Daily WHUFC News - 23rd February 2016

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic believes there would be no more fitting final tribute to the
Boleyn Ground than seeing his West Ham United side bring the FA Cup back
there this year. The West Ham United manager oversaw a hugely impressive 5-1
win at Blackburn Rovers to set up a quarter-final tie at either Manchester
United or Shrewsbury Town. Assuming there is a winner on the night in that
tie, the Hammers' final FA Cup match in E13 was the memorable extra-time
victory against Liverpool on 9 February. "You can't call it destiny but you
can call a brilliant way to finish our time at one of the most historic
grounds in the country," Bilic said. "Winning the FA Cup will be amazing.
"We want to progress as far as possible. I don't think that any manager is
approaching the FA Cup not wanting to win the games. It is massive and we
are crazy to go through in the FA Cup. "We played some fantastic football at
Blackburn and it was great for West Ham fans as there were like 7,000 of
them. "It was also good for the neutrals as a lot of the stuff we played was
magnificent."

Central to much of the Hammers' 'brilliance' was, once again, Dimitri Payet.
The France international scored two and set up countless other chances for
those in claret and blue, but his manager was keen to focus on the No27's
other attributes after the game. "I want the questions about Dimitri Payert
to continue as it means he is doing well but I am running out of things to
say about him! "It is hard to describe so I think I will need to get some
poetry lessons to describe his important to us. It is great as it is not me
who says to the other players 'this is Payet – give him the ball', they
recognise how good he is. They like it as he is doing the dirty work as
well."

Emmanuel Emenike also starred on his first start for the Club, grabbing two
goals and going close to netting a hat-trick several times. His manager
credited much of his team's space creation to the Nigerian and it was a
performance that did not surprise him after he tracked him for so long.
"Emenike is that kind of a player. Me and my staff know him well from Russia
and he is strong and pacey and loves to go in behind, which is very
important for us. He is one of the reasons that we created such a big gap
between their midfield and back four. They were afraid to push forward
because of him and that's why we had that gap."

The manager will now begin to ready his troops for the Saturday lunchtime
kick-off against Sunderland; a game which will see the return of former
manager Sam Allardyce to the Boleyn Ground. Bilic plans to make full use of
Sunday's win at Ewood Park to get his team firing on all cylinders for the
Black Cats' arrival. "We had a normal week between Norwich and Blackburn so
it was normal training and it gave us the chance to refresh some players.
This week will be the same. "These kind of weeks coming up are like
pre-season as the players will be on a massive high and it's going to help
us in the Premier League as well."

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Moses - We could have scored more!
WHUFC.com

Victor Moses says Sunday's 5-1 demolition of Blackburn Rovers in the
Emirates FA Cup was another sign of West Ham United's attacking power. Moses
netted one and played a key role in a Hammers display which yielded 14 shots
on target, five goals and a spot in the FA Cup quarter finals. The Hammers
put Blackburn to the sword in front of 7,200 delighted Hammers fans and
Moses was thrilled for everyone involved. "We should have scored ten goals
maybe," he smiled. "Fortunately we ended up with five and we have to be
pleased with that. "Every one of the goals were good and I think we deserved
it. The fans were amazing too – they supported us all the way to the end and
we're pleased [for them]. "It felt like we were playing at home to be
honest. We really appreciated the support. We hope they enjoyed it the same
way we did and we just want to keep on improving every week."

Moses' goalscoring performance was a follow-up to his strong cameo at
Norwich the previous week and the on-loan winger is happy with his form. He
continued: "I'm pleased personally. You can see I'm fully fit now, because
when I first came back from injury I started a little slow. Now I've started
to get myself back again and I just want to enjoy every single bit of this
season with West Ham. I want to keep on working hard for the team and make
sure we win as many games as we can. "The goal was similar to the Man City
one. I got into a little pocket, got the ball and turned, drove at the
defenders and it was a little unfortunate for the keeper but they all count.
"I was pleased with that and hopefully there are more goals to come."

Moses was also happy for his teammate and countryman Emmanuel Emenike after
he scored his first two goals for the Club. He added: "Emmanuel is happy and
I'm happy for him as well. He deserved it – he worked very hard, never
stopped running and you can see his ability. "He's very strong and I'm
delighted that he got his two goals."

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

Good afternoon,

The year 2016 is so important to us for so many reasons. It's 50 years since
we won the World Cup with Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. And of
course we will bid farewell to the Boleyn Ground, which will be a momentous
moment in the history of West Ham United. And what better way to mark both
of those events than bringing the FA Cup back to East London.

As a Board we have tried to make sure that happens. We made significant
funds available for transfers in the summer and have secured a number of key
first-team players, like Dimtri Payet, on big, long contracts.

On the pitch we've also done well and currently sit seventh in the Premier
League. I think right now, though, the FA Cup just feels more important than
the league as to win the cup or even to just get to Wembley would be a
massive achievement in such a crucial year.

I know how important it is to the fans as well. It's also a time in the
Club's history where everything is coming together. It's like a perfect
storm where we've got a great manager, we've got players, who are exceeding
our expectations, and the best fans in the country.

Have we ever seen support like this? It is just exceptional for us to take
7,200 fans to Blackburn on Sunday, especially when you consider it is not
the easiest to get to for a 2pm kick off.

The fans are not only showing their loyalty on Sunday, but they are also
demonstrating it with their commitment to our new Stadium next season. We
are now seeing a huge surge in demand for Season Tickets, which is not only
showing that they are passionate but there are a lot more of them than some
people previously thought!

