Daily WHUFC News - 28th November 2012

Big Sam on: Manchester United
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce has shared his veiws ahead of Wednesday's trip to Old Trafford
27.11.2012

Sam Allardyce addressed the media ahead of Wednesday night's Barclays
Premier League clash with Manchester United. Big Sam and his side travel to
Old Trafford looking to bounce back from Sunday's 3-1 defeat to Tottenham
Hotspur ahead of another big game at home to Chelsea on Saturday.

Firstly, do you have any comment on the reports of unacceptable behaviour
from a small section of West Ham fans during Sunday's match at White Hart
Lane?

SA: "Since the game it is very disappointing to have read about what has
been said by and what has been done by a small minority of fans. Nobody
condones that sort of behaviour and there is a zero tolerance attitude
within the club. I am sure Tottenham and the authorities will deal with it
accordingly. Now I know what has gone on like everybody else I do not
condone it or wish to hear any of that kind of chanting in football
especially in this country."

Now onto the football, Wednesday is obviously a very difficult game to try
and bounce back to winning ways after Sunday's defeat at White Hart Lane?

SA: "Yes it is a very difficult week and we knew it was going to be tough
playing three very good teams in just six days. It was especially
disappointing because we underperformed on the day but we have to give
Tottenham some credit however because they have some very good players and
deserved to win the game. We have got to try and bounce back and we have
been very good at doing that this season.
"We are very short on players at the moment, Mark Noble is missing through
suspension and George McCartney will have a late fitness test so our squad
is being pushed to the limit. I think that when you are going into a week
like this you always want everybody available but we have to go with what we
have got and give a good account of ourselves. We need to play the best we
can and see where that takes us but like I have said before about Old
Trafford you can
play your best and still come away on the losing side."

You chart your season on points from each individual game so in a way is
anything at Old Trafford a bonus for you?

SA: "This is a game for the lads to enjoy because there is no real pressure
on them other than the pressure they put on themselves to perform well on
one of the biggest stages in world football. It is important for players to
go out on that stage and produce what they know they can because even if we
lose you can still return home satisfied you have done your absolute best.
We will still be disappointed of course but hopefully our best will see us
pick up a positive result. Manchester United have leaked more goals than
usual this season and their defence has not shown the quality it has in the
past. The trouble is that at the other end they cannot stop scoring goals.
We need to get our defensive unit on song and play as a team in and out of
possession and if we do that you never know."

After an excellent start to the season will you not worry if you fail to
pick up any points from this tough run of games?

SA: "I always worry, it does not matter where I am in the league I always
wake up in the morning and worry. Certainly on a matchday I worry about what
kind of performance the team will deliver and on a constant basis I worry
about what is round the corner. If we are in a run of fixtures like this you
do have to accept that even if you play your best you may not pick up any
points. I say that to the players who have done brilliantly against
Manchester City and Newcastle United so let's see if we can pick up some
points in the next four games. It does not matter where those points come
from if we pick them up we will be happy and we will be in a reasonably good
position in the league."

It must have been a long time since you looked at the fixture list and saw
West Bromwich Albion as a tougher game than Liverpool?

SA: "Yes I think that the form they are in at the moment is particularly
good and I think that Steve has probably surprised himself with what they
have achieved already. Two points a game after 13 games is Champions League
and top three form so it is a brilliant start to his first managerial job.
Our focus currently lies with Manchester United and Chelsea on Saturday.
These are the games that all the players want to be playing in, every game
in the Barclays Premier League is special but playing in the Theatre of
Dreams in front of 75,000 people is what you dream of as a kid."

Andy Carroll ended his goal scoring drought on Sunday which must be a
massive positive for you; do you hope he can now push on find the net on a
regular
basis?

SA: "Well I hope so. We have got to continue to provide the service for our
players in the final third and give them the chance to score. I think that
one of the things we have been really good at is providing the service and
providing opportunities for our players to score. What our problem has been
is failing to convert the chances we have created but I do not think we
created as much against Tottenham as we have in previous games. I hope we
continue to create a lot of chances like we did against Stoke City when we
could have had six or seven goals. That is a slight concern for me because
we obviously only scored one goal but hopefully we get better and more
clinical in front of goal."

