Daily WHUFC News - 7th December 2012

Turgott targeting Arsenal appearance
WHUFC.com
Blair Turgott is aiming for a starting place when Bradford City entertain
Arsenal in the League Cup
06.12.2012

Back in September, Blair Turgott scored in West Ham United's 4-1 Barclays
U21 Premier League victory over Arsenal. On Tuesday, the 18-year-old is
hoping to take aim at the Gunners first team when Bradford City host Arsene
Wenger's side in the Capital One Cup quarter-finals. Turgott, who made his
Bantams debut in a 1-1 FA Cup second-round draw against Brentford last
weekend, is desperate to be involved when Arsenal visit Valley Parade next
Tuesday evening.
"I am able to play against Arsenal under the terms of my loan and of course
I'd love to be involved," the Bradford No26 confirmed. "We have had a couple
of games this week and I just hope that I will have played well enough to
get the nod from the manager."

The England Under-19 international winger won praise from Bradford
supporters for his fine display on his debut, when his dribbling and
crossing helped the npower League Two promotion-chasers gain a creditable
draw with League One high-fliers Brentford. "It was good," he confirmed. "It
was something different and a great game to play in. Personally, I thought I
worked myself into the game and felt more and more comfortable as it went
on. I felt I did well considering it was my first game. "When I got the ball
I did my best to be positive with it and went at their players and our team
did their best to get me the ball. I showed glimpses of what I can do."

Turgott has been made to feel welcome by Bradford manager Phil Parkinson and
his new team-mates - including former Hammers Zavon Hines and Kyel Reid.
"The gaffer has made me feel welcome and has been talking to me quite a lot
about how he thought I did on my debut. "I know Kyel and Zav from their time
at West Ham. Zav came around when I first arrived in Bradford and he has
made me feel welcome. He's been brilliant showing me around. "All of the
boys have welcomed me, to be fair. You can tell that the team has been
winning matches because everyone is buzzing."

While Turgott's focus is on Bradford, he will be taking a close interest in
Saturday's game at the Boleyn Ground. Not only could a number of his
Development Squad team-mates be involved in the Hammers' matchday squad, but
he is also close friends with Livepool winger Raheem Sterling. Turgott and
Sterling have long been England team-mates, playing alongside him at the
2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico. "I get on well with Raheem and we're
really good friends. He has played a big part for Liverpool this season so
far. I am surprised he has progressed to their first team so fast, but their
manager has put faith in him and he has not looked out of place. "He was
feeling his way in at the start of the season but now he is playing his
usual game. You can see that the other players respect him because they are
always trying to get him the ball."

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Brady statement given thumbs-up
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th December 2012
By: Staff Writer

Supporters have welcomed a statement by vice-chair Karren Brady confirming
that the consultation process with fans will step up a gear now that the
club have been formally named as 'preferred bidders' for the Olympic
Stadium.

London mayor Boris Johnson formerly announced yesterday lunchtime that West
Ham United had been unanimously voted highest-ranked bidder by the London
Legacy Development Corporation for tenancy of the stadium.

Naturally, the news was welcomed by the board of West Ham United who have
worked diligently over the past two years to win the right to move the club
two miles across the borough of Newham to Startford.

Yet despite the club's delight, it has long been a bone of contention with a
great number of supporters that the owners have failed to fully engage the
fan base with view to the move.

Although a Supporters' Advisory Board was created and consulted at various
stages, at no point have all season ticket holders been asked for their view
- something that has angered many fans.

However that is all set to change according to Brady, who revealed after
Johnson's announcement that "a more intensive consultation process will
commence immediately".

Addressing the club's fanbase, Brady wrote: "We have been given assurances
that our full vision for a world-class stadium will be realised and we
cannot wait for you to be able to see this for yourselves.

"We, like you, have been frustrated by the constraints upon us in terms of
our ability to share our plans and can assure you that we will now share
full details as soon as we are able to.

"As part of this we stand by our commitment to conduct full supporter
consultation regarding the move, including the polling of supporters. You
can be confident that wherever there is an opportunity for West Ham to input
in the decisions going forward, our supporters will be at the forefront.

"We have already taken the first step towards this by calling an emergency
meeting of our Supporter Advisory Board on Tuesday 11th December to advise
on the best methods to consult the wider support base going forward.

"Our absolute priority is to take you on this fantastic journey with us, to
consult with you and ensure you are a part of it every step of the way. We
have high ambitions for West Ham United and will seek your full input to
ensure this iconic world-class stadium becomes a true home for our club, our
proud heritage and you, our deserving and loyal fans."

