Hammers set Germany dates
WHUFC.com
West Ham United are happy to announce two further pre-season matches in
Germany
06.06.2013
West Ham United are happy to announce meetings with German Bundesliga sides
FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Braunschweig as part of the Club's 2013/14
pre-season schedule. Sam Allardyce will take his Hammers squad to Germany
for an eleven-day tour, during which they will play three matches against
high-quality opposition.
West Ham will kick-off their German tour by taking on Thomas Tuchel's Mainz
at their former Bruchwegstadion home, which the Bundesliga club vacated in
2011. The match will take place on Saturday 20 July at 6pm local time. Big
Sam's men will then take on Hamburger SV in Flensburg on the German-Danish
border on Tuesday 23 July at 6.45pm before taking on newly-promoted
Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday 27 July.
Before leaving for Germany the Hammers will travel to the Republic of
Ireland to face Cork City on Sunday 7 July. Closer to home, the Club have
also organised a trip to the south coast to face AFC Bournemouth in a
Testimonial for Academy of Football graduate and long-time Cherries
full-back Stephen Purches, along with a trip to Essex to take on Colchester
United.
West Ham will also be making a return to Blue Square Bet South club Boreham
Wood, having been worked hard during a pre-season fixture at Meadow Park in
July 2012.
Ticket details for all pre-season matches will be posted here as and when
they are confirmed.
2013 Pre-season fixtures
Sunday 7 July v Cork City, Turners Cross Stadium, Cork City, Republic of
Ireland, 6pm
Wednesday 10 July v Boreham Wood, Meadow Park, Borehamwood. 7.30pm
Saturday 13 July v AFC Bournemouth, Goldsands Stadium, Bournemouth, 3pm
Tuesday 16 July v Colchester United, Weston Homes Community Stadium,
Colchester, 7.45pm
Saturday 20 July v FSV Mainz 05, Bruchwegstadion, Mainz, Germany, 6pm
Tuesday 23 July v Hamburger SV, Flensburg Stadium, Flensburg, Germany,
6.45pm
Saturday 27 July v Eintracht Braunschweig, Eintracht-Stadion, Braunschweig,
Germany, 3.30pm
(*all kick-offs stated are local times)
SV Mainz 05
Formed in 1905, Mainz have risen from the regional leagues to reach the
Bundesliga for the first time in their history in 2004 under the guidance of
manager and former player Jurgen Klopp - the man who has since gone on to
huge success with Borussia Dortmund. Under Klopp, Mainz qualified for the
UEFA Cup in 2005 before being relegated to Bundesliga 2 after three seasons
in the top flight in 2007. However, Die Nullfünfer (the O-Fives) returned to
the Bundesliga in 2009 and finished in a club record high of fifth two years
ago. Coach Tuchel has put together a squad that contains a number of players
who may be familiar to English fans, including former Bolton Wanderers and
Croatia striker Ivan Klasnic, Austria internationals Julian Baumgartlinger
and Andreas Ivanschitz and Macedonia centre-back Nikolce Noveski. The Club
moved to a new home, the Coface Arena, in 2011. However, the Hammers' visit
will be held at Mainz's previous home at the 20,300-capacity Bruchwegstadion
nearer the city centre.
Hamburger SV
Hamburg are one of Germany's biggest and best-supported clubs. Founded in
1887, the Rothosen won the European Cup in 1983 and European Cup Winners'
Cup in 1977, have been crowned German champions six times and won the
Germany Cup on three occasions. Thorsten Fink's star-studded squad includes
Netherlands and former Tottenham Hotspur playmaker Rafael van der Vaart,
Germany left-back Marcell Jansen, South Korea starlet Heung-Min Son and
ex-Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne. West Ham right-back Guy Demel spent
six seasons with Hamburger SV between 2005 and 2011, making 200 appearances,
never finishing outside the Bundesliga's top-eight and winning the UEFA
Intertoto Cup in 2007. The Hamburg fixture will take place in the town of
Flensburg in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein - the
northernmost town in Germany just south of the border with Denmark.
Eintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig may not be well-known to West Ham supporters, but the
club from Lower Saxony were one of the founder members of the Bundesliga in
1963 and will return to the top flight after a 28-year absence next season.
Like West Ham, Braunschweig were formed in 1895, quickly becoming one of
Germany's most-successful clubs, winning the Northern German championship in
1908 and 1913. Following the Second World War, the club was relaunched as
Braunschweiger TSV Eintracht von 1895 and continued to enjoy success in the
top division of football in northern Germany, the Oberliga Nord. This
success resulted in the club being one of 16 chosen to be members of the
inaugural Bundesliga in 1963. Four years later, manager Helmuth Johannsen
led Braunschweig to the national title for the first and only time in their
history. The club also produced a number of players for the West Germany
national team.
In 1973, Braunschweig became the first Bundesliga side to sport a sponsor
logo on their jerseys - that of liquor producer Jägermeister - and came
close to a second Bundesliga title in 1977, when they finished third. Since
being relegated in 1985, Braunschweig have played at the second and third
tiers of German football, but two promotions in the previous three seasons
under manager Torsten Lieberknecht have seen the club rise back to the
Bundesliga again. In 2012/13, Braunschweig drew an average gate of 20,454 to
the Eintracht-Stadion, with DR Congolese striker Domi 'Dominck' Kumbela
leading the scoring charts with 19 goals.
Cork City
Based in Ireland's second-largest city, League of Ireland Premier Division
side Cork City are two-time Irish champions and FAI Cup winners. The Rebel
Army have competed regularly in European competition down the years and the
city itself has long been a hotbed of Irish football, with Hammers greats
Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Geoff Hurst both turning out for Cork Celtic at
the end of their illustrious careers.
AFC Bournemouth
Purches' Testimonial at AFC Bournemouth comes after a hugely-successful
season for the Cherries, who have gained promotion to the Championship under
manager Eddie Howe, whose team have won their last eight League One matches.
West Ham Academy graduate Purches, now 33, has unfortunately missed the
entire season after suffering a broken leg while playing against Rochdale in
February 2012. The full-back has enjoyed a successful career, making nearly
450 appearances for Bournemouth and Leyton Orient.
Colchester United
Colchester United secured their npower League 1 status with a 2-0 victory at
Carlisle United on the final day of the season. The U's victory ensured
Scunthorpe United would finish below them and drop down to League 2, and Joe
Dunne's men include former Hammer Freddie Sears in their ranks.
The Club will announce further pre-season fixtures as and when dates and
kick-off times have been confirmed with opposition clubs.
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Benni McCarthy retires from football at the age of 35
BBC.co.uk
South Africa's all-time leading scorer Benni McCarthy has retired from
football at the age of 35. McCarthy has been playing for Orlando Pirates
since 2011 after leaving West Ham by mutual consent. In a statement on the
Premier Soccer League website, McCarthy said: "Football has been good to me
- it has provided special moments and enabled me to be in a position to have
improved the lives of my family members.
Benni McCarthy's clubs
Orlando Pirates (S Africa)
West Ham (England)
Blackburn Rovers (England)
FC Porto (Portugal)
Celta Vigo (Spain)
Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Cape Town Spurs (S Africa)
Seven Stars (S Africa)
Cape Town-born McCarthy played in the top leagues in the Netherlands, Spain,
Portugal and England, winning the Eredivisie with Ajax and the Portuguese
title and 2004 Champions League with FC Porto under Jose Mourinho. "I have
been so blessed to have enjoyed a remarkable career that took me from the
township fields of Nyanga Stadium, to winner's medals in the Uefa Champions
League and World Club Cup - the highest levels that a player can achieve in
club football," he added. He retires as South Africa's leading scorer with
31 goals in 80 games. Although he was dropped from the final squad when the
country hosted the 2010 World Cup, McCarthy scored goals for Bafana Bafana
at the 1998 and 2002 tournaments. He returned to South Africa after spells
with Blackburn and West Ham in England's Premier League, joining Soweto
giant Orlando Pirates in 2011. He won four trophies with Pirates in 2012,
including the league title after scoring on debut, and then twice in the
title-clinching game. "It has been a 17-year professional career that
surpassed even my own expectations," McCarthy said.
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Larkins signs one-year deal
KUMb.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Former Academy goalkeeper Jake Larkins has joined League One Leyton Orient
on a free transfer. The 19-year-old goalkeeper, who hails from Dagenham was
snapped up by the O's less than 24 hours after West Ham confirmed that he
was not being offered a new contract when releasing their list of retained
players on Wednesday afternoon. O's goalkeeping coach Kevin Dearden told
leytonorient.com: "Jake is someone that I've watched personally on a number
of occasions and have been impressed with him. "I had a good conversation
with Martyn Margetson, the goalkeeping coach at West Ham and he came highly
recommended so we got him in to train with us towards the end of the season
and he did very well. "The Gaffer and I liked what we saw. We believe Jake
will be a valuable member of the squad and be able to push Jamie [Jones] for
a starting place straight away."
Larkins, who has signed a one-year contract with West Ham's east London
neighbours left West Ham this summer without making a single appearance for
the first team. However he did at least make the bench in December 2010
when, at the age of just 16, he was named as back-up to Ruud Boffin in a 1-1
draw.
A first year scholar at Tony Carr's world-famous Chadwell Heath Academy in
2009, Larkins signed a further two-year contract in May 2010 on the advice
of then-goalkeeping coach Jerome John. The young 'keeper was in the same
intake as the likes of Danny Potts, Dylan Tombides and Robert Hall. Earlier
this year he suffered a major scare after being involved in a road accident
on the A12, but was fortunate enough to escape with minor neck and head
injuries and was released from hospital within a day. KUMB would like to
wish Jake the very best of luck with his new club.
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Two new dates for pre-season
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham have added two new dates to their pre-season fixture list.
Sam Allardyce's squad were already set to face German opposition this
summer, but they will now face three German teams when they visit mainland
Europe next month.
With a clash against Hamburg already pencilled in for 23rd July, West Ham
will also be taking on Mainz 05 and Bundesliga newcomers Eintracht
Braunschweig, who won last season's Bundesliga 2 to return to the top flight
for the first time in 28 years.
Allardyce and his squad fly out to Germany following the friendly at the
Weston Homes Community Stadium against Colchester on Tuesday, 16th July.
Their first fixture on the tour comes against Mainz 05 the following
weekend.
Mainz, who ended last season in 13th place in the Bundesliga will host West
Ham in their former Stadion am Bruchweg home, a ground they left in 2011 and
a venue which is now used as a multi-purpose arena. With a capacity of just
over 20,000 there should be plenty of tickets available for travelling fans.
Three days later and the Irons travel north to the German/Danish border when
they face Hamburg SV at the Flensburg Stadium. Situated some 100 miles north
of Hamburg, the club regularly return to the town for pre-season friendlies
due to the extensive local fanbase and will be hosting West Ham in the tiny
stadium.
The last leg of the tour takes place on Saturday, 27th July when United
visit the Eintracht Stadion in order to face Eintracht Braunschweig. The
stadium, who has a capacity of just over 25,000 also plays host to American
Football (the New Yorker Lions) and is one of the few left in Germany to
feature a running track.
* For more details of the KUMB.com German tour package, visit the KUMB
forum.
2013/14 (Current) Pre-Season Fixture List
7th July: Cork City (Turners Cross Stadium, 6.00pm)
10th July: Boreham Wood (Meadow Park, 7.30pm)
13th July: AFC Bournemouth (Dean Court, 3.00pm)
16th July: Colchester Utd (Colchester Community Stadium, 7.45pm)
20th July: Mainz 05 (Bruchwegstadion, 6.00pm)
23rd July: Hamburg SV (Flensburg Stadium, 6.45pm)
27th July: Eintracht Braunschweig (Eintracht-Stadion, 3.30pm)
* Please note that all kick-offs stated are local times.
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Hello Adrian, Goodbye Wellington!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
So, the rumour has been confirmed and Spanish keeper Adrian will join West
Ham on a free transfer from 1 July 2013. The 6 foot 3 inch former Real Betis
stopper had an outstanding campaign last season, securing 11 clean sheets in
31 league appearances, which assisted his club to secure European
qualification. Adrian has hitherto been a one club man, joining local club
Real Betis at the age of 10 and progressing through the youth system. He is
excepted to start the season as No. 2 to Jussi, but is expected to rapidly
progress to make the custodian position his own by the end of the season.
