Daily WHUFC News - 2nd November 2012

George sets top-half target
WHUFC.com
George McCartney wants the Hammers to maintain their top-ten position over the coming weeks
31.10.2012

George McCartney says that the next target for West Ham United is to make sure they do not waste their encouraging start to the season. The Northern Irish defender said that expectations had been exceeded in the first part of this season. That has heightened the confidence and spirit around the club, but no one will resting on their laurels with 29 more Barclays Premier League matches still to be played. As the Hammers prepare to face Barclays Premier league champions Manchester City this Saturday, McCartney said a solid start to the campaign means Hammers can go into games like this with nothing to fear. "At start of season, we had a few meetings where we talked about where we would want to be after eight games or so and we are very happy to have surpassed that," said the No3. "We have started off really well. We have picked up some really good results which has resulted in us sitting in the top half of the table, but there is a long way to go yet in the season and we must make sure we continue as much as we can what we have started. That is what the gaffer is drumming into us."

Following the visit of City, West Ham's run of forthcoming matches includes trips to Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United and home games against Stoke City, Chelsea and Liverpool. McCartney is relishing the tests ahead and has set his team-mates the challenge of staying in the Barclays Premier League's top ten. " Over the next few games we are playing teams that finished in Champions League spots last season so, yes, it is a difficult run but aren't all games difficult, as it was at Wigan last Saturday? Our aim, whatever the run or whoever we play, is still to pick up as many points as we can to try and stay in the top half of the table."

McCartney said the spirit of togetherness in the camp has only been improved by the four victories the Hammers have achieved in their opening nine league games - together with the leadership shown and important goals scored by captain Kevin Nolan. "Until last season, I had never played with Kevin, but had seen him scoring goals for Newcastle and Bolton, so I knew what he was about. He is doing that here at West Ham and scoring important goals and for me, Kevin played a big part in us getting promoted last season. "This year, his goals already have helped us get into the top half of the table. He is a big player at the club on and off the pitch where he has time for everyone. He is a great captain and a great lad as well."

McCartney himself, who had to miss three Premier League games before returning at the 2-1 away win at Queens Park Rangers on 1 October, has settled back into the starting XI and is looking forward to the remainder of the campaign. "It was great for me last season when the Chairmen and the manager gave me the opportunity to come back down here. It was a loan deal then but thankfully they made it permanent in the summer. "I am getting on a bit in my career now but it is great to be back at a club like West Ham where I'm enjoying my football and I hope to play my part in helping the club have a good season again."

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Players score Golf Day victory
WHUFC.com
The players secured the West Ham United Ryder Cup on a thrilling day at the London Club
31.10.2012

Neil McDonald won the battle but lost the war at the West Ham United Ryder Cup Golf Day. Now in its second year, the annual event saw the assistant manager and his fellow staff take on eight players at the London Golf Club in Kent, where midfielder and scratch handicapper Gary O'Neil is a member. McDonald and Big Sam were paired against No1 seeds O'Neil and James Collins in the opening greensome, with the more senior pair pulling off an outstanding 4 and 3 victory. Unfortunately, the staff were unable to maintain their form throughout the day, with the players winning the trophy courtesy of a 7 1/2 to 4 1/2 overall success. McDonald also lost his perfect overall record during the afternoon singles, when he was narrowly beaten 2 and 1 by O'Neil. "Myself and Sam were in a team together and we beat the number one seeds James and Gary," said McDonald. "We are chuffed because it keeps our perfect record going since I have been playing with two points out of two. "We complemented each other very well, Sam had a good five iron, a good seven iron and was good with the putter and I have been driving really well. "The sledging was fierce and they were the number one seeds so we wanted to put them off as much as we could. They did it too and now Ginge is dropped and Gary is never allowed to play golf again!"

The assistant manager also believes that the Golf Day will boost the players' morale ahead of Saturday's visit of Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City to the Boleyn Ground. "It was great, but the weather was absolutely atrocious. This is the second time we have held this competition and unfortunately it has rained on both occasions. Thankfully that has not had an effect, as both the players and staff were out in their numbers and it was great for team spirit."

Last weekend ended in disappointment but, according to McDonald, the Golf Day was a great way for the players to relax ahead of Saturday's big game.
Indeed, Kevin Nolan and his team-mates showed no ill-effects by producing a consistent all-round display on the course. The skipper teamed up with Andy Carroll to defeat head of player recruitment Martyn Glover and his assistant Greg Mathieson in the greensomes, while George McCartney and Jack Collison overcame Wally Downes and groundsman Ian Denny. In the afternoon, O'Neil, Collins, Mark Noble and George McCartney all won their singles matches to secure overall victory, but Development Squad coach Ian Hendon scored a fine 4 and 3 win over James Tomkins.

Now the golf is out of the way, the focus turns to Manchester City. "We were very disappointed with the performance against Wigan but we will move onto the next game against the champions. We have still had a very good start to the season and the pressure is all on them. We just need to go out and play the same way we have all season at home and hopefully we will get something out of the game. "It is a good time to play them and we would certainly prefer to play them at home first because our record has been very good and we want to continue that as much as we can. "It is going to be very difficult playing against the champions because they are good, no matter what their form. They have got some excellent players who I am sure will respond well under the pressure of a full house at Upton Park."

McDonald remained tight-lipped on any possible changes following last weekend's defeat, stating that whoever takes to the field will need the fans' full support for their biggest task yet. "The fans have been brilliant so far and they certainly came in their numbers for the trip to Wigan, but the home fans have also been exceptional. It has been a full house every time. "That is lifting the players and it is giving them so much confidence and I would like to think that the way we have played and the amount of goals we have scored has excited them too. I am sure everybody is very happy with the team at the moment."

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Sam Allardyce acknowledges that West Ham are entering a testing run of fixtures
Last Updated: November 1, 2012 12:57pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce feels West Ham United's start to the 2012/13 campaign has them well placed to tackle a testing run of fixtures. The Hammers, in their first season back in the Premier League, have collected 14 points from nine games and are handily perched in the top half of the table. Allardyce feels the efforts of his side so far means they have margin for error heading into potentially tricky ties against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. "We knew (about the fixtures) at the start of the season and that is why we were looking to get the points on the board that we did and, like I say, nine games have passed and we have had two disappointing results, both away (from home)," he said. Allardyce concedes that he is not expecting to collect masses of points over the coming weeks, but feels a number of West Ham's top-flight rivals would happily trade places. "Certainly Southampton and Reading will be looking at us and be a little jealous, but there is this group of fixtures and it will be very difficult indeed," he added. "We accept that we probably won't get as many points as we have collected in the first part of the season but we have got to try and get as many points as we possibly can and then move on to late December and January."

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The November and December Fixtures - What's a Realistic Points Target?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die

Much has been written about the toughness of West Ham's fixtures over November and December. And it is undoubtedly the case that we face some very tough opponents in that period. The sequence of fixtures is as follows: Man City (H), Newcastle Utd (A), Stoke City (H), Spurs (A), Man Utd (A), Chelsea (H), Liverpool (H), WBA (A), Everton (H) and Reading (A). With a very credible 14 out of 21 points won to date, we go in to November in a strong position. But how are we likely to do in this period leading up to the New Year? There are a total of 30 points up for grabs. So, what is a credible minimum points target for this potentially crucial second phase of the season?

Well, lets take the tougher teams out of the equation for just a moment. Surely, victories over Stoke City (H), Liverpool (H), WBA (A), Everton (H) and Reading (A) (15 points - 50% of the total) are not totally out of the question. We should beat Stoke City at home; this current Liverpool team are beatable, specially at home; WBA away should carry good prospects of success; Everton are admittedly a bit of a bogey team for us, but again it is winnable; and Reading away should not hold any fears. We are bound to drop points, but 10/15 points (3 wins and a draw) is a realistic target.

Next, we turn to the remainder of our opponents. Of these, we are arguably capable of earning draws away at Newcastle Utd and Spurs, even if, for the purpose of this exercise, we write off the matches against Man City at home; Man Utd away; and Chelsea at home. Of course, we cannot actually do that, we must go in to them with the intention of (a) competing with the opposition; and (b) emerging with a result. So, my assessment is that we should target a minimum of 12 out of 30 points over this period. And hope that we can pull off at least one win or draw over the tough, PL title chasing, triumvirate of City, Utd and Chelsea! 12 points (3 wins/3draws/4 losses) would give us on a total of 26 points, with the second half of the season still to come. In which, we would need to accrue another 14 points to reach the widely accepted safety margin of 40 points.

Even presuming, in actuality, that we lost an additional match to give a final total of 9 poiints for the period (2 wins/3 draws/5 losses), that would still give us a total of 23 points. Setting us the revised target of winning 17 points, in the second half of the season, to reach the 'magic' 40 point safety margin. Obviously, this is all based on West Ham doing the minimum to achieve survival. However, there is a need to underline the fact that there is nothing that dictates that we cannot do better than this and storm to a comfortable top 10 finish.

West Ham being West Ham, of course, they are just as likely to include Man City, Spurs or Newcastle amongst their wins; lose to Reading and draw with Stoke City!! But seriously, somewhere in Sam Allardyce's office, next to the opta statistics, there will be a projected points haul for this phase of the season. That would make very interesting reading. But unfortunately we do not have access to it, so this is an attempt to 'set the bar' from a supporter's perspective. Some will consider 12 out of 30 points too optimistic; others will predict that the 'PL sky' is about to fall in on Sam Allardyce's head; whilst a brave minority will argue the bar can be placed a bit higher.

