Thursday, October 11

Daily WHUFC News - 11th October 2012

Noble feeling good
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble is looking ahead to the coming weeks with optimism after a fine
start to the season
10.10.2012

Mark Noble believes his impressive performances on the pitch are as a result
of him being more settled off it. The reigning Hammer of the Year has
received a host of glowing write-ups for his tireless efforts this season
and was named Man of the Match for West Ham United's recent away win at
Queens Park Rangers. His fine form has coincided with the announcement that
he has signed a new long-term contract with the Hammers, with Noble
believing the benefits are there for all to see. "I think I would put my
form down to hard work and believing in myself," Noble said. "I have also
signed a new contract which has allowed me to get my head down and focus on
playing football."

Despite being touted for a first senior call-up, the former England Uner-21
captain narrowly missed out on selection this time. Therefore, the
international break has given the West Ham No16 an opportunity to put in
some hard yards at Chadwell Heath as preparation begins for the visit of
fellow newly-promoted side Southampton on 20 October. "We are looking for a
win against Southampton in two weeks and there is no reason why we can't get
that because our home form has been very good this season. "If Southampton
come to Upton Park and we play anywhere near the same way we did against
Arsenal then we will be a hard team to beat."

Although Noble's focus is firmly set on what lies ahead, he admits there is
still a slight sense of frustration that West Ham United did not get more
from their weekend fixture with Arsenal. The Hammers took the lead through
Momo Diame, before Arsenal hit back with three goals to hand the Hammers'
only their second home league defeat of 2012. "When it was 1-1, Momo Diame
was on the attack and we were in a really good position but unfortunately
for us they broke quickly and made it 2-1. "Nobby [Kevin Nolan] went close a
few times and with a little more luck he could have had a hat-trick. Andy
[Carroll] also had a good chance from a corner but it just wasn't to be. "At
the end of the day we still played well and we are still on a good run. We
have a good points total for where we are in the season and we are looking
forward to the next game."

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Mark Noble puts good form down to new West Ham deal
Last Updated: October 10, 2012 10:57am
SSN

Mark Noble reckons a settled future is the reason for his recent good form.
The West Ham midfielder recently signed a long-term deal with the club he
joined as a trainee in the summer of 2003. Noble has been ever-present in
this season's Premier League and turned in arguably his best performance at
QPR a week his contract issues were resolved. He told the club website: "I
think I would put my form down to hard work and believing in myself. "I have
also signed a new contract which has allowed me to get my head down and
focus on playing football." Victory at Loftus Road was followed by a home
defeat to Arsenal, but Noble took plenty of encouragement even from that
game. He said: "At the end of the day we still played well and we are still
on a good run. We have 11 points - a good total for where we are in the
season."

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Decision over whether West Ham can move to Olympic Stadium could be put back
Last Updated: October 10, 2012 8:38pm
SSN

A decision over whether West Ham can move into the Olympic Stadium could be
delayed, it has been revealed. The Hammers want to become main tenants at
the Stratford site for the start of the 2014/2015 season. However, the
Premier League club reportedly remain at loggerheads with the London Legacy
Development Corporation (LLDC) over changes which would need to be made to
the stadium such as retractable seating - and crucially who would fund them
at a cost of around £160million. LLDC chief executive Dennis Hone told the
Guardian's website: "If we can't come to a conclusion, in the scheme of
things if it slips another month or two I would rather get the right
solution. "Yes, the stadium is tricky, but it's tricky because we want to
get it right. "I would hate to bung someone in there and see it fall apart
in five years. If it takes a couple of extra months to get there, then so be
it."

Other bids are under consideration, including one from nearby football club
Leyton Orient, a football business college as well as a gro up wanting to
host a Formula One race at the Olympic Park. But West Ham are hopeful a
conclusion to the bidding process can soon be reached. A club statement
read: "It is now 20 months since West Ham United were initially named as the
preferred bidder to occupy the Olympic Stadium post- Games. We are obviously
disappointed, that three bids later, a decision has yet to be reached. "We
do however remain fully committed to becoming the catalyst to galvanise the
Olympic Park by bringing people, jobs and a robust and sustainable
commercial offer that guarantees a return to the taxpayer of the money
already invested."

