Zola looks for strong support
WHUFC.com
The manager said everyone can play their part in the major midweek match
with Birmingham City
08.02.2010
Gianfranco Zola is fired up for Wednesday night's fixture against Birmingham
City - and under-16s can be there for just a £1 if they take advantage of
the club's Kids for a Quid's scheme. With new recruits Benni McCarthy, Mido
and Ilan all hopeful of a first Boleyn Ground appearance, the manager is
expecting a rapturous response for his team. All are determined to make
amends for Saturday's loss at Burnley when the Hammers dominated but came up
short in front of a typically strong travelling support. "There are a lot of
positives to take from the weekend," Zola said." We created a lot of chances
and we know the team is almost there. Our new players will have settled in
more but if I could play the Birmingham game now I would. I am looking
forward to it." The manager knows the importance of a full house for the
Barclays Premier League encounter, and is expecting the Hammers faithful to
play their part. That said, he also knows the onus is on his players to
deliver. "Once again we will be counting on the fans to get behind us -
although we know it is up to us to give them something to shout about," he
said. "Birmingham are having a great season but we will go into the match
confident that we can take all three points. I have faith in my players and
there is also a special atmosphere whenever we play at home under the
lights. "It is fantastic that the club is doing something for the younger
supporters [with Kids for a Quid]. They are our future and I hope they and
everyone who comes along will enjoy the match. I can promise that we will
give everything for the victory."
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Nouble off to West Brom
WHUFC.com
West Bromwich Albion have taken promising forward Frank Nouble on an initial
month-long loan.
08.02.2010
England Under-19 striker Frank Nouble is to join West Bromwich Albion on an
initial 28-day loan. Nouble has headed to the Championship high-fliers until
9 March, with first-team chances limited at the Boleyn Ground after the
arrival of Benni McCarthy, Mido and Ilan to complement Carlton Cole, Guille
Franco and Freddie Sears. His debut could come at home to Scunthorpe United
on Tuesday night. The 18-year-old met his new team-mates for the first time
on Monday along with West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo, a former team-mate
of Gianfranco Zola. West Brom are second in the Championship, one of the two
promotion spots, although are just a point ahead of Nottingham Forest in
third.
The teenager has made great progress at the Boleyn Ground since his summer
switch from Chelsea, making his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the
opening day of the season and going on to play nine times in league and cup
to date. His first league start came away to Aston Villa last month. A
former U17 international, Nouble is part of the Young Lions squad aiming to
reach the 2010 UEFA European U19 Championship. He played in all three games
as England reached this spring's Elite round, where they will meet
mini-tournament hosts Ukraine, the holders, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republic
of Ireland.
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'Play like it's a final'
WHUFC.com
Valon Behrami has called on his team-mates to take the game to Birmingham
City on Wednesday
09.02.2010
Valon Behrami has called on his West Ham United team-mates to push the tempo
from the opening whistle in every match between now and the end of the
season. The Switzerland midfielder said the Hammers must go on the offensive
for 90 minutes if they are to secure a Barclays Premier League victory
against Birmingham City on Wednesday. Aside from demanding 100 per cent
effort from every single player, Behrami also called on the Boleyn Ground
faithful to play their part in scoring a victory over Birmingham. As they
did at Turf Moor against Burnley on Saturday, the 24-year-old wants the
club's supporters to sing their hearts out from first to last, creating an
atmosphere that will make it impossible for the Blues to enjoy their evening
in east London. "I hope our supporters are going to give us a big help,
because we need them at home to create pressure on the other team. We need
that at the moment because we don't find a good atmosphere in the dressing
room from Saturday's result, so we need to make it with the crowd pushing
behind us. "We are now in a very, very difficult position and we have to
play Wednesday's game like a final. "We have to play the whole 90 minutes,
from the beginning until the end, like we did in the final minutes at
Burnley. We need to treat every game like a final because the situation has
started to get very dangerous."
Behrami also believes the desperation of Mido, Ilan and Benni McCarthy to
prove their worth in a claret and blue shirt will give the squad a shot in
the arm as the season approaches its conclusion. "They are happy to be here
and they are hungry, which is very important for them and for us. They are
very good quality players and we need everyone feeling hungry like they do."
Speaking with typical passion and commitment, Behrami admitted West Ham had
left themselves with a mountain to climb at the weekend. England striker
David Nugent took advantage, putting the Clarets ahead on 14 minutes and
when debutant Danny Fox curled in the hosts' second early in the second
half, the mountain got even steeper. Spurred by the introduction of
debutants Mido and Ilan as well as lively winger Junior Stanislas, West Ham
laid siege to Brian Jensen's goal in the closing stages. Stanislas hit the
crossbar and Mido the post, meaning Gianfranco Zola's side had only the
Brazilian's debut goal to show for their efforts, leaving Behrami wondering
what might have been. "I feel disappointed about the result and about the
first 20 minutes, especially. In the first 20 minutes, we gave them an
opportunity because we did not play with the right attitude or a good
attitude. We started too late. We were one down and it's really difficult
away when you are one down. "In the second half, we found a good solution in
our game and they just had one free-kick and they scored."
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Cup heartbreak for ladies
WHUFC.com
Despite twice coming from behind to level, West Ham United bowed out of the
FA Women's Cup
08.02.2010
West Ham United Ladies saw their FA Women's Cup dreams dashed when they lost
out to Barnet by the odd goal in five after an extra-time thriller. The
fifth-round tie at Thurrock was a pulsating affair with the Hammers having
won through courtesy of a memorable defeat of top-flight Bristol Academy in
the previous round. Barnet took the lead early on but the home side battled
back through Nina Downham. That took the contest into an additional 30
minutes. By then, the Bees were down to ten players but they still managed
to regain the lead in the first half of extra time. However, Downham sent
the home support wild with her second goal of the match, heading in from
close range. Barnet responded though by going up the other end straight away
and scoring the winner. Tony Marshall's side could have snatched a last-gasp
equaliser and sent the game to a shoot-out, only for Becky Merritt to
unfortunately miss from a penalty when the referee pointed to the spot in
the dying moments. Her effort sent the Barnet keeper the wrong way but, much
to her dismay, crashed against the woodwork and away to safety.
