Peter R
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Big Sam on Birmingham
WHUFC.com
The manager is hoping he will have one or two back to face Birmingham on
Boxing Day
23.12.2011
Sam Allardyce is banking on his West Ham United players to maintain the best
away record in the npower Championship at St Andrews on Boxing Day. The
Hammers head to Birmingham City for the halfway mark of the season looking
to make it eight wins from 12 on the road this season, but the manager knows
the team cannot afford another slip like the last awayday at Reading.
Injuries and two dismissal contributed to a 3-0 victory that was at odds
with the season as a whole. Jack Collison is still suspended and doubts over
Julien Faubert, Abdoulaye Faye and John Carew's fitness linger from last
weekend's 1-0 home win against Barnsley. Matt Taylor, who has seen a
specialist in Germany, Winston Reid and Sam Baldock are all not yet ready to
come back into the reckoning. Joey O'Brien could return after serving a ban
while Faubert, Henri Lansbury and Kevin Nolan have to avoid a yellow card at
Birmingham and then Derby County on New Year's Eve to avoid picking up their
own one-match suspension.
How is the team shaping up for Boxing Day? You are looking for a
Middlesbrough performance rather than Reading?
SA: We are hoping that we can first produce that sort of form. The key
problem with us has been our injury problems combined with suspensions.
Getting the best team we can out on the field is what it is about and hoping
it can perform to that sort of level again. We are hoping for that at
Birmingham.
What is the latest injury news?
SA: On top of three players one game away from a suspension, Julien Faubert
has a tight hamstring and is touch and go and Abdoulaye Faye probably won't
make it on top of Jack Collison being suspended. We are short in a number of
different areas. John Carew should be OK after a back spasm. We had to play
Dan Potts at the age of 17 last week and he will stay with us. It was a
fantastic debut and hopefully he can produce another performance like that.
He was part of the strangest back four I have put out but we got a clean
sheet. The lads have done very well coping with adversity.
How do you cope with the Christmas schedule?
SA: There is two distractions at this time of year. One is the celebration
that happens over Christmas with everyone overindulging in every way shape
or form they can, while we have to restrain ourselves from that if we can
and steer clear of our family and friends at times. The other is the
transfer window with the speculation around that and who is coming and going
and so on. It is a big distraction but we just have to focus on the next 90
minutes and making sure we are prepared to give our very best.
How do you prepare for a 5.30pm kick-off?
SA: We would have preferred it to not be 5.30pm but rather 3pm in the
afternoon or maybe even earlier because it is a long time waiting from when
you get up on the morning of the game, while it is not enough time for the
players to rest up in the afternoon. It is a bit of an awkward time. We have
to deal with it on several occasions throughout the season and hopefully it
won't detract from our performance.
You and Chris Hughton had similar tasks this summer with relegated clubs?
SA: Chris will know what we have gone through. It will be good to see him, i
am glad he got back into the game at Birmingham because of his bitter
disappointment of losing his position at Newcastle which he didn't deserve.
He is back and he is dealing well with difficult times. It was difficult for
me to deal with the problems I had at west ham with relegation but their
problems are far greater than ours and he is doing a good job.
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Birmingham City match preview
All the early team news and background for Monday's big date with the Blues
at St Andrews
WHUFC.com
23.12.2011
BIRMINGHAM CITY v WEST HAM UNITED
npower CHAMPIONSHIP
MONDAY 26 DECEMBER 2011
KICK-OFF: 5.30PM
FULL AUDIO AND TEXT COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to the Midlands on Boxing Day looking to build on
the 1-0 defeat of Barnsley on 17 December that returned them to winning ways
after their first back to back league defeats of the season.
• They are still the division's form team on the road with seven wins and
two draws in their eleven away matches.
• The match marks the halfway point of the npower Championship season for
the Hammers and a victory in their 23rd game would take them to 46 points -
right on the 'two points a game' target set by the manager for promotion.
