Daily WHUFC News - 18th July 2012

Oxford United 1-0 West Ham United FT
WHUFC.com
Deane Smalley's goal sends the Hammers to a narrow defeat at the Kassam
Stadium
17.07.2012

Oxford United v West Ham United
Pre-season match
Kassam Stadium
Tuesday 17 July 2012
Kick-off: 7.45pm

Final score - Oxford United 1-0 West Ham United

92 mins - Clarke clears upfield and the final whistle is blown.
91 mins - Last chance. Maynard is fouled. Hall wants to take the free-kick,
but seniority rules and Taylor will have it. Third-time lucky? No. He
smashes the ball wide and high and into the stand.
89 mins - Well, with a few minutes to go, let's sum up. West Ham created a
host of half-chances throughout the game, but could not fashion a real
clear-cut opening aside from Nolan's low cross that Vaz Te poked over the
top. On the plus side, it's been a competitive game and will have helped
boost fitness levels. The goal from Oxford was a special finish. Meanwhile,
the home fans are forecasting a difficult season ahead for their guests in
song. Let's hope they are very wrong.
87 mins - A decent film must just have finished. The cinema car park is full
of people returning to their cars. Either that, or it was a rubbish film and
everyone has decided to leave early.
85 mins - Oxford are still on the offensive and looking for a second goal,
but Craddock's shot is wayward this time. It flies well wide and out for a
goal kick.
81 mins - Henderson gets a bit lucky. He calls to make the clearance, then
mis-controls outside his box. He slips a bit but just about manages to make
a challenge on Constable. Spence gets back and ensures no further damage is
done.
80 mins - Boateng now shoves Taylor over on the left edge of the Oxford box.
Free-kick. Hall to take. Hall whips it over and Turgott heads goalwards.
Clarke tips over but the referee gives a goal kick. The home fans actually
cheered their goalkeeper for making the fingertip stop.
78 mins - Embarrassing. Boateng gets down the right and latches on to a
pass. He tries to take on Taylor before throwing himself to the ground
inside the box. It's a clear dive, and Mr Scott goes over to tell the
right-back to sort himself out.
77 mins - I know it's nearly over, but positionally, Nasha is at right-back
with Spence, Wearen and Taylor alongside him. Turgott, Moncur, Ruddock and
Porritt are across the midfield, with Hall supporting Maynard. Porritt has a
go with a side volley, but the ball loops into the hands of Clarke.
76 mins - Turgott is fouled about 30 yards out and Taylor can have another
go. It's almost exactly the same spot he fired over from about 25 minutes
ago. This time his low shot hits the wall and spins through to Clarke.
74 mins - Hall again, swapping passes twice with Turgott wide on the right
before getting to the byline and crossing high. Porritt gets there first,
but his header lacks direction and flies wide of the far post. Hall is in
the mood!
71 mins - Well, well, well. Porritt collects a deep cross and races forward
to halfway before picking out Hall with a pinpoint 40-yard pass. Hall
controls instantly and gets to within 22 yards before driving a low shot
with his weaker right foot that hits the base of the far post before
spinning away for a goal kick. The home fans cheer his name again.
70 mins - Oxford win a corner, but Henderson is there to make the catch when
the cross comes in at the second attempt. West Ham try to break, but Moncur
isn't as quick as the ball and Clarke catches inside his box.
68 mins - West Ham's youngsters will need to do something their senior
colleagues could not if the Hammers are to avoid defeat here. Hall is doing
his best as he picks out the run of Turgott. The winger crosses first-time
and low but Maynard isn't quite far enough forward to finish. Good move,
though.
66 mins - Rigg looks to get in on to a pass and he is bearing down on
Henderson. Fair play to Taylor who races back and makes an inch-perfect
sliding challenge inside the penalty area. No foul and Henderson can clear.
61 mins - Seven changes from West Ham. Noble, Morrison, Nolan, Reid, O'Neil,
Demel and Vaz Te go off. Moncur, Porritt, Ruddock, Turgotg, Wearen, Nasha
and Rob Hall come on. The Oxford fans welcome the latter with a chorus of
'Robbie, Robbie Hall'. He is a hero in these parts!
59 mins - A period of West Ham possession comes to nothing as Maynard tries
to spin on the edge of the D. Oxford try to break forward but Spence is
there to clear for a throw. From it, the U's build again before centre
midfielder Forster-Caskey launches a shot into the car park.
57 mins - Craddock cuts in from the Oxford left and shoots powerfully.
Henderson gets his body behind the ball and clutches it to his chest. Secure
goalkeeping.
55 mins - Nolan scoops the ball out to O'Neil, who cushions it back to
Demel. He crosses on the diagonal towards Nolan, but it's too high and the
ball bounces away for a goal kick. The second half hasn't really got going
as yet, and we're expecting a few West Ham changes soon...
51 mins - Morrison collects a pass in a central position 30 yards out. He
looks up, takes a touch but drags his low shot well wide of the left-hand
post. Today's attendance is 4,780, with 1,101 of them from West Ham.
50 mins - West Ham have a free-kick about 30 yards out and Taylor is all
over it. Meanwhile, Oxford have changed all ten outfield players. The back
four is now Boateng, Raynes, Tafazoli and Capaldi, the midfield is Smith,
Harris, Craddock and Forster-Caskey and Constable is partnering Rigg up
front. Taylor curls the free-kick a yard over the top.
48 mins - Oxford have made a load of changes. Constable, Forster-Caskey,
Raynes and Tafazoli are among those who have come on, but I've no idea who
has gone off as yet. I'll try to find out!
46 mins - Two changes at the break for West Ham. Maynard and Oxford-born
Taylor on for Cole and McCartney. Taylor is involved straight away, crossing
dangerously and forcing a corner. Noble takes but it's cleared.