At the same time as Adrian enters, we bid Wellington Paulista farewell via
the summer transfer revolving door. It has been confirmed that Paulista has
left West Ham and is set to be loaned by his club Cruzeiro to Série A club
Criciúma until the end of the Brazilian season in December. Paulista scored
regularly for the West Ham Development Squad after joining the club on loan
in January, but failed to be selected to play for the first team. One can
only guess why the club even bothered with this deal? Some have even
postulated that Manager Sam Allardyce did not sanction the deal and would
not play Paulista as a result. That seems very far fetched, the truth is
more likely to be that the Manager had Paulista over to assess his ability
and was not overly impressed. Of course, it is not the first time that a
South American player has joined has joined the club on loan and stagnated
in the Development Squad, the season before last we had the Paraguay U-21
international, Brian Montenegro-Martinez. They were similar in that both
players shone at the lower level but did not really impact on the first
team. Although at least BMM got in a brief FA Cup appearance in the 1-0 away
defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
I saw Paulista play and score for the Development Squad on a number of
occasions. And he looked well worth a game or two from off the first team
substitutes bench. Especially as the club's other strikers, apart from
Maiga, were all very similar in playing style. Indeed, whereas BMM was a
younger, inexperienced player, Paulista had performed well at the top level
of Brazilian league football and boasted a reasonable goal scoring record.
Yet, it appears that the player divided opinion. Whereas some were
impressed, other commentators were decidedly underwhelmed by his Development
Squad performances. I guess the only judge that really mattered, Sam
Allardyce, was ultimately in the latter category. However, now we will never
know, for a fact, how he would have performed in the PL? Good luck to
Paulista with his new loan deal, lets hope that this time he gets a proper
chance to show what he can do.
This time of the year is heart breaking for some young footballers, as they
come to terms with being released by the club. This post-season period is no
different, with the club announcing the release of a number of young
prospects. Yet amidst this, there was one story that stood out. Young
professional, Dylan Tombides, has won a two year contract with the club,
following his recovery from testicular cancer. Dylan is a Australian youth
international and an outstanding forward prospect. Congratulations to Dylan
on his new deal and best wishes for getting his career firmly back on track.
And well done to the club for giving the youngster such consistent support
and assistance during the period of his illness and treatment.
Finally, it appears that the appointment of ex-Hammers captain, Steve Lomas,
to the Manager's position at Millwall FC has caused some angst down in South
London. Why? Lomas is a promising young Manager, who has previously achieved
some notable success with Kilmarnock, in the SPL. Surely it cannot be
because of his Hammers past can it? Thankfully, West Ham fans are obviously
more enlightened about these matters. Current Hammers Manager, Sam
Allardyce, may still not be universally popular amongst all sections of the
support, but none of his critics have ever, to my knowledge, cited his
Millwall past as a cause for consternation!
SJ. Chandos
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Friday, June 7
Thursday, June 6
Daily WHUFC News - 6th June 2013
Hammers catch goalkeeper Adrian
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have signed highly-rated goalkeeper Adrian from Spanish club
Real Betis
05.06.2013
West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of Spanish goalkeeper
Adrian on a free transfer. The 26-year-old will join the Hammers on 1 July
after his contract with Primera Division side Real Betis Balompie expires.
He has signed an initial three-year deal, with the Club having an option to
extend this for a further two seasons. An imposing 6'3 stopper, Seville-born
Adrian - full name Adrian San Miguel del Castillo - has spent virtually his
entire career with his hometown club, enjoying an outstanding 2012/13 season
in the Spanish top flight. After 16 years with his childhood club, Adrian is
relishing the prospect of a new life and a new challenge in England. "I am
extremely happy and ecstatic to have joined such a legendary and historical
club in both London and in England," he said. "I am really looking forward
to being able to kick-off my career in the best league in the world with
West Ham. "I started off my career as a ten-year-old and have been there all
of my life. I came through the ranks and I made my first-team debut in the
sixth league game of last season against Malaga and was an ever-present
since. "For me, the icing on the cake was helping the team to qualify for
the Europa League in, like West Ham, our first season back in the top flight
after we had spent three years in the Second Division. Achieving this
qualification was a massive farewell gift for the Betis fans."
After joining Betis at the age of ten, Adrian started his professional
career with the club's C team in the Andalusia Premier Division. He then
made more than 70 appearances for Betis B in the Segunda Division B Group 4,
the regional third tier of Spanish football. Adrian was also loaned to
Segunda Division B clubs CD Alcala in 2008 and Andalusia Premier Division
club CD Utrera in 2009 before being promoted to the Betis senior squad in
2011/12 as third-choice behind the experienced Casto and Fabri. When Casto
was sent-off at Malaga in September 2012, Adrian stepped off the bench and
never looked back, starting each of Betis' next 31 league matches and
producing a succession of impressive performances.
A tally of eleven clean sheets in 31 league starts helped Betis to finish
the 2012/13 season in seventh place in the Primera Division table and to
qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Adrian's athleticism helped Betis to
achieve a number of superb victories, including clean sheets in home wins
over Real Madrid, Malaga, Valencia and Real Sociedad. He is now targeting
similar success with West Ham and is looking forward greatly to working with
manager Sam Allardyce, goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson and experienced
stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen. "I am very fortunate to be able to work with
such an experienced goalkeeper with such a long track record in the Premier
League as Jussi Jaaskelainen. I'm really looking forward to working with him
on a daily basis and being able to receive tips from him which I'm certain
will make me an even better goalkeeper. "The same goes for the Gaffer. It's
going to be an honour to be under the wing of such an experienced manager
and that can only serve to make me a much better player. "There is a very
competitive squad at West Ham and, in my opinion, competition is what makes
the group stronger and helps the Club to go further in the competition.
"West Ham had a great season after being promoted and, as a group, we should
set our sights even higher because that is the only way we are going to
improve our performances. We should be setting our sights on improving our
league position this season. "I am looking forward to joining the squad and
becoming one of the group and trying to improve myself and the team's
performance on the pitch."
He is also eager to prove himself to the West Ham supporters as soon as
possible and, while his English is not yet fluent, he has already learnt one
familiar Boleyn Ground chant. "I am really looking forward to starting my
relationship with the West Ham fans. From what I have seen, the fans are
very similar to those at Betis because they are very passionate. "If I can
replicate the same relationship that I had with the Betis fans, I'll be a
very happy person. Come on you Irons!" Adrian becomes just the fourth
Spaniard to join West Ham following strikers Kepa Blanco and Diego Tristan
and fellow goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
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Hammers confirm Retain List
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the
2012/13 season
05.06.2013
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the
2012/13 season. The Hammers have confirmed that striker Carlton Cole and
young professionals Jake Larkins, Jack Powell, Jami Rafati and Eoin Wearen
will be given free transfers when their contracts expire on 30 June.
Discussions with midfielder Gary O'Neil are ongoing over a new contract,
while England U19 international forward Rob Hall has also been made an offer
by the Club. Scholars Cheye Alexander, Declan Hunt, Nigel Seidu and Joshua
Siafa have also been released. West Ham United would like to thank all the
departing players for their efforts and wish them well in their future
careers.
Meanwhile, Hammers youngster Dylan Tombides is itching to make up for lost
time after penning a new deal with the Club. The 19-year-old striker has had
his progress stalled by a two-year fight with testicular cancer, but having
been handed a new contract by the Hammers he wants to repay them for the
faith shown in his abilities. Australian Under-17 international Tombides
made a return to playing towards the end of last season when he featured in
a behind closed doors match with Queens Park Rangers and that gave him all
the motivation needed to kick back in to action over the summer and return
to pre-season fit and raring to go. "I'm very pleased to have signed a new
contract," he beamed. "Obviously the Club stood by me over the last two
years while I've been fighting testicular cancer, even though the new
management have only seen me play not many minutes of football. "From the
first minute I was diagnosed they were right behind me. They said right from
the start that anything I needed was mine, so there were no issues in that
concern. Every time I came in when I wasn't training, the other players
would all rush over to see how I was - not just the young lads, but all the
way up to the first team staff. That was a really fantastic feeling, I never
felt left out."
Tombides made his senior bow last term in a early-season Capital One Cup
defeat to Wigan Athletic, and having been given a taste of that stage, he
wants to make a return in 2013/14. He added: "I made my first team debut
last season, whilst I was going through chemotherapy so I was very surprised
to get selected. I was more than pleased with that and very thankful to the
gaffer for giving me that sort of chance. Hopefully I'll get a couple more
now."
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Sir Trevor Brooking exclusive - Part 2
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United legend gives his opinion on the Club's move to the
Olympic Stadium
04.06.2013
With 647 appearances and 102 goals for West Ham United and 47 England caps
to his name, few people are in a better position to assess the Hammers'
forthcoming move to the Olympic Stadium than Sir Trevor Brooking. In the
second section of an exclusive three-part interview with West Ham TV, Sir
Trevor discusses the Club's plans to move to Stratford in 2016. The
64-year-old two-times FA Cup winner will naturally leave the Boleyn Ground
with a heavy heart and many memories, but he believes the move will benefit
the Hammers in the future, much as the new Wembley Stadium has proved
positive for both the national team and the national game as a whole.
"Stratford, from an access point of view, is a lot better with all the
different ways you can access the Olympic Stadium," said Sir Trevor. "I
think that was part of the focal point of the Olympic Games. "From a
tradition point of view, you will always have an affinity with a stadium
like we do with the Boleyn Ground, but you understand that to progress and
move on, and it's important for the owners who inherited a big debt to
reduce that significantly. "The initial plans have been put forward and
naturally they are trying to help the fans understand that they can get the
seating closer and give it that tighter atmosphere. They have got three
years to win over those fans and make sure the atmosphere will be right."
In his current role as the Football Association's Director of Football
Development, Sir Trevor is a regular visitor to the new Wembley, which
opened for business in 2007 and has quickly become a popular venue for fans.
A year ago, more than 40,000 West Ham supporters descended on the new Home
of Football for the npower Championship Play-Off final. Not one will ever
forget Ricardo Vaz Te's late winner and the sight of Kevin Nolan raising the
trophy in the Royal Box.
Sir Trevor believes it will not take long for the Olympic Stadium to conjure
up similarly fond memories if West Ham can make a strong start to life in
Stratford.
"It creates its own history. The issue lots of clubs have had is the
atmosphere because you have to win over the fans. "It's about getting
through that first year or two creating good memories. I'm sure the home
form will be important in that because, more than anything, you want to keep
the home Season Ticket Holders happy like we did this year."
*In Part 3 of his exclusive interview, to be published on Wednesday, Sir
Trevor Brooking talks about his short career in Irish football and looks
forward to West Ham United's pre-season trip to his former club Cork City.
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Sir Trevor Brooking exclusive - Part 3
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United legend recalls his short stint with League of Ireland
side Cork City
05.06.2013
Sir Trevor Brooking is known throughout football as a true One-Club Man,
having made 647 appearances and scored 102 goals for West Ham United during
a glittering 18-year career with the Hammers. What fewer supporters are
aware of, however, is that Sir Trevor turned out for a host of smaller clubs
following his departure from the Boleyn Ground in 1984. On 8 December1985,
the 37-year-old made his debut for League of Ireland Premier Division
newcomers Cork City, but was powerless to prevent his new team from falling
to a 2-0 home defeat by Galway United at the club's old Flower Lodge
stadium. However, he did manage to hit the crossbar with one audacious
long-range chip. A fortnight later, Sir Trevor made his second and final
appearance for Cork, with the Leesiders losing out 3-0 to Shamrock Rovers.
Cork would win just three of their 22 league matches but would escape
relegation on goal difference ahead of Shelbourne.
In the final section of an exclusive three-part interview with West Ham TV,
Sir Trevor recalls his short career in Irish football and looks forward to
the Hammers' pre-season visit to Cork.
"A friend of a friend asked if I would play over there," Sir Trevor
revealed. "Funnily enough I had played in New Zealand and in the North East
[of England] for a side and then I played a couple of games in Cork and then
in Australia. "It was an opportunity, after I had finished but while the
body was still OK, to play a few games. New Zealand was an interesting trip
but Cork was closer at hand. "I don't think I did too well there - we lost
both games so it's just as well as it wasn't a long-term contract! It was
just a bit of fun. "Interestingly enough, that summer when I packed up at
West Ham, a team that had just got promotion [to Division One], Chelsea,
asked me to go there for a year but having struggled at Cork, I'd probably
have struggled even more at Chelsea! Nineteen years at one club was a good
time to finish and it gave me the opportunity to have those trips."
While the Gaelic sports and rugby union remain the most popular sports in
Ireland, Sir Trevor is expecting West Ham's pre-season match at Turners
Cross on Sunday 7 July to be well-supported by fans of both clubs. "I did a
lot of punditry for ten or 15 years for the BBC and suchlike and, whenever
Ireland travelled away, the Irish fans were pretty awesome however they did
in their group. "I think they mystified a lot of fans of other countries
when they saw them cheering their team on, even when they weren't doing
particularly well. They have this national loyalty, a bit like at West Ham,
where they are passionate. "They always have good banter in the bars before
the game and they always give you a warm and friendly welcome."
