Daily WHUFC News - 4th October 2016

U18s narrowly beaten at Chelsea
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's U18s were beaten 1-0 away at Chelsea on Saturday
Ike Ugbo scored for the Blues in a close fought encounter
Assistant manager Mark Phillips was still pleased how his team competed
against one of the strongest sides in the division

West Ham United's U18s succumbed to just their second loss of this season
with a 1-0 defeat away at Chelsea. The Hammers had been in fine form in the
early part of the U18 Premier League South Division but came unstuck against
a strong Chelsea outfit on Saturday afternoon. But, according to assistant
manager Mark Phillips, they can learn a lot from the display against one of
the best sides in the league. "Chelsea were strong against us but we matched
them for most of the game and were unlucky not to get a goal," said
Phillips. "It was an open game, both sides had good chances but we just came
up short against a very, very good side. The Hammers conceded early on after
Ike Ugbo netted for Chelsea, who also had a man sent off in the second half.
The defeat brings to an end the Hammers two game winning streak as they
enter the international break just three points behind league leaders
Arsenal in 4th place.
"It was always going to be a tough test for our boys this weekend but we
ran them close and we can be proud of that. "Chelsea are an experienced side
and we knew they would not sit back like a few other teams have in the past
few weeks. "Conor Coventry stood out for us. He was excellent in the
midfield and broke up play really well. "The lads will bounce back. We've
got great resolve in us and we'll pick ourselves up quickly."

Hammers team: Howes, Johnson, Eggleton (Hamilton, 88), Wells, Longelo,
Akinola, Lewis, Coventry, Scully (Barrett, 75), Powell (Henry, 78),
Hector-Ingram. Subs not used: Constantinou.

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Antonio called up by England
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's large band of international players will be in action for
their respective nations during the October break. FIFA 2018 qualifiers
will take place across the globe, with as many of 13 Hammers potentially
involved in Europa, Africa and South America.

Michail Antonio's fine form for the Hammers has been rewarded with another
call-up to the England squad for their qualifiers against Malta at Wembley
Stadium on Saturday 8 October and Slovenia in Ljubljana the following
Tuesday. Antonio, who has scored five goals in the first seven Premier
League games of the season, is in Three Lions interim boss Gareth
Southgate's first selection and will hope to win his first international
cap.

The second round of European qualifiers will kick-off on Thursday 6 October,
with Darren Randolph, James Collins, Angelo Ogbonna and Gokhan Tore also set
for duty. Randolph's Republic of Ireland will try to build on their opening
2-2 draw in Serbia when they host Georgia in Dublin in Group D, before
heading for their third qualifier in Moldova on Sunday 9 October.

In the same group, Collins earned his 50th cap in the opening 4-0 win over
Moldova in Cardiff and will hope to add to his tally when Chris Coleman's
side travel to Austria on Thursday before hosting Georgia on 9 October.

Ogbonna could be involved as Italy host Spain in a mouth-watering Group G
clash in his old home, Juventus Stadium in Turin, on Thursday. Following
that, the Azzurri head for FYR Macedonia on 9 October.

In Group I, Tore's Turkey drew 1-1 in Croatia in their opening tie, and will
next host Ukraine in Konya on 6 October before traveling to Reykjavik to
tackle Euro 2016 stars Iceland on 9 October.

Dimitri Payet's France continue their Group A challenge on Thursday 7
October, when they welcome Bulgaria the Stade de France in Paris. Les Bleus,
who drew 0-0 in Belarus in September, then travel to Amsterdam to tackle the
Netherlands on Monday 10 October.

Havard Nordtveit will miss Norway's Group C fixtures in Azerbaijan on Friday
8 October and home to San Marino on Tuesday 11 October, but Martin
Samuelsen, on loan at Blackburn Rovers, could be involved. Norway opened
with a 3-0 home defeat by Germany in Oslo.

In Africa, Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal kick-off their Round 1 Group D
campaign by welcoming Cape Verde Islands to Dakar on 8 October. The group is
completed by Burkina Faso and South Africa.

Sofiane Feghouli's Algeria also begin their challenge in a fearsome-looking
Group B when they host Cameroon in Bilda on 9 October. The group also
includes Nigeria and Zambia.

In South America, Enner Valencia, who is on loan at Everton, and Ecuador
host Chile in Quito on 6 October before travelling to Bolivia on 11 October.

Away from World Cup qualifiers, Winston Reid's New Zealand have two
eye-catching friendly matches to play in Nashville, Tennessee. The first is
against Mexico on 8 October, followed by a meeting with the United States on
11 October.

Finally, at senior level, Doneil Henry, on loan at Danish club AC Horsens,
travel to Mauritania and Morroco for friendly internationals on 7 and 11
October respectively.

At age-group level, Edimilson Fernandes (Switzerland U21), on-loan Bradford
City midfielder Josh Cullen (Republic of Ireland U21), Reece Oxford (England
U20), Nathan Trott (England U19), Declan Rice (Republic of Ireland U19),
Domingos Quina (Portugal U19), Conor Coventry (Republic of Ireland U17),
Rihard Matrevics (Latvia U19) and Malyk Hamilton (Canada U18) have also
received call-ups for a selection of qualifiers, international tournaments
and friendly internationals.

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Manager on Monday
WUFC.com

Slaven Bilic says West Ham United need to start winning to lift the
'confidence-killing' pressure that is on the team at present. The Hammers
are without a victory in five Premier League games, but ended a run of four
straight defeats with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at London
Stadium on Saturday, when Dimitri Payet's individual effort cancelled out
Cristhian Stuani's opener. However, Bilic's side still sit in the bottom
three and the manager says his players need to establish a virtuous circle
of winning games to build confidence, which will in turn lead to more
expressive, successful results in future. "This is different pressure than
last season, when we were fighting for Europe," he explained. "We are not
enjoying this pressure and it's hard to cope with it. You have to get out of
this situation because this pressure stops you from expressing yourself in
the best-possible way. This pressure is a confidence killer. "This is a
negative pressure and positive pressure is different. This is the one which
is hard to cope with, but that's why we have to get a few points and wins to
come out of that pressure and get that burden off our back. "It's more or
less the same squad, but we have lost some of the players from last year and
we have replaced them, and some of them need time to click with the team and
to adjust to a new country and new stadium and everything, so it's not just
one thing. If it was just one thing, we would have fixed it."

