in a loan deal but, again, there is plenty of interest from elsewhere in his talents. Porto are rumoured to have joined Bologna and Lazio in the chase for his signature.
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Bruce ready to smash Wigan's transfer record for Johnson - Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 10:25 AM on 26th June 2008
Wigan manager Steve Bruce is ready to smash the club's transfer record with a £8million bid for Everton striker Andy Johnson. Bruce will try to outbid rivals Middlesbrough, West Ham, Manchester City and Aston Villa for the England forward, according to the Daily Mirror. The Latics tried to lure Johnson to the JJB Stadium when he quit Crystal Palace two seasons ago but he decided on a move to Everton. Johnson played under Bruce at Birmingham City but the former Blues boss let him leave to go for Palace in a swap for Clinton Morrison. Bruce will attempt to sway Johnson with a £50,000-a-week to quit Goodison Park.
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West Ham target Brescia's Stankevicius
tribalfooball.com - June 26, 2008
Marius Stankevicius is interesting West Ham United. The Times says Gianluca Nani, the West Ham United technical director, could return to Brescia, his former side, to try to sign Stankevicius. Nani likes the Lithuania player for his energy and because he can play in defence or midfield.
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West Ham rival Liverpool for Fulham keeper Niemi
tribalfootball.com - June 26, 2008
West Ham United are ready to rival Liverpool for Fulham goalkeeper Antti Niemi. Niemi, who can leave Fulham for around £350,000, is set for talks with Liverpool next week when he returns from holiday but West Ham are also interested, says the Mirror.
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