Daily WHUFC News - 20TH August 2013

Collins has no room for sentiment
WHUFC.com
James Collins was delighted to start the season with three points against
former club Cardiff
19.08.2013

James Collins left no room for sentiment as he helped West Ham United to a
clean sheet and 2-0 victory over his old side Cardiff City on Saturday. The
29-year-old defender started his career with the Bluebirds and played 66
league games for the club before moving on to the Hammers for his first
spell in E13 in 2005. Cardiff were beginning their first top flight campaign
in 41 years, but Collins was only concerned with registering three points
for Sam Allardyce's team.
"It was great to keep a clean sheet and score two goals," he said. "We went
in at half time thinking we could have gone in more than one up, but we were
delighted to come out 2-0 winners on the first day of the season. "We
started the game looking to keep a clean sheet because if you do that the
worst you can do is draw the game. "With the boys we've got up front, we
know that if we keep the clean sheet we're more than likely going to win the
game. Overall we're really happy. "It felt like carrying on from what we did
last season. The gaffer reminded us that we only lost four at home last
year, and that was against the top eight teams. "We're looking to do that
again, the gaffer drilled it into us again that we've got to make this place
a fortress and we started that on Saturday."

The Hammers' goals came in each half, the first a smart turn and finish from
Joe Cole, the second a fine swept shot into the top corner from Kevin Nolan.
Collins continued: "They were two really good goals, you know what you're
going to get from Kev when the ball drops for him anywhere near the box,
it's normally a goal. "Joe's been on fire in pre-season, so it's great for
both of them [to score] and it's given us a great start."

After a three month break, the sense of anticipation was clear amongst the
Hammers fans prior to kick-off and Collins revealed that the atmosphere gave
the team a real boost. He explained: "I looked at Mark Noble before the game
when the fans were singing Bubbles and I've never heard anything like it.
"Me and Mark caught eyes and didn't know what to say. It was great, another
game sold out and that's going to be massive for our home form. "When they
start singing before the game it's hairs on the back of your neck stuff. If
they're like that all year it'll be great."

Next for West Ham is a trip to Newcastle United and Collins is eyeing that
as an early chance to improve the away form of last year. He added: "We're
looking to improve our away form. I thought we played well away last year
but didn't get the results - we only won three. "We want to improve that, as
we are everywhere - our home form, goals conceded and goals scored. We're
got a good chance to start that on Saturday . "It was a good game up there
last year. They won't be happy with what they did last season, they'll think
they should have finished higher. "Winning on the first day of the season is
massive, so we'll go there with confidence, look to keep a clean sheet and
hopefully grab a couple of goals."

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Joint-Chairman thanks fans
WHUFC.com
Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has thanked the West Ham United fans for your
support
19.08.2013

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan has praised West Ham United fans for your
outstanding support during Saturday's 2-0 Barclays Premier League win over
Cardiff City. The Hammers were roared on by a capacity Boleyn Ground crowd -
the 18th straight home sellout - as goals from Joe Cole and Kevin Nolan
scored a fantastic opening-day victory over the newly-promoted Bluebirds.
With West Ham legend Billy Bonds MBE receiving the Club's inaugural Lifetime
Achievement Award and being presented to the Claret and Blue Army before
kick-off, the Joint-Chairman lauded the atmosphere at the Academy of
Football. "The players got a truly magnificent reception," said Mr Sullivan.
"The appreciation you showed for a true West Ham legend Billy Bonds was
second to none and illustrates just what a special Club this is. "From the
singing of 'Bubbles' before the game and throughout the 90 minutes, you
never stopped singing and encouraging the players and we were all rewarded
with a deserved win. "Cardiff's supporters are recognised as one of the most
vociferous groups fans in the league and you completely drowned 3,000 of
them out!"

The Joint-Chairman also expressed his thanks to supporters for helping the
Club to achieve record matchday takings at the Stadium Store, and apologised
to fans who could not be served due to the unprecedented level of business.
"We had a record day's takings at the Stadium Store on Saturday, which is
yet another illustration of your unrivalled commitment to West Ham United
and is hugely appreciated by myself, the Board and everyone at the Club," Mr
Sullivan added. "Sadly, due to the capacity of the Stadium Store, it was not
possible to process all potential purchases before the Cardiff game. We can
only apologise for this inconvenience and urge fans who want to buy their
new adidas kits and other merchandise to arrive early for the Cheltenham
Town and Stoke City games next week. "Of course this issue will be solved
when we move to the Olympic Stadium, when we will not be restricted by the
size of the Store and number of tills in operation."

Looking forward to Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Newcastle
United, the Joint-Chairman thanked the thousands of Hammers making the
longest away journey of the season for their loyalty to the cause. "I know
you will be there at St James' Park again in your thousands and I can only
express my respect for your dedication and devotion to West Ham United," he
added. "You invest time and money in supporting our great Club and myself,
the Board, the staff and the players are all hugely appreciative, so thank
you."

