Daily WHUFC News - 7th June 2013

Hammers set Germany dates
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are happy to announce two further pre-season matches in
Germany
06.06.2013

West Ham United are happy to announce meetings with German Bundesliga sides
FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Braunschweig as part of the Club's 2013/14
pre-season schedule. Sam Allardyce will take his Hammers squad to Germany
for an eleven-day tour, during which they will play three matches against
high-quality opposition.

West Ham will kick-off their German tour by taking on Thomas Tuchel's Mainz
at their former Bruchwegstadion home, which the Bundesliga club vacated in
2011. The match will take place on Saturday 20 July at 6pm local time. Big
Sam's men will then take on Hamburger SV in Flensburg on the German-Danish
border on Tuesday 23 July at 6.45pm before taking on newly-promoted
Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday 27 July.

Before leaving for Germany the Hammers will travel to the Republic of
Ireland to face Cork City on Sunday 7 July. Closer to home, the Club have
also organised a trip to the south coast to face AFC Bournemouth in a
Testimonial for Academy of Football graduate and long-time Cherries
full-back Stephen Purches, along with a trip to Essex to take on Colchester
United.

West Ham will also be making a return to Blue Square Bet South club Boreham
Wood, having been worked hard during a pre-season fixture at Meadow Park in
July 2012.

Ticket details for all pre-season matches will be posted here as and when
they are confirmed.
2013 Pre-season fixtures

Sunday 7 July v Cork City, Turners Cross Stadium, Cork City, Republic of
Ireland, 6pm
Wednesday 10 July v Boreham Wood, Meadow Park, Borehamwood. 7.30pm
Saturday 13 July v AFC Bournemouth, Goldsands Stadium, Bournemouth, 3pm
Tuesday 16 July v Colchester United, Weston Homes Community Stadium,
Colchester, 7.45pm
Saturday 20 July v FSV Mainz 05, Bruchwegstadion, Mainz, Germany, 6pm
Tuesday 23 July v Hamburger SV, Flensburg Stadium, Flensburg, Germany,
6.45pm
Saturday 27 July v Eintracht Braunschweig, Eintracht-Stadion, Braunschweig,
Germany, 3.30pm
(*all kick-offs stated are local times)

SV Mainz 05
Formed in 1905, Mainz have risen from the regional leagues to reach the
Bundesliga for the first time in their history in 2004 under the guidance of
manager and former player Jurgen Klopp - the man who has since gone on to
huge success with Borussia Dortmund. Under Klopp, Mainz qualified for the
UEFA Cup in 2005 before being relegated to Bundesliga 2 after three seasons
in the top flight in 2007. However, Die Nullfünfer (the O-Fives) returned to
the Bundesliga in 2009 and finished in a club record high of fifth two years
ago. Coach Tuchel has put together a squad that contains a number of players
who may be familiar to English fans, including former Bolton Wanderers and
Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic, Austria internationals Julian Baumgartlinger
and Andreas Ivanschitz and Macedonia centre-back Nikolce Noveski. The Club
moved to a new home, the Coface Arena, in 2011. However, the Hammers' visit
will be held at Mainz's previous home at the 20,300-capacity Bruchwegstadion
nearer the city centre.

Hamburger SV
Hamburg are one of Germany's biggest and best-supported clubs. Founded in
1887, the Rothosen won the European Cup in 1983 and European Cup Winners'
Cup in 1977, have been crowned German champions six times and won the
Germany Cup on three occasions. Thorsten Fink's star-studded squad includes
Netherlands and former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Rafael van der Vaart,
Germany left-back Marcell Jansen, South Korea starlet Heung-Min Son and
ex-Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne. West Ham right-back Guy Demel spent
six seasons with Hamburger SV between 2005 and 2011, making 200 appearances,
never finishing outside the Bundesliga's top-eight and winning the UEFA
Intertoto Cup in 2007. The Hamburg fixture will take place in the town of
Flensburg in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein - the
northernmost town in Germany just south of the border with Denmark.

Eintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig may not be well-known to West Ham supporters, but the
club from Lower Saxony were one of the founder members of the Bundesliga in
1963 and will return to the top flight after a 28-year absence next season.
Like West Ham, Braunschweig were formed in 1895, quickly becoming one of
Germany's most-successful clubs, winning the Northern German championship in
1908 and 1913. Following the Second World War, the club was relaunched as
Braunschweiger TSV Eintracht von 1895 and continued to enjoy success in the
top division of football in northern Germany, the Oberliga Nord. This
success resulted in the club being one of 16 chosen to be members of the
inaugural Bundesliga in 1963. Four years later, manager Helmuth Johannsen
led Braunschweig to the national title for the first and only time in their
history. The club also produced a number of players for the West Germany
national team.
In 1973, Braunschweig became the first Bundesliga side to sport a sponsor
logo on their jerseys - that of liquor producer Jägermeister - and came
close to a second Bundesliga title in 1977, when they finished third. Since
being relegated in 1985, Braunschweig have played at the second and third
tiers of German football, but two promotions in the previous three seasons
under manager Torsten Lieberknecht have seen the club rise back to the
Bundesliga again. In 2012/13, Braunschweig drew an average gate of 20,454 to
the Eintracht-Stadion, with DR Congolese striker Domi 'Dominck' Kumbela
leading the scoring charts with 19 goals.

