Slaven Speaks - Everton
WHUFC.com
Slaven Bilic was focused almost exclusively on football in his press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League game at Everton.
The Hammers head to Goodison Park in fine form and confident mood, having picked up seven points from nine and defeated Chelsea in the EFL Cup fourth round in midweek.
The manager was asked about off-field incidents, but asked that the media refer to the Club's statements and allow him to concentrate on his job of producing a team to win in L4 for the second straight season.
Slaven, can we start by asking you to comment on the incidents near the end of Wednesday's EFL Cup tie at London Stadium?
"I have said enough about the Stadium. I want to talk about football and about the game. I am a football manager and not a police officer or whatever, so that's it basically. Ask me football questions, please, if there are any!"
What's your team news for Everton on Sunday?
"It's a big game. We played a very demanding game physically and psychologically on Wednesday and we have a few knocks and all that, so we're going to see how it is after training today, but nothing major. They should all be fit and available for Sunday."
Has Michail Antonio made a case to start up front again?
"Yes, he was really good and that's why we put him there. He did everything we hoped and expected that he would do. He used the space behind and it's very hard to make him in such a big space. Also, he's very strong. He did excellently in that game, to be fair."
How close is Andre Ayew to starting a game?
"He is very close. It was crucial [for him to get some game-time], because he had a long break from the first game of the season, and it's great to have him back. He's been training with the group for a couple of weeks now and came on and did really good against Chelsea. He looked fit and aggressive, so it's great to have him back."
You must be frustrated that the focus is not on the team's return to form?
"Yes, but I'm trying to get the focus back on the team! We are playing good at the moment. Those three wins – two in the league and one in the cup – we have to build on. We are positive but we are expecting an extremely difficult game on Sunday. If we continue to play like this and improve, then we have a chance."
You won at Everton in March, coming from 2-0 down, so you must have good memories of that game?
"Yes, I remember that. It was a strange game. We were two down and they had a penalty, which Adrian saved and we won at the end 3-2. It was a dramatic game and very good for us, but very bad for them. I remember, even when we were down, we were playing well and there was always a hope. We were always there, creating chances and hurting them in the last third of the pitch. I always believed that we were going to score some goals there.
"I don't know what I expect this year, but I know it'll be a very difficult game. They started the season really great, then they've had a little dip in form according to points. They're at home, have a great squad, great individuals and are very well organised and, as I said, I can't wait because it should be a great game of football."
Have the players been distracted by events of this week at all?
"No, I think they have been totally motivated and fully concentrated on the game on Sunday. Don't get me wrong, we really felt at home at the new Stadium with the crowd behind us in the game against Chelsea. It was loud, so we had great support, apart from that thing, of course.
"The Club didn't deserve it, the players definitely didn't deserve it and the vast majority of fans didn't deserve it, of course."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers back Bobby statue campaign
WHUFC.com
West Ham United stars past and present have backed Barking and Dagenham Council's campaign to have a statue built of the late, great Bobby Moore OBE.
Captain Mark Noble, two-time FA Cup winner Frank Lampard Senior and former player and manager Harry Redknapp have all endorsed the idea of building The People's Statue to the man who led the Hammers and England to unprecedented success in the 1960s.
Noble, who like Moore also born in east London and went on to captain his local club, threw his backing behind the initiative, saying: "Bobby Moore was an England, West Ham and London legend.
"A statue in the heart of his home town will be a permanent monument to his everlasting greatness."
The Council-led appeal aims to raise more than £160,000 for the statue, which will be placed in the heart of Barking.
The statue would form part of the Borough's wider celebrations of 50th anniversary of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup, which have also included the installation of an English Heritage Blue Plaque at his family home in Waverley Gardens.
The Council also invited Moore's fellow West Ham and England legend Sir Geoff Hurst to a West Ham United Foundation-run mini-World Cup tournament for local schools, which was held at Dagenham & Redbridge FC in July.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Darren Rodwell said: "We are extremely proud, as a borough that Bobby Moore was born and grew up in Barking and it is important that we honour this great man.
"We need to remember all of the iconic people that come from the borough including our footballing heroes. Let's remember what success looks like and help to fund a statue of a real great - Bobby Moore, in his home town, Barking."
A One Borough Community Day was also held in July to celebrate the 50th anniversary of England's 4-2 win over West Germany at Wembley, with Hammers heroes Tony Cottee and Tony Gale and champion fundraiser Jonjo Heuerman attending a special screening of the final and running a football tournament in aid of the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Everton v West Ham United
SUN, 30 OCT 2016PREMIER LEAGUE
13:30
Venue: Goodison Park
TEAM NEWS
Everton duo Leighton Baines and James McCarthy will both miss this weekend with hamstring injuries.
Matthew Pennington, Tyias Browning, Darron Gibson and Muhamed Besic also remain sidelined.
West Ham club-record signing Andre Ayew could start, having made his first appearance since 15 August on Wednesday.
The Hammers' injury list remains lengthy with forwards Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho among five absentees.
MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES
Ian Dennis: "For those who believe '10 matches in' acts as a barometer for the rest of the season then Everton could be heading for a top-six finish.
"Fast forward seven months from now and you would think the current position would satisfy most Evertonians. However, there still appears to be an undercurrent of frustration and some fans feel frailties still fester from the Roberto Martinez days.
"West Ham and Slaven Bilic are more than aware results dictate the mood. The Hammers have started to win again - three on the bounce - and will hope for a repeat of last season's victory at Goodison."
Twitter: @Iandennisbbc
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY
Everton manager Ronald Koeman: "The last game against Burnley we were very disappointed. You know you can lose in football, but that wasn't deserved. We need to accept it and improve.
"Overall I'm happy with the defensive organisation but I'm not happy with the offensive aspect. We need to improve and be more clinical and have more productivity.
