Daily WHUFC News - 15th March 2018

West Ham United statement
WHUFC.com

West Ham United are committed to taking decisive and positive action with
the primary focus of ensuring London Stadium is a safe, comfortable and
secure environment for supporters attending future matches.

Following the incidents which marred the second half of the Premier League
fixture with Burnley on Saturday 10 March, the Club is conducting a full and
thorough investigation, and has attended a series of emergency meetings with
London Stadium stakeholders.

The Club is working in close conjunction with the Metropolitan Police to
identify those individuals, who entered the pitch during the second half,
and with stadium operator LS185, using London Stadium's high-quality CCTV
footage, to identify those who threw missiles, both of which are specific
offences under the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

Any individual found guilty will be banned from attending any West Ham
United fixture, home and away, for life and the Club will request the courts
serve a banning order to prevent these individuals attending any football
matches in the future.

West Ham United maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour of
this nature, with the safety of all supporters always the Club's number one
priority.

Senior Club representatives will take a full and leading role at an
emergency meeting of the core Safety Advisory Group (SAG) at London Stadium
on Thursday.

There, West Ham United will be joined by representatives from LS185,
certifying authority Newham Council, the Sports Ground Safety Authority, the
Metropolitan Police, E20 and the London Legacy Development Corporation
(LLDC).

The Club will make clear that its primary concern is for the safety and
comfort of its supporters on matchdays and, to that end, will lead
discussions centred on the safety management plans put in place and the
policing and stewarding for future fixtures at London Stadium, the first of
which will be the Premier League visit of Southampton on Saturday 31 March.

West Ham United would like to thank all those fans who supported the team on
Saturday and look forward to welcoming them back to a safe, comfortable and
secure London Stadium.

With eight Premier League matches still to play, achieving the points we
need has to be the focus. The best chance of reaching that goal is for
everyone to be united behind the team when we play Southampton on 31 March
and for the remainder of the season.

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Moyes: Miami training camp will prepare the players for the Premier League
run-in
WHUFC.com

Manager David Moyes says West Ham United's Miami training camp will prepare
the squad for the Premier League run-in. The Hammers have travelled to
Florida and will train every day this week, taking part in a spinning
session on Monday before taking to the pitch for the first time on Tuesday
morning. Without a fixture until the visit of Southampton to London Stadium
on 31 March, Moyes is keen to get his squad in the best possible shape for
West Ham's eight remaining Premier League matches. "This break in games
gives us the chance to come to train in a different environment and one
which we believe will be hugely beneficial to the players," said Moyes,
whose players will train in temperatures of around 25C (77F) throughout the
week. "We've had a long, intense winter period with a lot of matches - 13
since the turn of the year - and little time to rest and recover, so while
this trip will offer us the chance to work the lads in testing temperatures
on the pitch, it also gives them time to get fully prepared for our
important run-in. "We're hoping that the time away can be really useful for
the squad and all the staff as we look to end the season really strongly.
With everyone all together, the already-strong team spirit within the group
is going to grow and that can only be a good thing ahead of our eight huge
matches left in the Premier League."

Nineteen players have made the trip to the United States, led by captain
Mark Noble, while the likes of Pedro Obiang, Winston Reid, Sam Byram and
Edmilson Fernandes have remained at Rush Green to continue their
rehabilitation from knee and ankle injuries respectively.

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Noble: We need to come together and be West Ham United
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble has urged all West Ham United supporters to get firmly behind the
team and come together at a challenging time for the Club. Speaking with
heartfelt honesty and emotion, the captain, midfielder and lifelong Hammer
reflected on Saturday's difficult fixture with Burnley at London Stadium,
before calling for unity among his fellow fans ahead of eight vital Premier
League fixtures. "To be honest, as I said after the game, I see that we have
two options - either we crumble and fold and give up or we come together,
train hard and I'm hoping that the anger that the fans showed at the weekend
is out now and they'll get behind us for the final five home games," said
the No16. "We obviously don't want to see [what we saw on Saturday] because
we don't want my Club, the Club I love, to be dragged through the papers as
it has been, but with football and the way it is now, it's a results
business and we need to win games. "It was one of my toughest days at West
Ham, because I'm as passionate as the fans and I want West Ham to do well.
I've said this before, that I want everyone to be happy, but sometimes it's
not quite like that. You can't show your emotions like that, by running on
the pitch. "The way our Club has always been, we're a really passionate
bunch of people, but at times we show a bit of class and that wasn't the
case on Saturday. "I want us to do really well and I'm hoping that now the
fans have shown their hand, they will get behind us for the remaining
fixtures. "We need them, full-stop, and we can't do it without them. When
West Ham fans are on song, there is no-one better. When you see the away
games, Premier League clubs don't take half as many fans as we take to away
games, so it's a massive Club with a passionate bunch of people and I've
said 'show that passion, get behind the team and we'll try and do something
in the summer'."

