Reid - 'It's going to be amazing'
WHUFC.com
Having recently penned a new long-term deal, West Ham United defender
Winston Reid looks set to be a major part of the Club's move to their
impressive new Stadium in Stratford. West Ham are now just a year-and-a-half
away from making the switch from the Boleyn Ground and Reid paid a visit to
the former Olympic Stadium last week as part of the announcement of
Lycamobile's extended partnership with the Club. The 26-year-old centre back
is impressed with the progress made at the stadium and cannot wait to run
out there for the first time in claret and blue. "A lot's changed since I
was last here 18 months ago," he explained. "There's no grass on the pitch,
but when you look around they're towards finishing the stadium so it's
exciting. "You can see there have been improvements made, and I'm looking
forward to eventually coming in here and playing a game. "The roof looks
impressive, as does everything they've done so far and the people are
working all around the day to make it an amazing place. "I can envisage
myself playing here in 18 months' time. We'll be eager to get on with it and
playing in front of 54,000 West Ham fans will be amazing. "Even now it's
really good, but this will take the Club to a new level and take the team to
a new level as well hopefully. "Getting a better and bigger stadium will
improve us. It's definitely exciting times ahead."
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First team stars to attend Fans' Forum
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are delighted to announce ticketing details for an exclusive
free fans' forum for Season Ticket Holders and Academy/Youth Academy Members
at the Boleyn Ground with Hammers stars Adrian, James Collins and Carlton
Cole on Tuesday 7 April at 6.30pm. The trio will be on hand to answer
questions on all manner of West Ham subjects as the squad prepare to face
Stoke City at home the following Saturday.
You could quiz Adrian on how he has settled into life in London over an
outstanding first two seasons with the Hammers, Cole on his long and
successful West Ham career or Collins on keeping out the league's top
strikers. This, the second fans' forum of the season, continues a regular
series of events throughout the campaign, keeping fans abreast of all the
goings on at the Club. The Q&A session will kick-off at 7pm prompt, and
after there will be an informal opportunity for supporters to meet the
players, collect autographs and take photos.
A pay bar will be in operation on the evening. Tickets will be allocated on
a strictly first come, first served basis at a rate of one per successful
applicant with a capacity of 300 attendees. Please note, Under-16s must be
accompanied by an adult Season Ticket Holder.
To secure one of the places available for this exclusive event, please call
the Ticket Office on 0871 529 1966 - option 3*. The Club will announce, via
whufc.com, as and when all spaces are filled.
Supporters who have secured tickets for the event can submit questions for
consideration by emailing seasonticketholder@westhamunited.co.uk, clearly
stating if it is for Adrian, Carlton Cole or James Collins.
If your question is selected we will then come to you on the night so please
ensure you remember what you send in!
*Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras.
Please note that due to the Bank Holiday, physical tickets will not be
issued for the event, so supporters who secure a place should bring their
Season Ticket and booking confirmation with them.
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Ladies lose at Gillingham
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies suffered a 3-2 FA Women's Premier League Southern
Division defeat at Gillingham Ladies on Sunday. Winger Lily Mellors had put
the Hammers ahead with just four minutes on the clock, before Ashlee Hincks
and Lauren Phillips turned the game on its head with goals of their own for
the Gills. West Ham dragged themselves level when April Bowers fired past
Courtney Shanley from distance, before Ellie Manning popped up with the
winner shortly thereafter to secure a surprise win for the home side. Ladies
boss Julian Dicks made just one change to the starting line-up that had
defeated the same opponents 5-1 in Essex just ten days earlier. Vicky King
came in to replace the injured Ruby Baxter, while new signing Kayleigh
Xidhas was named on the bench. It took the Hammers little more than three
minutes when a deflection in the midfield saw the ball slip through the home
defence into the path of Mellors, who composed herself and finished for her
third goal in the two games against Gillingham. West Ham goalkeeper Nikki
Duncan then saved from Louise Lorton, but she was powerless to prevent
Hincks from smashing the equalizer in via the underside of the crossbar
moments later. Just before half-time, Gillingham went ahead when Phillips
finished after the home side had twice hit the frame of the goal in the
build-up.
