Goalkeeper Richard Wright has returned to Ipswich Town from West Ham for an undisclosed fee. The 30-year-old former England international has signed a two-year contract with the option to extend the deal for a further 12 months. Wright, who last played for Ipswich in 2001, joined Arsenal for £6m but failed to make an impact. He spent five years at Everton before joining West Ham in 2007 and ended last season on loan at Southampton.
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Keeper move nears completion - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 21st July 2008
By: Staff Writer
Richard Wright is set to rejoin Ipswich Town later today after completing a medical over the weekend. The United reserve keeper will return to Suffolk after just 12 months and 17 days as a Hammer. He moved to East London last summer on a free transfer from Everton. Town boss Jim Magilton, speaking in the East Anglian Times this morning, said: "We are very, very close. Everything is done and dusted as far as we are concerned. "We are waiting on the West Ham end now. Richard has passed a medical so everything is at the late stages." Wright returns to Ipswich after seven years with Arsenal, Everton and the Hammers. He leaves West Ham having made just three appearances (all League Cup) for the club.
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Wright passes Ipswich medical - SSN
Goalkeeper on the verge of Portman Road return
Last updated: 21st July 2008
Richard Wright is close to completing his return to Ipswich Town after passing a medical at Portman Road. Ipswich boss Jim Magilton has targeted the 30-year-old West Ham goalkeeper as he looks to fine tune his squad ahead of the start of the new Championship season. And Wright, who began his career at Ipswich before moving on to Arsenal and then Everton, is now on the verge of rejoining the Tractor Boys. "We are very, very close," Magilton told the East Anglian Daily Times. "Everything is done and dusted as far as we are concerned. We are waiting on the West Ham end now. "Richard has passed a medical so everything is at the late stages." Wright made 240 appearances for Ipswich between 1994 and 2001 and helped the club qualify for the Uefa Cup in his final season.
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Hammers hopeful over Behrami - SSN
Nani expects Behrami deal
By Nadia Carminati Last updated: 21st July 2008
West Ham's sporting director Gianluca Nani has confirmed the club are closing in on the signing of Swiss defender Valon Behrami. Behrami's agent told skysports.com last week that West Ham had made a move to sign the Lazio full-back after he caught the eye of Alan Curbishley at Euro 2008. The 23-year-old is believed to have held talks and undergone a medical at West Ham after informing Lazio of his desire to leave Serie A. Reports have suggested Behrami was ready to invoke article 17 of Fifa's rules, which gives players nearing the end of their contracts the right to move on without costing a fee, to secure the move to Upton Park. However, Nani says the two clubs are hoping to reach a satisfactory agreement that does not involve article 17. "I hope the negotiation will be concluded," Nani told the Italian press. "We have worked to do what is possible for a solution that doesn't consider Fifa article 17." West Ham are believed to be ready to pay a fee in the region of £5.2million to sign Behrami.
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Eidur open to offers - SSN
Icelander keeping his options open
Last updated: 21st July 2008
Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen says he is open to offers as he considers his future at Camp Nou. Reports in Spain suggest Barcelona are willing to let the former Chelsea ace leave as he does not figure in Pep Guardiola's plans. Gudjohnsen has struggled to hold down a regular place in the Barca side and the recent signing of Alexander Hleb has pushed him further down the pecking order. West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth are all believed to be keen on bringing the Icelandic international back to England, while French giants Marseille are the latest club to be linked with Gudjohnsen. Gudjohnsen, who is part of the Barcelona squad for the pre-season tour of Scotland, says nothing has been decided about his future, but that he is keeping his options open. "I am just thinking about getting fit for the next season and we will see where the future takes us," Gudjohnsen told Sky Sports News. Asked if he was definitely leaving Barcelona, Gudjohsen replied: "No there is nothing definite in football. "I am open to anything and like I said I am just concentrating on getting fit."
