Opposition View - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com
Thursday's UEFA Europa League qualifier against NK Domzale in Ljubljana promises not only to be a huge occasion for the Slovenian club, but also for the nation's football as a whole. Domzale finished third in their domestic league last season and possess experience of facing teams from the likes of Germany and Croatia in European competition, but according to journalist Joze Okorn from the national daily newspaper Dnevnik, this match sits on another level.
The Slovenian side have seen off Andorran side Lusitans and Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus to earn the right to face the Hammers and they will be giving their all to try and cause a shock Okorn explained: "This is the biggest match for the Domzale club. They have been in UEFA Champions League qualification before and twice played Dinamo Zagreb. "The champions Olimpija Ljubljana went out in the second round of Champions League qualifiers this year, so this is one of the biggest matches in Slovenian club football this season.
"English football is so popular in Slovenia – it's the top level of football for us, so it is a really big game. "The match is even more interesting because of Slaven Bilic, and him being from Croatia. "He is a good coach, and a good player for the national team beforehand. It is a very interesting match for the Slovenian people and the Croatian people – some of them will be coming over because it is not very far from Zagreb or Rijeka."
Domzale's domestic season has already begun, with a win over Radomlje and a draw with Krsko leaving them third in the embryonic league table. However, Okorn says the Hammers should expect to face a very different side to that which lined-up for that 1-1 draw in Krsko. He added: "Domzale have been playing their second team in first two league games, in which they have won one and drawn one so far. Only two players played the last game in Krsko, who started the last match in the Europa League. "Just Balkovec on the left hand side and Alvir in the middle started both – the other nine players were from the second team. "The players to look out for on Domzale are the French midfielder Benjamin Morel, who has come back to the club after going to Bulgaria last season, and the left winger Matic Crnic, who plays for the Slovenian national team."
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Noble ready for competitive start
WHUFC.com
Skipper confirms squad's intention to go all the way in the UEFA Europa League
Midfielder pleased with the progress of the squad
Noble expects more competition at the top of the Premier League
West Ham United captain Mark Noble expects a tough challenge in Thursday night's game against NK Domzale, but insists that the side will not be holding back to ensure a place in the next round of the UEFA Europa League. With four games standing between the Hammers and the group stages of the tournament, Noble expects last season's experience in Europe to stand the squad in good stead. The midfielder said: "Our experience last year shows it is going to be tough, no matter who you play. We play on Thursday and then NK Domzale come to our fantastic new Stadium next week. It's going to be our first time there and their first time there. "They will get that boost when you play in a stadium like ours and will run that extra ten yards. We need to match that, we didn't manage that last year and we almost didn't expect it with the squad split in two as it was. "But we got knocked out of Europe on the Thursday and then beat Arsenal on the Sunday and it is all forgotten. We know how quickly things are forgotten in football."
The Hammers captain is positive about the squad and explained: "We have had our squad together for four weeks now and so, we will give it a proper go this time. We have got a lot of belief at the Club at the moment. Everyone's excited by the new Stadium and we have a new training ground as well, so that will be new to us. "Last year, I had the best season of my career, both personally and collectively as a squad. We had flair combined with a hardworking team. We gave the Boleyn a good send off and now, it is time for us to create history at the new place. That is down to us. "We've got three very astute signings in Havard, Sofiane and Gokhan. The team spirit was great last season and that is always our main aim, to keep that spirit high. We are excited and from what we can see, everybody else is too. "It is going to be tough this year, there are seven of the best managers in the world working in the Premier League now. "There are only four spots for Champions League football. Manchester United and Chelsea will be going for the title this year. Can you see them having similar seasons to last year? Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and the talent he has got will be challenging too. We will try our best, that's all we can do."
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Westley praises second half showing in Holland
WHUFC.com
Dev Squad boss Terry Westley was pleased to see his side come from behind against PEC Zwolle
The team were playing in their first Netherlands pre-season tour fixture
After falling 2-0 and 3-1 behind, the youngsters hit back to draw 3-3 on Wednesday
Development Squad manager Terry Westley praised his side's second half performance as they came from behind to pick up a draw against PEC Zwolle in the Netherlands. After the hosts raced into a two-goal lead in the 3-3 draw, the Hammers pulled one back through Sam Ford shortly before half time to reduce to deficit. And, though Zwolle added a third seconds before the break, the east Londoners put on a second 45 masterclass as they passed the Dutch side off the park, scoring twice in the process through Joe Powell and Jahmal Hector-Ingram to level. And after watching his men come out fighting to gain a draw, Westley had little but good things to say about the young Hammers. He said: "It was a good performance against a team I consider to be good opposition. They were very technical and tactically aware of what they needed to do, and they caused our boys some problems early on. "We started off on the back foot and conceded early, but slowly got to grips with it, and second half, we did very well. I was really pleased. "Second half, we managed to get a little bit closer to them and got up against them and nicked the ball in a lot of forward positions. The third goal was a good team goal; it went back and through and then a good cross and finish by Jahmal [Hector-Ingram]."
Hector-Ingram – who has now scored in consecutive Dev Squad fixtures – impressed Westley, as did a number of other members of the team. "Jahmal kept searching and kept trying to get in behind and caused some problems," the boss continued. "The two centre-halves, Jake Eggleton and Tunji [Akinola] kept us together, and Sam Howes made some saves which he needed to. "Young Conor Coventry got us playing when he came on. But if I picked one individual, Kristjian Belic – 15-years-of-age playing in a mens' game – really stood out.
"We're working very hard in training. It's not easy to take it into a game. We had a lot of replacements today but we were able not to play a few, too. We have some coming back with for us in the last big game before the start of the season so we look forward to that on Saturday."
The Dev Squad face West Ham's partner club VVV Venlo in the Netherlands on Saturday, with a 2pm kick-off UK time.
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From the Terraces - Italian Irons
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's double header of games in Austria and Slovenia this week has presented a unique opportunity for one locally based fan. Italian Iron Paolo Barbuio would normally only be able to travel to a handful of games a season, but living near Venice – 279 miles from Kapfenberg, where the Hammers took on Karlsruher SC on Saturday, and 151 miles from Ljubljana – has given him the opportunity to watch his team twice in a matter of days. The Hammers are looking to progress to the group stages of the UEFA Europa League and Barbuio, whose interest in the Hammers was stoked by the presence of a certain legendary countryman in the early 2000s, is delighted to be there at the start of the journey.
He said: "We were very happy to be in Austria last weekend and it was great to have West Ham so close to us. "We come from Italy, near Venice, so we were happy that the team is here, near to our town, and we hope that the season ahead will be very good. "With the Europa League game in Ljubljana too, we will be there and we hope to see another win!
"I have followed West Ham since 2000, when Paolo Di Canio arrived in London, and I began to travel to London to see the matches in 2009. "My first match was against Hull City at Upton Park. We won 3-0, and I remember Valon Behrami scoring. "The last match I went to was West Ham-Sunderland in February, when Michail Antonio scored. Upton Park was a beautiful Stadium and I look forward to getting across to London again soon."
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Elsner - We will put all our passion on the pitch
WHUFC.com
NK Domzale boss looking forward to Hammers challenge
Former Domzale player Elsner focused on delivering strong performance
Elsner impressed with Slaven Bilic's impact at West Ham
Richard Laverty talks to NK Domzale manager Luka Elsner ahead of Thursday's momentous clash with the Hammers…
Tucked away in a town consisting of just 12,000 people, 33-year-old Luka Elsner is preparing his NK Domzale side for the tie of a lifetime, West Ham United at home before a trip to London Stadium next week for the return leg of their Europa League third qualifying round match.
Domzale's stadium is so small that Thursday's match has been relocated to the 16,000 Stadion Stozice in nearby Ljubljana - their own stadium holds less than 3,000. Despite their size, Elsner's hard work and determination has made him a success at the club he also played for.
"We have a clear vision, we have had that same picture for almost two decades," says Elsner.
"We are developing young players through our academy, trying to produce the best talents and work with them and give them a place to be competitive. Eventually, these players go abroad when we have done what we can for them, it is very difficult for us to get a budget together every season but we do what we can."
Despite the enormity of the task ahead of them, Domzale aren't giving any extra attention to their esteemed opponents, on Monday afternoon Elsner had just finished an analysis session on their previous round opponents – Shakhtyor Soligorsk – when we speak about the upcoming match.
"This is an elite level match for us but we have to find some way of giving our players hope through the analysis, we will look at where we can see good things for us and how we can survive against a team like West Ham. We have to stand up on the field, protect ourselves and try to make them play a different way to what they're used to."
In a week's time, Elsner will bring his coaches, players and a large chunk of Domzale to London and will go down in history as the first side to play a competitive match at the former Olympic Stadium.
Whilst the manager is excited at the prospect of such an occasion, he admits "we can't go there thinking we are tourists" if his side want to pick up a positive result.
"It's a double challenge," he says. "You want to be competitive but you have to be professional in how you prepare for them, of course we are all very excited. We have the first game here in Ljubljana, we can go there and take pictures but we have a game to focus on and it will only remain in our memories in a positive way if we go there and put in a good performance."
So how does a team based in a small town of 12,000 people continuously push the boundaries of what is possible and take it to the biggest names in Slovenian football? Elsner chuckles at the mention of Lincoln Red Imps' victory over Celtic but he's adamant his team will do their best to be competitive.
"We'll need to play at our maximum, every player on the team will need to do that and we'll probably need some luck as well!"
"They are missing some huge players and maybe physically won't be at their best but they still have some fantastic players. It seems impossible [for us] but we will put all our passion out on the pitch because sometimes passion can do the job and you can surprise people in many ways."
Like Slaven Bilic, Elsner was born in ex-Yugoslavia and also played for the team he currently managed, although his tenure as a player at Domzale was much longer than that of Bilic's at West Ham United.
"This is my first meeting with him in football, it was very refreshing to see what he did last year, we were impressed if not inspired by what he did.
"Maybe people in the Premier League didn't know much about him as a coach but you can only respect him for how much he surprised everybody.
"He [Bilic] has a connection with his club as I do with Domzale, we both have a connection to the identity of our clubs. I think it gives you an advantage but at the end of the day you learn in the job all the time but you do get an extra energy from managing a team you have played for."
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West Ham's Mark Noble not banking on England call from Sam Allardyce
By Andrew Dickson
Last Updated: 28/07/16 12:53pm
SSN
Mark Noble insists he is focused only on playing football rather than trying to get into the England squad under new manager Sam Allardyce. The West Ham captain expressed his extreme disappointment at not being given a chance to prove himself at international level by Roy Hodgson in the lead up to Euro 2016. Allardyce was among those stating Noble's case for England recognition during his four years in charge at Upton Park but the midfielder says he is not banking on a call-up now his former boss is in charge. "I'm just concentrating on football - I have since I've started playing," said Noble, who was capped 20 times at U21 level between 2007 and 2009. "Obviously last year I was disappointed, I'm not going to lie to you. I enjoyed a fantastic season with West Ham... not only just me - the likes of Cress [Aaron Cresswell] was one of the best left-backs in the league for sure. "There was a lot of shout about Michail Antonio and big Andy Carroll as a difference up there, which I thought we needed at points in the Euros but I'm just going to concentrate on football."
Whether Noble forces his way into the England squad or not, the 29-year-old is certain the national team is in good hands. "Obviously I worked under Sam for a long time," he added. "I know the way he works, he's a very good man. "Do I think England made the right choice? Yes, because he knows how to sort stuff out in a way. He's a great man-manager, he knows how to get the best out of his players. "I think with England, they've gone with someone that knows English players, knows the English league and has a good relationship with the FA. They've called upon him to sort it out."
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Slaven Bilic says West Ham still need 'one or two' new signings
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 28/07/16 2:16pm
SSN
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic is worried his squad is not currently big enough for the rigours of the upcoming Premier League season. The Hammers have been linked with several strikers this summer, most recently Carlos Bacca of AC Milan, and Bilic is hopeful of welcoming 'one or two new faces' before the end of the transfer window. "To get those kind of strikers, we as a club, we couldn't fight with the big guns," he said. "So we had to be very early, before them, and/or give more money to the players. And then it is also hard.
"But I said we are not going to buy just for the sake of buying, and that includes strikers as well. "Also, I told the chairman a couple of days ago that I can understand for some players we are not their number one target, but I told him that I also don't want to buy the players who don't want to come to us."
Manuel Lanzini could miss the start of the season with a knee injury, having been ruled out of the Rio Olympics, where he was due to represent Argentina. And Bilic suggested the attacking midfielder's possible absence makes the need to get involved in the transfer market more pressing. "Now we have a different strategy," he said. "We are trying to get one or two players that are really hungry and keen to join us and they are extremely quality players. "Hopefully we are going to get one or two of them, depending also on Lanzini's situation, which we are going to know only in a few days' time. Still, we don't have a squad big enough to compete, even in the Premier League."
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Slaven Bilic shares what he's told David Gold about transfer at West Ham United
HITC
John Verrall
@JohnVerrall
West Ham United have been frustrated in their search for a striker this summer. Slaven Bilic has informed the Daily Mirror that he has told West Ham United chairman David Gold that he doesn't want to buy players who do not want to be at the Olympic Stadium. West Ham have submitted bids for a number of high profile signings this summer, with Alexandre Lacazette and Carlos Bacca two of their most exciting targets. However, Lacazette and Bacca both expressed a reluctance to move to the Hammers, and Bilic has suggested that his side have other players in mind now. Bilic explained: "I said that we won't buy just for the sake of buying and that includes the strikers as well. "Also I told the chairman a couple of days ago I can understand for some players that we are not number one target. I told him also that I also don't want to buy the players who don't want to come to us so I said that is it. "Now we have a little bit of a different strategy and we are trying to get one or two players that are really hungry and keen to join us and they are extremely quality players."
Gold has hinted that West Ham may still invest big money in a striker, but doing so has proven problematic so far. West Ham are known to be aiming to strengthen their forward ranks, with Jonathan Calleri the latest player to be linked. Despite their struggles to add a striker, West Ham have still had a fairly productive summer transfer window to date.
The Hammers have brought in a handful of new signings, with the likes of Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore all joining. Tottenham's Andros Townsend (L) in action with Besiktas' Gokhan Tore West Ham play their first competitive match of the season later this evening, against NK Domzale in the Europa League.
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Arsenal plot £16.8m move for West Ham target: Gonzalo Higuain deal sparks interest
ARSENAL are reportedly planning to rival two London sides in a bid to sign Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, who is free to leave the club.
By JOE SHORT
PUBLISHED: 12:00, Thu, Jul 28, 2016 | UPDATED: 12:30, Thu, Jul 28, 2016
Express.co.uk
Juventus signed Napoli frontman Gonzalo Higuain for £75million this week and they are now open to offers for Mandzukic. And the Turin club's willingness to listen to bids has reportedly triggered Arsenal's interest. That is according to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim Watford have also considered an offer for the Croatia international.
West Ham are said to be keen on landing Mandzukic, 30, this summer in a £16.8million (€20m) deal. The Hammers have £30m ringfenced in manager Slaven Bilic's transfer kitty to spend on a striker. It is reported that Mandzukic is happy in Italy and has not been tempted by interest from either West Ham or Watford - but that a deal with Arsenal could turn his head. Arsenal have already failed with moves for Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Alexandre Lacazette of Lyon this summer as manager Arsene Wenger seeks to bring in a new striker.
Mandzukic scored 10 goals in 27 league appearances for Juve last season as the club won a fifth straight Serie A title. He only joined Juve last summer from Atletico Madrid in a £13.6m deal and failed to score in three appearances for Croatia at Euro 2016.
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Domzale vs West Ham: What time does the Europa League qualifier start, what channel is it on, where can I watch it?
Everything you need to know ahead of the third qualifying-round clash in Slovenia
Samuel Stevens
The Independent
West Ham United start their Europa League journey this evening in Slovenia when they take on Domžale in the third qualifying round at the Stozice Stadium. Slaven Bilic, the Hammers manager, says supporters of the East End club "can expect good things" ahead of the new season as they prepare to formally move into the Olympic Stadium next Thursday in the return fixture. Despite challenging to finish in the Champions League places in the Croat's first season in charge last time around, West Ham ultimately had to settle for seventh place behind Southampton and Manchester United. "We are happy with our preparations," Bilic told the official club website. "We have done everything that wanted to do, but still we have to make a balance in our preparations to compromise some things because the competitive games don't start on August 15, they start on Thursday. "It's not ideal but I'm really pleased with the way we've trained. We are still expecting a few players to come back, those who have been playing in the European Championships. If we continue to work hard like this, with dedication and humility, we can expect good things."
When is it?
Kick-off at the Stozice Stadium, in the Slovenia city of Domžale, is at 7.45pm BST.
Where can I watch it?
The match will be covered on BT Sport 2 with the broadcast starting at 7.30pm and also being available across the company's digital platforms and mobile apps.
Who is likely to play?
West Ham are without a number of the players who represented their county at the European Championship meaning there'll be no Dimitri Payet for tonight's clash in Slovenia.
Diafra Sakho, Manuel Lanzini and Aaron Cresswell are all ruled out with injury or otherwise while new signing Sofianne Feghouli is set to continue his encouraging pre-season.
West Ham's pre-season diary
vs Seattle Sounders, 6 July - lost 3-0.
vs Carolina Rail Hawks, 13 July - drew 2-2.
vs FC Slovacko, 19 July - drew 2-2.
vs Rubin Kazan, 23 July - won 3-0.
vs Karlsruher SC, 23 July - lost 3-0.
vs Domzale (a), 28 July.
vs Domzale (h), 4 August.
vs Juventus (h), 7 August.