"That's what we need to change."
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic on Wednesday's crowd disturbances at London Stadium: "It does hurt, of course it does. The club didn't deserve it, the players don't deserve it definitely, the fans didn't deserve it - the majority of them of course. The big majority, the vast majority. I have said enough, I want to talk about the game on Sunday. I have a big game. I said what I said and that's it. I want to talk about football and the game.
"There is no point talking about it because I would only repeat what I said. I am a football manager, not a police officer or whatever, so that is it basically."
LAWRO'S PREDICTION
One team has gone five games without a win, the other four without a defeat. Bearing that in mind, I am going for a draw.
Prediction: 1-1
Lawro's full predictions v England rugby league captain Sam Burgess
Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in our Predictor game.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Everton have dominated the all-time meetings - winning 67 to West Ham's 38, with 29 draws.
West Ham came from two goals down to win the corresponding game last season, Dimitri Payet scoring a 90th-minute winner.
It was Everton's first defeat in 16 Premier League matches against the Hammers (W10, D5).
Everton
Everton have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last five league matches.
They are unbeaten in the league at home this season (W2, D2).
Romelu Lukaku has scored eight times in 10 games against West Ham in all competitions, more than he has against any other Premier League opponents.
The Belgian has scored in his last six Premier League games against the Hammers.
West Ham
West Ham last won three league games in a row in March - the third of which came against Everton.
The Hammers have conceded nine goals in their four away league games this season.
Michail Antonio has gone five games without a goal having scored five in his previous five matches.
Dimitri Payet leads the Premier League this season for both chances created (30) and assists (four).
Most probable score: 1-1 Probability of draw: 24%
Probability of home win: 52% Probability of away win: 24%
SAM (Sports Analytics Machine) is a super-computer created by @ProfIanMcHale at the University of Salford that is used to predict the outcome of football matches.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE HOME OF THUGS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 28 OCTOBER 2016 AT 9:01AM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
London Stadium
Written by Katie S @flump9
I wrote an article back in May after the Manchester United game, regarding the media bandwagon that seems to take place surrounding issues with West Ham. Once again, I feel compelled to write another article, sadly discussing mainly the same issues.
From the moment I witnessed both sets of fans throwing items at each other, I knew what the headlines were going to be and I also knew that the majority of it would be aimed at us and not Chelsea fans. I have read some rather absurd headlines suggesting the London Stadium should be shut down and that we should play behind closed doors. However, the headline that really got to me was 'The Home of Thugs'. How dare people suggest that all West Ham fans are thugs.
I have supported West Ham my whole life, I come from a family of lifelong West Ham fans, none of which have ever been involved in any hint of violence. I, like the majority of West Ham fans, go week in and week out to watch football. West Ham are my passion in life and to hear such negative comments, over and over again, is causing me real frustration. As sad as it may sound, it is like having to defend a family member, when someone has heard a rumour and then got the facts completely wrong.
Nobody with any sense or decency would condone any of the actions of the minority last night, but this is what we have got to remember, it was a tiny minority. There were nearly 46,000 fans inside the ground and apparently 200 fans were involved in any kind of fracas (even this number seems too high, from what I witnessed). This equates to less than half a percent of our fans. I think the media need to be looking at these facts before allowing such appalling headlines to be printed and condemning all West Ham fans.
As ExWHUemployee referred to in his article yesterday, the issues surround West Ham being awarded the stadium caused a huge backlash and it certainly feels as though the media are looking for a headline to rile the public further. Unfortunately, I cannot help but feel that there is a general feeling of wanting the stadium to fail, as they believe that we should not have been given a stadium that was paid for by the tax payer. I know this is a completely separate issue, but I really wish people would remember that it was either this or let it go to ruin!
For me there are many issues with the London Stadium, of course stewarding and policing are a major issue and no doubt changes need to be taking place. However, security in general really needs to be looked at. It concerns me greatly that fans were allowed to enter the ground last night without any security checks, especially when trouble was so highly anticipated. I can honestly say that I have not felt unsafe in the stadium at any point and I believe most fans feel the same.
Sadly, every football club will have a handful of pretend football fans, who have no interest in the football taking place on the pitch and instead want a night out where they cause trouble. These people (I cannot call them fans) are not welcome at West Ham United and hopefully they will no longer be allowed to enter.
Remember this – West Ham fans are not thugs, we are passionate fans who follow their club through thick and thin and this includes the barrage of abuse we are having to take at the moment.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stadium sponsor pull the plug
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 28th October 2016
By: Staff Writer
There was more bad news for West Ham this morning when it was revealed tech company The Mahindra Group will not be sponsoring the Olympic Stadium after they pulled out of the race to land naming rights.
The Indian multinational has been cited as a potential principal sponsor since last summer when their interest in taking up naming rights for the stadium as part of a multi-million-pound deal was first revealed.
However the Telegraph claim this morning that Mahindra have allowed a 'period of exclusivity' to expire after they failed to meet stadium owners' E20's (disclosed) asking price - and have no intention of returning with a higher bid.
According to marketing expert Tim Crow, who is quoted in the Telegraph's article, part of the problem is that the sponsorship deal would have included West Ham games only.
Next summer's Athletics World Championships, for example, is one of many 'unbranded' events planned for the OS in the near future.
"If you look at the stadiums that have staged Olympics in the last 50 years, lasting – or, indeed, any – naming-rights sponsorship is like a unicorn," he said. "The Olympic Stadium, you wouldn't say it's been chock-full of content since the Games, so that makes a key difference. Effectively, you're just becoming a sponsor of West Ham."
The Mahindra Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate based in Mumbai, India, with operations in over 100 countries around the globe. It was expected that a naming rights deal - worth around £6million per season - would be announced by April, although that was delayed.