Journalists quizzed the manager about the Club's summer transfer business,
suggesting those that arrived have not lifted the overall quality of the
squad – a suggestion Bilic himself dismissed, pointing out that those who
have arrived from overseas need time to settle into their new environment
and get up to speed in the ultra-competitive Premier League. "All the summer
signings are good players and they will come good, at least that's what we
expect them to do," he insisted. "They came to improve our team and some of
them have played really well in some games, but we have to help them also to
settle into a new country and new environment as soon as possible. "We chose
those players and they are good players. We didn't want to change the team a
lot, but we lost some players and have players who are still with us but are
not available like Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho and Andre Ayew – we have to
be patient with them. "Sakho is still injured and he could be back very,
very soon. He is our player and I like him as a player and, depending on how
we are doing of course, he could play. He has done the sprints and is
working with the ball and hopefully he's going to join us quite soon. "Aaron
Cresswell is starting to train with us on Monday and then during the
international break we might have Carroll start to train with us,"

With Carroll and Sakho edging closer to returning to action, followed by
Ayew, Bilic's attacking options will be increased. On Saturday, he started
with Michail Antonio in the centre forward position – a decision he said was
vindicated by the top-scorer's energetic first-half display, which helped to
create a number of chances for the Hammers. "We were not totally happy with
the way our strikers had done in the last few games and we were missing that
presence and quality up front, so that's why we opted for Antonio to play
there. Of course he has played there in his career and he is capable of
doing that. He has played as a striker and with his pace and energy we
expected him to cause them problems, which is what he did really well in the
first half. "In the second half we wanted to maintain that kind of energy,
but to do it on the wing, so we put Zaza up front to add quality without
losing what Antonio was doing."

While happy with Antonio's contribution, Bilic is demanding more from his
team in the final third. Of 19 goal attempts against Boro, just two were on
target – Payet's goal and a long-range effort from Antonio that was
comfortably saved by Victor Valdes – and the manager knows his side need to
be more efficient in front of goal if they are to start winning on a regular
basis. "We are not a one-player team, but the others have to take their lead
from Dimi," he concluded. "I was pleased with our work-rate, but that's a
minimum, as we have to step up our quality in the last third of the pitch.
It doesn't have to be a wonder goal like Dimi's, but it has to be more."

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Reid - We have to dig deep
WHUFC.com

Winston Reid says the players will continue to 'dig deep' as they look to
get back on the winning trail and climb away from the bottom three. Dimitri
Payet scored a wonder goal to help the Hammers get back into the game, but
they still had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough. The players came
together last week to address the situation and the point ended a barren
spell of four consecutive defeats. Reid has no doubts that the players can
pull themselves away from the foot of the table and says they will continue
to train hard over the international break as they prepare for another big
London derby against Crystal Palace on 15 October. Reid said: "We had a
meeting and everyone looked each other in the eye and said we have go to get
ourselves out of this and it is not going to be easy, but we have to dig
deep. "You need occasions like that. We had new players come into the
dressing room and we needed to have a chat. "It is only us the players on
the pitch who can do anything about it but we did our best and got a point.
"We would like to get back out there again but once everyone gets back from
international duty we will re-group again and make sure we improve. "We are
not having that much luck at the moment. We are having chances the but the
ball is not falling our way. "The main thing is we didn't lose this game. We
had been training hard all week and performance wise it was much better than
previously."

With the next two games against Crystal Palace and Sunderland, Reid sees no
reason why the Hammers cannot get more points on the board and turn their
season around. Reid added: "We have got a couple of games coming up where
hopefully we can get a win and I think the guys just need a bit of luck. "It
is something we are working hard for and as long as we keep working hard,
I'm sure the victory will come."

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Loan round up
WHUFC.com

Four Hammers in loan action this weekend helped their sides record victories
There were wins for Josh Cullen, Lewis Page and George Dobson in League One
Meanwhile Doneil Henry made his AC Horsens debut in a 1-0 victory over
Esbjerg FB

A number of Hammers out on loan enjoyed victories this weekend in both the
Football League and abroad.

Josh Cullen continued his impressive second spell with League One side
Bradford City, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in their away win at
Chesterfield. The Yorkshire outfit scored the game's only goal after just 26
minutes when Billy Clarke picked up a short corner and lashed home at the
front post. Stuart McCall's men could have made it two on a number of
occasions, but on Josh Cullen's seventh appearance of the season, the side
held out to move up to second in England's third tier.

Meanwhile, Lewis Page was in action for Coventry City as they picked up
their opening league victory, beating Port Vale 2-0 away from home. In their
first clash since Tony Mowbray's resignation as manager last week, the Sky
Blues set off on the front foot after 36 minutes, taking the lead through
Marvin Sordell's strike after a Michael Brown mistake. And with just under
20 minutes remaining, Chris McCann was on hand to double the visitors' lead,
crashing his effort past the keeper with help from the underside of the
crossbar. Having ended their ten-match winless run, Page's Coventry are now
one of the four League One sides who will enjoy a break over the
international weekend as they search for a new boss.

Elsewhere in the division, George Dobson made his first appearance since
August for west Midlanders Walsall, helping them to a vital 2-1 victory over
Millwall at the Bescot Stadium.
The midfielder played 83 minutes for the Saddlers who took the lead after
just 17 minutes through former Lions forward Simeon Jackson. The Canadian's
fifth of the season was cancelled out five minutes later when Fred Onyedinma
headed into the back of the net, but Walsall retook the lead four minutes
into the second period when Franck Moussa smashed the side back in front.
Holding onto the points, the hosts lifted themselves out of the relegation
zone, in turn condemning Millwall to their fourth-consecutive defeat.

There was less joy for Josh Pask – on loan at Gillingham – as they were
beaten 2-0 by AFC Wimbledon. Dominic Poleon and Dean Parrett scored first
half goals for the Dons without reply to down the Gills, who have struggled
slightly after a fast start in League One.

Meanwhile on Friday, there was a debut for Canada international Doneil
Henry, who appeared as a substitute for Danish club AC Horsens. The defender
played the final three minutes for the side in their 1-0 victory over
Esbjerg FB, who are rooted to the bottom of the Danish Superliga.

