A message from the Chairmen
WHUFC.com
David Sullivan and David Gold have written to supporters ahead of Monday
night's game against Spurs
24.02.2013
Dear Supporter,
Firstly, we would like to start by thanking you for your wonderful support
this season. With a total home attendance of over half-a-million already
this campaign, you have shown in your numbers, both at the Boleyn Ground and
away from home, a fantastic backing which is appreciated by everyone at the
club.
We host Tottenham Hotspur in a Barclays Premier League fixture on Monday
night, and alongside the prospect of a thrilling London derby, the club will
also be marking the 20th anniversary of the passing of the great Bobby
Moore.
It promises to be a memorable night under the Boleyn Ground lights, not
least because the team will be looking to keep their excellent run of home
form going - with the help of your backing from the stands.
The club is extremely proud of its work in supporting programmes that
promote tolerance and inclusion, and you will have seen more evidence of
that this
week as we push the message of the Football v Homophobia campaign.
West Ham United were one of the first professional football clubs to lend
its support to this important movement, and our work there sits alongside
our support of Kick it Out, Holocaust Memorial Day, Black History Month,
Inter-Faith Week and many other key initiatives.
We have had fantastic feedback from supporters who have praised the work we
have done. However, there are occasions when individuals still act an
inappropriate way and we have a simple zero-tolerance policy when those
isolated incidents do occur at matches at the Boleyn Ground.
Working with the Metropolitan Police, we will pursue the harshest sanctions
against any individual who goes against what we stand for as a club, and in
the rare case that you do see or hear anything you think in unacceptable,
there are a number of ways you can report the matter.
Two of the easiest ways are to speak to your nearest steward at the stadium
or use the Boleyn Ground's anonymous fan phone number - 07860 404 069 -
where all calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Everyone at West Ham United is looking forward to Monday's visit of
Tottenham Hotspur. It should be a fantastic game of football, a wonderful
opportunity to remember Bobby Moore -the greatest player to don the famous
Claret and Blue - and a chance to show the world what being a Hammers fan is
all about - supporting with pride, passion and respect.
Come on you Irons!
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Hammers fans remember Bobby
WHUFC.com
Club mark 20th anniversary of Bobby Moore's death with wreath-laying service
24.02.2013
West Ham United supporters turned out in numbers on Sunday morning to mark
the 20th anniversary of Bobby Moore's death with a wreath-laying service at
the Boleyn Ground. Hammers Joint-Chairman David Gold was joined by Moore's
West Ham and England team-mate Martin Peters, Bobby's daughter Roberta and
granddaughters Poppy and Ava, Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales and club
chaplain Rev Alan Bolding, for a service at The Champions statue on Barking
Road. Hammers fans were invited to pay their respects in a moment of silence
while memories of the legendary Hammers captain were recounted.
Mr Gold told whufc.com: "It was a lovely service and it is an honour for us
all to remember Bobby today, on what is the 20th anniversary of his sad
passing.
"He was our England World Cup winning captain, but also more personally for
us all here at West Ham, a legend at our club and always will be. "It was
great to see so many West Ham fans turn out in what was bitterly cold
weather. But they wanted to pay their respects to a man who we hold very
dear at this club.
"Bobby will continue to be remembered at our club. There were many fans here
today who are too young to remember him or didn't see him play. I was one of
those fans who did see him play and have, like many others, my own special
memories of Bobby. "Greats are almost immortal and he is one of those
greats. I am quite sure that Bobby will be continued to be remembered for
another century and more. "We take our tributes into our game with Tottenham
Hotspur tomorrow. We will have Bobby's grandchildren leading the team out, a
minute's applause and much more. All of this is simply our way of paying our
respects to such an iconic footballer and man. One of the nicest men, who
had personality, charm and modesty and is legend in the game. "Tomorrow's
game will have it all for Bobby, as well as all the tributes, a bustling
London derby with a full crowd behind the team. I think it is just fitting
for him."
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Bobby Moore tributes at Monday's game
WHUFC.com
Take your seats early for the club's commemoration of Bobby Moore
24.02.2013
Supporters are asked to take their seats early at Monday's game against
Tottenham Hotspur for the pre-match tributes to Bobby Moore. The club are
marking the 20th anniversary of Bobby's passing at the game against Spurs,
with the build-up starting from 7.40pm. Tributes from current and former
Hammers players will be screened in the run-up to the game, while the team
will be playing in specially-embroidered shirts. A host of Moore's
contemporaries have been invited to attend as special guests of the club,
including fellow World Cup winners and West Ham team-mates Martin Peters and
Geoff Hurst, and five-times Hammer of the Year Sir Trevor Brooking. There
will be a minute's applause to remember Bobby and supporters in the Bobby
Moore Stand will also be invited to take part in displaying a special mosaic
depicting Moore's famous claret and blue No6 shirt, which was retired by the
club in August 2008 to mark the 50th anniversary of the defender's West Ham
debut. The Match is also one of this seasons designated Bobby Moore Fund
matches and the Fund will be the beneficiary of all charitable activity
carried out at this fixture. A special 100-page Official Programme is also
being produced for the occasion, including exclusive memories of Moore from
those who knew him best, on and off the pitch. Priced at £4, a donation of
50 pence from the sale of each programme will be made to the Bobby Moore
Fund for Cancer Research UK.
A bucket collection will also be held at the Boleyn Ground to allow
supporters to make their own personal donations to the charity founded in
Moore's memory devoted to fighting the disease that took his life. The West
Ham squad will also warm-up in Bobby Moore Fund T-shirts before kick-off to
create awareness for the charity and the first team players will sign the
shirts they play in on the night in order that they can be auctioned to
further boost the club's fundraising total for the charity.
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Taylor targeting big finish
WHUFC.com
Matt Taylor is confident West Ham United are on course to end the season on
a high
24.02.2013
Matt Taylor believes West Ham United are in prime position to enjoy a strong
finish to their Barclays Premier League campaign, starting with the
eagerly-awaited visit of Tottenham Hotspur. The Hammers welcome Spurs to the
Boleyn Ground with every reason to be confident, having collected seven
points out of the last possible nine in front of their own fans. While
Taylor acknowledges the threat posed by Andre Villas-Boas' men, the West Ham
winger insists he and his team-mates are concentrating on their own
performances, rather than obsessing about the opposition. "The main thing
for us on Monday night is to try and worry about ourselves," Taylor
explained. "We understand that Tottenham have got lots of fantastic players
and they are a great team but we're not bad ourselves! "It's a local derby
and we want to overturn what was a disappointing result at Tottenham.
Everybody at the club at the moment is in a positive frame of mind and in
good spirits and that for me is a fantastic thing. Everyone's full of
confidence and morale is high, so hopefully we've got a good end to the
season coming up."
If West Ham are to make amends for November's 3-1 reverse at White Hart
Lane, Taylor accepts it is going to require a collective effort from players
and fans alike. The 31-year-old is expecting a stirring atmosphere under the
lights at the Boleyn Ground and promises that he and his colleagues will
match the commitment from the stands. "We're at home and I'm sure it will be
a full house and the fans will get behind us. If we can emulate the
performances that we've produced against the top teams this season at Upton
Park then hopefully we'll get a good result. "The fans have local pride at
stake, as do we as players. Because football's a small world, even amongst
the players. The fans will get themselves up for it, I know it's an old
adage but they can be the 12th man. "I'd like to think they appreciate our
efforts in every game. While we might not always get the results we deserve,
each and every player when they pull the shirt on works 100 per cent for the
team .That'll be the case on Monday night and they'll get right behind us."
As for Monday's visitors, Taylor rubbished talk of Spurs being overly
reliant on the much-coveted Gareth Bale. The Welshman has notched six of
Tottenham's last seven goals, but West Ham's No14 reckons Bale is in
exceptional company. "Everybody's talking about Gareth Bale because he's
playing well and scoring goals. He's one of a number of players that we're
going to try to have shackle on Monday night to get a good result. They are
on a high now from the Europa League progression into the last 16, so it's
going to be a difficult game for us. "But I wouldn't want to suggest that
Tottenham are a one player team because they're not. They've got lots and
lots of exceptional players and we've got make sure that we keep as close an
eye on those players as we can. But also go and do our stuff as and when we
get the chance."
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West Ham v Tottenham
BBC.co.uk
KO 20:00
24 February 2013
Last updated at 12:34
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Monday, 25 February
West Ham defenders James Collins and Joey O'Brien have returned to training
and are in contention to play Tottenham at Upton Park. Collins has been out
because of a hamstring injury, while O'Brien was sidelined with a thigh
problem.
Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris is in line to return after being on the bench
for Thursday's Europa League draw at Lyon. Striker Jermain Defoe (ankle),
Younes Kaboul, Sandro and Tom Huddlestone (all knee) are unavailable.
MATCH PREVIEW
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has hinted that Tottenham are overly reliant on
in-form winger Gareth Bale ahead of Monday's clash at Upton Park.
Bale has scored in each of Tottenham's last three Premier League games and
has 17 goals for Spurs this season. "It'll be interesting to see whether
free-scoring left winger Gareth Bale can make West Ham's pitch any bigger.
He has been nothing short of sensational of late. "I think West Ham manager
Sam Allardyce will make sure his players double up on the Wales
international and make life difficult for him."
Jermain Defoe scored twice to fire Spurs to victory in the corresponding
fixture, when Bale was also on target, but the former Hammers striker is
absent through injury this time. "Recently they've lost their leading
goalscorer, who is Jermain Defoe, and (Emmanuel)Adebayor has been away at
the Africa Cup of Nations, so from a goalscoring point of view they've had
to rely on one man and one man only to come up with the goods," said
Allardyce. "That's Gareth Bale and he's been the major difference between
Tottenham and the teams they've played recently."
While Allardyce admits it's a case of stop Bale, stop Tottenham, he
acknowledges it's easier said than done. "Not only has he scored very
important goals, but they've been stunning goals at that," he added. "He's
going to need some looking after on Monday night."
West Ham have moved to try and avoid any repeat of the anti-Semitic chants
that marred the corresponding fixture in a match in which the 20th
anniversary of Bobby Moore's death will be honoured. For Spurs the game
comes hot on the heels of securing their Europa League progression on
Thursday with a 1-1 draw at Lyon but manager Andre Villas-Boas is
unconcerned about any European hangover. "We've been having some great,
great results," he said. "After Europa League games we've always been good
in the Premier League. I think it puts us in a good position to face West
Ham. "I don't think it's a distraction, I think it's an inspiration and I
hope it can be exactly that against West Ham."
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Two goals from former West Ham frontman Jermain Defoe saw the Hammers lose
3-1 at White Hart Lane earlier in the season - their 11th consecutive
Premier League trip to North London without a win.
The Hammers have only won one of their last 11 league games against
Tottenham -1-0 in September 2010 thanks to Frederic Piquionne's goal.
This is the 137th meeting of the two sides. Tottenham lead by 58 wins to 44.
West Ham
West Ham are unbeaten in their last three Premier League home games, with
wins against Swansea and Norwich and a 1-1 draw with QPR.
Six of the Hammers' eight league wins this year have come at home, where
they have earned 22 of their 30 points. They have lost their last six away
games.
The last time West Ham scored more than a single goal in a league match was
their 2-1 win over Norwich on New Year's Day.
Leading scorer Kevin Nolan is one goal away from notching his 100th club
goal.
Jussi Jaaskelainen could start his 500th English league game, while Sam
Allardyce will take charge of his 350th Premier League match.
Tottenham
Spurs are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games and have only lost
once in 14 - a 2-1 defeat at Everton on 9 December.
Tottenham are one of two Premier League clubs unbeaten in 2013 - the other
is Manchester United.
Only Manchester United and Chelsea have a better away record than Spurs this
year. Victory at West Ham will be a club-record eighth Premier League win on
the road.
Tottenham have lost 16 points from winning positions this season, losing
four and drawing two games they had previously led.
Gareth Bale has scored four goals in his last three Premier League matches,
taking his overall tally for the season to 17.
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Fans flock to Bobby service
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th February 2013
By: Staff Writer
There was an emotional gathering at the World Cup winners statue this
morning as a large crowd congregated to remember Bobby Moore, who died 20
years ago today. Scores of fans gathered on the corner of Barking Road and
Green Street to observe a minutes' silence in honour of former West Ham
United and England legend Moore, who died from bowel cancer aged just 51.
Accompanied by members of Bobby's immediate family including daugher Roberta
and her children, plus Martin Peters and David Gold, the crowd listened to a
service by West Ham United chaplain, Reverend Alan Bolding. "It was a lovely
service and it is an honour for us all to remember Bobby today, on what is
the 20th anniversary of his sad passing," Gold told whufc.com. "He was our
England World Cup winning captain, but also more personally for us all here
at West Ham, a legend at our club and always will be. "Bobby will continue
to be remembered at our club. Greats are almost immortal and he is one of
those greats. I am quite sure that Bobby will be continued to be remembered
for another century and more."
Gold also revealed that West Ham will be led out against Tottenham in
tomorrow night's Premier League clash by Moore's grandchildren, Poppy and
Ava - a match that promises to be an emotional affair. "We take our tributes
into our game with Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow," he said. "We will have a
minute's applause and much more. Tomorrow's game will have it all for Bobby;
I think it is just fitting for him."
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Viva Bobby Moore: David Gold
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th February 2013
By: Chris Scull
David Gold was just a supporter of West Ham when Bobby Moore's career was at
its zenith. In an exclusive interview with KUMB.com, Gold tells Chris Scull
what Moore means to him - and how he intends to ensure that Bobby's legacy
is never forgotten...
20 years on: David Gold, alongside Bobby's daughter Roberta and his two
grandchildren, at a memorial service this morning
David: thank you for taking the time to speak with us. What was it like for
you to watch Bobby from the terraces?
I can remember him in the early days when he first joined, when he started
to come through. Almost instantly you knew that this man was going to be a
star and of course, he was. Not many players do that; I remember Alan
Devonshire coming on the scene and in his first game thinking "wow, he's
going to be a star". Alvin Martin too - in that first 20 minutes I thought
the same.
Bobby was a superstar. All the others turned into stars but Bobby changed
into a superstar and it was just so exciting to see. The FA Cup in '64, the
Cup Winners' Cup in '65 and then we won the World Cup in '66 - fantastic
years.
We're all England fans come tournaments whether we support Millwall,
Charlton, Spurs or whoever, that is true. But somehow, because you had Hurst
in there, Peters in there but most of all the captain of England, it really
made you feel proud. You felt like it was an extension of West Ham.
In other words, when you stop watching your football team come the end of
May you go on and start watching the internationals and it's different. But
with Bobby Moore as the captain of England your football season lasted 12
months a year.
What are your particular memories of 1966?
My memories are of people like Antonio Rattín playing for Argentina when he
got sent off and we went on to win the game. It was more than just Bobby
Moore at that time, it was the fact that it was West Ham.
Hurst scored three goals, Moore was the captain and Peters scored as well -
it was just a very exciting time and remember, in those days you didn't see
tons of football on television. Here you were seeing a World Cup on
television - albeit in black and white - but it was really exciting.
It made you proud as well; not only were you proud because England were
doing well, you were proud because Bobby Moore was the England captain. My
West Ham hero was leading this amazing and exciting tournament.
Do you still retain that pride today? That Bobby Moore is still linked with
West Ham?
Every time you hear his name you think of those great times. Do you think of
the time we lost to Watford 1-0? No, it's gone - but you do remember all the
great events that he was involved in. He played for West Ham for 20 years
and I even remember when, in the 1975 FA Cup Final, he was captain of
Fulham. Somehow it was nice to see Bobby come out as their captain.
Bobby spent several years in the footballing wilderness after he stopped
playing. Do you think the FA and West Ham's previous owners let him down at
the time?
I think everyone let him down. I don't think it was just West Ham and the
FA, it was the public, the media. Bobby was extremely modest so he wasn't
somebody that would get on radio and television and tell a joke, or be one
of the chaps; he was a gentleman and a charming man. Today he would have
been a superstar, like a David Beckham. But in those days I'm afraid he fell
through the cracks, which is very, very sad.
I remember when he was really down, which is when he came to work for our
newspaper at Sport Newspapers. We were thrilled to have him - even if it was
just for personal reasons! Not only is he my England hero but he's my West
Ham hero, so I was very fortunate in meeting such an iconic figure and have
him working for our company. It was wonderful.
There he was - this very gentle, very modest man. Apart from us, I think
everybody treated him poorly.
So it was a bit of a dream come true for you to sign him for The Sport?
Yes. I don't want to be too sycophantic because I'm an elderly person, but
it's still wonderful to be able to say I met Bobby Moore! I shook his hand,
I had a cup of coffee with him and we chatted about old times. How many
people can say they've done that with such an iconic figure? I think I was
very fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. One, it was
pleasurable for me but two, when I look back it was nice to have done
something for a nice man.
He didn't go to the Times, he didn't go to the Sun and he didn't go to the
Mirror - and the reason he didn't was because nobody really wanted Bobby
Moore for his talent as a pundit.
Why do you think that was? Why do you think he was unable to get that job?
If you go back and look at history it wasn't the done thing in those days.
If you think of all the great stars of that time, they only emerged later
on. I can't think of many footballers that became radio stars, television
stars or like Trevor Brooking is today, on the FA. Even today, apart from
Trevor and one or two others there aren't many brought in from the
footballing world.
Do you remember much about the tributes when he died?
I don't think that he was honoured highly enough. The tributes were fine, at
the time it seemed to be ok. It's when I look back that I don't think enough
was done and that's why we're trying now to ensure that all of the
shortcomings of the past are corrected. That's what driving us at this time.
Ok, there is a stand named after him and there's a statue across the road so
from that point of view you could argue that lots has been done. You could
argue that we shouldn't feel that we've let him down in any way - but
somehow I feel we have.
After his death I felt that he was honoured in that sense; the statue at
Wembley, for example - fantastic, there's no other captain there. He is
unquestionably the man most honoured in that sense. I just think that he
wasn't respected enough after his playing time until he died, that's where I
think the weakness was.
But why do you think that was? Why do you think he wasn't knighted?
I really am not sure. I can't understand why he didn't receive more than the
OBE but it was very skinny, wasn't it. Today there's absolutely no doubt
that a captain of England would be knighted if he won the World Cup. But at
the time I just think it was under done. West Ham should have done more
during his lifetime.
Although much was done after his death I think that was disappointing. I'd
have liked to have seen more done after he finished his football career
until he died.
Let's pretend Bobby was still alive now. Would you give him a role at the
club?
I'm sure. I think he would be a fantastic ambassador. Sadly he's been dead
for 20 years but in that time the Premier League and football in England has
grown hugely and I think that we would have all woken up to the fact that
here was a special individual and I think eventually people would have
realised "wow, this is a special man".
At the time of his death he was, if you like, in obscurity wasn't he? He was
working for the Sport but you never saw him on TV, he wasn't doing the
circuit. Today there'd have been 50 people trying to persuade him to do all
kinds of things that would have raised his profile and I think that would
have changed his life.
We know you want to right a wrong in terms of the tributes; what have you
got planned for tomorrow's [Monday's] game against Tottenham?
Lots of things are going to be happening and we won't leave a stone unturned
to make sure that he's honoured in every way. Obviously you've only got a
short period of time on match day but this will go on, there's lots of other
activities in terms of honouring him. So I'm quite excited, looking forward
to it and I'm sure the fans will be delighted by the activities.
* Extracts from this interview may also be heard in Episode 3 of the
KUMB.com Podcast - a Bobby Moore special.
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West Ham United v Tottenham Hotspur
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th February 2013
By: Preview Percy
Hello are you still here? It's so long since I had to write one of these
Arsenal may have still been in with a chance of a trophy. Well perhaps not
that long ago but it's still been an age.
Next we play host to the repository of limited intellect that is Tottenham
Hotspur. It's a Sky game so kick-off will be at 20:00 hrs GMT (that's 8pm if
you're a Spurs supporter). Being a Monday there are no planned engineering
works so you'll just have all the usual peak hour transport hassles to cope
with.
The visitors currently sit in 4th spot with 48 points from 44 games. That's
4 points above the other club in North London. Their last six league games
have provided them with three wins (3-1 at home to Reading, 1-0 away at West
Brom and 2-1 at home to the Geordies) and three draws (0-0 at QPR, 1-1 at
home to Moan Utd and 1-1 at Norwich).In amongst all that they've beaten
Coventry and lost to Leeds in the Cup and, in midweek, just managed to sneak
past Lyons in that cup that they'll be ridiculing if it's the only thing
Arsenal qualify for next season
Their position in the league is directly linked to the form of man of the
moment Gareth Bale. He's a fine player but does himself no favours with his
diving antics. Watching him pick up a deserved yellow the other week he then
had the bare-faced cheek to deny the dive in his post-match interview. For
the record if contact from a defender isn't enough to knock you over but you
go down anyway that's a dive. We'll have none of this "if he feels a touch
he has a right to go down" nonsense. Of course his antics won't cause any
shame to the Spurs faithful who, by definition, are incapable of
embarrassment in any case.
,Bale has been the only Spurs player to find the net in their last three
league matches, netting four times in that period. We can therefore assume
that he is pretty happy with life at the moment which begs the question:
"what does he actually sound like when he really is about to burst into
tears?"