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Season in Seconds: Joey O'Brien
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Irish full-back Joey O'Brien looks back on a productive
2012/13 campaign
05.06.2013
West Ham United's Irish full-back Joey O'Brien looks back on a productive
2012/13 campaign in the latest Season in Seconds West Ham TV feature. The
popular No17 played 34 times in 2012/13, matching his career-high
appearances in a single season and producing a series of consistent displays
in both the right and left-back berths. O'Brien also added important goals
in the home draw with Stoke City and netted the winner in the New Year's Day
victory over Norwich CIty at the Boleyn Ground.
West Ham TV caught up with the 27-year-old to discover his highlights of
another successful campaign in claret and blue.
Joey, how would you sum up the 2012/13 season in a few words?
JOB - "It's been a great season. We finished in the top ten and for our
first season back in the Premier League that was a massive success."
What was your highlight of the season?
JOB - "Probably the Norwich game when I scored a goal against them. I had a
couple of my brothers over and one of them was celebrating his birthday so
it
was nice for him and for everybody in the ground."
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Sadlier relishing Serbia trip
WHUFC.com
Kieran Sadlier is looking forward to Republic of Ireland's EURO U19 Elite
Round qualifiers
05.06.2013
Kieran Sadlier is targeting UEFA European U19 Championship glory as Republic
of Ireland prepare to open their Elite Round qualification campaign. The
Irish, who reached the semi-finals of the same competition in 2011, will
take on mini-group hosts Serbia, Slovakia and Switzerland between 6-11 June.
Sadlier and West Ham United team-mate Sean Maguire have both been named in
the squad for the Elite Round, which kicks-off with a meeting with
Switzerland at FK Obilić in Belgrade on Thursday 6 June. Ireland will then
take on Slovakia at FK Srem in Jakovo on Saturday 8 June before tackling
Serbia at the same venue on Tuesday 11 June, with the group winners
qualifying for the eight-nation finals in Lithuania in July. The 18-year-old
Sadlier, who finished as leading scorer for the U18s this season with ten
goals, has earned six U19 caps already and is hoping to fire his country
through. "Ireland got to the semi-finals of the tournament proper last time
and our team looks like it could do so again because we have been unbeaten
in seven games at Under-19 level and have got draws and wins against big
teams like Germany and Czech Republic," he said. "We're looking good. "There
is a lot of talent coming through in our team and in the age-group below,
where there are some good players as well. It is difficult to get into the
Under-21s at the moment because there are so many good players around."
Sadlier and Maguire are just two of 16 English-based players in Paul
Doolin's 18-man squad, showing the strength in depth available to the Irish
coach.
The attacking midfielder believes his club-mate and former Waterford United
striker can make an impact on the international stage during the Elite
Round.
Maguire has earned three U19 caps and scored his maiden Development Squad
goal for the Hammers in a recent 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"Sean is settling in really well [following his arrival from Waterford
United in January] and is getting used to training every day now and the
travelling to away games and things like that," Sadlier observed. "It's good
to have him with me when I travel away with Ireland as well, as otherwise
I'd be on my own. We get on well and even when we're away with Ireland, we
always room together."
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Official Website update
WHUFC.com
The Club's web provider hopes to have full service resumed on the Official
Website by late Thursday morning
05.06.2013
Since Tuesday morning, West Ham United's web provider has been experiencing
intermittent Domain Name System (DNS) issues affecting the Official Website.
Following the roll out of some changes by both our provider's technical
teams and Content Delivery Network (CDN) partners, it is hoped that these
issues will be resolved and a restoration of services will be completed by
late Thursday morning. West Ham United would like to apologise to all
supporters for any inconvenience caused.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham sign Spanish keeper Adrian on free transfer
BBC.co.uk
West Ham United have signed Spanish goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer
from Real Betis. The 26-year-old has signed a three-year deal and will join
the Hammers on 1 July after his contract expires. The player told the club
website he was looking forward to competing with Jussi Jaaskelainen for a
starting spot and working under manager Sam Allardyce. He added: "I am
extremely happy and ecstatic to have joined such a legendary and historical
club." Adrian has spent the past 16 years with Betis after joining the club
as a 10-year-old.
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New deal for young striker
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Dylan Tombides has been awarded a new two-year contract by West Ham United.
The 19-year-old Australian striker has barely kicked a ball in the last year
having spent much of that period fighting testicular cancer, but returned to
action in mid-March for the first time in six months when he appeared as a
second half substitute in a 3-1 win against a Queens Park Rangers XI. With
his contract up this summer Tombides admitted that he worried about his
professional future, but those fears were dispelled when he was recently
informed that his contract was being extended by a further two years. "I'm
very pleased to have signed a new contract. The club have stood by me over
the last two years while I've been fighting testicular cancer, even though
the new management have only seen me play not many minutes of football," he
told whufc.com. "From the first minute I was diagnosed they were right
behind me. They said right from the start that anything I needed was mine,
so there were no issues in that concern. "Every time I came in when I
wasn't training, the other players would all rush over to see how I was -
not just the young lads, but all the way up to the first team staff. That
was a really fantastic feeling, I never felt left out."
Tombides has thus far made just one first team appearance, that coming as a
late replecement for Gary O'Neil in the 4-1 League Cup home defeat to Wigan
last September. He moved from Perth, Western Australia to England in order
to join West Ham at the age of 15 and signed a full-time scholarship a year
later. Within a year of signing his first contract, Tombides was diagnosed
with testicular cancer (summer 2011) and immediately began treatment, which
inluded chemotherapy.
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Agent Lomas set for new role
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Steve Lomas is poised to take his first job in management
south of the border - with Millwall. The former West Ham captain, who played
for the club between 1997 and 2005 looks set to follow another former United
captain, Billy Bonds, into the New Den hotseat. Lomas, who made more than
200 appearances for West Ham has been given permission to speak to the
Championship side about the vacant managerial post which was filled until
recently by Kenny Jackett, who has since joined League One side Wolves.
Lomas, who was renowned as a tough-tackling midfielder made his first foray
into management with Southern Football League Premier Division St Neots Town
back in 2009 when he was appointed player manager alongside Michael Hughes,
another former Hammer. Having led the club to their most successful season
since the 1970s, Lomas resigned from St Neots in the summer of 2010 before
being appointed - on a temporary basis - as West Ham's reserve team manager
in February 2011. Having completed his short-term contract at the Boleyn
Ground, Lomas was appointed as manager of St Johnstone in November 2011 on a
two-and-a-half year contract.
Since joining the Saints, Lomas has achieved unprecedented success, leading
the club to a Scottish Cup Final win and qualifying for the Europa League
twice - the first time St Johnstone have ever achieved back-to-back
appearances in European competition. The 39-year-old, who represented his
country Northern Ireland on 48 occasions, is set to become the second former
Hammers captain to take control at the Den following Billy Bonds' year-long
stay from 1997-98.
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Adrian lands three-year contract
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have confirmed the arrival of goalkeeper Adrian on a
three-year deal. The 26-year-old Spaniard becomes Sam Allardyce's second
signing of the summer following the arrival of experienced full back Razvan
Rat last month. Adrian - whose contract includes an option for an extra two
years - joins West Ham from Real Betis on a free transfer and will join up
with his new team mates when his current contract expires at the beginning
of July. "I am extremely happy to have joined such a legendary and
historical club in both London and in England. I am really looking forward
to being able to kick-off my career in the best league in the world with
West Ham," he told whufc.com. "It's going to be an honour to be under the
wing of such an experienced manager and that can only serve to make me a
much better player. There is a very competitive squad at West Ham and, in my
opinion, competition is what makes the group stronger and helps the club to
go further. "West Ham had a great season after being promoted and, as a
group, we should set our sights even higher because that is the only way we
are going to improve our performances. We should be setting our sights on
improving our league position this season."
Adrian is expected to play second fiddle to West Ham's established number
one Jussi Jaaskelainen upon his arrival but with the Fin in the latter
stages of his career, the Spaniard - who spent much of the season as Betis'
first-choice goalkeeper - will no doubt view the number one spot as being up
for grabs. "I am very fortunate to be able to work with such an experienced
goalkeeper with such a long track record in the Premier League as Jussi
Jaaskelainen," he said. "I'm really looking forward to working with him on a
daily basis and being able to receive tips from him which I'm certain will
make me an even better goalkeeper."
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O'Neil: discussions ongoing
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Gary O'Neil could still be a West Ham player next season after it was
confirmed that contractual negotiations with the club are still taking
place. The 30-year-old midfielder, who is out of contract this summer having
initially signed a two-and-a-half year deal when moving from Middlesbrough
in January 2011 is yet to agree terms, despite having previously held
several rounds of discussions. But both parties are understood to believe
that a new agreement isn't a million miles away which is why O'Neil has not
been included on the club's released players list, which was announced thid
afternoon. The most notable name on West Ham's list of departing players is
that of Carlton Cole, who has been allowed to to leave after seven years at
the club. In addition to the former England striker, young pros Eoin Wearen,
Jake Larkins, Jack Powell and Jami Rafati have also been released. Academy
scholars Scholars Cheye Alexander, Declan Hunt, Nigel Seidu and Joshua Siafa
have also parted company with the club - although Rob Hall, who was once
touted as the Academy's brightest star is, like Gary O'Neil, still in
discussions over a new contract. Sam Allardyce has already made two
additions to his first team squad since the 2012/13 campaign ended last
month, with left-back Razvan Rat and goalkeeper Adrian being introduced to
boost West Ham's defensive options.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham secure the signing of Spanish keeper Adrian
Last Updated: June 5, 2013 5:57pm
SSN
West Ham have confirmed the signing of Spanish goalkeeper Adrian on a
three-year deal. The 26-year-old will join the Hammers on a free transfer
when his contract with Real Betis expires on July 1, and the deal includes
an option for a further two seasons. Adrian has represented his hometown
club since the start of his career, but is relishing the challenge of
playing in the Premier League. "I am extremely happy and ecstatic to have
joined such a legendary and historical club in both London and in England,"
he told the club's website. "I am really looking forward to being able to
kick-off my career in the best league in the world with West Ham. "I started
off my career as a ten-year-old and have been there all of my life. I came
through the ranks and I made my first-team debut in the sixth league game of
last season against Malaga and was an ever-present since. "For me, the icing
on the cake was helping the team to qualify for the Europa League in, like
West Ham, our first season back in the top flight after we had spent three
years in the Second Division. Achieving this qualification was a massive
farewell gift for the Betis fans."
One player who will not be playing alongside side Adrian is former England
striker Carlton Cole. The former Chelsea striker is heading out of Upton
Park after the club confirmed he will be released at the end of the month.
Youngsters Jake Larkins, Jack Powell, Jami Rafati and Eoin Wearen will also
depart on June 30, while experienced midfielder Gary O'Neil is still holding
talks over a new deal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers have Ad it
Keeper Adrian signs for West Ham
Published: 5 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM have completed the signing of goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer
from Real Betis. The 26-year-old has signed a three-year-deal with the
Hammers and will link up with the Premier League side when his current
contract at Betis expires at the end of the month. The Spaniard will
challenge experienced goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to be Sam Allardyce's
first-choice at Upton Park for next season. Adrian said: "I am extremely
happy and ecstatic to have joined such a legendary and historical club. "I
am really looking forward to being able to kick-off my career in the best
league in the world with West Ham. "I am very fortunate to be able to work
with such an experienced goalkeeper with such a long track record in the
Premier League as Jussi Jaaskelainen.
"I'm really looking forward to working with him on a daily basis and being
able to receive tips from him which I'm certain will make me an even better
goalkeeper. "The same goes for the gaffer. It's going to be an honour to be
under the wing of such an experienced manager and that can only serve to
make me a much better player." He added: "From what I have seen, the fans
are very similar to those at Betis because they are very passionate. "If I
can replicate the same relationship that I had with the Betis fans, I'll be
a very happy person. Come on you Irons!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham complete signing of Spanish goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer
5 Jun 2013 17:57
The Mirror
Adrian is on his way to West Ham on a free transfer from Real Betis after
the goalkeeper agreed terms with the London side. As reported earlier this
week, Sam Allardyce has brought in the 26-year-old as competition for
current number one Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Spaniard has signed a
three-year-deal with the Hammers and will link up with the Barclays Premier
League side when his current contract at Betis expires at the end of the
month. Adrian will challenge experienced goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to be
Sam Allardyce's first-choice at Upton Park for next season. Adrian will end
a 16-year affiliation with Betis to move to east London and he is looking
forward to a new challenge in his career. "I am extremely happy and ecstatic
to have joined such a legendary and historical club in both London and in
England," he said. "I am really looking forward to being able to kick-off my
career in the best league in the world with West Ham. "I started off my
career as a ten-year-old and have been there all of my life. I came through
the ranks and I made my first-team debut in the sixth league game of last
season against Malaga and was an ever-present since."
Jaaskelainen established himself as the firm number one at West Ham last
season after being signed by Allardyce ahead of the club's return to the
top-flight.
