WHUFC.com
Switzerland midfielder Valon Behrami has left West Ham United for Italian
Serie A side ACF Fiorentina
25.01.2011
Switzerland international Valon Behrami has joined Italian Serie A club ACF
Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old joined West Ham from
another Italian top-flight club, SS Lazio, in July 2008. After an impressive
opening season, Behrami suffered a serious knee ligament injury in March
2009 that ruled him out of action for more than six months. In all, the
midfielder made 63 first-team appearances for the Hammers, scoring five
goals.
The club would like to thank Behrami for his contribution and wish him every
success for the future.
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Keys: Brady ignored me
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 26th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Richard Keys has issued a grovelling apology for sexist remarks made about
referee's assistant Sian Massey and West Ham vice chairman Karren Brady.
Keys - who remains employed by Sky Sports despite his partner in crime, Andy
Gray, getting the boot yesterday - was on Talksport earlier this afternoon
to defend his position in the wake of a torrent of criticism for his
comments. The former GMTV presenter, who apologised repeatedly for his part
in the furore during the interview also revealed how he had telephoned Brady
on Sunday to apologise for his outburst - but failed to get through. "I rang
Karren to say sorry - but Karren didn't want to take my call," he said.
"There is no answerphone on Karen's phone so I text her in case she saw a
number she was unfamiliar with and didn't want to answer. "I said 'Karren,
it's Richard Keys - I very much need to talk to you, could you please take
my call or ring me back'. She chose not to - I don't know why. "A by
product of all this of course is that it took her and West Ham out of the
press. She knows - and so does everybody else - what a mess they made of
trying to appoint Martin O'Neill, and she was getting it in the neck. "Now
she claimed this was because she's a woman. That is her view, it's not
necessarily mine and it might be that others don't share that either. But
she played that card, rightly or wrongly."
When challenged as to whether he therefore stood by his initial comments,
Keys replied: "My view was 'oh come on, do me a favour' - it was a view that
I held that didn't come out, when you listen to the tape, in a manner that
was acceptable. It was wrong. "I think it is for others to comment, it is
for others to judge that. I tried to ring her to say 'sorry' and she didn't
take my call. Now I don't know why, maybe at some point she will tell us."
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Val off
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 26th January 2011
By: Staff Writer
Valon Behrami has ended his two-and-a-half year stay at West Ham. The
energetic midfielder today completed a move to Serie A side Fiorentina in a
deal thought to be worth around £2million. Behrami joined West Ham in the
summer of 2008 in a £5million switch from another Italian club, Lazio. The
Swiss international was one of the last signings to be made by Alan
Curbishley, who left the club under a cloud a few weeks later. An excellent
first season - during which he was one of the front-runners for Player of
the Year - came to an abrupt end in March when Behrami was stretchered off
during a 1-0 win over Manchester City. The injury, later confirmed as
cruciate damage, was to keep him out of action for six months although
KUMB.com readers still named him Best Signing of the Season. Since returning
to first team in September 2009 his West Ham career has been blighted by a
series of minor injuries and personal issues; the player making it quite
clear that he was keen to return to Italy as soon as possible, a wish that
was finally granted earlier today.
Behrami Army - the facts and figures
2008/09: 27 appearances; 2 goals; 5 bookings
2009/10: 28 appearances; 1 goal
2010/11: 8 appearances; 2 goals; 1 booking
Totals: 63 appearances; 5 goals; 6 bookings
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Upson - Survival is key
Defender looks to survival ahead of cup semi-final
Last updated: 26th January 2011
SSN
Matthew Upson believes that avoiding relegation would be West Ham's best
achievement this season. The Hammers are set to face Birmingham in the
Carling Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday and take a 2-1 lead to St
Andrews . Yet as far as club captain Upson is concerned, survival in the top
flight would dwarf any of the Hammers' other achievements this term. Avram
Grant's men sit rooted to the foot of the Premier League, albeit a mere two
points from safety in a congested bottom half of the table. Upson has been
involved in two relegation battles during his time at Upton Park, yet fears
the Hammers have their work cut out more so than in previous years. "I think
we are in the worst position at this stage of the season that I have
experienced," Upson told the Ilford Recorder. "It would be a huge
achievement for us to maintain safety this year. It is not unachievable and
I think we all still believe that we can do it, but it is going to be a
monumental effort and we are ready for the fight."