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'The aim is to get some points'
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis says West Ham United are targeting a positive result at
Manchester United
27.11.2012

Matt Jarvis says West Ham United possess a steely determination to bounce
back from defeat at Tottenham Hotspur at Manchester United on Wednesday.
The Hammers travel to Old Trafford determined to deliver a good performance
and pick up a point at least from their clash with Sir Alex Ferguson's men.
Although there were disappointed faces emerging from the Away dressing room
at White Hart Lane, that has now turned into a strong interntion to get back
on track. "We go to Manchester United and it is another tough game," said
the No7, "but these are the games that we as players and as a team want to
play in and one of the reasons why you want to get promoted back into the
Premier League. "We have had a good start to the season and we need to make
sure we get some points again in the next few games coming up. We can do
that. It was disappointing to lose against Spurs, but we go again now. "We
were obviously disappointed with the result on Sunday. We did create some
chances and, for me, when it was 1-0 I thought we had a good chance of
getting back into the game and it might have been a different story if we
had got the next goal. "I think maybe we didn't get into their faces as much
as we hoped to. The plan was to go at them early doors and shut them down."

On a more positive note, Jarvis said the Hammers did not give up at White
Hart Lane and could even have snatched something from the game if they had
scored earlier or added quickly to Andy Carroll's 82nd-minute header. "We
still created chances for ourselves. We kept working at it to try and get
behind their defence to get shots on goal, but it just didn't happen for us.
"Once we got our goal with Andy scoring, we started to get a few more
chances and more crosses in, but as the manager said afterwards it was just
a bit too late for it to count. If we had stuck one in a little earlier, the
score might have been closer, if not somewhat different."

While defeat in north London was disappointing, the England winger alluded
to the 19 points West Ham already have on the board and has high hopes of
turning that into 20 or even 22 at Old Trafford. "We have started really
well and we want to keep this going. Unfortunately, you lose games. These
things happen and it was against a very good Spurs side. For us, we just
need to make sure we bounce back from this and go to Manchester United and
try our best to do that. "Points we already have in the bag will prove vital
in these circumstances but we are determined to go to places like Old
Trafford, put in a good performance and hopefully get something out of the
game. That is the aim, to get some points, so we would be delighted with
that."

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Man Utd v West Ham
KO 20:00
27 November 2012
Last updated at 12:57
By Guy Mowbray
BBC Match of the Day commentator

BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Old Trafford Date: Wednesday, 28 November

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is suspended for this match so
Anderson is likely to start. Antonio Valencia has a hip problem but has an
outside chance of being fit.

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble is banned, while left-back George McCartney
is a doubt after suffering an ankle injury against Tottenham. Yossi Benayoun
remains out of action with a thigh problem. Midfielder Jack Collison (knee)
and forward Ricardo Vaz Te (shoulder) are also ruled out.

MATCH PREVIEW

When I think of West Ham games at Old Trafford, two things immediately come
to mind: One - their 1-0 win on the final day of the 2006-07 season, when
Carlos Tevez's winner kept the team up at Sheffield United's expense (with a
long-running legal battle to follow); Two - Fabien Barthez with his arm in
the air, fruitlessly claiming offside as Paolo Di Canio's goal knocked
Manchester United out of the FA Cup in January 2001.

Of course, the reason they stand out in the memory is because United not
beating West Ham at home is as rare as a day without rain this month. In 21
visits since 1986, the Hammers have lost 18 games and won three - Jermain
Defoe scoring the only goal 11 years ago to bring about the other success.
With their team currently eighth in the Premier League, West Ham fans must
surely be happy with the way their top-flight return has gone so far - but
it might be a case of having to be happy with whatever they can get in the
run of games before Christmas.

After defeat at Spurs on Sunday, this is the second in a run of seven
fixtures in which they play six of the seven sides currently above them in
the table. Liverpool at home is the odd one out - hardly a "gimme". United
are just where they want to be - on top - but they've done it the hard way.
Incredibly they've conceded the first goal in nine of their 13 league games
this season, but - even more remarkably - they've come back to win six of
them. You can add three comeback wins in the Champions League to that, too,
as the players do their best to age their 70-year's-young manager! A home
win? Probably. West Ham to score first? It might not be wise.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Manchester United have won their last seven league matches against West Ham
and scored 21 goals in those games to the Hammers' three.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side have gone unbeaten in their last 31 Premier League
home matches against promoted clubs, stretching back over 11 years since a
2-1 defeat by Bolton Wanderers in October, 2001. Bolton were then managed by
current West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, while Kevin Nolan was on the
scoresheet.
Wayne Rooney has scored seven goals in the last four league meetings,
including a hat-trick as United overturned a 2-0 half-time deficit to win
4-2 in the most recent meeting in April 2011 at Upton Park. There have been
four penalties scored in those two games - two by each side.
West Ham have made 16 visits to Old Trafford in the Premier League, but have
won there just twice, in December 2001 and May 2007. The latter victory
ensured their Premier League survival.
The Hammers knocked out holders United in the League Cup quarter-finals in
2010-11.

