Daily WHUFC News - 5th July 2016

Preview - Seattle Sounders
WHUFC.com

West Ham United kick-off 2016/17 schedule with a visit to CenturyLink Field
Game is first of two being played as part of 12-day US Tour
Hammers could hand first appearances to four summer signings in Seattle

When and where?
Seattle Sounders v West Ham United

Pre-season Match
Tuesday 5 July 2016, 7.30pm PT (Wednesday 6 July, 3.30am BST)
CenturyLink Field, 800 Occidental Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134

What's the story?
West Ham United kick-off their two-match pre-season US Tour by taking on MLS franchise Seattle Sounders at the stunning CenturyLink Field.

The Hammers are at the start of their preparations for the 2016/17 Premier League campaign, while the Sounders are 16 games into their 2017 MLS Western Conference season, sitting ninth in the ten-team standings.

Slaven Bilic's West Ham have been training at the Seattle Seahawks' VMAC training complex since Saturday and will use all 22 of the players who have travelled to the Pacific Northwest.

Sigi Schmid's Sounders returned from a 1-1 MLS draw at Toronto FC on Saturday and host Steven Gerrard's LA Galaxy this coming weekend, so it remains to be seen what sort of team selection the German makes.

Team news?

West Ham will be without their Euro 2016 and a number of other international players, including Dimitri Payet, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna, Darren Randolph, Cheikhou Kouyate and Enner Valencia. The game will come too early for Diafra Sakho, whose arrival in the US was delayed by a sickness bug, while Michail Antonio has remained in London to await the birth of his child.

The Hammers have four new players as part of the touring party – Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli, Norway midfielder Havard Nordtveit and young attackers Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina.

The Sounders may welcome back former Premier League star Clint Dempsey after the US national-team captain missed Saturday's trip to Toronto due to his recent Copa America commitments. Sounders skipper and defender Brad Evans was also absent from the Canadian fixture due to a calf strain.

Any links between the two?
Yes! The Sounders boast former West Ham full-back Tyrone Mears in their ranks, while the historic links between the two clubs include Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Harry Redknapp, who all played for the American side during its initial NASL (North American Soccer League) guise in the 1970s.

How do I get tickets?
Click here to secure seats for Tuesday's match.

How do I get to the match?
Click here for details of how to get to CenturyLink Field.

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Dimi nets again as France book semi-final spot
WHUFC.comfortable

Dimitri Payet's fabulous UEFA Euro 2016 campaign continued on Sunday as he scored in hosts France's emphatic 5-2 quarter-final win over Iceland. Bagging Les Bleus' third two minutes before the half-time break, the Hammers star helped Didier Deschamps' team book their place in the last four of the competition with the comfortable victory. After Olivier Giroud and Paul Pogba had already got on the scoresheet for France, Payet slammed home a low left-footed drive from 20 yards following Antoine Greizmann's clever lay-off. And the Atletico Madrid forward made it four before the break just moments later, chipping the Icelandic goalkeeper to put the result well beyond any doubt. Payet was instrumental throughout though, and set up France's fifth – another Giroud header – with a superb curled free-kick after Iceland had pulled one back through Kolbeinn Sigthorsson. Iceland grabbed their second seven minutes before the final whistle, as Birkir Bjarnason found the back of the net to have the final say in the goal-fest. After strikes against Romania and Albania, the latest Payet special was the 29-year-old's third of the competition, putting him just below teammate Greizmann – who has four – in the top scorers' charts. As the majority of the Hammers' first team squad enjoy their pre-season tour to the USA, the tournament goes on for Payet, whose team next face Germany in the semi-finals.

The heavyweight clash between the world champions and the tournament hosts will be played in Marseille on Thursday with an 8pm kick-off UK time.

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Payet - We have become stronger
​WHUFC.com

France secure last four place with 5-2 win over Iceland in UEFA Euro 2016 quarter-final
Dimitri Payet nets third goal of the tournament in France rout
Frenchman joins James Collins as Hammers still in the competition

Dimitri Payet believes his France team have gained strength from their comfortable 5-2 victory over Iceland ahead of their UEFA Euro 2016 semi-final against Germany. France's bid to lift the trophy on home turf continues, but world champions Germany stand in their way on Thursday, with Payet predicting a tough test. However, after scoring his third goal of the tournament - a sublime left-footed strike into the bottom corner - he says France are well set to take their run further, especially with the link-up between the Hammers star and Antoine Griezmann growing stronger with each game. He said: "It is a joy to link up with a player like Griezmann. We don't tread on each other's toes. "What we are going to remember is that they are the world champions. We know what to expect, we know they have qualities. But we have become stronger tonight."

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The Insider
WHUFC.com

I can exclusively reveal that the Club are to announce that two of the biggest names in the first-team squad are set to sign new contracts. Slaven Bilic is keen for his best players to pledge their long-term futures to the Club and will be delighted that they have managed to secure the signatures of two big name players. Dimitri Payet, Adrian and Cheikhou Kouyate have already secured long-term deals and these are exciting times for the Hammers ahead of the historic move into the new Stadium. The West Ham United players are gearing up for their first pre-season friendly against Seattle Sounders on Tuesday night and preparations are well and truly underway. Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit are part of the squad that have travelled to America and Bilic will be using the time to build relationships with his new signings. The hard work is also continuing back in the UK to add more new players to the squad and it is my understanding that there could be another major new signing by the end of the week.

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Quina - 'I'm excited and just enjoying it'
WHUFC.com

Domingos Quina may be just 16, but the winger is already getting his West Ham United teammates and coaches excited. The youngster arrived at the Hammers this summer after spells with Portuguese giants Benfica – where his father Samuel spent a decade as a player – and Chelsea, having lifted the UEFA European U17 Championship trophy in May. An unpredictable talent capable to beating his man with apparent ease, Quina has been selected to travel with Slaven Bilic's senior squad to the Club's pre-season tour of the United States. "I started playing football in school, then I moved to Benfica and now I'm in my first year here and already I'm with the first-team squad which is incredible," he told West Ham TV. "I'm excited and just enjoying it."

It should perhaps come as no surprise that Quina has great ability, seeing has his Dad made more than 150 appearances for Benfica, appearing in the 1990 European Cup final against AC Milan, and earned five caps for Portugal. "I started playing football because my Dad played for Benfica," he confirmed. "I moved from Africa to Portugal and it made it easier because my Dad had played there. I went straight to Benfica and stayed there. "I think Benfica is one of the best schools to learn football in Europe, to be honest. They have got so many kids there."