They did a shrewd piece of business during the window, picking up Lewis
Holtby from Schalke for anything between £0-£1.5m depending on your source.
Holtby is half English, half German which makes him something like 157th in
line to the throne, probably. He's now been capped at competitive level by
the Germans, which has ended any chance of his wearing the three lions.
Still, on the bright side, it means that there is probably one person in the
German squad who is capable of missing a penalty when we play them in the
next World Cup.
The other bit of business they did was to bring in left back Ezeikel "Zeki"
Fryers, who went into the development squad. Despite the exotic name, and
despite his arrival from Standard Liege, Fryers is in fact English and hails
from Manchester – and therein lies a problem. Fryers is a product of the
Moan Utd academy and, although his contract was up at the end of last
summer, a compensatory fee would have been payable to any English club
taking the player on. The player spent the summer training with Spurs, but
when it came to sitting down and talking cash the Salford lot asked for £6m.
That seems a lot to me for a kid that you've offered £1,500 a week.
Tottenham agreed and didn't go through with the transfer. Fryers moved to
Standard Liege, who not being an English club, weren't obliged to pay
Fergie's whingers a penny. Well there has to be some benefit in being
Belgian I suppose. Fryers lasted until January before homesickness and the
sacking of Standard's manager got the better of him. Strange that a lad from
Manchester couldn't settle in a place where chips are the national dish.
Spurs stepped in and picked up the player for half of what Fergie was
asking. Fergie cried foul but made no formal complaint, presumably on the
grounds that, technically anyway, Spurs did nothing wrong. I mean it's not
like they paid and gave instructions to a player that was registered with
another club unlike some I could mention, eh Fergie?
One player who is likely to be missing from the visiting squad is Jermain
Defoe. Defoe damaged ankle ligaments against West Brom and, despite
optimistic managerial noises, he has yet to resume full training apparently.
Striking duties will fall between cowboy actor Clint Dempsey – who has an
irritatingly decent record against us – and the Togoan Emanuel Adabeyor.
Adebayor didn't exactly endear himself to the club by taking 5 days to get
back from South Africa where he took part in the African Cuppasoup. Now I've
been to South Africa – the Avram Grant Rest Home for the Bewildered used to
run occasional exchange trips to its sister establishment in Johannesburg
(The Eugene Terreblanche Harmony Homestead) until they discovered it the
trips were a front for getting rid of all the cheap mince before the health
inspectors came round – and I'm pretty sure that the flight was something
like 13 hours long, so 5 days did seem a bit excessive.
Of course we should spare a thought for poor old Scott Parker. We of course
remember him when he was good but having sold him once he was past his best
it was rather sad to see him giving the ball away to the French with
monotonous regularity the other night. Still his Hammer of the Year awards
must be some sort of consolation to him as he sees out the twilight years of
his career in reduced circumstances.
And so to us. Villa was a complete mess and yet again one can only look at
the mindset that we seem to adopt on the road. There was a team short on
confidence whose home form was appalling and we set ourselves up once more
as if we were after the draw. Baffling. I'm also beginning to tire of the
"if only we'd scored more goals than them we'd have won" comments from the
management that seem to follow each reverse. If my granny had wheels she'd
be a skateboard.
Still this time last year we went to Dubai and only lost once more that
season so maybe the trip abroad will have warmed the blood a little. I will
admit to feeling a slight unease at the choice of venue for the warm weather
training, remembering how they wouldn't grant Benayoun and Katan entry visas
when we went there a few years ago. There must be decent warm climes
available elsewhere where the hosts don't discriminate against certain
nationalities.
There is relatively good team news to report. Joey O'Brien is back in
training after coming off at Villa. George McCartney is said to be nearing a
return from his knee injury – he allegedly faces a late fitness test –
whilst James Collins is not far behind Linda in the recovery stakes, though
realistically it may just be a week too soon for the pair.
Left back has been a bit of a worry, though I'd have to be on the verge of a
panic attack before I'd be convinced that Ricardo Gardner might be the
answer to those worries. Some sources suggest that Gardner has been on trial
at the club whilst the quasi-official tweets of Sullivan Junior claim that
the player has simply been training with us to keep himself fit between
clubs. I've no reason to doubt young Mr Sullivan, though the player's
reported appearance for the development squad would seem to suggest there's
more than helping out an old friend on the agenda.
The return of Maiga from the Cuppasoup means there are no fewer than five
strikers available, if you include Welly Paulista who has been on target a
few times in the stiffs. However, comments from the club whenever his name
is mentioned suggest that they still consider the Brazilian to be a work in
progress rather than a realistic option for the first XI at this time.
One player we will be able to call on, albeit indirectly, is Bobby Moore
OBE. This match is the closest to the 20th anniversary of the great man's
passing and, if you haven't already done so, I can recommend a listen to the
wireless thingy that this website has put together which has contributions
from all sorts of people (I believe he means the kumb.com podcast – Ed). On
Monday night the club has all sorts of stuff planned. There will therefore
be a uniquely West Ham sort of atmosphere in the ground – something that
will go some way to countering the fact that in the away end football's
thickest group of supporters will see the match as a cup final. Meanwhile,
on the subject of Bobby one can only weep at the general decline in
standards that has seen the likes of Terry & Gerrard considered to be
suitable heirs to the position of England captain.
Back to the match and we are a different team at home. We don't always get
what we deserve mind – QPR and Liverpool are two matches where we've
outplayed average opposition with little reward for example. For this match,
Bale is wasting the form of his life with Spurs at the moment and keeping
him quiet will be the key. No doubt Mr Allardyce has some sort of scientific
analysis prepared – I just hope that the players are up to the job.
The form book suggests that this'll be a difficult one to get anything from.
However I remember playing at Forest just after the demise of Brian Clough
and the atmosphere carried them to an unlikely win. So I reckon that a
combination of home advantage and the Bobby Moore effect might just be
enough to overturn the form book. I'll therefore be placing the proceeds of
the Avram Grant Rest Home For The Bewildered's fund-rasing sales of
"Pistorius Bladerunner" T-Shirts (£2.50) on a 2-1 home win in the hope that
both crowd and players can do Bobby proud.
Enjoy the game!
When Last We Met the Boleyn Boleyn (September 2010) The apparently MLS-bound
Piquionne nodded home from a decent Noble corner to secure all three points.
Two collectors' items for the price of one then.
Referee: Howard Webb. Past it and a return to pounding the beat with the
South Yorkshire plod is probably overdue. At a FIFA conference he spoke out
about the need to clamp down on "simulation" amongst players. Let's see how
he deals with Bale.
Danger Man:Gareth "Christian" Bale – he's their main goal threat at the
moment either from open play or from dubiously-won free-kicks. This will
probably be his last time at the Boleyn for a few years as he'll no doubt be
off somewhere bigger in the summer. Barcelona has been mentioned though even
FC Chernobyl would be an improvement in surroundings.
Daft Fact Of The Week: Thousands of homes in the Tottenham area, even the
few without wheels on them, miraculously received state of the art tv sets
after the riots a few years ago. Unfortunately the instructions are far too
complicated for the average Spurs fan, many of whom have yet to work out how
to get the sets out of the box.
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Viva Bobby Moore: Brian Dear
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th February 2013
By: Chris Scull
Brian Dear grew up with Bobby Moore and played alongside him in West Ham's
greatest ever triumph - the 1965 Cup Winners' Cup Final win over 1860
Munich.
In our exclusive interview, Dear tells us what it was like playing alongside
Moore at West Ham during the 1960s. Firing the questions on behalf of
KUMB.com was Chris Scull...
Simply the Best: West Ham's 1965 Cup Winner's Cup team featuring Dear and
Moore
Brian: thank you for agreeing to talk to us. There's a whole generation of
people who never saw Bobby play. Can you explain why so many regard him as
the greatest defender who ever lived?
I don't know if everybody regards him as the greatest defender who ever
lived but certainly in the last 30, 40 years of English football - maybe
even longer - he was the best defender we had. I think he was revered as
well by lots of players on the continent; people like Pele and Beckenbauer,
those type of people.
He was a pleasure to play with and as you know he wasn't the quickest player
in the world or the greatest header of the ball, everybody always says that.
However his brain was a little bit better than everybody else's and his
positional sense was fantastic whilst the tackles he made were very
decisive.
He was just a natural for that position. Whether he would be as good these
days, because football's changed so much, I don't know. They don't have left
halfs, centre halfs and right halfs, they have four across the back. But I'm
sure he would have coped ok, he was a fantastic player.
What was he like as a captain?
He wasn't very vociferous, he really just captained the side with his
leadership - he led by the way he played. He was encouraging; he never
moaned and groaned at players as he always felt they'd done their best.
Sometimes your best wasn't good enough but if there was a meeting or
dressing room parley he was always very good. If he was asked a question his
answer would always be "they've done their best and sometimes their best
isn't good enough". He really just led by example with the way he played and
the way he conducted himself.
You were both good friends, was he a good drinking partner too?
He was a great pal. When it was time to relax he was good fun. He wasn't a
drunk or whatever but he enjoyed a beer and that's what we did socially. We
didn't have all the things that go on now in football. These days it's
commercially driven and the players have image rights - we were more for the
fans, we just went where they went.
In this day and age footballers go to places that most people can't get near
because of the massive money they earn but we were just basically working
boys. Our wages were good but nothing compared to today's money so when we
used to go to places it was local pubs, the Ilford Palais or a club
somewhere. There were no problems with people.
But there was a problem the night before the FA Cup tie with Blackpool?
Oh, Blackpool!
What was the story there?
Nothing much, really. We were just having a meal in the hotel then had a
bowl up the road to Brian London's club to have a couple of beers. I don't
suppose it was the best thing in the world to do but we weren't reeling
around drunk. We were just in the right place at the wrong time - or the
wrong place at the right time! We got hammered and although I didn't play in
the game, I was there. You know, you have to take the pill and suffer the
consequences. There's a lot worse goes on these days!
Oh, definitely! What are your memories of Bobby in the 1965 Cup Winners' Cup
Final? What was Bobby like, did he settle the team beforehand?
It was a big occasion. It's very difficult to explain these things because
you don't really remember too much of what happened at the time, but I do
remember he came round and asked how I was feeling. I'd only played in five
of the nine ties we played in the competition but I said "yeah, I'm ok, not
too bad".
He replied, "look, come out behind me, you'll be alright - plus the fact
you'll get your photo taken if you walk behind me!" He was quite a funny
bastard at times. That photo I've got of us walking out is probably the best
football photo I've got. It was a big night, a big stadium - 100,000 people.
Not that I was worried or afraid about what was going to happen, but Bobby
just made it a little bit better.
What can you remember about the celebrations that followed the game?
We didn't do anything! We went upstairs, had some sandwiches and a few beers
with our wives then got on the coach and went home via the ground.
Was that Ron Greenwood's idea?
No, that's just what it was like then - there was no fuss. The media make a
fuss out of everything now, don't they? Everything's pumped up. It was even
the same with [the] 1966 [World Cup Final] - they just went back to a hotel
in London and went on the balcony. Some of the wives were there and some had
a bit of grub afterwards. Their wives weren't even invited to have a meal
with them so they had to sit in an anteroom and have something to eat. I
know Martin Peters never went anyway, he just went to bed!
What was it like after 1966 with Bobby and the other World Cup winners
coming back to West Ham? Did they present bigger egos or were they any
different?
No, never. In fact, I've said to people loads of times that when they used
to go off and play in the national games they'd go off after a game on
Saturday, play on a Wednesday then come back [and play again the following
weekend]. There were no big time Charlies. Not just our club but all clubs,
the lads all got on very well. We didn't have many foreign players and there
were no little cliques, we were all friends and mates.
We used to go round one another's houses in the afternoon when we all lived
in Hornchurch and had a cup of tea or whatever. We used to have lots of
parties and all our kids grew up together. We still see one another, those
who are around. I'm 70 this year so I'm going to have a little function and
invite the boys, those who are around and want to come.
We're old boys now, aren't we - and I was one of the younger ones! Martin;
Johnny Sissons; [Ken] Brownie is 75, 76 years old now. And Peter Brabrook.
We're old fogies! There's teams at West Ham who never won anything and
they're legends; I don't know how you become a legend without winning
anything, but there you go!
You worked with Bobby down at Southend; what was he like as a manager?
Bob was involved in the Hope Hotel on the seafront with Patsy and Jimmy
Quill - a couple of lads who had some pubs in London. They had the Blind
Beggar and a pub in Stratford and they had this one down here, so I came and
looked after it. Bobby was manager of Southend but lived with me in the pub,
it was his pub. I think he was there for two or three years.
I used to go to the games then and used to see him quite a bit from being in
the pub. Harry Cripps and Jack Burkett went with him to Southend and I went
there afterwards. There were a few West Ham lads there; Frank Lampard and
Paul Brush went but he wasn't the greatest manager in the world, Bob. But
not all great players are good managers, are they?
I don't think Mourinho or Boaz played too much football; some of them were
just average players who were better coaches and managers than they were
players. Bobby Charlton tried it, Martin Peters tried it and Hursty was
manager at Chelsea one time. He went with Ron Greenwood to England. But they
never lasted long; Jack Charlton was probably the only one of that [1966]
team who really did any good.
Alan Ball and Nobby Stiles tried it as well, they all had a go but it was
different then and they're all still doing things now, all those lads. Until
we win anything again they're still big time, aren't they! It'll be 50 years
soon - and in two years' time, 50 years since we won the Cup Winners' Cup.
They'll never win it again, West Ham - never again. They were very
unfortunate to lose in the Final against Anderlecht [in 1976] which was a
shame, because they were a decent side then. But you've got to win on the
day and we did, with 11 Englishmen. God knows what Mooro would think now
when you've got 70 per cent foreign players in your side - and people wonder
why we don't win anything! Kids these days just don't get the chance.
When you look at the World Cup side you had Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters
who were 22/23 - Alan Ball was even younger - and Bobby was only 24 years
old. They were a young side but at the time, everyone had a chance to make
their mark. It's difficult now.
Take football now. If you look back to the '60s and '70s, the England side
very rarely changed. Now people get one cap and you never hear of them
again. I don't think the honour is there with internationals now, but if Bob
had been around I think he'd have had around 150 caps! 25 per cent of the
games they play these days are friendlies, they never played as many
friendlies as they do now. But it's a cash cow, everything in sport is
money-orientated now so it suffers a bit.
Talking of honours, Bobby has been honoured a lot more since he died - a
statue outside of Wembley, a stand at Upton Park; what changed for him to
get all these honours that he didn't get in his lifetime?
God knows, I supposed they felt a bit embarrassed. Look how long the boys
who were in the England squad had to wait to get an MBE - 30, 35 years
afterwards for Greavesie and the other lads in the squad. I went to the
unveiling of the statue at Wembley, it was an amazing day, unbelievable.
Do you think it's a fitting tribute?
Oh, yeah. Well no-one else is going to get one there, are they - there's no
room!
When you walk out of Wembley Park station, as you walk down to the ground,
it's there in front of you. At the time it was commissioned, the sculptor
[Philip Jackson] looked out from the station and said that the size they
wanted was no good, it wasn't big enough. It needed to be twice the size and
I don't think Wembley could afford it at the time, but they found the money
in the end.
The statue at Upton Park was funded by Newham Council, hence why it's not in
the ground at the Boleyn. But yeah, most things come your way after you've
gone, don't they! When you see footballers now getting knighthoods and
goodness knows what, if anyone deserved one it was him. But it wasn't to be.
Do you remember the last time you saw Bob?
Yes. The last time was at a football match at Tottenham.
Did you have a chance to say goodbye at all?
Well you can't say goodbye to someone when you don't know they're going to
die. He treated the illness with contempt and just got about his business.
Never made any fuss, very dignified and when the end came I think he was
where he wanted to be, at home. His kids and Steph were there and that was
about the size of it.
Things still go on for him, don't they - the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer
Research has made millions and still makes money, there's something going on
all the time. She works tirelessly Stephanie, raising money. So his legacy's
always there. 20 years now...
And you're still quite friendly with Stephanie?
Yeah, I see Steph quite a lot, I speak to her all the time.
Well thanks for talking to us, Brian. We've been fortunate to get plenty of
former acquaintances to speak to us this week, people like Harry Redknapp...
Well Harry was in America, wasn't he. When Bob took over as manager of
Oxford he brought Harry back - but Harry didn't know it was Oxford City, not
Oxford United and Oxford City were in the Ryman League! But it started Harry
off in his managerial career, didn't it!
* Extracts from this interview may also be heard in Episode 3 of the
KUMB.com Podcast - a Bobby Moore special.
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Viva Bobby Moore: Paul Walker
KUMb.com
Filed: Sunday, 24th February 2013
By: Paul Walker
KUMB columnist Paul Walker was lucky enough to meet his hero, Bobby Moore,
on three occasions...
I'm one of the lucky ones - I saw Bobby Moore play. Not just once, or twice,
but hundreds and hundreds of times. And for my club.
It's hard to believe that he passed away 20 years ago today. It reminds me
just how old I am getting too. For this was the footballer, not just any
footballer but the best defender England has ever produced, who dominated my
life way back then in the '60s. And now, too.
I suppose Moore has always been in my head, every day. I only have to look
around my office to see five books about him and his life, pictures of our
great side of the '60s, and an old framed picture of what the Boleyn used to
look like.
I feel I am writing this piece on behalf of the many thousands of old-time
Hammers fans who like me were so proud that this local boy was captain of
our club, captain of England and the man we all idolised.
To say I was chuffed when Graeme Howlett, the KUMB editor, asked me to write
something about Moore this week, was an understatement. I've covered half a
dozen European finals, World Cups, European championships and hundreds of
top games in a long - now ended - journalistic career. But nothing compares
to the sheer joy and pride I felt when Bobby Moore was in my team.
The young lads I watch West Ham with now are half my age and have only
fleeting memories of the man. I probably bore them with boozy chatter about
the good old days. Their memories are from film of the World Cup Final and
England, and maybe our great finals of '75 and '80. The rest comes from old
pictures and scrapbooks.
It's hard to explain just how good he was, just how important he was to East
London and our club. I was lucky, he was eight years older than me and had
just been made captain by Ron Greenwood when my teenage years started.
I remember how proud I was of him when he was selected for the 1962 World
Cup squad in Chile by Walter Winterbottom. I'd watched his formative years
slowly making his progress into our first team. A couple of years learning
his craft, he made just five appearances in his debut season, '58-'59. But
Matt Busby was full of praise for him on his debut, and that says it all.
It wasn't until October the following season that he made much more impact,
but he made our winner for Malcolm Musgrove at Everton on October 17. The
next two seasons he made 42 and 44 appearances respectively. A star was
born. And at 21 Greenwood made him our captain, and his England debut came
in the build-up to the '62 World Cup Finals, playing in a friendly against
Peru in Lima. He did so well that he stayed in the side through the finals
in Chile.
People tend to forget that 1966 in England was, in fact, Moore's second
World Cup Finals, and he was still only 25.
The swingin' sixties were just getting into their stride, my music culture
was being taken care of by the Beatles and the Stones, plus the wonderful
Motown and soul stars from the States. My football education, and heritage,
was being written by Bobby Moore and the rest of our heroes of the past.
But it was his club football that really inspired me. I was watching
virtually every Irons home game by now, queuing at midday to get into the
ground, squeezing into the swaying Chicken Run.
It didn't matter that we were as unpredictable as the weather and were prone
to suffering terrible defeats. We had Bobby, captain of England, so you
could stick your Spurs, Arsenals, Liverpools and Manchester Uniteds.
1964,'65 and '66, came and went. We won the FA Cup, the European Cup
Winners' Cup and the World Cup, by which time I was 17, having the time of
my life and believed that the world would always be like this. We all now
know it wasn't, but we still had Bobby Moore.
My sons have suffered my ramblings about Moore, Hurst and Peters. But
however hard they try, they've no real idea of what I'm talking about. West
Ham were playing wonderful football and England were virtually unbeatable.
Not quite the same now!
Even this week that was underlined, when the excellent Ex magazine dropped
through the letterbox with a wonderful little DVD of Geoff Hurst's six goals
against Sunderland in 1968. I watched it initially with tears in my eyes,
the old ground, packed South and North Banks and those square goalposts that
almost touched the terrace walls.
I made my lad watch it that evening. He understands about Moore and his old
man's obsession. But seeing the great man playing made him sit up. 'What's
the number six doing on the right wing?' was a telling remark. Central
defenders don't do that. Well Moore did. The dvd was supposed to be about
Hurst. But Moore scored a 30 yard free-kick that day and helped set-up goals
and clever passing moves deep into Sunderland's half.
It showed, just fleetingly, what Moore was really about. He could do
anything. He dominated games from back to front.
I make no excused for being star-struck. I actually spoke to him three
times. All are so fresh in the mind. Firstly when he came to sit on the
Chicken Run wall waiting to take a throw-in, right next to me. We were
losing and someone was getting treatment. I plucked up the courage to say '
come on Bobby, get this lot sorted out.' He looked down at this kid and
smiled one of those knowing looks grown-ups do. He was saying he wasn't
superman! Well he was in my book.
