WHUFC.com
Former Hammer Nigel Winterburn believes new manager Sam Allardyce will be
successful
30.06.2011
Nigel Winterburn is upbeat about West Ham United's promotion chances
following the appointment of new manager Sam Allardyce. The former Hammers
and England left-back is a big admirer of the new boss, who he believes will
instil a brand of winning football at the Boleyn Ground. In an exclusive
interview with West Ham TV, the 47-year-old expressed his optimism ahead of
the new npower Championship campaign. "What you can say about Sam Allardyce
is that he organises his teams very well, looks at and analyses all his data
so this West Ham won't miss out on anything organisation-wise," said
Winterburn. "I just have a sneaky feeling that Sam might just change his
style of play. Everybody associates him with a more direct style, but we all
know that the Upton Park faithful want to be entertained, see commitment and
winning football. "I think Sam might give a mix of that because he feels he
has something to prove with a London team who like to entertain but have
been relegated too often in recent years. "Maybe he can put his own style
into it which will be a winning style, as well."
The ex-Wimbledon and Arsenal star, who was part of the West Ham squad
relegated from the Premier League in 2002/03, also highlighted the need to
get a settled squad as soon as possible. With a busy pre-season schedule and
46-game league season ahead, Winterburn knows the importance of having a
settled side if the club are going to make a successful start to the new
campaign. "I think, with a new manager and new ideas, pre-season is vital
because you want to get the players you want into the squad straight away.
You can then work on fitness and team-shape throughout that pre-season.
"Obviously, even if you have a good pre-season in terms of games won, it
doesn't hold you in any sort of stead for the league games coming up, but it
does help if you can get some continuity going to start with. "The real
pressure comes on when you start to play in the league and for West Ham,
they'll need a terrific start to the season because I think they'll be the
favourites to come back up again."
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Turgott to face Germany
WHUFC.com
England are through to the U-17 World Cup last-eight meaning a huge test for
promising Blair Turgott
30.06.2011
Blair Turgott is looking forward to a FIFA U-17 World Cup quarter-final
against Germany after England overcame Argentina on a 4-2 penalty shoot-out
win. The Hammers attacker started the 1-1 draw before being replaced on 71
minutes, just after picking up a yellow card in what was a competitive
contest played in monsoon conditions in Pachuca. The Mexico finals do not
include extra time, meaning the match went straight to spot-kicks and
captain Nathaniel Chalobah struck the decisive kick after two Jordan
Pickford saves in goal. The keenly-anticipated showdown with Germany will
take place on Monday, with the Young Lions' European rivals having overcome
the United States with a 4-0 victory on Thursday. Turgott is the only West
Ham United representative left at the finals after Dylan Tombides was
eliminated with Australia on Wednesday at the hands of Uzbekistan.
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Stoke told to up Cole bid
Allardyce insists relegated Hammers won't sell stars on the cheap
Last Updated: June 30, 2011 12:46pm
SSN
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has told Stoke City they must up their
offer for Carlton Cole if they want to land the striker. The Potters are
reported to have made a bid of £3million plus various add-ons for the
27-year-old frontman. Allardyce accepts the Hammers have to look at
balancing the books following relegation from the Premier League last
season. Cole and fellow England internationals Rob Green and Scott Parker
have been linked with a summer departure from Upton Park to remain in the
top flight. But the new Hammers boss stressed they would not be allowed to
leave on the cheap.
Financial position
"I believe at this stage that the offer is not good enough. It is not to the
club's valuation," he told The Sentinel. "We are keen to keep our key
players. However, we have lost our Premier League status and our financial
position has to be addressed. "A part of that might be players are sold back
to the Premier League, but only so long as that is right for our club." West
Ham signed Cole from Chelsea in 2006 and he is under contract until 2013. He
scored 11 goals last season and has a total of 42 from 165 appearances for
the Hammers.
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Campbell wants Prem move
Sunderland leading the chase for Blackpool striker
By Peter O'Rourke - Follow me on Twitter @SkySportsPeteO. Last
Updated: June 30, 2011 7:35pm
SSN
Skysports.com understands Blackpool striker DJ Campbell is keen to win a
move to the Premier League, denting West Ham's hopes of signing him. West
Ham and Queens Park Rangers have both been granted permission to speak to
Campbell after meeting the £1.25 million buy-out clause in his Blackpool
contract. Campbell enjoyed an impressive campaign in the top flight last
season as he scored 13 goals for Blackpool. However, Campbell is ready to
move on from Blackpool following their relegation as he wants to play in the
Premier League. A number of Premier League clubs, including Fulham and
Stoke, are thought to be keen on Campbell, but skysports.com understands
Sunderland are leading the chase for the 29-year-old. Black Cats boss Steve
Bruce is a big fan of Campbell, having signed him during his time in charge
of Birmingham. Campbell will now see what offers come in for him before
deciding where to continue his career.