Half-time score - Oxford United 1-0 West Ham United

There are 22 players warming up on the pitch at present, including eleven
West Ham players. I'm not sure all of them will come on at half-time, but I
expect to see one or two start the second half.

Meanwhile, Oxford's Under-6 side are getting a proper ovation as they do a
lap of honour! The West Ham fans give them a loud cheer as they jog past.
Under-6s are small!

47 mins - That's half-time. Oxford lead. Join us again in a little under 15
minutes for the second half.
45 mins - We're going to have one added minute. Big Sam is out in his
technical area. I would think he will demand an improvement at half-time.
He'll certainly want his players to be more clinical.
41 mins - Cole lays the ball off from O'Neil's long pass to Morrison. He
comes forward and does a step-over before trying to play in Cole, but the
pass is behind the striker. It's been a case of 'so near yet so far' for
West Ham - they've had the ball in plenty of encouraging positions without
exploiting one as yet.
39 mins - West Ham attack and McCartney's cross is only cleared as far as
O'Neil. He lofts the ball back in from the right edge of the penalty area.
Vaz Te rises and goes to ground. He wants a penalty, but Mr Scott is again
unmoved. Goal kick.
36 mins - GOAL! We have a goal and it's a great finish from Smalley. The
cross comes over from the left and McCartney wins the header above Pittman,
but the ball drops to the No10, who rockets the half-volley past Henderson
from the angle. It might only be a pre-season game, but Big Sam will want a
response from his players immediately.
36 mins - Morrison is seeing plenty of the ball for West Ham. The fans
didn't see much of him last season following his arrival from Manchester
United, but the youngster clearly has talent.
34 mins - The Oxford fans want a penalty as McAllister tries to cut between
O'Neil and Spence and goes down. Mr Scott waves the appeals away.
32 mins - The corner is cleared but West Ham have it back. Morrison shows
some neat footwork before Noble's pass is handled by Batt. Free-kick wide on
the left. It's taken short to Nolan, who holds off his man inside the box
and drills the cross over. Vaz Te is there, but the pace on the ball makes
it a bit more difficult and the No12's first-time shot flies high and wide.
30 mins - Another ball in the car park as O'Neil wins it back in midfield
and finds Cole. He waits for the overlap of Vaz Te, who shoots left-footed
and sees his effort deflected over the fence by Evans for a corner.
28 mins - Back to the football and Demel skips past his man on the right
touchline. The cross takes a nick of the head of Evans and is a bit awkward
for Morrison. He controls on his chest and pokes the ball forward for Nolan,
but it's difficult for the skipper and Clarke is there to collect.
27 mins - Mr Scott has a chat with Chapman and Noble, but no cards are
shown. He then has a chat with captains Nolan and Wright. Presumably, his
message was something along the lines of 'This is a pre-season match and I
don't want loads of paperwork to do!'.
24 mins - Erm, it has all got a bit tasty here. Noble goes in hard but fair
on Pittman and the Oxford players react angrily. One, Adam Chapman, charges
at Noble and there is a coming together. This leads to some handbags
involving at least 16 players, but it is all over as quickly as it started.
Now the officials are having a chat...
22 mins - Another half-chance. Nolan finds the overlapping McCartney and he
stands the cross up on the edge of the six-yard box. Clarke comes to claim,
but he drops the ball. Oxford try to break from the clearance, but Reid gets
in a strong sliding challenge. That gets the players going and the action
only ends when Morrison is brought down by Potter. Noble doesn't like the
challenge. Nor does the referee as Mr Scott talks to the former Havant and
Waterlooville man.
20 mins - West Ham come close twice. First, Vaz Te beats two men before
trying to trick his way past Wright inside the box, but he's challenged.
Then, Nolan crosses towards Cole and Evans clears at the near post.
16 mins - The corner nearly leads to a goal...for Oxford! O'Neil collects
the short corner and his cross is headed clear powerfully. Spence is
favourite to get there, but Pittman beats him to the ball and is in on goal.
He elects to shoot from the edge of the D, but he leans back and the ball
flies too high. Relief for Spence.
14 mins - Golden opportunity for the first goal as Demel plays a superb
one-two with Nolan and gets to the byline and beats his man. Cole is
unmarked for the pull-back six yards from goal, but Demel picks the wrong
option and the ball goes behind for a corner. The flag-kick is cleared. West
Ham come again and Morrison and Nolan force another corner.
12 mins - The West Ham fans on the far side sing Carlton Cole's name as West
Ham come forward once more. Vaz Te does well to shake off McGinty but his
cross is just a little too strong for Morrison. McCartney crosses from the
nearside but Cole is beaten to the ball.
8 mins - This is a decent game so far. The Oxford fans give it a bit of
noise after their team attack again and a couple of strong challenges go in.
Batt crosses and Pittman challenges. Spence heads the ball backwards and
Henderson is out again quickly to catch ahead of Smalley.
6 mins - West Ham break quickly and Morrison finds Vaz Te in space. He cuts
inside from the left and shoots from 25 yards. It's too high and clears the
crossbar, fence and three rows of cars before nestling next to a tree.
5 mins - West Ham look to be in total control until Morrison gives the ball
away in midfield. Oxford break and a low cross threatens until McCartney
puts the ball out for a corner. Heslop's corner is headed up into the air
before Pittman's header is held by Henderson
4 mins - A momentary scare as Smalley brings down Reid and the Kiwi clutches
his ankle. It's nothing to worry about though, as Reid is quickly back up.
2 mins - Oxford come forward but Reid makes the headed clearance. The
Hammers then win a free-kick as Demel is fouled. All very low-key so far.

