Daily WHUFC News - 16th September 2016

Have your say at the Supporters' Forum
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are planning a special forum on Tuesday 20 September to get
first-hand feedback on how the Club can give all supporters the best
possible matchday experience at London Stadium. Over recent weeks, the West
Ham Board have reviewed all the feedback and suggestions submitted to the
Club and are seeking to take action on all the points raised, but they are
also keen to hear directly from the Hammers faithful, and discuss the issues
with them. The Club acknowledge the magnitude of the move to our new home
and the inevitable settling in process, and we appreciate the support of
loyal Hammers fans for their help and patience in these early stages.
Feedback from our supporters is vital in helping us to identify ways in
which we can enhance the stadium experience. On a long-term basis, West Ham
are currently establishing a new format for the Supporters Advisory Board
for the 2016/17 season, designed to provide ongoing feedback from a
fully-representative sample of fans, and the Club are grateful for all those
supporters who have so far applied to take part. But in the interim, a
special Supporters' Forum will be held on Tuesday 20 September so that West
Ham Board members and other senior Club representatives have a chance to
hear face-to-face from the fans what is working well at London Stadium, and
where there is room for improvement. Invitations have already gone out to
every fan who formed part of the previous Supporters Advisory Board for the
2015/16 season, and to more than a thousand Founders who have so far
submitted feedback via our dedicated email service at
foundersfeedback@westhamunited.co.uk.

However, West Ham are keen to hear from the broadest possible cross-section
of the Club's support, so if you would like to register your interest in
attending, please email supporterservices@westhamunited.co.uk by 12 noon on
Friday 16 September, and tell us the question or issue that you want to
raise. As we are doing with the new Supporters Advisory Board, the Club will
ensure that this Forum features the widest range of experiences at London
Stadium, so we will select attendees from every different area in each
stand, and whose views and questions represent the full spectrum we have
received. If you apply to attend, you will be told by the end of Friday
afternoon whether your application is successful, but even if it is not, you
can rest assured that the issues you have raised will be discussed. Thank
you all again for your willingness to help the Club provide the best
possible matchday experience at London Stadium. The West Ham Board look
forward to seeing many of you and discussing your views and suggestions on
Tuesday.

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Ladies earn first point of the season
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Ladies 0-0 C&K Basildon Ladies

West Ham Ladies earned their first point of the season after a hard-fought
goalless draw against high flying C&K Basildon Ladies on Wednesday night.
The last meeting between the two sides ended with a flourish of red cards
after both teams finished the game with nine players, but there was to be no
repeat of bad behaviour as each side set out to let their football do the
talking under the lights at Purfleet. C&K Basildon Ladies dominated the
first half but could not find a way through the Hammers' well organised
defence, and in-form keeper Deger Zekai who made some excellent saves. She
first denied Rushen and before then foiling Sinclair, whose shot looked to
have crossed the line before Zekai scooped it away at full stretch.

West Ham rarely ventured into the opposition's half and were limited to long
hopeful balls to Whitney Locke. Sasha Kelly, Kat Clifton and skipper Karen
Ray worked tirelessly in midfield to keep Basildon Ladies at bay. The second
half saw C&K Basildon Ladies begin to run out of ideas and they were
restricted to long range efforts as the well-drilled West Ham defence stood
firm still. Katie Bottom, on her return from India, was a class act in the
centre of defence, aided and abetted by Hannah Wheeler. At the final
whistle, Basildon Ladies were left to rue their missed opportunities which
could have seen them top the league, while the West Ham Ladies celebrated as
one as if they had won. It was a victory of sorts; their first point on the
board. Manager James Marrs was full of praise for his players after the
match but still admitted there is work to do. "We are still couple of months
away from attaining the fitness levels we demand to play the pressing game,"
he said. "But we're heading in the right direction."

West Ham Ladies: Zekai, Bent, Simmons, Ray, Wheeler, Bottom, Mackie,
Clifton, Locke, Kelly, Burr.
Substitutes: Sumpter, Bennett, Wilson, Miller.