Obviously, points won against Man City, Man Utd and Chelsea are a bonus. The Spurs and Newcastle games are likely to be tough, but a draw is not beyond the realms of possiblity. But it is against Stoke City, Liverpool, WBA, Everton and Reading that we stand the best prospects of success. It is possible that this could be a very punishing period for us and we could lose a significant bit of the advantage that we won in the first phase. If it happens, we must deal with it and come strongly again. However, I do not think so, I feel that we will navigate this difficult 2nd phase and be in a reasonable position to 'push on' in the New Year.

As with most things, time will tell. However, I view the Man City match with little dread, more with interest at how the side will respond to one of the two or three toughest challenges in the PL. If we end up losing, I will be looking for positives, principally the side being competitive and pushing the opposition all the way. In that context, avoiding a demoralising heavy defeat is essential. But who knows, Nolan and co might even spring a surprise and do far, far better than most pundits anticipate. COYI !

SJ. Chandos.

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Big Sam: We're up against it
Published: 01st November 2012
The Sun

SAM ALLARDYCE admits his Hammers face a daunting task in the coming weeks as they prepare to do battle against the Premier League's elite. West Ham currently sit ninth in the league but face champions Manchester City at the weekend before taking on Newcastle, Tottenham, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. And Allardyce said: "Our season is determined on what we do against the bottom eight, not the top five or six. The top five or six is an ultimate bonus if you get a result against them. "We knew about the fixtures at the start of the season and that is why we were looking to get the points on the board that we did. "Nine games have passed by and we have had two disappointing results, both away from home. "Certainly Southampton and Reading will be looking at us and be a little jealous but there is this group of fixtures and it will be very difficult indeed. "We accept that we probably won't get as many points as we have collected in the first part of the season but we have got to try and get as many points as we possibly can and then move on to late December and January."

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You'll Hammer one in soon, Andy!
The Sun
Pic: MARK ROBINSON
By JAKE RYAN
Published: 01st November 2012

Andy Carroll's barren spells

11. From February 2007 to December 2008, Carroll went 11 Prem games without scoring for Newcastle.
11. Three months and 11 goalless league games came at Liverpool between October 2011 and January 2012.
11. West Ham loanee Carroll has not scored for 11 league games — his last goal was for Liverpool against Blackburn on April 10.

SAM ALLARDYCE admits Andy Carroll's frustration at his goal drought is just making it worse. The West Ham boss says his star striker should have already bagged his first Hammers goal. Carroll has failed to score in 11 league games since his deadline-day loan move from Liverpool. If the £35million England forward, 23, does not find the target against Manchester City tomorrow he will set a new record for a dry patch. Allardyce said: "I think he's a little frustrated by it but that's the issue. "I don't think frustration helps you. I think you like to come, start and get off the mark as quickly as you possibly can. "So we have got to keep providing the service and eventually, he'll start putting it in the net, we hope. "The more he plays with our players, the more he can start to read how the situation develops and hopefully get on the end of it."

Allardyce insists he is still more than happy with Carroll's displays and the Hammers fans still love the Geordie hitman. Big Sam said: "What I do think is that he's not just a goalscorer. That's 90 per cent of his game. "I think he's an all-round front man in terms of his hold-up play and his movement as well as his ability to score goals. "The fans at West Ham love committed players and I think Andy wears his heart on his sleeve." Allardyce reckons an in-form Carroll would already be off the mark after a perfect chance fell to him in last week's 2-1 Wigan defeat. Carroll's last Prem goal was in April for Liverpool against Blackburn. Allardyce added: "He had one very good chance at Wigan, which dropped to his right foot. "In his heyday, he probably would have just volleyed it straight away but he just tried to bring it down and failed to control it." The 6ft 3in pony-tailed striker faces one of his favourite clubs in City. Carroll has netted four times in games with the Premier League champions — more than he has against any other club. Big Sam wants nothing more than for Carroll to break his duck against Roberto Mancini's inconsistent side — who will be preparing for an aerial bombardment at Upton Park. He added: "Mancini's trying a different system and he's lost De Jong — it is encouraging. "But it's not all about Andy and his heading ability, he's very, very good at scoring goals on the floor." Carroll finished with 10 goals in his first full season at Liverpool — after that mega transfer from Newcastle in January 2011. But he was allowed to leave by Brendan Rodgers. West Ham team-mate and pal Kevin Nolan is convinced the Kop boss made a big mistake. Nolan said: "We want him here for as long as possible. I'm really baffled he couldn't fit into their system and the way they apparently play."

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Hammers keen on Courtois
The Sun
Published: 01st November 2012

WEST HAM are keen to swoop for Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois, who is starring on loan at Atletico Madrid. The Belgian international, 20, is due to return in June. But Chelsea may now want him to become Petr Cech's eventual successor.

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Noble believes 'settled' West Ham role is aiding his football
After recently reaching 200 games for the club, the midfielder has declared that life under Sam Allardyce has led to him playing the best football of his career to date
Goal.com
2 Nov 2012 00:13:00
By Joe McPhee

West Ham midfielder Mark Noble believes his new role under Sam Allardyce is producing the best football he has ever played. The Hammers star enjoyed his most successful season with the club in terms of both goals and assists last year in the Championship, and has continued his rich vein of form in the Premier League. And the 26-year-old, who came through the east London club's youth team ranks, believes his current performances are the best he has ever put in.
"I'm thoroughly enjoying life under Sam," Noble told talkSPORT. "I'm probably playing the best football I've played in a long, long while. "I'm settled in my position. I'm settled at the club and obviously I've just signed a new contract, so I was happy with that." Noble has never been capped by his country at senior level, but he insists international recognition is not an accolade he strives for as his domestic duties come first. He added: "I'm just looking forward to being out on the pitch every week. I keep working harder and harder in training every week, trying to improve, trying to get better and I just want to keep working hard and get performances under my belt."

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West Ham vs Manchester City
Cityam.com
Friday 2nd November 2012, 12:39am
Tomorrow 5.30pm

SHOULD Man United and Chelsea win earlier on in the day, then it will be imperative for Manchester City to claim three points from tomorrow's early evening showdown at West Ham. They certainly have the tools to do just that and Coral's offer of 8/11 for a City victory is very tempting. The champions might not have hit top gear yet, but they are the only remaining unbeaten team and have won their last two away games, at Fulham and West Brom, even if they did have to come from behind – and strike late – to do so. West Ham have made a decent start to the season and go into the game joint eighth on 14 points, but they haven't had too many tough tests yet. The biggest challenge they faced was Arsenal at home, and they lost that one 3-1. The Hammers were defeated by the same scoreline when City last visited Upton Park, in December 2010, and Roberto Mancini's charges are capable of victory by a similar margin. At 15/2 with Coral, City to triumph 2-0 appeals in the correct score market, with the visitors netting, on average, exactly two goals-per-game this season, while Joe Hart has kept a clean sheet in two of their last three league matches. Selling goals at 3.0 with Sporting Index is recommended.

■ Pointers…

Manchester City at 8/11 with Coral
City to win 2-0 at 15/2 with Coral

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*** Apologies but this will be the last digest until 10th November when I return from my holiday as I had no volunteers to take over for a week. ***
PeterR

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 1st Mo-vember 2012

Noble excited by young stars
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble has spoken glowingly about the club's latest band of Academy
graduates
31.10.2012

Mark Noble knows a thing or two about what it takes to successfully graduate
from the Academy of Football to the West Ham United first team. The reigning
Hammer of the Year is now approaching 250 appearances for the club, having
made his reserve-team debut at the age of 15 and his first-team bow just
three months past his 17th birthday. Still just 25, Noble has seen a host of
home-grown players follow him into the first team - most notably Jack
Collison, James Tomkins, Jordan Spence, Rob Hall and Dan Potts. This season,
the next group of hopefuls have started to make their mark, with George
Moncur, Matthias Fanimo and Dylan Tombides making their debuts and Leo
Chambers, Callum Driver and Paul McCallum all being named on the
substitutes' bench by Sam Allardyce. The Development Squad and Under-18s
regularly train with the first team, giving Noble and his team-mates a
first-hand look at the club's promising youngsters. With the Ian Hendon's
side six points clear at the top of the Barclays U21 Premier League Group 1
table, the No16 is excited about the future of the club. "I think Jordan,
Moncs, Hally, Matthias, young Leo - who has travelled with us to the last
two Premier League games and been on the bench - and the others are doing
well," said Noble. "If they keep on grafting, don't let it go to their heads
when they travel with the first team and put it in when they play for the
Development Squad, then they will keep enjoying it and keep moving forward.
"We have got a good crop of young players and they will soon be pushing the
seniors for their places. The Premier League is obviously a tough league to
come into - I learnt that as a 17-year-old that it's a tough ask and you've
got to be mentally capable to do that - but hopefully they can keep pushing
us."

