WHUFC.com
Lifelong West Ham United fan Freddie Sears is eager to score a vital victory
at Tottenham Hotspur
17.03.2011
As a lifelong West Ham United supporter, Freddie Sears knows how important
it would be to his fellow fans for the Hammers to win at Tottenham Hotspur
on Saturday. The Hornchurch-born No19 has been with West Ham since the age
of eleven and is well aware of the friendly rivalry between the London
neighbours. With that in mind, the 21-year-old is eager to do his bit as the
Hammers bid for their first victory at White Hart Lane since 24 April 1999.
"Saturday is Tottenham away and it's a massive game. Obviously it's a bit of
a local derby for us and I'll be desperate to do what I can if I can get
near the team or on the bench. "It would have been nice to win at Stoke and
go to Wembley, but the most important thing is the league. We want to stay
in the Premier League and we've still got nine games to do that."
West Ham sit 18th in the table with nine matches remaining and know
collecting three points in north London would lift them five places ahead of
the weekend's other top-flight fixtures. Sears said the recent Barclays
Premier League victories over Liverpool and Stoke City had given the squad
great heart ahead of a vital run-in. "You look at our fixture list and you
see names like Man City, Man United, Chelsea and the rest coming up, but to
get three points from both Liverpool and Stoke was a massive boost for
everyone around the place."
While Sears has not featured in the Barclays Premier League since the 2-2
draw at Everton on 22 January, the Academy graduate is ready to do his bit
should he be called upon at White Hart Lane. A goal in Tuesday's
reserve-team victory over Newcastle United in front of the watching Avram
Grant will have done his chances of a re-call no harm. "I know reserve-team
games are important because there are so many people watching them - the
manager, his coaches and scouts. I never come to a game and play with a
half-hearted attitude. I play every game as if it's my last game, try and do
well see where it takes me."
Concentrating on reserve matters, Sears was full of praise for new
second-string manager Steve Lomas, who has recorded two wins and a draw from
his first three matches in charge. "Lomy has good since he has come in. He
has adapted well to the boys and his training sessions have been good.
Everyone likes him around the place, so he has been a good addition to the
staff."
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Carr eyes Spurs double
WHUFC.com
Like the first team, Tony Carr's Under-18s head to Tottenham Hotspur on
Saturday
17.03.2011
While West Ham United's Barclays Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur
will be on every supporter's mind this coming Saturday, the two clubs will
also meet in the FA Premier Academy League. Academy Director Tony Carr and
his players will make the short trip to Spurs Lodge on Saturday morning
hoping to get one over on their local rivals ahead of the lunchtime kick-off
at White Hart Lane. One player the first team will have to keep a close eye
on is Academy product Jermain Defoe - just one of a number of former West
Ham youngsters to go on and represent Tottenham.
"Obviously the first-team game is massive with the points at stake for both
us and Tottenham, but at youth level there is a friendly rivalry," Carr told
West Ham TV. "I know all the Spurs people quite well, but we'll be doing all
we can on the day to try and get a positive result. "We have brought through
a few players who have gone on to play for Tottenham. Jermain is a top
goalscorer and we know all about him and obviously Paul Allen had a great
career at Tottenham and also did well for us."
Back at youth-team level, Carr will be hoping his side can return to winning
ways on the road after recent defeats at Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town -
although there was a 1-0 home win against Cardiff City last Saturday to
celebrate. With a number of schoolboys and first-year scholars being handed
their chance to impress, the Academy Director is more interested in
performance levels than results. "We're starting to blood a few young
players into the youth team so, consequently, we're pushing some young
players into the reserve team. Results can be a little inconsistent - we
lost at Ipswich and Palace but had some very good results prior to that,
beating Norwich who were top of the league at the time and won 3-0 at
Arsenal. "Results have been indifferent, but I'm certainly pleased with the
performances and progression of the young players in the system."
As the season approaches its conclusion, Carr and his staff have to finalise
their decisions over which young players will be offered scholarships and
professional contracts. For those who are to be released in the summer, the
Academy will work hard to try and find new clubs at which they can continue
their careers. "We're finalising the scholars intake for next year and the
scholars and young professionals are waiting to see what the outcome might
be for their futures. "It's a difficult time and a tough time but it has to
be done every year and I won't shirk that responsibility. "For the boys who
don't get new contracts, we do all we can to try and fix them up with clubs
and get them a contract elsewhere. Nick Haycock, our education and welfare
guy, makes a lot of the phone calls and introductions for us and all of the
young lads have representatives or agents working to open doors for them and
we help where we can."
