Girls ready for Wembley date
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies U16s will fly the flag at the UEFA Champions League
final
28.05.2011
Eight players from West Ham United Ladies Under-16 squad will enjoy the
evening of a lifetime at tonight's UEFA Champions League final. The girls -
Charlotte Stephens, Naomi Hayes, Nicole Learner, Sophie McLean, Jess Chater,
Megan Lewis, Eliz Ibrahim and Claire Huggins - will be on the Wembley pitch
ahead of Manchester United's clash with FC Barcelona after winning the Ford
Champions Youth Football Tournament. The U16s will join boys from Team Ryan
FC in waving the official UEFA Champions League starball banner in the
centre circle after both clubs won their respective five-a-side competitions
at Dagenham & Redbridge FC on 7 May. The tournament saw West Ham brush off
the challenge of a host of local teams and schools before reaching the final
by winning a tense penalty shootout. There, the Hammers defeated Redbridge
2-1 to secure the trophy and their trip to Wembley. Victory completed a
successful season for the U16s, who are coached by Carla Dickinson and
finished as runners-up to Tottenham Hotspur in the Essex County League. The
two sides also meet in the League Cup final this afternoon. Mark Simpson,
Ford of Britain marketing director, congratulated the girls on their
achievements. He said: "After 19 years, Ford remains extremely proud to be
an official partner of the UEFA Champions League. This year, Ford is
celebrating its centenary year and is delighted to be providing two youth
teams from local Dagenham this amazing opportunity. "We send our
congratulations to Team Ryan FC and West Ham Under-16 girls and wish them
well for their important role in the opening ceremony of European football's
most prestigious match."
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Jack and Gabbs play
WHUFC.com
A successful comeback by Jack Collison was completed with his return to the
Wales fold
28.05.2011
Jack Collison made his long-awaited return to international duty in helping
Wales to beat Northern Ireland in Dublin on Friday night. The Hammers No10
played 62 minutes after starting alongside club-mate Danny Gabbidon in
Dublin's virtually empty Aviva Stadium. Collison grew in stature as the game
wore on and was particularly lively in linking up with former Hammers
forward Craig Bellamy. Wales won with goals from Aaron Ramsey and Robert
Earnshaw, but needed Gabbidon to be alert on a couple of occasions. The
long-serving centre-back was winning his first cap for the Principality
since November 2009, having agreed to come out of international retirement
for new manager Gary Speed. Collison finished the season strongly for club
and country after 14 months out with a serious knee injury. He will return
for duty with the rest of the Hammers squad in early July raring to go for
the new campaign.
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West Ham close to naming new manager to replace Grant
Page last updated at 12:11 GMT, Saturday, 28 May 2011 13:11 UK
West Ham hope to appoint their new manager by the end of next week, BBC
Sport understands. Reports suggest former Blackburn, Newcastle and Bolton
boss Sam Allardyce is in the frame to succeed Avram Grant. West Ham sacked
Israeli Grant after they were relegated from the Premier League with one
game remaining.
Caretaker manager Kevin Keen, who took charge for that game, a 3-0 home
defeat by Sunderland, has stated his desire to lead the Hammers in the
Championship.
However, Keen has no formal managerial experience, apart from looking after
West Ham's reserve team. Allardyce was surprisingly sacked from his role as
Blackburn manager in December after three defeats in five games, with Rovers
13th in the Premier League, five points above the relegation zone. The
Lancashire club slipped deeper into the relegation battle following
Allardyce's exit and only guaranteed another season in the top flight by
beating Wolves 3-2 at Molineux on the final day of the season. Other
managers who have been linked with the vacant post include Chris Hughton and
Paul Lambert.
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Allardyce accepts offer
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 28th May 2011
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce is set to be installed as West Ham United's fourteenth
full-time manager later this week. The 56-year-old spent the last 48 hours
mulling over the offer before finally agreeing to become the man to replace
Avram Grant. According to the People, Allardyce, speaking late last night
(Saturday) said: "Everything has been agreed in principle and I look forward
to taking charge after I have had a family holiday. "It's always difficult
dealing with the aftermath of relegation, but I want to get West Ham back
into the Premier League as quickly as possible."
Whilst Allardyce may have accepted West Ham's offer, the situation regarding
fellow candidate Martin O'Neill remains unclear. Some sources have
suggested that the former Aston Villa boss - who is also understood to have
been offered the job and is said to be the board's number one choice - would
confirm his decision on Monday.
Either way an official announcement with regards to the identity of the new
manager is not expected to be made until midweek, at the earliest.
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Supporters' Advisory Board: in summary
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 27th May 2011
By: Phillip Marlowe
The West Ham United Supportor's Advisory Board held their inaugural meeting
at the Boleyn Ground last night. Here follows a brief rundown of the main
points discussed.
The SAB
It was confirmed that the advisory board would meet quarterly and will be
split into four focus groups. Attendees were asked to nominate on a
preference basis what areas they were most interested in.
