Daily WHUFC News - 15th May 2012

General Sale update
WHUFC.com
500 tickets will go on General Sale tomorrow morning after being returned by
Blackpool
14.05.2012

West Ham United can confirm that a total of 500 tickets will go on General
Sale at 9am on Tuesday morning after they were returned by Blackpool. The
General Sale, which will be covered by the strict criteria listed below,
means Season Ticket holders and Academy Members have until that time to
secure their seat for Saturday's Play-Off final. New Season Ticket holders
signing up for 2012/13, along with existing Season Ticket holders, receive
priority to purchase a ticket for the Play-Off final at Wembley. For full
details on this strictly limited offer click here or to buy call 0871 222
2700 via option 3, 9am - 5pm Saturday and Monday. All tickets on sale by
West Ham United are in the West Ham section of Wembley after the segregation
area was moved to allow the additional Hammers into the
stadium. Tickets are not available from West Ham United and are only
available from See Tickets directly through the following options:

Online - www.seetickets.com/westham
Telephone - 0844 995 9664 (call cost 6p per minute plus network extras).

If you are a Season Ticket holder and have yet to purchase your ticket
please to ensure you don't miss out and purchase NOW.

To enable as many West Ham United supporters to have an opportunity to
purchase tickets we have applied the following criteria for General Sale:
1. Tickets will only be available to supporters who have previous general
admission home ticket purchase history, during the 2011/12 season, under
their own unique client reference number.

2. Supporters who qualify will be able to purchase a maximum of one ticket
per person.

3. If general admission home game tickets throughout the season have not
been purchased under your own client reference number and hence we would
have no way of tracking your purchase history - we regret you will not
qualify (purchase history applies to general admission only).

4. There are no exceptions to this criteria so please do not call to buy
tickets if you do not meet it we will not be able to process any bookings to
supporters who do not qualify.

5. Any Season Ticket holder or Academy Member who has already purchased
their ticket by 9am on Tuesday cannot purchase any additional tickets.
However should you not have purchased your own ticket we recommend you do so
now during your allocated priority period as although you will remain
eligible to purchase after 9am Tuesday you will be joining the queue along
with your fellow supporters who meet the general sale criteria.

With the high volume of phone calls the Club and See Tickets are receiving
we request that supporters do not call if you do not meet the above criteria
as tickets are only available from See
Tickets directly via the following options:

Online - www.seetickets.com/westham
Telephone - 0844 995 9664 (call cost 6p per minute plus network extras).
If you wish to book seats together then the person who makes the booking
either online or via telephone MUST have all relevant client reference
numbers and names to hand (we cannot accept just names, postcodes, email
address, we must have the CLIENT REFERENCE NUMBER AND NAME OF EACH
INDIVIDUAL). We are NOT able to take bookings if you do not have this
information, so please ensure you have this BEFORE you make your call or go
online. Group qualifying bookings are again only available through the above
telephone number and website and NOT through the WHUFC site or ticket
office.

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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is gearing up for the biggest week of West Ham United's season
14.05.2012

Sam Allardyce and the West Ham United squad will report into Chadwell Heath
on Monday morning ready to plot the course of a week that will hopefully see
the club return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. 90
minutes against Blackpool at Wembley in Saturday's npower Championship
Play-Off final is all that separates Big Sam and his side from achieving
their season-long ambition of Premier League football next season. Every
aspect of the opposition will be covered in meticulous detail in the
build-up to Saturday to ensure the Hammers are as well prepared as they
possibly can be to face Ian Holloway's side. "We've got to make it first and
we are not just going to be able to turn up and think we'll be able to beat
them," Big Sam said. "Irrespective of the fact we won both games quite
comfortably in the leage this year, we still have to earn the right to beat
them. "It's a huge prize, but all of our season and all of what we've tried
to do rides on the 90 minutes. It can't get any bigger and you hope it
doesn't affect the players' ability to play their best."

