WHUFC.Com
WEST HAM UNITED v BLACKBURN ROVERS
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 7 MAY 2011
BOLEYN GROUND
KICK-OFF: 3PM
Introduction
• West Ham United welcome Blackburn Rovers to the Boleyn Ground knowing
a positive result is vital if they are to retain their Barclays Premier
League status. The Hammers go into Saturday's game bottom of the table,
three points adrift of 17th-placed Blackpool.
• West Ham are seeking to end a run of five straight defeats - a 4-2
home loss to Manchester United on 2 April was followed by a 3-0 defeat
at Bolton Wanderers last Saturday. A 2-1 home reverse against Aston
Villa was followed by a 3-0 defeat by Chelsea and a 2-1 loss at
Manchester City last Sunday.
• Blackburn are not safe from the drop, either. Steve Kean's side go
into the weekend 16th in the standings on 38 points - three clear of
18th-placed Wigan Athletic.
• Blackburn have won just one of their last 12 matches in all
competitions. However, that victory did come in their last outing - a
1-0 home Barclays Premier League win over Bolton Wanderers last Saturday.
• West Ham have enjoyed a superb home record against Blackburn in recent
years. The Hammers are unbeaten in their previous 15 matches with Rovers
at the Boleyn Ground in all competitions - including the previous 12 in
the Premier League.
• West Ham's biggest home win over Blackburn came on 4 October 1958,
when the newly-promoted Hammers defeated Rovers 6-3 in a Division One
clash at the Boleyn Ground. A crowd of 25,280 saw Vic Keeble score four
times, while Noel Cantwell and a Matt Woods own-goal completed the
scoring for the hosts.
• Blackburn's biggest victory at the Boleyn Ground occurred on Boxing
Day 1963, when Rovers ran out 8-2 winners. Johnny Byrne scored twice for
West Ham, but hat-tricks from Andy McEvoy and Fred Pickering put Ron
Greenwood's side to the sword.
• The two clubs also met in the 1940 Football League War Cup final at
Wembley, with Sam Small scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory for West
Ham in front of a 42,399-strong crowd.
• Saturday's game will be the 107th meeting between the two sides. West
Ham have come out on top on 41 occasions, while Blackburn have recorded
45 wins and there have been 20 draws.
Last time out
Sunday 1 May 2011
Barclays Premier League
Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Tomkins, Upson (Da Costa 26),
Gabbidon, Spector, Hitzlsperger, Boa Morte (Obinna 79), Sears, Ba, Keane
(Cole 66)
Subs not used: Boffin, Reid, Kovac, Piquionne
Goal: Ba 33
Saturday 30 April 2011
Barclays Premier League
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Bolton Wanderers
Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Salgado (Diouf 76), Samba, P.Jones, Givet,
Emerton, N'Zonzi, J.Jones, Olsson, Benjani (Kalinic 64), Roberts
(Pedersen 79)
Subs not used: Bunn, Hanley, Santa Cruz, Rochina
Goal: Olsson 20
Previous meeting
West Ham United came from behind to grab a 1-1 draw with Blackburn
Rovers at a snowbound Ewood Park on 18 December 2010. After a goalless
first half, Ryan Nelsen stabbed Blackburn in front six minutes into the
second period. However, substitute Junior Stanislas kept his cool to
curl the ball beyond Paul Robinson and secure a share of the spoils 12
minutes from full-time. The game was also notable for being Ruud
Boffin's West Ham debut.
Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Salgado, Samba (P.Jones 57, Hanley 67),
Nelsen, Givet, Emerton, Dunn, Pedersen, E-H.Diouf, Roberts (Benjani 10),
M-B.Diouf
Subs: Bunn, Olsson, Kalinic, Hoilett
West Ham United: Boffin, Ben Haim, Tomkins, Upson, Gabbidon, Spector
(Cole 57), Dyer (McCarthy 82), Parker, Barrera (Stanislas 56), Boa
Morte, Piquionne
Subs: Larkins, Reid, Faubert
Last six meetings
(All Premier League)
18 December 2010 - Blackburn Rovers 1-1 West Ham United
30 January 2010 - West Ham United 0-0 Blackburn Rovers
29 August 2009 - Blackburn Rovers 0-0 West Ham United
21 March 2009 - Blackburn Rovers 1-1 West Ham United
30 August 2008 - West Ham United 4-1 Blackburn Rovers
15 March 2008 - West Ham United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers
Overall record v Blackburn Rovers (all competitions) W 41 D 45 L 20
Background
• West Ham United are unbeaten in ten matches against Blackburn Rovers
in all competitions, winning six of those meetings and drawing the last
four.
