Daily WHUFC News - 8th June 2013

On this day - 8 June
WHUFC.com
West Ham United lifted the Football League War Cup at Wembley on this day in
1940
08.06.2013

Classic match
West Ham United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers
Football League War Cup final
Saturday 8 June 1940, Wembley Stadium, London

West Ham United won their first Wembley final on this day in 1940, edging
out Blackburn Rovers 1-0 to lift the inaugural Football League War Cup.
Sam Small was the hero of the day, following up after Alec George Foreman's
shot had been parried by Blackburn goalkeeper James Barron to score the only
goal of the game on 35 minutes. A crowd of 42,300 braved the war-time
bombing of London to attend the final at Wembley Stadium, but they were not
rewarded with a classic match. West Ham began the game as favourites and
they held the upper hand for much of what was described by The Times as a
'grim' game. When West Ham did get things right, they troubled Rovers, with
Foreman, Len Goulden, Stanley Foxall and Archie Macaulay all heavily
involved.
The best move of the match culminated in Small's all-important goal. Foxall
and Goulden combined to find Foreman, whose shot looked certain to find the
net until Barron flung out a hand to make the save. However, the Blackburn
stopper was unable to recover quickly enough to prevent winger Small
finishing into the net.

Both teams came close in the second half, but West Ham goalkeeper Herman
Conway and his defenders were largely untroubled by their opponents and the
Londoners held on to win. The trophy was presented to the winning team by
A.V.Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, while the crowd was made up in
part by servicemen. Following the final, a number of players from both sides
immediately returned to their service units in the various Armed Forces.


Anniversary
England 2-0 Soviet Union
UEFA European Championship third-place play-off
8 June 1968, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

While the 1966 and 1970 FIFA World Cup finals will live long in the memory
of every West Ham United and England supporter, the 1968 UEFA European
Championship finals tournament remains relatively unknown. England had
qualified for the four-team tournament by topping a qualifying group that
included Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland before overcoming Spain 3-1 on
aggregate in a two-legged tie. EURO 1968 was held in Italy, with England
joining the host nation, Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. As world champions,
England were expected to do well, only to lose 1-0 to Yugoslavia in Florence
in the semi-finals, with Dragan Džajić scoring an 87th-minute winner. Italy
and the Soviets drew 0-0 after extra-time, with the hosts going through to
the final on a coin toss - no penalty shootouts in those days!
The third-place play-off was held in Rome on this day in 1968 and England
boss Alf Ramsey named three West Ham players in his starting XI - captain
Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst. Fellow 1966 FIFA World Cup
winner Bobby Charlton opened the scoring on 39 minutes before Hurst netted
his tenth goal for England 18 minutes after half-time to ensure England
would finish in third place. Moore and Hurst were later named in the Team of
the Tournament.

Complete record

1940 West Ham United 1-0 Blackburn Rovers (Football League War Cup final)
Played 1, Won 1, Drawn 0, Lost 0, Scored 1, Conceded 0

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Adrian keen to emulate pal Reina
WHUFC.com
Adrian would love to follow compatriot Pepe Reina by becoming a success in
English football
07.06.2013

New West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian is hoping to emulate his friend Pepe
Reina by becoming a success in the Barclays Premier League. The Hammers'
capture from Spanish Primera Division side Real Betis Balompie would love
nothing more than to follow in the footsteps of Reina, who has accomplished
great things since joining Liverpool in 2005. Adrian hails from the city of
Seville the southern province of Andalusia, just 75 miles from Reina's
family home in Cordoba, and the 26-year-old revealed that the Reds stopper
has supported his career since the pair met in Madrid in the summer of 2012.
"Pepe Reina is also from Andalusia and his family is from Cordoba,"
explained Adrian, who will join West Ham on a free transfer on 1 July. "I
bumped into him in Madrid and we talked about goalkeeping. "He did a
brilliant thing when I made my first-team debut of sending me a text and
congratulating me, which was very touching."

A tall and powerful figure, Adrian earned a reputation in Spain for his
dominating and agile displays between the posts for newly-promoted Betis.
Indeed, his outstanding displays helped the Seville club to qualify for the
UEFA Europa League in their first season back in the Primera Division.
However, when asked what his best characteristics as a goalkeeper are,
Adrian himself chose to keep his cards close to his chest. "I'm not one for
blowing my own trumpet and I'm of the opinion that being a 'keeper is just
one area of a team. A game of football is teamwork. "The fans will have an
opportunity to make their own thoughts on how they rate me as a 'keeper, but
I will just be going in and doing my work on a daily basis and putting my
best into everything for the team."