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Ipswich seal Wright move - SSN
Keeper goes back to his roots
By Chris Burton Last updated: 21st July 2008
Ipswich have signed Richard Wright from West Ham, seven years after the keeper left the club for Arsenal. The 30-year-old joined the Gunners for £6million back in 2001, but has failed to establish himself as first-choice stopper at any club he has been at since leaving Portman Road. He made just 22 appearances for Arsene Wenger's side before moving on to Everton just one year later. He again struggled to hold down a spot in the first-team at Goodison Park, although a succession of injuries hardly helped his cause. On the move once again last summer he joined West Ham, only to be restricted to three appearances for the Hammers as he played understudy to the impressive Robert Green. He finished last season on loan at Southampton, where he did play a crucial part in the club's battle to avoid relegation into League One. Having now returned to his roots, Wright will be hoping to recapture the form which saw him earn international recognition during his previous spell with the Tractor Boys. He was a regular member of the England Under 21 squad during the early stages of his career, before going on to earn his only full cap against Malta in the summer of 2000. He has signed a two-year deal with Ipswich, with the option of a third year should both parties reach an agreement.
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West Ham winger Faubert hopes injury nightmare is over - Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 2:53 PM on 21st July 2008
Hammers winger Julien Faubert hopes his injury nightmare is behind him. The Frenchman has starred in the Hammers' first two pre-season games after missing most of last season. He said: 'I hope I can help the club into Europe.' Faubert struggled to break into the first team last season, making only four league starts after signing for £6million from Bordeaux in July of last year.
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Behrami Drawing Closer To Hammers Switch - Goal.com
Lazio wing-back Valon Behrami is reported to be on the verge of a switch to West Ham United, who are hoping they will not have to activate FIFA's infamous article 17...
Gianluca Nani, the Hammers' sporting director, has revealed that the London club are pushing to conclude a deal with Lazio for their want-away wing-back.
The Swiss international - who impressed at Euro 2008 playing in right wing - is rumoured to be ready to activate article 17 of FIFA's regulations, whereby a player who has been under contract for over three years can buy himself out of the remainder of his deal. However Nani, who is thought to be the key man in bringing Behrami to Upton Park, is hopeful that no such last resort will have to be taken and is hoping to conclude a deal in the region of €7 million for the right-back. "I hope the negotiation will be concluded," Nani told Italian press. "We have worked to do what is possible for a solution that doesn't consider Fifa article 17."
Chet Winter, Goal.com
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West Ham, Manchester City & Portsmouth Linked As Barcelona's Gudjohnsen Considers Future - Goal.com
Submitted by Niraj Prabhu on Mon, 2008-07-21 15:02.
Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen is not ruling out a stay at Camp Nou, although he is open to offers by other clubs. The former Chelsea striker has been linked with a return to the Premiership with the likes of West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth said to be interested in the Icelandic international. Though reports claim he doesn't feature in Pep Guardiola's plans, the 29-year-old does not believe there is anything 'definite' in football as he replied to a query whether he is certain to leave the Spanish giants, "No there is nothing definite in football." He told Sky Sports News: "I am just thinking about getting fit for the next season and we will see where the future takes us." "I am open to anything and like I said I am just concentrating on getting fit," he added.
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Wright is a Tractor Boy again as keeper signs two-year deal at Ipswich after West Ham switch - Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 4:06 PM on 21st July 2008
Richard Wright is back at Ipswich after signing a two-year deal at Portman Road. The 30-year-old goalkeeper, who left Ipswich for Arsenal in a £6million deal seven years ago, has been snapped up from West Ham for an undisclosed fee. Ipswich-born Wright worked his way through the ranks at Portman Road and made 291 appearances for the Tractor Boys before stints at Arsenal and Everton. He joined West Ham at the start of last season, but ended the campaign on loan at Southampton. Wright was a regular England Under-21 international and was called up 28 times into the senior England squad, winning two caps.
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Enough is Enough - Bigsoccer.com
Posted Today at 08:17 AM by Bill Archer
Updated Today at 08:41 AM by Bill Archer
When I first agreed to start doing this blogging thing for BigSoccer, the management gave me no portfolio. I could write about whatever I wanted and I could say whatever I liked.