• West Ham's leading Barclays Premier League scorer is Frederic
Piquionne with six goals. Carlton Cole and Demba Ba each have five,
while Cole is the club's leading scorer in all competitions with eleven.
• The Hammers' leading appearance maker in the Barclays Premier League
this term is Robert Green with 34. Carlton Cole has appeared in 33 of
West Ham's 35 league fixtures. Green and Cole have each made a
club-leading 41 appearances in all competitions this term.
• Nikola Kalinic is Blackburn Rovers' leading scorer in both the
Barclays Premier League and in all competitions. The Croatia
international has netted five times in the league and six times in
total. Mame Biram Diouf has also netted six times in all competitions.
• Michel Salgado leads Blackburn in terms of Barclays Premier League
appearances made this season with 34. Paul Robinson has appeared 33 times.
• Morten Gamst Pedersen is Blackburn's top creator, chalking up six
assists in the league this term. Frederic Piquionne is West Ham's assist
leader with five.
• Salgado has been booked eight times in the league this season, despite
only giving away 38 free-kicks, while Scott Parker has been shown seven
yellow cards.
Team news
• On-loan left-back Wayne Bridge returns to the squad after missing the
trip to parent club Manchester City last weekend. Jordan Spence is also
available for selection after being recalled from a successful loan
spell at Championship club Bristol City.
• Scott Parker (achilles) remains a major doubt with the Footballer of
the Year having missed the recent defeats at Chelsea and Manchester
City. Mark Noble is also set to be absent for at least another week
after a hernia operation.
• Gary O'Neil is out for the season at least with a serious ankle injury
suffered after an hour of the match against Aston Villa.
• Junior Stanislas has returned to full training after his own hernia
problem while Kieron Dyer has also joined in full training after a
hamstring problem. James Tomkins and Matthew Upson have also been in
training despite knocks at Manchester City last weekend but it remains
to be seen whether they will be fit to play.
• Jack Collison has played four times for the reserves - including two
full 90 minutes - after recovering from his knee injury and was back in
the first-team squad for the trip to Manchester City last weekend.
• Grant is still without long-term absentee goalkeeper Peter Kurucz
(knee), while Frank Nouble (Charlton Athletic) and Olly Lee (Dagenham
and Redbridge) are out on loan. Herita Ilunga is not in the 25-man squad.
• Blackburn Rovers have a number of injury concerns ahead of Saturday's
match. Midfielder David Dunn is sidelined with a calf strain, while
captain Ryan Nelsen (knee) and Australia midfielder Vince Grella
(achilles) have both been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
• Forward Junior Hoilett hopes to return from a hamstring problem, while
Republic of Ireland midfielder Keith Andrews is doubtful with a groin
strain.
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Blackburn Rovers
2009/10 Premier League 10th (50 points)
2008/09 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2007/08 Premier League 7th (58 points)
2006/07 Premier League 10th (52 points)
2005/06 Premier League 6th (63 points)
2004/05 Premier League 15th (42 points)
2003/04 Premier League 15th (44 points)
2002/03 Premier League 6th (60 points)
2001/02 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2000/01 Championship 2nd (91 points - promoted to Premier League)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Peter Walton.
• The 51-year-old began his refereeing career in 1986, was appointed to
the Football League List of assistant referees in 1993, and the Premier
League List of assistant referees the following year.
• After running the line during the 1996 FA Cup final between Manchester
United and Liverpool at Wembley, Walton joined the FIFA list of
assistant referees and ran the line during the 1996 UEFA European
Championship group-stage fixture between Germany and Czech Republic at
Old Trafford.
• Walton, who lists golf and current affairs among his hobbies, joined
the Football League List of referees in 1998 and joined the Premier
League Select List in 2003.
• Walton's first West Ham United appointment came on 21 November 2004,
when the Hammers were defeated 1-0 at Millwall in the Championship.