We were much maligned by the press and our critics who said that we wouldn't
fill a 54,000-seater stadium as we don't have that many fans. Well we proved
them wrong. Not only will we fill 54,000 seats but we will have a waiting
list for Season Tickets for the 2017/18 season already.

There is no doubt that Slaven, like us, would accept slipping the odd place
in the league at the end of the season if it meant us putting out our very
best side in every round of the FA Cup. And that is what we will do on
Sunday.

Everyone around the Club - the Board, the manager, players and fans want to
win this trophy in this very special year for our Club.

Thank you for the role you are playing and for your fantastic support.

David Gold

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Jaanai Gordon scored on his debut for Sligo Rovers in a 1-0 win over Derry
City in a pre-season friendly. The striker scored the only goal of the game
on the hour mark to cap an impressive debut, showing impressive composure he
steered the ball home.

Reece Burke played the full game as Bradford City drew 2-2 at home with
Rochdale. The Bantams twice came from behind to secure a point with goals
from Rory McArdle and Steven Davies.
Josh Cullen was an unused substitute, Bradford are just four points off the
play off positions in eighth.

Diego Poyet played 67 minutes of Charlton Athletic's 3-0 defeat away at
Charlton Athletic. Tom Cairney netted a brace while Michael Madl sealed the
three points. The defeat leaves the Addicks bottom of the Championship with
25 points from 32 games.

Martin Samuelsen played the full game for Peterborough United as they
slipped to a 3-0 defeat at Millwall. Steve Morison scored either side of
half-time while Lee Gregory's strike shortly after half-time secured the
win.

Clarke Bogard played the full game as Tilbury slipped to a 2-1 defeat away
at Heybridge Swifts.

Kyle Knoyle was an unused substitute in Dundee United's vital 2-1 win over
Heart of Midlothian. Former Hammer Guy Demel scored Dundee's opener.

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Saluting international Hammers
WHUFC.com

As part of the series of events to mark West Ham United's final season at
the Boleyn Ground, the Club will use the upcoming fixture against Crystal
Palace to celebrate the Hammers' dedicated overseas fans.

The 'Over Land and Sea' themed match on Saturday 2 April will salute all
those supporters who travel from abroad to follow West Ham, as well as the
tens of thousands who gather together to watch the Club's matches on
television at all hours of day and night around the world.

This follows themed matches earlier in the season celebrating the 'Greatest
Goals' and 'Greatest Moments' at the Boleyn Ground, and saluting the
achievements of 'The Boys of '86', 'Cult Heroes' and the Hammers' famed
Academy of Football.

Saturday's visit of Sunderland, meanwhile, will pay tribute to Bobby Moore,
his 1960s contemporaries and their spectacular achievements in Claret and
Blue.

There are currently upward of 50 official international West Ham supporters'
clubs, stretching from New Zealand to New York and Istanbul to Illinois. As
West Ham's global reach continues to grow, each month sees new clubs from
every continent applying for official supporters' club status.

Many of those clubs will be represented at the Boleyn Ground on the day and
West Ham will also be encouraging all overseas Hammers fans to take part via
social media using the hashtag #OLAS, sending their messages, pictures and
videos to let the Club know where they are watching the game.

Further details of how you can take part and get in touch on the day will be
published on whufc.com in due course, while tickets for the Crystal Palace
fixture go on sale to Academy Members from 9am on Tuesday 23 February.
Supporters can visit the Box Office here.

Players from well over 50 different nationalities have played for West Ham
during the Club's long and glorious history, and the themed match on 2 April
will also be an opportunity to recall the great memories created at the
Boleyn Ground by the Hammers' overseas legends.

In honour of dearly departed Aussie Dylan Tombides, the fixture will also be
a poignant opportunity to raise awareness of the DT38 Foundation and their
life-saving work. Back in 2014, the Hammers met Crystal Palace at the Boleyn
Ground just 24 hours after young Dylan lost his brave battle with testicular
cancer. Eagles skipper and fellow native Australian Miles Jedinak is a
patron of Dylan's namesake charity.

It promises to be another special day of a very special final season at the
Boleyn Ground, and one which will show just how far and wide the West Ham
family has spread.

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Spiegel signs new contract
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that highly-rated keeper Raphael
Spiegel has signed a two-year extension to his contract. Spiegel has been
working closely with Adrian and Darren Randolph this season and has been a
regular member of the first-team squad. The Switzerland international has
been rewarded for his impressive form with a new deal which will see him
stay at the Boleyn Ground until 2018 with a view to signing for a further
two-years. The 23-year-old keeper joined the Hammers back in 2012 and has
enjoyed loan spells with Crawley, Barnet and Carlisle United. The talented
keeper has been waiting patiently for his chance, but with the historic move
to the new Stadium during the summer, he was keen to pledge his long-term
future to the Club.

Spiegel insists he is relishing the chance to work under Goalkeeping Coach
Chris Woods and hopes he will be given his chance to show he can compete at
the highest level. Spiegel said: "I am very happy to extend my contract at
West Ham United and am excited about the move to the new Stadium. "It is
great to work with Adrian and Darren. They have great experience and you can
always learn from them. It can only make me better.

"It is also great to work with Chris. Since he has come to the club I have
improved so much under him. I am very happy to work with him and if I can
carry on doing that for the next two-years I am only going to get better.
"Everyone wants to play and I want to get more game time and show what I am
about. This is an exciting time for the Club and I want to stay part of the
West Ham family. "With goalkeepers you need to be a little bit more patient
as only one can play but I believe I can do it. West Ham is a very good
place to be at the moment and everyone can play to their best. "The manager
is doing an amazing job and let's see what we can achieve this season."

