Daily WHUFC News - 1st March 2017

London Stadium shortlisted for Stadium of the Year
WHUFC.com

The home of West Ham United has reached the final ten nominees for the
Stadium of the Year award 2016
The winner will be decided by five-man panel of industry professionals on 6
March
You can also choose London Stadium as your Stadium of the Year in the public
vote!

London Stadium at night stage of Stadium of the Year, a competition that
determines the best new stadia from around the world to have opened in the
past twelve months. West Ham United's home has been nominated in the final
ten from a longlist of 29 modern stadia. The winner will be revealed on the
day of our home match with Chelsea, on 6 March, by a panel of five
accomplished architects from around the world. The stadium is the only
UK-based arena that makes the final 10, however Bristol's Ashton Gate Arena
and Belfast's redeveloped Windsor Park were in the 29-long shortlist.

London Stadium pre-gameWorld Cup fixtures, athletics and motor racing, as
well as 13 Premier League and five cup football matches.
The stadium is quickly developing its own history and has already played
host to a number of impressive West Ham United displays, including a night
few will forget when the Hammers beat Chelsea 2-1 to seal the West-London
club's exit from this season's EFL Cup.
Not only that, but Andy Carroll scored one of the greatest Premier League
goals of all time on the turf of London Stadium when West Ham United beat
Crystal Palace 3-0 on January 14.

Competition for the award is tough though, and there is a total of nine
football stadiums up for the 2016 prize as well as the Hard Rock Stadium –
home of American Football outfit, Miami Dolphins. Besiktas' new Vodafone
Arena in Istanbul, Stadion FK Krasnodar in Krasnodar and Udinese's Dacia
Arena are all expected to be in strong contention of claiming the award.

As well as the panellists decision, a public vote is now open and you can
choose London Stadium as your Stadium of the Year here.

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Ginge – Carroll should get an England recall
WHUFC.com

Hammers defender James Collins believes striker Andy Carroll should be in
line for an England recall
The Big Man has not played for his country since 2012 but has been in fine
form this season with six goals from 16 games
Collins also looked ahead to Monday's clash against Chelsea - a re-run of
October's magnificent EFL Cup win at London Stadium

James Collins believes England boss Gareth Southgate should not ignore Andy
Carroll when he selects his next international squad in March. West Ham
United's big front man has not represented his country since October 2012,
but having scored six goals in 16 appearances for the Hammers this season,
is likely to be on the Three Lions manager's mind. Collins, who trains with
the 28-year-old on a daily basis, knows first-hand how daunting facing
Carroll can be and thinks England can benefit from his unique skillset. The
defender said: "I think [Andy Carroll] should be [in the England squad]. A
fit Andy Carroll is a handful for any defender. "I know if I was playing
against him and he was in the opposite team, I'd be in for a tough
afternoon. It gives [England] something different.
"What Andy can do; I've never trained against a lad or played against a lad
who is as physical and as good in the air as Andy, so I think it's a no
brainer for him to be in the squad as something different to what they're
used to."

Carroll, who has sat out the Hammers' last two matches through injury, looks
set to return to the squad for the visit of Chelsea to London Stadium on
Monday. And Welsh international Collins, who scored against the Blues at
Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture this term, believes his side can take
confidence from October's EFL Cup victory against Antonio Conte's men. "We
beat them at our place in the Cup so it shows they've got to come to us and
it's going to be a good night. They've shown their class in the last few
weeks and they're a top quality team. "It's easy for me to say, but it's up
to them to through [the Premier League title] away now. They look strong. We
played them in that first game of the season and you could see they were a
strong team. "Since then they have gone from strength to strength. It's
going to be tough. "But confidence is high at the minutes and we had a nice
trip away recently, a bit of team bonding, and everyone is looking forward
to what's coming up. "It's exciting and although we've got a tough run-in,
everyone's looking forward to it. I don't think we were ever in danger. We
had a couple of months being down there but we have a squad and a team to
pick up better results."

Ginge has been left out of Slaven Bilic's starting XI on the last five
occasions but remains a key figure in the dressing room, his experience
vital among the younger members of the squad. "I'm enjoying things more than
ever [here]," the 33-year-old continued. "I'm not getting any younger but
I've got next year at West Ham and it's such a great group of lads we have
here and the manager is top class. "He's amazing with me personally and with
all the lads. It's easy to go and train every day here and obviously I'd
love to be playing, but I've got to work hard and train and try and get my
chance again soon."

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Arsenal fixture moved
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's Premier League fixture at Arsenal has been moved back 24
hours and will now take place on Wednesday 5 April at 7.45pm. The match,
which will not be broadcast live on television in the UK, has been moved due
to the Gunners' home match with Manchester City being switched to Sunday 2
April for live TV coverage.

The Hammers will travel to Emirates Stadium looking to repeat their
outstanding 2-0 victory on their last visit, on the opening day of the
2015/16 season.

Ticket details for this season's fixture will be announced on whufc.com and
the Club's social media channels in due course.

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The Big Interview - Mike Gapes MP
WHUFC.com


Ilford South MP Mike Gapes is a West Ham United Season Ticket Holder and
lifelong fan.

Born in Wanstead and raised in Hainault, Gapes attended his first Hammers
match at Arsenal in 1963, before becoming a regular at the Boleyn Ground the
following year.

Now 64, the Labour Co-operative politician who delivered newspapers to Geoff
Hurst as a child believes West Ham's move to London Stadium will bring
widespread benefits to both the Club and the area as a whole.

Seven months on from the official opening of London Stadium, are you seeing
tangible benefits of having a Premier League club based on Queen Elizabeth
Olympic Park, just a short distance from your Ilford South constituency?

MG: "I certainly feel that there has already been a regeneration impact of
West Ham moving into London Stadium. The new stadium will become an iconic
global brand image and certainly make both West Ham as a club and east
London as a region more widely known.