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E20 confirm Chris Allison CBE appointment
WHUFC.com

London Stadium landlords E20 today confirmed the appointment of Chris
Allison CBE to work with London Stadium partners to make sure that the
'safety and security of all those using the Stadium remains of the highest
quality'. An E20 Stadium LLP spokesperson said, "We have appointed Chris
Allison CBE, a former Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, to work
with the London Stadium partners, London Stadium 185, West Ham United, LLDC
and Newham Council to help make sure that the safety and security of all
those using the Stadium remains of the highest quality. "Chris is a hugely
experienced officer with unrivalled expertise in major event policing, who
is familiar with the London Stadium from his work as the London 2012
National Olympic Security Coordinator and security advisor to Rugby World
Cup 2015. Everyone involved is focused on working together to deliver a safe
and secure venue for all spectators in the months and years ahead".

A West Ham United spokesperson said, "We appreciate that E20 have recognised
and understand our concerns. We welcome the appointment of Chris Allison CBE
and the insight and experience he will bring."

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Kouyate - We want to push on in the league
WHUFC.com

Kouyate says team have learned from mistakes they made against Watford
The Senegal midfielder has a special message for Papa Souare
Kouyate hopes to achieve success for both club and country this season

Cheikhou Kouyate is adamant his team have learned from the mistakes they
made against Watford last weekend and hopes they can bounce straight back to
winning ways over West Brom.
Kouyate was bitterly disappointed to see his side throw away a two-goal lead
at London Stadium, but hopes it is a one-off and his team can re-produce the
form which saw them enjoy a memorable final year at the Boleyn Ground. West
Ham enjoyed one of their best away performances at the Hawthorns last season
when they came away with an emphatic 3-0 victory. And Kouyate sees no reason
why they cannot enjoy another repeat performance and get their season back
on track when they travel to the Midlands on Saturday. Kouyate said: "We
should have been able to take the three points from the Watford game. "We
were leading by two goals, we started really well and I think that we were
in control. "Then when we conceded the goal to take it to 2-1 and then so
quickly after that they got the equaliser. We went in at half-time with our
heads down slightly. "We tried to pick ourselves up in the second half, but
we were unable to do so and these are errors that we will learn from and
won't be committing again in future matches. "The most important thing for
us to do is to go and get the three points when we play West Brom. "We are
in real need of points now. So it doesn't matter if it is me or one of my
colleagues that scores, what will please us the most is for us to go and get
all three points and then push on in the league."

Kouyate has a special message for his Senegalese team-mate Pape Souare who
was airlifted to hospital following a crash on the M4 motorway. The Crystal
Palace defender is expected to make a full recovery following surgery and
Kouyate hopes he will come back even stronger. Kouyate added: "My message to
Pape is that he needs to stay strong. We are praying for him and hope that
he will come back stronger. "It won't be easy for him and he will need all
of our support during his recovery. As a fellow Senegalese player, captain
of the Senegalese side and a fellow Muslim, I will be behind him all the
way, as will our fellow members of the Senegalese squad."

Kouyate recently returned from another successful trip with Senegal and has
big hopes for both club and country this season. "It was a good
international break for our side and the qualifying process has gone very
well. We won six out of six and so, we are very happy with the 18 points.
"The most difficult thing for us now is the African Cup of Nations next
year, but for the national side, our objective has been achieved."

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From the Treatment Room
WHUFC.com

Head of Medical and Sports Science Stijn Vandenbroucke issues his latest
update - in association with Spire Roding Hospital...

Hello everyone,

It has been a calm week in the Treatment Room, with no fresh significant
injuries to deal with. Mark Noble was the only new face to visit us, but he
will be fit and available to face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The
captain required eight stitches in his left hand after a Watford player trod
on it during last weekend's game. He was in some discomfort and pain during
the second half, but manfully continued to complete the game. Mark is a
tough lad and, after having an extra day of rest, he returned to training
wearing a protective brace and will be fine for Saturday's game.

