WHUFC.com
The club has issued a statement in response to the disturbances at Tuesday's
Carling Cup match
26.08.2009
West Ham United will fully investigate the deplorable scenes that took place
during the Carling Cup tie with Millwall on Tuesday evening. The club will
not tolerate the unacceptable behaviour witnessed inside the Boleyn Ground
and will take the strongest possible action against anyone found
responsible, including life bans. As was the case before, during and after
the match, we are cooperating fully with the relevant agencies, including
the police.
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Stanislas tames Lions
WHUFC.com
Two goals from Junior Stanislas helped to end Millwall's Carling Cup
challenge at the Boleyn Ground
25.08.2009
Junior Stanislas was the hero as West Ham United won through to the Carling
Cup third round with a dramatic 3-1 extra-time win over Millwall at the
Boleyn Ground. The 19-year-old netted twice as the Hammers booked their
place in the hat with their first home win over the south Londoners since
February 1991. Neil Harris, the Lions' all-time leading scorer, looked to
have won the tie when he latched on to Scott Barron's long throw and drove a
low shot past Robert Green on 26 minutes. Gianfranco Zola's side refused to
give up their search for an equaliser, hitting the post through a Jack
Collison shot before Junior Stanislas lifted the roof off with an
87th-minute leveller. Then, when Lions captain Peter Frampton handled
substitute Zavon Hines' cross seven minutes into extra-time, the England
Under-21 forward showed a steely nerve to send David Forde the wrong way
from the penalty spot. Hines then made the game safe for the 1966 and 1981
runners-up, streaking past Frampton before belting the ball past Forde on
102 minutes.
Tuesday's match - the first meeting between the local rivals since April
2005 - was, to nobody's surprise, keenly-fought affair, with clear-cut
chances at a premium at both ends in the early going. Radoslav Kovac -
making his first start since making his move from Spartak Moscow permanent -
rattled an early volley over Forde's crossbar as West Ham started the better
of the two sides, but it was Millwall who struck first through Harris.
Former Hammer Gary Alexander had already headed narrowly wide when the
32-year-old struck, allowing Barron's throw to bounce before lashing an
unstoppable shot past Green from no more than seven yards.
Aside from bookings for Danny Gabbidon, making his first Boleyn Ground start
since the Carling Cup quarter-final defeat by Everton in December 2007, and
Millwall's Frampton and Marc Laird, the first half passed off without any
further major incidents. Zola, who also handed a full debut to Josh Payne
and a start to James Tomkins, sent on a second striker at half-time in the
shape of 20-year-old Hines. The arrival of Hines, who scored on his Hammers
debut against Macclesfield Town at the same stage of last season's
competition, sparked an immediate increase in tempo and attacking intent
from the home side. Just four minutes after coming on, the Jamaican
exchanged passes with Stanislas before finding a third Academy graduate in
Collison. The Wales midfielder beat his marker before crashing a left-foot
shot against the inside of Forde's right-hand post. Frank Nouble joined
Hines and Carlton Cole in attack with a shade under half-an-hour remaining
as Zola went for broke, but it was Millwall who would have the game's next
opportunity, Laird firing a rising 30-yarder into Green's side-netting. With
the Hammers committing more and more men forward, the game became
increasingly open, with only a superb block from Frampton preventing Nouble
from working former West Ham goalkeeper Forde. As the game entered the final
ten minutes, Chris Hackett tested Green with a rising shot from just outside
the penalty area. Then, with just three minutes of the 90 remaining, Nouble
found the unmarked Stanislas with an inch-perfect far-post cross that the
England Under-21 forward gleefully converted.
Five minutes into extra time and Hines came within a whisker of putting the
hosts ahead, only for his shot to roll agonisingly wide following fine
build-up play involving Collison and Cole. West Ham's persistence then paid
off in the shape of two goals in the space of five minutes through Academy
graduates Stanislas - from the penalty spot - and Hines, finally ending the
challenge of Kenny Jackett's side. There was still time for Forde to deny
Julien Faubert a first Hammers goal as the hosts looked to end in style, but
a 3-1 victory will send Zola and his players to Blackburn Rovers in
confident mood this coming Saturday.
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West Ham United 3-1 Millwall FT
WHUFC.com
All the action as it happened as West Ham United booked their place in the
third round of the Carling Cup
25.08.2009
West Ham United v Millwall
Carling Cup second round
Tuesday 25 August
Kick-off: 7.45pm
Referee: Paul Taylor
(Hit F5 to refresh)
Full time - And it is all over at the Boleyn Ground and what a night we have
had here. It all looked so bleak until a few minutes from the end of normal
time when Stanislas struck. The youngster got his second from the spot and
20 year old Hines made sure of the win with his second goal for the club.
West Ham now go into the draw for the third round of the Carling Cup, which
will be made on Saturday.
120 min - Good running from Nouble wins West Ham a free-kick on the right.
Stanislas is linining it up but surely it is too far out for a shot. It is
and he opts to shoot and it goes behind for a corner.
119 min - It was not looking good for West Ham until Stanislas struck at the
end of normal time. Since that goal, though, there has only really been one
team in it and the home side's Premier League class has shown.
115 min - Collison loses Fuseini before bringing down the Ghanaian, earning
himself a late booking from referee Taylor.
111 min - Stanislas has a chance for a hat-trick but drags his shot wide.
Will he get another chance to get his first treble in senior football?
110 min - The change sees Tomkins move over to right-back and Faubert move
further forward.
109 min - Cole leaves the pitch to be replaced by Upson. The England forward
looks totally shattered after running his heart out for nearly two hours.
106 min - After a brief pause we are up and running again in the second half
of added time.
105 min - Fauber comes close to getting the goal he deserves. Parker plays
an inch perfect ball into space and the France international runs onto it
and carries the ball into the area. He has quick look up to check out his
options but decides to shoot and only a brave bit of goalkeeping by Forde
prevents it going in. Brilliant from West Ham.
105 min - Great play from Faubert as he sprints down the left and delivers
an inviting ball in. Only the outstretched leg of Frampton clears the
danger.
105 min - Four minutes of added time at the end of the first half of extra
time. Scott Barron is booked.
105 min - GOAL! Surely the game must be safe now as Hines makes it three.
Parker threaded a ball forward, Hines raced onto it, beat Frampton with a
trick and smashed it past Forde. What a turnaround!
105 min - Double change for Mllwall as Harris and Alexander for Adam Bolder
and Ashley Grimes.
97 min - GOAL! Penalty to West Ham. Hines' cross is handled by Laird.
Stanislas steps up and smashes it down the middle. 2-1 to the Hammers.
95 min - What a chance for West Ham. Cole cleverly flicks a ball through for
Hines who is completely unmarked six yards out. He almost has too much time
and rolls his wide of Forde's far post.
93 min - The Hammers come forward once more and Collison feeds a ball out
wide to Nouble. His clever flick puts Faubert into space but his cross is
fired wide but Hines. Much better from the Hammers.
91 min - Millwall get the first half of extra time underway but it is the
Hammers who are straight onto the attack as Hines slides a low ball across
the box.
End of normal time
90 min - The home side are doing everything they can to force a winner in
normal time but unless something drastic happens now I think we will be
having another 30 minutes.
90 min - Faubert tries his luck from 30 yards out. His shot skids along the
surface and straight into the arms of Forde.
90 min - I am struggling to remember an atmosphere at the Boleyn Ground
quite like this. The roar when Stanislas put that ball in was quite
something.
89 min - It looks as though we will be having extra time here now, that is
if we don't have the six minutes of added time.
87 min - GOAL! Stanislas fires a late equaliser and the home support goes
wild! There was a deep ball into the box by Faubert and the ball breaks to
the No46 who pokes gome three yards out.
83 min - Millwall hit back and a long shot is just turned over by Green.
80 min - Stanislas gets yet another shot in as West Ham throw everything at
the visitors.
78 min - It is all getting a bit tasty on the pitch as the tackles are
flying in. The fans are also getting in on the act as well and there are
plenty of songs being sung back and forth between the two sets of fans.
73 min - It is all West Ham at present but they just cannot seem to create
that chance to get a decent shot on goal in. It does not help that Millwall
are defending for their lives as well, as a defender throws himself in the
way of Nouble's shot.
69 min - Corner to West Ham after Spector's cross is headed behind.
Stanislas takes it, Tomkins rises highest to head it but his effort goes
just over. Much better from West Ham.
67 min - Parker becomes the second West Ham player to be booked after a late
tackle on Harris.
65 min - A suprerb long-range strike from Marc Laird nearly puts the tie to
bed for the Hammers. Thankfully, his effort flies into the side of the net
rather than the back of it but that was a close call.
62 min - Classy defending from Tomkins there as he picks the pocket of
Alexander.
62 min - Zola makes his second change as Kovac leaves the field. Frank
Nouble is the man to replace him and he joins Cole and Hines in attack.
61 min - More good work from Cole, who has been tireless tonight, as he
beats his man and floats a left-footed cross into the box. Once again,
though, Forde is there to gather the ball.
56 min - Cole bursts forward and beats two defenders with sheer power and
pace. Sadly, his next contribution is not quite so good as he fires his shot
well over the bar.
53 min - More attacking football from the home side sees Faubert, who has
had another superb game at right-back, cross towards Hines. The young
striker is beaten to the ball by Forde, who punches clear.
52 min - We have 24,452 inside the Boleyn Ground tonight. Not bad
considering half of one of the stands is totally empty.
49 min - Fantastic football from the home side and it so nearly results in
an equaliser. Hines and Stanislas exchanged passes on the left-hand side.
Hines emerges with the ball and lays it along the floor towards Collison. He
takes a touch and drills a shot that crashes against the post.
47 min - Hines is straight into the action as he slides in on Dunne. The
referee just lets him off with a talking to this time though.
46 min - West Ham kick off the second half. There is one change for the
Hammers at the break as Hines is brought on. Payne makes way.
Half-time. The referee blows the half-time whistle and the players leave the
pitch. Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke will need to have some wise words
with their players in the dressing room at half time if the Hammers are to
get themselves back into the game.
44 min - West Ham are finishing the half stronger here as Collison feeds
Parker on the halfway line and the 28-year-old sprints towards goal. After
evading a few challenges he shoots from the edge of the area but it goes
about three feet over.
42 min - Another huge roar for a penalty, but I think it was in hope more
than anything else as the ball hits a Millwall hand in the area. Payne looks
to mark his debut with a goal but his shot is high and wide.