It was my own choice not to write a Crew-centric blog and I've tried to keep the stuff I write about in the "general interest" category as opposed to the "Crew fan on a rant" genre. Thus, when the whole kerfuffle erupted earlier this season about some yahoo yelling a very mean thing at a Revs player who didn't hear him, I pretty much stayed out of it. A lot of people said a lot of really stupid things and it was pointless to go around endlessly repeating some form of "but it was just one guy and most black players will tell you they've heard the same or worse in every stadium in the league" because nobody would listen and, more to the point here, everyone would say "Oh, you're just a Crew fan anyway"
So I didn't address the subject here and, thankfully, a completely disreputable website operated by lying whores managed to push the whole topic into the realm of parody with Photoshopped "evidence" and obvious lies and made everyone realize how dumb it all was. Except in Columbus, where management decided that the real problem was not some drunken dirtbag, but rather - incredibly - streamers, and made it their corporate mission to eradicate the deadly scourge of tissue paper from the face of the Earth.
Which brings us to last night.
The InterWeb is abuzz this morning about the "riot" which occurred last night in Crew stadium. The AP moved a story late last night that is being picked up all over the place as various media outlets seize on the opportunity to confirm their own anti-soccer biases. And it's because of this, because as a Crew fan with a modest platform on this page I feel like I have an obligation to discuss what happened, that I'm breaking my own rule. When Crew management decided they had to do something about all this "assault with a deadly children's party decoration" the simpletons running the show on Velma Avenue decided the best way to handle it was a show of force. So they arranged for Rent-A-Mentally-Defective-Goon "security" contractor CSC to surround the Nordecke with a couple dozen glowering, threatening looking clowns who spend the game standing there, arms folded, waiting to pounce on any miscreants. They also have "undercover agents" sprinkled about the section, usually in clever disguises which they believe will make them indistinguishable from the Crew's most rabid supporters, like the guy who wears a four year old #7 US Soccer jersey that says "Beasley" across the back. Really fooling everybody with that one, slick. Blends right in with the sea of black and yellow.
Last night, for the game against West Ham, they went the extra mile: a guy in the rafters of the stage hiding behind a structural support beam with a pair of binoculars who spent the entire match scanning the section for evildoers. So in the first half, when a member of La Turbina, the Hispanic Crew Supporters, had the audacity to actually have an umbrella in his hand, an alert agent of CSC plowed into the section, got this monster in a headlock and dragged him out of the building. When one fan remarked that this Gestapo agent was being an "asshole", HE was grappled to the floor and dragged from the building. (In fairness, someone from the Crew F.O. got both guys released from the clutches of the goon squad, bought them beers and apologized.)
Nothing escapes these guys. They have a mission, which is to intimidate Crew supporters, and they love their work. In fact, they are so focused on their work that when a group of 15-20 West Ham "fans" left their section in the southeast corner en masse and proceeded along the concourse towards the Nordecke, the "security police" were too busy staring down Crew fans to notice.
When this group, loud and drunk, turned down the aisle and headed down into the middle of the mob of Crew supporters, the CSC guardians of peace were too busy looking for streamers to notice. When this loud, chanting group of claret and blue clad drunks made it TEN ROWS into the supporters section and the "leader" - a large, completely hammered drunk covered with tattoos - began abusing the nearest Crew fans, the ever-alert stadium security was carefully scanning the crowd for any telltale signs of streamers. And when the same guy then poured a beer on a couple of Crew fans and started taking swings at people, the security professionals from CSC bravely held their ground in case someone pulled out some colored tissue paper. But then, when some Crew fans started fighting back, the yellow shirted elite plowed into the crowd and started dragging Crew fans out of the place. Thankfully, order was restored before too many streamers flew.
A couple of points here:
First, the "West Ham" fans were, as near as anyone could tell, 100% American. There certainly were English fans in the stadium, a goodly number of them, but the guys who went looking for a fight were All-American wannabes.
Secondly, there were the requisite number of post-match parking lot woof matches, and it's as hard to sort out as it usually is when that stuff happens everywhere else.
Third, a question:
I love my friends in DC. Truly. As lovable a bunch of mugs as you'll find anywhere.
But tell me: what is the life expectancy of a group of obnoxious drunks who go wading into, say, Barra Brava throwing beer and punches?
Wouldn't you want to make sure that your dental plan was paid up before you jumped into Section 8 in Chicago and began hitting people?
I could go around the league and, frankly, I bet even the Mormons would take offense at you, possibly throwing long underwear or spare wives at you. I don't know.
But here's the thing: I'd be surprised if it happened.