Adrian will now look to challenge for the position but is looking forward to
working alongside the experienced Finn to develop his own game. "I am very
fortunate to be able to work with such an experienced goalkeeper with such a
long track record in the Premier League as Jussi Jaaskelainen," he added.
"I'm really looking forward to working with him on a daily basis and being
able to receive tips from him which I'm certain will make me an even better
goalkeeper.
"It's going to be an honour to be under the wing of such an experienced
manager and that can only serve to make me a much better player. "There is a
very competitive squad at West Ham and, in my opinion, competition is what
makes the group stronger and helps the club to go further in the
competition."
Adrian becomes Allardyce's second addition of the summer following the
signing of Ukraine back Razvan Rat with a striker believed to be the next
priority for the West Ham boss.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll to be offered hefty £100k-a-week deal to finalise star's move to
West Ham
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:26, 5 June 2013 | UPDATED: 22:27, 5 June 2013
Daily Mail
West Ham are poised to offer Andy Carroll a six-year contract worth £100,000
a week. Manager Sam Allardyce expects an answer from Carroll this week
before the striker returns from holiday. The salary is understood to be
supplemented by a pay off from Liverpool as part of the £15.5million
transfer fee.
Allardyce, who completed the signing of goalkeeper Adrian on a three-year
contract from Real Betis, is keen for a quick answer so that he can find
alternatives in case Carroll rejects the offer.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have signed highly-rated goalkeeper Adrian from Spanish club
Real Betis
05.06.2013
West Ham United are delighted to announce the signing of Spanish goalkeeper
Adrian on a free transfer. The 26-year-old will join the Hammers on 1 July
after his contract with Primera Division side Real Betis Balompie expires.
He has signed an initial three-year deal, with the Club having an option to
extend this for a further two seasons. An imposing 6'3 stopper, Seville-born
Adrian - full name Adrian San Miguel del Castillo - has spent virtually his
entire career with his hometown club, enjoying an outstanding 2012/13 season
in the Spanish top flight. After 16 years with his childhood club, Adrian is
relishing the prospect of a new life and a new challenge in England. "I am
extremely happy and ecstatic to have joined such a legendary and historical
club in both London and in England," he said. "I am really looking forward
to being able to kick-off my career in the best league in the world with
West Ham. "I started off my career as a ten-year-old and have been there all
of my life. I came through the ranks and I made my first-team debut in the
sixth league game of last season against Malaga and was an ever-present
since. "For me, the icing on the cake was helping the team to qualify for
the Europa League in, like West Ham, our first season back in the top flight
after we had spent three years in the Second Division. Achieving this
qualification was a massive farewell gift for the Betis fans."
After joining Betis at the age of ten, Adrian started his professional
career with the club's C team in the Andalusia Premier Division. He then
made more than 70 appearances for Betis B in the Segunda Division B Group 4,
the regional third tier of Spanish football. Adrian was also loaned to
Segunda Division B clubs CD Alcala in 2008 and Andalusia Premier Division
club CD Utrera in 2009 before being promoted to the Betis senior squad in
2011/12 as third-choice behind the experienced Casto and Fabri. When Casto
was sent-off at Malaga in September 2012, Adrian stepped off the bench and
never looked back, starting each of Betis' next 31 league matches and
producing a succession of impressive performances.
A tally of eleven clean sheets in 31 league starts helped Betis to finish
the 2012/13 season in seventh place in the Primera Division table and to
qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Adrian's athleticism helped Betis to
achieve a number of superb victories, including clean sheets in home wins
over Real Madrid, Malaga, Valencia and Real Sociedad. He is now targeting
similar success with West Ham and is looking forward greatly to working with
manager Sam Allardyce, goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson and experienced
stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen. "I am very fortunate to be able to work with
such an experienced goalkeeper with such a long track record in the Premier
League as Jussi Jaaskelainen. I'm really looking forward to working with him
on a daily basis and being able to receive tips from him which I'm certain
will make me an even better goalkeeper. "The same goes for the Gaffer. It's
going to be an honour to be under the wing of such an experienced manager
and that can only serve to make me a much better player. "There is a very
competitive squad at West Ham and, in my opinion, competition is what makes
the group stronger and helps the Club to go further in the competition.
"West Ham had a great season after being promoted and, as a group, we should
set our sights even higher because that is the only way we are going to
improve our performances. We should be setting our sights on improving our
league position this season. "I am looking forward to joining the squad and
becoming one of the group and trying to improve myself and the team's
performance on the pitch."
He is also eager to prove himself to the West Ham supporters as soon as
possible and, while his English is not yet fluent, he has already learnt one
familiar Boleyn Ground chant. "I am really looking forward to starting my
relationship with the West Ham fans. From what I have seen, the fans are
very similar to those at Betis because they are very passionate. "If I can
replicate the same relationship that I had with the Betis fans, I'll be a
very happy person. Come on you Irons!" Adrian becomes just the fourth
Spaniard to join West Ham following strikers Kepa Blanco and Diego Tristan
and fellow goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers confirm Retain List
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the
2012/13 season
05.06.2013
West Ham United have issued their Retain List of players at the end of the
2012/13 season. The Hammers have confirmed that striker Carlton Cole and
young professionals Jake Larkins, Jack Powell, Jami Rafati and Eoin Wearen
will be given free transfers when their contracts expire on 30 June.
Discussions with midfielder Gary O'Neil are ongoing over a new contract,
while England U19 international forward Rob Hall has also been made an offer
by the Club. Scholars Cheye Alexander, Declan Hunt, Nigel Seidu and Joshua
Siafa have also been released. West Ham United would like to thank all the
departing players for their efforts and wish them well in their future
careers.
Meanwhile, Hammers youngster Dylan Tombides is itching to make up for lost
time after penning a new deal with the Club. The 19-year-old striker has had
his progress stalled by a two-year fight with testicular cancer, but having
been handed a new contract by the Hammers he wants to repay them for the
faith shown in his abilities. Australian Under-17 international Tombides
made a return to playing towards the end of last season when he featured in
a behind closed doors match with Queens Park Rangers and that gave him all
the motivation needed to kick back in to action over the summer and return
to pre-season fit and raring to go. "I'm very pleased to have signed a new
contract," he beamed. "Obviously the Club stood by me over the last two
years while I've been fighting testicular cancer, even though the new
management have only seen me play not many minutes of football. "From the
first minute I was diagnosed they were right behind me. They said right from
the start that anything I needed was mine, so there were no issues in that
concern. Every time I came in when I wasn't training, the other players
would all rush over to see how I was - not just the young lads, but all the
way up to the first team staff. That was a really fantastic feeling, I never
felt left out."
Tombides made his senior bow last term in a early-season Capital One Cup
defeat to Wigan Athletic, and having been given a taste of that stage, he
wants to make a return in 2013/14. He added: "I made my first team debut
last season, whilst I was going through chemotherapy so I was very surprised
to get selected. I was more than pleased with that and very thankful to the
gaffer for giving me that sort of chance. Hopefully I'll get a couple more
now."
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Sir Trevor Brooking exclusive - Part 2
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United legend gives his opinion on the Club's move to the
Olympic Stadium
04.06.2013
With 647 appearances and 102 goals for West Ham United and 47 England caps
to his name, few people are in a better position to assess the Hammers'
forthcoming move to the Olympic Stadium than Sir Trevor Brooking. In the
second section of an exclusive three-part interview with West Ham TV, Sir
Trevor discusses the Club's plans to move to Stratford in 2016. The
64-year-old two-times FA Cup winner will naturally leave the Boleyn Ground
with a heavy heart and many memories, but he believes the move will benefit
the Hammers in the future, much as the new Wembley Stadium has proved
positive for both the national team and the national game as a whole.
"Stratford, from an access point of view, is a lot better with all the
different ways you can access the Olympic Stadium," said Sir Trevor. "I
think that was part of the focal point of the Olympic Games. "From a
tradition point of view, you will always have an affinity with a stadium
like we do with the Boleyn Ground, but you understand that to progress and
move on, and it's important for the owners who inherited a big debt to
reduce that significantly. "The initial plans have been put forward and
naturally they are trying to help the fans understand that they can get the
seating closer and give it that tighter atmosphere. They have got three
years to win over those fans and make sure the atmosphere will be right."
In his current role as the Football Association's Director of Football
Development, Sir Trevor is a regular visitor to the new Wembley, which
opened for business in 2007 and has quickly become a popular venue for fans.
A year ago, more than 40,000 West Ham supporters descended on the new Home
of Football for the npower Championship Play-Off final. Not one will ever
forget Ricardo Vaz Te's late winner and the sight of Kevin Nolan raising the
trophy in the Royal Box.
Sir Trevor believes it will not take long for the Olympic Stadium to conjure
up similarly fond memories if West Ham can make a strong start to life in
Stratford.
"It creates its own history. The issue lots of clubs have had is the
atmosphere because you have to win over the fans. "It's about getting
through that first year or two creating good memories. I'm sure the home
form will be important in that because, more than anything, you want to keep
the home Season Ticket Holders happy like we did this year."
*In Part 3 of his exclusive interview, to be published on Wednesday, Sir
Trevor Brooking talks about his short career in Irish football and looks
forward to West Ham United's pre-season trip to his former club Cork City.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sir Trevor Brooking exclusive - Part 3
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United legend recalls his short stint with League of Ireland
side Cork City
05.06.2013
Sir Trevor Brooking is known throughout football as a true One-Club Man,
having made 647 appearances and scored 102 goals for West Ham United during
a glittering 18-year career with the Hammers. What fewer supporters are
aware of, however, is that Sir Trevor turned out for a host of smaller clubs
following his departure from the Boleyn Ground in 1984. On 8 December1985,
the 37-year-old made his debut for League of Ireland Premier Division
newcomers Cork City, but was powerless to prevent his new team from falling
to a 2-0 home defeat by Galway United at the club's old Flower Lodge
stadium. However, he did manage to hit the crossbar with one audacious
long-range chip. A fortnight later, Sir Trevor made his second and final
appearance for Cork, with the Leesiders losing out 3-0 to Shamrock Rovers.
Cork would win just three of their 22 league matches but would escape
relegation on goal difference ahead of Shelbourne.
In the final section of an exclusive three-part interview with West Ham TV,
Sir Trevor recalls his short career in Irish football and looks forward to
the Hammers' pre-season visit to Cork.
"A friend of a friend asked if I would play over there," Sir Trevor
revealed. "Funnily enough I had played in New Zealand and in the North East
[of England] for a side and then I played a couple of games in Cork and then
in Australia. "It was an opportunity, after I had finished but while the
body was still OK, to play a few games. New Zealand was an interesting trip
but Cork was closer at hand. "I don't think I did too well there - we lost
both games so it's just as well as it wasn't a long-term contract! It was
just a bit of fun. "Interestingly enough, that summer when I packed up at
West Ham, a team that had just got promotion [to Division One], Chelsea,
asked me to go there for a year but having struggled at Cork, I'd probably
have struggled even more at Chelsea! Nineteen years at one club was a good
time to finish and it gave me the opportunity to have those trips."
While the Gaelic sports and rugby union remain the most popular sports in
Ireland, Sir Trevor is expecting West Ham's pre-season match at Turners
Cross on Sunday 7 July to be well-supported by fans of both clubs. "I did a
lot of punditry for ten or 15 years for the BBC and suchlike and, whenever
Ireland travelled away, the Irish fans were pretty awesome however they did
in their group. "I think they mystified a lot of fans of other countries
when they saw them cheering their team on, even when they weren't doing
particularly well. They have this national loyalty, a bit like at West Ham,
where they are passionate. "They always have good banter in the bars before
the game and they always give you a warm and friendly welcome."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Season in Seconds: Joey O'Brien
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's Irish full-back Joey O'Brien looks back on a productive
2012/13 campaign
05.06.2013
West Ham United's Irish full-back Joey O'Brien looks back on a productive
2012/13 campaign in the latest Season in Seconds West Ham TV feature. The
popular No17 played 34 times in 2012/13, matching his career-high
appearances in a single season and producing a series of consistent displays
in both the right and left-back berths. O'Brien also added important goals
in the home draw with Stoke City and netted the winner in the New Year's Day
victory over Norwich CIty at the Boleyn Ground.
West Ham TV caught up with the 27-year-old to discover his highlights of
another successful campaign in claret and blue.
Joey, how would you sum up the 2012/13 season in a few words?
JOB - "It's been a great season. We finished in the top ten and for our
first season back in the Premier League that was a massive success."
What was your highlight of the season?
JOB - "Probably the Norwich game when I scored a goal against them. I had a
couple of my brothers over and one of them was celebrating his birthday so
it
was nice for him and for everybody in the ground."