40 min - Marc Laird is the first Millwall player to be booked after his high
foot catches Parker.
39 min - Corner to Millwall as Alan Dunne's cross crashes in to Spector and
goes behind. The corner kick is deep. In fact, too deep for everyone and
Payne clears.
37 min - A massive roar from the home fans there as Faubert bursts into the
box and is felled Barron, who did not appear to get any of the ball.
35 min - Classic play from Parker there. After giving the ball away with
loose pass he throws himself into a tackle in order to win it back. That is
why he was voted Hammer of the Year last season.
33 min - Better from West Ham as Parker, Faubert and Payne play some short,
sharp passing to work the ball over to Spector. His ball forward is only
inches too long for Cole.
30 min - Fantastic defending from Faubert as he slides in on Harris just as
he is poised to connect with a volley on the edge of the area. Seconds
later, Green has to come out to block the ball at the feet of Harris. The
Hammers have their backs to the wall at present.
28 min - The goal has spurred the home fans on as well and they respond with
a chant of 'Come on you Irons!'
26 min - GOAL! The away side take the lead as Harris pokes home from just
outside the six-yard box to send the away fans wild.
25 min - Another score, or rather scorer of interest from elsewhere. Jordan
Spence has scored for Scunthorpe away Swansea City.
24 min - Some nice play involving Cole and Payne sees the youngster
18-year-old whip in an inviting ball across the six yard box which is
cleared. That is more like it from West Ham, who have been pegged back a bit
in the last ten minutes.
22 min - Collins, Fabio Daprela and Upson all have a jog along the touchline
to warm up. Their arrival is greeted by a round of applause from the home
support in the West Stand lower.
20 min - Tomkins slides in on Harris and appears to get the ball but referee
Paul Taylor gives the free-kick. The set piece is floated in but West Ham
clear.
16 min - Gabbidon is booked for a foul on Chris Hackett on the right-hand
side of the pitch. The set-piece is dangerous and only a defensive header
from Tomkins clears the danger.
13 min - Gabbidon and Tomkins seem to have struck up a good understanding
considering this is the first time they have played together in a
competitive match. The England Under-21 and Wales internationals are
knocking the ball around comfortably between them.
11 min - Payne is down after getting caught when going in for a tackle with
Scott Barron. He looks as though he should be alright though.
9 min - But just as I write that they force a corner for themselves after
good work by Jonathan Spector. The flag-kick goes straight out for a
goal-kick though.
8 min - It has been all West Ham so far as Millwall struggle to get their
foot on the ball.
6 min - We have our first strong tackle of the night and it has resulted in
the first booked. Frampton slid in on Cole and got nothing of the bal, which
gives the Hammers a free-kick on the right-hand touchline. Stanislas takes
it, Tomkins heads it back across the box but Millwall hack it clear.
5 min - It looks as though Payne will be playing up alongside Carlton Cole
and Stanislas on the right-hand side.
3 min - Stanislas has the home side's first shot on goal, but in truth it
was never really going to trouble Forde in the Millwall goal.
2 min - Almost every West Ham United fan is on their feet at present in
response to a song being song. I'll leave it to you to try and work out
which one, but it should not be too hard!
1 min - And we're off. Millwall kick-off and the teams have changed ends
for the first half so the Hammers will be shooting towards the Bobby Moore
stand for the first 45 minutes.
7.45pm - When Jack Collison's name is read there is a huge cheer from the
home support and Collison responds by clapping every side of the ground.
7.44pm - Parker and Frampton lead the two teams out. West Ham will wear
their home shirts while Millwall are in their change strip of white shirts
and black shorts.
7.40pm - The tension is building here and it looks as though we will have an
electric atmosphere tonight. A chorus of 'Bubbles' has already gone around
the ground and the Millwall fans, seated in the lower tier of the Trevor
Brooking Stand, respond in turn with a song of their own.
6.55pm - Good evening and welcome to the Boleyn Ground. The teams are in and
Gianfranco Zola makes four changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Tottenham
Hotspur on Sunday. There is a double change in central defence with James
Tomkins and Danny Gabbidon coming in to the side in place of Matthew Upon
and James Collins. It is sure to be an emotional night for Gabbidon, who is
making his first competitive start for 18 months. Upson's absence means
Scott Parker takes the armband and he will be joined in midfield by Radoslav
Kovac and Josh Payne. It will be Kovac's first start since signing for the
club on a permanent deal ten days ago, while Payne will be making his full
debut. Mark Noble and Luis Jimenez are rested after picking up minor knocks
at the weekend. Oliver Lee could also get his first taste of first-team
action after being named on the bench for the first time.
Injury-ravaged Millwall have only enough fit players to name four
substitutes for the game. They still manage to include two players who used
to be on West Ham United's books in their starting XI. Goalkeeper David
Forde spent two years in east London between 2002 and 2004, while striker
Garry Alexander came through the Academy but left without making a
first-team appearance.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Spector, Parker (c),
Kovac, Payne, Collison, Stanislas, Cole
Subs: Kurucz, Daprela, Upson, Collins, Lee, Nouble, Hines
Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Frampton (c), Martin, Smith, Hackett, Barron,
Fuseini, Laird, Harris, Alexander
Subs: Sullivan, Bolder, Grime, Price
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Tributes paid to Foan
WHUFC.com
The club is mourning former West Ham United winger Albert Foan after he
passed away at the age of 85
25.08.2009
West Ham United were saddened to hear of the death this month of former
player Albert Foan, who served the club to distinction in the 1950s. Born in
October 1923, the year of the club's first FA Cup final appearance, Foan was
a popular winger and inside-forward at the Boleyn Ground between 1950 and
1956. He passed away peacefully in a nursing home in Norwich at the age of
85 on 14 August, leaving two sons - Andy and Patrick - three grandchildren
and three great-grandchildren.
His spell with the Hammers, playing a total of 60 games and scoring nine
goals. A third of those strikes came in a memorable FA Cup tie against
Preston North End on 7 January 1956, with Foan scoring a hat-trick to book
the club's place in the fourth round. The Hammers went on to reach the
quarter-finals.
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FA to probe Upton Park violence
BBC.co.uk
The Football Association is to investigate the violence that marred the
Carling Cup clash between West Ham and Millwall at Upton Park on Tuesday.
One man was stabbed as fans clashed outside the ground, while there were
also three pitch invasions. "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that
has occurred at Upton Park," said an FA spokesperson. "We will be working
with all parties, the police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding
these events."
The FA also confirmed that it expected any fan identified as being involved
in the violence to be banned for life and stated: "They have no place in our
game." West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola condemned those responsible for the
trouble and said they were not fans of football. "I've been involved in
difficult games and things happened. Here, I've played seven years and I've
never seen it like this," added Zola. "It's certainly not good for football.
I was completely shocked. Totally. I knew it was a game that meant a lot for
the two sets of supporters but I didn't imagine it like this. "What can I
say? I'm a sport man. I love the game. I love to go on the pitch and try to
make it exciting for the supporters and enjoyable for everybody to watch.
This was beyond my powers."
West Ham also issued a statement vowing to help any investigation and ban
fans found guilty of taking part in the violence. "West Ham will fully
investigate the deplorable scenes that took place during the Carling Cup tie
with Millwall on Tuesday evening," it read. "The club will not tolerate the
unacceptable behaviour witnessed inside the Boleyn Ground and will take the
strongest possible action against anyone found responsible, including life
bans. "As was the case before, during and after the match, we are
co-operating fully with the relevant agencies, including the police."
Hundreds of fans were involved in the disorder and it was the first time
London rivals West Ham and Millwall had played each other since April 2005.
Eyewitness reports suggested opposing fans threw bottles and bricks and
starting small fires as police moved in to try to prevent the disturbances.
Inside the stadium, police and stewards battled to remove fans from the
pitch throughout the match, which West Ham won 3-1 in extra time after
coming back from 1-0 down. The first pitch invasion was after Junior
Stanislas' equaliser, while the second more serious encroachment happened
after Stanislas scored a penalty to give the Hammers the lead. Play was
briefly suspended when referee Paul Taylor decided to take the players off
the pitch. "I didn't fear for my own safety," Millwall boss Kenny Jackett
said of the ugly scenes. "There were no Millwall fans on the pitch. They
stayed where they were supposed to. He added: "I wasn't aware of the
stabbing outside the ground. I'm very sad to hear that. "We've got a
passionate game in this country but when it oversteps the mark then things
have to be done."
West Ham midfielder Jack Collison, who declared himself ready to play,
despite the death of his father in a motorcycle accident on Sunday, was one
of several players who pleaded with fans to get back to the stands. It took
officials about six minutes to clear about 50 people from the pitch and
police had to redeploy within the stadium to tackle the invasion. Riot
police lined the streets outside the stadium, roads were closed and a
helicopter flew overhead in preparation for further possible clashes as
thousands of fans tried to leave the stadium at full time. Police revealed
later that the victim of the stabbing was a 44-year-old man, who is in a
stable condition in hospital.
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West Ham 3 - 1 Millwall
BBC.co.uk
Crowd trouble marred West Ham's extra-time victory over London rivals
Millwall in the Carling Cup. Neil Harris volleyed Millwall ahead but West
Ham equalised with three minutes to play as Junior Stanislas' finish
prompted mass pitch invasions. Stanislas scored a penalty in extra time
after a Millwall handball before Zavon Hines fired home the third. The game
was played out amid trouble between fans inside and outside of Upton Park,
overshadowing the match. There were more clashes between fans and police
towards the latter stages of the tie as supporters tried to invade the
pitch. And when Stanislas equalised to send the tie into extra-time, the
crowd finally spilled over the advertising hoardings and on to the playing
surface. West Ham midfielder Jack Collison, who declared himself ready to
play despite his father dying in a motorcycle accident on Sunday, was one of
several players who pleaded with fans to get back to the stands. But, when a
second major invasion followed Stanislas' second goal, the Millwall players
left the pitch while stewards and police attempted to clear the fans. The
game was allowed to continue but Hines' classy finish will be forgotten amid
the chaos. One man was stabbed in the chest near the stadium in fighting
which occurred during the match. And the trouble continued beyond the final
whistle, with a number of arrests made for disorder and breaches of banning
orders.