After the break, the Hammers came out and played into a strong wind, but
they overcame that problem to hit the crossbar themselves through Mellors'
shot. With 68 minutes gone, Bowers did fashion an equaliser, picking up the
ball 25 yards out and beating Shanley with a venomous shot. Just when Dicks
and his players might have had hopes of winning the game, however, they
found themselves behind again when Hincks whipped in a right-wing cross and
manning bundled past Duncan at the far post. The unexpected defeat left the
Ladies manager unhappy, as he explained: "It's a disappointing result anyway
but it is made even more hard-hitting by the fact that we beat this team 5-1
at home recently. The performance that the girls put in wasn't good enough
for us to deserve any sort of positive result. "With me, it's all about
passing and tempo. Whether that's in training or in matches, you need to be
able to pass the ball and do it quickly to put the pressure on your
opponent. In this game, I could've played with my knee the way it is and I
wouldn't have had to run. That's how slow it was! "In the past few weeks,
we've played some teams that are below us in the league and haven't got
anything from those games. Now, the girls have got a tough run-in towards
the end of the season which includes a London FA Capital Cup final and is
nothing changes over the next few weeks, then they will continue to get
nothing from the games."
The Ladies will be hoping for a better result when they travel to Cardiff
City Ladies on Sunday 5 April, with kick off at 2pm.
Ladies: Duncan, King (Xidhas), Revell, Little, Bottom, Bowers, Stimson,
Mellors (Smith), Blanchflower, Kinsman, Sherwood
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U17s held in final Abu Dhabi fixture
WHUFC.com
West Ham United U17s were held to a goalless draw by host club Al Ain FC in
their final group game of the Hazza bin Zayed International Football
Tournament in Abu Dhabi. After triumphing 1-0 in their opener against
Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol, the young Hammers played a real game of two
halves against Spanish outfit Espanyol in their second fixture, going down
3-1. Idris Kanu was on target against Reysol, while Jahmal Hector-Ingram
scored against Espanyol, but West Ham could not find a way through against
Al Ain, denying them a place in the final or third/fourth-place match. On
Saturday, Assistant Academy Manager James Rowe, his staff and the squad
attended the tournament's gala dinner, where former Hammer Frederic Kanoute,
who now runs an Academy in nearby Dubai, was the guest of honour. West Ham's
Korrey Henry asked Kanoute about how young players should adjust to life in
the Premier League, with Kanoute also giving kind words about his time at
the Boleyn Ground. The two group winners will contest the final on Monday,
with West Ham returning to England on Tuesday to prepare for the Barclays
U18 Premier League Tier 2 Play-Off trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on
Saturday 11 April (12noon).
The four other clubs taking part in the tournament were Internazionale
(Italy), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia), Al Afriqi (Tunisia) and Al Ahly (Egypt).
Waleed Al Hosani, Member of the Organising Committee, said: "All teams have
various strengths that they bring with them to Al Ain, which we anticipate,
will be beneficial to the tournament as a whole." Alongside the Hazza bin
Zayed International Football Tournament, a festival of football is being
hosted by the UAE's most successful club, Al Ain FC, including an amateur
competition for local clubs and a coaches' clinic hosted by renowned Dutch
coach Raymond Verheijen. Known locally as Al Zaeem ('The Boss'), Al Ain have
won the Arabian Gulf League trophy eleven times, the H.H. The President's
Cup trophy six times, the UAE FA Cup on three occasions and the Arabian Gulf
Cup. Al Ain FC is the only Emirati club to have won the AFC Champions
League, doing so in 2003.
For more information, follow @HBZstadium on Twitter.
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Hammers pair feature in charity match
WHUFC.com
West Ham United pair Kevin Nolan and Stewart Downing were both involved in a
charity game involving the likes of Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry and Fernando
Torres at Anfield on Sunday.
The duo lined-up on opposite sides as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher
brought teams together for a game in aid of various charitable organisations
in Liverpool.
Nolan was on Gerrard's team, while Downing featured for Carragher in the
game which ended 2-2. Gerrard scored twice, while Mario Balotelli and Didier
Drogba were also on target.
Guy Demel also featured in action on Sunday, turning out for David Jarolim's
testimonial at his former club Hamburg.
On the international stage, Diego Poyet played his second game of the week
for Uruguay U20 on Sunday and made his first start as the South Americans
suffered a 1-0 defeat against Uzbekistan.
James Collins started on Saturday as Wales defeated Israel 3-0 to give their
hopes of qualifying for Euro 2016 a major boost.