Perhaps more than at any other club, the Boleyn Ground faithful love nothing
more than seeing one of their own graduate to the first team. Noble,
Collison, Tomkins et al have received huge support whenever they have pulled
on the claret and blue shirt, and the midfielder said it gives them all a
huge boost to hear the roar of the crowd behind them. The lifelong West Ham
fan is looking forward to hearing more from his fellow supporters when he
takes to the field against Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City
on Saturday. "It's so important to have that support, particularly when
things aren't going well. You're not always going to be two or three-nil up
at half-time - it's not going to work out like that. "We all need the fans
behind us from kick-off until the final whistle because it only takes a
second or two to score a goal. Every little bit of noise and encouragement
that they give us helps us massively so I hope they carry on with the
support they have given us this year because it's been fantastic."

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Academy graduates go back to college
WHUFC.com
Dan Potts and Rob Hall spoke to a group of sports-mad students at Havering
College
31.10.2012

Dan Potts and Rob Hall returned to the classroom to meet a group of aspiring
youngsters looking to build a career in sport. The pair answered questions
about their careers and lifestyles posed by students working towards a Level
3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport or BTEC National Certificate in Sport at
Havering College of Higher and Further Education in Harold Hill. Joined by
Head of Academy Education Paul Tighe, the duo discussed everything from
their training schedules to nutritional plans to the sacrifices they have
had to make to get to the top of their profession. The 25-strong class was
made up of teenagers who are both talented sportsmen and women in their own
right, but are seeking to follow a career in sport off the pitch. Students
are taught a range of core subjects including Health and Safety in Sport,
Training and Fitness for Sport, Sports Nutrition, Psychology for Sports
Performance, Technical and Tactical Skills in Sport, Sports Coaching, Sports
Injuries and Rules, Regulations and Officiating in Sport. The visit of young
professionals Potts and Hall formed part of the Athlete's Lifestyle module,
where students find out more about what professional athletes have to do to
reach the elite level. After a half-hour question and answer session, the
pair headed out on to the college playing field to meet a group of aspiring
young footballers from the Romford Football Academy. The footballers split
their time between training and playing for Ryman League Division One North
Romford FC and studying for their own BTEC National Certificate in Sport.

Romford midfielder and West Ham fan Sean Bush said the visit of Potts and
Hall had shown him and his fellow students what could be achieved if they
take the right approach to their own lives. "We come to college on Mondays
and Tuesdays and train for three hours in the morning before going into the
classroom in the afternoons," said the 17-year-old, who watches the first
team home and away and sells fanzine 'Over Land and Sea' outside the Boleyn
Ground on matchdays. "We play matches against other Academies on Wednesdays
and then train and study the rest of the week before playing for Romford on
Saturdays.
"I hoped to become a professional footballer but I think it's too late for
me now, so I'm planning to do the next best thing and play semi-professional
football and become a coach. "It's a great inspiration for all of us for Dan
and Rob to come in because we can look at them and see what they have
achieved. It's even better to see players like them because they have come
through the ranks and worked their way up."

Lecturer Stacy Birchall said she and her students were grateful for the
visit of two Hammers home-grown stars. "The students from the Romford
Academy and those on our Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma in Sport course were
really excited to have the opportunity to quiz the players," she said. "They
are all studying towards becoming coaches, sports scientists and sports
psychologists and we thought it was a great idea for them to actually hear
from professional athletes as part of their Athlete's Lifestyle module. It
is inspiring for them, too. We have a lot of West Ham supporters at the
college and they are normally a rowdy bunch, but they seem happy with how
things are going at the moment!"

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Where will it all end?
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 31st October 2012
By: Staff Writer

The latest revelation about the future of the Olympic Stadium has left many
supporters wondering if West Ham United will ever have the opportunity to
play in the iconic stadium. Two weeks ago, when the London Legacy
Development Corporation were expected to name their preferred candidate to
take over the stadium yet another delay was announced. And hours before the
latest announcement was expected this week it was confirmed that no decision
would be forthcoming - and that West Ham's owners may now have to wait until
after Christmas before a final judgment is made. The green light to West
Ham's move to Stratford appeared to rely on Boris Johnson, the Mayor of
London, being granted access to a large portion the surplus funds from this
summer's games - some £200million - in order to update the stadium and
install retractable seating. But a Government Treasury spokesman told a
newspaper on Monday that there was no chance of the funds being appropriated
for such a purpose. "Any financial benefits from the Olympics coming in
under budget will be used to pay off our debts or help the economy", they
said. Despite the news, Johnson is reported to be preparing to approach
Chancellor George Osbourse directly with his request, which he is understood
to believe is the most economical solution for the future of the stadium.

However the waters were muddied further today after it was revealed that
Johnson has held talks with American Football's NFL, who last weekend held
their annual spectacle at Wembley Stadium. They are reported to be exploring
the possibility of staging more matches in the UK, with the Olympic Stadium
viwed as a potential venue. A spokesman for Johnson told The Telegraph this
morning: "The mayor and his team have held a number of meetings with senior
executives in the last few days to explore further opportunities for NFL in
London. The talks were exploratory and we are at an early stage but the
signs are encouraging."

West Ham re still considered to be favourites to take over use of the
stadium, despite news of the NFL's purported interest.

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Mark Noble has hailed the young players coming through the ranks at West Ham
Last Updated: October 31, 2012 4:56pm
SSN

Mark Noble believes the future is bright for West Ham with a wealth of
talent coming through their youth ranks. Noble, a product of the club's
Academy of Football, has seen other home-grown players follow him into the
first team, including Jack Collison, James Tomkins, Jordan Spence, Rob Hall
and Dan Potts.
This season youngsters George Moncur, Matthias Fanimo and Dylan Tombides
have made their debuts, while Leo Chambers, Callum Driver and Paul McCallum
have all been named on the substitutes' bench. Noble told the club's
official website: "I think Jordan, Moncs, Hally, Matthias, young Leo - who
has travelled with us to the last two Premier League games and been on the
bench - and the others are doing well. "If they keep on grafting, don't let
it go to their heads when they travel with the first team and put it in when
they play for the Development Squad, then they will keep enjoying it and
keep moving forward. "We have got a good crop of young players and they will
soon be pushing the seniors for their places. "The Premier League is
obviously a tough league to come into - I learnt that as a 17-year-old that
it's a tough ask and you've got to be mentally capable to do that. "But
hopefully they can keep pushing us."

Voice support

Meanwhile, Noble has urged the West Ham fans to roar the side on when
reigning Premier League champions Manchester City visit on Saturday. "It's
so important to have that support, particularly when things aren't going
well. You're not always going to be two or three-nil up at half-time - it's
not going to work out like that," he said. "We all need the fans behind us
from kick-off until the final whistle because it only takes a second or two
to score a goal. "Every little bit of noise and encouragement that they give
us helps us massively so I hope they carry on with the support they have
given us this year because it's been fantastic."

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Gazzumpers! NFL want Boris to take Olympic Stadium from West Ham...
The Mirror
31 Oct 2012 15:25

American Football's autumn love affair with London continues – and now NFL
franchises have entered the running to become the anchor tenant of the
Olympic Stadium... shoving West Ham out of the way. Talks between NFL
representatives and London Mayor Boris Johnson - chairman of the London
Legacy Development Corporation who operate the stadium - were opened last
weekend. The NFL and lots of bendy lasses in tiny shorts were enjoying their
annual visit to Wembley, and a spokesman for the Mayor is reported to have
said: "Given the ever-growing popularity of gridiron this side of the
Atlantic the mayor and his team have held a number of meetings with senior
executives in the last few days to explore further opportunities for NFL in
London.

"The talks were exploratory and we are at an early stage but the signs are
encouraging." Not encouraging for West Ham, whose Olympic Stadium plans have
already taken a knock with the Treasury's refusal to hand over the
£337million Olympic-contingency underspend to help install retractable
seating. The seating is expected to cost in the region of £200m – and any
anchor tenant would have to make a significant contribution, and West Ham
don't fancy stumping up the lion's share for that, given the mixed use plans
for the arena in the coming years.

A decision on the future of the stadium was expected to be announced by the
end of October but negotiations are ongoing. Other contenders for the
stadium tenancy are League One side Leyton Orient, a football business
college and a group wanting to host a Formula One race at the Olympic Park.
The NFL proposition is thought to be a live alternative, as the stadium
would only be required up to 10 times per year - compared to up to 25 times
a year for football.
The Mayor's spokesman continued: "Sunday's game at Wembley, in front of more
than 80,000 fans, further cements London's reputation as the natural home of
American football outside of the US. "Only last week the Mayor, in
conjunction with the NFL, announced an expansion from one to two
regular-season matches in London from 2013. That means in total an
additional £44 million in revenue for the capital from next year." West Ham
are in grave danger of looking like very small beer indeed compared to that.

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West Ham dismay as NFL look at Olympic Stadium
Evening Standard
Ken Dyer

31 October 2012

West Ham were left feeling confused and frustrated today following the news
that the NFL have been in talks with London Mayor Boris Johnson's office
over becoming the main tenant of the Olympic Stadium.

A spokesman for the mayor, who is also chairman of the London Legacy
Development Committee, said: "Given the growing popularity of gridiron this
side of the Atlantic, the mayor and his team have held a number of meetings
with senior executives in the last few days to explore further opportunities
for NFL in London. The talks were exploratory and we are at early stage but
the signs are encouraging."