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London football violence probed
BBC.co.uk
Investigations have begun into "large-scale trouble" at West Ham's Upton
Park ground during a match against Millwall. One man is in a stable
condition after being stabbed in the chest and two others were taken to
hospital with non life-threatening injuries, police said. Fights broke out
near the east London stadium well before the match kicked off on Tuesday
night and were still raging five hours later. The Metropolitan Police said
10 arrests were thought to have been made. About 200 riot police and at
least 20 mounted officers were at the scene, many of whom were pelted with
missiles but none were injured, the spokeswoman said. She added that
officers were scanning video to identify hooligans, and that investigations
were under way. "We will be reviewing all the events, looking at CCTV
footage both inside and outside the ground to identify offences and
offenders," she said. Police said a 44-year-old man was in a stable
condition in hospital after being stabbed mid-evening in nearby Priory Road.
Another man was found in Rancliffe Road with head injuries and another said
he had been assaulted at a pub in Green Street. There was trouble within the
ground during the Carling Cup match after West Ham fans invaded the pitch on
three occasions. It all started before kick off, outside Upton Park
Underground, where hundreds of rival fans broke through a strong police
barrier, throwing bottles and even bricks - one of which I personally saw
almost hit a pregnant woman. Police riot team personnel - 500, possibly
1,000 - tried to dissipate the situation. The scuffles filtered to some side
roads where one man was stabbed. These were nasty scenes; not one or two
mindless individuals. There were 100 or 200 mindless individuals.
Afterwards, Millwall fans were kept in the stadium for 20 minutes or half an
hour. That, though, didn't stop hundreds more clashing after the game. It
was the first time the rival London sides had met since April 2005 and West
Ham won the game 3-1 after extra time. By 2300 BST several hundred West Ham
fans had congregated outside the stadium where they chanted and bombarded
police with beer cans and bottles. One pub reportedly had its windows broken
by bricks during running battles across several streets up to half-a-mile
from the stadium. Eyewitnesses also told of hooligans trying to rip out
bollards and lighting "small fires". A 29-year-old owner of a kebab shop
said he closed his premises in nearby Green Street for two hours. He said:
"All hell broke loose - it was very frightening. "There were West Ham fans
on one side and Millwall on the other. They were being kept apart by the
police. "Bottles and bricks were being thrown from the back and some were
hitting West Ham fans at the front. "There were loads of people with
bloodied faces." One resident, who watched from his window as the trouble
flared, said hundreds of fans gathered on the corner and threw bricks and
cans at rivals. "Riot and mounted police arrived to disperse the fans but
they were outnumbered," he said.Tony, a steward at the game, told BBC Radio
5 live they were powerless to stop the violence.
He said: "When you have 2,900 Millwall fans it is really intimidating.
"There is not a lot you can do - you have to hope the police presence can
help you out." Harry Hallamn, 14, travelled to the game with his brother and
parents from their home in Horsham, Sussex. He said the Tube driver told
passengers he was unable to stop at West Ham station due to "police
investigations". Harry said: "I was really scared, especially for my mum and
dad, as I knew the Millwall fans would be waiting for us at the stations.
"As we got off the Tube there was a large number of Millwall fans waiting on
the platform trying to start fights but there was a large police presence.
"After the match we saw West Ham fans walking straight towards the away end
of the stadium so people were looking for trouble. "It was a disgrace to
football."
In a statement, West Ham Football Club said it would fully investigate this
"deplorable violence" and would take the strongest action against anyone
involved. A Football Association spokesman said anyone found to have taken
part in the violence would be banned from football for life. He said: "We
absolutely condemn the disorder. "We will be working with all parties, the
police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding these events."
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Wales sympathy for young Collison
BBC.co.uk
John Toshack will leave the decision to Jack Collison whether he reports for
Wales duty after his father's death. Ian Collison was going to watch his son
play for West Ham against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday when he crashed his
motorbike on the M25 near Epping. Mr Collison, 46, from Stevenage, was
pronounced dead at the scene. Collison is in the Wales Under-21 squad to
play Italy on 4 September and will also be named in Wales' senior squad to
face Russia in Cardiff on 9 September. The 20-year-old midfielder has been a
regular in Toshack's Wales sides since graduating from Brian Flynn's
Under-21 squad. Collison would be a certain starter for Wales in their final
home 2010 World Cup qualifier with Russia at the Millennium Stadium. Wales
boss Toshack and the Football Association of Wales have sent their
sympathies to Collison and will leave the decision as to his international
availability up to him.
An FAW spokesperson said: "John Toshack and Brian Flynn - as is everyone
involved in the Wales national teams - were shocked and desperately saddened
to learn the news of Jack's bereavement. "Ian was naturally a keen supporter
of Jack and he became friends with everyone who is involved in Welsh
football. He was a genuinely really good guy.
"Jack's availability for the forthcoming Wales fixtures are probably the
last thing on his mind at the moment, we just want to be there for Jack and
his family if they need us.
"But when the time comes, John will allow Jack to decide whether he will be
available for the Italy and Russia games."
The date of Mr Collison's funeral is not yet known. West Ham United players
will, meanwhile, wear black armbands during Tuesday's Carling Cup tie
against Millwall following the death of their team-mate's father. A West Ham
spokesperson said: "Our thoughts are with Jack and his family and we ask
people to respect his privacy at a very difficult time for them." Collison,
though, showed great courage to play in Tuesday's first round match at Upton
Park.
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FA call for life bans
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 26th August 2009
By: Staff Writer
The FA have called for West Ham and Millwall to give life bans to those
responsible for the trouble that marred tonight Carling Cup second round
clash. In a statement released on the fa.com late last night, they said:
"We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred at Upton Park
this evening, both inside and outside of the ground. "We will very quickly
be working with all parties, including the Police and clubs to establish the
facts surrounding tonight's events. "We expect all culprits to be banned
from football for life – they have no place in our game."
* Police have come under fire for allowing a line seperating opposing
supporters to break outside the Queens public house prior to the game.
Millwall fans initially broke the human wall - meant to lead them from Upton
Park tube station to the ground - before surging towards West Ham supporters
barricaded inside the hostelry. As Police battled unsuccessfully to hold
their lines United fans surged from the pub to defend themselves from their
assailants. The resulting melee saw a number of fans from both sides
arrested.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Club to investigate 'deplorable' scenes
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 26th August 2009
By: Staff Writer
West Ham has promised to punish those responsible for what it deemed
'unacceptable behaviour' by some supporters during tonight's Carling Cup win
over Millwall. The club issued a brief statement tonight in response to the
media's highlighting of certain instances of crowd disturbances, something
which is likely to see the club land in further trouble with the
authorities. "West Ham United will fully investigate the deplorable scenes
that took place during the Carling Cup tie with Millwall on Tuesday
evening," read the statement. "The club will not tolerate the unacceptable
behaviour witnessed inside the Boleyn Ground and will take the strongest
possible action against anyone found responsible, including life bans. "As
was the case before, during and after the match, we are cooperating fully
with the relevant agencies, including the police." Quite what the club deem
to be 'unacceptable behaviour' is not defined however - something which
could be good news for those who found themselves on the pitch through
nothing more than sheer delight at the Hammers' late comeback against their
most bitter of rivals.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 3 Millwall 1
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 25th August 2009
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are through to the third round of the Carling Cup - but were pushed
all the way by a dogged performance from bitter rivals Millwall. Much like
the game against Macclesfield at the same stage of the Carling Cup last
season, the League One side were just minutes away from knocking the Hammers
out of the competition before Junior Stanislas popped up at the far post to
convert a deep Julien Faubert cross. The young midfielder's goal cancelled
out Neil Harris' first half strike which saw the south east Londoners lead
for over an hour - and, one must add, deservedly, for West Ham were
distinctly second best for much of the first half and parts of the second as
Millwall made a mockery of the two-division divide.
Gianfranco Zola's decision to send out a bunch of inexperienced youngsters
against Millwall's battle-hardened, lower-league pros almost backfired
spectacularly as talent proved no match for desire and determination. Mark
Noble, the most obvious choice to start this particular fixture was
unexpectedly absent - although the club have since confirmed that he was
rested due to picking up 'a minor knock' against Tottenham last weekend.
The visitors could have put the game beyond a woeful West Ham during the
second half but efforts from Marc Laird and Hackett fizzed narrowly wide of
their intended target. West Ham, for their part, struggled to create
anything of significance and Stanislas' late intervention, whilst greeted
with the kind of reaction not seen at the Boleyn for many a year, was
unexpected as the game, by that stage, appeared to be up.
Millwall, who had given everything were both mentally and physically shot by
the time extra time finally arrived (the referee having deemed six minutes
injury time necessary) and it was therefore no surprise when United took the
lead for the first time in the game seven minutes after the restart. Zavon
Hines' cross was handled by Laird and Junior Stanislas stepped up to fire
home his second of the night from the penalty spot, sending former Hammer
Forde the wrong way. As before, the goal prompted scenes of jubilation on
the terraces that spilled over on to the pitch, causing the Millwall team to
retire to the dugout area before returning once the delerious Hammers fans
had returned to their seats. No doubt there will be ramifications for that -
not to mention a number of ban notices leaving the Boleyn Ground tomorrow
morning.
Any hopes the Lions had of taking the game to penalties were dashed two
minutes after Stanislas' second goal when Zavon Hines, on as a second half
substitute weaved his way through the Millwall defence before firing home,
with some aplomb, high into Forde's net. Carlton Cole, who was out on his
feet by that stage gave way for Matthew Upson who marshalled the side
through the final few minutes.
Kenny Jackett's side had sent the vociferous visiting supporters into
raptures midway through the first half when local legend Neil Harris was
first to react to a hopeful throw into the box which he poked home beyond
Rob Green in front of the Millwall fans, who had been allocated the entire
lower section of the Sir Trevor Brooking stand. Cruelly perhaps they were
denied a victory they probably deserved, right at the death - but that will
be of no concern to happy - yet relieved - Hammers fans.
Whilst many will no doubt linger on the non-footballing aspects of the match
in tomorrow morning's press, thoughts should perhaps be with young
midfielder Jack Collison who refused to rule himself out of tonight's tie
despite tragically losing his father less than 48 hours ago. Collison - who
was inches away from scoring when he hit the woodwork early on in the second
half - was clearly emotional as he left the field to rapturous applause from
the home fans before being embraced by Gianfranco Zola.
West Ham now go into Saturday's third round draw which can be seen on Sky
Sports from midday.
West Ham Utd 3 Millwall 1 (aet): match facts
West Ham Utd: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Spector, Parker, Kovac
(Nouble 62), Payne (Hines 46), Collison, Stanislas, Cole (Upson 109).
