Kev's looking forward to first day derby
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan says the visit of Tottenham Hotspur is the perfect way to begin the new campaign
30.06.2014
The countdown to the new 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season begins in earnest this week with the players' return to pre-season training and West Ham United skipper Kevin Nolan cannot wait for the action to commence, Nolan will begin his fourth season as a Hammer looking to improve on last term's 13th place finish and he need not look far for inspiration on the opening day. West Ham take on Tottenham Hotspur and after three derby victories over the north Londoners last term, Nolan has his eyes on more capital gains when the pair lock horns once more on 16 August. He explained: "The fixtures are out for the new season and they don't come much bigger for us than a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. "These matches against Spurs are ones I know many of our fans look out for first and so to get them on the first day and at home will have everyone excited I am sure, I know all the lads are looking forward to this game. "We did very well against them last season with three deserved victories and we will of course want that to continue, but we also know that they will be tough opposition with their players wanting to impress their new manager and everything, so we will need to be on our toes from the very start."
West Ham's summer transfer business to date has seen them bring in Argentine striker Mauro Zarate and Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate. Nolan is delighted to welcome them both to the squad and is looking forward to seeing more new additions this pre-season. He added: "The Gaffer and the Board are working hard to bring in additions to strengthen our squad and I would like to welcome both Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou Kouyate to our Club. I know there is and will be continuing work to bring in more to add to what we have here in the squad already and enable us to start as strongly as possible. "There is always a little buzz when the fixtures come out and our thoughts turn to returning and getting started again, meeting up for pre-season and our fans looking to get their tickets and seeing where and when we play each team. "We are looking forward to playing Spurs in front of a packed Boleyn Ground for the first match back and will be doing all we can to make sure we kick-off the season in the way we want to, with a good result."
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West Ham to start pre-season in France
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are off to France next week for the first stage of pre-season. Sam Allardyce is preparing to take his squad - including new signings Cheikhou Kouyate and Mauro Zarate - to Southern France for some warm weather pre-season training, as has been customary since Allardyce arrived at West Ham in 2011. Although no matches are planned presently United are set to spend six days at the unnamed training camp before returning to England for the first friendly of pre-season against League Two side Stevenage FC at Broadhall Way.
Last July the Hammers kicked off pre-season with several days in Ireland where they faced Cork City, winning 6-2 courtesy of goals from Alou Diarra, Joe Cole, Ravel Morrison, Mark Noble, Matt Taylor and Paul McCallum. 12 months earlier and it was to Austria that Neil McDonald (sans Allardyce, who remained in the UK to take care of transfer business) took the troops for the first leg of pre-season, when Austria Wien were the opponents; West Ham going down 3-1 on that occasion, with Sam Baldock grabbing United's consolation.
And in Big Sam's first pre-season back in 2011, the Hammers travelled to Switzerland where they faced Young Boys (losing 1-2) and FC Basel (also 1-2, thanks to a last-minute winner for the hosts).
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O, Valencia!
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have made enquiries into the availability CF Pachua's Ecuadorian international of Enner Valencia.
The 24-year-old - a centre forward by trade who can also operate in an advanced position on either flank - scored three goals in the World Cup Finals despite his country failing to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament having finished third behind France and Switzerland.
* West Ham are still in talks over a move for Nice's Timothy 'Kolo' Kolodziejczak. The two clubs are said to have reached an agreement over transfer terms (according to L'Equipe) although the player himself is yet to agree to the move. Southampton - and to a lesser degree, QPR - have also been linked with the 22-year-old full back.
* Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins says that he has not received any enquiries about Spanish striker Michu, who has been heavily linked with a move to both West Ham and Serie A side Napoli in recent days. New Swansea boss Garry Monk is set for talks with the striker when he returns for pre-season training this week. "If the reports are right, there seems to be a lot of interest in Michu," Jenkins told the SWEP. "From the club's point of view, I can tell you that we have not received any enquiries."
* Blackburn are keen on West Ham reserve goalkeeper Stephen Henderson. The Irish goalkeeper, who has made just two League Cup appearances for the Hammers since moiving from Portsmouth two years ago is currently third-choice behind Adrian and Jussi Jaaskelainen.
* Former target Marcos Alonso looks set to complete a move to Sunderland after West Ham's interest in the Fiorentina full back waned.The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to the Boleyn earlier this month but West Ham are thought to have moved onto other, more desirable targets.
* Likewise, Gareth Barry is poised to sign a three-year contract with Everton after West Ham pulled out of the race to sign the former Manchester City star. Barry's wage demands of £70,000-per-week were considered unreasonable.
* Norwich full back Martin Olsson, heavily linked with a move to the Boleyn Ground in recent weeks is said to be interesting West Bromwich Albion. The 26-year-old moved to Norwich from Blackburn last year and proved an instant hit at Carrow Road despite the Canaries being relegated from the Premier League last season.