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West Ham loan teenager Frank Nouble out to West Brom
BBC.co.uk
West Brom will sign West Ham striker Frank Nouble on a month's loan when the
window reopens on Tuesday. The England Under-19 international, 18, will be
eligible to make his debut against Scunthorpe that evening. The Baggies
have lost striker Ishmael Miller to an ankle injury and winger Jerome Thomas
is serving a four-match ban during a busy month of fixtures. "Frank is an
exciting, young player who I am delighted to welcome to the club," said head
coach Roberto di Matteo. "He can play in any of the three forward positions
- down the middle, wide left or wide right - and we hope the next month is a
fruitful one for both the club and Frank," the Italian added. The teenager
joined West Ham from Chelsea on a five-year contract last summer, but has
recently fallen down the pecking order at Upton Park with the transfer
window arrivals of Ilan and Benni McCarthy.
Nouble's 28-day spell at The Hawthorns will also include league fixtures
against Cardiff, Bristol City, Derby, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday. However,
he is not available for the FA Cup fifth round tie at Reading having already
appeared for the Hammers in this season's competition.
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Sullivan on cutbacks
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 9th February 2010
By: Staff Writer
David Sullivan has revealed that several staff will be asked to take pay
cuts this summer in order to ease the club's financial problems - whilst
admitting that relegation would equate to 'Armageddon'. The club's new joint
owner, speaking ahead of the visit of his former club Birmingham City
tomorrow night insisted that he had full faith in the current squad's
ability to avoid the drop - but confirmed that even should they do so, many
club employees will be asked to take wage cuts at the end of the season -
whilst '20 or 30' other non-playing staff are set to face redundancy.
"[Gianfranco] Zola will prove himself over the next few games," said
Sullivan. "I was always a very good judge. The season Birmingham got
relegated I said after 10 games 'We're going down'. Maybe I've lost my
judgement but I just don't see us getting relegated. Maybe it's the West Ham
fan in me coming out and I've become an eternal optimist. "[But] things have
to change at West Ham. We want to spend the money on putting the best team
possible on the pitch. We have made cutbacks already but may have to make
another 20 or 30 people redundant by the summer. "We have already had people
in senior positions offer to take a voluntary 25 per cent reduction to keep
their jobs. It's been gratefully accepted. If someone is doing a good job
but is overpaid you still want to keep them. "But many people at the
training ground should take a voluntary pay cut. There's an army of people
supporting the first team. Everyone at the club will be asked to take a
salary cut in the summer. Every position is overpaid, whether in
administration or on the playing side; all are earning more than they would
at other clubs. "I'm drawing nothing forever, neither is David Gold. We are
paying the first 12 months of Karren Brady's salary as Vice Chairman. And we
are not claiming back expenses. Every penny we spend is down to us. The club
is in a mess and we all have to pull together. If we go down I can't even
consider the situation. It'll be Armageddon; it'll be worse than what's gone
on at Newcastle."
Despite all the problems he has inherited since returning to the board last
month, Sullivan remains sure that he did the right thing in buying into the
club - although he reserved the right to change his opinion should the Irons
fail to beat the drop come May. "I still don't regret taking over," he
inisisted. "But if we get relegated I would. We'd have to sell half the
team. Normally you don't have the debt we've inherited or the wage bill
we've inherited."
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Another one bites the dust
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th February 2010
By: Staff Writer
The Double Ds' cost-cutting exercise continues unabated with the news that
PR man Phil Hall is the latest to be dumped in the big Boleyn shake-up. Hall
- who is now working for disgraced Chelsea captain John Terry in an advisory
capacity - had been brought in most recently by the club's previous
administration but has had his contract terminated by mutual consent,
according to PR Week. Hall revealed that he had agreed to end his contract -
which was due to expire in April - early, adding: "I hope that when things
are on a better financial footing, there may be a chance to return in a
professional capacity."
The former News of the World editor who started his career as a journalist
working for the Dagenham Post was also employed by the club during Alan
Pardew's tenure as manager back in 2006. He joins a list including former
CEO Scott Duxbury and ex-players Tony Cottee and Tony Gale to have left the
club's payroll since Sullivan and Gold's recent takeover. More cuts are
expected to follow.
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Frank's a Baggie
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th February 2010
By: Staff Writer
Teenage striker Frank Nouble is set to join Championship front-runners West
Bromwich Albion on a month's loan. 18-year-old Nouble, who has made 10
appearances for West Ham since moving from Chelsea last summer will join the
Baggies in time to face Scunthorpe in tomorrow night's Championship fixture.
Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo, a former team mate of Irons manager
Gianfranco Zola during their playing days, was delighted at capturing the
young star. "Frank is an exciting, young player who I am delighted to
welcome to the club," he told wba.co.uk. "He can play in any of the three
forward positions - down the middle, wide left or wide right - and we hope
the next month is a fruitful one for both the club and Frank. Frank's main
attributes are that he is powerful, quick and good on the ball - but we
mustn't forget he is still very young."
With the recent arrival of Benni McCarthy, Mido and Ilan, the youngster has
been relieved of first team duties; manager Gianfranco Zola viewing this as
the ideal opportunity to allow Nouble to gain vital experience, albeit at a
lower level. Albion are currently lying second in the Championship, three
points behind leaders Newcastle who have a game in hand. Nouble's stay at
the Hawthorns will include league games against Cardiff, Bristol City,
Derby, Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday plus the FA Cup clash
against Reading, for which he is unavailable having played for West Ham
United against Arsenal in the third round.
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Nouble joins Baggies
West Ham striker agrees loan move
Last updated: 8th February 2010
SSN
West Brom have agreed a deal with West Ham to take Frank Nouble on an
initial one-month loan deal. The 18-year-old forward is regarded as an
exciting prospect for the future but will not be required at Upton Park in
the near future after Gianfranco Zola bolstered his attacking options.