Two-and-a-half decades later, Samuel's son is following in his footsteps, being tipped as one of Europe's most intriguing young attackers by the continent's youth football experts.
Born in Guinea-Bissau in western Africa, where he spent time at his father's Academy, Quina moved to Lisbon to further his career, coming through the same Benfica youth system that produced the likes of Eusebio. While he has some way to go before he emulates the achievements of the King, Quina's potential is there for all to see. "I have got some skills and I like to surprise people and do things that they aren't expecting," he explained. "I like to be exciting and do things in different ways to the way other people do them."

On Sunday, Quina joined his new teammates on their second day of training at the Seattle Seahawks' Virginia Mason Athletic Complex. "I try to enjoy it and not think about the other players on the pitch and what they have done," he continued. "I try to be myself and enjoy it."

In Seattle, the Hammers stepped things up with a series of sessions aimed at building their fitness and sharpness ahead of the 2016/17 Premier League season. At 16, that competition may come too soon for the Portugal U17 international, but he is eager to make his mark at whatever level he is given an opportunity this coming campaign. "First-team football is in everyone's ambitions but [this season] I want to play Development Squad football and try to learn, and if the first team comes I'll just do it!" smiled Quina, who named Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta as his favourite player. "Mark Noble told me he had heard about me before and told me to just be myself, feel normal and do my thing and try to do everything right."

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Antonio signs new contract
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are delighted to announce that highly rated winger Michail Antonio has signed a new contract which will keep him at the Club until 2020. Antonio became one of the star performers in the Premier League following his move from Nottingham Forest last summer and soon established himself as a key figure in Slaven Bilic's side. The 26-year-old is thrilled to have pledged his long-term future to the Club and hopes to play an even bigger role when the Hammers move into the new Stadium. Antonio said: "I am delighted to have signed a new contract. I am happy that the manager and the chairman have showed their belief in me to give me a new deal. "I have always believed in my own ability and when I am given the opportunity I will take it and hopefully I have showed that. "I had to be patient when I first arrived, but once I got the chance I never looked back and hopefully I can now push on and do even better than what I did last season."

After notching his first goal for the Club in the 2-1 victory over Southampton in late December 2015, he went on to score nine goals in a fine debut season in claret and blue. Antonio's tally included a memorable winner against Tottenham Hotspur, two against Liverpool and a header in the unforgettable final Boleyn Ground victory over Manchester United. Few could forget his memorable celebrations which included the Homer Simpson and Carlton dances which saw him become a fans favourite at the east London Club. The one-time Tooting & Mitcham man showed his versatility by filling in at right back for a time, as well as excelling in his favoured wing position, as he successfully made the transition to top-flight football. With the birth of his third child imminent, Antonio has sat out the Club's tour to the United States, but has been training hard at Chadwell Heath ahead of linking up with his teammates for pre-season.

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Five talking points - US Tour
WHUFC.com

We look at five talking points as the Hammers head Stateside

1. The Hammers are back!

Just 52 days after ending the 2016/17 Premier League season at the Britannia Stadium, West Ham United will return to action 4,655 miles away in the American city of Seattle.

Slaven Bilic's Hammers kick-off with a visit to the spectacular CenturyLink Field for a clash with the MLS's biggest franchise Seattle Sounders.

That fixture, which is set to be played in front of more than 50,000 fans in the US's soccer capital, will be followed by a cross-country flight to North Carolina, where West Ham will tackle NASL table-toppers Carolina RailHawks.

Slaven Bilic returns from his eye-catching stint as a television pundit to take a squad that combines first-team experience and youthful enthusiasm across the Atlantic.

A number of regulars will be absent at Euro 2016 or recovering from international exploits, but the Hammers will still take plenty of big names Stateside.

The likes of Noble, Carroll, Adrian, Reid and Cresswell will be joined on the plane by promising youngsters Burke, Samuelsen and Browne.

North American fans – and those making the pilgrimage across the pond – will also be the first to see new signings Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit in action in Claret and Blue.

2. From studio to dugout

Since returning to West Ham United a year ago, everything Slaven Bilic has touched has seemingly turned to gold.

From signing Dimitri Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Angelo Ogbonna, to masterminding a series of sensational away wins, to his enigmatic performance as an ITV pundit at Euro 2016, Bilic has impressed almost everyone with his personality and passion.

Now, the challenge for the Hammers manager is to pick up where he left off.

West Ham lost just two of their final 13 Premier League matches, and just eight all season, to seal European qualification – albeit with a little assistance from FA Cup winners Manchester United – and Bilic will want to maintain his reputation by leading the Club through another stellar, consistent campaign.

3. Two new boys

As is always the case at the start of pre-season, talk will turn to the potential of West Ham United's new signings.

So far, despite the dozens of rumours that have filled newspapers, websites and social media in recent weeks and months, the Hammers have completed just two senior signings – Norway midfielder Havard Nordtveit and Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli.

The vast majority of West Ham fans will have seen precious little of both, but the initial reaction from those 'in the know' suggests the two free transfer signings will add much to the squad.

Before kicking a ball, every player is a potential star, but only time will tell if the two new boys are suited to English football and suited to West Ham United.

4. Over land and sea

West Ham's US Tour will undoubtedly prove yet again that the Hammers have fans in every corner, nook and cranny of the globe.

One look at the Supporters' Clubs page on the Hammers' website shows the rising level of interest on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean – 24 clubs based all over the country.

Thousands of fans have already begun travelling thousands of miles across land and sea to watch West Ham in action in America.

Social events are planned for both Seattle and North Carolina, where the Claret and Blue Army will undoubtedly show their vociferous support for their heroes.

As a growing Club on football's international stage, the US Tour will again showcase the increasing popularity of all things West Ham United.

5. A reason to be cheerful

Yes, Dimi's France, Ginge's Wales and Angelo's Italy are still going strong at Euro 2016, but let's face it – West Ham and England fans need something to take our minds off that defeat by Iceland!

The Three Lions, without a single Hammer present to inspire them, have again come up woefully short at a major tournament.

So, if for no other reason that it will take our minds off our failure in France, the Hammers' return to action is a welcome one.

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Noble loving life in Seattle
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble and Reece Burke appeared live on Seattle's Q13 Fox News on Sunday
Captain told host Aaron Levine how much he and the squad are enjoying their US Tour
Skipper is a big NFL fan and is inspired by training at Seattle Seahawks' VMAC training complex

Mark Noble told Seattle's Q13 Fox News he is loving life on West Ham United's US Tour on Sunday evening. The captain is a self-confessed fan of many things American and is a regular traveller across the Atlantic Ocean when his packed football schedule allows. Noble has led the Hammers to the Pacific Northwest for the start of a two-match pre-season tour, which will kick-off with a fixture with Seattle Sounders – the biggest club in the MLS – at 67,000-capacity CenturyLink Field on Tuesday at 7.30pm PT (Wednesday at 3.30am BST). The No16 has been inspired by West Ham's training facilities at Virginia Mason Athletic Complex, where the NFL's 2013 SuperBowl champion Seattle Seahawks call home, and was in awe of the locker room used by the likes of quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman. "Training at VMAC is a bit surreal and it was an inspirational experience to walk in and see it on Day One. To see the Legion of Boom's lockers (the nickname given to the Seahawks' famed group of hard-hitting defensive players) was fantastic and their training ground is just amazing. "The facilities are just fantastic and we are all really honoured and enjoying having use of them, so thanks to the Seahawks, who are actually my NFL team, for letting us in! "We have our first game on Tuesday and we know it's going to be tough as the Sounders are in the middle of their MLS season and we've only been back in training a few days, but we'll go into it with the right focus and hopefully it'll be a great occasion for everyone. "Before and after the game, we've got a little bit of time off and we're looking forward to being able to fish and play golf and try to enjoy some more of this great city."