Blackpool booked their place in the final after a thrilling 2-2 draw with
Birmingham at St Andrews on Thursday night. The Lancashire outfit secured
their place in the Premier League two years ago through a Play-Off win and
Big Sam knows they have good pedigree in the big games. "Over the two legs
against Birmingham you'd have to say Blackpool deserved the victory. They
created more and took command of both games. Birmingham only had the brief
lifeline when they got the second and then had some moments when they put a
lot of pressure on to Blackpool. But now it's another Play-Off final for Ian
Holloway. "Most of their team are experienced as they won the Play-Off two
seasons ago so they've experienced that and so has their manager. They've
been there in that arena before, which is an advantage."

West Ham were also impressive in their semi-final win against Cardiff City
when they scored five goals without response over the two legs. Because of
the nature of that win they have been branded as favourites by some
sections, a tag that Big Sam's players will have to live with. "We carried
the favourites burden well against Cardiff with two outstanding performances
where we scored five goals and conceded none. We never looked at any stage
that we were under threat so we lived with it well. On the bigger stage
let's live with the pressure again and hope we come out as winners. That's
what you need and what you play football for. "It's about managing euphoria
that comes with playing in that big arena. We need to be a calming influence
to bring the players down to make sure they're focused and deliver a
controlled performance that enables them to go out and deliver their
skills."

West Ham's ticket allocation is likely to all be snapped up by the middle of
the week and Big Sam will be a proud man as he leads his team out to what
will surely be a deafening noise at the Home of Football. "We have a
passionate crowd that have been brought up as youngsters to be passionate
about the football club. All the fans of old took their sons and daughters
to games as soon as they were old enough to continue the support of a
fantastic football club, which is why so many people travel so far to come
and watch the team. "It's why I came here. I came for a different experience
of getting a club promotion."

One of the main tasks for the medical team will be to continue to assess and
aid Jack Collison as he continues his battle to be fit for the big game. The
early indicators were encouraging as his injury was not as bad as first
feared and Andy Rolls and his team will be doing everything they can to get
the Wales international ready for the match. whufc.com will have further
updates on Jack's condition during the week.

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New poll rejects OS move
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2012
By: Staff Writer

A poll of West Ham United supporters by campaign group WHU's View? has
resulted in overwhelming opposition to the club's plans to move to
Stratford.

The poll, conducted by the group at the April home matches against
Birmingham, Brighton and Hull saw 87 per cent vote aganst the club's plans
to move to the Olympic Stadium, with just 13 per cent voting in favour.

The group, who are campaigning for a poll of supporters prior to the club
committing to a move to Stratford said: "In order that supporters would have
an opportunity to show their views for or against the proposed move to the
Olympic Stadium, WHU's View? carried out our own poll.

"WHU's View? are aware of the concern of many West Ham supporters that the
club's recent comments in the media with regard to the level of support for
the proposed move, have been made without full consultation and as such may
misrepresent the views of the majority fans."

The figures are in stark contrast to figures suggested by David Gold on LBC
recently, when he claimed that the Board's plans were supporters by 70 per
cent of supporters.

The latest KUMB.com poll - conducted in February of this year - resulted in
60 per cent of supporters voting against the move to Stratford, with a
further 17 per cent stating they were 'unsure'.

Just 22 per cent backed the move on that occasion.

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OS decision delayed until July
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2012
By: Staff Writer

The London Legacy Development Corporation has confirmed it is extending the
bidding process for the Olympic Stadium by a further eight weeks. The
original decision to confirm the new tenents of the Startford-based stadium
was initially due on 21st May. However that date has now been delayed until
mid-July to "allow all parties who registered to receive the Invitation to
Tender (ITT) additional time to submit a bid." Andrew Altman, Chief
Executive of the LLDC, said: "We are determined to run a process that is
fair to all and delivers the best possible legacy for the Olympic Stadium.
We have been very encouraged by the quality of the bids so far. "However, a
number of issues have arisen during the process and we believe it is
sensible to give everyone more time so they can be addressed. "We want to
make the process as competitive as possible and extending the competition
period will allow all parties that registered an initial interest in the
Stadium another chance to bid. "The fundamentals have not changed and it
remains our intention to sign construction contracts for converting the
Stadium at the end of October, with the intention of re-opening in 2014 as
previously announced. "This is a significant public asset and a 99 year
lease, and it is right that we take the time now to get the best possible
outcome for the Stadium."