• The Hammers have not lost on Boxing Day since the 2-1 home defeat by
Portsmouth in 2006. The run since has been a 1-1 draw at home to Reading
(2007), a 4-1 win at Portsmouth (2008), a 2-0 home win against Portsmouth
(2009) and a 4-1 win at Fulham (2010).
• Birmingham did not play on Boxing Day last year but have not lost on 26
December in the four previous seasons. They drew 0-0 in 2009 at home to
Chelsea. In 2008, they won 1-0 away to Ipswich Town. In 2007, they won 3-0
at home to Middlesbrough. In 2006, they won 2-1 at home to Queens Park
Rangers. Before that they lost 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur in 2005.
• This is the 85th league meeting between the two sides. West Ham have won
27 and drawn 19 of the previous 84 contests.
• The teams met four times last season, with two of those encounters coming
in the League Cup semi-finals. Birmingham triumphed 4-3 on aggregate and
then won the final against Arsenal.
• Sam Allardyce's side sit second in the npower Championship table, just a
point behind leaders Southampton and two points ahead of third-place
Middlesbrough. Chris Hughton's Birmingham are 14 points behind the Hammers
in 14th but do have two games in hand.
• Big Sam has taken charge of 12 matches against Birmingham in his career,
winning five and losing six. Hughton has twice guided sides against the
Hammers, winning one and losing one.
• West Ham United's 37 league goals have been shared between 14 different
players. Carlton Cole leads the way with seven, Kevin Nolan has six while
Sam Baldock has five.
Team news
West Ham United
• Joey O'Brien is in contention again after missing the Barnsley game
through suspension.
• Robert Hall has been recalled from his loan at Oxford United, while Frank
Nouble is also available after his three-month stay at Gillingham.
• West Ham United look set to again be without Matt Taylor (calf), Winston
Reid (shoulder) and Sam Baldock (hamstring) although it is hoped at least
one or two may return to face Derby County on New Year's Eve. Taylor has
been to see a specialist in Germany this week.
• John Carew (back) and Julien Faubert (hamstring) are doubtful after
limping off against Barnsley, while Abdoulaye Faye (calf) is also
questionable after missing the match.
• Guy Demel faces a spell on the sidelines after tearing a thigh muscle at
Reading.
• The suspended Jack Collison cannot play again until Coventry City visit on
2 January.
• Gary O'Neil (ankle) has played three times for the development squad this
month but is still some time from a first-team return after eight months
out.
Birmingham City
• Birmingham are without the suspended Curtis Davies after his fifth yellow
card of the season last week at Crystal Palace. Jean Beausejour is also
absent with a calf problem.
• Liam Ridgewell, a former Hammers trainee, is also absent with a thigh
injury.
• Jordan Mutch is in contention after recovering from an ankle injury
suffered just two games into the season.
• Morgaro Gomis, a compatriot of the Hammers' Senegalese duo of Abdoulaye
Faye and Papa Bouba Diop, is also in line for the squad after 12 matches out
with a groin injury
Last time out
Saturday 17 December 2011
npower Championship
West Ham United 1-0 Barnsley
West Ham United: Green, Faubert (Lansbury 67), Tomkins, McCartney, Potts,
Noble, Bouba Diop, Nolan, Piquionne, Carew (Sears 56), Cole
Subs not used: Stech, Driver
Goal: Bouba Diop 6
Monday 19 December 2011
npower Championship
Crystal Palace 1-0 Birmingham City
Birmingham City: Myhill, Carr, Murphy, Caldwell, Spector, Davies, Burke,
N'Daw (Elliott 81), Fahey, Redmond (Wood 83), King (Zigic 70)
Subs not used: Doyle, Pablo
Ten-year league records
West Ham United
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
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 to Premier League 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)
Birmingham City
2010/11 Premier League 18th (39 points)
2009/10 Premier League 9th (50 points)
2008/09 Championship 2nd (83 points - promoted to Premier League)
2007/08 Premier League 19th (35 points - relegated to Championship)
2006/07 Championship 2nd (86 points - promoted to Premier League)
2005/06 Premier League 18th (34 points - relegated to Championship)
2004/05 Premier League 12th (45 points)
2003/04 Premier League 10th (50 points)
2002/03 Premier League 13th (48 points)
2001/02 Championship 5th (76 points - promoted to Premier League via
play-offs)
Referee
• Monday's referee will be Darren Deadman
• Darren Deadman will be taking charge of only his second Hammers first-team
game after taking charge of the 1-0 defeat at Southampton on 18 October this
season.