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Slaven Bilic says West Ham won't spend big money on a new striker just for the sake of it
11:06, 28 JUL 2016 UPDATED 11:06, 28 JUL 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The Hammers have failed in bids for a number of big-name strikers this summer after earmarking £30million to spend on a new frontman
The Mirror
Slaven Bilic insists West Ham won't splash the cash on a big-name striker just for the sake of it. And Bilic admitted they have now changed the type of player they are looking for after being left frustrated in their attempts to land a marquee name. The Hammers had set aside £30m to spend on a top 20-goal a season frontman to bolster their squad. But so far they have been unable to land one despite making approaches for Michy Batshuayi , who joined Chelsea, Liverpool's Christian Benteke, Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette and AC Milan's Carlos Bacca. One stumbling block for the Hammers has been the fact most of their targets are holding out for Champions League football. Bilic said: "We have tried. To get that kind of striker, we as a club couldn't fight with the big guns so we had to bid very early, like before them, or give more money to the players and then it is also hard. "But I said that we won't buy just for the sake of buying and that includes the strikers as well. "Also I told the chairman a couple of days ago I can understand for some players that we are not number one target. I told him also that I also don't want to buy the players who don't want to come to us so I said that is it."
Argentine striker Jonathan Calleri, 22, who is currently on loan at Sao Paulo, has emerged as one attainable target and the Hammers are in negotiations to bring him to the Olympic Stadium. Bilic added: "Now we have a little bit of a different strategy and we are trying to get one or two players that are really hungry and keen to join us and they are extremely quality players and hopefully we are going to do one or two of them depending on Manuel Lanzini's injury situation which we are going to know only in a few days time.
"Because still we don't have a squad big enough to compete, not even in the Premier League not to mention this competition the Europa League, hopefully with more games."
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West Ham's Reece Oxford wants first-team assurances with Slaven Bilic set to unveil new signings in Europa League
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
West Ham will parade their new signings on Thursday evening, but home-grown teenager Reece Oxford will also be the centre of much attention. The defender joined West Ham's pre-season training camp in Austria after playing for England in the European Under-19 Championships and is expected to feature in the Europa League third qualifying round tie against NK Domzale in Slovenia. Oxford, who became the second youngest player to be involved in a Premier League match when he started the opening game of last season at Arsenal, will be looking to impress the West Ham manager. The 17-year-old's future remains uncertain following interest from several clubs in recent weeks, including Manchester United.
West Ham valued him at £18million but ideally want to keep him. Oxford, meanwhile, is looking for assurances on greater first-team involvement, particularly with the vacuum caused by central defender James Tomkins' £10m move to Crystal Palace. Norwegian Havard Nordtveit, a free transfer this summer from Borussia Monchengladbach, is expected to fill one of the central defensive positions against NK Domzale as James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna remain unavailable following their involvement in the Euros. Algeria winger Sofiane Feghouli is expected to start in this first leg while Gokhan Tore, on loan from Besiktas, will also be involved. But Dimitri Payet misses the game as he is in the early stages of pre-season training following the Euros.
Aaron Cresswell is also out with a lengthy knee injury while Manuel Lanzini is returning to the club for treatment after being ruled out of the Argentina squad for the Olympics.
With Domzale's stadium ruled inadequate, tonight's match has been moved to the Stozice Stadium in Ljubljana, which has a capacity of just over 16,000 fans. West Ham boss Slaven Bilic admitted that the Europa League "damages your chances in the Premier League" but added: "We want to try, we want to take that risk and hopefully we are going to manage it."
Bilic has been pleased with his summer additions, saying: "We didn't buy just for the sake of it. We wanted to buy quality."
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West Ham captain Mark Noble 'shocked' after Tony Carr is offered redundancy package by the Hammers
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
West Ham captain Mark Noble has expressed his shock at the departure of the Hammers' former academy director Tony Carr. Carr, 65, was instrumental in the production of a long line of England internationals at the east London club, including the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick. But, after 43 years of service, Carr has left his role as a club ambassador after being told the position was no longer full time. Carr has labelled the minimum statutory redundancy payment of £14,000 offered to him as "paltry" while West Ham fans spelled out their anger online. The club have now confirmed Carr has left his position with immediate effect after his two-year contract came to an end and Noble, who worked with Carr throughout his career, has praised the impact he had. "I first saw it in the papers," he told the Daily Mail. "It was a shock to me. "I don't know what's gone on in the background, I've been in Austria for two weeks solid [on a training camp], but what I can say is I know Tony very well.
"He's a fantastic man, a great servant to the club. As we all know, the players he's brought through in the last 20, 25 years have been phenomenal. The players Tony Carr brought through at West Ham "I'm looking forward to getting back to Tony and seeing how he is. I don't know what's gone on between him and the club. "My own personal experiences with Tony have been fantastic. He helped me become the player I am today," insisted Noble.
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West Ham boss Slaven Bilic warns one top Premier League manager will be 'slaughtered' for missing out on top four
SAM LONG
Evening Standard
At least one of the Premier League's high-profile managers will be "slaughtered" for failing to secure a top-four finish next season, according to West Ham boss Slaven Bilic.
Competition for Champions League places is set to be fiercer than ever next season with Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham all tussling for position.
The Hammers, who start their Europa League campaign against Slovenian side NK Domzale tonight, will also be hoping to do enough to force their way into Europe's elite after finishing seventh last term. But Bilic is wary that with so many sides aiming for the top four someone will have to fall short - and can expect plenty of criticism as a result.
"The managers like Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Antonio Conte, Arsene Wenger, there are five of them and one has to finish fifth," he told the Daily Mail. "If they are the top five - one of them is going to get slaughtered and they are all big names. "Spurs will probably be unhappy to finish sixth. Everton, and all that," he added.
However, although plenty of clubs will be focused on competing at the top of the table, Bilic believes the majority of the division's target will be to accumulate 40 points and avoid relegation, including champions Leicester City. "Therefore when we talk about Champions League, Europa League, mid-table, it is all very dangerous. Make no mistake. "I am a confident, over-optimistic person but apart from the top seven clubs on paper everybody is looking forward to 40 points. And that includes Leicester," said the Croatian.
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West Ham's Olympic home could be rebranded the Tesco Stadium with supermarket giant to bid for naming rights
Indian company, the Mahindra Group were expected to complete a £6million deal for the naming rights of the Olympic Stadium
It's been delayed several times as sponsorship market is in a state of flux
Tesco is keen to talk with the London Legacy Development Corporation
West Ham would receive £1m from any naming rights deal
By MARTHA KELNER FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:34, 27 July 2016 | UPDATED: 10:34, 28 July 2016
West Ham's new home could be known as the Tesco Stadium after it emerged the supermarket giant is poised to join the race to secure the renaming rights for the Olympic Stadium.
The London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) had been expected to complete a £6million deal with Indian company, the Mahindra Group, a technology giant and car maker. Sportsmail understands that there is uncertainty surrounding the pending deal with the period of exclusivity with Mahindra due to expire in August. The deal with Mahindra was set to be announced before new tenants West Ham moved out of Upton Park in May but has been delayed several times because the sponsorship market is in a state of flux. If they do not go ahead it is thought Tesco is keen to open talks with the LLDC about joining the race. Under the terms of West Ham's tenancy of the stadium, the club are entitled to 50 per cent of the annual revenue from naming rights above the initial £4m so would receive £1m from any deal. The stadium in Stratford, east London, cost £701m to build, paid for from the public purse. West Ham will play their first game there a week on Thursday when they face Slovenian side Domzale in the second leg of their Europa League qualifier before the official unveiling in a prestige friendly against Juventus on Sunday week. The first Premier League game will be against Bournemouth on August 21. At the Anniversary Games athletics event, held at the stadium last weekend, stakeholders were asked to refer to it simply as the London Stadium. Tesco has been involved in sport sponsorship in the past, becoming an official sponsor of England's doomed World Cup campaign in South Africa in 2010. In 2008, the supermarket chain also signed a three-year deal to sponsor the East Stand at Swansea's Liberty Stadium. But purchasing the naming rights to the former Olympic Stadium, which has been reduced in capacity from 78,000 to 60,000 since London 2012, would be their biggest move yet.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 28
Daily WHUFC News - 28th July 2016
Preview - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com
When and where?
NK Domzale v West Ham United
UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round First Leg
Thursday 28 July 2016, 8.45pm CEST (7.45pm BST)
Stadion Stozice, Ljubljana
What's the story?
West Ham United's European adventure begins on Thursday with the first leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against NK Domzale of Slovenia. The Hammers qualified for the competition after finishing seventh in the Premier League, earning an eighth participation in European football in the process. With a European Cup Winners' Cup victory under their belts in 1965, and a final appearance in the same tournament eleven years later, West Ham boast a proud record in Europe. Their opponents on Thursday, NK Domzale, earned their place in the Europa League by finishing third in their domestic league last term.
Founded in 1921, they are one of Slovenia's oldest football clubs and have twice won the national title, in 2006/07 and 2007/08. So far in their run this term they have defeated Lusitans of Andorra – who West Ham beat in the first qualifying round last season – and Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk. They are also two games into their league campaign, and currently sit third in the table with four points.
Team news
West Ham will be without left back Aaron Cresswell, who faces a period of up to four months out after suffering a knee injury in the friendly victory over Karlsruher SC on Saturday.
Dimitri Payet, James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna are out due to their participation in the latter stages of Euro 2016, while Manuel Lanzini has suffered a knee problem on international duty with Argentina. New signings Sofiane Feghouli, Gokhan Tore and Havard Nordtveit could make their first competitive appearances for the Club, while Reece Oxford joined up with the group this week after appearing for England at the UEFA U19 Championships in Germany.
Any links between the two?
No direct links, but Adrian spent his formative years at Real Betis with Domzale defender Alvaro Brachi. The Seville-born right back is a year older than the Hammers stopper and appeared for the Club's B and C teams before moving on in 2007. He joined Domzale earlier this year after a spell in Hungary with Videoton.
How to get to the game
Click here for a map showing the Stadion Stozice's location.
How can I watch the game?
The match will be broadcast in the UK on BT Sport 2. Their coverage will begin at 7.30pm BST. You can also listen to live commentary right here on whufc.com, as well as following with live stats, pictures and more on our Match Centre and Social channels.
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West Ham United Statement
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Tony Carr has left the Club with immediate effect after his two-year contract as Club Ambassador came to an end.
Tony took on the role of Ambassador after departing his long-term position as Academy Director, with both the Club and Tony wanting to ensure that he retained a full-time position and salary beyond his 65th birthday, before beginning to receive his pension.
As a gesture of gratitude for the outstanding service Tony has given the Club, the current owners of West Ham United granted him a Testimonial match at The Boleyn Ground and Tony retained all profits from this game.
Tony was offered new terms this summer to continue his Ambassadorial role on a part-time basis, however, he declined the opportunity.
Tony will forever be held in the highest regard by everyone at West Ham United FC for his outstanding service to the Club and he will always be welcome at the new stadium, where his achievements are rightly remembered in the Academy Bar.
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Slaven Speaks - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com
Manager confirms strong team will take on Slovenian side
Hammers keen to hit the ground running in UEFA Europa League
Bilic sure Hammers are well-prepared for European competition
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is sure his team can make an impact in European competition this season, ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa League opener against NK Domzale.
The Hammers take on the Slovenian side in the third qualifying round, with four games standing between Bilic's men and the group stages.
After a month-long training block in the lead-up to the game, Bilic is pleased with his team's progress and is looking forward to the test that awaits on the pitch.
Slaven, can we start with team news for the game please?
SB: "We have been in pre-season for four or five weeks now and it has gone well. The lads have trained really hard and in a quality way so we're happy with that. The new players are also starting to gel with the team, and with the group that we have – and with Mark as the leader – it's easy to gel.
"We have two blows in terms of injuries, with Manuel Lanzini and with Cress in the last game. It's a big blow for us, of course, but hopefully they are going to be back soon. We still have to wait for Manuel, when he comes back from the States where he was with the Argentina Olympic team, to see how bad it is.
"We are still waiting for a few players who were at the Euros until basically the end too, so we've been training with 70 or 80 per cent of the squad that we are expecting to have in the Premier League.
"We have played a few games, some have been really good, and we are looking forward to tomorrow. We are ready, and we are going to come out with the best possible team. All the guys are fit, apart from the ones that I mentioned.
"Reece Oxford joined us from the Euro U19 Championships, he's fit also and we're looking forward to Thursday night's game."
What are you expecting from the opposition on Thursday?
SB: "The opposition is good. I've seen a couple of games they have played against Shakhtyor Soligorsk and they are very organised. They are a very brave team when they have the ball in the opposition half, they are trying to play very open football, a modern type of football, with a lot of pressing, good ball possession and running behind the defence without the ball.
"On that level they impressed me, so we are expecting a really tough game on Thursday."
Of the new signings, are they likely to start on Thursday and what impression have they made?
SB: "They have made a really good impression and some of them will start, definitely. If you are talking about Feghouli, if you are talking about Nordtveit, they started when we started because they didn't have international football this summer. They are really quality players and they are what we expected from them.
"Of course they are going to get better and better, but already it is obvious that they are going to improve our squad and make a huge impact on the quality of our game, as well as Tore, who came a little bit after.
"He is also ready and fit and, as I said, we didn't buy just for the sake of buying and just to make our squad bigger. We wanted to buy quality players and I'm sure that we've got them."
Last year you came into this competition at the very start. This year you're a couple of rounds in, so will that make a difference?
SB: "It will probably. It's not that last year we didn't want to qualify, we wanted to. We didn't want to compromise the Premier League and compromise the preparation that we were in.
"We started in a funny way, very early with one team still on holiday and the other team training in Ireland. We went to Andorra [for the first qualifying round] and the second group went to Ireland. This year the opportunity was there to start at the time we wanted to start anyway, with or without the qualification games.
"We've had one, and only one, group and we have been together for a year. They know what I am expecting from them, me and my staff know the squad much better and we really want to qualify."
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Striker has goals on the mind
WHUFC.com
Young striker Sam Ford has goals on the mind ahead of Wednesday's Dev Squad match
The side face PEC Zwolle – a Dutch top division outfit – in a pre-season friendly
Training in the Netherlands has been good for the squad, Ford explains
Scoring goals is the main objective, revealed young Hammers striker Sam Ford ahead of his side's opening fixture on tour in the Netherlands. West Ham United's Development Squad face Dutch team PEC Zwolle – an Eredivisie side who finished eighth last season – on Wednesday as part of their trip to Holland. And Ford, who signed for the Club last campaign from Ipswich Town, has his eyes firmly set on the task in hand. "Scoring goals is obviously what is going to win us the game," he said. "That's the main objective. It helps, of course, but also whatever I can do to help the team and be beneficial is good, too. "All the boys are excited for the game. It's what we've come for. We got to train yesterday and train today, and did a little gym session, but everyone's excited to get on the pitch and show what we can do. "We've heard [Zwolle] are a good team and hopefully it's a good battle, but we hope we can step our game up and be just as good as them and hopefully win."
The youngsters have been working hard in the Dutch heat and are staking their individual claims for starting spots when the competitive campaign begins. And 18-year-old Ford is keen to impress while under the watchful eye of Academy Director and Dev Squad boss Terry Westley. "We've been told that the pressure is on to be in the team for the starting game of the season, and time is ticking for the end of pre-season to get into that team," he continued. "There is a little bit of pressure on us but some of the boys just get on with it and train and express ourselves to show what we can do. "Training sessions have been hard because it has been hot, but I don't think I have done too badly. Hopefully I can get in the team and play on Wednesday and Saturday."
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Sir Geoff inspires east London youngsters
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United Foundation welcomed guest of honour Sir Geoff Hurst to the finals of the Barking and Dagenham Schools' World Cup. In the week which ends with the 50th anniversary of England's famous FIFA World Cup triumph of 1966 – clinched thanks to the Hammers striker's perfect hat-trick – Sir Geoff returned to east London. The event, which celebrated the achievement of the Borough's legendary former residents Sir Alf Ramsey, Bobby Moore and Sir Geoff, saw 16 local primary and junior schools represent the nations which competed in England five decades ago. Sir Geoff watched on as Valence Primary School from Dagenham – representing Switzerland – defeated Five Elms Primary – representing Nigeria – 5-1 in the final to lift the trophy. The Academy of Football graduate, who netted 24 times for England and scored 249 goals during a sparking career in Claret and Blue, spoke of his pride at returning to the Borough to mark the golden anniversary of his – and England's – greatest moment. "Winning the World Cup was such an incredible moment in my life and I am delighted to join the families of Barking and Dagenham to celebrate that achievement 50 years on," he said. "This Borough has produced many talented players in the past, including my old friend Bobby Moore."
Hurst, Dagenham-born Three Lions manager Ramsey and Barking-born and raised captain Bobby Moore combined to inspire the national side to its unrivalled World Cup success. It was for this reason that Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, thought it important to celebrate 50 years on. "Barking and Dagenham played a massive part in England winning the 1966 World Cup and it is important that we continue to celebrate this," said Rodwell. "Every child who has participated in the Barking and Dagenham Schools' World Cup will have dreamt about winning the World Cup for England and it is great to have someone like Sir Geoff, who has done so, joining us at the event."
Joe Lyons, West Ham United Foundation Chief Executive, said that it was fitting for the Club's community arm to play its role in such a fitting event. "It seems only right for the West Ham United Foundation to partner with Barking and Dagenham Council, and the other organisations involved, to deliver a fitting tribute to the community and the momentous occasion in 1966," said Lyons. "Hopefully, Sir Geoff Hurst's achievements can inspire them to reach for the stars and dream of going on to achieve the World Cup in whatever passion they follow in life."
