WHUFC.com
Tickets prices for the FA Youth Cup game with Queen's Park Rangers have been
announced
07.01.2010
Tickets details for the FA Youth Cup game with Queens Park Rangers on
Tuesday 19 January have been confirmed. Adult tickets will cost £3 and
juniors £1, with all tickets being sold from the West Stand ticket office on
the night of the match. Entrance to the Boleyn Ground will be through the
West Stand lower only. The Hammers won through to the last-32 for the first
time since 2006 by beating Plymouth Argyle 1-0 after extra time last month.
Republic of Ireland Under-17 forward Danny Purdy emerged from the
substitutes' bench to fire home the vital goal after 104 minutes. Under-18
captain Jordan Brown is determined to build on the strong showing in the
third round on what will be the first outing at the Boleyn Ground for most
of the youngsters. "Beating Plymouth was a big confidence boost. For the
last two seasons we have gone out in the first round so everyone was up for
it. You could tell from the celebrations in the changing rooms afterwards
that everyone was buzzing," he said. "I didn't mind who we got in the next
round but I'm glad we got a home tie."
West Ham have won the FA Youth Cup three times since its inception in 1953,
lifting the trophy in 1963, 1981 and 1999, when the Hammers secured a record
9-0 aggregative victory over Coventry City in the final. QPR, who have never
reached the final of the competition, reached the fourth round courtesy of a
3-1 home victory over Southampton on Tuesday 8 December. The match will
kick-off at 7pm with turnstiles opening an hour before kick-off. Fans are
advised to arrive in plenty of time to get tickets before the start of the
game.
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Zola staying focused
WHUFC.com
The cold weather has not got in the way of Gianfranco Zola's preparations
for Sunday's game with Wolves
07.01.2010
It has been business as usual for Gianfranco Zola and his West Ham United
squad this week with the snow and ice not getting in the way of weekend
preparations. The manager and his staff have been putting the players
through their paces ahead of the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday
afternoon. The club's training ground and stadium staff have pulled out all
the stops to ensure pitches are playable and facilities are in full use.
Zola, who is hoping to have a number of players back including the
free-from-suspension Guille Franco, said: "The weather has made things a
little difficult this week and it has snowed a lot but it hasn't changed
anything in terms of our focus. The players have been positive and up for it
and I am expecting a lot from them on Sunday. "We can take heart from last
weekend against Arsenal. If we maintain the attitude we showed we will see
the benefit in the next few games. We will have important players back and
the luck will change. "However, I don't like talking about luck too much
because we are in control of our own destiny. We have to keep our attitude
and the passion and we will get the rewards we deserve."
The manager was particularly happy with the efforts of his two new full
debutants Fabio Daprela and Frank Nouble against Arsenal and has
subsequently seen them boosted by the experience. "I was pleased. They did
very well and now I know that if I need to, I can rely on them, which is a
very good note. It was encouraging."
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Fry returns
WHUFC.com
Young defender Matt Fry has returned to Chadwell Heath following his loan
spell with Gillingham
07.01.2010
Defender Matt Fry has returned from his successful loan spell at League One
side Gillingham. The 19-year-old has been ruled out for six weeks with a
knee injury suffered during the Gills 1-1 draw at Exeter City on 28 December
and has returned to Chadwell Heath for treatment. Fry earned rave reviews
after linking up with Mark Stimson's side in October, making 13 league and
FA Cup appearances and his manager there was sad to see him go. "When we
found out on New Year's Eve it was a massive blow," said Stimson. "Matt has
been a pleasure to work with and he's put in some fantastic performances,
especially for someone who is so young and had never before played a league
game.
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Parker wins again
WHUFC.com
Scott Parker has been voted SBOBET Player of the Month for December by users
of whufc.com
05.01.2010
Scott Parker has rounded off his year of impressive personal accolades by
winning December's SBOBET Player of the Month award on whufc.com. Nearly
5,000 fans voted and Parker took a massive 73 per cent of the vote, ahead of
Alessandro Diamanti and Guille Franco. The dynamic midfielder's December
prize adds to his November Player of the Month award, the Hammer of the Year
prize he picked up in the summer and the three consecutive Player of the
Month trophies for his performances throughout January, February and March
of this year. Earlier this campaign, Julien Faubert, Zavon Hines and Carlton
Cole won in August, September and October respectively. Parker is set to be
handed his award after Sunday's game with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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Eidur mulls over Prem return
Icelander considering his next move
Last updated: 8th January 2010
SSN
Former Chelsea and Bolton ace Eidur Gudjohnsen is mulling over a return to
the Premier League. Gudjohnsen is considering his future at Monaco after a
disappointing spell in France. The Iceland international has failed to
settle in Ligue 1 and the likes of Blackburn, West Ham and Tottenham are all
thought to be keen on bringing Gudjohnsen back to England. His father and
agent Arnor Gudjohnsen admits the 31-year-old is thinking about making a
return to England in this month's transfer window. "I am not sure what he is
going to do," Gudjohnsen Snr told the Daily Mirror. "He is going to take the
next two weeks to decide. He could stay. He is very open. Nobody knows yet.