"The West Ham Foundation does very good work. I hope it can be expanded to
do more in neighbouring boroughs including Redbridge. Many young people can
be inspired by having these world-class facilities permanently nearby."

Do you believe West Ham United as Anchor Tennant provides sustainability for
the Olympic Park and is serving as a catalyst for the regeneration of the
Stratford/East London area, as was initially promised back in 2012?

MG: "Absolutely. We are already seeing the benefits. The Olympic Park has
transformed an area which used to be so run down with old disused buildings
and factories.

"Now, there is this great Park and the facilities and this Stadium within
it, while there is so much construction of housing and offices and
regeneration around.

"And when Crossrail starts operating in two years' time the Stadium and the
area will have fast train links from Shenfield through to Paddington,
Heathrow and Reading.

"Previous Olympic stadiums in places like Montreal and Athens often became
derelict white elephants, but having West Ham as the long-term anchor tenant
means that can't and won't happen."

As a Labour MP, do you take pride that your Labour Government and Mayor of
London secured London 2012 and the Games now have a very real long-term
legacy in the shape of the Stadium and the Park?

MG: "I do, but it is important to recognise that this was a long-term effort
by many people over many years and was supported by political figures on a
cross-party basis.

"Having said that it would not have happened without the visionary decision
to invest in the initial bid and it should be recalled that, when Tony
Blair's Government decided to bid for the 2012 Olympics, the general view
was negative or sceptical.

"We had a great bid team which won in Singapore in 2007 by emphasising that
the UK and London were diverse and open to the world.

"Another key factor was the commitment to a wide sporting and regeneration
legacy. The Olympic Stadium served its purpose well at the time but, to get
a long-term legacy, there had to be regular sustained use.

"This magnificent London Stadium does that. There have already been
international rugby union and rugby league matches and athletics events here
and I hope it will not be too long before we see cricket matches played in
Stratford. It is a long time since I saw Essex play at Leyton and Valentines
Park in Ilford, so I would love to be able to see them at Stratford."

As a Season Ticket Holder, how has your experience of being a West Ham
United fan changed since the move?

MG: "It's changed a lot. I used to meet my friends for a pint before matches
in the White Hart in Green Street and, when that closed a few years ago, I
went to the Supporters' Club on Castle Street. Then, just before kick-off,
we walked up to our seats behind the goal in the Bobby Moore Stand.

"Now, we meet in a small, nice pub in Stratford and I have to allow 30
minutes to make sure I get into the ground before kick-off. The walk across
the park past The Orbit has fantastic views.

"Generally, it's a good experience and after matches, rather than waiting
ages on the Barking Road for a 147 bus to Ilford or walking 25 minutes up
Green Street to Romford, Road I now take up to 40 minutes walking across the
Park and around Westfield to get back to Stratford station because of the
sheer size of the crowd!

"My seat is upstairs near the back of the West Stand in line with the
penalty area and the view is very good. There were some initial teething
problems with the Season Cards, but they have been sorted out.

"There were also some stewarding issues but I'm pleased the Club has dealt
with those and got some experienced people in now.

"The facilities are excellent. There are far more places to eat and drink
and lots of toilets. It used to be awful at half-time behind the old Bobby
Moore Stand, but now you can easily get out and back to your seat.

"I'm also pleased with the disabled access and lifts, while I have a friend
who tells me the Accessibility Shuttle Bus also works well."

Have the transport links made it easier for fans to get to and from matches
from your constituency?

MG: "Travelling from Ilford station, or Gants Hill, Redbridge or Newbury
Park on the Central line is very quick and less stops than going to Upton
Park station via Stratford, West Ham or Mile End.

"But there is a longer walk from Stratford station than from Upton Park so
it's swings and roundabouts!"

As a fan, presumably seeing your team play in front of 57,000 fans in a
world-class was something that you could have only dreamed of as a
youngster?

Mike GapesMG: "It is a different world. I attended my first match at Upton
Park aged 12 in 1964 and stood on the North Bank. I bought my first ticket
for a seat in the old West Stand in 1968. I remember hanging onto rusty
railings in the Chicken Run with 42,000 fans shouting the rafters off at a
floodlit cup match.

"Of course I was there in May 2016 for that sell out emotional final Boleyn
game against Manchester United, but seeing the huge crowds here and the
young children coming with the family groups and a huge range and diversity
of supporters, including many from other countries, is something different.

"I was fortunate to see our great teams of the 1960s. They were almost
entirely local home-grown players, but now our stars come from all
continents and so do our fans, and we have a 21st century stadium too!"

What has been your standout moment at London Stadium so far?

MG: "It has to be the world class Andy Carroll overhead kick goal of the
season against Crystal Palace. I got a great view of the cross by Michail
Antonio as it was at my end."

Finally, where do you feel your Club can go in the future?

MG: "This year is one of consolidation, I think. I doubt we are strong
enough to get higher than about eighth. But next year with a cohesive group
I would hope we can do better and perhaps have a chance in one of the cups.

"In the long term, I'd like to see us in the Champions League regularly and
I would hope to see the Hammers win the title in my lifetime!"

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Reo-Coker – This Club is special
WHUFC.com

It's now almost eleven years since Nigel Reo-Coker came within seconds of
eclipsing the great Bobby Moore as the youngest-ever captain to lift the FA
Cup.

A fairly decent strike from a certain Steven Gerrard extinguished that
particular dream on the eve of Reo-Coker's 22nd Birthday back in May 2006,
in a final that went down in history as arguably the most thrilling of the
modern era.

And just a year later, the powerful midfielder had switched the Claret and
blue of West Ham United for that of Aston Villa.

From London to Birmingham, he then embarked upon adventures in Bolton,
Ipswich, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Montreal, where the former England U21
skipper was last seen kicking a ball in anger during the early part of 2016.

Still just 32, though, Reo-Coker's playing days are far from behind him, and
he recently returned to England in the hope of rejuvenating a career that
has so far yielded 382 senior appearances.

