WHUFC.com
There were extra numbers out on the training pitches at Chadwell Heath on
Tuesday morning
13.10.2009
Gianfranco Zola has increased numbers as he prepares for this Saturday's
trip to Stoke City after several players returned from national-team duty.
Robert Green's red card with England in the 1-0 loss away to Ukraine meant
he was able to train with his club team-mates again at Chadwell Heath.
Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole are still with the national team though and
are being tipped to be involved at Wembley on Wednesday against Belarus.
Green is expected to return with Cole and Upson for the Three Lions' trip to
play Brazil in a friendly next month in Qatar.
In terms of England youth set-up, James Tomkins, Junior Stanislas and Zavon
Hines, fresh from two goals on his debut, were also back from Under-21 duty
following Friday's 6-3 win against FYR Macedonia. The trio - along with
Freddie Sears - will then look to the visit of Portugal next month at
Wembley. Frank Nouble will play for the U19s again on Wednesday against
Slovakia although the Young Lions have already qualified for the next stage
of their competition.
Guille Franco is also back training fully in London because of a positive
prior agreement between West Ham United and the Mexican FA which saw him
play in his country's decisive match that booked their place at the 2010
FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa before returning. Having continued to
follow an individual training programme set by the club, the striker had a
major role in a 4-1 victory against El Salvador on Saturday. Mexico have a
match in Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday.
Jonathan Spector was also celebrating after helping the United States reach
South Africa with a 3-2 win in Honduras at the weekend. The right-back will
hope to play again in their final match against Costa Rica in Washington DC
on Wednesday.
Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson scored in an 8-0 rout away to San Marino on Friday and
will hope to feature on Tuesday night when Iceland Under-21s welcome
Northern Ireland to Grindavik. Eyjolfsson also featured last month against
the same opponents when Iceland won 6-2 away. Finally, 17-year-old
club-mates Deniz Mehmet and Eoin Wearen will be on opposite sides when
Turkey take on the Republic of Ireland in an Under-18 friendly in Antalya on
Tuesday.
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Carr makes his point
WHUFC.com
There is plenty of reason for positives with the Under-18s with experienced
players coming back
13.10.2009
Tony Carr feels his Under-18s can look towards Saturday's trip to Portsmouth
with renewed confidence after a hard-fought point at Crystal Palace. The
Academy side drew 1-1 at the weekend, and coped admirably with a second-half
onslaught after seeing two of the more impressive performers substituted.
Flying forward Cristian Montano - still finding his way back to fitness -
and 16-year-old centre-half Paco Craig on his first start of the season made
way around the hour mark but the young U18s regrouped and held out for the
draw.
West Ham United had taken the lead through Conor Okus, the 18-year-old
himself playing his first full match of the season, after he combined well
with Montano before firing past the Palace keeper with a composed finish.
Carr believed his team could have added to their tally before the home side
capitalised on Craig going off for treatment on a back injury to score an
equaliser.
"We had been leading one-nil and played very well for the first half hour,"
said Carr. "We then had to make some enforced substitutions which cost us
the win to a certain degree. Cristian Montano had to come off because he is
only just back from injury so we only played him an hour and Paco then got a
back injury.
"At the point he was off getting treatment, they had a free-kick and made
the most of it to score. It was a bit of a disappointment but in truth we
did well to hang on for a point because they came at us afterwards. To be
fair they looked the most likely team to win it at that point. They pressed
us and pushed us back.
"We looked a little bit disjointed after the changes but we fully deserved
the point for the way we had played. In some respects we can be a little bit
disappointed we didn't win but we are also grateful we didn't lose in the
end."
With Filip Modelski, Okus and Montano getting more minutes after injury and
the likes of Jordan Brown, Sergio Sanchez and Nick Barrett all maintaining
their 100 per cent appearance record - Carr believed things were perhaps
settling down for his squad. "It was Conor's first full game this season and
with Cristian back we may be getting back to full strength and hopefully
results can pick up from there.
"We are starting gradually to learn the lessons and be a bit more organised
and disciplined. Our concentration levels are lasting that bit longer and
hopefully we can keep improving as the season progresses. We do change quite
a lot. We are trying to blood the younger players and give them the
experience. Hopefully we can improve as we do that."