Battle to stay up
Upson was particularly upset to lose a vital three points on Saturday after
the 10-man Hammers conceded a 90th minute leveller at Everton to make it
2-2.
"I think you only have to watch us play. We had a lot of hunger, a lot of
desire to want and win the ball and get hold of it," added the West Ham
captain.
"I think perhaps there is a little bit of a confidence problem, but there
are things like Jonathan Spector slipping over on their second goal as well,
so some of it is bad luck. "If we maintain that level of attitude and
performance, I think we can accumulate the points to stay up. "It just seems
that all the tiny little defects we do have are being exploited all the
time. When they are bombarding our box, we have got to try and keep our
shape a bit."
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Grant warning to players
Hammers boss wary of over-celebrating ramifications
Last updated: 26th January 2011
SSN
West Ham manager Avram Grant has warned his players against over-celebrating
in the wake of Frederic Piquionne's sending off against Everton. The
32-year-old picked up a second yellow card in Saturday's 2-2 draw at
Goodison Park after heading The Hammers into a late advantage. West Ham
conceded a crucial second following Piquionne's dismissal and Grant does not
want any more players to leave the field early for breaking the rules and
celebrating with supporters. The Hammers do battle with Birmingham in the
Carling Cup semi-finals on Wednesday with the winners facing Arsenal in the
final and Grant always wants his players to celebrate with fans first.
However, Grant has acknowledged that the rule is in place to protect fans'
safety although he does not believe there is a great degree of logic behind
the thought process.
Clever
"I spoke with them about this," said Grant. "There was a saying that
sometimes you need to be clever, not just right. "I respect the rules and I
want my players to respect the rules but they are not computers and this is
not a normal business. Sometimes it will happen. It is the rule but I don't
know the logic behind the rule. "The most happy moment is when you score a
goal and it is even more important when you score a few minutes before the
end, and you go to celebrate with the supporters. "The supporters are the
team. If you ask me, I would encourage players to celebrate first with the
supporters and then everybody else. "I think you need to respect any rules
but you need to be a bit logical. I am sure nobody will do it again in the
English game."
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Birmingham v West Ham preview
Relegation candidates fight for Wembley final
Last updated: 26th January 2011
SSN
PREDICTIONS:
Skysports.com prediction: Birmingham 1 West Ham 0
SKYBET odds: Birmingham 11/10, Draw 12/5, West Ham 12/5
One to watch: Cameron Jerome
Birmingham will look to overturn a 2-1 deficit at home against West Ham in
the Carling Cup semi-final. The Blues were edged out during a narrow
first-leg tie at Upton Park courtesy of a rare error from keeper Ben Foster.
Birmingham had fought back to equalise through Liam Ridgewell after Mark
Noble had put the home side ahead early, only for Avram Grant'smen to regain
the initiative. A Carlton Cole shot squirmed through the legs of an
off-balance Foster to hand the Hammers a slim advantage going into the
second leg. The cup is a welcome distraction for two clubs struggling to
fight off relegation in the Premier League, yet a trip to Wembley would be
scant consolation should either side fail to beat the drop.
Birmingham news
The Blues will look to bounce back from Saturday's 5-0 drubbing at the hands
of league leaders Manchester United, a loss fans will hope has not dented
the players' confidence. Manager Alex McLeish has spent January trying to
hold on to many of his players, yet has almost a full-strength squad to pick
from with only long-term absentees James McFadden and Scott Dann missing.
The Birmingham boss will have to decide whether to ring the changes after a
heavy defeat, with the likes of Cameron Jerome and Lee Bowyer expected to
return to the startling line-up.