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Guy calls it a day
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th December 2012
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United full back Guy Demel has announced his retirement from
international football so that he may concentrate on his club career. The
31-year-old Ivory Coast defender was lined up to travel with his national
squad to the African Cup of Nations, which are being held in South Africa in
January and February of next year. However Demel, a French citizen who only
gained an Ivorian passport in 2004 is understood to have announced his
retirement from the international scene - although the reasons for this are
unknown at present. After signing for West Ham from SV Hamburg in 2011,
injury prevented the defender from playing a full 90 minutes for West Ham
until the play-off Final against Blackpool last May - some nine months after
joining the club.

However having shaken off that injury Demel has been a virtual ever-present
in the first team since and has already made more appearances for West Ham
in 2012/13 than he did in the entire 2011/12 campaign. The former Hamburg
player signed a two-year contract when joining West Ham, which is set to
expire next summer. However the club have an option to sign a Demel for a
further 12 months.

* Guy Demel - KUMB profile and match notes

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West Ham defender Guy Demel retires from international football with Ivory
Coast
By Pete O'Rourke - Follow me: @skysportspeteo. Last Updated:
December 6, 2012 2:22pm
SSN

West Ham defender Guy Demel has announced his international retirement with
the Ivory Coast, Sky Sports understands. Demel has decided to quit the
international scene so that he can concentrate on his club career with the
Hammers. The former Arsenal man has made 35 appearances for Ivory Coast
since making his debut in 2004. Demel was a part of the Ivory Coast squad
that reached the 2006 and 2010 World Cup finals and he also helped them
qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. News of Demel's decision to quit
international football will come as a boost to West Ham boss Sam Allardyce
as it means the defender will not travel for the Africa Cup of Nations in
January.

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Karren Brady looks forward to new opportunities for West Ham following
Olympic Stadium decision
Last Updated: December 6, 2012 10:04am
SSN

West Ham's vice-chairman Karren Brady has voiced her excitement over what a
potential move to the Olympic Stadium will mean for the club after they were
declared the preferred bidder. Mayor of London Boris Johnson revealed the
news on Wednesday following a meeting of the LDDC as the Hammers took a huge
step towards becoming the first tenants of the East London venue.
Contractual matters still need to be resolved before the deal is confirmed,
but Brady is already looking forward to the proposed relocation and the
opportunities it could open up. She said in The Sun: "If I had to sum up how
I feel, it would be excited. Excited at the prospects for the club, our
supporters and East London. "I'm looking forward to working with our local
partners to target groups in need of employment. I am excited at the
prospect of growing our business. "If I had to sum up how I feel, it would
be excited. Excited at the prospects for the club, our supporters and East
London."

Brady added: "I have talked a lot about our plans and meant every one of the
promises I made on behalf of West Ham. What excites me the most is that I
finally believe that the time has come to start putting those plans into
action and delivering on those promises. And that is what it has always been
about for me."

Negotiations

West Ham have been targeting the stadium for the past three years but Brady
expects the hard work to really start once final negotiations have been
completed. She added: "Of course, we have only been named highest-ranked
bidder and we still have to see the ball over the line in the final
negotiations.
"Then the hard work can really start to create a stunning new home.
"Yesterday was a fantastic day for West Ham United, but I think there are
even better times ahead."

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West Ham to Bid for Butland in the January Window?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

There have been recent reports that West Ham are considering putting in a
£5m bid to Birmingham City for their England U-21 keeper, Jack Butland. You
will also recall that Butland starred for the British Olympic team in the
summer Olympics.

With a question mark over Henderson's future at the club, allied to the fact
that the current first team custodian is 37 year old Jussi Jääskeläinen,
then it is very possible that adding a new keeper to the squad could be one
of Sam Allardyce's January priorities. If so, he could do lot worse than bid
for Butland, who has considerable maturity for his tender years. Many
consider Butland to be a future full England international keeper and the
main challenger to Hart's status as No. 1 choice. Arguably adding Butland to
the veteran former Finnish international and promising Raphael Speigel
should strengthen the club's goal keeping stable.

There are also reports that West Ham are interested in Hannover 96's
Norweign striker, Mohammed Abdellaoue. Adellaoue is apparently in the final
year of his current contract and Hannover could very well opt to cash in on
the player. However, competition for his signature could be very tough, with
the likes of Arsenal FC, Roma and Lazio reportedly interested. If there is
any truth in the reports, rather than just his agent using West Ham to stoke
up interest in Adellaoue, he could be a decent acquisition if the club can
swing a deal for a reasonable fee? Since joining Hannover 96, in August
2010, the 27 year old forward has scored 25 goals in 63 appearances.

