From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com
I was very excited to see the European Championship Finals get underway and it promises to be a great spectacle over the next few weeks. It was a dream start for France on Friday night and a memorable game for Dimitri Payet who showed once again why he is a superstar. The performance was just stunning and as our manager Slaven Bilic said, he would have been the man of the match before his outstanding winner. We have seen many times at West Ham the magic that he can create and with one of the last kicks of the game, he produced an exceptional piece of skill to win the opening game for the host nation. We could all see the emotion from Dimitri and what it meant for him to score such an important goal. It was just rewards for all the hard work he has put in over the last 12 months and he is an exceptional talent. I tweeted that he has made every West Ham United fan proud and I am sure he will have a great tournament. It is also going to be a big day for Darren Randolph on Monday when the Republic of Ireland play their first game against Sweden. His story is not too different from Michail Antonio when they both arrived at West Ham summer. Both players have come from the lower leagues and have had to fight their way into the first-team. Darren has certainly showed his quality when he was called into action and went one stage further when he broke into the national side and played his part in a famous victory over Germany to help Ireland reach the Finals in France. I hope he is rewarded by getting a starting place in the first game on Monday. I also hope James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna enjoy their time in France and I want to wish all of our players the best of luck. It is a pleasure to see internationals at our football club playing at the highest level.
This has been another big week with the release of our new away kit for next season. It will not be long before the players are wearing it and everything is building up nicely for our historic move during the summer. The new fixtures are being released on Wednesday and I am sure that all the fans will be excited to see what our first game is going to be at the new Stadium. I am also sure that fans up and down the country will also be looking out for when their team are going to be playing West Ham as they look forwar d to attending our new home. There is so much going on with the seeding of the pitch for the first time and banners being put up around the Stadium. Our staff will be moving in shortly and we will then be preparing for the start of the Europa League and our big opening ceremony when we face Juventus in a mouthwatering friendly. We are all very excited over the big move and we are making history. I would like to thank all the supporters who have been taking part in the club's auction this week and it shows how the fans feel about our great football club. I am sure the items they have purchased will stay in the family for years to come. Finally, I want to assure our fans that we are continuing to work hard behind the scenes as we look to bring in new players.
There is a lot of hard work involved, but David Sullivan and Slaven Bilic will be doing everything to bring in the players we need to help us grow even stronger. Thank you once again for your magnificent support and coming in your numbers to help us make this historic move into the new Stadium.
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Randolph - We are ready for Ibrahimovic
WHUFC.com
Randolph keeps getting asked how his team will stop Ibrahimovic
Darren Randolph is eagerly awaiting the opening game for the Republic of Ireland when they play Sweden in the Stade de France on Monday and says they are ready to face Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Hammers keeper is well aware of the threat that the Swedish superstar poses to his side but says they have the quality to keep him at bay. Randolph is preparing to feature in his first major tournament, but says his team-mates are full of confidence and hopes the impressive team spirit will see them reach the latter stages of the competition. The 29 year old will never forget playing his part in a famous victory over Germany in the Euro Qualifiers and feels Ireland showed that night that they can be a match for any team in Europe. Randolph said: "If we can get any kind of result from the opening game against Sweden, than anything is possible after that considering how we have performed against the bigger teams. "The one question people keep asking me all the time is how you stop Ibrahimovic and he has proved time and time again how good he is. "He is obviously their danger man and if we can manage to keep him quiet during the game then we have got a chance of getting a good result. "We all should take a lot of satisfaction from the Germany result. We managed to qualify through the play-offs and should be proud of what we achieved. "It is going to be a very tough group but you want to play against the best teams in the tournament."
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From the Newsroom
WHUFC.com
Irish Independent sports news editor and Hammers fan Shane Scanlon on Darren Randolph's rise to prominence for his home country...
According to celebrated spy novelist Tom Clancy, an overnight success is 'Ten years in the making' and I don't think Darren Randolph would disagree much.
Randolph is living proof that patience does have its reward and, having being an integral part of football history at the Boleyn Ground over the past year, fans on this side of the Irish Sea are hoping their No1 goalkeeper can write more of his own in the immediate future.
The 29-year-old headed to France as the first West Ham United player to line out for the Republic of Ireland at a European Championship finals and buoyed by a season full of landmarks, the Bray, County Wicklow native will be determined to leave his own imprint on Euro 2016.
Randolph is a fine example to all young players – especially goalkeepers – that no matter what type of knocks you suffer early in your career, you must get back up and work hard to achieve your goals.
The son of an American collegiate basketball star who came to Ireland during the 1980s to play basketball professionally (Ed Randolph), Martin O'Neill's recently-promoted No1 actually became a goalkeeper almost as an afterthought. Having played basketball for Ireland throughout his mid-teens as well as Gaelic Football in Wicklow, the 6'2" powerhouse soon accepted that he would not be tall enough to realise his NBA dream and changed his focus.
He was 16 when he agreed to head for England sign for Charlton and following a few loan spells – at Welling United, Accrington Stanley, and Gillingham – he made his Premier League debut the day after this 20th birthday at Anfield in May 2007. He performed well in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool, but Charlton were already relegated, and he would wait more than eight years for his second Premier League appearance.