The NFL's interest in having a team permanently based in London, following a
sell-out match at Wembley on Sunday, comes just a day after the Treasury
said that none of the money left from the underspend on the Olympic
contingency fund, £337million, would be used to pay for permanent
retractable seating at the stadium.

West Ham, who were prepared to accept the original plan of temporary seating
erected at the beginning of each season, are reluctant to contribute to the
far greater cost of permanent seating since other events, such as the Rugby
World Cup, the 2017 World Athletics Championships and proposed pop concerts,
would also benefit.

The latest development involving the NFL though, has caused further
confusion, with all potential tenants under the impression that the bidding
process was closed.

West Ham, who have been firm favourites to move the three miles from the
Boleyn Ground to Stratford, continue to believe their bid is the strongest
and have pointed out that the regeneration projects involved, both at
Stratford and particularly at Upton Park, would bring homes and jobs to the
area.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
An Unwanted Trait - Alive and Well it Seems!
By S J Chandos

West Ham Till I Die

Jussi Jääskeläinen's post-match assessment accurately summed up West Ham's
performance on Saturday. As our veteran keeper stated, 'We failed to turn
up.' Bitterly disappointing, but very true. And I am sure that, in the
aftermath of that abject capitulation, much of the travelling support wished
that they had done likewise. It's astonishing that highly paid professional
footballers could have 'failed to turn up.' However, they get paid whatever
the result. While the the supporters spend hard earned money to attend the
match, only to suffer a totally inept performance like that! Supporter
resentment would not be surprising in those circumstances. However, as much
as we Hammers may justifiably moan in the short-term, our proven loyalty and
commitment means that we are always back, with eager anticipation, for the
very next match.

I do not know about other fans, but the bottom line for me is that the team
shows fight and puts in a performance. Saturday was unacceptable and the
players need to be told that, just in case there is any lingering doubt in
that quarter. Arguably, Wigan are not a great team and, individually, they
are certainly not as strong as us. Yet, we made them look a very good team
on the day. We only started to perform at any sort of level in the final
phase of the match and that is when we could have grabbed a throughly
undeserved draw. Had that Tomkins' strike gone in, rather than hit the cross
bar, then that might very well have been the unlikely outcome.

While that would have been pleasing for us travelling supporters, in
retrospect, part of me is glad that it did not happen. Whilst much has
changed under Allardyce, it still shows that the 'fall guy' trait, that I
warned about pre-match, is still alive and well! Give us any team that has
not won at home, or a misfiring striker that cannot 'buy' a goal, and West
Ham play the obliging fall guy. As such, a draw would have detracted from it
persistence, but instead the manager and team now have to confront and work
to eradicate it. I had hoped that we had progressed enough to get a result
in that sort of match, but apparently not. And if that is the case, then it
is better that it is highlighted and worked on, rather than obscured and
swept under the carpet, only to re-emerge again later in the season. I said
at the start of the campaign that this season would be a steep learning
curve and, along the way, there would inevitably be some poor results. The
important thing, however, is that we learn from those and they contribute to
our development into a PL force.

It may also serve us well ahead of the testing second phase of matches in
November and December. There can be no doubt about it, play like that again
and the results will be punishing against the top teams. Hopefully, the
Wigan result will prove beneficial, in that it will concentrate minds and
galvinize attitudes ahead of this testing tranche of fixtures. To get
results we need to be organised, disciplined, play to our strengths and
exploit the opposition's identified weaknesses. And, of course, the Man
Citys, Man Utds and Chelseas of this world are not invincible. The hard bit
is to match them, and avoid being blown away, before you try to exploit the
vulnerable aspects of their game. Of course, Sam Allardyce built a
formidible reputation at Bolton Wanderers doing just that on a regular
basis, driving the big boys to distraction and gaining a powerful and
ongoing psychological advantage over them.

Can Allardyce achieve the same results at West Ham? Probably, given time.
But of course, we all know that the 'other side of the coin' to the 'fall
guy' trait is West Ham's consistent ability, over the years, to raise their
game and win matches in which they were given little chance. In that sense,
West Ham were no strangers to beating the odds, against the top teams, long
before Sam Allardyce arrived at Upton Park. Can that more pleasing trend
re-emerge and help deliver one or two unlikely victories in the next couple
of months? Maybe, I certainly fancy West Ham to accrue more points in
November and December than most pundits think probable. We shall see?

So, how will the players respond to the Wigan set back? The nature of that
response will tell us much about the team spirit and ability of this West
Ham team. Even if we lose the match, we must perform and make them work hard
for the three points. We must fight, set them problems and make their
expensive imports break sweat and battle. Commitment and the 'will to win'
can be a great leveller in a football match. Perhaps that might be the case
once again on Saturday? I think it is a logical response to be critical
about the nature of the performance against Wigan. However, it is not an
excuse to capitulate to defeatism and the notion that the PL sky is about to
fall in on our heads. If it does, we must deal with it, but in the interim
we must remember that the odds are that defeat is probable against the top
sides, but it is not inevitable. Even in the PL, with its huge inequity of
wealth and playing resources, that happily still remains the case. COYI!

SJ. Chandos.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 31st October 2012

Jussi looking forward
WHUFC.com
Jussi Jaaskelainen believes West Ham United will learn from their mistakes
29.10.2012

Jussi Jaaskelainen believes West Ham United will learn from the mistakes
they made during the 2-1 Barclays Premier League defeat at Wigan Athletic on
Saturday. The experienced Finn conceded that the Hammers did not put in the
kind of performance fans have come to expect his season, but hopes the
experience will prevent it from happening again. Jaaskelainen also believes
that West Ham might even have grabbed a point if their goal - scored by
James Tomkins in the third minute of added-time - had come a few minutes
earlier. "We did not really turn up in the first-half and in the second-half
we gave them a soft goal which did not help," said the No22. "After that I
think we played OK. We created a few chances and as always when you are
losing we would have liked to play for a few more minutes at the end. "We
did not play well as individuals or as a team and we did not cope with the
counter-attacking way in which Wigan played, so it is very disappointing."

The goalkeeper admitted that Wigan had enjoyed the better of the game before
half-time, when their five-man midfield controlled the game. When West Ham
themselves moved to similar formation after the break, Jaaskelainen feels
they more than matched their hosts. "The level of performance we have had
this season has been very good and when we went system-against-system in the
second half we woke up a bit and played a lot better, but it was too late."

Whatever system the Hammers employ against champions Manchester City this
weekend, Jaaskelainen knows his side cannot afford to make a slow start as
they have done in their previous two Barclays Premier League matches. "Last
week against Southampton it was a similar kind of game. We did not turn up
in the first half but we got two early goals after half-time and it gave us
that little lift to go on and win the game. "We came in at half-time 1-0
down at Wigan but our biggest mistake was letting them take a 2-0 lead
[within two minutes of the restart]. You do not get second chances in this
league and once you make a mistake, the ball is in the back of the net."

Moving forward, the goalkeeper is hoping that he and his side will remain a
more focused, stronger and complete unit. "There was a few shots I had to
save but not a lot. The first goal came from a set piece and I think that is
the first we have conceded from all season. Hopefully it will not happen
again in the future but it is one of those things that can happen in
football so we cannot afford to dwell on it."

When asked if he was pleased with his individual performance Jaaskelainen
remained modest. "That is my job at the end of the day and if I did not do
it well somebody else would come in and do it - that is always the way I
look at it. They scored two goals but other than that we did OK which shows
how harsh the Barclays Premier League can be. "When I came here I knew Big
Sam was a great manager and I knew he would expect me to play well if he
gave me the opportunity to play. Working with Martyn Margetson is also going
very well so hopefully I can keep working hard and the results will be
better than Saturday."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Leo Chambers
WHUFC.com
Leo Chambers is relishing the step up from youth football to the Barclays
Premier League
29.10.2012

Leo Chambers has enjoyed an outstanding 2012/13 season so far with West Ham
United. The defender celebrated his 17th birthday at the start of August
before establishing himself in Ian Hendon's all-conquering Development
Squad. Chambers' form saw him called into Sam Allardyce's first-team squad,
with the teenager being named on the bench for each of the last two Barclays
Premier League fixtures. At international level, Chambers recently completed
a full 90 minutes in England Under-18' 2-0 friendly win over Italy. With Rob
Hall, Jordan Spence and Matthias Fanimo all making the step up to Big Sam's
squad this season, Chambers hopes he is next in line to graduate from the
Academy of Football to the first team.

You have been on the bench for the last two Barclays Premier League games
which is quite a step for someone who only turned 17 in August?

LC: "Being in the squad for the past two weeks has been a very good
experience. The team has been doing well, so I am very pleased to make the
step up and it has come earlier than I expected or hoped."

Did you get nervous at the possibility of making your first-team debut?

LC: "As a youngster I never really got too nervous and, even though it is a
great achievement, I will just take it stride by stride."

What have you done or changed this year that has allowed you to play well so
consistently?

LC: "My Under-18s coach at West Ham, Nick Haycock, will be pleased to hear
this but I have moved into the Academy House and it has stood me in good
stead because there have been no distractions at home. I am trying to get
into the England Under-19 squad for the next European Championships [in
Lithuania in 2013], which is something else to aim for. I am not content
just playing with my age group - I want to push on and play at as high a
level as possible."