In the aftermath of Senegal's banning from this winter's African Cup of
Nations competition, thereby ensuring the retention of Mo Diame's services,
it has now been confirmed that Guy Demel has annouced his retirement from
international football, with the Ivory Coast. This of course means that
Demel will, similiarly, stay with the club this winter. So, the only
potential absentee, in the current squad, is Maiga. That should effectively
minimise the adverse impact of the competition on West Ham in
January-February.

Finally, it seems that Leyton Orient would wecome the opportunity to ground
share the OS with West Ham! So, West Ham moving to within a mile or two of
Brisbane Road places the future of the smaller club in danger, but ground
sharing does not? There appears to be a curious rationale at play there?
Will Leyton launch another legal challenge to the current procurement
process? Not if the LLDC have done their job and overseen a water tight
process, that stands up to scrutiny and legal challenge.

SJ. Chandos.

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I'm so excited at what this means for West Ham
By KARREN BRADY
Published: 06th December 2012
The Sun

YESTERDAY'S unanimous decision to name West Ham United as the higher-ranking
bidder to be given the opportunity of moving to the Olympic Stadium
represents a giant step forward for the club. A move back to our home in
West Ham will play a huge part in helping us to realise our ambitious vision
to take the club to the next level. The decision guarantees a true and
lasting legacy for East London and is the best outcome for the taxpayer. The
London Legacy Development Corporation and its Chair, Boris Johnson, should
be applauded for realising that by selecting West Ham, London is well on the
way to being able to showcase yet another major destination and visitor
attraction in the Olympic Park that will further strengthen the capital's
place on the global map. Yes, there is still work to be done but the
commitment is there to make the stadium work. Now we can work openly with
the LLDC to make sure we find a solution that works for everyone. I feel
privileged on behalf of my supporters, 500,000 of whom are from East London
and Essex, to be in a position to help really deliver a true and lasting
Games legacy for London. If I had to sum up how I feel, it would be excited.
Excited at the prospects for the club, our supporters and East London. I'm
looking forward to working with our local partners to target groups in need
of employment. I am excited at the prospect of growing our business.
I am excited at the chance to work with our supporters to make this a
stadium that befits their proud history and that they can call home. The
opportunity for our club to really compete at the highest level and grow to
fit its fanbase is immense. I am excited that up to 100,000 members of the
community who wouldn't otherwise be able to access elite sport will be
inspired by watching the best league in the world free of charge. And that
local families who might not have been able to attend matches because they
simply can't afford it, will be able to come and watch Premier League
football. I will relish looking at how best to expand the services delivered
by our community department who already serve over 1.5million users in the
local area — a number that is set to grow and grow. I am excited to have the
task of filling what is arguably the world's most iconic stadium and to
ensure it becomes the 'jewel in the crown' of the Olympic Park.
I have talked a lot about our plans and meant every one of the promises I
made on behalf of West Ham. What excites me the most is that I finally
believe that the time has come to start putting those plans into action and
delivering on those promises. And that is what it has always been about for
me.

To the people of East London, I say we will ensure that the buzz you
witnessed in your area over the summer becomes a long-term fixture that will
keep the eyes of the globe on East London for generations to come. We pledge
to create over 700 new jobs and will bring over one million people a year
with us to the Park. The global exposure of having Premier League football
in the most iconic building in East London will ensure big businesses will
stick around long after the memories of superhuman athletic feats have
faded. The move will provide us with the opportunity to work with tens of
thousands more deserving youngsters in some of the poorest areas of the
country. That, for me, is a real legacy. To our supporters, I can say
exciting times for our club lie ahead. I know for some the wait has been
frustrating, but we look forward to now being able to share our vision.
We're sure that when they see our vision for the stadium, they'll be just as
excited as I am. I would like to thank the LLDC, and in particular its
chairman Boris Johnson, who deserves immense credit for the vision he has
shown in making this decision that secures a genuine, lasting legacy for
East London. I would also like to pay tribute to our two chairmen, David
Gold and David Sullivan, whose passion and steadfast belief have shone the
way since we first stated our hopes of moving to Stratford three years ago.
Finally, I would like to thank my staff at West Ham United, who have worked
so hard and diligently to help us reach this milestone. Of course, we have
only been named highest-ranked bidder and we still have to see the ball over
the line in the final negotiations. Then the hard work can really start to
create a stunning new home. Yesterday was a fantastic day for West Ham
United, but I think there are even better times ahead.

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