Martin Samuelsen was left on the bench for Blackburn Rovers in their 1-0
defeat at Birmingham City, while Stephen Hendrie – also with Owen Coyle's
side – did not feature.

Finally, Reece Burke and Kyle Knoyle continue their recovery from injury at
Wigan Athletic, who recorded a goalless draw at Brentford in the
Championship.

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Ticket Exchange to open for Sunderland
WHUFC.com

Ticketmaster Ticket Exchange will be live for visit of Sunderland on 21
October
Service enables Season Ticket Holders to sell their unwanted seats for home
fixtures
Exchange is open to all Season Ticket Holders and Claret Members to buy
seats

West Ham United are delighted to announce that the Ticketmaster Ticket
Exchange will be live for the next home game against Sunderland. The service
has been designed to enable Season Ticket Holders who are unable to attend a
match a safe, secure and reliable way to sell their seat or seats to other
Season Ticket Holders and Claret Members. The service was yet to be
activated this season, but will now be fully operational as soon as the
match against Sunderland sells out.

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan says he is delighted that supporters will be
able to benefit from the service. "The Ticket Exchange provides a legitimate
way for Claret Members and Season Ticket Holders to buy and sell tickets in
a way which benefits everyone," he explained. "Whether is it is a family
commitment, a pre-booked holiday or a problem with childcare, supporters
will now have the opportunity to market their Season Tickets to some of the
thousands of supporters who are searching to buy one. "Claret Membership is
at record levels and our waiting list for Season Tickets numbers more than
50,000, so it is clear the appetite is more than there to watch West Ham
United. "I encourage all Season Ticket Holders to use the service to make
sure as many Hammers as possible have a chance to attend games at London
Stadium. "The atmosphere has been exceptional at recent games, but every
additional supporter will help as we create an atmosphere that will drive
Slaven and his squad up the Premier League table."

More information, including full mechanics of the service, will be announced
over the coming weeks.

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Ticket Exchange to open for Sunderland
WHUFC.com

Ticketmaster Ticket Exchange will be live for visit of Sunderland on 21
October
Service enables Season Ticket Holders to sell their unwanted seats for home
fixtures
Exchange is open to all Season Ticket Holders and Claret Members to buy
seats

West Ham United are delighted to announce that the Ticketmaster Ticket
Exchange will be live for the next home game against Sunderland.

The service has been designed to enable Season Ticket Holders who are unable
to attend a match a safe, secure and reliable way to sell their seat or
seats to other Season Ticket Holders and Claret Members.

The service was yet to be activated this season, but will now be fully
operational as soon as the match against Sunderland sells out.

Joint-Chairman David Sullivan says he is delighted that supporters will be
able to benefit from the service.

"The Ticket Exchange provides a legitimate way for Claret Members and Season
Ticket Holders to buy and sell tickets in a way which benefits everyone," he
explained.

"Whether is it is a family commitment, a pre-booked holiday or a problem
with childcare, supporters will now have the opportunity to market their
Season Tickets to some of the thousands of supporters who are searching to
buy one.

"Claret Membership is at record levels and our waiting list for Season
Tickets numbers more than 50,000, so it is clear the appetite is more than
there to watch West Ham United.

"I encourage all Season Ticket Holders to use the service to make sure as
many Hammers as possible have a chance to attend games at London Stadium.

"The atmosphere has been exceptional at recent games, but every additional
supporter will help as we create an atmosphere that will drive Slaven and
his squad up the Premier League table."

More information, including full mechanics of the service, will be announced
over the coming weeks.

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#WHUAREYA - Jake Eggleton
WHUFC.com

The FA Youth Cup has an illustrious roll of honour with winners in the past
possessing players who have gone on to achieve great things in the game.

West Ham United U18s will aim this season to clinch their first FA Youth Cup
since 1999 and right-back Jake Eggleton hopes he and his teammates can etch
their name into the history books.

The 17-year-old has been with the club for eight years and is targeting big
things this season, one of those being a good performance in the Cup.

"For the U18s, I think we'd like to try and win the Youth Cup this year,"
said Eggleton.

"I know it's a big ask, but in recent years we've not done as well as we
should have done. Hopefully with the team we've got this year, we'll look to
try and do that.

"For my aims personally, I'd like to be a starter in the U18 side every
weekend. I'd also like to train with the PL2 side and hopefully get a few
starts for them."

Eggleton has been with the Hammers since the age of nine and this has
enabled him to build strong relationships with the staff at Chadwell Heath.

He is full of praise for the coaches at the Academy of Football and also
says the atmosphere is equally as welcoming for new players joining the
setup.

"Because I've been here so many years getting to know all the staff is good,
because they make you feel very welcome.

"It's a relaxed environment, and every wants you to try your best. Even if I
had only been here a couple of years, I think I'd still feel the same."

Being a full-back, you would expect the youngster to compare himself to
first team players like Alvaro Arbeloa or Aaron Cresswell, but Eggleton
chose a Hammers player from another position for his comparison.

He describes himself as a "hard-working right back who likes to get up and
down the line a lot".

"I think my biggest skills are defending one-v-one against an attacker and
getting crosses in," Eggleton added.

"Retention of the ball is another skill I'm good at. I have a good range of
passing and my crossing on most occasions is quite good.

"I model myself as a leader on the pitch, so [I'd compare myself to] Mark
Noble. I look up to him quite a lot, the way he leads the team out."

After a strong year with the U18s last season, Eggleton aims to break into
the PL2 side this campaign.

In the meantime though, his primary focus is to consistently perform well
for the 18s, and he'll hope for more feelings like the one he received after
the win over Aston Villa last season.

"I think we were 2-1 down with about ten minutes to go. We played well and
should have been four or 5-0 up at half-time but it just didn't work out
that way.

"But, with ten minutes to go, we came back and won the game 3-2 and that was
probably my highlight of last season."

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PL2 side prepare for Wycombe test
WHUFC.com

West Ham United PL2 resume their Checkatrade Trophy campaign this week
They face Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park in Southern Group D (7.45pm
kick-off)
The Hammers will be looking to pick up their first points of the Trophy
campaign.