A full 13 years after he first arrived at Upton Park from Wimbledon as a
teenage hopeful, the journey came full circle when he visited London Stadium
for our Premier League clash against Manchester City. And when asked for his
first impressions of the Club's new home, Nigel's answer was emphatic.

"It is amazing," he said. "As I was walking up to the Stadium I could feel
the tingles down my spine.

"I know what it means to play for this Club and I know how passionate the
fans are. To be here now to experience this next phase in West Ham's history
is fantastic.

"It feels so long ago but I wish I could put my boots back on now and get
back out there now!

"It's what the Club deserves, to be honest. I can say this now because I've
been away for a few years and I've travelled around a bit – I truly realise
how big and special this Club is.

"To look around and know that this is West Ham's home ground, that this is
where players have the opportunity to show their ability…it's what dreams
are made of."

For Nigel, the emotional return to the Club where he enjoyed three and a
half eventful seasons provided an opportunity to reflect on a stage of his
career that he admits being only now able to fully appreciate.

Appointed as captain by Alan Pardew in his first full season at the Club,
Nigel led his colleagues to promotion from the Championship in 2005 and then
played an integral part in that memorable first season back in the Premier
League, culminating in that unforgettable clash against Liverpool at the
Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The pride he holds in those memories is
clear.

"We had a great team then, and a great team spirit." he said. "What we did
in the few years I was here was fantastic. We had no fear. The dressing room
was full of different characters and personalities.

"It's the part of my career that has really stayed with me. It's something
that I've never forgotten and it's something that I truly appreciate.

"Everywhere I go, I'm always remembered and recognised from my time at West
Ham. There have been so many Hammers fans I have met worldwide, and that's
when you understand how big the fanbase is."

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From the Boardroom - David Gold
WHUFC.com

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend the game at Vicarage Road last
Saturday as I away on business in Dubai.

But I could not have asked for a better place to watch the game after I
joined up with a number of the Dubai Hammers to watch the team in action.

I made the decision to join around 60 supporters watching the game at
Nelsons Bar as I wanted to be part of the atmosphere and join in the
fantastic support that they always give to the team.

I had booked a table to see the game in the bar so word obviously got out
that I was coming down, but they still gave me a fantastic reception when I
arrived and they were very accommodating.

We exchanged a number of stories and they were full of excitement after
seeing the team come out to Dubai recently and got the chance to meet a
number of their heroes.

There were around 300 fans at the open day and Slaven and the players made
them feel very welcome as they took time to sign autographs and take a
number of pictures.

They only had good things to say about the manager, Mark Noble and the
players so I want to thank everyone involved and helping to make it such a
memorable day.

It was such a great experience for me to see the game with a number of West
Ham fans and although we didn't get off to the best of starts, we once again
showed all our fighting qualities to get back into the game.

Even though I wasn't there, I could hear the amazing support from our fans
once again and they play such a big role in helping the team to produce
their best form.

At half-time I felt we could get back into the game and could even go on and
get all three points. We obviously had a few decisions that went against us
and it was very disappointing to see Michail Antonio sent-off right at the
end.

I felt so sorry for him and it is a big blow that he will now miss the
Chelsea game. But on a positive note he played such a big part in helping us
to get back into the game with a fantastic run and shot which hit both posts
and Andre Ayew was able to slot the rebound home.

I was so pleased to see Andre back among the goals. He is our club record
signing and is a very good player. He looks like he is getting back to his
best form following a frustrating period through injury and we hope that can
continue.

He was so unlucky to get injured in the opening Premier League game against
Chelsea but he has regained full fitness and took a lot of confidence from
his successful run at the Africa Cup of Nations.

With Andy Carroll hopefully returning to training this week, we have a lot
of competition for places and it will be interesting to see what Slaven does
for the Chelsea game.

I also want to pay special tribute to Manuel Lanzini who was fantastic once
again on Saturday. He got the man of the match award ahead of Antonio which
shows you the performance he put in and there is no doubt he has matured in
the absence of Dimitri Payet.

He is still a young man, but he is clearly enjoying his football and has
that freedom to express himself. Slaven has faith in him.

Pedro Obiang was also outstanding once again. He is the unsung hero and his
stats are amazing. He goes about his business in a very efficient way and I
have constantly said he is a very good player. He is getting better with
every game that he plays.

We now prepare for another big game on Monday night. They are running away
at the top of the league and we want to beat the league leaders.

It is very important for the pride of our football club that we come away
with a good result. We are looking a decent side now and we can win these
games.

I am gaining confidence from the way we are playing. There is great
camaraderie in the squad and it would be great for us to have a good end to
the season.

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RIGHT BACK SET TO SIGN ?!?
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 28 FEBRUARY 2017 AT 9:30PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk
By Matthew Jones

According to Sky Sports News HQ, West Ham United are in advanced talks to
sign St Etienne fullback Kevin Malcuit in the summer in a permanent £10m
deal. Manchester United are also reported to be keeping tabs on the French
defender after his impressive performances against Jose Mourinho's side in
the Europa League.

The 25 year old signed for St Etienne for just £427,000 towards the end of
the 2015 Summer Transfer Window, however a swift introduction to the
first-team has lead to the player being scouted by several Premier League
clubs. West Ham reportedly had three bids turned down for the right-back in
the January Transfer Window.

The former Monaco defender has averaged 5.8 tackles and interceptions a
game, whilst also helping himself to four assists this season. Malcuit would
fit comfortably into West Ham's first team as Slaven Bilic looks to have
finally found a fullback who can both attack and defend successfully. Whilst
the talent of the in-form Frenchman is evident, Malcuit is not
Premier-league proven and also has some disciplinary records to his name. It
is arguably a risk by the West Ham board, but is Slaven making the right
choice?