* Colombian defender Pablo Armero, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at the Boleyn Ground is set to join Udinese with whom he began his pro career. The fee for the Napoli full back is said to be around €3million.
* Roger Johnson, spurned by West Ham with whom he was hoping to land a permanent contract, is interesting Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. Johnson is reported to have been told by Wolves boss Kenny Jackettt that he is free to leave the club after refusing to return for pre-season, as revealed here on KUMB last week.
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20 countries grab tour TV rights
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's involvement in this summer's Football United tour has resulted in more than 20 countries purchasing the rights to broadcast the matches live next month. West Ham will face Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC in the four-team tournament, which also includes fellow Premier League side Newcastle United. And the good news for Hammers fans is that both games will be broadcast live in a number of countries across the globe. "The global TV demand for the Football United Tour has reinforced the breadth and scale of West Ham's international fan base," said the club's Managing Director Angus Kinnear. "We are delighted that the passion for the competition is being shared so widely and know it will be an excellent showcase to attract new supporters and partners who are excited by the unique trajectory West Ham are following. "The games also represent a great opportunity for our new signings to give a taste of the impact they will make on the Premier League in the coming season."
David Dome, General Manager of Wellington Phoenix added: "There has been a lot of interest in how the A-League's Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC will fare against the Premier League's West Ham and Newcastle United in a part of the world primarily known for its natural beauty and rugby! "It's a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Wellington Phoenix, the cities and the country to many millions of people from around the world."
Countries to have purchased TV rights for the tournament include Australia, Canada, China, France, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Malaysia, Portugal, South Africa, Thailand and the UK. West Ham's two matches will be broadcast here in the UK by BT Sports, as revealed here on KUMB last week.
* It has been revealed that Wellington City Council had to fork out $750,000 to ensure the Football United tour took place there instead of rivals Auckland.
"We considered the double-header as the most attractive proposition in terms of return on any investment - and ticket sales to date tend to back this up", said City council spokesman Richard MacLean.
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Devo excited by West Ham clash
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 30th June 2014
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers winger Alan Devonshire says he is looking forward to facing West Ham when his Braintree team host the Irons at the end of next month in a pre-season friendly. Nick Haycock's Development Squad will make the trip up the A12 on July 29th to face Devonshire's non-league team in one of their final pre-season tests at the Amlin Stadium. And Devonshire admitted he is delighted to be able to welcome the Hammers to his club. "We have some great games on our pre-season list to give us a real challenge. We are really looking forward to hosting teams like Norwich and West Ham," he told the Chronicle. "I am delighted that we have been able to get those names for matches."
Devonshire, 58, who was the star guest on a recent KUMB Podcast (which you may listen to here) has been in charge at the Amlin Stadium since 2011. The Iron narrowly missed out on the Skrill Premier play-offs last season, finishing sixth in the table just three points adrift of the play-offs.
Development squad pre-season fixtures
Sat, 12th July: AFC Hornchurch (Little Heath, 11.00am)
Tues, 15th July: Havant and Waterlooville (West Leigh Park, 7.45pm)
Sat, 19th July: Shakhtar Donetsk (Abbey Stadium, Cambridge United FC, 2.00pm)
Sun, 20th July: Espanyol (Abbey Stadium, Cambridge United FC, 2.00pm)
Thu, 24th-Sun 27th July: Ruhr Cup - opposition to be confirmed (Ruhr Cup, Dortmund, tbc)
Tue, 29th July: Braintree Town (Amlin Stadium, 7.45pm)
Tue, 5th Aug: Woking (Kingfield Stadium, 7.45pm)
Fri, 8th Aug: Aston Villa (Little Heath, 12.00pm)
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Kevin Nolan expecting further additions at West Ham
Last Updated: 30/06/14 1:55pm
SSN
Kevin Nolan has been impressed by West Ham United's transfer business, but expects further additions to be made this summer. Sam Allardyce has moved quickly to address important areas in his squad, with proven goalscorer Mauro Zarate and combative midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate drafted in. Both men are expected to become influential figures at Upton Park, with fresh faces a necessity in the current window following a difficult 2013/14 campaign. Club captain Nolan is convinced that the new recruits will provide value for money, but is also aware that Allardyce and the West Ham board are 'working hard' behind the scenes to ensure that there are more exciting arrivals to follow. "I know there is and will be continuing work to bring in more to add to what we have here in the squad already and enable us to start as strongly as possible." He told the club's official website: "The gaffer and the board are working hard to bring in additions to strengthen our squad and I would like to welcome both Mauro Zarate and Cheikhou Kouyate to our club. "I know there is and will be continuing work to bring in more to add to what we have here in the squad already and enable us to start as strongly as possible."