"He is obviously seriously thinking about a return to England but he has not
made any decision. It is in his hands."
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Harewood wanted by Prem duo
Permanent switch a possibility for Villa striker
Last updated: 7th January 2010
SSN
Premier League strugglers Hull City and West Ham are battling for the
signature of striker Marlon Harewood, according to the player's agent. Phil
Sproson has confirmed that Tigers boss Phil Brown and Hammers counterpart
Gianfranco Zola have spoken to him regarding the forward's availability.
Harewood, who is out of favour at Aston Villa, impressed during a recent
loan spell at Championship side Newcastle, bagging six goals in 15 games to
provide a timely reminder of his scoring ability. And now Brown and Zola are
considering a move, with a loan or permanent switch on the cards for the
side that can put a deal on the table. Hull came close to signing Harewood
in the summer but the transfer fell through on deadline day, although the
East Yorkshire club could still be in line to bring the striker to the KC
Stadium. Sproson told the Hull Daily Mail: "I have spoken to both Phil and
Gianfranco and both said they were interested in Marlon if they can get the
deals sorted at their clubs. "Phil said he is still interested in Marlon and
that he has watched him a couple of times recently. "He said that he had
been impressed that Marlon has clearly got the bit between his teeth again,
but he said he had to get two or three players out before he could bring
anyone in. "That is where we left it, and it is a similar situation with
West Ham."
The Hammers are still paying the price for the collapse of their former
Icelandic owners, while City chairman Adam Pearson has vowed to cut the KC
Stadium wage bill - culling squad players in the process. Villa are eager to
recoup some of the £4million fee they forked out in 2007 following
Harewood's move from West Ham to the Midlands as the 30-year-old could leave
for free at the end of the season when his contract expires. Sproson
explained that the money issues at the two clubs meant no negotiations had
begun.
He added: "Both clubs have registered their interest, but because of their
situations, they have not taken it further as of yet. "Our message has been
that if they want Marlon, he is here and waiting and his record shows that
he scores goals. "He scored six goals in 15 at Newcastle and that was
without a pre-season. "He can do a good job for a Premier League team and we
hope he will be playing that level come the end of the window."
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Hammers go worldwide
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will be exhibiting at a prestigious show in Hong Kong later
this month
07.01.2010
West Ham United will be looking to further increase its standing in Asia
when it exhibits at an upcoming licensing show in Hong Kong for the first
time. The club's growing UK licensing programme - which now boasts 35
licensees - will be highlighted at the high-profile Hong Kong International
Licensing Show this month. Gary Jacobson, from CPLG Sport, who are working
alongside West Ham, believes the club's attendance is a massive coup for the
event. "We are very excited about the Hong Kong Licensing Show and working
with West Ham United to extend the reach of the programme," he said "We are
confident that we have been able to demonstrate that the club has the
capacity to be a licensing success, not just on a local and national level,
but also internationally."
West Ham United's Head of Retail Tam Lever, added: "Following on from the
club's involvement in the 2009 Asia Trophy in Beijing, West Ham United
believe the Hong Kong Licensing Show is a fantastic chance to introduce the
club to new licensing opportunities in the Far East. "Our participation at
this event further reinforces our commitment to expanding our licensing
business in the years to come."
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West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers: match preview
Read a full match preview of the Premier League game between West Ham United
and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Upton Park on Sunday Jan 10 2010, kick-off
13.30 GMT.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley
Published: 6:00AM GMT 08 Jan 2010
West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Upton Park
Kick-off: 13.30 GMT
TV: Live Sky & BBC2 MotD2
This is a crucial game for two teams in the bottom six. Wolves, 15th, have
lost three of their last four in the Premier League while West Ham have one
win in six. West Ham have Guillermo Franco, suspended for the 2-1 FA Cup
defeat by Arsenal, available after a one-match ban. Wolves have lost three
of their last four Premier League games, scoring in just one - the 2-0 win
over Burnley. And they lost 2-0 at home to West Ham on the season's opening
day. Christophe Berra returns from concussion but Andy Keogh, David Edwards
and Michael Kightly are still out.
