Daily WHUFC News - 13th November 2014

End of an era as Bacon bids farewell
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 12th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Local photographer and fans' favourite Steve Bacon has ended his association
with the Recorder Group after more than 40 years of (almost) uninterrupted
service. Bacon, now 62, has maintained a pictorial history of West Ham since
the early 1970s when he first joined the local Recorder. But after 42 years
of reporting on the Hammers, he has been made redundant by the newspaper.
West Ham United's official photographer for more than 30 years, Bacon has
suffered with health issues recently - something that led to him missing the
end of the 2011/12 season after having surgery on a knee. However he was
back the following year in time for the launch of his recent book entitled
'There's One Stevie Bacon' - the chant which he used to be greeted with in
the 1980s when he first became a cult hero on the terraces.
Bacon, who also has a burger named after him - the 'Bacon Burger', naturally
- admitted recently that he was 'flattered' to have been involved with West
Ham United throughout his career. "I put it down to longevity," he said. "If
you are in the same place for long enough, you are always going to become
part of the furniture. "I am a local lad who still lives ten minutes from
the ground, so to become so heavily involved with the fans and the club is
something very close to my heart."

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Mauro Zarate considers Serie A move
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 12th November 2014
By: Staff Writer

Mauro Zarate is being linked with a transfer window move to Serie A.
According to sources in Italy, Torino - who are keen to reinforce their
strike options in January - are keeping tabs on the Argentinian's progress -
or lack of - at West Ham. And Zarate's brother Rolando admitted last night
that the striker would consider a return to Serie A if he is unable to
secure a first team spot in Sam Allardyce's squad. "It's a very interesting
option," he said, "but for now there has been no official approach." Zarate,
who moved to London in the summer on a free transfer from Velez Sarsfield is
currently recovering from an injury sustained during a practise match last
month.
Although he has featured on five occasions for West Ham this season, the
27-year-old forward is yet to play a full 90 minutes, with four of those
appearances coming from the substitutes bench. Sam Allardyce currently has
Enner Valencia, Diafra Sakho, Carlton Cole, Andy Carroll and Zarate fighting
for two available spaces. Should all remain fit, the possibility of allowing
Zarate to leave - even if only temporarily on loan - could prove a viable,
short-term solution.

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Stewart Downing: Liverpool playing me at left-back was low point of my
career
Nov 12, 2014 22:30 By John Cross
Winger who is back in the England squad following a bargain move to West Ham
opens up over his two difficult years at Anfield
The Mirror

Stewart Downing admits he thought his England career was over after Brendan
Rodgers made him play left back. Downing described that as being as "low as
it got" when even his Liverpool team-mates started mickey taking by calling
him "left back." The midfielder, now at West Ham, has admitted he was "hurt"
by Kop boss Rodgers' treatment and suggestions he needed to try harder, and
knew then he had to quit the Anfield giants. Downing, 30, is now enjoying a
renaissance with club and country, his England recall coming after
two-and-a-half years in the international wilderness. Even more enjoyable
has been his form this season after Hammers manager Sam Allardyce moved him
from the wing as he adopted a midfield diamond formation. When asked whether
being played at left-back was as low as it got, Downing replied: "I think
so, yes. I was out of the team (at Liverpool) so for me just to play and get
back in the team was a big thing.

"At left-back it was obviously difficult, but it was a chance to get back
into the team for me, so I had to go along with it. I wasn't happy playing
left-back. It is not my natural position. But I knew from then it was the
time for me to move. "I was getting signals other players were coming in,
and I was getting used at left-back when I was a winger. I think you know
when the writing is on the wall for you under a manager or at a club. "The
West Ham move came at a good time for me and was a chance to go out and play
football regularly and play under a manager who wanted me to play every
week."

Downing moved to Upton Park for £5m in 2013 - just two seasons after joining
Liverpool from Aston Villa for four times that figure - and he admits he
thought his England career was over. "I was honest enough to think it had
gone," he said. "I hadn't been picked [by England] for two and a half years,
so with the younger players coming through I thought Roy would go in that
direction. "It does hurt. You want to get picked for your country but I had
bigger things to deal with at the time - I wasn't a regular in the team at
Liverpool. I was in and out, I had a difficult spell there. "But getting the
West Ham move came at a good time, a new challenge for me, to go play week
in week out. It has helped my game and helped me get noticed again. "But
you've just got to keep playing well and hopefully knock on the door and
it's been proved with getting picked again. I am over the moon to be here
and I just want to play some part and get back out here."

Downing believes there may also be a Three Lions return in sight for his
West Ham team-mate Andy Carroll, now he's back from summer ankle surgery. He
added: "I think Roy (Hodgson) is a big admirer of him. I think when he's
been fit he's picked him. For Andy, the most important thing is getting
through the next six or seven weeks training and games. "He came back last
time and broke down, but he's itching to play. He's been out for a long
while. I know he wants to play for England because he's enjoyed being here
before. "We need him back fit because we need that competition for goals.
He's a different option for us and I'm sure the manager is pleased to have
him back."

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