Baggies boss Roberto Di Matteo has entered the market for Nouble as a result
of Ishmael Miller's enforced absence due to an ankle injury and Jerome
Thomas' four-match suspension. He will complete his move when the emergency
loan window reopens on Tuesday, although will not be available for
Saturday's FA Cup clash at Reading due to his earlier involvement in this
season's competition with the Hammers.
Nouble, who arrived at West Ham from Chelsea last summer for an undisclosed
fee, has certainly caught Di Matteo's eye. "Frank is an exciting, young
player who I am delighted to welcome to the club," he told West Brom's
official website. "He can play in any of the three forward positions - down
the middle, wide left or wide right - and we hope the next month is a
fruitful one for the club and Frank. "His main attributes are that he's
powerful, quick and good on the ball but we mustn't forget he is still very
young."
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Hammers Aces in paycut shock
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
GIANFRANCO ZOLA and his highly-paid West Ham flops will be asked to take a
25 per cent pay cut. Co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan must slash the
£60million wage bill to stop the club going under - even if they avoid
relegation. And Sullivan said: "Everyone will be asked to take a cut this
summer." The owners took on huge £110m debts - and have uncovered an
alarming 'fat cat' culture at Upton Park. Midfielder Scott Parker pockets
£65,000 a week - the same fee as crocked star Kieron Dyer. Defender Matthew
Upson picks up £60,000 a week and fringe defender Manuel Da Costa even gets
£20,000. The wages are crippling the club. Around 15 club staff have
volunteered to take a wage cut and other cost-cutting plans are on the way.
A 'player liaison officer' - who earns £50,000 a year to drive stars around
- will be hit. The officer is a close family friend of a former West Ham
employee. A fitness coach - paid a whopping £200,000 a year - and one of the
club's two doctors also face the axe. Controversial technical director
Gianluca Nani is also high on the hit list. Sullivan said: "We already had
to slash 10 or 15 jobs. The club is in a mess, everyone has to pull
together."
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Hammers face Armaggedon
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
DAVID SULLIVAN fears that West Ham are heading for "Armageddon" as the full
catastrophic truth about the club's financial nightmare emerges. A SunSport
investigation into the Hammers' debt hell has uncovered the full extent of
boardroom mismanagement at Upton Park. In its simplest form, London's
working-class club has been trying to live like Chelsea toffs and now can't
pay the bill. While West Ham fans have been putting up with low-budget
football, a whole cluster of agents, coaches and hangers-on have been
cashing in. And the Hammers plight, struggling in the bottom three of the
Premier League and battling to claw their way out of a cash crisis, should
serve as a stark warning to other teams living beyond their means. Fellow
strugglers Portsmouth could be wound up in the High Court tomorrow in an
on-going battle with the taxman as the team nosedives towards relegation.
Pompey have failed to pay wages on time for FIVE MONTHS and are
haemorrhaging money week in, week out. Even the Premier League champions,
mighty Manchester United, are saddled with enormous debts as football's
gravy train grinds to a halt. West Ham, the team which has taken two points
from a possible nine since Sullivan and pal David Gold took over, are
preparing to face the new owners' old club Birmingham tomorrow night. For
the stricken Hammers the match is billed as win-or-bust - in every sense of
the word. Documents leaked to SunSport by concerned staff at Upton Park
reveal that West Ham's vastly under-achieving squad cost a staggering
£75million in transfer fees alone. The club still owes almost £15m of that
money to other teams and instalments are looming. A lavish £6m bonus system
means West Ham would be no better off financially if by some miracle they
won the Premier League or if they finished eighth - because the extra cash
would be gobbled up by the players and staff. It is understood the agent
involved in Valon Behrami's £5m move from Lazio was paid £1.3m in fees to
smooth the deal through. Worried Sullivan admitted: "Things have to change
at West Ham. We want to spend the money on putting the best team possible on
the pitch. "It'll be Armageddon if we go down. It'll be worse than what's
gone on at Newcastle. "I can't believe the contracts I've inherited. Every
position is overpaid, whether in administration or on the playing side. "All
are earning more than they would at other clubs. "We have made cutbacks
already but may have to make another 20 or 30 people redundant by the
summer. We have already had people in senior positions offer to take a
voluntary 25 per cent reduction to keep their jobs. It's been gratefully
accepted. If someone is doing a good job but is overpaid you still want to
keep them. "But many people at the training ground should take a voluntary
pay cut. There's an army of people supporting the first team. "Everyone at
the club will be asked to take a salary cut in the summer. "I'm drawing
nothing forever, neither is David Gold. We are paying the first 12 months of
Karren Brady's salary as vicechairman. And we are not claiming back
expenses. Every penny we spend is down to us. "The club is in a mess and we
all have to pull together. If we go down I can't even consider the
situation."
West Ham still have to cough up £2.5m to Lazio for Swiss winger Behrami's
transfer alone, a year and a half after his arrival. And it's understood the
player may be sold in the summer because his family are finding it hard to
settle in England. The Hammers are still to pay London rivals Chelsea
£400,000 of the £1.2m 'transfer fee' that brought assistant manager Steve
Clarke up the District Line from the King's Road to Green Street. And that's
not to mention the reputed salary in excess of £1m a year enjoyed by the
Scot and the near £2m paid to manager Gianfranco Zola in his first full-time
management position. West Ham slipped back into the bottom three following
Saturday's demoralising 2-1 defeat at Burnley, a performance that left the
club hierarchy furious at the players' attitude and defending in particular.
Sullivan said: "Of all the managers I've dealt with he is the nicest. The
question is 'Is he too nice?' Ossie Ardiles was the nicest guy you could
meet but look what he did to Tottenham. "Time will tell. Zola will prove
himself over the next few games. "I still don't regret taking over. If we
get relegated I would. We'd have to sell half the team. "Normally you don't
have the debt we've inherited or the wage bill we've inherited. "I was
always a very good judge. The season Birmingham got relegated I said after
10 games 'We're going down'. "Maybe I've lost my judgment but I just don't
see us getting relegated. Maybe it's the West Ham fan in me coming out and
I've become an eternal optimist. "I'm not acting like some administrator who
just wants to save money. I want to improve the team. "At Birmingham we
bought a team which reflects the size of that club. But West Ham is a bigger
club and we want to do it justice."