Subs not used: Kurucz, Daprela, Collins, Lee.
Goals: Stanislas (87, 108 pen), Hines (110).
Booked: Gabbidon (16), Parker (69), Cole (83), Collison (115).
Millwall: Forde, Dunne, Frampton, Martin (Price 91), Smith, Hackett, Barron,
Fuseini, Laird, Harris (Grimes 99), Alexander (Bolder 99).
Subs not used: Sullivan.
Goals: Harris (26).
Booked: Frampton (6), Laird (40), Barron (104).
Referee: M.Taylor.
Attendance: 24,492.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cup violence shocks Zola
Disorder at Upton Park disappoints Hammers coach
Last updated: 26th August 2009
SSN
Gianfranco Zola has condemned the disgraceful scenes which marred West Ham's
Carling Cup clash with Millwall at Upton Park. Pitch invasions and ugly
confrontations between rival supporters scarred the Hammers' 2-1 victory in
the second round contest. One man was stabbed in the chest near the stadium
as chaos erupted, while police were forced to make a number of arrests as
the disorder escalated. Neil Harris had given Millwall the lead at Upton
Park before a brace from Junior Stanislas, including an extra-time penalty,
sent the home side through. The night was completely overshadowed, though,
by the actions of certain supporters and Hammers boss Zola admits the
trouble is the worst he has seen in his long and distinguished career in the
game. "I've been involved in difficult games and things happened. Here, I've
played seven years and I've never seen it like this," said the Italian
coach. "It's certainly not good for football. I was completely shocked.
Totally. "I knew it was a game that meant a lot for the two sets of
supporters, but I didn't imagine it like this. "What can I say? I'm a sport
man. I love the game. I love to go on the pitch and try and make it exciting
for the supporters and enjoyable for everybody to watch. This was beyond my
powers."
Millwall boss Kenny Jackett added: "I didn't fear for my own safety." He
added: "There were no Millwall fans on the pitch. They stayed where they
were supposed to. "There were a lot of people on the pitch. The lads
gathered together and came to the sides, as they should have. "I wasn't
aware of the stabbing outside the ground. I'm very sad to hear that. We've
got a passionate game in this country, but when it oversteps the mark then
things have to be done."
West Ham have also released a statement vowing to punish those responsible
for the mayhem on Tuesday. "West Ham will fully investigate the deplorable
scenes that took place during the Carling Cup tie with Millwall on Tuesday
evening," the statement read. "The club will not tolerate the unacceptable
behaviour witnessed inside the Boleyn Ground and will take the strongest
possible action against anyone found responsible, including life bans. "As
was the case before, during and after the match, we are co-operating fully
with the relevant agencies, including the police."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA condemn Upton Park violence
Calls for culprits to be banned for life
Last updated: 26th August 2009
SSN
The Football Association 'strongly expect' all culprits involved in the
violence which marred West Ham United's Carling Cup tie with Millwall to be
banned from football for life.
Prior to the second round tie at Upton Park, a man was stabbed and trouble
flared between opposing supporters in what police labelled "large-scale"
trouble. There were also several pitch invasions in the latter stages of the
game, which West Ham won 3-1 after extra time. Hundreds of fans were
involved in the disorder which police said was caused by people without
tickets to the tie who had planned to start trouble. Police said later that
the victim of the stabbing was a 44-year-old man who was in a stable
condition in hospital. A Football Association spokesperson said: "We
absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred at Upton Park this
evening both inside and outside of the ground. "We will be working with all
parties, including the police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding
tonight's events. "We strongly expect all culprits to be banned from
football for life. They have no place in our game."
As the final whistle blew at Upton Park hundreds of fans invaded the pitch.
Police and stewards battled with fans in an attempt to remove them from the
field of play. As thousands of fans flooded from the ground, police closed
several roads surrounding Upton Park and ushered them towards the tube
station. Around 200 officers in riot gear, backed up by at least 20 mounted
officers, patrolled outside the station. Rubbish, shards of glass and beer
cans were strewn across Green Street and bricks could be seen in rubbish
bins. The Metropolitan Police said tonight they had no reports of any
officers being injured during the violence.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Trouble mars Hammers win
Stanislas scores twice following violence inside and outside the ground
Last updated: 26th August 2009
SSN
West Ham United beat Millwall 3-1 after extra time in the Carling Cup second
round, but the match was marred by trouble inside and outside Upton Park.
Violence flared outside the stadium before kick-off, while there were
several pitch invasions as the Premier League club avoided a cup upset. Neil
Harris put Millwall ahead in the first half before Junior Stanislas
equalised three minutes from time to spark an invasion from home fans.
Stanislas converted a penalty in extra time, which led to Millwall's players
briefly heading off the pitch, before Zavon Hines secured the win as fans
flooded on to the pitch again at the final whistle. Kenny Jackett's League
One side, two divisions below the hosts, pushed their opponents all the way
despite only being able to name four substitutes due to an injury crisis -
but the focus will inevitably be on the trouble in and around the ground.
One man was stabbed in the chest near the stadium among the chaos, with a
number of arrests made for disorder and breaches of banning orders. Instead
of talk being of Jack Collison bravely declaring himself ready to play
despite his father dying in a motorcycle accident on Sunday, there were
concerns at kick-off of the trouble that led to a tube delay and empty
seats. Fans taunted each other, with many of them concentrating on their
rival supporters rather than the action on the pitch. That was until Harris
opened the scoring in the 26th minute for the visitors. Scott Barron had
launched a long throw into the area which Danny Gabbidon, making his first
appearance in 18 months, failed to clear. Harris tucked away the finish when
the ball fell invitingly.
It could have got better for Millwall when Alan Dunne raided forward down
the right and exchanged passes with Gary Alexander - but Robert Green was
down sharply to smother the full-back when he was through on goal. At the
other end, Julien Faubert was furious with the assistant referee for not
flagging for a penalty after David Martin hauled him down on the edge of the
area, with play allowed to continue. It was the closest West Ham had come to
Millwall's goal in the first half, until Scott Parker went on a surging run
and fired over the crossbar from the edge of the area. The Hammers struck
the woodwork just after the break. A cross was partially cleared and fell to
Collison, who took a touch before clattering the post with his finish, with
Millwall goalkeeper David Forde not offering a dive. Carlton Cole forged a
promising effort for himself after muscling his way past Andy Frampton
before cutting inside - but his finish was wayward.
It was a case of Millwall holding on as West Ham looked to attack.
Gianfranco Zola's response was to bring on Frank Nouble for Radoslav Kovac
to give Cole more support, with Hines also introduced to add pace. The
visitors provided a threat on the counter attack and Marc Laird just missed
the angle of post and crossbar with a 25-yard effort. Chris Hackett also
went close when he tried his luck from long range, with Green required to
tip over the crossbar. There was trouble between fans and police in West Ham
areas of the stadium towards the latter stages of the tie as fans tried to
encroach on the pitch. Stanislas' leveller, clipping in Nouble's cross with
three minutes remaining, sparked a pitch invasion and more violent scenes,
before stewards and police cleared the playing surface. In extra time,
Hines' cross led to Frampton handling and referee Paul Taylor pointing to
the spot, with his assistant flagging for the offence. Stanislas tucked away
the penalty, leading to more bedlam among fans. Hines raced through, using
his pace to beat Frampton, and finished into the top corner for the third.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fans clash at Upton Park
Fan stabbed at Carling Cup clash
Last updated: 25th August 2009
SSN
West Ham's Carling Cup clash with Millwall was marred by skirmishes between
both sets of fans. A man was stabbed outside the stadium after violence
broke out in "planned" scuffles between supporters outside Upton Park. The
trouble appeared to have been caused by fans without tickets to the game, a
spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said.
He said: "It looks like there has been some planned trouble and there has
been some violence outside." Officers have made two arrests, one for
disorder and the second for breaching of a banning order. Police said the
stabbing, in Priory Road close to the stadium, is connected to the fighting
and the man is being treated by paramedics.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pandev plays down Hammers talk
No deal for Lazio star
By Vlatko Siljanovski Last updated: 25th August 2009
SSN
Lazio striker Goran Pandev has stated that he is not ready to join West Ham
United. Reports had claimed that West Ham were ready to seal a near
£5million move for the Macedonian star, who is currently in dispute with his
club. But speaking to Macedonian TV station A1, Pandev is quoted as saying
that he does not intend to join West Ham.
"There is no truth in the stories and West Ham," he said. "That is not what
I desire at the moment."
But Pandev did not refuse to rule out a possible move away from Lazio,
saying: "There is still time left until the summer transfer window closes.
Pandev is currently in dispute with Lazio after he refused to prolong his
contract which has just a year left to run. Along with Cristian Ledesma and
Lorenzo De Silvestri, he is currently omitted from the squad.
Earlier this week, president Claudio Lotito said: "When a player publicly
states he wants to leave and won't renew the contract that expires in a
year, other sides will wait for him to become a free agent. "That is
damaging to the club financially and this is why we are approaching the
matter through legal means." Pandev's lawyers are now threatening the club
with legal action.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gianfranco Zola Condemns West Ham United & Milwall Fan Violence
The Hammers' boss has claimed that he was "shocked" by the ugly incident in
east London...
Aug 26, 2009 7:55:30 AM
West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has spoken out against the fan
violence that took place close to Upton Park as fans of the Hammers and
Millwall resumed age-old hostilities. "I've been involved in difficult games
and things happened," Zola is quoted in BBC Sport as saying. "Here [in
England], I've played seven years and I've never seen it like this. "It's
certainly not good for football. I was completely shocked. Totally. "I knew
it was a game that meant a lot for the two sets of supporters, but I didn't
imagine it like this. "What can I say? I'm a sport man. I love the game. I
love to go on the pitch and try and make it exciting for the supporters and
enjoyable for everybody to watch. This was beyond my powers."
Lions boss Kenny Jackett condemned the incident as well, but claimed that he
never felt threatened in any way. "I didn't fear for my own safety," the
manager said. "There were no Millwall fans on the pitch. They stayed where
they were supposed to. "There were a lot of people on the pitch. The lads
gathered together and came to the sides, as they should have "I wasn't aware
of the stabbing outside the ground. I'm very sad to hear that. We've got a
passionate game in this country, but when it oversteps the mark then things
have to be done."
