WHUFC.com
Scott Parker played his first game of the pre-season as Thomas Hitzlsperger
hit the winner
23.07.2010
Panathinaikos 0-1 West Ham United
Scott Parker made a welcome return to action with a 45-minute run-out as the
Hammers made it three wins from three this summer. The England midfielder
was made captain for the rain-sodden match in Kitzbuhel, just across the
Austrian border from the club's Bavarian base. He lined up alongside Mark
Noble and Thomas Hitzlsperger in midfield, and it was his German colleague
who scored the only goal of the game. Just before half-time, Der Hammer let
fly with a pile-driver of a free-kick that raced into the goal.
The win was a hard-fought one with the Greek double winners and UEFA
Champions League contenders stepping it up after the break. Sotiris Ninis
was the danger man in the second half but could not find a way through.
Grant will be delighted to see Danny Gabbidon, Herita Ilunga and Kieron Dyer
all show their fitness over 45 minutes.
The Hammers had already won their previous two pre-season fixtures. A 2-1
win against Peterborough United was followed by last Saturday's 2-0 success
to kick off the Germany training camp against VfL Borussia Monchengladbach.
Friday's defeat of Panathinaikos was the second straight clean sheet as
well.
The squad will travel back to England on a high this weekend before
Wednesday night's trip to MK Dons and the Saturday week date at Ipswich
Town. The FIFA World Cup quartet of Robert Green, Jonathan Spector, Matthew
Upson and Valon Behrami will add to the mix as well as new recruits Pablo
Barrera and Freddie Piquionne.
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International date for Boleyn
WHUFC.com
Four-times World Cup winners Italy will meet Ivory Coast at the Boleyn
Ground on 10 August
23.07.2010
West Ham United are delighted to announce that Italy and Ivory Coast will
meet in a mouth-watering international friendly at the Boleyn Ground next
month.
The four-times FIFA World Cup winners will take on the Elephants at 7.45pm
on Tuesday 10 August, giving Hammers supporters the chance to watch the
likes of Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and AC Milan stars Andrea
Pirlo and Gianluca Zambrotta tackle Chelsea striker Didier Drogba and
Manchester City brothers Kolo and Yaya Toure.
Tickets for what promises to be an unforgettable night start from as little
as £20 for Adults, £15 for West Ham United season ticket holders and Academy
members, £10 for Young Adults and £5 for Under-16s.
Tickets are on general sale and are available by calling the Ticket Office
on 0871 222 2700 and selecting Option 1 or Option 3 or online at
whufcboxoffice.com
Alternatively, personal callers can purchase their tickets from the West
Stand Ticket Office at the Boleyn Ground, which is open 9am to 5pm, Monday
to Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.
Both nations will be seeking to bounce back to winning ways after enduring a
difficult time at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where they combined to win just
one of six matches between them. Reigning champions Italy and hotly-tipped
African challengers Ivory Coast were both eliminated at the group-stage in
South Africa and will have new coaches in the dugout in east London. The
Azzurri have appointed ACF Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli following the
departure of Marcelo Lippi, while the Elephants have yet to appoint a
successor to former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson.
Italy and Ivory Coast have met just once before at senior international
level, drawing 1-1 in Geneva on 16 November 2005. Drogba opening the scoring
on 68 minutes before Aimo Diana equalised with just four minutes remaining.
Ironically, Eriksson was one of the managers involved on the only previous
occasion on which the Boleyn Ground has staged a senior international
fixture - England's 3-1 defeat by Australia in February 2003 in a match that
marked Wayne Rooney's Three Lions debut. The international friendly is the
latest in a series of exciting sporting events to be held at the famous home
of the Hammers. In May, West Ham supporter Kevin 'The Hammer' Mitchell was
defeated by Australian Michael Katsidis in an explosive WBO interim
lightweight boxing championship fight.
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Benni back in business
WHUFC.com
His first goal for West Ham United has fired Benni McCarthy up for Friday
night's tough test
23.07.2010
Benni McCarthy is delighted to be off the mark in West Ham United colours
and is eyeing a repeat showing in Friday night's match with Panathinaikos.
The third friendly of the summer will take place just across the Austrian
border in Kitzbuhel and will mark the end of the squad's eight-day stay in
Bavaria. McCarthy has been pushing himself harder and harder every day to be
ready for the new Barclays Premier League season and his goal last weekend
has helped no end.
