Youngsters in England squad
WHUFC.com
Two West Ham United youngsters have been named in England's Under-20 squad
for the game against Italy
11.03.2009
Freddie Sears and James Tomkins have been named in the England Under-20
squad for the friendly game against Italy in west London on 31 March.
The 7pm match at Loftus Road will herald the start of preparations for the
FIFA U20 World Cup taking place in Egypt later this year. England will be
coached by Noel Blake, who was part of the U19 set-up that reached last
summer's European Championship. The Azzurrini are also through to the
finals.
All who took part in the UEFA event in July will still be eligible for the
FIFA finals - being played between 24 September and 16 October - as well as
those making waves at U19 level this season. Blake said: "We have some very
good players in this age group, the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Freddie Sears
and Andy Carroll up front, James Tomkins and Ciaran Clark in defence.
"All of the lads who were involved in the U19s last season could be involved
and we feel we have a decent pool of players to pick from. We feel that if
we get all of the players we would like, we could do quite well." Other West
Ham United players that may feature at the 24-nation finals include Savio
(Germany), Balint Bajner (Hungary) and Adam Street (Canada) although the
latter team have yet to qualify.
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Holmar happy to be back
WHUFC.com
Holmar Eyjolfsson was relieved to be playing again after making a successful
return from injury for the reserves
11.03.2009
Holmar Eyjolfsson made a triumphant return to action after playing an
influential role in the reserve team's 1-0 win against Arsenal on Monday
night.
The Iceland Under-21 international's performance was all the more impressive
considering it was his first full 90 minutes since October. The central
defender has been sidelined for much of this season with injury and his last
taste of action came in a reserve game against Fulham in January.
"It was brilliant, especially as I'm coming back from injury after such a
long time out," Eyjolfsson said. "I played 70 minutes against Fulham in
January but the before that I've been out since October so I haven't had
many games since then so it was lovely."
Eyjolfsson was reunited with fellow central defender Bondz N'Gala at the
heart of the Hammers defence and the pair immediately demonstrated why their
fledging partnership has shown such promise by keeping the Gunners at bay.
He said:"It was brilliant. I love playing with Bondz as we connect well and
we've got a good understanding."
Signed by West Ham United from Icelandic side HK Kopavogur in July after
spending a week on trial five months earlier, Eyjolfsson has been impressive
in five reserve and four youth team appearances so far. Now the 18-year-old
wants to follow in the footsteps of N'Gala - who was named as a substitute
against Stoke City in the Premier League in December - and force his way
into Gianfranco Zola's first-team plans.
"I've played about three games for the Under-18s but that was a long time
ago so it's good to be able to step back up to reserve team level and push
on. For the rest of the season I want to train as hard as I can and try to
get in the first-team and see where it takes me."
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Street faces decisive day
WHUFC.com
Promising goalkeeper Adam Street is preparing for a major international
meeting on Wednesday
11.03.2009
West Ham United's Canadian goalkeeper Adam Street faces a make-or-break
fixture at the CONCACAF Men's Under-20 Championship in Trinidad on
Wednesday.
Street, who is 17 and a rising star in the Academy, has started each of
Canada's opening two Group B fixtures at the tournament, losing the first
2-0 to the host nation on Saturday before beating Mexico by the same
scoreline on Tuesday afternoon thanks to two goals from Randy Edwini-Bonsu.
Now, Street - who was born in Brampton, Ontario and has six Under-20 caps
for his country - and his team-mates face a vital final group fixture
against Costa Rica at the Marvin Lee Stadium in Macoya on Wednesday
afternoon. Among Street's colleagues in the Canadian side for the opening
two matches was forward Teal Bunbury, the son of former West Ham and Canada
striker Alex Bunbury.
Should Canada secure victory against Costa Rica, who have secured four
points from their opening two matches, they will progress to the
semi-finals. There, they could face either of the Group A qualifiers - the
United States and Honduras. Reaching the last four will automatically mean a
place in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup to be played in Egypt this September.
Meanwhile, Street's fellow Academy goalkeeper Deniz Mehmet, 16, is preparing
to represent Turkey in their UEFA European Under-17 Championship Elite Round
fixtures against Wales, Romania and Finland in the final week of March.