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Sadlier relishing Serbia trip
WHUFC.com
Kieran Sadlier is looking forward to Republic of Ireland's EURO U19 Elite
Round qualifiers
05.06.2013
Kieran Sadlier is targeting UEFA European U19 Championship glory as Republic
of Ireland prepare to open their Elite Round qualification campaign. The
Irish, who reached the semi-finals of the same competition in 2011, will
take on mini-group hosts Serbia, Slovakia and Switzerland between 6-11 June.
Sadlier and West Ham United team-mate Sean Maguire have both been named in
the squad for the Elite Round, which kicks-off with a meeting with
Switzerland at FK Obilić in Belgrade on Thursday 6 June. Ireland will then
take on Slovakia at FK Srem in Jakovo on Saturday 8 June before tackling
Serbia at the same venue on Tuesday 11 June, with the group winners
qualifying for the eight-nation finals in Lithuania in July. The 18-year-old
Sadlier, who finished as leading scorer for the U18s this season with ten
goals, has earned six U19 caps already and is hoping to fire his country
through. "Ireland got to the semi-finals of the tournament proper last time
and our team looks like it could do so again because we have been unbeaten
in seven games at Under-19 level and have got draws and wins against big
teams like Germany and Czech Republic," he said. "We're looking good. "There
is a lot of talent coming through in our team and in the age-group below,
where there are some good players as well. It is difficult to get into the
Under-21s at the moment because there are so many good players around."
Sadlier and Maguire are just two of 16 English-based players in Paul
Doolin's 18-man squad, showing the strength in depth available to the Irish
coach.
The attacking midfielder believes his club-mate and former Waterford United
striker can make an impact on the international stage during the Elite
Round.
Maguire has earned three U19 caps and scored his maiden Development Squad
goal for the Hammers in a recent 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
"Sean is settling in really well [following his arrival from Waterford
United in January] and is getting used to training every day now and the
travelling to away games and things like that," Sadlier observed. "It's good
to have him with me when I travel away with Ireland as well, as otherwise
I'd be on my own. We get on well and even when we're away with Ireland, we
always room together."
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Official Website update
WHUFC.com
The Club's web provider hopes to have full service resumed on the Official
Website by late Thursday morning
05.06.2013
Since Tuesday morning, West Ham United's web provider has been experiencing
intermittent Domain Name System (DNS) issues affecting the Official Website.
Following the roll out of some changes by both our provider's technical
teams and Content Delivery Network (CDN) partners, it is hoped that these
issues will be resolved and a restoration of services will be completed by
late Thursday morning. West Ham United would like to apologise to all
supporters for any inconvenience caused.
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West Ham sign Spanish keeper Adrian on free transfer
BBC.co.uk
West Ham United have signed Spanish goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer
from Real Betis. The 26-year-old has signed a three-year deal and will join
the Hammers on 1 July after his contract expires. The player told the club
website he was looking forward to competing with Jussi Jaaskelainen for a
starting spot and working under manager Sam Allardyce. He added: "I am
extremely happy and ecstatic to have joined such a legendary and historical
club." Adrian has spent the past 16 years with Betis after joining the club
as a 10-year-old.
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New deal for young striker
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Dylan Tombides has been awarded a new two-year contract by West Ham United.
The 19-year-old Australian striker has barely kicked a ball in the last year
having spent much of that period fighting testicular cancer, but returned to
action in mid-March for the first time in six months when he appeared as a
second half substitute in a 3-1 win against a Queens Park Rangers XI. With
his contract up this summer Tombides admitted that he worried about his
professional future, but those fears were dispelled when he was recently
informed that his contract was being extended by a further two years. "I'm
very pleased to have signed a new contract. The club have stood by me over
the last two years while I've been fighting testicular cancer, even though
the new management have only seen me play not many minutes of football," he
told whufc.com. "From the first minute I was diagnosed they were right
behind me. They said right from the start that anything I needed was mine,
so there were no issues in that concern. "Every time I came in when I
wasn't training, the other players would all rush over to see how I was -
not just the young lads, but all the way up to the first team staff. That
was a really fantastic feeling, I never felt left out."
Tombides has thus far made just one first team appearance, that coming as a
late replecement for Gary O'Neil in the 4-1 League Cup home defeat to Wigan
last September. He moved from Perth, Western Australia to England in order
to join West Ham at the age of 15 and signed a full-time scholarship a year
later. Within a year of signing his first contract, Tombides was diagnosed
with testicular cancer (summer 2011) and immediately began treatment, which
inluded chemotherapy.
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Agent Lomas set for new role
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammer Steve Lomas is poised to take his first job in management
south of the border - with Millwall. The former West Ham captain, who played
for the club between 1997 and 2005 looks set to follow another former United
captain, Billy Bonds, into the New Den hotseat. Lomas, who made more than
200 appearances for West Ham has been given permission to speak to the
Championship side about the vacant managerial post which was filled until
recently by Kenny Jackett, who has since joined League One side Wolves.
Lomas, who was renowned as a tough-tackling midfielder made his first foray
into management with Southern Football League Premier Division St Neots Town
back in 2009 when he was appointed player manager alongside Michael Hughes,
another former Hammer. Having led the club to their most successful season
since the 1970s, Lomas resigned from St Neots in the summer of 2010 before
being appointed - on a temporary basis - as West Ham's reserve team manager
in February 2011. Having completed his short-term contract at the Boleyn
Ground, Lomas was appointed as manager of St Johnstone in November 2011 on a
two-and-a-half year contract.
Since joining the Saints, Lomas has achieved unprecedented success, leading
the club to a Scottish Cup Final win and qualifying for the Europa League
twice - the first time St Johnstone have ever achieved back-to-back
appearances in European competition. The 39-year-old, who represented his
country Northern Ireland on 48 occasions, is set to become the second former
Hammers captain to take control at the Den following Billy Bonds' year-long
stay from 1997-98.
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Adrian lands three-year contract
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have confirmed the arrival of goalkeeper Adrian on a
three-year deal. The 26-year-old Spaniard becomes Sam Allardyce's second
signing of the summer following the arrival of experienced full back Razvan
Rat last month. Adrian - whose contract includes an option for an extra two
years - joins West Ham from Real Betis on a free transfer and will join up
with his new team mates when his current contract expires at the beginning
of July. "I am extremely happy to have joined such a legendary and
historical club in both London and in England. I am really looking forward
to being able to kick-off my career in the best league in the world with
West Ham," he told whufc.com. "It's going to be an honour to be under the
wing of such an experienced manager and that can only serve to make me a
much better player. There is a very competitive squad at West Ham and, in my
opinion, competition is what makes the group stronger and helps the club to
go further. "West Ham had a great season after being promoted and, as a
group, we should set our sights even higher because that is the only way we
are going to improve our performances. We should be setting our sights on
improving our league position this season."
Adrian is expected to play second fiddle to West Ham's established number
one Jussi Jaaskelainen upon his arrival but with the Fin in the latter
stages of his career, the Spaniard - who spent much of the season as Betis'
first-choice goalkeeper - will no doubt view the number one spot as being up
for grabs. "I am very fortunate to be able to work with such an experienced
goalkeeper with such a long track record in the Premier League as Jussi
Jaaskelainen," he said. "I'm really looking forward to working with him on a
daily basis and being able to receive tips from him which I'm certain will
make me an even better goalkeeper."
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O'Neil: discussions ongoing
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Gary O'Neil could still be a West Ham player next season after it was
confirmed that contractual negotiations with the club are still taking
place. The 30-year-old midfielder, who is out of contract this summer having
initially signed a two-and-a-half year deal when moving from Middlesbrough
in January 2011 is yet to agree terms, despite having previously held
several rounds of discussions. But both parties are understood to believe
that a new agreement isn't a million miles away which is why O'Neil has not
been included on the club's released players list, which was announced thid
afternoon. The most notable name on West Ham's list of departing players is
that of Carlton Cole, who has been allowed to to leave after seven years at
the club. In addition to the former England striker, young pros Eoin Wearen,
Jake Larkins, Jack Powell and Jami Rafati have also been released. Academy
scholars Scholars Cheye Alexander, Declan Hunt, Nigel Seidu and Joshua Siafa
have also parted company with the club - although Rob Hall, who was once
touted as the Academy's brightest star is, like Gary O'Neil, still in
discussions over a new contract. Sam Allardyce has already made two
additions to his first team squad since the 2012/13 campaign ended last
month, with left-back Razvan Rat and goalkeeper Adrian being introduced to
boost West Ham's defensive options.
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West Ham secure the signing of Spanish keeper Adrian
Last Updated: June 5, 2013 5:57pm
SSN
West Ham have confirmed the signing of Spanish goalkeeper Adrian on a
three-year deal. The 26-year-old will join the Hammers on a free transfer
when his contract with Real Betis expires on July 1, and the deal includes
an option for a further two seasons. Adrian has represented his hometown
club since the start of his career, but is relishing the challenge of
playing in the Premier League. "I am extremely happy and ecstatic to have
joined such a legendary and historical club in both London and in England,"
he told the club's website. "I am really looking forward to being able to
kick-off my career in the best league in the world with West Ham. "I started
off my career as a ten-year-old and have been there all of my life. I came
through the ranks and I made my first-team debut in the sixth league game of
last season against Malaga and was an ever-present since. "For me, the icing
on the cake was helping the team to qualify for the Europa League in, like
West Ham, our first season back in the top flight after we had spent three
years in the Second Division. Achieving this qualification was a massive
farewell gift for the Betis fans."
One player who will not be playing alongside side Adrian is former England
striker Carlton Cole. The former Chelsea striker is heading out of Upton
Park after the club confirmed he will be released at the end of the month.
Youngsters Jake Larkins, Jack Powell, Jami Rafati and Eoin Wearen will also
depart on June 30, while experienced midfielder Gary O'Neil is still holding
talks over a new deal.
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Hammers have Ad it
Keeper Adrian signs for West Ham
Published: 5 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM have completed the signing of goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer
from Real Betis. The 26-year-old has signed a three-year-deal with the
Hammers and will link up with the Premier League side when his current
contract at Betis expires at the end of the month. The Spaniard will
challenge experienced goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to be Sam Allardyce's
first-choice at Upton Park for next season. Adrian said: "I am extremely
happy and ecstatic to have joined such a legendary and historical club. "I
am really looking forward to being able to kick-off my career in the best
league in the world with West Ham. "I am very fortunate to be able to work
with such an experienced goalkeeper with such a long track record in the
Premier League as Jussi Jaaskelainen.
"I'm really looking forward to working with him on a daily basis and being
able to receive tips from him which I'm certain will make me an even better
goalkeeper. "The same goes for the gaffer. It's going to be an honour to be
under the wing of such an experienced manager and that can only serve to
make me a much better player." He added: "From what I have seen, the fans
are very similar to those at Betis because they are very passionate. "If I
can replicate the same relationship that I had with the Betis fans, I'll be
a very happy person. Come on you Irons!"
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West Ham complete signing of Spanish goalkeeper Adrian on a free transfer
5 Jun 2013 17:57
The Mirror
Adrian is on his way to West Ham on a free transfer from Real Betis after
the goalkeeper agreed terms with the London side. As reported earlier this
week, Sam Allardyce has brought in the 26-year-old as competition for
current number one Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Spaniard has signed a
three-year-deal with the Hammers and will link up with the Barclays Premier
League side when his current contract at Betis expires at the end of the
month. Adrian will challenge experienced goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to be
Sam Allardyce's first-choice at Upton Park for next season. Adrian will end
a 16-year affiliation with Betis to move to east London and he is looking
forward to a new challenge in his career. "I am extremely happy and ecstatic
to have joined such a legendary and historical club in both London and in
England," he said. "I am really looking forward to being able to kick-off my
career in the best league in the world with West Ham. "I started off my
career as a ten-year-old and have been there all of my life. I came through
the ranks and I made my first-team debut in the sixth league game of last
season against Malaga and was an ever-present since."
Jaaskelainen established himself as the firm number one at West Ham last
season after being signed by Allardyce ahead of the club's return to the
top-flight.
Adrian will now look to challenge for the position but is looking forward to
working alongside the experienced Finn to develop his own game. "I am very
fortunate to be able to work with such an experienced goalkeeper with such a
long track record in the Premier League as Jussi Jaaskelainen," he added.
"I'm really looking forward to working with him on a daily basis and being
able to receive tips from him which I'm certain will make me an even better
goalkeeper.
"It's going to be an honour to be under the wing of such an experienced
manager and that can only serve to make me a much better player. "There is a
very competitive squad at West Ham and, in my opinion, competition is what
makes the group stronger and helps the club to go further in the
competition."
Adrian becomes Allardyce's second addition of the summer following the
signing of Ukraine back Razvan Rat with a striker believed to be the next
priority for the West Ham boss.