Also on Saturday, Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal defeated Ghana 2-1 in a
friendly, Sam Howes played in England U18s' 6-1 victory against Switzerland
and Josh Cullen played the 90 minutes of Republic of Ireland U19s' narrow
3-2 defeat to Germany.
On Monday, Carl Jenkinson will hope to feature as England U21 take on
Germany in Middlesbrough.
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Song, Jenkinson, Nolan and Downing: Mondays News
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 30th March 2015
By: Staff Writer #2
Get the very latest West Ham news in one place, with our new daily media
round-up!
Chelsea 'are considering a £10m summer transfer raid for Barcelona
midfielder Alex Song'
Alex Song has emerged as a surprise transfer target for Chelsea.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/29/chelsea-are-considering-a-10m-summer-transfer-
raid-for-barcelona-midfielder-alex-song-5126037/
Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson 'will be told he is free to join West Ham on
a permanent deal this summer'
Carl Jenkinson will be told he is free to make a permanent switch to West
Ham this summer.
http://metro.co.uk/2015/03/29/arsenal-defender-carl-jenkinson-will-be-told-h
e-is-free-to-join-west-ham-on-a-permanent-deal-this-summer-5126006/
Hammers pair feature in charity match
West Ham United pair Kevin Nolan and Stewart Downing were both involved in a
charity game involving the likes of Luis Suarez, Thierry Henry and Fernando
Torres at Anfield on Sunday.
http://www.whufc.com/News/Articles/2015/March/29-March/Hammers-pair-feature-
in-charity-match
Chelsea line up SHOCK move for former Arsenal star as Nemanja Matic back-up
JOSE MOURINHO is weighing up a move for Barcelona's Alex Song at the end of
the season, according to reports.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/567107/Alex-Song-Chelsea-transfer-ne
ws
WEST HAM OFFERED EUROPEAN LIFELINE?
Sam Allardyce's sides are known to be physical, aggressive and in-your-face,
partial to the odd crunching tackle which inevitably leads to the odd yellow
or even red card being brandished.
http://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/west-ham/west-ham-on-course-fo
r-european-qualification
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CLUB OR COUNTRY?
By Tony Hanna 30 Mar 2015 at 08:00
West Ham Till I Die
It may be difficult for younger fans to comprehend that the following
question I am going to ask used to be a difficult one. It would be my bet
that today's answers would deliver a landslide result yet a few decades ago
it would have probably eventuated in a hung parliament. So to the question.
"What would you rather. West Ham win the (PL) league or England win the
World Cup?"
Certainly, following the Nations long lived celebrations on winning the 1966
World Cup the answer would have probably swung to England. It was a time
when our National pride was at an all time high. The whole country
celebrated and eating baked beans on toast still felt like a three hat
experience. Just how much it meant to everyone radiated through to our core
with the disappointment of defeat when trying to retain the Cup in 1970.
Giving up a 2-0 lead against West Germany in the quarter final was like a
dagger to the heart.
Back in those days many England games were shown live on free to air
television. Certainly all the World Cup games were on the box although for
most in '66 and '70 it was still in black and white. In contrast none of the
league games were shown live and if you did not get to games you had to rely
on the BBC and ITV showing highlights and goals only from selected matches.
This was an era when many football fans would prefer an FA Cup to a League
title. The Cup was really something back in those days as was the European
Cup Winners Cup.
But what of today? Unlike yesteryear, domestic football is everywhere.
Depending on where you live in the World or what internet streams you are
prepared to risk, you can watch any and every game played each weekend. The
back page coverage of football has now turned into many pages and the
internet now provides sites like these if you want another dose of the
football drug. Some of the best footballers from all over the World now play
the game on our shores and the whole game has been revolutionised. Forty
five years ago the players that were selected for England were the best of
what the domestic league had to offer and there were plenty to choose from
as the vast majority were English. In recent times some of the players
selected can't even get a decent run in their club team due to the foreign
influx.
Perhaps too, the English public has got fed up with the same old, same old
stuff from the National side. A failure to perform in the big games and a
seemingly too often passive approach from the players has hardly inspired.
There appears to be a lop sided system in place where unless the players are
playing for the top sides they won't be selected. It makes it a bit more
special to follow England if there is a player from the club you support in
the set up and quite a few clubs in the Premier League seem starved of this
opportunity.