In your absence the Development Squad picked up their fifth successive win
and another clean sheet against Everton on Friday. It is a great group that
you are
part of and the team is doing very well?

LC: "Definitely. It is a very good, talented group of players but as we
always say talent can only take you so far. The work ethic we have got not
just amongst ourselves but within the club is very good. Six wins out of
eight is a great run of results for any age group and it would not be
possible without our combined talent and hard work."

How do you mentally handle the high of being called into the first-team
squad with the relative low of being an unused substitute? Or do you
consider it all part
of the learning curve?

LC: "I would not really class it as a setback because these things happen in
football when you are young. Situations like this are what separate the best
from the rest because it is all about how you bounce back and react.The
experience has been wonderful and I will take that experience into whatever
I do next within football."

You can play at full-back or centre-half but have been playing regularly in
the middle this season, so would you say you have settled in that position
now?

LC: "I would not say that I have settled in a particular position but I have
often said I prefer to play at centre-back. If I have to play at right-back,
left-back, centre-back or even centre midfield I will do so because I am
happy to adapt for the team."

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Ladies lose at Yeovil
WHUFC.com
West Ham United Ladies were edged out 1-0 in the West Country on Sunday
30.10.2012

West Ham United Ladies slipped to their second FA Women's Premier League
Southern Division defeat of the season courtesy of a 1-0 reserve at Yeovil
Town.
A goal just before half-time from Stacey Pearson was enough to condemn Julia
Setford's side to a narrow loss at the Athletics Ground in Wells on Sunday
afternoon. Pearson scored the all-important goal with a diving header that
gave Hammers goalkeeper Toni Anne Wayne no chance. The goal came at the end
of a first half that saw both teams create chances. After a quiet opening 20
minutes, Wayne was forced to save smartly to turn away a low shot. West
Ham's first real chance came in the 36th minute when Zoe Lipley-Hinton rode
a couple of tackles but on rounding the Yeovil goalkeeper, could she not
find the finish as the angle closed. Lindsey Morgan then shot over before
Pearson's header put the visitors on the back foot. Setford's team found a
better rhythm after the break and Danica Revell found space to fire just
over from distance on 55 minutes. However, despite the Hammers now having
greater possession and several corners, Yeovil were still defending
comfortably. As the game went into the final ten minutes only a brilliant
double save by Wayne stopped the hosts extending their lead. Wayne's actions
were the signal for West Ham to throw caution to the wind and pour forward
in a late charge to salvage a point. Rosey Sullivan came closest, but her
header was turned away by the Yeovil goalkeeper at the far post. Wayne even
came forward for a late corner to support the attack, but the Hammers could
not fashion an equaliser. The Ladies travel to Colchester United for their
final FA Women's Premier League group-stage fixture on Sunday knowing only a
win will be good enough to see them qualify for the knockout stages.
Kick-off at Shrub End Community Sports Centre is at 2pm.

West Ham United Ladies: Wayne, Barling, King, Revell, Sullivan, Little,
Morgan, Lipley-Hinton, Merritt, Bowers, Rowland
Subs used: Stimson, Bottom

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Trailblazers
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 30th October 2012
By: Staff Writer

It's now 40 years since West Ham United became the first top flight club to
feature three black players in the same team - although you might not know
it.
A report on the BBC news website this morning perpetuates the myth that it
was actually West Bromwich Albion who were the first Division One club to
achieve this particular landmark when Laurie Cunningham, Brendan Batson and
Cyrille Regis featured for Ron Atkinson's Albion in 1978. Hoever more than
five years earlier - on April Fools' Day 1972, to be precise - Ron
Greenwood's West Ham United beat Tottenham 2-0 in a London derby with a team
that featured three young black players - 21-year-old Clyde Best, Clive
Charles (20) and Ade Coker, who was just 17. Coker, who was making only his
fourth appearance for the Hammers - some five months after his previous
outing for the first team at Manchester City in November 1971 - scored the
second of West Ham's goals in a 2-0 win (the other being a
goal-of-the-season contender from Trevor Brooking). Clive Charles - brother
of John 'Charlo' Charles, who was the the first black player to play in the
top flight when he featured for West Ham in a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn in May
1963 - was making just his second appearance for the first team having
debuted at Coventry three weeks earlier. Clyde Best - who went on to make
more than 180 appearances for the Hammers - was the most-established player
of the trio, having already played more than 75 times for West Ham since
moving from Bermuda to England in the late 1960s.

Trailblazers: Where are they now?

Clyde Best

After leaving West Ham in 1976, Best moved to the United States to continue
his pro career. Having featured for clubs such as the Tampa Bay Rowdies and
the LA Lazers he eventually hung up his boots in 1984 and took on various
(non-sporting) jobs in the private sector. He was hired as the national
manager of Bermuda in the late 1990s, a post he remained in for two years,
before leaving the game once again to work with prison inmates. Now
semi-retired, 61-year-old Best - who was awarded the MBE for his services to
football in 2006 - spends his time coaching young footballers and cricketers
in Bermuda. Still a regular visitor to England, he last visited the Boleyn
Ground in August.

Ade Coker

The Nigerian-born striker moved to England at the age of 11 and was spotted
playing local football by West Ham's legendary scout Wally St Pier. Like
Best, he moved to North America in 1975 having failed to become a permanent
fixture in West Ham's first team squad and spent the next 13 years playing
for various teams - including the USA national squad for whom he made five
appearances - before retiring. Now 58 and living in Seattle with his family,
Coker works for Home Depot - the US equivalent of Homebase.


Clive Charles

Clive Charles made just a handful of first-team appearances for West Ham
before moving on. A three-year stint at Cardiff between 1974 and 1977
preceeded six years in the USA where Charles, like Best and Coker,
eventually settled down. However it was as a coach that he truly excelled
and having cut his teeth managing High School and University teams, Charles
managed the national under 20s womens team, the men's under 23 team and
then, most notably, the USA men's senior team from 1995-1998. Sadly Charles
developed prostate cancer at the turn of the century and died in 2003.

*You may read more about Best, Charles and Coker in Brian Belton's book East
End Heroes, Stateside Kings.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham face new delay over Olympic stadium
Evening Standard
Ken Dyer
30 October 2012

West Ham may now have to wait until the new year before they discover
whether they will become the main tenants of the Olympic Stadium. It was
hoped that the London Legacy Development Corporation would finally make a
decision at their next board meeting on December 6 but fresh doubts about
the cost of retractable seating may cause a further delay. Mayor of London
Boris Johnson is keen for some of the £377million surplus from last summer's
Olympic Games to be spent on providing permanent retractable seating for the
stadium, rather than the temporary version originally planned. However, the
Treasury have indicated that the surplus cash will be used to boost the
economy rather than be spent on the stadium although it is understood that
Johnson is intending to make a personal appeal to the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, George Osborne. Whatever the outcome of those discussions, West
Ham, still favourites to be awarded the main tenancy of the £486m stadium,
will remain patient despite this latest uncertainty regarding the future of
the venue.

Meanwhile, the Hammers will continue to be without full-back Guy Demel for
at least two weeks, following a groin injury while France international Alou
Diarra will be sidelined until Christmas with a torn thigh muscle.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Demel blow for Hammers
By talkSPORT | Tuesday, October 30, 2012

West Ham defender Guy Demel is expected to be sidelined for at least another
two weeks with a groin injury. Demel has been missing since the start of
October after picking up the problem during the 3-1 defeat against Arsenal.
The Ivory Coast international was hoping to be back for the game against
Wigan last weekend, but the injury is taking longer to heal. Demel has been
badly missed as West Ham suffered a 2-1 defeat at the DW Stadium and is now
expected to miss the next two games against Manchester City and Newcastle.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce will be hoping that his talented right-back
will be fit to return for the Premier League game against Stoke on November
19.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jaaskelainen confident West Ham can surprise Manchester City
The goalkeeper admits the team didn't perform well enough for the fans at
Wigan but is confident they will regain their form against the reigning
champions on Saturday
Goal.com
30 Oct 2012 14:27:00
By Tom Dunn

West Ham goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen believes him and his team-mates will
learn from their mistakes against Wigan and will bounce back against Premier
League champions Manchester City on Saturday. The Finland international
feels that the team did not produce the performance that the fans deserved
after travelling up to Lancashire last weekend, but added that the system
the team have been playing so far this season has been effective and their
second-half performance on deserves credit. "We did not play well as
individuals or as a team and we did not cope with the counter-attacking way
in which Wigan played, so it is very disappointing," Jaaskelainen told the
club's official website. "The level of performance we have had this season
has been very good and when we went system-against-system in the second half
we woke up a bit and played a lot better, but it was too late." And, even
though the Hammers have fallen behind in a number of games this season,
Jaaskelainen thinks that the London outfit can spring a surprise on
Manchester City even if they concede first.
The goalkeeper added: "Last week against Southampton it was a similar kind
of game. We did not turn up in the first half but we got two early goals
after half-time and it gave us that little lift to go on and win the game."
The former Bolton man spoke of his admiration for Sam Allardyce, and
insisted West Ham will do well this season if they stick to their manager's
playing style. He concluded: "When I came here I knew Big Sam was a great
manager and I knew he would expect me to play well if he gave me the
opportunity to play. Working with Martyn Margetson is also going very well
so hopefully I can keep working hard and the results will be better than
Saturday."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adidas and Nike lock horns for Premier League supremacy
Here Is The City
by Mathew Nash
@MathewNash89

As Adidas look set to takeover from Nike at Arsenal it represents a major
coup in control of London for the German company. With Fulham all set to
join them and West Ham up for grabs it leaves Nike doing battle from
up-north with Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton in the 'battle
of the brands'. It is a battle that goes on in front of our very eyes in
professional football yet it may sometimes escape you but the battle I speak
of is for corporate supremacy. To use another example if you are at a school
in America the likelihood is that school will sell only Coca-Cola soft
drinks; the school down the road however will more or less sell Pepsi soft
drinks and it is a balancing act that has gone on for an extremely long
time.