Supermarket chain Tesco were also rumoured to be interested in securing naming rights for the Olympic Stadium, although the link was later denied.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Is it time for the BBC to discontinue their coverage of football?
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 28th October 2016
By: Kit Robinson
The rights of the vast majority of live televised men's football matches are claimed between Sky and BT Sport whilst commercial radio stations are able to commentate on live football.
Highlights of matches are obtainable elsewhere after Match of the Day is broadcast, so the BBC are limited to almost exclusively spoken word only content, filling an increasing number of shows. Are the BBC still justified in demanding by law that licence fees be paid so that football fans are allowed to watch other subscribed or commercial channels who do supply the live content they want to watch, not just people talking about football?
At the start of this season the BBC asked 30+ pundits to predict what would happen in the Premier League. Some of the same pundits and presenters which appear on many of their programmes across all media are now seen on other channels football programmes. Much of the BBC radio content is supplied for free by fans ringing in to express their views and live coverage of the men's game on television is now limited to the odd cup match (having also already pulled out of Formula One) with ITV covering internationals.
So should the question now be asked, in a similar way to what are our taxes spent on if everything has been privatised? What is the BBC supplying to the predominantly male audience who are football fans? Pretty much all the BBC supply is people talking about football.
One might almost feel that if they could, the BBC would be happy to get rid of football because they seem to dislike it and the people involved in it so much. That would be if it wasn't for the fact that because fans pay such a large wedge of their funding through the licence fee and that they are supposed to cater for two genders as a public service broadcaster. Something which is questionable with the rest of their output and investment being in anything other than programming for men.
The BBC seem to have a fixation that men's programming is almost solely football and if football went elsewhere the BBC would struggle to supply any male orientated programming at all. Or certainly little which was positive or helpful.
The BBC seems to insist on a daily basis that social issues are forced into their football content across all media platforms, be it an offensive comment made, rape, LGBT issues, sexism, racism, the promotion of women's football, dodgy dealings within the game, violence etc.
This is not just due to filling airtime or column inches, it seems that the BBC has a big problem with the men's game from the sociopolitical standpoint of their programming and editorial staff. The agenda and viewpoint for every subject matter is negative towards football and the vast majority of men who are fans.
This wouldn't be so bad if the outcome of some of their talking points didn't still continue to be negative towards football even when it is found to be or proven positive. A typical example was the survey conducted by Radio 5 concerning attitudes towards gay players which they broadcast on 26 March 2016.
The main finding was that a negligible 8 per cent of 4,000 fans had a problem with gay players playing for their club. I should think that would be quite a favourable result compared to if that were a survey taken with non-football fans and a similar scenario, given that some people are intolerant towards gay people based solely on, for instance, their religion's attitude towards homosexuality. Yet the BBC stated that there was still a big problem in football.
Another area is race. The vast majority of the team who played against Chelsea on March 26th were non-white. No fans had a problem with this, or probably even noticed it, but is that fact celebrated by the media? No.
West Ham have brought the ladies team in-house after accusations of sexism. Manchester United don't even have a ladies team which was a specific business decision. I cannot help but feel that the great bulk of the negativity towards the club (and football in general) is actually that with a lot of the social issues which the likes of the BBC like to accuse football of, the game has largely got its house in order, not perfect, but miles better than in the past.
But the dislike of the game is based on the financial and emotional investment of almost wholly men over the past 100 years, during which men have been criticised, ridiculed etc for that investment. And now it's a huge multi-billion pound industry which on the whole, only one gender can profit from, it is to be criticised. I doubt that were football the size of men's hockey, the BBC would have a problem with it.
The current all-out negativity towards West Ham since they moved into the London (nee Olympic) Stadium is chronic and has reached fever pitch. The BBC are running three stories online as I write about football violence involving an eight-year-old girl, homophobic chanting and closing the ground for matches.
I am not condoning the behaviour of those fans at the Chelsea League Cup match on 26th March but let's have a bit of perspective. Seven arrests, including one who was a ticket tout, in comparison to Notting Hill Carnival with four people being stabbed (including one teenager who was disembowelled which didn't even make it onto the BBC news), 45 police officers injured and more than 450 arrested.
I had the BBC ring me on my way home from the game against Chelsea asking if I had seen anything and requesting that I go live on Radio 5 to talk about it. I said I went to a great match with my 15-year-old niece. In other words I should be the ideal football fan to them. From the other end of the stadium we saw a few people lobbing things at each other, but of course the BBC researcher was not interested in that but they were struggling trying to find anyone who witnessed the "violence".
All I saw was a stand-off or confrontation and the police and stewards actually doing a good job. And it is ironic that when the BBC can capture a huge male audience that they refuse to ever cover any men's issues. This coming from the broadcaster who constantly claims that "men don't talk".
But what shouldn't be forgotten is that the BBC is by far the biggest influence on society in the UK, above newspapers, politicians, online media, everything. But this is beyond solely West Ham, it is about all football. So maybe it is time for the BBC to admit that it dislikes football, it no longer wants to supply football to its licence fee payers, or that a huge quantity of substandard content and opinion is not actually supplying what those licence fee payers want ie; live matches. They are no longer fit for purpose.
Alternatively maybe it is time for football fans to see what little the BBC supply or which can be supplied elsewhere, that they consistently depict those licence fee payers with contempt and that they should simply not bother with the BBC anymore and start boycotting it?
Paying for Sky but having to pay for the BBC by law is like saying you buy the Independent but have to by law pay for the Daily Express. I am sure that most football fans, male or female, would rather discuss or debate societal issues without them being constantly and incorrectly attached to football.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham to identify 200 fans involved in crowd trouble against Chelsea
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 28/10/16 8:16am
SSN
West Ham have confirmed they are finalising the identification of 200 individuals involved in the crowd disturbances during their EFL Cup victory over Chelsea on Wednesday.