7.49pm - West Ham kick-off shooting from right to left. Tonight, it means
the Hammers are shooting towards an end with no stand. Any wayward shots
could threaten aerials and wing mirrors in the cinema car park behind the
goal!

7.47pm - Rob Hall's name gets a loud cheer from the home fans. The Hammers
youngster really caught the eye of U's supporters during two loan spells
here last season, when he scored six goals in 14 games.

7.45pm - Here come the two teams, led by Kevin Nolan and Jake Wright. West
Ham are in their all Navy away kit. Oxford are in all yellow. The conditions
are better than they were at Southend on Saturday! The pitch here looks in
decent nick. A sizeable travelling contingent from east London are sat
directly opposite me.

7.44pm - It looks like kick-off might also be slightly delayed as there is
no sign of the Oxford team, while West Ham have now gone back to their
dressing room...

7.40pm - Due to West Ham's slightly delayed arrival, the Hammers are out
warming up and will stay out on the pitch for kick-off.

7.35pm - For those wondering who 'Porritt' is on the teamsheet, he is Nathan
Porritt. Now 22, the former England Under-18 international midfielder is now
unattached after a spell in Belgian football.

7.15pm - So, Big Sam has named a very strong team tonight, with Carlton Cole
returning to action for the first time since the opening pre-season game at
FK Austria Wien. The same can be said of goalkeeper Stephen Henderson, who
has recovered from a slight thigh injury. On the bench, the Development
Squad have returned from Moscow and the likes of Jake Larkins, Eoin Wearen,
Pelly Ruddock, George Moncur, Blair Turgott and Seb Lletget are available
tonight.