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Raphel's renaissance
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd February 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United's third-choice goalkeeper Raphael Spiegel has signed a new
two-year contract with the club. The former Swiss youth international
replaced the outgoing Marek Stech in 2012 when moving to West Ham from
Grasshoppers for an undisclosed fee. And it was confirmed this afternoon
that he has extended his existing contract - which was due to expire at the
end of the current season - for another two years, with an option for an
extra two years. "I'm very happy to extend my contract here at West Ham," he
told the club's website. "I worked for that and I'm enjoying the moment now.
"It's great to work with [goalkeeping coach] Chris Woods, who has been
amazing. Since he came to the club I have improved so much under him. If I
can carry on doing that for the next two-years I am only going to get
better. "Everyone wants to play and I want to get more game time at West Ham
and show what I'm about. "This is an exciting time for the Club and I want
to stay part of the West Ham family. With goalkeepers you need to be a
little bit more patient as only one can play, but I believe I can do it.
"West Ham is a very good place to be at the moment and everyone can play to
their best. The manager is doing an amazing job and let's see what we can
achieve this season."

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Monday Musings: A walk in the (Ewood) park
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd February 2016
By: Graeme Howlett

West Ham were simply too good for Championship side Blackburn Rovers at
Ewood Park on Sunday afternoon as they eased their way through to the
quarter finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 2011.

A brace apiece from Dimitri Payet and new signing Emmanuel Emenike -
combined with a Vic Moses strike that cancelled out Ben Marshall's early
opener (NB. another slow start from the Hammers) - sent West Ham through to
a potential last eight encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

League One Shrewsbury, who face Man U in the last of the eight fifth round
fixtures tonight (Monday) will no doubt have something to say about that -
and who's to say the League One side won't be able to overcome a distinctly
lacklustre Mancunian outfit?

But even if they fail, West Ham should have little to fear about facing
Louis Van Gaal's expensively-assembled, ragtag gang of misfits who have
flattered to deceive for much of the campaign and have been unable to beat
United in either of their last two meetings.

Indeed, should they continue to play as they did on Sunday, the Hammers
should fear nobody. The gulf in class between Bilic's side and Paul
Lambert's Championship strugglers was vast and clearly evident and, bar
Marshall's early effort, which caught Darren Randolph unsighted, this really
was a case of men against boys.

Spurred on by more than 7,000 travelling supporters, who had made the
250-mile trip from London to the North West, West Ham scored five, had two
efforts disallowed for offside and hit the post. Had they scored ten, Rovers
fans would have had little cause for complaint.

At the heart of almost everything good that came from West Ham was Dimitri
Payet, who is clearly revelling in his role as the club's poster boy.

Happy with his new contract and adored by the fans, the 28-year-old
midfielder scored another wonderful first half free kick before wrapping up
the game with a virtuoso effort that involved a fifty-yard run and the
beating of several opponents, whom he left trailing in his wake.

It would have been a perfect day for West Ham had Cheik Kouyate not been
sent off midway through the second half after he was deemed to have denied a
goalscoring opportunity by referee Jon Moss, thus earning a one-match
suspension.

However West Ham believe they have a good chance of overturning the decision
upon appeal because Kouyate's (minimal) contact with Adam Henley was clearly
accidental and the striker had already lost control of the ball, which was
racing away towards 'keeper Darren Randolph, before contact was made.

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Deschamp: who needs Payet when you've got Ben Arfa?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 22nd February 2016
By: Staff Writer

French international manager Didier Deschamps has defended his decision not
to select West Ham's Dimitri Payet for recent squads. Deschamp, speaking as
a guest on Canal+ yesterday was asked why Payet - who has taken the Premier
League by storm this season - had not been included in his recent
selections. Having denied that Payet's non-selection was the result of
personal issues between the two, Deschamp went on to claim that West Ham's
#27 had not been selected as he was simply way down the pecking order.

"There is no problem with Payet," insisted Deschamps. "He's playing very
well for his club but he does not play in the centre for West Ham, he often
plays on the left in a 4-3-3. "His statistics for this season are excellent
but on the left, I have the world too - competition from players like
[Athletico's Antoine] Griezmann, [Man Utd's Anthony] Martial, [Lyon's
Mathieu] Valbuena or even [Hatem] Ben Arfa, [Kingsley] Coman and [Nabil]
Fekir. "Dimitri is not condemned, but he has not produced the same
performances for France as he has for his club. There are no problems, I
have no problem with him. These are simply sporting choices when compared to
the competition."

Last October, Payet criticised Deschamps for continuously leaving him out of
the French squad, claiming that his exclusion was an "injustice".
"It is more than a year now [since I've been selected] and I'm in the best
form of my career," he said. "So for me, it is unjust not to be in the
France squad. Perhaps it is my fault because I have not done what is
expected of me, but maybe there is more to it. "He [Deschamps] has the
choice to make, he thinks about the group as a whole. I hear the comments
that say I wouldn't look good in the team. Good. You have to take me as I
am. If you ask all my coaches, I don't think they will tell you: 'Dimitri is
an idiot'. "The thing that I haven't yet come to terms with is the
injustice."

Head-to-head: Payet (Premier League) vs Ben Arfa (Ligue 1)

Appearances: Payet 29, Ben Arfa 29.

Goals Scored: Payet 10, Ben Arfa 12.

Assists: Payet 5, Ben Arfa 2.

Average Pass Success Rate: Payet 82%, Ben Arfa 80.3%

Average Passes per Game: Payet 44.2, Ben Arfa 37.6.

Average Key Passes Per Game: Payet 3.6, Ben Arfa 0.8.