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Gold : I wanna whack Brum
The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
Published: Today
DAVID GOLD wants to give Birmingham City 'a good whacking' tomorrow. The new
West Ham co-owner left St Andrew's after 17 years in charge but his
departure turned sour when accusations were made by the incoming regime
about how the club had been run. Gold lit the blue touchpaper on tomorrow's
Upton Park showdown by saying: "I was at Birmingham City for years but I
really want to give them a good whacking. "I have a great fondness for them,
but it was sad the way it ended." Gold and co-owner David Sullivan signed
three centre-forwards, Mido, Ilan and Benni McCarthy, in the transfer window
to beef up the West Ham squad in their fight against the drop. But Gold
reckons the most important business in January was refusing to sell any
players such as midfielder Scott Parker. He said: "During our talks to take
over West Ham, one of the conditions we asked for was that none of the
players were sold while we were negotiating. "Any three of five players came
within a hair's width of leaving to bring some money into the club but we
were able to prevent it. "That was a vital piece of business, more important
perhaps than bringing new players in and I think the fans appreciated what
we did judging by the response we've had from them. "After 17 years at
Birmingham, I think we know how to run a football club, I am certainly a lot
wiser than when I first started. "All I need now is for the team to start
winning. Wednesday night will do for starters."
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David Gold claims West Ham United are bigger than Birmingham City
Gold's comments will not go down well at Birmingham
Gary Jacob
The Times
David Gold has fanned the flames of controversy before Birmingham City's
visit to Upton Park tomorrow by expressing his desire to "whack" his former
club, whom, he says, are not as big as some claim. Gold, the West Ham United
joint-chairman, is still disappointed by the manner of his departure from
the Birmingham board after he sold the club to Carson Yeung last summer. He
claims that he was promised he would be retained as chairman, but the
position never materialised. "I really want to whack Birmingham," Gold said.
"I have a great fondness for them, but it was sad the way it ended. They
reneged on the decision to keep me on the board. That will always rankle."
If any extra spice were needed, Alex McLeish, the Birmingham manager, and
Karren Brady, the former managing director at St Andrew's who is now
vice-chairman of West Ham, failed to see eye to eye when she wrote about the
team underachieving last season. McLeish could later claim credit for
promotion to the Barclays Premier League, an achievement of which Gold
remains proud. He said that he put the club on a sound financial footing
during his 16 years at the helm. "We did a damn good job," he said. "We left
a legacy of good players, a well-balanced squad that won't break the bank.
No one is on £70,000 a week sitting on the bench or is injured when the club
is on the brink of going bust."
He has begun a similar task of trying to reduce West Ham's £110 million debt
by seeking investment — a process that will be conducted by Shore Capital,
an investment banking group — and lowering the wage bill. Yesterday, David
Sullivan, Gold's co-chairman, said: "Everyone will be asked to take a pay
cut in the summer."
Gold's thoughts are not so far ahead but with the reunion with his former
club. "People talk about Birmingham as a huge football club," he said. "If
that were true there would not be 20,000 fans at the game, but a full house.
No disrespect to Birmingham, [but] West Ham is a bigger club with
tradition."
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Sullivan: 'Blues fans who abuse us are fools' - Exclusive
Published 23:00 08/02/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror
David Sullivan reckons any Birmingham fans who abuse him tomorrow are fools
after declaring his regime the best in the club's history. Sullivan, the
Gold brothers and Karren Brady bought City in 1993 and turned the club from
being doomed to the third tier into a Premier League team. But outspoken
Essex-based tycoon Sullivan, 61, had an uneasy relationship with Brum fans
before selling up last October for £81.5million to Carson Yeung. Sullivan
and David Gold then pumped £25m each into West Ham last month to take a
controlling interest in the top-flight strugglers. And the pair's recent
claim that West Ham was the club they always wanted after growing up
supporting the Hammers infuriated many Blues' supporters. Now the scene is
set for an explosive atmosphere when City visit Upton Park tomorrow in the
Premier League. Sullivan said: "I think the foolish fans will give us some
stick. "They are full of hot air, but deep down they know we did a good job.
"Birmingham has never had a better owner in the history of the club. "I said
I won't be there forever and ultimately I will be back in London. "We were
always outsiders at Birmingham. But in three years' time the fans will look
back and see what a wonderful job we did and what a great shape the club is
in. "We rebuilt the ground and made the club self-sufficient and
self-funding - it is a viable business. "It was dilapidated. You had to p***
up against the walls and there was no hot water - that was the state of the
toilet facilities on the Kop. "We left a fantastic manager in Alex McLeish,
who is on a relatively low wages relative to the job he does. "We left a
staff and infrastructure, with top people and wages the club could afford.
"We haven't left a heap of rubbish. "The change of ownership has worked both
for us, the club, the supporters and the new owners. "We could not be more
pleased to see the club doing well and I mean that from the bottom of my
heart."
But Yeung's takeover sparked a war of words between the outgoing regime and
their successors. Hong Kong businessman Yeung was livid at being contracted
to give ex-MD Brady a big pay-off - as well as inheriting a raft of bills.
He ordered a post-acquisition due diligence at St Andrews to probe the books
- all revealed by MirrorFootball . David Sullivan: Birmingham cash probe was
just 'sour grapes' Birmingham City owner Carson Yeung calls in police to
probe club finances Yeung and City's vice-president Peter Pannu, a former
Hong Kong cop and barrister, even called in police to investigate. But no
charges were brought and Sullivan insists relations in the boardroom will be
cordial. He added: "The Chinese moaned because there were a couple of
million of normal bills not paid, but the reality is the club is in great
shape and not a single player is on more than £25,000-a-week. "All I want
now is good relationships between both clubs and I have a present for
Carson. "I have a white and blue gold and diamond broach and cufflinks that
I had made when I owned Birmingham and I am passing them on to him. "They
are beautiful items and very valuable. We want peace in our time."