West Ham news
Grant will have the option to play new signing Gary O'Neil who, after
signing for the club on Tuesday, is deemed eligible to feature at St
Andrews.
The Hammers have enjoyed a perfect cup record so far this year winning six
out of six, yet suspensions mean that Grant's men will have to dig deep if
they want to register a crucial seventh win. Victor Obinna is still
suspended following his first-leg dismissal for kicking out at Sebastien
Larsson, while Frederic Piquionne is also unavailable after receiving a
second yellow card for his goal celebrations on Saturday. Carlton Cole will
hope to feature after making a return to training on Tuesday following an
injury to bolster a weak Hammers front line. West Ham owners David Sullivan
and David Gold, along with Karen Brady, formerly of Birmingham, have
announced they will not be in attendance at St Andrews.
Possible starting XIs
Birmingham: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Murphy, Larsson, Ferguson,
Bowyer, Gardner, Derbyshire, Jerome.
West Ham: Green, Faubert, Tomkins, Upson, Bridge, Hines, Spector, Noble,
Parker, Sears, Cole.
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Behrami makes Hammers exit
Swiss midfielder leaves Upton Park for Italy
Last updated: 26th January 2011
SSN
Switzerland international Valon Behrami has departed West Ham to link up
with Serie A club Fiorentina. The 25-year-old expressed his desire to leave
the Hammers earlier this month and his wish has now been granted as he joins
the Viola for an undisclosed fee. The Hammers snapped up Behrami from Lazio
in a £5million deal back in 2008, and the midfielder went on to score five
goals in 63 appearances for the club. After impressing during his opening
season at Upton Park, Behrami suffered a serious knee injury in March 2009
and was sidelined for over six months. West Ham, currently rock bottom of
the Premier League table, confirmed the player's departure on their official
website. "Switzerland international Valon Behrami has joined Italian Serie A
club ACF Fiorentina for an undisclosed fee," the club said in a statement.
"The club would like to thank Behrami for his contribution and wish him
every success for the future."
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Sunderland offer improved £4million bid to land West Ham striker Frederic
Piquionne
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:36 AM on 26th January 2011
Daily Mail
Sunderland are ready to launch an improved £4million offer to land West Ham
striker Frederic Piquionne. Black Cats boss Steve Bruce is desperate to add
the French frontman to his squad before the January transfer window closes
next week, looking to fill the void left by the £24million sale of Darren
Bent to Aston Villa. Piquionne, signed last summer at Upton Park from Lyon,
has been one of West Ham's better performers this season and the relegation
threatened Barclays Premier League side are reluctant to part with their top
goalscorer, rejecting Sunderland's opening bid of £3.5m bid on Monday. The
32-year-old misses West Ham's second leg Carling Cup semi-final tie at
Birmingham tonight through suspension after he was sent off at the weekend
for celebrating his eighth goal of the season. Sunderland boss Bruce is also
keen on Tottenham star Roman Pavlyuchenko and Stoke's Ricardo Fuller but has
been unable to strike a deal for either player. With on-loan Manchester
United striker Danny Welbeck out injured, Bruce is left with Asamoah Gyan as
his only option in attack but is running out of time to bolster his ranks.
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West Ham and Everton shunned as Steve McClaren's Wolfsburg win race for
Dieumerci Mbokani
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:00 AM on 26th January 2011
Daily Mail
Steve McClaren has dealt West Ham and Everton's survival hopes a blow by
convincing Dieumerci Mbokani to shun the Premier League in favour of switch
to Wolfsburg. The former Monaco man has been drafted in by the ex-England
boss on loan with a view to a permanent switch as replacement for Edin Dzeko
who moved to Manchester City earlier this month. Both Avram Grant and David
Moyes are desperately short of striking options and had ear-marked Mbokani
as the man to get the goals to haul them clear of the relegation zone.
However Monaco's general manager Marc Keller said: 'Dieumerci Mbokani will
be joining VfL Wolfsburg. He has already been travelling to the club.'