The LLDC superseded the Olympic Park Legacy Company, who initially awarded
use of the £500million stadium to West Ham in 2011, on 1st April this year.
It is thought that a number of new applicants may step forward now that the
decision ha s been delayed.

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500 tickets left
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 14th May 2012
By: Staff Writer

It has been confirmed that only 500 tickets will be going on General Sale to
West Ham supporters tomorrow morning for Saturday's play-off Final against
Blackpool.
Supporters unable to purchase tickets until now will be able to purchase
tickets when they reach General Sale in the morning - although none of West
Ham's original 38,000-plus allocation remains.
The few remaining tickets are said to have been returned by Blackpool, with
United's entire allocation being swallowed up by Bond holders, season ticket
holders, club members, staff and the corporate sector. "All tickets on sale
by West Ham United are in the West Ham section of Wembley after the
segregation area was moved to allow the additional Hammers into the
stadium," read a statement on whufc.com this afternoon. Supporters hoping to
be one of the lucky 500 need to have previous booking history with West Ham
and can obtain tickets from 9am tomorrow morning via
www.seetickets.com/westham or by calling (0844) 995 9664.

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Stadium decision delayed
LLDC keen to encourage further bids
Last Updated: May 14, 2012 3:58pm
SSN

West Ham United will have to wait another two months to discover if they
will become the new tenants of the Olympic Stadium. West Ham were one of
four confirmed bidders for the £500m venue and the London Legacy Development
Corporation (LLDC) said the decision has been delayed because it wants to
encourage further bids. It said some had been discouraged because of
governing body approvals, naming rights issues and technical issues. "We are
determined to run a process that is fair to all and delivers the best
possible legacy for the Olympic Stadium," chief executive Andrew Altman
said. "We have been very encouraged by the quality of the bids so far.
However, a number of issues have arisen during the process and we believe it
is sensible to give everyone more time so they can be addressed."

Track

Initial plans to sell the stadium to West Ham after the Games fell apart
last October with the government citing "legal paralysis" after a challenge
from Tottenham Hotspur whose initial bid was turned down. Whatever happens,
an athletics track will remain in place as the 2017 world championships will
be staged in the stadium that will now remain in public ownership.
"Extending the competition period will allow all parties that registered an
initial interest in the stadium another chance to bid," Altman added. "The
fundamentals have not changed and it remains our intention to sign
construction contracts for converting the stadium at the end of October,
with the intention of re-opening in 2014 as previously announced."

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Ravel Morrison Already on His Way?
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

I have no direct evidence for this beyond Twitter rumours, but it appears
Ravel Morrison may be released by West Ham. If true, that is a terrible
shame and a waste of a young talent. But also a great waste of £1 million.

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Brady Should Tell Boris to Stick His Olympic Stadium Bid Process Where the
Sun Don't Shine
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die

As readers know, I have always been moderately in favour of a move to the
Olympic Stadium. I am having to let my head rule my heart. That may be about
to change.

Today it was announced that instead of learnng whether our bid has been
successful next Monday, the whole bidding process is being reopened for a
second time, to allow other bidders to come forward. If I were Managing
Director of West Ham I am afraid I would tell the Olympic Authorities and
the Mayor of London to stick their bidding process where the sun don't
shine. And then I'd take them to judicial review and demand compensation for
the several millions it has cost the club so far. West Ham's patience cannot
be elastic. At some point they need to tell the Olympic Authorities: This
far and no further. That time has come. Either give us the Stadium under the
current terms or we withdraw and look elsewhere. Frankly, Boris Johnson has
presided over a shambles of a bidding process and needs to be told that the
game is up.