Nolan is confident West Ham will be ready to hit the ground running in 2014/15, with a derby tussle against Tottenham Hotspur first up at Upton Park. He added: "The fixtures are out for the new season and they don't come much bigger for us than a London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. "These matches against Spurs are ones I know many of our fans look out for first and so to get them on the first day and at home will have everyone excited I am sure, I know all the lads are looking forward to this game. "We did very well against them last season with three deserved victories and we will of course want that to continue, but we also know that they will be tough opposition with their players wanting to impress their new manager and everything, so we will need to be on our toes from the very start."
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SOUTH AMERICAN HAMMERS PART THREE
By Sean Whetstone 30 Jun 2014 at 08:34
West Ham Till I Die
In the first two parts of this South American series I covered the period 1998 to early 2010 with Javier Margas, Maurico Taricco, Lionel Scaloni,Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano, Nolberto Solano, Walter Lopez, Luis Jimenez, Guillermo Franco and Ilan. The last five players bring us in the modern era.
The eleventh player never made an appearance for the first team despite joining West Ham as an under 12 player. He was born in Cali, Colombia, but moved to London as a child and holds nationality of both Colombia and the UK. He was named West Ham Academy Player of the Year for the 2008/09 season and signed his first professional contract in 2010. He was a regular in the Development squad scoring many goals in the U21 Premier League, he also spent time on loan at Football League clubs Notts County, Swindon Town, Dagenham and Redbridge and Oxford United. On 17th August 2012 it was announced that Montaño had signed a two-year contract with Oldham Athletic, with the option of a third year for an undisclosed fee. On 16th December 2013 it was announced that Montaño had been sacked on the grounds of gross misconduct relating to alleged match fixing. Montaño was aslo charged with the rape of a woman in Romford, London. He appeared in court in March 2014.
The twelfth South American was Brian Montenegro who began his career at Paraguayan club Tacuary where where he made 51 appearances and scored seven goals before joining Maldonado. He joined West Ham on 29th August 2011 on a season-long loan contract saying, "I am very excited to come here and play in England, especially for a club like West Ham. I am hoping to get a chance to show the fans what I can do." Montenegro's only game came on 8th January 2012 in a 1–0 FA Cup third round away defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. At the end of the season, a new contract was not agreed and he returned to Paraguay. The 21 year old now plays for Paraguayan football club Rubio Ñu in the Paraguayan Primera División.
The unlucky thirteenth South American was Brazilian Wellington Paulista. Born in São Paulo, he started as a youth team player with Juventus-SP. On 11th January 2013 he signed a six month loan deal with West Ham United with an option of a further three years, Paulista said about his move "I think I can do my best here and I am coming to England to prove to everyone that I am one of the best strikers in Brazil and to get better and better" Paulista was a named substitute for two games for West Ham, against Southampton and Reading, but left the club without having made a first team appearance but made several appearances for the U21 team and scoring goals . In 2014 Paulista signed for Brazilian club Sport Club Internacional where he has made 8 appearances scoring 7 goals. His team's home stadium is being used for the 2014 World Cup, known as "Gigante da Beira-Rio" (or "Riverside Giant"), with a capacity of 56,000. It was used for 5 matches in the group stage and will be used for the Germany v Algeria match in the last 16.
The fourteenth South American is one of the current stars of the World Cup, Mr Pablo Armero, The left back joined Napoli during the 2013 summer transfer window for a reported €4 million.On 31st January 2014, Armero completed his loan move to West Ham United until the end of the season with an option to buy. He played five league games for West Ham before his loan ended. Early indications were good with both the player and manager suggesting he could stay.Speaking in the West Ham matchday programme, Armero said: "The truth is I feel very happy here in England and at West Ham. I am getting more opportunities and more games so it's going much better now.I'd be happy to stay as I like the football here – it's quick, it's lively, it's physical and for a fast player like me it's great.Above all I want to keep on showing I am a good player and that the coach can depend on me either as a left back or as a winger.As for the future I don't know whether I will stay here in England but we will have to see. I want to do a good job, help my team-mates out and I am grateful to West Ham for the opportunity they have given me." Armero scored for Colombia in the group stage and setup a second goal against Uruguay to help his team through to the quarter finals.
The fifteenth South American is of course Argentine Mauro Zarate who is yet to kick a ball for West Ham who signed earlier this month.