Then in my working career in Birmingham on the local sports Argus, Moore
came to town to promote Escape to Victory, and we were giving away tickets
for the show. I badgered my boss to let me go to meet him. I was probably
more tongue-tied then than when I was as kid in the Chicken Run. But I still
have the photo of the two of us waving free cinema tickets for the camera.
Hero worship doesn't even cover it.
The third time was during the 90-91 promotion season, and Moore was working
in the press box at Oldham, the game was a 1-1 draw and they just pipped us
for the title. I ushered my lads up to the press area at the end, determined
they would meet the great man. I mumbled something about wanting my sons to
meet the best player I had ever seen. He must have had that a million times,
but he was kind and polite, and signed their autographs.
But he looked poorly even then. I felt sad afterwards, even the boys could
see he wasn't well. That was the last time I saw him before he died two
years later. These are just little tales of an ordinary fan, I'm sure you
all have similar memories, equally treasured.
I know I had seen the best of him for more than a decade and a half at my
club. The picture is still in my mind, Tall, elegant Moore in that beautiful
kit of white socks, white shorts and the round-necked long sleeved shirt
without a badge or any hint of a sponsors name.
People talk of the '64, '65, '66 era as the best. But I saw far more of the
late 60s side, the one that never won a raffle but still produce amazing
football. And I got thinking of what was the best West Ham team.
And that brings me back to the '68 match against Sunderland. That team had
Moore, Peters, Hurst, Bonds and Brooking in it. Plus John Sissons and Harry
Redknapp.
It was two eras colliding. From the debuts of Bonds and Brooking, within
weeks of each other in 1967, we had just three years of our five greatest
modern day players performing in the same team, up until when Peters was the
first of the World Cup heroes to leave in 1970.
Hurst was next in 72 and Moore battled on until 1974. The last time that
famous five played together in a West Ham side was against Coventry, a
defeat, in February 1970. We will never see their like again.
That '67 to '70 side was the best in my eyes. And when Moore left in '74,
the days of real glory had gone. His first game was against Manchester
United in '59, his last the 1-1 home FA Cup draw against Hereford in January
'74.His last league game for the Irons was a 4-2 home win over Norwich on
New Year's Day, '74.
When he finally left for Fulham in March 1974, the football world as I'd
known it, came to an end. A couple of years earlier Moore had figured in
that famous League Cup semi-final, four matches against Stoke - I saw them
all - and that memorable penalty save from Micky Barnard at Old Trafford
when we finally lost to the Potters.
I am sad to admit now I left that game five minutes early, I couldn't bear
to watch them celebrate after we had got so close to Wembley (all Geoff
Hurst had to do was beat Gordon Banks from the penalty spot in the
second-leg and we'd had done it. I recall driving back across London that
night with my kid brother, neither of us spoke the entire journey.)
All these pictures are still so vivid in my mind. None more so than Moore.
My age-group cherish memories, the younger fans just have the legend. And
maybe our club failed to treat him properly when he had left and finally
ended his playing career.
Many have a few about all that, but just for now as the 20th anniversary of
his passing nears, old hands like me just know he was the best and just
being there when he was our leader, our hero, is something that will never
die.
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Premier League: West Ham's Winston Reid is happy he chose to stay with the
club
Last Updated: February 24, 2013 1:14pm
SSN
West Ham defender Winston Reid admitted he considered leaving West Ham
before Sam Allardyce's arrival, but is pleased he opted to stay at the club.
The New Zealander has been a mainstay in the Hammers' line-up this season,
but after starting his career in England as a makeshift right-back, a
position he admits he is far from comfortable in, he became disillusioned
with life in England. "I'd never played right-back in my life," he told the
Sunday Times. "I thought, I have got myself into this situation, but it is
upto me to get myself out of it." It took a chat with Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce when he took the job to persuade the Kiwi that Upton Park was the
right place for him to ply his trade. "When Sam Allardyce arrived we sat
down to talk. After that, it felt good, I felt wanted, and wanted to stay,"
he added. The former Bolton boss has come under criticism of late from
certain sections of the Hammers faithful as a result of their recent dip in
form after an impressive start to the season, but Reid has nothing but good
things to say about his manager. "He's great and wants things done properly
on the pitch," he added. "Off it, he's given me a few kicks up the backside
but he is really funny, he makes us all laugh."
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Football is a Funny Old Game!
By S J Chandos About 5 hours ago 2 comments
West Ham Till I Die
As the great striker, turned media pundit, Jimmy Greaves used to say, 'its a
funny old game.' And it is a game where results do not always go the way
that is expected. As Hammers supporters, we can all recall a legion of
matches where West Ham won against the odds, whether it was defeating Man
Utd 3-1 in the 1964 FA Cup Semi-Final at Hillsborough; overcoming mighty
Leeds Utd 0-1 in a 1972 LC tie at Elland Road; beating Arsenal 1-0 in the
1980 FA Cup Final; destroying Spurs 0-4 at White Hart Lane in 1981; beating
Dalgish's Liverpool by 4 goals in a 1988 LC tie; defeating prospective
champions, Blackburn Rovers 2-0 in 1995; beating Man Utd 0-1 in the famous
2000-01 'Di Canio' FA Cup tie; and winning 'mission impossible' PL away
matches against Arsenal 0-1 & Man Utd 0-1 in the 'greatest escape' season of
2006-07. These are just a few examples of West Ham sides beating the odds to
endure and there are many more. Not least, the 3-1 home defeat of Chelsea
this season.
It is worth remembering that before that victory over Chelsea, there was a
distinct air of doom and gloom about our chances not only amongst the
pundits, but also on Hammers fans websites. I remember fans fearing a 0-5
trouncing ahead of the match. Sound familiar? It should, because there seems
to be a similiar view prevalent ahead of the Spurs match. Well, no one is
under-estimating the scale of the challenge posed by this Spurs team, they
are a very good attacking unit. But they are not unbeatable and, if West Ham
play to their strengths then we have a chance of getting a result. Yes, the
performance was worrying last time out at Villa, but this is a different
match and hopefully the manager and the squad have used the extended break
to try to sort out a few issues on the training ground.
We know that the probability is that Sam Allardyce will set our stall out in
a da facto 4-5-1 to contain Spurs attacking threat and seek to carve out
chances via long balls in to Carroll and set peices. The problem, of course,
is that this caution could play in to Spurs' hands. The best form of defence
is attack and the surest way to neutralise the threat of players like Bale
is, basically, to force them to defend. I would love to see West Ham set up
to attack down the flanks and get good quality balls in to Andy Carroll.
Indeed, Carroll is our best weapon against the Spurs defence, his physical
power and ability in the air can unsettle and punish the Spurs back four.
Similarly, this is a match where Matt Jarvis can justify his £10m price tag.
He has the pace, ability on the ball and delivery in the box to make a
decisive contribution in this match. Jarvis has shown flashes of his abiliy,
this would be a good match to demonstrate it, convincingly, for a whole 90
minutes (Sam Allardyce's team selection allowing?).
Similarly, Kevin Nolan has had a dip in form in recent matches and he needs
to recover his early season form. We need him sharp in the final third and
getting on the second phase balls, off Andy Carroll. How they line up to
deal with Bale down the left flank will be very interesting? Who plays at
right-back, is it Demel or O'Brien? Will O'Neill be selected wide, on the
right, to try to cover the right-back and attempt to neutralise Bale's
powerful forward runs? Who will play at left-back? McCartney is back in
training, but lacks match fitness. Will O'Brien or Pogatetz be deployed in
an auxillary left-back role or might Danny Potts get the nod to counter the
danger posed by Lennon down the right flank? At centre-back, Collins is fit
and it is a fair bet that he will start, if so, does that mean that Tomkins
might start in a defensive midfield role? Midfield will be a key battle area
and there will be an emphasis upon Noble and Diame gaining the ascendency
over their Spurs counter-parts.
Obviously, Allardyce needs to set our stall out to deal with Spurs attacking
threat. But we also need to ensure that we play to our strengths and ask
plenty of questions of Spurs right from the kick off. Indeed, many fans seem
so pre-occupied with Spurs and their attacking potency, that they have
tended to forget about the threat we can pose them. We need not be 'lambs to
the slaughter' as some think, but rather show that we have 'teeth' as well.
It should be added that football is not just physical, it is also deeply
psychological. Teams can raise their performance levels significantly if
commitment and drive aligns to ability. With the emotion arising from the
20th anniversary of Bobby Moore's death, hopefully this will transmit itself
to the players and have an outlet via their performance on the pitch.
As stated previously, a draw would be a good result, but if the team have
'their tails up' then we might be able to swing a 2-1 victory. But to do
that the team need to give 110%. It is, indeed, a 'funny old game' and lets
hope that its proves to be so, once again, this evening.
As a post-script, the club have asked fans to be in their seats by 7.30pm
for the start of the pre-match commemoration of the anniversary of Bobby
Moore's death/celebration of his life and achievements. Bobby Moore was a
player, defender and captain without parallel. I feel honoured to have seen
him play from 1967 onwards. Enjoy the commememoration/celebration of the
life of the greatest player ever to wear the claret and blue of West Ham Utd
FC and the Three Lions of England. And just hope that the occasion provides
a suitable platform for the team to produce a positive performance/result
that serve as a fitting tribute to the great man.
SJ. Chandos.
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THREEAS-BOAS
The Sun
By PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 6 hrs ago
SAM ALLARDYCE insists Andre Villas-Boas must finish at least third to be
judged a success at White Hart Lane. West Ham manager Allardyce looks
comfortable in mid-table with 12 games to go but his opposite number at
Tottenham sits outside the club's target area of the top three. Villas-Boas
was brought in to replace Harry Redknapp as boss last summer with the brief
to get automatic qualification for next season's Champions League. And
Allardyce, whose side take on Spurs at Upton Park tonight, said: "They've
got to finish higher than fourth, haven't they? That's the pressure for him.
"Villas-Boas has done great taking over from Harry. But fourth is the same
as Harry. And you know what happens in football — they'll say 'Oh, well
Harry done that'. "I think Tottenham are good enough to finish third or
fourth as long as they continue to keep the top players fit and don't pick
up too many injuries. "If they can do that, they've got a really good chance
of getting that third place."
AVB was sacked after just eight months at Chelsea when he failed to deliver.
He was also forced into embarrassing U-turns with the club's elder
statesmen.
Allardyce added: "He has probably learned an awful lot from his short time
at Chelsea. "He's probably seen and learnt from his bitter experience that
he obviously had. "It was the first time that things probably haven't gone
so well for him. And you can probably learn more in that period of time than
you can when things went as well as they did at Porto where he won the UEFA
Cup."
The Hammers will tonight be looking to avenge their defeat at White Hart
Lane in November when Tottenham were in a rich vein of form. Allardyce
admitted: "I was particularly impressed when we played them, their frontline
was outstanding. "He's inherited a fantastic squad of players and to be a
great manager you've got to have great players. "Without top players, you
can't produce the team that gets results which will make people say you're a
great manager. You can only be as good as your players. "I think they have
great players at Tottenham and they are really producing."
One of those players hitting top form is Gareth Bale. And many of Europe's
top clubs have put the winger at the top of their summer wishlists.
Allardyce believes there could be an auction for Bale when this campaign is
over. He said: "The world of football outside of this country might decide
his worth. "There might be somebody else from another country that decides
he could be the man, so that would inflate the price a little more. "I would
have thought that Tottenham would want nothing less than £40-50million."
Bale has 21 goals in all competitions this season and seven in his last six
games. But Hammers left-back Matthew Taylor has urged his team-mates to
concentrate on their own performance. He said: "The main thing for us on
Monday night is to worry about ourselves. "We understand that Tottenham have
got lots of fantastic players and they are a great team — but we're not bad
ourselves. "Everybody's talking about Gareth Bale because he's playing well
and scoring goals. "He's one of a number of players that we're going to try
to have to shackle to get a good result. "We've got to keep as close an eye
on those players as we can but also go and do our stuff when we get the
chance."
Spurs are flying after booking their place in the last 16 of the Europa
League last Thursday. Mousa Dembele's last-gasp strike earned a 1-1 draw at
Lyon and 3-2 win on aggregate. But Taylor is confident West Ham can overturn
their defeat earlier in the season and secure all three points. He said:
"They are on a high from the Europa League, so it's going to be difficult.
"It's a local derby and we want to overturn what was a disappointing result
at Tottenham. "Everyone's full of confidence and morale is high, so
hopefully we've got a good end to the season coming."
Tonight will see a minute's applause to mark the 20th anniversary of the
death of West Ham legend Bobby Moore. And Taylor believes the home fans will
have their part to play on a night that means a lot to everyone involved at
the club. He said: "I know it's an old adage but the fans can be the 12th
man. "I'd like to think they appreciate our efforts in every game. While we
might not always get the results we deserve, each and every player when they
pull the shirt on works 100 per cent for the team. "That'll be the case on
Monday night and hopefully the fans get right behind us."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
By Darren Witcoop
Any old Trotters? Allardyce eyeing West Ham move for defender Ricardo
Gardner
The Mirror
24 Feb 2013 22:30
Ricardo Gardner wants a short-term deal with old boss Sam Allardyce at Upton
Park. Jamaica international Gardner, 34, hopes to become the sixth ex-Bolton
player to be reunited with Allardyce at West Ham. Gardner, a free agent
after a 14-year spell with Bolton, is on trial and could fill the
troublesome left-back spot. George McCartney has been out since December
with a knee injury and is in danger of missing the rest of the season.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, February 25
Sunday, February 24
Daily WHUFC News - 24th February 2013
'I was in awe of Bobby'
WHUFC.com
Assistant Academy Director Paul Heffer says he wouldn't be there without
Bobby Moore
23.02.2013
Twenty years ago this Sunday, West Ham United and England's greatest-ever
defender passed away. Bobby Moore OBE, the first Hammers captain to lift the
FA Cup and the only man to skipper England to FIFA World Cup glory, was just
51 when he lost his battle with bowel cancer in February 1993. In a
week-long tribute to Moore, the official website, West Ham TV and the
Official Programme for the Barclays Premier League visit of Tottenham
Hotspur on Monday 25 February will feature a series of interviews and
features paying homage to West Ham's No6. Paul Heffer grew up watching Bobby
Moore in the West Ham United side and then was honoured to partner the No6
at centre half for the Hammers.
He told West Ham TV: "I was in awe of him as soon as I joined the club. I
had supported West Ham since I was four - I was born near the ground, we
used to walk to the games, and Bobby Moore was my hero. I had his pictures
on the wall and then was fortunate enough to actually play alongside him.
"It was quite nervewracking to be honest, but I had trained alongside him
previously. He was very good to the young players who came into the side.
Before my debut, he just said 'go and enjoy it - it's a game of football, go
and enjoy it'. "That's what you tried to do. Nerves did sometimes take over
when you were that young, but he always would support you and if you made a
mistake he would lift you up and say 'get on with it, go for the next one'."
All this week and over the weekend, West Ham TV brings you interviews with
those who knew Moore best, including his daughter Roberta and his former
West Ham, Fulham and England team-mates.
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Turgott relishing Wembley dream
WHUFC.com
Blair Turgott is thrilled to be gearing up for a Wembley final as Bradford
City take on Swansea City
23.02.2013
West Ham United starlet Blair Turgott can hardly believe his luck as he
contemplates running out at Wembley in Sunday's Capital One Cup final
against Swansea City. The 18-year-old winger penned a short-term loan deal
at Bradford City in November, a stint that has coincided with the Bantams'
scarcely believable run to the League Cup final. In just two months Turgott
has racked up eleven appearances for the npower League Two outfit, including
memorable Capital One Cup cameos against both Arsenal and Aston Villa.
Wembley now awaits for the young man and whatever transpires on Sunday he
has every intention of savouring what is sure to a special weekend. "Of
course, when you're young, you want to be involved in games like this,"
Turgott told whufc.com. "To play at somewhere like Wembley will be a great
experience, if I'm given the chance. I'm looking forward to it and
everyone's buzzing to be fair. "While I've been on loan here, I've had a
chance to get on the pitch and feel the atmosphere in all the games leading
up to the final. That was brilliant to be involved in and whatever happens
individually for me, I know it will be a great experience and a great day
for everyone. "A company in Bradford have sorted us out with suits and we're
going to look smart and sharp. We're going to look the part going up there,
so it's going to be good."
Turgott has become part of a strong West Ham contingent at Valley Parade,
with former Hammers Kyel Reid and Zavon Hines also plying their trade with
the West Yorkshire club. All three could yet be involved in Sunday's Wembley
showpiece, as Bradford bid to topple a fourth Barclays Premier League side
in the competition. "When I first started it was nice to have some familiar
faces, because obviously I knew Zavon and Reidy from West Ham," Turgott
explained. "It's always nice to share occasions like this with people you
know. "But I think once I've been here the boys themselves have been great.
To be fair, they're a good set of lads. You can see by the things you've all
witnessed that we definitely deserve to be here. "We obviously realise we're
underdogs going into it. Especially as we've come this far, to win it would
be the icing on the cake. But with the backing and recognition the club has
had, it has been great for everyone involved and as players we're going to
try and win it. We'll take it as it comes and just enjoy the moment. "Three
months ago I was at West Ham playing in the Development Squad. When I had
the chance to come out on loan I did hear they had the Arsenal game. But
it's a dream to play at Wembley and to be involved in a cup final and being
so young as well, it can only be good for my career going forward."
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Ginge expecting great atmosphere
WHUFC.com
23.02.2013
A London derby against Tottenham Hotspur with another bumper home crowd at
the Boleyn Ground is just the way to celebrate the life of a legend like the
late Bobby Moore OBE, says West Ham United defender James Collins. The No19
is fully aware of the impact Moore had and continues to have at West Ham and
says that the activities planned by the club around the match on Monday week
will be a fitting gesture to the life of the former World Cup winning
captain.
As defender himself Collins knows all too well the skills of Moore, even
though he was too young to see him actually play. But ever since he arrived
at the Hammers in his first spell, he knew just what Moore meant to the fans
and everyone at the club. He said: "It is just massive, what Bobby Moore
means to everyone connected with West Ham United. I remember being here in
my first spell and we retired his No6 shirt that said it to me, what a
legend the man is and was in during his life. "There are photographs of him
around the place, the training ground and the stadium and we are reminded
every day of the presence he had and continues to have. It is respected and
welcomed by all the players as he is someone we all appreciate and to be at
the same club as he was at, is great."
With the strong connection Moore still has with the club, even though he
sadly passed away 20 years ago on 24 February 1993, Collins says that means
that his legend will continue to live on. He continued: "There are people
around the club still who have great stories to tell about Bobby, that he
was a lovely man as well as a great player and I am sure the fans have as
well, stories that will be passed on to future generations of our supporters
still to come. "I have seen clips of him playing, you could see the class he
had and for me, he is the best defender that has played the game. On what is
the 20th anniversary of him passing away, it would be a good tribute for us
to get that good result against Tottenham for him as well."
Speaking about the Hammers' London neighbours, Welsh-born Collins said the
team are well aware of a certain other Welshman in the opposition ranks,
Gareth Bale. Bale is an international team-mate of Collins, the two having
played together for their country several times. He added: "He is on fire
but he has been terrific all season for them. It is a tough one. I was
speaking with Nobes [Mark Noble] the other day about [Robin] van Persie, we
said he is the sort of player, that if he is going to score he will, Gareth
is similar in that respect. "We know like other teams, you have to be on
your toes with a player like Gareth, he is one of the best players in the
Premier League at the moment. But you know, as a team we will go into this
game with confidence, we know what we can do at home and will be giving it a
right go, to get those three points."
Collins said there was no better boost for the team than playing in front of
another full capacity Boleyn Ground crowd under the lights. He explained:
"The night games are the best for me. I love playing in them, under the
lights with a big crowd. Our supporters are passionate and noisy anyway, but
the night games seem to bring that out more and it should be a great
atmosphere. "There is nothing like your supporters giving it everything to
get behind you. It is then up to us to make sure we are performing on the
pitch to make sure they stay on side with us and keep that atmosphere going.
"If we can get back to how we were defending at the start of the season,
keeping clean sheets and being solid at the back, then that will filter
through to scoring more goals again. There is no reason why we can't do
that. "We are still in a good position in the league table. Hopefully we can
get off to a solid start against Tottenham, which will get our fans cheering
and we can look to kick on again from there."
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Motty on Mooro
WHUFC.com
BBC commentator John Motson shares his memories of the late, great Bobby
Moore
23.02.2013
John Motson OBE has watched a lot of great players and unforgettable matches
during a commentary career spanning more than 40 years. However, it was in
the little-known Anglo-Scottish Cup final between Middlesbrough and Fulham
in November 1975 that 'Motty' had his first opportunity to commentate on the
late, great Bobby Moore. Fulham were beaten 1-0 on a wet Wednesday evening
at Ayresome Park, but Moore put aside his disappointment to welcome the
soaked Motson into the away dressing room for a post-match chat. "Bobby's
playing career was drawing to a close when I started commentating, but I did
meet him on a number of occasions," Motson recalls. "I'm only going to
repeat what other people say, he was the perfect gentleman. He behaved with
a great deal of humility for a man who had achieved so much. "I can remember
the first time I ever did a midweek game for the BBC, it was a really
forgettable one - a rainy Wednesday night in Middlesbrough with Fulham in
the final of the Anglo-Scottish Cup. Bobby was playing for Fulham and I was
shivering waiting outside in the pouring rain to try and get hold of someone
to do an interview. He opened the dressing room door and welcomed me inside
to get in the dry. That was the England World Cup-winning captain and I
thought 'What a lovely thing to do'."
