Daily WHUFC News - 24th December 2013

Potts returns from Pompey
WHUFC.com
Dan Potts is back at the Boleyn Ground following his loan spell with Sky Bet League Two Portsmouth
23.12.2013

Dan Potts has returned to West Ham United upon the completion of his loan spell at Sky Bet League Two outfit Portsmouth. The Hammers full-back made five appearances for Pompey during his month on the south coast, but was unable to arrest the Club's league slump. Still only 19, Potts featured in two draws and three defeats, with newly-appointed Richie Barker's men in 19th spot, two points clear of the drop zone. Potts was left out of the squad that lost 2-0 at Bristol Rovers on Saturday and will now team up with the Hammers once more for the festive period. Elsewhere, Jordan Spence continues to impress for League One Milton Keynes Dons, who romped to a 3-0 home win over Port Vale. Spence played the full 90 minutes - his ninth start for the club - as the Dons wrapped up the points inside 32 minutes, courtesy of Stephen Gleeson, Ben Reeves and Patrick Bamford goals. The result sees Karl Robinson's side climb one spot to eleventh, having now recorded three successive wins and clean sheets in all competitions. Also in League One, Blair Turgott started as Colchester United triumphed 2-0 at Oldham Athletic. Turgott played 69 minutes before being replaced by Clinton Morrison, by which time the U's had already sealed the game thanks to Ellis Plummer's own goal and a Jabo Ibehre strike. Pelly Ruddock, meanwhile, is having a similarly successful stint with Skrill Conference Premier side Luton Town, who are unbeaten in nine in league and cup. The Hatters entertained Gateshead on Saturday, easing to a 4-2 home win and, in doing so, moved to within a point of league leaders Cambridge United. Twenty-year-old Ruddock started and completed the contest, as the Hatters hit four within the hour, before twice conceding in the latter stages.

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Demel looking ahead
WHUFC.com
Defender not dwelling on Old Trafford defeat as Arsenal visit looms
23.12.2013

Guy Demel says West Ham United have to put the defeat at Manchester United out of their minds now in order to bring festive cheer to fans in the London derby against Arsenal on Boxing Day. The defender was speaking after the 3-1 loss at Old Trafford and said while it was disappointing to lose following the Capital One Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur in mid-week, it was a case of now looking to the next match. "It is always disappointing to lose any game of football, maybe people didn't expect us to get anything there [Old Trafford] but we went there to try and see what we could do, so we are very disappointed at the result and that we didn't play as well as we would have wanted to. "But we have to pick ourselves up again and learn from what we did do right and what we didn't do right and focus on putting it towards a good performance and hopefully a point or more against Arsenal on Boxing Day."

Demel spent a year at the Gunners between 2000 and 2001, although he didn't make a first-team appearance for Arsene Wenger's team during that time, before his transfer to Borussia Dortmund, with whom he won the Bundesliga. He then moved on to Hamburg before arriving at West Ham in August 2011.
He says that it will be tough but the Hammers have to make the fact they are at home a key element in trying to get a result. "We all know Arsenal is a great side and a force this season, but we are at home, it is a London derby and you know, if we can get our performance right, take our chances that we create and keep it tight at the back, and then we always give ourselves a chance. "Our last two games at home have been a win and a draw, with two clean sheets also in those matches, so we want to keep that going and hopefully send our fans home happy on a Boxing Day match, these games are special. We know that if they see us trying to do what we can to get the result, they will be behind us, so we have to go into the match to do our best."

He added: "It is not easy, we are having tough times this season but we must just stay strong to change our position in the league as we need points and have to keep working hard to do this."

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West Ham's James Tomkins charged with police assault
BBC.co.uk

A Premier League footballer has been charged with assaulting a police officer over an incident at an Essex night club popular with celebrities. West Ham player James Tomkins, 24, was refused entry at the Sugar Hut Village in Brentwood early on Sunday and security staff called police. Mr Tomkins was taken into custody and charged with assault, resisting arrest and being drunk and disorderly. He will appear at Basildon Magistrates' Court on 9 January, police said.
Earlier in the day he had played against Manchester United at Old Trafford. A police spokesman said: "Officers were called by security staff from the Sugar Hut Village shortly before 00:30 GMT on Sunday following reports of a disturbance." He added that Mr Tomkins, from Brentwood, was later charged with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place. The defender was released on police bail until his court appearance.