Average Dribbles per Game: Payet 2.5, Ben Arfa 4.2.

Average Dispossessed per Game: Payet 1.6, Ben Arfa 2.5.

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West Ham plan to appeal Cheikhou Kouyate's red card
By Peter Gilbert
Last Updated: 22/02/16 10:11am
SSN

West Ham will appeal the red card picked up by Cheikhou Kouyate during
Sunday's 5-1 win over Blackburn in the FA Cup. Kouyate received his marching
orders with 15 minutes remaining at Ewood Park after he sent Adam Henley
tumbling as he was about to burst into the box. Referee Jon Moss deemed the
central midfielder had denied a goalscoring opportunity and had no
hesitation in producing a straight red card - a decision Hammers boss Slaven
Billic disagreed with. "From my position, I am not happy with that," said
Bilic. "I know the ball went to Randy [Darren Randolph], to our keeper, so
it is definitely not a goalscoring opportunity. A foul? Okay. "But not a red
card so we are going to appeal and I think we have a really strong case."
Hammers co-chairman David Gold confirmed the club's intention to appeal. "We
will appeal Kouyates red card which we believe was a mistake by the referee
- I think we have a good chance," Gold wrote on his Twitter account.. "The
Blackburn player wasn't going to get the ball anyway so he wasn't denied a
goal scoring opportunity."

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This man has a problem with Payet
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Dimi Payet has convinced everybody in English football that he's a
superstar. However, getting the message through to his national team coach
Didier Deschamps appears to be something of a problem. Dimi has now scored
nine goals and set up eight others for the Irons this season but Deschamps
has yet to be convinced. The former Chelsea midfielder said: "I've already
called and I have already spoken to him about it. I said that I expected
more from him than he (produced) when he was with us. It was not enough. In
the France team, he does not do the same thing (as he does) in his club. "He
is someone who is powerful in the club. He often plays on the left in a
4-3-3. He has some very interesting statistics on the left. "But after that
there is a competition issue. In this position on the left, the competition
is from Anthony Martial, Antoine Griezmann, Mathieu Valbuena, Hatem Ben Arfa
or Nabil Fekir before he got injured."
Payet has described his continual exclusion from the French squad as an
"injustice" but Deschamps insisted Payet has only been left out for football
reasons. He said: "Problems of attitude for Payet? No these are false
problems. As if I could not manage players… It is a choice about football
based on the other competition."

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Graham Poll: Red card was wrong
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Former Referee Graham Poll believes West Ham have a very good chance of
appealing Cheikhou Kouyate's red card he received at Ewood park on Sunday.
Kouyate was shown a straight red card for a last-man professional foul on
Adam Henley on the edge of the box during the Hammers 5-1 over Blackburn.
"West Ham must have a good chance of overturning the red card Cheikhou
Kouyate was shown by Jon Moss," Poll wrote in his column for The Daily Mail.
"Henley was through on goal but his first touch played the ball a long way
in front of himself. There had to be doubt whether he would reach it before
Darren Randolph in the West Ham goal." "So a Hammers appeal would certainly
not be seen as frivolous and should be overturned." He later went on
Talksport radio this afternoon and singled out the West Ham sending off of
Kouyate as the refereeing mistake of the weekend.

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Irons keeper signs two year contract extension
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham have announced that third choice keeper Raphael Spiegel has signed
a two-year extension to his contract with an option for a further two years.
The Switzerland international has put pen to paper on a new deal which will
see him stay at the Boleyn Ground until 2018 with an option until 2020. The
23-year-old keeper joined the Hammers back in 2012 and has enjoyed loan
spells with Crawley, Barnet and Carlisle United. The Hammers signed the then
19 year old Spiegel from Swiss side Grasshoppers for around £300,000 in
2012. Spiegel made 17 appearances for the Swiss second-tier club SC Brühl SG
having played 41 games over two seasons for Grasshoppers' second team in the
third tier.

Spiegel told WHUFC.com: "I am very happy to extend my contract at West Ham
United and am excited about the move to the new Stadium. It is great to work
with Adrian and Darren. They have great experience and you can always learn
from them. It can only make me better. It is also great to work with Chris.
Since he has come to the club I have improved so much under him. I am very
happy to work with him and if I can carry on doing that for the next
two-years I am only going to get better.

"Everyone wants to play and I want to get more game time and show what I am
about. This is an exciting time for the Club and I want to stay part of the
West Ham family. With goalkeepers you need to be a little bit more patient
as only one can play but I believe I can do it. West Ham is a very good
place to be at the moment and everyone can play to their best.The manager is
doing an amazing job and let's see what we can achieve this season."

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FA Cup quarter final confirmed
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham will be playing Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Cup
quarter-finals after the Red Devils beat Shrewsbury Town 3-0 in the fifth
round proper tie this evening.

Our FA Cup sixth round proper match with Manchester United needs to be
played between Friday 11th and Monday 14th March.

The day and time will depend on the TV rights holders, BT Sports and BBC.
The date will also depend on Manchester United's progress in the Europa
league competition. If Man Utd get through to the final 16 after Thursday
night they will have to play their first leg on Thursday 10th March and
second leg on Thursday 17th March.

Old-Trafford-Stadium-Manchester-UnitedA Sunday or Monday night seems to be
more the more likely. Hopefully, by then Manchester United will focus on
the Europa league as winning it is probably their only realistic chance of
Champions League football next season.

West Ham are entitled to an away allocation of 9,000 which is 12% of 75,500
capacity of Old Trafford due to a special dispensation with the FA.