Rant over.

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Blackburn Rovers' Steve Kean at centre of internet storm
• Video emerges of Blackburn's manager last summer
• Kean appears to make remarks about Sam Allardyce
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 May 2012 01.33 BST

Blackburn's manager, Steve Kean, appears to have made disparaging remarks
towards his predecessor, Sam Allardyce. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action
Images
Steve Kean was at the centre of an internet storm after a video emerged
which appeared to show the Blackburn manager making disparaging remarks
about his predecessor Sam Allardyce.

The four-minute clip, which appeared on YouTube and on the website of a
Rovers fan group named BRFC Action Group, was apparently filmed during a
tour of the far east last summer.

As well as the remarks about Allardyce, the video also appears to show Kean
predicting Rovers will finish in the top half of the Premier League table
and win the Carling Cup. Rovers finished second-bottom and were relegated to
the Championship.

Attempts made by Press Association Sport to contact Rovers were
unsuccessful.

Kean and the Blackburn owners, Venky's, were this season the targets of
sustained protests from the Rovers fans unhappy at the running of the club.

Kean was appointed as manager as a replacement for Allardyce, who was sacked
in December 2010. Allardyce has since led West Ham to the final of the
Championship play-offs.

Rovers officials are expected to hold talks with Kean in the coming days,
but have so far shown no signs that their loyalty to their manager is
running out.

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Avram exits Partizan after just five months in charge despite delivering
title
By LAURA WILLIAMSON
PUBLISHED: 23:19, 14 May 2012 | UPDATED: 23:19, 14 May 2012
Daily Mail

Avram Grant has left Partizan Belgrade after less than five months in charge
of the Serbian club. The former Chelsea and West Ham manager led Partizan to
their fifth consecutive league title but lost three times against fierce
rivals Red Star Belgrade. Grant, 57, informed the club on Monday he wanted
to activate the release clause in his 18-month contract.

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London 2012: Olympic Stadium tenant announcement is delayed
Luke Jacobs
Monday, May 14, 2012
2:00 PM
London 24

Parties interested in taking control of the Olympic Stadium after the Games
have been given an extra eight weeks to submit their bids. Legacy bosses
have extended the process after issues arose surrounding naming rights,
stadium improvements and governing body approvals. A decision on a
successful tenant for the venue was expected on May 21. West Ham United,
Essex County Cricket Club and the University of East London were among 16
parties to register their interest in signing the 99-year lease on offer.
They will be able to re-submit their bids. Andrew Altman, chief executive of
the London Legacy Development Corporation, said: "We have been very
encouraged by the quality of the bids so far. "However, a number of issues
have arisen during the process and we believe it is sensible to give
everyone more time so they can be addressed. "We want to make the process as
competitive as possible and extending the competition period will allow all
parties that registered an initial interest in the stadium another chance to
bid. "The fundamentals have not changed and it remains our intention to sign
construction contracts for converting the Stadium at the end of October,
with the intention of re-opening in 2014 as previously announced."

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TRANSFER NEWS: Sam Baldock could join Ipswich Town on loan – if West Ham get
promoted
Eadt.co.uk
By Stuart Watson
Monday, May 14, 2012
10:39 AM

IPSWICH Town's hopes of signing striker Sam Baldock on a season-long loan
hinge on whether West Ham win Saturday's Championship play-off final.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce rates the 23-year-old highly, but will want him
to continue his development in the Championship if his team are promoted
back to the Premier League with victory over Blackpool at Wembley on
Saturday. And the EADT understands that Allardyce has already told close
friend Paul Jewell that he will have first option. The Blues boss revealed
at last November's supporters' club AGM that he was a big admirer of the
short, but powerful front man. It is understood that he was keen to sign him
from League One club MK Dons last summer, only for West Ham to snap him up
on a four-year deal – the transfer fee believed to be around £2.75million
with add-ons. Having scored 43 goals in 82 starts for the Dons, Baldock made
an instant impact at Championship level, scoring five goals in his first six
games for West Ham. The arrival of front men Ricardo Vaz Te and Nicky
Maynard in the January transfer window saw him slip down the pecking order
though and he finished the campaign with just 11 starts and 12 substitute
appearances to his name.