Moore, of course, went on to follow Motson into the commentary box, working
as an analyst and summariser for Capital Gold radio. Again, Motson said the
West Ham United and England legend treated his broadcasting colleagues with
the utmost respect. "I did meet him a number of times in his local radio
days, of course. He never behaved like a man who was the colossus that he
was. "I think he should have been given a Knighthood for being the only man
to captain England to winning the World Cup. I don't think he quite got the
credit in his latter years that perhaps he should have done. He never pushed
himself forward, Bobby. He was always happy to play a supporting role. If
you met him at a function he was always very charming."
Surprisingly, Motson even played alongside the great centre-half at the
stadium where he lifted the FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and FIFA World
Cup in the mid-1960s - Wembley. "Before a final at Wembley of the lower
division teams, there was a celebrity match on the Wembley pitch. I think it
was ten minutes each-way before the big game. Believe it or not I actually
played for ten minutes in the game and at half-time they made all the
substitutions because there were about 30 or 40 celebrities who wanted to
play the game and I walked off the Wembley pitch with Bobby Moore, because I
was being substituted and so was he! "The other thing I remember about that
day was how he was the one who went round the dressing room handing out the
kit to everybody. Bobby was a leader, certainly, but he had the humility and
the down to earth attitude that he was quite happy to go around and give
people their shirts."
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Setford sets sights on league title
WHUFC.com
Julia Setford called on her players to respond in the wake of Sunday's
defeat at Colchester United
23.02.2013
West Ham United Ladies manager Julia Setford was in bullish mood as she
plots to shake off cup disappointment with a renewed title charge in the FA
Women's Premier League Southern Division. Setford was none-too impressed
with a lacklustre showing at Essex rivals Colchester United, as her side
bowed out of the FA Essex County Cup. Frustrating though it may be,
single-minded Setford is turning her attention to league matters ahead of
Sunday's trip to Lewes, intent on leading her ladies to the Southern
Division summit. Though the Hammers are currently fifth, some eight points
behind frontrunners Reading, West Ham have as many as four games in hand on
other sides, and that, says Setford, is reason enough to be positive.
"Ultimately, we always wanted to win the league," she explained. "We haven't
got to worry about any cups now and we've got a few games in hand on other
teams. Hopefully the weather will get better and the pitches won't be so
boggy. If that's the case we can start playing our football and get a few
results. I believe we can still do well in this league. "As you get towards
the end of the season, other teams will have finished playing and we might
get the advantage where we continue to play. We've got good momentum all the
way through to the end of the league now. We're looking forward to a trip to
Sunday and hopefully picking up three points and moving on there. "I do
believe it's possible to win the league. We've just got to be disciplined
and focused on the job in hand. "It was disappointing against Colchester but
we've got them twice in the league and I know for a fact we won't be making
the mistakes we made on Sunday."
If semi-final defeat at Colchester was not hard enough to bear, Setford was
dealt another blow with in-form striker Hannah Gowland suffering a
season-ending ankle injury. Gowland's misfortune does, however, give her
fellow forwards an opportunity to make an impression, with Zoe Lipley-Hinton
and Samantha Rowland the likely deputies. "Sunday was very disappointing to
be honest," added Setford. "Colchester know we're a footballing side. There
were a few strong challenges and some refereeing decisions that didn't go
our way. But at the end of the day, we didn't really turn up. "It was a
massive blow to lose Hannah so early. We had struggled with her in the week
but we got her through. Unfortunately, she went over on her ankle from a
strong challenge and sadly she has torn all her ligaments, so I don't think
we'll see much of her for the rest of the season. "It's a massive blow. We
were starting to put some goals away. But it's one of those things, we've
got other players who can come in and do just as good a job. Little Zoe and
Sam Rowland have got to step up now and prove they want that shirt and it's
down to them to compete for who's going to get it. It is disappointing but
we'll get ourselves together and move forward."
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce targets home form as key to overcoming Tottenham
Last Updated: February 23, 2013 1:59pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is confident his side's strong home form this
season will help them overcome an in-form Tottenham team in Monday's Sky
Live clash. He has warned his side to be extra vigilant against Gareth
Bale,who has scored six goals in Spurs' last five matches. But Allardyce is
still convinced they can nullify the threat posed by the Welshman and impose
themselves on the game. "We know like other teams, you have to be on your
toes with a player like Gareth, he is one of the best players in the Premier
League at the moment," said Allardyce. "But as a team we will go into this
game with confidence, we know what we can do at home and will be giving it a
right go, to get those three points. "Our home form has been excellent all
season and so we're going to hopefully make sure Tottenham worry about us
for a long period of time on Monday night, rather than us worry about them
too much."
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Remembering Bobby Moore
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die
It really doesn't seem 20 years ago since Bobby Moore departed this earth.
February 24th 1993. On Monday the club will mark the occasion before the
start of the Tottenham match at Upton Park, and well they might. Bobby Moore
remains the greatest player ever to play for our great club, and I would
argue, the greatest player ever to play for England. But for some very
strange reason he never got the recognition he deserved when he was alive.
Were he still with us today he would no doubt have become a feted figure,
with major ambassadorial roles to play. But when he died his only part in
the beautiful game was as an occasional commentator on Capital Gold.
I don't think I ever saw Bobby Moore play live. By the time I attended my
first match at Upton Park against Chelsea in 1974 he had departed for
Fulham. And I am pretty sure he didn't play in the testimonial match at
Cambridge I had attended a couple of years earlier. But even at the age of
twelve I knew what a great player he had been. His grace on the pitch was
matchless. I've never seen a player since who could time his tackles like
Bobby Moore or look so comfortable on the ball. His philosophy was simple.
Get the ball, then pass it to someone who could do something with it.
People seem to forget that Moore's achievements weren't just captaining
England to winning the World Cup in 1966. He had captained West Ham to cup
success in each of the two previous seasons, winning the FA Cup in 1964 and
the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965. His finest match was probably the 1970
World Cup match against Brazil. His battle with Pele remains one of the
greatest footballing duels of all time. And it was a duel which Moore won,
although you might not think it from the result. The picture of them
exchanging shirts at the end of the game demonstrated the mutual respect
they had for each other.
It is right that West Ham now remember Moore in the way that he deserves
because from the moment he left for Fulham to the day he died he was treated
shabbily. West Ham even demanded a £50,000 transfer fee when he left the
club in 1974. But even after he retired there was no recognition, no role
offered, not even as a roving ambassador, but Bobby never complained. The
Football Association also did nothing to use his undoubted abilities. He
almost became a non person. His managerial career never got off the ground
and the only opening at that time for him to keep a hand in the game was to
become a pundit. Not with the BBC, but with Capital Gold. It was a sad
ending to his football career.
'Moore Than a Football Club' says the billboard in the north east corner of
Upton Park. A huge Bobby Moore banner hangs from the corner of the West
Stand. Bobby Moore's memory is alive and well at Upton Park nowadays,
although some of us remain slightly queasy about how his memory is being
used as a marketing tool. But that's a minor carp.
Tomorrow, everyone at the ground will remember Bobby Moore. The greatest.
KUMB have done a 45 minute podcast on Bobby Moore, with tributes from Trevor
Brooking, Harry Redknapp, David Gold and many others, including, er, me.
And finally, here's a 50 minute discussion and tribute to Bobby Moore,
broadcast on 5 Live on February 13th.
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Big Sam's big deal
Published: 8 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM will offer Sam Allardyce a new deal in the summer... IF he keeps
them in the Premier League. Big Sam's contract is up at the end of the
season but Hammers are ready to hand him a new deal worth between
£1.5-£2million. An Upton Park source revealed: "If the club stays up, Sam
will be offered a new deal. "He will have brought us up in a season and kept
us up — it gets no better than that. "The club needs stability and he will
have brought that. Another two years of the same kind of progress is exactly
what's required. "However, if we were relegated he would have to accept a
big pay cut and that probably wouldn't be acceptable."
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Pal Bobby was a knight of old
The Sun
By HARRY REDKNAPP
Published: 8 hrs ago
IT'S unbelievable to think two decades have gone since my mate Bobby Moore
passed away — about as unbelievable as the fact he was never knighted.
Bobby left us exactly 20 years ago today but you could go another century
and I doubt you'd find anyone who had a bad word about him. Rather like he
was with everyone else, to be honest. But while everyone knows what a
player, what an icon, what an ambassador Bobby was, I bet there aren't many
who realise he may not have even got a West Ham contract in the first place
if it hadn't been for Malcolm Allison. Bobby was in his early teens and
still hoping for his big break when Big Mal was the Guv'nor at Upton Park.
And in a dressing room full of characters like Noel Cantwell, Frank
O'Farrell, Dave Sexton and John Bond, that took some doing. Malcolm knew
even then he wanted to be a coach and on a Tuesday and Thursday night he
used to go down to train the kids.
When Bobby was about 15 or so it was touch and go whether he'd be taken on
full time. There were certainly some who were unsure. But Mal took a shine
to him, saw something there that not everyone did and really pushed for him
to get a contract. Bobby would always swear the most important influence in
his career was Malcolm Allison and insisted the advice he got was what made
him into a player. The two of them became great friends, even though when
Bobby became a fixture in the first team, it was at Malcolm's expense. Of
course, we all know what Bobby went on to but he never forgot how big a part
Big Mal played, and always said he'd been his mentor.
Bobby eventually became THE Guv'nor at West Ham and we all put him on a
pedestal — even if some of his methods would make modern-day coaches go
berserk. Back then, Sunday was always a day off but Bobby would go in
religiously for a few laps and Albert the kitman would have everything laid
out for him. Bobby liked a few lagers on a Saturday night and sometimes
would go straight in the following day, still in his dinner suit and bow
tie. Then he'd often have a couple more in the Black Lion before heading
home! That's just what we did in those days and it didn't do us any harm...
a far cry from these days.
Talking of which, I see Sam Allardyce has taken a bit of stick but I can't
really understand why because staying in the Premier League this season was
always the be-all and end-all. And he's doing a great job. Sam took over a
Championship team, got them back into the top flight and staying up ain't
easy. They can talk about the style of football played but over the years
West Ham had become a yo-yo club and no Hammers fan wants that. If Sam keeps
them up — and all the signs are he will — then I really don't know what more
he could have done. They've not got the massive budgets of the likes of
Chelsea, Spurs or the Manchester clubs, so anything he achieves is
fantastic. His brief is surely to stay in the Premier League, establish West
Ham and then, maybe, pick up one of the cups. That's easier said than done,
we all know, but he certainly deserves a crack at it.
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Eleven-man band: Matt Taylor says it is wrong to only hail Bale alone ahead
of Spurs clash
The Mirror
23 Feb 2013 22:30
Jamie McDonald
Matt Taylor has warned his West Ham teammates Tottenham are no one-man
band. The Gareth Bale Show arrives at Upton Park tomorrow in a crucial
match for both clubs. West Ham need the points to ensure they are not
dragged into the relegation dogfight after a poor run that has left then
looking nervously at the drop zone. Spurs want a win to maintain their push
for a Champions League football next season, with their sights on the top
four rather than the bottom three. Their assault will be headed by in-form
Bale, but Taylor is aware of the talent throughout the whole team. Taylor
said: "Everybody is talking about Gareth because he is scoring and playing
well. But Bale is only one of a number of players we are going to have to
watch. We'll have to try to shackle them."
Taylor is aware morale at White Hart Lane has been boosted by the team's
progress into the last 16 of the Europa League. "They are obviously on a
high," said Taylor. "I would not suggest Tottenham are a one-man team
because they have lots of exceptional players. We have to keep as a close
an eye as possible on those players, but also do our stuff." West Ham have
only three games in March due to the cup commitments of other sides. That
could give clubs around them a chance to make up ground and lead to a
fixture pile-up. But Taylor is not concerned, saying: "It will show us what
we need to get from any games in hand. We were in the Championship last
season, playing Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday. We are used to it." Today marks
the 20th anniversary of the death of West Ham and England legend Bobby
Moore, which will be marked by a minute's applause ahead of the match.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Assistant Academy Director Paul Heffer says he wouldn't be there without
Bobby Moore
23.02.2013
Twenty years ago this Sunday, West Ham United and England's greatest-ever
defender passed away. Bobby Moore OBE, the first Hammers captain to lift the
FA Cup and the only man to skipper England to FIFA World Cup glory, was just
51 when he lost his battle with bowel cancer in February 1993. In a
week-long tribute to Moore, the official website, West Ham TV and the
Official Programme for the Barclays Premier League visit of Tottenham
Hotspur on Monday 25 February will feature a series of interviews and
features paying homage to West Ham's No6. Paul Heffer grew up watching Bobby
Moore in the West Ham United side and then was honoured to partner the No6
at centre half for the Hammers.
He told West Ham TV: "I was in awe of him as soon as I joined the club. I
had supported West Ham since I was four - I was born near the ground, we
used to walk to the games, and Bobby Moore was my hero. I had his pictures
on the wall and then was fortunate enough to actually play alongside him.
"It was quite nervewracking to be honest, but I had trained alongside him
previously. He was very good to the young players who came into the side.
Before my debut, he just said 'go and enjoy it - it's a game of football, go
and enjoy it'. "That's what you tried to do. Nerves did sometimes take over
when you were that young, but he always would support you and if you made a
mistake he would lift you up and say 'get on with it, go for the next one'."
All this week and over the weekend, West Ham TV brings you interviews with
those who knew Moore best, including his daughter Roberta and his former
West Ham, Fulham and England team-mates.
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Turgott relishing Wembley dream
WHUFC.com
Blair Turgott is thrilled to be gearing up for a Wembley final as Bradford
City take on Swansea City
23.02.2013
West Ham United starlet Blair Turgott can hardly believe his luck as he
contemplates running out at Wembley in Sunday's Capital One Cup final
against Swansea City. The 18-year-old winger penned a short-term loan deal
at Bradford City in November, a stint that has coincided with the Bantams'
scarcely believable run to the League Cup final. In just two months Turgott
has racked up eleven appearances for the npower League Two outfit, including
memorable Capital One Cup cameos against both Arsenal and Aston Villa.
Wembley now awaits for the young man and whatever transpires on Sunday he
has every intention of savouring what is sure to a special weekend. "Of
course, when you're young, you want to be involved in games like this,"
Turgott told whufc.com. "To play at somewhere like Wembley will be a great
experience, if I'm given the chance. I'm looking forward to it and
everyone's buzzing to be fair. "While I've been on loan here, I've had a
chance to get on the pitch and feel the atmosphere in all the games leading
up to the final. That was brilliant to be involved in and whatever happens
individually for me, I know it will be a great experience and a great day
for everyone. "A company in Bradford have sorted us out with suits and we're
going to look smart and sharp. We're going to look the part going up there,
so it's going to be good."
Turgott has become part of a strong West Ham contingent at Valley Parade,
with former Hammers Kyel Reid and Zavon Hines also plying their trade with
the West Yorkshire club. All three could yet be involved in Sunday's Wembley
showpiece, as Bradford bid to topple a fourth Barclays Premier League side
in the competition. "When I first started it was nice to have some familiar
faces, because obviously I knew Zavon and Reidy from West Ham," Turgott
explained. "It's always nice to share occasions like this with people you
know. "But I think once I've been here the boys themselves have been great.
To be fair, they're a good set of lads. You can see by the things you've all
witnessed that we definitely deserve to be here. "We obviously realise we're
underdogs going into it. Especially as we've come this far, to win it would
be the icing on the cake. But with the backing and recognition the club has
had, it has been great for everyone involved and as players we're going to
try and win it. We'll take it as it comes and just enjoy the moment. "Three
months ago I was at West Ham playing in the Development Squad. When I had
the chance to come out on loan I did hear they had the Arsenal game. But
it's a dream to play at Wembley and to be involved in a cup final and being
so young as well, it can only be good for my career going forward."
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Ginge expecting great atmosphere
WHUFC.com
23.02.2013
A London derby against Tottenham Hotspur with another bumper home crowd at
the Boleyn Ground is just the way to celebrate the life of a legend like the
late Bobby Moore OBE, says West Ham United defender James Collins. The No19
is fully aware of the impact Moore had and continues to have at West Ham and
says that the activities planned by the club around the match on Monday week
will be a fitting gesture to the life of the former World Cup winning
captain.
As defender himself Collins knows all too well the skills of Moore, even
though he was too young to see him actually play. But ever since he arrived
at the Hammers in his first spell, he knew just what Moore meant to the fans
and everyone at the club. He said: "It is just massive, what Bobby Moore
means to everyone connected with West Ham United. I remember being here in
my first spell and we retired his No6 shirt that said it to me, what a
legend the man is and was in during his life. "There are photographs of him
around the place, the training ground and the stadium and we are reminded
every day of the presence he had and continues to have. It is respected and
welcomed by all the players as he is someone we all appreciate and to be at
the same club as he was at, is great."
With the strong connection Moore still has with the club, even though he
sadly passed away 20 years ago on 24 February 1993, Collins says that means
that his legend will continue to live on. He continued: "There are people
around the club still who have great stories to tell about Bobby, that he
was a lovely man as well as a great player and I am sure the fans have as
well, stories that will be passed on to future generations of our supporters
still to come. "I have seen clips of him playing, you could see the class he
had and for me, he is the best defender that has played the game. On what is
the 20th anniversary of him passing away, it would be a good tribute for us
to get that good result against Tottenham for him as well."
Speaking about the Hammers' London neighbours, Welsh-born Collins said the
team are well aware of a certain other Welshman in the opposition ranks,
Gareth Bale. Bale is an international team-mate of Collins, the two having
played together for their country several times. He added: "He is on fire
but he has been terrific all season for them. It is a tough one. I was
speaking with Nobes [Mark Noble] the other day about [Robin] van Persie, we
said he is the sort of player, that if he is going to score he will, Gareth
is similar in that respect. "We know like other teams, you have to be on
your toes with a player like Gareth, he is one of the best players in the
Premier League at the moment. But you know, as a team we will go into this
game with confidence, we know what we can do at home and will be giving it a
right go, to get those three points."
Collins said there was no better boost for the team than playing in front of
another full capacity Boleyn Ground crowd under the lights. He explained:
"The night games are the best for me. I love playing in them, under the
lights with a big crowd. Our supporters are passionate and noisy anyway, but
the night games seem to bring that out more and it should be a great
atmosphere. "There is nothing like your supporters giving it everything to
get behind you. It is then up to us to make sure we are performing on the
pitch to make sure they stay on side with us and keep that atmosphere going.
"If we can get back to how we were defending at the start of the season,
keeping clean sheets and being solid at the back, then that will filter
through to scoring more goals again. There is no reason why we can't do
that. "We are still in a good position in the league table. Hopefully we can
get off to a solid start against Tottenham, which will get our fans cheering
and we can look to kick on again from there."
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Motty on Mooro
WHUFC.com
BBC commentator John Motson shares his memories of the late, great Bobby
Moore
23.02.2013
John Motson OBE has watched a lot of great players and unforgettable matches
during a commentary career spanning more than 40 years. However, it was in
the little-known Anglo-Scottish Cup final between Middlesbrough and Fulham
in November 1975 that 'Motty' had his first opportunity to commentate on the
late, great Bobby Moore. Fulham were beaten 1-0 on a wet Wednesday evening
at Ayresome Park, but Moore put aside his disappointment to welcome the
soaked Motson into the away dressing room for a post-match chat. "Bobby's
playing career was drawing to a close when I started commentating, but I did
meet him on a number of occasions," Motson recalls. "I'm only going to
repeat what other people say, he was the perfect gentleman. He behaved with
a great deal of humility for a man who had achieved so much. "I can remember
the first time I ever did a midweek game for the BBC, it was a really
forgettable one - a rainy Wednesday night in Middlesbrough with Fulham in
the final of the Anglo-Scottish Cup. Bobby was playing for Fulham and I was
shivering waiting outside in the pouring rain to try and get hold of someone
to do an interview. He opened the dressing room door and welcomed me inside
to get in the dry. That was the England World Cup-winning captain and I
thought 'What a lovely thing to do'."
Moore, of course, went on to follow Motson into the commentary box, working
as an analyst and summariser for Capital Gold radio. Again, Motson said the
West Ham United and England legend treated his broadcasting colleagues with
the utmost respect. "I did meet him a number of times in his local radio
days, of course. He never behaved like a man who was the colossus that he
was. "I think he should have been given a Knighthood for being the only man
to captain England to winning the World Cup. I don't think he quite got the
credit in his latter years that perhaps he should have done. He never pushed
himself forward, Bobby. He was always happy to play a supporting role. If
you met him at a function he was always very charming."