1. Matchday experience - covering hotdogs to half time entertainment
2. Olympic Stadium - what the fans want there; travel, food, seating
arrangements
3. Replica kit/merchandise - merchandise/programme content.
4. Commerical: packages in relation to the Boleyn Ground and Olympic
Stadium.
The vacant managerial position
David Sullivan advised the meeting that he had offered the job to one person
at £1.25m per annum plus the same again in bonus payments - and been turned
down.
He had met someone else who the entire board were happy with (and he
reckoned the fans would be as well) but he thought the candidate would turn
us down.
Squad/contracts
One player has been offered a wage that would be double the wage of the next
highest paid player in the Npower to 'renew'. This is thought to be either
Demba Ba or Thomas Hitzlsperger.
Zavon Hines has turned down the offer of a new contract.
Jordan Spence won't sign a new contract until he knows a). who the manager
will be and b). that he will get a chance to play on a regular basis.
The Olympic Stadium
The vast majority of feedback sought was related to Stratford. It seems
crystal clear that it is their main are of interest. We will not act as
promoters for non-football events, we will act effectively as a landlord,
renting out the stadium.
Ian Tompkins stated categorically: "To the inch, the distance from the front
of the upper tier on the halfway line at Stratford is the same distance to
the centre circle as it is from the mid-tier at Wembley".
The judicial review is not holding anything up at all.
The timetable is for the stadium to be ready by April 2014. The Boleyn
Ground is up for sale - potentially to be sold as mixed retail/housing.
One of the questions asked by our hosts was: "How far would you be prepared
to walk to the stadium?" My inclination is that there may be an issue with
pedestrian routes onto the Olympic Stadium island - they clearly want people
to come on the train.
There are only 200 car parking spaces at the new stadium. The club are
negotiating to try and retain the multi-story at the top end of the site.
The 5,000 spaces at Westfields shopping centre were not mentioned, but it
seems we won't be encouraged to use them.
There was no word on whether there will be a walkway on matchdays between
the car park and the stadium.
Reduced-cost tickets
The issue concerning selling cheap tickets for less than the equivalent
season ticket price was virtually glossed over - we were not given an
opportunity to ask any probing questions on this.
However there were a number of comments regarding rewarding season ticket
holder loyalty; I think Mr Sullivan and Ms Brady may have got the message
that selling cheap tickets to fill the ground has annoyed many people.
Replica Kit
The new away shirt was shown - apparently it's top secret. It won't fit me.
Karren Brady
Ms Brady said little apart from 'goodbye, thanks for coming'. She looked
fairly disinterested throughout; both her and Sullivan ducked out after
about an hour.
Tony Carr
Tony said he was happy in his current job. He looked slightly embarassed,
which is understandable, but he was good value as you would expect. With
regards to bright young things, he didn't want to name any lads in
particular so as not to heap pressure on them but explained the process of
player development.
Conclusion
Many people clearly felt the SAB is a worthwhile concept although few seemed
to appreciate it is a requirement for a UEFA licence. I think some basic
things will be acted upon as a consequence.
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Big Sam leading Hammers race
Allardyce leading contender to take over in East London
Last Updated: May 28, 2011 11:43am
SSN
Skysports.com understands that West Ham are in talks with Sam Allardyce over
the vacant managerial post at Upton Park. The former Blackburn boss has been
linked with the Hammers role since Avram Grant was sacked by the club
following their relegation from the Premier League earlier this month.
Allardyce was shown the door at Ewood Park by new Rovers owners Venky's in
December last year and has not managed since. But the 56-year-old has now
emerged as the leading contender to take over at West Ham and be handed the
task of leading the East Londoners back to the top-flight. Hammers co-owners
David Sullivan and David Gold are thought to have already held negotiations
with Allardyce over taking up the role. His experience is likely to have
attracted him to the club, with the former defender having previously
managed at Bolton and Newcastle in the Premier League. Allardyce has been
installed as the bookies' favourite to take the Upton Park post, with
Cardiff boss Dave Jones and former Aston Villa tactician Martin O'Neill also
reportedly in the frame.
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Allardyce agrees Hammers deal
Published 23:00 28/05/11 By Dave Kidd
The Mirror
Sam Allardyce last night confirmed he'll take charge of West Ham this week –
with a £1million incentive to win promotion back to the Premier League at
the first attempt. Allardyce held talks with Upton Park owners David Gold
and David Sullivan last week and a £1.5m-a-year deal was agreed, with a £1m
bonus payable if he wins promotion. Lawyers acting for both sides are
currently drawing up contracts and Allardyce said last night: "Everything
has been agreed in principle and I look forward to taking charge after I
have had a family holiday."
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Newcastle join race to sign West Ham star Demba Ba
Metro.co.uk
Demba Ba has emerged as a target for Newcastle United after it was revealed
he can leave West Ham on a free transfer. The Senegalese striker only joined
the Hammers from Hoffenheim in January, but it is believed a clause in his
contract allows him to leave for nothing in the wake of the club's
relegation. Sunderland were reported to be leading the race for Ba's
signature, as Steve Bruce searches for a replacement for Darren Bent, while
Everton are also said to be considering offering him a deal. According to
the Daily Mirror, Newcastle have now joined the race for the 26-year-old.