Unlike in England, it is not unusual for a player to wait patiently for a
first-team debut with his club, as he has the opportunity to play
professionally for their B or C teams in the lower divisions. That was the
case with Adrian, who spent six seasons with Betis B before earning his
call-up last season. "It was always my dream to play for Betis since I
joined the club as a ten-year-old," said the goalkeeper, whose father Manolo
is a big Betis fan. "My dream was always the first team and I've been strong
and patient because I knew the opportunity would come. "I had to be both
mentally and physically prepared for when that opportunity arrived so I
could grab it. That opportunity came last year against Malaga and I made
sure that once it came, there was no turning back.
"I'm a home-grown boy and Betis is my family's club and my club."

Adrian's loyalty and hard work paid off when he was handed his first call-up
to the senior squad for the visit of UEFA Champions League qualifiers Malaga
on 29 September 2012. After just eleven minutes, regular No1 Casto was
sent-off and the rookie was thrown into the action. While ten-man Betis lost
the game 4-0, the new goalkeeper impressed sufficiently to start the next
league game at home to Real Sociedad, where he kept a clean sheet in a 2-0
victory. By the end of the campaign, Adrian had kept eleven clean sheets in
32 appearances and inspired Betis to home wins over Real Madrid, Malaga,
Valencia and Real Sociedad. "I had two highlights of the season. The first
was receiving my first call-up to travel with the first-team squad for the
match at Malaga. Unfortunately for him, my colleague was sent-off and I made
my debut. "The other highlight at the same level was when I made my home
debut [against Sociedad] and the reaction of the fans seeing one of them and
singing my name was amazing."

Having enjoyed such a close relationship with the Betis supporters, Adrian
is excited about the prospect of performing in front of an equally
passionate West Ham fanbase. "I knew about West Ham being one of England's
legendary clubs. It's a very historical team and I am aware of the
home-grown players like Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole. "What
took me back was when I made my first visit to the Club and seeing the
historical background of Club in players like Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor
Brooking. They are part of the Club's history. "With the help of everybody,
I will give it my best shot to become one of those players who West Ham fans
remember for years to come."

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Diame delights in winning strike
WHUFC.com
Mohamed Diame was thrilled to see his goal against Manchester United win
Goal of the Season
08.06.2013

It was a goal worthy of the prize. West Ham United midfielder Mohamed Diame
collected one of his three gongs at the Hammers' Player Awards for his
stunning strike against Manchester United in the 2-2 Boleyn Ground draw in
the Barclays Premier League. His goal was voted by supporters as their Goal
of the Season, and it was certainly one that will live long in the memory.
Receiving possession from Guy Demel on the right flank, Diame lost the
attentions of Wayne Rooney with a deft drop of the shoulder before taking
aim with his left foot and arcing a perfect shot beyond David de Gea. Diame
was only too happy to relive the goal - his third of the season - for West
Ham TV. "It was a very great honour for me to win this prize," he said.
"When you work hard all season and receive a trophy, you are happy. "I
linked up with Guy Demel and Ricardo Vaz Te on the right hand side of our
attack. When I received the ball from Guy, I saw the Manchester United
player on my back, but took him away with my first touch and then I struck
with my left foot. I was happy for the team that it went in. "Of course it
makes it even more special when it's against Manchester United. When you
play against the big teams you always want to do well, and I'll remember
that night all of my life."

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Sadlier on target as Ireland draw
WHUFC.com
West Ham United forward Kieran Sadlier scored as Republic of Ireland U19s
drew 2-2 with Switzerland
07.06.2013

West Ham United forward Kieran Sadlier scored as Republic of Ireland drew
2-2 with Switzerland in their opening UEFA European U19 Championship Elite
Round Group 2 qualifier in Serbia. Sadlier, who finished as the leading
scorer in the Hammers' Under-18 side, scored Ireland's second goal as they
roared into a 2-0 lead within 23 minutes at FK Obilic in Belgrade. The West
Ham teenager fired in an unstoppable free-kick after Manchester United's Sam
Byrne had put his nation in front on 16 minutes with a strong header that
bounced in off the crossbar. Unfortunately, Paul Doolin's team were unable
to maintain their advantage and Switzerland halved their deficit two minutes
before half-time through captain Michael Frey. And the Swiss drew level
seven minutes after the break when Samuele Campo fired low past Ireland
goalkeeper Ian Lawlor. Substitute Kenny McEvoy of Tottenham Hotspur - who
scored twice against West Ham in the FA Youth Cup last season - almost
snatched a win for Ireland late on, but they had to settle for a point.
Sadlier's club-mate Sean Maguire was an unused substitute. Next up for
Sadlier and Maguire is a clash with Slovakia on Saturday before facing hosts
Serbia on Tuesday. Serbia thrashed Slovakia 4-0 in the other Group 2 opener
in Jakovo on Thursday.

