WHUFC.com
Former Academy graduate Lee Goodwin is to be honoured with a testimonial
match on 11 October
23.09.2010
A West Ham United XI will make the short trip to Dagenham & Redbridge on
Monday 11 October for the Lee Goodwin Testimonial. The Hammers side, managed
by Alex Dyer, will take on the Daggers to help raise money for midfielder
Goodwin, who is the only player to represent the club in the Ryman League,
Conference and Football League Two. Had it not been for a knee injury
curtailing his career short, he may well have played in League One too. The
31-year-old played his last game for the Daggers against Mansfield Town in
May 2008, and was awarded a testimonial for the ten years service he gave to
the club having joined from West Ham in 1998.
Click here for ticket information. Tickets are on sale from today, priced at
£10 for adult terrace tickets and £5 for concessions. For seats, adults
tickets are £12 and concessions are £6. West Ham United reserves, meanwhile,
won 4-3 in an exciting reserve-team friendly at Tottenham Hotspur's training
ground on Tuesday. Freddie Sears scored a hat-trick with Under-18s forward
Danny Subuola netting the other goal. Dyer's team play their first home
match of the new Barclays Premier Reserve League next Tuesday, 28 September,
against Wigan Athletic. The match at Thurrock FC gets under way at 7pm.
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Tonks on a high
WHUFC.com
An impressive performer against Sunderland, James Tomkins would love to face
Tottenham
22.09.2010
James Tomkins was part of a commanding defensive display at Sunderland on
Tuesday night - taking his Carling Cup chance with both hands. The homegrown
Hammer was imperious alongside Manu da Costa, helping the rearguard to repel
the considerable threat of England striker Darren Bent and FIFA World Cup
star Asamoah Gyan. From that sound base, West Ham United were able to end a
13-month run without a win away from home with a 2-1 third-round triumph.
Speaking to WHUTV, Tomkins said: "The lads are buzzing. It is good to get
our confidence back and start on winning ways. We need to get in the habit
of doing this now as in the last few games we had played well but hadn't
taken anything. "We did it against Stoke on Saturday. Not many teams go
there and get a draw. We were able to build on that with the victory against
Sunderland . It would be nice to have a cup run but first it is back to
Tottenham in the league on Saturday and that is a massive game."
Tomkins, 21, said he and Da Costa had to be on guard throughout at the
Stadium of Light, with Sunderland having just held in-form Arsenal to a 1-1
draw three days before. Before the match we knew they were very quick all
along their front line," he added. "We needed to be aware of that and try
and keep them in front of us. We did that well and it just shows that we can
keep those sort of players out."
Tomkins knows that the manager has plenty of options, with Matthew Upson,
Danny Gabbidon and Winston Reid - along with Tuesday night's stand-in
left-back Tal Ben Haim - all competing with him and Da Costa for starting
berths. As an Academy graduate, he would relish the chance to play Spurs
this weekend. "It would be nice to keep my place. You never know. There have
been changes in the team but all you can do is do your best when you get in.
The manager will do what he thinks is best. Hopefully we can win because is
a massive game for the fans and us as well with our league position. Every
game is big for us."
Another hoping to have staked their claim is fellow youth-system product
Marek Stech, with the 20-year-old goalkeeper again imperious after his
previous heroics in the second round against Oxford United. Tomkins said the
keeper has a big future in the game. "I have always thought a lot of Marek,"
he said. "Potentially he is a very good keeper. He has all the qualities you
need to be a good goalkeeper. He has proved that in the two games he has
played.
"He has come in and done well for the team. Credit to him, with all the
changes at the club, he has come through well and hopefully in a couple of
years he will be pushing on."
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Carlos Vela and Efrain Juarez banned by Mexico
BBC.co.uk
Arsenal's Carlos Vela and Celtic's Efrain Juarez have been banned from
playing for Mexico for six months over an alleged party at the team hotel.