He is still without Callum McNaughton because of injury but he had plenty of
praise for Craig, who does not turn 17 until Monday week. "Paco has not
played many league games at this level and equipped himself very well
against a robust and aggressive Palace team. We were standing up to them and
it is a shame he got his knock."
Carr should also have the option of Danny Purdy to start at Pompey next
weekend after the striker's return from international duty with the Republic
of Ireland Under-17s. Purdy scored a crucial last-minute winner for his
country as they won 2-1 against Bulgaria to qualify for the UEFA European
U17 Championship Elite round next spring.
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Millwall will contest FA charges
BBC.co.uk
By Frank Keogh
Millwall have pledged to "vigorously" contest Football Association charges
following crowd trouble that marred their Carling Cup match at West Ham.
Both clubs are alleged to have taken insufficient action to stop missile
throwing and violent, threatening and racist behaviour at Upton Park. "It
is our contention that the charges are not justified," said Lions chief
executive Andy Ambler. West Ham are also likely to deny they failed to
control fans on 25 August. The Hammers face four charges, while Millwall
must answer three.
A Millwall supporter was stabbed as fans clashed outside the east London
ground and pitch invasions by West Ham fans followed each of their side's
goals in the 3-1 extra-time win. Police say they arrested 19 people in
connection with disorder inside and outside the ground. Thirteen of those
have been charged with offences including pitch invasion, assaulting police,
breaching banning orders, GBH and violent disorder. West Ham's Carlton Cole
and Millwall's Jason Price also alleged they were racially abused by
supporters.
The clubs were given 14 days to respond to the charges but have been granted
a seven-day extension until 19 October to file detailed responses. Millwall
have asked barrister Jim Sturman QC to draft their defence. "We will be
pleading not guilty to all charges and defending our position vigorously,"
said Ambler. "It is a frustration to us that we are committing significant
resources of time, energy and money towards having to defend ourselves in
the face of these charges."
A total of 200 seats and a toilet block in the visiting supporters' section
of the ground are understood to have been damaged. When the charges were
announced on 28 September, Millwall said they were "shocked and
disappointed". "We maintain we did everything in our power in regard to
ticketing arrangements for this game. We expressed our concerns in advance
about ticket allocations and arrangements in general," said a spokesman. "It
was widely acknowledged that none of our supporters came on to the pitch and
indeed the behaviour and forbearance of our fans brought praise from media
observers on the night. "Our question for the Football Association is what
can Millwall Football Club do to control individuals' actions once inside
our opponents' stadium?" West Ham have been reviewing the charges before
responding but are expected to make a strong defence. "In advance of the
Millwall match, the club followed the strict advice of the relevant
authorities at every stage of the planning process," said a club spokesman.
"That full co-operation continued on the night, with the club working
closely with police on a carefully set-out plan that was initiated and
approved by the independent safety advisory group. "We do acknowledge the
appalling behaviour of a minority of fans inside the stadium and, in
conjunction with police, will continue to take strong and appropriate action
against anyone found responsible."
It is understood the case could take several weeks to resolve as the FA
collates evidence and sets a hearing date. An FA statement alleged the clubs
did not ensure their supporters conducted themselves in an orderly fashion
"in and around the ground".
Both West Ham and Millwall face charges of failing to ensure their fans
refrained from:
- Violent, threatening, obscene and provocative behaviour
- Racist behaviour
- Throwing missiles, harmful or dangerous objects on to the pitch
West Ham are also charged with failing to ensure their supporters did not
enter the field of play.
Details of possible sanctions if the clubs are found guilty have not been
revealed, although it appears heavy fines are an option, with West Ham
facing the biggest punishment.
Previous records of dealing with crowd behaviour will also be taken into
account. Police say the 44-year-old Millwall supporter who was stabbed left
hospital several weeks ago, but inquiries are continuing. Officers have been
studying footage from 47 closed circuit television cameras inside Upton
Park. West Ham, who were later knocked out of the competition by Bolton
Wanderers, received information from fans after photos from the night were
published on their website and in a match programme. The club issued 10
lifetime banning orders, including a number to supporters who identified
themselves as pitch invaders. Millwall complained before the match when
their ticket allocation was halved to 1,500 following a police request.