On the Sounders, Noble is relishing the prospect of playing in front of 50,000-plus fans in a soccer-mad part of the United States against a club which once named Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst among its team members.
Nowadays, the Sounders have a strong squad that includes US national-team captain Clint Dempsey and former Hammers right-back Tyrone Mears. "We know they're the best-supported team in the MLS and we're looking forward to the atmosphere and I'm sure there will be a lot of fans down there. "We're looking forward to getting our first game under our belts and I'm sure it will be a fantastic experience. "Tyrone and I played together for about a year and we drove to training together a few times. He's a great lad and a very good player and he's come out here and is obviously really enjoying the experience."

Concentrating on West Ham themselves, Noble told Q13 Fox host Aaron Levine that the Hammers are determined to push on after finishing seventh in the Premier League last term. With the new Stadium and new players to look forward to, the midfielder says the Club has loftier ambitions in 2016/17. "We put a lot of pressure on ourselves going into this season because we had such a great year last year. If we had kept all our players fit – at one stage we had five main attacking players out – we could have done even better. "We're looking forward to moving to our new Stadium and our main aim is to better that seventh-place finish in our first year there next season."

Finally, it seems Dimitri Payet's stunning achievements have made it all the way to Seattle, where fans have been wowed by his performances for both West Ham and France. The Hammer of the Year scored his third goal of Euro 2016 in Sunday's 5-2 win over Iceland while Noble and company trained at VMAC, and Payet now faces a semi-final clash with Germany. Noble has not been surprised by his French friend's displays. For me, Dimitri has been the best player at the tournament. For me, we knew how good he was before the Euros but I'm not sure France knew how good he was, and now the whole world knows how good he is! "It's great for us, great for West Ham. Obviously we're disappointed he's not here in Seattle with us, but he's got a big semi-final and we wish him luck."

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Antonio targets Champions League spot
WHUFC.com

West Ham United winger Michail Antonio is desperate to help the Club challenge for a Champions League place after signing a new contract which will see him stay until 2020.

Antonio is relishing the chance to play in the Europa League once again next season, but feels the squad have enough quality to go one stage better and challenge for a top four finish.

West Ham TV caught up exclusively with the 26-year-old after he put pen to paper and discovered what celebrations the talented winger has in store for the fans next season!

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Michail Antonio: West Ham winger signs new four-year deal
BBC.co.uk

Michail Antonio has signed a new four-year deal with West Ham. The 26-year-old winger, who joined the Hammers from Nottingham Forest last summer, made 26 appearances last season, scoring eight goals. Antonio's new deal comes after those signed by team-mates Dimitri Payet, Adrian, and Cheikhou Kouyate. "I am happy that the manager and the chairman have showed their belief in me to give me a new deal," he told the club's official website. "I had to be patient when I first arrived, but once I got the chance I never looked back and hopefully I can now push on and do even better than what I did last season."

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Antonio signs new bumper contract
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 4th July 2016
By: Staff Writer

Michail Antonio has signed a new contract tying him to West Ham until 2020. Although the former Nottingham Forest winger originally signed a four year contract with an option for an additional two years upon joining West Ham last summer, he has been rewarded for his excellent form during the 2015/16 campaign with a bumper new deal. Antonio, who is yet to join the rest of the West Ham squad in the US due to the impending arrival of his third child was naturally delighted at sealing the new contract. "I am happy that the manager and the chairman have showed their belief in me by giving me a new deal," he told West Ham's website. "I have always believed in my own ability and when I am given the opportunity I will take it. Hopefully I have showed that. "I had to be patient when I first arrived, but once I got the chance I never looked back and hopefully I can now push on and do even better than what I did last season."
The right winger, who cost West Ham £7million on transfer deadline day last summer made his debut in the 2-1 win at Manchester City in September but had to wait until the end of November before securing a first team spot. Antonio, who spent the latter half of his season at full back scored nine goals for West Ham during the campaign taking his tally to the season for 13 (including the four goals he scored for Forest).

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Dimi does it again as DG backtracks
KUMB.com
Filed: Saturday, 9th July 2016
By: Staff Writer

Dimitri Payet was on target again as France breezed into the Euro 16 quarter finals with a comfortable victory against England's conquerors. The 29-year-old midfielder scored the third of his country's goals - a low drive from the perimeter of the penalty area - as France waltzed into the last four of the competition with a comfortable 5-2 win against European minnows Iceland. And Payet also played a major part in the final French goal when his wicked, dipping free kick was converted by Arsenal striker Olivier Geroud.
Dimi's latest goal takes him to three for the tournament, just one less than current leading goalscorer Antoine Griezmann. He can now look forward to a semi final clash against Germany in Marseille this Thursday (7 July).

* West Ham's co-owner David Gold had to backtrack this morning after he was quoted in a tabloid newspaper yesterday claiming that it could be "difficult" to retain Payet's services this summer. "We'll fight tooth and nail to make sure Dimitri pulls on a claret and blue shirt next season," he told the Sun. "We want to improve our squad and Dimitri is an integral part of what we're trying to do. "But we also must be realistic. If Barcelona or Real Madrid made a bid and he wanted to move there, it would be difficult to keep him." Following criticism from fans on social media since those comments were published, Gold insisted that the club would not entertain any bid for the French star.

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Hammers reject former Arsenal duo
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 4th July 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham have rejected the opportunity to sign former Arsenal stars Robin Van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner. According to a KUMB source, van Persie - now 32 - has been offered to West Ham but club chiefs politely declined the opportunity to speak with with the former Arsenal star who is seeking a return to the Premier League having spent the last year in Turkey. The striker, who scored 132 times for the Gunners during an eight-year spell is being allowed to leave current club Fenerbahce by president Azil Yildirim, who has told the media: "We're waiting for buyers, if he wants to be sold."
* Meanwhile the Hammers have also spurned the opportunity to hold talks with Bendtner, who spent nine years with the Gunners before leaving in 2014. The Danish striker saw his three-year contract with Wolfsburg ripped up in April despite having another year to run after he was described as "a menace" by Sporting Director Klaus Allofs following a string of off-field problems.
* In other news, West Ham are weighing up a move for the Manchester United and France midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin. The 26-year-old former Southampton star moved to Old Trafford last year in a 24million deal but is considered unlikely to feature under new Reds boss Jose Mourinho, who is tryiong to shift several players ahead of the new campaign.