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Sven to pip Big Sam for Posh star
Published: Today
The Sun
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON is set to beat Sam Allardyce in a £3million scrap for
Craig Mackail-Smith. Leicester boss Eriksson expects to clinch the signing
of Peterborough striker Mackail-Smith, 27, today after the player rejected a
switch to Upton Park. The Foxes are also closing in on a £1.2m deal for
Preston defender Sean St Ledger and are talking with free agent Matt
Derbyshire.
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Jol 'n Sam want Max factor
Published: Today
The Sun
FULHAM boss Martin Jol wants to sign Leeds winger Max Gradel, 23. West Ham
are also chasing the £2m-rated wideman, who are battling with Burnley,
Reading and Blackpool to sign Derry City wide-man James McLean, 22.
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Sam: Cole won't come cheap
Published: Today
The Sun
WEST HAM boss Sam Allardyce has told Stoke they will have to up their offer
for Carlton Cole, 27. The Potters are reported to have bid £3million plus
add-ons for the England striker. Allardyce accepts he has to balance the
books after relegation from the Prem. But he also stressed players would not
be sold on the cheap. He said: "The offer is not to the club's valuation. We
want to keep our key players. "But we have lost our Premier League status
and our financial position has to be addressed."
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Allardyce laughs off Stoke's Cole bid
ESPN
June 30, 2011
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has told Stoke they will have to increase
their offer if they want to sign striker Carlton Cole. Stoke are reported to
have made an opening bid of £3 million, plus various add-ons, for
27-year-old England international Cole. Allardyce accepts the Hammers have
to look at balancing the books after their relegation from the Premier
League last season but stressed players would not be allowed to leave
cheaply. "I believe at this stage that the offer is not good enough. It is
not to the club's valuation,'' the West Ham boss told The Sentinel. "We are
keen to keep our key players. However, we have lost our Premier League
status and our financial position has to be addressed. "A part of that might
be players are sold back to the Premier League, but only so long as that is
right for our club.''
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Lazio line up move for West Ham midfielder
By talkSPORT
Thursday, June 30
Lazio are poised to make a move for West Ham midfielder Julien Faubert.
Faubert is expected to leave Upton Park during the summer after failing to
secure a regular first-team place last season. The 27-year-old endured a
nightmare spell, which culminated in him walking out of the ground when he
was dropped for a game against Birmingham back in February. He then
infuriated the club when he failed to return when James Tomkins got injured
in the warm-up, leaving West Ham with just six substitutes. Sam Allardyce is
now willing to let Faubert move on and reports in Italy suggest that Lazio
have already opened talks with the former Bordeaux star and hope to conclude
a deal in the next few days. The only stumbling block appears to be the
length of contract Lazio are offering the French international.
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West Ham preparing new bid for Peterborough star
By talkSPORT
Thursday, June 30
West Ham are set to make another offer for Peterborough striker Craig
Mackail-Smith. Sam Allardyce is keen to bolster his forward line as Demba Ba
has already left the club and uncertainty surrounds the future of Carlton
Cole, who has been strongly linked with a move to Stoke. With Robbie Keane
having returned to Tottenham following his loan spell last season, Allardyce
knows he needs more firepower if West Ham are to bounce straight back into
the Premier League. Mackail-Smith played a major role in helping
Peterborough gain promotion into the Championship when he scored 35 goals
last season and is keen to show he can play at a higher level.
Peterborough's director of football Barry Fry claimed earlier in the week
that the club had agreed a fee with Leicester, but was expecting West Ham to
come back with an improved bid. West Ham are now hoping they can beat
Leicester's offer and finalise a deal to bring Mackail-Smith to Upton Park.
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QPR and West Ham to hold talks with DJ Campbell after agreeing to pay £1.25m
escape clause
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 11:11 PM on 30th June 2011
Daily Mail
Queen's Park Rangers and West Ham have been granted permission to talk to
Blackpool striker DJ Campbell after making bids of £1.25million. The
29-year-old, who has also attracted interest from Sunderland, Aston Villa,
Stoke and Fulham, wants to stay in the Premier League which could put paid
to Sam Allardyce's interest.