West Ham (Probable, 4-5-1): Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Daprela;
Behrami, Jimenez, Kovac, Stanislas, Diamanti; Franco.
Wolves (Probable, 4-4-2): Hahnemann; Foley, Berra, Craddock, Ward; Milijas,
Henry, Mancienne, Jarvis; Ebanks-Blake, Doyle.
Referee: Phil Dowd. Matches: 17. R4 Y54.
Last season: N/A.
Stat of the game: Wolves have not won at the Boleyn Ground since March 1978.
Betting tip: A 1-0 home win offers 4-1.
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West Ham United Covet Fiorentina Striker Adrian Mutu - Report
The Hammers are keen on the Romanian hitman...
Jan 7, 2010 10:37:40 PM
Rumours continue to persist that Fiorentina ace Adrian Mutu could be leaving
the Viola this time, for West Ham United. English newspaper Daily Star
reports that the Romanian international could be close to signing a
six-month loan deal with the Hammers, as the player is eager to return to
the Premier League. Mutu could be available as early as January 17, when
West Ham take on Aston Villa. Should the hitman make his way back to
England, he could reunite with former team-mate, and current Hammers
manager, Gianfranco Zola. Zola is convinced that the 30-year-old can end
West Ham's attacking woes as the east London outfit has only scored 28 goals
in 20 league matches. Stay tuned to Goal.com for all the latest on this
story.
Rick D'Andrea, Goal.com
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Cry God for Zola, West Ham and Fortress Upton Park!
West Ham Till I Die
Zola has recently had a bit of a Henry V moment, issuing an inspiring
rallying cry to the Upton Park troops. He has been quoted as urging us fans
to raise the temperature at Upton Park and turn it back in to a formidable
fortress that intimidates the opposition:
"Against Portsmouth on Boxing Day, it was an unbelievable atmosphere. I had
friends over watching the game and afterwards they did not stop talking
about it. We need that every time we play at home.
"We are going to have a tough run of matches for the rest of the season and
we need to create that kind of atmosphere which has always made this place a
fortress. We have to make teams think they are already one-nil down when
they come to play us.
"Against Portsmouth and before that against Chelsea, the players felt that
buzz and responded to it."
I have no problem with that and I agree that the fans have a crucial role to
play. Afterall, in recent club history, who can forget the famous
relegation escapes under Redknapp in the 1990s and the atmosphere created by
the crowd in the victories over (Champions elect) Blackburn, Liverpool and
the draw with Man Utd! Or, even more recently the way we supported the team
in salvaging a supposedly lost cause in the final quarter of the 2006-07
season.
However, I do have one slight qualification, the relationship is not a one
way street with the crowd having sole responsibility for driving on the team
to ever greater effort. It is a two way street, with the effort and
commitment shown on the pitch also raising the passion on the terraces. We
need to see the players react in the right way and, in turn, show their
commitment to the club and its fans.
We Hammers love our skill and passing football, but collateral to that is an
admiration for passion and commitment. For every Moore and Brooking and
there is a Billy Bonds and Julian Dicks (both the latter incidentially also
being technically gifted footballers, but with defining characteristics of
leadership, passion and a will to win).
For the crowd to really do their thing, that passion and effort needs to be
on the displayed on the pitch. Nothing deflates fans like a uncommitted
and disjointed display. Nothing raises the passions like blood and thunder
performances.
So, my message back to Zola is, yes we hear you and agree. But you also
need to make clear to the players about their responsibility to the club
badge and the fans that wear it not just on their chests, but also
emblazoned on their hearts!
In a relegation scenario players can seek transfers and move on to pastures
new, forgetting about their past failures on the pitch. The one thing that
remains a constant at a club is the fans, we cannot transfer our allegiances
so easily. We are there whether it is Di Canio and Joe Cole or Mellor and
Chadwick wearing the colours! That's the crucial difference.
If we have more committed and skillful displays like those against Aston
Villa, Chelski, Portsmouth and Arsenal (twice), then I really do think that
Zola is right and the New Year will see us climb the table.
We may not have a leader like Bonds or Dicks at the moment, but the likes of
Parker, Noble, Behrami and Diamanti have shown that they are warriors and
they will give everything to the cause. The rest of the squad need to
follow their example and both team and fans can each make their unique
contributions both on and off the pitch to salvaging the wreck of the
2009-10 season!
COYI
SJ. Chandos.
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