Daily WHUFC News - 2nd October 2014

Burke pens first pro deal
WHUFC.com
Young Hammer Reece Burke commits his future to the Club until 2017
01.10.2014

West Ham United are delighted to announce that highly-rated Academy graduate
Reece Burke has signed his first professional contract with the Club.
18-year-old defender Burke has already made his mark at senior level,
featuring twice for the first team, and has now put pen-to-paper on a deal
which will keep him at the Boleyn Ground until 2017. It caps a rapid rise to
prominence for the Newham-born player, who joined the Hammers at the age of
nine and made his first team debut in the FA Cup at Nottingham Forest last
season whilst still a first-year scholar. Despite tasting defeat that day,
he continued to make steady progress last term and enjoyed a fine
pre-season, which included trips to New Zealand and the Schalke Cup, and a
first Boleyn Ground goal in the 3-2 victory over UC Sampdoria. He then
started at senior level for the first time as the Hammers took on Sheffield
United in the Capital One Cup and he has continued to form a regular part of
Sam Allardyce's squad. He exclusively told West Ham TV: "It's a great
achievement for me. My first professional contract for the Club and to sign
for a great Club like this is really good. "I started off pre-season away
with the first team and obviously did quite well there, came back, scored my
first debut goal and have just carried on from there. I'm doing well, and
I'm just glad it's come to this."

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The Big Interview - Carlton Cole
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is eyeing success in Sunday's London derby against Queens Park
Rangers
30.09.2014

Carlton Cole returned to Barclays Premier League action last Saturday,
coming off the bench as West Ham United battled to come back from 2-1 down
at Manchester United. Their quest was ultimately unsuccessful, but Cole was
pleased to play his part in an effort which he felt should have been better
rewarded. Now, as attentions turn to Sunday's visit of Queens Park Rangers
to the Boleyn Ground, the No24 is keen to build on a positive start to the
campaign

Carlton, it was team photo day on Tuesday and an opportunity for some banter
with the lads...

CC: "Yeah. I turned up a little late because I was doing my make up and i
didn't realise everyone had gone out already! So I got a little round of
applause and a slap on the hand from the gaffer, but all good though. It's
all fun and games - I wasn't in last year's photo because I hadn't signed
for the Club at that stage, so it's good to be back and in the mix with the
boys."

Good to be back playing again last weekend too. You came on at Manchester
United for the last half-hour, how nice was it to be involved even though
the result didn't go our way?

CC: "I didn't play for the last two games prior to that, so it was nice to
get a run out. But I want to get the result and I felt we scored a perfectly
good goal, but they said Kevin's head was offside. I've had to tell him to
keep his head onside! At the end of the day we shouldn't have been in that
position at the start of the game, we gifted them some goals and had to claw
our way back in. It was a good effort all round, but we want to be winning
those sort of games."

Even allowing for the extra man, have you ever had such a dominant half away
at Manchester United?

CC: "We were knocking at the door. I scored up there last year and would
loved to have scored again this year but it didn't work out that way. McNair
took one off my foot when Jenkinson put a great ball in for me to score, but
he made a great clearance. I thought that was my little bit of glory there,
but McNair did well being a young boy. He was under immense pressure, at
least for the last half-an-hour, 40 minutes. They didn't crack and the
result didn't go our way in the end."

Do the last two performances show how far this team has come in a short
space of time?

CC: "Yes, I think we're playing some exciting football. The manager has got
the team playing the way he wants to play, and our squad is a bit younger
than it has been for the last few years. I'm one of the eldest now, going on
31. and that shows you the momentum of the team.
We've got exciting young players who all want to do well and that's what you
need in a squad."

When you see the likes of Diafra and Enner come in, does that push you on
even further?

CC: "Of course. Since I've been here I've played with a host of strikers and
when you've got young, exciting players coming through you want to prove you
can play with them as well. It's good that they've started off their West
Ham careers so well and it's only positive for the team. There's a challenge
for the places up there, which means everyone knows they need to be on their
toes to stay in the squad."