McCarthy rattled in a spectacular volley to seal a fine 2-0 victory against
VfL Borussia Monchengladbach, latching on to Julien Faubert's hooked cross
with a piledriver from the edge of the area. Since then, he has been out on
the training pitch every day, bidding to impress new manager Avram Grant and
his coaching staff.
"Everything is going very well," he said. "We are working hard. It is hot
but the boys have been giving everything. The spirit is coming back and
hopefully the way things are going with a good atmosphere and environment
now and everybody is looking forward to the 14 August. It has been a good
pre-season so far."
Reliving his goal after a hard Thursday morning out on the training pitch,
McCarthy paid tribute to the efforts of his team-mates. "It was instinct,"
he said. "It was great movement, we played with good inter-passing. Mark
Noble played in Julien on the right. Obviously you know with Julien you have
to get yourself into the box and just hopefully the ball will reach you for
a header or a shot.
"He always provides good crossing. I was just delaying my run a little bit.
Everybody was going to the near post and I just stayed a little bit back. It
was good for me that the ball came to the edge of the area. "Volleying is my
thing. I work on that in training regularly. I was thinking I might take a
touch because it was too high but the two defenders pushed up. I knew with
the pace of the game I wouldn't get much time. I thought if I have to hit, I
have to give it everything.
"It was great for me that it came off. I was happy with that and it was my
first goal for the club. I hope that we can push on against Panathinaikos."
It promises to be a tougher test on Friday with the Greek champions having
warmed up with a Tuesday defeat of VfL Wolfsburg. McCarthy, who joined the
club back in February only to see his first few months blighted by injury,
knows the main aim of the contest will be to build fitness but he wants the
team to maintain their run. "I am motivated for Friday, we want to win
again. We then have a couple more games next week and it won't be long
before the real deal of the Premier League. We have to be ready for that and
that is where we want to make our mark. We are working incredibly hard to
show the fans what we are made of in the new season. "I feel good. Fitness
wise I think we are all doing well. Everyone looks sharp in the routines and
in this heat, we are executing the training very well technically. We are
looking good physically and mentally. Hopefully against Panathinaikos we
will show that. "It will be a big squad. Some of us might not play as long
as we would like but if we get a run, for how ever long, we have to take it.
We have to get used to playing again and it will contribute to us getting
into the rhythm of competitive football."
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Reserves ready for Burton
WHUFC.om
Alex Dyer's reserves face a tough test at League Two Burton Albion on
Saturday
23.07.2010
West Ham United's youngsters are relishing the opportunity to take on
Football League side Burton Albion on Saturday. With the first-team squad
completing their training camp in Germany, Alex Dyer will take a youthful
reserve team to the Pirelli Stadium this weekend. While they will be giving
up plenty in terms of age and experience, Dyer believes his charges will
rise to the occasion against Paul Peschisolido's League Two outfit. "All the
boys are looking forward to going up to Burton to play against a Football
League side," Dyer confirmed.
"It's going to be a challenge for them, but hopefully they will go out there
and give a good account of themselves, work hard for one another and show
people what they can do. "It will be good experience for them to see if they
can play at that level themselves, because their goal over the next few
months and years is to play league football themselves, either by going out
on loan or by reaching the first team here."
The reserves began their pre-season schedule by making the short trip to
Thurrock last Saturday, going down 1-0 to a spectacular goal from former
Hammers schoolboy Matt Bodkin. Dyer named no fewer than six scholars in his
starting lineup at Ship Lane and his side is likely to have a similarly
youthful appearance at Burton. Young professionals Jordan Brown (pictured),
Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson, Olly Lee, Callum McNaughton and Ahmed Abdulla are
likely to start, while a host of second-year scholars will also be given the
chance to shine against the Brewers. Burton themselves have enjoyed an
encouraging pre-season so far, losing out narrowly to former manager Nigel
Clough's Derby County before defeating another Championship side, Sheffield
United, 1-0 on Tuesday evening.
The match-winner against the Blades was striker Greg Pearson, who began his
career at West Ham United before joining Rushden & Diamonds in 2005.
The 2008/09 Blue Square Premier champions also name former West Bromwich
Albion and Jamaica defender Darren Moore and experienced ex-Aston Villa
forward Richard Walker among their squad.
Tickets for Saturday's match, which kicks-off at 3pm, will be available on
the day.
Seats are priced at £10 for Adults and £5 for Under-16s, while standing
tickets are priced at £8 for Adults and £3 for Under-16s.