Noble also spoke of the importance of the Club's warm-weather training camp
in Miami for team bonding, recharging tired minds and limbs and preparing
the squad for the run-in. "We need to get back to how we were playing before
the last three games. We need to, because we've only got eight games left
and we need to win a minimum of three of them to stay up. "That's why we've
come away now, to get away. We've obviously got three weeks without a game,
so we've come away to really get together as a team, speak some home truths
and come back fighting. "I've been on loads of these trips and I think
they're great, to train in a different location and this morning training
was really good and hard. It was a lot of fun, but we got the work done.
Especially at the right times, like when we haven't got a game for three
weeks it's good to have a change of scenery. "People say 'You've gone on
holiday', but it isn't a holiday, the way we train. It's just another
setting in which to refresh the mind and recuperate before the rest of the
season. The spinning session we did on Monday was the first one I've ever
done and it was really hard. I didn't expect it to be, but it was also
really good fun, with a lot of banter with the lads, but of course with a
lot of sweating and hard work! It was something different and the boys
really enjoyed it. "We could easily have cancelled this tip after the
weekend and looked at all the negatives and come in training at Rush Green,
but I think it's important we come together as a group and try to enjoy this
time away."

The skipper also stated his inner drive to end his 20th season as a West Ham
player on a high, having initially joined the Club in 1997 as an
eleven-year-old schoolboy, and lead the Club to better things in the future.
"I've always said I'm not the greatest player in the world, but I'll always
give everything. I'm the captain of this football club and when things
aren't going well, I take the brunt of things, as do leaders and people in
positions of authority. I'd rather I get it instead of some other players.
"My aim for this football club is to try and be the best it can be. Things
have to change, of course they do, but I'm pretty sure that, if we get
through this season and regroup in the summer, we can get together, work our
differences out with the fans and come together and we'll hopefully have a
much better season next season. "Results haven't been ideal, but I'm really,
really positive that we'll get through it."

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The defender putting in the miles to drive the Hammers forward
WHUFC.com

"People think I'm crazy, but there we go!" Chenise Austin shrugs. It is not
hard to see why though, when one considers her weekly mileage. The
defender's travel schedule is eyebrow-raising. Having signed for West Ham
United in the summer, Austin is still based in Swindon, 120 miles to the
west, and drives the two-and-a-half hours each way for every training
session and home match. "It is ludicrous, to be fair" Austin admits. "I've
known the drive to take me three hours before. It very much depends on
traffic. "To be fair, in daylight the drive is OK. But after training in
winter, when it's dark and cold, it can be a task! But it's always worth it
and I'm loving playing for West Ham, so I'm more than happy to put in the
miles."
Having spent three seasons with Swindon Town Ladies, Austin moved to the
Irons last year, citing the facilities and training environment as a key
factor in her decision to sign for the Hammers. "I was instantly sold on
West Ham," she says. "The coaches and staff are amazing here, and the
facilities are incredible. I don't believe you can get training - in terms
of the entire package - at a better level anywhere else. "The key thing for
me is enjoying my football. I'm loving my time with West Ham and I'm
thoroughly excited to play every time I step out onto the pitch."
A regular starter for the Ladies, Austin knows she cannot take her position
in the first XI for granted, with a host of talented players available to
step in. "Hannah [Wheeler] and I tend to be the centre-back pairing and
we've got to know each other very well. But Leanne [Mabey] has come back in
now as well, and I think she's a really reliable defender. She's knocking on
the door for a regular place. "Mollie Kmita can play at the back as well.
Jasmine Auguste and Chantelle Mackie are excellent full-backs, but
essentially there's six or seven of us competing to play in the back-line. I
can't rest on my laurels at all."
One thing that makes Austin stand-out, despite being a defender, is her
composure in front of goal - particularly from penalties. The centre-back
has been called upon to take a spot-kick on three occasions this campaign,
with all three ending up in the net. "I don't know how it started, if I'm
honest." Austin laughs. "I like to think I've got a cool head. Penalties, I
think, are like Marmite. You either love them or you hate thing.
"Personally, I get such a buzz from taking a penalty, so I'm always happy to
step up to the spot."
With West Ham United Ladies already in the Isthmian League Cup final and
earning a spot in the FA WPL Plate this past weekend, there is the
possibility of silverware before the end of the campaign for Austin and her
teammates. And, of course, there is also the chance of taking more
penalties! Austin adds: "It would be awesome if we could win some
silverware. Trophies are everything in football and to have that
accomplishment with this team would be incredible. "There could maybe be
some more penalties as well, which is always exciting! If it comes to a
shootout, you can guarantee I'll be one of the first names on the list. The
team can definitely rely on me!"

