Daily WHUFC News - 30th May 2012

Reid ready for international tests
WHUFC.com
Winston Reid is off to the Solomon Islands for three important fixtures with
New Zealand
28.05.2012

While his West Ham United team-mates put their feet up for the summer,
Winston Reid is jetting off to the Solomon Islands for three important
fixtures with New Zealand. The All Whites are one of eight teams competing
in the 2012 Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Nations Cup, which doubles
as the second round of the OFC region FIFA World Cup qualifiers for Brazil
2014. Born in Auckland, Reid has earned ten senior caps since making his
debut against Australia in May 2010, scoring his maiden international goal
in a 1-1 FIFA World Cup final group-stage draw with Slovakia in South Africa
later the same year. New Zealand, who are 130th in the FIFA world rankings
and will be strong favourites to win the Nations Cup, have been drawn in
Group B alongside Fiji, Papua New Guinea and the host nation Solomon
Islands. Reid will join up with the squad on the island of Guadalcanal as he
was not involved in Saturday's final warm-up friendly against Honduras in
the American city of Dallas, Texas, The Kiwis kick-off their challenge
against Fiji at the Lawson Tama Stadium in the capital Honiara on 2 June
before taking on Papua New Guinea on 4 June and Solomon Islands on 6 June.
Group A comprises Vanuatu, New Caledonia - birthplace of West Ham striker
Frederic Piquionne - Samoa and Tahiti. The top two teams in each group will
not only reach the Nations Cup semi-finals, but will also qualify for the
third round of FIFA World Cup qualifying. The Nations Cup winners will
qualify for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pre-season schedule confirmed
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will enjoy a busy pre-season in the build-up to the 2012/13
campaign
29.05.2012

West Ham United will travel to Austria and Germany as Sam Allardyce prepares
his squad for the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League season. The newly-promoted
Hammers will gear-up for the campaign by playing at least nine pre-season
fixtures at home and abroad. Headlining the schedule will be a visit to
23-times Austrian Bundesliga champions Austria Vienna, a three-match tour to
eastern Germany and a domestic trip to npower Championship club Ipswich
Town. The first-team squad will return to training on Sunday 1 July before
jetting out to Austria the following day for a week-long training camp that
will culminate with a trip to the capital city to face Bundesliga side
Austria Vienna on Saturday 7 July. After returning to England for a visit to
non-league Boreham Wood and three npower Football League clubs in Southend
United, Oxford United and Colchester United, the squad will take to the
skies again. In Germany, a training camp will be highlighted by fixtures at
2.Bundesliga sides Dynamo Dresden and Energie Cottbus and 3.Liga club FC
Rot-Weiß Erfurt. Dresden are eight-times East German champions and finished
ninth in the 2.Bundesliga table in 2011/12, five places above 1997 Germany
Cup finalists Cottbus. On their return to England, the Hammers will travel
to Portman Road to face Ipswich. A small number of other fixtures are
expected to be confirmed soon.

Full ticket details for all pre-season fixtures will be announced first on
whufc.com
2012/13 Pre-season fixtures
(All kick-off times local)

Sat 7 July - Austria Vienna (Generali Arena, 4pm)
Tue 10 July - Boreham Wood (Meadow Park, 7.30pm)
Sat 14 July - Southend United (Roots Hall, 3pm)
Tue 17 July - Oxford United (Kassam Stadium, 7.45pm)
Sat 21 July - Colchester United (Weston Homes Community Stadium, 3pm)
Wed 25 July - FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt (Steigerwaldstadion, 7pm)
Fri 27 July - Dynamo Dresden (Glücksgas Stadion, 7.30pm)
Sun 29 July - FC Energie Cottbus (Stadion der Freundschaft, 2.30pm)
Sat 4 August - Ipswich Town (Portman Road, 3pm)

Fresh from their successful trip to the HKFC Citibank International Soccer
Sevens in Hong Kong, the Development Squad also have a host of fixtures
organised for pre-season.

Ian Hendon will take an Under-21 squad to the Lev Yashin Tournament in
Russia, which will be hosted by Dynamo Moscow, while the club's young
professionals will also travel to npower Football League clubs AFC Wimbledon
Thurrock FC and Northampton Town and Blue Square Bet outfit Welling United.