* Finally, West Ham are one of several clubs being linked with yet another fomer Arsenal player, Barcelona's Thomas Vermaelen. Catalan-based website Mundo Deportivo has claimed that the injury-prone, €10m-rated defender is being chased by a string of clubs including West Ham, Besiktas, Inter and Liverpool.

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From Kazakhstan to Amsterdam: where our European campaign might take us
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 4th July 2016
By: Stephen Lunn

Aside from the question of whether West Ham United will be able to play the home leg of our 3rd qualifying round tie at the Olympic/Mahindra Stadium, there's early speculation as to our potential opponents.

Not only in that round, but also the 4th qualifying round (also known as the Play-Off round) - if we manage to progress a stage further than we did last year.


Where can I find information?

There's several websites that contain information about the Europa League for 2016/17 – draw dates; round and tie dates; country co-efficients; club co-efficients; etc, etc.
The best one around is Bert Kassies' site.

Kassies is a Dutch system designer and spends some of his spare time putting together details of the draw lists and team co-efficients. It's more helpful than the Europa League Wiki page and contains information well in advance of UEFA's own site which only contains details after each draw has been made.


So, how does it all work?

Well, it's not completely straightforward and many of you might say "let's just wait till the draw", but for those who want a bit of good honest speculation before that, then why not?

There are four qualification rounds before the Europa League group stage. In each of the first four rounds the top 50 per cent of clubs with the higher co-efficiency ratings are seeded, the other 50 per cent are unseeded.

Clubs are drawn into groups of seeds and non-seeds, given a number and a draw takes place where one number plays another, e.g. 1 v 6; 8 v 3, etc. These ties apply to all groups, first team drawn plays the first leg at home.

The first two qualification rounds consist predominantly of teams from countries with lower country co-efficiency ratings, eg. Gibraltar and Bulgaria. There are exceptions to this rule however as we know from experience, given our Fair Play position only allocated us a 1st qualifying round place last year.


What are the key dates?

1st & 2nd qualifying round draws: 20th June
3rd qualifying round draw: 15th July
4th qualifying (play-off) round draw: 5th August

1st qualifying round 1st leg: 30th June
1st qualifying round 2nd leg: 7th July

2nd qualifying round 1st leg: 14th July
2nd qualifying round 2nd leg: 21st July

3rd qualifying round 1st leg: 28th July
3rd qualifying round 2nd leg: 4th August

4th qualifying (play-off) round 1st leg: 18th August
4th qualifying (play-off) round 2nd leg: 25th August


How are we affected and who might we draw in the 3rd qualification round?

Well, West Ham are definitely seeded for the 3rd qualification round regardless of who beats who in the first two qualification rounds (not that it counted for anything last season against Astra Giurgiu!).

The draw for the 3rd qualification round will be made after the 1st leg of the 2nd qualification round. We might get some clue as to our potential opponent after the first legs have been played.

If the Hammers are at home for the 1st leg, we might only have the issue of where we will play the game on 27th July.

If we are away 1st leg, then IS THE FULL DRAW DONE ON 15th, IE EITHER/OR

Who could our opponents be? It's impossible to guess, but don't read as gospel that all the pencilled-in names on various websites as being in the draft 3rd qualifying round list will have successfully negotiated rounds 1 & 2.

At this stage, that assumes the higher-ranked team qualifies. Last year 16 of 51 failed at the first hurdle and 7 of 33 in the 2nd qualifying round. The good news is that a trip to Kazakhstan is indeed a possibility for a trip with FK Aktobe & Kairat Almaty their representatives IF they negotiate the first two rounds.


If we get through, will we be seeded in the 4th qualification round?

Difficult to guarantee, but in virtually every previous year West Ham's co-efficient would be enough to get us seeded.

This round takes the 29 winners from the 3rd qualification round and the 15 losers from the Champions League 3rd qualification round and if all matches go according to seedings from those rounds we will definitely be seeded.

In an (albeit complicated) nutshell what we would like to happen is higher co-efficient seeds than us lose in the Europa League 3rd qualification round and conversely higher co-efficient seeds in the Champions League win in their 3rd qualification round ties.

Thus the 15 CL non-seeds would drop down to the Europa League, even though some of those 15 non-seeds have a higher co-efficiency than West Ham. We've got a bit of leeway on this (no more than about four or five net results can go the wrong way!).

Alas, even in this round we are not going to be visiting Amsterdam. That delight might await us in the group stages should Ajax get eliminated from the Champions League!

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be attributed to, KUMB.com.

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West Ham winger Michail Antonio signs new deal until 2020
By Matthew Treadwell
Last Updated: 04/07/16 5:13pm
SSN

West Ham winger Michail Antonio has signed a new contract to keep him at the club until 2020. The 26-year-old enjoyed an impressive first season with the Hammers after joining from Nottingham Forest for £7m last summer, scoring 13 times in 37 appearances. Antonio has been rewarded with a new deal and he was thrilled to have committed his future to the club. "I am delighted to have signed a new contract. I am happy that the manager and the chairman have showed their belief in me to give me a new deal," Antonio told the club's official website. "I have always believed in my own ability and when I am given the opportunity I will take it and hopefully I have showed that. "I had to be patient when I first arrived, but once I got the chance I never looked back and hopefully I can now push on and do even better than I did last season."

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If only West Ham would let Slaven Bilic be next England manager — and save us from Sam Allardyce
20:00, 4 JUL 2016
OPINION BY DAVEKIDD
After Big Sam's joyless football and charmless, self-regarding PR approach, the charismatic Croat quickly got Hammers fans looking forward to Saturdays again
The Mirror

West Ham United, having won the World Cup for England in 1966, can now do their country another great service. Because should the Football Association's three wise monkeys – Martin Glenn, Dan Ashworth or David Gill – even consider the idea of appointing Sam Allardyce as England's next manager, they need only consult the nearest Hammers fan. So far, there have been no signs of the FA discovering the humility needed to allow England to recover from the horrors of Nice. But they must face up to the prospect that England's national team – a source of frustration and pain for generations, but merely of acute national embarrassment over the past decade – could now become a genuine irrelevance. International breaks are already seen as unwelcome by most English supporters.