West Ham United PL2 resume their Checkatrade Trophy campaign on Tuesday as
they visit Adams Park to face Sky Bet League Two side Wycombe Wanderers.

The Hammers performed valiantly in their first fixture, a 4-2 defeat to
Coventry City at the end of August, and will hope to get their first points
of this season's competition on the board.

They'll be buoyed by their last outing on Saturday; their 2-0 victory over
Leicester City in the Premier League Cup was described by assistant manager
Liam Manning as their best performance of the season so far.

"It's nice to see the stuff we've been working on the training ground is
being put out on the field," he said.

"If you look at our previous matches, we've created lots of chances but at
times not got it in the box quick enough or been clinical with the finish.

"The goals are coming and the lads are doing well. Every day we work on
things and the Leicester display showed that the hard work is paying off."

The Hammers are currently third in Southern Group D and face a Wycombe team
who swept aside Northampton Town of League One 3-0 in their opening fixture.

Their form in the league has been inconsistent though and the Chairboys are
currently 15th in the bottom tier of the Football League, just five points
above the relegation zone.

"All the competitions we enter, we want to do well in. We played great on
Saturday and now we want to be consistently good," Manning added.

"Tuesday's game will be another good test for the boys and it's one they're
looking forward to."

Wycombe Wanderers v West Ham United PL2 kicks off at 7.45pm at Adams Park on
Tuesday. Supporters should note that advance sales have now stopped for the
Checkatrade Trophy Group Stage match. Tickets will now only be available to
purchase at Adams Park on the night.

Hammers supporters will be able to purchase tickets at the (cash only)
turnstiles from 6.30pm on matchday. Standard Tickets are priced at £10 for
Adults and £5 for U18s.
Entry into the Panache Stand will be from via Gates 1 and 2.

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West Ham accused of sex discrimination by ladies' club
BBC.co.uk

West Ham have been accused of breaking Football Association rules on
discrimination - by the chairman of the ladies' club.

Stephen Hunt has lodged a formal complaint with the FA after months of
argument over funding and facilities.

"West Ham need to be fined until they start to act like a 21st century
club," he told BBC Sport.

In response, West Ham claim Hunt has "threatened the club" and "refused to
align" with their principles.

The Hammers also say they are dedicated to equality in sport but the current
arrangement with Hunt has not worked and they plan to take over the running
of the women's team in due course.

Hunt has listed a number of issues he has with West Ham.

He claims they have stopped his team from finding their own sponsors and
says they are short on funds because they had to buy their own kit.

He alleges West Ham promised a cheque to cover the costs but the money has
not come through and the club have stopped answering their emails.

Hunt also claims his team, who play in the FA Women's Premier League
Southern Division, the third tier of women's football, have to train by the
side of a road as West Ham will not let them use the gym.

He adds that they also cannot afford a physio or a bus to take them to
matches and are playing in last season's home kit, with the names of last
season's players crossed out on the back.

"I think West Ham have breached the underlying objectives of the FA to
promote equality and grassroots football at all levels," he said.

"Initially, what I thought was a lack of interest I now understand is a
positive intent by senior people at West Ham to block the growth of West Ham
Ladies.

"It's beyond negligence, it is trying to starve us of any sort of funding."

West Ham issued a statement insisting that "supporting, nurturing and
facilitating the women's game is very important" to them and claim they are
"a club with strong community principles and a dedication to equality in
sport".

The statement also explains the club's version of events.

"The day-to-day management of West Ham United Ladies FC was transferred to a
third party some time ago and unfortunately it is an arrangement that has
simply not worked," it read.

"Mr Hunt has refused to align with West Ham's principles throughout his
tenure as chairman and has, on a number of occasions, threatened the club.

"The club have been working for some time on plans to take West Ham United
Ladies FC 'in house' and, in light of Mr Hunt's most recent deeply
concerning comments, we will now be seeking to do so at the earliest
opportunity.

"We will, of course, seek to maintain the current West Ham United Ladies FC
squad personnel where possible, and provide them with the best possible
support and management moving forward.

"As a result of this, women's football at West Ham United will become
bigger, better and stronger, as we continue our commitment to the growth and
development of the women's game, both on and off the pitch."

In response, Hunt denies he has threatened the club and says he would be
happy to hand the women's team over to the club if he got guarantees and
assurances that the ladies are protected.

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WINNING MENTALITY AND OLD FACES
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 2 OCTOBER 2016 AT 9:45PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
Article by Richard Oses @bubbles_fanzine

Ive seen a lot of articles and opinions on social media recently as to what
has caused West Ham's terrible slump of form. Some blame the stadium, some
say that it is the signings, some are blaming the manager and I've seen a
few blaming the board. I say it is all rather more simple than that;
confidence! You hear the pundits discuss it when talking about the title
contenders; winning mentality. Well there is also such a thing as a losing
mentality.

If you cast your minds back to our European exit back in August, one would
be harsh not to admit that there was a tad of mis-fortune surrounding the
two-legged loss against our Romanian foes Astra. A lack of experience and
knowledge as to how to deal with the mind games that the minnows were
employing alongside the various key players that were sidelined with
injuries at that stage of the season.

I would suggest that the moral of the squad took a sizeable knock with the
circumstances of their premature exit from the European competition which
was planned for at great length by the coaching staff and directors. The
plan was to play at least the group stage, meaning that rather than bring in
perhaps four or five top class signings, there was a big emphasis on
bringing depth into the mix with around ten "squad" players being recruited
instead.

These squad players have seen the reality of the situation now and realised
that their playing time may not be as plentiful without a European
competition to play for which will no doubt have ebbed away at their moral
and confidence. Not only that but due to the manager having so many options
in a lot of key positions, it has upset the team spirit and harmony of the
squad somewhat.

If you string together pretty much an entire starting XI of new faces, the
chances are they might need some time to properly gel and fit into Bilic's
system.

Adding all of these components into the mixture has made for a string of
poor and confidence knocking performances and results. There was a stop put
to the rot with the performance this weekend against Boro which suggests
that defensive errors are starting to be wiped out a little and it gives the
team something to build on during the international break.