So, what would you rather? If you are not English, please feel free to
comment on your own National team.
Please note due to holiday commitments this will be my last article until
May.
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West Ham lining up summer transfer swoop for 21-year-old Senegal striker
Moussa Konate
22:30, 30 March 2015 By Darren Lewis
The forward has netted 11 times in 17 games for Swiss side FC Sion this
season, attracting attention from the Upton Park club
The Mirror
West Ham are poised to make a summer move for Senegal striker Moussa Konate
. The 21-year-old – who replaced the Irons' injured Diafra Sakho at
January's Africa Cup of Nations – has also attracted interest from Newcastle
and Aston Villa. The 6ft marksman enhanced his glowing reputation on
Saturday when he came off the bench to score twice in his country's 2-1 win
over Ghana. Konate has also netted 11 times in 17 appearances for his club,
Swiss side FC Sion, this season. His is keen to play in the Premier League
Hammers are equally determined to land him following the success of Sakho ,
bought for just £4.7million from Metz last summer. Sakho has hit 12 goals in
24 appearances this season, including seven in as many matches and the
winner in West Ham's last game, a 1-0 win over Sunderland. Hammers
co-chairman David Sullivan has already revealed that the club are seeking
more firepower in the summer after having their bid for European football
hampered by injury to Andy Carroll. Outlining the club's summer strategy to
fans, he said last week: "I think we need goalscorers, a right back and
maybe a central defender."
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Manager hunt delays player targets
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Transfer gossip is always fun but as the season winds down that's exactly
what it is at West Ham right now – GOSSIP – nothing more, nothing less. With
the club's managerial situation almost certainly in a state of transition no
names we read at this stage of things can be taken in any way seriously. I
mention this only because at the same time as I was earlier writing that the
managerial hunt was still going on and that Rafa Benitez was a hopeful
rather than optimistic target,new player faces were being put in the frame.
One was Parma striker Ishak Belfodil who had apparently become a target amid
claims Torino have entered the running for him. The report adds that " the
Hammers are determined to strengthen their forward line," a strange claim
given David Sullivan has admitted defensive signings will be the priority.
Take it all with a pinch of salt because with every passing day it looks as
if a new man – whoever that maybe – is on the way in anything you may or may
not read in the media is speculative at the very best. Expect the action to
stay in towards the end of May or early June when some serious decisions
will have been made.
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Irons new boss: The French connection grows
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in News Agenda, Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Marseilles boss Marco Bielsa is very back in the frame to become the next
Irons boss. The Argentinian boss is enjoying a highly successful season in
the French Ligue and the club is currently sitting in third place – one
point behind Lyon in second and two behind leaders PSG.
The team scored a fine 4-0 away win at RC Lens over the weekend as the
Hammers continue to monitor the former Argentine and Chile national team
chief. The 59 year old has been on the Hammers list of candidates to replace
Sam Allardyce at the end of the season for some weeks but ClaretandHugh has
learned his 'star' is in the ascendancy right now. We were told today: "He
doesn't fit the required criteria exactly in that he has no Premier League
experience but he is doing a superb job in France and his track record is
excellent. "He keeps coming back onto the radar and it would be no surprise
to see a formal inquiry made to speak with him." His flamboyant personality
has made him a favourite of the media in past years and he is a very
demonstrative individual who wears his heart on his sleeve.
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Hammers on the Rafa link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
West Ham are still tracking Rafa Benitez as a replacement for Sam Allardyce
at the end of the season but fear they will be unable to attract the former
Liverpool boss. Benitez is definitely keen on a Premier League return after
what is seen as a disappointing season with Napoli who sit in fifth place in
Serie A – twenty points off leaders Juventus. And the 1-1 home draw against
17th Atalanta at the weekend only cranked up the pressure on the former Kop
boss. With his family still in Liverpool – where they are very settled –
Benitez was reported by former Kop keeper Pepe Reina – as being ready to
make a PL return. And sources inside West Ham admitted to ClaretandHugh this
morning that he is a manager who would be very much a target were he
available. However one added: "Our understanding is that he wants either
Liverpool or Manchester City. He's a top manager and most clubs would be
interested but whether we could attract him is another question. "
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Song at centre of mischievous Chelsea link
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on March 30, 2015 in Whispers
Claret & Hugh
Mischief-making reports that Chelsea are keen to get involved in moves for
Alex Song are wide of the mark. With genuine news thin on the ground right
now – yes we admit it – some media outlets have been creating a story out of
very little suggesting the Hammers are no longer interested in the
midfielder. Not true! Talks with Barcelona will start within four weeks
assuming Song decides he would be open to an Upton Park move and should a
fee be found suitable then personal terms will be discussed with the player.