All three matches will be played at the 5 Ocak stadium in the Turkish town
of Adana. Should Turkey top their group on home soil, they will qualify for
the finals in Germany in May.
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Spence on right track
WHUFC.com
The 18-year-old defender Jordan Spence continued his fine development with
another win for his loan club
11.03.2009
Jordan Spence's terrific run at Leyton Orient has continued with the
18-year-old defender helping them to a fourth win in six games.
The homegrown centre-back coped well with the aerial challenge posed by
Carlisle United in Tuesday night's League One encounter to help Orient to a
3-1 away victory, playing the whole 90 minutes. It meant they pushed four
points away from the relegation zone, having been mired deep in trouble when
Spence signed on loan for the rest of the season at the end of January.
The West Ham United youngster began the season as part of the first-team's
pre-season tour of North America and then made it on to the bench for the
first three games of the 2008/09 campaign. Capped at every level by England
up to Under-19s, Spence will again pull on the Young Lions shirt in a
friendly against the Czech Republic on 25 March in Walsall.
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Att's the way to do it
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 11th March 2009
By: Staff Writer
The referee roundly criticised for his handling of West Ham United's recent
1-0 at Wigan has been demoted to non-league football. Stuart Attwell was
condemned by players, managers, supporters and pundits alike recently
following his handling of the game in which two players were dismissed with
a further eight receiving cautions.
At just 26 years of age Attwell, who had been fast-tracked through the
leagues by referee's chief Keith Hackett was the youngest ever to officiate
in a Premier League fixture. However it could be some considerable time
before he does so again after it was confirmed that his next game in charge
will be the FA Trophy fixture between Stevenage and Ebbsfleet this weekend.
Rookie Attwell spent last weekend on the sidelines for Bury's League Two
clash with Rochdale, where he was on duty as the fourth official. However
having expected to return to refereeing this weekend the league's decision
to place him in charge of such a low-profile game represents a huge snub to
the Nuneaton-born official.
Stuart Attwell - top five controversies
5. Accused of failing to control players by Swansea manager Roberto
Martinez.
4. Sent Blackpool's Ian Evatt off for a professional foul; TV replays
confirmed no contact had been made.
3. Left Derby boss Paul Jewell raging after disallowing two legitimate Rams
'goals' in injury time having already made eight booking and issuing one red
card in a relatively friendly derby.
2. Dismissed West Ham's Carlton Cole for two minor offences before losing
control of the game (booking eight and dismissing two in total).
1. Attwell awards Reading a 'phantom goal' in a Championship clash with
Watford - despite the ball crossing the line three yards wide of the posts.
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New deal for striker
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 11th March 2009
By: Staff Writer
Zavon Hines has signed a new contract with West Ham United. The young
striker put pen to paper on a new one-year deal yesterday, extending his
stay at the club until the summer of 2010. 20-year-old Hines has been in
impressive form this season, and made his first team debut in the 4-1
Carling Cup win over Macclesfield back in August - a game he marked with a
goal in extra-time. Despite failing to appear under Gianfranco Zola - a
situation not helped by an ongoing knee problem - the striker has impressed
enough to earn the new deal; talking to whufc.com he said: "I am really
happy to sign the contract. I didn't know if I was going to get one but it
is good to know the club has a bit of faith in you. I just want to show the
manager what I can do and repay all the support he has given me. "I have
got to prove to him that I am worth this contract. He has seen a little bit
of what I can do in training but I have just got to try and do my best. Next
season has to be the one for me to push on."
Hines, who recently received a surprise call-up for Jamaica also spoke of
his intention to push for a regular spot at international level under John
Barnes. "It was a surprise call up but good experience," he said. "I want to
get another chance."
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TEVEZ CASH KO By James Nursey 12/03/2009
The Mirror
EXCLUSIVE
Sheffield United face a stormy tribunal next week with West Ham after
learning the Hammers propose paying them no compensation over the Carlos
Tevez affair. A tribunal will reconvene on Monday to consider the size of
damages to the Blades, who were relegated from the Premier League in 2007.
They want £46million, but West Ham's legal team aim to prove the cost of
salaries in the top flight mean the Blades would not have been better off if
they had stayed up.