Manchester United
United have won six of their last seven Premier League matches.
They have trailed in nine league fixtures this season but come back to win
on six of those occasions.
Ten of United's league goals this season have been headers, more than any
other club in the division.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side have scored in each of their last 55 Premier League
home matches since the 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa in December 2009. It is the
longest home-scoring streak in the top flight since a 75-match run by Wolves
from 1956 to 1959.
This match is being staged on the eve of Ryan Giggs's 39th birthday.

West Ham
West Ham have won just one of their five matches against clubs in the top
half this season.
The Hammers have won five of the six league games in which they have scored
first this season.
Only two West Ham players have scored more than one league goal this season:
Kevin Nolan (five) and Mark Noble (two).

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Noble out
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th November 2012
By: Staff Writer

Mark Noble is set to miss West Ham's trip to Old Trafford tomorrow night
having accrued five bookings already this season. The combatative United
midfielder picked up his latest booking of the campaign at White Hart Lane
on Sunday afternoon and therefore received an automatic one-match ban as a
result. That is further bad news for Sam Allardyce who has already seen his
small squad stretched to its limits by a string of recent injuries. "We are
very short on players at the moment," he admitted. "Mark Noble is missing
through suspension and George McCartney will have a late fitness test, so
our squad is being pushed to the limit. "I think that when you are going
into a week like this you always want everybody available but we have to go
with what we have got and give a good account of ourselves. "We need to
play the best we can and see where that takes us, but like I have said
before about Old Trafford, you can play your best and still come away on the
losing side."

Speaking this morning, the West Ham boss also condemned the small group of
fans who sullied the club's name at Tottenham by chanting anti-semitic
abuse.
"Since the game it is very disappointing to have read about what has been
said by and what has been done by a small minority of fans," he added.
Nobody condones that sort of behaviour and there is a zero tolerance
attitude within the club. "Now I know what has gone on like everybody else,
I do not condone it or wish to hear any of that kind of chanting in football
- especially in this country." Manchester United vs West Ham United kicks
off at 8.00pm.

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Safe standing: the business case
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 27th November 2012
By: Michael Brunskill

It's football's open secret, isn't it?

Every week thousands upon thousands of fans stand in seated areas supporting
the team that they love. Here at the Football Supporters' Federation we
recognise that persistent standing in areas designed for sitting is
problematic. Those who prefer or have to sit often find their view blocked.
Standing for prolonged periods in seated areas isn't as safe as the
alternative options.

There's a cost efficient, modern, and practical solution to this – safe
standing.

The recent Hillsborough Independent Panel report confirmed the findings of
the late Lord Justice Taylor's first report into the 1989 disaster. Standing
did not kill any of the 96 who lost their lives on that horrible day. The
cause of their deaths was appalling policing, bad design, neglected
maintenance, fencing, and crowd management failings. Hillsborough was a
stadium without a valid safety certificate.

Of course the final Taylor Report is now remembered for one thing – the
recommendation that football grounds become all-seater which sprung from
Taylor's shock at the abysmal treatment of fans by clubs. Taylor believed
all fans would get used to sitting and that standing would fade away as fans
adapted. He believed they would end up preferring to sit - Taylor was wrong.

Clubs are now waking up to the lost business opportunities resulting from
not permitting safe standing areas. The Scottish Premier League has agreed
to allow its clubs to pilot safe standing areas (the all-seater law never
applied in Scotland) while Aston Villa and Peterborough United have been
longtime backers of the FSF's Safe Standing Campaign. Brentford, Bristol
City, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Doncaster Rovers, Hull City,
Watford and AFC Wimbledon have all been welcomed aboard recently too.

So what's the positive business case? Firstly, it saves a lot of money on
ground maintenance. "Rail seats" which are common in the German Bundesliga
cost about 30 per cent more than a top quality conventional seat (like those
in the Emirates or the AMEX) but are virtually indestructible when compared
to plastic.