Should Allardyce be fitted with his long-coveted FA blazer, they will also be regarded that way by English footballers. Save for Lee Cattermole, perhaps. Chillingly, there are suggestions that Sunderland manager Allardyce is the one Englishman under serious consideration to succeed Roy Hodgson. And by deciding to spend weeks and months deliberating, the FA are allowing the kick-starting of a bandwagon, equipped with a satnav set to 'Destination: knacker's yard'. In one small but voluble group of men, Allardyce is regarded as a latter-day Brian Clough, England's great lost hope. And now the MOOBS (Mates Of Old Big Sam) are out and proud again.
In the minds of the MOOBS, the power-point presentation Allardyce delivered to the FA when interviewed for the England job in 2006 has taken on mythical qualities. They imagine a gum-chewing Martin Luther King with a Dudley accent telling Brian Barwick: 'I have a dream, kind of like, sort of thing...'. There is a clear and present danger that Allardyce will be regarded as being in tune with the mood of the post-Brexit nation – inward-looking, chip-on-the-shoulder, defiantly patriotic and distrustful of 'foreigns'.
If the FA fall for this nonsense, England could be booed off at Wembley after a narrow World Cup qualifying victory over Malta in October, with Big Sam cupping his ears to the crowd, kissing the Three Lions and toasting three valuable points. Any West Ham supporter will tell you his joyless brand of football and charmless, self-regarding '**** you' PR approach are the last things England need. They are just about the most patriotic football club around, the Hammers. So if they really want to do their nation proud, they should allow Slaven Bilic to leave with their blessing and take over England (they won't, of course). Sure, Allardyce would organise England well. He'd probably have avoided defeat against Iceland too — he's been digging out fair-to-middling results for 20 years. But Bilic transformed West Ham after taking over last summer, turned them into a club where players enjoyed going to work and season-ticket holders looked forward to Saturday afternoons again. Sources close to Bilic do not believe their man will even be approached by the FA, and claim the Croatian hasn't given the England vacancy a thought. He is not seen as an 'FA man', although his loose-cannon status is over-egged. This is no dangerous anarchist. Bilic is a fine man-manager and an astute tactician who possesses the charisma to engage a nation and the instinct to treat England's immature footballers like grown-ups, persuading them to think for themselves on and off the pitch.

So he's not English? So what? Being English is the least desirable trait in an England manager. The last three English ones – Hodgson, Steve McClaren and Kevin Keegan – were disasters. The one before them, Glenn Hoddle , was axed for making derogatory comments about the disabled, but is now being genuinely considered as caretaker boss despite having not managed anywhere for a decade. Maybe the FA should give him their 'impossible job' to atone for sins committed in a previous life...? Anyway, expert analysts say the eighth day of any England inquest is always the most painful. Tuesday is the bottom of the barrel. It will improve after this — largely, because us lot in the media will have better things to write about and you lot in the real world will have decided that life's too short. We've had the 'shaming' of Raheem Sterling buying a nice home for his mum – a single parent and care-home worker – and we've had the front-page 'disgrace' of a decent, relatively junior, FA staff member tweeting a picture of a personalised aeroplane headrest. There is nowhere left to go. Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will stage rival fashion shows across Manchester and we'll all start salivating over the most eagerly-anticipated Premier League season to date.
Featuring fewer English players or managers than ever before. We'll leave Glenn, Ashworth and Gill to dither at their leisure. To spout jargon, to consider restoring the 'golden generation' to the coaching staff (because they ballsed up less spectacularly than the current lot) and to consult with successful cycling coaches, failed rugby bosses, highbrow newspaper columnists who never go to football matches and Sir Alex Ferguson, who as the godfather of the MOOBS, will recommend Allardyce. Because, first and foremost, he's Scottish. And secondly, he has a wicked sense of humour.

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ANTONIO EXTENDS CONTRACT UNTIL 2020
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 4 JULY 2016 AT 6:42PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

West Ham United have announced that highly rated winger Michail Antonio has signed a new contract until 2020.

Antonio became one of the star performers in the Premier League following his move from Nottingham Forest last summer and soon established himself as a key figure in Slaven Bilic's side.

The 26-year-old is thrilled to have pledged his long-term future to the Club and hopes to play an even bigger role in the upcoming season.

Antonio said: "I am delighted to have signed a new contract and I am happy that the manager and the Chairman have showed their belief in me to give me this new deal.

"I have always believed in my own ability and when I am given the opportunity I will take it and hopefully I have showed that.

"I had to be patient when I first arrived, but once I got the chance I never looked back and hopefully I can now push on and do even better than what I did last season."

After notching his first goal for the Club in the 2-1 victory over Southampton in late December 2015, he went on to score nine goals in a fine debut season in claret and blue.

He showed his versatility by filling in at right back for a time, as well as excelling in his favoured wing position, as he successfully made the transition to top-flight football.

With the birth of his third child imminent, Antonio has sat out the Club's tour to the United States, but has been training hard at Chadwell Heath ahead of linking up with his teammates for pre-season.

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WENGER PREPARING TO BATTLE WITH BILIC FOR FRENCH STAR
Ladbrokes.com

His goals are the reason his team secured a Champion's League spot in Ligue 1, but could Olympique Lyonnais' Alexandre Lacazette now be on his way to the Emirates? Behind only Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the French scoring charts last term, it seems likely the 25-year-old will be following Sweden's all-time leading goalscorer to the Premier League, according to sources at Sky Sports News. However, with West Ham also keen on the striker, will Arsene Wenger have a fight on his hands to capture his man? Take away Olivier Giroud's hat-trick against an already relegated Aston Villa side and Arsenal's main striker would have finished the season with just 13 league goals, ten of which came before the turn of the year. Throw into the mix the absence of Danny Welbeck for the majority of next season and its clear Wenger has a problem on his hands going forward – in which case a proven goalscorer of Lacazette's calibre would seemingly be an ideal solution. Though French football may be considered by many as less challenging than the English game, take nothing away from Lacazette, who has scored 48 league goals in the last two seasons – that's just nine less than Ibrahimovic over the same period of time. If Lacazette were to leave Les Gones and join the West Ham revolution under Slaven Bilic, he would be sacrificing Champions League football for at least a year, something which both his current club and Wenger's Arsenal can guarantee him. However, given that the French international has spent his entire career at Lyon, it may take a hefty transfer fee and a generous contract to prise Lacazette away from his hometown. Rumoured to be valued at around £40m, the race for Lacazette's signature may simply come down to which club are willing to splash the cash needed to secure his services.

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REAL, BARCELONA AID REPAYMENTS POSSIBLY ENDS PAYET CHASE
MICHAEL OLIVER ReadWestHam

Real Madrid and Barcelona's pursuit of Dimitri Payet could come to an abrupt end as the European Commission has decided that the two Spanish clubs must repay incompatible aid.

One investigation into tax privileges found that both Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna, received corporation tax discounts. All four clubs were treated as non-profit organisations, which pay a 5% lower tax rate on profit than limited liability companies (25% instead of the regular 30%).