Manchester United will also set the ticket prices as the home. When they
played Sheffield United in January in the third round of the FA Cup they
offered an away allocation of 8,500 with a minimum adult ticket price at
£45.

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West Ham turn down loan offers for young Hammer
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham has rejected offers for Hammers academy youngster Marcus Browne to
go out on loan, according to reports this afternoon.

The 18-year-old is yet to make his first-team debut for West Ham but has
been has played regularly for under-21's and under 18's. In recent weeks he
has been training with the first team and was included as an unused
substitute against Blackburn Rovers on Sunday in the FA cup.

BrownwThe midfielder signed his first professional contract late last year
just before his 18th birthday. He has been on the books of West Ham since he
was eight years old.

A number of Football League clubs are understood to have made enquiries
about signing Browne on loan, but West Ham are keen to keep hold of the
attacking midfielder. Browne is expected to be rewarded with his first debut
before the end of the season.

Below is a video of Browne attempting to replicate David Beckham's half way
line wonder goal.

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Bleak Irons news for Allardyce
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

Winston Reid has rejoined the first team squad and is expected to be
available for the spikey little affair against Sunderland at the weekend.
And word from the training camp is that Sam Allardyce could be confronted
with Andy Carroll on whom he splashed an incredible £17 million when he was
Irons boss to make him the club's record signing. However, the game will
come too soon for Diafra Sakho who, although he is working incredibly hard
into the afternoon, won't be fit for the game according to our sources. We
were told: "Sak is more likely to be available for the match at Everton
although he would love to believe he will be in the running for the Spurs
game."

Reid's return is bad news for Allardyce who in an interview earlier in the
season described him in glowing terms leaving the distinct impression that
he was the top Irons man at the back. Carroll too is set for his return with
a source saying: "It wasn't a big problem and as things look now he should
be fit." Sunderland remain in the bottom three with Allardyce's record of
never having been relegated very much under threat.

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DG's big Kouyate optimism
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2016 in News
C and H

David Gold believes the club has an outstanding chance of getting Chiek
Kouyate's red card overturned. The co chairman is a cautious man in making
big judgement calls of this kind but is clearly pretty well assured in his
mind that the possibility of an FA fine is well worth the risk on this
occasion. As explained in an earlier story the midfielder as sent off for
denying Rovers what the referee believed was a clear goalscoring opportunity
but the ball had clearly run away from Adam Henley at the time. And DG made
it clear immediately after the game that the club intended to appeal the red
and later – when asked by a follower on Twitter whether it was worth it
given the possibility of another fine – he even gave an assessment of the
odds.
That is very unlike the co chairman but he said: "I think we have a very
good case better than 50-50. dg"

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The £4m FA Cup run
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

The 5-1 win over Blackburn Rovers yesterday earned West Ham £180,000 in
prize money from the FA as winners of the fifth round proper together with
£247,500 to have the game screened LIVE on BT Sport. We also received a 42%
cut of the Ewood park gate money with and attendance of 18,793 earning a
further £158,000 with tickets priced at £20. In previous rounds West Ham
earned £67,500 in prize money and £294,000 in gate money for beating Wolves
in the third round of the FA Cup at the Boleyn ground. We received another
£90,000 in prize money for beating Liverpool in the forth round over two
games and we earned £288,000 to have both games screened LIVE on BT Sports.
The Anfield FA cup tie against Liverpool achieved an attendance of 44,000 at
£35 per ticket netting us around £647,00 in gate money. The replay at the
Boleyn ground earned around £294,000 with tickets reduced to £20. So we have
earned close to £1.75m so far for our 2016 cup run but a draw against
Manchester United in the quarter finals will more than double that.

Old-Trafford-Stadium-Manchester-UnitedShould the Red Devils over come
Shrewsbury tonight we would get a share of the 75,000 gate at Old Trafford.
It will be up to Manchester united to set the prices but £40 per ticket
tends to be the average for our northern rivals. A 75,000 sell-out would
bring in £3m of revenue of which we would get £1.26m of it. LIVE TV
coverage will add another £247,500 and winning the quarter final would earn
£360,000 in prize money and book a date at Wembley for semis where we start
earning serious money for TV rights, prize money and a share of the 90,000
gate!

FA Cup Third Round earnings = £361,500
FA Cup fourth round earnings = £1,22,900
FA Cup fifth round earnings = £585,500
Estimated FA Cup sixth round earning = £1,867,500
Estimated total FA cup earnings should we play Manchester United and win =
£4,043,500

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DS clears up last Boleyn match confusion
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on February 22, 2016 in News
C and H

David Sullivan has cleared up any lingering confusion over the identity of
the Boleyn Ground's last ever visiting team. He has told ClaretandHugh: "The
league match against Manchester United could now become the last game to
ever be held at Upton Park." United meet Shrewsbury this evening and should
they win either the Hammers or the Reds will be in the semi finals of the FA
Cup. And that in turn would mean the League match between the pair will have
to be rescheduled from April 23 with a night match after the game against
Swansea being the most likely option. Not many would argue that a final game
against United under the lights would be an entirely fitting way of saying
goodbye to the 'old lady' that has lived in our hearts for so long.
Ironically, however, there won't be many Irons fans who won't become Shrews
supporters this evening – and quite right too. :-)

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Hammers fans stranded as coaches break down
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

