WHUFC.com
12.12.2009
Barclays Premier League
Birmingham City v West Ham United
St. Andrews
Saturday 12 December
3pm
Referee: Lee Mason
Final score - Birmingham City 1-0 West Ham United
96 mins - That's it. Green clears the ball and Mason blows for full-time.
Again, West Ham will feel hard done by on the road. They return to action at
Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday evening.
92 mins - Birmingham make two changes. McFadden and Benitez go off, with
Kevin Phillips and Keith Fahey coming on.
91 mins - Birmingham break and Green shows he's still alert by making a fine
low save to deny Bowyer a second goal. He can't prevent the corner, though.
90 mins - West Ham force three quick corners, the third of which sees
Parker's low shot deflected wide. Number four is half-cleared to Collison,
who wins another corner, which is finally punted clear by Hart. We're going
to have five added minutes.
89 mins - Carr fells Dyer just outside the penalty area. Collison takes the
free-kick and Ferguson heads clear brilliantly. Parker works the ball out to
Diamanti, who forces a corner.
87 mins - Jerome should wrap the game up for Birmingham when he skips past
last-man Faubert, only to drag his shot wide of the post from the edge of
the penalty area.
86 mins - How are the Hammer losing this? Joe Hart, that's how. The on-loan
Manchester City goalkeeper makes a great block to deny Franco.
84 mins - West Ham are making a real fist of this. Zola makes his third
change, bringing on Frank Nouble for Ilunga. He joins Franco up front, with
Dyer going out wide on the left.
80 mins - A chance for the ten men. Johnson bumps into Franco just outside
the penalty area and Mason gives a free-kick. Diamanti curls the free-kick a
foot over the top.
78 mins - Another yellow card, and another one that was thoroughly deserved.
Dyer slips Johnson and the defender chops him down. Seconds later, the ball
is cleared by Birmingham and Noble tries to get back and tackles Benitez. He
just fails to get his foot on the ball and the South American goes down.
Mason produces a second yellow and Noble is sent-off.
76 mins - Tomkins proves my point by winning a header to deny Benitez a
chance to run on to Ferguson's through ball.
75 mins - Scott Parker drives West Ham forward again. He has been in
impressive form again today, and certainly doesn't deserve to end up on the
losing side. Tomkins, too, has been strong and assured.
73 mins - Noble is booked for dissent after Collison had been penalised for
a foul on McFadden. The Scot takes the resulting free-kick but Franco is
able to head clear.
70 mins - Aargh! Dyer runs at the Birmingham defence before curling a shot
that bounces back off Hart's far post before being cleared. So, so, so
close.
68 mins - Noble's corner is cleared to Parker, who finds Faubert. His pass
is good and picks out Ilunga, who heads the ball into the danger area. It
falls towards Diamanti, whose shot is blocked superbly.
67 mins - Diamanti is trying his hardest out there. He takes Noble's pass
and cuts inside Ridgewell before shooting low. Hart dives full-length and
helps the ball out for a corner.
65 mins - Zola is going to make a double change, but it's going to be Dyer
and Jack Collison who come on. Before that, however, Birmingham's Ridgewell
somehow misses from a yard after Larsson's free-kick had flicked off
Tomkins' head.
62 mins - Larsson takes a second corner, but West Ham are able to clear,
just!
61 mins - Super save from Green to deny Jerome. Franco had given the ball
away inside the City half with West Ham having committed four men forward.
McFadden found Jerome, but Green was able to beat his fierce shot out for a
corner. The ball is headed by a Birmingham player but hits a Hammer on the
way out.
60 mins - Another yellow card, this time for Ridgewell, who is penalised for
bringing down Diamanti. West Ham have a free-kick ten yards inside the City
half.
59 mins - Nouble is also doing some stretches. Will Zola make a double
change?
57 mins - Stanislas concedes a free-kick wide on the right. McFadden curls
the ball in and Franco heads clear.
54 mins - There are 3,667 West Ham fans in the crowd of 28,203 here at St
Andrews. They are going to have a miserable journey home unless the away
side can find a goal here. Dyer is out warming up. Maybe he can be the man
to turn things around?
52 mins - GOAL! Stanislas gives the ball away. Jerome picks up possession
before Benitez slips in Bowyer, who slots past Green from inside the penalty
area.
51 mins - Another chance for Diamanti, who takes Franco's poke and turns
back on his left foot. He tries to curl the ball into the far top-corner,
but it floats just wide.
50 mins - Bowyer leaves Diamanti in a heap near the touchline. A free-kick
but no booking for the ex-Hammer. Diamanti gets up curls a superb ball over
the Birmingham defence to Gabbidon. The defender tries to square for Franco,
but the ball rolls behind the striker to safety.
48 mins - West Ham break and Franco shoots. It is blocked behind for a
corner, which Diamanti balloons miles out of play past the far post.
47 mins - Benitez has the ball in the net and half the fans in the ground
think he's scored. The offside flag goes up as he puts the ball in the net,
but replays suggest he may well have been onside. Hmmm....
46 mins - Ferguson and Benitez kick-off... The visiting fans are in good
voice and start the second period with a rousing 'Bubbles'. Good work.
Birmingham are first out after the break. No sign of the Hammers just yet.
Here they come! The Blues will get us back underway here. It's certainly got
a bit colder now the sun has gone down.
Half-time score - Birmingham City 0-0 West Ham United
48 mins - Mason blows his whistle and that's half-time.
46 mins - Into the first of two added minutes and Diamanti gives the ball
away to Benitez before rugby tackling the South American. I think that was a
yellow card, and referee Mason agrees.
45 mins - Right on the stroke of half-time, Jerome should score, but he can
only head over from Ridgewell's left-wing cross. That was a great chance.
43 mins - Good defending by Ilunga there. He nipped in just in the nick of
time to steal the ball from Bowyer. The midfielder looked to have stolen a
yard from Benitez's pass.
40 mins - Carr gets well forward and his cross hits Gabbidon. Ilunga can
only head out for a corner. Gabbidon heads clear and Bowyer screws the loose
ball out for a throw-in.
39 mins - Better from Stanislas, who picks the ball up 40 yards out, turns
away from his marker and shoots. He hits it well, but it's fairly
comfortable for Hart. Birmingham break and McFadden's cross is deflected
towards Bowyer, but the former Hammer's shot bounces through to Green.
