Daily WHUFC News - 22nd March 2018

Moyes: West Ham are together, stronger and better after Miami trip
WHUFC.com

West Ham United have returned 'together, stronger and better' from a beneficial week of warm-weather training, manager David Moyes believes. The Hammers spent six days in Florida, where Moyes laid on a timetable of gruelling training sessions, team-bonding get-togethers and valuable downtime, all of which were enthusiastically received by his players and backroom staff. The manager believes the trip has had a positive effect on the group which will be felt when the Hammers return to Premier League action a week on Saturday. "It was a really good week," Moyes confirmed. "Obviously, we left on the disappointment of the result against Burnley, but I have to say it was the right time for us. We've come through a really long winter, so I just felt it was the right time to give the players some time away, with some good time together. We trained well in some good weather so, all in all, it went very well. "The good thing was that we pulled together and we've talked about it and how we're going to come back stronger and be much better if we can be. "We trained hard, the players will tell you they worked hard on the days we had [sessions] and they had a bit of time in the afternoons, so some played golf and some went fishing and some sat at the pool so, all in all, it was good."

Moyes says he also sensed a renewed sense of purpose among the group as they prepare for their final eight Premier League fixtures. "We know what the task is ahead of us and I also think it was a chance for bring the players, management and staff together. "Overall, I just think [it was good] to see them together and hopefully coming back stronger and understanding how important the games are."

Before West Ham return to Premier League action against Southampton on 31 March, Moyes takes his squad to financially-stricken National League neighbours Dagenham & Redbridge for a friendly on Wednesday evening. The manager believes the fixture has twin benefits, raising much-needed funds for the Daggers, while also giving his non-international players valuable pitch-time. "They're our closest neighbours and in the football community you sometimes have to give a little bit back as well. With us being 'big brother', if you want to call it that, and nearby, I felt that we should go to Dagenham and try to help them out financially.
"If they can get a bit of a crowd and some money from it, great, otherwise we may have taken a game somewhere else, so it's actually fitted in quite nicely for us because, with having no game for three weeks, it means we'll go there and give some players some minutes. "All the players who are not on international duty will play some time in the game, so we'll try and give them a run around for a little while."

As someone who began his career with Glaswegian club Drumchapel Amatuers and played lower-division football with Cambridge United, Shrewsbury Town and Preston North End, Moyes is acutely aware of the need for Premier League clubs to look after their local neighbours. "So many players, over the years, have come through lower-league clubs, and so many young talents get chances with lower clubs and then they get picked up by the bigger clubs. "In this area, as well, in the East End of London, it's really important that we support the teams around us and obviously, with Dagenham being very close to us, we felt it was right to go and give them our backing. "When they asked us about six or seven weeks ago, we had no hesitation to do it."

*Tickets for Wednesday's fundraising friendly at Dagenham & Redbridge, which kicks-off at 7.30pm, will be available on the night at Chigwell Construction Stadium.

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Hart determined to repay England manager Southgate's loyalty
WHUFC.com

Joe Hart is planning to repay Gareth Southgate's loyalty after being included in the England manager's 27-man squad for the upcoming internationals with the Netherlands and Italy. The West Ham United goalkeeper, who was recalled to the Hammers' starting XI for their most-recent Premier League fixture with Burnley, has 75 caps to his name and has started 12 of Southgate's 14 matches in charge of the national team. However, Hart's position as England's No1 may now be under threat, with Everton's Jordan Pickford, Stoke City's Jack Butland and Burnley's Nick Pope also named by Southgate for the first two of four pre-FIFA World Cup finals friendlies. Hart himself has vowed to pay no attention to any speculation over his place in the squad, instead focusing on performing well for a manager who has always supported him, both publicly and behind the scenes. "Since Gareth has been in charge he's always said I've performed really well for him," said the 30-year-old. "He seems like a loyal guy but the shirt is up for grabs. There are three goalkeeper places [in the World Cup squad] and there are some people performing well in the Premier League. "Hopefully I've got my place back now [at West Ham] and we'll see where we go with that. "For now, I'm just focused on this camp and being a part of a squad that I've been a big part of for a long time now."

Hart has a strong and determined character honed from making his senior breakthrough at Shrewsbury Town at 17, playing for and winning Premier League titles at Manchester City and appearing in three major tournaments for England. So, while the debate over his place in the Three Lions squad may rage on externally, the No25 is not about to let anything outside the England camp get to him. And as for the competition posed by the likes of Pickford, Butland and Pope, Hart relishes it. I'm not going to let that ever affect me. The position I'm in, if you let confidence dip it's going to affect you badly. "I'm me, I'm going to keep working hard, I've worked hard every day of my life and I'll continue to do that whether I'm playing or not. "It (the competition for places) is no different to any moment that I've been playing football. Even when I was trying to get into my Sunday league team, it was the same script: people want to play football. That's no different to the one here. "I am not here to answer critics. I am here to play football, enjoy what I do and try and help my team the best way I can."

Hart joined squad-mates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ashley Young and representatives from other England teams in planting trees in remembrance of 14 internationals who served in the First World War at St George's Park on Tuesday morning. The 14 players who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War were Sam Hardy, Frank Buckley, Albert Colclough, George Elliott, Harold Fleming, Harry Hampton, Edwin Latheron, Joe McCall, Harry Martin, Edwin Mosscrop, Joe Smith, Fanny Walden, Charles Wallace and Richard Watson.