However, QPR manager Neil Warnock wants to bolster his strikeforce with Andy
Johnson and Jay Bothroyd also on his wishlist. Campbell has a clause in his
contract allowing him to leave Bloomfield Road for £1.25m and QPR would suit
the London-born 29-year-old - who is expected to hold talks in the coming
days. Former Blackpool midfielder Malaury Martin, 22, has joined
Middlesbrough on trial along with Croatian international Jurica Vranjes, 31.
He has 26 caps to his name and spent most of his career playing in the
Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart and Werder Bremen. He spent last
season with Genclerbirligi in Turkey.
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Thursday, 30 June 2011
Silence Noise Silence
Just Like My Dreams
It was full daylight at 7.40 this very morning in 1908 when an enormous pale
blue fireball trailed by a 500-mile tail of bright light, shimmering,
multicoloured bands hurtled across the Siberian sky and consumed itself in
the greatest cosmic explosion in the history of civilisation. This
cataclysmic detonation occurred four miles above the Earth's surface over a
huge, inaccessible and almost uninhabited pine forest near the Podkamennaya
Tunguska River in central Siberia. Equal to 1,000 Hiroshima bombs, the
blinding flash could be seen from 500 miles away. The colossal blast
produced no crater but its shock wave flattened half a million acres of
forest, and more than twenty miles from the epicentre scorched and
splintered trees lay pointing radially outward in a vast circle of
destruction. Almost 60 miles away at the trading post of Vanavara people
were knocked to the ground by the force of the blast, and an hour later the
seismic wave was picked up at the South Kensington Meteorological Office in
London almost 4,000 miles away.
The debate still rages about the true nature of this titanic explosion. Most
agree that some sort of extraterrestrial body, travelling at perhaps 60,000
miles an hour, detonated when it collided with the Earth's atmosphere. Some
maintain that it was a 100,000-ton asteroid, others believe that it was a
football-field-sized meteorite, and some insist it was a wayward comet
fragment composed mainly of ice and dust. A more abstruse theory holds that
the cataclysm was caused by a chunk of anti-matter, but a few assert that it
was the explosion of the main drive reactor in a UFO manned by aliens bent
on invading the Earth.
In the same way that the Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz of the Galactic Hyperspace
Planning Council demolished Earth to make way for the building of a
hyperspatial express route through its star system; all we can really say
about the greatest cosmic explosion in the history of civilisation is:
There was a terribly ghastly silence.
There was a terribly ghastly noise.
There was a terribly ghastly silence.
Which probably also accurately describes the reaction of Tony Pulis when Sam
Allardyce told him he would need to increase his offer to close to £7
million if he wants to sign striker Carlton Cole. The Potters are reported
to have made an opening bid of £3million, plus various add-ons, for the
27-year-old England international. Although the Hammers boss declined to
confirm the size of Stoke's bid, or reveal West Ham's asking price, he said
Stoke's opening offer wasn't enough to prise the striker away from Upton
Park. Despite being one of the highest earners at the club, the Hammers are
thought to be looking for a deal almost double the money on offer before
they will considering selling Cole.
Although Allardyce accepts the Hammers have to look at balancing the books
after their relegation from the Barclays Premier League last season, he was
keen to stress players would not be allowed to leave cheaply. "I believe at
this stage that the offer is not good enough. It is not to the club's
valuation," the West Ham boss said. "We are keen to keep our key players.
However, we have lost our Premier League status and our financial position
has to be addressed. A part of that might be players are sold back to the
Premier League, but only so long as that is right for our club."
Stoke have tabled offers for Cole and Birmingham duo Cameron Jerome and
Scott Dann as they attempt to make an early move in the transfer market.
However, City are unlikely to be rushed into negotiations for a quick deal.
They have shown in previous years they are prepared to be patient because
they believe better deals are more likely closer to the August 31 transfer
deadline. Stoke were keen on Cole last summer, but were put off by a
valuation of more than £12m. Liverpool were also heavily linked to the
striker last year, but Cole endured a disappointing season culminating in
West Ham's relegation in May.
However, Stoke would hope to revitalise a player who has seven England caps,
the last of which came against Egypt 16 months ago. City could offer Cole
the chance to put himself back in the England frame by cashing in on service
from wingers Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant. Cole, who has two
years left on his West Ham contract, has also been linked with West Brom,
QPR and Newcastle this summer. West Ham signed the player from Chelsea in
2006 and he scored 11 goals last season and has a total of 42 from 165
appearances for the Hammers.
