Daily WHUFC News - 18th October 2012

Jussi plays host to young fans
WHUFC.com
Jussi Jaaskelainen gave a group of young supporters a VIP tour of the Boleyn
Ground this week
17.10.2012

Jussi Jaaskelainen welcomed a young group of visitors to the Boleyn Ground
this week and ensured they had a great time visiting the home of West Ham
United. The Hammers goalkeeper was on hand to welcome Anna Kennedy, who runs
a national charity Anna Kennedy online dedicated to promoting the inclusion
and equality of children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome.
Anna and her fellow guests went pitchside and sat in the home dugout before
being given a personal guided tour of the home dressing room by
Jaaskelainen. There was also a chance to take a look in the away dressing
room, the television media room where pre and post-match interviews are
filmed and the tunnel area. Ms Kennedy said of the visit: "Thank you to West
Ham for a wonderful afternoon at the stadium. Our children and adults met
with Jussi, who was a real gentleman and made the visit very special. We are
looking forward to a continuing link with West Ham. "By inviting us into the
heart of the club, West Ham will be helping us to bring autism further into
mainstream society."

The charity aims to give people with autism and Asperger's Syndrome a better
chance to live and build a structure for themselves, so they can look to
lead independent lives. Ms Kennedy, who is the mother of two sons with
autism, founded Hillingdon Manor School in west London, which is now a
centre of excellence for children and young adults with autism. The school
and the work of the charity have received national recognition and Ms
Kennedy was made an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List earlier this
year, together with being shortlisted for Tesco Mum of the Year award.
Joint-Chairman David Sullivan donated a five-figure sum to the charity
earlier this year - a pledge he made if Hammers won promotion. That money
has helped the charity expand the work that it does. Jaaskelainen said: "It
was good to meet everyone and to hear of the work Anna is doing and everyone
involved in the charity is fantastic. I wish them well and we look forward
to them being here at West Ham again soon."

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Important travel information
WHUFC.com
Information for supporters using public transport to get to Saturday's home
fixture with Southampton
17.10.2012

Supporters travelling to Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture between
West Ham United and Southampton by public transport should take note of the
following important information. Engineering works mean c2c and Greater
Anglia rail, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway services will
all be disrupted on 20 October. Fans should make arrangements as journey
times to the Boleyn Gruond are likely to be extended.

c2c
All c2c rail services between Barking and Upminster are subject to
alteration due to route improvement works.
Network Rail will be undertaking track renewals between Barking and
Upminster on Saturday, meaning a revised service will operate on all c2c
routes.
Pre-match, two trains per hour will also run between Grays and Pitsea via
Upminster. Passengers for Chafford Hundred, Ockendon, Upminster, West
Horndon, Laindon and Basildon should use a shuttle service and change at
Grays for services to Barking and Fenchurch Street or Pitsea for services to
Southend and Shoeburyness.

Post-match, two trains per hour will run between Fenchurch Street and
Shoeburyness, running fast from Barking to Pitsea. Two trains per hour will
also run between Fenchurch Street and Shoeburyness, calling at all stations
via Rainham and Tilbury.

Additional shuttle services will run between Fenchurch Street and Barking
for much of the day.

Greater Anglia

Greater Anglia rail services will be suspended between Shenfield and Witham
due to overhead line renewal work taking place.
Mainline services from Norwich/Ipswich/Clacton/Colchester/Braintree will
terminate at Witham and will connect into a replacement bus service to
Billericay. At Billericay buses will connect into Southend Victoria services
to Liverpool Street.
A shuttle bus service will operate between Ingatestone and Shenfield for
Ingatestone passengers only.
Southend Victoria to Liverpool Street services will operate to an increased
frequency of four trains per hour, with trains strengthened to eight or 12
coaches.
The Southminster branch line will operate to an hourly service.

London Underground
The London Underground District line will be closed between Barking and
Upminster for engineering works. Rail replacement buses will operate.
Service C will call at Barking, Upney, Becontree, Dagenham Heathway and
Dagenham East. Service D will call at Dagenham East, Elm Park, Hornchurch,
Upminster Bridge and Upminster.
The London Underground Circle line will be completely closed.

Docklands Light Railway
There will be no service between Canning Town and Beckton due to engineering
works. A bus replacement service will operate from Canning Town to Beckton,
stopping at all stations except Royal Victoria.

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"Nolan, Allardyce and Carroll have got a great relationship"
Lifesapitch.co.uk

Sam Allardyce has once again proved his Premier League managerial acumen by
taking newly promoted West Ham to eighth place after the first seven matches
of the season. And, as the Life's a Pitch team discuss, with Allardyce's
attacking style and a team boasting the combined threat of Andy Carroll and
Kevin Nolan, it should come as no surprise that the Hammers look set to
avoid relegation trouble this season.