• His biggest match to date was the League Two play-off final last May when
he took charge of Stevenage's 1-0 defeat of Torquay United at Old Trafford.
• He has been a fourth official in the Premier League.
Us and them
• Stratford-born Chris Hughton spent two years between 1990 and 1992 as a
left-back with West Ham, making 43 appearances in all competitions including
the 1991 FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
• Jonathan Spector signed a two-year deal with Birmingham in August 2011
after his five-year association with the Hammers ended. He made 101 league
appearances for West Ham, scoring two goals.
• David Bentley spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham.
A season-long stay at West Ham this campaign was cut short by a serious knee
injury after only five matches.
• Liam Ridgewell started off life in the West Ham United Academy before
moving to Aston Villa in February 2001.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Lee Bowyer,
Alan Curbishley, Jimmy Bloomfield, Kenny Brown, Julian Dicks, Eamonn Dolan,
Harry Hooper, David Kelly, Stan Lazaridis, Mike Newell, Sam Small, Matthew
Upson and Mark Ward.
• West Ham's best showing at Birmingham, was a 5-1 top-flight win on 1
November 1975. Birmingham's best home performance was a 4-0 triumph on 18
November 1961.
• The Hammers have not won in their last three matches at St Andrews, with
the most recent being a 3-1 reverse in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg
on 26 January 2011 that meant a 4-3 aggregate defeat.
• The teams last met with a relegation six-pointer on 6 February this year,
when Nicola Zigic's 66th-minute goal was all that separated the sides.
The teams were:
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Reid, Upson (Da Costa 46), Bridge, O'Neil,
Parker, Noble, Obinna, Keane (Ba 76), Piquionne (Cole 60)
Subs: Boffin, Faubert, Kovac, Sears
Birmingham City: Foster, Carr, Johnson, Jiranek, Ridgewell, Bentley, Bowyer,
Ferguson, Gardner, Jerome (Larsson 57), Zigic
Subs: Doyle, Murphy, Davies, Fahey, Beasejour, Phillips
Last six meetings (league unless stated)
6 February 2011 - West Ham United 0-1 Birmingham City
26 January 2011 - Birmingham City 3-1 West Ham United (League Cup
semi-final)
11 January 2011 West Ham United 2-1 Birmingham City (League Cup semi-final)
6 November 2010 - Birmingham City 2-2 West Ham United
10 February 2010 - West Ham United 2-0 Birmingham City
12 December 2009 - Birmingham City 1-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Birmingham City (all competitions) W 32 D 20 L 40
Up next
• West Ham United travel to Derby County on New Year's Eve with the game
getting under way at 1pm. Birmingham will be at home to Blackpool at 3pm.
Travel information
• Fans planning on getting to Upton Park to catch coaches should note there
is a Tube strike planned for London on Boxing Day.
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Christmas Captain's Blog
WHUFC.com
The skipper looks forward to a Hammers holiday season and is hoping for
points over presents
23.12.2011
I want to start off by saying thank you for the magnificent support given to
us against Barnsley last weekend. A sold-out Boleyn Ground - you can't get
any better than that and it helped us all along to what was a good and
important victory. We had been disappointed obviously with the previous two
results - at home to Burnley and away to Reading - so the main thing was to
get back to winning ways and we did just that. I would like to give a quick
mention to Dan Potts, or Pottsy as he is known to us all here, for making
his debut and what a debut! He stepped up to the mark even though he only
knew he was playing just before kick-off. He gave a great performance and
deserved all the praise that came with it afterwards. He is a top lad and
while he is making a mark for himself now, he is also a lad with a great
future ahead of him.