In football it is no different and despite the growing prevalence of the
Puma brand German company Adidas and American giants Nike rule the roost. In
the past there has been a propensity for city divides across continental
Europe particulary. Real Madrid and Atletico are opposites in this
fight(Barcelona are also Nike) and AC Milan and Internazionale have been
provided by Adidas and Nike respectively since 1998.

In the UK new battle lines are starting to be drawn. Now the companies are
aiming to control entire cities. It came after Nike felt they were going
head-to-head for the Liverpool market. In the wake of Everton's growing
reputation worldwide they took up the manufacturing of The Toffee's kit to
do battle with the three stripes at Liverpool. However US brand Warrior
changed the game when they signed a record breaking deal with the Anfield
club this summer.

However the dissolution of Umbro has leant its weight to Nike; as of next
season both clubs in Manchester will be sponsored by the American firm.
Adidas however now look set to take on Manchester by gaining a major
foothold in London. Nike have made huge steps in the capital, with the Nike
store occasionally looking like a shrine to Arsenal FC in recent years. The
likes of Thierry Henry have been great poster boys for the company but now
it seems Adidas will re-associate themselves with the North London club.

Adidas are also set to take over at Fulham and with Chelsea already in the
bag they are looking to gain the territory in the capital, despite Nike now
owning the rights to the England kit.

West Ham United's deal with Macron expires this summer and Adidas could
reignite the relationship they had in the 80's with The Hammers. While
gaining ground via Spurs will be difficult considering their long standing
contract with Under Armour there will be no doubting that London has become
Adidas territory.

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West Ham's style means they fit the bill to upset Man City
No-frills teams tend to do well when hosting a Mancini-led team
News.ladbrokes.com

West Ham v Manchester City
Match betting
Manchester City4/6
Draw11/4
West Ham4/1

West Ham's uncouth footballing style makes them prime candidates to get
something off Man City when the sides meet at Upton Park. City have been
unconvincing in their opening Premier League games and Sam Allardyce's
hard-working, direct style is akin to that of Everton, Sunderland and Stoke,
all of who the reigning Premier League champions have failed to beat away
from home under Roberto Mancini, adding value to the Hammers' sizeable price
of 4/1.

Unlike last season, West Ham have enjoyed playing at Upton Park, where they
have won three games from five in league action; their only defeat falling
against Arsenal. They bounced back from that setback with a 4-1 drubbing of
Southampton in their last home match and with City looking shaky, especially
on the road, where they were fortunate to beat both West Brom and Fulham,
they needn't fear the champions.

Recent history begs to differ with that statement, however, as West Ham have
lost five of their last six home games against the defending champions,
shipping 16 goals in that period. Their solitary win came against City's
arch rivals Man United, who they overcame in a 2-1 victory in 2007/08. Their
head-to-head record also suggests they are long overdue a win against the
Citizens. In the last six league and cup renewals of this fixture, the hosts
have won just once, as opposed to Man City's three wins, keeping as many
clean sheets in the process.

City look suspect at the back this season, Andy Carroll has it in his locker
to cause all kinds of chaos in their ranks with his strength and aerial
prowess, making it difficult to imagine the visitors keeping another clean
sheet this time around.

For the Hammers to keep their next adversaries at bay for 90 minutes,
however, will represent a momentous achievement; one even the might of Real
Madrid, or anyone else for that matter, has been able to pull off. This
means West Ham will be expected to score at least twice if they are to win
the game and the fact that they've only done this twice in five home league
games indicates how big victory in this one would be.

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 30th October 2012

Manager on Monday
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce will be making sure West Ham United's standards do not slip when Manchester City visit
29.10.2012

Sam Allardyce says he will be using this week's training at Chadwell Heath to make sure his West Ham United team learn the lessons from Saturday's defeat at Wigan Athletic ahead of Manchester City's visit the Boleyn Ground on Saturday. The Barclays Premier League champions are likely to provide the Hammers with their sternest test yet since their return to the top division and the manager is adamant that his team will not have another off-day this weekend. West Ham were second best for much of Saturday's 2-1 defeat and Big Sam knows that they cannot afford to offer City any leniency as they enter a tough-looking run of fixtures. "You can have an off-spell but not an off-spell for 90 minutes," Big Sam said. "When you look at the fixtures we've got coming now, we've got a group that if you give anything other than your very best it is going to be a problem to get a result and even your best might not be enough. "We had a very good performance against Arsenal and still got beaten 3-1 and now the big boys are coming round on a regular basis, we'll have to see if we can hit top form and see if we can get a result out of Saturday's game. You've got to minimalise your slip-ups."

Saturday's loss was only West Ham's third in the league this season and the failure to take maximum points prevented the Hammers securing their best-ever start to a Premier League season. Big Sam admitted that the result and performance were unexpected in the circumstances. "I was surprised at our performance and it was the kind of performance that you know you've got to avoid when you're a newly-promoted side playing away from home. We've got to give 100 per cent in every game because we you don't we'll get punished and we didn't do that on Saturday. "It was down to us as a unit not doing anything well enough in possession - not keeping the ball, not playing the ball in the right areas, not playing quality balls to the front-three and delivering. It just never happened, the quality wasn't good enough. The one thing that has got us where we are is that our technique has been very good in possession, which has kept the pressure off us at home and away from home, which is how we've managed to get results that perhaps people didn't expect us to. "When you play at this level and you want to win a game away from home you've got to play to your best. We didn't do that on Saturday at any time at all really."

Ivan Ramis scored his second goal against West Ham this season with a stunning volley from a corner, although Allardyce argues that he may have been aided by a push on Winston Reid. "The technique in the volley was good. Ramis has managed to get himself a bit of space by pushing Winston Reid off him so that was our first goal conceded this season off a set play, so we've been exceptionally good at those. "The defence was having to deal with situations on a constant basis and if we allow that to happen then it'll be a difficult day for them. Andy Carroll went into battle with Gary Caldwell, Ramis and Maynor Figueroa and often came out on top on a testing afternoon. His manager was once again pleased with the No8's efforts, but feels that he does not always get the rub of the green when it comes to refereeing decisions. "He doesn't get given enough free-kicks as he gets manhandled by defenders struggling to handle the quality that he's got. They don't seem to give the free-kicks that they would perhaps give against shorter players. Andy knows all that, so he's just got to be patient with it."

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Hendo happy with Dev Squad progress
WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon looks back on a fifth successive win for the Development Squad
29.10.2012

Ian Hendon was once again in a positive mood after seeing his Development Squad chalk up a fifth consecutive Barclays U21 Premier League victory against Everton. Played in cold and windy conditions, the match was nothing like the 5-1 drubbing that the Development Squad handed out to the Toffees at Finch Farm in August, but instead was a hard-fought, intense but equally satisfying 1-0 win. Reflecting on a fifth straight victory and fourth straight clean sheet, Hendon expressed his pleasure with the way his team dealt with the adverse weather conditions and praised the impact made by match-winner Elliot Lee. "We most definitely deserved the win, it was very windy and the pitch was not perfect but I think we dealt with the conditions a little better than they did. I was also very pleased for Elliot Lee because he came into the side and scored a very good goal.

"We were at the training ground on Friday afternoon doing some pre-match preparation and we watched a DVD of the last game and did a few set plays. We scored from a corner and it was one we had practiced so it is nice to see it come to fruition and know that the players are paying attention."

Hendon was without Jordan Spence, Leo Chambers, Rob Hall and Raphael Spiegel on Friday which made the result even more enjoyable. Second-year scholar left-back Frazer Shaw impressed on his Development Squad debut, while Jake Larkins made a solid first appearance of the season in goal. "We made four changes from the side who beat Bolton and, in a way, I am pleased because four went away with the first team [to Wigan] and four others came in and did very well. "Elliot and Frazer Shaw are both scholars yet they came in and looked like they had been playing all season, so I was very pleased."

The Development Squad's supremely-talented forward line have often taken the plaudits this season, but Hendon took a moment to praise the work being done at the opposite end of the field. "Jake Larkins played his first game for the Development Squad on Friday and kept a clean sheet, making some good saves. You also have to credit the back four because to be fair to Jake he had very little to do, I am very pleased with all of the lads, especially those who came in."

Qualification for the post-Christmas Elite Group Stage looks almost certain now but Hendon refused to get carried away following a difficult run of games.
"In recent weeks we have had to grind out results. We beat Everton comfortably away and did the same at home against Arsenal, but the last few games have been tough. Whether that is because people have wised up to the way we play or they know who our danger men are I do not know, but I do not get carried away as a coach."