Surprisingly, Motson even played alongside the great centre-half at the
stadium where he lifted the FA Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and FIFA World
Cup in the mid-1960s - Wembley. "Before a final at Wembley of the lower
division teams, there was a celebrity match on the Wembley pitch. I think it
was ten minutes each-way before the big game. Believe it or not I actually
played for ten minutes in the game and at half-time they made all the
substitutions because there were about 30 or 40 celebrities who wanted to
play the game and I walked off the Wembley pitch with Bobby Moore, because I
was being substituted and so was he! "The other thing I remember about that
day was how he was the one who went round the dressing room handing out the
kit to everybody. Bobby was a leader, certainly, but he had the humility and
the down to earth attitude that he was quite happy to go around and give
people their shirts."
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Setford sets sights on league title
WHUFC.com
Julia Setford called on her players to respond in the wake of Sunday's
defeat at Colchester United
23.02.2013
West Ham United Ladies manager Julia Setford was in bullish mood as she
plots to shake off cup disappointment with a renewed title charge in the FA
Women's Premier League Southern Division. Setford was none-too impressed
with a lacklustre showing at Essex rivals Colchester United, as her side
bowed out of the FA Essex County Cup. Frustrating though it may be,
single-minded Setford is turning her attention to league matters ahead of
Sunday's trip to Lewes, intent on leading her ladies to the Southern
Division summit. Though the Hammers are currently fifth, some eight points
behind frontrunners Reading, West Ham have as many as four games in hand on
other sides, and that, says Setford, is reason enough to be positive.
"Ultimately, we always wanted to win the league," she explained. "We haven't
got to worry about any cups now and we've got a few games in hand on other
teams. Hopefully the weather will get better and the pitches won't be so
boggy. If that's the case we can start playing our football and get a few
results. I believe we can still do well in this league. "As you get towards
the end of the season, other teams will have finished playing and we might
get the advantage where we continue to play. We've got good momentum all the
way through to the end of the league now. We're looking forward to a trip to
Sunday and hopefully picking up three points and moving on there. "I do
believe it's possible to win the league. We've just got to be disciplined
and focused on the job in hand. "It was disappointing against Colchester but
we've got them twice in the league and I know for a fact we won't be making
the mistakes we made on Sunday."
If semi-final defeat at Colchester was not hard enough to bear, Setford was
dealt another blow with in-form striker Hannah Gowland suffering a
season-ending ankle injury. Gowland's misfortune does, however, give her
fellow forwards an opportunity to make an impression, with Zoe Lipley-Hinton
and Samantha Rowland the likely deputies. "Sunday was very disappointing to
be honest," added Setford. "Colchester know we're a footballing side. There
were a few strong challenges and some refereeing decisions that didn't go
our way. But at the end of the day, we didn't really turn up. "It was a
massive blow to lose Hannah so early. We had struggled with her in the week
but we got her through. Unfortunately, she went over on her ankle from a
strong challenge and sadly she has torn all her ligaments, so I don't think
we'll see much of her for the rest of the season. "It's a massive blow. We
were starting to put some goals away. But it's one of those things, we've
got other players who can come in and do just as good a job. Little Zoe and
Sam Rowland have got to step up now and prove they want that shirt and it's
down to them to compete for who's going to get it. It is disappointing but
we'll get ourselves together and move forward."
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce targets home form as key to overcoming Tottenham
Last Updated: February 23, 2013 1:59pm
SSN
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce is confident his side's strong home form this
season will help them overcome an in-form Tottenham team in Monday's Sky
Live clash. He has warned his side to be extra vigilant against Gareth
Bale,who has scored six goals in Spurs' last five matches. But Allardyce is
still convinced they can nullify the threat posed by the Welshman and impose
themselves on the game. "We know like other teams, you have to be on your
toes with a player like Gareth, he is one of the best players in the Premier
League at the moment," said Allardyce. "But as a team we will go into this
game with confidence, we know what we can do at home and will be giving it a
right go, to get those three points. "Our home form has been excellent all
season and so we're going to hopefully make sure Tottenham worry about us
for a long period of time on Monday night, rather than us worry about them
too much."
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Remembering Bobby Moore
By Iain Dale
West Ham Till I Die
It really doesn't seem 20 years ago since Bobby Moore departed this earth.
February 24th 1993. On Monday the club will mark the occasion before the
start of the Tottenham match at Upton Park, and well they might. Bobby Moore
remains the greatest player ever to play for our great club, and I would
argue, the greatest player ever to play for England. But for some very
strange reason he never got the recognition he deserved when he was alive.
Were he still with us today he would no doubt have become a feted figure,
with major ambassadorial roles to play. But when he died his only part in
the beautiful game was as an occasional commentator on Capital Gold.
I don't think I ever saw Bobby Moore play live. By the time I attended my
first match at Upton Park against Chelsea in 1974 he had departed for
Fulham. And I am pretty sure he didn't play in the testimonial match at
Cambridge I had attended a couple of years earlier. But even at the age of
twelve I knew what a great player he had been. His grace on the pitch was
matchless. I've never seen a player since who could time his tackles like
Bobby Moore or look so comfortable on the ball. His philosophy was simple.
Get the ball, then pass it to someone who could do something with it.
People seem to forget that Moore's achievements weren't just captaining
England to winning the World Cup in 1966. He had captained West Ham to cup
success in each of the two previous seasons, winning the FA Cup in 1964 and
the European Cup Winners Cup in 1965. His finest match was probably the 1970
World Cup match against Brazil. His battle with Pele remains one of the
greatest footballing duels of all time. And it was a duel which Moore won,
although you might not think it from the result. The picture of them
exchanging shirts at the end of the game demonstrated the mutual respect
they had for each other.
It is right that West Ham now remember Moore in the way that he deserves
because from the moment he left for Fulham to the day he died he was treated
shabbily. West Ham even demanded a £50,000 transfer fee when he left the
club in 1974. But even after he retired there was no recognition, no role
offered, not even as a roving ambassador, but Bobby never complained. The
Football Association also did nothing to use his undoubted abilities. He
almost became a non person. His managerial career never got off the ground
and the only opening at that time for him to keep a hand in the game was to
become a pundit. Not with the BBC, but with Capital Gold. It was a sad
ending to his football career.
'Moore Than a Football Club' says the billboard in the north east corner of
Upton Park. A huge Bobby Moore banner hangs from the corner of the West
Stand. Bobby Moore's memory is alive and well at Upton Park nowadays,
although some of us remain slightly queasy about how his memory is being
used as a marketing tool. But that's a minor carp.
Tomorrow, everyone at the ground will remember Bobby Moore. The greatest.
KUMB have done a 45 minute podcast on Bobby Moore, with tributes from Trevor
Brooking, Harry Redknapp, David Gold and many others, including, er, me.
And finally, here's a 50 minute discussion and tribute to Bobby Moore,
broadcast on 5 Live on February 13th.
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Big Sam's big deal
Published: 8 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM will offer Sam Allardyce a new deal in the summer... IF he keeps
them in the Premier League. Big Sam's contract is up at the end of the
season but Hammers are ready to hand him a new deal worth between
£1.5-£2million. An Upton Park source revealed: "If the club stays up, Sam
will be offered a new deal. "He will have brought us up in a season and kept
us up — it gets no better than that. "The club needs stability and he will
have brought that. Another two years of the same kind of progress is exactly
what's required. "However, if we were relegated he would have to accept a
big pay cut and that probably wouldn't be acceptable."
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Pal Bobby was a knight of old
The Sun
By HARRY REDKNAPP
Published: 8 hrs ago
IT'S unbelievable to think two decades have gone since my mate Bobby Moore
passed away — about as unbelievable as the fact he was never knighted.
Bobby left us exactly 20 years ago today but you could go another century
and I doubt you'd find anyone who had a bad word about him. Rather like he
was with everyone else, to be honest. But while everyone knows what a
player, what an icon, what an ambassador Bobby was, I bet there aren't many
who realise he may not have even got a West Ham contract in the first place
if it hadn't been for Malcolm Allison. Bobby was in his early teens and
still hoping for his big break when Big Mal was the Guv'nor at Upton Park.
And in a dressing room full of characters like Noel Cantwell, Frank
O'Farrell, Dave Sexton and John Bond, that took some doing. Malcolm knew
even then he wanted to be a coach and on a Tuesday and Thursday night he
used to go down to train the kids.
When Bobby was about 15 or so it was touch and go whether he'd be taken on
full time. There were certainly some who were unsure. But Mal took a shine
to him, saw something there that not everyone did and really pushed for him
to get a contract. Bobby would always swear the most important influence in
his career was Malcolm Allison and insisted the advice he got was what made
him into a player. The two of them became great friends, even though when
Bobby became a fixture in the first team, it was at Malcolm's expense. Of
course, we all know what Bobby went on to but he never forgot how big a part
Big Mal played, and always said he'd been his mentor.
Bobby eventually became THE Guv'nor at West Ham and we all put him on a
pedestal — even if some of his methods would make modern-day coaches go
berserk. Back then, Sunday was always a day off but Bobby would go in
religiously for a few laps and Albert the kitman would have everything laid
out for him. Bobby liked a few lagers on a Saturday night and sometimes
would go straight in the following day, still in his dinner suit and bow
tie. Then he'd often have a couple more in the Black Lion before heading
home! That's just what we did in those days and it didn't do us any harm...
a far cry from these days.
Talking of which, I see Sam Allardyce has taken a bit of stick but I can't
really understand why because staying in the Premier League this season was
always the be-all and end-all. And he's doing a great job. Sam took over a
Championship team, got them back into the top flight and staying up ain't
easy. They can talk about the style of football played but over the years
West Ham had become a yo-yo club and no Hammers fan wants that. If Sam keeps
them up — and all the signs are he will — then I really don't know what more
he could have done. They've not got the massive budgets of the likes of
Chelsea, Spurs or the Manchester clubs, so anything he achieves is
fantastic. His brief is surely to stay in the Premier League, establish West
Ham and then, maybe, pick up one of the cups. That's easier said than done,
we all know, but he certainly deserves a crack at it.
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Eleven-man band: Matt Taylor says it is wrong to only hail Bale alone ahead
of Spurs clash
The Mirror
23 Feb 2013 22:30
Jamie McDonald
Matt Taylor has warned his West Ham teammates Tottenham are no one-man
band. The Gareth Bale Show arrives at Upton Park tomorrow in a crucial
match for both clubs. West Ham need the points to ensure they are not
dragged into the relegation dogfight after a poor run that has left then
looking nervously at the drop zone. Spurs want a win to maintain their push
for a Champions League football next season, with their sights on the top
four rather than the bottom three. Their assault will be headed by in-form
Bale, but Taylor is aware of the talent throughout the whole team. Taylor
said: "Everybody is talking about Gareth because he is scoring and playing
well. But Bale is only one of a number of players we are going to have to
watch. We'll have to try to shackle them."
Taylor is aware morale at White Hart Lane has been boosted by the team's
progress into the last 16 of the Europa League. "They are obviously on a
high," said Taylor. "I would not suggest Tottenham are a one-man team
because they have lots of exceptional players. We have to keep as a close
an eye as possible on those players, but also do our stuff." West Ham have
only three games in March due to the cup commitments of other sides. That
could give clubs around them a chance to make up ground and lead to a
fixture pile-up. But Taylor is not concerned, saying: "It will show us what
we need to get from any games in hand. We were in the Championship last
season, playing Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday. We are used to it." Today marks
the 20th anniversary of the death of West Ham and England legend Bobby
Moore, which will be marked by a minute's applause ahead of the match.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Saturday, February 23
Daily WHUFC News - 23rd February 2013
West Ham United statement
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are committed to tackling discrimination and prejudice in
football
22.02.2013
West Ham United are committed to tackling discrimination in whatever form it
takes and will continue to promote events and campaigns throughout the year
that highlight and combat prejudice towards individuals because of
disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion. West Ham United's
stance of championing programmes promoting inclusion and tolerance has
already been displayed at the start of 2013 through the backing of the
Football v Homophobia campaign and their support of the annual Holocaust
Memorial Day.
February is Football v Homophobia's month of awareness in connection with
the annual Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Month, and the club's
support for their campaign has been in evidence again this week ahead of
Monday's game against Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham United are also committed to act upon any isolated incidents of
discriminatory behaviour from individuals at matches, both home and away.
In conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, the club operates a zero
tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination, and any fan found to be
acting inappropriately - including racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic
behaviour - will be punished to the full extent of the law and banned from
attending matches.
In a joint statement West Ham United Joint Chairmen David Sullivan and David
Gold said: "We both feel it is hugely important that we are continuing our
great work from 2012 that highlights discrimination in society today. We
supported a number of key initiatives last year which we are continuing to
build on throughout 2013.
"We firmly believe that West Ham United is a club that promotes fairness and
inclusion and we want the Boleyn Ground to continue to be a place that
people from all backgrounds feel welcome. "We have made it very clear that
we will not tolerate any form of discriminatory behaviour and one by one we
will root out those fans that do not deserve to represent this great club of
ours. We must be clear that we will pursue the harshest sanctions against
any individual who goes against what we stand for as a club. "It is obvious
that the vast, vast majority of Hammers fans support the club in the right
way and we are very grateful for the tremendous backing we receive from our
supporters. However, in the rare case that supporters do see or hear
anything they think is unacceptable, there are a number of ways they can
report the matter. Two of the easiest ways are to speak to their nearest
steward at the stadium or use the Boleyn Ground's anonymous fan phone number
- 07860 404 069 - where all calls will be treated in the strictest of
confidence. "Everyone at West Ham United is looking forward to Monday's
visit of Tottenham Hotspur. It should be a fantastic game of football, a
wonderful opportunity to remember Bobby Moore - the greatest player to don
the famous claret and blue - and a chance to show the world what being a
Hammers fan is all about - supporting with pride, passion and respect."
Kick It Out Chairman Lord Herman Ouseley added: "Clubs have the power to
show leadership and set an example for the vast majority of its supporters
to follow and West Ham have done exactly that.
"Kick It Out has seen first-hand the appetite the club has in embracing
anti-discrimination initiatives, with David Gold and James Tomkins both
acting as campaign ambassadors in 2012. By doing this they're helping to
send a message as to what is and what isn't acceptable.
"It is clear they feel abuse won't be tolerated and, in a period where the
issue is high on the agenda, this approach is something we applaud."
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Big Sam on: Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United manager talks to the press ahead of Monday's game
against Tottenham Hotspur
22.02.2013
Sam Allardyce faces the luxury of a selection headache on Monday night
against Tottenham Hotspur after Joey O'Brien and James Collins returned to
training this week. The boss has an almost-fully fit squad, although he
wishes that was the case in December and January when the Hammers faced a
heavy schedule of fixtures. But for now, he is pleased to have as many
options as possible with the top-four chasing Spurs visiting the Boleyn
Ground.
Sam, can we start with the team news for Monday?
SA - "This morning Joey O'Brien has joined in after being substituted at
Aston Villa, so we're hoping his leg is OK. James Collins has been in
training for the last few days to come back ready and be selected in the
squad. George McCartney is training with the first team squad today for the
first time since his injury about ten weeks ago, so the squad is looking fit
and strong. Selection processes are what a manager needs and it gives us a
good, broad base of squad members in strength in depth to select from moving
forward in the last third of the season. "Our difficulty is that coming into
March we've only got three games in the month. It's going to be a big period
to actually manage the players without really enough games. We had too many
games in December and January and now because of circumstances with
Manchester United beating Reading and an international break as well, we've
not got enough in March. We've got a big squad fully fit, but only three
matches for them to compete in. "We'll keep on top of the players' fitness
and make sure we're ready for every game because with such long periods
[between games] keeping the players focused and concentrated is one of the
difficulties. We'll look at the week-to-week management of the players and
decide what we want to do. More importantly, we have to keep them fit and
keep them all ready for selection."
What have you made of Tottenham of late and in particular Gareth Bale?
SA - "They've been very good. The team from an attacking point of view has
been outstanding, Recently they've lost their leading goalscorer, who is
Jermain Defoe, and Adebayor has been away at the Africa Cup of Nations, so
from a goalscoring point of view they've had to rely on one man and one man
only to come up with the goods. That's Gareth Bale and he's been the major
difference between Tottenham and the teams they've played recently. "Not
only has he scored very important goals, but they've been stunning goals at
that. He's going to need some looking after on Monday night. If we can do
that we nullify a threat that Tottenham have. Of course [Aaron] Lennon is a
threat down the other side, but he doesn't quite score as many goals as
Gareth Bale. We're not sure yet whether Jermain Defoe will be fit, but
certainly we've got to cope with that strike force. "Our home form has been
excellent all season and so we're going to hopefully make sure Tottenham
worry about us for a long period of time on Monday night, rather than us
worry about them too much."
The Bobby Moore tributes on Monday night - how important will they be for
the fans and the club?
SA - "Hopefully we can win the game and that would be the best thing that
could happen to celebrate Bobby Moore. He was a magnificent influence in the
world of football - not only at West Ham. I was very fortunate to play
against him in his days at Fulham and I can remember him distinctly as an
outstanding footballer. I think I was 18 at the time, breaking into first
team football at Bolton, and we were playing in the Second Division trying
to get into the First. Fulham had Moore, Mullery, Best and Marsh and we
still beat them!"
How impressed have you been with Winston Reid this season?
SA - "In Winston's short period of time with me, he's developed really well
in terms of his consistent level of performance and how he's learnt to do
his job as a defender first and as a footballer second. We lose sight of
good defenders today - I think the Barclays Premier League is as exciting as
it is because defenders aren't as good as they used to be in my opinion. Not
in Winston's case though, he's come out to be one of the most productive and
consistent defenders in the Premier League for me. He's been an outstanding
figure for us this season. "It's taken him to a new level. His first year in
the Premier League was a difficult one, he learnt an awful lot in the
Championship last year and has carried that forward into the Premier League.
I've been really pleased with his development."
He's worn the armband recently. Do you see him as possibly a future captain?
SA - "Perhaps, but I think if there's going to be another captain at the
club at the moment that would be Mark Noble. He's grown as a footballer and
he's West Ham through and through. Eventually, if anything happened to Kevin
[Nolan] he would be the man, but Winston has grown and might be captain
material.
How's Wellington Paulista getting on?
SA - "He's scoring a few goals in the Under-21s Developement Team. Hopefully
sooner or later we can get him introduced into the first team squad. Back in
December I only had one striker, Carlton Cole, today I've got five - Maiga,
Carroll, Cole, Paulista and Chamakh. I've got plenty of numbers to work with
which is great competition for places. That makes it a little bit harder for
him to get in, but of course if he continues to score for the U21s we'll
look at him at some stage."
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Jussi relishing Bale hearing
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is ready to face Tottenham
Hotspur's Gareth Bale
22.02.2013
Jussi Jaaskelainen is relishing the opportunity to take on the Barclays
Premier League's most prolific player on Monday night. Tottenham Hotspur's
Wales winger Gareth Bale has scored 21 goals in 36 appearances for club and
country so far this season - including seven in his previous five matches.
The lightning-quick left-footer has netted all types of goals this term,
including three unstoppable free-kicks in recent victories over Newcastle
United and French side Olympique Lyonnais. Rather than be intimidated,
however, West Ham United goalkeeper Jaaskelainen is looking forward to
pitting his wits against Bale, who scored in Spurs' 3-1 league win at White
Hart Lane in November. "The ideal situation is that we don't give those
silly free-kicks away around the box - that's how you stop him because if
you don't give him free-kicks he can't do it again!" said the No22. "He has
obviously done lots of practice on the free-kicks and the only thing a
'keeper can do is see the ball all the way and hope it doesn't go in right
next to the post and he has a chance to save the ball. "He seems to have
found a new technique and a new way to take his free-kicks."
Jaaskelainen was beaten by a Charles N'Zogbia free-kick at Aston Villa last
time out, but it was the first time a direct set piece had ended up in the
Finn's net all season. Modern-day footballs seem to have a mind of their
own, but the West Ham stopper refuses to blame the ball for the succession
of free-kicks that have been scored in the Barclays Premier League this
term. "Over the past ten years or so, they seem to try to make a quicker
football in the Premier League, and you can obviously see that more goals
like that seemed to be scored every year. "That's a big part of how the ball
has been designed, but I still think it is a great ball and good to play
football with, and of course goals are what the fans want to see! "I am not
too worried about it or complaining. You have to try to keep them out.
That's the name of the game and hopefully we can do that on Monday."
Beating Andre Villas-Boas' side will be easier said than done, however, as
Tottenham are unbeaten in ten Barclays Premier League matches dating back to
a 2-1 defeat at Everton on 9 December. Regardless of that enviable record,
Jaaskelainen is looking forward to what promises to be a memorable night
under the lights at the Boleyn Ground, with the club marking the 20th
anniversary of the death of Hammers and England legend Bobby Moore OBE.
"Tottenham seem to have been going extremely well for the past two or three
months but our home form, with our fans behind us, has been good. We just
need to keep performing the way we have been at home and I think we'll give
them a good game."
*A limited number of tickets are still available for Monday's Barclays
Premier League fixture with Tottenham Hotspur. To secure your seat now,
click on the link below.