The Irons have issued a statement concerning the disturbance, stating that
the incident will be fully investigated and the perpetrators brought to
justice. "West Ham will fully investigate the deplorable scenes that took
place during the Carling Cup tie with Millwall on Tuesday evening," the
statement read. "The club will not tolerate the unacceptable behaviour
witnessed inside the Boleyn Ground and will take the strongest possible
action against anyone found responsible, including life bans. "As was the
case before, during and after the match, we are co-operating fully with the
relevant agencies, including the police."
Adithya Ananth, Goal.com
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham and Millwall face FA investigation after violence mars Carling Cup
tie
West Ham United have said they will comply with any investigation into the
disgraceful scenes of crowd violence both inside Upton Park and on the
streets outside that scarred their Carling Cup second round victory over
London rivals Millwall.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Steve Wilson and agencies
Published: 8:25AM BST 26 Aug 2009
One man was stable in hospital after being stabbed as fans clashed after
breaking through a police cordon with around 200 officers in full riot gear
supported by 20 mounted police patrolling the area long after the game had
concluded. As the spectre of hooliganism rose once more to the surface of
English football, there were several pitch invasions by West Ham fans after
the goal that took the game to extra-time and ultimately after the goals
that won the game for the home side. West Ham Collison's father dies The
match was held up while the pitch was cleared and an appeal for calm was
made to both sets of supporters. "West Ham will fully investigate the
deplorable scenes that took place during the Carling Cup tie with Millwall
on Tuesday evening," a statement from West Ham read. "The club will not
tolerate the unacceptable behaviour witnessed inside the Boleyn Ground and
will take the strongest possible action against anyone found responsible,
including life bans. "As was the case before, during and after the match, we
are co-operating fully with the relevant agencies, including the police."
The club, however, could still be punished for the pitch invasions. An FA
spokesman said: "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred
at Upton Park, both inside and outside the ground. We will be working with
all parties including the police and clubs to establish the facts
surrounding the events. "We expect all culprits to be banned from football
for life. They have no place in our game."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola described his shock after the ugly clashes,
claiming they were the worst scenes he had witnessed during his time as a
player and manager in this country. "I've been involved in difficult games
and things happened. Here, I've played seven years and I've never seen it
like this," Zola said. "It's certainly not good for football. I was
completely shocked. Totally. I knew it was a game that meant a lot for the
two sets of supporters, but I didn't imagine it like this. "What can I say?
I'm a sport man. I love the game. I love to go on the pitch and try and make
it exciting for the supporters and enjoyable for everybody to watch. This
was beyond my powers."
Carlton Cole was the alleged victim of monkey chants, before the England
striker appeared to make a gesture back to Millwall fans. Neil Harris had
given the visitors the lead but Junior Stanislas' equaliser that sent the
tie into extra-time led to supporters pouring over the advertising
hoardings. Stanislas added another from the penalty spot, leading to another
invasion and Millwall players heading for the dressing room, before play got
under way again and Zavon Hines added a third to seal victory. Jack
Collison, the West Ham player who had bravely declared himself ready to play
despite his father dying in a motorcycle accident on Sunday, was left in
tears at the end of a match on a night of raw emotion and sickening
violence. "[Collison] showed what kind of boy he is by playing," said Zola.
"Not many would have done the same thing."
Millwall manager Kenny Jackett moved to point out that the Millwall
supporters inside the ground, of which the number had been restricted to
2,300 due to fears of trouble ahead of the match, had not encroached on to
the playing area. "I didn't fear for my own safety. There were no Millwall
fans on the pitch. They stayed where they were supposed to.," Jackett said.
"There were a lot of people on the pitch. The lads gathered together and
came to the sides, as they should have." "I wasn't aware of the stabbing
outside the ground. I'm very sad to hear that. We've got a passionate game
in this country but when it oversteps the mark then things have to be done."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Police To Use CCTV Footage To Identify Perpetrators Of West Ham United &
Millwall Riot
The investigation concerning the "large-scale trouble" at Upton Park has
begun...
Aug 26, 2009 7:34:13 AM
There was trouble in east London on Tuesday night, when the fans of West Ham
United and arch-rivals Millwall clashed before their second round League Cup
tie, which the Hammers eventually won 3-1 after extra-time. One man was
stabbed during the violence and two others were taken to hospital for non
life-threatening injuries, the police revealed. It was further confirmed
that the 44-year-old stab victim was in a stable condition following the
incident, which took place on Priory Road. The Metropolitan Police said that
ten arrests were thought to have been made. In total, about 200 riot police
and roughly 20 mounted officers were rushed to the scene of the incident,
many of whom were pelted with missiles - although none were injured, a
spokeswoman said. She went on to say that the police were using CCTV footage
to identify the extreme elements who were responsible for the trouble near
Upton Park. "We will be reviewing all the events, looking at CCTV footage
both inside and outside the ground to identify offences and offenders," she
said. Meanwhile, a spokesman of the FA has said that anyone found guilty in
participating in the violence will be banned from football for life. "We
absolutely condemn the disorder," he said. "We will be working with all
parties, the police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding these
events."
Adithya Ananth, Goal.com
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lucas Neill and Tim Cahill left out of Socceroos squad
From: AAP August 26, 2009 5:17PM
Telegraph.com.au
CLUBLESS Socceroos captain Lucas Neill has been left out of the national
squad for next week's friendly international against South Korea in Seoul.
Star Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, who excelled in Australia's recent win
over Ireland in Limerick, has also been omitted. Striker Josh Kennedy and
Gold Coast United star Jason Culina are among seven players in the 24-man
squad for the September 5 encounter who were not included for the match
against Ireland. Kennedy has been in hot form for Japanese club Nagoya
Grampus, but coach Pim Verbeek chose to name an entirely European-based
squad for the Irish match. This time two A-League players, Culina and North
Queensland Fury's Shane Stefanutto, have been named. Vince Grella, Michael
Beauchamp, Mark Milligan and Michael Petkovic also come into the squad.
Nikita Rukavytsya has been retained after making his senior international
debut against Ireland. Danny Invincibile, yet to make his debut, has also
kept his place in the squad after he missed the chance to play against
Ireland due to a back injury. The two teams have not met since the 2001
Confederations Cup, when South Korea won 1-0.
Australian squad: Michael Beauchamp (Aalborg BK, Denmark), Mark Bresciano
(Citta di Palermo, Italy), Nick Carle (Crystal Palace, England), David
Carney (Sheffield United, England), Ante Covic (Elfsborg, Sweden), Jason
Culina (Gold Coast), Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers, England), Brett Holman
(AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Danny Invincibile (Kilmarnock, Scotland), Mile
Jedinak (Antalyaspor Kulubu, Turkey), Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus, Japan),
Harry Kewell (Galatasaray, Turkey), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leeds United,
England), Scott McDonald (Celtic, Scotland), Mark Milligan (Shanghai
Shenhua, China), Jade North (Incheon United, South Korea) Michael Petkovic
(Sivasspor, Turkey), Nikita Rukavytsya (FC Twente, Netherlands), Mark
Schwarzer (Fulham, England), Matthew Spiranovic (FC Nurnberg, Germany),
Shane Stefanutto (North Queensland), Dario Vidosic (FC Nurnberg, Germany),
Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough, England), Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo, Moscow).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SHAMEFUL: WARRING FANS CLASH IN CUP TIE
Daily Star
26th August 2009 By Paul Brown
FOOTBALL suffered a return to the bad old days last night as serious
violence marred West Ham's clash with Millwall. One man was stabbed in a
series of confrontations between rival fans outside Upton Park. And a
volatile atmosphere inside the ground saw Hammers fans invade the pitch on
three separate occasions as their team fought back to win 3-1 in extra-time.
At the end of the game West Ham's Jack Collison, 20, was led from the pitch
in tears, just 48 hours after the death of his dad Ian in a motorbike
accident.
The stab victim – a 44-year-old man – was in a stable condition after being
rushed to hospital during the match. Millwall fans in the Sir Trevor
Brooking stand threw missiles and goaded the home fans, who responded by
staging a series of pitch invasions. At one point riot police wielded
batons to stop Hammers supporters in the corner of the West Stand from
getting to their Millwall counterparts. Lions boss Kenny Jackett revealed
his players considered walking off the pitch for their own safety after West
Ham's second goal.
He said: "There were a lot of people on the pitch. The players gathered
together to assess the situation. It was the right thing to do. "I'm sad to
hear there was a stabbing. We have a passionate game in this country and we
don't want to lose that, but we don't want things to spill over."
An FA spokesperson said: "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that
has occurred at Upton Park both inside and outside of the ground. "We will
be working with all parties, including the police and clubs, to establish
the facts surrounding tonight's events. We strongly expect all culprits to
be banned from football for life." West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola said: "I'm
disappointed. You don't want to see these scenes. "I've never seen anything
like that before after seven years with Chelsea and 11 months with West Ham.
"I'm sure there will be inquiries and they will try to look at the
situation. I was completely shocked."