Many stadium managers bemoan the maintenance and replacement costs of
"normal" plastic seats. However, metal rail seats don't need replacing
because the colour's faded, or because of general wear and tear or
(occasionally) criminal damage. Hannover's seats have been in place since
2005 and they've had no breakages at all, even in the away section. The FSF
estimate pay-back on investment within ten years from the cut in maintenance
costs alone

International requirements and ticket pricing

By FIFA and UEFA's rules any ground wishing to stage competitive European
fixtures or international games must be all-seater. Rail seats are a modern
solution for clubs who would like to introduce safe standing areas but who
also have ambitions of competing in Europe or hosting international matches.
Rail seats can be quickly converted from standing to seated configuration
with minimum fuss. A club can have all-seater for their big European night
and standing areas for domestic games. Watch the video on the FSF's Safe
Standing Campaign page for more.

Where space and configurations allow more fans can be admitted to safe
standing areas too. Exact numbers will vary from club to club because of
different stadium dimensions but the Government's Green Guide allows for one
sitting fan for every 1.8 standing fans (i.e. 1:1.8). The ratio in Germany
varies from 1:1.2 to 1:1.8 but let's take 1.4 as a working average.

Now, say a standard ticket is £25, the club receives £20.84 once VAT is
deducted for an area of 2,000 seats. That's gate receipts totalling £41,680
for the club. In standing configuration the capacity increases to 2,800
which means you could reduce the ticket price to £20 (the club receives
£16.67 once VAT is deducted) and still bring in £46,676 (2,800 x 16.67) –
that's an increase of £4,996 or nearly 12% from gate receipts alone.

Then there's the additional sales of merchandise, programmes and catering
from the increased footfall. Yes, there maybe some extra costs from
stewarding and policing but the club will still be coming out ahead very
quickly. Clubs could expect to break even in less than two seasons based on
those figures and generate £100,000 extra every season after that.

So tickets are cheaper, the atmosphere is better and the club increases
revenue. What's not to love? Most significantly of all, the clubs will be
giving the 'customers' what they want – choice.

Fans want choice

Every opinion survey the FSF has seen shows a large majority support for
safe standing areas, including those who prefer to sit. Our own surveys
regularly show nine out of ten back the choice. This is supported by polls
from the BBC, Daily Star Sunday, The Guardian and Talksport (see #2 of the
FSF's Safe Standing Facts page).

It would remove the current conflict between stewards and people who don't
want to sit down. It would improve customer care. Too many fans who prefer
to sit have their views blocked by those who would rather stand. Safe
standing areas could end that as those who prefer to stand have that option.

Contrary to the Premier League's assertions the FSF believes that safe
standing areas also promote, rather than reduce, social inclusion. Increased
capacity means ticket prices can be reduced without sacrificing income. The
FSF's 2012 Annual Survey indicated that one in three women preferred to
stand while another third said they might, dependent upon the game.

The removal of the current law would not force any fan to stand as seated
areas would still exist. Neither would it require any club to have safe
standing areas against their will. But it would put the decision back where
it should be – with the clubs and their supporters.

The FSF believes that it should be up to individual clubs to consult their
own supporter base and gauge the appetite for safe standing areas. The
Government acknowledges standing is not inherently unsafe – so why not
remove the red tape that stops clubs implementing it safely in the top two
tiers?

Clubs have spent years trying to 'manage' fans standing in seated areas with
new stewarding policies or euphemistically titled 'singing sections'. It's
an understandable approach but it's a sticking plaster rather than a
solution. Every week thousands of fans will continue to stand in stadiums
that are supposedly all-seater.

Match-going fans and professionals at clubs know better than anyone that
this is a problem and the FSF firmly believes that safe standing is the
solution.

* Agree? Then support the FSF's Safe Standing Campaign here...

The FSF is the national supporters' organisation for all football fans from
England and Wales comprising more than 200,000 individual fans and members
of local supporters' organisations from every club in the professional
structure and beyond.