It has been said a million or more times, but your support really does help
us, especially when we have to grind our way to bossing games and getting
results. So it is great to hear that we can offer Kids for A Quid again at
our next home match against Coventry. To be able to pack out our stadium
again gives us all a head-start in trying to achieve the target - three
points - and it's a great encouragement for families to come together, watch
us play and enjoy a day out at the football. Before that, we will be
travelling to Birmingham on Boxing Day and then to Derby County on New
Year's Eve for the last match of 2011. Hopefully we will come back from both
places with good results. That is the aim.
Thank you to all our supporters who will be following us on the road over
Christmas.
I know for all of you, 2011 wasn't the best what with relegation and
everything, but hopefully we can sign off the year with a good result and
then start 2012 as we mean to go on - pushing hard for promotion. This week
saw all the lads enjoy a social get-together for Christmas. We all enjoyed
ourselves and it was important for us as a squad to meet away from the
training ground. The spirit is high in the camp and we came back having had
a good time but totally focused and preparing for Birmingham. Finally I
would like to wish each and every one of our supporters a very Merry
Christmas.
For our younger supporters, I hope Father Christmas brings you everything
you wish for and for the older supporters, if you are drinking, enjoy a few
beers or a few glasses of wine or whatever but don't drive if you are
drinking.
Stay safe and enjoy the festive season with your loved ones and friends.
Come on you Irons!
Kevin Nolan
Captain
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Birmingham v West Ham
Page last updated at 14:52 GMT, Friday, 23 December 2011
BBC.co.uk
Npower Championship
Venue: St Andrew's Date: Monday 26 December Kick-off: 1730 GMT Coverage:
Listen live on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC local radio; text commentary on the
BBC Sport website
TEAM NEWS
Birmingham will be without Curtis Davies (suspension) and Jean Beausejour
(calf) but Pablo Ibanez is set to step in at the back for the Boxing Day
game. Liam Ridgewell (thigh) could also feature after missing seven weeks.
Injury-hit West Ham hope Julian Faubert (thigh) and Abdoulaye Faye
(hamstring) will be able to play despite picking up injuries against
Barnsley. John Carew is a doubt with a back spasm but Henri Lansbury is fit
again and Joey O'Brien is back after a ban.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Birmingham have won 40, drawn 20 and lost 23 of 92 competitive
matches against West Ham since 1919.
• Birmingham had the better of the exchanges from their four meetings
last season; picking up four points from the Premier League clashes, and
winning 4-3 on aggregate in the Carling Cup semi-finals.
• This is the first time in nine seasons that these clubs are facing
each other at second league level.
Birmingham City
• 14th placed Birmingham, who have lost three of their last four
league games, are defending one of the two remaining unbeaten home records
in the Championship.
• Chris Hughton has seen his side win their last three league and cup
games at St Andrews.
• Blues have kept clean sheets in their last three Boxing Day
fixtures, and have not lost in four, since defeat to Tottenham in 2005.
West Ham United
• West Ham, one place and one point behind leaders Southampton, are
vying for an eighth win in 11 outings and are enjoying their best start to a
league season in 21 years.
• Defeat to Reading in their last game on the road, followed four
straight away wins and means Sam Allardyce's men are still boasting the best
away record in the division.
• The Hammers are hoping to win for the fourth successive year on
Boxing Day, and need to score once to total 800 goals in second level league
football away from home.
