Daily WHUFC News - 5th November 2015

Scudamore - West Ham United are leading the way
WHUFC.com

Premier League Executive Chairman Richard Scudamore believes the power of
the West Ham United badge makes them one of the best in the country when it
comes to their work with the local community. The Premier League help fund
161 Clubs throughout the leagues going right down to the Conference. But
Scudamore is adamant that the Hammers are one of the best Clubs in the
country for creating the best schemes for youngsters and has nothing but
praise for the work that the West Ham United Foundation have done over the
last 25-years. Scudamore, speaking in his speech at the Houses of
Parliament, said: "Some of their schemes are leading the way among the 161
clubs. "That's the power of football, it's the power of the West Ham badge.
It's the power of the Foundation, it's the power of those schemes. "It does
go on like this across the whole country and there a lot of other clubs
doing the same, but I don't think there's any single club I could name that
does it to the depth and to the breadth and with the real commitment that
West Ham do it. I commend it to you. "The work they do with schools – 35 of
which are being touched by West Ham's foundation and 3000 people in a year
are being touched by one club. It is about changing people's lives."

West Ham TV spoke exclusively with Scudamore at the Foundation anniversary
this week at the Houses of Parliament and had nothing but praise for the
amazing job they are doing with the local community. Scudamore added: "We
fund 161 clubs but you always feel with the central money that comes West
Ham's way, they leverage it more and make the most of it. "These are not
simple schemes but because West Ham means so much to them and engages them,
it makes such a difference to their lives. "It is about all ages, both men
and women in equal numbers and it crosses all social divides. It will expand
when they move to the new Stadium and more people in London are positively
impacted by the work. "I think they will achieve even more than what they
have achieved already. What they have achieved already is remarkable and
commendable."

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Boleyn Memories - Bobby Zamora
WHUFC.com

While Carlos Tevez stole most of the headlines during West Ham United's
'Great Escape' from relegation in 2006/07, another striker played arguable
as bigger role in the Hammers' amazing late-season renaissance. Bobby
Zamora scored five goals in West Ham's final ten Premier League matches,
including vital winners at Blackburn Rovers and Arsenal and at home to
Everton. Speaking to West Ham TV ahead of Saturday's visit of the Toffees,
the Brighton & Hove Albion forward joked that he and not Tevez should have
been crowned Hammer of the Year at the season's end. "We had a strong team
and with the team that we had certainly should have done better, and it was
only when we came under pressure when we showed what we were all about with
our run at the end of the season," the 34-year-old recalled. "We took a lot
of good scalps and put in a lot of good performances." "How Tevez got
Player of the Year, with the number of goals I got, I don't know! No,
seriously, Tevs done brilliant and he was a pleasure to play alongside as
well!"

Zamora scored eleven goals in total as Alan Curbishley's side used a run of
seven victories in their final nine league matches to stave off relegation
in unforgettable style. Eight years on and the striker is still banging in
the goals, having returned to first club Brighton this summer, and helped
the Seagulls climb into the midst of the Championship promotion race. That
is familiar ground for the Barking-born Zamora, who fired West Ham back to
the Premier League through a Play-Off final winner against Preston North End
in 2005. "I don't think we ever thought we were going to lose. I really
thought that and had confidence and belief in the lads and that continued
through both legs of the semi-final and the final," he explained. "It was
instinct, really. It wasn't a clean hit but those are the ones that go in!
It done the 'keeper and ended up in the back of the net. It was then about
holding on and hanging on and we never had any doubts about the lads at the
back."

He repeated the trick for Queens Park Rangers in 2014 and is now hoping to
make it a hat-trick of promotions under the management of another former
Hammer, Chris Hughton, with Brighton. The scorer of 40 goals in 152 Claret
and Blue appearances, Zamora remains a popular figure at the Boleyn Ground –
the stadium he visited as a childhood Hammers fan. "I used to play for the
team I support and it was strange on my home debut, playing out on bthe
pitch and 'Bubbles' being sung," he told West Ham TV. "It was nice and to
score was great. It started well and I absolutely loved my time there."

Looking forward, Zamora believes West Ham's move to the former Olympic
Stadium in Stratford will be beneficial to the team he has supported all his
life. "I think the Club is going to grow, I really think so" he concluded.
"There is a lot of tradition at Upton Park, but if they keep going the way
they are, they are going to fill out the stadium. "The more the merrier,
really. The more West Ham fans we can get in there, the better, and
hopefully we can get some Champions League football in there."

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Ladies face Albion challenge
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham Ladies are hoping for a healthy crowd when they face Brighton &
Hove Albion at Hornchurch FC this weekend. The Hammers play host to one of
the league's in-form sides and will feature their three new Italian stars -
Erika Campesi, Romina Pinna and international midfielder Giulia Ferrandi,
who will be making her return from suspension. A win for WHL - who have
taken four points from their last two FA Women's Premier League Southern
Division outings - would propel the team back towards mid-table following a
difficult start to the campaign. The game kicks off at 2pm this Sunday, 8
November; tickets are priced at just £5 for adults and £1 for children. Hot
food and a large bar will be available to supporters, meaning fans may watch
the entire match in cosy surroundings, should temperatures drop this
weekend! Half time entertainment will be supplied as usual by the
Haverettes All Girl Marching Band.