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Sir Alex Ferguson calls West Ham boss Sam Allardyce 'underrated'
Last Updated: November 27, 2012 10:36am
SSN

Sir Alex Ferguson says Sam Allardyce is 'underrated' ahead of Manchester
United's visit of West Ham on Wednesday night. Allardyce's men have enjoyed
a confident start to life in the top flight, currently sitting eighth in the
table after picking up 19 points from 13 matches. And Ferguson expressed his
delight that the former Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers boss has
managed to prove the doubters wrong. "Big Sam went to Upton Park a year and
a bit ago and the cynics said he's not a West Ham manager as he doesn't play
football," Ferguson told the club's official website. "He's very underrated,
it's as simple as that. There's a sort of impression about him being a
certain type of manager. It's not really fair and I'm pleased he's back in
the Premier League." "He's also had to rebuild the team and get two or
three players out because of their salaries. "He's very underrated, it's as
simple as that. There's a sort of impression about him being a certain type
of manager. It's not really fair and I'm pleased he's back in the Premier
League. "The Blackburn situation was one of the craziest things I've ever
seen but I think Sam was more disappointed with what happened at Newcastle.
He was unlucky that a new owner came in and wanted a certain type. "He
didn't get a chance in his first really big job with the expectation and fan
base up there - he didn't get a chance to do the job right."

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James Tomkins says West Ham must be confident against Manchester United
Last Updated: November 27, 2012 5:19pm
SSN

James Tomkins insists West Ham must bounce back from their weekend defeat
with a more confident display when they tackle Manchester United. The
Hammers travel to Old Trafford on Wednesday still smarting from their 3-1
defeat at the hands of London rivals Tottenham at the weekend. However, a
solid start to their Premier League campaign has seen the East End outfit
climb to an impressive eighth position under manager Sam Allardyce. And the
23-year-old centre-half believes the club must put the loss against Spurs
quickly behind them with games against United and then Chelsea and Liverpool
at home to come.
"We didn't play to our best against Spurs, but we need to put it behind us
quite quickly because we have another hard game against United and they come
thick and fast and tougher as well," said Tomkins. "But we have to go to Old
Trafford full of confidence because we have got the points on the board and
we can only get better after the Tottenham game. "They have got a lot of
pace with their wingers, but we can still go there with a lot of confidence.
"We will sit down with the gaffer and see what he says about how to deal
with them. "Against Manchester City at times, we were sitting back and
letting them play in front of us and that day we were hard to break down. It
might be a case of doing that again at times in the game, but we will just
have to see."

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Sam Allardyce has zero tolerance for racist or anti-semitic chants
Last Updated: November 27, 2012 10:50pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has said any fans caught making racist or
anti-Semitic chants should be banned for life. Allardyce was reluctant to
condemn supporters after Sunday's game at Tottenham as he had not heard the
chants himself but, having seen the footage, he has backed his club's zero
tolerance stance. "I did not agree or disagree with what went on on Sunday,
let me make that clear," he told Sky Sports News. "I was doing a press
conference after the game and I had no idea what had happened at the time
because I had not heard or seen it as I was concentrating on the game.
"Since the game, it is obviously very disappointing to hear what has been
said and done by a very small minority of fans. "The good thing is with
security cameras and CCTV cameras, it's difficult for them to get away with
it. Hopefully we can pick out those people and punish them in the right way.

"Nobody can condone that sort of behaviour and there is zero tolerance of it
at this club. The club, Tottenham and the authorities will deal with it
accordingly."
Police arrested two fans during the match for making Nazi-style salutes,
which officers described as a 'racially aggravated public order offence'.
One of those individuals has been identified by West Ham as a season
ticket-holder and has been banned by the club. "Any other individuals
identified can expect a similar swift and robust response," a West Ham
spokesman added.

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Manchester United's Wayne Rooney wary of threat posed by West Ham's Andy
Carroll
Last Updated: November 27, 2012 3:36pm
SSN

Wayne Rooney has urged Manchester United to pay special attention to Andy
Carroll on Wednesday night. Having working alongside the 23-year-old during
Euro 2012, Rooney knows Carroll could provide a defensive headache to his
United team-mates at Old Trafford. "Andy Carroll is a handful," said Rooney.
"I am sure if you ask any defender, they find it difficult to play against
someone like that who is good in the air and on the floor. "He is physical
and makes it hard for opponents. That type of player doesn't always get all
the goals but they can cause trouble up front and create problems." United
are top of the Premier League despite managing just a single clean sheet and
Rooney acknowledges that is a situation that will have to change. "Clean
sheets are the foundation we try and achieve because we have plenty of
players who can score goals and win games," he added. "As a team we are
playing some good stuff at times but we are having to grind out results as
well. Losing three games already is something we need to put right. "We have
been lucky that we haven't drawn any matches and we need to kick on from
here and go on a good run. "We know City and Chelsea will be looking out for
our results as we look out for theirs. "It is tough period and I am sure the
manager will use his squad. We just have to make sure we come through for
him."