• In 2007, he was part of a group of referees who travelled to Ecuador
to undertake an Advanced Course for Referees' Instructors on behalf of
the FA and CONMEBOL.
• The Northamptonshire-born official has taken charge of just one West
Ham United fixture so far this season - the 2-2 Barclays Premier League
draw at Everton on 22 January 2011.
• Walton has been the man-in-the-middle for two Blackburn Rovers
fixtures this season - a 2-1 home Barclays Premier League defeat by
Chelsea on 30 October 2010 and a 1-0 FA Cup Sponsored by EON third-round
win over Queens Park Rangers on 8 January 2011.
• Walton will be assisted this afternoon by Stuart Burt and Ron
Ganfield, while the fourth official will be Andre Marriner.
Old boys
• Lars Jacobsen spent the 2009/10 season and the start of the present
campaign with Blackburn Rovers before completing his move to West Ham
United on 31 August 2010. The Denmark right-back made 16 appearances for
Rovers.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Fred
Blackburn, Martin Britt, John Burton, Herman Conway, Christian Dailly,
Tony Gale, Tommy Hampson, Harry Hindle, Matty Holmes, Marc Keller, Bob
Morris, Ian Pearce, Bob Pride, Syd Puddefoot, John Radford, Robbie
Slater, Matthew Smailes, Percy Smith and Lionel Watson.
General information
• All standard tickets for Saturday's match are SOLD OUT. However, a
number of corporate hospitality packages are still available. Please
call 0871 221 2700 for more details.
• There are extensive engineering works being carried out on the London
Underground network on Saturday.
• The will be no District line service between Embankment and East Ham.
Replacement buses will operate between Liverpool Street and Canning Town
and Mile End and East Ham.
• There will be no Hammersmith & City line service between King's Cross
St Pancras and Barking. Replacement buses will operate between Liverpool
Street and Canning Town and Mile End and East Ham.
• The Circle line will be completely closed and the Metropolitan line
will be closed between Baker Street and Aldgate.
• Due to resignalling works at West Ham, c2c services will be diverted
to run to/from Liverpool Street all weekend, calling at Stratford.
Supporters should note that Fenchurch Street, Limehouse and West Ham
stations will have no c2c services.
• National Express East Anglia services will run to a normal Saturday
timetable.
• Saturday's weather forecast is for light rain and a maximum daytime
temperature of 23C (74F).
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Rallying call from Grant
ITV.Com
West Ham manager Avram Grant has told everybody connected with the club
to forget what might happen and instead focus on securing Barclays
Premier League survival.
The Hammers head into Saturday's vital clash with fellow strugglers
Blackburn languishing rock bottom and on the back of a terrible run of
form, which has seen them fail to win in any competition for more than
two months.
The east London side have three matches left to stave off relegation to
the npower Championship and lie three points off safety. Despite the
need to focus on football, the past few weeks have been peppered with
stories relating to what could happen if the Hammers get relegated.
Last week Grant had to brush off comments from co-owner David Sullivan
after he questioned the players' commitment and survival hopes. The
former Chelsea and Portsmouth manager headed into this week's press
conference on the back of fellow owner David Gold's comments that their
England internationals would have to part from the club if they are
relegated.
"Why do I need to answer that question? If, if, if, if," he said when
asked about the situation regarding the likes of Matthew Upson, Robert
Green, Carlton Cole and Scott Parker. "We want to stay in the league, we
believe we can stay in the league and we believe we deserve to stay in
the league.
"We are playing football that deserves to stay in the league.
Unfortunately, we are on our last players but we think we can go to be
out of this. And we will do everything to do this because it is not easy
but still possible. I don't want to think negatively."
The subject of Grant's own future was also broached after reports
emerged this week suggesting the Hammers have drawn up a list of
potential replacements. Asked about the stories, he retorted: "So what's
new? I am not paying attention to this.
"I say to the players and everybody it is not a time to think about
yourselves. It is time to think about the team. I have been in this job
a long time. I have faced a lot of speculation. I have a job to do and
that is the only thing that is important right now."
The Hammers follow Saturday's clash by travelling to Wigan, before
ending the season with a home match against Sunderland. Grant admitted
the Rovers match could be a "double bonus" as defeat would drag their
opponents into the mire, although he was keen to insist that the match
with Steve Kean's side is his only focus.