Matthew Jones

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Give Bilic a new contract NOW!
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 27th February 2017
By: Jamie Norwood

So Slaven Bilic's contract is up next summer and I am getting a little
worried. Rumours of Roberto Mancini having talks with David Sullivan, I find
very strange and if true then it is incredibly disrespectful to Slav. For me
Bilic has been a breath of fresh air. I won't bring up my thoughts on our
last manager, but he is the complete opposite. He has passion on the
touchline, he loves the club and when we lose you just know that it hurts
him just as much as us fans.

In his first season he gave us some of the best days/nights – beating
Liverpool (three times), Man City and Chelsea - and no one will ever forget
that game vs Man Utd. This season he has dealt with so many problems; the
stadium move, the Payet situation, lack of investment in the team – all this
and we're ninth in the league. Even in the bad times this season the fans
still sung his name I think the Board really have to look at that and the
relationship he has with the fans. It's been a while since there has been
such a connection.

We had a great season last year and I was so disappointed that the owners
failed to back him in the summer transfer window. We (he) was promised a
'20-goal-a-season striker' and we ended up with Simone Zaza and Jonathan
Calleri on loan deals. Ayew came in for £20million eventually but he's
played the majority of his career as a winger/attacking midfielder and is
clearly not an out-and-out striker. Other deals done were free transfers or
small fees; Sofiane Feghouli, Havard Nordtviet, Edimilson Fernandes, Alvaro
Arbeloa and Gokhan Tore.

A lot of 'squad' players yet none of them improving the first team. Not
backing the manager going into the new stadium was a massive error, in my
opinion. Look at other teams in the league; Crystal Palace signing
Christian Benteke for £30m (and then spending another £40m+ in January!),
Bournemouth paid £15m for Jordan Ibe, Everton £30m for Yannick Bolasie,
Middlesborough £16m on Patrick Bamford and Rudy Gestede…

A recent report from Deloitte says that we have the 18th-highest revenue in
world football at £143.8million. What I would like to know, is where this
money is?

We still have no first choice right back and we are, incredibly, still
relying on Andy Carroll to stay fit. Bilic now has no other choice but to
play Michail Antonio there, whose best position is clearly on the wing.

In January we had the chance to invest in the team and we purchased a centre
back and a winger. No striker, no right back. Had we had those two positions
filled we surely would have taken our chances against West Brom and Watford
and picked up six points instead of the two. (I know poor refereeing
decisions haven't helped either).

The club stated it was Bilic's decision not to sign anyone, but I personally
don't believe that for a minute. He said he wanted Defoe, yet the owners
offered just £6m. Hardly backing the manager is it?

It looks to me as if the owners will come up with any excuse not to spend
money. We made £7m profit (on transfer fees) in January – so you'd think
there would be a big budget for the summer? Let's wait and see, but we've
heard that before!

Bilic dealt with the Dimitri Payet situation with class and to be honest,
you'd expect nothing less from the man. His best player who Bilic invested
so much into, a player he got playing his best football and back in the
France set-up.

It must have really hurt Slav how it all came out. You can tell how let down
he was when he revealed Payet was refusing to play. The way he handled it
has brought the whole squad together and results and performances have
improved. From 'relegation trouble' we now sit ninth.

Bilic and his coaching staff deserve massive credit for that.

If Sullivan is really thinking of changing the manager (Im really struggling
to understand why) who is the alternative? Roberto Mancini? He did a good
job at Man City, but he also had unlimited funds, which he wouldn't have
here. (He'll have unlimited South Americans on loan, though!)

Mancini has no connection with West Ham and was sacked before the season
started by Inter Milan after losing 6-1 to Tottenham in a friendly!

In my opinion there isn't a better manager out there for West Ham United
than Slaven Bilic. He suits the club down to the ground. He just gets 'us' -
and we get 'him'. Come on West Ham, sort this out before the end of the
season and reward Bilic with a new contract.

* Catch up with Jamie via twitter at @JimboNorwood.

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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Dobson fearing the worst
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 28th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

On-loan Academy midfielder George Dobson has expressed doubts over his
long-term future at West Ham. The 19-year-old has made 17 appearances (10
starts, seven from the bench) on loan at current club Walsall since moving
to the Bescot Stadium on a season-long loan deal last summer.
However Dobson - who left Arsenal for boyhood club West Ham in 2015 due to
limited opportunities - admits that breaking through at the club is going to
be a far more difficult task. "I've got the rest of this season and then one
more year on my West Ham contract," he told the Walsall Advertiser. "Then
you never know what will happen. "Obviously as a West Ham fan I would love
to stay at the club as long as I can, but you never know what the future
holds. You've got world-class players playing in the Premier League so to
try to break into a top 10 club who are aspiring to be top six, it's going
to be hard. "But that's the challenge you have to set yourself and if you're
not quite good enough for that level, you've got to make sure you are good
enough for the level just below that and you'll still have a really good
career in the game."
The midfielder also admitted that he had been frustrated at not featuring
too often for Walsall during the early stages of the season - between the
end of August and the beginning of November, he played just twice. However
he had been involved in the Saddlers' last six League One outings - from
which Walsall achieved four wins and two draws. "It's been frustrating at
times," he added, "not playing as much as I would hope to but I've stuck at
it and I've been used a lot recently off the bench. I've enjoyed the
opportunity I've been given and I'm just trying to get as many games as I
can and impress as many people as I can. "It's my first loan, when I came
here I was only 18 so it's hard when you're not playing. But I'm confident
and I have faith in my ability and I feel like I've improved a lot in the
last few months."

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The Chinese way
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 28th February 2017
By: Staff Writer

Andy Carroll has been the subject of three separate approaches from Chinese
Super League clubs in recent days. According to Ken Dyer, writing for the
Standard, the Hammers have fended off three enquiries for the England
international ahead of today's transfer deadline in China. Tianjin Quanjian,
Hebei China Fortune and Shandong Luneng Taishan are all understood to have
made enquiries regarding Carroll's availability within the past 72 hours -
all of whom have been told the striker is not for sale.
Chinese clubs have once again been spending big in 2017, after they sent
shockwaves through the game in 2016 when offering mega-money deals to
several European-based players. Last month former Hammer Carlos Tevez agreed
to join Shanghai Greenland Shenhua after being offered $765,000 per week -
double that earned by Euope's top earner, Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid -
whilst former Chelsea star Oscar bid farewell to the Premier League in order
to join Shanghai SIPG (who also signed Brazilian international Hulk).
However the Chinese Goverment recently announced plans to halt the influx of
foreign players - just after local star Zhang Chengdong became the most
expensive domestic transfer in history, moving from Beijing Guoan to Hebei
China Fortune for $21.6m.