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We Must All Put Our Own Houses in Order, Including Spurs!
By S J Chandos 1
West Ham Till I Die

About three year ago I posted, on this site, my disquiet at a particular
spectacle that I witnessed after a home match. I was walking along the
Barking Road and a adult male (presumably the father) was teaching a child
(presumably his son of about 8 years of age) an appalling song about Spurs,
Jewish people and gas chambers. One can only wonder at the mentality some
people and their irresponsibility in passing on such offensive views to a
child. It's not clever, it's not banter, it's deeply wrong. But that
incident is illustrative of a constant undertone amongst sections of the
Hammers support. Namely, the use of anti-semitic language and abuse towards
Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club, probably the club's greatest local rivals
in football terms (Millwall is just an historical grudge and the clubs
rarely compete against each other).

It's been there as long as I can remember and there have always a sections
of our support that use that vile discriminatory language and draw upon the
holocaust (or Shoa as Jewish people call it) and Nazism to score points over
their opponents. No doubt a tiny section of the club's support have a
conscious and ideological commitment to far-right ideas, but the others are
arguably just ill-educated about historical events and the offence that it
causes. For the latter group, Spurs identify as a Jewish club and reference
to Nazism and gas chambers is the ultimate insult and provocation. The logic
being, Spurs = Jews, Nazism/holocaust = negation of Jews and therefore
Nazism/holocaust = negation of Spurs. It is noticeable that regardless of
the huge progress made, in recent years, in supporter attitudes on race
issues, anti-semitism has been left behind in the process. So, whereas a fan
might never dream of racially abusing a black footballer, to express
anti-semitism is somehow considered acceptable. Travellers and gypsies are
very much in a similiar position, how many times do contributors on football
websites of all affiliations refer to opposiion support as 'pikeys' and
'trailer trash' ?

On the other controversy arising from Sunday's match, I think that the
'Lazio' and 'stabbing' chants probably need to be separated from the
Nazi/holocaust ones. They are offensive and in deeply bad taste, but then so
is much else that is chanted in football grounds. For instance, mocking West
Ham fans about the pre-mature death of Bobby Moore or Man Utd fans about the
Munich air disaster. I am not sure how you tackle that and whether you can
address that in the same way as racism/homophobia/anti-semiticism, etc. We
shall see how the club/authorities react to it?

Let me state clearly that this issue of anti-semitic statements towards
Spurs should have been sorted out years ago. It was not and now in this very
politically sensitive climate, it has come back to bite the club. In such a
climate there will be people and institutions eager to condemn the incident,
hence the rapid respones of Kick it Out, The Society of Black Lawyers and
the UK Jewish Board of Deputies. It is both understandable and right that
these organisations should express their opposition. But the most insidious
response has been from the UK press. They have a perfect right to raise the
issue, as an issue of public concern, but they are also obliged to report it
accurately. I am concerned that Journalists of various papers, including one
or two of the 'quality' papers, have gone out of their way to state that the
offensive and anti-semitic chanting was from more than a minority of West
Ham fans. It quite clearly was not and we can only question their motives in
portraying it in this way.

West Ham have started the process of responding to the incident, issuing a
statement of intent and this morning banning a season ticket holder for his
behaviour at White Hart Lane. The club are to be praised for not
capitulating to the atmosphere of total condemination created by the press
and by defending the innocent majority of Hammers fans and stating that they
will give full co-operation in any investigation, taking any necessary
action against proven perpetrators amongst the away support at WHL. That is
the right and measured position to take. Otherwise, the rest of the Hammers
support will be condemned 'by association' and that is equally wrong and
manifestly unfair.

West Ham must co-operate with the FA and Metropolitan Police to identify and
deal with the fans responsible. And lets be clear here, the emphasis must be
upon the behaviour of the gulity individuals, not West Ham Utd FC per say.
Having done that, any residual anti-semitic views must addressed within the
club's support. And it must be made clear that anti-semitic and pro-Nazi
chants/comments will not be tolerated at this football club. Moreover, the
use of these chants/comments towards Spurs must be eradicated and the keen
rivalry with the north London club expressed in an acceptable way. At the
same time, Kick it Out and the FA should actively campaign to tackle and
defeat anti-semitism and other forms of discriminatory views/actions in
football, whether that be offensive references to 'pikeys' or other minority
groups such as gay men. Because lets not fool ourselves that West Ham are
the only set of supporters where elements still use discriminatory language
and concepts against opposing supporters. Of course not, so address the much
wider and more serious issues, not just those at one particular football
club. We will soon see via the official FA response whether they just want a
scapegoat club or they are going to address these issues in a more
meaningful way.