"I don't think we need to think about the three games, we need to think
about the next game," he said.
"Tomorrow is the most important because this is very important for us,
as well as for Blackburn. We are only thinking about ourselves, though,
and are not thinking about the next three games after. It is a double
bonus but we are thinking about ourselves," he continued.
"We know that the other teams also do not have easy games up until the
end of the season so first of all we need to do our job and to think
about other things."
Grant could well head into the Rovers match without England
international Parker due to an Achilles complaint that has seen him miss
the recent defeats to Chelsea and Manchester City. Grant admits Parker's
return would be a welcome bonus but says he is "not so optimistic" that
he will be able to include him.
"If he can play I want him to play," he added. "I am not sure what is
80% or 100% but with Scotty you never know. Before the Liverpool game
there was not even a 10% chance he would play but he played. So we need
to wait and see because if he is fit I want him to play."
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West Ham chairman should "sit down and shut up"
BetsPlayer
It's unlikely the chant "sit down, shut up" has ever been directed at a
chairman by a football club's fans, but West Ham supporters would be
forgiven for doing just that when David Gold makes his presence felt at
the Boleyn Ground this Saturday.
Gold has done little to endear himself to the Hammers faithful since his
arrival and, along with co-owner David Sullivan and their perennial
crony Karen Brady, has seemingly wilfully undermined the position of
both managers who have had the misfortune of working under the current
regime.
Fans won't need reminding the powers that be at West Ham tried to sign
Graham Dorrans without consulting then boss Gianfranco Zola, or the
reports that suggested Martin O'Neill was set to replace Avram Grant
before the Northern Irishman, so disgusted by the manner in which the
affair had been conducted, pulled the plug on the deal.
No, fans won't need reminding of the behind-the-scenes shambles which
has gripped the club in the last couple of seasons, but it appears Gold
does. Supporters may have been a little surprised to hear their chairman
blames himself for the position the side find themselves in, but closer
inspection reveals he is seemingly as clueless as ever.
"You go over the decisions you have made and yes, you have to take the
blame. At the time you think you have done the best job. When the window
closed I thought we had done enough," he said.
Does Gold really believe the problems facing West Ham only stretch back
as far January? If so, it's a deeply worrying state of affairs – no
chairman is perfect, but it doesn't seem unreasonable to demand they
demonstrate a little tact and self-awareness. Now would have been the
perfect time to keep his mouth shut.
Worse, further comments from Gold in the same interview run the risk of
further denting West Ham's already fragile team spirit. By revealing the
club would be more than happy to sell their stars should they go down,
Gold was essentially saying "don't worry lads, even if we get relegated
you'll all still be playing Premier League football so there's probably
not much point in you trying too hard".
And what about those players who won't be moving on if West Ham end up
in the Championship? How are they supposed to feel about the comments?
They could easily grow to resent those team-mates who will be heading
off to pastures new and a split dressing room isn't what you want in a
relegation scrap. Once again Gold has risked creating a divide at the
club when he needn't have said anything in the first place.
If that wasn't bad enough it seems the chairman is determined to make
himself heard by any means possible – his decision to sign up to the
microblogging site Twitter is testament to that. Gold says he isn't
worried about being abused by supporters who use the service and that is
undoubtedly true – after all, you don't get involved with the kind of
sectors in which Gold made his fortune if you care what other people
think about you.
So perhaps any West Ham fans tempted to give Gold a piece of their mind
on Saturday should save their breath. After all, even if the Hammers do
go down Gold will still be there, sat in the grounds of his mansion,
spouting off to anyone who will listen.
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West Ham v Blackburn
BBC
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 7 May Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage: Watch highlights on Match of the Day; listen on BBC Radio 5
live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
TEAM NEWS
West Ham hope to welcome back their England midfielder Scott Parker, who
has missed the last three games with an Achilles injury.
The Hammers will give Parker a late fitness test and will also assess
defender Matthew Upson, who went off with a dead leg at Man City last week.
Blackburn will give late fitness tests to Junior Hoilett (hamstring),
David Dunn (calf) and Michel Salgado (knee).
Manager Steve Kean says he expects at least two of the three to be
available.