* In other women's football news, former West Ham Ladies duo Stacey Little
and Kayleigh Xidhas have joined Southern League rivals C&K Basildon LFC. The
pair made their debuts for their new club in a 3-2 defeat against Lewes LFC
last weekend.

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Young Hammer nominated for monthly award
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 4th November 2015
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's rising star Reece Burke has been shortlisted for October's
League One Player of the Month award. 19-year-old Burke, who is currently on
loan at Bradford City helped the Bantams to two clean sheets last month and
played in each of their five league outings, winning three and drawing two.
The 11 points gained by the Valley Parade side during October lifted them to
within three points of the League One play-off zone. Burke is up against
Coventry City striker Adam Armstrong, Millwall attacker Aiden O'Brien and
Peterborough United's Jon Taylor. Burke was injured during last weekend's
meeting with Blackpool, but still received praise from his manager Phil
Parkinson. "He did great to go out and start the second half," he said. "We
are delighted with his contribution and the fact that he put himself up for
playing in the second half, unfortunately he couldn't quite see the game
through."

There was further good news for Bradford with the news that manager
Parkinson has also been nominated for a monthly award; he faces competition
from Gary Caldwell of Wigan Athletic, Chesterfield's Dean Saunders and
Scunthorpe United manager Mark Robins. The winner of both awards will be
made this Friday, 6th November.

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Andy Carroll keen to reignite England career with West Ham goals
Last Updated: 04/11/15 10:09am
SSN

Andy Carroll says he knows staying fit and scoring goals for West Ham is the
only way to reignite his England career after two years of injury problems.
The 26-year-old took great relief in scoring his first goal for 10 months
against Chelsea as West Ham beat the Blues 2-1 at Upton Park last month.
Previously Slaven Bilic's side had impressed in away wins against Manchester
City, Arsenal and Liverpool this season but struggled for consistency at
home. Carroll came off the bench to head the winner against Jose Mourinho's
side and is hoping he has put his injury worries behind him. "It was really
important, the home record wasn't the best before then and beating Chelsea
at home, it's a great feeling, and for me personally to get a goal again
it's great," Carroll told Sky Sports News HQ. "It was tough, it was hard
[being out injured]. I just had to concentrate on getting back and I had my
friends and family there to help me and support me. "It was a nightmare, a
tough time but I'm over it now and want to move on and keep myself healthy."

Carroll has scored twice in nine appearances for England. On his chances of
an England recall, Carroll added: "That's obviously in the back of my head
but I think at the moment I'm concentrating on being fit and scoring goals
at West Ham and that's the only thing that will lead me there." The striker
also promised West Ham fans that he will not make any more defensive errors
like the one that led to Watford's opener in their 2-0 win last weekend. He
failed to clear inside his own penalty area when he tried to turn Nathan
Aké, but was dispossessed before Odion Ighalo finished from close range.
"Terrible decision from me," Carroll said. "Obviously I'm there to do a job
and I didn't do the job which I should have done and got rid of the ball and
it is a mistake that won't happen again."

Elsewhere, the striker believes Steve McClaren is the man to lead Newcastle
to safety after a poor start to the season. Carroll, who left Newcastle to
join Liverpool for £35m in 2011, thinks his former club will stay up this
season. He said: "I think they will. It's tough; they haven't been getting
the results that they need but I think the manager will turn it around."

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Major Irons midfield selection scrap on cards
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 4, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Exclusive

Alex Song has been training with the first team since Sunday and is hopeful
he will make a return to the West Ham bench for the game against Everton at
the weekend. The Hammers are very keen to see the midfield ace back in
action as quickly as possible ahead of a summer decision on whether his loan
deal is to be made permanent. We were told this morning that it would be a
"disappointment" if the player wasn't on the bench as he has been training
with the first team all week. The question of who makes way of course has
occupied fans' minds for sometime and it begins to look as though that
player will be captain Mark Noble. Mark has been subbed during the last five
games and looks the most vulnerable of those who may be forced to make way.
We were told: "On the face of it that looks how it's likely to work out but
it's a brave man who would call Slaven's team selection. "It's important
Alex gets games as the club has to make a decision on whether he gets a
permanent deal for next season and the sooner he is up to speed the better."

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Hammers unhappy with Collins challenge
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 4, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Exclusive

James Collins will not face an internal inquiry over his dismissal from the
Watford match on Saturday but has left club insiders very unhappy. Collins
charged into the back of Hornets striker Ighalo in reckless fashion and was
immediately red-carded in the second half. Given the state of the game with
the Irons at 2-0 down it was the final nail in the team's coffin and it has
not gone down well. A key insider told ClaretandHugh: "It's not the first
time this year – we had a not entirely different situation in Europe when he
was sent off for two yellow cards against Astra Giurgiu. "It wasn't just
frustration against Watford. The fact is he lost his rag, as he is prone to.
He's worked hard to make his presence felt and played well when it arrived
he took his chance but that was a bad challenge. "He won't find any kind of
disciplinary action from the club but he's let himself down and he has now
moved down the line again. It was not good and very counter-productive after
all his hard work."