7.10pm - OK, sorry for the delay but the team coach was slightly held up on
the road to the Kassam Stadium. The team news is in -

Oxford United: Clarke, Batt, McGinty, Wright, Chapman, Heslop, Smalley,
Pittman, Potter, McAllister, Evans
Subs: Crocombe, Raynes, Constable, Rigg, Boateng, Capaldi, Forster-Caskey,
Tafazoli, Harris, Smith, Craddock, Long, Lynn

West Ham United: Henderson, Demel, Spence, Reid, McCartney, Noble, Nolan,
O'Neil, Morrison, Cole, Vaz Te
Subs: Larkins, Wearen, Maynard, Porritt, Hall, Taylor, Ruddock, Moncur,
Turgott, Nasha, Lletget

Good evening and welcome to the Kassam Stadium for West Ham United's fourth
pre-season fixture against npower League Two side Oxford United.
The Hammers won their first pre-season match on Saturday, producing a decent
all-round performance to win 3-0 at Southend United, with Nicky Maynard,
Jordan Spence and Sam Baldock on target.

Baldock's goal was his third in three appearances so far in 2012/13 and the
former MK Dons man will be eager to find the net again and continue his hot
start to the new Barclays Premier League campaign.

There are a number of links between the two clubs - West Ham forward Rob
Hall spent two spells on loan with the U's last season, while Oxford coach
Andy Melville was part of the Hammers squad which gained promotion to the
Premier League via the Play-Offs in 2005. Meanwhile, West Ham midfielder
Matt Taylor was born and raised in Oxford.

Squad-wise, Sam Allardyce has chosen a group mixing first-team regulars and
young professionals. The likes of Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble and Ricardo Vaz Te
are joined in the squad by Development Squad players Eoin Wearen, Callum
Driver, Pelly Ruddock, George Moncur, Jake Larkins, Blair Turgott and
Sebastian Lletget.
Summer signing Stephen Henderson returns from a minor thigh injury and could
start in goal after missing the trips to Boreham Wood and Southend, while
Guy Demel could make his first pre-season start.

Tuesday's fixture will be the first meeting between West Ham and Oxford
since 24 August, when Scott Parker's late goal saw the Hammers beat the U's
1-0 in the League Cup second round at the Boleyn Ground.

The Hammers will be making their first-ever visit to the Kassam Stadium.

West Ham United: Henderson, Demel (Nasha 61), Spence, Reid (Wearen 61),
McCartney (Taylor 46), Noble (Moncur 61), Nolan (Ruddock 61), O'Neil
(Porritt 61), Morrison (Turgott 61), Cole (Maynard 46), Vaz Te (Hall 61)
Subs: Larkins, Lletget

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Diame happy with start
WHUFC.com
Momo Diame has enjoyed his first few weeks as a West Ham United player
16.07.2012

Mohamed Diame believes he has already settled in east London despite only
being at West Ham United for a few weeks. The 25-year-old got his first
taste of life as a Hammer during the club's training camp in Austria,
playing the full 90 minutes in the 3-1 defeat to FK Austria Wien. The
midfielder will have to wait before pulling on the claret and blue shirt
again though, as he jetted off straight away to join up with the Senegal
squad for the 2012 Olympic Games. Speaking to whufc.com, the Senegal
international praised his new team-mates and colleagues for giving him the
perfect welcome. "It was great to meet up with the rest of the team and to
start pre-season training. Everybody has been very welcoming to me, the
other players and all the staff. It made me feel good and it was nice to
start getting settled," he said. "The week we had in Austria was very good -
it was very hot and we worked hard - it was nice to get started. "I think
everyone was happy with the work we did and there is also a great spirit in
the team, as I said, it made feel very welcome."

Diame, who became Sam Allardyce's third summer signing, now hopes he can
build on his Hammers' debut, believing that the Olympics will provide the
perfect platform ahead of the new domestic season. "We had a good week and
now we have to keep working hard towards the new season - I will be with
Senegal now for the rest of pre-season but I am looking to come back and
help play my part on the training pitch and for the team when the new season
begins."

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London 2012: F1 track plan among Olympic Stadium bids
BBC.co.uk

A scheme to turn the Olympic Stadium into part of a Formula 1 track after
the London 2012 Games is one of four now under official consideration.
Football clubs West Ham and Leyton Orient are bidding to be tenants, as is
the UCFB College of Football Business. An original deal for West Ham to
lease the £486m stadium was scrapped last year amid legal wrangling. The
London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) said bids will be assessed
before any negotiations begin. Plans for a grand prix circuit were tabled by
Intelligent Transport Services, in conjunction with F1. The proposal would
reportedly allow another British round of the world championship in and
around the stadium in East London. UCFB, which offers degrees in football
business, is based at Burnley FC's Turf Moor ground and is an affiliate of
Bucks New University. It is understood Orient's proposal is based on a
ground share with West Ham, although the Premier League club has previously
insisted it is not considering that arrangement.