West Ham
Doubtful: Parker (Achilles), Tomkins (knee), Upson (leg)
Injured: Dyer (hamstring), Kurucz (knee), Noble (stomach), O'Neil
(ankle), Stanislas (hernia)
Blackburn
Doubtful: Dunn (calf), Hoilett (hamstring), Salgado (knee)
Injured: Grella (Achilles), Nelsen (knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
West Ham co-owner David Gold has told the BBC's Football Focus programme
that he would let the club's England internationals leave if they are
relegated.
We have to take points this weekend. There is no time to recover after this
With three games to go, that threat is very real. The Hammers are bottom
of the table and three points from safety, having lost five games in a
row. A match against fellow strugglers Wigan comes after this, making it
a huge week for Avram Grant's side.
They may have to face it without the Football Writers' Association
Footballer of the Year, Scott Parker. The England midfielder has missed
the last three games with an Achilles injury but is desperate to be
involved.
Blackburn also have relegation fears, although last week's 1-0 win over
Bolton has given them a bit of breathing space. Rovers manager Steve
Kean believes his side need one more win to guarantee their safety.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• This is the 107th time these clubs have met. Blackburn lead by 45 wins
to 41 - but have failed to win any of the last 10 meetings.
West Ham
• West Ham have failed to win their last six games, losing the last five.
• The Hammers have conceded at least two goals in each of their last
five games.
• Although bottom of the table, West Ham have more points (32) than they
had at this stage last season (31).
• Manager Avram Grant celebrates his 56th birthday on Friday.
Blackburn
• Blackburn's 1-0 win over Bolton last week was their first victory in
11 games.
• Rovers have picked up just one point from their last seven away matches.
• Blackburn are the only Premier League side yet to come from behind to
win this season.
• They have the worst defensive record away from home, conceding 40
goals on their travels.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Carlton Cole
West Ham
Cole: 11 goals (5 league); Piquionne: 9 goals (6 league)
Nikola Kalinic
Blackburn
Kalinic: 6 goals (5 league); Mame Diouf: 6 goals (3 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Peter Walton
Assistant referees: Stuart Burt & Ron Ganfield
Fourth official: Andre Marriner
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
West Ham (L1-2 v Man City, a): Green, Jacobsen, Tomkins, Upson (da Costa
26), Gabbidon, Sears, Spector, Hitzlsperger, Boa Morte (Obinna 79), Ba,
Keane (Cole 66).
Subs Not Used: Boffin, Reid, Kovac, Piquionne.
Blackburn (W1-0 v Bolton, h): Robinson, Salgado (Diouf 76), Samba, Phil
Jones, Givet, Emerton, Nzonzi, Jermaine Jones, Olsson, Roberts (Pedersen
79), Mwaruwari (Kalinic 64).
Subs Not Used: Bunn, Santa Cruz, Rochina, Hanley.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The world is not enough for Karren Brady
The Evening Standard
Karren Brady has an energy and determination that would daunt even
Margaret Thatcher. As vice-chairman of West Ham, she's spent the past
months putting together her team's winning bid to take over the Olympic
Stadium. She's Alan Sugar's sidekick on The Apprentice, sits on the
board of Philip Green's Arcadia Group and writes columns for a national
tabloid and a women's magazine. In her spare time, she's working on her
second book, a guide to empowering young women in business. What's
really astonishing about this superwoman is that she's also managed to
carve out time to conduct a successful private life. She is happily
married to Canadian footballer-turned-manager Paul Peschisolido and is a
devoted mother to their two children - and she doesn't employ a nanny.
Clearly, her juggling skills are beyond anything her players can dream of.
This is immediately clear when we meet in the directors' boardroom at
West Ham. Karren, 42, glamorously curvy in a blue silk MaxMara dress
under a tight black Valentino jacket, is having her face made up, being
briefed by her PA, typing on her computer, eating biscuits and reading
text messages on her phone simultaneously. 'I'm a woman, I can do more
than one thing at a time because I have to,' she says. 'The worst thing
is that it's become an obsession. I now can't just do one thing at a
time. If I'm watching TV, I have to be on the computer or doing a
crossword as well.' The night before we meet, she attended the
Children's Champion Awards, but was worrying about her daughter Sophia,
15, who was cooking dinner for her brother Paolo, 12, for the first time
while their father was at a football match. 'I kept ringing to say, "Are
you OK? Have you burned yourself?" ' she laughs.