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Noble: My precision strike at Blackburn even got Scott Parker excited!
WHUFC.com

Mark Noble has scored exactly 50 goals for West Ham United, but few were more memorable than the outstanding one he netted at Blackburn Rovers on 21 March 2009. The home-grown midfielder was making his 100th appearance in Claret and Blue at Ewood Park, where Gianfranco Zola's seventh-place Hammers were seeking to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to four games.
With Robert Green protected superbly by a back four of Lucas Neill, James Tomkins, Jonathan Spector and Herita Ilunga, and Noble partnered in midfield by the outstanding Scott Parker and diligent Radoslav Kovac, West Ham travelled to Lancashire having kept clean sheets in their previous three matches. While that run ended when Keith Andrews beat Green six minutes after half-time, the Irishman's goal was only enough to earn Sam Allardyce's Rovers a draw, as Noble had earlier put the visitors in front with a truly superb goal. Then just 21, Noble started and finished the move himself, running 30 yards before finding Luis Boa Morte. The Portuguese winger found striker Diego Tristan inside the penalty area and the Spaniard laid the ball off for Noble, who steered a pinpoint shot inside the far post with the outside of his right foot.
Reflecting on the goal nine years on, the 30-year-old says will always be one of his favourites. "I love this goal, against Paul Robinson again, as I also scored my first Premier League goal for West Ham against him when he was at Spurs!" Noble smiled. "I don't know how it went in, really, as I didn't even strike it that well! It was with the outside of the boot. "Do you know what I remember about this goal as well? It's mad because Scotty Parker always used to run back to the centre of the pitch and never really used to celebrate goals. I don't know why. It wasn't that he wasn't happy, but maybe he just wanted to get back into shape quickly. I remember he ran over and celebrated that one because I think he appreciated the outside of the right peg! "I still can't believe it went in really, as I didn't catch it that well, but that's precision, you see!"

West Ham went on to finish ninth in the Premier League table, while Noble ended the 2008/09 campaign with five goals to his name – three of them penalties – in 34 appearances.

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West Ham United's March internationals: All you need to know
WHUFC.com

International football returns for the first time in 2018 this week, and a number of Hammers have headed off to represent their countries around the world. From the nations who are fine tuning their preparations for this summer's FIFA World Cup in Russia, to those who are already focusing on their next qualifying campaign, we've got it all covered in our handy guide here.

Which Hammers have been called up for senior international duty?

A total of eight Hammers have been called-up to represent their countries at senior level this month. The eight are Manuel Lanzini (Argentina), Marko Arnautovic (Austria), Joe Hart (England), Angelo Ogbonna (Italy), Chicharito (Mexico), Joao Mario (Portugal), Declan Rice (Republic of Ireland) and Cheikhou Kouyate (Senegal).

Could any of the Hammers play against each other?

Yes! Two matches this month could see West Ham teammates come up against each other. First of all Manuel Lanzini will aim to earn his third Argentina cap when the South Americans take on Angelo Ogbonna's Italy at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium on Friday evening. Then, on Tuesday, Ogbonna could be up another of his clubmates when the Azzurri head to Wembley Stadium to take on England and Joe Hart. Ogbonna has happy memories of Wembley this season, of course, having headed the winner in October's Carabao Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur there.

Any potential international debutants in the mix?

Declan Rice has been called up to the senior Republic of Ireland squad for the first time following a real breakthrough 12 months with the Hammers. Martin O'Neill's side play Turkey in an away friendly on Friday before the young defender will join up with the U21 squad for their UEFA Euro U21 qualifier against Azerbaijan on Tuesday.

Can any of our players reach a milestone?

They certainly can. Chicharito currently has 99 Mexico caps and will become the 14th man from his country to reach three figures should he feature in either of their friendly matches against Iceland or Croatia in the United States. The striker already has the most goals in the Mexico national team's history, with 49.

What's the full list of fixtures for the West Ham players involved in this month's internationals?

Friday 23 March

Cheikhou Kouyate, Uzbekistan v Senegal, Casablanca, Morroco, 4pm
Declan Rice, Turkey v Republic of Ireland, Antalya, 5.30pm
Angelo Ogbonna, Argentina v Italy, Manchester, England, 7.45pm
Manuel Lanzini, Argentina v Italy, Manchester, England, 7.45pm
Joe Hart, Netherlands v England, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 7.45pm
Joao Mario, Portugal v Egypt, Zurich, Switzerland, 7.45pm
Marko Arnautovic, Austria v Slovenia, Klagenfurt, Austria, 7.45pm

Saturday 24 March

Chicharito, Mexico v Iceland, San Francisco, USA, 2am

Monday 26 March

Joao Mario, Portugal v Netherlands, Geneva, Switzerland, 7.30pm

Tuesday 27 March

Cheikhou Kouyate, Senegal v Bosnia-Herzegovina, Le Havre, France, 7pm
Marko Arnautovic, Luxembourg v Austria, Luxembourg, 7.30pm
Joe Hart, England v Italy, London, England, 8pm
Angelo Ogbonna, England v Italy, London, England, 8pm
Manuel Lanzini, Spain v Argentina, Madrid, Spain, 8.30pm

Wednesday 28 March

Chicharito, Mexico v Croatia, Arlington, USA, 2.30am

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All you need to know about the Academy's internationals
WHUFC.com

As West Ham enter their second week without a Premier League fixture, a number of young West Ham United talents from the Club's Academy have headed off to represent their countries around the world at youth level.

Here's the lowdown of which players will be playing in a mixture of international friendlies and qualifying fixtures…

Which young Hammers have been called up?


In total, 12 youngsters have been called upon to represent their countries at youth level. They are:

Edimilson Fernandes (Switzerland U21), Declan Rice (above) and Josh Cullen (Republic of Ireland U21), Martin Samuelsen (Norway U21), Nathan Trott (England U20), Domingos Quina (Portugal U19), Rihards Matrevics (Latvia U19), Conor Coventry (Republic of Ireland U19), Ajibola Alese (England U17), Kristijan Belic (Serbia U17), Serine Sanneh and Daniel Jinadu (England U16).

There are also four players from the Academy of Football on standby for their nations. They are:

Anthony Scully (Republic of Ireland U19), Josh Okotcha (England U17), Ben Wells (Republic of Ireland U18) and Joshua Wilson-Esbrand (England U16).

Who is involved in qualifying campaigns?

Four of the 12 called-up have important U21 European Championship Qualifying matches this international period ahead of the 2019 tournament in Italy.

Josh Cullen (above) and Declan Rice (who is also in the Republic of Ireland's senior squad) host Azerbaijan after a friendly with Iceland as they look to stay in touch with leaders Germany at the top of their Group 5 qualifying game.

Edimilson Fernandes' Switzerland – who are in need of three points in Group 8 – take on Portugal at home, a side on the same number of points as the Swiss (seven to be exact, five points behind runaway group leaders Romania).