OLYMPIC STADIUM TIMELINE
12 July, 2012: Extended deadline for bidders to submit proposals
27 July-12 August: Olympic Games take place
29 August-9 September: Paralympics take place
October: Decision expected on succesful bidders
2014: Stadium reopens with new tenants

F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone said last month that he had been consulted by the
Intelligent Transport Services company about plans to use the stadium for a
race.
Ecclestone told the Daily Telegraph: "This is a firm that happened to be
bidding for use of the stadium, not to own it. They came up with a scheme
whereby Formula 1 would race around the stadium, inside it, outside it. They
wanted to make sure I would be interested." He has separately said that
plans for a race on a 3.15 mile (5.1 km) London circuit taking in sights
including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and Trafalgar Square were "no joke".

Orient chairman Barry Hearn refused to comment on a possible ground share,
but told BBC Sport he hoped the League One club's bid could succeed. "There
is no point dwelling on the design of the stadium and the faults of the
stadium," he said. "We have to get on with it, we have to make a fist of it
and we have to make sure the Government and the people of this country get
maximum value for the investment that has gone into the Olympic Stadium.
"Our idea does that and I think it forms part of a legacy that people in
this country can be proud of. Bearing in mind this is the only time in our
lifetime that we are ever going to hold the Olympic Games, we need to get
something out of it. "A mixture of usages and a mixture of opportunity
within the Olympic Stadium will give us the feeling that we have spent our
money wisely and that is really what we are trying to achieve. All sides
have to exercise common sense and move forward. I think we have created a
very interesting scheme that can do just that."

Essex County Cricket Club has dropped plans for tenancy at the stadium after
its partner, the University of London, pulled out of the process. It has
already been announced the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium will be reduced
after the Games to a 60,000 venue, which retains a running track, and will
host the 2017 World Athletics Championships. The LLDC says it is possible
more than one bidder could be successful, with a decision expected in the
autumn.

Meanwhile, preferred bidder status has been granted to iCITY for the Olympic
press and broadcast centres. It wants to them into a design, technology and
research base that might create more than 4,000 jobs. The scheme includes a
conference centre, pedestrian square, cafes, restaurants and bars.

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West Ham seek deal for Mali striker Modibo Maiga
BBC.co.uk
By Frank Keogh
BBC Sport

West Ham are hoping to complete the signing of Mali striker Modibo Maiga
from French club Sochaux for a reported fee of £4.5m. The 25-year-old is
understood to be in England for a medical ahead of his proposed transfer.
Maiga went on strike during the 2011 summer transfer window as he tried to
secure a move to Newcastle. He eventually failed a medical at the Magpies
in January due to a knee problem. Maiga has scored 24 goals in 52 games for
Sochaux since signing from Le Mans in July 2010.

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Tomkins thanks fans
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 17th July 2012
By: Staff Writer

James Tomkins has thanked the readers of KUMB.com for naming him as their
2011/12 Player of the Season. The 23-year-old central defender, who narrowly
pipped midfielder Mark Noble to the award said: "I was delighted to be
chosen as player of the year by everyone at KUMB. "Any award and support
from our fans is great and very important to all of us as players, as it
comes from our supporters who watch us week in week out. "I will always say
it is a team effort and last season was no different, everyone worked hard
to get the team back up in the Premier League and it was fantastic we
achieved that. "Our aim was to do that for our fans first and foremost, to
say thanks for the incredible support you all give us. "I have been here
since I was a young boy and came through the Academy, so I know a lot of our
fans have followed my career as I have made it through to the first team.
"I have always appreciated the support, people coming up to me and wishing
me well and wishing me success in the team and it is nice to know that
everyone is looking out for you. "It is great to have won this award and I
hope to repay this great support by playing my part in the team this season
as we look forward to being back in the Premier League once again. Thank you
again for everyone at KUMB for voting for me."

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Mohsni set for Hammers
West Ham are Premier League club
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @skygraemebailey. Last Updated: July
17, 2012 2:59pm
SSN

Sky Sports understands that the Premier League club ready to take Southend
ace Bilel Mohsni on trial is West Ham United. The 24-year-old defender, who
can also play as a striker, has been linked with a host of clubs over the
past 12 months. Stoke City and Blackpool have both seen offers rejected by
Southend, but now they have confirmed that they have agreed to let him train
with an unnamed club. Sky Sports can confirm that the team in question is
West Ham, and he is due to link up with them this week. Mohsni has just a
year left on his current deal, after Southend took up the 12-month option
they had on him at the end of last season.