Paul Gilham/Getty Images SportPaul Gilham/Getty Images Sport

To remove the undue advantage received in the past, the clubs now have to return the unpaid taxes. Based on available information the Commission estimates that the amounts that need to be recovered are limited (€0-5 million per club) but the precise amounts that need to be paid back are to be determined by the Spanish authorities in the recovery process.

In a second investigation, the European Commission examined a land transfer between Real Madrid and the City of Madrid. The inquiry determined, based on an independent study, that the land affected by the transaction was overvalued by €18.4 million. This gave Real Madrid an unjustified advantage over other clubs, which it now needs to pay back.

David Gold spoke out yesterday regarding Dimitri Payet's future with West Ham, stating that they will do whatever they can to make sure he remains at the club next season.

We'll fight tooth and nail to make sure Dimitri pulls on a claret and blue shirt next season, we want to improve our squad and Dimitri is an integral part of what we're trying to do. But we also must be realistic. If Barcelona or Real Madrid made a bid and he wanted to move there, it would be difficult to keep him.
However, these owed payments could make a deal that much harder for the two La Liga giants to make. Both sides were unwilling to match the £60m valuation of the 29-year-old attacking midfielder but news of these owed payments only make a possible transfer that much more difficult.

Payet was West Ham's leading scorer last season with 12 goals in his debut season in English football and has carried that form into Euro 2016 having netted three goals and assisting twice for France as they cruised into the semi-finals.

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West Ham United co-owner David Gold takes to Twitter to clarify recent comments about Dimitri Payet
HITC
John Verrall

West Ham United's Dimitri Payet is said to be of interest to both Real Madrid and Barcelona. West Ham United co-owner David Gold has clarified the comments that he made to The Sun about Dimitri Payet. Gold admitted that the Hammers' prized asset could leave for either Real Madrid or Barcelona this summer. However, when asked about his comments by a West Ham fan on social media site Twitter - he quickly stated that the London side would not welcome any bids for the French international.

Follow
David Gold ✔ @davidgold
I have always said, we do not welcome any bid for Dimitri Payet. dg https://twitter.com/darengame/status/749711400721932288 …
9:55 AM - 4 Jul 2016
67 67 Retweets 99 99 likes

Payet only moved to West Ham from Marseille last summer, but his reputation has rapidly increased. The 29-year-old attacking midfielder has become one of the stand out players in the Premier League, and he has also enjoyed a wonderful Euro 2016 campaign with France. Payet has become one of his country's main attacking threats, and he has scored three goals at the international tournament already. West Ham built their team around Payet next season, but they realise that they will face a fight to keep hold of him this summer. Real Madrid and Barcelona both reportedly feel Payet would improve the quality of their squads, but they are yet to make a bid.

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James Tomkins to Crystal Palace: West Ham defender set to complete £12m move
GIUSEPPE MURO
Evening Standard

Crystal Palace are close to finalising a £12million move for West Ham defender James Tomkins. Palace have reached an agreement with West Ham and the 27-year-old is set to complete a switch to Selhurst Park after successful talks with Alan Pardew. West Ham confirmed to Standard Sport this weekend that Tomkins had not travelled with the rest of the squad for their pre-season tour of the US, with the club touching down in Seattle on Saturday. Tomkins, who can play as a centre-back or right-back, made 243 appearances for West Ham. He will become Palace's third summer signing following winger Andros Townsend and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda. Palace look set to spend big this summer and are also being linked with a move for Liverpool forward Christian Benteke.

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Prem duo 'preparing £4m approach for Fener outcast Van Persie'
Date published: Monday 4th July 2016 10:14
TeamTalk

Robin van Persie is being linked with a return to the Premier League after Fenerbahce put him up for sale for a fee of around £4million. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker wants a return to England after just a season in Turkey and the likes of West Ham and Crystal Palace are understood to be weighing up a move. His representatives have offered him around to numerous clubs but the Dutch star is believed to want to move his family back to London after being told he can leave the club. Fenerbahce president Azil Yildirim said earlier this week: "Van Persie? We're waiting for buyers, if he wants to be sold." Van Persie joined the Turkish league runners-up for £4m and it is thought he would cost around the same this summer. West Ham and Palace are both looking for a striker after missing out on Marseille's Michy Batshuayi. Chelsea were considering a surprise move for him in January when looking for another forward but they went for Alexandre Pato instead.

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West Ham enter race for Holland star: Striker frustrated two offers from Spurs rejected
WEST HAM are ready to rival Tottenham in the race to sign Vincent Janssen, according to reports in Holland.
By JAMES BENSON
PUBLISHED: 10:18, Mon, Jul 4, 2016 | UPDATED: 10:50, Mon, Jul 4, 2016
Express.co.uk

Vincent Janssen joined AZ Alkmaar from Almere City last summer. The 22-year-old enjoyed an excellent 2015/16 campaign, netting 27 goals in 34 Eredivisie appearances. And that form has piqued the attention of a host of Europe's top sides. Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is keen to take the goalscoring burden off Harry Kane's shoulders and is believed to see Janssen as a potential striker partner for the England international. But his current club AZ Alkmaar are believed to have knocked back two Spurs offers, to the striker's dismay.
"At the moment I'm still a bit disappointed with AZ. I'm disappointed with how they behaved. I would like to make the move," Janssen said. "I have expressed my choice to the club. In my opinion, Spurs bid a high amount. "I indicated that I would take the next step and want to get away from the club. They know [this] and are aware of [the situation]. "It's a shame, I would have wished that it would go a little faster. Sure it's fine to train again. AZ is a fantastic club, but I want to make that next step for my development. "Ultimately I hope to shake people's hands here and walk out of the door on good terms."

And now Spurs' London rivals West Ham are said to be eyeing a move for the Holland international. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic missed out on Michy Batshuayi to Chelsea over the weekend and Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claims he has turned his attentions to Janssen, whom AZ value at £16.75million. However, Spurs and West Ham are not the only clubs vying for his signature, with Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain keen on a deal following Zlatan Ibrahimovic's free transfer switch to Manchester United.

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West Ham do not welcome any bids for Euro 2016 sensation Dimitri Payet, says Hammers chief David Gold
By talkSPORT - @talkSPORT
Monday, July 4, 2016

West Ham co-owner David Gold has reaffirmed his commitment to keeping hold of Dimitri Payet. The French schemer has lit up Euro 2016 this summer and has so far scored three goals for Les Bleus from midfield. His performances, following on from last season's impressive form, has attracted the attention of both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. As talkSPORT told you last week, it has been suggested in France that the chasing pack have been told that West Ham could be tempted into selling should they receive a bid of around £42m for the 29-year-old. But Gold insists they are hoping to avoid any summer interest in their star man, with the two European heavyweights both circling. He wrote on Twitter: "I have always said, we do not welcome any bid for Dimitri Payet.