Finally, Martin Samuelsen's Norway travel to Israel in European Championship qualifying. They are in Ireland's group and are currently two points behind the Boys in Green.

Meanwhile, Domingos Quina (Portugal), Rihards Matrevics (Latvia) and Conor Coventry (Republic of Ireland) are all involved in U19 Elite Round qualifying matches for the 2018 European Championships.

Portugal face Kosovo, Slovakia and Coventry's Ireland; Latvia take on Macedonia, England and Hungary while Ireland also play Slovakia and Kosovo before the Portugal clash.

Kristijan Belic's Serbia have fixtures in the U17 Elite Round of the European Championship's qualifying – against Czech Republic, Ukraine and Spain.

What about the other internationals?

Centre-back Aji Alese's England U17s have two friendly fixtures, both against Brazil in Spain, while goalkeepers Serine Sanneh and Daniel Jinadu are part of the Three Lions' U16 squad for their Montaigu Tournament in France.

The young side face Russia, Cameroon and Brazil in the group stages throughout the rest of this month.

What is the full list of fixtures involving West Ham United youth players this March?

(All times GMT)

Wednesday 21 March

Domingos Quina, Portugal U19 v Kosovo U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 5pm

Rihards Matrevics, Latvia U19 v FYR Macedonia U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 1pm

Conor Coventry, Republic of Ireland U19 v Slovakia U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 3pm

Kristijan Belic, Serbia U17 v Czech Republic U17, UEFA U17 Elite Round Qualification, 4pm

Thursday 22 March

Declan Rice & Josh Cullen, Republic of Ireland U21 v Iceland U21, International Friendly, 7:30pm

Martin Samuelsen, Italy U21 v Norway U21, International Friendly, 6:30pm

Nathan Trott, Poland U20 v England U20, International Friendly, 6pm

Friday 23 March

Ajibola Alese, Brazil U17 v England U17, International Friendly, 1pm

Saturday 24 March

Domingos Quina, Portugal U19 v Slovakia U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 5pm

Rihards Matrevics, Latvia U19 v England U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 1pm

Conor Coventry, Republic of Ireland U19 v Kosovo U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 3pm

Kristijan Belic, Serbia U17 v Ukraine U17, UEFA U17 Elite Round Qualification, 1:30pm

Monday 26 March

Ajibola Alese, Brazil U17 v England U17, International Friendly, 3pm

Tuesday 27 March

Declan Rice & Josh Cullen, Republic of Ireland U21 v Azerbaijan U21, UEFA U21 Qualification Round Group 5, 7:30pm

Edimilson Fernandes, Switzerland U21 v Portugal U19, UEFA U21 Qualification Round Group 8, 5pm

Martin Samuelsen, Israel U21 v Norway U21, UEFA U21 Qualification Round Group 5, 6:45pm

Domingos Quina, Portugal U19 v Republic of Ireland U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 5pm

Nathan Trott, England U20 v Portugal U20, International Friendly, 7pm

Rihards Matrevics, Latvia U19 v Hungary U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 1pm

Conor Coventry, Portugal U19 v Republic of Ireland U19, UEFA U19 Elite Round Qualification, 5pm

Kristijan Belic, Spain U17 v Serbia U17, UEFA U17 Elite Round Qualification, 1:30pm

Serine Sanneh & Daniel Jinadu, England U16 v Russia U16, Montaigu Tournament, 6:15pm

Thursday 26 March

Serine Sanneh & Daniel Jinadu, England U16 v Cameroon U16, Montaigu Tournament, 6:15pm

Saturday 31 March

Serine Sanneh & Daniel Jinadu, England U16 v Brazil U16, Montaigu Tournament, 6pm

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Antonio double secures friendly win at Dagenham & Redbridge
WHUFC.com

West Ham United edged the #SaveTheDaggers fundraising match at neighbours Dagenham & Redbridge 3-1 through two goals from Michail Antonio and a late strike from Jordan Hugill. The Hammers edged a competitive friendly organised in aid of the National League side, who are in dire financial straits after their main benefactor withdrew future funding in February. Antonio continued his recent hot streak with a goal in each half in front of a 4,515-strong crowd at Chigwell Construction Stadium. The powerful Mason Bloomfield got Dagenham back in it on the hour-mark before Hugill marked his first start with the clincher three minutes from the end. An entertaining opening 90 minutes could easily have produced more than four goals, with both sets of players giving their all in a match that far from resembled a friendly. West Ham, unsurprisingly, controlled possession for the majority of the opening half, but the identity of their standout performer would certainly have been a shock to the thousands of Hammers fans inside the ground – Alfie Lewis. The teenager was hugely impressive alongside Mark Noble in central midfield, making himself available to receive the ball, playing with his head up and passing and carrying it forward with confidence.

Alongside him, Arthur Masuaku was his usual direct and athletic self down the left wing, and it was the winger who went closest to opening the deadlock in the opening half-hour, seeing one cross hit the crossbar and a long-range shot tipped wide by goalkeeper Mark Cousins. Hugill led the line with physicality and fired one effort over the top, before Antonio did likewise. Dagenham & Redbridge played with purpose themselves and threatened on more than one occasion. First, Adrian had to be alert to block a low shot from Luke Howell, then giant centre forward Mason Bloomfield powered close-range a header a yard too high after a fine run and cross from Jake Howells. The opening goal finally arrived on 42 minutes, albeit in slightly fortunate circumstances. Hugill was denied by a last-ditch challenge from Ben Nunn, only for left-back Luke Pennell's clearance to hit Nathan Holland ricochet into the path of Antonio, who coolly converted. And it was the same player who doubled West Ham's lead eleven minutes into the second half, running onto Josh Pask's through ball before holding off former Hammer Bondz N'Gala and sliding the ball under Cousins and into the back of the net. Three minutes later, Dagenham were back in it when, after the visitors had miraculously blocked at least three goal-bound efforts in the space of a few seconds, Bloomfield smashed home Dan Sparkes' low cross. Sparkes himself came closest to equalising for the fifth-tier side, but his low shot was well held by Adrian before the Spaniard showed superb reactions to keep out efforts from Robinson and Sparkes in the space of a few seconds. And, having held off Dagenham's charge, Hugill put the game beyond doubt three minutes from full-time, converting substitute Anthony Scully's right-wing cross to end a special night in east London with a welcome goal.