Sullivan and the Gold brothers saved Birmingham from bankruptcy and still
look out for their former club's results. But with the Hammers battling
relegation and £110m in debt, Sullivan says he only wants one winner
tomorrow night. He said: "It will be a strange, surreal situation. "But we
are desperate for the points and it is more important to West Ham than
Birmingham. "West Ham have a habit of giving away leads in games so I won't
be celebrating if we score - I will be celebrating the win. "I think we will
stay up, which would relieve me. "This is a club we wanted for 20 years and
we are where we wanted to be. "A 25 minute drive is so much easier than
two-and-a-half hours up the motorway.
"We can do a better job as stewards of the club because we can go to more
things."
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West Ham United's new owners end contract with PR adviser Phil Hall
Gemma O'Reilly, prweek.com, 08 February 2010, 09:56am
West Ham United has terminated its contract with its retained PR adviser
Phil Hall for financial reasons. Former News of the World editor Hall's
contract expired in April, but he has been asked to stand down because of
the club's perilous financial position. Hall confirmed that West Ham's new
owners David Sullivan and David Gold had asked PHA Media to quit 'because of
the club's financial plight'. Hall added: 'I hope that when things are on a
better financial footing, there may be a chance to return in a professional
capacity.'
Last month West Ham were taken over by ex-Birmingham City owners Sullivan
and Gold, in a deal that valued their 50 per cent stake in the club at
£105m. At the time of the takeover, it was reported that the club had debts
of about £100m. PRWeek reported last week that Hall had been hired by former
England captain and Chelsea player John Terry to manage his PR in the wake
of allegations his has cheated on his wife.
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Hammer house of horrors! Gold and Sullivan reveal the truth behind the
financial meltdown they've uncovered at West Ham
EXCLUSIVE By Matt Barlow
Last updated at 12:12 AM on 09th February 2010
Daily Mail
Two fans travel to an away game. One has refreshments in a West Ham carrier
bag, the other proudly wears a spanking new claret and blue tie.
Conversation revolves around the team. Who will play? What formation? What
about the trio of new strikers they will see for the first time at Burnley?
Will they fit in? Relegation doesn't bear thinking about but a few hours
later, on the way home from a 2-1 defeat at Turf Moor, it seems a stark
possibility. The Hammers have slipped into the bottom three. It would be 'a
disaster', the pair agree as we whizz through the sky at 500mph, cruising at
an altitude of 22,000 feet in a Learjet 45, stylishly upholstered in pale
grey leather. They are David Sullivan and David Gold, they own West Ham
(well, half of it) and are at pains to point out that the cost of this
flight comes from their own bank account, as their travel expenses always
do.
The two Davids, former owners of Birmingham City, are in a confused state.
Giddy with excitement at the prospect of their new project, this has been
tempered by the financial mess they have unearthed at Upton Park. Each day
seems to bring a new discovery of players and executives on fat salaries and
long contracts, totally out of step with the club's status. Gianfranco Zola,
in his first job as a manager, was employed on a three-year deal worth
£1.9million a year. His assistant manager Steve Clarke, lured from Chelsea
to offer experience, earns £1.2m a year, more than double that of his
equivalent at Manchester United. Kieron Dyer, bought for £7m from Newcastle
and handed a four-year contract on £3.5m a year despite his awful injury
record, will probably end up costing West Ham close to £30m. He has started
only five Premier League games for the club and is currently recovering from
a nagging hamstring injury. Dean Ashton was handed a new five-year deal
despite excessive injury problems. Ashton announced his retirement this
season with West Ham obliged to give him a year's pay as compensation.
Dyer's agent has received £1m for his transfer in 2007 and, a year later,
Valon Behrami's agent was paid £1.5m for helping to bring the Swiss
midfielder to the club from Lazio. These are just a few examples of the
recklessness which has driven the Hammers to the brink of catastrophe and
the new owners predict it will be three years for the problems to bottom
out. 'By the fourth year, maybe we can start to look forward,' said
Sullivan. 'The situation they've inherited from us at Birmingham is far
better than the one we've inherited, in terms of the way the club is run,
the wages they carry, contracts, infrastructure. The training ground at
Birmingham is vastly superior. We spent millions on it. 'At West Ham, we
have a lot of players on too much money and a lot of very injured players.
It is a disaster if we go down but we'll just have to find a solution. We're
hoping to stay up and deliver an improved team next season. Some players
will have to come in, some will have to go.'
Zola, Clarke and the players were summoned to a meeting with Sullivan and
Gold soon after last month's regime change. The squad were told in no
uncertain terms that none of them would be allowed to leave in January and
that they would be expected to fight to keep the club in the Premier League.
They were also promised that at the end of the season, if any of them wanted
out then they would be allowed to go. The new owners will not accommodate
unhappy players. Sullivan has dedicated his time to little other than West
Ham in the past month and he rubs at tired eyes. His partner, Eve, testifies
to his 18-hour working days - he finally shuts down his computer at 2am -
but there have been signs of progress on some key issues. Deals to sign
three strikers - Benni McCarthy, Mido and Ilan - were rushed through before
last week's transfer deadline and when Sullivan met Alan Curbishley last
week they had a promising discussion about a possible agreement on the
former manager's compensation payment for constructive dismissal, a case he
won against the club in November. There has also been progress on their
proposed new training ground, with planning permission granted. Already
taking shape are plans to lay three pitches at the new 29-acre site at Rush
Green near Romford, amid concerns that the surface at the old training
ground in Chadwell Heath may be contributing to injury problems. Gold is
also keen to press on with talks about moving the Hammers to the Olympic
Stadium in Stratford after the Games in 2012. 'We need that stadium to be
part of the programme,' said Gold. 'We'll try to persuade the Government and
those involved that we are the best way forward. As an athletics stadium,
you'll get 5,000 people there on three weekends a year. It doesn't make any
economic sense. To claim you're leaving that as a legacy is like saying
we'll leave it to rot.'