36 mins - Blimey! Franco shows some neat skill to turn on Noble's pass
inside the box. He tries to keep his balance but cannot. Mason waves away
any penalty appeals.
35 mins - This is getting a bit exciting. Benitez goes through on goal but
pokes his shot straight at Green. The ball flies up in the air and Green has
no idea where it is. Benitez hooks goalwards but the ball hits Green in the
chest before he is finally able to claim it!
34 mins - Birmingham win another corner and take it quickly, but Faubert
heads clear.
33 mins - Diamanti again! Franco heads the ball down and Diamanti takes a
touch before curling the ball a yard wide with Hart beaten.
32 mins - So close from Diamanti! Faubert finds the Italian with a neat
pass, Diamanti takes the ball down and runs through a challenge from Bowyer
before lashing the bouncing ball into the side netting from 18 yards. It was
about 18 inches wide, that.
31 mins - Stanislas is involved in a move that ends with Diamanti trying to
play in Franco, but his pass is overhit and runs out for a goal kick.
30 mins - Birmingham throw the ball back to Green and Stanislas is waved
back on.
28 mins - City win another free-kick wide on the left. Larsson crosses and
Kovac heads clear, Parker launches a counter-attack that ends with Stanislas
picking up a knock. Eventually, the ball is kicked out and the physio is
back on to treat the winger. It looked like a foul by McFadden on replay,
but referee Mason gave nothing. Dyer is out warming up on the touchline.
25 mins - Tomkins wins the ball well from Jerome, and Parker finds Diamanti.
The Italian crosses towards Franco, but the Mexican is offside.
24 mins - Birmingham have another spell of pressure inside the West Ham
half, which ends with a left-foot shot from Benitez that skips through into
Green's arms.
21 mins - Larsson finds Benitez inside the box. He holds off Faubert, but
the full-back does enough to ensure the striker's shot is tame and rolls
through to Green.
19 mins - Larsson's corner is only half-cleared by Noble straight to Bowyer.
He finds Benitez wide on the right and then bursts into the box, but can
only divert the Ecuadorean's cross past the far post.
18 mins - McFadden curls in the ball left-footed and Faubert can only head
the ball out for a corner on the other side.
17 mins - Gabbidon gives away a cheap free-kick wide on the right in
challenging Benitez. McFadden curls in a vicious ball and Green punches
behind for a corner under pressure from Ridgewell.
16 mins - Noble takes the free-kick short to Stanislas, who cuts inside and
lets fly with a well-struck shot that Hart can only grab at the second
attempt. Good, positive play from the winger.
15 mins - Ferguson follows Kovac into the book for kicking the ball away
after Carr had fouled Franco.
14 mins - Larsson's set piece hits the wall before Gabbidon completes the
clearance.
13 mins - McFadden trots across after Ilunga had conceded another corner.
Green does well to punch clear, but City keep up the pressure and Franco
brings down Bowyer in a dangerous position five yards outside the penalty
area.
11 mins - Kovac will have to be careful after becoming the first player
booked by referee Mason. The Czech has no complaints after making a late
lunge and bringing down Johnson on halfway.
10 mins - West Ham are still down to ten as Ilunga receives some treatment
to a cut to his left ear. No matter, as the Hammers put together their first
serious attack, which ends with Diamanti curling a shot over from 25 yards.
Ilunga rejoins the fray before Hart takes the resulting goal kick.
8 mins - Larsson's cross is blocked by Parker. Ilunga attempts to clear the
ball and is caught in the side of the head by Carr's boot. The physio is on
to treat the DR Congo man. The clash was a complete accident, and it looks
like Ilunga will be fit to continue in a short while.
7 mins - A neat spell of City possession ends with Ridgewell clipping the
ball over Ilunga for Larsson, but his header is weak and easily claimed by
Green.
5 mins - The second corner is headed over his own crossbar by Herita Ilunga,
before the third is cleared easily to lift the early pressure on the
Hammers.
4 mins - Birmingham force their first corner of the afternoon through Lee
Bowyer. Sebastian Larsson will take an inswinger with his right foot. The
Swede curls the ball in and Roger Johnson flicks on at the near post,
forcing Green into a low save. Liam Ridgewell then shoots from close-range
and Green parries the ball behind.
2 mins - Not much to report either on. Both sides have launched attacks, but
to no avail. Behind Robert Green's goal, a row of at least ten Santas have
made the trip up from east London.
1 mins - It looks like Franco is going to play up front on his own, with
Kovac in front of the back four and a flat four across the midfield.
3pm - Scott Parker and Alessandro Diamanti will get us underway...
2.59pm - The stadium announcer introduces West Ham's left-back as 'Henry
Ilunga'. The mascots leave the pitch and we're nearly ready for kick-off.
2.58pm - Julien Faubert is wearing some interesting lime green boots. Junior
Stanislas, meanwhile, has light blue ones to match his socks. Very fetching.
2.56pm - Here come the two teams to the strains of 'The Tamperer'. A classic
dance tune, if I do say so myself. The atmosphere is certainly lively here
in the second city. West Ham are sporting claret shirts, light blue shorts
and claret socks.
Good afternoon and welcome to a chilly but bright St Andrews for West Ham
United's Barclays Premier League visit to Birmingham City.
Gianfranco Zola has made three changes to the side that went down 4-0 at
Manchester United a week ago.
At right-back, Julien Faubert returns for his first start since the 3-3 draw
at Hull City on 21 November in place of Jonathan Spector. In midfield, Mark
Noble comes in for Jack Collison, who drops to the substitutes bench.
Finally, Alessandro Diamanti makes his first start since the 2-1 loss at
Stoke City on 17 October in place of the injured Zavon Hines.
Alex McLeish has named two former Hammers in his starting lineup, with
ex-Academy student Liam Ridgewell at left-back and Lee Bowyer in the centre
of midfield.
The Blues are on a run of six matches unbeaten in the top-flight, and have
won their last three Barclays Premier League fixtures against Fulham (1-0),
Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-0) and Wigan Athletic (3-2). City have conceded
four goals in seven home league games in 2009/10.
West Ham are looking for their first away league win since triumphing 2-0 at
Wolves on 15 August. However, the Hammers are two matches unbeaten away from
the Boleyn Ground courtesy of draws at Sunderland (2-2) and Hull City (3-3).