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Tottenham travel update
WHUFC.com
Fans are advised to check before they set out for White Hart Lane on
Saturday morning
17.03.2011
Supporters travelling to White Hart Lane the match at Tottenham Hotspur
should note the London Underground Victoria line is closed on Saturday for
improvement works. Fans should take National Express services from Liverpool
Street to White Hart Lane or Northumberland Park. Supporters could
alternatively take the London Underground Piccadilly line to Finsbury Park
or Manor House, where a replacement bus service will take them to Seven
Sisters. London Underground tickets will also be accepted on National
Express services to Tottenham Hale or Seven Sisters and a number of
scheduled bus services
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West Ham reveals changes to stadium
18 March 2011 | By Ike Ijeh
Building.co.uk
West Ham football club has revealed some of the key design changes proposed
for the £527m Olympic stadium after the London 2012 Games. The £95m
conversion will involve the removal of the 14 triangular floodlighting masts
that line the stadium's roof, already a familiar landmark on the east London
skyline. These masts will be replaced by an extended roof that will cover
all spectators rather than the present configuration, which only shelters
those on the top tier. With a cricket mode capacity of 71,000, the
multi-purpose venue will also be the fourth largest cricket stadium in the
world. Although plans are still at a conceptual stage and no architect has
yet been appointed, West Ham has also confirmed that it is exploring various
temporary retractable seating options. This is in line with comments made by
sports minster Hugh Robertson last month.
Although West Ham's commitment to retaining the stadium's athletics track
was a major factor in the club being selected as anchor tenants, it remains
a highly contentious issue. West Ham's plans have attracted criticism from
many within the football world who believe retaining the athletics track
will distance fans from the action on the pitch. Ian Tompkins, West Ham
project director, was adamant that design measures can provide the "intimacy
and sightlines that are essential for the kind of atmosphere you need in a
great football stadium".
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Defender relief for Tottenham
Author: Nigel Brown
Posted on:17 March 2011 - 12:10 PM
Sport.co.uk
Tottenham could have William Gallas available for Saturday's clash with West
Ham, after scans showed no new damage to his hamstring. The Frenchman limped
out of training earlier this week and initial reports suggested the defender
could miss the next four weeks, but that has been dismissed by Tottenham.
Gallas was sent for medical checks and although Spurs officials won't reveal
the extent of the problem, the former Chelsea man should be back in action
soon. In a statement on the club's website, Spurs stated: "A scan on
Wednesday has reported that William Gallas has not suffered a fresh
hamstring injury. "He will now be assessed over the coming days to determine
his availability for this weekend's home Premier League fixture against West
Ham United " Gareth Bale is expected to be fit to face the Hammers, despite
also ending Tuesday's training session early having suffered a thigh injury.
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Piquionne in fight to be fit for West Ham's trip to Tottenham
By talkSPORT
Thursday, March 17
West Ham striker Frederic Piquionne is facing a race against time to be fit
for the London derby against Tottenham on Saturday. Piquionne, 32, injured
his foot in the FA Cup quarter final defeat against Stoke last weekend and
was forced to leave the field just minutes after he grabbed a controversial
equaliser.
The French forward was forced to undergo a scan last Monday and West Ham
boss Avram Grant has been sweating over his fitness for the big game at
White Hart Lane. Piquionne has been impressive for the east London club this
season having scored nine goals and has forged an impressive partnership
with new signing Demba Ba in the last few weeks. But Grant will have to
review his forward line if Piquionne fails to overcome his injury and could
switch to a 4-4-2 formation with Ba playing alongside Carlton Cole in the
West Ham attack.
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Karren Brady sues Daily Mirror over football stories
17 March 2011
By Press Gazette
West Ham United vice-chairman Karren Brady has launched a legal action
against the Daily Mirror over stories she claimed linked her to a campaign
to undermine manager Avram Grant. Brady, who also appears in The Apprentice
TV show with Alan Sugar, is suing publisher Mirror Group Newspapers over two
stories and two online versions of those articles – all from January. In a
writ filed at the High Court on her behalf by lawyers Henri Brandman and Co,
Brady claims a story headed "Upton no good" suggested she sent text messages
to West Ham players encouraging them to rise up against Grant and demand his
sacking. Brady claims the story, and an online version of the article,
suggested she undermined the relationship between the club's players and
manager. Both versions of the story, the writ claims, suggest that she
behaved in a "shameful, utterly disloyal, grossly reprehensible and wholly
unprofessional manner".
Brady, who spent sixteen years as managing director of Birmingham City
Football Club before joining West Ham, is also suing over a story headed
"Jibe was just banter but Dad so sorry".
The writ claims that by innuendo, the story suggested that Brady's public
denunciation of comments made by sacked Sky Sports football pundit Andy Gray
and colleague Richard Keys was hypocritical as she laughed and joked with
Keys about his comments when they spoke privately on the phone. Brady claims
her personal and business reputations have been injured by the stories,
which have also caused her anger and distress. She argues that damage to her
reputation has been increased by the prominence of the first story, and the
paper's malicious conduct by describing her actions as the "worst and most
extraordinary act".
Brady is seeking damages and aggravated damages for libel for the stories,
and an injunction banning the paper from making the same, or similar,
allegations about her.
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