Hundreds of supporters were thought to have turned up for the game without
tickets. It was the first time the east London rivals had played each other
since April 2005. Eyewitness reports suggested opposing fans threw bottles
and bricks at each other and started small fires as police moved in to try
to quell the disturbances outside the ground.
Inside the stadium, police and stewards battled to remove fans from the
pitch throughout the match. West Ham are likely to tell the FA they complied
with requests made by the police-led safety advisory group, which met twice
before the match, and point to the fact there were no direct clashes between
the opposing supporters inside the ground.
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Sullivan coy over Hammers
Former Blues joint-owner refuses to rule out buying West Ham
By Richard Bailey Last updated: 13th October 2009
SSN
Former Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan has refused to rule out taking
over West Ham in the near future. Sullivan left the Blues as a result of
Carson Yeung's takeover at St Andrews last week and has been linked with a
move for his beloved Hammers ever since. The 60-year-old admitted he has
done some background checks on the Hammers' somewhat precarious financial
position but ultimately has not held talks with anyone at Upton Park. It
would appear that West Ham, currently owned by CB Holdings, would welcome
any sort of funding but Sullivan insists the club need to act now before
they see their fortunes on the pitch begin to slide as well. "Well West Ham
is a club close to my heart, a club I supported as a boy, a club I would
dearly love to be involved with," he told Sky Sports News. "But I have had
no discussions with West Ham. From an outsider looking in the debts that
appear to be at West Ham look absolutely huge so I'm not sure I could face
what's going on there. "But West Ham does need help and it does need help
very quickly. They are in the bottom three of the Premier League. "I hope
someone gets involved quickly within the next week or month or two otherwise
West Ham could be in the Championship or bust or both. "But as I said I have
had no discussions but time will time. "I've done as much homework as I can
do without being privy to any of the figures.
"You speak to people who used to be there, you read accounts that are 12
months out of date, but there is only so much you can do. "It is something I
would look at if I was given the opportunity but at this moment in time I
have done nothing and to be quite honest I'm happy to have a month or two
off because football is pretty stressful and West Ham will be very stressful
for whoever gets involved."
Having spent 16 years at Birmingham, Sullivan admits he is desperate to get
back into football and added that former Blues partner David Gold, who has
also left St Andrews after the offer of honorary chairman was withdrawn,
could join him on a new venture. "I think David would definitely want to
stay in football and like me will be involved in another club within six to
12 months, maybe sooner," he declared "I think there is a strong
possibility, but not a certainty, David might want to buy his own club. He
might want to join with me and buy another club. "There is a distinct
possibility we could be together at another club."
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Lions to fight FA charges
Millwall will plead not guilty
Last updated: 13th October 2009
SSN
Millwall will fight Football Association charges brought against them
following the crowd trouble during their Carling Cup match at West Ham in
August. There were disturbances before and after the match at Upton Park,
while pitch invasions from home fans also marred the game. The Lions have
been seeking legal advice and they have been granted a seven-day extension
as they mount their challenge. But they have confirmed they will be
contesting the charges when they do face the FA. "We will be pleading not
guilty to all charges and defending our position vigorously," said Lions
chief executive Andy Ambler. "It is a frustration to us that we are
committing significant resources of time, energy and money towards having to
defend ourselves in the face of these charges. "It is our contention that
the charges are not justified."
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Millwall claim FA charges issued after West Ham clash are 'totally
unjustified'
Millwall have vowed to defend themselves "vigorously" against the FA charges
brought against them following crowd trouble at their Carling Cup match at
West Ham in August.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Telegraph staff
Published: 11:37AM BST 13 Oct 2009
Millwal have been granted a seven-day extension to mount their legal defence
and respond to three charges arising from the violence which marred the game
at Upton Park.