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West Ham want life bans for London Stadium pitch invaders
BBC.co.uk

West Ham will seek life football bans for fans who invaded the pitch during
Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Burnley. There were four separate pitch invasions
at London Stadium, along with protests against the club's board. Co-owners
David Sullivan and David Gold were forced to leave the directors' box for
their own safety, with Sullivan struck on the head by a coin. The club say
they are working to identify supporters involved and want the courts to
issue banning orders. "Any individual found guilty will be banned from
attending any West Ham United fixture, home and away, for life and the club
will request the courts serve a banning order to prevent these individuals
attending any football matches in the future," a statement released on
Wednesday read. On Monday, a leading supporters' group announced it will
vote this month on whether to reinstate plans for a protest march against
the owners. London Stadium's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) will hold an
emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the crowd trouble. The SAG - which
includes representatives from the club, police, Newham council, stadium
owners and operators - has the power to restrict the capacity of the ground
or even close it to paying spectators completely.

Although playing behind closed doors is thought to be highly unlikely,
security procedures for the match, which had a number of pitch invasions and
angry scenes in the stands that resulted in children having to get shelter
in the Burnley dugout and co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold leave the
directors' box for their own safety, will come under intense scrutiny.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan described the scenes as "disgraceful". The Football
Association has opened its own inquiry and the Premier League also expressed
concern at the situation. As West Ham are not due to play at home again
until they meet Southampton in a crucial match at the bottom of the league
on 31 March, the SAG does have the option to delay a decision to ensure any
recommendations can be implemented. West Ham have sold 57,000 tickets for
the game.

A growing number of fans have expressed their fury at what they perceive as
"lies" told by Sullivan, Gold and West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady
about the potential benefits of the historic move to London Stadium from
Upton Park in 2016. The supporter attempting to plant a corner flag on the
centre spot on Saturday was re-enacting a scene from Upton Park in 1992 when
supporters successfully fought against the imposition of a controversial
bond scheme, which would have made fans pay for the right to buy a season
ticket.

Although no-one at the club is happy with their present position in the
Premier League - three points and two places off the relegation zone with
eight games remaining - or their form under new manager David Moyes - one
win in five games and 14 goals conceded - it is understood the club's
hierarchy still believe the move to the venue for the 2012 Olympic Games
will have a positive long-term impact.

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Multiple bans for loyal fans
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 14th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have released another statement relating to the angry scenes
witnessed at the Olympic Stadium last weekend.

Furious fans who had been denied the opportunity to take part in a peaceful
protest march opted instead to air their grievances with the club's owners
inside the stadium, leading to David Sullivan and David Gold leaving their
seats midway through the second half.

And the club confirmed today that their investigation into the incident
continues, whilst insisting that they will ban, for life, any supporter who
entered the field of play or is proven to have thrown objects towards the
Directors' Box.