The Hammers' most recent visit to St Andrews came on 18 August 2007, when
Mark Noble's penalty secured a 1-0 victory. West Ham are unbeaten in six
visits - five of them wins - to the blue half of Birmingham, a run dating
back to 17 August 1985.
Birmingham City: Hart, Carr, Dann, Johnson, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson,
Bowyer, McFadden (Phillips 90), Jerome, Benitez (Fahey 90)
Subs: Maik Taylor, Vignal, Carsley, O'Shea, McSheffrey
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Ilunga (Nouble 82),
Kovac (Dyer 67), Parker, Noble, Diamanti, Stanislas (Collison 68), Franco
Subs: Kurucz, Spector, Da Costa, Payne
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Hammers left feeling Blue
WHUFC.com
Lee Bowyer shot Birmingham City to a 1-0 win over ten-man West Ham United at
St Andrews
12.12.2009
Ten-man West Ham United fell to a frustrating 1-0 Barclays Premier League
defeat by Birmingham City in an action-packed game at St Andrews. A
pulsating contest was settled by former Hammer Lee Bowyer, who slipped the
ball past Robert Green seven minutes after half-time to score the only goal
of the game. West Ham's misery was compounded 12 minutes from full-time when
Mark Noble was sent-off for a second bookable offence after bringing down
Christian 'Chucho' Benitez. Earlier the Ecuador forward had played a vital
role in Bowyer's winner, taking the ball from team-mate Cameron Jerome
before sliding a pass through to the ex-England midfielder. In a game that
featured no fewer than six yellow cards to go with Noble's red, it was
something of a miracle that only one goal was scored, such was the number of
chances that were created by both teams. Substiute Kieron Dyer came closest
to snatching a deserved point for the Hammers, running 40 yards before
seeing his shot bounce back off the inside of Joe Hart's far post. While it
remained goalless, the first half was far from short on incident, with both
teams creating a series of decent chances to break the deadlock.
Just three-and-a-half minutes in, Robert Green showed why he is in the
running to become England's No1 goalkeeper, making two superb saves within
the space of five seconds to deny Roger Johnson and Liam Ridgewell. The
chances came from a Sebastian Larsson corner, one of eight flag-kicks forced
by the Blues during the opening 45 minutes. West Ham recovered from
Birmingham's early barrage, however, and it was not long before Zola's side
were threatening Hart's goal. It was Alessandro Diamanti, recalled to the
starting lineup in place of the injured Zavon Hines for the first time since
the trip to Stoke City on 17 October, and Junior Stanislas who went closest
for the visitors. Sixteen minutes had passed when Stanislas picked up the
ball wide on the left before cutting inside and working Hart with a
well-struck shot that the goalkeeper could only grab at the second attempt.
Then, just past the half-hour mark, Diamanti showed exactly what he is
capable of twice in a minute.
First, the Italian skipped past three Birmingham players before unleashing a
low drive that flew inches past Hart's near post and into the side-netting.
Seconds later, Diamanti took Guille Franco's knock-down before curling a
teasing shot a yard wide. The first-half action was not over, however, as
Green had to be alert to deny Benitez twice after the forward had stolen in
behind the Hammers back four. Finally, just moments before the break, Jerome
somehow headed Ridgewell's left-wing cross over when it appeared easier to
score from six yards. Into the second period and the chances kept coming at
both ends, and Benitez had already had a goal ruled out for offside before
Bowyer put the Blues ahead on 52 minutes. Birmingham went close to doubling
their lead nine minutes later, only for Green to superbly turn aside
Jerome's well-struck shot from an angle. Zola sent on substitutes Dyer and
Jack Collison with 25 minutes remaining, and the pair made an immediate
impact. Just two minutes after his arrival, Dyer picked up the ball, ran 40
yards and sent in a shot that bounced back off the far post before being
hacked clear. As the frustration grew within the visitors, Noble was booked
for dissent after Tomkins had been penalised. Five minutes, the midfielder
was made to rue his earlier transgression, being sent-off after bringing
down Benitez near the halfway line.
Despite being reduced to ten, West Ham pressed hard for an equaliser, with
Diamanti curling a free-kick narrowly over the top and Parker seeing his
goalbound shot deflected wide of the target.
All in all, the Hammers had given everything but came up just short on their
travels. Zola and his players will hope for better reward at Bolton
Wanderers on Tuesday evening.
Birmingham City: Hart, Carr, Dann, Johnson, Ridgewell, Larsson, Ferguson,
Bowyer, McFadden (Phillips 90), Jerome, Benitez (Fahey 90)
Subs: Maik Taylor, Vignal, Carsley, O'Shea, McSheffrey
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Gabbidon, Ilunga (Nouble 82),
Kovac (Dyer 67), Parker, Noble, Diamanti, Stanislas (Collison 68), Franco
Subs: Kurucz, Spector, Da Costa, Payne
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'We're not panicking'
WHUFC.com
Gianfranco Zola is urging his players and supporters to keep calm following
defeat at Birmingham City
13.12.2009
Gianfranco Zola was determined to retain a positive outlook following
another luckless away day. Zola looked on as his West Ham United team
produced a spirited display at Birmingham City, only for the Hammers to go
down to a 1-0 Barclays Premier League defeat. Despite watching his side, who
lost Mark Noble to a second half red card for two bookable offences, drop
into the bottom three, the manager insists their luck will improve soon.
"Did we deserve to get anything today? I thought we did. Whatever I say is
pointless but I just feel bad for the players because they're trying very
hard and they certainly don't deserve this. It's one more reason to dig in
even deeper to find something out. It's a question of finding solutions. "I
have more certainty that we'll find a solution than a worry that we won't
and I'll stand by that. "It's very important not to panic about being in the
bottom three and we're certainly not panicking. We don't look like a team in
panic and it's important to keep calm. "There's a long way to go but
obviously we need to do better because, right now, it's costing us dearly.
Please, no panic!"