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Birmingham v West Ham preview
Last updated: 23rd December 2011
SSN
Team news ahead of Birmingham's Championship clash with West Ham at St
Andrew's on Boxing Day (kick-off 5.30pm). Birmingham will be without Curtis
Davies and Jean Beausejour on Monday evening. Centre-back Davies was shown
his fifth yellow card of the campaign in Monday's 1-0 defeat at Crystal
Palace and now serves an automatic one-match suspension, with Pablo Ibanez
likely to step in. Liam Ridgewell (thigh) could come back into the mix as he
looks to make his comeback, although the defender is unlikely to be thrown
straight back into Chris Hughton's starting XI after seven weeks on the
sidelines. Winger Beausejour, meanwhile, continues to struggle with a calf
problem and will play no part against the Hammers. Hughton is likely to
bring fresh faces into his line-up following the defeat at Selhurst Park,
with the likes of Chris Wood, Wade Elliott, Nikola Zigic and Morgaro Gomis
all competing, while the Blues boss will also consider reverting back to a
4-4-2 formation after switching to 4-5-1 against the Eagles.
Blues welcome Sam Allardyce's second-placed side to St Andrew's having yet
to taste defeat on home soil this season while only conceding four times in
nine games.
Sam Allardyce's injury-hit West Ham squad could be boosted with Julian
Faubert and Abdoulaye Faye set to be involved. Defender Faye suffered a
thigh injury in the warm-up before last weekend's win over Barnsley while
winger Faubert came off with a hamstring problem but both should recover in
time. The news will be welcomed by Allardyce who has a doubt over striker
John Carew after he was also forced off against Barnsley with a back spasm.
The Hammers are also without defender Winston Reid (shoulder), wideman David
Bentley (knee) and striker Sam Baldock (hamstring). Jack Collison serves the
second-match of his three-match ban for his sending off against Reading,
while Guy Demel is likely to be sidelined after being stretchered off with a
thigh injury in that game. However, Henri Lansbury is fit after a knee
injury, Joey O'Brien is back after his one-match ban and Gary O'Neil stepped
up his recovery from an ankle injury by playing 80 minutes for the reserves.
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Karren Brady's football diary
KARREN BRADY - First lady of football
Email the author
Published: Today
The Sun
SAT, DEC 17
TO Upton Park, where the comedian Russell Brand came into the boardroom.
Three wonderful things happened. Firstly, Russell said I looked beautiful,
which was very flattering. My 13-year-old son Paolo slightly ruined my
soaring self-worth by shouting out: "He's taken a lot of drugs you know mum.
His mind must play tricks on him." The attendance figure was also the second
highest in any division. Third and most importantly, we won.
SUN, DEC 18
HUSBAND Paul opened up the post and grinned from ear to ear when he
discovered he had received a Christmas card from Cathy and Sir Alex
Ferguson. It was his turn to have his ego pricked as our kids insisted it
was for me. Every year a Premier League footballer and his wife send us a
very personal card. The card this year involved the couple in various naked
positions from the Kama Sutra, spelling out 'Merry Xmas'. Don't think it
will be going on the mantelpiece.
MON, DEC 19
IT'S been the biggest turn-up in the Premier League since Frankie Dettori
asked to borrow a pair of Martin Johnson's jeans. The excellent form of the
three teams who came up from the Championship is marvellous to see, with
Swansea and Norwich returning from trips to the Parks — St James' and
Goodison — with a point apiece.
QPR are also more than holding their own. Gone are the days of Derby
County's 11 points in a top-flight season only three years ago, or
Sunderland's 15 just beforehand. Mind you, the Rams and Wearsiders were
positively Brazilian compared to poor Loughborough and Doncaster, who a
century ago managed just eight points in a season. You could say neither
have recovered since. I've met Norwich's Paul Lambert several times and he
is very impressive. You get the impression the players like him, but also
hugely respect him, perhaps the perfect combination.