"West Ham United are committed to taking decisive and positive action with
the primary focus of ensuring London Stadium is a safe, comfortable and
secure environment for supporters attending future matches," read the
statement published on whufc.com

"Following the incidents which marred the second half of the Premier League
fixture with Burnley on Saturday 10 March, the Club is conducting a full and
thorough investigation, and has attended a series of emergency meetings with
London Stadium stakeholders.

"The Club is working in close conjunction with the Metropolitan Police to
identify those individuals, who entered the pitch during the second half,
and with stadium operator LS185, using London Stadium's high-quality CCTV
footage, to identify those who threw missiles, both of which are specific
offences under the Football (Offences) Act 1991.

"Any individual found guilty will be banned from attending any West Ham
United fixture, home and away, for life and the Club will request the courts
serve a banning order to prevent these individuals attending any football
matches in the future."

The club also confirmed that they will be heading a meeting of the Safety
Advisory Group later this week, in which the incident will be discussed
further.

"Senior Club representatives will take a full and leading role at an
emergency meeting of the core Safety Advisory Group (SAG) at London Stadium
on Thursday," added the statement.

"There, West Ham United will be joined by representatives from LS185,
certifying authority Newham Council, the Sports Ground Safety Authority, the
Metropolitan Police, E20 and the London Legacy Development Corporation
(LLDC).

"The Club will make clear that its primary concern is for the safety and
comfort of its supporters on matchdays and, to that end, will lead
discussions centred on the safety management plans put in place and the
policing and stewarding for future fixtures at London Stadium, the first of
which will be the Premier League visit of Southampton on Saturday 31 March."

Meanwhile an image of the supporter who carried a corner flag onto the field
of play during Saturday's game is being used to promote one of the protests
planned by supporters later this month.

61-year-old Paul Colborne, who has attended home matches for the last 49
years carried the flag towards the centre circle before holding it aloft - a
shot that is being seen by many as the defining image of the current round
of anti-Board protests.

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The Director of Football candidates who could spark a radical overhaul West
Ham
West Ham are reportedly ready to make sweeping changes in the summer
Football London

It's something that a fair few West Ham fans have been clamouring for and it
appears they might get their wish this summer as the Hammers look to recruit
a Director of Football. According to reports, the club already has an
experienced person in mind for the role and will approach that person to
fill in once the season is finished and the club are, hopefully, still a
Premier League team. Co-chairman David Sullivan revealed last month he would
be taking a step back from being the chief transfer negotiator for West Ham.
It was he, along with former director of player recruitment Tony Henry and
either Slaven Bilic or David Moyes that would identify transfer targets and
attempt to bring them to the club. Henry was fired in disgrace in February
over claims he said the club would not sign any more African players, while
Sullivan's negotiating tactics have come under fire after failed moves for
William Carvalho and Leander Dendoncker - two defensive midfield players the
club desperately needed then and now. Sullivan appears to have now decided
the time is right for him to step back, with this summer proving absolutely
crucial if the club remain in the Premier League to spark a radical overhaul
at the club after two extremely testing seasons since moving to the stadium.
So, who are the potential candidates that could revolutionise a club
struggling to adapt to new surroundings, having issues on and off the pitch
and hopefully get the team up the right end of the table once again?

Luis Campos

A highly-regarded talent spotter, Campos is currently sporting director at
Lille in France but was a huge driving force behind the recent success of AS
Monaco and was a scout for Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid. The Monaco side
Campos helped put together was sensational as he spearheaded the signings of
Joao Moutinho, James Rodriguez, Bernardo Silva, Djibril Sidibe, Benjamin
Mendy and Tiemoue Bakayoko and bringing through Kylian Mbappe and Thomas
Lemar. Chelsea have been linked with swooping for Campos but if West Ham
were to beat them to it, he could work wonders and is considered one of the
best in Europe at his job.

Andoni Zubizarreta

The former Spanish goalkeeper is currently at Marseille as sporting director
and held the same role at Barcelona between 2010 and 2015 before he was
sacked for making "transfer mistakes" - that might not sit well with West
Ham fans reading this but many feel he was made a scapegoat for Barca's
issues back in 2015. The Spaniard is currently battling with questions over
Marseille's signing of Kostas Mitroglu and letting go Bafetimbi Gomis, who
is tearing up the Turkish League this season, but he is still held in high
regard for the job he did at the Nou Camp before he was eventually let go.