Should Jose Mourinho show any interest at any time – as is being suggested
by the Spanish tabloid Sport but to which currently there is no substance –
the 27 year old would be very much a squad player. The Hammers would be
ready to make him top man and possibly offer him the captain's armband as
they head for the Olympic Stadium in 2017. We have reported previously that
it is of course all down to fees and personal terms with a source telling
Claretandhugh: "He's a top player and we would be keen to talk to Barca soon
and later Alex if the numbers add up."
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Neville awards Arsenal's Jenkinson MOTM in superb England Under-21 win
HITC
Che Thomas
England Under-21s beat Germany 3-2 in a terrific match at the Riverside
Stadium, and the West Ham loan star was a standout performer.
Phil Neville is a former player that knows a thing or two about what makes a
top fullback. The former Manchester United and Everton man played at left
and right back for many years before retiring in 2013, and he told BT Sport
how impressed he was with one young member of the fullback's union after an
impressive attacking performance on Monday night. Commentating on England
Under-21s 3-2 win over Germany in Middlesbrough, the 59-cap defender
highlighted the work done by Arsenal's Carl Jenkinson on the right side of
defence as the home team twice came from behind to seal victory. The
right-back was a real threat down the wing for England, and Jenkinson
managed to set up Jesse Lingard's goal for the equaliser at 1-1, as well
James Ward-Prowse's late winner. "He's been like a right-winger at times
against Germany," Neville said of Jenkinson. "He's been fantastic tonight.
Rampaging down the right hand side at every opportunity. "With the two goals
he set up and driving raids down that right hand side, he just shaded man of
the match over [Nathan] Redmond."
It was no surprise that Neville gave the nod to Jenkinson, whose attacking
instincts from fullback were an impressive feature of England's performance,
and the United graduate paid tribute to the West Ham loanee by awarding him
man of the match. It's easy for people to forget about the former Charlton
defender, given the clamour that surrounded Calum Chambers' early
performances at Arsenal, but Jenkinson has been a solid performer for West
Ham this season, and it might be worthwhile Arsene Wenger keep an eye on his
youngster's performances in the European Championship finals in Czech
Republic this summer, before he entertains the idea of selling the
23-year-old.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former West Ham player Jack Collison still chasing his footballing dream
Injuries have badly disrupted the Wales midfielder's career but he is
determined to find another club despite being released by Ipswich Town in
December
Jacob Steinberg
Monday 30 March 2015 12.08 BST Last modified on Monday 30 March 2015 15.16
BST
Jack Collison is reminiscing about the start of his obsession with football.
He remembers that he always had a ball at his feet, whether he was going to
the shops or to the park, and that he would dribble around the cushions at
home, pretending he was Paul Scholes.
Chelsea were his team and he idolised Gianfranco Zola. "I was that kid
playing football 24/7, whether it was volleying a ball against my mum's
walls or knocking her vases over," Collison says. "I put a golf ball through
the front window once."
Collison is looking and sounding a little sheepish as he confesses to these
sins and this should be a heartwarming tale of how he saw his dream of
becoming a professional footballer come true. But this is a story with a
twist as jarring as the one that led to the former West Ham United
midfielder dislocating his right kneecap against Wigan Athletic in March
2009, a cruel and desperately unlucky injury that changed the course of a
career that was heading in a different direction at the time. "People have
this vision of footballers having an easy life," Collison says and he is
about to debunk that theory.
Collison is 26 and he should be approaching his prime. Alan Curbishley gave
him his debut for West Ham in a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal on New Year's Day in
2008 and Collison started to establish himself as a prominent member of the
first team when Zola, his childhood hero, was appointed manager later that
year.