West Ham United XI: Adrian, Zabaleta (Johnson 63), Collins (Pask 29), Cresswell (Powell 63), Evra (Akinola 90), Holland (Scully 77), Noble © (Barrett 63), Lewis, Masuaku, Antonio (Rosa 90), Hugill
Subs not used: Anang (GK), Longelo-Mbule

Referee: Tim Robinson
Attendance: 4,515

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West Ham in £6m legal row with London Stadium owners
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport

A West Ham source said "we have bought a new house but it doesn't feel like a home''

West Ham are in the middle of a £6m legal row with their landlords over who should pay to make the London Stadium more supporter friendly. The Hammers pay the London Legacy Development Corporation £2.5m a year to use the stadium as part of a 99-year lease, a sum that will halve should they get relegated to the Championship. However, they have identified a number of areas - including the sale of draught beer and availability of Sky TV - that do not meet their requirements. The two parties, who are already in one legal dispute over the capacity of the London Stadium, are going to have the fresh case heard by a mutually agreed independent legal expert, who will make a decision both sides have agreed to abide by.

News of the legal wrangle comes before a meeting on Monday between West Ham's vice-chairman Karren Brady and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan over the future of the stadium and its financial viability - it is currently set to lose £140m over the next 10 years. In December, Khan said he was taking direct control of the stadium "in order to renegotiate deals and minimise ongoing losses" after publication of a damning report about the financial planning around the London Stadium.

What are the issues?
For their £2.5m annual payment, West Ham believe the LLDC should meet all the running costs of the stadium, including stewarding, catering and policing.

The LLDC counters that the payment actually only covers what could be regarded as a 'bronze' level of service and that West Ham should pay for the 'platinum' option being demanded.

West Ham's demands include:

The sale of draught beer at all bars, currently impossible because of the lack of pumps
Sky TV on all televisions at the ground. West Ham pay for the licence but the London Stadium has adverts on some screens
That the LLDC, not the club, should pay for hospitality staff who work in the corporate boxes at the stadium
While these sums on an individual basis are quite small, it is estimated that over the length of a 99-year lease they would exceed £100m, which is why they are being contested by the LLDC.

The joint cost of the current legal dispute is expected to be £6m.

Police officers pitchside at The London Stadium
Changing the colour of the carpet behind the goal could cost an estimated £140,000

Behind the goals
There has been an ongoing dispute between the club and the LLDC over the carpeted area behind each goal.

It is presently green. West Ham want it changed to claret, so it is more in keeping with the club's colours, and have their crest on it. They say they are willing to meet the estimated £140,000 cost.

The LLDC is resistant because it feels this would impact on other events. A West Ham source has told the BBC the LLDC wants an additional £150,000 to agree to the change of colour, and claims the carpet will need changing soon anyway because it is starting to become worn.

Security
The one area of agreement is that a repeat of the scenes witnessed at West Ham's last home game against Burnley should be avoided at all costs.

A number of fans invaded the pitch, supporters unhappy with the club's board protested in front of the directors' box and joint owner David Sullivan was hit by a coin.

A West Ham source has said the stewarding for that game, and others, was "inadequate", a view shared by many fans.

The LLDC believes it has fulfilled its requirements in terms of stewarding. A safety advisory group report specifically into the trouble at the Burnley game said the level of disorder "would have been almost impossible for any security team to manage".

However, the group has warned the stadium could be closed if there is a repeat and additional police and stewards will be present for West Ham's Premier League game against Southampton on 31 March.

West Ham are currently 17th in the Premier League, one place and two points above Southampton and the relegation zone.

What they say
A LLDC spokesman said: "We believe West Ham is claiming rights under the concession agreement that are not theirs. West Ham has initiated all of the legal action but we would much prefer to resolve these matters through negotiation. There is great value in these rights over the lifetime of the agreement and we have a duty to defend our rights in order to protect the public purse."

A senior West Ham source said: "We have bought a new house but it doesn't feel like a home yet because we can't get all our stuff in it and get it the way we want it. Also, if you buy a house and agree a price, you don't expect to start getting charged more once you have moved in."

There are a number of different West Ham fans groups but in a recent survey by the West Ham United Independent Supporters Association, only 19.79% of respondents said their match tickets were better value for money, taking into account stadium experience and transportation issues, than they had been at West Ham's former home Upton Park.

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Assembly discuss stadium handover
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 21st March 2018
By: Staff Writer

The London Assembly have mooted the idea of West Ham United taking full operational control of the Olympic Stadium.

The 25-strong panel gathered this afternoon in order to cross-examine former LLDC members (ex Chairman) David Edmonds and Neale Coleman, the former Deputy Chairman regarding the spiralling costs behind the stadium as part of Mayor Khan's investigation announced last November.

Conservative member Keith Prince, the assembly's representative for Havering and Redbridge put it to the panel that the venue may perhaps be better handled and more financially viable if controlled by those with experience of running football stadia.

"There is a certain irony that one of the partners is very experienced in running a stadium, the operation and the stewarding, " he said. "And that's West Ham."
To which Coleman replied: "Clearly there is an option that could be done whereby West Ham would operate the stadium. That could be an option. It would require a fundamental renegotiation of all the agreements. "I'm not necessarily saying that would be a bad thing. It would be essential in any such process that both parties benefited from that renegotiation."

And when asked whether he could envisage a situation whereby the LLDC would "pay West Ham to run the stadium", Coleman said:"Again, you would have to renegotiate the contractual arrangements and there would be issues about who decides what other events went on there, about all the decisions that would have to be made around it. "But it would be possible to do it like that, absolutely."

During the meeting a whole host of subjects relating to the stadium were discussed; these included naming rights, the terms of the tenancy agreement and adding further (non-football related) events to the calendar.

We'll bring you a full round-up of the meeting later...