Doesn't she ever feel role strain? 'No, not at all,' she says, looking
rather surprised at the idea. 'I can go from doing business with West
Ham into filming for The Apprentice and the next day be in an Arcadia
board meeting or go and sit in the House of Commons for a debate on
something and then come here and negotiate with a footballer. I have the
ability to switch.'
Her unbelievably complicated life is made tougher by geography: while
her job is in London, the plush, gated family home is in the West
Midlands celebrity enclave of Knowle, Solihull, where her children go to
school. Karren has a pied-à-terre in Knightsbridge where she lives four
days a week, returning home on Thursdays just in time to take over the
childcare from her husband, whose job managing Burton Albion football
club demands his full attention at weekends. In Birmingham, she throws
herself into full-on mummy mode, cooking vast meals, cleaning the house
('I'm a clean freak') and taking her children on expeditions. 'We really
don't do anything at the weekend that doesn't involve the family.'
Sophia is an aspiring model, who has a contract with Select and can be
seen on the Lipsy website sporting scarlet shorts, and Karren is always
her chaperone and taxi driver. 'She won't do it if I'm not there,' she says.
All the same, Karren is no pushover as a parent and doesn't use money to
compensate for her absence. 'If you continually give in to children,
they get petulant and spoilt. I can't think of anything I'd like less,'
she says, insisting that her offspring have no idea of the family's
wealth (which is substantial: last year she estimated her fortune at £82
million). In London, by contrast, Karren never cooks (she likes to go
out to Nobu or Scott's or orders takeaways) and sets no limit on her
working day. 'Yesterday, I got up at about 5.30am and got into bed at
midnight. And I'll often get text messages in the middle of the night,
but that's fine because there's nobody else to wake up.'
I don't think I've ever met anyone with such daunting levels of energy.
'When I was younger it was relentless,' she agrees, 'but now I have to
recharge more often. I never used to go on holidays - I used to really
hate the packing and the aggravation but I find I do need more breaks.'
All the same, she remains welded to her BlackBerry at all times. 'I get
500 emails a day. I'd never catch up if I left it at home.'
Karren is kinder to herself since a routine health check in 2006
revealed she had a cerebral aneurysm (a weakening in one of the arteries
in her brain), which could have ruptured at any time. The neurologist
she saw told her he was amazed she'd survived childbirth even once.
Karren underwent emergency surgery and spent several weeks off work. 'I
loathed every minute,' she says. 'I completely understood why being ill
makes people want to change their life. They realise they're married to
the wrong person or they hate their job. But what I realised was how
much I liked my life and that I wanted to do it for as long as
possible.' Her brush with death persuaded her to take more risks, she
says. 'If someone had suggested to me before that I should do The
Apprentice, I'd have thought they were mad. But I thought, "Why not? If
you don't like it, or they don't like you, it won't be the end of the
world." And I loved the show and I loved Alan.'
She joined the team last year, replacing lawyer Margaret Mountford, and
has proved to be one of Sugar's better business decisions. Not only does
she add a much-needed dose of glamour to the show, but her cosy
straightforwardness is a perfect foil to the camped-up bossiness of both
Sugar and his other adviser, former PR consultant Nick Hewer. Has she
been asked to play good cop to Nasty Nick's bad one? 'I am more
nurturing,' she says. 'I want to take them all home with me and help
them. I'm often most impressed by the ones who strut in making
ridiculous claims about how wonderful they are, but a couple of tasks
in, realise that they need to finesse their style and work as a team to
get the most out of the situation. If you want to win, you can't always
be looking out for yourself.' In the forthcoming series, she says Jim is
'one to watch. He's a bit of a smooth operator and always remains very
calm and collected. And Edward is the accountant who doesn't want to be
an accountant. It was quite amusing to see him struggle to break free
from the stereotype.' But she won't divulge who wins (the show is
entirely filmed in advance).
And how does she get on with Sugar? Can he really be as tetchy as he
seems on screen? 'Well, he's very direct,' she says cautiously, 'but
actually he's a great family man and a wonderful grandad. He brings his
grandchildren in and they're all over him. And his wife Ann is so
lovely, you know that the side you see on TV isn't all there is.' This
is generous, given their recent spat over the Olympic Stadium bid. West
Ham won the backing of Olympic bosses after promising to keep the
athletics track in place; Sugar, who used to be chairman of rival
bidders Tottenham Hotspur (which wanted to pull the whole stadium down),
declared it would be a 'white elephant' and a 'disaster for the taxpayer'.