And of course, it is possible that the rise of crowd problems in football
could very well be linked to the wider economic climate.Some people are
nervously stating that they are noticing an increase in trouble at football
grounds and they fear a return to the bad old days of the 1970s and 1980s.
Football is not isolated from wider developments in society, rather it
provides a unique 'space' in which these wider issues are often expressed.
We all remember Margaret Thatcher's question, in the 1980s, to the FA's Ted
Croker about what he was doing about his hooligans and his retort that,
'they are not our hooligans, Prime Minster, they are yours!' One does wonder
if all the desperation, worry and hardship associated with this economic
down turn, and the deepening crisis caused by the Coalition's austerity
policies, are being channelled in to football, much as the socio-economic
problems of the late 1970s and 1980s were? Could this feed a growth of
violence and hatred and intolerance to certain groups in the game?

The general response of Spurs fans sites has been to react with extreme
indigation and engage in an orgy of offensive generalisations about all West
Ham supporters. For instance, one Spurs site entitled its match report 'The
Trailer Trash Analysis' and included a number of pointed, offensive
references in the peice. Others are calling for he club to be docked points
and made to play behind closed doors as a punishment! This does nothing but
reveal their partisan and axe grinding agendas towards West Ham. Two wrongs
do not make a right and those sites have lost the moral high ground by
responding in such a way. Similiarly, it should be noted that Spurs sites
frequently make references to 'pikeys' and such like. Finally, the Spurs
support are certanly no angels and they are known to provoke opposition
supporters with their own chants, particularly Man Utd and Arsenal. So they
need to accept their own responsibility and obligation to take action to
improve the situation.

The truth is that football fans, regardless of club affiliation, are not
that very different and they often share a great deal in common. I live in
West Ham and I worked in Wood Green for a number of years and I met many
friendly, informed and open minded Spurs supporters; as well the nasty
peices of work. At the same time I know that West Ham have elements that I
would prefer was not affiliated to the club. The supporters of both clubs
are not an homogeneous bloc, they are made up of a range of people of
different backgrounds, preferences and views, each of the two sets of fans
only being united by their geographically based support for a football team.

In my view, Spurs must also now act upon the recommendation of Peter Herbert
and the Black Sociey of Lawyers and ensure that they drop the 'Yid Army'
identity that sections of their fan base have adopted. It entails the use of
offensive language and effectively means that they are complicit in any
anti-semitism. It is not a case of taking a discriminatory word, subverting
it and reclaiming ownership, as is often claimed, because the majority of
Spurs fans who use it are not Jewish. Indeed, the alleged Jewish identity of
Spurs is largely a powerful urban myth that serves to explain why Spurs fans
have adopted this identity. Like everyone else, they must also put their own
house in order and drop this false and diversive identity once and for all.

This was not intended as an inflammatory and partisan contribution to the
debate on Sunday's events.There is more than enough of that flying around at
present. I am sure a lot of West Ham fans will not like it and neither would
the Spurs supporters (if they had access to it). But sometimes, people need
to be told things that they do not like and this is one of those instances.
Accept it, critique it or reject it, but do it with reasoned argument, not
indignation and partisanship. Because it is reasoned argument that we need
now, at this juncture and this situation, more than anything.

At the same time, we will just have to keep a watching brief on the actions
of the club, the FA and the Police and see what transpires? One can only
hope that the club are not made a scapegoat for the actions of a minority of
its travelling support. And that any action is proportionate, targeted at
the actual transgressors and is accompanied by a wider campaign to refocus
on and address anti-semiticism and discriminatory issues in the game.

SJ. Chandos.