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Hammers to enter EFL Trophy
WHUFC.com
West Ham United to field team in EPL Trophy for the first time in 2016/17
Revamped competition will involve 16 invited Premier League and Championship clubs
Invited clubs will field sides with a mixture of first-team and Academy players
West Ham United will field a team in the 2016/17 EFL Trophy. The tournament, which traditionally involves clubs from the third and fourth tiers of the Football League pyramid, has been revamped for the new season to include sides representing EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) Category One Academies. The Hammers, who won the U21 Premier League Cup last season, took up an invitation from the EFL (English Football League) and will go into the 64-team draw on Wednesday. The Club's Academy Director Terry Westley is excited for the challenge of fielding a team in the competiton and thinks it will be a new type of test for his players. He said: "We've been trying to be involved in this for a long time. We thought it was a competition we believed we could get accepted into and now it's happened. "It's important for us to take part and show our support to the Premier League. It will be tough though, for sure, but it's exciting to be involved. "The first round is during the international break, so young players will get a chance. But we're in the competition, we're looking forward to seeing who the draw pits us against and we'll put the strongest team out we can once we know when the games are. "It's certainly challenging, but it's a real good test for the players that are going to be involved."
EFL Chief Executive Shaun Harvey said the changes to the competition are aimed at helping young players to develop by playing high-level competitive first-team matches. "The new format is intended to rejuvenate this competition and also assist the development of the very best young players in English football," said Harvey. "This will help us deliver more and better home-grown players which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels."
To generate more interest in the EFL Trophy, organisers have introduced a host of new features. Competing clubs will be entered into 16 four-team groups organised on a regionalised basis, with the top two in each group qualifying for the knockout stages. Each group will include at least one invited club and at least one club from each of Leagues One and Two. Clubs will play each other once, either home or away. Excitement is guaranteed as clubs will be awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw. In the event of a drawn game after 90 minutes, a penalty shootout will be held with the winning team earning an additional point. West Ham are expected to field teams consisting of a mixture of experienced players and promising youngsters, with the competition's rules requiring that each participant name five 'first-team' players and six aged 21 or under. Group-stage fixtures will be played in weeks commencing 29 August, 3 October and 7 November 2016, with the knockout stages starting in early December. The final will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 2 April 2017.
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Redknapp - West Ham is in great shape
WHUFC.com
Harry Redknapp came through the ranks at the Academy of Football before making 175 appearances for West Ham United as a winger between 1965-72. He returned to the Club as manager between 1994-2001 A close friend of Bobby Moore, he took part in the English Heritage Blue Plaque ceremony for his late teammate in Barking...
Hello everyone,
As a teammate and friend of the great Bobby Moore, I was honoured to be invited to take part in the unveiling of a British Heritage Blue Plaque in his honour at 43 Waverley Gardens in Barking. That house was where the greatest footballer ever was brought up and it's great. I'm glad he's been recognised and they've put up the Blue Plaque – it's lovely.
I never met anyone who could come anywhere near Bobby as a player or as a person, he was an incredible man. When you think he captained West Ham at 21 it shows you – if you're in the team at 21 nowadays, as I said when I spoke at the ceremony people think you have done well – how great he had done. We're not talking about captaining a Third or Fourth Division team, West Ham was full of great players and always has had great players. Bobby was special – he was the best player, the best person, the best everything, really.
West Ham is a big club, make no mistake, and has been one of the best clubs in the country for many years and with the move to the new Stadium, it's going to make them even bigger. There is no reason why they can't be a top-four or top-five team in years to come. I think this move can take West Ham all the way. They're going to have 60,000 fans there every week and they'll fill it because people don't realise the fanbase West Ham have. People said 'They only get 30-odd thousand', but that's because the stadium only held 30-odd thousand!
Now, you've got a 60,000 stadium and have sold 50-odd thousand Season Tickets and could probable have sold another 15,000 if they had them. The potential is just amazing.
We're all sorry to see Upton Park go. I left school just before my 15th birthday and we used to pain the terraces. We had the best time of our lives, all local boys from the East End of London who grew up there. The sight and sound of the wooden Chicken Run swaying to the sound of 'Bubbles' is one of the most moving sights in football in my opinion, up there with the singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' at Liverpool. It's one of the most iconic places in football and I'm sorry to see them leave but to move forward it had to be done. It was a great move for the Club and for the fans who want to go and see their team play.
It's a lovely team now, too, and Slaven Bilic has done great. I signed Slaven as a player and he's done fantastic and West Ham have got big players. Dimitri Payet is the leader of the pack now and he's a fantastic talent, but they've got lots of good players. They've also people like Mark Noble who is the heartbeat of the Club and has been there since he was a kid. The Club is in great shape, has great support and it's a great Football Club, so let's hope they have another fantastic season.
Harry
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
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Legends tour Hammers' new home
WHUFC.com
West Ham United legends invited to tour the Club's new London Stadium home
Greats given personal introduction by Vice-Chairman Karren Brady
FA Cup winners, Academy graduates and descendants of Club heroes in attendance
As West Ham United's fans eagerly await their first visit to the magnificent London Stadium next week, some very special guests have taken an advance look at what lies in store.
West Ham Vice-Chairman Karren Brady today welcomed players involved in the Club's greatest triumphs – and the families of other West Ham legends – to the luxurious Club London hospitality facilities in the West Stand of the new Stadium, to show them how their achievements for West Ham are being commemorated within its walls.
Attendees included 1964 FA Cup winners Peter Brabrook, Jack Burkett and Eddie Bovington, 1975 FA Cup heroes, Alan Taylor and Pat Holland, 1980 winners Phil Parkes, Alan Devonshire and Geoff Pike and the goal-scoring spearhead of The Boys of '86, Tony Cottee.
Also among the honoured guests were close relatives of Club legends Bobby Moore and John Lyall Academy pioneer Ted Fenton, the much-missed Dylan Tombides and the goal-scoring hero of West Ham's 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup triumph, Alan Sealey.
In her welcoming speech, the Vice-Chairman Brady told the assembled guests how essential it was that the feats of all those present, and all who have been lost, were remembered for generations to come.
"For us, it was imperative that we used this spectacular space to celebrate West Ham's glorious heritage and history, and the legends who have made their indelible mark on the Club," she explained. "In doing so, we pay homage to the rich roots of our famous Football Club and ensure that your distinguished service is forever honoured at the home of West Ham United."
A reception for the guests was held in The Arnold Hills, named in honour of the visionary figure who founded Thames Ironworks Football Club back in 1895, and Ms Brady was especially pleased to welcome a number of his descendants to be present.
"I think Mr Hills would be very proud of his legacy", the Vice-Chairman said, "and I would like to think he would be proud of the Club today. He told his players to put in every ounce of effort on the pitch, and for me, my Chairmen and my staff, that is our philosophy off the pitch as well.
"That is the attitude we showed in our determined quest to be chosen to make this iconic Stadium our home. And that is the attitude we have shown in striving to turn it into one of the very best in world football; a Stadium made to match the ambitions of our fantastic and loyal supporters.
"But before they see it for the first time, we were absolutely determined that as many of you as possible should have the opportunity to come and see the Stadium and Club London for yourselves. My goal was for us to offer a luxury experience here that will rival the very best hospitality facilities in world sport, and I hope you will agree it looks the part.
"And for me, Club London also symbolises our journey as a Football Club. It is cutting-edge, it is dynamic. It's world-class. It is the symbol of a Club that is moving forward at pace, with ambitions to compete at the very top of European football.
"But look at the legendary figures and historic moments commemorated on these walls and you can also see that we are a Club which will always remain proud of our heritage, true to our roots and dedicated to doing the best for our fans."
West Ham supporters who want to see Club London for themselves, visit the players' new changing rooms, and see all the other behind-the-scenes attractions at the London Stadium can sign up for a Stadium tour here. Tours will begin from 12 August and – given already very high demand – we would urge fans to sign up as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
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Important Europa League ticket update
WHUFC.com
Ahead of West Ham United's historic first fixture under the lights at London Stadium on Thursday 4 August, we are pleased to report that the accelerated process to move the retractable seats is going extremely well.
The Club have been working tirelessly with Stadium owners E20 Stadium LLP to ensure that Season Ticket Holders have access to their chosen seasonal seat as early as possible.
The repositioning of the lower tiers on three sides of the Stadium began on Sunday in readiness for the Stadium's maiden European fixture, the visit of Slovenian outfit NK Domzale in the return leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
Given the proximity of the recent Anniversary Games, the timing of the seat move was always likely to prove tight and there was a degree of uncertainty surrounding what was going to be ready when.
Thanks to a great deal of hard work on our part and that of our partners E20 Stadium LLP, Blocks 102-103 and 109-114 in the Stadium's West Stand are already in their final, football mode, and so Season Ticket Holders in those Blocks are now able to secure their seats via www.eticketing.co.uk/whufc.
The Club is giving them a 24-hour priority window to do so, ending at 5pm on Thursday 28 July, after which any remaining seats will go on sale to Claret Members.
The Club fully expect a number of other seating blocks to become available in the coming days and all developments will be publicised on whufc.com as and when they happen.
Season Ticket Holders will also be contacted via email with the very latest developments, including information of when the priority window will close for their particular Block. Club London Members should note that they will be contacted separately in due course.
FAQs
How is the relocation of the retractable seating coming along?
The relocation of the retractable seating is making good progress in a very tight time window between the Anniversary Games and West Ham United's UEFA Europa League third qualifying round second leg tie with NK Domzale on Thursday 4 August.
What about the seating blocks which are not yet available?
The Club will make seats available for Season Ticket Holders to purchase as and when they are in place. Season Ticket Holders will receive an email when this occurs, including information of when the priority window will close for their particular Block.
I am a Season Ticket Holder and have already bought a seat elsewhere in the Stadium. Can I move to my regular Premier League Season Ticket seat?
Due to the complexity of ticket sales for this fixture and the short timeframe available for a Claret Members sale and General Sale to take place, supporters will not be able to relocate from previously purchased seats on this occasion.
I am a Club London member. What do I do?
Club London members will be contacted directly by the Club's Corporate Sales team.
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Young Hammers play out 3-3 thriller
WHUFC.com
PEC Zwolle 3-3 Dev Squad
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday 27 July, 2016
The Development Squad showed their fight and spirit once again on Wednesday as they recovered from going two goals down to record a 3-3 draw with PEC Zwolle.
The youngsters, who are currently on pre-season tour in the Netherlands, started slowly in Arnhem but finished the better side and could have even nicked a winner late on.
Inside two minutes, the Hammers went one down when a free-kick was smashed into Sam Howes' top corner and the hosts piled on the misery a quarter of an hour later as they converted a second.
Sam Ford halved the deficit five minutes before the break with a tidy finish, but with just 60 seconds left of the opening period, another loose ball in the penalty area was put away by the Dutchmen.
But Terry Westley's young team came out battling in the second half, and almost instantly, Joe Powell made it 3-2 from the penalty spot after Jahmal Hector-Ingram had been bundled over.
The latter then, just eleven minutes later, turned home a cross from the right-hand-side to cap a great move and draw the Hammers deservedly level.
Despite not being able to add a winner, West Ham will now go into Saturday's clash against partner club VVV Venlo with confidence after a strong second 45 minutes.
Early, however, the side were left rueing their lack of concentration as they fell behind so quickly. There was nothing keeper Howes could do with Zwolle's 20-yard direct free-kick though, which was superbly angled home by Chris Dagaghian.
The visitors struggled to get a foothold in the game, and Noha Sylvestre's clever forward pass which just evaded the run of Hector-Ingram was the closest the Claret and Blues came to making it 1-1.
On 17 minutes, Zwolle made it two. Howes was on hand to deny the first effort struck inside the box, but he was again helpless as Milo Witteveen smashed home the rebound.
Niggles for a number of West Ham players made things more difficult for the away team, as Rosaire Longelo and Anthony Scully were both substituted, but there was joy on 40 minutes.
Ford – nipping in to intercept a lacklustre pass across the back four – turned on the speed to race away from the defence and cleverly turn past the keeper with his left foot.
Frustratingly, however, the Hammers fell asleep again at the back, as it was this time from the left where Zwolle capitalised, Bas van Wijnen turning past Howes for 3-1.
But there was a clear determination in the second period from West Ham, and they found a way back into the game five minutes after the break.
Powell – lively throughout – sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from 12 yards after Hector-Ingram was fouled following a great move, and the visitors bettered that on 61 minutes.
The majority of the Hammers' team enjoyed a touch of the ball and, as it eventually found Matt Carter, Hector-Ingram was able to get something on the full-back's cross to make it 3-3.
With ten minutes remaining, Powell had his side's best opportunity to grab the winner, but his free-kick was curled over the crossbar.
And so it finished level – probably fairly – in Holland, leaving the Hammers with two days to reflect upon the performance and prepare for their Saturday test vs. VVV Venlo.
PEC Zwolle Squad: Mike Hauptmeyer (GK), Dean Bredewolt (GK), Pim ten Have, Tarik Evre, Josef Kvida, Mark Bruintjes, Bas van Wijnen, Steyn den Ark, Luuk Slegt, Jochem van Putten, Max de Boom, Milo Witteveen, Chris Dagaghian, Nicky Goquadze, Serge Fatima
Dev Squad: Sam Howes, Matt Carter, Jake Eggleton (Mason Barrett 76), Tunji Akinola, Rosaire Longelo (Ben Wells 22), Kristjian Belic (Conor Coventry 53), Noha Sylvestre, Joe Powell, Anthony Scully (Janaai Gordon 22), Sam Ford (Dan Kemp 63), Jahmal Hector-Ingram (Alfie Lewis 71).
Unused subs: Nathan Trott
Goals: Ford 40, Powell 50, Hector-Ingram 61
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Carr row rumbles on
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United FC have released a statement regarding Tony Carr's departure from the club.
The club posted their account shortly after 5pm this evening (Wednesday), nearly 24 hours after the initial brouhaha regarding Carr's exit was made public by the Mail Online.
"West Ham United can confirm that Tony Carr has left the Club with immediate effect after his two-year contract as Club Ambassador came to an end," read the statement.
"Tony took on the role of Ambassador after departing his long-term position as Academy Director, with both the Club and Tony wanting to ensure that he retained a full-time position and salary beyond his 65th birthday, before beginning to receive his pension."
"As a gesture of gratitude for the outstanding service Tony has given the Club, the current owners of West Ham United granted him a Testimonial match at The Boleyn Ground and Tony retained all profits from this game."
"Tony was offered new terms this summer to continue his Ambassadorial role on a part-time basis, however, he declined the opportunity."
Later, following criticism of the Board throughout the day, the son of co-owner David Sullivan took to his brother's website, the West Ham Way, to reveal further details behind Carr's departure.
And he insisted that the lack of players emerging from the Academy in recent seasons was uppermost in the Board's mind when making the decision to part company with Carr.
"We have respected Tony Carr as a great servant for the last 43 years and I personally am very sad he has felt the need to go the press about what is essentially his retirement," wrote Sullivan.
"Tony has earned over £1.6million since 2005. Many fans are not aware of this figure and I think it is hard to argue that this isn't a fair wage and that he was not underpaid.
"Nothing had come out of the Academy since James Tomkins made his debut in 2008 and was the last Academy player to get into and maintain a place in the first team. This left six years between 2008 and 2014 where Tony unfortunately brought no players through.
"Much like in any job or career the past has to be ignored and what becomes important is the future and it was clear a change had to be made."
However that didn't go down particularly well with a number of supporters - whilst a KUMB source, speaking on behalf of Carr, reiterated his message that salary and remuneration were not the issue.
"TC spoke to the press as he felt that he had been mistreated. He waited in limbo for almost a month for the Board to reply [to his personal phone calls], only to find out by letter that the redundancy was all they were going to offer.
"Having been there 43 years and some , i think he was hurt and upset that it was going to end that way. He did not want it to end as he feels he still has a lot to give on a part time basis (coaching and scouting) and was a difficult pill to swallow that the current owners obviously thought very differently.
"I would also point out West Ham sold Anton Ferdinand for £8m in 2008 and during the years 2008-14 we had Freddie Sears, Junior Stanislas and Jack Collison along with our current captain Mark Noble and James Tomkins.
"It would be interesting to see how Sullivan Jnr would value Mark Noble's contribution to the first team between 2008-14 in monetary terms.
"But to stress, it's not about the money or even the job. Tony was the last true link to the Lyall and Greenwood days; he was coached by them and trained by them.
"For it to end in such a manner after 43 years and all the undoubted achievements he has had with West Ham was soul destroying for him."
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27/07/16 – LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 27 JULY 2016 AT 1:28PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Gomez to make decision on next move –
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Mario Gomez wants to make the decision on where he plays his football this up coming season, amidst interest from West Ham, Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund. The German international striker has already confirmed that he will not return to Besiktas this season due to the civil unrest in the country. It is widely believed that Mario has requested to miss Fiorentina's training camp on Austria so that he can make his decision.
Two Swedes and a Dutchman in the mix to replace Cresswell? –
According to various sources, there seems to be three names that are at the top of Slaven Bilic's list to cover for the unfortunate Hammers left-back Aaron Cresswell who will miss the next 3-4 months through injury. They include Norwich left back Martin Olsson, his Swedish compatriot Ludwig Augustinsson at FC Copenhagen and former Manchester United fullback, Alexander Buttner.
Milan want Bacca situation sorted by the end of July –
Reports in Italy seem to indicate that Milan want the Bacca deal done by the end of the month, otherwise they will remove him from the transfer list. Carlos' delay in making a decision on his future is seriously hampering Montella's efforts in the transfer market as they have deals lined up to sign players but cannot move until they sell Bacca.