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Bonzo pays tribute to Bobby
WHUFC.com
Billy Bonds reveals his fond memories of West Ham United legend Bobby Moore
OBE
22.02.2013
Picture the scene...3 November 1992. The wind whips in off the North Sea, on
a chillingly cold Tuesday evening in Cleethorpes, where Trevor Morley's
late-leveller has just helped West Ham United to secure a precious point
against Grimsby Town. The Hammers will go on to plunder promotion to the
Premier League in six months time but, for now, as the floodlights start to
flicker and fade and a crowd of 9,119 - the Mariners' largest attendance of
the season to date - drift away into the night, two West Ham United legends
exchange a few words pitch-side at a bleak, blustery Blundell Park. "I was
walking back from the manager's press conference, when I spotted Bobby Moore
sitting there all alone on the terrace wall," recalls Billy Bonds, who made
a club record 793 appearances for the club before taking over the managerial
reins for a further 237 matches. "We had just got a 1-1 draw on a typically
freezing November night and Mooro had been covering the game for Capital
Gold. 'What on earth are you doing up here? What time will you be getting
back to London?' I asked.
"He said: 'Don't worry, Bonzo, I'll be home by about 3:00 a.m.' Sure, I know
that he liked doing all his local radio commentary work but, for me, I was
sorry to see how it had all ended up for him. Football should've been a lot
kinder to an icon like Bobby Moore...after all, you wouldn't ever see Pele
or Franz Beckenbauer going all the way up to Grimsby Town on a Tuesday night
in November, would you?
"Sadly, that was the last time I ever saw Mooro," continues Bill, forever
cherishing precious memories of the 108-times capped World Cup winning
captain, who stands just two rungs below him on the Hammers all-time
appearance ladder with 642 outings in the claret and blue. Contrast that
final, forlorn, rain-swept rendezvous with their first-ever meeting, some
three decades earlier. "I was about 14-years-old and I didn't have clue who
Bobby Moore was," admits Bonzo. "My Sunday morning team had just won a
trophy and our coach - Mr Flowers - arranged for a surprise guest to present
the medals in our local school hall.
"This good looking lad turned up with his wife-to-be and they watched us
from up on the stage, while we were all given footballs to do some skills
and drills down on the floor below. "To be honest, having been born in
Woolwich, I was a Charlton Athletic boy and they were only in the second
division at the time. Although we knew that the blond, well-built fellow
sitting up there was a West Ham United player, we didn't really know any
more than that but, even then, it was obvious that this young lad - Bobby
Moore - definitely had something about him. "Seven years, an FA Cup, a
European Cup Winners Cup and, of course, one World Cup later, I ended up in
the same West Ham side. It was unbelievable!" continues Bill, who journeyed
through the Blackwall Tunnel to the Boleyn Ground in May 1967, following his
£47,500 transfer from The Valley. "Going on to play alongside Bobby Moore
was such a big thing for me because he really was top-drawer. That
presentation at the school left me totally in awe of him and, to be honest,
I never got over it.
"Mooro was an absolute icon. I respected a lot of team-mates and opponents
down the years but he was the only person in my entire career, who made me
feel that way. "I wasn't one of his muckers and not being a drinker, I
wouldn't say that I was in his crew either but he was fantastic to me from
the day that I arrived and I loved him as a player and as a person," reveals
the 66-year-old. "Bobby Moore had a presence both off and on the field.
"There was no side to him at all and, having lifted the World Cup, he'd been
the most famous person on the planet on that July afternoon at Wembley in
1966 but, despite all of that, Bobby wasn't the slightest bit lairy. Mooro
treated everyone the same, no matter who they were. "These days, I could
name a thousand players, who have achieved nothing like what Bobby did, yet
they go about their business acting really flash and walking around as
though they own the place. "Bobby Moore wasn't a particularly good header of
the ball and he wasn't very quick either but, boy, his timing was
impeccable. He didn't need to be good in the air or fast because he could
read the game so well - he always seemed to be in the right place at the
right time to nick the ball off a centre-forward. "And he was just so good
at bringing the ball out of defence and starting attacks, too."
Both summoned to Buckingham Palace during their playing careers, Bobby Moore
OBE and Billy Bonds MBE were each recognised in The Queen's New Year's
Honours List for their contributions to the beautiful game. But down West
Ham way, they could not have had more contrasting styles. Just compare the
Persil-white, perfectly-coiffeured, Mooro to the swashbuckling, pirate-like,
Bonzo. "I started out playing for West Ham at right-back, while Bobby was in
central defence and we were total opposites," confirms Bonds. "Mooro was
never one to shout or holler, he was totally calm and collected and always
looked immaculate, whereas I was always muddy, up and at 'em and with my
beard and long hair, people used to say that I resembled a Viking! "We
never, ever had any disagreements but I can remember we were under the cosh
up at Sunderland one day, when I looked across and saw him shouting and
wagging his finger towards me. "I had a right pop back at him only to then
see that familiar Mooro look, where he would raise his eyebrows. It was only
then that I turned around and, to my horror, saw he was actually having a go
at the linesman for not putting his flag up. I felt so small!"
Despite having climbed the 39 steps to the Royal Box at Wembley to lift that
hat-trick of trophies in the mid-60s, Moore sadly found himself frustrated
in his quest to bring any more silverware back to the Boleyn Ground. But
having made his senior debut in September 1958, it was testament to the
great man, that he remained down West Ham way until spring 1974, when he
finally headed way out west to Fulham, while Bonzo was handed the coveted
captaincy by Ron Greenwood. "There was a loyalty in those days," insists
Bill. "It wasn't only Bobby because you have to remember that people such as
Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Frank Lampard and Trevor Brooking had also come
up through the youth ranks. West Ham United were very fortunate that they
had a group of players, who stayed for a long time, even though the threat
of relegation was often hanging over the club. Those players could all have
found other clubs very easily. "The game's changed so much now and, today,
players always seem to be looking to move on as soon as anything starts to
go wrong. "It was a privilege to take over from Bobby as captain of West Ham
United but they were very big boots to fill," continues Bill, who fittingly
found himself lining up against his predecessor in the shadow of Wembley's
Twin Towers just over 12 months later. "Ironically, just a year or so after
he went to Fulham, Mooro ended up facing us in the 1975 FA Cup Final. To be
honest, there was no room for sentiment that day and, make no mistake, Bobby
would have loved to have put one over on us, while we also wanted to go out
there and lift that trophy, too. "As the older players, Alan Mullery and
Mooro realised that it was probably their last-ever chance to win a medal
and, knowing that no-one ever remembers the runners-up, they really wanted
to win that game just as much as we did.
"Being in the old second division, Fulham were the underdogs and, although
we didn't play that well on the day, their keeper probably didn't end up
having his best afternoon and Alan Taylor came up trumps with his double
that gave us a 2-0 win in the end. I've got a photograph of me and Graham
Paddon consoling Bobby after the game because he was obviously down and
Kevin Lock and a few of the other lads came over, too, but all we could say
really was: 'Unlucky mate.' "
Sandwiched between a post-retirement, trail-blazing adventure playing in the
North American Soccer League and his later stint in the commentary box,
Moore also tried his hand at management with Oxford City and Southend
United. And, in a final twist of tragic fate, Bonzo was the Hammers boss,
when Bobby prematurely passed away, at the age of 51, on 24 February 1993.
"Our first game following Bobby's death was up at Sunderland and there was a
minute's silence before the game," recounts Bill. "We were away from home
and while 99% of fans are usually as good as gold in those situations,
there's always that one per cent, who want to spoil it. "But even though
those 60 seconds were for a West Ham player, you could have heard a pin drop
at Roker Park that afternoon and that just showed how much respect there was
for Bobby Moore, both up and down the country and throughout the entire
game. "It was even more emotional at the Boleyn Ground the following week,
when we played Wolves. Before the game, Ron Greenwood, Martin Peters and
Geoff Hurst carried a giant wreath depicting Bobby's No6 shirt out to the
centre-circle and, once again, the whole ground fell totally silent. It was
a very sad time for everyone. "Looking back - and if I had my time again as
manager - I would have done a bit more to get Bobby involved with the club,
say, in some kind of ambassadorial role but, by the time I became West Ham
manager, he was already working in radio and he seemed to be enjoying his
involvement with his fellow commentators like Jonathan Pearce. "I can't
believe that it's 20 years since we lost him," concludes Bill. "I was very,
very lucky to have had the chance to play with Bobby Moore and that is
something that I am so proud to tell my two grandchildren."
*West Ham United would like to thank Steve Blowers for conducting this
interview with Billy Bonds.
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West Ham v Tottenham: Hammers warn fans over chanting
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have warned fans against racist behaviour when the Hammers play
Tottenham on Monday. The match, where the 20th anniversary of Bobby Moore's
death will be marked, comes three months after anti-Semitic chanting marred
the reverse fixture. Hammers chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan issued a
statement on Friday. "We must be clear that we will pursue the harshest
sanctions against any individual who goes against what we stand for as a
club," they said. Two West Ham fans accepted a police caution, and one of
them was given a lifetime ban from matches for gestures made at the 25
November match which Spurs won 3-1. The two cautioned supporters are
understood to have made Nazi-style salutes aimed at Tottenham supporters,
who traditionally have strong ties with London's Jewish community. Hammers
manager Sam Allardyce said: "I hope there's nothing untoward that happens in
terms of chanting.
Reporting racism West Ham say fans can report any incidents to the nearest
steward at the ground or use a phone number - 07860 404 069 - where calls
will be treated in strict confidence "Like everybody else we want to try to
reduce it to its bare minimum. We'd like to cut it out completely but I
don't think that's ever going to be the case when people get involved in
emotional situations. "But if we spot it, we've got to deal with it and
hopefully there won't be any."
Jewish co-chairman Gold said after the match at White Hart Lane that West
Ham would have a "zero tolerance" policy, in conjunction with the
Metropolitan Police, towards racist behaviour. The club say they have taken
part in several initiatives aimed at tackling discrimination on the grounds
of disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion. "Any fan found to
be acting inappropriately - including racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic
behaviour - will be punished to the full extent of the law and banned from
attending matches," said the statement. At Monday's Premier League match,
former team-mates will attend to pay tribute to ex-West Ham captain Moore,
who led England to their 1966 World Cup win. A minute's applause will be
held before kick-off and supporters will display a mosaic depicting his old
No.6 shirt.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Viva Bobby Moore: Harry Redknapp
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd February 2013
By: Chris Scull
Harry Redknapp was manager of West Ham United from 1994-2001. He was also a
close pal of Bobby Moore, whose friendship he recalled fondly when speaking
with KUMB.com's Chris Scull...
Harry: thank you for talking to us. There's a whole generation of people who
never saw Bobby play. Can you explain why so many feel that Bobby was the
greatest defender who ever lived?
Well, Bobby had a fantastic, amazing football brain. He read situations; if
you had gone and looked at Bobby play as a scout you'd have probably come
back and said "well, he's not good in the air, he's not quick, he's not
over-aggressive" - you'd have gone "hang on, we're talking about a central
defender here!" But his reading of the game was incredible, he was always in
the right place to deal with situations even before they developed.
I always thought he was seconds ahead of everybody else. He got in the right
positions to deal with danger and he was a class act both on and off the
field. He was just a fantastic person - you never saw him kicking anybody or
having aggravation, he just got on with the game, played the game. A great
sportsman and just a fantastic ambassador for English football.
Do you think he's the greatest player this country has ever produced?
Well it's difficult to say as a footballer, you know. There have been more
talented players than Bobby for sure so I wouldn't say he was the most
talented player. But he captained England, he won the World Cup and he was a
special leader of men. He was a great player and for me will always be
special.
You played alongside him at West Ham for a number of years; what was he like
to play with?
Yeah, he was great. As a captain he was quiet, he wasn't one for shouting
and screaming at everybody. He got on with the game. If Bobby did get upset
with anyone you knew you must have got him really upset because he was a
very quiet, very shy guy away from football - but also one of the lads when
he let his hair down, he was great fun and everyone loved being with Bobby.
As a captain he led by example rather than by shouting and screaming at
everybody.
You were good friends; what was he like as a drinking partner?
Oh he liked a night out, did Bob, that's for sure! He could go out with the
best of them and enjoy himself. When he had a night out you certainly knew
he'd had a night out!
Many's the time he came into training after a night out, especially on a
Sunday morning. He always used to come in on a Sunday morning and do a few
sprints and laps, or put on a wetsuit and get a sweat on. Often he'd come in
with his dinner suit and bow tie on still, from when he'd been out with Tina
or whoever the night before! Everybody loved him, he was great company and a
fantastic player and person.
You worked together at Oxford City; did his enthusiasm to start his
managerial career from the bottom surprise you?
Yeah, but he was wasted really - there was a man with such knowledge of the
game. West Ham had the opportunity to use him - and what an ambassador he'd
have been for West Ham and England. But like most people, it was only when
he died that suddenly everybody wants to start naming stands after him and
building statues. How he never got a knighthood I'll never know, it baffles
me.
No disrespect to lots of other players or whoever who haven't done anything
close to what Bobby did in the game and who ended up getting knighthoods,
but Bobby didn't and I find it unbelievable really. It's scandalous. Frank
Beckenbauer at Bayern Munich; Bobby Charlton at Manchester United, Bobby
Moore at West Ham - he should have been there, he should have been an
ambassador for the club and also, as I said, for England.
You saw him manage from close hand; do you think he had it in him to be a
successful manager?
Oh undoubtedly, yes. It's the luck of the game, this game - if you haven't
got the right players and the right team you've got no chance. I'm not being
disrespectful but Alex Ferguson could have managed a team in the lower
reaches of the fourth division for 18 months and might not have made it.
That would have been the end of him and he's the top man in our business.
Bobby didn't really get a chance to manage at a club where he could have
made a success, he went instead to Southend where he had no chance
whatsoever.
People say "oh, he wasn't a manager" - but that's only because he never got
the chance. If he had managed West Ham he may well have been the best
manager West Ham ever had - who knows? But certainly he could have been a
great manager, everybody loved and respected him and he knew the game inside
out. There was no reason he couldn't have gone on to manage if he'd had the
right players and the right team.
I've read that when you had your accident in Italy in 1990, Bobby dropped
everything - including his radio commitments - to come and be at your
bedside. Were you surprised to see him?
No; that was Bob, wasn't it. Bob was always special and a caring person. We
all grew up together, we all came to West Ham and all grew up as kids
although he was a few years older than me. We all became great friends and
it was a close-knit football club, West Ham - all London boys. He was always
going to be there for you when you needed him.
He spent his final years on the periphery of football doing radio
commentary. Do you think those running the game let him down?
Absolutely, yes. I do. The people at West Ham, people at England. To see him
commentating, doing the radio... I went to Grimsby one night with West Ham
and he's sitting there doing Radio London or whatever it was, eating a bag
of fish and chips on a freezing cold night probably getting £100. What a
waste, he should have been walking in there as ambassador for West Ham as
the people of Grimsby would have loved to have seen him there that night as
he should have been.
It was a waste and like lots of things in life; people don't realise what
they've got until it's gone.
In recent years, as you mentioned, he's had a statue erected and a stand
named after him. What changed for him to become this honoured figure that he
wasn't in his lifetime?
I don't know really, everybody just realised what he was. The greatest
England captain of all time, the only man to have captained England to
winning the World Cup - certainly the only captain in my lifetime, I'm sure
and maybe in a long time. So he'll always be special. People who were around
will never forget 1966 as it was an amazing time and an amazing feat by the
players and especially Bobby.
When did you first discover that he was ill?
He came down to Bournemouth with Stephanie and spent a few days with us. I
could see he wasn't well, he'd lost a lot of weight. I must admit when I
first saw him - I'd arranged to pick him up at Bournemouth - I got very
upset, with the amount of weight he'd lost. His trousers were hanging off of
him and he always had those great big legs, but suddenly I could see he'd
lost loads of weight. He never complained, he never said "I'm not well" - he
just got on with it. That was Mooro.
Do you remember the last time you saw him?
It would have been not long before he died, not too long before we lost him.
He came down to Bournemouth not long before that. I'm not sure exactly when
but it would have been pretty close to when he died.
So you didn't have the opportunity to say a final goodbye?
No, not really because we didn't know how desperate it was. We knew he
wasn't well but these things deteriorate quickly and he didn't make a fuss,
you know.
If he was still alive - and you had the decision - what kind of role would
you give him in football?
Well now he'd be an ambassador and certainly involved with West Ham. I think
I'd make him Chairman at West Ham, or Life President - he should be in the
front row of the Director's box every week because everybody at West Ham is
proud of him. We all loved him; the players, the managers and the fans. The
supporters at the club absolutely idolise Bobby.
Again, certainly a role in the England set-up somewhere at the FA or
wherever. He probably wouldn't be managing at 70 or whatever he'd be now,
but certainly 20 years have been wasted where he could have been of great
use to football in this country.
* Extracts from this interview may also be heard in Episode 3 of the
KUMB.com Podcast - a Bobby Moore special.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Viva Bobby Moore: Jeremy Nicholas
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd February 2013
By: Jeremy Nicholas
Jeremy Nicholas has been West Ham United's match day announcer since 1998.
Here he tells us what Bobby Moore meant to him...
When I was a kid, the biggest name in football was Bobby Moore.
He was the England captain when we won the World Cup in 1966. I don't
remember much about it as I was three. My middle sister Melanie was only a
few days old, so Dad watched the game with the baby on his lap. I'm not sure
where I was, but Mel says it was a good game and we won it four-two. Either
she has a great memory, or she's watched it back on DVD.
No trip to the Boleyn Ground is complete without a visit to the World Cup
Heroes statue on the corner of Green Street and Barking Road, with Bobby
held aloft holding the trophy. The best thing about Bobby Moore was that he
was also the captain of West Ham. By the time the 1970 World Cup came round,
I was fully up to speed about football. I had wall charts, the lot. Mel says
the pictures from Mexico were a bit fuzzy, but it gave it a certain quality.
She was only four, but already had a keen eye.
I had a six-inch statue of Bobby on my bookshelf. He was taller in real
life. I still have that statue to this day. I took it to my first day at the
BBC, my first day at Channel 5 and it even went on holiday with me to
Morocco for the 1984 Olympics. The games weren't held in Morocco, but it's
where I went on holiday. Bobby stood on top of the hotel TV for good luck as
Daley Thompson won the decathlon in Los Angeles. He tilted slightly to one
side because I left him on a radiator and his base melted. That's Bobby, not
Daley.
I only met Bobby Moore twice in real life, apart from cheering him on from
the crowd at West Ham. The first time was in 1975. We were moving house and
Nanna took me and my big sister Kathryn to the movies, to keep us out of the
way of the removal men. We saw Towering Inferno with Steve McQueen and Paul
Newman. They didn't have to pay to get in, as they were in the film.
The rest of us did have to pay. Nanna probably paid for us, she was good
like that. In those days, you had to queue outside a cinema for a popular
film. We queued along the side of the Gants Hill Odeon. I had a bit of
restless leg syndrome and danced about with excitement at the thought of
seeing a skyscraper go up in flames. My forefathers are from the low lying
fens of Cambridgeshire, so any tall building is exciting. I still have
cousins who point when they see an aeroplane in the sky.
So I was dancing around like Nijinsky, the racehorse not the ballet dancer,
and accidentally trod on the toes of the man behind us. He was tall and I
looked up to say sorry. It was Bobby Moore. I mumbled an apology and went
bright red. After that I don't remember anything, the film is a blur.
Kathryn apparently did strike up a conversation with him. She went to Miss
Brill's dance classes with Bobby's daughter Roberta who was the same age.
The way Kathryn tells it, she was on first name terms with Bobby, but I
don't believe a word of it, I think the story has been embellished over the
years, I mean whoever heard of the surname Brill?
I remember being told the following weekend Bobby Moore missed a penalty and
it was all because I trod on his toe. Well I know that's rubbish, because
Bobby didn't take penalties. So you can forget that one Kathryn!
The other time I met Bobby was at Villa Park the day West Ham lost the FA
Cup semi-final, four-nil to Nottingham Forest. The other semi-final between
Spurs and Arsenal, the first at Wembley, was live on TV in the press room
beforehand. There were plenty of places to sit, but I deliberately sat right
next to Bob and we chatted all through the game. I can't remember what we
said, it was all about the match, but I was talking to Bobby Moore. Spurs
won, setting up the mouth watering prospect of a West Ham/Spurs final.
As the press room emptied, I went to the loo. Bobby Moore was emerging from
a cubicle. As he washed his hands I wished him good luck with his radio
commentary and then I went into the cubicle he'd just left. Now I'm a bit of
a stickler when it comes to hygiene, a bit like Miles from 'Frasier', but
for the first time ever, I didn't wipe the toilet seat down before taking my
seat.
Bobby Moore was the greatest ever captain of West Ham and England, his germs
could not be harmful. On reflection it's odd behaviour and I'm not sure I
should be mentioning it. But, better out than in.
I took my seat in the stand, still grinning, and ready to watch West Ham
fight for a place in an all London Cup Final. The West Ham fans were
magnificent that day, the best I've ever known, even better in my view than
the legendary play-off semi final against Ipswich in the Pardew era. We
didn't stop singing 'Billy Bonds Claret and Blue Army' all day.
We lost four nil.