If Allardyce is forced to sell Cole, Scott Parker or Robert Green then he
has vowed to "splash the cash" this summer to rebuild his depleted squad.
According to Talksport, the Hammers boss will hold showdown talks with the
three players when they return for the start of pre-season training
tomorrow. Parker is strongly expected to leave the club, with Tottenham
leading the chase to sign him, while Green has been linked with a move to
Aston Villa or West Brom. Stoke are also expected to come back with an
improved offer for the Cole. Despite the huge debt, Allardyce has assured
fans that he will still look to spend some money in the transfer market if
they are forced to sell their best players. "If we sell, we will use some of
that money to buy, there's no doubt about that," he said. "We have lost £40m
of revenue. A lot of the finance will have to be stumped up by the owners to
get us back into the Premier League."
The same media outlet claims some of that cash could be used to make an
improved offer for Peterborough striker Craig Mackail-Smith. Allardyce is
keen to bolster his forward line as Demba Ba has already left the club there
is growing uncertainty surrounding the future of Cole. With Robbie Keane
having returned to Tottenham following his loan spell last season, Allardyce
knows he needs more firepower if West Ham are to bounce straight back into
the Premier League. Mackail-Smith played a major role in helping
Peterborough gain promotion into the Championship when he scored 35 goals
last season and is keen to show he can play at a higher level. Posh director
of football Barry Fry claimed earlier in the week that the club had agreed a
fee with Leicester, but was expecting West Ham to come back with an improved
bid.
POSTED BY TRILBY AT 11:41
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The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Daniel Levy
Facts are the enemy of truth...
Just Like My Dreams
Tottenham Hotspur have decided to continue their battle over the Olympic
Stadium, and have gone back to the High Court in attempt to force a judicial
review of the decision to award the venue to West Ham United. Spurs are
refusing to accept defeat after last week's decision by Judge Mr Justice
Davis to reject their bid and that of Leyton Orient's. Backing the Olympic
Park Legacy Company's decision, Judge Davis said there were no grounds for a
review and dismissed Tottenham's challenge as "more the product of ingenuity
than of substance"; or the legal semantics equivalent of Todd Margaret
protesting: "I didn't shit myself, I pissed myself. I just fell in some shit
after I pissed myself." He subsequently warned both clubs that he hoped
renewal [appeal] on all points would not be "a knee-jerk reaction and
careful consideration will be given to the extent of renewal, if any."
Failing to take heed, Tottenham are again challenging the legal process that
gave the stadium to West Ham United, and will now have the chance to make a
case in an oral hearing at the High Court. That could be held as early as
next week and could potentially be heard by a different judge.
Orient chairman Barry Hearn revealed yesterday that his club would also be
appealing the decision and had already lodged oral submissions. The club are
concerned about the implications of having the Hammers moving closer to
them, fearing the loss of support at the club. Orient's Matchroom Stadium
home, which seats 9,271 supporters, lies within a mile of the Olympic site,
closer to the Olympic Stadium than West Ham's Boleyn Ground. The club fear
the implications of suggestions the Hammers could offer free or heavily
discounted tickets when they move into their new home.
Having consulted with their solicitors, Hearn made it clear this was not a
compensation claim, but an appeal made in order to protect the future of
Leyton Orient. "We believe we have a strong case," he said. "We need to make
it clear we are not in favour of West Ham moving into the Olympic Stadium –
it's not about compensation. We are trying to stop West Ham getting the
Olympic Stadium. We made it quite clear from the beginning, the move by West
Ham threatens the very existence of Leyton Orient. I suppose if every
council in the country was able to loan their football club £40m we wouldn't
have an objection. I believe in the medium term it will eventually put
Leyton Orient out of business."
Now, their north London cohorts are following suit. A statement placed on
the Spurs website this afternoon confirmed they have also applied to the
High Court again to renew their challenge. It said: 'The club has today
applied to the High Court to renew its application for permission to bring a
claim against the London Borough of Newham and the Olympic Park Legacy
Company, the Mayor of London and Government Ministers for judicial review of
their decisions underlying the bid process for the conversion of the Olympic
Stadium after the 2012 Games. Under this process the club now has the
opportunity to present its case at an oral hearing at the High Court.'
Tottenham and Leyton Orient had until 4pm today to decide whether to appeal
against last week's rejection of their attempts to block West Ham's move to
the Olympic Stadium, writes Paul Kelso, but already attention is turning to
their options if the move goes ahead. Last week the judge dismissed their
request and effectively warned them to think twice before appealing. Should
the West Ham decision stand, Tottenham face a major challenge to rebuild
relationships strained by the judicial review process. The club's decision
to challenge the government and London mayor's office in court has caused
major friction, with Westminster insiders describing a "trust deficit" as a
result of the legal process.