The Metropolitan Police have also confirmed three men have been charged following the trouble at London Stadium, with offences ranging from assault on a police officer to possession of class A drugs.
A further three men were arrested, but all were bailed pending further enquiries.
West Ham have insisted they will issue seasonal or life bans, depending on the severity of the offence, to any fan found to have been involved in the trouble.
A spokesperson for London Stadium partners West Ham United, E20 Stadium LLP and London Stadium 185, said: "An extensive safety and security operation was delivered in and around London Stadium throughout Wednesday's match with close co-ordination between West Ham United, London Stadium 185 and the Metropolitan Police Service.
"A small number of individuals were intent on becoming involved in disorder and are being investigated, identified and banned from London Stadium as a matter of priority.
"The response of our safety and security teams was measured, fast and effective and we commend our stewarding and response personnel who were called to deal with several incidents of challenging behaviour.
"It must be stressed that the vast majority of West Ham United and visiting supporters have behaved impeccably and we are committed to ensuring that they can continue to support their team in a safe environment.
"We wish to thank the genuine supporters who are behaving impeccably when attending matches at London Stadium for their fantastic support. We wish to assure them that we will work tirelessly to ban those who seek to affect their enjoyment and match experience."
Both sets of fans threw missiles across a segregated area of the ground before breaking through security and clashing along a walkway of the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand. Police in riot gear managed to quell the disorder as the match concluded.
The FA will ask both clubs for their observations before assessing evidence and deciding whether to bring any charges.
A spokesperson for London Stadium Safety Advisory Group, said: "The Stadium's safety certificate was granted after all safety plans were agreed before the start of the season.
"The extensive security and safety operation implemented by all partners was robust. Therefore, there are no plans to review the safety certificate or to reduce the stadium capacity.
"The issues arising due to fan disorder at Wednesday's game will be discussed at the next Safety Advisory Group (SAG) meeting.
"The SAG consists of Newham Council and London Legacy Development Corporation as the Stadium owners, London Stadium 185 as the Stadium operators and West Ham United as the primary tenant.
"It also includes the Met Police, London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade, British Transport Police, Westfield, Transport for London and the Sports Ground Safety Authority. The group will continue to monitor safety and security at the stadium and will advise partners to take further action when necessary."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic says minority ruined first West Ham 'home' game at London Stadium
Last Updated: 28/10/16 12:13pm
SSN
Slaven Bilic says it hurts that a minority of troublemakers marred the first time the London Stadium felt like "home" for West Ham.
The Hammers are threatening to ban as many as 200 supporters after disturbances broke out during the final moments of Wednesday night's EFL Cup win over Chelsea.
Bilic made his feelings plain after the game and was reluctant to revisit the trouble at his press conference ahead of the Super Sunday trip to Everton.
The West Ham manager was clearly frustrated that what felt like a landmark night in the club's new stadium had been overshadowed.
"Don't get me wrong," he said, "but we really felt at home. Everything we were talking about before the game - 'Is it like home? Is it like the Boleyn Ground was?' - we really felt the crowd behind us.
"Of course [it hurts]. The club doesn't deserve it, the players don't deserve it, the fans don't deserve it - the big majority of them."
Bilic refused to take further questions on the subject, describing himself as "a football manager, not a police officer or whatever."
And he was keen to talk football, specifically the upturn in his side's form since Cheikhou Kouyate was dropped back to play as a third centre-half.
The new formation yielded Premier League wins over Crystal Palace and Sunderland before the Chelsea game, and Bilic said: "We changed the system a bit. Okay, it's important, especially when the results come, but it's more about the players' movement.
"Kouyate helped to stabilise the defence and also helps us to create from the back."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"It was anarchy!" Chelsea supporter slams police segregation efforts at West Ham
12:36, 27 OCT 2016 UPDATED 12:36, 27 OCT 2016
BY MATT MCGEEHAN
Seven were arrested after violence broke out in the stands between West Ham and Chelsea fans during the EFL Cup tie
The Mirror
A Chelsea fan caught up in the crowd violence at West Ham has slammed the efforts at segregation describing the chaotic scenes as "like anarchy".
Seven were arrested after violence broke out in the stands between West Ham and Chelsea fans during the EFL Cup tie at the London Stadium.
Coins, seats and other objects appeared to be thrown between rival supporters, with the Hammers and Chelsea condemning the unsavoury scenes which are now under investigation by the FA.
Steve Cutting claims he was hit by a coin thrown after Cheikhou Kouyate's 11th-minute goal.
Cutting, a Chelsea supporter for more than 40 years, told Press Association Sport: "As soon as they scored there was abuse being hurled over and we were watching the game and all of a sudden I felt a massive thump on the side of my head, thinking it was a bottle or a stone.
"I put my hand up to my head and realised I'd been cut. I looked down and there were some coins, 50p and pound coins."
West Ham, Chelsea, the FA, EFL and Metropolitan Police condemned the violence in the stadium.
Cutting does not believe the separation outside the ground was adequate.
"Coming out of the stadium was a free for all," he added.
"To get back to Stratford station was ridiculous. It was running battles again, groups of people fighting and trying to get to each other.
"There's no real clear proper way to get people back to the station safely."
Cutting was in attendance with friends, including Stuart, who took a photo of Cutting's bloodstained head and posted it on Twitter.
"From Stratford station to that stadium is unpoliceable," Stuart, who did not wish to share his surname, told Press Association Sport.
"It was almost like anarchy last night."
The Metropolitan Police added that antisocial behaviour legislation was utilised prior to the match to order 30 people to disperse.
West Ham vowed to punish any perpetrators identified, while Chelsea have a history of taking the sternest available action on incidents of violence.