A number of West Ham supporters became stranded in the Midlands over night
as their official club No.7 coach broke down twice on the way home from the
5-1 FA cup win over Blackburn Rovers.
Hammers fan and actor Ellis McFarland left the Boleyn ground at 6.15am
Sunday morning to make the trip to Ewood park on an Official supporters
coach but he only managed to get home in the early hours of Monday morning
after an eight and half nightmare journey home. He tweeted chairman David
Gold to say "We travelled all the way up to Blackburn only to have our coach
and subsequent replacement breakdown! Still in Birmingham!"
Claret and Hugh understand that fifty four fans in total were stranded in
Birmingham as two replacement coaches were found to ferry them home. Ellis
added "Quite a journey. Just managed to make the last train home as well so
should be home by 1am! Worth it! 8.5 hours, 3 coaches, 2 tubes, 1 train and
a short walk and I am finally home. I'd do it all again for another day like
that though! #COYI"
Another supporter on the coach, Peter Bruton said "On the coach we had five
drivers, three coaches got back to Upton Park at 10 .45pm, cream crackered"
David Gold messaged them back this morning "I'm pleased you all made it back
safely. Well done. dg"

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Hammers entitled to 9,000 tickets at Old Trafford
Posted by Sean Whetstone on February 22, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H

West Ham are theoretically entitled to an away allocation of 11,345 tickets,
being 15% of Old Trafford's 75,635 seating capacity should they overcome
Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fifth round this evening. However, Claret and
Hugh now understands that Manchester United has a special dispensation this
season with the FA which limits the maximum percentage to 12% to cup games.
Last year Middlesbrough became only the second team in the last 25 years to
bring more than 10,000 fans to Old Trafford. Coventry City hold the record
as the team to bring so many fans to Old Trafford when they sold 11,000
tickets for a League Cup game in 2007, filling both tiers of the East Stand.
After taking 7,200 supporters to Blackburn on Sunday it would be amazing if
the Hammers could muster a 9,000 strong army to invade Manchester in March.
If Shrewsbury town pull off a miracle tonight then our away allocation will
be less than 1,500 as New Meadow holds just 9,875 seats. The ticket office
told us this morning "Once further details are known we will place an
official announcement on the website whufc.com"

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EXCL: EMENIKE: I WOULD HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED IF I DIDN'T SCORE
africanfootball.com
by Staff Reporter
Monday Feb 22, 2016. 15:00

Nigeria striker Emmanuel Emenike has revealed to AfricanFootball.com he
would have been shattered had he not scored for West Ham in the weekend's FA
Cup big win over Blackburn Rovers.
Emenike fired a brace against English Championship side Blackburn to open
his goals account since his arrival in England on loan from Turkish club
Fenerbache till the end of the season.
'The Hammers' cruised to the quarterfinal of the cup competition after they
came from behind to thrash Blackburn Rovers 5-1 in a fifth round FA Cup tie
on Sunday. "I knew I was going to lead the attack, so all eyes were on me
and I knew it would be a big disappointment if I didn't score because the
expectations were getting higher every day," he told AfricanFootball.com
"I feel more confident now than before. But I am not going to relax, the
goals will motivate me to score more, some of my mates know how hungry I was
to score goals and that's why I celebrated as if it were a cup final."
He said he has settled down nicely in London because he has often spent his
holidays there. "There is a great atmosphere at the club. I have enjoyed
good motivation from my team mates and the fans, they are behind my goals.
They have welcomed me well and have been supportive since, that has helped
me greatly," he said. "I'm also feeling very much at home already because I
am used to the weather and the culture. London is my home because this is
where I often come for my holidays. "I am growing into the team and
hopefully we can write history together in the FA Cup."

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Dimitri Payet faces battle to earn Euro 2016 spot for France - because
Deschamps is still yet to be convinced
11:11, 22 FEB 2016 UPDATED 11:27, 22 FEB 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
Deschamps said he has not picked the playmaker since last June because he
doesn't play as well for country as he does his club
The Mirror

Dimitri Payet appears to be facing a battle to earn a France recall ahead of
the Euros despite his stunning West Ham form. France boss Didier Deschamps
said he has not picked the Hammers playmaker since last June because he
doesn't play as well for country as he does his club. Payet has been one of
the stars of the season since joining West Ham from Marseille last summer
for what now looks like a bargain £10.7m. His displays have been so good he
has already earned a bumper new contract which has seen his wages jump up
£50,000 to £125,000 a week. The 28 year-old produced his latest
inspirational performance to lead West Ham into FA Cup last eight with two
goals at Blackburn yesterday. He has now scored nine goals and set up eight
others for West Ham this season though Deschamps is still yet to be
convinced. He said: "I've already called and I have already spoken to him
about it. I said that I expected more from him than he (produced) when he
was with us. "It was not enough. In the France team, he does not do the same
thing (as he does) in his club. "He is someone who is powerful in the club.
He often plays on the left in a 4-3-3. He has some very interesting
statistics on the left. "But after that there is a competition issue. In
this position on the left, the competition is from Anthony Martial, Antoine
Griezmann, Mathieu Valbuena, Hatem Ben Arfa or Nabil Fekir before he got
injured."

Last year Payet called his continual exclusion from the French setup an
"injustice." But Deschamps insisted Payet has only been left out for
football reasons. He said: "Problems of attitude for Payet? No these are
false problems. As if I could not manage players ... It is a choice about
football based on the other competition." Deschamps had more positive words
for Leicester midfielder N'Golo Kante who has been a revelation since his
£5.6m move from Caen. The uncapped 24 year-old was born in Paris but also
qualifies for Mali. But Deschamps said: "We are watching him obviously. He
was already performing well at Caen."

