WHUFC.com
West Ham United were edged out by the only goal by Tottenham Hotspur in a
reserve-team friendly
16.03.2010
A young West Ham United reserve side were beaten 1-0 in a specially-arranged
friendly with Tottenham Hotspur at Spurs Lodge on Tuesday. A Hammers squad
including the likes of Frank Nouble, who has recently returned from a loan
spell at Coca-Cola Championship title-chasers West Bromwich Albion, and
fit-again Matt Fry, back after a spell out with a knee problem, ran Spurs
close, only to lose out to a single goal scored by Tottenham full-back Adam
Smith. Coached by reserve-team manager Alex Dyer, West Ham worked hard on a
sunny day in Chigwell, with Nouble coming close to snatching an equaliser on
two occasions. "It was a good morning's work," said Dyer. "The lads came out
and started a little bit slower than Tottenham, and they scored early doors.
"After that, we got into the game and had a couple of good chances. The boys
started to dominate a little bit and we passed the ball well. It was a good
game, rather than being a 'friendly' with the boys just going through the
motions. They worked hard. "Jordan Spence was our captain and he was good
and led by example. It was also good to see Matt come back in as it was his
first game for a while. "Frank was back and he put a good shift in up front.
He had the two best chances we created and, to be honest, I would have
expected him to do a bit better, but at least he was there in the place to
have the opportunity to miss them, which was a good thing."
Dyer's reserves return to competitive action with a Barclays Premier Reserve
League South trip to Barnet FC's Underhill Stadium to take on Arsenal next
Monday evening, with kick-off at 7pm.
West Ham United reserves: Kurucz, Modelski, Spence, Fry, Brown, Wearen,
Payne, Lee, Okus, Abdulla, Nouble
Subs: Loveday, Brookes, McNaughton, Barrett, Dixon
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N'Gala joins Plymouth
WHUFC.com
Academy graduate Bondz N'Gala is to join Plymouth Argyle for the rest of the
2009/10 season
16.03.2010
West Ham United central defender Bondz N'Gala has joined Plymouth Argyle on
loan until the end of the season. The 20-year-old will go straight into
Argyle's squad for their Championship match at Bristol City on Tuesday
night. Plymouth will be his fourth loan club after previous spells at
Weymouth, Milton Keynes Dons and Scunthorpe United - the latter spell seeing
him play three games in the second tier of English football last October.
The imposing Forest Gate-born N'Gala has progressed through the Academy
ranks since joining as a 13-year-old. He has gone on to captain the reserves
and made his first-team debut back in September last year as a late
substitute in the 3-1 defeat by Bolton Wanderers in the Carling Cup third
round. Reserve-team manager Alex Dyer said: "I wish Bondz all the luck. I
made him captain when I took charge of the reserves and he was excellent. He
is hard-working and I am glad he has got this opportunity to play regularly
as it will help improve him as a player. "I will keep an eye on him down
there and follow what he does with interest. Bondz won't let anyone down and
he will always give 100 per cent. He needs to learn his trade and have the
chance to play first-team football."
The 6'2-tall N'Gala joins Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson and Freddie Sears out on
loan. Sears is at Coventry City and was an unused substitute last Saturday
when they drew 1-1 at Plymouth to maintain their push for a play-off
position. Eyjolfsson has been a regular in central defence at Belgian
top-flight club KSV Roeselare since joining in January.
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Calum on his way
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 16th March 2010
By: Staff Writer
Calum Davenport is set to leave West Ham having agreed to mutually terminate
his contract, according to reports. Today's Sun claims that the United
defender - who has been out of action since being involved in a domestic
incident that almost cost him his career after he was stabbed in both legs -
has agreed to accept £250,000, around four months' wages, to nullify his
contract with West Ham. 27-year-old Davenport - who is currently on bail
until August having denied charges of assaulting his sister during the
aforementioned incident - joined the Irons from Tottenham for £3million in
January 2007 but has managed just 13 starts in all competitions since. His
current spell at the club is his second following a loan stay during Alan
Pardew's reign between September and November of 2004 - a spell in which he
managed 10 Championship starts. Davenport is set to leave West Ham at the
end of the current season regardless of West Ham's final league position,
according to the story.