Calleri move edges closer –
According to the Evening Standard and our very own ExWHUEmployee, the club hope to finalise the loan deal for the young Argentinian star within the next few days. Various reports yesterday claimed he was on his way to the club to complete the deal.
Football League Trophy Draw –
West Ham U21's have been drawn in the Southern Group D and will face Coventry City, Wycombe Wanderers and Northampton Town
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Shame on you West Ham as Carr sacked by post
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
Fans have flocked to the KUMB Forum this morning to hammer West Ham after it was revealed club legend Tony Carr had been laid off by the club. The 65-year-old former Academy director, who raised in the region of £100million for West Ham through sales of players like Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole during his tenure has been dismissed after 50 years' service for which he was paid just £14,000 - the statutory minimum redundancy payment. And former Club Ambassador Carr - who was notified of his dismissal BY POST - believes he has effectively been forced him out of the club after he refused to reduce his working week from five days to just one. "This has been two years in the making and done over a slow period of time to force him out of his role," a source close to Carr told KUMB. "But the club showed its class by not even speaking to him personally in the end and chucked him over to HR. "The Ambassador role was a PR stunt of sort, but in reality is was a step to force him out as that contract was a revolving six month contract which they could end pretty easy . "His decision to let the Mail run the story - which is true - is because he is hopeful he may get a new job offer. He's not ready to retire just yet."
Reaction to the news that Carr has effectively been forced out of West Ham was naturally critical of the club - and especially vice chairman Karren Brady who, it is believed, was behind the decision. "This man's contribution to the club cannot not be underestimated," wrote KUMB member Pigiron. "He is as much a club legend as some of the players he's mentored. "He deserves to have his name emblazoned somewhere in the new stadium in recognition to his loyalty, service and success. The Daves need to publicly apologise to TC OBE."
Simply Moore was equally angry and called the £14,000 pay-off "a joke". "This is an absolute disgrace," he said. "To not give TC the most golden of parachutes for all he has done for the club is a complete slap in the face. "How much value would he have added over the years? £14k is a joke, that's the cost of fuel for one of David Gold's chopper trips!"
And for TOMoS, Carr's dismissal is just the latest example of the club treating its notable figures dreadfully. "West Ham have a History of classless behaviour," he said. "Bobby Moore, John Lyall, Billy Bonds, now Tony Carr. Will they ever learn? "I can understand it coming from Lady Brady who only very recently pocketed £1million for her part in moving to the Olympic Stadium, but surely Gold and Sullivan would have had knowledge of this? Yet they let it happen."
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Carr row leaves Brady at odds with fanbase again
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th July 2016
By: Staff Writer #2
The treatment of club legend Tony Carr is, according to many supporters, an absolute disgrace. But should anyone really be surprised? Sadly, West Ham have a long and dark history of treating their legends like shit.
Bobby Moore, who would have been the greatest Club Ambassador in the world was once kicked out of the Boleryn Ground as he hadn't paid for a match day ticket. Billy Bonds didn't set foot inside the Boleyn for nigh on 20 years whilst the Lyall and Greenwood families had their complementary season tickets revoked following the passing of Ron and John.
And now it has been revealed that former Academy supremo Tony Carr - whose blood, sweat and tears have raised millions upon millions of pounds for the club - has been sacked off with a negligible redundancy package worth just £14,000; an absolute insult to a man who single-handedly earned West Ham the 'Academy of Football' tag.
However more insidious than that - at least as far as Carr is concerned - is the manner in which his dismissal came about, from being shunted into an Ambassadorial role so that Terry Westley (whose wife, incidentally, happens to be good friends with Karren Brady) could take the Academy role to being offered just one days' work per week.
At the centre of the row over Carr's departure is vice-chairman Brady, who his supporters claim is responsible for treating him in what they perceive to be an appalling manner. This of course is just the latest occasion in which Brady has been at odds with the overwhelming majority of the club's fanbase.
Things didn't get off to a great start for Brady at West Ham when KUMB revealed how one of the first tasks she had undertaken after joining the club was to order the withdrawal of a number of complementary season tickets as a means to save money.
Which, on the face of it, seems perfectly fine - although not so fine perhaps when you discover the former beneficiaries were the immediate families of Ron Greenwood and John Lyall (including wife Yvonne and son Murray), who would now have to pay to enter the ground in future.
Avram Grant, who was hired then subsequently fired by Brady in the players' tunnel at Wigan following a 3-2 defeat that condemned the club to relegation in May 2011 also had plenty to say about her perceived interference during his (brief) tenure and often complained about her tabloid newspaper column, which he claimed was the source of several personal attacks.
Not that Brady has ever been too concerned by those critical of her weekly appearance in the Sun - for in May 2011 she told Hammers fans critical of her decision to miss a match at Manchester City in order to attend her daughter's 15th birthday party to "bog off"!
That was the first of many run-ins for Brady - and her family - with the club's supporters. Things almost turned nasty during a return trip from the aforementioned defeat at Wigan when her husband, Paul Peschisolido had to be physically-restrained from attacking one supporter on a train.
Later that year, Brady came under further (friendly) fire from fans after she claimed the East End had long been "a hotbed of racism" before claiming that former striker Clyde Best used to be regularly greeted by a hail of bananes from home fans - an account later dimissed as fanciful by Best himself.
In 2012 Brady once again fell foul of West Ham supporters when she was at the heart of a drive to renege on a 20 per cent season ticket discount which had been promised by the club's previous administration. In the end it took a sustained effort from KUMB.com and a handful of individuals to persuade West Ham to do the right thing.
There were further rumblings of discontent last year when it was announced that Ms Brady has been granted a £1million bonus for winning the battle to move West Ham to Stratford's Olympic Stadium.
Her insistance that 85 per cent of Hammers fans had wanted the move was also dismissed as a flight of fancy by some supporters, who later produced evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile her suggestion that the club should consider changing its name to 'West Ham Olympic' as a result of the impending move also caused a bit of a stir.
In 2014, Brady was made a Baroness (of Knightsbridge) and a Conservative life peer. Whilst her political leanings have long caused ripples at the club - such as her public backing for the end of tax credits which would have negatively affected thousands of working-class West Ham fans - the club's £12,500 donation to the Tory party in May 2016 causesd a major furore.
And that donation has been brought back into the spotlight this week with the news that West Ham/Brady sanctioned a payment of just £2,000 more for Tony Carr's meagre redundancy package, which equates to roughly £300 for every year of service Carr has given to the club.
Yes, just £14,500 is the value Brady and the club placed upon Carr, whose players - such as Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Glenn Johnson - have raised in the region of £100million in the last 20 years.
The widespread condemnation which greeted the news of Carr's untimely exit should be the cause of great embarrassment for the club's Board, who have made great noises about righting the wrongs of the past only to continue to make exactly the same mistakes.
And whilst David Gold and Brady do what they generally do when critcised publicly over failed club policy - ie ignore all criticism and pretend nothing's happening - credit should go to young Jack Sullivan, who insisted last night that he would be taking the matter up with his father, co-owner David.
Either way, once again Baroness Brady - who only yesterday represented the club at the unveiling of a plaque in honour of Bobby Moore - finds herself at odds with the West Ham fanbase. As she has been, consistently, for much of the six years she has spent at the club.
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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TONY CARR-A DIFFERENT VIEW-BY DAVID SULLIVAN JNR
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 27 JULY 2016 AT 4:33PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Just to be clear these are the views of David Sullivan Jnr and NOT those of The WestHamWay.co.uk, West Ham United or any of their employees.
After reading the headline in the Daily Mail I think that it is only fair that you hear the other side and the complete figures relative to the Tony Carr story. We have respected Tony Carr as a great servant for the last 43 years and I personally am very sad he has felt the need to go the press about what is essentially his retirement. It is worth noting Tony Carr is 66 years old, most men in the UK retire at age 65. So essentially he is just retiring. Tony also has a substantial pension, we cannot disclose the amount but I assure you that Tony is being very well provided for by the club. So this £14,000 really is not what it seems.
Tony has earned over £1.6 Million since 2005. Many fans are not aware of this figure and I think it is hard to argue that this isn't a fair wage and that he was not underpaid. He received hundreds of thousands of pounds from the testimonial we organised for him (which was a thank you for his service to the club) and when we brought Terry Westley in we gave Tony a 2 year fixed ambassadorial role at £210,000. As I said earlier he is now 66. These are the facts which make the £14,000 seem insignificant and I don't see why these are not made public if the £14,000 was.
The main focus of the academy is to produce players of a high quality. Nothing had come out of the academy since Tomkins. James made his debut in 2008 and was the last academy player to get into and maintain a place in the first team. This left 6 years between 2008 and 2014 where Tony unfortunately brought no players through. Much like in any job or career the past has to be ignored and what becomes important is the future and it was clear a change had to be made. The Academy, plus young pro contracts (most of the latter fail) costs the club £6m/£6.5m a season. The Academy is £4.5m of that. So given the large costs of the academy it only makes sense for a change to be made if the results aren't showing. If we assume this figure stayed constant during the 8 years where no players came through it would have cost £48 million which virtually cancels out all of the sales of Tony's golden era. We had to move on. Football is a results business.
Terry Westley, who replaced Tony Carr, has been with us for 2 years and has brought a breath of fresh air. During this time Westley has brought through the likes of Reece Oxford and Reece Burke and attracted many sought-after youth players such as Domingos Quina, Martin Samuelsen and George Dobson, all of whom will be pushing for first team football at West Ham United either this season or in the next few years.
What I do not understand is what I have just read in the Evening Standard – "Tony Carr urges West Ham to 'not let it end this way' after 'paltry' redundancy offer". Tony said "The last thing I want is to feel bitter about how things have ended" – I find this very sad as West Ham United have only ever treated Tony well and with respect. His wages along with his large pension in my eyes are fair and this is anything but a bitter ending. All things come to an end and sadly nothing lasts forever.
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West Ham captain Mark Noble welcomes greater expectations as they prepare to start momentous season
21:24, 27 JUL 2016 UPDATED 22:20, 27 JUL 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The Hammers won a Europa League place in Upton Park's final season and now aim to reward 52,000 Olympic Stadium season ticket holders by going one better
The Mirror
West Ham signed off at the Boleyn Ground with a flourish and now hope to start their Olympic Stadium era in style, writes Adrian Kajumba in Ljubljana. Ahead of one of the most eagerly-anticipated Premier League seasons, the Hammers are more than contributing to the buzz. They gave their famous old home an unforgettable send-off after 112 years last term with a record-breaking campaign. And now captain Mark Noble has issued a rallying cry urging the East Londoners to carry on where they left off and continue their rise by making more history at their new home. Last year was big for the club — and this one has the potential to be even bigger. Off the pitch, their new 60,000-capacity stadium hosts its first game next week and they are upgrading by moving to a new training ground, too.
And on it, they have a second successive season of Europa League football to look forward to and talk of breaking into the top-flight's elite is no longer dismissed as unrealistic. Skipper Noble, 29, said: "We have got a lot of belief at the club at the minute. Everybody is excited. "We are moving into a new training ground. We have made three very good, astute signings – Gokhan Tore and the other two lads, Havard Nordtveit and Sofiane Feghouli, on frees. "It's been a slow, steady rise for the club and a positive one. We had the disappointment of relegation and then Sam Allardyce came in and changed things around and got it to a firm Premier League position, midtable every year. "Then Slaven Bilic arrived, as well as new staff and a lot of new players, last season and we had the best year of my career, personally and collectively as a squad. "It was a bit special because it was the last year in the Boleyn and we lost there just three times in the whole year, so we gave it a good send-off. Now we have to try to create some new history at the new stadium. "It is going to be a fantastic place and now the club is being run properly we are moving in the right direction."
With Leicester turning the league upside down with their shock title win, expectations will be on the rise all over the Premier League, not least at West Ham.
They sold out their 52,000 season-ticket allocation – the second biggest in the league – ahead of what promises to be another campaign to remember.
While discussing West Ham's attempts to add to the feelgood factor by landing a £30million-plus marquee-striker signing, co-chairman David Gold claimed they will be able to offer their targets Champions League football after the coming season. Noble said: "Have expectations gone up? With West Ham fans, of course. As the chairman has been quoted as saying about Champions League football next season that has raised expectations, but that is football these days. "West Ham fans are like that. They expect a lot and that is what we have got to give them."
West Ham begin what they hope will be another season to remember here in Slovenia's capital on Thursday with a Europa League third qualifying round first leg against NK Domzale. Boss Bilic admits the competition "damages your chances in the league", but said: "We want to try, we want to take that risk and, hopefully, if we keep that squad and rotate we are going to manage it. But we have to qualify first. No matter if it lowers your chances, it is much more difficult as the number of games increases. "But we are going to do everything we can at West Ham to qualify."
* MARK NOBLE paid tribute to Tony Carr after admitting his "shock" at the West Ham academy legend's departure. Carr has been made redundant by the Hammers after 43 years of service with just a £14,000 pay-off. Carr, 65, was responsible for bringing through a long list of homegrown talent including Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, and Glen Johnson – earning the Hammers more than £50million in transfer fees. He was replaced by Terry Westley as academy boss in 2014 and handed a lucrative ambassadorial role. But after being told his job was no longer full-time Carr was offered a one-day role or minimum redundancy pay-off, which he has taken. Noble, another Carr graduate, said: "It was a shock to me. I don't know what's gone on in the background. He's a fantastic man, a great servant to the club. "The players he's brought through in the last 20, 25 years has been phenomenal. He helped me become the player I am today."
PREDICTED TEAMS
NK Domzale (4-5-1): Maraval; Brachi, Horic, Dobrovoljc, Balkovec; Morel, Majer, Alvir, Horvat, Crnic; Mance.
West Ham (4-3-3): Randolph; Antonio, Nordtveit, Reid, Page; Oxford, Noble, Kouyate; Feghouli, Carroll, Valencia.
Referee: Mete Kalkavan (Turkey) .
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West Ham legend Tony Carr pocketed almost £250k-per-year in ambassadorial role
17:30, 27 JUL 2016 UPDATED 17:38, 27 JUL 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The highly-respected 65-year-old has also picked up over £1.6million since 2005 and has a lucrative pension scheme provided by the club
The Mirror
West Ham academy legend Tony Carr has earned nearly £1/2million in an ambassadorial role for the club over the past two years.
The highly-respected 65-year-old has also picked up over £1.6million since 2005 and has a lucrative pension scheme provided by the club.
The Hammers have been left reeling by the explosion of anger which followed news that they have made Carr redundant after 43 years.
MirrorFootball understands the difficult decision was taken because - despite Carr's outstanding record producing the likes of Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand - the conveyor belt from the academy had dried up over the last ten years.
Fans favourite Carr stands to pick up the minimum redundancy payment of £14,000. But talks over a package have yet to be concluded.
There is also an insistence that he has been "looked after" by the Hammers.
In July 2014, Terry Wesley replaced Carr as academy director at the club. Carr was moved sideways and given a two-year fixed ambassadorial role paying £210,000 plus expenses.
Ferdinand led a star-studded testimonial at Upton Park in 2010 which also earned Carr around £500,000 - which he was allowed to keep.
Carr's alumni also included Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick with his top graduates earning the club over £60million in transfer fees.
But there has been concern at the club, over £100million in debt, that there were too few players following that crop to meet the costs of running the academy.
Although the likes of Reece Oxford - coveted by Manchester City - have come through more recently, they are said to have brought on by Terry Wesley, not Carr.
Carr continues to be held in the highest regard at West Ham. But it was felt that pressure was being placed on them with their academy costing £4.5m a season to run.
With many of the club's young players on professional contracts the development costs are between £6m-£6.5million a season - placing even more of an onus on them to maintain their consistency producing players.
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KEY STATS FOR EACH OF WEST HAM'S THREE HEADLINE SUMMER SIGNINGS
Ladbrokes
Although the headline-grabbing striker they've been hankering for hasn't arrived yet, West Ham have still been plenty busy during the summer transfer window. Six new faces have been unveiled. Three – Ashley Fletcher, Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina – will bolster the club's youth team, while Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore will compete for a first-team spot. In order to get to know the latter three a bit more, we've trawled the stats sites to pick out the vital figures that best define their games:
Havard Nordtveit (Borussia Monchengladbach)
The Norwegian was used as a defensive Swiss Army Knife by Gladbach last season, splitting his time between the heart of defence and the base of midfield. Whichever of the positions the Hammers utilise him in, they'll have a committed player on their hands. Nordtveit ranked second in the Gladbach side for both shots blocked and clearances, tallying 18 and 86 respectively in those departments. He won the third-highest amount of aerial duels in the side, at a success rate of 61 per cent, and was adept with the ball at his feet having completed the third-most passes (1727).
Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia)
The Algerian winger was a free transfer from Valencia, signing a three-year deal with the Hammers. He adds depth to the right wing position with Michail Antonio expected to shift back into right-back this term and had the second-most successful crosses for Los Che in La Liga last season. Dani Parejo led the way in that category with 30, but he was the side's chief corner taker, wheras Feghouli's 21 largely came from open play. He'll be expected to get down the touchline and whip balls in to Andy Carroll.
Gokhan Tore (Besiktas)
Like Feghouli, Tore was acquired to bolster the right flank but is more in the mould of Dimitri Payet – who roams around looking to be creative – rather than a traditional wide man that supplies crosses. The Turkish international had the third-most assists for Besiktas in their title-winning season last term, despite only logging the 11th-most minutes in the squad. Only two of his six set-ups came from crosses while he made 37 key passes over the course of the season, which was the fifth-most in the squad.