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West Ham have good chance of overturning Cheikhou Kouyate red card, says
Graham Poll
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ 2 hours ago0 comments
Evening Standard

Former official Graham Poll believes West Ham should appeal the red card
given to Cheikhou Kouyate during the Hammers' FA Cup thrashing of Blackburn
Rovers on Sunday because he feels it was too harsh. With the score in the
fifth-round clash at Ewood Park 1-1, Blackburn were reduced to 10 men when
Chris Taylor was shown a second yellow card before the visitors capitalised
through Emmanuel Emenike, whose goal was set up by Kouyate. The midfielder's
game, however, was soon after cut short when he was shown a straight red
card for a last-man foul on Adam Henley on the edge of the box. But despite
Kouyate seeing red in the 5-1 victory, former referee Poll thinks West Ham
should appeal his sending off as they would be likely to win it. "West Ham
must have a good chance of overturning the red card Cheikhou Kouyate was
shown by Jon Moss," Poll wrote in his column for The Mail. "Henley was
through on goal but his first touch played the ball a long way in front of
himself. "There had to be doubt whether he would reach it before Darren
Randolph in the West Ham goal. "So a Hammers appeal would certainly not be
seen as frivolous and should be overturned."

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic was left furious and "not happy" following the
game as he believed goalkeeper Darren Randolph would have been able to deal
with the danger before Henley could have touched the ball to score. "I
didn't see the replay but from my position, I am not happy," he said. "I
know the ball went through to Darren Randolph, our goalkeeper, so it is
definitely not a goalscoring opportunity. Foul OK, but not a red card."

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West Ham will have the fans roaring again at Wembley, says James Collins
TOM DOYLE 1 hour ago0 comments
Evening Standard

James Collins believes West Ham have the quality to go all the way in the FA
Cup and reward their fans, who turned Ewood Park into a mini Upton Park
yesterday. It is 10 years since the Hammers reached the final, losing to
Liverpool on penalties after a 3-3 draw when Steven Gerrard took the tie
into extra-time with a last-gasp strike. Collins was on the bench that day,
at the end of the first season of his first spell with West Ham. And after
thumping Blackburn in a game where both sides were reduced to 10 men — with
Chris Taylor dismissed for two bookable offences and Cheikhou Kouyate sent
off for a foul on Adam Henley — Collins believes Slaven Bilic's side can go
one better. "Being involved in that final is still one of the biggest
highlights of my career," said the Wales defender. "To go there with such a
good team and experience that again and, hopefully, be on the right side
would be amazing. The gaffer has said he wants to have a right go at winning
the FA Cup, and why not? We've come this far now. We're in the
quarter-finals now, we've got a great chance."

Collins thanked the 7,200 army of Hammers fans for roaring them back from a
goal down. Ben Marshall gave the Championship hosts the lead but West Ham
quickly hit back through Victor Moses, with the inspirational Dimitri Payet
scoring two either side of January signing Emmanuel Emenike's double. "You
look at the scoreline and it was comprehensive," said Collins (left). "Their
goal early put us on the back foot for 10 minutes but then we started
keeping the ball and created a lot of chances and it probably could have
been more. The supporters were amazing. No disrespect to the Blackburn fans
but we thought it was a home game driving in. "There were West Ham fans
everywhere. When you come out and you hear them singing like that. It's
unbelievable. The support all year has been fantastic. "We're playing
attacking football, which obviously the West Ham fans like and they get
right behind us. To bring that many fans shows what it means to them."

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Ex ref Poll: West Ham should appeal Kouyate red card
Date: 22nd February 2016 at 12:38 pm
Written by: James Pearson
foreverwestham.com

Football Soccer - Blackburn Rovers v West Ham United - FA Cup Fifth Round -
Ewood Park - 21/2/16

Ex Premier League referee Graham Poll has defended West Ham's decision to
appeal against Cheikhou Kouyate's red card against Blackburn and believes
the decision was a poor one by Jon Moss.
In his column for The Mail, Poll wrote that "Henley was through on goal but
his first touch played the ball a long way in front of himself." This means
that Kouyate wasn't denying a goalscoring opportunity as the ball had
already made it's way through to Darren Randolph. The contact is also
questionable, and it seems apparent that Kouyate had no intention of
touching the Blackburn player either. It was an accidental, minimal
collision that didn't deny any kind of chance to score. Kouyate will be
considering himself seriously unlucky if he misses any Premier League action
because of the decision. The red card was the one blemish on an otherwise
fantastic FA Cup performance at Blackburn. David Gold had his say on Twitter
last night, stating that he believes there is a better than 50:50 chance
that the red card will be rescinded, and if Graham Poll believes it is worth
an appeal then there is a good chance we will be getting Kouyate back for
the Sunderland game at the weekend. Saturday sees Big Sam return to The
Boleyn Ground, and his Sunderland side have just beaten Manchester United
and are desperate for points to see them stave off relegation this season.
Sam Allardyce will definitely have a point to prove here, and it should be a
tricky game for us.

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WEST HAM UNITED - IS THE SLEEPING GIANT ABOUT TO WAKE UP ?
By HamburgHammer 22 Feb 2016 at 08:00
WTID

Blackburn could have been the proverbial banana skin for us. In the end they
were no more than a tasty Sunday afternoon snack and in the second half
there could be no doubt which one was the Premier League side and which one
the Championship club. With West Ham fans filling an entire stand (and
Blackburn leaving massive gaps of empty seats in the remaining three stands
of Ewok Park) this very much had the feel of a home game. Most of the game
has already been discussed and digested over the course of yesterday
evening, I'd just like to add a few bits that filled me with joy, pride and
massive hope for the future of this team and club while watching the game.