"It's what you would expect," says the People's Janine Self. "When West Ham
went down they kept a lot of their players, Sam spent big last season and I
think they've added [new players] very, very wisely. Jussi Jaaskelainen has
got Premier League experience, you've got James Collins and, of course, Andy
Carroll. Build a team around Andy Carroll."

The Sunday Mirror's David Walker agrees that Carroll suits Allardyce's
tactics perfectly, and feels Nolan is already benefitting from the on-loan
Liverpool striker's presence at the Boleyn Ground. "In Kevin Nolan,
Allardyce probably has the best attacking midfielder in England for playing
off a big fella. Nolan is absolutley briliant at arriving in the penalty
area [to feed off knock downs] and scoring with one- and two-touch finishes.
So, Nolan, Allardyce and Carroll have got a great relationship there."

Next up for the Hammers is the visit of fellow promoted side Southampton.
Given that the Saints have already shipped 20 goals in seven games, three of
them own goals, the Mail on Sunday's Ian Ridley expects them to be in for a
tough afternoon with Carroll and friends on the prowl.

"[Southampton have been] very open and easy to score against," says Ian.
"People like young Nat Clyne are finding it tough to take that step up to
the Premier League. Their defence has looked vulnerable, always capable of
an own goal and, particularly when pressured by Andy Carroll, you would
think there might be another one in the offing."

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Price of Football - Premier League
BBC.co.uk

Newcastle United offer the cheapest day out for adult fans in the Premier
League, with tickets starting at £15. BBC Sport's Price of Football study
shows that Newcastle, Aston Villa, Fulham and Wigan all offer a ticket,
programme, pie and cup of tea for less than £30, with Newcastle the cheapest
at £23. Liverpool's cheapest day out is the most expensive in the top flight
at £47.30, while champions Manchester City have the second-cheapest season
tickets in the league at £275.

The most expensive matchday ticket in the division is at Arsenal, with some
seats for the club's top category games costing £126. All clubs offer a host
of special offers on certain fixtures, but they were asked for the cheapest
and most expensive matchday tickets which were not part of any promotion.
Arsenal's most expensive seat has gone up from £100 last year, but they have
also reduced prices. Last year's cheapest matchday seat was £35, and this
year it has come down to £26.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis says clubs in the top flight must be
careful not to take their supporters for granted. He told BBC Sport: "During
the last year we spent a lot of time working with our fan groups to develop
our ticketing strategy and create a wider and broader range of prices.
"That's been a collaborative effort between us and our fans which has been
welcomed by our fans as a positive development.

Bundesliga bargain
Prices at German champions Borussia Dortmund:
Adult ticket (purchased on day): Cheapest: £12.30 Most expensive: £40.18
Season ticket (adult) - cheapest:£150.27; most expensive: £819.67 (includes
three Champions League group games)
Bratwurst: £2.01
Beer: £3.62
Programme: £1.61

*all prices converted from euros

"It's something that all of us in football need to keep an eye on and keep
responsive to because what we don't want to do is price out particularly
younger fans from the live experience of football. "That is such a
fundamental part of the bond young people form with football. It isn't just
an issue for Arsenal but across the game." Arsenal's cheapest season ticket
at the Emirates is £985 and the most expensive £1,955, although that
includes seven FA Cup or European games in addition to the standard 19
Premier League matches. Wigan have the cheapest season tickets on offer in
the top flight - they start at £255 - with the most expensive seat at the DW
Stadium costing £310 for 19 Premier League games. A programme in the Premier
League will cost fans £3 or £3.50, while the cheapest pie can be found at
Wigan, who charge £2.30. Fulham's is the most expensive at £3.90.

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'In Jussi We Trust' - and Raphael Too!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

I think most fans were surprised by the decision, seemingly, out of left
field to loan Stephen Henderson to Ipswich Town. The signing of the
promising Republic of Ireland keeper was viewed in many quarters as a
potential coup. Henderson was highly rated at, his former club, Portsmouth,
and there were high expectations that he might step up as first choice
keeper, in the aftermath of Rob Green's Bosman move. That this has not
happened is partly due to the subsequent signing of Jussi, but it also to
the fact that Henderson has not exactly graped his opportunities (and indeed
some would say the ball!) with both hands when he has featured for the first
team.

However, Henderson is still a young goal keeper and it would not be
unreasonable to argue that he is still learning his trade and could very
well develop in to a top keeper over a slightly longer time frame. This
would have meant working hard with the specialist keeping coach, and the
experienced Jussi, to improve and realise his potential. Now, there is two
ways to look at the news that Henderson has gone out on loan to a
Championship side. The first is that it is purely a short-term arrangement
to give him more immediate first team exposure and sharpen his game. After
all, there is allegedly a clause in the loan deal that West Ham can recall
him at 24 hours notice if he is needed. The second, and alternative, view is
that Henderson has been unsettled at not being first choice and that he has
made this known to the Manager. Who remembers Sam Allardyce's comments after
the Wigan cup defeat, in stating that players could hardly knock on his
door, demanding to play, after performing so poorly when they eventually get
their chance. In retrospect, does it now make sense who Allardyce was
referring to? Could a permanent outward transfer now be on the cards for
Henderson in January, with a new keeper also arriving at the club?