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Three managers in a year? I did it in a month!
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd December 2013
By: Staff Writer

Danny Potts has returned to West Ham United following an eventful five-week stint on loan at League Two Portsmouth. The 19-year-old full back featured on five occasions for the 2008 FA Cup winners during his brief spell on the South coast without managing to finish on the winning side. And bizarrely, he worked under three different managers during that brief 35-day period.

Guy Whittingham brought Potts to Portsmouth on November 20th but was fired just seven days later. Andy Awford was subsequently placed in caretaker charge before Richie Barker became the Club's latest permanent manager on December 9th - a role in which he is being assisted by Steve Coppell.

Despite the turmoil surrounding the south coast club and failing to be included in Portsmouth's squad for last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Bristol Rovers, despite being eligible to play, Potts has not ruled out a return in the future should the opportunity arise.

"At this stage of my career I want to play games, no matter where it is," he told local press. "I want to play first-team games and I've enjoyed every minute of that here.It has been a great opportunity and a great experience.

"First-team football is a must at my age now so it was definitely the right time for me to get out playing games. It has definitely benefited me being here [as] there's nothing like playing in front of a big crowd."

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LOFT say no to OS
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd December 2013
By: Staff Writer

Supporters of Leyton Orient have once again reiterated their stance not to support a potential move to the Olympic Stadium.

Earlier this week Orient owner Barry Hearn was told by the London Legacy Development Corporation that he may yet be able to share the Olympic Stadium with West Ham United if agreement could be reached with the as-yet-unknown company who will be operating the stadium.

However the Leyton Orient Fans' Trust revealed today that they would not support any move from Brisbane Road until such time as supporters had been given full consultation over the proposed switch.

"Regardless of who O's chairman Barry Hearn is potentially able to strike a deal with to rent the Olympic Stadium for some or all of Orient's home matches, our stance remains it has been all along and as reiterated several months ago," read a statement posted on the Trust's website.

"Simply put, we cannot support any move to the Olympic Stadium for Leyton Orient until supporters have been properly consulted and the implications (both financial and match day experience) have been made clear.

"There is much to celebrate and build on of our uniqueness as football club, and to differentiate us from our probable even-nearer neighbour. Any move away from Brisbane Road has to be proven to be better for the club than staying put and fighting our corner of east London."

Hearn's prospects of winning his battle to shoehorn Orient into the Olympic Stadium improved dramatically last Wednesday following a meeting between himself and the LLDC.

Whilst he was told that West Ham's tenancy was not at stake, Hearn was informed that he would be free to negotiate a deal with the stadium's future operators. That contradicts Karren Brady's previous assertion that West Ham would have sole use of the stadium during the football season.

"West Ham won't want to hear this but the news that came down is they [the LLDC] have no problem with me renting the Olympic Stadium and playing my fixtures there," he told the Telegraph. "It's only a question of what rental I agree with the new operators. That's a major breakthrough for me.

"They [the operators] will realise that there is nothing else to go in there during the football season. If they ask me for £1 million per game I'm not going to move in but, when push comes to shove, to recoup fixed costs – even partial fixed costs – it is better than having an empty stadium as far as the taxpayer is concerned.

"If they quote me something ridiculous, I will hang them out to dry, in terms of, 'This is a community club and you're trying to take liberties."

Both LiveNation and AEG are understood to be preparing bids to win the right to manage the Stratford-based stadium when not in use by West Ham United FC.

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Shop out of stock - four weeks before Christmas
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd December 2013
By: Staff Writer

There was major disappointment for many young Hammers fans this year after West Ham's online store ran out of stock of junior-sized replica home shorts - at the start of December.

Many supporters were disappointed to discover that they wouldn't be able to purchase the replica kit via the Club's online store due to a stock shortage - whilst those who contacted the club to ask when new stock would be arriving were told "not before Christmas".

That was a huge disappointment to Tony Close, for one, who was hoping to get a full home kit for his seven-year-old son. However there was further disappointment to follow for Tony - who hails from County Antrim, Northern Ireland - when he was advised to visit a Club shop instead, the nearest of which (at Lakeside) is approximately 500 miles away!

"My reply to them after I got that email was 'are you able to buy online from either of these stores as it might be a bit costly to travel from Northern Ireland to buy them in person there'! But nobody replied. I also tweeted David Gold twice about it, but no reply.