Marcel Brands

The PSV man has taken the club from being mid-table mediocrity to title
challengers in recent seasons in the Eredivisie. Brands has taken a strong
interest in PSV's academy, recruiting talented young players and bringing
them through, such as Santiago Arias and Hirving Loano. He has been linked
with moves to both Everton and Chelsea and is one of the most sought-after
properties for DoF/Sporting Director roles in Europe.

Marc Overmars

The former Arsenal winger is currently director of football at Ajax and is
credited with helping steer the club to the Europa League final last season
along with manager Peter Bosz, where they were eventually beaten by
Manchester United. Under Overmars' watch, the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and
Justin Kluivert have come through the ranks, while he has been credited with
making the move for Hakim Ziyech. Arsenal however are reportedly favourites
to recruit Overmars should he leave Holland.

Christian Heidel

The German, currently at Schalke, has a track record of basically getting
things right, which is something that should be listened to when West Ham
are looking for their new director of football. It was Heidel who convinced
Jurgen Klopp to retire from the game and take up a role in management and
join Mainz, who he got promoted into the Bundesliga. Not content with Klopp,
Heidel then asked Thomas Tuchel to do the same job after Mainz were
relegated and Klopp went to Borussia Dortmund and got it right again as the
German side were promoted once again. He's now cementing himself as one of
the best directors in the game at Schalke and would be a real coup for the
Hammers if they brought him in.

Damien Comolli

Comolli will be well known to Premier League fans having taken on director
of football roles at both Tottenham and Liverpool, being hit and miss at
both. Comolli brought Luis Suarez, Jordan Henderson and Raul Meireles to
Anfield but also signed the likes of Andy Carroll for a huge fee and Charlie
Adam. He had several disagreements with former Spurs manager Martin Jol over
transfer strategy though he did have some hits in North London, bringing
Gareth Bale to the club from Southampton and also Luka Modric and Dimitar
Berbatov. Experienced and fluent in a number of langauges, Comolli wouldn't
be a surprising appointment given how he knows the Premier League
especially.

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Mark Noble calls on West Ham fans to unite following one of his 'toughest
days' in east London
JACK ROSSER
ES Sport

Mark Noble has admitted Saturday's game against Burnley was one of his
toughest days at West Ham as pitch invasions and protests created scenes
unlike any seen in the Premier League before. Four pitch invaders as well as
thousands of protesters in the stands at London Stadium on Saturday widened
the chasm that already existed between the club and fans, with the lasting
image that of captain Noble wrestling a pitch invader to the floor. The club
have vowed to hand out lifetime bans to those who entered the pitch at
London Stadium, as well as to those who threw missiles after co-owner David
Sullivan was reportedly struck by a coin. Noble, though, hopes the chaotic
scenes during the Burnley game are the last of the fans' anger and has
called on them to rally behind the team ahead of the Premier League run-in.
"To be honest, as I said after the game, I see that we have two options -
either we crumble and fold and give up or we come together, train hard and
I'm hoping that the anger that the fans showed at the weekend is out now and
they'll get behind us for the final five home games," Noble said in a direct
address to West Ham fans. "We obviously don't want to see [what we saw on
Saturday] because we don't want my club, the club I love, to be dragged
through the papers as it has been, but with football and the way it is now,
it's a results business and we need to win games. "It was one of my toughest
days at West Ham, because I'm as passionate as the fans and I want West Ham
to do well. I've said this before, that I want everyone to be happy, but
sometimes it's not quite like that. "You can't show your emotions like that,
by running on the pitch." He added: "The way our club has always been, we're
a really passionate bunch of people, but at times we show a bit of class and
that wasn't the case on Saturday. "We need them, full-stop, and we can't do
it without them. When West Ham fans are on song, there is no-one better.
When you see the away games, Premier League clubs don't take half as many
fans as we take to away games, so it's a massive club with a passionate
bunch of people and I've said 'show that passion, get behind the team and
we'll try and do something in the summer'." The Hammers are continuing their
investigation into Saturday's events ahead of their next home game against
Southampton on March 31.

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