Yet injuries have taken their toll on a player whose ability meant that he
was once linked with a move to Arsenal, and Collison has not played a
competitive match since last May. West Ham released him with a heavy heart
at the end of last season and although Ipswich Town handed him a short-term
contract in September, he injured his left knee in a practice match and was
unable to make a single appearance for Mick McCarthy's side. He was released
in December and Collison now finds himself training on his own every day,
pushing his body and his mind as he looks for a new club. He has had a
couple of offers but he is prepared to be patient, continue his fitness work
and wait until the summer before committing to anything. It is a lonely and
frustrating existence.
Collison is not the kind of person who wants sympathy. He has a fiancee,
watching The Lion King with his two-year-old daughter, Lucia, puts a smile
on his face, he has a solid group of people around him and he is keeping
himself busy. He has just opened the Jack Collison Soccer School with an old
friend, plans to take his Uefa B licence in the summer and reveals that he
is studying for a degree in sports writing and broadcasting.
Yet when he recalls how excited he was when he made his debut against
Arsenal, how Curbishley caught him and James Tomkins in the lift on the
morning of the game and told them that they were on the bench, it is hard
not to feel sorry for him. "I remember going to warm up down the touchline
and the Arsenal fans didn't have a clue who we were and we got quite a bit
of stick: 'Oh, you two look like hairdressers,'" Collison says. "We had a
great set of barnets. We quite enjoyed that and before I knew it Freddie
Ljungberg was going off and it was: 'Right, you're going on, enjoy it ...
try and get near Fàbregas if you can.' I didn't get anywhere near him."
When Zola replaced Curbishley in September 2008, Collison became a fixture
in the side and on 19 November 2008 he made his debut for Wales in a 1-0
victory away to Denmark, the first of 17 caps.
On 1 March 2009, he scored West Ham's winner in a 1-0 victory over
Manchester City. It was a fine goal, a beautifully judged lob over Shay
Given, but the injury came three days later. West Ham were closing in on
another three points, this time away to Wigan, when Collison controlled a
clearance from Robert Green on his chest and collapsed in agony by the right
touchline. There was no one near him but his studs seemed to get caught in
the turf, causing his knee to buckle and give way. It was a freak accident.
"I think that was a big turning point," Collison says. "Ever since then I've
had to be very careful with myself. At the time, I was flying and loving my
football. I was enjoying playing under my hero as a kid and the boys were
doing well in the league."
He returned two months later, but it was too soon. "Injuries are part of the
game, but it was a serious injury," Collison says. "Looking back, that was a
massive mistake. It's hard to tell a 20-year-old kid you can go one way
about it and you'll be back in a couple of months, or you go the long way,
have the surgery and miss over a year of football.
"I think it's hard. I was 20 and I was playing week-in, week-out in the
Premier League. At the end of the day, it's all in the past. It's happened
now. It's hard to tell someone they should stop playing and no one said
maybe you think should about your future rather than trying to play again in
a couple of months time."
It was a difficult time for Collison, both on and off the pitch. Tragedy
stuck at the start of the following season when his father, Ian, was killed
in a motorcycle accident while he was on his way to watch Collison play
against Tottenham Hotspur. Collison found out after the game and two days
later he walked off in tears at the end of a League Cup match against
Millwall at Upton Park.
He continued to play, but his knee was bothering him and he underwent
surgery in March 2010. He was out for 14 months, Zola was sacked and Avram
Grant took West Ham down. The game that sealed their fate, a 3-2 defeat at
Wigan in May 2011, was Collison's first start of the season.
"There's a different way for an injured player to be," he says. "Though
you're around the boys a lot, it's very lonely. People would try and talk to
you and build you up, but you need to get in the right mindset and realise
you're on your own now. This is what I'm going to do, this is what it's
going to take. You have to focus so much energy on coming back. I had a lot
of good people around me, but they're not the ones going in watching the
boys training and doing the hours in the gym. Then you've got treatment,
then you've got to go down the swimming pool and then spend all night icing
your knee. It's very lonely. Times like that aren't easy."
Collison pauses for a moment and searches for the right words. "It's
heartbreaking," he says, softly and without a hint of melodrama.
"One of my most difficult moments was when my agent came to me pick me up
after my operation," he says. "I'd been in for two days and they said I
should stay, but I just wanted to get home. I was in the back of the car and
I was nearly in tears, I was in so much pain on the way back. I just wanted
to get home and start my recovery away from the hospital. Over a 14-month
period there was lots of progress and then a setback. Two steps forward, one
step back. You think you're getting close and you're still a mile off. You
get outside and something else crops up. It's tough.