The break also gives some of the crocks a chance to get up to speed, Diafra
Sakho and Aaron Creswell look to be on their way back in time for the next
fixture in two weeks time, and the likes of Carroll and Ayew shouldn't be
too much further behind.

I truly believe that if the manager can get a lot of last season's stars
playing regularly again without too much worry about having to include all
of the summer's signings just because of their repuation rather than their
form it will dramatically improve the club's league position. Some stability
and regularity needs to be found in the defence, as so far this season I
cannot recall the same four faces being on the team sheet.

Picking the same back four regularly alongside picking players on form
rather than reputation (as was said by the manager, these are not my words)
will hopefully give these their confidence and winning mentality back once
again. If they get their state of mind in the right place, there is no
reason why the Hammers can not enjoy a comfortable mid-table finish once
more.

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EXCLUSIVE: WEST HAM LADIES COMPLAIN TO THE FA OVER DISCRIMINATION
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 3 OCTOBER 2016 AT 8:01AM
TehWestHamWay.co.uk

West Ham Ladies FC chairman Stephen Hunt has complained to the FA over the
club's treatment of the ladies team saying that they are discriminated
against and they deserve more backing from the club.

It is felt that the ladies should be able to use the same facilities that
the men use and that the club should equally support both the male team and
the female team. Jack Sullivan has tried to lend his support to the ladies
team in the past by organising a game at Upton Park which was promptly
cancelled due to supporter frustration with it being billed as the last game
at the Boleyn.

In a change of events, it now appears that the ladies think that more should
be done to allow the ladies the same privileges that the male team are
entitled to. Stephen Hunt is expected to take his campaign to a number of
media outlets to drum up support.

Stephen Hunt believe that the club should support them a lot more and there
have been a few disagreements in the past. There has been no formal meeting
by both clubs since 2015 and the ladies are frustrated that they are not
even given a kit.

The club have released a statement saying that the ladies management was
transferred to a third party. They believe that Mr Hunt has refused to
align his principles with West Ham and has threatened the club on a number
of occasions. The club are braced for more negative publicity as a result
of this but believe they have not done anything wrong.

If Stephen Hunt is successful he could change the rules for women's football
on a large scale, whether this actually happens is another question but it
appears that the club has many battles ahead of itself on and off the pitch.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Who sold our season tickets?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd October 2016
By: Staff Writer

A pair of West Ham season ticket holders arrived at the Olympic Stadium on
Saturday - to discover they had been banned and their season ticket seats
sold. KUMB member Liam J arrived with one of his two sons at the ground
ahead of the match with Middlesbrough but was unable to enter, as his cards
were rejected at the electronic turnstiles. And when he enquired at the
Ticket Office to ascertain what the problem was, he was informed that both
season tickets had been cancelled. This, he was told, was the result of a
complaint made by an LS185 steward against Liam's other son, who has since
been banned and is currently in dispute with the club over the circumstances
leading to his omission from the ground (you may read more about that
incident here). "We went to the ticket office to be told our season tickets
were cancelled," Liam told fellow KUMB Forum members. "After much hassle and
with the intervention of Gavin, the Ticket Office manager, they finally
acknowledged that this shouldn't have happened. "They told us we would have
to issue us with paper tickets for different seats - as all three of our
seats had been sold for the match! You really couldn't make it up. The
people in our seats were a lovely old fella with his wife and daughter!"
And as far as attending future matches is concerned, the experience has left
Liam questioning whether or not he will continue to follow a club he has
supported financially since the 1970s. "To be honest I'm losing all
enthusiasm for going," he added. "I have been a season ticket holder for the
best part of 40 years and both my sons have been regulars from the age of
five. I just don't know if I can be bothered anymore."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan dismisses post-match fracas
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd October 2016
By: Staff Writer

David Sullivan has dismissed reports of fights breakinmg out between
opposing fans after Saturday's 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough as "routine
football problems".

The co-owner was speaking in response to reports of crowd disturbances after
the match, which ended 1-1 after Dimitri Payet's wonder goal salvaged a
point for Slaven Bilic's side against the newly-promoted Teeside club. "It
makes me angry to read stories sensationalising the events outside London
Stadium yesterday," he told whufc.com. "A group of mindless thugs, with no
intention of watching the game, came together outside the ground, and three
arrests were made. "I have watched all the videos and as far as I can see,
any issues were routine football problems that were dealt with swiftly and
safely. "It is clear that the police were quick and professional in
bringing any incidents under control, and although it is something that we
must stamp out from football in general, the scenes were certainly not
exclusive to West Ham United and London Stadium."

However the response from stadium operators LS185 was quite different, with
the company once again insinuating that Hammers supporters had behaved
irresponsibly. "We continue to work in close collaboration with West Ham
United to identify and ban the small number of ticket holders involved in
incidents of disorder," read a statement. "Any evidence of criminality will
be made available to Metropolitan Police who have already made three arrests
as a result of incidents at Saturday's game. "We wish to thank the vast
majority of home and away supporters who are a credit to their clubs and are
united in their desire to watch Premier League football in a safe and secure
environment."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Stadium break-in raises yet more security concerns
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd October 2016
By: Staff Writer

Fresh security concerns have been raised after a group of YouTubers broke
into the Olympic Stadium during the night.

In the following video, a group of young Londonders who call themselves
Night Scape can be seen breaking into the stadium during the night. Once
inside, they group managhed to climb upon the £200million roof and run
across the pitch, before sitting in Slaven Bilic's dugout seat.