Two players who impressed in the Midlands were Kieron Dyer, who hit the post
after emerging as a second-half substitute, and match-winner and former West
Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer. Both drew praise from Zola. "Kieron Dyer is all
about fitness. Right now we don't think he can play the whole game at the
moment because it might impact on his injury situation - that's we try to
use him as best as we can and when the opposition is going down, he can be
an impact player late in the game. We'll use him that way until he gets to
the stage where we can use him even more. "When Lee Bowyer left in January,
he wasn't playing very much for us and was coming back from an injury and he
needed to play. He didn't have the possibility to play for us regularly and
that was one of the reasons why we let him go. "I know how capable he is.
He's a player, who can score goals and it's painful to say that today but I
have no doubt that he's a good footballer."
Zola's selection at St Andrews was limited by the absence of the injured
Matthew Upson, Valon Behrami, Carlton Cole, Zavon Hines, Luis Jimenez and
Luis Boa Morte. However, the manager was typically unwilling to blame a lack
of playing resources and options for his side's defeat. Instead, he was
focusing on the players he does have available ahead of the busy Christmas
and New Year period. "The players I've got are fine and I'm not going to
complain about that. Obviously, we are missing important people but it's not
in my nature to sit here and moan about what I haven't got. "I have to make
the most of what I have now and I appreciate very much what the players are
giving me. They are trying very hard, they're committed and, for me, that's
the most important thing."
One complaint Zola did have, however, was with the decision to send off
Noble. The midfielder's 100th league appearance for the club was marred by
referee Lee Mason showing the 22-year-old yellow cards for dissent and a
challenge on Blues forward Christian Benitez. "I think that the referee had
a day off today! I'm sorry to say that because referees are human beings and
they make mistakes. "He said that Mark Noble's second booking was for a bad
tackle. Come on, please, he just took the ball! For the first one, referees
have to be above everything and understand that players are under pressure.
Sometimes, they have to say something but I haven't asked Mark if he said
anything to offend the referee. "Before, in this country certain free-kicks
were never given but now they give them for everything. I really don't
understand it."
On a more positive note, Zola is hoping to see his side bounce back at
Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday evening. The Hammers were beaten 3-1 after
extra-time at the Reebok Stadium in the Carling Cup third round in
September, and both the manager and his players will be determined to turn
the tables this week.
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Inexperienced U18s beaten
WHUFC.com
A youthful West Ham United U18 side were edged out 5-3 by Portsmouth on
Saturday
12.12.2009
A youthful West Ham United finished their pre-Christmas programme of FA
Premier Academy League fixtures with a thrilling 5-3 home defeat by
Portsmouth. Academy Director Tony Carr made eleven changes to the side that
secured an extra-time 1-0 FA Youth Cup third-round victory at Plymouth
Argyle in midweek, handing starts to England Under-16 internationals Blair
Turgott and Mathias Fanimo. Fellow schoolboys Dominic Vose and Danny Potts -
the son of former Hammers defender Steve Potts - were also in Carr's
starting lineup, while Kenzer Lee, Jack Powell and Lamar Hurley all
appeared as second-half substitutes. Portsmouth took an early lead at Little
Heath, only for Fanimo to level matters with a left-footed drive from 25
yards. Pompey then took control against the inexperienced Hammers, racing
into a 4-1 lead after half-time, only for the home side to launch a spirited
late comeback. First, Vose finished well following good work from Miles
Smith, Turgott and Danny Subuola, then Jack Lampe nudged the ball home at
the far post. West Ham piled forward in search of and equaliser, only for a
defensive mix-up between Callum Driver and goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet to allow
Portsmouth to snatch a fifth goal late on.
Despite the result, Carr was satisfied with his players' performance and
attitude. "I didn't play any of the eleven who played in the FA Youth Cup,"
he confirmed. "Instead, I played some of the Under-16s and squad players.
"Funny as it sounds, we could have got a draw out of the game. We were 4-1
down and pulled it back to 4-3. We could have scored an equaliser in the
last ten minutes, only for a mistake to let them in to score again late on.
"To be honest, I was disappointed with the way we defended, but it was great
experience for the young players, who acquitted themselves very well."
Carr also gave his reaction to the FA Youth Cup fourth-round draw, which
paired West Ham at home to Queens Park Rangers in a tie that will be played
at the Boleyn Ground in early January. "Obviously we would have taken
anybody at home in the draw, so I am pleased," he said. "QPR had a great win
at Southampton in the third round, and we will obviously treat them with the
greatest of respect, but we are looking forward to facing them in January."
West Ham United Under-18: Mehmet, Smith, Lampe, Driver, Potts (K.Lee),
Turgott, Vose, Purdy (Powell), Fanimo, Subuola, Werndly (Hurley)
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Birmingham 1 - 0 West Ham
BBC.co.uk
By Julian Shea
Former West Ham midfielder Lee Bowyer gave Birmingham their fourth straight
win after a lively encounter that sent the Hammers back into the drop zone.
Cameron Jerome had the home side's best chance of the first half when he
headed just over the crossbar. Alessandro Diamanti went close after the
break before Bowyer's third goal in four games put the Blues in front.
Substitute Kieron Dyer hit the post but once Mark Noble was sent off for a
second caution West Ham's hopes died. Birmingham's victory lifted them to
the heady heights of eighth in the Premier League, level on points with
Liverpool prior to their home match against Arsenal. The Londoners went into
the game fresh from a 4-0 mauling by Manchester United, in contrast to
Birmingham's six-match unbeaten run, and the home side's good form was borne
out by their confident start. Birmingham had three corners in the opening
minutes, with West Ham keeper Robert Green having to be at his best to keep
out Roger Johnson's glancing effort and Liam Ridgewell's follow-up shot. The
ball was rarely out of the West Ham half in the opening third of the match,
and the visitors had Bowyer to thank for keeping them on level terms when he
got a touch on Jerome's low pass into the box and diverted it from the path
of Ridgewell who was in a far more threatening position. For all their
territorial advantage, Birmingham rarely tested Green and on 35 minutes they
were nearly made to pay as Diamanti produced a fine goalscoring chance for
his side. The Italian barged his way through three challenges on the left
wing and advanced to the corner of the box where he lashed in a fierce
left-foot shot inches wide of Joe Hart's left-hand post. Within a minute
Diamanti was at the centre of the action again when Guillermo Franco's
knock-down allowed him to curl a shot wide of the post. Despite the early
balance of play, Birmingham never took charge of the game in the way they
looked likely to do, and even allowed West Ham a couple of decent charges.