A FA statement issued on Thursday morning read: "The FA is investigating crowd disturbances at last night's EFL Cup match between West Ham United and Chelsea.
"We are in dialogue with all relevant authorities."
The League Cup is organised by the English Football League.
An EFL spokesman said: "The EFL strongly condemns the behaviour of a small minority of fans involved in the distasteful and unwelcome incidents during last's night's EFL Cup match between West Ham United and Chelsea.
"We are currently liaising with both clubs, the Football Association and Metropolitan Police as they look to identify those involved and take appropriate and decisive action."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's London Stadium doesn't lend itself to segregation but those who want trouble will find it anywhere
11:53, 27 OCT 2016
OPINION BY STEVESTAMMERS
The scenes inside the London Stadium can't be justified but if some a minority of around 50,000 decide to cause mayhem, then mayhem they will cause
The Mirror
Nothing can justify the ugly crowd scenes that marred a night of high drama at the London stadium on Wednesday.
And the problems highlighted the difficulties of staging a high-octane football match between two bitter rivals in a stadium built for athletics.
The match between West Ham and Chelsea lived up to its billing. Sadly, so did the hype about potential clashes between the fans.
The environs around the stadium that held the Olympics four years ago do not lend themselves to segregation. Inside the stadium it is the same.
Back in 2012, there was no need to separate those cheering on Usain Bolt or Yohan Blake or Justin Gatlin in the 100 metres final.
Yet it is vital to stress that no matter where a match is staged, no matter what precautions are taken if there are those who want confrontation and trouble, they will find it.
Ask Tottenham and Arsenal. When Arsenal fans went to White Hart Lane not long ago, there was immense damaged caused in the visiting fans area. In the return fixture, similar damage was inflicted on the Emirates in retaliation.
It is not right, it is not acceptable but it happens. So if some 100-200 out of an attendance of around 50,000 decide to cause mayhem, then mayhem they will cause.
West Ham as a club must find a way to allow fans into their allocated section without clashing with home fans – particularly in matches where the rivalry is intense.
The unfortunate outcome was that the match was over-shadowed by the trouble among warring factions. West Ham were inspired by the highly-charged atmosphere, Chelsea were nothing like the team that demolished Manchester United.
True, they made several changes but the starting line-up was still one you would fancy to get a result in a Premier League match.
Michail Antonio ran John Terry and David Luiz ragged. Winston Reid was immense. He subdued the disappointing Michy Batshuayi and then ensured the belligerent Diego Costa knew he was in a match when he came on as the second half substitute.
No chance for a touchline dance of delight for Antonio Conte. And the dodgy knees that are the legacy of Slaven Bilic's playing ensured there would be no provocative antics in the coaches' zone when West Ham scored.
It might just emerge as the result and performance West Ham needed to convince sceptical fans the move to Stratford might just work.
And as a footnote to missile-throwing in the Chelsea match: on August 5 2012, the Olympic 100 metres final was held up briefly.
Why? Someone in the crowd threw a plastic beer bottle at the competitors.
Can't blame West Ham for that one. They were still at Upton Park.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham crowd trouble "hurts" admits Slaven Bilic: "The club don't deserve it"
11:22, 28 OCT 2016 UPDATED 11:22, 28 OCT 2016
BY JOE MEWIS , BEN BURROWS , JAMES WHALING
The club confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that they are currently in the process of identifying 200 individuals who will be given banning orders
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic admits he and West Ham are hurt by the damaging scenes of crowd trouble earlier this week.
Fans clashed inside the London Stadium with more questions being posed surrounding the policing and security measures at the Hammers' new home.
The club confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that they are currently in the process of identifying 200 individuals who will be given banning orders for their part in the violence.
And when asked whether the latest outbreak of trouble hurt him Bilic admitted: "It does, of course it does.
"The club didn't deserve it, the players don't deserve it definitely, the fans didn't deserve it.
"The majority of them of course. Big majority. Vast majority."
Bilic condemned the scenes after the game but spoke glowingly on Friday about the support the team got from the majority of supporters on Wednesday night.
"We really felt the crowd behind us in the game against Chelsea," he added. "It was loud, they were really behind us.
"It was great support apart from that thing of course."
Club vice-chairman Karren Brady has laid the blame for the unrest on a minority of "mindless individuals
"A disappointment to all who have worked so hard to put on such an exciting fixture in the face of a small minority of mindless individuals hell-bent on causing trouble," she wrote in the Sun.
"While the line of segregation between both sets of supporters was never actually broken — and supporters never made contact with one another — the baying behaviour that we witnessed is completely unacceptable to everyone at West Ham United and Chelsea Football Club and we will be taking the most severe action possible against individuals involved."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Arsene Wenger fears West Ham crowd violence will make safe standing return difficult
10:17, 28 OCT 2016 UPDATED 10:17, 28 OCT 2016
BY NEIL MCLEMAN
Wenger insisted he has no fears about Arsenal fans visiting the London Stadium but is worried the trouble could effect the reintroduction of standing
The Mirror
Arsene Wenger has claimed the crowd violence at the London Stadium this week will make the re-introduction of safe standing more difficult in England football.
West Ham are seeking to ban 200 fans after riot police needed to be deployed in their new stadium during the EFL Cup clash with Chelsea.
Wenger insisted he has no fears about Arsenal fans visiting the London Stadium in the next scheduled London derby on December 3.
"I am surprised more than disappointed because West Ham usually has a strong fan base who are very motivated," said the Frenchman. "We are not usually facing this kind of problem anymore.
"I am in favour of the reintroduction of standing. The closer you are to the position of the player, the more passionate you are. As well it allows you to have lower prices and maybe more passion inside the stadium.
"That is not a good advertisement for standing. I am surprised and hopefully West Ham will get rid of the problem very quickly.