There were five arrests outside the ground as bricks and bottles were thrown
by both sets of supporters, who reportedly broke through police lines at one
point. Only 2,300 away fans were allowed into the ground on police advice
because of the long history of serious incidents between the clubs.Police
blamed the trouble outside the stadium on Millwall fans who had turned up
without tickets for the first match between the sides in four years. The
Bobby Moore statue outside the ground had been boarded up and put under
guard as a precaution before the match began. But the extent of the violence
appeared to take even police by surprise. At one point there were over 100
Hammers fans on the pitch and players from both sides were forced to make a
quick exit at the final whistle. Neil Harris gave League One Millwall a
shock lead in the 26th minute before Junior Stanislas equalised with three
minutes left. Stanislas scored from the spot in extra-time after an Andy
Frampton handball and Zavon Hines then hit a third to send the Hammers into
the draw for round three. However, the east London club could be in serious
trouble with the FA for failing to control their fans.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 3 - 1 Millwall
ESPN
Crowd trouble mars Hammers win
West Ham United Millwall
Junior Stanislas (87) Neil Harris (26)
Junior Stanislas (pen 98)
Zavon Hines (100)
Match Stats
West Ham United Millwall
Shots (on Goal) 17(7) 12(3)
Fouls 17 15
Corner Kicks 7 5
Offsides 8 2
Possession 55% 45%
Yellow Cards 4 3
Red Cards 0 0
Saves 4 5
Match Information
Stadium: Upton Park, England
Attendance: 24,492
Match Time: 19:45 UK
Official(s):
P Taylor (Referee)
Teams
West Ham United Millwall
1 Robert Green 1 David Forde
4 Daniel Gabbidon 3 Andy Frampton
18 Jonathan Spector 2 Alan Dunne
30 James Tomkins 21 Jack Smith
8 Scott Parker 16 Scott Barron
14 Radoslav Kovac 12 Chris Hackett
20 Julien Faubert 24 Marc Laird
31 Jack Collison 22 Ali Fuseini
46 Junior Stanislas 11 David Martin
35 Josh Payne 9 Neil Harris
12 Carlton Cole 8 Gary Alexander
Substitutes
28 Peter Kurucz John Sullivan 13
19 James Collins Adam Bolder 4
15 Matthew Upson Ashley Grimes 19
33 Fabio Daprela Jason Price 23
24 Frank Nouble
34 Oliver Lee
41 Zavon Hines
Substitutions
Zavon Hines for Josh Payne (46)
Jason Price for David Martin (91)
Frank Nouble for Radoslav Kovac (62)
Ashley Grimes for Neil Harris (99)
Matthew Upson for Carlton Cole (109)
Adam Bolder for Gary Alexander (99)
Yellow Cards
Daniel Gabbidon (16)
Andy Frampton (6)
Scott Parker (69)
Marc Laird (40)
Carlton Cole (83)
Scott Barron (104)
Jack Collison (115)
Updated: August 26, 2009, 8:35 AM UK
Pitch invasions and violence between rival fans and police at Upton Park
totally overshadowed West Ham's 3-1 Carling Cup second-round victory over
Millwall. Neil Harris had given the visitors the lead but Junior Stanislas'
equaliser that sent the tie into extra-time sparked ugly scenes as
supporters poured over the advertising hoardings. Stanislas added another
from the penalty spot, leading to Millwall players heading for the dressing
room, before play got under way again and Zavon Hines added a third to seal
victory at the end of a poisonous evening of hostility. Kenny Jackett's
League One side, two divisions below the hosts, pushed their Barclays
Premier League opponents all the way despite only being able to name four
substitutes due to an injury crisis - but the focus will inevitably be on
the trouble in and around the ground. One man was stabbed in the chest near
the stadium among the chaos, with a number of arrests made for disorder and
breaches of banning orders. Instead of talk being of Jack Collison bravely
declaring himself ready to play despite his father dying in a motorcycle
accident on Sunday, there were concerns at kick-off of the trouble that led
to a tube delay and empty seats. Fans taunted each other, with many of them
concentrating on their rival supporters rather than the action on the pitch.
That was until Harris opened the scoring in the 26th minute for the
visitors.
Scott Barron had launched a long throw into the area which Danny Gabbidon,
making his first appearance in 18 months, failed to clear. Harris tucked
away the finish when the ball fell invitingly.
It could have got better for Millwall when Alan Dunne raided forward down
the right and exchanged passes with Gary Alexander - but Robert Green was
down sharply to smother the full-back when he was through on goal. At the
other end, Julien Faubert was furious with the assistant referee for not
flagging for a penalty after David Martin hauled him down on the edge of the
area, with play allowed to continue. It was the closest West Ham had come to
Millwall's goal in the first half, until Scott Parker went on a surging run
and fired over the crossbar from the edge of the area. The Hammers struck
the woodwork just after the break. A cross was partially cleared and fell to
Collison, who took a touch before clattering the post with his finish, with
Millwall goalkeeper David Forde not offering a dive.
Carlton Cole forged a promising effort for himself after muscling his way
past Andy Frampton before cutting inside - but his finish was wayward. It
was a case of Millwall holding on as West Ham looked to attack. Gianfranco
Zola's response was to bring on Frank Nouble for Radoslav Kovac to give Cole
more support, with Hines also introduced to add pace.
The League One visitors provided a threat on the counter attack and Marc
Laird just missed the angle of post and crossbar with a 25-yard effort.
Chris Hackett also went close when he tried his luck from long range, with
Green required to tip over the crossbar. There was trouble between fans and
police in West Ham areas of the stadium towards the latter stages of the tie
as fans tried to encroach on the pitch. Stanislas' leveller, clipping in
Nouble's cross with three minutes remaining, sparked a pitch invasion and
more violent scenes, before stewards and police cleared the playing surface.
In extra-time, Hines' cross led to Frampton handling and referee Paul Taylor
pointing to the spot, with his assistant flagging for the offence. Stanislas
tucked away the penalty, leading to more bedlam among fans. Hines raced
through, using his pace to beat Frampton, and finished into the top corner
for the third.
West Ham United boss Gianfranco Zola described his shock after the Carling
Cup second-round victory over Millwall was scarred by pitch invasions and
ugly clashes between fans in and around Upton Park. One man was stabbed in
the chest near the stadium among the chaos, with a number of arrests made
for disorder and breaches of banning orders. Neil Harris had given the
visitors the lead but Junior Stanislas' equaliser that sent the tie into
extra-time sparked ugly scenes as supporters poured over the advertising
hoardings. Stanislas added another from the penalty spot, which saw more
fans enter the pitch and led to Millwall players heading for the dressing
room, before play got under way again and Zavon Hines added a third to seal
victory at the end of a poisonous evening of hostility. "I've been involved
in difficult games and things happened. Here, I've played seven years and
I've never seen it like this," Zola said. "It's certainly not good for
football. I was completely shocked. Totally. "I knew it was a game that
meant a lot for the two sets of supporters, but I didn't imagine it like
this. "What can I say? I'm a sport man. I love the game. I love to go on the
pitch and try and make it exciting for the supporters and enjoyable for
everybody to watch. This was beyond my powers."
The FA have vowed to investigate the violence between the rival fans.
Carlton Cole was the victim of monkey chants, before the England striker
appeared to make a gesture back to Millwall fans. "I didn't know he was
abused by the supporters," Zola said. Instead of talk being of Jack Collison
bravely declaring himself ready to play despite his father dying in a
motorcycle accident on Sunday, there were concerns at kick-off of the
trouble that led to a Tube delay and empty seats. Of Collison's situation,
Zola added: "He showed what kind of boy he is by playing. Not many would
have done the same thing."
Millwall boss Kenny Jackett added: "I didn't fear for my own safety." He
added: "There were no Millwall fans on the pitch. They stayed where they
were supposed to. "There were a lot of people on the pitch. The lads
gathered together and came to the sides, as they should have. "I wasn't
aware of the stabbing outside the ground. I'm very sad to hear that. We've
got a passionate game in this country, but when it oversteps the mark then
things have to be done."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Yobs return to tarnish game
The Sun
By ANTONY KASTRINAKIS
Published: Today
THE FA will launch a massive investigation as football was dragged back into
the gutter at West Ham last night. Yobs invaded Upton Park's pitch THREE
times, forcing the players off during the Hammers' 3-1 Carling Cup win over
Millwall. An FA spokesman said: "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder
that has occurred inside and outside the ground.
"We will be working with all parties including the police and clubs to
establish the facts surrounding the events at Upton Park. We expect all
culprits to be banned from football for life. They have no place in our
game."
The trouble began outside the ground where hundreds clashed violently, two
men were stabbed and rival fans hurled bricks, bottles and other missiles at
each other. The second-round tie kicked off in an ugly tense atmosphere with
supporters taunting each other throughout. The ticking time-bomb exploded in
the 87th minute when Junior Stanislas banged home an equaliser to take the
game into extra-time - and delirious West Ham fans ran on to the pitch.
Stewards and riot police used shields and batons and battled heroically to
keep rivals fans apart as the game stopped for five minutes. But the police
were simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of pitch invaders as anarchy
descended.
Hammers striker Carlton Cole also endured monkey chants and allegedly
gestured towards the offending fans. Another massive invasion took place at
the end. In a week when defender Calum Davenport was the victim of a knife
attack and midfielder Jack Collison's dad died in a motorcycle accident, the
Hammers did not need this. West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola said: "You don't
want to see these scenes. It's not good for football. "I've never seen
anything like that before. I was completely shocked. Totally. I knew it was
a game that meant a lot for the two sets of supporters but I didn't imagine
it like this."
Lions boss Kenny Jackett added: "I didn't fear for my own safety. There were
no Millwall fans on the pitch. "They stayed where they were supposed to.
We've got a passionate game in this country but when it oversteps the mark
then things have to be done."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Alessandro Diamanti: 10 things you need to know about the West Ham target
By Football Spy
Last modified 15:54 25/08/09
The Mirror
It's looking like Gianfranco Zola wont have to come out of retirement after
all, as West Ham finally seem to have found finding a strike partner for
Carlton Cole in the form of Alessandro Diamanti.
But what do you know about the Italian hitman? MirrorFootball presents the
essential guide...
1) He was born on May 2, 1983 in the Tuscany city of Prato.
2) A skillful striker, he banged in 17 goals last year to help Livorno
secure promotion to Serie A via the play-offs - in which Diamanti scored
three vitally important strikes.
3) Diamanti's impressive form sparked recent interest from Jose Mourinho's
Inter Milan. But the player himself has said that playing at Upton Park
"would change his life, and it would be a dream joining the Premier League".
4) The skillful Italian is known for his silky moves and deadly finishing -
and he can take a decent free-kick too. However, it's not all good -
Diamanti has something of a reputation for diving in Italy (but then, who
doesn't?)
5) Diamanti has been described in his homeland as a 'cross between Paolo Di
Canio and Zola', so the chances of him becoming a success in the East End
are all but guaranteed.
6) His appointment will also be a big hit with the region's tattoo artists:
Diamanti has over 10 tattoos pieces covering his arms and body. Presumably
there's still room for a pair of crossed hammers somewhere...
7) A family man, Diamanti celebrated the first goal he scored following the
birth of his daughter Aileen by sporting a T-shirt bearing the slogan 'I
love Hsieh' - the maiden name of his wife Silvia.
8) He's a devoted Christian. Which is handy, because the Lord's name can
often be heard coming from the Chicken Run at Upton Park. Although possibly
not in any context Diamanti has heard before...
9) Gianfranco Zola is apparently so desperate to sign him that he has flown
out to Italy to thrash out a deal with Livorno, even though West Ham have a
Carling Cup game with their biggest rivals Millwall.