But right on half-time Jerome had the best chance of the match so far for
the home side, getting his head on the end of Ridgewell's cross from the
left but seeing his header go just over. The Hammers began the second half
in energetic mood, and it was the ever-dangerous Diamanti who once again
came close to putting them ahead when he curled a shot towards the top
corner, only to see it go just the wrong side of the post. But within
seconds they were made to pay for that missed opportunity as Bowyer scored
against his former side.
Miscommunication between Junior Stanislas and Noble turned a West Ham attack
into a Birmingham one, which ended with Christian Benitez putting Bowyer
through to score against his former side, a goal which Bowyer opted not to
celebrate. The goal made an already uneven game even more open, and there
was almost more drama when Dyer, within a minute of coming on for Radoslav
Kovac, ran from the half-way line and shot against the inside of the far
post.
Noble's 100th League appearance for West Ham came to a premature end when he
received a second yellow card in quick succession for a foul on Benitez, but
West Ham did their best to go down fighting. Diamanti refused to give up and
summed up West Ham's afternoon when he ripped his shirt open half-way down
his chest in frustration at seeing another curling free-kick go inches over
the bar. With time running out in an increasingly frantic game, Jerome
missed a golden chance to seal victory when Julien Faubert's slip gifted him
a one-on-one chance with Green, but somehow he put the his effort wide. But
luckily for Jerome, that did not prove to be a costly error, as despite five
minutes of stoppage time having to be played, Birmingham held on for their
win.
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Birmingham manager Alex McLeish on their season so far: "I have to look at
the table twice to make sure I'm not dreaming - we've scaled the heights and
we'd love to able to stay there. "We know we face tough challenges ahead if
we can play to high levels. "We've got over losing sucker goals. There's
much more toughness and if the guys can put one away at the other end, the
defenders are pretty trustworthy."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola on the game and Mark Noble's dismissal: "At
least one point would have been fair for us, so I'm disappointed because
it's bad for us - we should be picking up points and we don't get them - I'm
very disappointed. "The ref took a day off (for the sending off) - I don't
understand sometimes, before there were some free-kicks not given, now
everything is given. Refs feel under pressure and they make mistakes, but
today he wasn't good enough. "We're certainly not getting anything, but we
must create our own luck. I can't really blame anybody because the players
gave everything, but we need to carry on working and things will change."
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Blues end Hammers hoodoo
Bowyer strike against former club sends City eighth
By Elliot Ball Last updated: 12th December 2009
SSN
Man of the match: Lee Bowyer. The 32-year-old scored his sixth goal of the
season and along with Barry Ferguson, ran the midfield for the hosts.
Miss of the match: Liam Ridgewell needs to find his shooting boots, or not
bother going up for attacks, as the defender glaring miss from a yard out
could have cost City dear had they not been so resolute in defence.
Shot of the match:Kieran Dyer came within a whisker of equalising for West
Ham as he skinned Stephen Carr before curling a beauty past Hart only to see
his shot cannon off the post.
Talking point: Can the promoted Blues begin to think about Europe while
where do the cash-strapped Hammers go after sinking back into the relegation
zone?
Birmingham City continue their surge up the Premier League table after they
finally ended a torrid record against West Ham United to win 1-0 at St
Andrews. The Blues had failed to beat the Hammers in their own backyard for
over 24 years but entered Saturday's contest six games unbeaten, whereas
their opponents travelled to the West Midlands after a 4-0 drubbing to
Manchester United. And it went with the form book as former West Ham
favourite Lee Bowyer, enjoying an Indian summer with City, popped up with
the second-half winner. Gianfranco Zola's side had chances to get back on
level terms - substitute Kieran Dyer hit the post - but the visitors return
to East London with nothing to show for their efforts as they saw Mark Noble
sent-off late on.
The result sees West Ham drop into the relegation places after Wolves beat
Tottenham but the day belonged to Bowyer, who saw his side go eighth in the
table to allow City supporters to dream of European football.
Bowyer won the game's first corner and, from Sebastian Larsson's cross, the
home side came close to taking the lead. Roger Johnson got on the end of
Larsson's near-post ball and his first time flick forced an excellent
close-range save out of Robert Green. Liam Ridgewell was first to react to
the rebound but his shot was blocked. Radoslav Kovac became the first player
to be yellow carded after a challenge on James McFadden. Then Ferguson was
booked after 16 minutes for kicking the ball away after West Ham had been
awarded a free-kick. Bowyer got on the end of a low cross from Cameron
Jerome after starting the move himself but he failed to make proper contact
on his shot which flew wide of the far post. West Ham came more into the
game after the half-hour mark and Alessandro Diamanti twice went close in
the space of 30 seconds. First he drilled a powerful shot into the side
netting and then was only just wide with a swerving effort from the edge of
the box.
Ferguson, who saw only Bowyer outshine him, was again impressing in the
centre of the park for Blues and a superb pass picked out the run of
Benitez.
But Green was alert to the situation and came out to block his shot and also
the rebound attempt from the Ecuador international. Junior Stanislas was
adopting a shoot-on-sight policy and Joe Hart went down to his right to keep
out a long-range effort which took a slight deflection. But Jerome should
have done better in first-half injury-time when heading over from a
Ridgewell centre. Stanislas was booked with seconds remaining of the half
for hauling back Benitez. Benitez had the ball in the net after a minute of
the second period but he had strayed a yard offside. After 52 minutes Bowyer
broke the deadlock.
Jerome and Benitez combined before the ball was threaded through to Bowyer
and he drilled the ball past Hart from 10 yards out. The 32-year-old was
mobbed by his team-mates but only indulged in only the minimum of
celebrations after scoring against his former club. Birmingham came close to
doubling their lead when Benitez released Jerome in space inside the box and
his rising shot was turned aside for a corner by Green. Ridgewell then
turned the ball wide at the far post after Jerome had flicked on another
dangerous inswinging free-kick from Larsson. Hart diverted a low shot from
Diamanti around the post before the visitors made a double change, bringing
on Dyer and Jack Collison in place of Kovac and Stanislas. Dyer almost made
an instant impact, cutting in from the left flank and seeing his shot crash
against the far post. Noble was booked for a push in the back on Bowyer and
Johnson followed him into the referee's notebook for a challenge on Dyer.