"Its madness if you ask me; how can they not have items in stock online at this time of year? I'm sure I'm not the only fan in this predicament. What exactly am I meant to do, get my son the away shorts? Tell him Santa's made a mistake? I don't think that works for a 7-year-old."

Having registered a complaint to the Club, Mr Close placed a new order for away shorts and socks, both of which were available. However he was to be disappointed once again when he opened the parcel to find an away shirt instead of the shorts he had ordered.

Upon contacting the Club once again Mr Close was advised to keep the shirt as a measure of goodwill and informed that the postage and packaging charges applied to his second order would be reimbursed. The shorts ordered by Mr Close were also resent.

Fortunately a number of kind-hearted fellow supporters have since offered to pop into one of the Club's store's in order to collect the home shorts for Tony's son.

However the whole episode has left him with a bitter taste in his mouth. "It's amazing how helpful everyone has been and it's very much appreciated, "he told KUMB. "But this entire matter has caused undue stress and annoyance."

West Ham, who refuse to sell Club merchandise outside of their own retail outlets blamed "exceptional response" for being out of stock during the busiest month of the year.

"Despite increasing our order with our kit supplier higher than any other previous season, due to the exceptional response from fans with our new partnership with Adidas we have for the 2013/14 season sold out of home shorts," said the Club.

"For any inconvenience this causes we would like to apologise but would like to suggest as we advise all fans and make clear in our marketing communications at the start of the season to buy early to avoid missing out.

"This product is even more popular during the summer months as we find our fans shop for their Summer holidays so by the cold months of December and with early Christmas shopping patterns it would explain why these are sold out."

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Tomkins arrested over nightclub fracas
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 23rd December 2013
By: Staff Writer

James Tomkins has become the latest Hammer to fall foul of the long arm of the law after he was arrested outside a Brentwood nightclub in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The 24-year-old central defender was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer following a disturbance at the Sugar Hut nightclub a matter of hours after a West Ham squad - including Tomkins - had been beaten 3-1 at Manchester United.

Eye witness reports claim that the defender - who was at the club with two fellow team mates - became involved in a fracas with doormen just after midnight on Sunday morning. The altercation is thought to have begun after Tomkins was refused entry to the club.

Police were eventually called by club security and Tomkins - who had been spotted in Shenfield earlier in the evening where he had happily posed for photos with Hammers fans at the Lot 75 wine bar - was subsequently arrested before being later charged with assaulting a police officer.

Essex Police confirmed that an arrest had been made, stating: "Officers arrived and arrested James Tomkins before later charging him with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place."

Tomkins was released on bail this following morning and ordered to appear at Basildon Magistrates' Court - his town of birth - on January 9.

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West Ham's James Collins criticises Adnan Januzaj for diving
Last Updated: 23/12/13 8:11pm
SSN

West Ham United defender James Collins has criticised Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj for diving during their game at Old Trafford on Saturday. Januzaj was booked for simulation during West Ham's 3-1 defeat but Collins has said the 18-year-old will learn from his mistakes. "It's cheating basically," Collins told Weekend Warm-Up on Sky Sports News. "I don't like to see it in the game. He probably thinks I am going to stick my leg out and he's probably already thinking about going over. "Obviously he's taken a dive. He's a young lad, a great player, I'm sure he will learn. David Moyes seems to have this conversation quite a lot at his club with Ashley Young. It happens in football. He (Januzaj) is a great player and played very well at the weekend. He's learning the game and if he carries on playing the way he is, he is going to be a top-drawer player."

Manchester United manager David Moyes revealed he would speak to Januzaj after the teenager's latest eye-catching performance. "I saw it, but I believe he thought he was going to be chopped down." said Moyes. "He's been getting kicked upside down for weeks but we'll be making sure (diving) doesn't creep into his play."

West Ham are 17th in the Premier League and club captain Kevin Nolan cancelled the players' Christmas party because of a poor run of form. "We don't deserve one really," said Collins. "If we are doing well, it's nice to go out as a team and celebrate. But we haven't been performing. The captain decided it wasn't appropriate for us to be out partying. I think it was the right idea."

West Ham are into the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup but have only won one of their last ten Premier League games. "The confidence has obviously taken a hit after doing so well last year," said Collins. "We knew it would be a tough season. We're not scoring as many goals as we would like to. We have eight clean sheets but we are just not scoring enough. Everyone needs to be chipping in and that's a major factor as to why we are down near the bottom of the league."