Finally, West Ham host League Two side Cheltenham Town in the Capital One
Cup second round on Tuesday 27 August, with the Board again showing their
commitment to making football affordable for all. All Adult, Young Adult and
Over-65s tickets are priced at just £10 when purchased in advance, while
Under-16s can secure a seat for just £5. "We want to fill the Boleyn again,
so ticket prices have been set at a level that everyone can afford," Mr
Sullivan explained.
"Every West Ham fan loves a cup tie under the lights at the Boleyn Ground
and I'm no different, so I hope to see as many as possible of you there as
we start our way down the road to Wembley. "Thanks again for your amazing
support!"

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Bonds lauds 'amazing day'
Whufc.COM
West Ham United legend Billy Bonds MBE was 'truly moved' on his return to
the Boleyn Ground
19.08.2013

West Ham United legend Billy Bonds MBE admitted to being 'truly moved' by
the reception he received from supporters on his return to the Boleyn
Ground.
Bonds told of his huge pride after receiving a deafening welcome as he was
presented with the Club's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award ahead of
Saturday's 2-0 Barclays Premier League win over Cardiff City. Joined by his
family, the Hammers' all-time leading appearance-maker accepted his award
and the amazing reception with the humility that made him a true great in
E13. Speaking to SportsDirect News, Bonds said he had enjoyed an 'amazing
day' among the fans who adore him. "Saturday as one of the most wonderful
experiences of my life," said the four-times Hammer of the Year. "I was
truly moved. Those incredible fans are something else. They have always been
the same to me. When I see them out and about they always come over and
thanked me for what I've done for the club. "To receive the award in front
of a full Upton Park was so emotional. It was so good to experience the
warmth of the crowd. "I'm also grateful to the new owners who have done
everything they can to welcome me back into the club. I want to thank them.
It was an amazing day for myself and my family. I wanted to take my
grandchildren out there. Honestly, I could have stayed out there all
afternoon. "I'll remember those moments for the rest of my life."

Joint-Chairman David Gold joined Bonds, his family, manager Sam Allardyce
and Tony Wright from Award sponsors Locke Lord on the pitch for the ceremony
to present the 66-year-old with his LIfetime Achievement Award. As a
lifelong West Ham fan, the Joint-Chairman was thrilled to be in the presence
of a man who made 793 appearances in claret and blue over a 21-year period,
lifting the FA Cup in 1975 and 1980. He said: "He was a legend to me and
every West Ham supporter but he left this club under a cloud. I and David
Sullivan were determined to put things right because he was an incredible
servant, hero and probably most of all - a great man. "It was wonderful to
see him in the Boardroom afterwards talking about the old days with Trevor
Brooking. He also spent around an hour with my schoolboy pal who goes to
every match with me. "We didn't know him when they first met but he was so
generous with his time. He's a man of whom we should all be very proud.

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Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce is backing West Ham United to attack the Barclays Premier
League this season
19.08.2013

Sam Allardyce believes West Ham United's new-found attacking strength can
help fire them to their first back-to-back Barclays Premier League wins
since March 2011. His Hammers side got off to the perfect start by beating
Cardiff City 2-0 at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday, but will face a tough
challenge to make it two from two with a trip to Newcastle United this
weekend. Four of the Hammers' main offensive threats from midfield did the
damage against the Bluebirds, as Matt Jarvis crossed for Joe Cole to open
the scoring before a forceful run from Mark Noble paved the way for Kevin
Nolan to double the advantage with 14 minutes left on the clock. "We've
added Stewart Downing, but we've also got the best crosser in the league
from last season on the other side in Matt Jarvis," Allardyce said. "His
quality and quantity of crosses was better than anyone else in the Premier
League last season according to Prozone. "We have Joe Cole on the other side
and that's competition for places in those key areas. They're going to fight
for those two places. Then they'll have to produce what we know they can in
order to keep their spot. They offer opportunities for other players to get
into the box and score goals so let's hope we can enjoy what they can give
us."
Those widemen will need to be firing on all cylinders if Big Sam's side are
indeed to make it two wins from two at St James' Park on Saturday. Nolan
struck the only goal of the game in the same fixture last season, but
Allardyce is leaving nothing to chance and had his squad in for training on
Sunday morning to begin planning for the match. "We went to Swansea last
year in the second game and a Ginge [James Collins] backpass cost us and we
lost 3-0. In the end we deserved it and the lads have got to be determined
not to do it again. "There could be a tendency to think 'we're West Ham,
let's take it easy this week.' No, we've got to grit out teeth. I had the
lads in on Sunday doing a warm down and making sure they were ready for
Newcastle. "Newcastle are going to be very difficult as they don't have the
injuries that they had when we beat them there last season. I know having
worked there when they get it right it is very hard to get a result."