The 25-year-old has endured a torrid six-month spell in the principality
since signing from Belgian side Standard Liege, finding the net just once.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the DR Congo frontman said he was desperate to
rediscover his form and admitted he was disappointed to have failed to
fulfill his potential in Ligue 1. 'To be honest, I am flattered to be
playing in the German league,' he said. 'It is a tough league and I hope to
make a name for myself in the Bundesliga. Monaco did not work out for me,
but that is life.' Both Everton and West Ham will now turn their attention
to securing the services of Demba Ba, with the Hammers looking the most
likely after the striker failed a medical at Stoke.
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West Ham Keane on Robbie as Hammers agree £6m deal with Spurs for
out-of-favour striker
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER Last updated at 11:35 AM on 26th January 2011
Daily Mail
Robbie Keane is edging closer to a move to West Ham after Tottenham agreed a
£6million deal with the Hammers. The 30-year-old striker has made just
seven Barclays Premier League appearances for Spurs this season, and is keen
to leave White Hart Lane this month in a bid for first-team football. West
Ham are interested in Keane and are set to take the Republic of Ireland
international initially on loan until the end of the season for a £1m fee.
The Hammers have also agreed to pay Keane's £65,000-a-week wages with a view
to taking him on in a £6m permanent deal if they avoid the drop at the end
of the season. Tottenham accepted a £6m offer from Birmingham for Keane
earlier this month, but the striker refused to discuss terms with the St
Andrew's club. And the Irishman is in line to be frozen out at White Hart
Lane if he fails to agree a January move. with reports suggesting he will be
axed from Harry Redknapp's 25-man Champions League squad. 'Keane no longer
features in Harry's plans,' a source told Goal.com. 'He does not need him,
especially as the strikers are playing for just one place when he has a
full-strength team.'
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Who Are the Two Other Transfer Targets?
West Ham Till I Die
Gary O'Neill is potentially a very good signing for the club. At 27 years
of age he is just reaching his peak as a player. Lets just hope that the
two or three years in the Championship have not taken an adverse toll on his
game? There is no reason why it should have. On the contrary, we will
probably benefit from signing a player used to the cut and thrust of the 2nd
tier! We definitely need more 'battlers' prepared to give 110% in
fighting for the Hamnmers' PL survival.
I remember O'Neill playing at Portsmouth and captaining the England U-21s
and always considered him a good player. He is a box to box midfielder, who
is good on the ball and versatile. He can play central midfield or on the
flanks and should give us greater options, particularly at free kicks and
set pieces. Moreover, O'Neill will help Scott Parker out in the engine room
of the team and seems well equipped physically and mentally for the demands
of a relegation battle. Does this signing signal the end of Kovac's first
team opportunities and a potential exit to Brescia? It's more likely that
Kovac will remain as defensive midfield cover until the summer. O'Neill is
more of a ready-made replacement for Behrami, who should join Fiorentina
before the end of the transfer window.
The Demba Ba loan signing is allegedly being delayed by a medical/insurance
technicality, but hopefully it will be ironed out soon. Looking at the
U-Tube clipes recently posted by Iain, Ba certainly looks useful. He has
pace and the confidence to score from outside the box. Indeed, Ba executed
some first class strikes in those clips and could possibly provide the
cutting edge that we have been lacking. I know that there is an issue with
his knee, but the fact that he has played 22 times for Hoffenheim this
season and seems to indicate that it is not an issue of immediate concern.
Avram Grant has also been quoted as saying that the club are targeting a
further two players in this transfer window. He will not be drawn in to
naming the targets, and who can really blame him after the Sidwell incident.
It is interesting to speculate, however, on the positions that Grant might
be looking to reinforce? Will he bring in a right-back or another centre
half? The midfield department looks fairly well covered now, with O'Neill's
signing and the return to action, shortly, of Hitzlsperger and Collison.