Personally, I am unsure on the issue. Although Henderson's reported
comments, about not being 'a bench warmer,' could quite reasonably be
interpreted as substantiating the latter point of view. Even more
interesting was his reported statement that Pompey had not made him aware of
Ipswich Town's interest last season and, had he known, he might have thought
twice about moving to the Hammers. Now we all know that when players sign
for a new club they invariably make statements to try to get the fans 'on
side,' but does it sound like the comment of a player that is keen to keep
his options open with regard to recommencing his career with the Hammers?
Perhaps, perhaps not? Some times, amazingly in the current mass
media/information age, players still make comments for the local press,
without giving apparent due consideration to the way that they may be
reported elsewhere. Is this such a case?

Anyway, whatever, Henderson's loan means that we are reliant upon Jussi as
first choice and Spiegel as cover. Maybe his performances at Development
Squad level, and in training, has encouraged Allardyce to believe that the
youngster can step up, immediately, if called upon to do so? And, as stated,
there is also the option to recall Henderson at very short notice. So, lets
see what happens? Jussi has done well since arriving at the club and there
is no denying his PL experience. However, I still have certain simmering
anxiety about the goal keeping situation. Maybe it is just that I have grown
accustomed to Rob Green's presence as our last line of defence, maybe it is
because I prefer reaction keepers like Green and Hislop? Alternatively,
perhaps it is because I suspect that Jussi is past his best and that may
become more self-evident at some juncture? I have to say that I am still
processing these issues, as I try to publicly adopt, in the interim, a 'in
Jussi we trust' type position. And by extension, if circumstance dictate,
that might have to apply to Raphael too!

Finally, away from goalkeeping deliberations, it would appear that the Mayor
of London, and the powers to be, are finally militating towards accepting
the reality of the issues relating to the long term sustainability of the
OS. This will, inevitably, mean pursuing the option of 'retro-fitting' a
retractable seating system in the Stadium, as part of a £160-200m
restructuring to make it a viable multi-purpose venue. Approximately £90m is
in the pot to fund the OS redevelopment, Newham Council wish to invest £40m
for the benefit of the local economy/ community and negotiations are ongoing
with West Ham about their possible contribution as the anchor
tenant/stakeholders. No doubt the alleged £2m a year rental will be included
in any financial calculation, the % cut of PL revenues going in to the
public purse and anticipated revenue streams from other sporting and concert
events. In addition, there is £500m sitting in a post-games budget to help
redevelop the wider Olympic Park. It is not beyond the realms of possibility
that the OS redevelopment will receive a further cash injection from that
budget, if it is necessary to seal a deal.

Ironically, any planned retro-fit of the retractable seating, is likely to
result in a wholesale development of the permanent 20,000 seats in the lower
tier. While the temporary seats in the upper tiers might stay in place?
Although it is unclear how the extension of the roof and inclusion of
hospitality facilities will impact upon that? Of course, all of this is made
necessary by the extreme folly of the poor decision-making in determining
the design of the stadium. Whereas Jowell, Livingstone and Coe deserve huge
credit for winning the 2012 games, many are now questioning the poor
strategic planning, that has directly led so many 'chickens come home to
roost' with regard to the inbuilt limitations of the OS design.

At least the success of the OS during the games has clearly shown the Spurs
sponsored 'bulldoze and rebuild' proposal to be both philistine and
politically impossible to deliver (Something that some of us suspected all
along). Still at least their game playing, allied to the 2011 summer
disturbances, got the Mayor of London to invest in the the supporting
infrastrucure of their proposed Northumberland Park redevelopment. Least
ways, if some of the reports are to be believed? So, if true, they cannot be
too unhappy at the outcome. Anyway, what it could mean is that, if selected
as the anchor tenant, the scale of the works will mean that West Ham may not
occupy the OS until the start of the 2015-16 season. It means an additional
season at Upton Park, but the down side is that it may also delay our
assault upon Champions League glory!!!!

You have to laugh at the scale of the OS debacle. If not, one is equally
likely to lament its absurdity. Whatever the emotion solicited by the
circumstances, all we can hope is that it is eventually a case of 'alls well
that ends well.' And when all the chips fall, West Ham emerge as clean
'winners' from the solution(s) put in place.

SJ. Chandos.

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Guy dealt in by Hammers
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun

WEST HAM are ready to offer full-back Guy Demel a new contract. The French
defender, 31, has impressed since arriving on a one-year deal from Hamburg
and the Hammers want to talk about a new two-year contract. But midfielder
Gary O'Neil, 29, will be allowed to go in January.

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