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West Ham reject three bids for Andy Carroll from Chinese clubs - Sky sources
Last Updated: 28/02/17 7:02am
SSN

West Ham have turned down three offers for Andy Carroll from Chinese Super
League clubs, Sky sources understand. Tianjin Quanjian, Hebei China Fortune
and Shandong Luneng firmed up their interest with bids ahead of the Chinese
transfer window closing on Tuesday, but West Ham have told them the striker
is not for sale. Carroll, 28, has been with the Hammers since 2012,
initially joining on loan form Liverpool before signing permanently for a
fee of £17.5m in June 2013. The forward has struggled with injuries since
joining the Hammers and has been restricted to just 12 Premier League
appearances this season. He is currently sidelined with a groin problem but
manager Slaven Bilic is hopeful he will be fit for the Monday Night Football
clash with Chelsea. Carroll has scored six goals this season with four of
those coming in his last four games including a sensational overhead kick
against Crystal Palace.

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West Ham expect to sign Kevin Malcuit from St Etienne in the summer - Sky
sources
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 28/02/17 3:04pm
SSN

West Ham expect to sign St Etienne right-back Kevin Malcuit for £10m this
summer, Sky sources understand. Slaven Bilic tried to sign the 25-year-old
during the January transfer window but St Etienne did not want to lose him
midway through the season. The French side will allow Malcuit to leave this
summer when he will have two years left on his contract, having signed him
for £500,000 from second division club Niort in August 2015. One of West
Ham's priorities this summer is to sign a right-back and Malcuit was one of
St Etienne's standout players in this month's Europa League games against
Manchester United, leading to reports Jose Mourinho will send scouts to
watch him in Ligue 1.

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West Ham communications boss Paul Cox leaves role - Sky sources
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 28/02/17 3:37pm
SSN

West Ham's head of corporate communications has left the club less than two
months after taking the job, Sky sources understand. Paul Cox arrived at the
club in January and was expected to improve the club's public profile after
their move from Upton Park to the London Stadium. West Ham had been in the
media spotlight following violence between fans in a match against Chelsea
in the EFL Cup in October. Cox, formerly head of communications at UK Sport,
looked after a number of issues relating to the London Stadium, the stadium
operators LS185, the London Legacy Development Corporation, the Metropolitan
Police, Newham Council and the London Assembly.
Meanwhile, West Ham are working closely with the Metropolitan Police before
Chelsea's return to the London Stadium, in the Premier League, on Monday.
Following violent scenes during the EFL Cup game, West Ham produced a
five-point plan for games played at the London Stadium. Since the plan has
been in place, West Ham have had nine incident-free games at their new home.

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West Ham join Arsenal and Chelsea in eyeing teen striker Henry Onyekuru for
potential transfer
Celtic are also keen on the the 19-year-old Nigerian, who has 12 goals this
season for Belgium's KAS Eupen
The Mirror
BYDARREN LEWIS
22:30, 28 FEB 2017UPDATED22:43, 28 FEB 2017

West Ham are among a number of clubs interested in highly-rated Nigerian
forward Henry Onyekuru. Arsenal and Chelsea have already had the 19-year-old
watched, while Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is also a fan. Onyekuru has
scored 12 goals for his club KAS Eupen and says he will leave the club this
summer.
Celtic had a £1million bid rejected last month, and are ready to return for
him.

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West Ham ban only HALF of the 200 supporters they vowed to after Chelsea EFL
Cup violence
Chelsea return to the London Stadium next week and the Met Police have
promised a "robust policing plan"
Th Mirror
BYNEIL MCLEMAN
22:17, 28 FEB 2017UPDATED22:19, 28 FEB 2017

West Ham have banned only half of the 200 fans the club vowed to exclude
after trouble in the EFL Cup tie against Chelsea last October. The Met
Police promise a "robust policing plan" for the return of the Blues to the
London Stadium on Monday. Riot police were called on October 26 as bottles
and coins were thrown. The next day the club issued a statement, claiming
they were "finalising the identification of 200 individuals who will receive
stadium bans". Vice-chairman Karren Brady admitted in December the club had
banned only 71 fans all season. The total number for the season is now
around 100. The Met said: "We have a robust policing plan in place for the
match on Monday."

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Pedro Obiang: Manuel Lanzini must show he is now West Ham's best player
VAISHALI BHARDWAJ
Evening Standard

Pedro Obiang believes Manuel Lanzini has become West Ham's best player, and
has urged the Argentine to demonstrate his quality week in and week out for
the Hammers. West Ham sold their talismanic forward Dimitri Payet in the
January transfer window after the France international refused to play for
the club after expressing his desire to return to Marseille. With Payet
gone, Lanzini has stepped up to fill his boots - scoring in the 3-0 win over
Crystal Palace and the 2-2 draw with West Brom while providing two assists
in the 3-1 victory at Middlesbrough last month. Such has been his superb
form of late that West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell admitted the team always
"knew Manu was capable of that" - with Obiang sharing the sentiment. "Manu
is our number ten and he needs to demonstrate every time that he is now our
top player, so we need to use him every time we have the ball, because he
has confidence and he tries to create chances," Obiang told West Ham's
official website. "Michail [Antonio] also did everything for the team, but
it is no surprise because he can play with ease in every position! "At the
moment, he plays everywhere for the team and for himself and he tries to
give everything. Sometimes he scores, but on Saturday he was unlucky because
he hit two posts, but luckily Andre [Ayew] followed up to score."