It is claimed that the pair threw the party after a 1-0 friendly win against
Colombia in Monterrey on 8 September. Manchester United's Javier Hernandez
and Tottenham's Giovani Dos Santos were fined £2,517 over the incident.
Fulham's Carlos Salcido, West Ham's Pablo Barrera and seven other players
have been issued with the same fine. Captain Rafael Marquez, Guillermo
Ochoa, Francisco Rodriguez, Andres Guardado, Gerardo Torrado, Enrique
Esqueda and Hector Moreno were also punished. Striker Vela and midfielder
Juarez's suspension has been backdated, making them unavailable for
selection until 8 March. Mexico, who appointed Efrain Flores as their
interim manager in July, are due to play Poland in a friendly on 12 October.
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Hammers fan completes biathlon challenge
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 22nd September 2010
By: Staff Writer
KUMB.com member Jamie Penfold has completed a gruelling 300 mile bike ride
in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund.
33-year-old Jamie is currently recovering this morning after completing the
ride which took two days - all of which followed his participation in
Saturday's Great North Run (a 13.1 mile-long event).
Jamie, a business advisor by trade described his trip along England's
crumbling highways and byeways as 'sheer Hell'. He spent last night
recovering in a hotel after finishing his journey late yesterday afternoon
at West Ham's Boleyn Ground.
"The club were great so I got to finish pitchside," a tired Jamie told KUMB
this morning. "I felt great and could have done some more cyclng. However,
I'm sat in my hotel room in Essex this morning and I'm in complete and utter
agony!"
Jamie decided to take on the challenge after suffering a cancer scare of his
own during his early twenties. The Bobby Moore Fund was a natural choice as
the former West Ham and England captain remains his footballing hero.
"When I was having tests 11 years ago, I remember thinking 'this can't be
happening to me'," he recalls. "It was frightening and for several weeks I
lived life almost in a state of shock. Thankfully I was fine, but it was a
real wake up call. I love football and every time you see pictures of Bobby
Moore you're reminded of the devastating effects of the disease."
If you would like to contribute to Jamie's fundraising efforts you may do so
via his sponsorship page - which will remain open until December - on
www.justgiving.com/bobbymoorebiathlon. You can pay by credit or debit card,
and the money will go directly to The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research
UK. Where supporters are UK taxpayers, the charity will automatically
receive 28% extra in Gift Aid.
Mission accomplished: Jamie relaxes at the Boleyn Ground last night after
completing his gruelling 300-mile stint
Jamie's Diary: 313.1 miles of agony
Sunday 19th: The Great North Run (13.1 miles)
Completed in 1 hour and 55 minutes. After Cancer Research UK accidentally
cancelled my entry, a chance meeting with a West Ham supporter in
Northumberland who was injured and couldn't run meant I took his number. I
tweaked my calf at 10.5miles but a fellow runner for the BMF 'carried' me
along... The guy (a Man Utd season ticket holder) had suffered with Bowel
Cancer for 10 years and got the all clear last year. A true inspiration!
Monday 20th: St James' Park to Lincoln (159 miles)
Sheer hell is all I can say. Strong winds and poor road conditions in North
Yorkshire on top of maniac drivers near Goole saw me consider jacking it all
in. I left Newcastle at 7am and got to Lincoln just before 7pm. Dull, boring
scenery. It was just horrible. When the wind was constantly in my face from
the 100-mile mark I decided that if there was a God, he is obviously a
Millwall supporter!
Tuesday 21st: Lincoln to UP (140 miles)
I woke up in agony, with a sore throat and unable to move. I felt like
death. Lincoln to Peterborough was a tedious run. Straight roads and flat
featureless landscape. But I had decided to take the Ipod along so at least
I had a few tunes to keep me going. Peterborough was the 60-mile mark, but
from there it got a lot better. The sun was out, the winds were light and it
was a complete joy.