The ease at which they were able to access the stadium has raised yet more
concerns about stadium operators LS185's ability to effectively police the
60,000-capacity arena, which has been plagued by problems since West Ham
moved to Stratdford during the summer.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Parkour youngsters break into West Ham's Olympic Stadium
By SSNHQ
Last Updated: 03/10/16 4:23pm
SSN

West Ham's London Stadium suffered another breach of security when kids
gained access at night and somersaulted over the pitch. Police are
investigating the footage posted online by a group called Night Scape, who
claim to be urban explorers. The youngsters can be seen performing Parkour -
a discipline using movement developed from military obstacle course training
- and dangling their feet over the arena's roof. The operators of the London
Stadium have said they take any breach of security extremely seriously and
will be reviewing their out of hours procedures as a matter of priority. The
Metropolitan Police are looking into whether any offences have been
committed. The Hammers have been plagued by safety concerns since their move
to the former Olympic Stadium in the summer.
There was violence among fans during the recent Premier League game against
Watford that drew attention to the absence of police, and arrests were made
after trouble flared up outside the stadium following Saturday's 1-1 draw
with Middlesbrough.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic says his side must follow the lead of Dimitri Payet
By Nathan Orr
Last Updated: 03/10/16 3:00pm
SSN

Slaven Bilic says his West Ham side need to follow the lead of Dimitri Payet
to lift the "confidence-killing" pressure on them. The Hammers ended a run
of four consecutive Premier League defeats with a 1-1 draw against
Middlesbrough at the London Stadium on Saturday. A moment of individual
brilliance from Payet salvaged a point for West Ham but Bilic says securing
wins is the only way to escape a high pressure situation. "We are not a
one-player team, but the others have to take their lead from Dimi," Bilic
told the club's official website. "We are not enjoying this pressure and
it's hard to cope with it. You have to get out of this situation because
this pressure stops you from expressing yourself in the best-possible way.
This pressure is a confidence killer "This is a negative pressure and
positive pressure is different. This is the one which is hard to cope with,
but that's why we have to get a few points and wins to come out of that
pressure and get that burden off our back."
West Ham's relocation to the London Stadium has not been a smooth
transition, with some supporters making it clear they would have preferred
to stay at Upton Park. New additions Simone Zaza, Edimilson Fernandes and
several others have faced criticism for not lifting the overall quality of
the squad but Bilic remains optimistic it is just a matter of time before
they settle in. "All the summer signings are good players and they will
come good, at least that's what we expect them to do," added Bilic. "They
came to improve our team and some of them have played really well in some
games, but we have to help them also to settle into a new country and new
environment as soon as possible."
West Ham could receive a much needed boost after the international break, as
Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho are edging closer to a return from injury.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's 16-year-old wonderkid Domingos Quina beats keeper from 40 yards
with sublime lob
12:43, 3 OCT 2016 UPDATED 12:43, 3 OCT 2016
BY JAKE POLDEN
The video will be some light relief for Hammers fans following their poor
start to the season
The Mirror

The West Ham Academy of Football has produced a lot of talent over the
years, from Sir Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore to Rio Ferdinand and Frank
Lampard .
The above video appears to show that this tradition - one of which the club
is very proud - is continuing after Domingos Quina scored a 40 yard
wondergoal.
The 16-year-old Portuguese midfielder picks the ball up in the middle of the
park and runs at the Leicester City U23s back four. After crossing the
halfway line, and failing to be closed down by an opposition player, he
looks up and decides to have a pop at goal. Instead of smashing it at the
keeper however, he simply lifts the ball into the air and delicately lobs
him from a staggering 40 yards. The footage will be some light relief for
Hammers fans who have endured a disappointing start to the Premier League
season. After moving to their brand new London Stadium, West Ham have
picked up just one win in seven games this year and sit third from bottom in
the table. Last time out they came from behind to draw at home with
Middlesbrough after a stunning Dimitri Payet solo effort brought them level.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham star Dimitri Payet trapped in crowd violence outside London Stadium
22:30, 2 OCT 2016
BY MIKE WALTERS
Payet's transfer to the airport in a silver Mercedes was delayed by
outbreaks of trouble in the street – with Boro fans pinning the blame
squarely on East end louts
The Mirror

Dimitri Payet was trapped in the latest violence to blight West Ham 's move
to the Olympic Park. Hammers hero Payet, whose brilliant goal rescued a
point in the 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough , tried to make a rapid getaway
within minutes of the final whistle to report for international duty with
France. But his transfer to the airport in a silver Mercedes was delayed by
outbreaks of trouble in the street – with Boro fans pinning the blame
squarely on East end louts. Three people were arrested after the match,
when visiting supporters claimed they were attacked on the way back to their
coaches. Boro chairman Steve Gibson's daughter, Victoria, tweeted her
disgust about an elderly fan being injured by a flying bottle, adding: "It's
not acceptable that some of my family and friends have been shut in the
stadium while WH fans carry on outside. Terrifying."
And Rob Nicholls, editor of Boro fanzine Fly Me To The Moon, said: "It's
incredible that, in this day and age, a Premier League match can take place
in an environment like that. "I just don't understand how West Ham got a
licence to play games there when they are not being policed properly. It was
absolute chaos after the game."
Hammers vice-chairman David Sullivan admitted he was "angry" to learn of the
trouble and he raged: "A group of mindless thugs with no intention of
watching the game came together outside the ground. "I have watched all the
videos and as far as I can see, any issues were routine football problems
that were dealt with swiftly and safely. "It is clear the police were quick
and professional in bringing any incidents under control. "But I get the
impression that there are lots of people out there who want to see the
migration to our new stadium fail. "This is completely unfair on the vast
majority of West Ham United supporters who are embracing out new stadium."

West Ham, whose club statement spoke of a "zero tolerance policy" towards
crowd violence, will have their resolve put to the test when they host
Chelsea in the EFL Cup fourth round later this month.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rigobert Song fighting for life in hospital after suffering stroke
Last Updated: 03/10/16 10:18am
SSN

Former Liverpool and West Ham United defender Rigobert Song is fighting for
his life after suffering a stroke in Cameroon. Song, 40, was taken to
hospital in Yaoude, the Cameroon capital, after suffering from a brain
aneurysm and is reportedly in a critical condition. He made 35 appearances
for Liverpool before joining West Ham in November 2000. He went on to play
for Galatasaray, Lens, Metz and Trabzonspor before retiring in 2010. He is
Cameroon's most capped player, a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics being the
high point of his 137-match international career. Rigobert is the uncle of
former Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, and is currently the
manager of the Chad national team. Former Liverpool team-mates Jamie
Carragher and Robbie Fowler paid tribute on social media, with Carragher
saying: "Hope everything ends up okay." Fowler said: "My thoughts with
Rigobert Song and family. I hope he pulls through."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham trouble 'routine', co-owner David Sullivan says
Last Updated: 03/10/16 7:10am
SSN