The Hammers were reduced to ten men after 79 minutes when Noble brought down
Benitez and was dismissed for a second bookable offence. Hart denied
Guillermo Franco after he had been put clear by Scott Parker and at the
other end Jerome found himself one on one with Green but shot w ide.
Birmingham had to survive a late onslaught and were indebted again to some
rock solid defending from Johnson and Scott Dann before claiming the points.
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Zola rues Noble sending off
Hammers boss felt a draw was a fair result
By Elliot Ball Last updated: 12th December 2009
SSN
Gianfranco Zola felt Mark Noble's dismissal played a significant role in
West Ham's 1-0 defeat to Birmingham which saw them fall into the
bottom-three.
Noble saw red in the 79th minute for a second-bookable offence but the
midfielder can feel hard done to by referee Lee Mason's decision after he
clearly got the ball in his challenge on Christian Benitez. The Hammers were
already a goal down when the England U21 international was given his
marching orders, but the response from Zola's strugglers in the late stages
was monumental albeit unsuccessful. And when asked whether his side did
enough to deserve something out of the St Andrews clash, the Italian told
Sky Sports: "I think so yeah. It was a game where a draw would have been a
fair result.
"I think the game was very much level and I don't think they deserved to win
but that's football. "I'm disappointed for my players because they gave
everything and they probably deserved something." Of the official's decision
to send off Noble, Zola added: "What can I say - I think the referee had an
off day today. "(The sending off was) totally unacceptable, he got the ball
and there wasn't any nasty thing in that - he just got the ball and I cannot
understand it."
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Birmingham City 1 West Ham United 0: match report
Read a full match report of the Premier League game between Birmingham City
and West Ham United at St Andrew's on Saturday, December 12 2009.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Sandy Macaskill
Published: 5:00PM GMT 12 Dec 2009
The prelude to this match had more intrigue, plots and subplots than a week
in Westminster. In the blue corner, Birmingham City continue their good
form in spite of the fact that their new Chinese owners are in the midst of
a ongoing war of words with their former chairmen, Davids Sullivan and Gold,
who in turn tabled an offer for West Ham this week.
In the claret corner, West Ham were hoping to stay focussed despite the dual
background distractions of a potential takeover and Dean Ashton's
retirement, all on Gianfranco Zola's 50th Premier League game in charge; and
in the end it was Lee Bowyer who sent his former side into relegation zone,
and on the day he faced Keiron Dyer as an opponent for the time since their
fight in 2005.
Blimey, it was close run thing though. Even if the match was dying out when
West Ham finally got their act together, Zola's side made it die hard, with
such a sustained onslaught on the Birmingham goal that it seemed almost
inconceivable that they would not score. That they didn't was down to Scott
Dann and Roger Johnson, Birmingham's centre-backs, who were once again
superb.
Had West Ham done so, Birmingham would have had only themselves to blame.
Much of the the season so far has been spent with backs-to-the-wall, but
this time they enjoyed all of the offensive possession, and they had been
given more chances to score than a cashed-up university student in Freshers'
week.
Cameron Jerome should have had a brace, for starters, but he headed a good
cross from Barry Ferguson over from inside six yards seconds before the
break. Worse, he failed to put the game to bed at the end, when he shot wide
in a one-on-one with Green. Christian Benitez found the net, but the
linesman's flag had swished up, signalling the offside.
A speculative effort from Alessandro Diamanti came as a shot across the
Birmingham bows five minutes into the second half, and it must have
registered, for almost immediately Larsson pounced on Junior Stanislas in
midfield, the ball spilled and Jerome found Benitez in the area. The striker
offloaded to Bowyer as the West Ham defence descended on him, and the
midfielder calmly sidefooted past Green.
West Ham countered, and Scott Parker was fouled on the break, but the
referee demanded play-on, leaving the apoplectic West Ham captain flopping
on the floor like a grounded fish as rage sent his body into spasms.
Goodness knows what would have happened if Ridgewell had scored moments
later, but the defender, practically standing inside the goal, managed to
put the ball over the bar.
Would West Ham punish him? They came damn close. Dyer came on, and
immediately hit the post, then Diamanti tickled a free-kick just over, the
highly strung Italian tearing an enormous gash in the front of his shirt in
frustration. The curtain came down in a haze of last-ditch tackles, with
Birmingham incredibly now four points from fourth place.
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Bowyer strike seals the points
ESPN
Updated: December 12, 2009, 8:11 AM UK
Lee Bowyer scored the only goal of the game against his former club to
secure Birmingham's place in the top half of the Premier League and increase
the relegation worries of a West Ham side who had Mark Noble sent off in the
closing stages. The 32-year-old midfielder, who made the permanent switch
from Upton Park in the summer after an initial loan spell, settled the match
with his sixth goal of the campaign. It enabled City to record a fourth
successive league win and equal their best top-flight run for five years and
since the Steve Bruce era. Bowyer, to his credit, did not indulge in any
undue celebrations after breaking the deadlock with his third goal in the
last four games. But he would have taken immense pleasure from his actions
after becoming surplus to requirements at Upton Park. Birmingham were the
dominant side for much of the game, with Barry Ferguson again impressing in
the centre of the park.
But they had to survive a late onslaught and were indebted again to some
rock solid defending from Roger Johnson and Scott Dann before claiming the
points. Bowyer won the game's first corner and, from Sebastian Larsson's
cross, the home side came close to taking the lead. Johnson got on the end
of Larsson's near-post ball and his first time flick forced an excellent
close-range save out of Robert Green. Liam Ridgewell was first to react to
the rebound but his shot was blocked. Radoslav Kovac became the first player
to be yellow carded after a challemge on James McFadden. Then Ferguson was
booked after 16 minutes for kicking the ball away after West Ham had been
awarded a free-kick. Bowyer got on the end of a low cross from Cameron
Jerome after starting the move himself but he failed to make proper contact
on his shot which flew wide of the far post. West Ham came more into the
game after the half-hour mark and Alessandro Diamanti twice went close in
the space of 30 seconds. First he drilled a powerful shot into the side
netting and then was only just wide with a swerving effort from the edge of
the box. Ferguson was again impressing in the centre of the park for Blues
and a superb pass picked out the run of Benitez. But Green was alert to the
situation and came out to block his shot and also the rebound attempt from
the Ecuador international.