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Carroll to be offered hefty £100k-a-week deal to finalise star's move to
West Ham
By SIMON JONES
PUBLISHED: 22:26, 5 June 2013 | UPDATED: 22:27, 5 June 2013
Daily Mail
West Ham are poised to offer Andy Carroll a six-year contract worth £100,000
a week. Manager Sam Allardyce expects an answer from Carroll this week
before the striker returns from holiday. The salary is understood to be
supplemented by a pay off from Liverpool as part of the £15.5million
transfer fee.
Allardyce, who completed the signing of goalkeeper Adrian on a three-year
contract from Real Betis, is keen for a quick answer so that he can find
alternatives in case Carroll rejects the offer.
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Wednesday, June 5
Daily WHUFC News - 5th June 2013
Rat relishing new challenge
WHUFC.com
Razvan Rat is looking forward to proving himself in English football with West Ham United
04.06.2013
Razvan Rat says he has 'new motivation' after agreeing to join West Ham United from Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. Rat, who is tipped to captain Romania in their friendly international with Trinidad and Tobago in Bucharest on Tuesday evening, will join the Hammers officially on 1 July. After ten successful years with Shakhtar, with whom he lifted seven Ukrainian Premier League titles, four Ukrainian Cups and the UEFA Cup in 2009, the experienced 32-year-old has been snapped up by Sam Allardyce. A veteran of 57 UEFA Champions League appearances and exactly 300 games for Shakhtar, the left-back is relishing the opportunity to prove his worth in the Barclays Premier League. "For me it is a challenge and new motivation," Rat told Shakhtar's official website during a farewell press conference. "For the new team [West Ham], I will try to prove to them that I am coming from a team that played in the Champions League and that I have a high level of skill."
While his pedigree is without question, Rat will not rest on his reputation on his arrival in east London. Rather, he is determined to show exactly what all the fuss is about after signing a one-year contract with the Club having the option to extend his stay by a further two years. "I also have to meet the expectations of my new club, where they are sure I will spend three years. I will demonstrate to them precisely the level I've shown here."
The full-back also joked that he plans to take Joe Cole's coveted No26 shirt - the squad number he has worn with honour throughout his decade in Donetsk.
"I will try to move him and get his number 26," he laughed, before adding: "I'm just kidding."
On a more serious note, Rat paid tribute to fellow countryman and long-time Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu, whose own future is also in doubt as his contract expires this summer. The defender worked under Lucescu at first club Rapid Bucharest before being reunited with the Romanian in Ukraine in 2004.
"I don't have enough words to say thank you to everyone who helped me succeed over the ten years of my career here," he said. "I've known Mister [Lucescu] for a long while. He once brought me to Rapid when I was 18 years old. That happened a long time ago, but he noticed me, and our paths crossed again here at Shakhtar. I am very grateful to him for the fact that he polished me both as a player and as an individual."
Rat will join his new West Ham team-mates when the Hammers return for pre-season training in early July.
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West Ham bid for Spain striker Alvara Negredo rejected
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have had a £14.5m bid for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo rejected, according to the Spanish club's president. Jose Maria Del Nido said Sevilla were under no pressure to sell, having already agreed a £17m-plus deal with Manchester City for winger Jesus Navas. "West Ham offered 17m (euros) with more in incentives but we do not value the offer and the player refused," he said. The 27-year-old Spain international scored 31 goals last season. At a news conference, Del Nido added: "He has four years left on his contract. "He is at home here. He has scored a lot of goals and delighted us with his football." However, he said the deal for 27-year-old Navas was "a great deal for both parties". Sevilla finished the season ninth in La Liga but qualified for the Europa League because of European competition bans imposed on Malaga and Rayo Vallecano.
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Striker unmoved by West Ham interest
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Highly-rated Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo is reported to have been the subject of a recent transfer-record breaking bid from West Ham United. The 27-year-old Seville forward is one of the hottest properties in Spanish football at the moment and the Andalusian club - who expect to lose him this summer - are said to have slapped a €25million price on his head. However that didn't apparently deter West Ham from making a bid of around £17million last month, according to Seville president Jose Maria del Nido. KUMB reported on 21st May that West Ham had made an audacious attempt to land Negrado, who has made 14 appearances for Spain - something that has now been confirmed by Del Nido. However United's interest cooled almost immediately after they were told Negredo had no interest in moving to East London. Whilst a move to the Premier League was not ruled out by the striker, his preference is to secure a move to one of the league's Champions League qualifiers, as confirmed recently by his agent Juanma Lopez.
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Sevilla turn down West Ham bid for Alvaro Negredo
Last Updated: June 4, 2013 5:02pm
SSN
West Ham have had an offer for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo rejected by the Spanish club. Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido claims the Premier League side offered £14.5m for the 27-year-old forward, who last season scored 31 goals in all competitions. "He has four years left on his contract," explained Del Nido. "He is at home here. He has scored a lot of goals and delighted us with his football. "The summer will tell us in due course if he will still be with us, but if you ask my opinion I'd rather there were no bids. "West Ham offered 17m euros in cash with more in incentives but we do not value the offer and the player refused."
Del Nido explained the club are under no pressure to sell after agreeing a £24m deal to sell winger Jesus Navas to Manchester City. "The price at which we have sold Jesus Navas is an amount much higher than we thought they were going to offer, especially as there was only one bidder. "We do not yet know the final figure as there are many variables and incentives in the deal. "But we have no need to sell as this has covered our budget deficit. "In the past we have been willing to sell a player if the market value is offered, but so far all the offers that have come in have been rejected."
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West Ham Bid £14m for Alvaro Negredo!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
The President of Sevilla has apparently informed us that they have rejected a £14m, plus add-ons, bid for their prolific striker, Alvaro Negredo. Simultaneously, the Mirror Sports inform us that Andy Carroll wants a £100,000 a week wage deal to join West Ham. The alleged offer for Negredo has been interpreted in some quarters as the club exploring other options in case personal terms cannot be agreed with Carroll. Is it true? I have no doubt that West Ham are looking at possible alternative options, which is only sensible, but I do doubt that they have yet given up on landing Carroll. It would be surprising if Andy Carroll had adopted that negotiating position, considering that he has no future at Liverpool, no other clubs have expressed an interest and West Ham is his only current viable option. Knowing the source of this story, it is more than possible that it is inaccurate. Regardless, as always, time will tell because if Carroll is demanding £100,000 a week I doubt that a deal will be agreed. If he signs it will probably be proven groundless. But even if it is not £100,000 a week, the club are likely to have to match the reported £80,000 a week deal that he currently has with Liverpool. And that is a major financial commitment for the club at present, but one that they may well conclude is necessary to secure Carroll and help the club progress.
I do wonder if any list of alternatives includes Blackburn Rovers marksman, Jordan Rhodes. If one word describes Rhodes it is most definitely 'prolific.' He followed up on his 2011-12 goal feast at League 1 Huddersfield Town with 25 goals last season at Championship Blackburn Rovers. Remember, Blackburn Rovers struggled, yet he still scored that many goals in a relatively poor team. Similarly, he has also been capped by Scotland and has regularly hit the back of the net at international level. That is another very good indicator of his future potential. Imagine what Rhodes could achieve in a Premier League side, with better players and service? Perhaps he will stay at Blackburn Rovers and spearhead their resurgence? Otherwise, a PL club will bid for him sooner or later, and that club could be richly rewarded with a player capable of consistently scoring 15-20 goals a season. A rare and precious commodity these days! Even if Carroll signs, West Ham might be well advised to improve our striking options by also signing Rhodes. At an estimated c.£8m fee, he could well prove to be a bargain! And perhaps we could even oil the wheels of a deal with Blackburn by including one or two of our 'surplus to requirement's squad players as part of it?
Elsewhere, one wonders if the proposed transfer of Adrian been concluded yet? We presently only have the Sports Mail's confirmation that it has! So, best to wait until it is confirmed on the official club site as a done deal. However, the arrival of Adrian, or another experienced keeper, is likely spell the end of Stephen Henderson's time at the club. Thankfully, David Gold has swiftly moved to squash the Tomkins to Newcastle Utd rumours. His twitter response is sweet music to all Hammers fans ears, that 'West Ham are no longer a selling club.' With Reid, Tomkins, Collins and the emerging Leo Chambers, we are well covered in central defence. If we choose to bring in another Alou Diarra type player, who plays holding midfield and can be deployed as a utility centre back then so much the better. And Bordeaux's Ludovic Sane fits that bill very well.
Finally, talking of Diarra, he was reported in the French press as having some harsh things to say about his time at West Ham. More recent press reports have suggested that Diarra may now be seeking to rebuild bridges with the club and facilitate a return to the club next season. Personally, I think it is probably a bit too late for a reconciliation, which is a shame because Diarra did well when he eventually got over his injury problem and played as midfield anchor. As suggested above, Ludovic Sane could be a good alternative. And if Diarra was included in any deal with Bordeaux for the services of the Senegalese international, then that could prove to be an excellent bit of transfer business. Especially if it is true that Sane is entering the final year of his current contract, something that would make him decidedly more affordable.
SJ. Chandos.
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Liverpool's Andy Carroll wants pay-rise to £100,000-a-week to sign for West Ham
4 Jun 2013 22:31
The Mirrro
Andy Carroll wants a whopping pay rise to £100,000-a-week to complete his £15.5million move from Liverpool for West Ham. The 24-year-old England striker has had his £80,000-a-week Anfield salary paid by the Hammers during his season-long loan at Upton Park. But Carroll - who is out injured for up to four months - now wants £20,000-a-week on top of that if he is to make a permanent summer move out of Anfield to east London. West Ham do want to keep Carroll, and agreed his transfer fee three weeks ago with Liverpool - who will be taking a £20million loss on the £35m they paid Newcastle for him in January 2011. But Carroll then asked for time to think the move over, hoping Newcastle would enter the bidding. Instead, the Magpies made it clear they had no interest in re-signing the frontman. Carroll was then ruled out for up to four months because of an ankle injury. West Ham held out for an answer, however, and were told this week that he is ready to move to east London if he gets a six-figure pay packet. The Hammers are hoping to come to a compromise as they are unwilling to meet such high wage demands and a deal is expected to be completed by the end of the week.
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West Ham land keeper Adrian but Sevilla knock back £14.5m bid for striker Negredo
CityAM
by Frank Dalleres
June 5, 2013, 1:06am
WEST Ham have bolstered their goalkeeping options by signing Spanish stopper Adrian but failed in another raid on La Liga after it emerged Sevilla rejected their interest in striker Alvaro Negredo.
Adrian, who is likely to serve as an understudy to first-choice Hammers stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen, completed his free transfer yesterday after flying to England for a medical earlier this week.
The 26-year-old only cemented his position in the Primera Division side last season, but went on to play 32 games, conceding 46 times. Negredo, meanwhile, will not be following his countryman from Andalucia to east London after Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido said he had rejected a £14.5m bid from West Ham for the Spain international.
The 27-year-old scored 31 goals last season but Del Nido insisted they did not need to sell their top marksman, having struck a £17m deal to sell winger Jesus Navas to Manchester City.
"He has four years left on his contract. He is at home here. He has scored a lot of goals and delighted us with his football," Del Nido said of Negredo.
"The summer will tell us in due course if he will still be with us, but if you ask my opinion I'd rather there were no bids. West Ham offered €17m (£14.5m) in cash with more in incentives but we do not value the offer and the player refused."
West Ham's failure to lure Negredo, who has scored six goals in 14 international appearances for the world and European champions, is expected to see them redouble efforts to make Andy Carroll's move permanent.
England forward Carroll spent last season on loan from Liverpool and the Hammers are keen to buy the 24-year-old for a club record-smashing £15m.
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WEST HAM TOLD TO COUGH UP FOR CELTIC STRIKER GARY HOOPER
Daily Star
5th June 2013 By Tim Gray
WEST HAM have been told they won't get Celtic striker Gary Hooper on the cheap. The Hammers have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, who has hit 63 goals in 90 starts. Celtic are desperate to keep their £10m-rated star forward, but know that a chance for him to move to the Premier League could be too tempting. And boss Neil Lennon has warned any possible bidders they will need to dig deep to land Hooper. He said: "He is a pivotal player for us, he is a masterful player, he has really developed into a top-class striker. "He is a brilliant young English player. We would love to hold on to him, it is a priority for me, but if we get a bid in that is good business for the club we may have to think again. "You don't want to see your best players go, but everyone has a selling point and we're no different to anyone else."