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Boost for Zola as Dixon steps up return to training
East London Advertiser
11 March 2009
Teenage striker Terry Dixon could deliver a timely boost to West Ham's
injury-hit squad as he nears a return to full fitness and closes on a place
in the club's first-team squad. New signing Dixon sealed an incredible
return to professional football last month after joining the Hammers on a
three-year deal - only 12 months after a string of horrendous injuries
appeared to have finished his career. The forward was hailed as one of the
rising stars of British football when he received a senior Republic of
Ireland call-up as 16-year-old in 2006, yet he was released by Tottenham in
March last year following a persistent knee problem. Now Dixon is stepping
up his training with the club's reserves and Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola
has told the 19-year-old that he will get a chance to prove himself and win
a place in the first-team squad at Upton Park. "Everybody keeps talking
about Terry Dixon but I have not seen him play yet," Zola said. "Hopefully
soon he will be training with me so I will try to have an idea about him as
a footballer. "They told me he was quite a talent and I'm really curious.
This is a good opportunity for him. I think this club has been very good to
him and I want to see how he takes the opportunity. "A big satisfaction
would be to see him have some success because he was ruled out from the game
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Suspended Cole insist Hammers can maintain Euro charge
East London Advertiser
11 March 2009
By JONATHAN CLEGG
Carlton Cole insists his West Ham team-mates can maintain the club's
European challenge while he serves a two-match suspension for his
controversial red card at Wigan.
Cole crowned a slick passing move with a sumptuous finish to score the
winner at the JJB Stadium and keep the Hammers on track for a place in next
season's UEFA Cup, which will be rebranded as the Europa League. But the
England forward's wonder-strike was overshadowed by his controversial
first-half dismissal by referee Stuart Atwell, who showed Cole a second
marginal yellow card for raising his foot as Emmerson Boyce stooped to head
the ball. The red card was Cole's second sending-off this season and he will
now miss West Ham's matches against West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn
Rovers this month. But after watching his colleagues hold out for a vital
win at Wigan, the 25-year-old is convinced the Hammers can keep picking up
points in his absence and cement the club's grip on seventh place in the
Premier League. He said: "I am so sad I can't play in the next two games. I
don't know what the referee saw because I didn't do anything malicious. "It
was backs against the wall for us [afterwards] but the boys played
brilliantly. They dug in and we held on to the lead. "The performance at
Wigan showed the grit we have got, the teamwork. We are going places and
hopefully we can just keep on going to the end of the season and see where
it gets us."
West Ham's teamwork was clearly demonstrated in the build-up to Cole's 11th
goal of the season, which showcased the swift inter-passing that has become
the hallmark of the side under manager Gianfranco Zola. Scott Parker slid
the ball into David Di Michele, who produced a deft backheel to exchange
passes with Mark Noble, before playing in Cole, who curled an unstoppable
shot past Chris Kirkland. Cole said: "It was a well-taken goal but the build
up play to it was fantastic. We won the ball on the halfway line, there was
some quick, one-touch passing and I was on the end of it. I didn't realise
how good the goal was until I saw the replay. "Everyone has gelled together
and is on the same wavelength. The goal is an example of how the team is
cooperating with each other and I am so happy that things are falling into
place.
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Fit-again Eyjolfsson delighted with West Ham return
12.03.09 | tribalfootball.com
Iceland U21 defender Holmar Eyjolfsson was delighted with his comeback for
West Ham reserves in this week's victory over Arsenal. "It was brilliant,
especially as I'm coming back from injury after such a long time out,"
Eyjolfsson told whufc.com. "I played 70 minutes against Fulham in January
but the before that I've been out since October so I haven't had many games
since then so it was lovely."
Signed by West Ham United from Icelandic side HK Kopavogur in July after
spending a week on trial five months earlier, Eyjolfsson has been impressive
in five reserve and four youth team appearances so far.
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West Ham, Stoke chasing Plymouth striker Barnes
12.03.09 | tribalfootball.com
Plymouth Argyle striker Ashley Barnes is attracting Premiership interest.
The Sun says Barnes, 19, is being eyed by Fulham, West Ham and Stoke. The
6ft 2in star is out of contract this summer.
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