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Free transfer list announced
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 7th June 2013
By: Staff Writer

The Premier League today published a full list of the 154 players released
by member clubs at the end of the 2013/14 season. As mentioned earlier in
the week, West Ham have provided six players for the list - although Gary
O'Neil, who is included, remains hopeful of securing a new contract with the
club.
Carlton Cole, Jake Larkins (now with Orient), Jack Powell, Jami Rafati and
Eoin Wearen are the remaining five players not to be offered a contract by
the club.
Notable names on the list which may interest Sam Allardyce include Danny
Simpson (Newcastle), William Gallas (Tottenham), Franco Di Santo (Wigan) and
Roque Santa Cruz (Man City).

Meanwhile former Hammers Thomas Hitzlsperger (Everton), Yossi Benayoun
(Chelsea), David Bentley (Tottenham), Elliott Ward (Norwich City), Tal Ben
Haim (Queens Park Rangers), Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Matthew
Kilgallon (Sunderland) and Matthew Upson (Stoke City) are also included.

West Ham United's list of retained players for 2013/14 is as follows:

Professionals: Leo Chambers; Joe Cole; James Collins; Jack Collison; Guy
Demel; Mohamed Diame; Alou Diarra; Callum Driver; Matthias Fanimo; Robert
Hall (offer made); Stephen Henderson; Juusi Jaaskelainen; Matt Jarvis;
Elliot Lee; Sebastian Lletget; Sean Maguire; Modibo Maiga; Paul McCallum;
George McCartney; George Moncur; Ravel Morrison; Pelly Ruddock; Mark Noble;
Kevin Nolan; Joey O'Brien; Danny Potts; Winston Reid; Kieran Sadlier; Jordan
Spence; Raphael Spiegel; Matt Taylor; Dylan Tombides; James Tomkins; Blair
Turgott; Ricardo Vaz Te.

Scholars: Sam Baxter (Extended); Nana Boakye-Yiadom (Retained); Kieran
Bywater (Retained); Josh Cullen (Retained); Robert Girdlestone (Retained);
Thomas Gogo (Retained); Gines Guzman Rosique (Retained); Jamie Harney
(Retained); Courtney Homans (Retained); Dymon Labonne (Extended); Moses
Makasi (Retained); Ben Marlow (Retained); Nathan Mavila (Retained); Taylor
Miles (Extended); Amos Nasha (Retained); Lewis Page (Retained); Frazer Shaw
(Extended); Taylor Tombides.


Goodbye: the 154 released players

Arsenal: Arshavin, Andrey; Bihmoutine, Samir; Charles-Cook; Reice Jordan;
Denilson; Eastmond, Craig Leon; Hajrovic, Sead; Henderson; Conor Alan Meade;
Jernade Ronnel; Oldfield, Spence-Neita Nigel Paul; Rees, Joshua; David
Roberts; Philip James; Shea, James; Squillaci, Sebastien; Watt, Herschel
Oulio Sanchez.

Aston Villa: Barrett, Calum Alastair; Barton, Joshua; Cameron, Courtney Lee;
Devine, Daniel Patrick; Lichaj, Eric Joseph; Marshall, Andrew John.

Chelsea: Affane, Amin; Benayoun, Yossi; Deen-Conteh, Abdul Aziz; Ferreira,
Paulo Renato Rebocho; Hilario, Meireles Alves Sampaio Henrique; Malouda,
Florent Johan; Nkumu, Archange; Turnbull, Ross.

Everton: Hammar, Per Johan Gustav; Hitzlsperger, Thomas; Kelly, Sam;
Alexander Mucha, Jan; Neville, Phil.

Fulham: Baird, Christopher; Davies, Simon; Diarra, Mahamadou; Donegan,
Thomas David ;Gameiro, Corey James; Karagkounis, Georgios; Musa, James
Mzamo; Peniket, Richard James; Petric, Mladen; Schwarzer, Mark; Smith, Alex;
Somogyi, Csaba.

Liverpool: Belford, Tyrell; Carragher, James Lee; Stephens, James Edward;
Wilson, Daniel.

Manchester City: Bridge, Wayne; Mancini, Filippo; McGivern, Ryan; Santa
Cruz, Roque Luis; Toure, Kolo.