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West Ham set to clinch fifth summer signing, with Ashley Fletcher's medical due
HITC
Dan Coombs

West Ham hope to wrap up the signing of Ashley Fletcher imminently. West Ham United are edging closer to sealing their fifth summer signing so far, with Ashley Fletcher expected to soon complete his move. The Sun report Fletcher is set to undergo a medical with the Hammers before finalising his switch from Manchester United. Fletcher is a free agent after allowing his contract to run down, and has decided against renewing with the Red Devils despite being offered a new deal. The talented youngster scored nine goals on loan at Barnsley last season, who had been hoping to get him back from United on a loan deal, had he remained at Old Trafford. This could be a deal which really leaves Manchester United ruing not keeping him, and nor does he have the same character flaws which hampered the career of Ravel Morrison, who made a similar move from Old Trafford to east London.
West Ham have already signed Havard Nordtveit and Sofiane Feghouli, along with promising youngsters Domingos Quinos and Toni Martinez. Fletcher could fit into either category, becoming a back-up striker for West Ham's first team and potentially seizing his chance when it arrives, or he could alternatively be sent on loan. This could be determined by later transfer business from the Hammers, dependent on which more establisheed strikers they are able to bring in, and how many of Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia are kept at the club. The first step is getting Fletcher done and dusted, which they appear to be close to finalising, and then allowing manager Slaven Bilic to take a closer look at him in pre-season action.

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West Ham transfer news: Hammers could struggle to keep Dimitri Payet, admits David Gold
TOM DUTTON
Evening Standard

West Ham co-owner David Gold has conceded the club may struggle to keep Dimitri Payet from joining one of Europe's biggest sides this summer. Payet has starred for France at Euro 2016 and added his third goal of the tournament on Sunday as Les Bleus beat Iceland 5-2 to reach Thursday's semi-final. It comes after an impressive debut campaign at Upton Park, which followed his £10.7million move from Marseille 12 months ago. The 29-year-old scored nine goals in 29 Premier League starts during an injury-hit campaign and was crowned Hammer of the Year at the club's end of season awards evening. Payet's form has caught the attention of both Real Madrid and Chelsea and while the player's agent does not expect him to leave West Ham, Gold believes the Hammers could struggle to ward off Europe's elite. "We'll fight tooth and nail to make sure Dimitri pulls on a claret and blue shirt next season," the West Ham chief told The Sun. "We want to improve our squad and Dimitri is an integral part of what we're trying to do. But we also must be realistic. If Barcelona or Real Madrid made a bid and he wanted to move there, it would be difficult to keep him. "You can't have a great player like Dimitri and expect no one to make a bid, especially with the performances he's producing at the Euros.

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116 YEARS AGO TODAY... WEST HAM UNITED WAS BORN
By Iain Dale 4 Jul 2016 at 08:00
WTID
Guest Post by Nigel Khan

Fourth of July 1900, America was celebrating 123 years of independence from the UK, 3,500 miles away in the far western part of Essex, seven men attended a meeting to rubber stamp a process that had moved quite quickly, but had been in arrangement since the March.

Arnold Hills had recently become dis-enfranchised from his works team at the Ironworks in Canning Town, a fervent amateur and leading member of the Temperance society he had seen the creeping professionalism into his works team and by the early part of 1900 he called time on it.

He did not though just walk away, he acknowledged that the area should be continued to be served by a local football team and in line with his philanthropic nature he would continue to finance the set up of the new club, allow them use of his office space and allow them a favourable rent at the stadium he had built for the people of the area just off Manor Road Canning Town, The Memorial ground.

A meeting had been held in the March, organised by the Mayor of West Ham, which took place at the Public Hall on the Barking road to discuss the setting up of a professional football club to replace the Thames Ironworks FC at the end of their current season. Hills pledged for every share bought he would buy one as well, two names were rumoured on the agenda one was Canning Town FC, the other was West Ham united. The choice was made and West Ham as we all know was chosen, as it represented the wider area of the Borough, not just the local vicinity of where the club was based.

55 Barking Road, a nondescript building next to the National Bank was the offices of the Thames Ironworks sports and social club, managed by Cornelius Osborn who had joined the Ironworks from managing the Peoples Palace Cinema on the Mile End Road, a building now part of the Queen Marys University. Osborn would go down as the first Chairman of the club though it seems it was a rotational honour in the first year of the clubs existence.

The Other directors were as follows, Jimmy Cearns, John Byford Jnr, Aitkin Brown, Lazzeleur Johnson, Edwin Smith, George Handley, George Fundell, George Hone and lastly Albert Charles Davis.

Cearns was the first of his family to sit on the board, and until the Icelandic buy out of 2006 a Cearns name was a permanent fixture, The family lived in Plaistow Park Road at No 8 opposite the Lord Stanley public house, which many may know as being close to the Boleyn Ground.

Byford owned a Timber Yard on the River Lea and was a prominent local politician as well.

Aitken Brown was a Scot from Glasgow, a master Brass founder by trade & he worked in the Ironworks while living on the Barking Road in Plaistow.

Johnson worked in the ironworks as well as a clerk, he was a native of the North East from the Sunderland area, he lived in Forest Gate which perhaps his seniority in the Ironworks, Forest Gate at the time was a more gentrified part of the Borough.

Edwin Smith was also in the Timber Industry, he lived In Howards Road Plaistow, which is where the maternity hospital was also situated, a place where literally thousands of Hammers fans were born, (Including Me).

George Handley was a cattle farmer, living in Handley House which was a farm just off the Becton Road, The modern day A13 opposite the Canning Town recreation grounds. This perhaps shows that at the turn of the century West Ham was the edge of the Metropolitan city before the fields took over. The land Handley's house stood on now is used for housing but used to house the school which i attended from the age go 11 to 14.

George Hone was a leading businessmen of the area living in a large house on the Romford Road,

George Fundell lived on Balaam Street in Plaistow and was an Estate Agent

Lastly Albert Charles Davis, or Bert Davis as he was known, He lived in Canning Town and possibly had been involved in the Castle swifts team that had folded years before as the Ironworks team had formed. Davis would be associated with the club for 50 years up until his death, though he never managed to become Chairman. One reason possibly was a comment he made in the 1930's that it may be better for West Ham to play in Division 2 and have a good season but fail to go up, than get promoted and just be relegated. His reasoning was that if they were around the top of the second division the crowds would attend. Many for years would associate that comment with the boards lack of ambition for regaining their top flight status. Burts, brother George would also join the board in the 1920s, his address at the time was 442 Green Street, the future home of current Chairman David Gold.

Only seven of the above signed the Article of association on the 4th of July, though another was Welshman Lewis Bowen listed as Secretary, he had worked at the ironworks as well.