The Hammers have a plethora of strikers, with the likes of Carlton Cole,
John Carew, Frederic Piquionne and Freddie Sears also on the books. Town,
meanwhile, are short of options in that department. Michael Chopra
top-scored for the Blues with 14 goals last season, while Jason Scotland
looks set to sign a new deal. Tamas Priskin had his contract cancelled back
in January, while Nathan Ellington has been told he can "move on" by Jewell.
The Blues boss admitted recently that he would be interested in bringing
Connor Wickham back to Portman Road on loan, with the teenager having failed
to make an impact at Sunderland following his £8.1m switch. A sizeable loan
fee and wages could prove a stumbling block though, with Baldock a cheaper
option.

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West Ham chairman David Gold on his rise to fame and fortune
David Gold has been a West Ham fan since boyhood. Now he co-owns the club.
Telegraph.co.uk
West Ham chairman and co-owner David Gold Photo: ACTION IMAGES
By Natalie Graham 9:14AM BST 14 May 2012

David Gold, 75, is co-owner of West Ham United Football Club and chairman of
Gold Group International which owns Ann Summers and Knickerbox. His two
daughters work for Ann Summers: Jacqueline is chief executive officer and
Vanessa is its managing director. In 1993 Gold and his business partner
David Sullivan saved Birmingham City FC from near bankruptcy and relegation
to the Second Division. They appointed Karren Brady as managing director. In
2009 they sold Birmingham City and bought a 64pc stake in West Ham United,
bringing in Brady as vice-chairman. David Gold lives with his fiancée,
Lesley Manning, in Caterham, Surrey.

Did your childhood experience influence your attitude to money?

I was born in the East End of London in abject poverty, and I had
tuberculosis and dysentery as a young boy. I went to work at 14, and became
an apprentice bricklayer at 17. My earliest memories are of bitter cold,
hunger and sickness. There was only one coal fire downstairs and I often
went to bed in my clothes.
It was a pretty horrendous start to life. There was my brother and my sister
as well. I remember my mum tipping the contents of her purse on the table
after my father had just been sent to prison for five years. I was about 12.
She had only four shillings and sixpence, and she burst into tears. That had
a huge impact on my life. I would stand at a stall outside the house helping
my mother to sell buttons. She also worked as a skivvy in a café across the
road, which is still there to this day, in Green Street, London E13. From 12
to 17 I was fetching and carrying for other stallholders. I worked at the
greengrocer's and at the end of the day I would take a wooden orange box and
fill it with the rotten fruit and vegetables that they had thrown away. My
mum would make soup out of it.

Are you a spender or saver?

I am actually both. Because I am very, very fortunate, I save and I invest
but I also indulge myself. I like to eat at the best restaurants and stay at
the best hotels. The car I drive is a Jaguar XY. I have got through about 10
over 40 years. I have my Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Bentley Blue Train. I
also own a helicopter. I got my flying licence in 1972 and my instrument
rating in 1980, which is a professional pilot's licence.

What has been the driving force in your career?

It was the fear of returning to the poverty I experienced as a child. Also
the overwhelming desire to succeed, and the joy that repaying my mother gave
me.
When my mother was 30 she looked 60, but at 60 she looked 30. Once I began
to make money I could give her whatever she desired. This amazing woman had
lung cancer at 54 and the doctor thought she would die. Unbelievably, she
survived and lived to the age of 92.

What has been your most financially rewarding moment?

In 1972 I bought two shops in Tottenham Court Road in London that cost me in
the region of £100,000. They were temporary shops, built on a bomb site.
Altogether a dozen were put up. Then in 1980 I sold them for £3m to a
developer. Luck does play a part in our lives.
At first I was offered £2.5m, but I told the negotiator I wanted £3m. He
said there was no way the principal would pay £3m, and he didn't. He paid
£2,999,999. I learnt something from that day: pride plays a big part in
business and in our everyday lives.