Full details of Development Squad pre-season fixtures will be confirmed soon
on whufc.com

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tractor boys await
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 29th May 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's latest pre-season friendly has just been confirmed - a
trip to Ipswich Town on 4th August. Last week, KUMB.com were first to reveal
that the club will be taking two short trips to central Europe in
preparation for the 2012/13 Premier League - journeys that will include
stops in Austria and Germany. And just a few moments ago the Tractor Boys
confirmed that they will form part of Sam Allardyce's pre-season programme
when the two clubs meet at Portman Road on the first Saturday of August.
Ipswich, who finished last season in 15th place in the Championship were one
of just two teams to do the double over West Ham in 2011/12 with a 1-0 win
at the Boleyn Ground back in September following by a 5-1 thumping on
transfer deadline day back in January - United's biggest defeat of the
campaign. However with the Hammers set to spend big this summer as they look
forward to a first season back in the top flight such a scenario is unlikely
to be repeated in a few weeks' time.

West Ham Utd: confirmed pre-season dates

2nd-7th July: Bad Waltersdorf training camp
7th July: Austria Wien (a)
10th July: Boreham Wood (a)
14th July: Southend United (a)
17th July: Oxford United (a)
21st July: Colchester United (a)
25th July: Rot-Weiß Erfurt (a)
27th July: Dynamo Dresden (a)
29th July: Energie Cottbus (a)
4th August: Ipswich Town (a)

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wolfsburg head Dost chase
Germans remain favourites to land Dutch striker
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated: May
29, 2012 1:12pm
SSN

Wolfsburg remain favourites to clinch the signing of Bas Dost, despite
interest from newly promoted West Ham United. Sky Sports understands that
talk of a £7million bid from West Ham is wide of the mark, although they do
have an interest in the Heerenveen marksman. However, Wolfsburg have been
hot on the trail of the 22-year-old, who finished as top scorer in Holland
last season. Dost's agent Henk Nienhuis has confirmed West Ham's are keen
but insists interest is stronger from elsewhere. "West Ham is a very nice
club," Nienhuis told Algemeen Dagblad. "But there are currently three other
serious candidates, with Wolfsburg still by far the number one." The likes
of Atletico Madrid, Borussia Monchengladbach and Everton have all been
linked with Dost in recent weeks.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Just How Long Should Sam's Shopping List Be?
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

We seem to be linked with any half decent player at the moment, and quite a
few that aren't even half decent. Perhaps we should pause and consider the
strength of our current squad and which positions we are deficient in. So
here's my view, for what it's worth.

GOALKEEPER

Rob Green & Stephen Henderson

We all want Greeno to stay, but if he he does decide to leave then we need a
top quality keeper as a replacement. Almunia is not good enough for the
Premier League. He didn't let us down when he played for uus last season,
but he's not a keeper to inspire confidence.

CENTRAL DEFENDERS

James Tomkins, Winston Reid,

We need at least two new central defenders, maybe three if there is no one
ready from the youth team to step up to provide cover.

LEFT BACKS

George McCartney
Daniel Potts

Assuming we sign McCartney on a permanent deal, I'd say we're covered here.

RIGHT BACKS

Joey O'Brien
Guy Demel

The jury it out on Demel. He seemed to get better once he came into the
team, but his playoff performance was a disaster. I'd like to see us buy a
new top quality right back, who can also play right hand midfield.

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

Mark Noble
Kevin Nolan
Jack Collison

If we'e going to play 4-3-3 then we need one more central midfielder. Gary
O'Neil can play here too, but you know my views on him.

LEFT SIDED MIDFIELDERS

Matthew Taylor

I like Taylor, especially as he can play at left back. Indeed, there is an
argument for him and McCartney competing for that spot, so I would like us
to buy a new zippy left winger.

RIGHT SIDED MIDFIELDERS

Ravel Morrison
Gary O'Neil

Morrison can play anywhere across the middle or up front but we don't know
yet whether he is the full shilling. We need a new top quality right winger.
Zaha?