West Ham were forced to come from behind to secure a point against Watford
at Vicarage Road on Saturday thanks to a 73rd-minute equaliser from Andre
Ayew. "I am very happy for Andre, as I am very happy for every player when
they come back from injury," Obiang said when asked about the goal. "From
the start, he was injured but now he is starting to play a little bit and we
need to keep going with him because he can do good things."

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Mark Noble calls on West Ham fans to re-create atmosphere to beat Chelsea as
club looks to avoid crowd trouble repeat
West Ham's EFL Cup victory over Chelsea was marred by crowd trouble that led
to more than 50 supporters being banned from the London Stadium
The Independent Football

West Ham United captain Mark Noble has backed his side to repeat their
League Cup victory over Chelsea in October when the teams meet in the
Premier League at the London Stadium on Monday. West Ham, who are ninth in
the table, have lost just once in their last six league games but will be
the underdogs when they come up against a formidable Chelsea side that
appear on course for the title with a 10-point lead at the top of the
standings. "We've beaten Chelsea once already this season and although they
have won again this weekend and they are absolutely flying, it's a London
derby under the lights," midfielder Noble told media. "I hope we can
generate another really good atmosphere and a strong performance."

West Ham's win against Chelsea was marred by fan violence which led to more
than 50 home supporters being banned from the London Stadium. The club and
stadium operators will increase the number of stewards and police to ensure
wider separations between rival supporters in an effort to avoid a repeat of
the untoward incident. "Maybe we didn't get enough credit for knocking
Chelsea out of the League Cup because, for a time, whenever we won at home,
it was overshadowed by crowd trouble, the atmosphere or people moaning,"
Noble added.

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Victor Moses: West Ham loan is a 'nice memory', but I'm a Chelsea player now
TOM DOYLE
Evening Standard

Victor Moses will leave his fondness for West Ham to one side next Monday as
Chelsea chase the Premier League title. Moses is one of the surprise
packages of the 2016/17 season after becoming a key player for Chelsea
following Antonio Conte's switch to a 3-4-3 formation, with the Nigeria
international thriving in a right wing-back role. The 26-year-old has, in
part, a successful loan spell at West Ham to thank for his reversal of
fortunes at Stamford Bridge, playing regular Premier League football with
the Hammers in the 2015/16 campaign. Moses says that while he is grateful
for the chance to impress during West Ham's final season at Upton Park, he
is enjoying life at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea head to the Hammers' new
London Stadium home for Monday night's London derby. "I had a great time
there last season, it's a nice memory but now I'm a Chelsea player and I'm
enjoying my football," Moses told Chelsea's official website. "I can't wait
to go to the London Stadium and hopefully we'll get three points. "I've
always wanted to play for this big club, it's one of the best clubs in the
world at the moment and I'm enjoying every single minute. "I just want to
keep on working hard and helping my team-mates out."
Chelsea make the trip across London having overcome a resilient Swansea
display to beat Paul Clement's side 3-1 at the Bridge last weekend, showing
patience to turn the match around after Fernando Llorente had cancelled out
Cesc Fabregas' opening goal. Pedro and Diego Costa struck after the interval
to make the game safe, and Moses said: "I thought we did well and showed
great character.
"Swansea did well in the way they tried to sit back and frustrate us but we
kept on playing and as soon as we got the second goal we started to enjoy
it. "We're not looking at the table at the moment, we still have 12 matches
to play and we just need to take each game as it comes. "We just want to
stay grounded and win as many games as we can between now and the end of the
season. "We're going to stay focused and keep working hard together as a
team, as everyone can see we're doing."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chelsea and West Ham fans warned ahead of Monday night clash as police say
they have a 'robust' plan in place to deal with any trouble
West Ham and Chelsea go head to head at the London Stadium on Monday
There was crowd trouble when the two teams last met at West Ham's ground
The Metropolitan Police say they've a 'robust' plan in place to deal with
trouble
By Kieran Gill for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 22:31, 27 February 2017 | UPDATED: 22:31, 27 February 2017

West Ham and Chelsea fans have been warned by the Metropolitan Police there
is a 'robust' plan in place ahead of their Monday night Premier League
clash. The last meeting between these two teams at the London Stadium saw
the League Cup tie marred by trouble both inside and outside as fans fought
and threw missiles. Bottles, seats and coins were thrown as tensions boiled
over towards the end of a 2-1 win for West Ham. The Met are promising they
will not tackle Monday night's match lightly as they look to avoid a repeat
of the ugly scenes from that fourth-round tie in October. 'The Metropolitan
Police has an appropriate, proportionate and robust policing plan in place
for the West Ham United vs Chelsea match on March 6,' a spokesperson for the
Met Police told Sportsmail. 'These plans have been put in place in
consultation with key partners including both clubs, the stadium operators
and British Transport Police to prevent any crime and disorder at the
match.' The London Stadium came under scrutiny earlier in the season for its
security. Before Christmas, they had seen a total of 18 supporters arrested.
Chelsea's Stamford Bridge, by comparison, was shown to be London's worst
when it came to arrests inside and outside stadiums in the Premier League.
The home of the league leaders had seen 34 supporters arrested — nine inside
and 25 outside. The data was provided by the Metropolitan Police to
Sportsmail and details the number of arrests made between August 3 and
December 18, 2016.

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Upton Gardens:West Ham's former stadium transformed into 842 new homes
The Boleyn ground has been completely bulldozed and replaced with 18
buildings set around communal gardens...
DAVID SPITTLES

West Ham Untied's former stadium has been reborn as Upton Gardens, with 842
homes across 18 buildings set around communal gardens.
A new treelined street is nicknamed the "Legacy Route", celebrating the
history of the Boleyn ground, which has been completely bulldozed. Prices
start at £350,000 — about a fortnight's wages for the club's top
footballers. The homes were launched at Aspers Casino in Westfield Stratford
City, last week.