QPR next. They've got the likes of Rob Green and Bobby Zamora there, are you
looking forward to coming up against them on Sunday?

CC: "Yes, of course. It's nice to see old faces. Bobby and Rob are over
there, and I know a few more of their players too, being a London lad. It's
going to be a good challenge, and hopefully we can get back to winning ways,
at home with the crowd behind us. They want to see good football and they
want to see us win the game - that's what we're going to be setting out to
do."

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Mediawatch - 1 October
WHUFC.com
Our daily look at West Ham United in the news
01.10.2014

In the Evening Standard, SIr Trevor Brooking says he is optimistic at West
Ham United's prospects this season and excited by the opportunities the
Olympic Stadium has to offer.

Diego Poyet reflects on an impressive start to his Hammers career in the
Newham Recorder, after making his first Barclays Premier League start at
Manchester United on Saturday.

Hammers youngster Matthias Fanimo tells the Liverpool Echo he is up for the
fight of proving himself with loan club Tranmere Rovers.
Meanwhile, talkSPORT carry quotes originally from whufc.com's interview with
Matt Jarvis, where he says he is ready to return after a
thigh injury.

The views on this page are taken from the local and national media and do
not necessarily reflect the views of West Ham United

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I'M A REFEREE - GET ME HELP OUT HERE!
By HamburgHammer 1 Oct 2014 at 17:00
West Ham till I Die

Nolan's goal against Man U that wasn't given. A red card against Carlton
Cole that had to be rescinded later. Penalties being given with TV replays
clearly showing it was a dive that would make Tom Daley envious. Let's get
it out of the way early: Referees don't have an easy job and it is also an
incredibly thankless task. People just expect them to get every decision
right. Which simply isn't possible. With so much going on during games with
22 players on the pitch and the pace of the game it is impossible for the
referee to be in a perfect position at all times to judge incidents. Also
opposing players, managers and fans will obviously disagree if a certain
incident has been dealt with correctly by the referee.

I keep hearing this one argument whenever technical support for referees is
being discussed: We apparently need controversial decisions in the game to
keep the post match discussions going, in the pub, from the pundits in the
TV studios, in newspaper articles and so forth.But then I keep thinking with
the money involved in the game these days there is too much at stake to get
things wrong from the refereeing side of things. A legitimate penalty not
given at a crucial point in the game ? Points lost, manager gone after a bad
run of results. A player staying on the pitch despite lashing out at his
opponent because referee and linesmen didn't spot it ? More points lost,
crucial points that could ultimately decide about European football or not.
Staying in the Premier League or going down.
Managers' and players' career on the line, jobs at clubs, ultimately even
the very existence of certain clubs.

Referees will never get every single decision right, even with technical
support. It's called the human factor. Different referees have a different
way of running things, some are quick to brandish yellow and red cards,
others love to let the game run along without having too many stoppages. But
with so much at stake they should get the big decisions right. Penalty
decisions, goals flagged off for offside when in fact the attacker was level
with the defender, red card incidents. And there is a way to get at least
most of the big decisions right: By introducing challenges by the respective
managers that trigger the use of instant replays to support the refereeing
crew with a decision.

It happens in American Sports like NFL Football, NHL Ice Hockey and since
the beginning of this season in MLB Baseball too. It's dead easy: The
manager throws his flag, the referees come together, the decision is then
either being re-evaluated by the referee himself or a panel sitting in New
York or Toronto to have a look at the replays of the incident.

In a matter of a minute, sometimes just seconds, the decision arrives:
Ruling on the field upheld or changed. One can discuss of course how many
challenges might be ideal to eradicate most refereeing mistakes, but at the
same time won't slow down the game too much. The latter usually isn't a
problem as there are delays anyway.