The club might seek to target an out and out, creative play maker, like Joe
Cole or Yossi Benayoun? A player that can provide a bit of guile/creativity
to unlock opposition defences? Or perhaps we will target another striker,
like Keane, Tuncay or Mouche, to improve our attacking resources? Maybe
they will follow up on the alleged interest in Reading's Shaun Long and take
a chance on his potential as a goal scorer? A report today alleges that
West Ham have agreed to the £1m loan fee and cover his £65,000 a week wages.
Furthermore, the club are supposed to be prepared to guarantee to sign Keane
on a three year contract if we retain our PL status! Will spurs now agreed
to the loan deal or are they just not in the business of assisting West Ham
to stay in the PL. One would expect that they would view it as good
business and that would override the bad blood over the OS, but who knows?
Whatever, the final days of the January transfer window should be very
interesting for Hammers fans. But, of course, signing the right players is
only half of the equation. The other half is successfully integrating the
new arrivals in to the squad and ensuring that their presense provides a
real psychological boost. Indeed, if the new signings can settle in quickly
and start contributing with the minimum of delay, that will a big plus. In
that respect we really do need to sign some big characters that can improve
the dressing room and further improve the team spirit. Personally, I would
still like to see us sign a Lucas Neill type leader who can organise and
inspire the team.
I am looking forward to going to St Andrews to, hopefully, see us book our
place in the Carling Cup Final. If they play anything like they did against
Everton, then the team stands every chance of success. Obviously, the
centre forward situation is a bit of a worry, but hopefully it will give
someone, like Frank Nouble, the opportunity to shine. Otherwise, perhaps
they will play with two smaller strikers like Hines and Sears, who can use
their pace against the Brum back four?
Whether you are attending or watching on Sky, enjoy the match. To the 4,000
or so attending, lets create a typical West Ham away atmosphere and drive
the team on to victory. Arsenal and their crew seem to think they have the
Carling Cup in the bag, to them I say 10 May 1980! In a major final
anything can happen, so lets get to Wembley and give it a real go!
COYI.
SJ. Chandos.
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SPECTOR: WE'RE FIGHTING FOR GRANT
SportingLife.com
West Ham defender Jonathan Spector believes his team-mates' determination to
fight for manager Avram Grant was evident at Everton yesterday. Spector has
also assured supporters the players are equally resolved not to let
continued bad press affect their quest to beat relegation. The build-up to
the Hammers' battling 2-2 draw at Goodison Park was dominated by more
intense speculation over the future of Grant. The Israeli, whose side are
bottom of the Barclays Premier League, was last week the subject of stories
claiming that senior figures at Upton Park wanted him replaced by Martin
O'Neill. West Ham did release a statement to say that Grant had the board's
full support but the situation appears to remain unstable with owners David
Sullivan and David Gold receiving considerable media criticism. Grant's
players did their best to put a turbulent few days behind them as they
produced an encouraging performance at Goodison Park, only to be denied
three points by an injury-time Marouane Fellaini equaliser. Spector, who
opened the scoring with his fourth goal in the space of two months, said:
"None of that [media speculation] has been discussed, we have no control
over any of that. "We are here to do our job on the pitch and I think that
showed. "If you look at our performance - the professionalism of the
manager, the management and players shines through all that. "I think we
perform for the manager, for ourselves and for the fans every day. "We can
be proud of what we accomplished, it was difficult game for us."
Spector rewarded the Hammers for a whole-hearted first-half display when he
slid home Luis Boa Morte's cross to end a slick move after 27 minutes.
Frederic Piquionne hit the post and Boa Morte had another goal disallowed as
the visitors continued to create the better chances. Everton substitute
Diniyar Bilyaletdinov pulled the Toffees level 13 minutes from time with a
superb strike but Piquionne appeared to win the game when he headed home
after 84 minutes. However, the Frenchman's subsequent rush of blood arguably
cost West Ham the chance to move off the bottom as he jumped over the
advertising hoardings to celebrate with fans. He had been booked just four
minutes earlier and referee Peter Walton had no option but to show him a
second yellow card and a red - a rule Grant later described as a "joke".