Junioe Stanislas was adopting a shoot-on-sight policy and Joe Hart went down
to his right to keep out a long-range effort which took a slight deflection.
But Jerome should have done better in first-half injury-time when heading
over from a Ridgewell centre. Stanislas was booked with seconds remaining of
the half for hauling back Benitez. Benitez had the ball in the net after a
minute of the second period but he had strayed a yard offside. After 52
minutes Bowyer broke the deadlock. Jerome and Benitez combined before the
ball was threaded through to Bowyer and he drilled the ball past Hart from
10 yards out. The 32-year-old was mobbed by his team-mates but only indulged
in only the minimum of celebrations after scoring against his former club.
Birmingham came close to doubling their lead when Benitez released Jerome in
space inside the box and his rising shot was turned aside for a corner by
Green. Ridgewell then turned the ball wide at the far post after Jerome had
flicked on another dangerous inswinging free-kick from Larsson. Hart
diverted a low shot from Diamanti around the post before the visitors made a
double change, bringing on Kieron Dyer and Jack Collison in place of Kovac
and Stanislas.
Dyer almost made an instant impact, cutting in from the left flank and
seeing his shot crash against the far post. Noble was booked for a push in
the back on Bowyer and Johnson followed him into the referee's notebook for
a challenge on Dyer.
The Hammers were reduced to ten men after 79 minutes when Noble brought down
Benitez and was dismissed for a second bookable offence. Hart denied
Guillermo Franco after he had been put clear by Scott Parker and at the
other end Jerome found himself one on one with Green but shot wide.
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish hailed another match-winning contribution from
Lee Bowyer, admitting his contribution to the club's season is becoming
priceless. McLeish said: "Lee has exceeded my expectations, and he had been
given a new lease of life. He is enjoying himself, and we are getting the
rewards on the field.
"It is difficult to put a price on what his goals are worth to us. He looks
an absolute bargain now. When we signed him from West Ham, he had had a
couple of injuries and was not playing regularly. Things were not right for
him. "But what would he be worth now? The goals he has got have been winning
goals, and it is difficult to put a price on what they would be worth to us
if we manage to stay in the Premier League.''
McLeish acknowledges that expectation levels will rise if City maintain
their current form, but he has trust in his current squad after they kept
yet another clean sheet. He said: "The expectation level grows with every
performance and result. The players have got to deal with that, but they are
excellent characters. We lost just sucker goals earlier in the season, but
that is part of the learning process. There are some fantastic player
characters in my dressing room. "We are building a solid Premier League team
here, and starting to play good football, which has been added to the
tremendous spirit of the last two years. "We had to work hard in the end for
the victory. I felt we dominated proceedings and should have put West Ham
away. But they are fighting for points, and threw caution to the wind and I
had my heart in my mouth a bit. But I have got a lot of trust in these
players.''
West Ham dropped into the bottom three as a result of Wolves' surprise win
at Tottenham, but manager Gianfranco Zola is refusing to go overboard.
He said: "I thought we deserved something from the game. The players tried
very hard and didn't deserve this result. But we have to dig even deeper to
find a solution, and I think we have the players to do it. It is important
not to panic. We are missing important players through injury but I
appreciate what these players are giving me and they are trying very hard.''
Zola was unhappy with the performance of referee Lee Mason, who sent off
midfielder Mark Noble for two bookable offences. He said: "I'm not in the
mood to speak about the referee. Referees make mistakes, but today there
were too many, and some that were easy not to make. We had the right to
complain.''
Zola admitted Bowyer's decisive contribution was a painful experience. He
said: "When Lee left in January, he was not playing very much. He was coming
back from an injury, needed to play, and that was not possible with us. I
know how capable he is. He's a player who can score goals. It is painful to
say that. I have no doubts that he is a good player.''
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Lee Bowyer back to bite old boss Gianfranco Zola
Birmingham 1 West Ham 0
Barry Flatman at St Andrew's
The Times
AS Lee Bowyer will know only two well, the Cockney colloquialism "two bob"
is not a pleasant one when used to describe a footballer. When he left West
Ham he was valued at even less than that but no player has proved his worth
more in Birmingham City's surge to Premier League respectability than the
previously errant midfielder.
In three seasons at Upton Park, Bowyer made 39 starts and scored just five
goals. The 52nd-minute strike that beat the club that gave up on him and
produced a fourth successive win for the one that showed faith in his
ability was Bowyer's sixth this season and third in the past four outings.
"What would he be worth now?" grinned Alex McLeish. "It's difficult to put a
price on a Premier League match-winner but he's exceeded all our
expectations. He certainly looks a bargain."
The ability to burst from deep positions in midfield and provide a scoring
touch is a distinct asset for any team. However, Bowyer has proved himself
indispensable as Birmingham have collected 17 points out of a possible 21 to
cement a position in the top half of the table. They may even allow
themselves to dream about the possibility of a European place in the new
year.
Just as against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham, Bowyer was the match
winner but there was an element of assistance from a dubious West Ham
defence. Junior Stanislas was overly casual as he lost possession to Cameron
Jerome on the visitor's left flank. Christian Benitez took possession and
knowing Bowyer was surging forward, weighted his pass precisely for him to
stab the ball home.
Those Birmingham supporters who signed a petition urging the club to
dispense of Bowyer's services when he first arrived on loan 11 months ago
will now be convinced they jumped to the wrong conclusion. West Ham manager
Gianfranco Zola, the man who saw him as surplus to requirements, may well be
thinking the same. His team have not won on their travels since the opening
day of the season. "I knew he was a player who could score goals but he was
not playing very much for us," said the Italian. "Today it is even more
painful for me to admit that."
West Ham came closest to salvaging a point when Bowyer's former on-pitch
sparring partner Kieron Dyer was introduced as a second-half substitute and
hit the post with his first real contribution. However, in terms of
possession and monopolising the play, there was a gulf between the two teams
and West Ham must now be ruing the departure of a player who could have made
the difference between survival and relegation.