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Sam rules out Carroll & Berba
West Ham boss insists strike duo will not be heading to Upton Park
By Rob Parrish - Follow me on Twitter @skysportsrobp. Last Updated: July
17, 2012 8:26pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce has admitted West Ham have given up on their hopes of signing
Andy Carroll and rejected reports of an interest in Dimitar Berbatov. Sky
Sports revealed earlier on Tuesday that England international Carroll has
been told that he does not figure in Brendan Rodgers' immediate plans, but
is reluctant to leave on a permanent basis. The £35million striker has been
targeted by former club Newcastle, who have seen an initial loan bid
rejected by the Reds and are considering whether to return with an improved
offer. The Hammers have also been linked with the 23-year-old and while
Allardyce admitted that discussions had taken place with the Reds, they
proved fruitless and the Upton Park boss is now moving on to other targets.

Nothing progressing

He told Sky Sports News HD: "I think that we're not in a situation where we
can secure a deal with Andy or Liverpool at the moment. "We talked to them,
we had some negotiation. But at the moment there is nothing progressing
forward on Andy coming to West Ham. "Andy is yet to make his mind up where
his future lies and the negotiation with Liverpool hasn't been a situation
where we've been able to agree. "We'll just leave it as it is and move on
with other players, as we have been doing on a daily basis through the
summer."

Pure speculation

Another striker to be linked with a switch to East London is Manchester
United forward Dimitar Berbatov, with the Bulgarian widely expected to leave
Old Trafford this summer. But Allardyce has flatly rejected suggestions that
the languid forward, who has been tipped for a move to Serie A, could be on
his radar. The West Ham boss added: "That's pure speculation in the media. I
haven't had any contact with Sir Alex. "There was a statement from Dimitar
saying he's available for £5million. Everybody knows we're looking for a
striker so they say we're in for him, but I've not had any conversations
with Sir Alex."

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Hammers close on Maiga
Allardyce confirms deal for Mali striker is in pipeline
Last Updated: July 17, 2012 9:08pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce has confirmed that West Ham are hoping to complete the signing
of Mali striker Modibo Maiga from Sochaux. Sky Sports understands that the
25-year-old is undergoing a medical with the East London club ahead of a
proposed £4.5million move from Ligue 1. Maiga was linked with a move to
Newcastle last summer and a proposed move to St James' Park in the January
transfer window fell through. The Mali international joined Sochaux from Le
Mans in July 2010 and has since scored 24 goals in 52 games for the French
side. Allardyce admitted that a deal to bring in Maiga was in the pipeline
but insisted there were still some details to be finalised before he puts
pen to paper. The Hammers boss told Sky Sports News HD: "At the moment that
is progressing. That is going forward as we speak but is a little way off
being clinched."

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Split decision: West Ham and Leyton Orient could SHARE Olympic Stadium
The Mirror

A ground share between West Ham and Leyton Orient is one of four proposals
now being considered for the Olympic Stadium. There are bids from West Ham,
Leyton Orient, the UCFB College of Football Business, and a plan to turn the
Olympic Stadium into part of a Formula 1 track, tabled by Intelligent
Transport Services, in conjunction with F1. Last year West Ham were in pole
position with a solo deal to lease the £486m stadium, but that was scrapped
amid legal wrangling. It is understood that it is Leyton Orient's proposal
which offers a ground share with West Ham, although the Premier League club
have previously rejected any such share. Orient chairman Barry Hearn refused
to comment on whether his proposal contained a possible ground share with
West Ham, but told BBC Sport he was hopeful of success. "There is no point
dwelling on the design of the stadium and the faults of the stadium," he
said. "We have to get on with it, we have to make a fist of it and we have
to make sure the Government and the people of this country get maximum value
for the investment that has gone into the Olympic Stadium.
"Our idea does that and I think it forms part of a legacy that people in
this country can be proud of. Bearing in mind this is the only time in our
lifetime that we are ever going to hold the Olympic Games, we need to get
something out of it.

"A mixture of usages and a mixture of opportunity within the Olympic Stadium
will give us the feeling that we have spent our money wisely and that is
really what we are trying to achieve. All sides have to exercise common
sense and move forward. I think we have created a very interesting scheme
that can do just that." It has already been announced that the
80,000-capacity Stadium will be reduced after the Games to 60,000.