Because as lame as most stadium security is, and as outnumbered as they always are, they understand that their key mission is to keep opposing fan groups apart.
In most MLS stadiums, they would intercept you BEFORE a large mob of opposing fans got ten rows into the supporters section.
(Which leaves aside the point that you'd be very unlikely to make it TWO rows into some supporter's sections before you needed an ambulance)
So why did this happen in Crew Stadium, with security doubled and as many as 20 CSC employees standing in a cordon around the Nordecke?
Simple: the Crew FO told them their job was to stop streamers. They were not looking for, and reacted very slowly to, an actual security incident, the type of thing they are normally there to prevent.
This black eye for MLS and soccer in general need not have happened. It would be unlikely to have happened anywhere else in the league.
But in this case Crew management MADE this happen by telling their security contractor that their job was to come down hard on Crew fans, and neglected to mention that maybe there were a couple other things they might want to look out for.
Hunt Sports needs to do some serious soul searching today, and at some point, when Crew VP Mark McCullers is on the phone to New York, someone really needs to point out that maybe stadium security involves something more than hiring some giuys with shaved heads to try and scare your customers.
It's time - past time - for MLS to wake up and stop passing stadium issues off on CSC. Their behavior in other places, like New York, is nothing short of scandalous and the league has tolerated it for years.
DC United learned the lesson a couple years ago, got CSC the hell out of there and they have had very few problems since.
They are cheap $10 an hour headbreakers and guys who can't hold down real jobs. It's past time MLS got serious and stopped treating their fans like the crowd at Ozzfest.
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West Ham, Crew fans trade blows in stands
Monday, July 21, 2008 2:55 AM
By Shawn Mitchell
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
From the southeastern corner of Crew Stadium came the West Ham United chants: "East! East! East Lon-don!" From the northeastern came the answer: "Co-lum-bus! Co-lum-bus!" Yesterday's war of words turned physical at halftime of the Crew's exhibition match against West Ham, when a handful of West Ham fans ventured into the heart of the Crew's supporters section. A scuffle broke out and stadium security quickly pulled the West Ham interlopers to the stadium concourse. The next few minutes were frantic. While the West Ham fans were removed to a stair landing on the back side of the stadium, supporters of both teams gathered on the concourse. Several punches were thrown and one West Ham fan was thrown to the ground by security and handcuffed by police, who used pepper spray or mace to help break up the melee. Police couldn't confirm the number of arrests and Crew vice president of operations Scott DeBolt said he would have no details "until I get a report, which might not be till (today)." More fans were seen handcuffed in the parking lots after the game. Shortly after halftime, West Ham fans unfurled a banner in the stadium's south end that read "ICF, 30 Years Undefeated." The Inter City Firm, or ICF, is one of the most notorious hooligan groups in England. Peter Witham, a fan of the English team Arsenal, said he was on his way to the restroom when he got hit with chemical irritant used by police. "I've never experienced anything like that in my life and I've been going to English Premier League games for forever," he said. One of the fans who entered the Crew's supporters section was not ejected despite being detained by security for several minutes. "We just went over for some tea and crumpets and (the Crew fans) got mad," said the man, who identified himself as Dave Simpson from London.
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West Ham 3, Crew 1: Garey makes bid for more playing time
Seldom-used sub scores Crew's only goal
Monday, July 21, 2008 3:02 AM
By Shawn Mitchell
The Columbus Dispatch
The Crew played host to West Ham United in a friendly yesterday, and the English Premier League team won 3-1 in rather humdrum fashion.
Dean Ashton scored in the sixth minute for West Ham, which was playing only its second preseason game before its Premiership season begins Aug. 16.
The Hammers later scored on an own goal (courtesy of the Crew's Brad Evans) and a shot by Kyle Reid.
Facing an opponent from what is widely considered the best league in the world, the Crew used a starting 11 made up of reserves and part-time starters, including forward Jason Garey.
Garey, a seldom-used sub, took advantage of the opportunity. He scored on a superb header off a pinpoint service from rookie Cory Elenio in the 20th minute to tie the score 1-1.
It was a world-class goal, and it gave temporary hope to the Crew supporters among the announced crowd of 9,117 in Columbus Crew Stadium.