To what extent was the takeover of West Ham a financially driven versus an
emotional decision?

It was certainly not financially driven. It was an emotional decision driven
by the fulfilment of a boyhood dream, because everything goes back to those
early years in the East End. Back then, with no money, there was one thing I
could do. I could bunk into West Ham Football Club at half-time for free,
and watch football across the road from my home. I became a fan and then 50
years later I returned as chairman.

Has the recession affected you?

Yes, but we are not complaining. We are still making money but the growth
has not been there. Ann Summers is a three-channel business, because it has
retail stores, an internet business and the party sales. Retail has been
flat, party plan has been down and the internet is in growth. If you put the
three together the business has been flat for the past three years.

What is your most treasured possession?

My home is a special place for me. It's a seven-bedroom Victorian house that
took me two and a half years to refurbish. It's in 55 acres, though when I
bought it there were just four acres. I have built a small private golf
course and I have got my tennis court, indoor swimming pool and my koi fish,
which are one of my hobbies. I paid £400,000 for the property in 1993, but
it really was a wreck.

What has been your best buy?

It was buying Ann Summers in 1972 for £10,000, which comprised two retail
shops, a tiny mail order business turning over £10,000 a year, and of course
the name. Today it is probably worth £200m. It is an unusual, exciting and
revolutionary business, but I never dreamt it would become an iconic brand.

What has been your best business decision?

I sold Gold Air, my small private airline that I had had for 10 years, in
October 2006, just before the recession. It was a good decision because the
industry then collapsed. I was troubled by the increase in residential and
commercial property prices. When the offer came in it was generous, but I
did not predict the recession.

What are THE qualities you look for when you hire a football manager?

I have probably hired seven in total. I look for someone who is a leader of
men, with a strong personality and the will to win. If you make a mistake it
will cost you millions, whereas if you make a successful choice that manager
could be with you for many years.

Do you prefer to bank online or go into a branch?

I do neither. If I want some cash I ask my financial director Ray, in the
next-door office. He will go to the bank and collect the money for me. At a
restaurant I pay the bill by credit card and I tip with cash. I cannot
remember going into a bank in the past 30 years, and I don't use the
internet. I just go to Ray, who has worked with me for 40 years and is also
my confidant.

Do you keep an eye on your finances on a regular basis?

I check the cash-flow situation in my business with Ray every day, and we go
through my personal accounts once a month.

Have you ever invested in shares?

I have an £8m portfolio that has evolved since I started investing 20 years
ago. Ray and I alone decide which shares to buy. We discuss the market every
day. Ray monitors prices on an hourly basis. I have invested predominantly
in FTSE 100 shares. Utilities have done well for me. I put money into wind
farms when they were first mooted and oil prices hit $150 a barrel, and I
did OK.

What is your view on football clubs overspending?

The danger is that ultimately any overspending leads to debt, and
out-of-control debt leads to administration. The losers are the fans and
that cannot be right.
Today you have to control football clubs from themselves. When they go into
administration tens of thousands of fans are heartbroken. It is therefore
incumbent upon the governing bodies to ensure this does not happen. To date
they have failed, and it is time to change. The board of the Football League
is about to announce a piece of governance, the Fair Play Rule, which should
help protect clubs in the future.

If West Ham were to move into the Olympic Stadium, where would you rank this
among your business moves?

I started off by saying that football is not a business, but that aside,
moving to the Olympic Stadium would be a very emotional thing for me. We
must be able to fulfil the legacy on behalf of the Olympic Park Legacy
Company but they have to provide a stadium fit for purpose.

WHY HAS your partnership with David Sullivan and Karren Brady proved so
successful?

I would say what is unique is that we have each brought different qualities
to the business and we respect each other and each other's opinions. No
relationship can survive 20 years without these qualities.

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