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West Ham leave part of their past behind with Tony Carr's departure
The club's academy veteran departs the club with a pang of sadness this summer having overseen the development of some of its brightest stars of the past generation
Jacob Steinberg
@JacobSteinberg
Wednesday 27 July 2016 13.39 BST Last modified on Wednesday 27 July 2016 13.40 BST
The Guardian
Tony Carr did not hesitate when he was asked about his favourite Upton Park memory. His mind went straight back to the May evening in 1999 when his young team of academy products gave Coventry City the thrashing of a lifetime, beating them 6-0 to wrap up a 9-0 aggregate victory in the FA Youth Cup final. "We won the game in real style, a full house," Carr said. "It was rocking. We won the game quite early and you could sit there and just admire the football."
Seventeen years down the line, few names from that team roll off the tongue. Adam Newton, a promising right-back, made two substitute appearances for the first team before spending the rest of his career in the lower leagues. Stephen Bywater is a reserve goalkeeper at Burton Albion. Bertie Brayley, a hotshot striker who scored twice against Coventry, ended up floating around non-league football. All of which goes to show that producing a player who will not only rise to the top but stay there is one of the hardest jobs in football.
Yet while the majority drifted away from West Ham, there were two players who were undoubtedly destined for the big time. It was not long before Joe Cole and Michael Carrick joined Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand in Harry Redknapp's first team, with Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson also making their breakthroughs after the turn of the century.
To cut a long story short, relegation, poor management and an ambition-free board meant that those six players would all go on to enjoy bigger and better things away from West Ham United, representing England and winning several major honours in domestic and European competitions, but their success is worth celebrating again now that it has emerged that Carr is leaving the club after 43 years of service. They were his pride and joy and it still hurts him to think that their greatest feats were achieved away from West Ham; the money raised from their sales was a meagre consolation. "The generation that was sold, the crown jewels, was so disappointing," Carr said.
Carr polished plenty of diamonds down the years and he is part of the fabric of the club. He was West Ham's academy director until he stepped aside for Terry Westley and took on an ambassadorial role in 2014 and his influence is still strong: Mark Noble, a lifelong supporter, wears the captain's armband, while the reason that James Tomkins, another academy product, has been sold to Crystal Palace for £10m is that Reece Burke and Reece Oxford are expected to challenge for places in Slaven Bilic's defence this season.
That is why the news of Carr's departure and £14,000 redundancy payoff has not gone down well with supporters, though it has been pointed out that he had been looked after in his less demanding new role, had a lucrative testimonial in 2009 and that Westley led the development squad to victory in the Under-21 Premier League Cup last season. However Carr is said to be unhappy that his departure has been dealt with by the human resources department instead of senior club officials and an ongoing process could certainly have been handled with greater delicacy.
Carr's standing with supporters is easy to understand. Having grown up in Bow and attended games as a fan when he was a boy, he joined the club as an associate schoolboy when he was 14 and signed on apprentice terms after leaving school a year later. England had just the won the World Cup and Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters were greeted as heroes at the training ground in Chadwell Heath.
However Carr did not make it as a player at West Ham. As a striker, Hurst was in his way, while Roger Byrne and Clyde Best were above him in the pecking order. He moved to Barnet in 1971 but his impact was minimal before he suffered the broken leg that changed his life. "I'd got a call completely out of the blue from John Lyall who said: 'I've got a little part time number going, John Dick's leaving,'" he said. "That was a part-time job in July 1973. It's just fate."
He would train the junior players on a part-time basis on Tuesday and Thursday nights, outside on the forecourts, on concrete, around a parked car if necessary. "Street football," Carr said.
He was Ronnie Boyce's assistant before becoming the boss in 1980. Paul Allen was his first claim to fame – "the anomaly with Paul was that he won an FA Cup medal in 1980 and an FA Youth Cup medal in 1981" – and the one who got away was John Terry, whose head was turned by Chelsea one summer.
"The bedrock of any club is to produce local players," Carr said. "The fans can identify with them. Most of the successes were local lads other than Michael Carrick, who was different, coming from the north east. You look at Rio – Peckham. Jermain Defoe – East End. Tony Cottee – Romford. Paul Ince – Barking."
As West Ham prepare for to move into the futuristic stadium that is supposed to lift them into the next level, they have said goodbye to a link with their past.
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Tony Carr urges West Ham to 'not let it end this way' after 'paltry' redundancy offer
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Former West Ham academy director Tony Carr wants to heal the rift between him and the club he served faithfully for more than four decades. West Ham fans are incensed by news today that Carr, who helped develop players worth £50million in sell-on value over 43 years, said he has been offered the minimum statutory redundancy payment of £14,000 after being told his role as a club ambassador was no longer full-time. Carr, a player at West Ham before injury cut short his career, has been instrumental in producing a blue-chip list of players, including Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole. "I don't want things to end this way but the facts are as presented today," said the 65-year-old. "West Ham have been a way of life more than a job for me for more than 40 years and the last thing I want is to feel bitter about how things have ended. "Yes, I did think that the offer made to me by the club was paltry but hopefully we can talk about this. I feel I have a lot more to offer the club."
Carr left his job as academy director in 2014 to be replaced by Terry Westley, who worked under West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold at Birmingham. Carr was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to football and granted a testimonial by the club a year earlier. He played a major role in the development of central defender James Tomkins, who was sold to Crystal Palace for £10m this summer and Reece Oxford, who has been valued at £18m by West Ham following interest by clubs, including Manchester United. Fans went online to spell out their anger and a group of supporters last night launched a crowd-funding appeal to match the £14,000 offered by the Hammers. The club were this morning preparing a statement but it is thought there could be room for further discussion.
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NK Domzale vs West Ham Europa League preview: Prediction, live, TV schedule, team news and betting odds
SAM LONG
Evening STandard
The majority of Premier League clubs are just beginning to step up their pre-season preparations but West Ham's campaign is set to get competitive on Thursday night. Slaven Bilic's side face a two-legged tie against Slovenian minnows NK Domzale as they attempt to secure their place in the Europa League group stages. The Hammers fell at this stage of the competition last term and will be keen to avoid a repeat with the chance to stage European football at the Olympic Stadium on the horizon. Several members of Bilic's squad who featured in the latter stages of Euro 2016 are unlikely to be called upon and there will little room for error for the Croatian manager in regards to team selection. The Europa League is often seen as an inconvenience on these shores but there is no reason why the Hammers should not take it seriously with a Champions League place on offer to the winner.
Date, time and venue
West ham face NK Domzale at the Domzale Sports Park on Thursday July 28. Kick-off is at 19:45.
Where & when to watch
The game will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2. Coverage stages at 19:30. Alternatively, you can follow the action on Standard Sport's blog.
Team news and probable line ups
Left-back Aaron Cressswell has been ruled out for up to four months after suffering knee ligament damage during the pre-season victory over Karlsruher SC. The Hammers could be forced to turn to youngster to replace the Englishman while Michail Antonio will be hopeful he has done enough to earn a start on the right-hand side. Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit have both excelled in pre-season and are expected to start while Ashley Fletcher could be given a chance to lead the line ahead of Andy Carroll.
What they're saying
Reece Oxford: "I made my debut in the Europa League last season, then played two or three more and that helped me go on and play the first game in the Premier League. "Hopefully I can do the same this summer. It would be good to be part of the squad to play in the first game at the new Stadium next week too."
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Tony Carr to receive £14,000 redundancy payment from West Ham despite 43 years of service... and earning club £50m profit
Tony Carr has brought through many stars at West Ham's academy
He has helped the club receive over £50million in transfer profits
Carr's exit was dealt by HR despite 43 years of service at West Ham
By CHARLES SALE FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 26 July 2016 | UPDATED: 00:08, 27 July 2016
West Ham academy legend Tony Carr has been left distraught by the club's decision to make him redundant after 43 years in which he has helped earn the Upton Park club a multi-million-pound profit in the transfer market. Carr's pupils include six England internationals - Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson - worth a combined £50m when they were sold on. Carr, 65, stands to receive the statutory minimum redundancy payment of £14,000. Another Carr graduate, James Tomkins, joined Crystal Palace this month for a fee of £10m and the latest West Ham starlet off Carr's production line, Reece Oxford, already has a price tag of around £18m on his head.
But Carr, who has spent less than a year in an ambassador role after being replaced as academy chief by Terry Westley from Birmingham City in 2014, was told that his position was no longer full time. He was offered a one-day role or the minimum redundancy payment of £14,000, which he has decided to accept. This is a scandalously low pay-off for a lifetime West Ham loyalist whose work since 1973 has helped earn the club such large sums in the transfer market. And West Ham's paltry pay-off to Carr comes when they will receive a minimum £100m in TV money this season. The club are moving into the publicly-funded Olympic Stadium, for which they are being charged a peppercorn £2.5m-a-year rent. Carr is also upset that his shoddy exit from West Ham has been handled entirely by the human resources department rather than anyone higher up in the club. Carr said: 'I'm very disappointed because I still feel I've got a lot to offer and West Ham has become a way of life for me after all these years. 'The way it was done with people from HR, who have been here hardly any time at all, was particularly disrespectful in my opinion. But that's the way of the world these days.' West Ham made no comment on Tuesday, although when Carr was made a short-lived ambassador, the club's joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold said: 'We are delighted Tony has accepted this exciting new position, which is fitting recognition for more than 40 years of service.'
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BREAKING NEWS: TONY CARR OFFERED REDUNDANCY AFTER 43 YEARS LOYAL SERVICE!
By S J Chandos 27 Jul 2016 at 01:25
WTID
Late yesterday evening the Mail Sports ran a story claiming that Tony Carr has been left distraught by the club's decision to offer him redundancy after 43 years loyal service, during which time he has earned the Hammers a multi-million profit on transfer fees. The piece points out that the combined incoming transfer fees from the sale of Rio Ferdinand, Frankie Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Jermaine Defoe and Glen Johnson amount to £50m! Yet, the club has allegedly imposed on Carr a harsh choice of a much reduced 1 day a week role or a a statutory minimum redundancy package of £14,000.
It appears that Tony Carr has decided to accept the £14,000 package, to break possibly the last surviving club link with the famous Ron Greenwood era of the 1960s and 1970s. And it has provided the Sports Mail with the perfect opportunity to engage in a bit of 'Hammers bashing.' with the piece arguing that a £14,000 pay off is scandalously low when one considers the following: the £100m minimum TV income this coming season and the 'fact' (in their words) that the club are 'moving in to the publicly owned Olympic Stadium, for which they are being charged a peppercorn rent of £2.5m per year.'
From the report, it would appear that Tony Carr is not only upset with the redundancy, but also the fact that his exit has been handled exclusively by the club's HR Department, rather than at a senior level. Indeed, Carr is quoted as stating that:
'I am very disappointed because I still feel that I have a lot to offer and West Ham has become a way of life for me after all these years. The way it has been done with people from HR, who have been here hardly any time at all, was particularly disrespectful in my opinion. But that is the way of the world these days.'
As of Tuesday evening, the club had not made a comment in response, but the article quotes David Gold, at the time of Carr's appointment as a club Ambassador, saying: 'We are delighted that Tony has accepted this exciting new position, which is a fitting recognition for more than 40 years service.'
Well, that may well have been the case, but it also begs the question: what has changed so radically in the short period of time since David Gold made that statement? One must also seriously question whether HR staff would undertake such an action without the prior approval of a person(s) at a suitably senior level. Moreover, it is a huge PR own goal, which was totally avoidable. And it serves to seriously undermine the many positive developments at the the club. The Sports Mail article needs a response from the joint-Chairmen of the club. If it is true (which it would seem to be from Carr's quotes), was this issue discussed at senior/board room level and who instructed the HR staff to pursue this course of action? Why has such a loyal and successful club servant been treated in such an unacceptable fashion?
I have always been largely supportive of the current board, their plans to stabilise the club and move to the Olympic Stadium. They have done a good job salvaging the club from the Icelandic era financial crisis and moving it forward to where we find ourselves today. But, at the end of the day, it must always be about being a 'critical friend' and reserving the right to constructively challenge and criticise as necessary.
As such, the club would be well-advised to apologise to Tony Carr and restore him forthwith to his former role as a club Ambassador. In the past (under former regimes) the club has allowed schisms to form with such club legends as Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds. This present board has done much to compensate for past mistakes and try to heal old divisions, recognising Moore's iconic status as our greatest player, working closely with the Moore family/charities and bringing Billy Bonds back in to the West Ham fold. So, it would be ironic and deeply counter-productive if they were to now let a similar type of rift form between the club and Tony Carr. The club really should avoid treading that path once again!
SJ. Chandos.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
When and where?
NK Domzale v West Ham United
UEFA Europa League Third Qualifying Round First Leg
Thursday 28 July 2016, 8.45pm CEST (7.45pm BST)
Stadion Stozice, Ljubljana
What's the story?
West Ham United's European adventure begins on Thursday with the first leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie against NK Domzale of Slovenia. The Hammers qualified for the competition after finishing seventh in the Premier League, earning an eighth participation in European football in the process. With a European Cup Winners' Cup victory under their belts in 1965, and a final appearance in the same tournament eleven years later, West Ham boast a proud record in Europe. Their opponents on Thursday, NK Domzale, earned their place in the Europa League by finishing third in their domestic league last term.
Founded in 1921, they are one of Slovenia's oldest football clubs and have twice won the national title, in 2006/07 and 2007/08. So far in their run this term they have defeated Lusitans of Andorra – who West Ham beat in the first qualifying round last season – and Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk. They are also two games into their league campaign, and currently sit third in the table with four points.
Team news
West Ham will be without left back Aaron Cresswell, who faces a period of up to four months out after suffering a knee injury in the friendly victory over Karlsruher SC on Saturday.
Dimitri Payet, James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna are out due to their participation in the latter stages of Euro 2016, while Manuel Lanzini has suffered a knee problem on international duty with Argentina. New signings Sofiane Feghouli, Gokhan Tore and Havard Nordtveit could make their first competitive appearances for the Club, while Reece Oxford joined up with the group this week after appearing for England at the UEFA U19 Championships in Germany.
Any links between the two?
No direct links, but Adrian spent his formative years at Real Betis with Domzale defender Alvaro Brachi. The Seville-born right back is a year older than the Hammers stopper and appeared for the Club's B and C teams before moving on in 2007. He joined Domzale earlier this year after a spell in Hungary with Videoton.
How to get to the game
Click here for a map showing the Stadion Stozice's location.
How can I watch the game?
The match will be broadcast in the UK on BT Sport 2. Their coverage will begin at 7.30pm BST. You can also listen to live commentary right here on whufc.com, as well as following with live stats, pictures and more on our Match Centre and Social channels.
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West Ham United Statement
WHUFC.com
West Ham United can confirm that Tony Carr has left the Club with immediate effect after his two-year contract as Club Ambassador came to an end.
Tony took on the role of Ambassador after departing his long-term position as Academy Director, with both the Club and Tony wanting to ensure that he retained a full-time position and salary beyond his 65th birthday, before beginning to receive his pension.
As a gesture of gratitude for the outstanding service Tony has given the Club, the current owners of West Ham United granted him a Testimonial match at The Boleyn Ground and Tony retained all profits from this game.
Tony was offered new terms this summer to continue his Ambassadorial role on a part-time basis, however, he declined the opportunity.
Tony will forever be held in the highest regard by everyone at West Ham United FC for his outstanding service to the Club and he will always be welcome at the new stadium, where his achievements are rightly remembered in the Academy Bar.
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Slaven Speaks - NK Domzale
WHUFC.com
Manager confirms strong team will take on Slovenian side
Hammers keen to hit the ground running in UEFA Europa League
Bilic sure Hammers are well-prepared for European competition
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is sure his team can make an impact in European competition this season, ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa League opener against NK Domzale.
The Hammers take on the Slovenian side in the third qualifying round, with four games standing between Bilic's men and the group stages.
After a month-long training block in the lead-up to the game, Bilic is pleased with his team's progress and is looking forward to the test that awaits on the pitch.
Slaven, can we start with team news for the game please?
SB: "We have been in pre-season for four or five weeks now and it has gone well. The lads have trained really hard and in a quality way so we're happy with that. The new players are also starting to gel with the team, and with the group that we have – and with Mark as the leader – it's easy to gel.
"We have two blows in terms of injuries, with Manuel Lanzini and with Cress in the last game. It's a big blow for us, of course, but hopefully they are going to be back soon. We still have to wait for Manuel, when he comes back from the States where he was with the Argentina Olympic team, to see how bad it is.
"We are still waiting for a few players who were at the Euros until basically the end too, so we've been training with 70 or 80 per cent of the squad that we are expecting to have in the Premier League.
"We have played a few games, some have been really good, and we are looking forward to tomorrow. We are ready, and we are going to come out with the best possible team. All the guys are fit, apart from the ones that I mentioned.
"Reece Oxford joined us from the Euro U19 Championships, he's fit also and we're looking forward to Thursday night's game."
What are you expecting from the opposition on Thursday?
SB: "The opposition is good. I've seen a couple of games they have played against Shakhtyor Soligorsk and they are very organised. They are a very brave team when they have the ball in the opposition half, they are trying to play very open football, a modern type of football, with a lot of pressing, good ball possession and running behind the defence without the ball.
"On that level they impressed me, so we are expecting a really tough game on Thursday."
Of the new signings, are they likely to start on Thursday and what impression have they made?
SB: "They have made a really good impression and some of them will start, definitely. If you are talking about Feghouli, if you are talking about Nordtveit, they started when we started because they didn't have international football this summer. They are really quality players and they are what we expected from them.