"Jason scored a very good goal today," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said. "It was a great serve from Elenio, too. But that's what these friendlies are for, to give some opportunities to guys."
Garey appreciated the 64 minutes he played before being subbed out for rookie Ricardo Pierre-Louis. Garey, in his third season, has also scored against international opponents Aston Villa and Independiente. He would prefer to be scoring goals in games that count.
"I'm pretty frustrated, I'll be honest," Garey said. "Pretty much every game they put me in, I score. (An earlier friendly) against Independiente, the Open Cup, almost every reserve game. I've maintained a good attitude and always will, but I think I've fallen out of favor."
Garey won the Hermann Trophy (soccer's Heisman) at the University of Maryland. He started 18 games and scored five times in his rookie season, tied for the team lead.
But the Crew acquired Alejandro Moreno last season, and Garey started only five games. This season, he has played in two Major League Soccer games for a total of 12 minutes.
Injuries have played a part in his diminished opportunities.
"Jason has been snake-bit," Schmid said. "This is the first time in I can't remember how long when he has actually trained for four or five months in a row. I think that training is now starting to (reap) some benefits."
Garey said he was a bit surprised that the Crew did not waive or trade him before July 1, the date MLS contracts become guaranteed.
Schmid said there was a reason for that.
"As we go into the next phase without (Olympians Robbie) Rogers and (Emmanuel) Ekpo, there are hopefully going to be opportunities for (Garey)," said Schmid, who picked Garey No. 3 overall in the 2006 MLS draft.
"The injuries have hurt him, as has the (formation) we've played. There's really only room for one forward up there. Now we might look at something different when those guys are gone, and it might give another opportunity for another forward to be up there."
West Ham coach Alan Curbishley liked what he saw from Garey and the Crew but thought Columbus didn't make the most of its chances.
"What they did today was make the pitch big for us," he said. "We had to do a lot of running, but we scored goals at the right time. Perhaps Columbus didn't take (their chances at the right time)."
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Michael Arace commentary: Americans gain foothold in English Premiership - Columbus Dispatch
Monday, July 21, 2008 3:02 AM
By Michael Arace
The late Art Spector was, and is, known as "the Original Celtic." He was the first player to sign a Celtics contract when the Boston franchise joined the forerunner of the NBA in 1946. How American.
Art's grandson, Jonathan Spector, is among a dozen or so U.S.-born players who hold down jobs in the richest and most storied soccer league in the world, the English Premier League. How American?
Spector is a defender for West Ham United, which defeated the Crew 3-1 in an exhibition match at Columbus Crew Stadium yesterday. Spector is coming off hip surgery and did not play, but the game was still a treat for him. It was a welcome break from the long days of rehab in his hometown of Arlington Heights, Ill. He had a chance to check in with his coach and catch up with his teammates.
Spector was in the press box when a band of West Ham supporters waded into the middle of the Crew Crazies and touched off a donnybrook. Hooliganism is on the wane in England, but it hasn't been eradicated, and it is still exported. Some West Ham fans take great pride in their fistic prowess and were compelled by some freakish force of their nature to christen Columbus. Ultimately, the police won the fight. The losers were the innocents who were pepper-sprayed.
Perhaps a blanket condemnation is called for in this space, but to do that would be to pretend to comprehend the nature and nurture of a British soccer supporter. Spector, who has played in England for five years, or since he was 17, doesn't even have a complete grasp of this brand of religious fervor. But he has an informed sense.
"I don't think it's anything you can put into words -- you just have to experience it," he said. "I've been to (Chicago) Bears games and Cubs games, and you just can't compare it. Ninety minutes before the game, they start singing. They're singing when we're in the tunnel before the game, and they're singing after we leave the field. It's non-stop. They really are fanatical about it. Overall, the fans are fantastic."
Not unlike their American cousins, the British sporting media is generally leery of American soccer players. A guy from, say, Nairobi, who plays for, say, Manchester United, is a Man U man -- but a Yank is always a Yank.
"That's beginning to change now, when you look at the success some Americans have had," Spector said. "And it's going to get better and better as more Americans make their way over."
There will be more like Spector, who grew up playing basketball and soccer. He played both sports until he was identified as a candidate for the U.S. junior national team. In a span of two short years, he went from development camp in Florida to a developmental contract with Manchester United. He got his foot in the door of the Premier League after he was loaned to Charlton. Ultimately, West Ham bought his rights, and he has thrived on the historic Boleyn Ground in East London.