Aaron Cresswell and Andre Ayew are both progressing very well and have both
been running this week as they continue their recoveries from a knee and
thigh injury respectively.

Andy Carroll had a good week, during which he has made good progress and is
also running on the pitch. It is four weeks since Andy was injured in the
UEFA Europa League tie with Astra in Romania. He is working hard, but it
will take time before he is ready to return to action.

Diafra Sakho is also progressing. He has been running up and down the stairs
at London Stadium and skipping as he continues to build up his fitness, and
is now ready to take the next stage by increasing his training.

Finally, Alvaro Arbeloa is working very hard on the training pitch, having
arrived with us in a good physical condition. If all goes to plan, he will
be available to play some part in the EFL Cup against Accrington Stanley
next week.

Stijn Vandenbroucke
Head of Medical and Sports Science

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10 per cent off for Claret Members
WHUFC.com

West Ham United have experienced a fresh surge from Hammers fans wanting to
sign up as Claret Members and gain priority access to matches at London
Stadium.

On top of an ever-growing Waiting List for Season Tickets, which now exceeds
55,000 supporters, the number of Claret Members hit a new high this week,
with fans eager to play their part in West Ham's historic first season at
the Club's new home.

Claret Membership entitles Hammers fans to first priority when tickets for
home matches go on sale, and both West Ham's opening Premier League games at
London Stadium were sold out exclusively to Claret Members via a ballot
process.

To welcome all the new Claret Members who signed up this week, and reward
those who have done so previously, the Club are offering an exclusive ten
per cent discount on purchases in the Stadium Store on Wednesday 21
September, when the Hammers kick off their English Football League Cup
campaign under the lights against Accrington Stanley.

To redeem this offer, simply show your Claret Membership card at the
checkout when you visit on Wednesday. Claret Members should also keep an eye
out for an exclusive online retail discount which will be announced soon.

Membership is priced at just £40 for adults and £25 for under-16s, with
supporters already on the Season Ticket Priority List eligible for a £5
discount.

Become a Claret Member now!

As well as one-week priority on tickets for matches at our new Stadium,
Claret Membership also gives you a whole host of other benefits including
access to the ticket exchange and ticket ballots; discounts on booking fees
and official away coach travel; and more exclusive retail offers throughout
the season.

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JACK SULLIVAN WRITES EXCLUSIVELY: "THE CLUB WILL NOT REST UNTIL IT IS
SORTED!"
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 15 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 8:21PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
This article is written Jack Sullivan @jsullivanwhu

Ex has been pestering me about doing an article for a while now. So I
thought this would be a good time to do it! This has been my first week
working at West Ham, and it has also been a very eventful week and weekend
for West Ham too. Sadly, eventful in the wrong way, not only the result but
the problems we had at the stadium, both of which I find unacceptable.
First I will start with the result, which I know Slaven was far from happy
about! He even told me he couldn't sleep. The team's performance was the
best I've seen until the 30 min mark past! We looked exciting, fast and
dominated the game. Watford were up against it but sadly we gave them a way
back in. The one thing in football I hate to see is when a team shoots
themselves in the foot, which we did for their second goal. From then on the
momentum was with Watford, and they got another two goals in second half!
From Christmas last year we have conceded too many goals, I think it almost
averaged out at two goals a game! I personally believe it was because
Antonio was at RB, however this may not be the case, the problem maybe
deeper! Maybe the team is not working hard enough or we need a midfielder to
sit, almost what Nordtveit did at his last club! I was at the training
ground today and Bilic was enforcing defending making them put in challenges
and defending as a unit. Which is maybe just what we need! I have full faith
that we can sort this with players like Ogbonna and Arbeloa still yet to
kick a ball this year for us. For me Ogbonna will make a big difference as I
see him as our best CB at the moment.