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Pilgrims seal N'Gala deal
Hammers defender to see out season at Home Park
Last updated: 16th March 2010
SSN
Plymouth Argyle have finalised the signing of West Ham United defender Bondz
N'Gala on loan for the rest of the season. N'Gala had been expected to join
the Championship strugglers last week, but has now signed in time to be
available for Tuesday's game against Bristol City. He has made just one
senior appearance for the Hammers and the Premier League club hope the
20-year-old will benefit from his time at Home Park. Reserve-team manager
Alex Dyer told the club's official website: "I wish Bondz all the luck. I
made him captain when I took charge of the reserves and he was excellent.
"He is hard-working and I am glad he has got this opportunity to play
regularly as it will help improve him as a player. "I will keep an eye on
him down there and follow what he does with interest. Bondz won't let anyone
down and he will always give 100 per cent. He needs to learn his trade and
have the chance to play first-team football." N'Gala made two appearances on
loan for Plymouth's Championship rivals Scunthorpe United earlier this
season and he has previously had a stint at MK Dons.
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Kev set to Hammer Katsidis
The Sun
By GAVIN GLICKSMAN
Published: 16 Mar 2010
WEST HAM fan Kevin Mitchell will face Michael Katsidis at Upton Park on May
15. The venue for Mitchell's crack at the interim WBO lightweight title is
due to be confirmed on Wednesday. And promoter Frank Warren is confident the
unbeaten Dagenham Destroyer will lift the belt in front of a packed crowd.
Warren said: "It's a much bigger fight than people think it's going to be.
"Kevin's got a big following in that part of the world and no one's ever
promoted a world title fight in West Ham. "Dagenham will be empty and
hopefully the rest of the East End will as well."
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Davenport seeks clean break from West Ham
Published 17:26 16/03/10 By James Nursey
The Mirror
Calum Davenport wants a settlement on his West Ham contract so he can prove
his fitness at another club before the summer. Defender Davenport, 27, has
not played for the Hammers since last May after horrendous leg injuries in
an alleged stabbing by his sister's boyfriend. The ex-Tottenham star, who
earns £20,000-a-week at Upton Park, is due to stand trial at Luton Crown
Court in August for assaulting his sister Cara in the incident last August.
West Ham have controversially refused to pay Davenport's wages since January
following David Sullivan and David Gold's takeover. But Davenport's
contract is up in the summer and he is in negotiations with West Ham for a
pay-off so he can leave immediately. Davenport then hopes to find a new club
to train with to prove his fitness and move as a free agent this summer. A
source said: "Calum hasn't reached an agreement with West Ham yet but both
parties think it would be best if he has a fresh start."
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Shameless West Ham owner David Sullivan calls on fans to loosen the purse
strings
By Sportsmail Reporter Last updated at 7:07 PM on 16th March 2010
Daily Mail
Shameless West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is pleading with their million
armchair supporters to spend some money on the club and help them get out of
their financial mess.
Sullivan and David Gold are desperate to ease the crippling £110m debt which
they inherited from the former Icelandic owners when they took control of
the club back in January. Sullivan has no doubts that West Ham can become a
major European force within the next seven years but they need all their fan
base to plough some much needed money back into the club as the majority
choose to stay away from Upton Park. With West Ham facing a major relegation
dogfight, Sullivan has stressed the importance of their fans playing a major
role in helping them to retain their Premier League status. Sullivan said:
'We have a million supporters who probably haven't seen us play in the last
ten years and I bet 950,000 of them haven't even bought any club
merchandise. 'However, these million people would still highly regard
themselves as West Ham fans. 'David Gold and I are typical of maybe a
million Hammers fans. Other than when Birmingham maybe played West Ham, we
never saw them in the last 20 years. But, still we regarded ourselves as
West Ham fans.'As our accounts published, the club is in a mess, but with
the help of our million supporters, we will dig ourselves out of it. 'Within
five to seven years I believe we can be a power in British and European
football. We expect to make progress season on season until we become a
great side again. 'We need the help now of our million armchair-supporters
because we know they are just that - supporters. 'Come to a game before the
end of the season, buy something from the club shops, visit our website or
use a West Ham credit card. We need everyone to do something for the club we
all love.'
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4 Points Safe, Davenport's Pay off and Parker for England?
West Ham Till I Die
SSN have reported that the High Court today supported Pompey's current
administration process and rejected the HMRC's request for a winding up
order. That means that the 4 points won against Pompey, this season, are
likely to be safe, which is good news for us.
However, I am also pleased for Portsmouth and their fans. Although the drop
into the Championship is a certainty, this does buy them time to try to find
a new buyer and secure the long term future of the club. No genuine
football fan, no matter how partisan, really wants to see another club go
under and Pompey are a good club, with a history and traditions. Hopefully
they will now find some financial stability and come again in the future.
It has also been reported via other media outlets that the club have
negotiated a pay off with Callum Davenport. The player suffered a vicious,
career threatening assault and then, in turn, become the subject of a
prosecution. I do not feel the need to comment on that any further, but I
do hope that Davenport makes a full recovery and is able to continue his
playing career. If this report is true then he will be looking to make a
new start elsewhere. Good luck to him.
I think that everything that needs to be said about the Chelski performance
has been said. We were always up against it in this fixture and the team
did extremely well to go in at half time at 1-1. Zola's starting line up
was a bit of a puzzle, with Ilan and Mido starting up front and potential
match winners Cole and Diamanti warming the bench. Cole was either dropped
after his disappointing display against Bolton or his knee needed to be
rested?
The issue of Cole's knee condition has been raised a few times now. Yet it
has not been confirmed by the club, one way or the other, whether it is a
temporary condition or something that he needs to live with? Under these
circumstances, it is also an open question if the knee is presently
affecting his mobility and whether in future it wil need to be periodically
rested?
Ilan and Kovac were very disappointing against Chelski. Ilan was not at the
races and Kovac's distribution continues to let him down. Kovac has
significantly improved his defensive play, but his poor distribution remains
his Achilles heel. He will probably do a job against most PL teams, but it
is also likely that his shortcomings will continue to be exposed against the
top sides.
On the plus side, young Daprela did well again. He obviously lacks
experience, but is clearly made of the right stuff. Gabbidon made a
reasonable return and, overall, Upson played Drogba well. However, the
shining star in claret and blue was once again Scott Parker. This was
probably Parker's best performance in a season of sterling performances. He
was everywhere, winning challenges and driving the team forward. He then
capped it off with that wonderful strike. The question now is will it make
the short list for the MoTD goal of the month for March, with all those Man
Utd and Liverpool tap ins from 2 yards as stiff competition?
Seriously though, Parker really showed his quality in front of a watching
Capello. With Hargreaves out of the World Cup, England need a player like
Parker in the squad. Can he make a late challenge for a place in the WC
squad? On that mega-form, yes why not?
SJ. Chandos.
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Hitchcock steps in to replace Miklosko at West Ham
17.03.10 | tribalfootball.com
Kevin Hitchcock is set to be named new West Ham United goalkeeper coach. The
Mirror says West Ham legend Ludo Miklosko has been axed as the Hammers'
goalkeeping coach - in a behind-the-scenes move that will shock fans. Giant
Miklosko was a key part of Gianfranco Zola's staff but he is being moved out
and will be replaced by the experienced Hitchcock. Miklosko was a hero as a
player for the Hammers and a popular face around the club when he returned
as a coach, but he has been shifted out in a surprise shake-up. Hitchcock
was at Chelsea at the same time as Zola and coach Steve Clarke, but tongues
may also wag about his links with Mark Hughes - the boss tipped as a
potential future manager at Upton Park.
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Hammers target Pompey's Piquionne and Dindane
By Harry Harris, Football Correspondent
ESPN
March 16, 2010
West Ham are targeting both Portsmouth strikers Frederic Piquionne and Aruna
Dindane, as potential summer transfers. The Hammers brought in three
strikers - Benni McCarthy, Mido and Ilan - in the January transfer window,
but are interested in bringing in even more goalscoring potential once the
window opens again. Piquionne has made a big impact with Pompey despite
their incredible off-pitch traumas and, with an exodus expected at Fratton
Park, will almost certainly leave the club once his loan period from Lyon
ends. ''I am still under contract at Lyon,'' he told L'Equipe. ''I was at
the match against Real Madrid. But if they let me leave last summer that
means they do not really rely on me. ''Other forwards have come in since
then, and they cost a lot of money. I don't want to go back to Lyon and sit
on the bench. My preference would be to stay in England. I hope to make the
most of the final few months I have at Portsmouth and attract interest from
some English clubs.'' Dindane is another loanee who won't be extending his
deal from Lens, while Algerian defender Nadir Belhadj who cost £4.4 million
when he signed from the French club last January will be one of Pompey's
most saleable assets.
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