STRIKERS

Ricardo Vaz Te
Carlton Cole
Sam Baldock
Nicky Maynard

Baldock and Maynard may need to be sacrificed if we are to get the 15-20
goal striker that we need. Cole is never going to be prolific but is
valuable in other ways. Can Vaz Te step up to the plate? Das Borst might be
the man, but I suspect we'll end up with Yakubu or Owen, or someone similar

CONCLUSION

We need 2 centre backs, a right back, a left winger, a right winder, a
midfielder and a striker. And we won't get much change out of £20 million if
we recruit the quality of player we need to. Even then, that leaves is with
a squad of only 24 players - is that enough to do well in the Premier
League?

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
QPR want to lure Robert Green
The Sun
By ANDREW DILLON
Published: 29th May 2012

QPR are ready to lure Robert Green across London with a £2.5million- a-year
cash carrot. Rangers boss Mark Hughes is willing to match the England
keeper's £50,000-a-week demands, which are scuppering contract talks at West
Ham. Green, 32, will be a free agent after June 30 and talks with the
Hammers hierarchy have stalled. Sparky plans to strengthen his defence
following Rangers' fight with relegation. Newcastle right-back Danny Simpson
is another target while current Rangers keeper Paddy Kenny is wanted by
ex-QPR boss Neil Warnock, now at Leeds. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will
go back to his old club Bolton to replace Green. He plans to sign
out-of-contract Finland veteran Jussi Jaaskelainen, 37.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://www.dynamo-dresden.de/de/aktuelles/team/details/artikel/europapokal-a
tmosphaere-dynamo-dresden-west-ham-united.html
Article on Dynamo Dresden's Website , kindly translated by our very own
Terry O'Connor

European Cup atmosphere: Dynamo Dresden - West Ham United

In partnership with TSP • The Sports Promoters, a subsidiary of the marketer
SPORTFIVE, who oversees both Dynamo Dresden and West Ham United, has managed
to attract to Dresden, the 2012 Premier League promoted West Ham United for
a friendly match. The game is on Friday,
27.07.2012 being held in Dresden's "Glücksgas stadium." "We have long been
in talkswith West Ham United. I am very happy that our patience has paid off
and now on 27th July we welcome a Premier league team to Dresden. We can all
look forward to a friendly game of an extremely high level with many fans in
our stadium, "said Dynamo sports director Steffen Menze about the absolute
highlight of this summer's preparation.

"This game against West Ham United is a real highlight for our fans and
players. Athletically this game is a really big challenge for us, finally
Dynamo Dresden's meetst an English first division team with an
international reputation. I hope therefore to have a great festival of
football with the fans before the start of the season in the second League,
"said Dynamo head coach Ralf Loose .

The match between the two traditional clubs Dynamo Dresden and West Ham
United will take place during the "Summer of Champions 2012".
Under this title, TSP • The Sports Promoters for the third time have
organised a series of high-class football events during the summer break in
Germany. As part of the "Summer of Champions" to prove themself against
German Bundesliga and Champions League regulars such as Real Madrid, Inter
Milan and Chelsea. In July 2010, during the "Summer of Champions 2010" and
thanks to the cooperation with TSP • The Sports Promoters already Dresden
had as a guest Borussia Dortmund.
The then third division Dynamo was narrowly defeated by the German Champions
before 23 142 spectators by only 1:2.

The guest this summer, West Ham United, is an English tradition of
association football, which was founded in 1895. The "hammers", as they are
called by their fans celebrated in 1965 - led by team captain Bobby Moore -
winning the European Cup Winners' Cup in the venerable Wembley Stadium in
the Final against TSV 1860 Munich 2-0, the greatest success of their club's
history . Meanwhile, the club from London's East has been established as the
talent factory in English football.
Where went, among others, the current top European players Frank Lampard,
Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe all
coming through the Academy of the traditional club of the "East End" of the
English capital.

West Ham already has quite a number of prominent players in its ranks,Robert
Green, Guy Demel, John Carew, Papa Bouba Diop and Carlton Cole succeeded in
the immediate resurgence of the "Hammers". In the crucial promotion match
Ricardo Vaz Tê of Portugal succeeded, before
80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, the much acclaimed goal for the 2-1 win over
Blackpool, whose ultimate return to the Premier League was sealed. After the
rise in the East London, they will certainly improve further with major
players and then on 27 July bring come to Dresden.