Cork City
Based in Ireland's second-largest city, League of Ireland Premier Division
side Cork City are two-time Irish champions and FAI Cup winners. The Rebel
Army have competed regularly in European competition down the years and the
city itself has long been a hotbed of Irish football, with Hammers greats
Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Geoff Hurst both turning out for Cork Celtic at
the end of their illustrious careers.

AFC Bournemouth
Purches' Testimonial at AFC Bournemouth comes after a hugely-successful
season for the Cherries, who have gained promotion to the Championship under
manager Eddie Howe, whose team have won their last eight League One matches.
West Ham Academy graduate Purches, now 33, has unfortunately missed the
entire season after suffering a broken leg while playing against Rochdale in
February 2012. The full-back has enjoyed a successful career, making nearly
450 appearances for Bournemouth and Leyton Orient.

Colchester United
Colchester United secured their npower League 1 status with a 2-0 victory at
Carlisle United on the final day of the season. The U's victory ensured
Scunthorpe United would finish below them and drop down to League 2, and Joe
Dunne's men include former Hammer Freddie Sears in their ranks.
The Club will announce further pre-season fixtures as and when dates and
kick-off times have been confirmed with opposition clubs.

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Benni McCarthy retires from football at the age of 35
BBC.co.uk

South Africa's all-time leading scorer Benni McCarthy has retired from
football at the age of 35. McCarthy has been playing for Orlando Pirates
since 2011 after leaving West Ham by mutual consent. In a statement on the
Premier Soccer League website, McCarthy said: "Football has been good to me
- it has provided special moments and enabled me to be in a position to have
improved the lives of my family members.

Benni McCarthy's clubs
Orlando Pirates (S Africa)
West Ham (England)
Blackburn Rovers (England)
FC Porto (Portugal)
Celta Vigo (Spain)
Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Cape Town Spurs (S Africa)
Seven Stars (S Africa)

Cape Town-born McCarthy played in the top leagues in the Netherlands, Spain,
Portugal and England, winning the Eredivisie with Ajax and the Portuguese
title and 2004 Champions League with FC Porto under Jose Mourinho. "I have
been so blessed to have enjoyed a remarkable career that took me from the
township fields of Nyanga Stadium, to winner's medals in the Uefa Champions
League and World Club Cup - the highest levels that a player can achieve in
club football," he added. He retires as South Africa's leading scorer with
31 goals in 80 games. Although he was dropped from the final squad when the
country hosted the 2010 World Cup, McCarthy scored goals for Bafana Bafana
at the 1998 and 2002 tournaments. He returned to South Africa after spells
with Blackburn and West Ham in England's Premier League, joining Soweto
giant Orlando Pirates in 2011. He won four trophies with Pirates in 2012,
including the league title after scoring on debut, and then twice in the
title-clinching game. "It has been a 17-year professional career that
surpassed even my own expectations," McCarthy said.

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Larkins signs one-year deal
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th June 2013
By: Staff Writer

Former Academy goalkeeper Jake Larkins has joined League One Leyton Orient
on a free transfer. The 19-year-old goalkeeper, who hails from Dagenham was
snapped up by the O's less than 24 hours after West Ham confirmed that he
was not being offered a new contract when releasing their list of retained
players on Wednesday afternoon. O's goalkeeping coach Kevin Dearden told
leytonorient.com: "Jake is someone that I've watched personally on a number
of occasions and have been impressed with him. "I had a good conversation
with Martyn Margetson, the goalkeeping coach at West Ham and he came highly
recommended so we got him in to train with us towards the end of the season
and he did very well. "The Gaffer and I liked what we saw. We believe Jake
will be a valuable member of the squad and be able to push Jamie [Jones] for
a starting place straight away."

Larkins, who has signed a one-year contract with West Ham's east London
neighbours left West Ham this summer without making a single appearance for
the first team. However he did at least make the bench in December 2010
when, at the age of just 16, he was named as back-up to Ruud Boffin in a 1-1
draw.
A first year scholar at Tony Carr's world-famous Chadwell Heath Academy in
2009, Larkins signed a further two-year contract in May 2010 on the advice
of then-goalkeeping coach Jerome John. The young 'keeper was in the same
intake as the likes of Danny Potts, Dylan Tombides and Robert Hall. Earlier
this year he suffered a major scare after being involved in a road accident
on the A12, but was fortunate enough to escape with minor neck and head
injuries and was released from hospital within a day. KUMB would like to
wish Jake the very best of luck with his new club.

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Two new dates for pre-season
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th June 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have added two new dates to their pre-season fixture list.

Sam Allardyce's squad were already set to face German opposition this
summer, but they will now face three German teams when they visit mainland
Europe next month.

With a clash against Hamburg already pencilled in for 23rd July, West Ham
will also be taking on Mainz 05 and Bundesliga newcomers Eintracht
Braunschweig, who won last season's Bundesliga 2 to return to the top flight
for the first time in 28 years.