"I kept a blog every day, of every single bit of treatment that I did, from
day one to 14 months later. I've got about three or four books of that. I
was really focused about getting back."
Sam Allardyce replaced Grant, and Collison had a productive season as West
Ham battled their way out of the Championship. He scored both goals when
they beat Cardiff City 2-0 in the first leg of their play-off semi-final and
played in the 2-1 victory over Blackpool in the final, even though he was
struggling with a shoulder injury. "It was a bit of a patch-up job," he
says. "I had a jab on the day of the game. I was fully strapped up. I could
hardly move to be honest but there was no way I wasn't going to go out
there; you would have had to shoot me in both legs.
"Near the end I was dribbling with the ball. I got cramp in both legs and I
fell over on my shoulder. I was in agony. Kevin Nolan picked me up and said:
'What are you doing?' But Winston Reid was there to mop up. Then I fell over
the boards when we were celebrating."
West Ham were back in the Premier League but his knee was bothering him
again. He missed the first three months of the season and when he scored
West Ham's goal in a 5-1 defeat at Arsenal in January 2013, he ran straight
to the bench and celebrated with the physio, Andy Rolls.
Yet his form was patchy and West Ham decided to let him go at the end of
last season. Collison's response? He said farewell to supporters by
publishing a 2,800-word open letter on West Ham's website and the feedback
was so positive that it made him want to see whether he could work in the
media one day.
"I'm going to be picking your brains," he jokes. "I've always been
interested in writing and the radio, because obviously it's something that
comes with football. I've always kept blogs and diaries, but it's been more
private. After I wrote the letter to the West Ham fans, which took me a
while, I had a lot of feedback. I got an email from the PFA, who have been
fantastic, about their sports writing degree, so I thought let's have a
crack at it and see how it goes. I'm about four or five months into it.
"It's a bit harder than I expected. The workload's really gone up and we've
got a little group of 10 of us. It's ex-pros through the PFA. Chris
Iwelumo's doing it and a few others. We've just started doing small pieces,
little articles. We've been working on interview techniques and then in the
summer it moves into the television and radio side of it."
Collison loves to write. "I found that it was a good way to sometimes let
off a bit off steam," he says. "I sometimes wrote about my games, it just
depended on what mood I was in. Sometimes I would go ages without writing
and sometimes I'd be writing every day. It might be a little paragraph or
sometimes I might really get into one and get all my feelings and thoughts
out on the page.
"I've never published anything. The letter to the West Ham fans is the only
thing I've put out there. I felt that was quite therapeutic. It was nice to
get everything out and close the chapter on a long time at West Ham.
"I've got pages and pages of stuff on my computer. I'm actually working on a
book with Kit Carson, who used to be my youth coach at Peterborough and
Cambridge. We're working on something at the moment, to try and bring some
of the stuff together and see where we go with that. I've got everything,
from debuts, from bad games, from coming back from injury, from being
injured."
The soccer school has also given Collison a buzz. "One of my friends who I
played with at Cambridge, Russell Short, we were just having a conversation
one day," he says. "I had a lot of time on my hands and he's a semi-pro now
and we just thought it would be great to set it up. I know how fantastic it
was for me as a youngster to go to something like that. They have the
opportunity to get trained by ex-pros and I do as much as I can. I have
David Blackmore, an ex-West Ham academy goalkeeper, coming in with the
goalies. They just enjoy their football, which I think every kid wants.
"They're normal schoolkids. It's not to find the best players. We're in a
great position where if we find a little gem we can help them out. It would
be amazing. Imagine having a kid coming from your soccer school going on to
a pro club and then doing well. But the three days we have had so far, I got
so much enjoyment out of it. It's such a great feeling seeing how happy the
kids were and how much they were enjoying it."
Collison's main target, however, is to find a new club. He feels strong and
he knows his body now. "I've spent a lot of time researching," he says. "If
you wanted to talk about knees, I could probably talk about them for 10
hours."
And despite everything that has happened, he has remained positive. "I don't
think I have any choice," Collison says. "If ever I have a day where I feel
down, I just go and look at my daughter. She's my first child. It's so great
watching her grow and her personality grow."
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Tuesday, March 31
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