At Huntingdon I saw my first sign for London and the pain went. My dad was
my support driver and was making his first visit to the East End for 21
years. Meeting up at Waltham Abbey he was going to guide me in to Upton
Park; Unfortunately he got lost in Stratford and I ended up getting to the
Boleyn Ground 15 minutes before him!
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Diamanti hails Nani
Former Hammer happy with life in Brescia
Last updated: 22nd September 2010
SSN
Former West Ham striker Alessandro Diamanti admits that his return to
Brescia was out of recognition for Gianluca Nani. The forward rejoined the
Serie A newcomers for £1.8million after just one season at Upton Park.
Diamanti scored seven goals in 28 appearances under manager Gianfranco Zola,
but after technical director Nani was dismissed and Zola had departed, the
striker opted to move back to Italy. "I came to Brescia out of recognition
for Gianluca Nani, who was the director who brought me to West Ham," he told
Gazzetta dello Sport. "I didn't even consider the other offers, although the
clubs that were looking for me included Parma and Fiorentina."
Brescia president Gino Corioni has likened Diamanti to former club hero and
legendary Italian international Roberto Baggio. The 27-year-old former
Livorno hero admits his attitude was not always professional though. "I feel
very much like the Livorno folk, as they don't work much and go to the beach
instead.
"When I was at Albinoleffe, I'd often go out clubbing, but now I have
changed and came back to Italy in order to earn my place in the Nazionale."
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Grant relieved to keep Parker
Hammers boss happy skipper is still at Upton Park
Last updated: 22nd September 2010
SSN
West Ham boss Avram Grant has admitted his relief at keeping captain Scott
Parker at the club this summer. The inspirational midfielder has once again
been one of the few bright spots in a disappointing start to the season for
the Hammers. Parker has scored twice in his last two league games, one a
beautifully chipped finish against Chelsea that turned out to be a mere
consolation in a 3-1 defeat, and the other by opening the scoring in their
1-1 draw with Stoke on Saturday. He was also excellent against Sunderland in
their 2-1 Carling Cup victory on Tuesday evening, which confirmed why the
club were so desperate to keep hold of the only player co-owner David
Sullivan stated was not available at any price. "We did everything to keep
Scott Parker in the team," said Grant. "Our financial situation, everybody
knows, so part of our vision for the club was to take players who are hungry
to play, like you saw last night with Victor Obinna and Pablo Barrera and
other players who are very hungry to play. "They want to develop and they
will develop along with the club.
"But alongside them, we needed players who are very, very positive players
who give everything and with good, positive experience. "Scott is the best
example of that."
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Now we'll start to Piq up pace
The Sun
By STEVE BRENNER
Published: Today
FREDDIE PIQUIONNE believes West Ham's Carling Cup slaying of Sunderland will
start a surge up the Premier League table. Tuesday's impressive win on
Wearside has finally got boss Avram Grant's season up and running. And
Piquionne is certain there will be no more struggles in East London after
slumping to the foot of the table with one point from five league games. He
said: "We need points but I'm sure that at the end of the season we will be
in the top ten. We have the players to do that. "Players have come in, we
need time to play together and we've played better in the last two games.
"We need to win at home on Saturday against Spurs. "But the boss knows what
to do. We had some tough times at Portsmouth, but everyone at West Ham knows
we'll be OK."
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SUNDERLAND OUTPLAYED AND OUTFOUGHT BY WEST HAM
By Mark
Sunderlandfootball.co.uk
After playing fantastically well against Arsenal at the weekend I thought
Tuesday's league cup game against West Ham was going to be a routine home
win. But then again, this is Sunderland so I don't know why I was feeling so
confident going into this one.
West Ham were in charge for most of the first half and deservedly took the
lead in the 35th minute from a Piquionne strike. Sunderland seemed to wake
up after the goal and piled on the pressure, resulting in a quick equaliser.