Allardyce and his squad fly out to Germany following the friendly at the
Weston Homes Community Stadium against Colchester on Tuesday, 16th July.
Their first fixture on the tour comes against Mainz 05 the following
weekend.

Mainz, who ended last season in 13th place in the Bundesliga will host West
Ham in their former Stadion am Bruchweg home, a ground they left in 2011 and
a venue which is now used as a multi-purpose arena. With a capacity of just
over 20,000 there should be plenty of tickets available for travelling fans.

Three days later and the Irons travel north to the German/Danish border when
they face Hamburg SV at the Flensburg Stadium. Situated some 100 miles north
of Hamburg, the club regularly return to the town for pre-season friendlies
due to the extensive local fanbase and will be hosting West Ham in the tiny
stadium.

The last leg of the tour takes place on Saturday, 27th July when United
visit the Eintracht Stadion in order to face Eintracht Braunschweig. The
stadium, who has a capacity of just over 25,000 also plays host to American
Football (the New Yorker Lions) and is one of the few left in Germany to
feature a running track.

* For more details of the KUMB.com German tour package, visit the KUMB
forum.

2013/14 (Current) Pre-Season Fixture List

7th July: Cork City (Turners Cross Stadium, 6.00pm)
10th July: Boreham Wood (Meadow Park, 7.30pm)
13th July: AFC Bournemouth (Dean Court, 3.00pm)
16th July: Colchester Utd (Colchester Community Stadium, 7.45pm)
20th July: Mainz 05 (Bruchwegstadion, 6.00pm)
23rd July: Hamburg SV (Flensburg Stadium, 6.45pm)
27th July: Eintracht Braunschweig (Eintracht-Stadion, 3.30pm)

* Please note that all kick-offs stated are local times.

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Hello Adrian, Goodbye Wellington!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

So, the rumour has been confirmed and Spanish keeper Adrian will join West
Ham on a free transfer from 1 July 2013. The 6 foot 3 inch former Real Betis
stopper had an outstanding campaign last season, securing 11 clean sheets in
31 league appearances, which assisted his club to secure European
qualification. Adrian has hitherto been a one club man, joining local club
Real Betis at the age of 10 and progressing through the youth system. He is
excepted to start the season as No. 2 to Jussi, but is expected to rapidly
progress to make the custodian position his own by the end of the season.

At the same time as Adrian enters, we bid Wellington Paulista farewell via
the summer transfer revolving door. It has been confirmed that Paulista has
left West Ham and is set to be loaned by his club Cruzeiro to Série A club
Criciúma until the end of the Brazilian season in December. Paulista scored
regularly for the West Ham Development Squad after joining the club on loan
in January, but failed to be selected to play for the first team. One can
only guess why the club even bothered with this deal? Some have even
postulated that Manager Sam Allardyce did not sanction the deal and would
not play Paulista as a result. That seems very far fetched, the truth is
more likely to be that the Manager had Paulista over to assess his ability
and was not overly impressed. Of course, it is not the first time that a
South American player has joined has joined the club on loan and stagnated
in the Development Squad, the season before last we had the Paraguay U-21
international, Brian Montenegro-Martinez. They were similar in that both
players shone at the lower level but did not really impact on the first
team. Although at least BMM got in a brief FA Cup appearance in the 1-0 away
defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.

I saw Paulista play and score for the Development Squad on a number of
occasions. And he looked well worth a game or two from off the first team
substitutes bench. Especially as the club's other strikers, apart from
Maiga, were all very similar in playing style. Indeed, whereas BMM was a
younger, inexperienced player, Paulista had performed well at the top level
of Brazilian league football and boasted a reasonable goal scoring record.
Yet, it appears that the player divided opinion. Whereas some were
impressed, other commentators were decidedly underwhelmed by his Development
Squad performances. I guess the only judge that really mattered, Sam
Allardyce, was ultimately in the latter category. However, now we will never
know, for a fact, how he would have performed in the PL? Good luck to
Paulista with his new loan deal, lets hope that this time he gets a proper
chance to show what he can do.

This time of the year is heart breaking for some young footballers, as they
come to terms with being released by the club. This post-season period is no
different, with the club announcing the release of a number of young
prospects. Yet amidst this, there was one story that stood out. Young
professional, Dylan Tombides, has won a two year contract with the club,
following his recovery from testicular cancer. Dylan is a Australian youth
international and an outstanding forward prospect. Congratulations to Dylan
on his new deal and best wishes for getting his career firmly back on track.
And well done to the club for giving the youngster such consistent support
and assistance during the period of his illness and treatment.

Finally, it appears that the appointment of ex-Hammers captain, Steve Lomas,
to the Manager's position at Millwall FC has caused some angst down in South
London. Why? Lomas is a promising young Manager, who has previously achieved
some notable success with Kilmarnock, in the SPL. Surely it cannot be
because of his Hammers past can it? Thankfully, West Ham fans are obviously
more enlightened about these matters. Current Hammers Manager, Sam
Allardyce, may still not be universally popular amongst all sections of the
support, but none of his critics have ever, to my knowledge, cited his
Millwall past as a cause for consternation!

SJ. Chandos

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