While the players swarm around the referee to present their case the TV
company fires away with instant replays showing the incident from three or
four different perspectives and at different speeds. During these
shenanigans it would be easy for a fourth or fifth official to review the
incident in ample time and then either go with the decision on the pitch or
overrule it. That doesn't undermine the authority of the referee, it merely
helps him to get crucial decisions right and eventually takes pressure off
him.

All too often you hear referees claiming after a game they would have
decided differently if they had been in a position to see the instant replay
during the game. So I'd like to see that technical support arriving in
football soon. Of course it won't be an easy ride. Football purists won't
like the change. It was the same when MLB introduced the challenge procedure
this season in Baseball: Commentators were sceptical at first bit after just
one season everybody involved in the game is happy: Managers, players,
umpires (as they are called in Baseball). It simply takes away the most
glaring wrong decisions from the equation.

Games are now rarely lost because of a wrong call by an official – and we
all know how a bad refereeing decision can sometimes turn the momentum for a
team or even derail an entire season. One final note to the football
purists: Even with one challenge allowed per half for each manager there
will still be enough (controversial) things left to discuss after the game.
Also football has always evolved with new rules being introduced, making the
game better to watch. More substitute players being allowed, changing of the
backpass rule, introduction of goalline technology, the notorious vanishing
spray. It all takes a bit of getting used to. After a while though we ask
ourselves how on earth we actually used to watch football without it for all
those years.

After a game I'd rather like to talk about a brilliant goal or piece of
skill than the bloody referee cheating us out of the game by not giving one
of our goals, sending off one of our players for alleged handball that
wasn't or by gifting a dodgy penalty to the opposition. Let's get more
decisions right on the pitch. Let's give the referees some much needed
technical support and help. Because it's not an easy job you know…

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THE FARCE THAT IS THE WEST HAM UNITED TICKET OFFICE
By Dan Coker 1 Oct 2014 at 13:00
West Ham Till I Die

The Ticket Office at West Ham United has made two monumental blunders in the
space of a matter of days. The first affected nearly 150 travelling
supporters who headed for Old Trafford last Saturday, while the latest error
is glaring and affects season-ticket holders who intend to apply for
Priority Post tickets for the Stoke away game.

Before I continue, let me inform you of my own personal issues with the
Ticket Office over the last ten months. The first error was made in the
summer of 2013 when the Ticket Office decided to re-allocate my season
ticket seat which I had held for the previous eight seasons, since 2005. My
main concern with this re-allocation was that I was not consulted regarding
the move at any point. The only way I found out was because my dad tried to
book the seat next to me for the opening game of last season against
Cardiff, only to find that my seat was available for sale also! I telephoned
the Ticket Office and the situation was resolved satisfactorily and I was
moved back to my original seat. The lack of communication over the intended
change of seat was unacceptable though – I should not have had to find out
that the Ticket Office was looking to change my seat through my seat being
available for sale.

The second and third errors came with Season Ticket Holder Priority Point
Applications for away tickets to Norwich and Liverpool. Both of these
applications clearly carried a request for coach travel but coach tickets
were not issued. With no coach ticket for Norwich arriving 48 hours before
the game, I contacted the Ticket Office and they confirmed a coach ticket
had been requested on my form, but had not been allocated by their staff.
This situation was replicated days later for my Liverpool application – I
had requested a coach ticket but, again, this had been overlooked.

The fourth error occurred in the aftermath of this telephone conversation in
attempting to sort out my travel to Norwich and Liverpool. The travel was
confirmed and I was charged accordingly. Upon checking my email, however,
the travel was again confirmed but at a price for
non-members/season-ticket-holders for both games resulting in me being
over-charged and having to contact the ticket office on their premium rate
number again to get the extra money refunded.

I complained and, to be fair to the club, they offered me a complimentary
ticket for the next home Cup match – I guess it wasn't the club's fault that
this turned out to be the ill-fated semi-final second leg of the Capital One
Cup against Manchester City! Their gesture was appreciated nonetheless.