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West Ham 1 Panathinaikos 0
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 23rd July 2010
By: Staff Writer
A solitary first half goal from new boy Thomas Hitzlsperger secured a third
successive pre-season victory for Avram Grant's Hammers. In the midst of a
torrential downpour here in Austria, Der Hammer's early strike was enough to
defeat a strong Greek side here in Kitzbuhel.
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Dorrans unmoved by Hammers
Baggies midfielder not unsettled by West Ham chase
Last updated: 23rd July 2010
SSN
West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans insists his head was never turned by
West Ham's persistent pursuit of him. The 23-year-old attracted three
unsuccessful bids this summer from the Hammers, who narrowly avoided
relegation from the Premier League last season. But Dorrans put an abrupt
end to their chase when he signed a new contract at the Hawthorns earlier
this week, which effectively commits him to Albion until 2015. All of West
Ham's three offers were below Baggies' valuation, but Dorrans insists he
never had any interest in a move to Upton Park. "It doesn't really have an
effect," Dorrans told the Birmingham Mail. "I was just coming in every day
and concentrating on training like anyone else would have done. "Until
anyone mentioned anything to me that was all I could do, and at the end of
the day I was contracted to the club. My mind was always here and I was
always focused on coming in and training, getting fit and getting pre-season
done. "There was no reaction to the bids either. I knew I was coming in here
to train every day and I always had a contract here. "About a week or two
before we went to Holland (for West Brom's pre-season training camp) it was
basically agreed and it was just about getting the papers written up. "The
contract came over to Holland and I signed it while I was over there."
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Hitzlsperger strikes for Hammers
West Ham claim 1-0 win over Panathinaikos
Last updated: 23rd July 2010
SSN
Thomas Hitzlsperger fired West Ham United to a 1-0 win over Panathinaikos in
a friendly encounter on Friday night. The fixture in Austria was played in
difficult conditions with the winner coming three minutes before half-time.
German midfielder Hitzlsperger scored with a trademark powerful shot as he
arrowed home a free-kick. Hitzlsperger joined the Hammers from Laziothis
summer as part of new manager Avram Grant's bid to turn the club's fortunes
around. The Hammers are in action again next week when they tackle MK Dons
and Ipswich Townon Wednesday and Saturday respectively.
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Prem clubs trail Silvestre
Hammers and Latics target Frenchman
Last updated: 23rd July 2010
SSN
Skysports.com understands four Premier League clubs are in the hunt for
former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre. The
32-year-old was released by Arsenal at the end of last season and is
currently training in the South of France to keep up his fitness. West Ham
and Wigan are thought to be interested in his signature, while two other
top-flight sides are tracking his progress. Silvestre made 12 Premier League
appearances for the Gunners last term, but left upon the expiration of his
contract at the end of the campaign. Previous to his move to the Emirates,
the former France international spent nine years with Manchester United
where he appeared 249 times in the league. Silvestre has been targeted by
both the Hammers and the Latics as they look to bolster their defences
before kick-off in August.
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Wess Ham United
The Sun
Published: Today
STEFAN WESSELS has been handed a trial at West Ham. And the former Bayern
Munich keeper is set to play at Burton today. Wessels, 31, has been at Swiss
club Basel and is now in the frame to be No2 at Upton Park. World Cup
blunder keeper Robert Green is first choice for Avram Grant but the Hammers
boss needs experienced back-up.
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Hammers fear over Scott
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: Today
WEST HAM chiefs fear they are losing the battle to cling on to star
midfielder Scott Parker. Speculation is rife that Parker, 29, is set for a
move to Aston Villa, with Hammers' London rivals Tottenham also interested.
An Upton Park insider said: "There is growing anxiety that Parker is seeing
all the attention and that it will unsettle him. "The owners believe Scott
is best staying put but outside forces might be turning his head." Parker
played his first game since joining England's pre-World Cup training camp in
last night's 1-0 friendly win over Panathinaikos in Austria. New signing
Thomas Hitzlsperger scored his first goal for the club just before the
interval. And it gave new boss Avram Grant a third straight pre-season win.
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West Ham weighing up move for former Arsenal and Man United star
Published 15:58 23/07/10 By John Cross
The Mirror
West Ham boss Avram Grant is interested in signing former Arsenal and
Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre. Silvestre, 32, is a target for
West Ham after being released by Arsenal while Wigan have also made an
enquiry for the versatile defender. Former France international Silvestre
was frustrated when Arsenal would not let him go to Paris Saint Germain in
January and they could still be interested in signing him as a free agent.
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