Lennon has also vowed to repel any Sunderland moves for Fraser Forster, who could be a replacement for Simon Mignolet. But Lennon said: "We signed him in the summer, he is not going anywhere. "He made his name at Celtic and has gone from third-choice goalkeeper at Newcastle to third-choice goalkeeper for England in a very short space of time."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Razvan Rat is looking forward to proving himself in English football with West Ham United
04.06.2013
Razvan Rat says he has 'new motivation' after agreeing to join West Ham United from Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. Rat, who is tipped to captain Romania in their friendly international with Trinidad and Tobago in Bucharest on Tuesday evening, will join the Hammers officially on 1 July. After ten successful years with Shakhtar, with whom he lifted seven Ukrainian Premier League titles, four Ukrainian Cups and the UEFA Cup in 2009, the experienced 32-year-old has been snapped up by Sam Allardyce. A veteran of 57 UEFA Champions League appearances and exactly 300 games for Shakhtar, the left-back is relishing the opportunity to prove his worth in the Barclays Premier League. "For me it is a challenge and new motivation," Rat told Shakhtar's official website during a farewell press conference. "For the new team [West Ham], I will try to prove to them that I am coming from a team that played in the Champions League and that I have a high level of skill."
While his pedigree is without question, Rat will not rest on his reputation on his arrival in east London. Rather, he is determined to show exactly what all the fuss is about after signing a one-year contract with the Club having the option to extend his stay by a further two years. "I also have to meet the expectations of my new club, where they are sure I will spend three years. I will demonstrate to them precisely the level I've shown here."
The full-back also joked that he plans to take Joe Cole's coveted No26 shirt - the squad number he has worn with honour throughout his decade in Donetsk.
"I will try to move him and get his number 26," he laughed, before adding: "I'm just kidding."
On a more serious note, Rat paid tribute to fellow countryman and long-time Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu, whose own future is also in doubt as his contract expires this summer. The defender worked under Lucescu at first club Rapid Bucharest before being reunited with the Romanian in Ukraine in 2004.
"I don't have enough words to say thank you to everyone who helped me succeed over the ten years of my career here," he said. "I've known Mister [Lucescu] for a long while. He once brought me to Rapid when I was 18 years old. That happened a long time ago, but he noticed me, and our paths crossed again here at Shakhtar. I am very grateful to him for the fact that he polished me both as a player and as an individual."
Rat will join his new West Ham team-mates when the Hammers return for pre-season training in early July.
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West Ham bid for Spain striker Alvara Negredo rejected
BBC.co.uk
West Ham have had a £14.5m bid for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo rejected, according to the Spanish club's president. Jose Maria Del Nido said Sevilla were under no pressure to sell, having already agreed a £17m-plus deal with Manchester City for winger Jesus Navas. "West Ham offered 17m (euros) with more in incentives but we do not value the offer and the player refused," he said. The 27-year-old Spain international scored 31 goals last season. At a news conference, Del Nido added: "He has four years left on his contract. "He is at home here. He has scored a lot of goals and delighted us with his football." However, he said the deal for 27-year-old Navas was "a great deal for both parties". Sevilla finished the season ninth in La Liga but qualified for the Europa League because of European competition bans imposed on Malaga and Rayo Vallecano.
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Striker unmoved by West Ham interest
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Highly-rated Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo is reported to have been the subject of a recent transfer-record breaking bid from West Ham United. The 27-year-old Seville forward is one of the hottest properties in Spanish football at the moment and the Andalusian club - who expect to lose him this summer - are said to have slapped a €25million price on his head. However that didn't apparently deter West Ham from making a bid of around £17million last month, according to Seville president Jose Maria del Nido. KUMB reported on 21st May that West Ham had made an audacious attempt to land Negrado, who has made 14 appearances for Spain - something that has now been confirmed by Del Nido. However United's interest cooled almost immediately after they were told Negredo had no interest in moving to East London. Whilst a move to the Premier League was not ruled out by the striker, his preference is to secure a move to one of the league's Champions League qualifiers, as confirmed recently by his agent Juanma Lopez.
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Sevilla turn down West Ham bid for Alvaro Negredo
Last Updated: June 4, 2013 5:02pm
SSN
West Ham have had an offer for Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo rejected by the Spanish club. Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido claims the Premier League side offered £14.5m for the 27-year-old forward, who last season scored 31 goals in all competitions. "He has four years left on his contract," explained Del Nido. "He is at home here. He has scored a lot of goals and delighted us with his football. "The summer will tell us in due course if he will still be with us, but if you ask my opinion I'd rather there were no bids. "West Ham offered 17m euros in cash with more in incentives but we do not value the offer and the player refused."
Del Nido explained the club are under no pressure to sell after agreeing a £24m deal to sell winger Jesus Navas to Manchester City. "The price at which we have sold Jesus Navas is an amount much higher than we thought they were going to offer, especially as there was only one bidder. "We do not yet know the final figure as there are many variables and incentives in the deal. "But we have no need to sell as this has covered our budget deficit. "In the past we have been willing to sell a player if the market value is offered, but so far all the offers that have come in have been rejected."
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West Ham Bid £14m for Alvaro Negredo!
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
The President of Sevilla has apparently informed us that they have rejected a £14m, plus add-ons, bid for their prolific striker, Alvaro Negredo. Simultaneously, the Mirror Sports inform us that Andy Carroll wants a £100,000 a week wage deal to join West Ham. The alleged offer for Negredo has been interpreted in some quarters as the club exploring other options in case personal terms cannot be agreed with Carroll. Is it true? I have no doubt that West Ham are looking at possible alternative options, which is only sensible, but I do doubt that they have yet given up on landing Carroll. It would be surprising if Andy Carroll had adopted that negotiating position, considering that he has no future at Liverpool, no other clubs have expressed an interest and West Ham is his only current viable option. Knowing the source of this story, it is more than possible that it is inaccurate. Regardless, as always, time will tell because if Carroll is demanding £100,000 a week I doubt that a deal will be agreed. If he signs it will probably be proven groundless. But even if it is not £100,000 a week, the club are likely to have to match the reported £80,000 a week deal that he currently has with Liverpool. And that is a major financial commitment for the club at present, but one that they may well conclude is necessary to secure Carroll and help the club progress.
I do wonder if any list of alternatives includes Blackburn Rovers marksman, Jordan Rhodes. If one word describes Rhodes it is most definitely 'prolific.' He followed up on his 2011-12 goal feast at League 1 Huddersfield Town with 25 goals last season at Championship Blackburn Rovers. Remember, Blackburn Rovers struggled, yet he still scored that many goals in a relatively poor team. Similarly, he has also been capped by Scotland and has regularly hit the back of the net at international level. That is another very good indicator of his future potential. Imagine what Rhodes could achieve in a Premier League side, with better players and service? Perhaps he will stay at Blackburn Rovers and spearhead their resurgence? Otherwise, a PL club will bid for him sooner or later, and that club could be richly rewarded with a player capable of consistently scoring 15-20 goals a season. A rare and precious commodity these days! Even if Carroll signs, West Ham might be well advised to improve our striking options by also signing Rhodes. At an estimated c.£8m fee, he could well prove to be a bargain! And perhaps we could even oil the wheels of a deal with Blackburn by including one or two of our 'surplus to requirement's squad players as part of it?
Elsewhere, one wonders if the proposed transfer of Adrian been concluded yet? We presently only have the Sports Mail's confirmation that it has! So, best to wait until it is confirmed on the official club site as a done deal. However, the arrival of Adrian, or another experienced keeper, is likely spell the end of Stephen Henderson's time at the club. Thankfully, David Gold has swiftly moved to squash the Tomkins to Newcastle Utd rumours. His twitter response is sweet music to all Hammers fans ears, that 'West Ham are no longer a selling club.' With Reid, Tomkins, Collins and the emerging Leo Chambers, we are well covered in central defence. If we choose to bring in another Alou Diarra type player, who plays holding midfield and can be deployed as a utility centre back then so much the better. And Bordeaux's Ludovic Sane fits that bill very well.
Finally, talking of Diarra, he was reported in the French press as having some harsh things to say about his time at West Ham. More recent press reports have suggested that Diarra may now be seeking to rebuild bridges with the club and facilitate a return to the club next season. Personally, I think it is probably a bit too late for a reconciliation, which is a shame because Diarra did well when he eventually got over his injury problem and played as midfield anchor. As suggested above, Ludovic Sane could be a good alternative. And if Diarra was included in any deal with Bordeaux for the services of the Senegalese international, then that could prove to be an excellent bit of transfer business. Especially if it is true that Sane is entering the final year of his current contract, something that would make him decidedly more affordable.
SJ. Chandos.
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Liverpool's Andy Carroll wants pay-rise to £100,000-a-week to sign for West Ham
4 Jun 2013 22:31
The Mirrro
Andy Carroll wants a whopping pay rise to £100,000-a-week to complete his £15.5million move from Liverpool for West Ham. The 24-year-old England striker has had his £80,000-a-week Anfield salary paid by the Hammers during his season-long loan at Upton Park. But Carroll - who is out injured for up to four months - now wants £20,000-a-week on top of that if he is to make a permanent summer move out of Anfield to east London. West Ham do want to keep Carroll, and agreed his transfer fee three weeks ago with Liverpool - who will be taking a £20million loss on the £35m they paid Newcastle for him in January 2011. But Carroll then asked for time to think the move over, hoping Newcastle would enter the bidding. Instead, the Magpies made it clear they had no interest in re-signing the frontman. Carroll was then ruled out for up to four months because of an ankle injury. West Ham held out for an answer, however, and were told this week that he is ready to move to east London if he gets a six-figure pay packet. The Hammers are hoping to come to a compromise as they are unwilling to meet such high wage demands and a deal is expected to be completed by the end of the week.
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West Ham land keeper Adrian but Sevilla knock back £14.5m bid for striker Negredo
CityAM
by Frank Dalleres
June 5, 2013, 1:06am
WEST Ham have bolstered their goalkeeping options by signing Spanish stopper Adrian but failed in another raid on La Liga after it emerged Sevilla rejected their interest in striker Alvaro Negredo.
Adrian, who is likely to serve as an understudy to first-choice Hammers stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen, completed his free transfer yesterday after flying to England for a medical earlier this week.
The 26-year-old only cemented his position in the Primera Division side last season, but went on to play 32 games, conceding 46 times. Negredo, meanwhile, will not be following his countryman from Andalucia to east London after Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido said he had rejected a £14.5m bid from West Ham for the Spain international.
The 27-year-old scored 31 goals last season but Del Nido insisted they did not need to sell their top marksman, having struck a £17m deal to sell winger Jesus Navas to Manchester City.
"He has four years left on his contract. He is at home here. He has scored a lot of goals and delighted us with his football," Del Nido said of Negredo.
"The summer will tell us in due course if he will still be with us, but if you ask my opinion I'd rather there were no bids. West Ham offered €17m (£14.5m) in cash with more in incentives but we do not value the offer and the player refused."
West Ham's failure to lure Negredo, who has scored six goals in 14 international appearances for the world and European champions, is expected to see them redouble efforts to make Andy Carroll's move permanent.
England forward Carroll spent last season on loan from Liverpool and the Hammers are keen to buy the 24-year-old for a club record-smashing £15m.
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WEST HAM TOLD TO COUGH UP FOR CELTIC STRIKER GARY HOOPER
Daily Star
5th June 2013 By Tim Gray
WEST HAM have been told they won't get Celtic striker Gary Hooper on the cheap. The Hammers have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, who has hit 63 goals in 90 starts. Celtic are desperate to keep their £10m-rated star forward, but know that a chance for him to move to the Premier League could be too tempting. And boss Neil Lennon has warned any possible bidders they will need to dig deep to land Hooper. He said: "He is a pivotal player for us, he is a masterful player, he has really developed into a top-class striker. "He is a brilliant young English player. We would love to hold on to him, it is a priority for me, but if we get a bid in that is good business for the club we may have to think again. "You don't want to see your best players go, but everyone has a selling point and we're no different to anyone else."
Lennon has also vowed to repel any Sunderland moves for Fraser Forster, who could be a replacement for Simon Mignolet. But Lennon said: "We signed him in the summer, he is not going anywhere. "He made his name at Celtic and has gone from third-choice goalkeeper at Newcastle to third-choice goalkeeper for England in a very short space of time."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Tuesday, June 4
Daily WHUFC News - 4th June 2013
West Ham United statement
WHUFC.com
The Club has released a statement regarding the fixture at Tottenham Hotspur
in November 2012
03.06.2013
The Football Association has concluded its investigation into events
surrounding West Ham United's game at Tottenham Hotspur on 25 November 2012
and has confirmed that no further action will be taken against West Ham
United. In a written response to West Ham United, The FA praised the Club's
reaction to the reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour, which
included issuing immediate life bans to any supporter found to have acted in
an unacceptable way.
The governing body also applauded West Ham United's planning and
co-operation with the authorities and Tottenham Hotspur regarding the return
match at the Boleyn Ground on Monday 25 February 2013, which passed off
without major incident. The Club works extremely hard to address all forms
of discriminatory behaviour, wherever they occur, and operates a strict zero
tolerance policy towards anyone who behaves inappropriately when following
the team. West Ham United actively promotes events and campaigns that
highlight and combat prejudice towards individuals and groups because of
disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion. The Club actively
supports campaigns promoting inclusion and tolerance, including Kick It Out,
Show Racism the Red Card, Football v Homophobia and Holocaust Memorial Day,
while the West Ham United Community Sports Trust works positively with
people of all ages and backgrounds.