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I wouldn't sign for West Ham again
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 21st March 2018
By: Staff Writer

In the world of media trained footballers, it is a refreshing change to come across one who speaks his mind – and Kieron Dyer is someone who does just that.

The former Newcastle and England midfielder's career at West Ham lasted four seasons but scarcely 20 matches, as injuries wrecked his time at the club, ultimately bringing about a premature end to his career.

What should have been the dawning of a brave new world for both club and player ended up crashing and burning in spectacular fashion, and in an interview with Blowing Bubbles magazine, Dyer does not hold back in his opinions.

"When [manager Alan Curbishley] came to see me and sold the club to me, it really felt like the club was going to push on and find themselves battling at the top of the league, and would go on to win things…. I don't think if I were 28 again and West Ham came in for me now that I would join," he said.

"I'm not sure you see the same calibre of playing that I was seeing when I joined….. West Ham are not too far away from beating the likes of Everton to be 'best of the rest' but when you look at the amount of money the two Manchester clubs are spending, I don't think Sullivan and Gold can compete."

Dyer lifts the lid on how he should not even have been playing in the game where he picked up the injury that wrecked his career – 'there's not a day that goes by where I don't regret that decision' – his own estimation of how he fared – 'I will probably go down as the worst signing ever for West Ham' – and his admiration for the supporters who backed him, no matter what happened.

To read more about this, as well as exclusive columns from ex-Irons legends Phil Parkes and George Parris, fans' views on the club's recent transfer ins and outs, what the future may hold for Michail Antonio and James Collins, the fall-out of the Tony Henry scandal, and the latest from the simmering stand-off between West Ham fans and the club's owners, pick up a copy of the new edition of Blowing Bubbles magazine – out now.

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West Ham defender James Collins faces tough task to be fit for crucial game against Southampton as he pulls up in friendly win over Dagenham
West Ham beat non-league side Dagenham 3-1 in a friendly fundraising game
But the jovial atmosphere soured when James Collins limped off for West Ham
David Moyes sat in the stands as Michail Antonio and Jordan Hugill scored
By Kieran Gill for the Daily Mail
PUBLISHED: 21:39, 21 March 2018 | UPDATED: 21:39, 21 March 2018

James Collins faces a fight to be fit for West Ham's Premier League showdown with Southampton after pulling up with a hamstring injury in their fundraising friendly on Wednesday night. The Hammers were facing cash-strapped Dagenham & Redbridge at the Chigwell Construction Stadium and Collins limped down the tunnel after only 27 minutes. David Moyes sat in the stands as West Ham won 3-1 thanks to a brace by Michail Antonio and a third by Jordan Hugill, while Mason Bloomfield scored for Dagenham. Collins' injury risks leaving West Ham light in defence ahead of crucial upcoming fixtures. They are already without Winston Reid for the rest of the season and recently sold Jose Fonte to Chinese Super League side Dalian Yifeng. West Ham are preparing to play Southampton in a relegation six-pointer on March 31 and Moyes named a strong team that included Mark Noble, Patrice Evra, Pablo Zabaleta and Antonio against Dagenham. This was their first fixture since losing 3-0 to Burnley in the Premier League at the London Stadium when pitch invaders and protests overshadowed the match. All the money made from Wednesday night's match went to Dagenham. As reported by Sportsmail, co-owner David Sullivan did not turn up despite organising the friendly following animosity towards him from fans.

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West Ham stadium contract needs simplifying, says former London Legacy Development Corporation heads
West Ham are currently at loggerheads with the LLDC, their landlords, and E20, the company set up to run the former Olympic Stadium
The Independent Sport

West Ham's contract with the owners of the London Stadium needs simplifying to put an end to the ongoing 'tension' surrounding their tenancy, according to the former heads of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC). West Ham are currently at loggerheads with the LLDC, their landlords, and E20, the company set up to run the former Olympic Stadium. The club's move to Stratford from Upton Park in 2016 has been beset by problems, culminating in pitch invasions and anti-board protests by fans at the recent match against Burnley. But behind the scenes West Ham are locked in a legal battle with the LLDC over the club's wish to increase the ground's capacity, while a report in The Times on Wednesday morning revealed a further legal dispute involving such minutiae as who should foot the bill to provide draught beer and Sky TV on a match day. The decisions which led to the current malaise were laid bare by the London Assembly Budget Monitoring Sub-Committee on Wednesday afternoon as it discussed the recent report commissioned by London Mayor Sadiq Khan into the spiralling cost of running the stadium.
Neale Coleman, the former deputy chairman of the LLDC and one of the key decision makers during the process which made West Ham the anchor tenants, said: "It's regrettable and it's a fundamental issue that needs to be addressed. "The problem is complexity of the arrangements, if they could be simplified that would help. "There's no reason why these arrangements shouldn't work. They work in Germany quite commonly, where you have a stadium owner, an anchor tenant and an operator. "But we did end up in this position with the concession agreement whereby the costs fell on the LLDC rather than West Ham, and that creates a tension. "We have seen that in the recent days and weeks around the stewarding issues, control and cost."
Even West Ham's desire to change the colour of the carpeted area around the pitch to their claret colours, which they are willing to pay for, has been blocked by the LLDC. David Edmonds, the former LLDC chairman, revealed: "West Ham were very tough, very hard negotiators. If you only have one person to take the deal or not you tend to make compromises. "That gives people on the other side of the table the ability to question whether you are fulfilling your side of the contract.
"I recall many conversations with (West Ham vice-chairman) Karren Brady about the 'look and feel' of the stadium. "In the contract we promised to give the stadium the look and feel of their old stadium. But the interpretation of look and feel can be quite different. "That allowed a lot of dissention to arise thereafter. With hindsight I'd have gone with a partnership and not this strong, legalistic contractual deal."

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West Ham in new London Stadium dispute
March 21, 2018

Relations between West Ham and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) seem to have deteriorated since the Moore Stephens report, commissioned by London mayor Sadiq Khan, which predicted a £140m loss over ten years. Sadiq Khan is clearly unhappy with the deal reached by Boris Johnson.
The club are already involved in a lengthy court cause with the LLDC over expanding stadium capacity, but now there is a new dispute over services they say were promised to them.