10) If the esteem he's held in by Livorno fans is anything to go by, then
this will be time well spent by Zola.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham to sign Livorno striker Alessandro Diamanti to ease their striker
crisis
West Ham have agreed a deal to sign Livorno's Serie A striker Alessandro
Diamanti.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Jason Burt
Published: 7:20PM BST 25 Aug 2009
However, as with an agreement to sign Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh, it is
understood that West Ham cannot push through with the deals until they raise
some funds from the sale of players. It is hoped that either Aston Villa,
who have made a move for Portsmouth's Sylvain Distin, or Everton will make a
formal bid for central defender James Collins, who is available for £5
million. Neill misses out on £245k West Ham would alternatively consider
selling Matthew Upson if they received a bid of £15 million. Liverpool met
that asking price last week but the transfer was vetoed by the club's
bankers, who did not want to release the funds. As with any transfer at West
Ham the final decision on a sale rests with manager Gianfranco Zola, but
with eight defenders at his disposal and one senior striker in Carlton Cole,
he wants to improve his attacking options.
Zola has tracked Diamanti for some time and, it has emerged, he is the
manager's top transfer target for the summer. The striker is 26 and had a
difficult time in his early career but has managed to gets things back on
track and is, undeniably, a talent. West Ham chief executive Scott Duxbury
travelled to Italy on Monday to negotiate the deal with Livorno's director
of sport, Nelso Ricci, who over the weekend had claimed Diamanti would sign
a new deal, revealing that the player had "begged us in tears to let him
join West Ham". Ricci added: "He said this is the opportunity of a lifetime.
He thanked the president for having signed him from Prato in Serie C2, but
now he wants to leave. "West Ham will pay £5.5 million in three years. What
could [President Aldo] Spinelli do other than sell a player who no longer
wants to be here? We cannot keep unhappy players. "Spinelli had already
improved Diamanti's contract to match the higher earners, like [Cristiano]
Lucarelli."
Diamanti, a free-kick specialist, was one of the stars of Livorno's
promotion to Serie A, scoring 16 goals in Serie B last season and providing
many assists. If the deal goes through, Zola is likely to pair him with Luis
Jimenez behind Cole. He also hopes to sign Chamakh.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United 3 Millwall 1: match report
Read a full match report of the Carling Cup second round game between West
Ham United and Millwall at Upton Park on Tuesday Aug 25, 2009.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Oliver Brown at Upton Park
Published: 12:20AM BST 26 Aug 2009
On a disgraceful evening for West Ham and Millwall football clubs, involving
a stabbing outside Upton Park and several pitch invasions inside the ground,
the spectre of hooliganism again returned to blight this most primal of
London football rivalries. It was remarkable that the match – which, for the
record, West Ham won – could even conclude at all, so disfigured was it by
disorder. Premier League Transfer Talk Hundreds of supporters had been
involved in violence close to Upton Park underground station before and
during the match, but in the second half the unrest spread alarmingly on to
the playing surface as West Ham fans broke the police cordons. Police
claimed that the skirmishes outside had been triggered by those without
tickets to the second-round Carling Cup match. The stabbing took place in
Priory Road, next to the station, where a large group of Millwall fans broke
a police cordon in an ambush of West Ham supporters, and proceeded to throw
bottles and bricks. The stab victim, a 44 year-old man, was in a stable
condition in hospital last night. Such sorry scenes were denounced by the
Football Association. It said in a statement: "We absolutely condemn all of
the disorder that has occurred at Upton Park, both inside and outside of the
ground. "We will be working with all parties, including the police and
clubs, to establish the facts surrounding the events. We expect all culprits
to be banned from football for life. They have no place in our game."
In addition, West Ham striker Carlton Cole claimed he had been racially
abused by Millwall fans during the match. The Metropolitan Police had
restricted the number of Millwall fans to 2,300 but far more had gathered
for this game. Stewards were powerless to prevent the tension from boiling
over when, in the 77th minute, a large object was thrown by a West Ham
section of the crowd towards the Millwall contingent.
West Ham fans attempted to surge across the seats separating the two bands
of supporters and one fan even made it on to the pitch. West Ham's equaliser
in the 87th minute, scored by Junior Stanislas to cancel out Neil Harris's
opener, exacerbated the trouble, with around 100 home fans defying the
stewards to invade the playing surface. Their goading of the away end did
not stop there, with further invasions ensuing after Stanislas's penalty
made it 2-1 in the second half of extra-time, and the late goal from Zavon
Hines which wrapped up West Ham's victory.
A shaken Gianfranco Zola, West Ham's manager, has had to deal with a
dreadful week at the club, which has also included the stabbing of
centre-back Calum Davenport and a family tragedy for midfielder Jack
Collison, who lost his father in a motorcycle accident days before bravely
playing here. Among the game's most distinguished purists, Zola said: "I'm
not pleased. I'm a sport man – I love the game, and I try all the time to
make it exciting. "This had nothing to do with football. It was beyond my
powers. In all the time I have spent at Chelsea and West Ham I have never
seen anything like it."
Millwall fans had to be penned in for 20 minutes after the match as the
chaos dispersed. Rubbish, shards of glass and beer cans were scattered
across Green Street, and bricks could be seen in rubbish bins. As the crowd
streamed out of the ground, most of the roads around the stadium were closed
while 200 riot police, reinforced by at least 20 mounted officers, patrolled
close to the tube station. It was the final act on this night of hate and
hostility, but it was by no means the final word.
Match details:
West Ham (4-4-1-1): Green; Gabbidon, Spector, Tomkins, Parker; Kovac (Noble
62), Faubert, Collison, Payne (Hines h-t); Stanislas; Cole (Upson 109).
Subs: Kurucz (g), Collins, Daprela, Lee.
Booked: Gabbidon, Parker, Cole, Collison.
Millwall (4-4-2): Forde; Dunne, Frampton, Barron, Smith; Martin (Price 91),
Hackett, Fuseini, Laird; Alexander (Bolder 99), Harris (Grimes 99).
Subs: Sullivan (g).
Booked: Frampton, Laird, Barron.
Referee: P Taylor (Hertfordshire).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA Statement: West Ham - Millwall
Tuesday, 25 August, 2009
FA.com
After the events at Upton Park on Tuesday The FA issued this statement.
"We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred at Upton Park
this evening, both inside and outside of the ground. "We will very quickly
be working with all parties, including the Police and clubs to establish the
facts surrounding tonight's events. "We expect all culprits to be banned
from football for life – they have no place in our game."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Fighting Millwall and West Ham fans return football to dark ages
Man stabbed in running battles between West Ham and Millwall fans outside
Upton Park while inside pitch invasions mar cup tie
The Times
Ron Lewis
For a time at Upton Park last night it was as if football had been
transported back to the 1980s, as supporters of West Ham United and Millwall
re-enacted a time when the match was only a backdrop to rioting.
A 44-year-old man was in a stable condition after being stabbed in the chest
during violence that flared before, during and after the Carling Cup
second-round tie that West Ham won 3-1 after extra time. The FA is likely to
launch an immediate inquiry.
Fans ran riot in the streets around the ground, throwing bottles, bricks,
ripping up bollards and starting fires. Inside the stadium, rival fans
fought with each other and police, while a number of pitch invasions took
place.
"I've never seen anything like that before after seven years with Chelsea
and 11 months with West Ham," Gianfranco Zola, the West Ham manager, said.
"I'm sure there will be inquiries and they will try to look at the
situation. I was completely shocked.
"It's certainly not good for football. I knew it was a game that meant a
lot for the two sets of supporters, but I didn't imagine it like this.
"What can I say? I'm a sport man. I love the game. I love to go on the pitch
and try and make it exciting for the supporters and enjoyable for everybody
to watch. I'm disappointed. You don't want to see these scenes."
Carlton Cole, the West Ham striker, was substituted after allegedly being
subjected to monkey chants, although Zola denied that was his motivation for
taking him off. "I didn't know he was abused by the supporters," he said.
Kenny Jackett, the Millwall manager, was keen to play down the trouble. "I
didn't fear for my own safety," he said. "There were no Millwall fans on the
pitch. They stayed where they were supposed to. There were a lot of people
on the pitch. The lads gathered together and came to the sides, as they
should have. That was the right thing to do.
"We've got a passionate game in this country, but when it oversteps the mark
then things have to be done."
But while modern-day football, particularly in the Barclays Premier League,
happily portrays a corporate family-friendly image, some who have found
themselves excluded by high prices have found a nostalgia for the old days
of crumbling stadiums and fan violence.
Indeed hooligan gangs at both clubs have been the subject of movies in
recent years — Green Street, starring Elijah Wood, focused on a West Ham
gang, while The Football Factory, starring Danny Dyer, featured Millwall
hooligans.
West Ham and Millwall have seldom been in the same division in recent years,
but the hooligan fringe among both clubs' supporters regard the other as
their fiercest rivals, which stretches back to the days when the clubs were
formed by rival shipbuilding firms at docks on the Isle of Dogs in East
London.
The more modern-day hatred goes back to two incidents in the Seventies. The
first was a testimonial match in 1972 at the Den for Harry Cripps, a
Millwall defender, between the clubs, when opposing hooligans fought outside
and inside the ground, and an incident four years later when a Millwall fan
died at New Cross station after a scuffle with West Ham fans that saw him
fall from a train.
An FA spokesman said anyone involved in last night's troubles would be
banned from football for life. "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder
that has occurred at Upton Park both inside and outside of the ground," the
spokesman said. "We will be working with all parties, including the police
and clubs, to establish the facts. We strongly expect all culprits to be
banned from football for life."
One Millwall fan described scenes outside the stadium as "like a war zone".
He said: "I brought my kids with me tonight and they've seen some violence
that is indescribable."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
48 HOURS OF HELL FOR COLLISON By Darren Lewis 26/08/2009
CARLING CUP 2ND ROUND VIOLENCE MARS WEST HAM WIN
West Ham 3 Millwall 1
AET; 1-1 AT 90 MINUTES
The Mirror
It Was a night which saw Gianfranco Zola's boys become men at Upton Park.
The last two days had seen West Ham rocked by Calum Davenport's stabbing and
the death of Jack Collison's dad Ian in a motorcycle crash on Sunday. The
20-year-old midfielder, to his immense credit, insisted on playing last
night as his teammates wore black armbands as a mark of respect. And in the
minutes before kick-off Collison appeared in a daze, walking around in
circles hugging anyone in claret and blue, repeatedly looking skyward then
dropping down on his haunches with his head in his hands. His team-mates
were desperate to get a win to lift morale - instead they got a very special
result completely overshadowed by mindless thuggery both inside and outside
the ground. Violence that so angered the FA that they expressed their
outrage within minutes of the final whistle.