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West Ham weigh up bid for ex-Chelsea wide man
By Jamie Sanderson | Tuesday, July 17, 2012
TalkSPort

West Ham are weighing up a move for out-of-favour Hamburg winger Gökhan
Töre. Töre has been told he is free to quit the Bundesliga outfit this
summer, despite a number of impressive displays, after falling out with new
manager Thorsten Fink. The quicksilver winger, who moved to Hamburg from
Chelsea just 12 months ago, turned out 22 times in the league last term, but
he has been omitted from Fink's first-team plans ahead of the new season.
Russian outfit Spartak Moscow have been strongly linked with a move, but it
appears the 20-year-old is keen to return to the Premier League, where his
agent has offered his services to newly-promoted West Ham. Töre would bring
an injection of pace, power and genuine width to the Hammers line-up, and
while boss Sam Allardyce is keen, he has requested a trial run out first,
something Hamburg have rejected. The news of Töre's switch away will be good
news for Chelsea, who will earn 50% of the fee Hamburg receive, after
including a hefty sell-on clause in the deal to sell him to Germany.

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West Ham in race for Olympic Stadium
Reuters - Today, 15:03
442.com

A bid linked to motor-racing group Formula One and football club West Ham
United are among four parties competing to take over the Olympic stadium
after the London Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation said on
Tuesday. The LLDC said it was assessing proposals from the two, as well as
from Leyton Orient Football Club and the UCFB College of Football Business,
without saying when a decision was due. Formula One supremo Bernie
Ecclestone told Reuters he was not directly involved in the motor-racing bid
which LLDC said was made in association with a company called Intelligent
Transport Services. "If they were to get permission to do it [use the
stadium for a Grand Prix], then we would be more than happy to do something
with them. But we have nothing to do with putting in a bid," he said.

The process to select a main tenant for the stadium in east London was
extended eight weeks in May after the LLDC said parties had been discouraged
from bidding because of unresolved issues including stadium-naming rights.
"London is further ahead in planning legacy than any previous host Olympic
city," LLDC chairman Daniel Moylan said. There has been speculation that
Formula One planned to use the stadium and neighbouring land to create a
motor-racing circuit. Some local politicians fear the 80,000-seat venue
could become a white elephant. A previous plan to sell the stadium to West
Ham fell apart in October with the government citing "legal paralysis" after
Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, which had a bid turned down,
challenged the decision. The LLDC also said a bid to turn the 1 million
square foot Olympic media centre into offices, research labs and a data
centre was now the preferred choice. A plan by the so-called iCity
consortium is the favourite after the only other bidder withdrew last week.
The consortium is backed by data centre manager Infinity and property
company Delancey. It plans to create more than 4,000 jobs. The LLDC said it
will name the residential developer selected to build the first
neighbourhood of housing on the park next week.

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And Another Two Bite the Dust, But the Maiga Deal Seems Somewhat More
Promising!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Well, so two more bits of transfer speculation bite the dust. Apparently Sam
Allardyce has confirmed that the Andy Carroll deal is not going to happen.
While he has also poured some very cold water on the rumour that we were
ever interested in Berbetov. Neither development is much of a surprise in
all honesty. Therefore, barring a dramatic changed state of affairs, the
improbablity is not a possibility, and the 10% 'long shot' is not going to
come off. While, the Berbetov speculation appears to a case of the media
doing their standard trick of making 2 (west Ham need a striker) + 2
(Berbetov is available) = 5 (West Ham want Berbetov).

Elsewhere, things look somewhat more promising on the Maiga deal.
Negotiations appear to be at a fairly advanced stage, but Allardyce has
stressed that there are stiill some issues to be ironed out before the deal
can be completed. Hopefully, those 'issues' relate to personal terms, rather
than medical complications. We will just have to wait and see? Maybe Maiga
will prove to be an absolute gem, emerging out of 'left field' to barnstorm
his way in to the Hammers Hall of Fame! Goodness, how we could do with a
McAvennie or Devonshire scenerio of a 'low expection' signing turning out to
be absolute gold. Unfortunately those kind of deals are all too rare,
especially these days. Although the Vaz Te deal had a touch of that about it
last season. Similarly, Vaz Te bursting on to the PL scene, with a glut of
goals, would also be most welcome event. At a push, I might even settle for
him being a one season sensation, with 20 plus PL goals leading to a £10m
summer move to Porto!