The club have asked for draught beer to be provided in all stadium bars, but the LLDC insist that West Ham should pay for the pumps. West Ham pay the £150,000 licence fee to show Sky Sports on televisions inside the stadium, but some of the screens carry LLDC adverts. The LLDC wants compensation if they are displaced. West Ham say the LLDC should pay for the hosts/hostesses in the directors' and corporate boxes, but the LLDC say the club should pay.

West Ham want to replace the green cover that goes over the running track with a claret coloured one, showing the club's logo. The LLDC says this would impact on the appearance of the stadium for other events and there are issues over who owns the branding rights.

West Ham insist that the cost over-runs in developing the stadium are not its fault: 'If the landlord cannot operate the stadium to its own budget, then we are not responsible. They want us to pay more for less.' The LLDC says that it is determined to minimize costs to the London taxpayer. The lawyers are going to be kept busy.

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Meeting between West Ham United Independent Supporters Association (WHUISA) & CoChairman
of West Ham United Football Club, David Sullivan
Tuesday 20th March 2018
https://whuisa.org/news/2018/3/21/meeting-between-whuisa-david-sullivan


David Sullivan approached WHUISA and invited them to a meeting after events leading up to and including the Burnley match on 10th March. We accepted his offer since it would give WHUISA members the opportunity to start having their issues addressed directly by Mr Sullivan. To ascertain what our members more pressing questions were and appreciating the meeting would be time limited, we circulated a list of questions to our members asking them to vote for their preferred options. 1,176 responses were received and a breakdown of these results of the survey may be found at the end of the minutes of this report (footnote iv)

Minutes of meeting between WHUISA and David Sullivan

Present were - David Sullivan (DS), Jack Sullivan (JS) Representing WHUISA: Mark Walker (MW) Paul Turner (PT) and Amanda Jacks (AJ) from the Football Supporters Federation

After formal introductions, ground rules of the meeting were established. It was agreed that prior to publication of these notes, we would gain Mr Sullivan's agreement that they were a fair and accurate reflection of our discussions prior to distribution among our members.
Given that it is the ideal of virtually all supporter organisations to have representation at Board level, MW asked DS for his views on this. DS was immediately agreeable to exploring this idea although offered a compromise solution of co-opting a former WHU player accountable to supporters. MW suggested that the selection of a player could well be an alternative, however experience of playing for WHU is a dramatically different one than being a supporter, and that an elected accountable supporter would be a better solution. DS did not disagree although made it clear that any Board member would have fiscal and legal responsibilities and cautioned us to get professional legal advice in this regard.

ACTION It was agreed that WHUISA research the proposal of a Fan on the Board in more detail and consult with our members (including the option of having a player instead). AJ suggested it would be sensible to seek clarification on exactly what Board members responsibilities were and potential financial & legal implications for them.

We then moved on to questions;
 How will we bridge the gap from where we are, to where you've said before you want the club to be, and what is your timetable?

DS started by saying he is massively disappointed with what has happened this season. He starts each season with ambition to win the league, hopes to have a a miracle season like Leicester but always sets the realistic ambition to be finishing in the top 8 and nudging the top 4. However he stated that he has given himself 5-6 years to turn it around and if not will then step aside.

 What does success look like to you with regards footballing matters? Define it and quantify it?

DS said we need to buy better, giving the example of Dele Alli of Spurs, but also said that we need to sell better. He stressed his disappointment of the Payet situation, comparing it to Mahrez at Leicester and wanting to hold on to him until the Summer. DS said he was desperately disappointed with the cup form, adding we have been unlucky with the away draws (drawing Man Utd after beating Liverpool in 15/16) and that the odd cup final would be success.

PT put to DS statements made by David Moyes and his assistants before the Shrewsbury and Wigan cup matches that seemed to indicate that WHUFC did not prioritise winning or competing in cup competitions properly. DS responded by stating that David Moyes put out "the strongest side possible" in trying to beat Wigan and reiterated that he wants to see WHUFC win a cup.

 Do you feel that the relationship between you and the supports is reconcilable?

DS said that he hoped that it was. That it's a small minority that want him removed but fully accepts that it's a results business. It was noted that DS grasped that WHUISA were potentially in a position to assist in bridging the gap, hence offering us a meeting.

 Is there a realistic prospect of material changes to the stadium, if so what are the timescales?

DS referred us to an answer prepared by "the club" which is at the end of these minutes (footnote i). However he did elaborate on some points including a desire to move the seats closer to the pitch but was aware that the Sports Grounds Safety Authority Green Guide advises that it is not considered good to have seats that are exposed to the elements. It was agreed that the stadium has generated a good atmosphere at times. DS raised that Spurs were close to securing the stadium. PT pointed out this was seen as many as a bargaining chip used by Tottenham with Haringey Council but DS said that Spurs were "gutted" not to secure the stadium. He added had we not won the bid for the OS, it would have been Spurs. The thought of having Spurs in our Borough, with a new stadium, just 2 miles from Upton Park was unthinkable to the board. I still believe it was the correct decision to move, please be the judge in ten years. There really is no going back and we have to make it work.

MW said that a major issue of what is missing was the intimidation factor that was generated at times at the Boleyn Ground, recognised by opposition players and fans alike. That this atmosphere, due to the distance between the pitch and stands, is now missing is a source of real discontent among fans. DS said we would not resort to generating an artificial atmosphere with clappers and JS stressed the same about a drum. However DS said that he was open minded to a formally recognised singing section and a family section, was prepared to listen to our suggestions but that we'd have to move very quickly in this regard.

ACTION: WHUISA would consult on this with our members & feedback the outcome to DS.

 There are ongoing issues with the stewarding at the London stadium, what steps have the club taken to assist the stadium operators get a better solution?