"We will be pleading not guilty to all charges and defending our position
vigorously," said Lions chief executive Andy Ambler. Zola 'crisis talks'
played down "It is a frustration to us that we are committing significant
resources of time, energy and money towards having to defend ourselves in
the face of these charges. "It is our contention that the charges are not
justified." West Ham are also widely expected to deny that they failed to
control the crowd. The Upton Park club face four charges. Nineteen people
were arrested during and after the match on August 25 which also saw one
Millwall fan get stabbed as supporters clashed outside the stadium. It is
not the first time millwall has rigorously fought their position. When it
was announced that they would face three FA charges onSet 28, the club said
they were surprised and disappointed by the outcome. "We maintain we did
everything in our power in regard to ticketing arrangements for this game.
We expressed our concerns in advance about ticket allocations and
arrangements in general," a club spokesman said. "It was widely acknowledged
that none of our supporters came on to the pitch and indeed the behaviour
and forbearance of our fans brought praise from media observers on the
night. "Our question for the Football Association is what can Millwall
Football Club do to control individuals' actions once inside our opponents'
stadium?"
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Millwall plan to fight FA charges arising from the 'Battle of Upton Park'
The Times
Tom Dart
Millwall intend to defend themselves "vigorously" against the FA charges
brought against them following crowd trouble at their Carling Cup match at
Upton Park in August. The Coca-Cola League One club have been granted a
seven-day extension to mount their legal defence and respond to three
charges arising from the violence which marred the game against West Ham
United. "We will be pleading not guilty to all charges and defending our
position vigorously," Andy Ambler, the Millwall chief executive, said. "It
is a frustration to us that we are committing significant resources of time,
energy and money towards having to defend ourselves in the face of these
charges. It is our contention that the charges are not justified."
West Ham face four charges as a result of the trouble, with both clubs
alleged to have taken insufficient action to prevent fans from
missile-throwing, racist and violent behaviour at the game. A Millwall fan
was stabbed when supporters fought outside the stadium and West Ham
followers invaded the pitch after each of their side's goals in the 3-1 win
after extra time. Nineteen people were arrested inside and outside the
ground, thirteen of whom were charged with various offences. Some two
hundred seats and a toilet block were damaged. West Ham are also expected to
strongly contest the charges against them, which were announced on September
28. If found guilty, the clubs face fines.
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Wigan star on his way to West Ham?
GreenUn 24
Last updated: 13/10/2009 14:58:00
Wigan's Marlon King could be on his way to the Boleyn Ground with West Ham
set to make a £1m move.
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Toni deal dead
Tue, 13 Oct 15:14:26 2009
Yahoo.co.uk
West Ham's chances of landing Bayern Munich's Luca Toni have all-but
disappeared. The Hammers have been consistently linked with a move for the
former Fiorentina forward.
Toni has scored 58 goals in the Bundesliga but speculation had been rife
that he could make a move to Upton Park in the forthcoming January transfer
window. However, Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge insists the
player will be going nowhere. "Toni's future is at Bayern Munich 100%,"
Rummenigge is quoted as saying by Goal.com Italia. "After his injury he's
been training under Louis van Gaal and he's left a very good impression on
our coach. Soon he will be re-integrated into our squad and he will be a
fundamental player for us."
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West Ham United debts make David Sullivan think twice about sinking his
Birmingham City cash into Upton Park
Daily Mail
By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 1:04 AM on 14th October 2009
David Sullivan admits he love to get involved with West Ham United after
selling his half of Birmingham City. But the 60-year-old fears the level of
debt at the Hammers - the club he supported as a boy - is too high for him
to invest at Upton Park. Sullivan hopes to be back involved in football
within the next year, possibly in partnership with David Gold once again.