If this were baseball, his would be a Mickey Mantle story. But this is England, and he's the rare American.
"I see that changing," said West Ham coach Alan Curbishley, who believes the growing popularity of the sport in America, and the type of athletes available here, will soon provide more of a pipeline.
"They've got the physical attributes and the mentality to do well in the Premier League," Curbishley said. "It's hard and fast and furious."
Spector missed the previous World Cup because of a shoulder injury. He will miss the upcoming Olympics because of the hip. But he will be a U.S. national team stalwart before long. He is already one of the few, proud Americans plying his trade at the highest level of his sport on the grand stages of the Premiership.
They tend to congregate, somewhere in London, every Thanksgiving Thursday and Super Bowl Sunday. How American. The Original Yanks. Art would be tickled.
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Hammers keeper on verge of Town return - Guardian Series
1:49pm Monday 21st July 2008
IPSWICH are closing in on a deal for West Ham goalkeeper Richard Wright. The 30-year-old has passed a medical with the Tractor Boys and boss Jim Magilton has confirmed that the player is on the verge of completing a return to Portman Road. "We are very, very close," Magilton told the East Anglian Daily Times. "Everything is done and dusted as far as we are concerned. We are waiting on the West Ham end now. "Richard has passed a medical so everything is at the late stages." Former Arsenal stopper Wright has been a target for Ipswich all summer and it now seems that his one-year spell with the Irons is about to come to an end. Wright - who started his career with the Tractor Boys and made almost 300 appearances before a £6 million switch to Arsenal in 2001 - moved to Upton Park on a free transfer last summer after being released by Everton. But the former England international has found his chances with the Hammers limited - he has yet to make a league appearance for the club and was shipped out on loan to Southampton in March.
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Irons in poll position for Barca star - Guardian Series
1:54pm Monday 21st July 2008
WEST HAM are on red alert after Eidur Gudjohnsen was told he can leave Barcelona. The Icelandic international has struggled to make an impact at the Nou Camp since joining in an £8 million deal from Chelsea in 2006. He has managed just 48 appearances and scored seven goals for the Spanish giants and is surplus to requirements under new boss Pep Guardiola. The Irons are joined in a long line of suitors, with Marseille, Newcastle, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Bolton all rumoured to be interested in the forward. But with the 29-year-old reportedly favouring a move back to London, the Hammers appear to be in poll position to capture his signature.
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Crowd trouble mars weekend win - teamTalk
Dean Ashton and Kyel Reid scored in West Ham's 3-1 win over MLS side Columbus Crew on Sunday - but the game was marred by crowd trouble. More than 100 fans became involved in a brawl at half-time of the game in Ohio before police officers and security staff eventually separated the groups. On the field Ashton gave his side the perfect start with a clinical finish after just six minutes. Columbus Crew equalised on 20 minutes when Jason Garey headed home Cory Elenio's cross. The Hammers restored their lead six minutes later when Crew midfielder Brad Evans turned the ball into his own net under pressure from Mark Noble. Reid sealed the win for Alan Curbishley's men when he netted from close range on 53 minutes. The win sets West Ham up for their next game against a team of MLS All-Stars on Thursday in Toronto.
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Crowd violence erupts on West Ham United's US tour
(Adam Alexander/AP)
Times Online and agencies
A violent half-time brawl between more than 100 fans marred West Ham United's friendly with Columbus Crew in Ohio yesterday. The fights, which overshadowed West Ham's 3-1 win, began when a handful of the Premier League club's supporters entered the north-east corner of the stadium where the MLS team's most boisterous supporters were gathered. Rival groups began directing chants toward each other and fights quickly broke out between more than 100 Crew fans and at least 30 West Ham supporters. The clashes were eventually stopped when Columbus police officers and Crew Stadium security staff moved in to separate the groups. Highway Patrol officers arrested one fan outside the stadium for disorderly conduct, but Columbus police were unable to confirm whether any arrests had been made inside the stadium.