DS referred us to an answer prepared by "the club" detailed at the end of these minutes (footnote ii.). AJ raised the potential issues ahead of the Southampton fixture and suggested that more needs to be done to address the attitude of stewards as an already tense atmosphere could be added to by over zealous policing and stewarding. DS immediately checked with the club and was reassured that two additional training sessions where in place for the fixture. DS recognised the benefits of having regular stewards working regularly in the same areas. He regretted that this was not possible at the London Stadium, and that stewarding in the stadium had been below a commercially acceptable standard.
PT raised the issue of privately hired security personnel who'd filmed blocks of supporters previously and who wore stab proof vests at the Stoke City match (2016/17 season) who apparently were directing stadium security to eject people from the stadium. PT asked if those private security people had been hired by WHUFC or LS185/E20. DS clarified that the private security teams had not been hired by WHUFC and WHUFC had only hired staff for directly underneath the director's box. AJ asked for reassurance that there would be no 'snatch squads' in place for the Southampton game.
DS said no snatch squads were planned and that it was vital that the game went off incident free otherwise we would be playing games behind closed doors. MW explained that WHUISA has met with resistance from Newham Safety Advisory Group to their being able to have a seat at the SAG meetings. He explained the merits of having a member of WHUISA at these meetings and pointed out that supporters sat on, among others, SAGs with Haringey Council, Liverpool City Council (among other examples) as per recommending Sports Ground Safety Authority and FSF best practice. DS asked what the barriers to attending these meetings were. AJ explained that many SAGs were resistant to the notion of supporter representation citing concerns around breaches of confidentiality and not knowing which supporter to ask. DS finished by saying whilst we'll support a fan's representative being on it, the ultimate decision is Newham councils not ours, But I would like to lobby & progress this point. I think it's an important and constructive point that you have made.

ACTION: DS recognised that a supporter could give a unique and valuable insight to SAG meetings and appreciated that they could make a helpful all round contribution to these meetings. MW will write to DS about the SAG so that the process can be started.

 Have interviews been held for the DOF position and what is the scope of the role?

DS said that the club have hired a top, global sports headhunting company to identify possible candidates but it's not possible to place someone at the moment and expand the role, as we don't know what division we will be in next season. But even that appointment might not be a miracle cure and that player recruitment can be difficult. He gave some examples of players that have failed to settle in the Premier League citing luck as a contributory factor.

 Is there a recognition that the current Chairmen need to take a step back and for a full time experienced CEO to be appointed to work alongside a DOF and Manager?

DS touched upon the points again that he gave to his previous answer. Adding again there is always an element of luck with any appointment. He said that he would take a step back over the summer; he pointed to his track record at Birmingham and that the side he left went on to win a cup. DS also stressed that he didn't like failure and genuinely wanted the club to succeed.

 Are you aware of the embarrassment many supporters feel at reading unprofessional comments from either yourself, your children, your Co-Chairman and your Vice Chair on social media or national newspapers with regards to matters concerning the club?

DS accepted that not all the press interviews he had made were helpful and that both his sons had more or less stopped tweeting about the football club. PT raised some of the retweets of David Gold and it was agreed these were unfortunate. DS said that he no longer will give interviews to the press. He stated that Karren Brady has a contract with the Sun, independent of her contract with the football club, and that Karren's contract with the football club allows her to write her weekly columns for The Sun.

 Will you formally recognise WHUISA as the club's FSF affiliated body and build a stronger two way relationship?

DS had a formal answer from the club (footnote iii) but stressed his keenness to meet and engage with WHUISA. MW explained that we are not a Facebook Group or Forum and that we work with all stakeholders including the Premier League, Police and other supporters associations and that we wanted to be a critical friend of the club. Our £1 membership fee sets an affordable distinction band and helps people feel more engaged with what WHUISA does. MW also stressed that there is no formal agenda as such and that we are the equivalent of a work place union for supporters. Our aims evolve in accordance with our members priorities. That the entire board of WHUISA stands annually for re-election motivates us. DS recognised the benefits of our structure and understood that that is what makes us unique in a crowded market place of fans 'groups'.

JS raised the Supporters Advisory Board and MW made the point that it's no longer elected in any way, which DS agreed needed to be looked at. AJ pointed out the fact that many members of the SAB have no formal mechanism to gather the views of the supporters they are supposed to represent and it wasn't unreasonable to suggest that the fan base were cynical about the SAB thanks to its undemocratic structure. DS agreed to a point suggesting that he preferred a previous incarnation of the SAB where fans got the opportunity to vote for representatives.

 It appears there are still approximately £45m in shareholder loans owed by the club. Are you and other shareholders prepared to cancel those loans, converting them to equity and thereby demonstrating a long term commitment to the club?

We have recently seen a majority shareholder at Everton FC do just that DS stressed there was no pressure on the club to pay off the loans and debts. That the extra money was first used to pay off the Icelandic debts but they (DS and David Gold) don't have £45 million since they are asset rich and cash poor. He wanted the affordable family tag at West Ham and that the £289/£99 tickets where bad in the short term for the club. He also made clear that the money invested in West Ham is from his investment company and directly his. That company has a responsibility to its own employees etc.

Meeting with the Mayor (Sadiq Khan) was going to be an important step as the expansion of the London Stadium to full capacity will help. It was suggested by MW that DS should attend that meeting with the Mayor on the 26th March and that it would also be wise to reach out to Rokhsana Fiaz who will likely become the new Mayor of Newham in May. DS raised that the new Spurs stadium will be super but would West Ham fans be willing to pay the prices that Spurs have just announced? DS concluded that he and David Gold were British Tax Payers and that they were not drawing dividends from the club.

 Would you sacrifice your ultimate controlling interest should a new investor appear on the scene and offer you a fair price for some of your shares?

DS reinstated he had no desire to sell the club but referred back to his stated timetable of 5-6 years for improvements. He highlighted the fact that the difference between finishing 7th and 17th is £22 million. However he would step aside if the King of Saudi Arabia wanted to buy the club. He finished by saying the winner never quits and a quitter never wins. DS finished by saying that it was vitally important that every supporter got behind the team in the remaining 5 games. Please protest, if you still feel it's necessary, at the end of the season and not now and never inside the stadium when a match it being played as it does impact upon the players. That he was pleased to have met WHUISA and was happy to keep an open channel of communication between us and work on the agreed actions. He had no issue with trust with WHUISA or any committee member. MW agreed he would email DS separately on each of the points agreed.