Gyan dispatched a Jordan Henderson corner in the 41st minute. West Ham
continued to dominate the game in the second half and at one stage put
together a string of what seemed to be several hundred passes without
Sunderland coming even close to sniffing the ball. At this stage we would
have been better off sneaking our midfield off the park for a quick breather
and replacing them with a set of police cones. Riveros was knacked.
Henderson was chasing shadows and Wellbeck looked as though he'd
accidentally wandered onto the pitch after going out for a late night
stroll. West Ham were taking the mick on the pitch and their fans responded
with the standard ole's. Fair play to the West Ham fans, they brought a few
hundred up..ok some will have been based in the area but still, it was a
Tuesday and they haven't had the best of starts to a season. However, after
seeing them the other night they look a lot stronger than I expected them to
be and certainly better than their league standing suggests.
Barrera and Parker looked very good. Parker was ruling the midfield and
Barrera had a classy game, attacking with skill and pace. When Obinna scored
West Ham's second goal of the game to put them 2-1 up, I just couldn't see
us getting back into it. We were lethargic. Too many of our players were
uninterested and we were struggling to create opportunities in the final
third. Elmo's crossing in particular was inaccurate and unintelligent. His
long balls weren't working so you'd think he'd review what he was doing and
mix it up a little but nothing changed and he continued to smash the ball
over the heads of Gyan and Bent at every time of asking.
Sunderland had opportunities to level near to the end of the game. The best
chance falling to Malbranque after being fed a ball by Wellbeck but Steed
took it slightly wide making it easy for the keeper to save. I think
Wellbeck would have been better off taking it on himself but he wasn't at
the races on Tuesday and will have to pick himself up for an important game
on Saturday. Much like the rest of them.The best side won. We move on.
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West Ham's Scott Parker heads top five wasted talents at Chelsea
September 22, 2010
IMScouting
It appears that West Ham are set for a long hard winter. Hammers' fans were
reminded again on Saturday that if they are to escape a difficult relegation
battle this season, much will depend on captain Scott Parker . The
midfielder was outstanding last season too, prompting a call-up to Fabio
Capello's England squad. He has carried on where he left off this season
too. Parker's probing and prodding at Stoke on Saturday, capped by his
second goal in two games was another reminder that he is not only the
heartbeat of Avram Grant's West Ham side, but would be a valuable addition
to almost any squad. Strange to think that six years ago, Parker was the
forgotten man at Chelsea. Languishing on the bench, Parker played only
fifteen games for the Blues following a £10 million move from Charlton.
However, Parker is far from alone in under-achieving while at Chelsea.
Roman Abramovich recently called for an end to wasteful spending at Stamford
Bridge. If you were wondering why, here are five prime expensive signings
which went wrong at Chelsea.
Scott Parker (2004-5)
Statistics: 15 appearances, 1 goal
Fee paid: £10million
Parker first appeared on our television screens as the star of a McDonalds
advert, but soon sprang to prominence as a tenacious midfielder at Charlton
Athletic. Under Alan Curbishley, the Addicks were a solid Premier League
outfit and Parker became the midfield lynchpin, combining tough tackling
with an ability to make telling passes and carry the ball into dangerous
areas.
Chelsea snapped him up in January 2004 and although it may have seemed a
step up in Parker's career, it soon proved to be a backwards move.
Overshadowed by the first-choice pairing of Claude Makalele and Frank
Lampard, Parker soon found himself also behind the likes of Tiago and Jiri
Jarosik in the Chelsea pecking order.
It says much about Parker that he has revived his career, firstly at
Newcastle United and now at West Ham, where he has been outstanding and
forced his way back into the England reckoning, despite playing for a
struggling side.