"I don't believe there is a problem with hooliganism in England. You can't say with one minor incident – 200 hundred people or so – that there is a problem in the country."
Theo Walcott faces a late fitness test on a "minor hamstring" injury before tomorrow's trip to Sunderland while Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud are back in the squad.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Karren Brady blames West Ham versus Chelsea fan violence on 'mindless individuals'
09:43, 28 OCT 2016 UPDATED 09:45, 28 OCT 2016
BY JOE MEWIS , JAMES WHALING
The Hammers' vice-chairman says the club are fully focused on identifying the troublemakers following the 'unacceptable' behaviour
The Mirror
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady has laid the blame for Wednesday's crowd trouble at the EFL Cup clash against Chelsea a minority of "mindless individuals".
Fans clashed inside the London Stadium with more questions being posed surrounding the policing and security measures at the Hammers' new home.
The club confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that they are currently in the process of identifying 200 individuals who will be given banning orders for their part in the violence.
And Brady insists the Hammers will be taking 'the most severe action possible' against those involved, while insisting the club did all they could prior to the match to try and ensure it passed off without trouble.
West Ham legend Tony Cottee fears dark days of hooliganism could return if Irons don't address issues
"A disappointment to all who have worked so hard to put on such an exciting fixture in the face of a small minority of mindless individuals hell-bent on causing trouble," she wrote in the Sun.
"While the line of segregation between both sets of supporters was never actually broken — and supporters never made contact with one another — the baying behaviour that we witnessed is completely unacceptable to everyone at West Ham United and Chelsea Football Club and we will be taking the most severe action possible against individuals involved."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham legend Tony Cottee fears dark days of hooliganism could return if Irons don't address issues
22:30, 27 OCT 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
"If we don't deal with the situation and things are just left alone to fester there is potential for things to escalate," he said
The Mirror
Tony Cottee fears the dark days of hooliganism could return if West Ham don't resolve their Olympic Stadium security problems.
Cottee recalled playing in a 1984 game at Birmingham that was disrupted by three pitch invasions and being among the West Ham fans who were showered with missiles including a petrol bomb during one trip to Newcastle when he was just 14.
The Hammers legend said: "They are proper terrible things I saw that will live with me forever.
"This was nowhere near that scale but if we don't deal with the situation and things are just left alone to fester there is potential for things to escalate and all of a sudden we could be talking about something as bad, particularly when we play Spurs later in the season.
"If there are problems against Watford and Bournemouth – who with the greatest respect have never had problems with hooliganism – you know full well that when Chelsea, Man United and Spurs come to town something has to be done to make sure the stadium is safe."
Cottee slammed the minority of "idiots" ruining the London Stadium experience for the majority and whose behaviour has sparked calls for the ground to be closed.
Police are reluctant to enter the stadium because a suitable radio system won't be in place until February and only do when trouble flares.
Cottee added: "Everyone knew West Ham would be going to the Olympic Stadium three, four years ago so why has that been allowed to happen?
"The main reason there is trouble is there are no police inside the stadium.
"Whether it's the government, council, stadium, West Ham stadium operators, the police, get your heads together, stop blaming everyone and put some police in the stadium.
"We are all done with the talking now. It is time for action.
"This is West Ham's opportunity to push on and become a club that can compete at the highest level and it's being overshadowed by people not doing their jobs."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Violence at West Ham: who is to blame and what must be done?
Six areas of contention emerged from events at the London Stadium, ranging from how rival fans could be so close together to how the FA will respond
The Guardian
@DaveHytner
Thursday 27 October 2016 20.47 BST Last modified on Friday 28 October 2016 00.30 BST
1 The stadium layout
The headline flashpoint during the EFL Cup tie between West Ham United and Chelsea on Wednesday night kicked off in stoppage time, when some of the visiting supporters made for the exit at the back of the lower tier of the Sir Trevor Brooking stand. A number of West Ham fans from the adjacent space rushed over towards them and it raised the uncomfortable question as to how they were able to do so. The stewards held their line bravely and the response of the police was swift – in under 60 seconds they had officers in riot gear on the scene. The rival fans were kept from coming to blows – but they were still too close to each other for comfort and many missiles were thrown, including ripped-up seats. For the stadium's first major match, with 5,182 Chelsea supporters in attendance, it felt as though there was an issue with the layout. Before kick-off the away fans had been asked to file in through a narrow entrance – only eight turnstiles – and there were delays and frayed tempers. Some of the Chelsea support feared a crush could develop. Furthermore it continues to be difficult to police the long, open walk back to Stratford rail station. Segregation is a headache.
2 The stewards
One of the niggling teething problems has related to the tone of the stewarding – overseen by the stadium operators, London Stadium 185 – and which some Chelsea fans complained about on Wednesday. The club have spoken about how "several key changes have been made to the stewarding since the beginning of the season", which betrayed an admission that there was a problem and, perhaps, the attempts to resolve it were ongoing. In the early matches, when West Ham supporters stood up, there were clashes with the stewards, who have been accused of lacking the experience to manage a football crowd. Some of the old Upton Park stewards have now been deployed to different areas of the stadium and the club are trying to build a rapport between all of the team, which was more than 900-strong against Chelsea, and the zones they oversee. Some of the new stewards, who have been necessary because of the rise in stadium capacity, are learning the ropes.
3 The police presence
There have been calls for a visible police presence inside the stadium and on Wednesday there were officers stationed in the concourses. In addition, there were units waiting outside to be called on in the event of trouble. When the call came, they rushed in. There has been much made of how the police's required radio system, Airwave, has not been permanently installed at the ground and it will not be done until February – which has felt like an oversight. But the club say a temporary solution has been found. Vans were parked outside the ground on Wednesday to provide the Airwave coverage, which allowed officers to communicate with each other.