The former Lazio striker was previously loaned by the chairman while at Birmingham. He joined us on a free transfer from Argentine club Velez Sarsfield after he bought himself out his contract. He was sold to Lazio in 2009 for 20 million euros with a buy out clause of 60 million euros. Zárate caused controversy in 2010 when he was photographed apparently giving a fascist salute while watching Lazio lose to Bari among a group of fans, though his spokesman claimed afterwards that the player "did not realise the significance of his gesture" and did not know who Hitler or Mussolini were. Last year Mauro Zarate slammed Lazio president Claudio Lotito after only getting five starts saying "Why have I come home? I needed to feel important, to feel liked – the last days were very hard for me. In November, I had been training for the last time with the team and already I felt no confidence. I had not played a single minute in 15 games.I watched a game and then I went to the bathroom to cry, it's terrible when they don't let you do what you want.The blame is on Lotito and a few players, in addition to the coach, it is them who make the decisions.The president failed to meet agreements and did want to pay me. He didn't want me in his team but would not let me leave either. Lotito hurts the club and devalues the objectives of Lazio."
Mauro who turned 27 in March scored 19 goals in 29 league games during his second spell at Velez Sarsfield. Lets hope he is a South American Hammer to remember for the right reasons.
Many theories have been given why we target South American players, some libellous conspiracy theories can not be mentioned here but I believe the real reason is they are cheap. Your limited transfer budget goes a lot further in South American but you have to take a gamble whether you end up with the next Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez, David Luiz, Pablo Zabaleta or Oscar just another Javier Margas.
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West Ham interested in signing France World Cup 2014 star Mathieu Valbuena
West Ham are exploring at possibly signing Marseille's Mathieu Valbuena
Midfielder Valbuena is currently at the World Cup for France
29-year-old is available for £8million and is keen on a Premier League move
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:26, 30 June 2014 | UPDATED: 22:40, 30 June 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham are exploring the possibility of signing France midfielder Mathieu Valbuena. The classy Marseille playmaker is available for £8million with the 29-year-old keen on a move to the Premier League. Valbuena is a regular in his national team and started in Les Bleus 2-0 last 16 victory against Nigeria on Monday. He has been linked with both Arsenal and Liverpool, La Liga side Valencia, as well as Italian outfits Fiorentina and Napoli. Last week his agent revealed that Valbuena is considering leaving Marseille after the World Cup with France's concludes. 'He has a contract with Marseille and they are not a small club, they are a big club in France.' Jean-Pierre Bernes told French radio station Europe 1. 'But it is true that given his performances, and if there is the opportunity with a club, it is something we will examine and Marseille as well. 'Nothing is set, there is no destination fixed, there are contact with certain clubs in different European leagues.' During his eight years at the south of France outfit, Valbuena has scored 38 goals in 332 appearances where he has won the 2009/10 Ligue 1 title as well as three Coupe de la Ligues.
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Sullivan talks with 'Kolo' later this week
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 30, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham have set up their first round of talks with Nice left back Timothée Kolodziejczak who will arrive for talks with David Sullivan in London this week.
ClaretndHugh has discovered exclusively that the player is an identical situation to that faced by newly signed midfielder/defender Cheikhou Kouyate at the same stage of his negotiations. A source told us:"Timothee is desperately keen to join the club but despite reports in Europe to the contrary, we still haven't agreed a fee. "We've been very encouraged by the player's attitude as it's clear he wants to play for us and he will be arriving in London this week for talks with the co-chairman. "However, the club doesn't feel under pressure at this stage as it had several other options although Kolodziejczak is a player they'd like to get. "He's been on the radar for some time and our negotiators will be hoping to tie things up quickly."
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Neymar: The 'Hammer' who got away!
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 30, 2014 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
David Sullivan has admitted making a bid for Brazilian World Cup superstar Neymar was at the centre of a major bid by West Ham United four years ago!
It was an entirely serious move by the West Ham who tried to grab the player as an 18 year old. David Sullivan confirmed this morning to ClaretandHugh that he had made a bid worth around £16m for the then 18 year wonder kid Reports had emerged over the weekend claiming that the Irons had made a bold bid and Sullivan told ClaretandHugh exclusively: "Yes, that's true – we did." Santos rejected it insisting they would not deal at less than the than the player's £28.4m release clause. The bid from West Ham alerted Chelsea who made their own offer in August 2010 but were also turned down after Pele persuaded Neymar to stay in Brazil. Neymar was born on the February 5 which is the same as the Joint Chairman Sullivan, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2012 during an interview with Hammers www.westhamtilidie.com owner Iain Dale Sullivan had said: I believe in coincidence. Get this. Carlos Tévez. Born, 5 February. Cristiano Ronaldo. Born 5 February. Neymar. Born 5 February. All born on the same day as me. Jordan Rhodes, also born 5 February. And you know what, this other player that we didn't sign, also born 5 February. When I saw the Huddersfield guy was the same date as me and the same date as those players, I thought it was written in the stars. Just incredible. An incredible coincidence, isn't it?" The other player he refers to is believed to have been Billy Sharp. We just need to be on the lookout this transfer window for the next superstar born on 5th Feb.
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