The clubs Solicitors, Preston's of Stratford, filled the document the next day on the 5th and West Ham United F.C was born. While the club continue to celebrate Arnold Hills as the founding father of the club, one should not ignore the contribution these ten men also made, and for some, their family members continued to do so in the following 116 years, without them when the Ironworks club folded there may not have been a club ready to rise like a Phoenix from its Ashes.

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France's new hero Dimitri Payet proves why Real Madrid want him
Evening Standard

West Ham's Dimitri Payet helped France to a clinical and deserved 5-2 win over Iceland as the hosts cruised into the Euro 2016 semi-finals. France will now play Germany in the last four of the tournament after a dominant performances in Paris on Sunday, with Payet among the top performers once again. Payet's agent insists he is 'happy' at West Ham and is unlikely to complete a transfer away from the club this summer. The 29-year-old's scintillating form in his debut season for West Ham helped earned him a call-up for Euro 2016.
And the attacking midfielder - who only signed a new long-term Hammers contract in February - has repaid Didier Deschamps' faith to star time and again for Les Bleus with Real Madrid, PSG and Inter Milan among those reportedly interested. Standard Sport examines the West Ham magician's performance against Iceland ahead of the semi-finals...

Shooting

Payet had scored late goals in France's first two wins against Romania and Albania but here the 29-year-old's shooting allowed them to close the game out by half-time. One early sighter tested Hannes Halldorsson and then Payet gave the goalkeeper no chance with his second shot of the match to make it 3-0. He may not have connected with it as cleanly as his glorious winner against Romania but it still did the job, beating Halldorsson low to his left. Payet ballooned a presentable chance over four minutes after the break - one which he took so readily at West Ham last season - and saw one cross-shot deflect wide.

Defending

The midfielder mainly stuck behind Olivier Giroud but ventured out on the left often enough and helped out Patrice Evra but there was not an awful lot of defending to be done.
Iceland offered meek resistance, despite Kolbeinn Sigthorsson's and Birkir Bjarnason's consolation goals in the second half, and France were allowed to pick them off at will at times as the game went on.

Link-up play

His pin-point free-kick set up Giroud to make it 5-1 just minutes after Iceland had pulled a goal back to anger the hosts to underline what a danger Payet is from set-pieces.
On ITV Glenn Hoddle complimented the style of the delivery, which arched into the area and left Halldorsson struggling - giving Giroud the chance to score his second goal of the game. A good understanding with Antoine Griezmann helped score the third goal and he was always on hand to help France's attacks as Iceland tired in the second half before he was withdrawn with 10 minutes left.

Teamwork

Payet had 40 touches in the first half, compared to Paul Pogba's 61, to show he was not as heavily involved as some but still made a telling impact. He finished with 74 touches but Iceland worked hard to ensure Payet was not allowed to cut inside and therefore restricted his threat as much as they could, despite his first-half strike. His celebration with Griezmann after the Atletico Madrid forward had made it 4-0 showed the togetherness within the camp after Payet bent down to kiss Griezmann's boot.

Overall

It could be a shoot-out between Griezmann and Payet for the golden boot with Griezmann having netted four and Payet now on three after their goals in Paris - although Wales' Gareth Bale, who also has three, will want a say. Payet's importance for France was rubber-stamped when he was substituted with 10 minutes left - to a standing ovation - to ensure he avoided any late injuries which could put him out of their semi-final against Germany, He has been one of the stars of the tournament and West Ham will have a battle to keep him for next season.

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West Ham's preseason begins with Europa League qualification the target
ESPN

West Ham United have their sights set on a long Europa League campaign. The summer solstice has barely passed and Euro 2016 still needs to find a winner but, like last season, West Ham have returned early for preseason training ahead of their Europa League qualifying round at the end of the month. As a warm-up for the first tie that will take place on July 28, West Ham travel to the United States this week to play two matches against the Seattle Sounders and the Carolina Railhawks. By the end of July the Hammers will have hoped to have won through the third round qualifying stage of the Europa League and entered the playoff round. From there, it's a two-legged tie to decide who enters the group stages, and that is where the Hammers can hope to earn some significant money in their first season in their new home in Stratford.

Slaven Bilic oversaw an early qualification last season when the club gained entry via the Fair Play League, but there was never a sense that the manager took the competition seriously and it was no surprise when the Hammers failed to make it past the third round. This time, the club are entering at the same point they exited last time, and Bilic has clearly stated that the Hammers have every intention of trying to make the latter stages.

Several players, not least Dimitri Payet and James Collins, are still involved in bigger fare in France, while several others have been given an extended break due to exertions in Euro 2016. They are joined by Enner Valencia, whose Ecuador team made it to the quarterfinals of the Copa America. Nevertheless, Bilic is still able to call on new signing Sofiane Feghouli, with other new additions Havard Nordtveit and Toni Martinez expected to figure as the month wears on.

Algerian winger Feghouli has been an important purchase for the Hammers and the former Valencia player has been reported to have been showing some good touches in training sessions. Nordtveit signed on a free transfer from Borussia Monchengladbach, while Martinez also switched from Valencia in a deal rumoured to have cost the club £2.4 million.

The Hammers' ability to attract young players like Martinez has obviously been boosted by the growing reputation of Bilic. The Croatian coach made a hugely positive impact when appearing on UK TV as a pundit in the group games of Euro 2016 and few doubt the manager's intentions to move West Ham on from a very positive inaugural season.

Bilic has handed a boost to a couple of younger prospect by announcing that both Reece Burke and Reece Oxford will figure prominently in the next campaign, providing the club can continue to ward off bids from Manchester United and Liverpool for the services of the highly-rated Oxford.

Unfortunately, it looks as if the promises made to the 19-year-old Burke and the 17-year-old Oxford may well affect the future of the popular James Tomkins. The defender is reported to not be travelling with the rest of the squad to the U.S. with strong rumours that a Crystal Palace bid for the Basildon-born player is likely to be accepted if a fee is agreed.

Despite the good news about the continuing success from the Academy, Tomkins' sale will be a huge disappointment for many fans. As a local player who supported the club from the terraces before signing on a scholarship in 2005, there's little doubt Tomkins would have wanted the opportunity to play in the new stadium in Stratford. And while the defender's appearances last season were restricted by the good form of Angelo Ogbonna and the continued excellence of Winston Reid, many feel Tomkins experience will be invaluable if a European group stage is attained.

It's too early to say if West Ham's unenviable injury hoodoo will follow them from the Boleyn to the former Olympic Stadium but, if previous campaigns are anything to go by, allowing Tomkins to leave could come back to bite the club.

Peter Thorne, aka Billy Blagg (@BillyBlaggEsq), is the author of a regular column at WestHamOnline.net and the East London Guardian.

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