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Spat on by a child, racially abused by own fans and locked out of
boardrooms: Leroy Rosenior tells the story of his life in football
Rosenior enjoyed successful playing career with Fulham and West Ham
He was the target of persistent racial abuse by two opponents during a game
Many years later, Rosenior accepted an apology from one of those aggressors
He had stints in charge at Torquay, where he won promotion, and Brentford
As a manager, he has witnessed racism in the form of limited opportunities
The 52-year-old wants his autobiography 'It's Only Banter' to provoke debate

By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 22:32, 27 February 2017 | UPDATED: 22:32, 27 February 2017

Fulham were losing at Elland Road with time ticking away when Leroy Rosenior
and Paul Parker ran to retrieve a ball as it rolled out of play for a
corner. As they approached the fence before a terrace crammed with Leeds
fans the team-mates froze in horror. 'There must have been about 10,000
people,' said Rosenior. 'All focused on me and Paul, all going "Sieg Heil!
Sieg Heil!" and doing Nazi salutes. I remember it all in slow motion. 'There
was hatred in their eyes. If they could have got through that fence at that
moment in time I could have been a dead man. It has stayed with me. One of
the scariest things I've seen from a crowd of people. 'Paul went on to a
great career and I had a decent career and I think it drove us on. It wasn't
going to stop us. You could either get out — believe me I was on the verge —
or you built up your defences. It's only banter.'
Rosenior, 52, has called his auto-biography It's Only Banter. The title is
designed to challenge a dressing-room excuse he grew to detest during a life
in football as player, coach, manager and broadcaster. The book should
provoke thought inside the football community. He hopes, too, that he does
not appear ungrateful. 'There's no bitterness,' he said. 'For me the good
times in football far outweigh the bad.' There was the buzz of goals on
debut for Fulham and West Ham, an international cameo with Sierra Leone,
promotion as Torquay manager and pride when son Liam followed in his
footsteps to Craven Cottage. Rosenior was born and raised in south London,
where he was a close friend of Paul Gadd, son of the disgraced rock star
Gary Glitter. Rosenior's parents Willie and Gladys had arrived from Sierra
Leone in the Fifties. Willie, an electrician, was almost killed in a
racially motivated attack with a bottle in a pub in Tooting but Leroy
insists he was 'blissfully unaware' of the simmering racial tensions of the
time. At least until his football took off. His book is a social commentary
as much as a football biography and opens with a powerful account of one of
his early games for Fulham when he was the target of persistent racial abuse
by two opponents. 'I took to the field a young man with something to prove,'
he wrote. 'I left as a young black man with something to prove.'

Many years later, Rosenior accepted an apology from one of those aggressors
and declined to name and shame them. 'I didn't write the book to dig people
out or label them racist,' said Rosenior. 'Everybody makes mistakes. 'It
wasn't a rare occurrence, it happened regularly. That one had the most
profound effect on me because it was the first.' He was spat upon by a child
at Portsmouth and refused entry to a boardroom when player-manager of
Gloucester City. While he was at QPR, the racial insults from the ranks of
his own fans were so hurtful that his parents and sisters stopped attending
games. All the time, the silence of his team-mates was deafening. 'Lots of
players went through it,' said Rosenior. 'Not just in games but also in
training from their own managers and peers. Many players disappeared from
the game because of it. We lost a lot of good players.' He likened football
in the Seventies and Eighties to the slave trade because the 'white
establishment' would admire black players' physique but belittle their
intellect and attitude.
As a manager, he has witnessed racism in the form of limited opportunities.
In three-and-a-half years at Torquay, he excelled and won promotion to
League One playing attractive football which helped him land a job at
Brentford, where he lasted only five months and required a police escort to
make a safe exit past furious fans. 'They were having a go at me,' said
Rosenior. 'But not once did anyone say, "You black this or you black that".
They didn't see the colour. 'We didn't do the job. We didn't have the
resources but the point was we weren't winning games. I was on a level
playing field. I have the utmost respect for Brentford supporters.' Progress
of sorts. Brentford was the first of three short, sharp shocks which drew
his managerial career to a close.

There were two games in charge of Sierra Leone. The first, a 1-0 defeat
against Togo, ended in disaster when the helicopter shuttle from Freetown to
Lungi Airport crashed after the match. Among the 22 dead were Togolese
officials including sports minister Richard Attipoe. Rosenior had travelled
in the same aircraft days earlier and Togo's players were scheduled on its
next flight. The next game ended in a 6-0 defeat by Mali after which he had
to buy his own plane ticket home because the Sierra Leone FA had run out of
money.
Then, there was an infamous 10-minute return to Torquay at the behest of
chairman Mike Bateson. 'Mike was trying to sell the club but couldn't get
the price he wanted,' said Rosenior. 'So he asked me to come and keep the
team ticking over for a couple of days a week. There was no contract and we
only had about three players but we had a press conference with a few
cameras and I said it was good to be back. 'I was walking out of the press
conference when Mike rang and said, "You're not going to believe this, I've
sold the club".'
The takeover was duly completed and Rosenior became the answer to a trivia
question. 'I was watching Have I Got News For You when my face appeared, the
10-minute manager,' he said. 'In reality it was more like four days but from
the press conference to the phone call was 10 minutes and it's fine by me.'

A decade on, Rosenior is a leading presenter at Premier League Productions,
the TV company which beams Premier League around the world from IMG Studios
in Middlesex. He will not rule out a return to coaching and son Liam, 32, is
taking his qualifications while playing at Brighton, but the question of
opportunity persists. At the country's top 92 clubs, there are three black
managers: Chris Hughton at Brighton, Keith Curle at Carlisle and Marcus
Bignot at Grimsby. 'We need to find an all-round solution,' said Rosenior.
'It would be nice to see more people from ethnic minorities in positions of
authority within football. 'I had to go to Torquay, one of the smaller
clubs, and I've always told my kids they'll have to do a little bit better
than everybody else. 'One thing we can't do is sit on our hands.'