The game between Dynamo Dresden and West Ham United on the evening of July
27, 2012 kicks off in Dresden "Glücksgas stadium." The exact kick-off time
is not fixed yet. This is the newly assembled team of Dynamo coach Ralf
Loose's dress rehearsal for the upcoming second league season, playing for
the first time in their own stadium in a European Cup atmosphere with its
passionate supporters. One week later starts the second League in the new
season 2012/13. Information on ticket sales will be published in due time.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I just said: Dad, could this kill me? Hammers kid Dylan relives his 10-month
hell fighting cancer
By NEIL ASHTON
PUBLISHED: 23:01, 29 May 2012 | UPDATED: 23:01, 29 May 2012
Daily Mail

Each morning around nine o'clock, Dylan Tombides crawls out of bed, walks to
the bathroom in a sleepy fog and looks into the mirror. Staring back at the
young West Ham striker is a thick, 12-inch scar running from the centre of
his chest to his belly button. That's when the flashbacks begin, taking this
18-year-old professional footballer back to the moment he wondered whether
he would ever pull on the famous claret and blue again. Already a regular
goalscorer in the reserves, Tombides was looking forward to pre-season
training with the Hammers' first team after playing for Australia in the
Under 17 World Cup in Mexico last summer. He was in Cancun for a few days
'chilling out with the old man' when he took the telephone call that ripped
his life apart. A random drugs test, taken after his team were beaten 4-0 by
Uzbekistan, had uncovered a tumour on one of his testicles. Tombides was 17,
tipped for the top by academy director Tony Carr and had already made the
first-team bench for a Barclays Premier League game. Trembling with fear and
feeling faint, he turned to his father, Jimmy: 'Dad, could this kill me?'
His face went white. 'I was 17, a young man and I had never come across
cancer,' he admitted at the family home a short walk from West Ham's
training ground. 'All I was thinking about was getting in the West Ham team
and taking my driving test.'

This is the story of surgery and endless courses of chemotherapy. But when
we meet, Tombides bounces around the family home, putting wax in his hair
for the photographs (and the girls) and squirming with embarrassment when
mum Tracylee tries to give her son a kiss on the cheek. 'I didn't really
understand what was going on at the time,' he said. 'All I ever wanted to be
was a top professional footballer with West Ham. I copped one in my groin
against Brazil at the World Cup and I knew that I had a problem, but I had
no idea it was cancer. 'It was only when I took the phone call in Cancun
that I realised just how serious the condition was. I had the blood tests
and CT scans when I got back to England and they told me I needed to have a
testicle removed immediately. 'I just accepted it. I mean, it was hurting me
so much anyway it seemed sensible.' All he could think about was getting
back on to the football field, joining the Hammers in their promotion push
and putting the ball in the back of the net again. The club's chief
executive Karren Brady called his mum to offer her support and his
team-mates stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him throughout the traumatic days
ahead. He had a 45-minute procedure, but that was just the start. Tombides
spent weeks at St Bartholomew's Hospital, falling in and out of
consciousness while his mum, dad and younger brother Taylor, who is also at
West Ham, sat by his bedside each night. Tracylee said: 'It was a period of
helplessness. As a parent we wanted to protect our kids, but we had no
control. 'I often thought cancer would happen in the lives of our family at
some point, but not my kids.'

Some days Tombides would be in hospital, hooked up to the chemotherapy lines
for seven hours, with tubes connected to him so that he could barely move.
'I'd wake up for 15 minutes and I would be exhausted. They would give me
anti-sickness tablets and I would think I'd only been sick a couple of times
in the night.
Then Mum would look at me and put me right — it was more like seven or
eight. 'There were times when I would just look at Mum and tell her, "I
don't want the chemo any more, I will live with the cancer". That's how I
felt at times. 'It took five to 10 days to bounce back from each chemo blast
and there is no trick to dealing with it. 'My team-mates wanted to visit me
but I told them not to because I couldn't stay awake for longer than 15
minutes and couldn't always remember what was happening.'