Sullivan backs him up, explaining how West Ham could embrace the community
in such a stadium. The pair are contrasting personalities but they have
worked together for more than 30 years and they operate in harmony. 'We even
finish each other's sentences, like an old married couple,' said Gold,
older, calmer and more relaxed than the robust and bustling Sullivan. 'We're
very different characters. Dave has qualities I don't have and I have
qualities Dave doesn't - not many, but I do. It works well and I think the
key is respect.' Nearly a month after taking control at Upton Park, Sullivan
and Gold are yet to savour a win. Tomorrow they host Birmingham, the club
they sold last autumn to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung after more than
16 years at St Andrew's. 'I hope they win every single game this season
except this one,' said Sullivan. 'We need the points rather badly. I hope
they get thrashed. Five-nil. Good for the goal difference.' The pair never
won a place in the hearts of Birmingham supporters despite their success.
They arrived with the club on an unstoppable slide into the third tier of
English football and took it into the Barclays Premier League, developing a
reputation as wealthy but prudent owners.
Sullivan said: 'Two years ago all our fans were saying, 'Why don't you do
what Portsmouth are doing?' and I said: 'Well, is it an achievement to lose
£38m in a season and extend your credit to win the FA Cup on a fluke year
when Barnsley knock out Chelsea and Liverpool?' 'Everyone thinks it's bloody
marvellous. I don't think it is. But that's not what people want to hear.
Maybe now they look back and think it was right. They might not if they see
one or two clubs, like Pompey or Crystal Palace, going out of business or
getting relegated one or two divisions because they go into receivership
rather than administration.'
Gold and Sullivan's reception in the East End has been very different. Gold
was almost dragged into the crowd by fans who wanted to shake his hand as he
walked around the pitch to his seat at Turf Moor. After the horrors of the
Icelandic ownership, they will be heroes if they can stabilise West Ham in
the top flight and chase away the threat of bankruptcy. Sullivan added:
'We're pursuing a dream but we don't want it to burst. So we'll pursue the
dream, mixed in with a little common sense. And in three or fours years'
time, let's say we've sorted out the mess at West Ham, and Dave might say to
me, 'Let's smack some money in and give it a go this year', we might well do
that.
'One year, we'll chase it, knowing we'll run up a £30m or £40m loss just to
see if we can make it. We did that at Birmingham once when we signed Heskey
and Gronkjaer, who was dreadfully disappointing, and three or four others.'
Gold finishes the point, stressing the we: 'Did you hear what Dave said? WE
will do that. We will not go and borrow it, knowing that if we fail, the
football club will be landed with the debt. There's a difference.'
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Dyer straits! Five starts, no goals...and Kieron Dyer will cost West Ham
30million quid!
EXCLUSIVE By Matt Barlow
Last updated at 11:02 PM on 08th February 2010
Daily Mail
Kieron Dyer's West Ham nightmare will cost the club close to a staggering
£30million over the course of his four-year contract at Upton Park. Dyer has
started only five Barclays Premier League games for the Hammers in
two-and-a-half years and has yet to score a goal for the club. The former
England midfielder is fast becoming an emblem of the reckless financial
regime of Icelandic owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson and his sidekick Eggert
Magnusson. West Ham's medical team raised doubts about Dyer's signing when
he arrived from Newcastle in August 2007 but the transfer was rushed through
before the deadline because the owners were keen to showcase top-class
players. Dyer, who has managed just 558 minutes of League action for the
club, signed a four-year deal reported to be worth £70,000 a week but broke
his right leg soon after his debut and missed more than a year as he
suffered complications in his recovery. His transfer fee was £7m - £1m more
than the figure publicised at the time - and the agents' fees on the deal
cost the Hammers another £1m. Together with bonuses and National Insurance
contributions, the club can expect to have paid out the thick end of £30m
for him by the time his contract has expired at the end of next season. Dyer
has struggled through this campaign with hamstring problems and the
31-year-old has not played since limping off at Bolton in December. He is
closing in on another first-team return but if his fitness fails and he
breaks down again, West Ham could seek to negotiate a deal to pay up his
contract and bring to a premature end his disastrous spell at the club. Such
lavish rewards and lengthy contracts are not likely to be encouraged by new
owners David Sullivan and David Gold, who signed Mido on loan from
Middlesbrough last month for a basic wage of just £1,000 a week.
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West Ham United v Birmingham City: Match Preview
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 8th February 2010
By: Preview Percy
He claims not to have slept with Wayne Bridge's girlfriend. Ever. He is
Preview Percy and this is his look at this Wednesday's match against
Birmingham.......
Next up we entertain Birmingham City in a 7.45 kick-off on Wednesday
evening. There will, of course, be many cameras on the directors' box for
this one, the match marking as it does the first time SuGo will have come up
against the club that they sold to Carson Yeung's Grandtop International
Holdings last August. Whilst the new owners may have brought three strikers
to the club they have a little bit to learn in setting fashion trends –
sales of Russian hats and claret smoking jackets haven't exactly gone
through the roof in these parts since the takeover though, if it gets much
colder we may see a few more of the hats on show.
The visitors are enjoying a fine first season following their promotion last
season. They currently lie in 8th place some 16 points clear of ourselves.
In their last six league matches they've won 2, drawn 3 and lost just the
once. The 3-0 defeat came at Chelsea and put an end to a 15 match unbeaten
run. The run was inspired by their ability to field virtually an unchanged
line up in most of those games. In fact the weekend victory against Wolves
was the twelfth match in a row that they had been able to field the same
starting eleven. If only…..
Given McLeish's understandable reluctance to fix what ain't broke, it should
be fairly easy to predict how they'll line-up. Joe Hart, who is spending the
season on loan from Man City, will start in goal. The back four has been
made up of Carr, Ridgewell, Johnson and Dann. Ridgewell is the first of two
ex-Hammers likely to feature; the other being Lee Bowyer who is enjoying the
regular runout in midfield that he would have been unable to count on at the
Boleyn. The midfield quartet has been completed by Larsson, Ferguson (who
may deign to represent his country now they've sacked that nasty manager)
and McFadden, the latter playing behind a front two of Benitez (alias
Chucho) and Jerome.