With just 10 men, Grant tried to tighten up by replacing substitute Freddie
Sears after just nine minutes on the field with defender Winston Reid, but
it was to no avail. Everton's decision to send Fellaini up front paid off as
the Belgian found room between Matthew Upson and Spector to fire past Robert
Green in the dying moments. United States international Spector, 24, added:
"We came looking for three points but I think a draw would have been
acceptable beforehand. "But I would say we are disappointed not to get the
three points. "There are a great deal of positives from the game and we will
be looking to push on. "We have got some winnable games coming up and some
important games and we will be looking to take points from all of them."
West Ham now turn their attention to their Carling Cup semi-final second leg
against Birmingham in midweek while Everton are not in action again until
next Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at home to Chelsea. Despite having
lost just once in eight games, the Toffees are still struggling to put a
strong winning run together and pull themselves away from the bottom three.
Midfielder Leon Osman said: "We knew they were going to come here and make
it difficult for us and they did that. It was a frustrating afternoon. "We
felt we were just starting to pick up pace and get a bit of momentum, so it
is not the result we wanted. "But we fell behind twice and we still managed
to show character to get back in the game. At least we have managed to get
something. "I don't an Everton team has ever given up on a game until the
ref blows his whistle. "That is a few times this season we have managed to
salvage something in the last minute. "It's positive from that point of view
but we have got to start winning games from the first minute rather than
having to scrape one in the last minute."
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Hammers legend Dicks: West Ham are going into the final
Newham Recorder
Dave Evans, West Ham Correspondent
Wednesday, 26 January, 2011
10:10 AM
WEST HAM legend Julian Dicks is backing the Hammers for a double whammy this
season – a place in the Carling Cup Final and Premier League survival.
The 42-year-old played for both Birmingham City and the Hammers during his
sparkling career, but there is no doubt who Dicks will be supporting when
the two teams step out at St Andrews for the second leg. "I think West Ham
are going to go through and I'm not just saying that because I'm a Hammers
fan," insisted the former club captain. "I was at the first game at Upton
Park and I thought they just about deserved their win. "West Ham played
really well in the first half, but Alex McLeish must have said something to
his players at the break because at the start of the second half they
dominated and could really have scored a few. "But West Ham dug in and in
the end got the break you sometimes need in a big semi-final."
Dicks' own record in League Cup semi-finals is not a happy one. He played in
the 6-0 drubbing at Oldham Athletic in 1990 and was also there when Luton
came to Upton Park and trounced the Hammers 3-0 the previous season. "I
suppose you could say that I haven't had a lot of luck in semi-finals, but
there were reasons I think. At Oldham it was a plastic pitch which they
played on week in, week out, while I remember against Luton I even gave away
a penalty when I got Roy Wegerle round the neck," laughed the man West Ham
fans nicknamed 'The Terminator'. "John Lyall asked me if I had touched him
and I just said, 'no boss, I was nowhere near him!'"
West Ham have a narrow lead going into tonight's second-leg showdown, but
Dicks believes that the Hammers cannot afford to sit back. "If it was three
or four one, then it would be a different story, but I think West Ham have
got to go out there and attack Birmingham, remember they need to score,"
said Dicks, who is currently manager of Ryman League side Grays Athletic.
"They have some good players like Cameron Jerome up front, but I think West
Ham have some good players too."
Dicks was also quick to throw his support behind manager Avram Grant, who
was expected to be sacked in favour of Martin O'Neill just a couple of weeks
ago. "I think managers get sacked too quickly these days," said Dicks. "Look
at someone like Chris Hughton, that was ridiculous because he was doing a
really good job. "I'm glad that the club have finally backed Avram and I
think it will give the team some stability and confidence. That showed a bit
at Everton on Saturday. "If they can get through tonight, and I think they
are favourites, then it can certainly spur them towards Premier League
survival too. This is not a Mickey Mouse competition, not when you get to
the semi-final and I think making the final can be a huge difference to the
season."