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan says reports of trouble at the London
Stadium on Saturday have been "sensationalised". Three men have been
arrested and bailed in connection with disturbances at the Hammers' home
draw with Middlesbrough. But Sullivan has defended "the overwhelming
majority" of supporters and says the incidents - some of which were filmed
and posted on social media on Saturday - were "routine football problems".
He said: "It makes me angry to read stories sensationalising the events
outside London Stadium. "A group of mindless thugs with no intention of
watching the game came together outside the ground, and three arrests were
made. "I have watched all the videos and as far as I can see, any issues
were routine football problems that were dealt with swiftly and safely. "It
is clear that the police were quick and professional in bringing any
incidents under control, and although it is something that we must stamp out
from football in general, the scenes were certainly not exclusive to West
Ham United and London Stadium. "The overwhelming majority of West Ham United
and Middlesbrough supporters behaved absolutely impeccably, which is
something that seems to get forgotten time and time again."
West Ham's relocation to Stratford has not been entirely smooth, with some
supporters continuing to make it plain they would have preferred to stay at
the Boleyn Ground. Slaven Bilic's side have won just one of their four
Premier League games at their new home, while trouble in the stands during
last month's defeat to Watford saw 10 people ejected. Sullivan said: "I get
the impression that there are lots of people out there who want to see the
migration to our new stadium fail, and will take every given opportunity,
big or small, to knock what we are trying to do."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
More BG stewards walk out in protest
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd October 2016
By: Staff Writer

The number of stewards who migrated with West Ham to the Olympic Stadium and
remain in their position is down to less than 60, after yet more walked out
in protest at working conditions last week.

According to a KUMB source, there were just 56 stewards working the
Middlesbrough game on Saturday who came from the Boleyn Ground - down from
350 at the end of last season. And that, says our source, is a result of the
wowrking conditions imposed by stadium operators LS185. "Three stewards that
I have worked with for between eight and 20 years all resigned this week,"
revealed the source. "I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall.
We had just 56 West Ham stewards working the Middlesbrough match today."

Despite implementing a number of policy changes after the standard of
stewarding and security at the stadium was panned by supporters and the
media, more than HALF of the original West Ham stewards remaining are
understood to have walked out since the previous match against Southampton.
And there were further complaints about LS185's own stewards - not to be
confused with those who used to work at the Boleyn Ground - following
Saturday's 1-1 draw. One fan wrote to KUMB after the game to express his
concerns about the inability of LS185's own staff to deal with problems
effectively. "During the second half a man tried to get on the pitch and the
nearest steward - one of the new ones brought in - totally ignored him,"
wrote season ticket holder 'Paul'. "It took one of the ex-West Ham stewards
to go from his position and stop the guy. "The (ex-WHU) steward asked for
help, but none of the other stewards went to his aid. Even a senior steward
in a yellow jacket, who acted as if he was in charge, failed to respond.
"The fans around were shouting at the stewards to help, but they just stood
there. This is totally unacceptable and if the 'new' stewards can't deal
with a situation like that, then I would hate to think what would happen if
there was a serious problem."
"Please can this be sorted out?"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Unmanageable, un-policeable, unfathomable - and we should be hailing
un-matchable Dimi
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd October 2016
By: Paul Walker

David Sullivan's ability to talk his way into a corner is pretty well known,
be it transfer boasting, or claiming that we have a world-class stadium in
Stratford. Which we haven't.

More people than just me have implored him to just button it a bit more. Now
he has stepped into the latest match day problems at the London Stadium, and
laid himself wide open to ridicule by the very same media that he is
accusing of sensationalising the incidents that marred Saturday's draw with
Middlesbrough.

The club's PR machine via the website is imploring us to get our tickets
quickly for the League Cup clash with Chelsea. That draw sent shivers down
my spine for all the wrong reasons.

I have been watching West Ham for 60 years, through all the very, very bad
years of hooliganism and I have travelled away hundreds of times regardless.
I won't be told that I am not seeing properly what I am seeing now.

I won't be at the Chelsea match. My excuse is a wedding anniversary and a
celebration trip to north Wales for myself and my good lady. I don't
willingly miss West Ham games, though, she will confirm.

If I had really, really wanted to trek down from the north, she knows I
would have found some cunning plan to be in two places at once. But not this
time, you see. Because after long, painful thought, I do not believe our new
home is a safe place to be when 5,000 plus Chelsea fans are there, along
with a few of our known head cases.

Frankly, I don't trust the ability, knowledge and management skills of our
new landlords. They haven't got a clue. I am witnessing things now that I
have not seen for decades at football grounds. And once again, don't tell me
I don't know what I am talking about because I have travelled the world
watching football through all those bad times, and I am not easily dissuaded
from seeing my team.

I am watching crowd problems inside and outside our ground, I am seeing
illegal drinking of alcohol in sight of the pitch, and now there has been
plastic bottle throwing and away fans' coaches being attacked.

Yes, David, these are small, sometimes isolated incidents and the vast bulk
of our fan base is doing their level best to embrace our new home--because
there is no going back--and they are giving Slav and what is thankfully an
improving team, all the help we can give.

The support on Saturday was excellent, Slav must see he has the support of a
vast amount of our fans in these trying times, and we saw a better
organised, more committed, performance with team spirit and Dimi's
spellbinding goal.

But when Sullivan starts talking about sensational reporting, he is going to
get told a few home truths. Firstly, what do him and his board know really
about what goes on in the vast surrounds of the Olympic Park as they are
being chauffeured away from the arena?

Has he even bothered to consider that the positioning of pop-up bars behind
the BML and the away section seating are virtually allowing fans to drink
and watch the game from the concourses. The fine line between legality here
has really surprised me. The law says you are not allowed to watch football
and drink at the same time.
On Saturday, I have read from respected observers on other influential
sites, there were plastic bottles being thrown from home and away sections
at each other. How on earth do they get their hands on such ammunition?

Not surprisingly, these are the bottles on sale in these bars behind the
sections I have mentioned. So if they are getting those bottles into the
seating areas, then the stewards are not doing their jobs. Nobody managed to
get bottles or plastic glasses up the steps into the old BML at the Boleyn,
no chance.

So now we also have away fans being escorted from the ground at the same
time as home fans are heading home. And we have roads shut and home fans
blockaded. My friend's wife and young son were trapped behind these barriers
on Saturday and were unable to reach family members waiting for them in
Hackney Wick.