But then the errors made with the coach travel for Norwich and Liverpool
were replicated for the Man Utd away game last week. I failed to see why I
should have to phone the club, regularly and on a premium rate number, to
chase errors, especially when I had already flagged these errors up to the
club. An apology was offered, but that was only the beginning of the
dissatisfaction regarding the trip to Old Trafford.

Regular coach travellers with West Ham will be aware that trips to
Manchester and Liverpool depart at 8am for a 3pm kick-off. The club made the
decision that the coach for Old Trafford would depart at 9am, an hour later
than usual. Unsurprisingly, this led to the coaches arriving at Manchester
United at 2.57pm, seeing 150 Hammers fans having to run straight into the
ground with no opportunity to savour the pre-match atmosphere, the stadium
in general or to enjoy a pre-match pint or pie. More importantly, we weren't
there to help counter the 70,000-odd Man Utd fans and offer our support to
the players during the warm-up and when the teams came out for kick-off.

On the way to the ground, the coaches stopped for their usual 30-minute stop
at a services on the M6. We left Corley Services, near Coventry, at 12.10.
Even with perfect traffic, this would have seen us arrive at the ground at
2.30 – tensions continued to rise on the coach as kick-off time approached
and we were still miles from the ground. The drivers informed us that six
hours should be allowed for a journey to Manchester and that the club had
made a grave error in timing. I know from my own trips to Manchester that,
considering potential difficulties on the M1 and M6, the exact time
suggested by the drivers should be allowed, not the four hours (including
stops) that the club had allowed to get us there by 2pm.

Some will say "at least you were there for kick-off". That's fair enough,
but when you pay £34 for a coach ticket (vastly over-priced according to the
drivers themselves, which was very interesting in itself) and £47.50 for a
match ticket, you expect an away day experience, not just the football.

And now for the Stoke error. The club revealed late on Tuesday 30th
September that Priority Post applications for the Stoke game must be
received by 5pm on Wednesday 1st October. This is, literally, impossible for
fans to post applications and ensure they get to the ground on time. What
are they thinking?!

West Ham United have, in my perhaps biased opinion, the greatest away fans
in the country. I myself attend the vast majority of away games and find
these increasingly regular errors unacceptable for a supposedly
upwardly-mobile Premier League outfit. I have complained to the club but the
events of this week have led me to write this post in the hope that
experiences such as Manchester United and the Stoke application process do
not happen again. The Claret and Blue Army deserve much better…

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WINSTON REID: LEADER OR LOSER?
By Sean Whetstone 1 Oct 2014 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die

According to various media reports this week Manchester United are tracking
Winston Reid with a possible bid in the January transfer window. We all know
that Reid has remained silent after an offer of a new 5 year said to be
worth £60,000 per week and the Chairman seem to be ready to insist it is
take it or leave it time in January for the defender.

The New Zealand international captain is out of contract in the summer and
Manchester United know they could land him either on the cheap in January or
for free in nine-months time. Unless Reid signs a new contract before
January his value will plummet and we would be lucky to pick up £2m for him.
Even if he was sold in January Reid would have to agree personal terms and
if he digs in his feet and stays the final six months he stands to get a
massive multi million signing on bonus and a better weekly package than he
would get if he was sold.

But we have seen this all before, Momo Diame thought he was much better than
West Ham and saw himself at a top six club but no-one came in for him until
Hull City signed him for the minimum £3.5m release clause. Despite reported
continued interest from Arsenal in the summer I understand not a single
inquiry or bid has made for Reid since his arrival.

Before the Liverpool and Manchester games Reid's form appeared to be dipping
from last season and some fans were questioning his commitment suggesting he
had mind on a big move in the winter.