When Bobby died in 1993 I was working at BBC Greater London Radio. It came
up as just a few words on the wires – England's World Cup winning captain
Bobby Moore has died of bowel cancer.
Working in broadcasting you develop immunity to bad news stories, otherwise
you'd never be able to cope with live situations. However when it's one of
your heroes from childhood it's tough. My little statue of Bobby that sat on
my bedside locker as a kid, had come with me to my interview at GLR and he'd
been there for my first show. Now I had to read the newsflash.
With tears streaming down my face, I ripped off the script from the printer
and walked into the studio. The news editor intercepted me and asked if I
wanted somebody else to read it, but I said I would be all right. I put my
head down and read it, just exactly what it said on the script and then
walked out again without talking to the presenter.
Bobby Moore played 108 times for England, a record at the time. Peter
Shilton and David Beckham have since overtaken that total. Shilts played on
longer because he was a keeper and Becks made a lot of his appearances as a
sub, but Bobby played every single minute of every one of his 108
appearances.
The Bobby Moore Fund does brilliant work in his memory, raising awareness of
bowel cancer. I've been inspired every time I've met Stephanie at events
where I've supported them as a speaker or auctioneer. If you are ever
looking for a charity to support they are lovely people to work with. Each
year I stand out at the London Marathon cheering on every Bobby Moore Fund
runner wearing the red shirts with a number six on the back. I'd love to run
it one year for the BMF, but my osteopath won't let me.
The first game after Bobby's death was against Wolves. A giant number six
shirt made out of claret and blue flowers was carried into the centre circle
by Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. Like many around me I was struggling to
hold back the tears. Then two Wolves fans ran onto the pitch with a tribute
of their own. They obviously hadn't cleared it with anyone, but the stewards
were brilliant and didn't overreact, allowing them to place their tribute, I
think it was a cross in Wolves colours, alongside the official tributes in
the centre circle. They were warmly applauded all the way back to their
seats.
We won the game three one, which was fitting. At the end my heart was in my
mouth as a West Ham skinhead ran onto the pitch. He ran to the Wolves end,
applauded them, they clapped him back and he ran off. I'm with Brian Clough
when it comes to pitch invasions, nobody should ever enter the field of
play. But those two mini-invasions were special moments and were a fitting
tribute to England's greatest ever captain.
*This article first appeared in Jeremy's latest book, 'Mr Moon Has Left The
Stadium' which you may purchase directly from KUMB.com.
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Big Sam deal on hold
By PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 22nd February 2013
The Sun
SAM ALLARDYCE has broken his silence and confirmed all contract talks are on
hold until the summer. The West Ham boss has four months to go on a two-year
deal and is on course to achieve the twin aims set when he took over —
promotion and then Premier League safety. Allardyce, whose 11th-placed side
are at home to Tottenham on Monday, insisted both he and the club's board
had agreed to wait. He said: "This is a both-party agreement and both
parties will sort it out privately and confidentially when the time is
right."
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Hammers: We'll ban vile fans
By MIKE McGRATH
Published: 22nd February 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM will ban for life any fans using anti-Semitic chants in Monday's
London derby clash with Tottenham. Hammers owners David Gold and David
Sullivan are desperate to avoid anything tarnishing the 20th anniversary of
Bobby Moore's death. And they have told fans to report anybody they see or
hear using offensive behaviour. Last November's 3-1 defeat at White Hart
Lane was marred by shameful chants from a few West Ham followers. Gold and
Sullivan issued a statement last night saying: "We will not tolerate any
form of discriminatory behaviour and one by one we will root out those fans
that do not deserve to represent this great club of ours. "We will pursue
the harshest sanctions against any individual who goes against what we stand
for as a club. "The vast majority of Hammers fans support the club in the
right way. However, in the rare case supporters do see or hear anything
unacceptable, there are a number of ways they can report the matter."
West Ham dished out a lifetime ban to one supporter after the ugly scenes
three months ago. Moore's grandchildren will lead out the teams on Monday
night as one of a number of tributes to England's 1966 World Cup-winning
skipper. Moore played 544 games for West Ham and died on February 24, 1993,
aged 51, after battling bowel cancer. Former team-mates will attend the game
to join in the tribute with a minute's applause before kick-off. West Ham
boss Sam Allardyce also hopes the club's fans will behave. He said: "I hope
there's nothing untoward. "We'd like to cut it out and if we spot it then
we've got to deal with it."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are committed to tackling discrimination and prejudice in
football
22.02.2013
West Ham United are committed to tackling discrimination in whatever form it
takes and will continue to promote events and campaigns throughout the year
that highlight and combat prejudice towards individuals because of
disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion. West Ham United's
stance of championing programmes promoting inclusion and tolerance has
already been displayed at the start of 2013 through the backing of the
Football v Homophobia campaign and their support of the annual Holocaust
Memorial Day.
February is Football v Homophobia's month of awareness in connection with
the annual Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender Month, and the club's
support for their campaign has been in evidence again this week ahead of
Monday's game against Tottenham Hotspur.
West Ham United are also committed to act upon any isolated incidents of
discriminatory behaviour from individuals at matches, both home and away.
In conjunction with the Metropolitan Police, the club operates a zero
tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination, and any fan found to be
acting inappropriately - including racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic
behaviour - will be punished to the full extent of the law and banned from
attending matches.
In a joint statement West Ham United Joint Chairmen David Sullivan and David
Gold said: "We both feel it is hugely important that we are continuing our
great work from 2012 that highlights discrimination in society today. We
supported a number of key initiatives last year which we are continuing to
build on throughout 2013.
"We firmly believe that West Ham United is a club that promotes fairness and
inclusion and we want the Boleyn Ground to continue to be a place that
people from all backgrounds feel welcome. "We have made it very clear that
we will not tolerate any form of discriminatory behaviour and one by one we
will root out those fans that do not deserve to represent this great club of
ours. We must be clear that we will pursue the harshest sanctions against
any individual who goes against what we stand for as a club. "It is obvious
that the vast, vast majority of Hammers fans support the club in the right
way and we are very grateful for the tremendous backing we receive from our
supporters. However, in the rare case that supporters do see or hear
anything they think is unacceptable, there are a number of ways they can
report the matter. Two of the easiest ways are to speak to their nearest
steward at the stadium or use the Boleyn Ground's anonymous fan phone number
- 07860 404 069 - where all calls will be treated in the strictest of
confidence. "Everyone at West Ham United is looking forward to Monday's
visit of Tottenham Hotspur. It should be a fantastic game of football, a
wonderful opportunity to remember Bobby Moore - the greatest player to don
the famous claret and blue - and a chance to show the world what being a
Hammers fan is all about - supporting with pride, passion and respect."
Kick It Out Chairman Lord Herman Ouseley added: "Clubs have the power to
show leadership and set an example for the vast majority of its supporters
to follow and West Ham have done exactly that.
"Kick It Out has seen first-hand the appetite the club has in embracing
anti-discrimination initiatives, with David Gold and James Tomkins both
acting as campaign ambassadors in 2012. By doing this they're helping to
send a message as to what is and what isn't acceptable.
"It is clear they feel abuse won't be tolerated and, in a period where the
issue is high on the agenda, this approach is something we applaud."
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Big Sam on: Tottenham Hotspur
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United manager talks to the press ahead of Monday's game
against Tottenham Hotspur
22.02.2013
Sam Allardyce faces the luxury of a selection headache on Monday night
against Tottenham Hotspur after Joey O'Brien and James Collins returned to
training this week. The boss has an almost-fully fit squad, although he
wishes that was the case in December and January when the Hammers faced a
heavy schedule of fixtures. But for now, he is pleased to have as many
options as possible with the top-four chasing Spurs visiting the Boleyn
Ground.
Sam, can we start with the team news for Monday?
SA - "This morning Joey O'Brien has joined in after being substituted at
Aston Villa, so we're hoping his leg is OK. James Collins has been in
training for the last few days to come back ready and be selected in the
squad. George McCartney is training with the first team squad today for the
first time since his injury about ten weeks ago, so the squad is looking fit
and strong. Selection processes are what a manager needs and it gives us a
good, broad base of squad members in strength in depth to select from moving
forward in the last third of the season. "Our difficulty is that coming into
March we've only got three games in the month. It's going to be a big period
to actually manage the players without really enough games. We had too many
games in December and January and now because of circumstances with
Manchester United beating Reading and an international break as well, we've
not got enough in March. We've got a big squad fully fit, but only three
matches for them to compete in. "We'll keep on top of the players' fitness
and make sure we're ready for every game because with such long periods
[between games] keeping the players focused and concentrated is one of the
difficulties. We'll look at the week-to-week management of the players and
decide what we want to do. More importantly, we have to keep them fit and
keep them all ready for selection."
What have you made of Tottenham of late and in particular Gareth Bale?
SA - "They've been very good. The team from an attacking point of view has
been outstanding, Recently they've lost their leading goalscorer, who is
Jermain Defoe, and Adebayor has been away at the Africa Cup of Nations, so
from a goalscoring point of view they've had to rely on one man and one man
only to come up with the goods. That's Gareth Bale and he's been the major
difference between Tottenham and the teams they've played recently. "Not
only has he scored very important goals, but they've been stunning goals at
that. He's going to need some looking after on Monday night. If we can do
that we nullify a threat that Tottenham have. Of course [Aaron] Lennon is a
threat down the other side, but he doesn't quite score as many goals as
Gareth Bale. We're not sure yet whether Jermain Defoe will be fit, but
certainly we've got to cope with that strike force. "Our home form has been
excellent all season and so we're going to hopefully make sure Tottenham
worry about us for a long period of time on Monday night, rather than us
worry about them too much."
The Bobby Moore tributes on Monday night - how important will they be for
the fans and the club?
SA - "Hopefully we can win the game and that would be the best thing that
could happen to celebrate Bobby Moore. He was a magnificent influence in the
world of football - not only at West Ham. I was very fortunate to play
against him in his days at Fulham and I can remember him distinctly as an
outstanding footballer. I think I was 18 at the time, breaking into first
team football at Bolton, and we were playing in the Second Division trying
to get into the First. Fulham had Moore, Mullery, Best and Marsh and we
still beat them!"
How impressed have you been with Winston Reid this season?
SA - "In Winston's short period of time with me, he's developed really well
in terms of his consistent level of performance and how he's learnt to do
his job as a defender first and as a footballer second. We lose sight of
good defenders today - I think the Barclays Premier League is as exciting as
it is because defenders aren't as good as they used to be in my opinion. Not
in Winston's case though, he's come out to be one of the most productive and
consistent defenders in the Premier League for me. He's been an outstanding
figure for us this season. "It's taken him to a new level. His first year in
the Premier League was a difficult one, he learnt an awful lot in the
Championship last year and has carried that forward into the Premier League.
I've been really pleased with his development."
He's worn the armband recently. Do you see him as possibly a future captain?
SA - "Perhaps, but I think if there's going to be another captain at the
club at the moment that would be Mark Noble. He's grown as a footballer and
he's West Ham through and through. Eventually, if anything happened to Kevin
[Nolan] he would be the man, but Winston has grown and might be captain
material.
How's Wellington Paulista getting on?
SA - "He's scoring a few goals in the Under-21s Developement Team. Hopefully
sooner or later we can get him introduced into the first team squad. Back in
December I only had one striker, Carlton Cole, today I've got five - Maiga,
Carroll, Cole, Paulista and Chamakh. I've got plenty of numbers to work with
which is great competition for places. That makes it a little bit harder for
him to get in, but of course if he continues to score for the U21s we'll
look at him at some stage."
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Jussi relishing Bale hearing
WHUFC.com
West Ham United goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen is ready to face Tottenham
Hotspur's Gareth Bale
22.02.2013
Jussi Jaaskelainen is relishing the opportunity to take on the Barclays
Premier League's most prolific player on Monday night. Tottenham Hotspur's
Wales winger Gareth Bale has scored 21 goals in 36 appearances for club and
country so far this season - including seven in his previous five matches.
The lightning-quick left-footer has netted all types of goals this term,
including three unstoppable free-kicks in recent victories over Newcastle
United and French side Olympique Lyonnais. Rather than be intimidated,
however, West Ham United goalkeeper Jaaskelainen is looking forward to
pitting his wits against Bale, who scored in Spurs' 3-1 league win at White
Hart Lane in November. "The ideal situation is that we don't give those
silly free-kicks away around the box - that's how you stop him because if
you don't give him free-kicks he can't do it again!" said the No22. "He has
obviously done lots of practice on the free-kicks and the only thing a
'keeper can do is see the ball all the way and hope it doesn't go in right
next to the post and he has a chance to save the ball. "He seems to have
found a new technique and a new way to take his free-kicks."
Jaaskelainen was beaten by a Charles N'Zogbia free-kick at Aston Villa last
time out, but it was the first time a direct set piece had ended up in the
Finn's net all season. Modern-day footballs seem to have a mind of their
own, but the West Ham stopper refuses to blame the ball for the succession
of free-kicks that have been scored in the Barclays Premier League this
term. "Over the past ten years or so, they seem to try to make a quicker
football in the Premier League, and you can obviously see that more goals
like that seemed to be scored every year. "That's a big part of how the ball
has been designed, but I still think it is a great ball and good to play
football with, and of course goals are what the fans want to see! "I am not
too worried about it or complaining. You have to try to keep them out.
That's the name of the game and hopefully we can do that on Monday."
Beating Andre Villas-Boas' side will be easier said than done, however, as
Tottenham are unbeaten in ten Barclays Premier League matches dating back to
a 2-1 defeat at Everton on 9 December. Regardless of that enviable record,
Jaaskelainen is looking forward to what promises to be a memorable night
under the lights at the Boleyn Ground, with the club marking the 20th
anniversary of the death of Hammers and England legend Bobby Moore OBE.
"Tottenham seem to have been going extremely well for the past two or three
months but our home form, with our fans behind us, has been good. We just
need to keep performing the way we have been at home and I think we'll give
them a good game."
*A limited number of tickets are still available for Monday's Barclays
Premier League fixture with Tottenham Hotspur. To secure your seat now,
click on the link below.
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Bonzo pays tribute to Bobby
WHUFC.com
Billy Bonds reveals his fond memories of West Ham United legend Bobby Moore
OBE
22.02.2013
Picture the scene...3 November 1992. The wind whips in off the North Sea, on
a chillingly cold Tuesday evening in Cleethorpes, where Trevor Morley's
late-leveller has just helped West Ham United to secure a precious point
against Grimsby Town. The Hammers will go on to plunder promotion to the
Premier League in six months time but, for now, as the floodlights start to
flicker and fade and a crowd of 9,119 - the Mariners' largest attendance of
the season to date - drift away into the night, two West Ham United legends
exchange a few words pitch-side at a bleak, blustery Blundell Park. "I was
walking back from the manager's press conference, when I spotted Bobby Moore
sitting there all alone on the terrace wall," recalls Billy Bonds, who made
a club record 793 appearances for the club before taking over the managerial
reins for a further 237 matches. "We had just got a 1-1 draw on a typically
freezing November night and Mooro had been covering the game for Capital
Gold. 'What on earth are you doing up here? What time will you be getting
back to London?' I asked.
"He said: 'Don't worry, Bonzo, I'll be home by about 3:00 a.m.' Sure, I know
that he liked doing all his local radio commentary work but, for me, I was
sorry to see how it had all ended up for him. Football should've been a lot
kinder to an icon like Bobby Moore...after all, you wouldn't ever see Pele
or Franz Beckenbauer going all the way up to Grimsby Town on a Tuesday night
in November, would you?
"Sadly, that was the last time I ever saw Mooro," continues Bill, forever
cherishing precious memories of the 108-times capped World Cup winning
captain, who stands just two rungs below him on the Hammers all-time
appearance ladder with 642 outings in the claret and blue. Contrast that
final, forlorn, rain-swept rendezvous with their first-ever meeting, some
three decades earlier. "I was about 14-years-old and I didn't have clue who
Bobby Moore was," admits Bonzo. "My Sunday morning team had just won a
trophy and our coach - Mr Flowers - arranged for a surprise guest to present
the medals in our local school hall.
"This good looking lad turned up with his wife-to-be and they watched us
from up on the stage, while we were all given footballs to do some skills
and drills down on the floor below. "To be honest, having been born in
Woolwich, I was a Charlton Athletic boy and they were only in the second
division at the time. Although we knew that the blond, well-built fellow
sitting up there was a West Ham United player, we didn't really know any
more than that but, even then, it was obvious that this young lad - Bobby
Moore - definitely had something about him. "Seven years, an FA Cup, a
European Cup Winners Cup and, of course, one World Cup later, I ended up in
the same West Ham side. It was unbelievable!" continues Bill, who journeyed
through the Blackwall Tunnel to the Boleyn Ground in May 1967, following his
£47,500 transfer from The Valley. "Going on to play alongside Bobby Moore
was such a big thing for me because he really was top-drawer. That
presentation at the school left me totally in awe of him and, to be honest,
I never got over it.
"Mooro was an absolute icon. I respected a lot of team-mates and opponents
down the years but he was the only person in my entire career, who made me
feel that way. "I wasn't one of his muckers and not being a drinker, I
wouldn't say that I was in his crew either but he was fantastic to me from
the day that I arrived and I loved him as a player and as a person," reveals
the 66-year-old. "Bobby Moore had a presence both off and on the field.
"There was no side to him at all and, having lifted the World Cup, he'd been
the most famous person on the planet on that July afternoon at Wembley in
1966 but, despite all of that, Bobby wasn't the slightest bit lairy. Mooro
treated everyone the same, no matter who they were. "These days, I could
name a thousand players, who have achieved nothing like what Bobby did, yet
they go about their business acting really flash and walking around as
though they own the place. "Bobby Moore wasn't a particularly good header of
the ball and he wasn't very quick either but, boy, his timing was
impeccable. He didn't need to be good in the air or fast because he could
read the game so well - he always seemed to be in the right place at the
right time to nick the ball off a centre-forward. "And he was just so good
at bringing the ball out of defence and starting attacks, too."
Both summoned to Buckingham Palace during their playing careers, Bobby Moore
OBE and Billy Bonds MBE were each recognised in The Queen's New Year's
Honours List for their contributions to the beautiful game. But down West
Ham way, they could not have had more contrasting styles. Just compare the
Persil-white, perfectly-coiffeured, Mooro to the swashbuckling, pirate-like,
Bonzo. "I started out playing for West Ham at right-back, while Bobby was in
central defence and we were total opposites," confirms Bonds. "Mooro was
never one to shout or holler, he was totally calm and collected and always
looked immaculate, whereas I was always muddy, up and at 'em and with my
beard and long hair, people used to say that I resembled a Viking! "We
never, ever had any disagreements but I can remember we were under the cosh
up at Sunderland one day, when I looked across and saw him shouting and
wagging his finger towards me. "I had a right pop back at him only to then
see that familiar Mooro look, where he would raise his eyebrows. It was only
then that I turned around and, to my horror, saw he was actually having a go
at the linesman for not putting his flag up. I felt so small!"
Despite having climbed the 39 steps to the Royal Box at Wembley to lift that
hat-trick of trophies in the mid-60s, Moore sadly found himself frustrated
in his quest to bring any more silverware back to the Boleyn Ground. But
having made his senior debut in September 1958, it was testament to the
great man, that he remained down West Ham way until spring 1974, when he
finally headed way out west to Fulham, while Bonzo was handed the coveted
captaincy by Ron Greenwood. "There was a loyalty in those days," insists
Bill. "It wasn't only Bobby because you have to remember that people such as
Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Frank Lampard and Trevor Brooking had also come
up through the youth ranks. West Ham United were very fortunate that they
had a group of players, who stayed for a long time, even though the threat
of relegation was often hanging over the club. Those players could all have
found other clubs very easily. "The game's changed so much now and, today,
players always seem to be looking to move on as soon as anything starts to
go wrong. "It was a privilege to take over from Bobby as captain of West Ham
United but they were very big boots to fill," continues Bill, who fittingly
found himself lining up against his predecessor in the shadow of Wembley's
Twin Towers just over 12 months later. "Ironically, just a year or so after
he went to Fulham, Mooro ended up facing us in the 1975 FA Cup Final. To be
honest, there was no room for sentiment that day and, make no mistake, Bobby
would have loved to have put one over on us, while we also wanted to go out
there and lift that trophy, too. "As the older players, Alan Mullery and
Mooro realised that it was probably their last-ever chance to win a medal
and, knowing that no-one ever remembers the runners-up, they really wanted
to win that game just as much as we did.
"Being in the old second division, Fulham were the underdogs and, although
we didn't play that well on the day, their keeper probably didn't end up
having his best afternoon and Alan Taylor came up trumps with his double
that gave us a 2-0 win in the end. I've got a photograph of me and Graham
Paddon consoling Bobby after the game because he was obviously down and
Kevin Lock and a few of the other lads came over, too, but all we could say
really was: 'Unlucky mate.' "
Sandwiched between a post-retirement, trail-blazing adventure playing in the
North American Soccer League and his later stint in the commentary box,
Moore also tried his hand at management with Oxford City and Southend
United. And, in a final twist of tragic fate, Bonzo was the Hammers boss,
when Bobby prematurely passed away, at the age of 51, on 24 February 1993.