"Of course they are going to get better and better, but already it is obvious that they are going to improve our squad and make a huge impact on the quality of our game, as well as Tore, who came a little bit after.
"He is also ready and fit and, as I said, we didn't buy just for the sake of buying and just to make our squad bigger. We wanted to buy quality players and I'm sure that we've got them."
Last year you came into this competition at the very start. This year you're a couple of rounds in, so will that make a difference?
SB: "It will probably. It's not that last year we didn't want to qualify, we wanted to. We didn't want to compromise the Premier League and compromise the preparation that we were in.
"We started in a funny way, very early with one team still on holiday and the other team training in Ireland. We went to Andorra [for the first qualifying round] and the second group went to Ireland. This year the opportunity was there to start at the time we wanted to start anyway, with or without the qualification games.
"We've had one, and only one, group and we have been together for a year. They know what I am expecting from them, me and my staff know the squad much better and we really want to qualify."
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Striker has goals on the mind
WHUFC.com
Young striker Sam Ford has goals on the mind ahead of Wednesday's Dev Squad match
The side face PEC Zwolle – a Dutch top division outfit – in a pre-season friendly
Training in the Netherlands has been good for the squad, Ford explains
Scoring goals is the main objective, revealed young Hammers striker Sam Ford ahead of his side's opening fixture on tour in the Netherlands. West Ham United's Development Squad face Dutch team PEC Zwolle – an Eredivisie side who finished eighth last season – on Wednesday as part of their trip to Holland. And Ford, who signed for the Club last campaign from Ipswich Town, has his eyes firmly set on the task in hand. "Scoring goals is obviously what is going to win us the game," he said. "That's the main objective. It helps, of course, but also whatever I can do to help the team and be beneficial is good, too. "All the boys are excited for the game. It's what we've come for. We got to train yesterday and train today, and did a little gym session, but everyone's excited to get on the pitch and show what we can do. "We've heard [Zwolle] are a good team and hopefully it's a good battle, but we hope we can step our game up and be just as good as them and hopefully win."
The youngsters have been working hard in the Dutch heat and are staking their individual claims for starting spots when the competitive campaign begins. And 18-year-old Ford is keen to impress while under the watchful eye of Academy Director and Dev Squad boss Terry Westley. "We've been told that the pressure is on to be in the team for the starting game of the season, and time is ticking for the end of pre-season to get into that team," he continued. "There is a little bit of pressure on us but some of the boys just get on with it and train and express ourselves to show what we can do. "Training sessions have been hard because it has been hot, but I don't think I have done too badly. Hopefully I can get in the team and play on Wednesday and Saturday."
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Sir Geoff inspires east London youngsters
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United Foundation welcomed guest of honour Sir Geoff Hurst to the finals of the Barking and Dagenham Schools' World Cup. In the week which ends with the 50th anniversary of England's famous FIFA World Cup triumph of 1966 – clinched thanks to the Hammers striker's perfect hat-trick – Sir Geoff returned to east London. The event, which celebrated the achievement of the Borough's legendary former residents Sir Alf Ramsey, Bobby Moore and Sir Geoff, saw 16 local primary and junior schools represent the nations which competed in England five decades ago. Sir Geoff watched on as Valence Primary School from Dagenham – representing Switzerland – defeated Five Elms Primary – representing Nigeria – 5-1 in the final to lift the trophy. The Academy of Football graduate, who netted 24 times for England and scored 249 goals during a sparking career in Claret and Blue, spoke of his pride at returning to the Borough to mark the golden anniversary of his – and England's – greatest moment. "Winning the World Cup was such an incredible moment in my life and I am delighted to join the families of Barking and Dagenham to celebrate that achievement 50 years on," he said. "This Borough has produced many talented players in the past, including my old friend Bobby Moore."
Hurst, Dagenham-born Three Lions manager Ramsey and Barking-born and raised captain Bobby Moore combined to inspire the national side to its unrivalled World Cup success. It was for this reason that Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, thought it important to celebrate 50 years on. "Barking and Dagenham played a massive part in England winning the 1966 World Cup and it is important that we continue to celebrate this," said Rodwell. "Every child who has participated in the Barking and Dagenham Schools' World Cup will have dreamt about winning the World Cup for England and it is great to have someone like Sir Geoff, who has done so, joining us at the event."
Joe Lyons, West Ham United Foundation Chief Executive, said that it was fitting for the Club's community arm to play its role in such a fitting event. "It seems only right for the West Ham United Foundation to partner with Barking and Dagenham Council, and the other organisations involved, to deliver a fitting tribute to the community and the momentous occasion in 1966," said Lyons. "Hopefully, Sir Geoff Hurst's achievements can inspire them to reach for the stars and dream of going on to achieve the World Cup in whatever passion they follow in life."
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Hammers to enter EFL Trophy
WHUFC.com
West Ham United to field team in EPL Trophy for the first time in 2016/17
Revamped competition will involve 16 invited Premier League and Championship clubs
Invited clubs will field sides with a mixture of first-team and Academy players
West Ham United will field a team in the 2016/17 EFL Trophy. The tournament, which traditionally involves clubs from the third and fourth tiers of the Football League pyramid, has been revamped for the new season to include sides representing EPPP (Elite Player Performance Plan) Category One Academies. The Hammers, who won the U21 Premier League Cup last season, took up an invitation from the EFL (English Football League) and will go into the 64-team draw on Wednesday. The Club's Academy Director Terry Westley is excited for the challenge of fielding a team in the competiton and thinks it will be a new type of test for his players. He said: "We've been trying to be involved in this for a long time. We thought it was a competition we believed we could get accepted into and now it's happened. "It's important for us to take part and show our support to the Premier League. It will be tough though, for sure, but it's exciting to be involved. "The first round is during the international break, so young players will get a chance. But we're in the competition, we're looking forward to seeing who the draw pits us against and we'll put the strongest team out we can once we know when the games are. "It's certainly challenging, but it's a real good test for the players that are going to be involved."
EFL Chief Executive Shaun Harvey said the changes to the competition are aimed at helping young players to develop by playing high-level competitive first-team matches. "The new format is intended to rejuvenate this competition and also assist the development of the very best young players in English football," said Harvey. "This will help us deliver more and better home-grown players which will deliver benefits to the national team and domestic league football at all levels."
To generate more interest in the EFL Trophy, organisers have introduced a host of new features. Competing clubs will be entered into 16 four-team groups organised on a regionalised basis, with the top two in each group qualifying for the knockout stages. Each group will include at least one invited club and at least one club from each of Leagues One and Two. Clubs will play each other once, either home or away. Excitement is guaranteed as clubs will be awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw. In the event of a drawn game after 90 minutes, a penalty shootout will be held with the winning team earning an additional point. West Ham are expected to field teams consisting of a mixture of experienced players and promising youngsters, with the competition's rules requiring that each participant name five 'first-team' players and six aged 21 or under. Group-stage fixtures will be played in weeks commencing 29 August, 3 October and 7 November 2016, with the knockout stages starting in early December. The final will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 2 April 2017.
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Redknapp - West Ham is in great shape
WHUFC.com
Harry Redknapp came through the ranks at the Academy of Football before making 175 appearances for West Ham United as a winger between 1965-72. He returned to the Club as manager between 1994-2001 A close friend of Bobby Moore, he took part in the English Heritage Blue Plaque ceremony for his late teammate in Barking...
Hello everyone,
As a teammate and friend of the great Bobby Moore, I was honoured to be invited to take part in the unveiling of a British Heritage Blue Plaque in his honour at 43 Waverley Gardens in Barking. That house was where the greatest footballer ever was brought up and it's great. I'm glad he's been recognised and they've put up the Blue Plaque – it's lovely.
I never met anyone who could come anywhere near Bobby as a player or as a person, he was an incredible man. When you think he captained West Ham at 21 it shows you – if you're in the team at 21 nowadays, as I said when I spoke at the ceremony people think you have done well – how great he had done. We're not talking about captaining a Third or Fourth Division team, West Ham was full of great players and always has had great players. Bobby was special – he was the best player, the best person, the best everything, really.
West Ham is a big club, make no mistake, and has been one of the best clubs in the country for many years and with the move to the new Stadium, it's going to make them even bigger. There is no reason why they can't be a top-four or top-five team in years to come. I think this move can take West Ham all the way. They're going to have 60,000 fans there every week and they'll fill it because people don't realise the fanbase West Ham have. People said 'They only get 30-odd thousand', but that's because the stadium only held 30-odd thousand!
Now, you've got a 60,000 stadium and have sold 50-odd thousand Season Tickets and could probable have sold another 15,000 if they had them. The potential is just amazing.
We're all sorry to see Upton Park go. I left school just before my 15th birthday and we used to pain the terraces. We had the best time of our lives, all local boys from the East End of London who grew up there. The sight and sound of the wooden Chicken Run swaying to the sound of 'Bubbles' is one of the most moving sights in football in my opinion, up there with the singing of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' at Liverpool. It's one of the most iconic places in football and I'm sorry to see them leave but to move forward it had to be done. It was a great move for the Club and for the fans who want to go and see their team play.
It's a lovely team now, too, and Slaven Bilic has done great. I signed Slaven as a player and he's done fantastic and West Ham have got big players. Dimitri Payet is the leader of the pack now and he's a fantastic talent, but they've got lots of good players. They've also people like Mark Noble who is the heartbeat of the Club and has been there since he was a kid. The Club is in great shape, has great support and it's a great Football Club, so let's hope they have another fantastic season.
Harry
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of West Ham United
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Legends tour Hammers' new home
WHUFC.com
West Ham United legends invited to tour the Club's new London Stadium home
Greats given personal introduction by Vice-Chairman Karren Brady
FA Cup winners, Academy graduates and descendants of Club heroes in attendance
As West Ham United's fans eagerly await their first visit to the magnificent London Stadium next week, some very special guests have taken an advance look at what lies in store.
West Ham Vice-Chairman Karren Brady today welcomed players involved in the Club's greatest triumphs – and the families of other West Ham legends – to the luxurious Club London hospitality facilities in the West Stand of the new Stadium, to show them how their achievements for West Ham are being commemorated within its walls.
Attendees included 1964 FA Cup winners Peter Brabrook, Jack Burkett and Eddie Bovington, 1975 FA Cup heroes, Alan Taylor and Pat Holland, 1980 winners Phil Parkes, Alan Devonshire and Geoff Pike and the goal-scoring spearhead of The Boys of '86, Tony Cottee.
Also among the honoured guests were close relatives of Club legends Bobby Moore and John Lyall Academy pioneer Ted Fenton, the much-missed Dylan Tombides and the goal-scoring hero of West Ham's 1965 European Cup Winners' Cup triumph, Alan Sealey.
In her welcoming speech, the Vice-Chairman Brady told the assembled guests how essential it was that the feats of all those present, and all who have been lost, were remembered for generations to come.
"For us, it was imperative that we used this spectacular space to celebrate West Ham's glorious heritage and history, and the legends who have made their indelible mark on the Club," she explained. "In doing so, we pay homage to the rich roots of our famous Football Club and ensure that your distinguished service is forever honoured at the home of West Ham United."
A reception for the guests was held in The Arnold Hills, named in honour of the visionary figure who founded Thames Ironworks Football Club back in 1895, and Ms Brady was especially pleased to welcome a number of his descendants to be present.
"I think Mr Hills would be very proud of his legacy", the Vice-Chairman said, "and I would like to think he would be proud of the Club today. He told his players to put in every ounce of effort on the pitch, and for me, my Chairmen and my staff, that is our philosophy off the pitch as well.
"That is the attitude we showed in our determined quest to be chosen to make this iconic Stadium our home. And that is the attitude we have shown in striving to turn it into one of the very best in world football; a Stadium made to match the ambitions of our fantastic and loyal supporters.
"But before they see it for the first time, we were absolutely determined that as many of you as possible should have the opportunity to come and see the Stadium and Club London for yourselves. My goal was for us to offer a luxury experience here that will rival the very best hospitality facilities in world sport, and I hope you will agree it looks the part.
"And for me, Club London also symbolises our journey as a Football Club. It is cutting-edge, it is dynamic. It's world-class. It is the symbol of a Club that is moving forward at pace, with ambitions to compete at the very top of European football.
"But look at the legendary figures and historic moments commemorated on these walls and you can also see that we are a Club which will always remain proud of our heritage, true to our roots and dedicated to doing the best for our fans."
West Ham supporters who want to see Club London for themselves, visit the players' new changing rooms, and see all the other behind-the-scenes attractions at the London Stadium can sign up for a Stadium tour here. Tours will begin from 12 August and – given already very high demand – we would urge fans to sign up as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
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Important Europa League ticket update
WHUFC.com
Ahead of West Ham United's historic first fixture under the lights at London Stadium on Thursday 4 August, we are pleased to report that the accelerated process to move the retractable seats is going extremely well.
The Club have been working tirelessly with Stadium owners E20 Stadium LLP to ensure that Season Ticket Holders have access to their chosen seasonal seat as early as possible.
The repositioning of the lower tiers on three sides of the Stadium began on Sunday in readiness for the Stadium's maiden European fixture, the visit of Slovenian outfit NK Domzale in the return leg of the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
Given the proximity of the recent Anniversary Games, the timing of the seat move was always likely to prove tight and there was a degree of uncertainty surrounding what was going to be ready when.
Thanks to a great deal of hard work on our part and that of our partners E20 Stadium LLP, Blocks 102-103 and 109-114 in the Stadium's West Stand are already in their final, football mode, and so Season Ticket Holders in those Blocks are now able to secure their seats via www.eticketing.co.uk/whufc.
The Club is giving them a 24-hour priority window to do so, ending at 5pm on Thursday 28 July, after which any remaining seats will go on sale to Claret Members.
The Club fully expect a number of other seating blocks to become available in the coming days and all developments will be publicised on whufc.com as and when they happen.
Season Ticket Holders will also be contacted via email with the very latest developments, including information of when the priority window will close for their particular Block. Club London Members should note that they will be contacted separately in due course.
FAQs
How is the relocation of the retractable seating coming along?
The relocation of the retractable seating is making good progress in a very tight time window between the Anniversary Games and West Ham United's UEFA Europa League third qualifying round second leg tie with NK Domzale on Thursday 4 August.
What about the seating blocks which are not yet available?
The Club will make seats available for Season Ticket Holders to purchase as and when they are in place. Season Ticket Holders will receive an email when this occurs, including information of when the priority window will close for their particular Block.
I am a Season Ticket Holder and have already bought a seat elsewhere in the Stadium. Can I move to my regular Premier League Season Ticket seat?
Due to the complexity of ticket sales for this fixture and the short timeframe available for a Claret Members sale and General Sale to take place, supporters will not be able to relocate from previously purchased seats on this occasion.
I am a Club London member. What do I do?
Club London members will be contacted directly by the Club's Corporate Sales team.
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Young Hammers play out 3-3 thriller
WHUFC.com
PEC Zwolle 3-3 Dev Squad
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday 27 July, 2016
The Development Squad showed their fight and spirit once again on Wednesday as they recovered from going two goals down to record a 3-3 draw with PEC Zwolle.
The youngsters, who are currently on pre-season tour in the Netherlands, started slowly in Arnhem but finished the better side and could have even nicked a winner late on.
Inside two minutes, the Hammers went one down when a free-kick was smashed into Sam Howes' top corner and the hosts piled on the misery a quarter of an hour later as they converted a second.
Sam Ford halved the deficit five minutes before the break with a tidy finish, but with just 60 seconds left of the opening period, another loose ball in the penalty area was put away by the Dutchmen.
But Terry Westley's young team came out battling in the second half, and almost instantly, Joe Powell made it 3-2 from the penalty spot after Jahmal Hector-Ingram had been bundled over.
The latter then, just eleven minutes later, turned home a cross from the right-hand-side to cap a great move and draw the Hammers deservedly level.
Despite not being able to add a winner, West Ham will now go into Saturday's clash against partner club VVV Venlo with confidence after a strong second 45 minutes.
Early, however, the side were left rueing their lack of concentration as they fell behind so quickly. There was nothing keeper Howes could do with Zwolle's 20-yard direct free-kick though, which was superbly angled home by Chris Dagaghian.
The visitors struggled to get a foothold in the game, and Noha Sylvestre's clever forward pass which just evaded the run of Hector-Ingram was the closest the Claret and Blues came to making it 1-1.
On 17 minutes, Zwolle made it two. Howes was on hand to deny the first effort struck inside the box, but he was again helpless as Milo Witteveen smashed home the rebound.
Niggles for a number of West Ham players made things more difficult for the away team, as Rosaire Longelo and Anthony Scully were both substituted, but there was joy on 40 minutes.
Ford – nipping in to intercept a lacklustre pass across the back four – turned on the speed to race away from the defence and cleverly turn past the keeper with his left foot.
Frustratingly, however, the Hammers fell asleep again at the back, as it was this time from the left where Zwolle capitalised, Bas van Wijnen turning past Howes for 3-1.
But there was a clear determination in the second period from West Ham, and they found a way back into the game five minutes after the break.
Powell – lively throughout – sent the goalkeeper the wrong way from 12 yards after Hector-Ingram was fouled following a great move, and the visitors bettered that on 61 minutes.
The majority of the Hammers' team enjoyed a touch of the ball and, as it eventually found Matt Carter, Hector-Ingram was able to get something on the full-back's cross to make it 3-3.
With ten minutes remaining, Powell had his side's best opportunity to grab the winner, but his free-kick was curled over the crossbar.
And so it finished level – probably fairly – in Holland, leaving the Hammers with two days to reflect upon the performance and prepare for their Saturday test vs. VVV Venlo.