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham reject lucrative offers from Chinese Super League clubs for striker
Andy Carroll
Andy Carroll staying with West Ham despite Chinese Super League offers
Tianjin Quanjian, Hebei China Fortune and Shandong Luneng all had interest
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic hopeful Carroll will be fit to face Chelsea next
week
By Simon Jones for MailOnline
PUBLISHED: 22:55, 27 February 2017 | UPDATED: 23:36, 27 February 2017

West Ham have rejected offers from Chinese clubs for Andy Carroll. The 6ft
4ins striker was a target for Tianjin Quanjian, Hebei China Fortune and
Shandong Luneng, however, West Ham could ill afford to let him go with a
threadbare squad and limited attacking options. Diafra Sakho, however, is
due to return from injury next month. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is hopeful
Carroll will be fit to face Chelsea in their next match a week on Monday.
The former Liverpool forward missed Saturday's 1-1 draw at Watford with a
groin problem but Bilic expects him back in full training by Wednesday at
the latest. 'The guys from the medical department have told me he's going to
start training Tuesday or Wednesday,' said Bilic. 'He ran on Friday and
Saturday morning with no negative reaction, so hopefully. Me and my medical
department are fighting. They say Wednesday, I say Tuesday. 'Then hopefully
four or five days of training, that is always enough for Andy to shine in
the next game. So hopefully he is going to be able to play against Chelsea.'

Carroll has scored four goals in his last four matches for the East
Londoners and was won the goal of the month award for January following his
stunning effort against Crystal Palace.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Dovecot thug attacked West Ham fan with a brick
Michael Watson, 26, jailed for three years after violence flared in city
centre
liverpoolecho.co.uk
BYLORNA HUGHES
05:00, 28 FEB 2017

A drunken thug was jailed after a court heard he attacked two West Ham
football fans on their first visit to Liverpool – repeatedly striking one on
the head with a brick. A judge told their attacker, Michael Watson, who has
a catalogue of previous offences including drunken behaviour, that he had
had "a charmed life" as he had never previously received a custodial
sentence. Jailing Watson for three years Judge Steven Everett told him: "It
is time the public has a good long rest from you. Your behaviour has been
too awful for too long and it is time you sorted it out. "You have a
terrible record for drunkenness and previous assaults and anti-social
behaviour and you've been given chance after chance after chance. "Each time
for reasons which escape me you were not sent to prison. If you had you
might have changed your behaviour." He said that 26-year-old Watson had hit
victim Shaun Manning four or five times on the head with the brick in the
city centre. Liverpool Crown Court heard that Mr Manning, 27, and his friend
Paul Bishop came to the city on January 30 last year to see their team play
Liverpool and then went out for a few drinks. When they came out of Yates
pub in Queens Square mid-evening they encountered Watson, who had taken
cocaine and alcohol. They were not looking for trouble, having previously
met "lots of nice people", but Watson spat at Mr Bishop. He walked off but
returned and punched Mr Watson. He then walked off again but came back with
a brick and struck Mr Manning four or five times on the head with it, said
Zia Chaudhry, prosecuting. Watson again walked off and returned with a metal
pole threatening Mr Bishop. He was disarmed and wrestled to the ground
before he managed to run off but was caught nearby by police. Mr Manning
suffered three cuts which needed hospital treatment, with one being stapled
and the other two wounds glued. The court heard that in an impact statement
Mr Bishop said that he and Mr Manning had saved up for a few weeks to come
to Liverpool for the match. He said: "We met lots of nice people while here
but it took just one to spoil our evening."
He said they spent most of their time at hospital after the attack and later
he could not sleep as medics had advised him to keep an eye on his friend
after the head injury. In his impact statement Mr Manning said that he had
to go to hospital on a number of occasions after the incident and he now has
to wear glasses which he did not before. As well as the financial cost of
his spectacles and having to take time off work, he is now apprehensive
about meeting people and feels paranoid when on evenings out. Katy Appleton,
defending, said that Watson, of Somerford Road, Dovecot, who pleaded guilty
to wounding and assault by beating on the day his trial was due to start,
was aware of the seriousness of the offences. She said: "He is genuinely
remorseful and has taken steps to address his behaviour and addictions. He
is ashamed of his behaviour. "His binge drinking started after the death of
his father in 2006 followed by the death of his grandfather. The risk he
poses would be reduced with help."

Judge Everett told Watson: "The reality is he and you were just extremely
fortunate because you could have killed him."

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Chelsea star: Why I can't wait to go to West Ham's London Stadium
VICTOR MOSES is excited to return to West Ham with Chelsea on Monday -
although it will be in totally new surroundings.
By JACK STAPLEHURST
PUBLISHED: 05:30, Tue, Feb 28, 2017
Express.co.uk

The winger spent last season on loan with the Hammers and impressed under
Slaven Bilic. Following his successful campaign in West Ham's final season
at Upton Park where they finished seventh, the Nigeria international has
finally broken into the Chelsea team.
Moses signed for the Blues in 2012 but was sent out for spells with
Liverpool, Stoke and the Hammers. This term though, Antonio Conte has
utilised his speed and power at right wing-back, and he is set to start
against Bilic's side (8pm). While it will be his first time on the pitch at
the London Stadium, Moses has fond memories of being a West Ham player. "I
had a great time there last season, it's a nice memory but now I'm a Chelsea
player and I'm enjoying my football," Moses told the club's official
website. "I can't wait to go to the London Stadium and hopefully we'll get
three points. "I just want to keep on working hard and helping my team-mates
out."
Moses was rested when Chelsea made their first appearance at West Ham's new
home back in October in their EFL Cup clash. And without the 26-year-old,
the Blues fell to a 2-1 defeat in a tie which was marred somewhat by crowd
trouble. Chelsea will be eyeing revenge next week where a win will keep them
at least 10 points clear in top spot.

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