'Alan was…' For once, Karren is lost for words (but I guess livid might
fit). 'I said to him, "I can't imagine what you'd be saying to me if we
weren't friends." I couldn't believe it!' She taps away at her computer
to bring up the Valentine's card he subsequently emailed her, offering
free binoculars with every West Ham season ticket. 'Isn't that funny?'
she says cheerfully, flaunting what she calls 'the world's thickest
skin' that has allowed her to climb unscathed to the top of a sexist
profession.
Karren, who has a brother Darren (yes, really), was brought up in
Edmonton, just outside the Tottenham stadium, ironically enough. Her
father Terry made a multimillion-pound fortune from printing and was
once chairman of Swindon Town FC; her mother Rita was a glamorous
housewife who had her cigarettes dyed to match her outfits. Karren
inherited her father's business acumen: as a child, she was forever
coming up with money-making ventures (at the age of six she put up a
poster in her bedroom window offering massages to passers-by). 'I was
asked to give a speech at my old school, Aldenham in Elstree. They gave
me my file and in it were all these letters I'd written to the
headmaster with ideas for how the school could make money,' she laughs.
'None of them were ever put into action so we can safely say what he
thought of them.'
Super-confident, Karren didn't bother with university but straightaway
set about the business of making her fortune. In her first job, in
telesales for LBC radio, she attempted to persuade porn publisher David
Sullivan to advertise his Daily Sport with the station, and when he
refused, went to persuade him in person, promising him his money back if
he didn't put on sales. He was so impressed by her that he hired her
himself and, when she was just 23, put her in as the MD of Birmingham
City FC. 'People thought it was a publicity stunt,' she admits. 'I'm
sure they all thought that a month later I'd be opening a nightclub. I
was very aware that I had to hit the ground running. In my first year,
we made a trading profit for the first time in the club's history. That
was a real turning point. People thought, "Perhaps she does know what
she's doing after all." ' But how could she possibly have known? 'It's
just instinctive,' she says. 'Put me into a failing business and I know
how to sort it out. It's a gut thing.'
Her job was made tougher by the entrenched sexism of the industry. She
had players commenting on her figure, a journalist asking for her vital
statistics at a press conference, and when she arrived for her first
away game, was invited to sit with the directors' wives because the
directors' box was men only. 'I thought it was the most prehistoric
thing I'd ever heard of in my life,' she says. 'But lots of people in
football in those days had been in it for 100 years. That's how it had
always been and how they always wanted it to be. Can you believe that
women weren't allowed into football boardrooms in 1993?' Similarly, she
was initially not asked to the Professional Footballers' Association
annual dinner. 'Then they phoned me and said they'd decided to let women
come and would I be the first woman guest? I said, "I have to have
dinner with a footballer every night - the thought of having dinner with
a thousand of them? You can keep your dinner." '
Experiences like these have left her convinced, she says, of the need to
ensure diversity in business, 'Because if you're all too like-minded,
you can't see the wood for the trees. You think your colleagues' ideas
are wonderful because they're the ones you'd have had yourself.' By the
time she left Birmingham in 2009, three-quarters of the senior
management team was female. 'And I've brought in senior people here and
they're all women.'
So what does she think of Lord Sugar's recent suggestion that women
should announce in job interviews if they plan to start a family? 'Well,
everyone who runs a business is entitled to their opinion,' she says
tactfully. 'If you're running a small business and people aren't there,
that's a difficult thing to combine with your own ambitions. But if you
say that you'd like children in the next five years and that rules you
out of a job then I don't think that's particularly fair. I don't even
think about those things. I managed to have a family and run a business,
so I don't see any problems.' Not surprising, since she took just three
days off after the birth of Sophia, a decision she regrets. 'Would
anything really have been lost if I'd had three months? I was just in
such a hurry,' she says wistfully.