PEC Zwolle Squad: Mike Hauptmeyer (GK), Dean Bredewolt (GK), Pim ten Have, Tarik Evre, Josef Kvida, Mark Bruintjes, Bas van Wijnen, Steyn den Ark, Luuk Slegt, Jochem van Putten, Max de Boom, Milo Witteveen, Chris Dagaghian, Nicky Goquadze, Serge Fatima
Dev Squad: Sam Howes, Matt Carter, Jake Eggleton (Mason Barrett 76), Tunji Akinola, Rosaire Longelo (Ben Wells 22), Kristjian Belic (Conor Coventry 53), Noha Sylvestre, Joe Powell, Anthony Scully (Janaai Gordon 22), Sam Ford (Dan Kemp 63), Jahmal Hector-Ingram (Alfie Lewis 71).
Unused subs: Nathan Trott
Goals: Ford 40, Powell 50, Hector-Ingram 61
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Carr row rumbles on
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United FC have released a statement regarding Tony Carr's departure from the club.
The club posted their account shortly after 5pm this evening (Wednesday), nearly 24 hours after the initial brouhaha regarding Carr's exit was made public by the Mail Online.
"West Ham United can confirm that Tony Carr has left the Club with immediate effect after his two-year contract as Club Ambassador came to an end," read the statement.
"Tony took on the role of Ambassador after departing his long-term position as Academy Director, with both the Club and Tony wanting to ensure that he retained a full-time position and salary beyond his 65th birthday, before beginning to receive his pension."
"As a gesture of gratitude for the outstanding service Tony has given the Club, the current owners of West Ham United granted him a Testimonial match at The Boleyn Ground and Tony retained all profits from this game."
"Tony was offered new terms this summer to continue his Ambassadorial role on a part-time basis, however, he declined the opportunity."
Later, following criticism of the Board throughout the day, the son of co-owner David Sullivan took to his brother's website, the West Ham Way, to reveal further details behind Carr's departure.
And he insisted that the lack of players emerging from the Academy in recent seasons was uppermost in the Board's mind when making the decision to part company with Carr.
"We have respected Tony Carr as a great servant for the last 43 years and I personally am very sad he has felt the need to go the press about what is essentially his retirement," wrote Sullivan.
"Tony has earned over £1.6million since 2005. Many fans are not aware of this figure and I think it is hard to argue that this isn't a fair wage and that he was not underpaid.
"Nothing had come out of the Academy since James Tomkins made his debut in 2008 and was the last Academy player to get into and maintain a place in the first team. This left six years between 2008 and 2014 where Tony unfortunately brought no players through.
"Much like in any job or career the past has to be ignored and what becomes important is the future and it was clear a change had to be made."
However that didn't go down particularly well with a number of supporters - whilst a KUMB source, speaking on behalf of Carr, reiterated his message that salary and remuneration were not the issue.
"TC spoke to the press as he felt that he had been mistreated. He waited in limbo for almost a month for the Board to reply [to his personal phone calls], only to find out by letter that the redundancy was all they were going to offer.
"Having been there 43 years and some , i think he was hurt and upset that it was going to end that way. He did not want it to end as he feels he still has a lot to give on a part time basis (coaching and scouting) and was a difficult pill to swallow that the current owners obviously thought very differently.
"I would also point out West Ham sold Anton Ferdinand for £8m in 2008 and during the years 2008-14 we had Freddie Sears, Junior Stanislas and Jack Collison along with our current captain Mark Noble and James Tomkins.
"It would be interesting to see how Sullivan Jnr would value Mark Noble's contribution to the first team between 2008-14 in monetary terms.
"But to stress, it's not about the money or even the job. Tony was the last true link to the Lyall and Greenwood days; he was coached by them and trained by them.
"For it to end in such a manner after 43 years and all the undoubted achievements he has had with West Ham was soul destroying for him."
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27/07/16 – LUNCHTIME NEWS ROUND-UP
BY BRIAN KNOX ON 27 JULY 2016 AT 1:28PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Gomez to make decision on next move –
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Mario Gomez wants to make the decision on where he plays his football this up coming season, amidst interest from West Ham, Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund. The German international striker has already confirmed that he will not return to Besiktas this season due to the civil unrest in the country. It is widely believed that Mario has requested to miss Fiorentina's training camp on Austria so that he can make his decision.
Two Swedes and a Dutchman in the mix to replace Cresswell? –
According to various sources, there seems to be three names that are at the top of Slaven Bilic's list to cover for the unfortunate Hammers left-back Aaron Cresswell who will miss the next 3-4 months through injury. They include Norwich left back Martin Olsson, his Swedish compatriot Ludwig Augustinsson at FC Copenhagen and former Manchester United fullback, Alexander Buttner.
Milan want Bacca situation sorted by the end of July –
Reports in Italy seem to indicate that Milan want the Bacca deal done by the end of the month, otherwise they will remove him from the transfer list. Carlos' delay in making a decision on his future is seriously hampering Montella's efforts in the transfer market as they have deals lined up to sign players but cannot move until they sell Bacca.
Calleri move edges closer –
According to the Evening Standard and our very own ExWHUEmployee, the club hope to finalise the loan deal for the young Argentinian star within the next few days. Various reports yesterday claimed he was on his way to the club to complete the deal.
Football League Trophy Draw –
West Ham U21's have been drawn in the Southern Group D and will face Coventry City, Wycombe Wanderers and Northampton Town
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Shame on you West Ham as Carr sacked by post
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th July 2016
By: Staff Writer
Fans have flocked to the KUMB Forum this morning to hammer West Ham after it was revealed club legend Tony Carr had been laid off by the club. The 65-year-old former Academy director, who raised in the region of £100million for West Ham through sales of players like Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole during his tenure has been dismissed after 50 years' service for which he was paid just £14,000 - the statutory minimum redundancy payment. And former Club Ambassador Carr - who was notified of his dismissal BY POST - believes he has effectively been forced him out of the club after he refused to reduce his working week from five days to just one. "This has been two years in the making and done over a slow period of time to force him out of his role," a source close to Carr told KUMB. "But the club showed its class by not even speaking to him personally in the end and chucked him over to HR. "The Ambassador role was a PR stunt of sort, but in reality is was a step to force him out as that contract was a revolving six month contract which they could end pretty easy . "His decision to let the Mail run the story - which is true - is because he is hopeful he may get a new job offer. He's not ready to retire just yet."
Reaction to the news that Carr has effectively been forced out of West Ham was naturally critical of the club - and especially vice chairman Karren Brady who, it is believed, was behind the decision. "This man's contribution to the club cannot not be underestimated," wrote KUMB member Pigiron. "He is as much a club legend as some of the players he's mentored. "He deserves to have his name emblazoned somewhere in the new stadium in recognition to his loyalty, service and success. The Daves need to publicly apologise to TC OBE."
Simply Moore was equally angry and called the £14,000 pay-off "a joke". "This is an absolute disgrace," he said. "To not give TC the most golden of parachutes for all he has done for the club is a complete slap in the face. "How much value would he have added over the years? £14k is a joke, that's the cost of fuel for one of David Gold's chopper trips!"
And for TOMoS, Carr's dismissal is just the latest example of the club treating its notable figures dreadfully. "West Ham have a History of classless behaviour," he said. "Bobby Moore, John Lyall, Billy Bonds, now Tony Carr. Will they ever learn? "I can understand it coming from Lady Brady who only very recently pocketed £1million for her part in moving to the Olympic Stadium, but surely Gold and Sullivan would have had knowledge of this? Yet they let it happen."
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Carr row leaves Brady at odds with fanbase again
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 27th July 2016
By: Staff Writer #2
The treatment of club legend Tony Carr is, according to many supporters, an absolute disgrace. But should anyone really be surprised? Sadly, West Ham have a long and dark history of treating their legends like shit.
Bobby Moore, who would have been the greatest Club Ambassador in the world was once kicked out of the Boleryn Ground as he hadn't paid for a match day ticket. Billy Bonds didn't set foot inside the Boleyn for nigh on 20 years whilst the Lyall and Greenwood families had their complementary season tickets revoked following the passing of Ron and John.
And now it has been revealed that former Academy supremo Tony Carr - whose blood, sweat and tears have raised millions upon millions of pounds for the club - has been sacked off with a negligible redundancy package worth just £14,000; an absolute insult to a man who single-handedly earned West Ham the 'Academy of Football' tag.
However more insidious than that - at least as far as Carr is concerned - is the manner in which his dismissal came about, from being shunted into an Ambassadorial role so that Terry Westley (whose wife, incidentally, happens to be good friends with Karren Brady) could take the Academy role to being offered just one days' work per week.
At the centre of the row over Carr's departure is vice-chairman Brady, who his supporters claim is responsible for treating him in what they perceive to be an appalling manner. This of course is just the latest occasion in which Brady has been at odds with the overwhelming majority of the club's fanbase.
Things didn't get off to a great start for Brady at West Ham when KUMB revealed how one of the first tasks she had undertaken after joining the club was to order the withdrawal of a number of complementary season tickets as a means to save money.
Which, on the face of it, seems perfectly fine - although not so fine perhaps when you discover the former beneficiaries were the immediate families of Ron Greenwood and John Lyall (including wife Yvonne and son Murray), who would now have to pay to enter the ground in future.
Avram Grant, who was hired then subsequently fired by Brady in the players' tunnel at Wigan following a 3-2 defeat that condemned the club to relegation in May 2011 also had plenty to say about her perceived interference during his (brief) tenure and often complained about her tabloid newspaper column, which he claimed was the source of several personal attacks.
Not that Brady has ever been too concerned by those critical of her weekly appearance in the Sun - for in May 2011 she told Hammers fans critical of her decision to miss a match at Manchester City in order to attend her daughter's 15th birthday party to "bog off"!
That was the first of many run-ins for Brady - and her family - with the club's supporters. Things almost turned nasty during a return trip from the aforementioned defeat at Wigan when her husband, Paul Peschisolido had to be physically-restrained from attacking one supporter on a train.
Later that year, Brady came under further (friendly) fire from fans after she claimed the East End had long been "a hotbed of racism" before claiming that former striker Clyde Best used to be regularly greeted by a hail of bananes from home fans - an account later dimissed as fanciful by Best himself.
In 2012 Brady once again fell foul of West Ham supporters when she was at the heart of a drive to renege on a 20 per cent season ticket discount which had been promised by the club's previous administration. In the end it took a sustained effort from KUMB.com and a handful of individuals to persuade West Ham to do the right thing.
There were further rumblings of discontent last year when it was announced that Ms Brady has been granted a £1million bonus for winning the battle to move West Ham to Stratford's Olympic Stadium.
Her insistance that 85 per cent of Hammers fans had wanted the move was also dismissed as a flight of fancy by some supporters, who later produced evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile her suggestion that the club should consider changing its name to 'West Ham Olympic' as a result of the impending move also caused a bit of a stir.
In 2014, Brady was made a Baroness (of Knightsbridge) and a Conservative life peer. Whilst her political leanings have long caused ripples at the club - such as her public backing for the end of tax credits which would have negatively affected thousands of working-class West Ham fans - the club's £12,500 donation to the Tory party in May 2016 causesd a major furore.
And that donation has been brought back into the spotlight this week with the news that West Ham/Brady sanctioned a payment of just £2,000 more for Tony Carr's meagre redundancy package, which equates to roughly £300 for every year of service Carr has given to the club.
Yes, just £14,500 is the value Brady and the club placed upon Carr, whose players - such as Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Glenn Johnson - have raised in the region of £100million in the last 20 years.
The widespread condemnation which greeted the news of Carr's untimely exit should be the cause of great embarrassment for the club's Board, who have made great noises about righting the wrongs of the past only to continue to make exactly the same mistakes.
And whilst David Gold and Brady do what they generally do when critcised publicly over failed club policy - ie ignore all criticism and pretend nothing's happening - credit should go to young Jack Sullivan, who insisted last night that he would be taking the matter up with his father, co-owner David.
Either way, once again Baroness Brady - who only yesterday represented the club at the unveiling of a plaque in honour of Bobby Moore - finds herself at odds with the West Ham fanbase. As she has been, consistently, for much of the six years she has spent at the club.
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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TONY CARR-A DIFFERENT VIEW-BY DAVID SULLIVAN JNR
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 27 JULY 2016 AT 4:33PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Just to be clear these are the views of David Sullivan Jnr and NOT those of The WestHamWay.co.uk, West Ham United or any of their employees.
After reading the headline in the Daily Mail I think that it is only fair that you hear the other side and the complete figures relative to the Tony Carr story. We have respected Tony Carr as a great servant for the last 43 years and I personally am very sad he has felt the need to go the press about what is essentially his retirement. It is worth noting Tony Carr is 66 years old, most men in the UK retire at age 65. So essentially he is just retiring. Tony also has a substantial pension, we cannot disclose the amount but I assure you that Tony is being very well provided for by the club. So this £14,000 really is not what it seems.
Tony has earned over £1.6 Million since 2005. Many fans are not aware of this figure and I think it is hard to argue that this isn't a fair wage and that he was not underpaid. He received hundreds of thousands of pounds from the testimonial we organised for him (which was a thank you for his service to the club) and when we brought Terry Westley in we gave Tony a 2 year fixed ambassadorial role at £210,000. As I said earlier he is now 66. These are the facts which make the £14,000 seem insignificant and I don't see why these are not made public if the £14,000 was.
The main focus of the academy is to produce players of a high quality. Nothing had come out of the academy since Tomkins. James made his debut in 2008 and was the last academy player to get into and maintain a place in the first team. This left 6 years between 2008 and 2014 where Tony unfortunately brought no players through. Much like in any job or career the past has to be ignored and what becomes important is the future and it was clear a change had to be made. The Academy, plus young pro contracts (most of the latter fail) costs the club £6m/£6.5m a season. The Academy is £4.5m of that. So given the large costs of the academy it only makes sense for a change to be made if the results aren't showing. If we assume this figure stayed constant during the 8 years where no players came through it would have cost £48 million which virtually cancels out all of the sales of Tony's golden era. We had to move on. Football is a results business.
Terry Westley, who replaced Tony Carr, has been with us for 2 years and has brought a breath of fresh air. During this time Westley has brought through the likes of Reece Oxford and Reece Burke and attracted many sought-after youth players such as Domingos Quina, Martin Samuelsen and George Dobson, all of whom will be pushing for first team football at West Ham United either this season or in the next few years.
What I do not understand is what I have just read in the Evening Standard – "Tony Carr urges West Ham to 'not let it end this way' after 'paltry' redundancy offer". Tony said "The last thing I want is to feel bitter about how things have ended" – I find this very sad as West Ham United have only ever treated Tony well and with respect. His wages along with his large pension in my eyes are fair and this is anything but a bitter ending. All things come to an end and sadly nothing lasts forever.
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West Ham captain Mark Noble welcomes greater expectations as they prepare to start momentous season
21:24, 27 JUL 2016 UPDATED 22:20, 27 JUL 2016
BY ADRIAN KAJUMBA
The Hammers won a Europa League place in Upton Park's final season and now aim to reward 52,000 Olympic Stadium season ticket holders by going one better
The Mirror
West Ham signed off at the Boleyn Ground with a flourish and now hope to start their Olympic Stadium era in style, writes Adrian Kajumba in Ljubljana. Ahead of one of the most eagerly-anticipated Premier League seasons, the Hammers are more than contributing to the buzz. They gave their famous old home an unforgettable send-off after 112 years last term with a record-breaking campaign. And now captain Mark Noble has issued a rallying cry urging the East Londoners to carry on where they left off and continue their rise by making more history at their new home. Last year was big for the club — and this one has the potential to be even bigger. Off the pitch, their new 60,000-capacity stadium hosts its first game next week and they are upgrading by moving to a new training ground, too.
And on it, they have a second successive season of Europa League football to look forward to and talk of breaking into the top-flight's elite is no longer dismissed as unrealistic. Skipper Noble, 29, said: "We have got a lot of belief at the club at the minute. Everybody is excited. "We are moving into a new training ground. We have made three very good, astute signings – Gokhan Tore and the other two lads, Havard Nordtveit and Sofiane Feghouli, on frees. "It's been a slow, steady rise for the club and a positive one. We had the disappointment of relegation and then Sam Allardyce came in and changed things around and got it to a firm Premier League position, midtable every year. "Then Slaven Bilic arrived, as well as new staff and a lot of new players, last season and we had the best year of my career, personally and collectively as a squad. "It was a bit special because it was the last year in the Boleyn and we lost there just three times in the whole year, so we gave it a good send-off. Now we have to try to create some new history at the new stadium. "It is going to be a fantastic place and now the club is being run properly we are moving in the right direction."
With Leicester turning the league upside down with their shock title win, expectations will be on the rise all over the Premier League, not least at West Ham.
They sold out their 52,000 season-ticket allocation – the second biggest in the league – ahead of what promises to be another campaign to remember.
While discussing West Ham's attempts to add to the feelgood factor by landing a £30million-plus marquee-striker signing, co-chairman David Gold claimed they will be able to offer their targets Champions League football after the coming season. Noble said: "Have expectations gone up? With West Ham fans, of course. As the chairman has been quoted as saying about Champions League football next season that has raised expectations, but that is football these days. "West Ham fans are like that. They expect a lot and that is what we have got to give them."
West Ham begin what they hope will be another season to remember here in Slovenia's capital on Thursday with a Europa League third qualifying round first leg against NK Domzale. Boss Bilic admits the competition "damages your chances in the league", but said: "We want to try, we want to take that risk and, hopefully, if we keep that squad and rotate we are going to manage it. But we have to qualify first. No matter if it lowers your chances, it is much more difficult as the number of games increases. "But we are going to do everything we can at West Ham to qualify."