I honestly believe we will score goals for fun with the strength and depth
we have in all attacking positions! We were in the top four on goals scored
last year and I can't see why that will change. I still have massive faith
in the team and management staff, and know that the set up at the training
ground is second to none. Rush Green is perfect from the gym to the kit-men
to the pitches. I was with the player liaison officer today and he was out
until 21:00 last night, looking for homes/flats for new players. Everything
is right at the training ground and it's only a matter of time until we see
that on the pitch. It's really important we sort out the goal problems and
keep a few clean sheets, as if the opposition can't score they can't win!
Thankfully not letting in goals is an easier thing to get right then to try
and score them. Eg. Sam at Sunderland last year, he got it right in a few
weeks.

However, the issues at the stadium is something the club are working very
hard to get right. Whilst the vast majority of supporters are always
impeccably behaved any fans fighting their own is awful, and embarrassing!
At the end of the day we are a big family and we need to stick together. I
still am in the mind that our new home is fantastic for me, it's beautiful –
my view is better than expected and the facilities are outstanding! For me
it's like coming to a cup final every two weeks.

However, there has been a few problems and I'm not going to gloss over that.
The club issued a statement that has identified issues with the stewarding
and we have insisted that the operator deals with this, and I know the club
we will not rest until it's sorted. The club has also already moved some
people around the ground into more likeminded areas, and will see more
segregation in place between the home and away fans by the next game.

Moving to such a new and vast stadium was always going to have teething
problems but I promise you the club is dealing with them, rather than
moaning about them! We expect we have made a few mistakes however now is not
the time to sit about however it's much more important to act on them

At the end of the day, I am a supporter in a very privileged position and I
hope this gives you more of an inside view as to what has been going on
behind the scenes. I hope you can give the staff at West Ham time to sort
out the problems, and I know they will. I look foward to seeing you at West
Brom.

COYI

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HAPPINESS IS A STRANGE AND WONDERFUL THING
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 15 SEPTEMBER 2016 AT 9:57PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
COME ON YOU IRON IMAC
This article is written by Apu Vyas @apuvyas

Happiness is a strange and wonderful thing. Of course it is relative, what
makes you happy now is different from what would have made you happy when
you were 5. But happiness as with most things, there is no black and white
and science is still learning how it relates to the brain. Surprisingly,
emotions such as guilt, shame and pride activate areas in the happiness part
of the brain. If you combine this with the need to take action, to do
anything when in a stressful situation (a remnant of the caveman's fight or
flight instinct), you understand more of the reason why pointing out other's
failures gives us satisfaction.

Want, need and desire, instant gratification. Would anybody disagree that
the modern football fan is a ball of constant knee-jerk reactions and
emotions? We win a game and we're off on a Champions League tour. Lose and
it is worse than hearing that a giant meteor is on track to finish us off
and of course, it is all the board's fault.

This article is about perspective and focusing on something else that
triggers the happiness and satisfaction areas of the brain. Ladies and
gentlemen, I give you my far from definitive list of reasons to BE GRATEFUL.

We exist. No I don't mean that in an existential Descartes way. We exist as
a real football club, badge aside, the same entity that we have supported
all of our lives. Our Icelandic owners brought about a WORLD recession. Our
debt was horrendous relative to our size and means as a football club. I
really don't care how the Davids made their money, they saved us.
Portsmouth, Luton, Wimbledon, the list goes on of clubs that have gone into
administration.

We have great owners. They have put money into the club. They support West
Ham. They engage and interact with us. They understand how the Premier
League is changing and we are on the threshold of being a massive club.

We have Bilic. He got so much right last year. He also got lots wrong,
however each time he took steps to correct the mistakes and imbalance. Do
you doubt that he will do the same this season?

I just don't think you understand. We've got Payet, one of the best players
on form in the world right now.

Squad depth. No seriously, this is a serious squad.

Goals will come. Lots of them. Have you ever heard a manager go into a
struggling club and say that he needs to get the team scoring? No, the
easier option is to plug the defence. We were 4th highest scorers last
season and we have increased our firepower! Let me say that again in case
you blinked whilst you were reading that; We were 4th highest scorers last
season and we have increased our firepower! In Bilic we trust.