Manchester Utd: Brown, Reece; Cofie, John Erzuah; Fornasier, Michele;
Giverin, Luke; Hendrie, Luke John; McCullough, Luke; Scholes, Paul; Van
Velzen, Gyliano; Veseli, Frederic.

Newcastle Utd: Harper, Stephen Alan; Moyo, Yven Rochild Victor; Simpson,
Daniel Peter.

Norwich City: Adeyemi, Thomas Oluseun; Camp, Lee; Durojaiye, Olumide Scott;
Francomb, George; Jackson, Simeon Alexander; Martin, Christopher Hugh;
Sheriff, Ramil; Smith, Korey Alexander; Tierney, Marc Peter; Ward, Elliott
Leslie

Queens Park Rangers: Ben Haim, Tal; Campbell, Dudley Junior; Cerny, Radek;
Champion, Frederick; Francis, Adam Royston Lawrence; Hewitt, Troy Roger;
Hulse, Robert; Nelsen, Ryan; Parmenter, Taylor Louis; Trani, Tommaso.

Reading: Bignall, Nicholas Colin; Church, Simon Richard; Harte, Ian; Hunt,
Noel; Losasso, Charlie Carrington; MacDonald, Angus Lees; Pearce, Alexander
James; Shorey, Nicholas; Tabb, Jay Anthony; Webb, Joshua; Richard Charles
Darren Morgan; Williams, Brett Anthony.

Southampton: Butterfield, Daniel Paul; Dickson, Ryan Anthony; Forecast,
Tommy Stephen; Hoskins, Samuel Tobias; Reeves, Benjamin Neil; Richardson,
Frazer; Seaborne, Daniel Anthony; Seidi, Alberto Adulai.

Stoke City: Clarkson, Michael Thomas; Delap, Rory; Gledhill, Matthew
Benjamin; Hall, Jadan; Lund, Matthew Charles; Musungu, Andrew; Nash, Carlo
James; Owen, Michael James; Pennant, Jermaine Lloyd; Rigg, George Benjamin;
Sidibe, Mamady; Upson, Matthew James; Whitehead, Dean.

Sunderland: Bramble, Titus; Callaghan, Anthony; Joyce, Wade Lewis;
Kilgallon, Matthew; Noble, Ryan; Reed, Adam Michael; Wilson, Ben.

Swansea City: Gower, Mark.

Tottenham Hotspur: Barthram, Jack Patrick; Bentley, David; Bostock, John
Gallas, William; Munns, Jack Frederick; Nicholson, Jake Charlie.

West Bromwich Albion: Fortune, Marc-Antoine; Gera, Zoltan; Jara Reyes,
Gonzalo Alejandro; Sawyers, Romaine Theodore; Thomas, Jerome.

West Ham Utd: Cole, Carlton; Larkins, Jake; O'Neil, Gary Paul; Powell, Jack
Patrick; Rafati, Jami; Wearen, Eoin Patrick.

Wigan Athletic: Aylmer, Peter; Crusat Domene, Albert; Di Santo, Franco;
Jones, David Frank Llwyd; Lopez Rodriguez, Adrian; Lynch, Jonathan Paul;
Morris, Callum Neil; Orsula, Filip; Stam, Ronnie; Sumner, Joshua Andre
Watson, Ryan.

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Hard to say goodbye
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 7th June 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's new goalkeeper Adrian bid a tearful farewell to his former
team mates at Real Betis yesterday. Adrian, who has been with the Andalucian
club since the age of 10 was given the opportunity to read out a farewell
message to the club's supporters in a specially arranged press conference.
However the 26-year-old, who will start the new season as back-up to
existing number one Jussi Jaaskelainen broke down towards the end of his
speech and was forced to pause several times after becoming overwhelmed. "I
don't expect everyone to understand because I know there will be all sorts
of opinions. But Real Betis is where I was formed, as a person and a
sportsman, and I'll never forget what I owe this club," he said. "I think of
this break as purely professional and from now on I'll just be another fan
cheering on the team that's given me everything. I say from the bottom of my
heart that the fans of Real Betis are the best in the world and I will be
eternally grateful for the kindness they have shown me both on and off the
pitch. "Nobody should have the slightest doubt that the feeling is mutual.
I wish all my team-mates who are staying the very best of luck in their new
journey into Europe and may they defend the verdiblanco colours in the way
the fans and this great club deserve."

Adrian last week agreed a three-year deal with West Ham United, whom he will
officially join at the beginning of July.

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