TUES, DEC 20
ANY prospective tenants who wish to express an interest in using the Olympic
stadium have been told they must do so by March next year. London's rugby
teams can also bid for its use. While all of us at West Ham would be happy
to share with athletics at the Olympic stadium, there is no way we would go
into a ground-sharing agreement with a rugby club. It is a complete
non-starter for us. Impossible, actually, as soon it will be a breach of
Premier League rules to share your ground with rugby.
WED, DEC 21
IT'S officially the shortest day but even a lack of sunlight hours won't
stop Darren Bent's busy festive shopping schedule. At the weekend injured
Darren decided to forego watching his team-mates play Liverpool in order to
do a spot of shopping in Cambridge. It seems his £80,000-a-week wages
weren't enough to persuade him to spend an hour-and-a-half at Villa Park.
The striker has now been linked with a move away from the Midlands,
presumably to be nearer the Grand Arcade shopping centre in Cambridge.
THURS, DEC 22
THE Luis Suarez race debate continues after he received an eight-game ban
for being found guilty by the FA. Not sure why they bothered with a £40,000
fine though. I tuned in to watch Match of the Day's verdict on the issue and
waited for Alan Hansen's take on the matter. Lots of waffle later I was none
the wiser. Curiously enough, for his weekly sessions on the BBC sofa Hansen
is paid exactly £40,000 and yet I've been told for years the BBC is
suffering severe budget cuts.
FRI, DEC 23
WOKE up to discover Mark Cavendish has won the BBC Sports Personality of the
Year award. Nothing wrong with that as he is outstanding in his field. What
perplexes me is why we are so good at sports where you sit down — cycling,
rowing, sailing, scrabble — but pretty average when it comes to using both
our legs vertically.
I would win gold every time in synchronised TV remote-control usage. Maybe
it should be an Olympic sport in Rio in 2016. It could replace beach
volleyball.
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West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says it's promotion or bust this season
Telegraph.co.uk
By Jason Burt 10:11PM GMT 23 Dec 2011
As much as she likes living in London, Sam Allardyce's wife Lynn told him he
was "crazy" to accept the job to try to take West Ham United back into the
Premier League. After a decade as a top-flight manager, Allardyce admits he
has now exposed himself to a far more "ferocious and volatile" Championship
than the one he hoped he had left behind for good when he gained promotion
with Bolton Wanderers in 2001. "For every team we play against, we are the
big scalp," Allardyce says. "We are the ones they want to succeed against
and you can see the reaction from the opposing team when we lose a game. For
them it's like winning the cup final."
Allardyce has faced 22 such cup finals this season – losing five – as he has
hauled a club shell-shocked by last season's relegation into second place, a
point behind Southampton. They visit Birmingham City on Boxing Day. If West
Ham remain in the top two then Allardyce will have achieved a "two-year
project" – the length of the contract he signed to succeed Avram Grant –
inside 12 months. In truth, he knows that promotion is the be-all and
end-all this season. "We are expected by all the West Ham fans to be in the
automatic promotion places. Anything less than that is dealing with, not
quite but almost, failure. Promotion is the only thing, really."
After his brutal sacking by Blackburn Rovers last year, West Ham considered
appointing Allardyce or Martin O'Neill in January. Fatally, they stuck with
Grant and went down, but it is not just the manager who is making up for
lost time. He has transformed the atmosphere at a club which appeared
traumatised by the financial mess left by the previous, ruinous Icelandic
ownership.
"It was a bold decision by me to take the job," Allardyce says. "My wife
says it was crazy but then you see the likes of Steve McClaren already fired
[at Nottingham Forest], Sven [Goran Eriksson] already fired [at Leicester
City], Paul Jewell under pressure [at Ipswich Town]. They are all highly
talented, highly experienced managers but certainly Sven and Steve were not
afforded the time to convert the football club into what people expect. So,
you can be the best manager in the world but without the support of the
owners, without the support of the club, one man cannot do it on his own."