In the interim, his journey took him to the lower leagues with Bury and Hereford United but it was a free transfer to Motherwell which ultimately proved the making of him. A solid three years north of the border, in which he set a clean-sheet record for the Scottish club, earned him a senior Ireland debut under Giovanni Trapattoni in a 4-1 friendly win over Oman in London in September 2012.
From there, he joined Birmingham City in 2013 before West Ham came calling last summer. It has proved a fruitful move for the player, and for club and country.
He made his Premier League return last August, against Bournemouth, and while he has played understudy to the ever-consistent Adrian, he has clearly benefited from the Spaniard's expert tutelage. His superb displays for the Irons in a FA Cup run to the quarter-finals earned plenty of plaudits – his man-of-the-match performance which saw him deny Liverpool in Anfield proving the highlight.
For Ireland supporters, however, it's not his saves but a goal assist that has, so far, proved the stand-out moment.
When Germany visited Dublin last October, O'Neill started Shay Given against the world champions, but when the veteran 'keeper came off injured at the end of the first half, the manager – to the surprise of many – turned to Randolph as his replacement. He instantly rewarded that faith with good stops to deny Jerome Boateng and Thomas Müller, before his shrewd punt upfield was seized upon by Shane Long who raced clear and fired to the net to give Ireland a famous victory.
It might not have been a typical Dmitri Payet or Mark Noble assist, but it showed he's clearly learning from his West Ham midfield colleagues – if he continues to do so in a green shirt, expect more Ireland supporters to make the journey to see him in action at the Hammers' new Stadium.
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Dimitri Payet LOVES to train - and puts on weight when he stops, reveals Slaven Bilic
19:47, 12 JUN 2016 UPDATED 19:49, 12 JUN 2016
BY NEIL MCLEMAN
The West Ham playmaker scored a sensational winner in France's Euro 2016 opener to cap his brilliant all-round performance
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic has piled praise on Dimitri Payet – then revealed his West Ham star piles on the pounds if he is not watching his weight. The Hammers playmaker scored a sensational winner in France's Euro 2016 opener to cap his brilliant all-round performance. The only downside for the East London club will be the attention the Reunion Island native will have attracted from big-money clubs around the world. Bilic wanted to sign the former Marseille star for Besiktas – and said he was his first choice signing at Upton Park when he arrived last summer. And the former Croatia boss said: "Players are sometimes good but arrogant. It is not the case with him. He is calm and loves to train. In fact, when he stops, he puts on weight - I have told him. And then he is no longer the same."He has to be in perfect condition and we saw that against Romania. It is for that reason he can get there have 10 centimetres before to play the ball. To find this space, you have to be fit."
Payet left the pitch at the Stade de France in tears on Friday night to massive applause. Despite his sparkling Premier League form, he was only recalled by Didier Deschamps in March and was not sure of his place in the squad for his home tournament. "It has not been easy for Dimi," Bilic told L'Equipe. "He had to prove himself to return to Les Bleus. He was not signed by Barcelona, Madrid, City, Arsenal or Chelsea, etc. "West Ham is a good club but it is not a big club. Everyone thought that the France team was finished for him. But he has had an unbelievable impact on the Premier League which forced Deschamps to give him another chance. "He had to earn it. If he played really well in the friendlies, that was more in the individual context where you had to prove you deserved a place. "This time, it was for the whole country, for the team in an official match. That is why the emotion took over and he thought about all that."
West Ham looked to protect their investment by awarding Payet a new five-year contract in February. Bilic added: "I have coached some great players but his first touch is incredible. Like Modric, he doesn't even have to think about it, it is natural. "He receives the ball and it doesn't matter the weight of the pass, his control is magnificent. He does the simple things even if, sometimes, he looks for the killer pass too quickly. He is a guy who wins you matches."
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Irons linked with £8m bid for Spanish midfielder
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham are on the trail of Celta Vigo star Nolito, writes Neil Moxley in the Sunday People today suggesting West Ham are considering a £8m bid for the attacking midfielder.
Bilic is said to be keen to land former Barcelona and Benfica star Nolito, who played in Spain's friendly win over England last November. The talented attacking midfielder has scored 12 goals in 26 La Liga games this season.
Nolito has admitted to hitting a stumbling block in his talks over a new contract with Celta Vigo, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Barcelona all linked in the player. The 29-year-old has been in superb form this season.
Tha player said last year on renewing his contract:"There is a detail that is not resolved and while it is not settled, I will not sign. I have a three-and-a-half year contract and a [release] clause of 18 million [euros].If someday I'm wanted by a team, [they can] come speak with Celta and pay what you have to pay."
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Bilic on transfers: "We are not panicking"
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has admitted that West Ham made attempts to bring in new signings prior to Euro 2016 but found it "impossible" to conclude any deals.
The Hammers are thought to have made a £31 million offer for Alexandre Lacazette only for it to be turned down, they then made a £16m bid for Carlos Bacca. We also enquired about the availability of Jamie Vardy prepared to pay his £25m release clause to Leicester.