Antonio right now looks as if he could play virtually anywhere on the pitch
and do well. Put him in goal and he might keep clean sheets. Lanzini was
back and slotted into the side as if he had never been out, having him and
Payet on the pitch at the same time will give our team a whole new
dimension, approach and unpredictability. We will be a nightmare to play
against for most sides in the Premier League. Emenike got on the scoresheet
twice on his debut, scored another from an offside position and could still
have scored a hattrick from some more pretty neat chances, but overall you
just cannot argue with a player scoring two goals in a game, especially if
he hasn'T been with us long and still needs more training sessions and games
to gel with his teammates on the pitch. Early signs are good and it sure is
a massive relief to have him available now, something that cannot be said
for most of our other strikers, but hopefully the others too should be back
soon. Which also does bode well for our Quarter Final tie at Shrewsbury or
Manchester United.

What is left to say or write about Payet that hasn't been said or written
yet ? I did not imagine there could ever be a player to strike a chord with
our entire fanbase, his teammates and the coaching staff in such a short
space of time like Payet did. Noble of course is our local lad from Canning
Town, the bond to our roots and he has grown into an ever improving player
for us recently. But Payet now is the face of West Ham – and this was very
much confiremd by him signing an improved deal that will keep him at West
Ham for the foreseeable future. Unless of course he does end up at a bigger
club eventually, however, his deal ensures that he won't be leaving on the
cheap. And with every goal and assist his market value will soar, despite
his age.

I've been following the ticketing issue with regard to our first season in
the OS a lot recently, mainly because I got the phone call from the
reservation centre a few days ago after having joined the priority waiting
list in early May last year, straight after my visit to East London for the
Burnley game, the now infamous WHTID sleepover at the West Ham hotel. My
official phone appointment will be in eleven days, so it looks like I will
have a decent chance to pick up a season ticket for our first season there
which will go a long way in ensuring I can watch any game I please and can
make time for: The first ever West Ham game in the OS, the derby against
Spurs and Chelsea, the Allardyce game against his current side he will try
to save from the drop next season. You get the picture.

I was dumbfounded when I heard that we would apply to increase the capacity
for our first season to 60.000 seats due to high demand for season tickets.
Nearly double our current capacity. Apparently season ticket sales will be
artificially capped at 43K. Which is fair enough I suppose as one of the big
selling points of our move was the ability to cater for those fans who
couldn't committ to buy a season ticket, yet were keen to pick up tickets
for selected games.Due to the novelty factor coupled with the current wave
of feelgood atmosphere around team and club, I'd expect demand to remain
high, making most if not all our home games next season complete sellouts.

It goes with the territory that this will result in West Ham being on the
telly a lot next season, especially if we continue to build a squad full of
quality players, delivering the kind of entertaining passing football that
Lanzini and Payet will orchestrate and which is very much the epitome of the
much maligned and ridiculed West Ham way.

No doubt our club is headed towards massive changes, with the move to the OS
being merely the pistol firing the starting shot, to keep with the Olympic
theme for a moment. Make no mistake, it won't be a 100 metre dash this,
it'll be very much a marathon, not a sprint, to make it work in our favour.
But I am proud already that we will have 43K season ticket holders inside
that massive bowl in only our first season there, with the potential of 60K
sellouts for most games while all and sundry have been telling us that
little old West Ham would never fill the place anyway.

I'm well aware that the demand for tickets in season 2 in the OS will be
much more indicative of how far we have come and if our step up to the
proverbial next level is sustainable. The matchday experience in the OS is
likely to be a lot different from the Boleyn, no doubt. Yet the most
important ingredient should remain pretty much the same, the West Ham fans.

There simply will be thousands more of them inside our home stadium in the
future. Grandfathers (and grandmothers), fathers (and mothers), uncles and
aunties will bring sons, daughters, nephews, nieces and grandchildren, we
will see the growing up of a new generation of fans some of which will only
know the Boleyn from the tales being told to them by their relatives. Other
West Ham fans will be able to afford a season ticket again after not aving
one for years, others may be mates of current season ticket holders being
brought into the fold as part of the plus 2 scheme. And we are also likely
to attract more foreign supporters like me from all corners of the world
with no obvious roots in the East End or the Essex neck of the woods.
Some of them will be gloryhunters or plastics a la Chelsea who may be gone
again as quickly as they arrived should things go downhill again in the
future.

My experiences are different though. I consider West Ham to be quite a
special club which does manage to grab hold of you and never let go again,
like in my case. I became a Hammer in 1996 when quite honestly we weren't
very good in terms of results and also the football was dire in most of the
games I watched (we had Dowie upfront for crying out loud!), but still I
became totally smitten with West Ham and simply had no chance to even
consider turning my back again. The whole experience of following the team,
chatting with fellow fans, the humour, the passion, the rollercoaster of
emotions, all of that made me come back for more. I am convinced we can
continue to be like this even in the OS. Maybe we can do it even better once
we are in the OS. European nights under the lights in the OS sure sound no
less appealing than similar (rare) events at the Boleyn.

Will West Ham lose their appeal as a family club and the perennial cuddly
underdog (or most football fans' second team) once we start winning more
regularly ? Probably. But there are thousands of Hammers fans all over the
globe who have waited for this for such a long time. An exciting team
competing for titles and trophies. Playing football the right way. Being
feared and respected by opposing teams and their fans rather than being
ridiculed or patronised all the time.

I hope and pray we can make this work somehow and keep some of our West Ham
idendity intact, despite moving to a new stadium and changing our crest.
Us fans still have a huge part to play in this. The old and loyal ones and
also the new arrivals. Let's see what this sleeping giant is capable of
achieving once it has wiped the sleep from its eyes and started to rock the
boat a bit more. COYI!

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