4 Has the Football Association been strong enough?
The FA has opened an investigation into Wednesday's crowd trouble, essentially positioning itself as overseer, and so has the English Football League, as the cup tie fell under its auspices. The FA has an open channel of communication with West Ham as it is conscious of the number of incidents that have taken place at the club's home matches already this season. But can the FA do more? The thing to note from the governing body's side is that its rules apply only to the game's participants – in other words, the players, managers and so on; and not the fans. Those are the responsibility of the police. The clubs, however, are deemed by the FA as participants and, as the clubs have certain responsibilities for their supporters, the FA can get to them that way. The FA prefers not to punish the clubs for their fans' behaviour and, instead, seeks to educate and proactively raise awareness of various issues. To sanction the clubs for the actions of some supporters, they would have to prove they had been negligent with regard to security, which is difficult, given how clear the clubs usually are with the messages they send out. The FA is empowered to take extreme measures, such as the partial or total closure of stadiums, but that is a long way away in this case.
5 What have West Ham done?
It has been far from smooth sailing for the club at their new home and they admit the learning curve has been steep. In reactive terms – before Wednesday – they had scrutinised CCTV footage to identify and ban 23 fans for various offences and they now have their sights on 200 more. Those who threw missiles will be banned for life but others who, for example, made throat-slitting gestures or rushed over to confront the Chelsea fans, will be suspended from the stadium for the remainder of the season. The club are determined to stamp on those who are undermining their name. More proactively, they carried out a series of measures on Wednesday that they hoped would limit the potential for trouble. There were restrictions on who could buy tickets and also the sale of alcohol at the ground; there were so-called 'seat kill' zones to aid the segregation and a fence was put up outside to stop the rival fans from coming together afterwards. Chelsea recognised the work that West Ham had done before the fixture. They are committed to doing more.
6 The fans' behaviour
All of the preceding points would be rendered null and void if grown men could attend a football match and not do things such as tear a seat from its bracket and hurl it at another person. It is remarkable how so little of the discussion is given over to the basic requirement for adults to behave in a socially acceptable manner. At the end of last season, when the Manchester United team bus became stuck in gridlock en route to Upton Park and some West Ham fans responded by showering it with bottles, there was talk about how various logistical problems had led to the situation. But the fans did not have to throw the bottles. Passion among supporters is fundamental but criminality is another thing altogether. The Metropolitan police commander, BJ Harrington, said of Wednesday's crowd: "There were a minority of people who attended the match that were clearly intent on being involved in confrontation and violence." This minority is the most serious problem.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andre Ayew thanks West Ham fans for providing 'motivation' during thigh injury
SAM LONG 6 hours ago0 comments
Evening Standard
Andre Ayew has thanked West Ham's fans for their support during his recovery from a serious thigh injury.
Ayew joined the Hammers from Swansea in the summer but picked up an injury just 34 minutes into his debut in August.
The 26-year-old's problem has kept Ayew on the sidelines for over two months but he finally made his return as a late substitute in Wednesday's EFL Cup victory over Chelsea.
Ayew's fitness represents a huge boost for Slaven Bilic's side, who are still languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, and the Ghana international has thanked supporters for keeping him motivated during a difficult spell.
"I'm so grateful for all the support I received and it definitely kept me driven to recover faster," Ayew wrote on his official Instagram page.
"I can't thank the medical staff of West Ham enough for the big role they played in getting me back into shape.
"Most importantly I want to thank my West Ham fans for standing by me and motivating me when I was down."
West Ham travel to Everton this weekend and Ayew is expected to receive more game time off the bench as the Hammers go in search of their fourth to-flight victory of the season.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham count cost after naming-rights deal for London Stadium collapses
Telegraph.co.uk
Ben Rumsby, sports news correspondent
27 OCTOBER 2016 • 9:57PM
The toxic start to West Ham United's anchor tenancy of the London Stadium was compounded on Thursday night after it emerged that negotiations with a multinational conglomerate for the naming rights to their new home had collapsed.
One of the country's leading sponsorship experts also warned that the hooliganism which marred the club's EFL Cup win over Chelsea would make it even harder to sell those rights, stopping the taxpayer clawing back millions of pounds of public money spent on converting the London 2012 centrepiece into a Premier League ground.
Indian technology company and carmaker the Mahindra Group had been in advanced talks with the venue's owners, before West Ham moved in, over a deal, more than £4 million-a-year of which would have gone back to the E20 Stadium Partnership.
Mahindra had a period of exclusivity which expired in August and although there was optimism in the weeks afterwards that an agreement could still be struck, Telegraph Sport can reveal that is no longer the case after it failed to meet the asking price. E20 Stadium declined to comment but a spokesman said: "We are actively in the market for a stadium naming rights partner. We want to ensure we have the right deal and will make an announcement once we have that in place." Mahindra did not respond to requests for comment.
The chief executive of sports and entertainment marketing agency Synergy, Tim Crow, told Telegraph Sport there was no chance of a naming-rights partner being secured any time soon following the latest calamity at the stadium.
"I'm sure that anybody who was looking at it – and I doubt if there are many brands looking at it at all – would have been fairly dismayed by what they saw," he said, warning it could be a year before a major company even considered attaching its name to the venue.
"Ordinarily, it would be at least one year before they looked at it again, because they've got to get on with their business. They'd look at it again when their financial and their budgeting cycles permitted."
Crow claimed that, even then, it would be a hard sell.
"If you look at the stadiums that have staged Olympics in the last 50 years, lasting – or, indeed, any – naming-rights sponsorship is like a unicorn," he said.
"The Olympic Stadium, you wouldn't say it's been chock-full of content since the Games, so that makes a key difference."
Crow said firms could also be put off by being unable to brand the venue during next year's athletics World Championships, which will be held in a "clean stadium".