Yesterday, amidst the inertia of the current transfer window, my mind
wanderered back to the pre-season of 1985-86. Now, everyone celebrates the
exploits of the Boys of 86, but the general apprehension that preceeded that
season is seldom recalled . West Ham had bumped around the bottom half of
the old First Division table in 1984-85, but we managed to pull clear of
relegation trouble with a bit to spare. But it was a decidedly underwhelming
season. The prevalent view was that we needed to 'buy big' to avoid a repeat
in the following campaign. Yet, instead of households names, our 'trophy'
signings were a winger from Oldham and an attacking midfielder from St
Mirren. Few had heard of them and many fans were left fearing the worst.
Yet, McAvennie and Ward slotted in beautifully and the rest of the team
gelled around them. And the rest as they say is history! I am not saying
that it will happen again, but it is still a comforting recollection. Oh,
yeah and they did not win a game in the 1985-86 pre-season, to boot!
(Tallking of which, we apparently lost 1-0 to Oxford Utd yesterday evening
in our latest pre-season friendly).

Finally, forget about Carroll and Berbetov. West Ham are said to be
interested in Southend Utd utility man, Bilel Mohsni. Mohsni appears to be a
Derek Johnstone type of player (hands up those who remembers him?) who can
operate as both a defender and a striker. Is it just another baseless
rumour, who can possibly say at present?

Anyway, keep the faith! If ever I needed to adhere to my favourite Gramscian
dictum 'Pessimism of intellect, optimism of the will' it is probably now.
And, of course, It is easy to forget that things could be a lot worse. If
those three early Blackpool sitters in the play-off Final had gone in, we
would now be faced with another tough season in the championship, having to
cope with dire consequences of 'financial fair play.' There, that's cheered
you up hasn't it. COYI!

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham and Formula One lead grid in race for Olympic Stadium
Other bidders are UCFB College and Leyton Orient
West Ham remain favourites to move into stadium
Owen Gibson
The Guardian, Wednesday 18 July 2012

The London Legacy Development Corporation has named four bidders in the
bidding process for the £428m stadium. Photograph: Paul Gilham/Getty Images
West Ham United remain favourites to move into the Olympic stadium after the
Games after the club were named as one of four final bidders , while
ambitious plans to stage a Formula One race in the Park also remain on the
shortlist.

Following a board meeting, the London Legacy Development Corporation named
the four bidders that remain in the protracted bidding process for the £428m
stadium. Bernie Ecclestone has given his backing to the bid to use the
stadium as part of a Formula One track, a separate scheme from recently
floated plans to stage a race in central London, but he is not directly
involved.

"If they were to get permission to do it, then we would be more than happy
to do something with them. But we have nothing to do with putting in a bid,"
he said of the bid, submitted by a company called Intelligent Transport
Services.

The other two bidders are the UCFB College of Football Business and Leyton
Orient. The east end club, which along with Tottenham Hostpur and an
anonymous complainant to the European Union derailed an earlier attempt to
award the stadium to West Ham, did not put its name forward under the
initial bidding process. But when the deadline was extended by the LLDC,
partly because bidders had been discouraged by unresolved issues around
naming rights, the chairman, Barry Hearn, changed his mind and submitted a
bid.

West Ham remain favourites to move in, but have said they will only do so on
their terms. The vice chair, Karren Brady, wants to ensure the club and
their supporters feel as though they have ownership of the ground during the
football season and can benefit from sponsorship and commercial
opportunities as the main tenants.

The club will also have to invest in adding a roof and hospitality boxes and
want to investigate the possibility of installing retractable seating for
the running track.

UK Athletics is already guaranteed use of the stadium, which will host the
2017 world athletics championships. Newham Council, which will put £40m into
the project, will also be guaranteed a certain number of days access for
community use. The four bids will be now be evaluated before negotiations
begin, with the aim of coming to a decision by October. "London is further
ahead in planning legacy than any previous host Olympic city. Despite our
success this is no time to rest on our laurels. We have planned a superb
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and we are working to ensure we achieve the
right long-term future for all our permanent venues," said LLDC chairman
Daniel Moylan, who recently replaced Margaret Ford.

The LLDC has also made the iCity consortium the preferred bidder for the
cavernous international broadcast centre and main press centre on the site.
It will now enter into exclusive negotiations over its plans to house a data
centre, hi-tech start ups, post production companies and educational
establishments on the site.

The company will have to sign up to promises to deliver 3,800 jobs on the
site. It has said it could increase employment on the site and in the
surrounding area by up to 6,000.

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