The pair recently stepped down at St Andrew's after selling their stakes to
Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung. Sullivan told Sky Sports News: 'I think
David will want to stay in football. Like me he could be involved with
another club within six to 12 months, maybe sooner.' When asked whether that
could be together, he added: 'There is a strong possibility but not a
certainty. 'David might want to buy his own club or join with me. All the
balls are in the air.' But Sullivan is not sure whether now is the right
time to buy West Ham. 'West Ham is a club close to my heart, a club I
supported as a boy, a club I would dearly love to be involved with,'
Sullivan said. But he added: 'From an outsider looking in - and I did say
this two or three years ago - the Icelandic people, when they arrived, had a
model that just didn't work. 'The debts that appear to be at West Ham seem
absolutely huge. 'I'm not sure I could face what is going on there but West
Ham does need help and it does need help very quickly. They are in the
bottom three of the Premier League, they have got all sorts of problems. 'I
hope someone gets involved in that club in the next week or next month or
two, otherwise West Ham could be in the Championship or bust, or both. 'At
the moment I have done nothing and I would quite like to have a month or two
off because football is very stressful and West Ham would be very stressful
for whoever gets involved.' Sullivan, along with chief executive Karren
Brady, left Birmingham once it was confirmed Yeung's takeover was going
through. Gold stayed on in the hope of remaining as chairman during the
transition but Yeung wanted to bring in his own people. Sullivan feels that
deprived Gold of a proper farewell. 'We had a departure but David hasn't
really had that and that's very unfair,' he said. 'But as one door shuts
another one opens and you never know what is around the corner.'
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David Sullivan fears that West Ham could go under
Evening Standard
13.10.09
David Sullivan fears that West Ham could go bust unless the club are taken
over within the next couple of months. The Hammers have reported debts of
£100million and their last accounts show that in the year up to May 2008
they lost £37m. Sullivan and David Gold, who both left Birmingham City after
selling the club to businessman Carson Yeung, have been linked with a
takeover of the Hammers. And although Sullivan said no talks had taken place
with the Upton Park club, he spelled out his fears for their future. "West
Ham are a club very close to my heart," Sullivan told Sky Sports News. "I
said when the Icelandic people took over three years ago that the business
model they had wouldn't work. Looking from the outside, the debts at West
Ham seem to be absolutely huge. They need help very quickly. "They are in
the bottom three of the Premier League and they need investment within the
next month or two or they could end up in the Championship, bust or both."
The club have been in financial crisis since their former owner Bjorgolfur
Gudmundsson lost his fortune in the Icelandic banking collapse last year.
Asset management company CB Holding, a business set up by the major
creditors of Gudmundsson, took over the Hammers in June but it intends to
sell the club once the financial markets have recovered and a reasonable
price can be found.
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Sullivan fuels Hammers Talk
The Sun
Published: 13 Oct 2009
DAVID SULLIVAN has refused to rule out taking over crisis-hit West Ham — the
club he supported as a boy. Sullivan, 60, quit as Birmingham City co-owner
last week following Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung's takeover at St
Andrew's. And while Sullivan admitted he would love to be a part of the
Upton Park set-up, he voiced his concerns over the club's reported debts. He
said: "West Ham is a club close to my heart, a club I supported as a boy and
a club I would dearly love to be involved with. "But I have had no
discussions with them as yet. From an outsider looking in, the debts at West
Ham appear to be huge so I'm not sure I could face what's going on there.
"West Ham needs help and needs help very quickly. They are in the bottom
three of the Premier League. "I hope someone gets involved within the next
week or month or two otherwise West Ham could be in the Championship, or
bust or both. As I said, I have had no discussions but time will tell. "I've
done as much homework as I can do without being privy to any of their
figures. But it is something I would look at if I was given the chance."
Sullivan, who spent 16 years at Birmingham, admitted former Blues partner
David Gold — who also left St Andrew's last week — could join him in a new
venture. He added: "There is a distinct possibility we could be together at
another club."
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MY HAMMERS FEAR
Daily Express
Wednesday October 14,2009
By Tony Banks Have your say(0)
DAVID SULLIVAN fears his beloved West Ham could go bust or be relegated
unless someone buys the club soon. Former Birmingham co-owner Sullivan has
been strongly linked with a takeover bid for the struggling Upton Park club
since quitting the Blues. Sullivan, 60, has not held talks with any of the
Hammers hierarchy, but said: "The debts appear huge, so I'm not sure I could
face what's going on there. "But West Ham does need help and it does need
help very quickly. "I hope someone gets involved within the next week or
month or two, otherwise they could be in the Championship or bust – or
both." West Ham are about £100million in debt and lost £33.6m last year.
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