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Spurs star sends warning to West Ham
By talkSPORT
Wednesday, September 22
Sebastien Bassong has warned West Ham that Tottenham will bounce back from
Tuesday night's Carling Cup hammering by Arsenal Harry Redknapp played a
second-string side against their north London rivals in the Carling Cup and
paid the price as they were beaten 4-1 at White Hart Lane. But the
centre-back says West Ham could be in for a shock at Upton Park on Saturday
when the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Luka Modric and Heurelho Gomes are
expected to return to the starting line-up. It is a bad thing for us to go
out of the Carling Cup so early, but we need to bounce back "It is a bad
thing for us to go out of the Carling Cup so early, but we need to bounce
back," said the Frenchman. I don't think losing to Arsenal is going to
affect us because we have a strong squad. "It will be a test for us but we
have a good squad and everybody in it can play well."
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Slightly off topic.....
Derby's Bywater in hot water over erotic art installation in garden
Published 22:30 22/09/10 By Steve Myall
The Mirror
Modern art makes a change from a fleet of noisy sports cars and screeching
WAGs but the choice of garden decoration by Derby County's stopper Stephen
Bywater has won him no fans. Instead of monogrammed electric gates and a
Ferrari the championship goalkeeper created and displayed a piece of erotic
artwork in his garden. The makeshift exhibition, which included wind chimes,
a blow-up doll embellished with rubber genitalia and a portable toilet
covered in graffiti, were described by 'eyesores' by his neighbours and last
night the keeper covered his handiwork with tarpaulins. One of the mottos,
painted on the side of a disused toilet block, coupled with a bright blue
horse box, reads "piece and love" (sic). Bywater lives in the leafy hamlet
of Sutton-on-the-hill, eight miles west of Derby. The village, with a
population of just 125, it has no shop, no post office, no pub, no regular
bus service, no school, and is considered to be a very close-knit community
of the rich and well to do.
His bosses at Derby County FC have said they "completely disassociate"
themselves from his misguided creative attempts and the local police have
got involved. According to the former West Ham player's next-door neighbour
he started putting the erotic pieces in his garden last December. The
75-year-old, who did not wish to be named, said: "We were away on holiday
when he put it up. "Our neighbours sent us pictures to show us what he had
done and my wife didn't want to come home. "He adds to it all the time,
painting extra bits and putting more things on.' "He says it is his artwork
but we just want him to take it down. It is horrible to have to look at it.
Children go past on the bus as well."
Another village resident, TV ghost-hunter Richard Felix said: "It is an
eyesore and you can't miss it if you drive through the village." Bywater has
defended himself and said: "Lots of people have a hobby and my current hobby
is art. "We spoke to the neighbours at their request and they told us that
as far as they are concerned it can stay, and I quote, 'we are not that
bothered?" In reference to his misspelled graffiti, he added: "She advised
me to use a dictionary."
But he later issued an apology seemingly rejecting the assertion the
installation was merely an avant garden artwork, after the row was reported
in his local newspaper. He said: "On Wednesday, an article was published
detailing certain items that I have put in my garden over the last few weeks
and days.
"Although I consider this a private issue, I would like to apologise to any
supporters and local residents in Derbyshire who have been offended. "It was
and is still my view that my actions were made as a private citizen and are
in no way linked to Derby County Football Club. "However, now it has been
brought into the public domain, I acknowledge that this does not reflect
well on me as a professional or the club in general. "I am one of the club's
longest serving players and therefore I, better than anyone, appreciate the
responsibilities that come with representing Derby County, both on and off
the pitch. "Although I am disappointed this private matter has become a
public issue, I have now taken action to remove from view the items which
have caused offence to local residents. "I apologize again if my actions
have in anyway damaged my reputation or the reputation of the club."
In a statement, Derby County FC said: "The club was made aware of the issue
through a third party and has been in dialogue with Stephen about it and the
perceptions that may arise from it. "We have also been in contact with his
neighbours regarding his actions.' "This is not the type of conduct we
expect from one of our employees." A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police
said: "We are trying to speak to Mr Bywater and his neighbours to come to
some sort of amicable agreement around this artwork."
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Please donate to my sisters Kenyan Cycle ride for Women v Cancer
http://www.justgiving.com/sandhy-cycles-kenya
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