When he was allowed out of hospital for a few days, there were times when he
would make the short walk to the training ground, popping in to see the
players for lunch before he went back to bed for the afternoon. It lifted
his spirits and the players responded, wearing T-shirts in his honour before
West Ham's home game with Nottingham Forest in January. Then he had to have
another operation after doctors discovered a four-inch blood clot on his
abdomen and cancer cells on his lymph nodes. 'I spent 11 days in hospital
after that and it wasn't pleasant. I woke up to a huge scar and couldn't use
my core muscles for weeks. 'I had to work out how to roll in and out of bed
because it was so painful and it was weeks before I was allowed to do any
exercise. 'I just wanted to play football again, but there was so much scar
tissue I had to be careful. I spent a lot of time on the exercise bike or in
the swimming pool, not rushing anything.' He is full of enthusiasm now,
enjoying his freedom and his football after returning to training this week.
He will have another nine monthly blood tests before he can be given the
all-clear, a date circled in the family diary as he focuses on the future.

West Ham's physio Jon Urwin, who ran the London Marathon last month in aid
of Children with Cancer, has been with him throughout, talking to him about
his future and his plans for the summer, which he will spend training at
Chadwell Heath as he targets a squad number under Sam Allardyce next season.
He added: 'It has been a long process, but all I ever wanted to do was play
football again.' After 10 months out of action, he is determined to take
his second chance.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam eyes reunion with Jaaskelainen as Hammers struggle to agree Green
deal
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 22:44, 29 May 2012 | UPDATED: 22:44, 29 May 2012
Daily Mail

West Ham are pressing ahead with their bid to sign Jussi Jaaskelainen as
rivals for his signature West Brom continue to search for a manager. Albion
were keen to take the free agent from Bolton as West Ham awaited their
play-off fate but their failure to secure a manager quickly has opened the
door again for Sam Allardyce.
Current number one Robert Green is struggling to reach an agreement over a
new contract after wanting a minimum of £45,000-per-week. Allardyce last
week completed the signing of Portsmouth keeper Stephen Henderson on a
three-year-deal.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United consider move for Blackburn and former Everton striker
11:21am Tuesday 29th May 2012 in News
Guardian Series

West Ham United have been linked with a move for Blackburn striker Yakubu.
The Nigeria forward, who netted 17 goals last season, is determined to leave
Ewood Park following Rovers' relegation. The former Everton striker has
plenty of experience in the Premier League and with John Carew leaving West
Ham could prove a suitable replacement.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers to visit Wood
11:47am Tuesday 29th May 2012
BoreHamWoodTimes.co.uk

Boreham Wood will play West Ham United in a prestigious friendly at Meadow
Park on Tuesday, July 10. The Hammers, who were promoted back to the Premier
League at the first attempt after beating Blackpool in the Championship
play-off final at Wembley, have agreed to bring their full first-team squad
for the first of the pre-season games. The match was part of the deal that
saw Pelly Ruddock move to Upton Park on a three-year contract. The
18-year-old has since made ten starts for the Hammers youth team, as well as
featuring several times in the senior development squad. Boreham Wood boss
Ian Allinson told Wood's official site: "We already have an exciting
pre-season schedule, but none will be bigger than a visit from West Ham's
first team. "We are very lucky Sam Allardyce recognises the hard work that's
done at non-league level and supports it. He has promised to bring his top
side to us for the next two pre-seasons, however this is extra special as we
are going to be visited by a newly promoted Premiership outfit who will show
off their Championship play-off trophy to all their fans who were not lucky
enough to get Wembley play-off final tickets."

Tickets for the match go on sale immediately and further details are
available by calling the club on 020 8953 5097.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham interested in Saha with striker set for Spurs exit after just five
months
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 12:17, 29 May 2012 | UPDATED: 12:22, 29 May 2012
Daily Mail

Louis Saha is set to be released by Tottenham after just five months at the
club. The 33-year-old signed for them from Everton on a free transfer in
January, while Steven Pienaar went on loan in the other direction. West Ham
manager Sam Allardyce is on alert as he would like to add extra Premier
League nous to his newly promoted side. Harry Redknapp's purchase of Saha
seemed curious at the time; while Everton signed Nikica Jelavic and
Newcastle went for Papiss Cisse, Spurs picked up the Frenchman on a free
transfer. It will not be a nice end to his Tottenham career, as just a
couple of weeks earlier he was berated by Spurs fans on Twitter for
congratulating Chelsea on their Champions League win. The Blues victory
denied Tottenham qualification for next year's competition. Saha was
labelled a 'disgrace' by furious fans for saying 'Bravo Drogba. Bravo
Chelsea. Bravo Champion League. Bravo Football. Just Magic stuff.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com