At Old Trafford I saw a different side to Winston this season and got a
glimpse of his leadership skills. He gave Sakho a right earful after he
picked up a yellow card for bringing down Rafael and remained vocal at other
times while it was difficult to see what stand in captain Alex Song
contributed in terms of leadership as skipper. So the question if Nolan or
Noble are unavailable thought injury has they were last weekend who should
captain the Hammers? Season long loanee Alex Song? Refusing to sign a new
contract Winston Reid or someone else?

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orget Manchester United and Liverpool clashes, West Ham's resolve will be
tested more by QPR's visit
Oct 01, 2014 10:25
OPINION BY STEVESTAMMERS
Sam Allardyce's men were impressive again at Old Trafford last weekend but
fixtures they should be winning, like Sunday's, have often proved their
Achilles heel
The Mirror

The players at West Ham may need some convincing but the match at Upton Park
on Sunday will be a more severe test of their resolve than the one at Old
Trafford last Saturday. Manchester United away has never been a fruitful
excursion over the years. None of the travelling support and very few of the
neutrals expected anything but a United win. True, if Kevin Nolan's effort
had not been ruled offside it would have brought a four point haul inside
six days but three points from matches with Liverpool and United is
acceptable. Now come Queens Park Rangers at home - and kind of encounter
that has been the Achilles heel for West Ham over the years. Rangers are, to
put it mildly, having trouble adapting to life back in the Premier League. A
win and a draw from six matches does not make comfortable reading. By
contrast, West Ham have responded well to each setback. The home defeat by
Tottenham was followed by an impressive win at Crystal Palace but then came
a dismal performance against Southampton. However, a draw at Hull and a
comprehensive win against Liverpool rekindled optimism.

The setback last Saturday came as no shock but West Ham were not
embarrassed. Rangers should be a win waiting to happen. But it doesn't work
like that at Upton Park. Games West Ham should win are often lost. The
atmosphere will be different, a contrast to that against Liverpool. Then it
was vibrant, close to hostile and the players reacted accordingly. Now they
must start over. The expectation level will be high - just as it was against
Southampton. West Ham flopped that day and they cannot afford a repeat
against a team which, on recent form, they should record a win.

Manager Sam Allardyce accused his players of talking the talk but unable to
translate that bravado into meaningful action. There dare not be a repeat on
Sunday or the antipathy towards Allardyce could again manifest itself. But
there has been a significant change in the shape of the team since the
Southampton debacle and it has involved Stewart Downing. At Hull, he was
given a free role and it has given the 30-year-old a responsibility on which
he has thrived. Too often Downing's ability that earned him 34 caps has been
shown only sporadically in his natural role as a wide player. Forty-five
impressive minutes have been followed too often by a spell of isolation as
West Ham have struggled to give him enough meaningful possession.

Now he has been given licence to roam and he is making a consistent impact.
Rangers will struggle to pin him down and with Diafra Sakho emerging as real
menace and Enner Valencia looking more and more at home, there is a golden
opportunity for a win that will take West Ham into mid-table comfort. But
then again - West Ham felt the same before they played Southampton. It is up
to the players - not Allardyce - to show they have got what it takes.

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Reece Burke signs first pro contract at West Ham United
Thefa.com
By Gary Stonehouse
Staff Writer
01 Oct 2014

England U18 international Reece Burke has signed his first professional
contract with West Ham United. The highly-rated academy graduate has already
featured twice in Sam Allardyce's first-team, and his breakthrough into the
senior squad has been rewarded with a three-year deal at the Boleyn Ground.
The 18-year-old, who joined the Hammers aged nine, made his debut back in
January during an FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest whilst still a
first-year scholar. His bow coincided with a run in Neil Dewsnip's U18 side
last season, winning the first of his five caps last October as the Young
Lions thumped Hungary 4-0. His last appearance came in April as he helped
his country to a 2-1 win over Germany. Burke has continued his progress
since, and he enjoyed an impressive pre-season, which included trips to New
Zealand and Germany with the first-team, and a first goal in the 3-2 victory
over Sampdoria. His first competitive start for the seniors then followed as
Allardyce picked him for the visit of Sheffield United in the League Cup
first round. "It's a great achievement for me," Burke told West Ham TV. "My
first professional contract for the club and to sign for a great club like
this is really good.
"I started off pre-season away with the first team and obviously did quite
well there, came back, scored my debut goal and have just carried on from
there. I'm doing well, and I'm just glad it's come to this."