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Slav looks set to ring changes
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 4, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Slaven Bilic could return to what is his know preferred central defensive
partnership this week with Winston Reid again teamed up with £8 million
signing Angelo Ogbonna. Nether has featured over recent games because of
injury with Reid suffering a hip/thigh injury and Ogbonna suffering a
hamstring injury. But with James Collins blotting his copybook big style
against Watford and James Tomkins seeing his performance dip against
Watford, the Reid/Ogbonna pairing could now be renewed. ClaretandHugh was
given an update on the pair by a top insider this morning and we were told:
"Slaven has total faith in his medical staff and simply won't risk players
if there is any danger of a recurrence of injury. "Both players have been
training with the firs team squad this season and could both be involved on
Saturday. "James has done little wrong apart from the mistake which led to
the second goal last week but I think it's fair to say that Reid and Ogbonna
have always been the No 1 partnership in Slaven's mind. "If the medics give
them both the thumbs up then I'd expect them both to play.

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Hammers set to recall loan "colossus"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 4, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham may be set to recall Reece Burke from his Bradford City loan spell
in January. The 19 year old has been hailed as a 'colossus' for the League
One club on various Bantams forums having signed three monthly loan deals
since arriving. The Irons have been regularly monitoring his progress and
are thrilled with that they are seeing from him who made his West Ham first
team debut in the League last season. Although the Irons are well placed at
central defence the youngster is seen as a key part of the club's future and
could be brought back as a fourth choice central defender behind Winston
Reid, Angelo Ogbonna and James Tomkins. A West Ham insider told
ClaretandHugh: "Eveything we have seen and been told is very promising for
Reece. He's had a tremendous season for them so far. These youngsters often
leave their parent club as boys and return as men. "We will see what happens
with players as the transfer window approaches but it's quite likely we will
recall Reece."

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Sakho Everton fitness update
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on November 4, 2015 in News, Whispers
C and H

Diafra Sakho has still not been handed the all-clear for the match against
Everton this weekend. The striker – having learned that police will take no
action against him after a recent arrest – will be given until Saturday
morning to show he has fully recovered from the hip "tweak" he felt in
training he felt before the game against Watford. And should he not make it
then Enner Valencia looks certain to take his place as the striker putting
in the hard miles aimed at stretching the Everton defence. And that in turn
will mean Andy Carroll will return to the bench after a disappointing 90
minutes against Watford at Vicarage Rad on Saturday. ClaretandHugh learned
this morning that the chances of Sakho's involvement are around 60/40 in his
favour as the hip issue has "not entirely gone way." A source told us: "He
has a real chance which is encouraging because at one stage it looked like a
definite two game absence. "Enner Valencia – having had a decent run-out on
Saturday is now virtually match fit and more similar in style to Sakho so
may get a shout to do that job if it's required."

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Spurs, West Ham battle for Islam Slimani, despite astronomical release
clause
HITC
Olly Dawes

Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are reportedly pursuing Sporting
Lisbon ace Islam Slimani. According to Algerian newspaper Le Buteur,
Tottenham and West Ham are both looking to sign Sporting Lisbon striker
Islam Slimani. Slimani, 27, starred in his native Algeria with CR
Belouizdad, before moving on to Portugal with Sporting Lisbon back in 2013 -
and he hasn't looked back since. The 6ft 2in striker scored ten goals in his
first season for the Sporting, and followed that up with 15 goals in all
competitions last season, making a big improvement. Now under new manager
Jorge Jesus, Slimani has started the season in superb form, scoring eight
goals in 19 appearances - and his exploits are seemingly attracting
interest. Algerian newspaper Le Buteur report that Tottenham and West Ham,
two teams who have had a long-standing interest in Slimani, are once again
looking to sign him during the transfer window, as they look to improve
their attacking options. However, it's stated that Slimani has a €40m
(£28.4m) release clause in his contract, and Sporting will refuse to sell
for anything below that figure. That's an astronomical fee for a 27-year-old
striker who is unproven outside of Algeria or Portugal, meaning both Spurs
and West Ham may have to look elsewhere. The Hammers don't necessarily need
attacking reinforcements given that Slaven Bilic has the likes of Diafra
Sakho, Enner Valencia, Mauro Zarate, Andy Carroll and Nikica Jelavic at his
disposal, but Slimani could be a top target if any of those players were to
leave or suffer an injury. Meanwhile, Spurs clearly still need a striker to
help ease the burden on Harry Kane, and an experienced forward like Slimani,
who boasts impressive aerial ability, would be a potentially ideal player to
come off the bench and offer something different to Mauricio Pochettino's
attack. Either club would have to stump up big money though, and many fans
would argue that spending money on QPR's Charlie Austin would be a better
move, considering his proven Premier League record.

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