Star man: Lee Bowyer (Birmingham)
Yellow cards: Birmingham: Ridgewell, Johnson, Ferguson West Ham: Kovac,
Noble, Stanislas, Diamanti Red card: Noble
Referee: L Mason Attendance: 28,203
BIRMINGHAM: Hart 7, Carr 7, Johnson 7, Dann 7, Ridgewell 6, Larsson 7,
Bowyer 8, Ferguson 6, McFadden 7 (Phillips 90min), Jerome 7, Benitez 7
(Fahey 90min)
WEST HAM: Green 6, Faubert 5, Gabbidon 6, Tomkins 6, Iluga 5 (Nouble 82min)
, Kovac 5 (Dyer 68min) , Diamanti 7, Parker 7, Noble 6 , Stanislas 6
(Collison 68min) , Franco 3
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Manchester City to make £10million move for West Ham star - Exclusive
Published 23:00 12/12/09 By Simon Mullock
The Mirror
Manchester City are preparing a £10million bid for West Ham's Matthew Upson
– and the deal could bring an end to Wayne Bridge's World Cup dream.
Mark Hughes identified England centre-back Upson as a New Year target well
before Bridge suffered the knee ligament injury that will sideline him for
up to two months. The City boss wants to bring in Upson to play alongside
captain Kolo Toure at the heart of his defence, with Lescott then asked to
take over Bridge's left-back position. City are hoping West Ham's precarious
financial position will enable them to tie up a deal for the former Arsenal
and Birmingham stopper quickly. His injury record is of concern to the
Eastlands club, however, and they will demand he undergoes stringent medical
tests before they agree to any deal. The Hammers skipper was on City's list
of targets in the summer before the Blues managed to prise Lescott away from
Everton in a £24m deal.
But they are lining up a bid for when the transfer window reopens. Upson's
arrival would be another major blow for 29-year-old Bridge, who was signed
in a £12m deal from Chelsea last January on wages of £90,000 a week. Bridge
suffered a severe knee trauma when he was the victim of Juliano Belletti's
late challenge as City beat his former club eight days ago. And he knows he
will have to recover his fitness and his form as City's regular left-back if
he is going to convince Fabio Capello to take him to South Africa next
summer. There have been growing concerns at City about Bridge's ability to
do the defensive dirty work required by Hughes's attack-minded side. He has
been at fault for goals in games against Wigan, Fulham and Burnley and the
City boss has decided to reinforce his defensive options with a move for
Upson. However, Hughes's plans could be scuppered if West Ham agree a swap
deal with Tottenham that would see Upson move to White Hart Lane and take
Roman Pavlyuchenko the other way. Russia star Pavlyuchenko would be on loan
until the end of the season – but West Ham would get David Bentley and Alan
Hutton on a permanent basis. No cash would change hands - and that would
suit cash-strapped West Ham, who have no money to spend in the January
window. That means if Arsenal follow up their interest in Carlton Cole with
a £20m bid, West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola would see none of the cash. The
deal with Tottenham would enable him to add three players to his squad -
including Pavlyunchenko, who is clearly surplus to requirements at
Tottenham. As, it seems, is Bentley who had a fall-out with manager Harry
Redknapp last week during a closed-doors friendly.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
PARKER READY TO LEAD WEST HAM EXODUS
Midfielder upset with situation at Upton Park
News Of The World
By Rob Shepherd, 12/12/2009
SCOTT PARKER is ready to leave West Ham in January in a bid to make a late
claim for a place in Fabio Capello's World Cup squad. It would be
shattering blow for the Hammers if Parker left during the January transfer
window especially as the club is already bracing itself for current England
internationals Robert Green and Matthew Upson to push for moves out of Upton
Park. I understand Parker has become increasingly disillusioned at how
things have unfolded at the club since he joined them from Newcastle for £7
million in June.
Manchester City, Aston Villa and possibly Arsenal will lead the chase for
the 29-year-old midfield energiser. Villa will also target Green, who is
wanted by Sunderland. While Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham are all keen on
Upson. Both Green and Upson are increasingly concerned about how West Ham's
current plight around the relegation zone could affect their chances of
making next summer's finals although they have both been regular squad
members under Capello. In Green's case he feels a dogfight at the foot of
the table could harm his claims to the England number one spot, while Upson
just wants to make sure he makes the final 23-man squad. Parker made the
last of his three England appearances in the 2-0 defeat in Croatia under
Steve McClaren in October 2006. But after a series of injuries he is now
back in top form but frustrated at how things have unfolded at the Hammers.
When Parker joined the club was still living under the illusion that then
Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson had the sort of money that has since
turned City into Big Four contenders. Parker was one of several high-profile
and highly-paid signings. But the bubble burst after Gudmundson's business
empire collapsed in October 2008. It has left the club living in a state of
limbo. Apart from selling Craig Bellamy, the club avoided a fire sale last
January and did well to hold onto its top players in the summer. But it is
clear to manager Gianfranco Zola that to bolster his struggling squad he
needs to sell to raise funds, but knows he runs the risk of further
weakening the club's survival prospects if he cashes in on his best players
to bring others in. And this time around even if the club can avoid a fire
sale they now face a player-led exodus with Upson, Green and now Parker
leading the way. Since the summer, the club has lived under a bigger cloud
of financial uncertainty being owned by C. B Holdings which is staving off
the creditors of financial vehicle Straumer following the collapse of the
Icelandic bank Landsbanki.
There are many creditors with billions of pounds involved but West Ham is
one of the highest profile cases. On Friday the club had anticipated a
Reykjavik court to grant a third six-month moratorium to give the club more
time to pay back creditors. The hearing though was adjourned until Tuesday.
It is believed that is to give more time to consider the take it or leave it
offer from David Sullivan and David Gold to buy the club on the cheap. As
revealed in Sport of the World two months ago, Sullivan and Gold are only
prepared to part with up to £45 million in equity for a share of the club
and only take on a proportion of debts.
Their takeover package could also include an offer down the line for the
remainder of the equity. Another bidder, American backed investors the
Intermarket Group, who have been in talks have lost their momentum. The
problem for any buyer is unravelling the true level of the clubs debt. One
estimate last week put the figure between £74 and £78 million. If the court
gives leave for the current regime to continue they are likely reject Gold
and Sullivan's current offer even though the club must eventually find new
owners. But CB Holdings believe they can hang on and find a better bid than
the current offer of Gold and Sullivan. However, if West Ham fail to move up
from the relegation zone their value is likely to drop.
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