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Daughter thanks West Ham fan after dad's collapse
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

The family of a Manchester United fan who suffered a heart attack during a
match at Old Trafford last Saturday have thanked paramedics and a West Ham
fan who stayed with his disabled son. Carl Doran, 42, was sitting with his
son, also called Carl, when he suddenly collapsed in front 2,500 Hammers
away fans in the away end during Saturday's evening match with Manchester
United. Carl is a full-time carer for Carl Jnr, 25, who has Cerebral Palsy
and the pair attend every Manchester United home match together. Dad-of-six
Carl had to be resuscitated with CPR twice, once in the ground and again in
the ambulance, after his heart stopped beating following cardiac arrest
minutes into the game. He was rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary where he
remains seriously ill in intensive care with his family at his bedside. Carl
has now been placed into an induced coma and his daughter Katrina said they
were anxiously waiting for news from his doctors on his condition However
she said they were hopeful he would make a full recovery saying "We're
hoping and praying he will pull through. He's a very strong man so I know he
will." An unnamed female West Ham fan who witnessed the incident, joined Man
United club officials in waiting with Carl's son whilst he tended to by
emergency services. Katrina said the family were extremely grateful to the
caring Hammers supporter. She added: "A really nice lady waited with my
brother whilst they took my dad away and we just want to say thank you to
her for her care . "We want to thank the club as well and the ambulance
service who did everything they could. We're really grateful."

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New Irons get Redknapp thumbs up
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Harry Redknapp knows he faces a very tough 90 minutes at Upton Park on
Sunday but isn't the least surprised that the Irons are playing in a totally
different way this season. The Queens Park Rangers boss and former Upton
Park chief brings his team to the Boleyn knowing he will be facing a top
team playing total football. Speaking exclusively to ClaretandHugh he said:
"There's pace, movement and a real goal threat with the two new boys up
front. Some may have been surprised by Sam's new approach but he now has the
players to play that way.
"The idea that he could only play one way was always a bit daft. He will
play with what he's got and at times that's meant a no frills approach. But
the club has bought well this summer – Song's a top player and the boys up
front look to be a really decent pair but I also like Aaron Cresswell who
looks a good player. "We will be tested. It's a tough game for us and we
will need to be at our very best. They are a different team this season for
sure."

Redknapp admitted he has question marks over Sandro, Joey Barton and Jordon
Mutch saying: "It will be Friday before we know where we are with them."
Redknapp doesn't see the trip to the Boleyn as anything more than "just
another game " these days despite the mixed response he usually gets from
the fans. He said: "My only focus is the game and the points. Let's just
concentrate on the now – that's usually the best way!"

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The return of Greeno
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Former Hammers keeper will return to the Boleyn Ground pitch for the first
time since leaving the club in June 2012 after failing to agree to sign a
new contract. The last time the two sides met in January 2013, Green stayed
firmly on the subs bench as Julio Cesar was preferred as first choice keeper
for QPR at that time. The previous match at Lotus Road in November 2012 he
was also an unused substitute when goals from Jarvis and Vaz Te helped the
Hammers to a 2-1 away win. On that evening Robert Green came in for lots of
banter from Hammers fans about England's number six sitting on the bench
collecting splinters. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since
those games and I am hoping Greeno gets a great reception from West Ham fans
on Sunday. He used to have a great relationship with the West Ham crowd,
particularly the Sir Trevor Brooking Lower and I believe they are ready to
forgive and forget and welcome him back as they do other many other Hammers
who served their club well over the years. The 6ft 3in keeper who won 12
England senior caps, started his career at Norwich before joining West Ham
in 2006 for £2m where he went on to make 241 appearances for the Hammers
over six years.