It is the second incident Crew supporters have been involved in this season. In May, a fan was reported to have shouted a racial slur at Kheli Dube, the New England forward, after he scored a later winner at the ground. The incident prompted a league investigation, with Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, saying that the fan will be banned from league games for life if officials were able to identify him from a video that captured it.
Goals from Dean Ashton, Kyle Reid and an own goal from Brad Evans saw Alan Curbishley's side recover from going a goal behind to win the match. "It was a terrific game for us," Curbishley said. "We needed that sort of a workout. We took the MLS game because we wanted to come to America. We wanted to show people what we're about."
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Hammers hopeful of Behrami capture - teamTalk
West Ham's sporting director Gianluca Nani has confirmed the club are closing in on the £5million capture of Lazio defender Valon Behrami. The Switzerland international is believed to have held talks and undergone a medical at Upton Park after informing Lazio of his desire to the leave Serie A.
Reports have suggested Behrami was ready to invoke article 17 of FIFA's rules, which gives players nearing the end of their contracts the right to move on without costing a fee, to secure the move to Upton Park. However, Nani says the two clubs are hoping to reach a satisfactory agreement that does not involve article 17. "I hope the negotiation will be concluded," Nani told the Italian press. "We have worked to do what is possible for a solution that doesn't consider FIFA article 17." West Ham are believed to be ready to pay a fee in the region of £5.2million to sign Behrami.
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A Fans View of the Trouble at the Crew and West Ham Game - Cmon Yu Irons
July 21, 2008
A Fan known as Bluenose13 from a Toronto Website gives his version of the trouble at the Crew Stadium.
As for the altercation in the Nordecke at halftime. This is completely on CSC, as they were too busy throwing Crew fans out of the game to notice a group of 15-20 loud drunk guys in Claret and Blue walking right down the aisle between 141 and 142. The leader, a large tattooed fellow who had obviously drank too much, starts in on a couple of Crew fans about 10 rows down from the top of the section. That's right, sports fans, 10 ROWS. That's how far they got into the section they got before I saw 1 CSC person headed in that direction. Meanwhile, there are families with kids in the area, and upon seeing that, the surge of yellow and black to form a bit of a wall between these goons and the rest of the Crew fans began. The big inked fellow then throws his beer on a couple of us and the fray begins. It then spread to the top of the concourse, but I couldn't see much after it spilled out up there. Some may frown upon my next comment, but I can do nothing but applaud the members of the Nordecke that got involved in the stands and were defending each other, as again CSC was nowhere to be seen. As for what happened after, I can't comment.
The visiting Toronto fans at the Crew stadium will all be wearing West Ham shirts at their next match with Crew and singing "Im forever blowing Bubbles"
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Terrace trouble overshadows Hammers win in America as West Ham fans scrap in U.S. - This Is London
Last updated at 10:53am on 21.07.08
A half-time brawl among more than 100 fans marred West Ham's 3-1 win in their friendly against US side Columbus Crew. The fight broke out after a handful of West Ham supporters, some wearing the team's claret and blue colours, entered the north-east corner of the stadium in Ohio where the Crew's most boisterous supporters typically gather. Crew supporters began directing chants toward the rival fans, and fights quickly broke out between more than 100 Crew fans and at least 30 West Ham fans. Columbus police officers and Crew Stadium security staff eventually separated the groups. Police said one fan was arrested outside the stadium for disorderly conduct, but a spokesman was unaware of arrests made inside the ground following the confrontations.
West Ham forward Dean Ashton scored the game's first goal, a blistering low shot that flew past Andy Gruenebaum in the sixth minute. Jason Garey equalised for Columbus in the 20th minute, leaping to head home from a Cory Elenio pass. Crew midfielder Brad Evans inadvertently doubled West Ham's advantage with an own-goal in the 26th. Kyle Reid completed the scoring for West Ham with a close-range goal in the 53rd minute. 'It was a terrific game for us. We needed that sort of a workout,' West Ham manager Curbishley said. 'We took the MLS game because we wanted to come to America. We wanted to show people what we're about.'
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Hammers close in on Swiss star - Setanta
by Laurent Picard, 21 July 2008
Lazio midfielder Valon Behrami, rated at £5 million, is closing in on a move to West Ham according to The Hammers' sporting director Gianluca Nani.