The victory against Cardiff kicked-off amongst a spine-tingling Boleyn
Ground atmosphere, which was boosted by the appearance of Hammers legend
Billy Bonds on the pitch 15 minutes before the start. The former West Ham
captain and record appearance holder collected the Club's first-ever
Lifetime Achievement Award in front of a worshiping claret and blue army.
"Billy's reception was outstanding and that led to a great reception for the
players when they came out, which they haven't felt since we played Reading
at home in the last game of last season and won 4-2. "We only lost four
games at home last year and that was why we looked so good and entertained
the public. It was some achievement that we've got to try and at least match
this year but with the atmosphere of the crowd and the quality of the
players I think we'll shine through."

The world-class options now available to Big Sam have led him to believe
this group of players is as strong as any he has had at this stage of his
different managerial reigns. With high-profile arrivals secured and the
possibility of more before the close of the window, a target of at least
four more points than last season is achievable according to the West Ham
United manager. "Here we're improving the side by spending money on better
players than we've already got. In my second year in the top flight it's as
good as I've had. We've started to show that we've improved the squad and
hopefully we'll continue to grow. We're aiming for 50 points - four more
than last year - and that would be brilliant for us. "Saturday was only one
game but it was a great start. When the window has closed I will calculate
how much money has been spent by everyone as well as ourselves and that will
give us an indication on what we might be able to achieve. We've spent our
money and want to keep our squad fit. We've had no new injuries on Saturday
and that is great news for us."

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West Ham must sell before bringing anyone else in, says David Gold
Last Updated: August 19, 2013 9:42am
SSN

West Ham United co-owner David Gold admits the club are short of a striker,
but says they must sell before recruiting. The Hammers have landed Andy
Carroll on a permanent deal this summer, but the England international is
currently sidelined with a heel problem. Modibo Maiga is the only recognised
senior forward on the books at Upton Park who is fully fit at present, and
he started Saturday's 2-0 victory over Premier League new boys Cardiff City.
Sam Allardyce would welcome the opportunity to bolster his ranks before the
transfer window slams shut, but he has reached his limit in terms of player
salaries. That means he must free up his own funds, with Gold revealing that
players must be moved on before any more can be brought in. He told Sky
Sports News: "We have reached our target laid down by the new rules in terms
of wages. "The only possibility now is if players are sold. That's up to
Sam, that's in his hands. If he releases wages, that will give us the
opportunity to bring in replacements for those players. "I think it's clear
that we are still short of a striker. David Sullivan agrees with that, Sam
agrees with that, but until we release those wages by players leaving, there
is little we can do. "The next couple of weeks, we will see what happens."

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COME BACK CARLTON COLE
By Iain Dale 19 Aug 2013 at 18:21 129 comments
West Ham Till I Die


It is now clear that we are going to struggle to sign a marquee striker
before deadline, unless we can shift out the likes of Taylor, Vaz Te or
McCartney, or even all three. There is, of course another option, albeit an
unlikely one. Bring back Carlton Cole. Ok, Ok, I know, but bear with me.

As I understand it, Carlton was offered a new contract but didn't accept it.
He felt he'd be better of pursuing other options. Well, so far that hasn't
quite worked for him. There have been suggestions that he might go to
France, Turkey or the USA, or even to Crystal Palace. Now he might be
playing a very skilful game of poker, who knows? But if we get to 31 August
and Carlton hasn't found a new home, I wonder whether Sam Allardyce might
offer him a way back. Yes, he'd have to eat a bit of humble pie, and the
deal may not be the one that was of offer in May, but what do you think he'd
rather do, languish in the Championship or come back to a club that he has a
real affinity with.

Carlton Cole may not be a prolific goalscorer, and last season didn't have
the best of times, but we all know he would give his all, and be a great
understudy to a player who is notoriously injury prone. We could do far
worse,

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West Ham hooligan jailed for 12 months for organising clash with Millwall
supporters
20 Aug 2013 00:00
The Mirror

A football hooligan who organised a clash between Millwall and West Ham fans
at an FA Cup match has been jailed for 12 months. Shaun Sheridan, a member
of West Ham's notorious Inter City Firm, plotted mass violence in a series
of text messages to his rivals. Sheridan, 43, targeted the third round tie
between Dagenham and Redbridge and Millwall last year in the belief that
there would be fewer police on patrol. But his plan was thwarted after
officers turned out with camcorders to film the thugs gathering at a pub.
Sheridan, of Bermondsey, South East London, earlier admitted conspiracy to
commit violent disorder. Jailing him, Old Bailey Judge Anthony Morris QC
said: "The planning of such violence brings shame upon the game of
football." Sheridan was also banned for seven years from going within a mile
of any West Ham or Millwall match.

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