After Thursday's news was announced, the Olympic Park Legacy Company said:
"We are pleased with the ruling and continue to make good progress in our
negotiations with the preferred bidder in order to be in a position to agree
the final terms for the stadium's lease." Newham Council have arranged a
£40m loan to finance the move from Upton Park for West Ham, who are
promising to develop a venue capable of hosting "world-class sporting
events, including top-level football and athletics".
Spurs turned their attention to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, east
London, after deciding their plans for a new development at Northumberland
Park - next to their existing north London White Hart Lane home - were not
economically viable. Planning permission has already been granted but rising
costs means the club would have to find potentially half a billion pounds to
go ahead with the so-called Northumberland Development Project (NDP) -
unless they manage to acquire sufficient public backing. The amount of
residential property that could be built to offset the development costs has
also been reduced, notes Andrew Warshaw, and Spurs will now step up talks
with Haringey Council to try and strike a deal over the massive local
infrastructure costs.
Tottenham's other alternative site at Tottenham Hale would also require
significant public subsidy to be viable, states Kelso, and diplomatic
bridges will need to be built to achieve that. "Obviously we are taking a
fresh look at things and are trying to find viability to drive the NDP, but
it won't happen without public sector support," executive director Donna
Cullen told insideworldfootball. Their original proposal, part of a joint
bid with AEG sport and entertainment group, had been to knock down the
Olympic stadium, rebuild it as a football-only venue and, by way of a
commitment to athletics, redevelop the National Sports Centre at Crystal
Palace. Now, following the recent court judgement, their need to find an
alternative strategy is even more pressing. "We never stopped looking at the
NDP as an alternative option," insisted Cullen. "Of course we will have to
fund a degree of it ourselves but no stadium ever happens in this country
without public sector support. All we are asking for is the right balance."
Daniel Levy's need to expand is increasingly desperate as he aims to stay
competitive with a stadium that holds only 36,000 fans, but Cullen insisted
the club were not prepared to go heavily into the red to realise their dream
of a stadium on a par with neighbours Arsenal. "We're going to go back and
see what might be possible but there is only a certain level of debt the
club can take on and sustain. It cannot and will not go beyond a peak
level." She admitted the quest for a new ground had been made tougher by the
failure to acquire a judicial review of the Olympic Stadium process. "We are
not in an economic period where there is a situation of generous grants and
we are obviously not asking at the best of times. However, our ask is very
relevant. A stadium would absolutely affect the regeneration of an area of
London that has long been ignored."
For their part, Spurs believe that they were receiving so little support
from government that they had nothing to lose from the challenge. It is as
if Levy has become locked in a Kafkaesque hell in which from a certain point
onward there is no longer any turning back. Playing Sancho sidekick to it's
quixotic ally, Orient have asked the Football League to consider whether
West Ham's move to the Olympic Stadium should be permitted under their
rules. Any ground move has to be approved by the board. They are currently
appealing the Premier League's decision to approve the move, and the
Football League may wait until after an arbitration hearing in October
before declaring its position.
Meanwhile, with West Ham's move to Stratford looking increasingly likely to
happen there is mounting talk in football and Olympic circles that shopping
centre giant Westfield is set for an active, possibly decisive role in the
club's future. Westfield already own the shopping centre on the edge of the
Olympic Park, notes Kelso, and there is speculation they could eventually
add the club that will be playing a few hundred yards away to their London
portfolio. The company has already been heavily involved as a partner in
West Ham United's stadium bid, and are considering bidding for the contract
to convert the stadium, as well as being linked with a naming rights deal.
Writing in today's Telegraph, Kelso states it has long been suspected that
the Stratford move is part of a strategy by West Ham owners David Gold and
David Sullivan to sell the club on. Given Westfield's interests in the
Olympic Park, and owner Frank Lowy's football links – he is chairman of the
Australian FA and headed its failed 2022 World Cup bid – they make logical
suitors. According to the Londoner, the potential dominance of the Westfield
brand in the Olympic east may well be counterbalanced by an increased
presence in the former Olympic west as plans for expansion of Westfield at
White City are also revealed. In this bullish spirit of expansionism,
redevelopment of the site next to the complex could mean 1700 homes and a
further 48,000 square metres of retail space. The plans go on display for
public consultation in July.
POSTED BY TRILBY AT 10:51
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