This was a night that took the image of English football back 35 years. This
was a night of menace and hatred between two sets of seething snarling fans
who we hope will not meet again for a very long time. This was a night which
saw football being played out against a soundtrack of racism, helicopters
flying overhead and police sirens wailing in the distance.
For the record, Neil Harris put Millwall ahead but the youngsters from the
Upton Park academy fought back brilliantly to pinch an 87th-minute equaliser
through Junior Stanislas.
With hindsight the 19-year-old would probably regret celebrating his
leveller in front of the away fans. But it was a special night for him which
was to get even more so when he smashed home a 97th minute penalty.
Another academy youngster, Zavon Hines, hit a fabulous third to cap a
brilliant win. This was a result that symbolised the resilience in the Upton
Park dressing room. And yet today all we are talking about is a corner of
London which was being openly described last night as 'a war zone'.
Hooligans fought out preplanned battles in the streets while inside the
stadium Hammers striker Carlton Cole was being subjected to appalling racist
abuse from the away end. The home support scrapped with stewards in a
vicious attempt to get at the Millwall fans. Riot police arrived (far too
slowly) and thrashed around with batons in a vain attempt to keep order. But
when Stanislas got the leveller, Upton Park went ballistic, fans streaming
on to the pitch - an invasion repeated when Stanislas speared home his
penalty and again at the final whistle. Nobody seemed to know what to do.
Least of all referee Paul Taylor. While anarchy reigned on the pitch,
Collison made his way around the touchline, flanked by two members of the
Hammers staff, applauding the fans.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Hundreds of fans' involved in crowd trouble at West Ham v Millwall
A man was stabbed and hundreds of fans clashed in violent scenes outside the
West Ham v Millwall London derby football match.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Chris Irvine
Published: 7:00AM BST 26 Aug 2009
Police said the attacks were planned, and had been caused by fans without
tickets to the Carling Cup game between the rival London teams. Witnesses
said that some of the fans had been throwing missiles and bricks at one
another outside the Upton Park stadium before Tuesday's match. Stabbing and
arrests at West Ham v Millwall match It was thought some fans were ambushed
by rival supporters outside the nearby Upton Park underground station via
side roads. The trouble started around 6pm and continued for several hours.
There were also reports of missiles being thrown inside the ground as fans
taunted each other and word spread of the violence outside. Police used
batons to hold members of the crowd back from the pitch. At least 10 people
were arrested and a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said officers were
scanning CCTV footage to identify hooligans. "We will be reviewing all the
events, looking at CCTV both inside and outside the ground to identify
offences and offenders," she said. They said the stabbing of a man, aged 44,
in Priory Road close to the stadium, was connected to the fighting. He was
in a stable condition in hospital. Police later confirmed that two more men
were injured in separate incidents, one of whom was suffering head injuries.
The tie had been listed as Category Five by police, the most serious risk of
violence. Millwall, the away team, had been restricted to 2,300 tickets.
West Ham, who play in the Premiership, and Millwall, who are in League One,
have a strong rivalry and a history of violence between groups of organised
hooligans. Police called on reinforcements in order to help calm the
violence, which continued for several hours. Around 200 officers in riot
gear, backed up by 20 mounted police, patrolled outside the stadium and tube
station after the match. Inside Upton Park, pockets of violence also broke
out. As West Ham took the lead in extra time, more than 50 fans ran on to
the pitch, with the players forced off the field for a short time. As the
final whistle blew hundreds of fans invaded the pitch. Police and stewards
battled with fans in an attempt to remove them from the field of play. West
Ham won the tie 3-1 after extra time. Witnesses said Green Street, close to
the ground, was filled with several hundred fans before the match. They said
bottles and bricks started being thrown shortly after 6pm. Ben Newton, from
Harrow, said his father was stretchered away after being hit on the head by
a dart. Aaron Smith, from Hemel Hempstead, who was at the game, said: "I saw
one man cornered by at least a dozen Millwall fans before kick-off.
Terrifying scenes."
John Whittingham, 35, a caretaker who lives near the ground, said: "There
were lots of scuffles and fights before the game. I saw a couple of people
with bloody faces. There was lots of shouting and a lot of bottles were
thrown. "People were throwing bricks but I haven't got a clue where they
were finding them. Some people were trying to rip bollards off the pavement.
There were also some small fires lighted."
A Football Association spokesman said: "We absolutely condemn all of the
disorder that has occurred at Upton Park both inside and outside of the
ground. "We will be working with all parties, including the police and
clubs, to establish the facts surrounding tonight's events. "We strongly
expect all culprits to be banned from football for life. They have no place
in our game."
Gianfranco Zola, the West Ham manager, said: "I've been involved in
difficult games and things happened. Here, I've played seven years and I've
never seen it like this.
"It's certainly not good for football. I was completely shocked. Totally. "I
knew it was a game that meant a lot for the two sets of supporters, but I
didn't imagine it like this.
"What can I say? I'm a sport man. I love the game. I love to go on the pitch
and try and make it exciting for the supporters and enjoyable for everybody
to watch. This was beyond my powers."
Kenny Jackett, the Millwall boss, said: "There were no Millwall fans on the
pitch. They stayed where they were supposed to. "There were a lot of people
on the pitch. The lads gathered together and came to the sides, as they
should have. "I wasn't aware of the stabbing outside the ground. I'm very
sad to hear that. We've got a passionate game in this country, but when it
oversteps the mark then things have to be done."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Investigation launched after fan stabbed outside Carling Cup tie
Violence breaks out at clash between West Ham and Millwall in 'planned'
scuffles between rival supporters
Haroon Siddique guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 August 2009 05.46 BST
Police and football club officials are scanning CCTV footage to idenitfy
those responsible for mass violence which broke out between rival fans
during last night's Carling Cup match, resulting in a man being stabbed in
the chest. There were running battles before and after the match between
West Ham and Millwall at Upton Park and the game was held up when home
supporters invaded the pitch after West Ham took the lead in extra time. At
least 10 people were arrested as bitter rivalry between rival supporters
erupted into what police described as "large-scale" violence before game in
east London. A man was stabbed in the chest and two others taken to hospital
following clashes between hundreds of rival football supporters in east
London. The 44-year-old man was stabbed in Priory Road, just yards from West
Ham's ground, before the game. He was said by police to be in a stable
condition last night. The other two were last night being treated in
hospital for non-lifethreatening injuries. One man was found in Rancliffe
Road suffering head injuries, while another was taken to hospital following
an alleged assault at a pub in Green Street. Onlookers described how bricks
and bottles were lobbed as hundreds of supporters rioted. And inside the
ground fans fought with police and stewards and play was suspended when
scores of supporters invaded the pitch. A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman
said officers were now scanning CCTV footage to identify those behind the
clashes."We will be reviewing all the events, looking at CCTV both inside
and outside the ground to identify offences and offenders."
The Football Association said last night it would investigate the violence
and said anyone involved would be banned from football for life. A spokesman
said: "We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred at Upton
Park both inside and outside of the ground. "We will be working with all
parties, including the police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding
(last night's) events. "We strongly expect all culprits to be banned from
football for life. They have no place in our game."
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola said the scenes were unlike anything he had
seen before. "I've been involved in difficult games and things happened.
Here, I've played seven years and I've never seen it like this. "It's
certainly not good for football. I was completely shocked. Totally. "I knew
it was a game that meant a lot for the two sets of supporters, but I didn't
imagine it like this."
Millwall boss Kenny Jackett added: "I wasn't aware of the stabbing outside
the ground. I'm very sad to hear that. "We've got a passionate game in this
country, but when it oversteps the mark then things have to be done."
The fighting started shortly after 6pm as thousands of fans made their way
to the ground. One West Ham fan who went to the match said the District Line
underground train from Barking stopped just before Upton Park at 7.20pm and
did not move for around 15 minutes. "Tempers flared on board as kick-off
approached, people tried breaking open the doors," he said. The atmosphere
was tense in surrounding streets, the police helicopter was up and riot
police were everywhere." The fan said he saw about 30 police with shields
and batons "storm" towards the nearby Boleyn pub. A 29-year-old man, who
runs a kebab shop in Green Street said: "All hell broke loose, it was very
frightening. It's not every day you see stuff like that."
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West Ham signing Diamanti said final farewell to Livorno pals
26.08.09 | tribalfootball.com
Alessandro Diamanti said goodbye to his former Livorno teammates at training
yesterday. With his move to West Ham United rubberstamped, the attacking
midfielder visited Livorno's training HQ to say his farewells to players and
coaching staff. The decision to sell Diamanti has infuriated Livorno fans
and placed president Aldo Spinelli under huge pressure to bring in quality
signings before the summer market shuts.
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West Ham's Behrami resists AC Milan interest
26.08.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United midfielder Valon Behrami has rejected talk of a move to AC
Milan. The Switzerland international returned to full-scale training today
and is interesting Milan as they seek a new wing-back. But Behrami's minders
have told Milan intermediaries he is not interested in quitting the Hammers,
where he enjoys an excellent relationship with manager Gianfranco Zola.
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Livorno chief Ricci: Diamanti in tears over West Ham move
26.08.09 | tribalfootball.com
Livorno insist they had no choice but to sell Alessandro Diamanti to West
Ham United. "Diamanti literally begged us in tears to let him join West
Ham," director of sport Nelso Ricci told the Corriere dello Sport. "He said
this is the opportunity of a lifetime. He thanked the President for having
signed him from Prato in Serie C2, but now he wants to leave.
"West Ham will pay £5.5m in three years. What could [President Aldo]
Spinelli do other than sell a player who no longer wants to be here? "We
cannot keep unhappy players. Spinelli had already improved Diamanti's
contract to match the higher earners, like [Cristiano] Lucarelli."
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Agent wants to hear from AC Milan over bid for West Ham's Faubert
26.08.09 | tribalfootball.com
The agent of West Ham United fullback Julien Faubert has confirmed the
interest of AC Milan. "At the moment, to my knowledge, there is no deal with
AC Milan," said Ivan Le Mee. "These days, however, I'll try to speak with
the leaders of West Ham. "I'll see what Ariedo Braida is thinking and also
to see if the interest of the Rossoneri for the player is real. "Gianfranco
Zola knows that Julien does not want to leave West Ham, but he also knows
that there is a contract until 2012 and if there is an offer, the player
will respect the agreement signed."
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