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Help us shop the morons
The Sun
By STEVE PAGE
Last Updated: 28th November 2012

SAM ALLARDYCE wants West Ham fans to report any supporters they witnessed
hurling racist chants at Tottenham. The Hammers boss says he did not hear
the abuse during Sunday's 3-1 defeat at White Hart Lane. But he has called
on the club's real fans to do their bit to stop it. Allardyce said: "I don't
want any type of chanting of that nature to be allowed or accepted in the
game of football today. "The best thing we can do is find this small
minority. "The West Ham fans are absolutely fantastic in terms of the
support and the amount of support that they give us. And then you've got
this small minority that are creating this sort of ill-feeling towards the
vast majority of West Ham fans. "I think that fans who are next to these
people should deal with them first and foremost if possible. We can't
condone it. Fortunately we've got CCTV in football today that can pick out
these individuals. "I don't know why they're doing it or why they're trying
to create this kind of thing because it's only destructive towards this
beautiful game we've got." One Hammers season-ticket holder has already
received a lifetime ban from the club and Allardyce wants more to follow.
Jewish midfielder Yossi Benayoun, on a season-long loan from Chelsea, said
he was "disappointed" by the chanting and labelled the actions of the guilty
fans "embarrassing".
But Allardyce does not believe that Benayoun or Muslim transfer target
Nicolas Anelka would be put off joining the club permanently. Big Sam
insisted: "In my experience, all over Europe, we're better than everybody
else in terms of the way we try to move forward in racism situations. "I
haven't spoken to Yossi. He's being treated by Chelsea in their medical
area. When we get the opportunity to see him I will talk to him." Meanwhile
Allardyce is looking forward to sharing a glass of red wine with Manchester
United boss Alex Ferguson after tonight's game at Old Trafford. Allardyce
said: "I'd expect because of his knowledge of wine it will be a good bottle.
"How it will taste depends on the result."

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Beware Carroll
The Sun
Published: 27th November 2012

WAYNE ROONEY has warned his Manchester United team-mates: Beware Andy
Carroll. Burly striker Carroll is expected to line up for West Ham as the
East Londoners head to Old Trafford for tomorrow night's league clash.
Rooney knows the pony-tailed powerhouse well from England duty and says his
defensive colleagues must be mindful of the £35million man's capabilities.
The United ace said: "Andy Carroll is a handful. "I am sure if you ask any
defender, they find it difficult to play against someone like that who is
good in the air and on the floor. "He is physical and makes it hard for
opponents. "That type of player doesn't always get all the goals but they
can cause trouble up front and create problems. "I am sure that is what Sam
Allardyce wants him to do." Carroll is an obvious threat given United's
Achilles heel of conceding the first goal. It has happened on an incredible
13 occasions this season, including in their last five games.
United have somehow managed to clamber to the top of the table despite
managing just a single clean sheet, against Wigan at Old Trafford in
September.
It is a record Rooney accepts must be rectified if United are going to
maintain their present status. He explained: "Clean sheets are the
foundation we try and achieve because we have plenty of players who can
score goals and win games. "As a team we are playing some good stuff at
times but we are having to grind out results as well. "Losing three games
already is something we need to put right. "We have been lucky that we
haven't drawn any matches and we need to kick on from here and go on a good
run."

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Big Sam eyes big upset
Published: 27th November 2012
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE reckons West Ham can stun Manchester United at Old Trafford
tomorrow night. The Hammers boss believes his side can make the most of
United's uncharacteristically leaky back-line. And with West Ham boasting
one of the best defensive records in the Premier League, he is confident of
keeping their strikers at bay too. Allardyce said: "Manchester United have
leaked a few more goals than normal. "Their defensive qualities haven't been
as good as they have been over the past few years. "The problem is, at the
other end they never stop scoring goals. "But if we can get our defensive
unit on song and if we play as a team in and out of possession then you
never know what will happen."

HAMMERS manager hopes lack of pressure on his players can deliver three
points at Old Trafford Allardyce's men climbed to joint sixth in the table
after making a surprisingly good start to the season. But against Tottenham
on Sunday they lacked pace, ideas and concentration, who ripped them apart
with ease.
However, he is confident they can bounce back, adding: "There is no real
pressure on the lads. "It's a match they will enjoy. It's a game they will
have reamed about since they were kids. "If we give a good account of
ourselves then hopefully it will be good enough to get us something from the
game."
Another disappointing factor of Sunday's defeat was that Mark Noble picked
up his fifth booking of the season and is suspended tomorrow. Allardyce also
has doubts over left-back George McCartney, who suffered an ankle injury
against Tottenham. Yossi Benayoun's persistent thigh problem means he will
once again be missing tomorrow.

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