Footnotes
Footnote i
 In answer to - Is there a realistic prospect of material changes to the stadium, if so what are the timescales?

A great deal of work was put into the transformation of the Stadium to begin with within the scope of the existing infrastructure. The seats were brought closer to the pitch as promised and had a roof that covered them. There are no restricted views and all seats have a clear view of play. We were and remain committed to constantly improving the Stadium where possible. Unfortunately we had problems with our landlords which has meant we must take them to court to seek a
resolution to the impasse. I cannot discuss the details, but we are pushing for a host of changes that we are entitled to under our agreement with them. They have ignored our claims but we are hopeful things will move forward now the mayor has offered to step in.
You ask about timescales. The court case will be in the autumn and should we win we are hopeful we can instigate some clear improvements immediately. We hope that this process will also mean we can build a relationship with them going forward to our mutual benefit. We have announced we will commission architects to make some positive recommendations on what can be done to improve the stadium for us and E20, our landlords. E20 are also commissioning studies in this regard and we have suggested that this would be better if we worked together. This has been put to them and again we await their response. WE have made clear to them that doing so in silo does not make sense when changes that would benefit that Club could also benefit E20 through shared investment in making them happen. However as you are already aware as it was requested by the supporter groups at the meeting which you attended either way we have committed to commission a study into what is possible in terms of the improving the seating this season.
It's findings will dictate next steps. In reality the Club can commission studies to better understand what is possible but our landlord must work with us to implement our contractual rights and to discuss changes that can benefit us both which is why it is so important that Mayor has finally agreed to engage with us.
Even at the time of the agreement we did envisage that with the benefit of the platform the Stadium gives us to generate additional revenue over time that increased budget to re-invest would enable us to make some further changes. It is for this reason that our contract has a clause within it around our ability to make improvements and alterations to the Stadium.
We are always working with E20 to explore improvements that can be made to enhance the supporter experience. Many of the improvements our supporters would like to see also benefit E20 as they benefit all spectator pitch sports. For example we were already exploring some changes to improve some seats behind the goals.
Secondly, in terms of supporters raising the issue of material change, this was raised for the first time at the meeting of the West Ham Groups United and has not previously been put to the Club in correspondence or in meetings including those held directly with WHUISA – either the previous or existing committee -it this has clearly moved up the agenda. We have also been pursuing the delivery of changes which will further enhance the look and feel of the Stadium as our home ground along with other improvements, all of which are covered in our contract with our landlord.
Their failure to deliver these so far has forced us to pursue a legal route. In terms of changes Karren's letter to the West Ham Groups United is clear on what we have committed to and the matters that will require our landlord to engage with us.

• There are ongoing issues with the stewarding at the London stadium, what steps have the club taken to assist the stadium operators get a better solution?
Footnote ii
 In answer to: There are ongoing issues with the stewarding at the London stadium, what steps have the club taken to assist the stadium operators get a better solution?
This was covered in my/ Karren's letter to the fan groups which you were included within as has been extensively covered at the SAB which you attend and is summarised below
• The ground has upwards of 1,000 stewards per PL game whose roles are divided between the bridges, turnstiles, stewarding inner bowl and on ingress and egress routes.
• We have progressed from using only one stewarding provider (OCS) to four to increase competition, assist with performance monitoring and provided us with a broader scope to attract better quality stewards to London Stadium
• Of the four quadrant managers, two are ex-Boleyn stewards and both have been promoted to senior positions.
• A new Head of Safety and Security is in post, Dave Sadler.
• Additional new Deputy Safety Officer, Andrew Bracken.
• We have previously written to all former Boleyn stewards to ask if they would like to return and this offer remains very much open - we would welcome them back.
• The Club have directly employed 40 SLOs to provide directional assistance and take care of any supporter feedback, enquiries or complaints on matchday and to work with stewards and to observe and report back to the Club.
• Two former Boleyn stewards are SLOs and we will be happy to speak to any others that would like to apply for a role.
• Boleyn Stewards were actively encouraged to make the move to the Stadium on several occasions. And West Ham United and LS185 offered to pay for the necessary NVQ training for them.
• Those that joined us were re-deployed to key areas.
• The Club has worked collaboratively with LS185 on a number of initiatives to educate Stewards on the rich history and heritage of West Ham United and the importance of serving our fanbase and keeping them safe on a matchday including introducing a West Ham United section in the steward briefing notes and verbal briefing.
• Ben Illingworth, Head of Matchday Operations for West Ham United attends the senior manager and supervisor briefings to provide updates and discusses the importance of their role at West Ham United.
• Yours and your fellow supporters' experience on a matchday is of paramount importance to us. In the event supporters wish to report an incident or experience relating to stewarding we do want to hear directly – if possible straight away. SLOs are on hand on the day or you can email et. The majority of supporter report that this service is efficient. We can only act on the information we have but we assure you that if there is inadequate service, we will work with LS185 and are very much able to ensure that these individuals do not return.
Ultimately though we do not control the operation of the Stadium. We offered to buy the Stadium outright initially but that was refused. We have done everything in our power to improve the Stadiums operation. When the issues occurred last season – it was West Ham's suggestions that ultimately addressed the issues. WE have offered help, advice and input at every juncture having successfully operated a Stadia for over 25 years, six of those at the Boleyn Ground and we feed into
the SAG. We are working closely with all of the London Stadium Stakeholders as our primary focus is on ensuring that anyone attending London Stadium can do so safely. There will be additional security and police at the Southampton fixture.

Footnote iii
 In answer to : Will you formally recognise WHUISA as the club's FSF affiliated body and build a stronger two way relationship?

WE already recognise WHIUISA formally as such you have a seat on the SAB. Next Monday's SAB will look at the structure and format of the SAB as you yourself suggested to ensure it can grow to be more effective forum but it must remain the inclusive forum that we engage with. WHUISA are important to us but we cannot engage with one group only we must recognise the views of all supporters and supporter groups but are certainly keen to build a stronger two way relationship.

Replies from the club have been reproduced exactly to allow members to make up their own mind on the responses.

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