A fortnight later I catch up with her again, fresh from an Easter break
in Spain with the children. Karren has a splitting headache but is
soldiering on with a day composed of endless meetings - about the club's
website, the transition to the Olympic Stadium - rounded off with a trip
to the US Embassy to get her visa (she's flying to the States shortly
for an overview of the Arcadia businesses out there). Despite the dreary
slog, she remains evangelical about the need to inspire the next
generation of women to come into business. 'I think it's my
responsibility to carve out an easier path for my daughter and her
daughter. Every year I go to a reception at Downing Street for
International Women's Day and every year I see the same people. Where
are the new entrepreneurs, the inventors, the lawyers? They're out
there, but how do we find them? I don't know what I'd do to fix it, but
I have a genuine belief that we should champion young people to do
better. I think that probably is my ambition.'
So she's definitely up for a Big Society role if David Cameron fancies
calling. 'I'm a Conservative supporter, and if they asked me, I'd do
anything for my country. That becomes more appealing to me the older I
get.' And what does she fancy taking on? The education system? The NHS?
'Even if they gave me the sewerage system, I'd give it a good go,' she
says lightly. After all, what's one more ball in the air for a champion
juggler? ES
The Apprentice returns to BBC One on Tuesday 10 May at 9pm; episode two
is on Wednesday 11 May at 9pm on BBC One
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West Ham v Blackburn preview
Teamtalk.Com
Team news for Saturday afternoon's Premier League clash between West Ham
and Blackburn at Upton Park.
Scott Parker is a major doubt for West Ham.
The England international missed the recent defeats at Chelsea and
Manchester City with an Achilles complaint that he is still struggling
with, while fellow midfielders Gary O'Neil (ankle) and Mark Noble
(hernia) will be absent and defender Matthew Upson is doubtful with a
dead leg.
Jordan Spence could feature after being recalled from his loan spell at
Bristol City and on-loan Wayne Bridge returns to the squad after being
ineligible to face parent club City last weekend.
Blackburn will give late fitness tests to Junior Hoilett, David Dunn and
Michel Salgado.
Rovers boss Steve Kean believes at least two of the trio will be
available for the Premier League match.
Ryan Nelsen and Vince Grella are definitely out of the Upton Park clash
where three points would secure Blackburn's top-flight status.
West Ham (from): Green, Jacobsen, Tomkins, Upson, Hitzlsperger,
Piquionne, Spector, Ba, Cole, Boffin, Reid, Da Costa, Boa Morte,
Collison, Keane, Spence, Bridge, Parker, Stanislas.
Blackburn (from): Robinson, Samba, Givet, Olsson, Salgado, J Jones,
Emerton, P Jones, Nzonzi, Dunn, Diouf, Hoilett, Bunn, Roberts, Pedersen,
Hanley, Kalinic, Rochina, Formica, Benjani, Santa Cruz.
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Demba Ba race 'could see Spurs and Chelsea join top suitors Sunderland'
Metro.Co.Uk
A number of top Premier League clubs are believed to be keeping tabs on
West Ham striker Demba Ba, with fellow Londoners Spurs and Chelsea
joining the vultures circling above the relegation-threatened east-enders.
It has been suggested that several clubs, including Sunderland (the
early favourites), Blackburn and Aston Villa, are ready to bid for Ba -
who has been one of the Hammers' stand-out players this season.
But the former Hoffenheim forward, 25, is believed to be more interested
in any offers from other London clubs because he wants to remain in the
capital, even if West Ham decide to cash in.
As such, reported interest from - among others - sixth-placed Spurs and
title-challengers Chelsea is being talked up by Ba's agent, who has
already told the Hammers his client will demand a move if the club drop
into the Championship.
Fulham have also been mentioned as another potentially interested party,
although it is thought manager Mark Hughes is more interested in
bringing in potentially cheaper foreign-based alternatives.
Ba's stock has undoubtedly risen since he arrived in the Premier League
in January for £7million, having scored five goals in nine starts and
frequently looking like the Hammers' most dangerous player.
Blackburn manager Steve Kean - who could be one of the big spenders this
summer under the club's new owners - has already declared himself a fan
of the Senegalese star.
'Ba was one of the serious ones we looked at in January but he decided
to go to West Ham in the end,' said Kean. 'He's done very well at West
Ham and he looks like he can get goals.'
The news comes as West Ham chairman David Gold told the BBC's Football
Focus that he is prepared to let some of the club's biggest names leave
in the summer if the club finish in the Premier League's bottom three.
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