The Switzerland international was linked to the East Londoners last week and his agent Alessandro Behrami told setantasports.com that he was due to have a meeting with three clubs in the capital. West Ham are in pole position to secure the signing of the 24-year-old, and it is believed he is due to undergo a medical at Upton Park ahead of a move from Serie A. Behrami's agent revealed his client could use the Wester Clause to be released from his contract with Lazio after a three-year stay, but Nani claims an agreement regarding a move could finally be reached. "I hope the negotiation will be concluded," Nani told the Italian press. "We have worked to do what is possible for a solution that doesn't consider Fifa article 17."
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Coppell sets deadline of his own - Setanta
by Chris Stanton, 21 July 2008
Reading manager Steve Coppell has warned Premier League clubs interested in his players that they will pay the price if they do not complete deals before the start of the new Championship season on August 10. Coppell wants to know what he will be working with next season by the time The Royals face Nottingham Forest for the big kick off in The Championship next month. It is a point of debate whether some of The Royals' star names are looking forward to that date as much as they might be after spending two seasons as Premier League players. News of Coppell's self-imposed deadline will be of particular interest to Sunderland, Middlesbrough and West Ham, with the trio linked to Stephen Hunt, James Harper and Nicky Shorey respectively. "I can't stop the last-minute sales, but after August 10 it becomes an acceptable bid plus a hefty premium," said Coppell.
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Greener on the other side? Curbs' needs to look closer to home - bubblesintheair.com
Monday 21 Jul 2008 11:28:42 by Josh Brain
After Thursday nights 4-2 victory over the mighty Hampton & Richmond, Alan Curbishley revealed a prime motive for the USA trip; team-bonding.
Getting the players to form a tightly knit cohesive unit was one of Curbishley's main aims for the tour, as the players left their loved ones and jetted off, ironically, on two separate flights. Of course, we all know the real reasons for the trip, and despite some nice PR work claiming the Hammers to be examining their academies in North America, one can not forget that this is merely a commercial venture. Nevertheless, I shall stick to the team-bonding excuse, for now at least. Let's just say that the grass is somewhat greener overseas. So imagine the dismay for Curbs when he reads the quotations from Robert Green. Green's argument makes sense; as one of the most consistent performers for the club, why shouldn't he be in the same wage bracket as the top earners?
To the reader, Green chooses his words carefully and intelligently, bringing connotations of the 'workplace' into mind; "No matter what the figures are in the workplace in terms of wages, you either feel a valued member of your staff or you don't". You are almost left to feel sorry for him pocketing only 28k a week, and this emotive language is used before various journalists supplement Green's charity work to aid his cause. But I am not buying simile that Green paints between football life and the workplace.
Instead, I can understand the club rejecting a reappraisal of Green's contract (emphasise here on 'understand', not necessarily in concordance). The contract was only signed recently, and players have to accept the conditions. If Green breaks a leg tomorrow would he go running to the board and complain that he still gets 28k a week, despite being injured? I doubt it.
Yet he accuses the club of hypocrisy when claiming that he would be left hung out to dry if he were holding out for more cash under contract negotiations initiated by the club. And perhaps he is right, but a contract is a contract, and somewhere along the line, a player has to oblige to what he signed. Or apparently not.
Green also brings the idea of parity to the fore fray. Considering players' measure how much a club values them simply by how much money they are paid, then logically a small differential is needed between the highest and lowest paid members for a socially cohesive unit. The board is finally starting to recognise this – trying to rid themselves of ageing, wealthy players like Ljungberg and Neill. Thus, rather than increasing the denominator, the board are trying to crop the top of the tree. Perhaps only now the board is seeing just how overgrown that is.
These trivialities completely ridicule Curbs' team-building proposition, and untimely highlight the social disharmony amongst the 'ranks' within the first-team. Additionally, the newspaper reports emphasise that players prioritise financial reward over fans' admiration, journalistic praise or managers' faith. Curbs' will argue that the wage structure is not his business, but the fact is it is, especially when money is regulating the atmosphere in the dressing room.
So what is the answer here? It is my belief that the club need to set a strict, more transparent wage structure. Sell the overpaid has-beens and decrease that large differential between the highest and lowest earners. Set a baseline wage figure and reward players who play well at the end of every season.
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