* MARK NOBLE paid tribute to Tony Carr after admitting his "shock" at the West Ham academy legend's departure. Carr has been made redundant by the Hammers after 43 years of service with just a £14,000 pay-off. Carr, 65, was responsible for bringing through a long list of homegrown talent including Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe, and Glen Johnson – earning the Hammers more than £50million in transfer fees. He was replaced by Terry Westley as academy boss in 2014 and handed a lucrative ambassadorial role. But after being told his job was no longer full-time Carr was offered a one-day role or minimum redundancy pay-off, which he has taken. Noble, another Carr graduate, said: "It was a shock to me. I don't know what's gone on in the background. He's a fantastic man, a great servant to the club. "The players he's brought through in the last 20, 25 years has been phenomenal. He helped me become the player I am today."
PREDICTED TEAMS
NK Domzale (4-5-1): Maraval; Brachi, Horic, Dobrovoljc, Balkovec; Morel, Majer, Alvir, Horvat, Crnic; Mance.
West Ham (4-3-3): Randolph; Antonio, Nordtveit, Reid, Page; Oxford, Noble, Kouyate; Feghouli, Carroll, Valencia.
Referee: Mete Kalkavan (Turkey) .
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West Ham legend Tony Carr pocketed almost £250k-per-year in ambassadorial role
17:30, 27 JUL 2016 UPDATED 17:38, 27 JUL 2016
BY DARREN LEWIS
The highly-respected 65-year-old has also picked up over £1.6million since 2005 and has a lucrative pension scheme provided by the club
The Mirror
West Ham academy legend Tony Carr has earned nearly £1/2million in an ambassadorial role for the club over the past two years.
The highly-respected 65-year-old has also picked up over £1.6million since 2005 and has a lucrative pension scheme provided by the club.
The Hammers have been left reeling by the explosion of anger which followed news that they have made Carr redundant after 43 years.
MirrorFootball understands the difficult decision was taken because - despite Carr's outstanding record producing the likes of Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand - the conveyor belt from the academy had dried up over the last ten years.
Fans favourite Carr stands to pick up the minimum redundancy payment of £14,000. But talks over a package have yet to be concluded.
There is also an insistence that he has been "looked after" by the Hammers.
In July 2014, Terry Wesley replaced Carr as academy director at the club. Carr was moved sideways and given a two-year fixed ambassadorial role paying £210,000 plus expenses.
Ferdinand led a star-studded testimonial at Upton Park in 2010 which also earned Carr around £500,000 - which he was allowed to keep.
Carr's alumni also included Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick with his top graduates earning the club over £60million in transfer fees.
But there has been concern at the club, over £100million in debt, that there were too few players following that crop to meet the costs of running the academy.
Although the likes of Reece Oxford - coveted by Manchester City - have come through more recently, they are said to have brought on by Terry Wesley, not Carr.
Carr continues to be held in the highest regard at West Ham. But it was felt that pressure was being placed on them with their academy costing £4.5m a season to run.
With many of the club's young players on professional contracts the development costs are between £6m-£6.5million a season - placing even more of an onus on them to maintain their consistency producing players.
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KEY STATS FOR EACH OF WEST HAM'S THREE HEADLINE SUMMER SIGNINGS
Ladbrokes
Although the headline-grabbing striker they've been hankering for hasn't arrived yet, West Ham have still been plenty busy during the summer transfer window. Six new faces have been unveiled. Three – Ashley Fletcher, Toni Martinez and Domingos Quina – will bolster the club's youth team, while Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore will compete for a first-team spot. In order to get to know the latter three a bit more, we've trawled the stats sites to pick out the vital figures that best define their games:
Havard Nordtveit (Borussia Monchengladbach)
The Norwegian was used as a defensive Swiss Army Knife by Gladbach last season, splitting his time between the heart of defence and the base of midfield. Whichever of the positions the Hammers utilise him in, they'll have a committed player on their hands. Nordtveit ranked second in the Gladbach side for both shots blocked and clearances, tallying 18 and 86 respectively in those departments. He won the third-highest amount of aerial duels in the side, at a success rate of 61 per cent, and was adept with the ball at his feet having completed the third-most passes (1727).
Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia)
The Algerian winger was a free transfer from Valencia, signing a three-year deal with the Hammers. He adds depth to the right wing position with Michail Antonio expected to shift back into right-back this term and had the second-most successful crosses for Los Che in La Liga last season. Dani Parejo led the way in that category with 30, but he was the side's chief corner taker, wheras Feghouli's 21 largely came from open play. He'll be expected to get down the touchline and whip balls in to Andy Carroll.
Gokhan Tore (Besiktas)
Like Feghouli, Tore was acquired to bolster the right flank but is more in the mould of Dimitri Payet – who roams around looking to be creative – rather than a traditional wide man that supplies crosses. The Turkish international had the third-most assists for Besiktas in their title-winning season last term, despite only logging the 11th-most minutes in the squad. Only two of his six set-ups came from crosses while he made 37 key passes over the course of the season, which was the fifth-most in the squad.
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West Ham leave part of their past behind with Tony Carr's departure
The club's academy veteran departs the club with a pang of sadness this summer having overseen the development of some of its brightest stars of the past generation
Jacob Steinberg
@JacobSteinberg
Wednesday 27 July 2016 13.39 BST Last modified on Wednesday 27 July 2016 13.40 BST
The Guardian
Tony Carr did not hesitate when he was asked about his favourite Upton Park memory. His mind went straight back to the May evening in 1999 when his young team of academy products gave Coventry City the thrashing of a lifetime, beating them 6-0 to wrap up a 9-0 aggregate victory in the FA Youth Cup final. "We won the game in real style, a full house," Carr said. "It was rocking. We won the game quite early and you could sit there and just admire the football."
Seventeen years down the line, few names from that team roll off the tongue. Adam Newton, a promising right-back, made two substitute appearances for the first team before spending the rest of his career in the lower leagues. Stephen Bywater is a reserve goalkeeper at Burton Albion. Bertie Brayley, a hotshot striker who scored twice against Coventry, ended up floating around non-league football. All of which goes to show that producing a player who will not only rise to the top but stay there is one of the hardest jobs in football.
Yet while the majority drifted away from West Ham, there were two players who were undoubtedly destined for the big time. It was not long before Joe Cole and Michael Carrick joined Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand in Harry Redknapp's first team, with Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson also making their breakthroughs after the turn of the century.
To cut a long story short, relegation, poor management and an ambition-free board meant that those six players would all go on to enjoy bigger and better things away from West Ham United, representing England and winning several major honours in domestic and European competitions, but their success is worth celebrating again now that it has emerged that Carr is leaving the club after 43 years of service. They were his pride and joy and it still hurts him to think that their greatest feats were achieved away from West Ham; the money raised from their sales was a meagre consolation. "The generation that was sold, the crown jewels, was so disappointing," Carr said.
Carr polished plenty of diamonds down the years and he is part of the fabric of the club. He was West Ham's academy director until he stepped aside for Terry Westley and took on an ambassadorial role in 2014 and his influence is still strong: Mark Noble, a lifelong supporter, wears the captain's armband, while the reason that James Tomkins, another academy product, has been sold to Crystal Palace for £10m is that Reece Burke and Reece Oxford are expected to challenge for places in Slaven Bilic's defence this season.
That is why the news of Carr's departure and £14,000 redundancy payoff has not gone down well with supporters, though it has been pointed out that he had been looked after in his less demanding new role, had a lucrative testimonial in 2009 and that Westley led the development squad to victory in the Under-21 Premier League Cup last season. However Carr is said to be unhappy that his departure has been dealt with by the human resources department instead of senior club officials and an ongoing process could certainly have been handled with greater delicacy.
Carr's standing with supporters is easy to understand. Having grown up in Bow and attended games as a fan when he was a boy, he joined the club as an associate schoolboy when he was 14 and signed on apprentice terms after leaving school a year later. England had just the won the World Cup and Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters were greeted as heroes at the training ground in Chadwell Heath.
However Carr did not make it as a player at West Ham. As a striker, Hurst was in his way, while Roger Byrne and Clyde Best were above him in the pecking order. He moved to Barnet in 1971 but his impact was minimal before he suffered the broken leg that changed his life. "I'd got a call completely out of the blue from John Lyall who said: 'I've got a little part time number going, John Dick's leaving,'" he said. "That was a part-time job in July 1973. It's just fate."
He would train the junior players on a part-time basis on Tuesday and Thursday nights, outside on the forecourts, on concrete, around a parked car if necessary. "Street football," Carr said.
He was Ronnie Boyce's assistant before becoming the boss in 1980. Paul Allen was his first claim to fame – "the anomaly with Paul was that he won an FA Cup medal in 1980 and an FA Youth Cup medal in 1981" – and the one who got away was John Terry, whose head was turned by Chelsea one summer.
"The bedrock of any club is to produce local players," Carr said. "The fans can identify with them. Most of the successes were local lads other than Michael Carrick, who was different, coming from the north east. You look at Rio – Peckham. Jermain Defoe – East End. Tony Cottee – Romford. Paul Ince – Barking."
As West Ham prepare for to move into the futuristic stadium that is supposed to lift them into the next level, they have said goodbye to a link with their past.
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Tony Carr urges West Ham to 'not let it end this way' after 'paltry' redundancy offer
KEN DYER
Evening Standard
Former West Ham academy director Tony Carr wants to heal the rift between him and the club he served faithfully for more than four decades. West Ham fans are incensed by news today that Carr, who helped develop players worth £50million in sell-on value over 43 years, said he has been offered the minimum statutory redundancy payment of £14,000 after being told his role as a club ambassador was no longer full-time. Carr, a player at West Ham before injury cut short his career, has been instrumental in producing a blue-chip list of players, including Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick and Joe Cole. "I don't want things to end this way but the facts are as presented today," said the 65-year-old. "West Ham have been a way of life more than a job for me for more than 40 years and the last thing I want is to feel bitter about how things have ended. "Yes, I did think that the offer made to me by the club was paltry but hopefully we can talk about this. I feel I have a lot more to offer the club."
Carr left his job as academy director in 2014 to be replaced by Terry Westley, who worked under West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold at Birmingham. Carr was awarded an MBE in 2010 for services to football and granted a testimonial by the club a year earlier. He played a major role in the development of central defender James Tomkins, who was sold to Crystal Palace for £10m this summer and Reece Oxford, who has been valued at £18m by West Ham following interest by clubs, including Manchester United. Fans went online to spell out their anger and a group of supporters last night launched a crowd-funding appeal to match the £14,000 offered by the Hammers. The club were this morning preparing a statement but it is thought there could be room for further discussion.
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NK Domzale vs West Ham Europa League preview: Prediction, live, TV schedule, team news and betting odds
SAM LONG
Evening STandard
The majority of Premier League clubs are just beginning to step up their pre-season preparations but West Ham's campaign is set to get competitive on Thursday night. Slaven Bilic's side face a two-legged tie against Slovenian minnows NK Domzale as they attempt to secure their place in the Europa League group stages. The Hammers fell at this stage of the competition last term and will be keen to avoid a repeat with the chance to stage European football at the Olympic Stadium on the horizon. Several members of Bilic's squad who featured in the latter stages of Euro 2016 are unlikely to be called upon and there will little room for error for the Croatian manager in regards to team selection. The Europa League is often seen as an inconvenience on these shores but there is no reason why the Hammers should not take it seriously with a Champions League place on offer to the winner.
Date, time and venue
West ham face NK Domzale at the Domzale Sports Park on Thursday July 28. Kick-off is at 19:45.
Where & when to watch
The game will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2. Coverage stages at 19:30. Alternatively, you can follow the action on Standard Sport's blog.
Team news and probable line ups
Left-back Aaron Cressswell has been ruled out for up to four months after suffering knee ligament damage during the pre-season victory over Karlsruher SC. The Hammers could be forced to turn to youngster to replace the Englishman while Michail Antonio will be hopeful he has done enough to earn a start on the right-hand side. Sofiane Feghouli and Havard Nordtveit have both excelled in pre-season and are expected to start while Ashley Fletcher could be given a chance to lead the line ahead of Andy Carroll.
What they're saying
Reece Oxford: "I made my debut in the Europa League last season, then played two or three more and that helped me go on and play the first game in the Premier League. "Hopefully I can do the same this summer. It would be good to be part of the squad to play in the first game at the new Stadium next week too."
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Tony Carr to receive £14,000 redundancy payment from West Ham despite 43 years of service... and earning club £50m profit
Tony Carr has brought through many stars at West Ham's academy
He has helped the club receive over £50million in transfer profits
Carr's exit was dealt by HR despite 43 years of service at West Ham
By CHARLES SALE FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 26 July 2016 | UPDATED: 00:08, 27 July 2016
West Ham academy legend Tony Carr has been left distraught by the club's decision to make him redundant after 43 years in which he has helped earn the Upton Park club a multi-million-pound profit in the transfer market. Carr's pupils include six England internationals - Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson - worth a combined £50m when they were sold on. Carr, 65, stands to receive the statutory minimum redundancy payment of £14,000. Another Carr graduate, James Tomkins, joined Crystal Palace this month for a fee of £10m and the latest West Ham starlet off Carr's production line, Reece Oxford, already has a price tag of around £18m on his head.
But Carr, who has spent less than a year in an ambassador role after being replaced as academy chief by Terry Westley from Birmingham City in 2014, was told that his position was no longer full time. He was offered a one-day role or the minimum redundancy payment of £14,000, which he has decided to accept. This is a scandalously low pay-off for a lifetime West Ham loyalist whose work since 1973 has helped earn the club such large sums in the transfer market. And West Ham's paltry pay-off to Carr comes when they will receive a minimum £100m in TV money this season. The club are moving into the publicly-funded Olympic Stadium, for which they are being charged a peppercorn £2.5m-a-year rent. Carr is also upset that his shoddy exit from West Ham has been handled entirely by the human resources department rather than anyone higher up in the club. Carr said: 'I'm very disappointed because I still feel I've got a lot to offer and West Ham has become a way of life for me after all these years. 'The way it was done with people from HR, who have been here hardly any time at all, was particularly disrespectful in my opinion. But that's the way of the world these days.' West Ham made no comment on Tuesday, although when Carr was made a short-lived ambassador, the club's joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold said: 'We are delighted Tony has accepted this exciting new position, which is fitting recognition for more than 40 years of service.'
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BREAKING NEWS: TONY CARR OFFERED REDUNDANCY AFTER 43 YEARS LOYAL SERVICE!
By S J Chandos 27 Jul 2016 at 01:25
WTID
Late yesterday evening the Mail Sports ran a story claiming that Tony Carr has been left distraught by the club's decision to offer him redundancy after 43 years loyal service, during which time he has earned the Hammers a multi-million profit on transfer fees. The piece points out that the combined incoming transfer fees from the sale of Rio Ferdinand, Frankie Lampard, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Jermaine Defoe and Glen Johnson amount to £50m! Yet, the club has allegedly imposed on Carr a harsh choice of a much reduced 1 day a week role or a a statutory minimum redundancy package of £14,000.
It appears that Tony Carr has decided to accept the £14,000 package, to break possibly the last surviving club link with the famous Ron Greenwood era of the 1960s and 1970s. And it has provided the Sports Mail with the perfect opportunity to engage in a bit of 'Hammers bashing.' with the piece arguing that a £14,000 pay off is scandalously low when one considers the following: the £100m minimum TV income this coming season and the 'fact' (in their words) that the club are 'moving in to the publicly owned Olympic Stadium, for which they are being charged a peppercorn rent of £2.5m per year.'
From the report, it would appear that Tony Carr is not only upset with the redundancy, but also the fact that his exit has been handled exclusively by the club's HR Department, rather than at a senior level. Indeed, Carr is quoted as stating that:
'I am very disappointed because I still feel that I have a lot to offer and West Ham has become a way of life for me after all these years. The way it has been done with people from HR, who have been here hardly any time at all, was particularly disrespectful in my opinion. But that is the way of the world these days.'
As of Tuesday evening, the club had not made a comment in response, but the article quotes David Gold, at the time of Carr's appointment as a club Ambassador, saying: 'We are delighted that Tony has accepted this exciting new position, which is a fitting recognition for more than 40 years service.'
Well, that may well have been the case, but it also begs the question: what has changed so radically in the short period of time since David Gold made that statement? One must also seriously question whether HR staff would undertake such an action without the prior approval of a person(s) at a suitably senior level. Moreover, it is a huge PR own goal, which was totally avoidable. And it serves to seriously undermine the many positive developments at the the club. The Sports Mail article needs a response from the joint-Chairmen of the club. If it is true (which it would seem to be from Carr's quotes), was this issue discussed at senior/board room level and who instructed the HR staff to pursue this course of action? Why has such a loyal and successful club servant been treated in such an unacceptable fashion?
I have always been largely supportive of the current board, their plans to stabilise the club and move to the Olympic Stadium. They have done a good job salvaging the club from the Icelandic era financial crisis and moving it forward to where we find ourselves today. But, at the end of the day, it must always be about being a 'critical friend' and reserving the right to constructively challenge and criticise as necessary.
As such, the club would be well-advised to apologise to Tony Carr and restore him forthwith to his former role as a club Ambassador. In the past (under former regimes) the club has allowed schisms to form with such club legends as Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds. This present board has done much to compensate for past mistakes and try to heal old divisions, recognising Moore's iconic status as our greatest player, working closely with the Moore family/charities and bringing Billy Bonds back in to the West Ham fold. So, it would be ironic and deeply counter-productive if they were to now let a similar type of rift form between the club and Tony Carr. The club really should avoid treading that path once again!
SJ. Chandos.
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