Like West Ham's owners, David Sullivan and David Gold, he is also changing
perceptions and is well aware of the misgivings expressed by some at his
appointment. Was Big Sam – tainted with the tag of being a long-ball manager
– a good fit for the self-styled Academy of Football? "What I do is I
deliver a type of football that reflects the club I am at to win football
matches. That's it," he says emphatically. "And we are playing high-quality
football. How we play at West Ham is completely different to how we played
at Blackburn, to how we played at Newcastle, at Bolton, at Notts County, at
Blackpool, at Limerick. "The diversity and adaptability I bring to the
football club is not rigid, like many, many other managers. My way is to
play what is needed by that particular club and what suits it to bring
success. Success is what we strive for in what is an entertainment industry
and it's my duty to entertain the paying public and to win."
Warming to the theme, Allardyce adds: "If someone wants to tag you with
something then unfortunately it doesn't go away and people actually believe
it. We all know that if people say things often enough then it becomes a
fact rather than a wrong perception. 'If you are good enough to find the
best players and deliver the best results, then you are doing it for
yourself, the team, the supporters. It's their appreciation that I am
looking for. Success is what I am all about. It's what I strive for and
wherever I have been there has never been a failure."
It is also a balancing act. How Allardyce fares at West Ham could define his
managerial career – it is no secret he still harbours hopes of one day
leading England – but there is added urgency because of the financial fair
play rules being adopted by the Football League. West Ham fear it will
handicap their ability to spend. "The rules are going to cause absolute
chaos and are going to destroy football as we know it unless we are very
careful," he says. "It's making finance more important. I am not saying that
we want to put clubs into jeopardy – the Portsmouth scenario – but this is
the entertainment industry, not a financial institution whose only aim is to
balance the books."
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What Ever Happened to Calum Davenport?
West Ham Till I Die
December 23rd, 2011 - 10:23 am by Iain Dale
I just looked up Calum Davenport on Wikipedia as I wondered who he was
playing for now. It turns out he seems to be out of football completely,
after joining Blue Square Premier side Wootton Blue Cross in September 2010
and only playing 7 times. What a tragedy for a player who seemed at one
stage to have the football world at his feet. For those who don't remember
he was stabbed in a fracas with his sister's boyfriend, and he lost 50% of
his blood. He slowly recovered but never played for West Ham again. Loan
spells at Sunderland and Watford were unsuccessful and he left West Ham by
mutual consent.
I always rated him, partcularly during his first loan spell with us from
Tottenham. His second period at Upton Park was not quite so happy but I
always thought that if he was given a regular run in the team he might come
good. It was not to be.
Well, wherever Calum is now, I hope he is getting his life back together.
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West Ham enter the race to sign unsettled Fulham striker Zamora
By SIMON JONES
Last updated at 12:32 AM on 24th December 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham are ready to launch an ambitious bid to bring crowd favourite Bobby
Zamora back to Upton Park. The England forward is ready to leave Fulham
after falling out of favour with manager Martin Jol and is a target for
several Barclays Premier League clubs. However, he is reluctant to leave
London, where he and his family are settled. Despite the evident gamble,
Zamora would be willing to drop down a division in the hope of making a
quick return to the top flight with Sam Allardyce's side. The 30-year-old
is valued at around £8million and would stretch West Ham's budget but his
signing would be a massive boost for the club he helped out of the
Championship in 2005.
Sunderland, Aston Villa and Everton are also interested in Zamora but while
Sunderland could afford him the others will have to sell first. Tottenham,
who have been linked with Zamora in the past, are looking for younger
players.
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Hammer time for Buddle as West Ham weigh up an offer to trialling USA
striker
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 10:30 PM on 22nd December 2011
Daily Mail
West Ham are ruuning the rule over USA international striker Edson Buddle
who has been on trial at the club. The USA international has previously
had tentative interest from Stoke and Birmingham City, while Sheffield
Wednesday made him an offer that was turned down in 2010.
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