Discussions

The £486m Olympic Stadium has already been earmarked for 20 athletics
meetings, which include the World Championships in 2017, and will also be
available for community use, with Newham Council contributing some
£40million in a loan towards the redevelopment project. Hone added: "We have
had discussions with all of the bidders. The difficulty is that we are
balancing the adaptations we have to make to the stadium against the
proposals that have come in and the benefits - financial and otherwise -
that those proposals bring. "If it was a knockout [verdict] it would be an
easy decision, but it's not."

The bidding process to take over the Olympic Stadium had to be restarted
last year after legal challenges from both Tottenham and Orient to West
Ham's proposed tenancy.

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Hammers fear D-day delay
The SUn
Published: 10th October 2012

WEST HAM may have to suffer another delay before finding out if they can
move into the Olympic Stadium. The Hammers are keen to become the main
tenants at Stratford in time for the start of the 2014-15 season. But it is
understood a decision could be pushed back to December if no agreement is
reached at next week's London Legacy Development Corporation board meeting.
The process, which had to be restarted after a previous attempt to award a
long-term lease to West Ham collapsed after legal challenges from Tottenham
and Leyton Orient, has already had its deadline extended once. And West Ham
are understood to be concerned about the impact of any further delay amid
fears they would struggle to make the move, which would cost around
£160million, in the next two years. An announcement was due to be made by
the end of this month. But that deadline may now be put back with the club
still embroiled in talks with the LLDC, which is chaired by London Mayor
Boris Johnson.

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Reformed Ravel? Morrison "understands" how he must change says Brum boss
The Mirror
Bad-boy starlet who's been moved on by Man United and loaned out by West Ham
hears some home truths from Lee Clark about his flagging career

Birmingham manager Lee Clark has ordered bad-boy Ravel Morrison to knuckle
down after showdown talks. Morrison, who is on a season-long loan from West
Ham, has failed to appear in Clark's last three match-day squads and has not
started a game for Blues since the first match of the Championship campaign
in August. The midfielder - offloaded to the Hammers by Manchester United in
January after Sir Alex Ferguson ran out of patience - last appeared for
Birmingham as a substitute at Watford on August 25.

Morrison is understood to have frustrated Clark with his attitude and poor
effort levels in training. But, with the Hammers in no rush to take the
19-year-old back before the end of the loan agreement, Blues look set to be
stuck with him until the summer. Clark said: "I have had a good chat with
Ravel this week, and he knows where he wants to be and he knows how he's got
to get there. "We brought him in because he's a talented young man, but
there's more than talent that gets you in the team. "Ravel understands that,
and he's going to be working extremely hard over the coming weeks to get
that sorted."

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League Two Chesterfield snap-up former Portugal star Boa Morte
By SPORTSMAIL REPORTER
PUBLISHED: 19:36, 10 October 2012 | UPDATED: 19:36, 10 October 2012
Daily Mail

Former Fulham, Arsenal and West Ham winger Luis Boa Morte has signed for
Chesterfield. The 35-year-old, who played 28 times for Portugal, has agreed
to join the Spireites initially until January and, as long as international
clearance is received in time, he may make his debut against Dagenham &
Redbridge at the Proact Stadium this Saturday. Boa Morte opened talks with
Chesterfield following a chance meeting in London with former Fulham
team-mate Mark Crossley, who is assistant to the Derbyshire club's
caretaker-manager Tommy Wright. He said: 'He asked me if I'd fancy coming up
to Chesterfield and it went from there. 'The most important thing for me now
is to play football and get going again. I'll be here until the end of
January but that doesn't mean that I won't stay until the end of the
season.' Wright added: 'To have a player of Luis' quality coming to
Chesterfield is a fantastic coup for us. It's great that a player of his
ability wants to play football. 'The financial aspect of the deal was no
worry - he just wanted to come and play.' Boa Morte has made more than 300
appearances in English football over a 15-year period having arrived at
Arsenal from Sporting Lisbon in June 1997 as one of Arsene Wenger's first
signings.
He won the double with the Gunners in 1998 and after a brief spell with
Southampton moved to Fulham before spending four-and-a-half years at West
Ham before leaving by mutual consent in August 2011. Boa Morte has been
training recently with Fulham following brief spells with South African club
Orlando Pirates and MLS outfit Toronto FC.

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