Luck has also played its part according to Hendon, whose side have taken two 1-0 wins from two with both goals coming from corners in the second-half.
"We were very lucky at Bolton last week. We did not defend particularly well and we cleared a couple off the line, as did they, but we still came away with the win. "It was similar on Friday. We played a big, strong side who tested us early on and caused us problems. Right at the end they hit the post and luckily it landed in Jake's hands."

After a 2011/12 season in which the Dev Squad played friendly after friendly, Hendon made his intentions clear by demanding that his side continue their winning ways at Reading on Friday. "We are here to learn how to win. The players have come out of Academy football now and it is all about winning, so at the moment it is going very well. The one-nil win over Everton was our fifth on the bounce and what is even more pleasing is that it was our fourth consecutive clean sheet."

Sam Allardyce and Neil McDonald were both in attendance for the 1-0 win at Bolton and Hendon believes they will have been encouraged by what they saw.
"I think gives the lads extra incentive to perform when they see them at the games, Macca is at every game without fail and it is nice to now see the manager and the chief scout in attendance. I complete a match report for Sam after every game. I give him a hard copy and a copy via email and now he is here to see for himself which is great."

Hendon was previously assistant manager at Gillingham but believes he made the correct decision in making the decision to move to take over the Hammers Development Squad a little more than a year ago. "Last year I had a season to settle into the role because I did not know which players would be training with me and which would be with the first-team. That was initially hard to swallow but after a period of adjustment I am thoroughly enjoying it and it is making me a much better coach. "I am pleased because I am helping players into the first team and that is what it is all about. If we can keep playing well and keep making the step up it can only be healthy for everyone at the football club."

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Dangers of perception
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 29th October 2012
By: Paul Walker

"Perception" is one of Sam Allardyce's favourite words. He reckons he has suffered from an unfair perception about his style of play, and he's probably right...

Now we are suffering from a perception about our team. Sometimes it helps to see ourselves as other see us, to understand the problem. And there is now a clear perception that we are a bunch of argumentative cheats.

You only have to look at the amount of bookings this season for dissent to understand that. You have to search hard for cautions for arguing with referees in the top flight, but our crime sheet is littered with them.

Perception is a dangerous thing when it starts to work against you. Look at Luis Suarez. He is really suffering now, and not just because of the racist stuff from last season, criminally handled by Liverpool and Kenny Dalglish to the extent that it helped towards the manager's sacking.

Maybe I am in a minority, but I don't see too much wrong with Suarez. He is lightening quick, well balanced at speed and possesses great close control. Touch him and he will go over. If he was in our team, big Sam would be telling him to run at and commit defenders at every opportunity.

But now Suarez is branded a cheat. I even feel that the exaggerated swallow dive at Stoke was his way of showing exasperation to the referee at being continually kicked. Maybe I'm wrong, but surely it was too obvious to be taken seriously.

Suddenly Andy Carroll is finding himself tarred with the same brush. It seems to have started after the Southampton game, when I felt he was continually fouled and impeded. Southampton's youngster Adam Lallana started to moan in the papers that Carroll went down too easily.

Now referees read newspapers. And the performance of referee Jon Moss at Wigan on Saturday bordered on the disgraceful. He had it in for us from the word go. Mark Clattenburg, an officially I dislike intensely because of his infuriating self-importance - and whose shocking display at Chelsea yesterday just about sums up why I feel the way I do about him - started sticking the knife in at QPR.

He dished out countless bookings, some absolutely ridiculous but certainly some for dissent. Moss was no better, he was waving cards around whenever we complained about anything, and continually penalised Carroll.

Players and managers pick up on such things very quickly. Wigan's lot were pointing and moaning to the officially at every opportunity. We saw the same thing from Everton's David Moyes about Suarez ahead of Sunday's Mersey derby with Liverpool.

Don't forget that Moyes has employed Andy Johnson and Thomaz Radzinski in his time, two men not known for staying on their feet too long. Ironically, the only cheating came from his own captain Phil Neville's daft dive and booking.

But Moyes had openly complained about Suarez ahead of the game, trying to influence the official, Andre Marriner. This time it didn't really work. Suarez did little wrong but was verbally hounded by players and fans throughout, trying to underline the perception that he cheats.

Suarez's only suffering was the disallowing of what would have been his hat-trick and the winner, when he patently wasn't offside.

What I'm trying to do is explain why I believe we are now suffering because of a perception. Carroll is a big boy, he can handle himself and he is very good at getting his body between defender and ball. So if he is pushed, tugged (even his ponytail) or manhandled, of course he will go down. He has been fouled.

As for the moaning and dissent, yes, Kevin Nolan does maintain a near non-stop dialogue with officials which can look like a barrack roam lawyer at work. First Clattenburg didn't like it, and the inexperienced (at Premier League level) Moss has got in on the act.

The perception that we are only long ball has become tiring. But now every set of opposing fans takes the mickey. Southampton were the last, and they have Ricky Lambert in their squad! Wigan knock long balls up to Franco Di Santo. And then you get daft nonsense from Roberto Martinez claiming that he does not really approve of set piece goals!

That's only marginally worse than Fulham boss Martin Jol complaining that "West Ham's corners are really long balls, you know." Sometimes you can't make it up.

But all this adds to a perception about us, and it starting to hurt us, certainly as the cautions mount up and the decisions continually go against Carroll.

Mind you, even a perfect display from Mr. Moss would not have saved us at Wigan. We were awful, which was so disappointing for 4,000 plus of us who arrived at the DW stadium full of confidence after the mauling of Southampton and our high position in the table.

Sam, though, was never more than honest afterwards, even if we nearly sneaked a point at the end of a really inept display.

He picked up on our shocking lack of confidence in possession. Wigan pressed us really high up the pitch, no doubt to stop the supply to Carroll. They hounded our back line into countless mistakes and the defence never looked happy on the ball. Heaven help us against the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United in the weeks ahead.

Wigan also isolated our midfield men. They got between Nolan , Mark Noble and Mo Diame with neat passing. Sam also picked up on Wigan's better technique, and you could see that with their one-touch passing in tight situations.

It is very hard to tackle and win the ball if it is being moved first time, at pace. Wigan do not have better players than us, but on Saturday they had confidence in possession we never looked like matching.

But this may have quelled talk of Champions League positions for us. We are so far from that level it is laughable.

Our club website do not help but going on about records and high places. That only gives us unrealistic targets to match.

I got into trouble with my bunch of mates at the Southampton game by walking out of the Bobby Moore end proclaiming that we still needed 26 points to stay up. I hate to point out that it is still 26 needed, or in our case after recent history, a couple more than that.

I was told I should be thinking in terms of top four. Now this nonsense did not come from the youngest member of our group, nine-year-old Oscar, watching one of his first Hammers games. He was too bright for that (have you seen what nine year-olds can do with I phones? Frightening).

No, the misplaced confidence came from someone who can be free with grand claims (I wonder who he gets it from?)

Let's hope we can get things back into perspective now. I have done quick run-through the rest of our games, and reckon we may still have to get something on the last day against Reading. I hope not.

But we are now going into a seriously hard set of games, ones that Sam has been flagging up as very, very tough for some while. Frankly I cannot see us getting anything from the Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle, Spurs, Everton and Arsenal before the new year.

It means we must get something against Stoke, West Brom and Reading before the turn of the year. If we have six more points from those next 11 games I will be surprised.

Call me a pessimist, as people do. But I doubt Sam is counting on much more. I really hope I'm wrong. But that's the trouble with perceptions, they can give a false impression of things.

Mind you, a good time will be had by all on Saturday when we face Carlos Tevez and Manchester City. It's the home game looked forward to more than any other by my family and close friends, a group littered with fans of both clubs.

The worst thing about relegation was that the away-day trip from Manchester was put on hold. We travel down together on the early train (one lad is even bringing his wife this time!) and enjoy a beer or two ahead of the game, and a shandy on the way home. It's a cracking day out, even if the old hands struggle a bit to keep up the pace.

We don't hold out much hope of halting the champions, I know, but come on Sam and the boys, send me home with a smile on my face with all my City mates.

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Paolo Di Canio interview: Cup giant-killings are like sleeping with Madonna
The Mirror
29 Oct 2012 22:31

Scoring the winner in an FA Cup tie against Manchester United at Old Trafford was like "having sex with Madonna", according to Paolo Di Canio. And now the Swindon boss wants to recreate that feeling by knocking Aston Villa out of the Capital One Cup. The Italian, who famously netted for the Hammers in the fourth round in 2001, said: "I have to tell you, when I scored that goal to knock out Manchester United, it was a very exciting moment. "It was like having sex with Madonna. "I don't know if this will be the same as a manager. Probably yes. "It would be fantastic. Let me try it."

Di Canio took over at Swindon in May last year and has already won eight cup ties out of 10 against higher league opposition, including victories over top-flight sides Wigan and Stoke. The giant-killing Robins have scored 10 goals in their three Capital One Cup ties this season. "Since my arrival, we have tried to play more like football is played in the Premier League," added Di Canio. "The way I work on the details with my football, I think it is easier to play against Manchester United [than lesser sides] because we play good football "I am sure that if we play them one day, we are going to create four clear chances - and maybe concede six goals. "I'm never going to lie to my players. I told them we can win against Villa - we can win against any side. "But we play Macclesfield in the FA Cup on Saturday and that is more important than Aston Villa."