"Our first game following Bobby's death was up at Sunderland and there was a
minute's silence before the game," recounts Bill. "We were away from home
and while 99% of fans are usually as good as gold in those situations,
there's always that one per cent, who want to spoil it. "But even though
those 60 seconds were for a West Ham player, you could have heard a pin drop
at Roker Park that afternoon and that just showed how much respect there was
for Bobby Moore, both up and down the country and throughout the entire
game. "It was even more emotional at the Boleyn Ground the following week,
when we played Wolves. Before the game, Ron Greenwood, Martin Peters and
Geoff Hurst carried a giant wreath depicting Bobby's No6 shirt out to the
centre-circle and, once again, the whole ground fell totally silent. It was
a very sad time for everyone. "Looking back - and if I had my time again as
manager - I would have done a bit more to get Bobby involved with the club,
say, in some kind of ambassadorial role but, by the time I became West Ham
manager, he was already working in radio and he seemed to be enjoying his
involvement with his fellow commentators like Jonathan Pearce. "I can't
believe that it's 20 years since we lost him," concludes Bill. "I was very,
very lucky to have had the chance to play with Bobby Moore and that is
something that I am so proud to tell my two grandchildren."
*West Ham United would like to thank Steve Blowers for conducting this
interview with Billy Bonds.
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West Ham v Tottenham: Hammers warn fans over chanting
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have warned fans against racist behaviour when the Hammers play
Tottenham on Monday. The match, where the 20th anniversary of Bobby Moore's
death will be marked, comes three months after anti-Semitic chanting marred
the reverse fixture. Hammers chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan issued a
statement on Friday. "We must be clear that we will pursue the harshest
sanctions against any individual who goes against what we stand for as a
club," they said. Two West Ham fans accepted a police caution, and one of
them was given a lifetime ban from matches for gestures made at the 25
November match which Spurs won 3-1. The two cautioned supporters are
understood to have made Nazi-style salutes aimed at Tottenham supporters,
who traditionally have strong ties with London's Jewish community. Hammers
manager Sam Allardyce said: "I hope there's nothing untoward that happens in
terms of chanting.
Reporting racism West Ham say fans can report any incidents to the nearest
steward at the ground or use a phone number - 07860 404 069 - where calls
will be treated in strict confidence "Like everybody else we want to try to
reduce it to its bare minimum. We'd like to cut it out completely but I
don't think that's ever going to be the case when people get involved in
emotional situations. "But if we spot it, we've got to deal with it and
hopefully there won't be any."
Jewish co-chairman Gold said after the match at White Hart Lane that West
Ham would have a "zero tolerance" policy, in conjunction with the
Metropolitan Police, towards racist behaviour. The club say they have taken
part in several initiatives aimed at tackling discrimination on the grounds
of disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion. "Any fan found to
be acting inappropriately - including racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic
behaviour - will be punished to the full extent of the law and banned from
attending matches," said the statement. At Monday's Premier League match,
former team-mates will attend to pay tribute to ex-West Ham captain Moore,
who led England to their 1966 World Cup win. A minute's applause will be
held before kick-off and supporters will display a mosaic depicting his old
No.6 shirt.
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Viva Bobby Moore: Harry Redknapp
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd February 2013
By: Chris Scull
Harry Redknapp was manager of West Ham United from 1994-2001. He was also a
close pal of Bobby Moore, whose friendship he recalled fondly when speaking
with KUMB.com's Chris Scull...
Harry: thank you for talking to us. There's a whole generation of people who
never saw Bobby play. Can you explain why so many feel that Bobby was the
greatest defender who ever lived?
Well, Bobby had a fantastic, amazing football brain. He read situations; if
you had gone and looked at Bobby play as a scout you'd have probably come
back and said "well, he's not good in the air, he's not quick, he's not
over-aggressive" - you'd have gone "hang on, we're talking about a central
defender here!" But his reading of the game was incredible, he was always in
the right place to deal with situations even before they developed.
I always thought he was seconds ahead of everybody else. He got in the right
positions to deal with danger and he was a class act both on and off the
field. He was just a fantastic person - you never saw him kicking anybody or
having aggravation, he just got on with the game, played the game. A great
sportsman and just a fantastic ambassador for English football.
Do you think he's the greatest player this country has ever produced?
Well it's difficult to say as a footballer, you know. There have been more
talented players than Bobby for sure so I wouldn't say he was the most
talented player. But he captained England, he won the World Cup and he was a
special leader of men. He was a great player and for me will always be
special.
You played alongside him at West Ham for a number of years; what was he like
to play with?
Yeah, he was great. As a captain he was quiet, he wasn't one for shouting
and screaming at everybody. He got on with the game. If Bobby did get upset
with anyone you knew you must have got him really upset because he was a
very quiet, very shy guy away from football - but also one of the lads when
he let his hair down, he was great fun and everyone loved being with Bobby.
As a captain he led by example rather than by shouting and screaming at
everybody.
You were good friends; what was he like as a drinking partner?
Oh he liked a night out, did Bob, that's for sure! He could go out with the
best of them and enjoy himself. When he had a night out you certainly knew
he'd had a night out!
Many's the time he came into training after a night out, especially on a
Sunday morning. He always used to come in on a Sunday morning and do a few
sprints and laps, or put on a wetsuit and get a sweat on. Often he'd come in
with his dinner suit and bow tie on still, from when he'd been out with Tina
or whoever the night before! Everybody loved him, he was great company and a
fantastic player and person.
You worked together at Oxford City; did his enthusiasm to start his
managerial career from the bottom surprise you?
Yeah, but he was wasted really - there was a man with such knowledge of the
game. West Ham had the opportunity to use him - and what an ambassador he'd
have been for West Ham and England. But like most people, it was only when
he died that suddenly everybody wants to start naming stands after him and
building statues. How he never got a knighthood I'll never know, it baffles
me.
No disrespect to lots of other players or whoever who haven't done anything
close to what Bobby did in the game and who ended up getting knighthoods,
but Bobby didn't and I find it unbelievable really. It's scandalous. Frank
Beckenbauer at Bayern Munich; Bobby Charlton at Manchester United, Bobby
Moore at West Ham - he should have been there, he should have been an
ambassador for the club and also, as I said, for England.
You saw him manage from close hand; do you think he had it in him to be a
successful manager?
Oh undoubtedly, yes. It's the luck of the game, this game - if you haven't
got the right players and the right team you've got no chance. I'm not being
disrespectful but Alex Ferguson could have managed a team in the lower
reaches of the fourth division for 18 months and might not have made it.
That would have been the end of him and he's the top man in our business.
Bobby didn't really get a chance to manage at a club where he could have
made a success, he went instead to Southend where he had no chance
whatsoever.
People say "oh, he wasn't a manager" - but that's only because he never got
the chance. If he had managed West Ham he may well have been the best
manager West Ham ever had - who knows? But certainly he could have been a
great manager, everybody loved and respected him and he knew the game inside
out. There was no reason he couldn't have gone on to manage if he'd had the
right players and the right team.
I've read that when you had your accident in Italy in 1990, Bobby dropped
everything - including his radio commitments - to come and be at your
bedside. Were you surprised to see him?
No; that was Bob, wasn't it. Bob was always special and a caring person. We
all grew up together, we all came to West Ham and all grew up as kids
although he was a few years older than me. We all became great friends and
it was a close-knit football club, West Ham - all London boys. He was always
going to be there for you when you needed him.
He spent his final years on the periphery of football doing radio
commentary. Do you think those running the game let him down?
Absolutely, yes. I do. The people at West Ham, people at England. To see him
commentating, doing the radio... I went to Grimsby one night with West Ham
and he's sitting there doing Radio London or whatever it was, eating a bag
of fish and chips on a freezing cold night probably getting £100. What a
waste, he should have been walking in there as ambassador for West Ham as
the people of Grimsby would have loved to have seen him there that night as
he should have been.
It was a waste and like lots of things in life; people don't realise what
they've got until it's gone.
In recent years, as you mentioned, he's had a statue erected and a stand
named after him. What changed for him to become this honoured figure that he
wasn't in his lifetime?
I don't know really, everybody just realised what he was. The greatest
England captain of all time, the only man to have captained England to
winning the World Cup - certainly the only captain in my lifetime, I'm sure
and maybe in a long time. So he'll always be special. People who were around
will never forget 1966 as it was an amazing time and an amazing feat by the
players and especially Bobby.
When did you first discover that he was ill?
He came down to Bournemouth with Stephanie and spent a few days with us. I
could see he wasn't well, he'd lost a lot of weight. I must admit when I
first saw him - I'd arranged to pick him up at Bournemouth - I got very
upset, with the amount of weight he'd lost. His trousers were hanging off of
him and he always had those great big legs, but suddenly I could see he'd
lost loads of weight. He never complained, he never said "I'm not well" - he
just got on with it. That was Mooro.
Do you remember the last time you saw him?
It would have been not long before he died, not too long before we lost him.
He came down to Bournemouth not long before that. I'm not sure exactly when
but it would have been pretty close to when he died.
So you didn't have the opportunity to say a final goodbye?
No, not really because we didn't know how desperate it was. We knew he
wasn't well but these things deteriorate quickly and he didn't make a fuss,
you know.
If he was still alive - and you had the decision - what kind of role would
you give him in football?
Well now he'd be an ambassador and certainly involved with West Ham. I think
I'd make him Chairman at West Ham, or Life President - he should be in the
front row of the Director's box every week because everybody at West Ham is
proud of him. We all loved him; the players, the managers and the fans. The
supporters at the club absolutely idolise Bobby.
Again, certainly a role in the England set-up somewhere at the FA or
wherever. He probably wouldn't be managing at 70 or whatever he'd be now,
but certainly 20 years have been wasted where he could have been of great
use to football in this country.
* Extracts from this interview may also be heard in Episode 3 of the
KUMB.com Podcast - a Bobby Moore special.
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Viva Bobby Moore: Jeremy Nicholas
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 22nd February 2013
By: Jeremy Nicholas
Jeremy Nicholas has been West Ham United's match day announcer since 1998.
Here he tells us what Bobby Moore meant to him...
When I was a kid, the biggest name in football was Bobby Moore.
He was the England captain when we won the World Cup in 1966. I don't
remember much about it as I was three. My middle sister Melanie was only a
few days old, so Dad watched the game with the baby on his lap. I'm not sure
where I was, but Mel says it was a good game and we won it four-two. Either
she has a great memory, or she's watched it back on DVD.
No trip to the Boleyn Ground is complete without a visit to the World Cup
Heroes statue on the corner of Green Street and Barking Road, with Bobby
held aloft holding the trophy. The best thing about Bobby Moore was that he
was also the captain of West Ham. By the time the 1970 World Cup came round,
I was fully up to speed about football. I had wall charts, the lot. Mel says
the pictures from Mexico were a bit fuzzy, but it gave it a certain quality.
She was only four, but already had a keen eye.
I had a six-inch statue of Bobby on my bookshelf. He was taller in real
life. I still have that statue to this day. I took it to my first day at the
BBC, my first day at Channel 5 and it even went on holiday with me to
Morocco for the 1984 Olympics. The games weren't held in Morocco, but it's
where I went on holiday. Bobby stood on top of the hotel TV for good luck as
Daley Thompson won the decathlon in Los Angeles. He tilted slightly to one
side because I left him on a radiator and his base melted. That's Bobby, not
Daley.
I only met Bobby Moore twice in real life, apart from cheering him on from
the crowd at West Ham. The first time was in 1975. We were moving house and
Nanna took me and my big sister Kathryn to the movies, to keep us out of the
way of the removal men. We saw Towering Inferno with Steve McQueen and Paul
Newman. They didn't have to pay to get in, as they were in the film.
The rest of us did have to pay. Nanna probably paid for us, she was good
like that. In those days, you had to queue outside a cinema for a popular
film. We queued along the side of the Gants Hill Odeon. I had a bit of
restless leg syndrome and danced about with excitement at the thought of
seeing a skyscraper go up in flames. My forefathers are from the low lying
fens of Cambridgeshire, so any tall building is exciting. I still have
cousins who point when they see an aeroplane in the sky.
So I was dancing around like Nijinsky, the racehorse not the ballet dancer,
and accidentally trod on the toes of the man behind us. He was tall and I
looked up to say sorry. It was Bobby Moore. I mumbled an apology and went
bright red. After that I don't remember anything, the film is a blur.
Kathryn apparently did strike up a conversation with him. She went to Miss
Brill's dance classes with Bobby's daughter Roberta who was the same age.
The way Kathryn tells it, she was on first name terms with Bobby, but I
don't believe a word of it, I think the story has been embellished over the
years, I mean whoever heard of the surname Brill?
I remember being told the following weekend Bobby Moore missed a penalty and
it was all because I trod on his toe. Well I know that's rubbish, because
Bobby didn't take penalties. So you can forget that one Kathryn!
The other time I met Bobby was at Villa Park the day West Ham lost the FA
Cup semi-final, four-nil to Nottingham Forest. The other semi-final between
Spurs and Arsenal, the first at Wembley, was live on TV in the press room
beforehand. There were plenty of places to sit, but I deliberately sat right
next to Bob and we chatted all through the game. I can't remember what we
said, it was all about the match, but I was talking to Bobby Moore. Spurs
won, setting up the mouth watering prospect of a West Ham/Spurs final.
As the press room emptied, I went to the loo. Bobby Moore was emerging from
a cubicle. As he washed his hands I wished him good luck with his radio
commentary and then I went into the cubicle he'd just left. Now I'm a bit of
a stickler when it comes to hygiene, a bit like Miles from 'Frasier', but
for the first time ever, I didn't wipe the toilet seat down before taking my
seat.
Bobby Moore was the greatest ever captain of West Ham and England, his germs
could not be harmful. On reflection it's odd behaviour and I'm not sure I
should be mentioning it. But, better out than in.
I took my seat in the stand, still grinning, and ready to watch West Ham
fight for a place in an all London Cup Final. The West Ham fans were
magnificent that day, the best I've ever known, even better in my view than
the legendary play-off semi final against Ipswich in the Pardew era. We
didn't stop singing 'Billy Bonds Claret and Blue Army' all day.
We lost four nil.
When Bobby died in 1993 I was working at BBC Greater London Radio. It came
up as just a few words on the wires – England's World Cup winning captain
Bobby Moore has died of bowel cancer.
Working in broadcasting you develop immunity to bad news stories, otherwise
you'd never be able to cope with live situations. However when it's one of
your heroes from childhood it's tough. My little statue of Bobby that sat on
my bedside locker as a kid, had come with me to my interview at GLR and he'd
been there for my first show. Now I had to read the newsflash.
With tears streaming down my face, I ripped off the script from the printer
and walked into the studio. The news editor intercepted me and asked if I
wanted somebody else to read it, but I said I would be all right. I put my
head down and read it, just exactly what it said on the script and then
walked out again without talking to the presenter.
Bobby Moore played 108 times for England, a record at the time. Peter
Shilton and David Beckham have since overtaken that total. Shilts played on
longer because he was a keeper and Becks made a lot of his appearances as a
sub, but Bobby played every single minute of every one of his 108
appearances.
The Bobby Moore Fund does brilliant work in his memory, raising awareness of
bowel cancer. I've been inspired every time I've met Stephanie at events
where I've supported them as a speaker or auctioneer. If you are ever
looking for a charity to support they are lovely people to work with. Each
year I stand out at the London Marathon cheering on every Bobby Moore Fund
runner wearing the red shirts with a number six on the back. I'd love to run
it one year for the BMF, but my osteopath won't let me.
The first game after Bobby's death was against Wolves. A giant number six
shirt made out of claret and blue flowers was carried into the centre circle
by Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. Like many around me I was struggling to
hold back the tears. Then two Wolves fans ran onto the pitch with a tribute
of their own. They obviously hadn't cleared it with anyone, but the stewards
were brilliant and didn't overreact, allowing them to place their tribute, I
think it was a cross in Wolves colours, alongside the official tributes in
the centre circle. They were warmly applauded all the way back to their
seats.
We won the game three one, which was fitting. At the end my heart was in my
mouth as a West Ham skinhead ran onto the pitch. He ran to the Wolves end,
applauded them, they clapped him back and he ran off. I'm with Brian Clough
when it comes to pitch invasions, nobody should ever enter the field of
play. But those two mini-invasions were special moments and were a fitting
tribute to England's greatest ever captain.
*This article first appeared in Jeremy's latest book, 'Mr Moon Has Left The
Stadium' which you may purchase directly from KUMB.com.
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Big Sam deal on hold
By PAT SHEEHAN
Published: 22nd February 2013
The Sun
SAM ALLARDYCE has broken his silence and confirmed all contract talks are on
hold until the summer. The West Ham boss has four months to go on a two-year
deal and is on course to achieve the twin aims set when he took over —
promotion and then Premier League safety. Allardyce, whose 11th-placed side
are at home to Tottenham on Monday, insisted both he and the club's board
had agreed to wait. He said: "This is a both-party agreement and both
parties will sort it out privately and confidentially when the time is
right."
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Hammers: We'll ban vile fans
By MIKE McGRATH
Published: 22nd February 2013
The Sun
WEST HAM will ban for life any fans using anti-Semitic chants in Monday's
London derby clash with Tottenham. Hammers owners David Gold and David
Sullivan are desperate to avoid anything tarnishing the 20th anniversary of
Bobby Moore's death. And they have told fans to report anybody they see or
hear using offensive behaviour. Last November's 3-1 defeat at White Hart
Lane was marred by shameful chants from a few West Ham followers. Gold and
Sullivan issued a statement last night saying: "We will not tolerate any
form of discriminatory behaviour and one by one we will root out those fans
that do not deserve to represent this great club of ours. "We will pursue
the harshest sanctions against any individual who goes against what we stand
for as a club. "The vast majority of Hammers fans support the club in the
right way. However, in the rare case supporters do see or hear anything
unacceptable, there are a number of ways they can report the matter."
West Ham dished out a lifetime ban to one supporter after the ugly scenes
three months ago. Moore's grandchildren will lead out the teams on Monday
night as one of a number of tributes to England's 1966 World Cup-winning
skipper. Moore played 544 games for West Ham and died on February 24, 1993,
aged 51, after battling bowel cancer. Former team-mates will attend the game
to join in the tribute with a minute's applause before kick-off. West Ham
boss Sam Allardyce also hopes the club's fans will behave. He said: "I hope
there's nothing untoward. "We'd like to cut it out and if we spot it then
we've got to deal with it."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, February 22
Julian Dicks XI v Dean Ashton XI, 24th March, The Hive.
Julian Dicks XI v Dean Ashton XI, 24th March, The Hive. Who do you want to play for?
Have you ever dreamed about playing alongside a West Ham legend?
Fancy testing your skills against former Premier League stars? Or, would you like to gain some valuable sporting tips from a former England international?
On Sunday 24th March, corporate football events company, Awayday Football is giving you the chance to do just that by hosting a special, one-off match that will see a Julian Dicks XI take on a Dean Ashton XI – with teams made up of you, the fans!
Awayday Football organises football-based coaching and playing experiences, tailored to motivate your workforce. Through the help of former-professionals and top flight coaches, each programme is created to match the needs of your company – helping find what really motivates your staff.
And as a one-off, we will be holding this special day to show just what we can do. Hosted at Barnet FC’s brand new luxury training facility – The Hive London, which was recently used by Brazil prior to their game against England in early February. This exclusive event takes place on Sunday, 24th March from 12pm to 4pm.
The day begins with an introduction to both Dean and Julian, where you are also be allocated to one of their teams. This is swiftly followed by a one-hour coaching session with your pro, where you gain an insight into their football knowledge. Designed as a fun-based session, players with all levels of fitness will enjoy, and benefit from ,spending time with our great team of dedicated coaches and ex-pros.
Not only are Julian Dicks & Dean Ashton in attendance but if you are a goalkeeper, you can benefit from some top GK coaching from former West Ham & Walsall shot-stopper Jimmy Walker who will also there on day!
You then get a chance to rest up during lunch, when Dean, Julian & Jimmy host a Q & A session – giving you another chance to quiz them on their careers.
After lunch it's time for kick off!
The match is 60 minutes long, split into 15 minute quarters and is 11 v 11 on a full-size astroturf pitch with an FA-licensed referee taking charge.
Each team has substitutes - but it's roll on/roll off and we ensure that EVERYONE gets equal game time - so don't worry about being brought on in the 59th minute as a time wasting tactic!
At full-time, the day is rounded off with an awards ceremony, as well as the opportunity to have your picture taken with Dean, Julian & Jimmy.
With just 28 places available, this informal experience is one not to be missed by die-hard football fans. Although the minimum participation age is 14, we welcome players of all abilities and genders.
Places are limited!
The cost of the event per person is just £115, which includes lunch and refreshments on arrival. On payment, your place is secured immediately, and you receive both a payment confirmation and more information on what you need on the day.
This is really a one-off opportunity to enjoy a relaxed, close-up experience with some great names from the game, so get in quick to avoid disappointment – and come and test your skills against the greats and show them how it should be done!
To book your place at www.awaydayfootball.com enquiries to: info@awaydayfootball.com
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