Collins has said Sam Allardyce's experience will prove invaluable as West Ham prepare to face Arsenal and West Bromwich Albion at Upton Park over the festive period. "He's been in the game a long time. He has a terrific record in these situations with previous clubs. He knows what he is doing and tactically he is spot on and his preparations are spot on. "We would obviously like to be on more points going into the Christmas period with some tough games. We have played quite well in games where we have deserved to get points."

West Ham striker Andy Carroll will continue his rehabilitation after a repeated foot injury has ruled him out of the season so far. "He's been great," said Collins. "He's had a tough time. He's been out longer than we all anticipated. He's been working ever so hard. You can see it every day, he's in the gym. It looks like he has turned the corner and he will be back soon."

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Potts departs Pompey
Last Updated: 23/12/13 1:03pm
SSN

Dan Potts is back at West Ham after concluding his loan spell with League Two club Portsmouth. The 19-year-old left-back made five appearances for Pompey after moving to Fratton Park last month. But he did not appear in Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Bristol Rovers as new boss Richie Barker wanted to look at how Marcos Painter performed at the back. Barker explained: "Potts is going back and I had to make a decision on people who were going to be here this week."

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West Ham defender James Tomkins charged over police officer assault
Last Updated: 23/12/13 8:51am
SSN

West Ham defender James Tomkins has been bailed after being charged with assaulting a police officer outside a nightclub. A statement from Essex Police read: "A man is due to appear in court next month (January) after he was charged with assaulting a police officer outside a nightclub in Brentwood. "Police had been contacted by security staff from Brentwood's Sugar Hut Village shortly before 12:30am on Sunday, December 22 following reports of a disturbance.
"Officers arrived and arrested James Tomkins before later charging him with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place."

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Asamoah Gyan linked with West Ham loan move
Last Updated: 23/12/13 11:31pm
SSN

Sources close to Asamoah Gyan have told Sky Sports News that West Ham have made an approach to take the striker on loan. Gyan who made 34 appearances for Sunderland, scoring 10 goals, is currently playing in the United Arab Emirates for Al Ain. West Ham have made no comment on claims they want to sign Gyan on a six-month loan deal in January. Gyan, 28, has made 76 appearances for Ghana and had spells in Europe with Udinese, Modena and Rennes prior to joining Sunderland.

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WEST HAM MAKE AN 'APPROACH' FOR ASAMOAH GYAN!
By S J Chandos 24 Dec 2013 at 00:22
West Ham Till I Die

Sky Sports News (SSN) have reported that West Ham have made an 'approach' to sign Asamoah Gyan on a six month loan. Gyan has previously starred for Udinese, Modena and Rennes. He also made 34 Premier League appreances for Sunderland, scoring 10 goals. The 28 year old Ghanian international is currently playing for United Arab Emirates club, Al Ain. It would appear that Gyan is a step up in class from some of the strikers recently linked with us. Is this a good potential loan move? Or is it more likely to be the product of an agent taking West Ham's name in vain to generate interest in his client?

SJ. Chandos.

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West Ham 'have offered Asamoah Gyan a £100,000 a week loan deal'
Dec 24, 2013 02:09 By Chris Richards 0 Comments
The Mirror

Hammers boss Sam Allardyce reportedly wants to bring in the Ghana striker, 28, for six months until the end of the season

West Ham have reportedly offered striker Asamoah Gyan a deal worth £100,000 a week to help keep them up. According to The Sun, Hammers boss Sam Allardyce wants the Ghanaian, 28, on a six month loan from United Arab Emirates club Al Ain. He is wanted as cover for the injured £19 million hitman Andy Carroll. Ex-Sunderland forward Gyan scored 10 goals in 34 games in his two seasons on Wearside. West Ham currently lie 17th in the Premier League.

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West Ham and Newcastle after Schmeichel

It was today been reported by The Daily Telegraph that Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel is being tracked by Premier League duo West Ham United and Newcastle United. The West Ham United and Newcastle United targets contract runs out at the end of the season, meaning if Schmeichel was keen to leave Leicester the club may be forced to sell for a cut price fee. This is not the first time Premier League clubs have been linked with Schmeichel, and last season European giants Real Madrid were also said to be looking at the former Manchester City man. If the Foxes were to continue their impressive start to the season and achieve promotion to the Premier League it would be expected that Schmeichel would stay with the club.

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