He added: "Effectively, you're just becoming a sponsor of West Ham."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
After the trouble at West Ham against Chelsea... don't blame the stadium, blame the hooligan fans
Notion events at West Ham can be blamed on the stadium is preposterous
People who fight, people who destroy, people who taunt are the problem
They are thugs besmirching a great chance of progress for West Ham
People acting that way are scaring off the next generation of supporters
The Olympic stadium is not ideal but the alternative would be even worse
By MARTIN SAMUEL - SPORT FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 27 October 2016 | UPDATED: 09:34, 28 October 2016
Stadiums do not riot. Stadiums do not smash seats. Stadiums do not throw bottles and coins. Stadiums do not shout abuse or punch you on the nose. Stadiums just stand there, unseeing, unfeeling. So let us turn from the preposterous notion that recent events at West Ham are the work of an unsatisfactory new arena.
People. That is the problem here. People who fight, people who destroy, people who taunt and abuse; uncivilised, violent, horrible people. That is what West Ham must be rid of, not the new stadium.
There will always be teething problems when a football club leaves home. Unfamiliar surrounds feel alien. Routes and haunts are altered, maybe the company too. Those lads you always used to have laugh with in the row behind might be in another part of the ground now. The new lot are all right but it's not the same.
Maybe you liked the old view, the old atmosphere, all supporters have the tendency to wallow in nostalgia, even at reborn clubs like Manchester City. Sport loves its traditions and rituals after all. None of this, however, explains or justifies what happened at the London Stadium on Wednesday night. This was nothing to do with the approval rating for West Ham's new home. These were the actions of opportunist thugs.
There is, it must be said, a right load of old twaddle talked about West Ham. The club that puts tradition, passion and trying to play the beautiful game ahead of success. The club that has lost touch with its fanbase by trying to build, rebrand and improve. Rubbish.
No team draws 54,000 to a Europa League second-round qualifier against NK Domzale of Slovenia if the punters don't care what the score is or where the club is going. Nobody thought West Ham would fill this new ground. They did because last season was a good one. People were optimistic about the future. They had Dimitri Payet. Kept him, too. Maybe all this talk of being a force in Europe wasn't just fantasy after all.
My brother's got five season tickets over at the new place. They're not cheap. So dead right he wants to see this team win something. He is not one to fantasise airily about the good old days of losing 2-1 at home to Bristol City (February 11 1978, we were there) or mythologise the past as if there was some great cultural experience in eating monkey nuts on the North Bank, or hearing monkey chants from the Chicken Run, before someone used your trouser leg as his personal water closet.
The London Stadium is not ideal, because compromises with an athletics legacy had to be made, but most fans know why the club took the leap. The alternative was not to remain the old West Ham, but to end up the new Fulham, or Queens Park Rangers. The poor relations, the never-will-bes. One look at the huge structure rising on Tottenham High Road, the ambitious plans for Stamford Bridge or the money machine that is the Emirates Stadium, told of West Ham's future. They took this opportunity or they signed up for life in the shadows.
West Ham are not even Sunderland or Newcastle. They do not have a city to themselves. Once Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea had their 60,000 capacity cathedrals in place, what would be left for West Ham? Oh, that's right — the tradition, the history, the passion, the myth, the pie and eels. Except that wasn't West Ham at all, some poxy little also-ran. West Ham had a go. West Ham got to Wembley. At least they used to.
In 1964, the year I was born. Then in 1975, when I was 10. And in 1980, beating Arsenal. And in 1981, losing to Liverpool. In 1976 there was an appearance in the European Cup-winners' Cup final, a competition the club had won 11 years earlier. So that's the team I grew up following, not some bunch of Cockney caricatures happy to have a sing-song, a plate of mash and liquor and their arses handed to them by Chelsea.
Here's another myth. Sam Allardyce didn't lose the West Ham public simply because he played dull football. He lost them because he lacked ambition. Everyone remembers that Allardyce was booed despite beating Hull at home. But that was on March 26, 2014. On January 5, 2014, almost three months earlier, Allardyce put a reserve team out in the FA Cup against second-tier Nottingham Forest and lost 5-0. That was when the rot set in. So this is not a club whose supporters are mystified by aspiration. There is still a wonderful football culture among the majority at the London Stadium, involving turning up and cheering the team.
The mistake is to paint the Neanderthals causing havoc near the Chelsea end — and there were plenty in the away section, too, but that's not the point, because it is happening at West Ham almost weekly now — as representative of some noble tradition, fighting for a dying, disenfranchised football culture. No, they are thugs besmirching one of the greatest chances for advancement a football club has had.
They are scaring off the next generation and risk dragging their fellow supporters down, limiting West Ham's ambition, and undermining their best efforts. And the biggest lie is that it was all somehow inevitable. Because stadiums don't kill football; hooligans do.
A TIMELINE OF THE TROUBLES AT LONDON STADIUM
AUGUST 4
Restricted-view seating provides a problem and some fans cannot find their allocated seats at the first competitive game at the London Stadium between West Ham and NK Domzale.
AUGUST 21
Some fans have to sit on bare concrete as 56 season-ticket holders are left without seats in the West Stand.
AUGUST 25
A man is arrested on suspicion of ABH after West Ham fans fight among themselves at the 1-0 defeat by Astra Giurgiu in a Europa League qualifier.
SEPTEMBER 10
The club warns life bans will be given to supporters involved in crowd trouble. Ten are ejected from the stadium after clashes with Watford fans. Stewards struggle to keep them segregated as the Hammers lose 4-2.
SEPTEMBER 13
Metropolitan Police say additional policing measures cannot yet be implemented inside the ground because of the lack of the Airwave radio system, which is used by the emergency services, at the £700million venue.
OCTOBER 1
Four people are arrested after yet more crowd disturbance, when West Ham draw 1-1 with Middlesbrough.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment