WHUFC.com
Avram Grant has been confirmed as the club's new manager, subject to a work
permit
03.06.2010
West Ham United are delighted to confirm the appointment of Avram Grant as
manager on a four-year contract, subject to being granted a work permit.
Grant will join the club fresh from leading Portsmouth to the FA Cup final
and has a wealth of domestic, European and international experience. His
most notable achievement in the game was to take Chelsea to the 2007/08 UEFA
Champions League final, where only a missed penalty in the shoot-out denied
him the trophy. Ahead of being officially unveiled later this month, Grant
said: "I am proud and honoured to be the manager of West Ham. It will be an
exciting challenge and I am ready to do my best. "This is a fantastic club
with great fans and a history that is respected around the world. I am
already looking forward to getting to work with my players in July and
preparing for the new season."
He has been welcomed to the club by the chairmen, with all looking forward
to a busy summer and 2010/11 season ahead - the "beginning of a new era at
West Ham United".
David Sullivan said: "I am delighted to welcome Avram to West Ham and am
confident he will prove a success. We have taken our time over this
appointment and are certain we have got the right man. "We are all looking
forward to next season with new players coming in and Avram's arrival is
just the latest reason for real optimism."
David Gold said: "I have to say that having met Avram and spent some time
with him that we have got our man. He is a perfect fit. "We needed
experience and stability. He is a footballing man and quite frankly his
reputation speaks for itself. He has a great sense of humour and I am sure
the players will relate to him and the fans will warm to him."
Keep an eye on whufc.com for exclusive reaction, including a special
supporters' Q & A with the new manager to be shown on WHUTV soon. Send in
your questions to website@westhamunited.co.uk with your name and where you
are from and we will pick a selection to put to Avram Grant in a filmed
interview. Then, log on to WHUTV to see whether your question has been
answered.
Avram Grant factfile
Born: 4 May 1955
Nationality: Israeli
Place of birth: Petah Tikva, Israel
Coaching career: Hapoel Petah Tikva, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi
Tel-Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Israel, Chelsea, Portsmouth
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Avram Grant confirmed as West Ham boss
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have appointed Avram Grant as the club's new manager on a four-year
contract, subject to a work permit. Grant, 55, succeeds Gianfranco Zola who
was sacked after the Hammers finished 17th in the Premier League. The
Israeli led Portsmouth to this season's FA Cup final, where they were beaten
1-0 by Chelsea. He has also spent one season in charge at Chelsea, guiding
them to the 2008 Champions League final, where they lost on penalties to
Manchester United. Speaking on Wednesday, before the appointment was
confirmed, West Ham co-chairman David Gold told BBC Sport: "After an hour,
we knew we could work with this manager. We are very optimistic. "I think
it's time for the football club to get some stability with people that have
been there, done that and got the T-shirt. "The bottom line is the
relationship between the manager and the chairman is critical. In our case
it's two chairmen so it's even more difficult as you need to have a
relationship between three people."
West Ham's owners want Grant to improve a squad which finished in 17th
position in the Premier League, one place above the relegation zone, with 35
points from 38 matches.
"We can't put our fans through that again. We want to put together a team
that was better than last year," said Gold. "We were very fortunate.
Normally 35 points gets you relegated. "What we need is a manager who has
achieved, has experience. We are not in a position where we can take on
young, inexperienced managers."
Gold said he hoped the appointment, subject to the relative formality of
Grant being granted a work permit, would herald a new era for West Ham,
which includes a possible move to the new Olympic Stadium in east London
after the 2012 Games. "The vibes from the politicians are this is the
perfect fit," said Gold of the potential for the Hammers to relocate from
the Boleyn Ground to Stratford. "What changed all this was spending a day at
the stadium at the beginning of May. "Let me tell you not many people have
seen what we have seen. This stadium is going to be as iconic, in my view,
as Wembley Stadium."
Grant is likely to bring in his own support team, and Zola's assistant Steve
Clarke - who worked with the Israeli at Chelsea - is not expected to have a
role at Upton Park.
West Ham had finished ninth under Zola in the 2008-09 campaign but struggled
last season with off-pitch turmoil and a prolonged takeover battle. "We did
ask Franco to keep us up and he did that, but I think we need to move on
from that. New owners like to choose their own people," said Gold. Gold and
Sullivan said the club had £110m debts when they took over in January. The
pair - together with Karren Brady - had previously been in charge for 16
years at Birmingham City where Barry Fry, Trevor Francis, Steve Bruce and
Alex McLeish were their managerial appointments. "We are over the worst at
West Ham, we've found most of the skeletons in the cupboard and are looking
forward to a bright, exciting future," said former Hammers youth player
Gold.
AVRAM GRANT FACTFILE
1986-2002: Managed Hapoel Petah Tikva, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Haifa and
Maccabi Haifa in Israel
2002-06 Israel national manager
2006 Director of football, Portsmouth
2007-08 Director of football, then manager, Chelsea
2009-10 Director of football, then manager, Portsmouth
"There are still many problems and most of all is the debt at the football
club. "We believe it is a great club and we can turn this round." He added:
"I've been 17 years in football and I know the critical thing in any
football club are the principles and the manager. "We got it right with
Steve Bruce. We got it right with Alex McLeish. "Like all managers, our new
manager will bring his own people in, and we are comfortable with that."
Grant may well turn to his former club Portsmouth for recruits after their
relegation to the Championship following a season which saw the club docked
nine points for going into administration. The current West Ham squad boasts
goalkeeper Robert Green, centre-half Matthew Upson, midfielder Scott Parker
and striker Carlton Cole as players who have been capped by England. Several
younger players, such as defender James Tomkins, midfielders Mark Noble and
Jack Collison and strikers Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines, have progressed
from the club's famed academy. Given the club's debts, Grant is seen as a
perfect candidate for operating in the transfer market with a limited
budget. He is unlikely to be handed a huge transfer kitty, but will be
eyeing moves both in and out of Upton Park, with the squad due to report
back for pre-season training on 5 July. West Ham have narrowly escaped
relegation twice in the last four seasons, and the new owners are hoping for
a more stable period. "I've been a fan for as long as I can remember and
still am, and we fans are very demanding," said Gold. Gold and Sullivan
announced last month they were increasing their holding in the club from 50%
to 60% with an injection of £4m each. "We've added another £8m which shows
our integrity and intent. We've got to rebuild the club and its
infrastructure," said Gold. "What fans have to do is trust their principles
and trust their chairmen. These chairmen put their money where their mouths
are."
Grant arrived as Portsmouth's director of football in October 2009 but
replaced Paul Hart as manager the following month, with the club bottom of
the league with just seven points from 13 games. Crippled by financial
problems, the club went into administration in February and were
subsequently deducted nine points by the Premier League. They went on to
finish bottom of the table on 19 points but reached the FA Cup final, losing
the Wembley showpiece 1-0 to Grant's former club Chelsea. He won 10, lost 16
and drew seven of his 33 matches in charge. Grant announced his decision to
leave the beaten FA Cup finalists in an open letter to fans. "This was one
of the most difficult decisions I've had to take in my football career," he
said. "I will never forget you, the loyal fans of Pompey, who, without a
doubt, helped me protect the team under such complex circumstances," he
said.
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Grant confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd June 2010
By: Staff Writer
Avram Grant has been confirmed as the new manager of West Ham United FC.
Subject to a work permit, which the club have been awaiting for several
days, the Israeli boss is the club's 13th full time manager having signed a
four-year deal to succeed Gianfranco Zola. Talking to whufc.com, Grant said:
"I am proud and honoured to be the manager of West Ham. It will be an
exciting challenge and I am ready to do my best. "This is a fantastic club
with great fans and a history that is respected around the world. I am
already looking forward to getting to work with my players in July and
preparing for the new season." Joint chairman David Sullivan welcomed the
arrival of Grant, adding: "I am delighted to welcome Avram to West Ham and
am confident he will prove a success. We have taken our time over this
appointment and are certain we have got the right man.
"We are all looking forward to next season with new players coming in and
Avram's arrival is just the latest reason for real optimism." Sullivan's
partner David Gold said: "I have to say that having met Avram and spent some
time with him that we have got our man. He is a perfect fit. "We needed
experience and stability. He is a footballing man and quite frankly his
reputation speaks for itself. He has a great sense of humour and I am sure
the players will relate to him and the fans will warm to him." We'll have
more reaction to Grant's appointment throughout the day.
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Grant named Hammers boss
Former Pompey and Chelsea manager handed four-year deal
By Rob Parrish Last updated: 3rd June 2010
SSN
Avram Grant has been confirmed as the new manager of West Ham and has agreed
a four-year deal with the Upton Park club, subject to a work permit. The
former Portsmouth and Chelsea manager emerged as the hot favourite to take
charge of the East London club following Gianfranco Zola's departure at the
end of the season. Hammers co-owners David Gold and David Sullivan put
together a four-man shortlist for the role, which also included Blackburn
boss Sam Allardyce, Cardiff manager Dave Jones and Blackpool's Ian Holloway.
But Israeli Grant was always the stand-out candidate and took a significant
step closer to the job when he parted company with Pompey late last month.
The 57-year-old earned praise from all quarters as he guided the stricken
South Coast club to the FA Cup final, where they were narrowly beaten by
Chelsea, but was unable to prevent relegation to the Championship following
a nine-point deduction for going into administration. He inherits a West Ham
side which only narrowly avoided the drop last season, a miserable campaign
which cost Zola his job following a number of very public spats with
Sullivan and Gold.
Grant told the club's official website: "I am proud and honoured to be the
manager of West Ham. It will be an exciting challenge and I am ready to do
my best. "This is a fantastic club with great fans and a history that is
respected around the world. I am already looking forward to getting to work
with my players in July and preparing for the new season."
Co-owners Gold and Sullivan were united in their praise for a man they hope
will help guide the Hammers to success in the new season and beyond. Gold
said: "I have to say that having met Avram and spent some time with him that
we have got our man. He is a perfect fit. "We needed experience and
stability. He is a footballing man and quite frankly his reputation speaks
for itself. He has a great sense of humour and I am sure the players will
relate to him and the fans will warm to him." And Sullivan added: "I am
delighted to welcome Avram to West Ham and am confident he will prove a
success. We have taken our time over this appointment and are certain we
have got the right man.
"We are all looking forward to next season with new players coming in and
Avram's arrival is just the latest reason for real optimism."
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GRANT CONFIRMED AS WEST HAM MANAGER
LMA
Avram Grant has been appointed as the new manager of West Ham United. A
statement on the club website read; West Ham United are delighted to confirm
the appointment of Avram Grant as manager on a four-year contract, subject
to being granted a work permit. "Ahead of being officially unveiled later
this month, Grant said: "I am proud and honoured to be the manager of West
Ham. It will be an exciting challenge and I am ready to do my best. "This is
a fantastic club with great fans and a history that is respected around the
world. I am already looking forward to getting to work with my players in
July and preparing for the new season." He has been welcomed to the club by
the chairmen, with all looking forward to a busy summer and 2010/11 season
ahead - the "beginning of a new era at West Ham United".
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Grant is the New Manager: Confirmed
West Ham Till I Die
West Ham have confirmed the signing of Avram Grant as manager on a four year
contract. It's said to be worth £4 million with a substantial pay on results
element. Grant will not be able to start work until his work permit comes
through, but that is thought to be a formality. There's no doubting Avram
Grant's pedigree, but I have to admit I have some reservations about his
qualification to manage a team like West Ham. He's incredibly dour and I
think it will take him some time to establish a rapport with the fans. We
like managers who are ebullient and wear their hearts on their sleeves.
Grant is the polar opposite of that. But the main thing is that he must be
allowed to do something which Gianfranco Zola never had the opportunity to
do – build his own team. I suspect we will see a lot of comings and goings
over the next few weeks.
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