At the weekend Benitez picked up a knock which led to his replacement on the
hour by the veteran Kevin Phillips (bonnnnggg! – an in-joke for older
readers there). A good thing too as it was Phillips' sharp instincts in the
box that brought the blues back from 1-0 down to give them a 2-1 victory – a
win that was quite useful from our own point of view as well. There are no
reports at present suggesting Benitez's injury will prevent him from
starting on Wednesday and, given McLeish's recent statement to the effect
that Phillips is at his best when coming off the bench, expect Benitez to
start despite Phillips's brace at the weekend.
They had a quiet transfer window. Attempts to sign a new striker were
thwarted by something of an own-goal from owner Yeung, whose proud
announcement that McLeish would have £40m to spend during the window is
thought to have been the main cause of their being held to ransom by selling
clubs. Spurs in particular came in for some criticism, as a reported verbal
agreement to sell the out-of-favour Roman Pavlyuchenko for £10m was reneged
on and a fee of £15m sought instead once someone had found the press cutting
containing Yeung's comments. Another plan to sign Argentine international
Mauro Boselli on loan fell through when the two clubs that jointly own him
insisted on a permanent deal rather than the "loan with an option" deal that
Birmingham would have preferred. The collapse of the deal is rumoured to
have upset the money-grabbing hypocrites at Brammall Lane whose legal
ambulance chasers were positively rubbing their hands with glee at the
prospect of somehow earning further unearned and undeserved bucks out of a
player transfer which might have contained fourth party influence.
Birmingham also had a look at Pompey's Dindane but, again things got
complicated with Lens - the player's parent club – and the pulled out of the
deal. Other potential strikers' wage demands soon went through the roof with
the net effect that no strikers were signed. A rueful vice-chairman Peter
Pannu commented "let's move on to the summer – and this time we'll say
nothing".
So what of us. Well it has to be said that the recent run of "winnables" has
been disappointing, though some of the knee-jerking that went on after the
Burnley defeat was a bit over the top. At Pompey we were denied 3 points by
dreadful refereeing whilst at Turf Moor with just a tad more luck in front
of goal, we could have won. However, if you make daft errors that mean you
go 2-0 down before you really get going it's always going to be an uphill
struggle.
On the bright side, like Benitez, there have been no reports that the injury
that curtailed McCarthy's involvement on Saturday will keep him out of the
picture on Wednesday night, which should mean that Zola will be able to
start him alongside Cole, which appears to be his preferred pairing when
going with two up front. Mido was unlucky not to score and the other new boy
Ilan scored the sort of messy affair that we haven't seen for a while. On
the injury front Franco is listed as being close to a return, but then again
the same source quotes the same for Gabbidon and Dyer so make of that what
you will.
This will be a tough one. The visitors' record speaks for itself and the
settled side they've been able to pick week in week out makes you wonder if
it'd be worth SuGo's while to have a quiet word with a couple of their
former employees on the medical side with a view to a move southwards. I've
allowed mindless optimism based on gut feeling to govern predictions
recently. Although I have that same gut feeling about a possible win for
this one, putting a more realistic hat on I think that a draw is the more
likely result, especially given the identity of the referee allocated this
match. I'll therefore go for 2-2 in this one as we attempt to crawl our way
out of trouble.
Enjoy the game!
Last season: did not play
Danger man: Lee Bowyer – has picked up a few goals this season and that
strange law that says players score against former clubs is also a worry.
However the real danger man to any proper result in this one is……
Referee: Mike Dean - added to a long list of appalling decisions that have
cost us dear with the penalty decision that cost us two points v Chelsea.
Decided to take the word of an unsighted lino rather than trust his own eyes
when much better placed. A referee you wouldn't trust to sit the right way
up on a toilet seat. A referee so awful that……
(editor's note: at this point Preview Percy was led away by some gentlemen
in white coats who told us that they'd release him as long as we promised to
look after him. We said we'd get back to them).
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David Sullivan warns West Ham's high earners of pay cuts
'It'll be Armageddon if we go down - worse than Newcastle'
Pay reductions reported to amount to 25% of salaries
Gregg Roughley guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 9 February 2010
David Sullivan has been shocked by the value of the contracts he has
inherited at West Ham. The West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has revealed
that players and management staff will be asked to take a salary cut even if
the club avoids relegation from the Premier League and has warned that it
will be "Armageddon" if the Londoners go down. "Everyone will be asked to
take a cut this summer," Sullivan told the Sun, which reported that the pay
reductions would amount to 25% of their salaries. High earners such as Scott
Parker and Kieron Dyer, who reportedly take home around £65,000-a-week are
among those who may be affected, as well as the England defender Matthew
Upson. The full scale of the financial crisis at Upton Park is made clear in
documents which the paper claims reveal the club owes £15m to other teams in
outstanding fees for its current squad assembled for a costly £75m. "It'll
be Armageddon if we go down. It'll be worse than what's gone on at
Newcastle," said Sullivan. "I can't believe the contracts I've inherited.
Every position is overpaid, whether in administration or on the playing
side. All are earning more than they would at other clubs. "We have made
cutbacks already but may have to make another 20 or 30 people redundant by
the summer. We have already had people in senior positions offer to take a
voluntary 25% reduction to keep their jobs. It's been gratefully accepted.
If someone is doing a good job but is overpaid you still want to keep them.
But many people at the training ground should take a voluntary pay cut.
There's an army of people supporting the first team. Everyone at the club
will be asked to take a salary cut in the summer. The club is in a mess and
we all have to pull together. If we go down I can't even consider the
situation."
West Ham, two places off the bottom, face Sullivan and David Gold's former
club Birmingham City at Upton Park tomorrow evening. Gold has said he hopes
his new club "whack" Alex McLeish's side. "I was at Birmingham City for
years and it was great – but I really want to whack them," he said. "I have
a great fondness for Birmingham but it was said the way it ended. I am a lot
wiser now than when I went there 17 years ago and I want to win. My
allegiance is to West Ham – that it where my heart and sole is and I think
of my mum looking down and going: 'Come on you Hammers.'"
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West Ham's new owner David Gold urges his team to 'whack' his old club
Birmingham
David Gold has urged West Ham to "whack" former club Birmingham City at
Upton Park on Wednesday night.