Di Canio also admits he feels sorry for today's referees – because so many players now behave like he used to. And the Swindon manager even tells his squad: 'Don't act like me on the pitch. I was stupid.' The fiery Italian was famously hit with an 11-match ban in 1998 after pushing ref Paul Alcock to the ground whie playing for Sheffield Wednesday – the highlight of a long disciplinary rap sheet. Di Canio, now 44, said Mark Clattenburg should be punished if he did verbally abuse Chelsea players during their match against Manchester United on Sunday. But he added modern referees are now under intolerable pressure from modern-day Di Canios. "He is the man that has to respect the rules – but the players should do this as well," said the former Wednesday, West Ham and Celtic star. "One day, I didn't. I was wrong, I paid the price. "The man that has to stay in the middle and let the others respect the rules, also has to maintain the healthy professionalism. "He can't blame the players. Even if I know that they have very high pressure. In the past only Di Canio used to go round the referee and protest. "But unfortunately, in modern football, even for a simple throw in, six or seven players will go round and abuse him more. "This is something that we should look carefully at, because the fact is that in a new era, saying a bad word that 20 years earlier would be punished heavily is normal. "The kids aged seven are saying it. It is normal, but it is not normal! "We have to stop that with education. In general. In life."

Di Canio has had a zero-tolerance approach to dissent since taking over at the County Ground. "I am stricter with my players because of my experience," he said. "Since last year, I have not had one player sent off and just a few yellow cards for throwing the ball away, which is wrong and stupid anyway to receive a yellow card for. "I tell them to protest less and think about playing football. "When someone says to me, 'How can you teach your players this? One day they will come back to you and say, 'You did this.' "But it is easy for me. I would say, 'I was wrong and I was stupid. I can help you. You want to be stupid like me? No. I was wrong.' "I am tough on this because I know. I lost a lot of energy during games and now I realise I missed a lot of chances, and would have been a better footballer and been more effective. I can help them. "At this club, there used to be a group of people who would go overnight and sleep away from home and throw away food. This is not discipline – this is like animals. "I know they used to come in here and have lunch together with both feet on the table. "That is rubbish. Not just for a footballer, but for a person in general. That reflects also in the field. "I think it is clear that in this club, and in my squad specifically, there is a very high level of discipline."

Robins captain Alan McCormack admitted: "He brings a fear factor. He is just so passionate and outspoken. He can be intimidating. You have got to accept that. If not, you would be a nervous wreck all the time."

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Mayor of London Boris Johnson's appeal for Games surplus fund to be used in Olympic Stadium rejected by Treasury
The future of the Olympic Stadium has again been thrown into doubt after the Government ruled out handing any of the £377 million London 2012 surplus over to the project.
Telegraph.co.uk
By Matt Scott10:00PM GMT 29 Oct 2012

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, had suggested that some of the surplus be used to finance the installation of retractable seating into the Stratford stadium to accommodate both football and athletics, at an estimated cost of up to £200 million. The sports minister, Hugh Robertson, has made clear to Johnson that his London Legacy Development Corporation would have to hold talks with the Treasury to gain access to the funds. But Telegraph Sport can reveal that when Treasury officials are approached they will reject Johnson's appeals because the department has more pressing needs for the cash. "Any financial benefits from the Olympics coming in under budget will be used to pay off our debts or help the economy," said a Treasury spokesman. The mayor is understood to planning to make a personal appeal to George Osborne, the Chancellor, for the funds. He will wait for reliable costings for the retractable seating and sources close to the mayor said that he would not be deterred by the Treasury's position.

As Telegraph Sport revealed on Oct 15, so far the LLDC's discussions have focused on demountable, temporary stands to be used during the football season. That would cost up to £500,000 a year and the works would also put the multi-use venue out of action for weeks during the close-season when concerts and athletics could otherwise be scheduled.

Johnson therefore considers the retractable-seating plan logistically preferable but it is costlier and if he wants to pursue it, City Hall is likely to have to foot the cost. It is certainly clear there will be no further funding from central government.

Working out a seating solution is becoming a matter of urgency as the process has been due to reach a conclusion. There have been hopes within the LLDC for a decision over the future of the venue to be reached by the middle of next month but the latest development might set that timetable back, perhaps beyond the next board meeting on 6 December.

The Treasury has already provided £38 million for the Olympic park transformation budget. City Hall has separately received commitments totalling £261.2 million from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and from the LLDC in return for the additional tax contributions paid by Londoners ahead of the Games.

Robertson announced to parliament last Tuesday that the 2012 Olympics had cost £8.921 billion against a £9.298 billion total budget including contingency. However the Treasury privately stresses that the contingency budget was only ever money funding held in reserve in case of cost overruns on the Olympic project. "This is taxpayers' money not spent on other things because we thought we might need it for the Olympic Games, so this frees it up for other growth-related projects," said one Treasury official. That might also disappoint sports bodies envisaging a new post-Olympic windfall after last week's news from the sports minister. Quangos such as Sport England and UK Sport already know their future funding arrangements and will not receive any further boost from an Olympics legacy fund. Apart from the future seating-configuration of the stadium other matters still to be decided include whether the athletics track will remain in situ for the 2017 World Athletics Championships due to be hosted there. Also the length of the lease and financing of the refit are up in the air. With three other bids from Leyton Orient, a joint tender involving formula one and a football-business college also having made the short list, it is West Ham United who remain favourites to land the tenancy contract.

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Former West Ham player Savio Nsereko arrested in Thailand
The ex-Germany Under-20 international was reportedly trying to extort money from his relatives before he got caught by the authorities in Pattaya
Goal.com
29 Oct 2012 20:59:00
By Chris Kvesa

Former West Ham winger Savio Nsereko has been arrested by police in Thailand for claiming to his family that he was abducted, before then demanding a sum of €3,000 [£2,500]. The 23-year-old had spent €25,000 [£20,000] on his trip before he allegedly thought about taking the unusual measures to refill his holiday bank account, a report by the Bangkok Post states. Having signed with West Ham from Brescia for a sum of €11 million [£9m] in 2009, the Uganda-born attacker has since enjoyed spells at Fiorentina, Bologna and 1860 Munich before ending up at German third division side SpVgg Unterhaching.

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West Ham's Trio of Second Generation Stars Impressing in Reserve Action
Elliot Lee, George Moncur and Dan Potts are all hoping to emulate their famous fathers by becoming first team regulars at West Ham
By ADRIAN BACK: Subscribe to Adrian's RSS feed
October 29, 2012 4:04 PM GMT
Ibtimes.co.uk

West Ham maintained their lead in the Under-21 Premier League thanks to a 1-0 win over Everton on Friday night which moved them six points clear of second placed Arsenal. The Hammers have always relied heavily on their academy and have a reputation as being able to bring through a number of talented individuals who have gone on to have great success for both club and country. A quick look around the Premier League shows former West Ham players at some of the top sides in the country. Liverpool can call upon Glen Johnson and Joe Cole, Manchester United have Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick, Tottenham rely heavily on Jermain Defoe for goals and Chelsea have the midfielder with the most goals ever in the Premier League in Frank Lampard. Even the current West Ham side often features on former academy players in Mark Noble, Jack Collison and James Tomkins. It is a tradition that the club is proud of and it seems likely to continue for some time. The latest batch of youngsters seems to be producing once again. It is perhaps no wonder when we see that there are three players whose dads also represented West Ham at some point in their careers. Against Everton it was Elliot Lee that grabbed the headlines as he scored the only goal of the game, superbly heading home a cross from Blair Turgot. The 17-year-old is the son of Rob Lee, the former England international who played more than 700 games in a career that saw him become a club legend at both Charlton and Newcastle.

Unlike his dad, a hard-working midfielder, Elloitt is a striker who has shown great promise in the youth ranks at West Ham and is a regular for the Under-18 side. However, he has made the step up to the Under-21 side this season and already has one goal in his two appearances. Lee was not the only son of a former player in that side as George Moncur and Daniel Potts also played the full ninety minutes against Everton. Moncur, whose dad John was at West ham for close to a decade, impressed last season while sent on-loan to AFC Wimbledon where he managed to score two goals in his 20 appearances. Capped at Under-18 level for England, Moncur is a box-to-box midfielder who has been an ever present in the Under-21 side this season, making nine appearances and scoring one goal.

The third youngster hoping to emulate his dad is Daniel Potts, son of Steve who joined the West Ham academy back in 1983 and did not leave the club for 19 years, making over 400 appearances in all competitions. The 18-year-old full-back has already managed to break into the West Ham first team and earlier this year made his debut for the England Under-18 side in a 3-0 win over Poland. He has made five appearances for the Under-21 side this season, further highlighting his ability which saw him win the Young Hammer of the Year award in May 2012. Having been diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of 12, Potts overcame the illness and was given the all clear when he was 16. Now he will be looking to further cement his place in the first team squad under Sam Allardyce. All three players will be hoping to continue the rich tradition of the East End club and become regulars in the first team in the coming years. They certainly have the pedigree and a fantastic youth team coach in Ian Hendon who will hope that the trio can help the Hammers win the inaugural Under-21 Premier League.

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