Bilic has previously denied we had £31.5m bid for Michy Batshuayi turned down saying "It is simply not true that we have made a bid. What's in the papers is not true."
Slaven Bilic who is a TV pundit for Euro 2016 told ITV Sport: "We tried to do some business before the Euros but it was impossible. But as I said to the chairmen we are not panicking.
"We have a good team. If we can add something to that team to make it better then okay. We've been monitoring the players throughout the season. We aren't going to judge these players just based on their performance at the European Championships. It will help us to make our decision."
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Reports link Payet with PSG, Chelsea & Man City
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
It was only a matter of time until the media stories started. Since scoring this wonder goal for France he has been linked with with PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City.
A report in the Daily Telegraph is linking Dimitri Payet with a move to Paris Saint-Germain claiming West Ham's attacking midfielder Payet is being 'carefully watched' by the French champions this summer.
The reports says 'PSG are carefully watching Dimitri Payet and will have only been impressed by the West Ham star`s spectacular winning goal for France. Payet only signed a new £125,000-a-week contract at West Ham in February, but that will not stop PSG making a bid over £30m for the 29-year-old if he continues to shine.'
Sky Italia reporter, Gianluca Di Marzio has reported Chelsea are interested in Payet suggesting they have inquired about his availability.
And according to Spanish football magazine, Don Balon, Pep Guardiola has also identified Dimitri Payet as his marquee summer signing when he joins Manchester City on 1st July.
As the Euro 16 tournament and France progress, we can expect more coverage, unwanted attention and links to the majority of Europe's top clubs who have qualified for the Champions League.
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French go crazy for West Ham's Payet song
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
French football supporters have adopted a French version of West Ham's Payet song as the hero of their opening game receives cult status in the home nation of Euro 16.
The french version of the song goes "Nous avons Payet. Dimitri Payet. On ne sait pas si vous vous rendez compte. C'est l'homme de Super Slaven Il est meilleur que Zidane"
Translated back it English it means "We have Payet. Dimitri Payet. We don't know if you realize it. He's the man of Super Slaven . He is better than Zidane."
The Dimtri Payet song was born at the Crystal Palace v West Ham victory on 17th October 2015. Based on the Billy Ray Cyrus 1992 hit 'Achy Breaky Heart' which won him the Grammy record of the year.
West Ham Lyrics:"We've got Payet, Dimitri Payet! I just don't think you understand. He's Super Slavs man, he's better than Zidane. We've got Dimtri Payet!"
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Gold gives Olympic Stadium update
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
David Gold has dismissed rumours that the Olympic Stadium building programme is twelve weeks behind schedule and could be late for the start of the beginning of the Premier League season which starts on Saturday 13th August.
Asked by one West Ham supporter "Is it true the OS is 12 weeks behind? and might not be ready for the start of the new season"
Gold responded "This is not true. The OS is on schedule. dg"
later repeating "The new stadium is on schedule. dg" to another fan.
The Chairman also confirmed although the current capacity of the stadium remains at 54,000 he is confident it will be increased for 60,000 in time for West Ham's first Premier League home game in August.
Gold tweeted "The capacity is currently 54K it will be increased to 60K for our first home game in the Premier League. dg"
Claret and Hugh understand that the Juventus friendly and any third round Europa league game will be restricted to a 54,000 capacity but it should be just a formality to get a new safety certificate approving a revised capacity of 60,000 before the start of the Premier League season.
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Boleyn Ground closes its doors today
Posted by Sean Whetstone on June 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
The West Ham hotel based at the Boleyn Ground will close it's doors today for the last time when guests check out at 11am this morning. Built in 2001 with the new West Ham which was opened by the Queen, the three-star hotel has 60 rooms which doubled as corporate boxes on match days. Originally the hotel was run directly by West Ham but they contracted out to their catering partner Elinor UK in 2012 in an overall deal worth £5m per year.
This morning at 11am also marks the start of the very final stadium tour of the Boleyn Ground. Thousands of supporters have paid £25 each to take a stadium tour over the last twelve months.
Last week also saw the final pitch event to be staged at the Boleyn ground. The charity match in aid Isala's smiles and the Jackson's smile foundation was played on Monday evening at 7pm and raised £6,000.
The stadium will now be stripped bare of anything and everything that can be sold before demolition starts later this year.
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Fresh hope on Lacazette?
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on June 12, 2016 in News, Whispers
C and H
Alexandre Lacazette has produced a thundering round of approval for Dimi Payet which may even yet persuade him to trust his future to West Ham.
Dimi really has shaken up the world with his astonishing performance for the French in the opening game of Euro 2016 and like the rest of the world Lacazette the French striker was incredibly impressed.
In a tweet he screamed "Payeeeeeeeet" folowed by eight smileys and the French flag – all of which could be great news for the Irons.
Lacazette is still considering his next move but it seems certain he will be leaving Lyon this summer and Payet's displays could well have a bearing on his final destination.
David Sulivan made it clear to ClaretandHugh that Dimi is going nowhere and the club refuse to give up the chase for Lacazette so hope springs eternal.
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Monday, June 13
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