One man who won't be at the semi-final is Freddie Piquionne following his
sending off at Goodison Park after jumping into the crowd to celebrate. It
was a situation that Dicks described as 'ludicrous'. "The player shows a bit
of passion and he has to go off, it is a ludicrous law," said the defender,
who certainly had problems with red cards himself, although for very
different reasons. "Football is a passionate game and you get caught up in
the moment and you are certainly not thinking about the next game. West Ham
will miss Piquionne because I think he is a hard-working player, but I still
think they can come through."
West Ham captain Matty Upson is also confident of a positive result in
tonight's match. "We will have to defend well again," said the skipper. "I'm
not sure about our striking ability now with Freddie going to be suspended.
We have got to keep our fingers crossed that Carlton is going to be fit. "We
will regroup, see what we have available and I'm sure the manager will put
out a side that he feels will do best to win the tie. "It's going to be a
great semi-final. An opportunity to play at Wembley which will be fantastic,
so we will be doing everything we can to get through."
For Dicks, instead of being at St Andrews, he will be stuck managing his
Grays team at Waltham Forest, but the legend, who makes no secret of the
fact that he is keen to return to West Ham in some sort of coaching
capacity, is still convinced of what the result will be. "I predicted 2-1 to
West Ham for the first leg and I think it will be 1-1 tonight." That's that
then, the Hammers are on their way to Wembley – the Terminator has spoken.
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Keys' sexist comments 'totally out of character' says daughter Jemma
Published 09:29 26/01/11 By MirrorFootball
The Mirror
The actress daughter of Richard Keys yesterday stepped in to defend her dad.
Jemma Keys dismissed the Sky Sports presenter's sexist off-air comments as
nothing more than the sort of "banter heard in changing rooms up and down
the country". But speaking outside the family's £2million home in Surrey,
the ex-star of Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks added: "He bitterly regrets it now."
Keys has apologised to female assistant referee Sian Massey for saying
someone should explain the offside rule to her. He also upset TV Apprentice
star and West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady when, not realising his mic was
still on, he said to now-sacked pundit Andy Gray: "Did you hear the charming
Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism? Do me a favour, love."
But Jemma, 25, said: "Dad spoke to Karren on the phone and they had a good
chuckle about it. He is really extremely regretful about what happened. He
would never deliberately be rude. The trouble is people still see football
as a man's game and these sorts of comments happen all the time in changing
rooms up and down the country. It's just banter. "Dad's comments were
totally out of character. When I was little, he coached the team at my
school and they were all girls. "He has nothing against women's football."
Jemma said her father was not at home and her mother, Julia, did not want to
comment
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Brum fans in the spotlight after pitch invasion
Published 10:15 26/01/11 By James Nursey
The Mirror
Birmingham officials are on tenterhooks that their fans will behave tonight
after being put under observation by the FA. City's Carling Cup
quarter-final victory over bitter rivals Aston Villa in December was marred
by a mass pitch invasion. Several arrests were made and 27 people needed
treatment after both sets of fans fired flares and hurled seats at St
Andrews. And the FA have made it clear to Brum's hierarchy they face a huge
fine if there is any repeat.
Security at St Andrews is now being closely monitored ahead of tonight's
semi-final second leg with West Ham. There was also a huge police presence
for City's Premier League derby with Villa earlier this month. And West
Midlands police will be out in strength again tonight for the semi-final
with City trailing 2-1 from the first leg. The Upton Park club were hit with
a £115,000 fine by the FA for failing to control their fans after violence
at a Carling Cup tie against Millwall last season.