Everybody had to use Stratford station. I would suggest that Mr.Sullivan and
his cosseted pals should spend a match trying to get through Stratford
station. It's a nightmare.

The concept has been flawed from the start. No Premier League stadium I can
think of has been married up with a vast shopping complex that would have
many thousands of shoppers there anyway on a Saturday afternoon as well as
60,000 football fans.

This weekend we had transport chaos. First I was told by a copper there had
been a fire at Stratford station, then I read on our fellow fans' site that
there may have been a passenger taken ill at Leyton station, thus holding up
the tube. Then there was a serious stoppage on the overground, where a train
was halted because a muppet with a beard and a blue and grey jacket had been
banging and kicking a train door because it wasn't opened quickly enough.

That train sat motionless for over a hour and the clown responsible soon had
plenty of police crawling all over him. The police acted quickly and
efficiently, knew what they were doing, but that didn't help me and my lad
missing our connection at Euston. I also heard that a Middlesbrough player
was also caught up in the nonsense, having been left behind to have his
drugs test, and he to missed his train north.

Then, of course, we find out that Stratford was shut because of
overcrowding. Shoppers and fans just too much for it. And this are the
world-class transport links we were promised. Frankly, I am yet to see it.

Me and my lot have now found somewhere to get a beer and food some way in
the opposite direction from Stratford, the people there are happy to see us
and don't mind some club shirts. We are trying to make it home. I will only
use Stratford station if it is the very last resort.

Then we had twitter footage of a Middlesbrough fans' coach being attacked.
Punch-ups being filmed. And all you could see was slow to react stewards, so
where was the police escort? Boro' officials have been far from impressed,
Steve Gibson's daughter has been on twitter to complain and there is little
doubt they had problems.

It is this sort of thing I have not seen in years, frankly never at the
Boleyn. Nobody was allowed to turn left out of the Chicken Run, where there
was enough police and paddy wagons to mount a small invasion. Away fans were
routinely escorted round the bus station and back to Upton Park tube and
away.

Old fashioned grounds in built-up areas gave little chance to running
battles, well not since the dodgy days of the '60s and '70s before the
Police got a grip.

And that is really my point about our new home. The ground management is
reactive rather than proactive, there is vast areas of concourse, grassed
surrounds and walkways. Huge areas of land that make policing a real problem
if not almost impossible.

And that is why I will be happy (I frankly am surprised and saddened by my
attitude) to give Chelsea's visit a miss. My fears now is that clubs all
over the country have enough knuckle-draggers to have realised there are
real problems with policing and stewarding at the London Stadium, and they
fancy seeing it for themselves.

Middlesbrough had their nutters, the ones that were dancing on the vast
amounts of tarpaulin sheeting that covers the lower seating from view at the
two ends of the stadium with retractable seats. The one picture I saw had
two clowns out there cavorting and I counted a dozen stewards in the picture
doing nothing.

I just don't think our landlords know enough about football crowds to handle
these now weekly, two weekly, problems. They think because they coped with
the happy, clappy Olympics for a fortnight, or a few rugby matches,
occasional Newham Fun Run and the odd rock concert that they know what they
are doing.

No, they don't.

I have feared all season, after watching carefully how the teething problems
are being handled, that there is a disaster waiting to happen here soon. I
just hope the Chelsea game goes off quietly on that score, because we will
get it in the neck--just as Sully claims-- if something goes wrong.

What saddens me most is that my son has already decided he will never bring
his young daughter to a match while these constant problems keep happening.
He knows our family legacy, me, my dad, my grandfather and countless uncles
have carried a family tradition back to Thames Ironworks days.

My little grand-daughter may well not like football, it happens. But I doubt
I will ever have the pleasure of seeing her at this new home of hours. The
Boleyn would have been no problem, but not here, not with the people who are
running the place and in whom I have to trust my own safety.

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.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Slaven Bilic's misfiring West Ham to train at London Stadium in an effort to
make new ground feel like home
West Ham drew 1-1 with Middlesbrough at London Stadium on Saturday
There was more trouble in the stands as Hammers fans grew frustrated
Slaven Bilic's men sit 18th after managing just one win this season
By KIERAN GILL FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 22:30, 2 October 2016 | UPDATED: 00:02, 3 October 2016

Slaven Bilic wants to train his team at the London Stadium after admitting
it is taking time to feel like West Ham's home. West Ham drew with
Middlesbrough on the pitch but off it there was more trouble in the stands,
and home supporters sang: 'Stratford's a s***hole, I want to go home.' With
only one win in the Premier League this season, West Ham sit third bottom,
and Bilic is desperate to fix their teething troubles. West Ham have made
their worst start to a top-flight season since 1988-89 with four points from
seven games. 'We can train here as many times as we want,' Bilic said. 'I
asked for that. It's not a question of can we? We can.' Put to him that it
still doesn't feel like home to their fans, Bilic said: 'Why are you asking
me that? 'It is not West Ham's stadium but it is West Ham's home. You can
buy a flat that is totally under a mortgage, but it is your flat. 'You are
paying the mortgage and you still treat that flat as your home. Of course it
takes time to settle in. It takes time for everything that is new. 'This is
a new stadium for us but it's us. But there is a period where you need time
to adjust to something and the only way to make it shorter is by winning
more games.'
Three arrests were made at the London Stadium on Saturday after a wondergoal
from Dimitri Payet saved West Ham following Cristhian Stuani's opener.
Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing, the former West Ham winger, spent two years
at Upton Park and spoke honestly about their new stadium. 'Don't get me
wrong, it's a lovely ground and set-up, but I prefer the old stadium,'
Downing said. 'Upton Park used to be on top of you, with the fans really
close. This is a bit different, and I found it a bit strange. Their players
are going to have to get used to that.
'The atmosphere is different to what it was like at Upton Park. But they've
moved now and they have to get on with it. That's just the way it is.' Last
season West Ham's biggest problem was whether or not they would qualify for
European football. As it stands, they are in a relegation scrap. 'This is
different pressure from last year,' Bilic said. 'You are not enjoying this
pressure. It's hard to cope with. 'This pressure is a confidence killer.
This is a negative pressure.'

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