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Drop Tomkins? No, he's been punished enough
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

ClaretandHugh can confirm reports that James Tomkins is very much in
everybody's bad books at the club and will pay a heavy price for his night
of shame! National newspaper reports claiming he will be be hit with a club
fine on top of his court fine after being found guilty of assaulting a cop
are spot on. The club will also ensure he does a stint coaching
underprivileged kids. However, there is also a suggestion the central
defender will be punished for a third time by being dropped for the weekend
match against Queens Park Rangers.
That would surely be a bit over-the-top wouldn't it?
ClaretandHugh cetainly holds no brief (if you will excuse the pun) for
Tomkins in this matter. But we believe that punishing the guy at every
opportunity is not the correct way to deal with things and the court and
club fines plus a bit of community work is sufficient. Confirming the story
in today's press we were told by a top club insider: "It's correct – there's
no exaggeration at all. "We believe it's fair and entirely true to say that
everybody involved with the club has been let down by these activities."

No one can disagree with that but there comes a point where enough is enough
and we believe it's been reached. At a pragmatic level, dropping the central
defender would possibly be counter-productive as he has played a part in the
club's decent early form. At a 'justice level' he has been punished enough
in our view and it's now time to move on. Tomkins, 25, was fined £3,500 by
magistrates on Monday after admitting assaulting a police officer,
obstructing a constable while being drunk and disorderly at the Sugar Hut
nightclub in Essex.

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Redknapp: 'Noble's a Hammers lifer'
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on October 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

Harry Redknapp has this evening paid tribute to Mark Noble declaring: "The
boy is claret and blue through and through - I don't believe he will ever
leave the club." Speaking to ClaretandHugh exclusively, Redknapp paid
tribute to the Canning Town-born Hammer and explained why no club had ever
made a serious move for him. Redknapp-managed Queens Park Rangers arrive at
Upton Park on Sunday with Noble facing a fitness race on his shin/calf
problem. But the former Hammers boss was keen to pay tribute to a player for
whom he says he has always had a great admiration. He said: "Mark is a
throwback to the days when club loyalty was everything and it's really
refreshing to see. "People have often wondered and asked why no club has
come in for such a good player but the answer is obvious, he's a Hammer to
his backbone. "I believe at one time I was told there was some interest from
Fulham but I just don't see it happening. "For me he's a top player. I have
a lot of admiration for him and his game. I can't ever see him moving on."

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The return of Rio
Posted by Sean Whetstone on October 1, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh

West Ham Academy Graduate Rio Ferdinand returns to the Boleyn Ground this
Sunday in what maybe one of his biggest tests since leaving the Hammers 14
years ago for £18 million. The former Hammer of year joined QPR over the
summer on a one year contract although he was regularly linked with West
Ham. Many though the club would be suited by a last hurrah but instead he
chose to finish his career with Harry. However, I understand West Ham were
never really that interested in him as they looked to build a younger squad.
With Diafra Sakho and strike partner Enner Valencia on fire he may face his
toughest battle yet against a West Ham team. At the grand old age of 35 we
know he is not the world class centre back he was but hopefully he won't
embarrass himself in front of his former club. That said, his loss will be
our gain and personally it difficult to see past a relegation dogfight for
QPR this season. Relegation from the Premier League would inevitable cause
the club financial ruin from Financial Fair Play fines in the Football
League.

Personally, I would sooner have seen Rio go out on a high and gracefully
retire after his glittering career at Manchester United.
He can't be short of a quid or two and can always fall back on TV
commentating while he decides on a possible future coaching career. Who
knows? One day he could a future as a West Ham manager, in the mean time I
won't wish him the best of luck on Sunday but I hope he gets a good
reception from the Hammers fans who once worshipped him.

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