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Grant desperate to end cup final hoodoo with West Ham
Published 10:39 26/01/11 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Avram Grant aims to end his final hoodoo by steering West Ham to Carling Cup
glory. The Israeli coach has steered two clubs to the brink of silverware in
this country, only to see his efforts thwarted. In 2008 his Chelsea team
were beaten in the Carling Cup Final by Spurs and in the Champions League
Final by Manchester United when skipper John Terry missed the winning
penalty. Three days after failing in Moscow, however, he was sacked by the
Blues. Last May, Grant steered cash-strapped Portsmouth to the FA Cup Final
only to be beaten – with his Pompey side missing a penalty – by Chelsea. He
quit later that month. Now the Hammers boss, leading 2-1 ahead of tonight's
semi-final second leg against Birmingham, is aiming to go one better. He
joked: "Maybe it won't be a good idea to go to Wembley! But I wouldn't
replace going to the final last season for anything. It was good. I want to
go to the final again. "It will be a good feeling to be in the final. One
thing I'm sure is that if we go to the final we will practice our penalties
for one hour! After two finals with penalties that is enough."
Grant faces a striker crisis with new signing Demba Ba ineligible, Victor
Obinna unavailable and Carlton Cole half-fit. But he refused to be
downhearted about West Ham's chances at St Andrew's. He added: "When you
come to a semi-final you want all the players available but you cannot
change what happens. Carlton Cole trained."
Grant also revealed his men will more careful with their celebrations after
Freddie Piquionne was sent off for jumping into the crowd at Everton last
weekend. He said: "I spoke with them about this and I'm sure they will not
do it again. Sometimes you need to be clever, not just right. I respect the
rules and want my players to, but they are not computers."
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Hammers owners opt to stay home
The Sun
Published: Today
WEST HAM co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold will watch tonight's
Carling Cup clash with former club Birmingham from home. Sullivan and Gold
ended a 16-year reign at St Andrew's last season when they sold their stake
to Carson Yeung before taking charge of the Hammers. Gold was banned from
attending West Ham's Premier League trip to the Midlands earlier this season
in response to comments he made in the media. He had already been cleared to
attend the second leg of the semi-final but he, Sullivan and vice-chairman
Karren Brady will not be present. Sullivan said: "None of us will be going
to the game. "I really don't want to offend anyone by not going but I can't
face doing that journey back if we lose. "If it wasn't on TV, we would all
be there 100 per cent. "But I've done that long journey six or seven hundred
times and I can't face getting back at 2am feeling depressed if we have
lost. "I'll be partying at home with my kids, like every West Ham United
fan, if we go through."
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Upson: Premier League suvival for West Ham 'a huge achievement'
Matt Diner, West Ham correspondent
Wednesday, 26 January, 2011
9:13 AM
East London Advertiser
WEST Ham skipper Matthew Upson believes it will take a 'monumental effort'
to keep the Hammers in the Premier League. The east Londoners have suffered
just two defeats in nine and are two points from safety, yet still prop up
the rest. "I think we are in the worst position at this stage of the season
that I have experienced. It would be a huge achievement for us to maintain
safety this year," Upson admitted. "It is not unachievable and I think we
all still believe that we can do it. But it is going to be a monumental
effort and we are ready for the fight."
Forty points is always the benchmark set for safety and must be the target
for a West Ham side still 19 off the total with 14 games left. West Ham
struggle, even panic when leading, with last Saturday's draw with Everton
the latest example, when they twice threw away leads with the second coming
in injury time. "I think there is a little bit of a confidence problem.
Jonathan Spector slipped over on their second goal as well, so it is little
things like that," Upson said. "Some of it is bad luck, but it just seems
that all the tiny little defects we do have are being exploited all the
time. When they are bombarding our box, we have got to try and keep our
shape a bit. "It is difficult when the ball is crossed in, we are heading
out and it comes in again and I felt we got a little bit ragged with our
positioning. "We didn't cover the areas we needed to, especially the first
one when the guy struck it from the edge of the box with a lot of space, but
we was unlucky, I think Freddie got a little touch on it and it is just all
these little things, they all add up and it has cost us two goals."
What made it all the more frustrating is the impressive performance put in
by the visitors who deserved all three points. "In the position we are in, I
think we need to come to places like this and win, so we are disappointed,"
he said. "I think you only have to watch us play today. We had a lot of
hunger, a lot of desire to want to win the ball and get hold of the ball. If
we maintain that level of attitude and performance, I think we can
accumulate the points to stay up."
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