Magpies boss Alan Pardew has money to spend following Andy Carroll's £35
million move to Liverpool, but knows he needs to bring in a number of
players if the club are to build on their impressive first season back in
the top-flight. New strikers are his priority and the chance to sign a
player who has scored seven times in 12 Premier League games on a free
transfer could prove too tempting to turn down for Pardew. He also has an
interest in Lorient's Kevin Gameiro and Lille's Gervinho, but they would
cost more than £10 million apiece.
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SAM ALLARDYCE IN WEST HAM HOT-SEAT
Saturday May 28,2011
By John Dillon
Daily Express
SAM ALLARDYCE will be the new boss of relegated West Ham after agreeing last
night to try to save them from an Olympic Stadium meltdown. Allardyce,
sacked by Blackburn last December, could land a £1.25million bonus if he
gets the Hammers back into the Premier League at the first attempt. It is
vital the club win back their top-flight status with the move into the
massive London Games arena due in 2014. Otherwise, the club, which owes at
least £100m following the disastrous regime of their previous Icelandic
owners, could be threatened with bankruptcy. Allardyce is seen as a
hard-headed and experienced boss who can quickly sort out the problems at
West Ham. It is believed Allardyce has agreed a three-year package. He is
sure to have demanded guarantees about bringing in his coaching staff and,
in particular, about the signing of new players, with agent Barry Silkman
having been very influential at Upton Park since the club's takeover by
David Sullivan and David Gold.
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IS SAM ALLARDYCE THE RIGHT MAN FOR WEST HAM?
Sunday May 29,2011
By Colin Mafham
Daily Express
WEST Ham were last night plunged into fresh turmoil over the potential
appointment of Sam Allardyce as their new manager. Owners David Sullivan and
David Gold and managing director Karren Brady are believed to be still split
over who should get the job. Sullivan is understood to prefer Cardiff's Dave
Jones, Gold is backing Allardyce and Ms Brady is understood to favour a
second bid to land Martin O'Neill. As a result they are facing a revolt from
fans over Allardyce whose controversial long-ball tactics are seen to be
alien to everything the East Enders are famous for. Either Jones or O'Neill
would be the people's choice. As O'Neill turned West Ham down in January
that would appear to clear the way for Jones, who has performed miracles at
Cardiff on a shoestring budget and who favours a style of football the
supporters would prefer to see at Upton Park next season. Jones is
considering his long-term future after Cardiff's loss to Reading in this
year's Championship play-off semi-finals.
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Sam Allardyce the new man at West Ham after turning down Middle East offer
By BOB CASS
Last updated at 4:20 AM on 29th May 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham will appoint Sam Allardyce as their new manager on Monday after
changing the 56-year-old former Blackburn Rovers boss's mind about turning
his back on English football management. Allardyce had considered either
retirement or taking up a lucrative offer to coach in the oil-rich Middle
East, after he was sacked by Blackburn's new India-based owners last
December. He was succeeded by his former coach Steve Kean, who took over
with the club in a healthy mid-table position, but only succeeded in
averting the threat of Premier League relegation on the last day of the
season. Allardyce's track record of building success with comparatively
shoestring resources made him an ideal target for David Sullivan and David
Gold. While candidates such as Cardiff City's Dave Jones and former England
coach Steve McClaren were widely tipped to succeed Avram Grant, the Hammers'
joint owners held secret talks with Allardyce, who finally agreed to take
over at Upton Park on Sunday. Allardyce will accept a £1.25million-a-year
deal and his first priority will be to persuade the likes of Footballer of
the Year Scott Parker and strikers Carlton Cole and Demba Ba that they have
a future in east London.
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Tony Pulis set to lure £3.5m Carlton Cole from West Ham with a ticket to
Europe
By JOE BERNSTEIN
Last updated at 4:24 AM on 29th May 2011
Daily Mail
Stoke City are to test West Ham's resolve to keep Carlton Cole with a
£3.5million move to take him from the Championship into Europe. Manager
Tony Pulis has been a long-time admirer of Cole and has not been put off by
the 27-year-old's disappointing form during West Ham's relegation season.
The England striker scored only five Premier League goals and failed to find
the net after February but Pulis, who has helped turn around the careers of
players like Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington, believes he can do
the same for Cole, whose pace and power would be a huge asset at the
Britannia Stadium. West Ham are looking to cut costs after dropping out of
the Premier League with Rob Green and Scott Parker set to leave with Cole.
Two more of their England internationals, Matthew Upson and Kieron Dyer,
have been released. Pulis will look to boost his squad this summer with the
club's run to the FA Cup final earning them a Europa League place. A
striker is top of his priority following his decision not to sign John Carew
on a permanent basis following his loan spell from Aston Villa.
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