Speaking of the squad, there is a lot of improvement to come. Some will
return from injury, others will improve their match fitness and still others
will adapt to the pace of the Premier League. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

We are in the Premier League. Tony Fernandes' QPR aren't. Massive clubs like
Newcastle and Villa aren't.

We have a 60,000 seater stadium. It is the most well connected stadium in
Europe! Views are great inside. The sound is amazing. Season ticket prices
are the cheapest in the Premier League. There is absolutely NOTHING to
suggest that the teething problems will not get ironed out.

We support West Ham. We are the underdogs, we have the passion, the
humour, the best fans, the best songs. We all have our reasons for
supporting the Hammers, but not a single one of us is a glory grabber. It is
our tribe, our family.

It really feels like we are taking the first steps on an unknown journey. It
shouldn't be an ordeal, it is an adventure, but that is 100% down to your
own perspective. To paraphrase Henry Ford:

If you think it's great or you think it is rubbish, you're probably right.

@apuvyas is happy to discuss positivity, West Ham or even cars and vans
which he'll do you a great deal on!

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Former Police chief hired by OS operators
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 15th September 2016
By: Staff Writer

Former Met Police Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison has been appointed to
oversee security at the Olympic Stadium. The news was confirmed this morning
by the stadium operators, who have been heavily criticised for their poor
handling of the arena's security since West Ham moved to Stratford.
Allison's appointment was announced via the stadium operator's Twitter
Channel. "Former Met Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison CBE has been
appointed to work with the safety and security team," read a tweet.
54-year-old Allison began his career in the Met during the mid-1980s as an
officer in Walthamstow. In 1996 he was promoted to Chief Inspector at
Hammersmith, where he was often invovled with the policing of Queens Park
Rangers matches. Four years later he became Divisional Commander at
Paddington, being pormoted to Chief Superintendent a year later. His speedy
rise through the ranks continued and with 12 months he had been made
Commander whilst also being named as Borough Commander for the City of
Westminster. In 2006 Allison was awarded the MBE for his work during the
2007 London bombings and in 2009 he moved up the career ladder once more
with an appointment as Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for
Central Operations, a role that included policing of the 2012 Olympics. In
2014 Allison officially retired from his latest role as Assistant
Commissioner for Olympic Legacy - a post described by colleagues as a
'non-role' - after allegedly falling out of favour with Met Police
Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe. His retirement arrived a year after he
was awarded the CBE in 2013 for "services to the security of the Olympics".

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Valancia was 'very, very happy' to get Everton offer
Date published: Thursday 15th September 2016 10:05
TeaTalk

Everton new boy Enner Valencia has explained why he snubbed Swansea to move
to Goodison Park on Deadline Day. Valencia completed a season-long loan move
from West Ham in a deal that gives Ronald Koeman's side the option of
singing the forward permanently for £14.5million. The 26-year-old appeared
al set to join Swansea before Everton registered their interest in the final
hours of the transfer window. Valencia says he was determined to link up
with Koeman as soon as heard of their Toffees' offer. "I had some options
but when I heard about Everton and saw the quality of the players, nobody
would say not to come here," Valencia said in quotes reported by the
Liverpool Echo. "It is a great opportunity to come here with great
team-mates and an excellent opportunity to have a great year in the Premier
League. "I got the news on the last day of the transfer market. I was very,
very happy with the news.
"I was talking with other teams but the best option was Everton. I am very
happy to be here. "This is a great club with excellent fans and I want to be
on pitch with my new team-mates.
"I have enjoyed training with my new team-mates, it's different to my last
team – it is a little bit harder." Valencia hopes Koeman uses him as a
striker, rather than on the wing.
He said: "The best performances of my career have come as a striker. "Last
year at West Ham I was used to playing as a winger which was difficult for
me because it is not the position I feel well in."

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