Telegraph.co.uk
By John Ley
Published: 7:00AM GMT 09 Feb 2010
West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold (right) have brought some
much-needed stability to the club . Gold could be forgiven for nurturing
some feelings for the club he helped save and turn into a respected Premier
League force over a 17-year period. Not so. "I was at Birmingham City for
years and it was great – but I really want to whack them," said the 73
year-old, who, with David Sullivan, has stabilised West Ham after several
years of uncertainty. "I have a great fondness for Birmingham, but it was
sad the way it ended. "I am certainly a lot wiser now than when I went there
17 years ago and I want to win. Of course my allegiance is to West Ham –
that is where my heart and soul is and I think of my mum looking down and
going, 'Come on you Hammers'."
Indeed, Gold speaks fondly of playing for West Ham's juniors, of the days he
"snuck in" to the old Chicken Run and how he could afford just a penny for a
plate of liquor at locally-renowned Nathan's pie and eel shop, still serving
the local favourites just around the corner from Upton Park. That love for
West Ham comes from his upbringing in the East End, with the seeds sown for
the millions he now has by helping his mother sell buttons from a stall
outside the family home. Gold appreciates the importance of three points on
Wednesday night. The 2-1 defeat at Burnley on Saturday sent West Ham back to
the relegation zone with only 14 games remaining. "It is a massive game and
it should be very exciting," he added. "We need the points more than them –
they are fine, looking comfortable and even looking for European action."
And Gold believes that a successful fight against relegation could spell the
beginning of something special. "This is a big club. With no disrespect to
Birmingham, West Ham is bigger. It is a club with real tradition with FA Cup
victories and a history of great players like Bobby Moore."
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola had expected to have to sell the likes of
Robert Green, Matthew Upson and Carlton Cole. Instead, he was allowed to
bring in Ilan, Benni McCarthy and Mido. Gold added: "We signed three players
in the window but the most important thing was we didn't sell anybody.
Before we came in they were looking at selling three players from a possible
five but we were able to prevent that and, instead he's got three more
players."
And Gold admitted that he had a tear in his eye when he finally took his
seat in the West Ham directors' box for the previous home game against
Blackburn. When the PA announcer heralded the arrival of Gold and Sullivan,
the pair got a standing ovation. "The response was really nice," said Gold
with a smile. "I already thought I had made the right decision [coming here]
but that just endorsed it. "Fans play a big part in your life and play a big
part in the decisions you make. If you have their backing and they are
onside you go that extra mile."
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West Ham's leading light Scott Parker can halt descent into relegation
darkness
West Ham must follow Scott Parker's lead if they are to arrest their slide
into the Championship.
Teleraph.co.uk
By Henry Winter
Published: 7:00AM GMT 09 Feb 2010
West Ham need all of Scott Parker's combative spirit to get them out of the
relegation battle. It's serious now. Blessed with a loyal support and guided
by a long-established commitment to passing football, West Ham have always
been an attractive point of the Premier League compass. But unless
Gianfranco Zola's players start fighting for their lives, following Scott
Parker's example and giving every drop of sweat for the claret-and-blue
cause, West Ham will soon be setting their sat-navs for journeys through the
Championship. Their descent into the dark recesses of the elite's basement
seems to have occurred almost by stealth. The nation's radar has,
admittedly, been busy blipping over more high-profile movement surrounding
the England captaincy, the title race and the chase for fourth. Suddenly, as
they prepare to take on Birmingham City at Upton Park on Wednesday, the
spotlight burns on West Ham. Their form has been poor, their cutting edge
blunted by the absence of a goalscorer, until Carlton Cole's welcome return.
Their problems have been exacerbated by opponents rising from the depths. If
poor old Pompey seem trapped in Davy Jones's locker, Hull have certainly
battled to the surface, gulping in the oxygen of 14th place as West Ham sunk
to 18th. Few people would swap many of Phil Brown's players with Zola's on
grounds of technique (although Boaz Myhill might threaten Rob Green). What
Hull possess is spirit, a dogged determination to scrap their way to points.
Chelsea were held last week and Manchester City beaten on Saturday. West Ham
must acquire such mental toughness before it's too late. Fortunately, the
Boleyn can call on Parker. Every time Parker steps on to the pitch, the West
Ham faithful know that here is a man who will never surrender, who will
never stop running. Opponents know they have been in a dogfight when
vacating the midfield area patrolled by Parker. If anyone is to lead West
Ham out of the heart of darkness it will be Parker. Zola can create the
plans for the great escape by getting the balance right in his front six.
Parker and Valon Behrami have to start in midfield while Junior Stanislas,
raw but cocky, brings some much-needed width. Either Mark Noble or Jack
Collison completes the quartet. Mido, lively at Burnley, is worth using in
the hole behind Cole with Ilan deployed as an impact substitute (Benni
McCarthy is gifted but too laid back). A 4-4-1-1 formation would give West
Ham some steel in midfield and enough attacking options. With a squad as fit
and deep as he has enjoyed all season, Zola must get his tactics right now.
Anybody who loves football will wish Zola well. He embodies all that is good
about the game, making the ball dance as a player and now seeking to imbue
his team with positive principles. But the table shows no mercy. The
anticipated cut for survival is around 37 points. West Ham have 14 games to
collect 16 points. Some should be reaped in the home fixtures with Wolves,
Sunderland and Wigan. Otherwise, the task looks tough for Zola's men unless
they all rival Parker's exertions. Hull's Feb 20 visit looks huge,
Birmingham are flying while the other Upton Park guests include Bolton and
Stoke, just the physical types to trouble Zola's defence, and Manchester
City's Champions League-chasers on the final day. The away schedule is
little more than an assault course. If West Ham take more than a couple of
points at Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and Liverpool the
church bells of the East End of London will ring loud and proud. Their last
away game, Fulham, looks a must-win. Zola's post-match utterances are rarely
imbued with great insight but Saturday's verdict was stark. "Time is running
out,'' said West Ham's manager, "and we need to start winning.'' It's
serious now.
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