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Sir Trevor Brooking exclusive - Part 1
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United legend looks back on a successful season and ahead to
the 2013/14 campaign
03.06.2013
With 647 appearances and 102 goals for West Ham United and 47 England caps
to his name, few people are in a better position to assess the Hammers'
2012/13 campaign than Sir Trevor Brooking. In the first section of an
exclusive three-part interview with West Ham TV, Sir Trevor discusses a
successful season and gives his opinion on how his former Club can continue
to progress next term. The 64-year-old two-times FA Cup winner starts by
assessing a campaign that saw Sam Allardyce guide his side to the relative
comfort of a tenth-place finish on their return to the Barclays Premier
League. "I think at the start of the season, like any club coming up, you're
hoping you don't get dragged into the relegation scrap," said Sir Trevor. "A
lot of clubs were always looking over their shoulders because of the way the
league turned out, but we started well. "Funnily enough, in contrast to last
season when we got up through the Play-Offs and our home form wasn't as good
but we were really good away, this time I think our home Premier League
games have been really good and we've deserved the points we have picked
up."
Sir Trevor enjoyed a successful spell in the dugout himself, losing just one
of the 14 games he managed as caretaker between April and October 2003.
As a player, he was part of the West Ham squad that consolidated their
position in the top-flight following promotion as Division Two champions in
1981. After finishing ninth in 1981/82, the Hammers avoided 'second season
syndrome' by finishing eighth the following season, 1982/83.
Similar improvement this time around would be more than welcomed by the
popular former No10, but how can it be achieved?
"I think the important thing is to keep it tight at the back and score
enough goals to win games. Sometimes you can play well but not score and
then you end up with draws instead of wins, whereas one win gets you three
points and they can be crucial. We need that attacking edge. "Andy Carroll
has done well but nobody knows what is going to happen with Andy. Carlton
Cole's contract is up, so the attacking area is an issue. "We also need to
get that support from midfield because, if you look, from the goalscoring
point of view we haven't had a couple of players who have got into double
figures, which gives you that opportunity to get the victories. "I'm sure
Sam will also look at how they can get more threatening and more of a
cutting edge away from home. They picked up a couple of results this season,
but they need to get more wins away from home to take the pressure off
needing to get the results at home."
While a number of other Barclays Premier League clubs have, for one reason
or another, changed their manager in recent weeks, West Ham have bucked the
trend by securing Sam Allardyce's future on a new contract.
Having witnessed periods of both tumult and stability during his long
association with the Hammers, Sir Trevor is delighted to see the Club in
such a stable position. "The Davids [Joint-Chairmen Sullivan and Gold] have
recognised the experience Sam has in this league and it is important this
coming year that he does what he wants to do. If you look at the track
record the two Davids have got, they have been pretty consistent with giving
opportunities to managers when they are leading a club. "Sam led the Club to
bounce back with promotion and we got the win on the final day of this
season to finish tenth."
*In Part 2 of his exclusive interview, to be published on Tuesday, Sir
Trevor Brooking discusses the Hammers' move to the Olympic Stadium.
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Season in Seconds: Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
Our latest player to go under the spotlight is Hammers midfielder Mark Noble
03.06.2013
Hammers Academy product Mark Noble is the latest player to be featured in
our Season in Seconds series.
How would you sum up the season Mark?
MN - "We finished tenth, so I don't think you can ask for much more than
that really."
What was the highlight for you?
MN - "Probably the 1-0 win against Aston Villa on the first day of the
season. Coming up from the Championship, having a home game first and
getting three points on the board was a massive kick start to the season."
What was the funniest moment of the season?
MN - "Probably when Macca [Neil McDonald] fell over on the touchline, doing
a sort of roly-poly backwards. It was quite funny because he takes himself
quite seriously!"
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A take no action over Millwall and West Ham abuse claims
BBC.co.uk
The Football Association will take no further action after investigations
into allegations of discriminatory abuse by West Ham and Millwall fans. Two
West Ham supporters were arrested for anti-Semitic gestures in a game
against Tottenham in November 2012. Sky Sports News also filmed Millwall
fans racially abusing Leeds player El-Hadji Diouf in the same month. An FA
statement said: "No charges are to be issued to either club in relation to
these isolated incidents."
However, it stated: "The FA advises that consideration will be given to
taking disciplinary action against both West Ham United and Millwall if
further reports of spectator misconduct are received." Some of West Ham's
fans are alleged to have mocked Tottenham supporters, who traditionally have
strong ties with London's Jewish community, during the game at White Hart
Lane. Following the game, West Ham said it would take the "strongest
possible action against any of their supporters, including enforcing life
bans from the club, that are found guilty of behaviour which is
categorically not condoned by West Ham".
The FA said it acknowledges "the work West Ham undertook in the immediate
aftermath of the match and the ongoing work the club, led by its owners,
undertakes to prevent all forms of discrimination and misconduct, as well as
the regular statements the club makes to supporters about the standards of
behaviour expected".
It also noted that the return fixture between the clubs in February 2013 at
Upton Park passed without incident. Millwall also acted swiftly, imposing
club bans for offenders who were arrested and charged for making offensive
or racist remarks. The FA statement added: "The FA notes the work the club
continues to do in partnership with its local community to educate
supporters and help tackle discriminatory language/behaviour."
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Gold dismisses Tomkins speculation
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has told potential suitors that defender James Tomkins is not for
sale. The 24-year-old centre half emerged from the club's Academy and only
15 months ago signed a new four-year contract (with an option for a further
year). However having played second fiddle to James Collins and Winston Reid
for much of the 2012/13 campaign, claims that Tomkins - who has already made
in excess of 150 appearances for the Hammers - was not happy with the
situation began to emerge. Those rumours appear to have alerted Tomkins'
former manager Alan Pardew, who gave the Basildon-born defender his first
team debut in the 1-1 draw at Everton in March 2008. However Hammers
co-owner David Gold has moved to quash rumours of a potential departure for
Tomkins. "We are not selling James - he's on a long contract and is still
only a young man", Gold told Sports Direct News. "He's an absolutely top
prospect and were he to be available it would not be easy to buy him as we
have a very high valuation on him. "But this is no longer a selling club.
We are moving forward into a big future and we will therefore be keeping our
biggest players; James is one of them."
Basildon-born Tomkins started just 18 of West Ham's 38 Premier League
matches last season, with eight further appearances from the bench. His only
goal of the campaign came in the 2-1 defeat at Wigan last October.
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Smoke without fire
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
The FA have warned West Ham United over the future conduct of its fans -
whilst refraining from taking action against the club over an incident that
took place at White Hart Lane last year.
West Ham United were investigated by the Football Association after a small
pocket of supporters - estimated to be no more than 20 to 30 people - were
accused of anti-Semitic chanting during the Premier League clash at
Tottenham last November.
Despite widespread condemnation of West Ham United supporters - mostly from
people who weren't even present at White Hart Lane on the day including
journalists such as Mihir Bose and Matt Law of the Sunday Mirror - the FA
have refrained from sanctioning the club in any way.
In a statement released this lunchtime, the FA said: "Consideration will be
given to taking disciplinary action against West Ham United if further
reports of spectator misconduct are received, however, no charges are to be
issued in relation to this isolated incident.
"The FA continues to remind all clubs to address any form of discriminatory
behaviour with the strongest possible action."
West Ham United responded with a statement of their own, which said: "In a
written response to West Ham United, The FA praised the Club's reaction to
the reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour, which included issuing
immediate life bans to any supporter found to have acted in an unacceptable
way.
"The Club works extremely hard to address all forms of discriminatory
behaviour, wherever they occur, and operates a strict zero tolerance policy
towards anyone who behaves inappropriately when following the team.
"West Ham United actively promotes events and campaigns that highlight and
combat prejudice towards individuals and groups because of disability, race,
sex, sexual orientation and religion."
West Ham United are undestood to have banned just one supporter as a result
of the above incident.
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FA clears West Ham and Millwall after investigating discrimatory behaviour
Last Updated: June 3, 2013 3:55pm
SSN
The Football Association will take no action against West Ham and Millwall
over instances of alleged discriminatory behaviour among their fans last
season.
The two London clubs were the subject of separate FA investigations - West
Ham in relation to their game at Tottenham on November 25, and Millwall over
abuse caught on camera by Sky Sports News' Special Report team.
Police arrested several West Ham fans following allegations of anti-semitic
abuse at White Hart Lane, while two Millwall supporters featured in
February's Special Report were subsequently issued with club banning orders.
And FA investigators are satisfied with both clubs' continuing efforts to
deal with abusive behaviour.
Among the conclusions drawn in a statement on its website, the FA noted West
Ham's work ahead of a return fixture with Tottenham which passed off without
incident.
And, with reference to Millwall, the statement highlighted "the work the
club continues to do in partnership with its local community to educate
supporters and help tackle discriminatory language/behaviour".
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo's agent hints at Napoli move
By Simone Bargellini. Last Updated: June 3, 2013 9:47pm
SSN
Alvaro Negredo's agent has confirmed the player may leave Sevilla for
England or Italy this summer, with Napoli emerging as frontrunners for his
signature.
The 27-year-old scored 25 goals this season, including all four in Sevilla's
dramatic final day 4-3 win over Valencia last weekend. The Spanish club are
prepared to let the forward go this summer, but only to a side that matches
the £20million release clause in his contract. Everton were linked with a
move for Negredo in January but baulked at the £20million fee while Premier
League rivals West Ham have also been mentioned in recent weeks. His agent
Juanma Lopez has confirmed there is interest from the Premier League for the
player but hinted that Rafael Benitez's Napoli may be his preferred option.
Negredo is keen to test himself in the Champions League and Napoli's
automatic qualification for Europe's premier competition next season has
shot them to the head of the queue. "Alavaro has played a very important
season and many clubs are coming forward for him," Lopez told
tuttomercatoweb. "I think he can go either to England or Italy. "Napoli is a
possibility given that [Rafa] Benitez likes the player and the team will
play in next season's Champions League, a competition that Negredo would
like to take part in. "The final decision is up to Seville, whoever wants
Negredo has to find an agreement with them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
The Club has released a statement regarding the fixture at Tottenham Hotspur
in November 2012
03.06.2013
The Football Association has concluded its investigation into events
surrounding West Ham United's game at Tottenham Hotspur on 25 November 2012
and has confirmed that no further action will be taken against West Ham
United. In a written response to West Ham United, The FA praised the Club's
reaction to the reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour, which
included issuing immediate life bans to any supporter found to have acted in
an unacceptable way.
The governing body also applauded West Ham United's planning and
co-operation with the authorities and Tottenham Hotspur regarding the return
match at the Boleyn Ground on Monday 25 February 2013, which passed off
without major incident. The Club works extremely hard to address all forms
of discriminatory behaviour, wherever they occur, and operates a strict zero
tolerance policy towards anyone who behaves inappropriately when following
the team. West Ham United actively promotes events and campaigns that
highlight and combat prejudice towards individuals and groups because of
disability, race, sex, sexual orientation and religion. The Club actively
supports campaigns promoting inclusion and tolerance, including Kick It Out,
Show Racism the Red Card, Football v Homophobia and Holocaust Memorial Day,
while the West Ham United Community Sports Trust works positively with
people of all ages and backgrounds.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sir Trevor Brooking exclusive - Part 1
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United legend looks back on a successful season and ahead to
the 2013/14 campaign
03.06.2013
With 647 appearances and 102 goals for West Ham United and 47 England caps
to his name, few people are in a better position to assess the Hammers'
2012/13 campaign than Sir Trevor Brooking. In the first section of an
exclusive three-part interview with West Ham TV, Sir Trevor discusses a
successful season and gives his opinion on how his former Club can continue
to progress next term. The 64-year-old two-times FA Cup winner starts by
assessing a campaign that saw Sam Allardyce guide his side to the relative
comfort of a tenth-place finish on their return to the Barclays Premier
League. "I think at the start of the season, like any club coming up, you're
hoping you don't get dragged into the relegation scrap," said Sir Trevor. "A
lot of clubs were always looking over their shoulders because of the way the
league turned out, but we started well. "Funnily enough, in contrast to last
season when we got up through the Play-Offs and our home form wasn't as good
but we were really good away, this time I think our home Premier League
games have been really good and we've deserved the points we have picked
up."
Sir Trevor enjoyed a successful spell in the dugout himself, losing just one
of the 14 games he managed as caretaker between April and October 2003.
As a player, he was part of the West Ham squad that consolidated their
position in the top-flight following promotion as Division Two champions in
1981. After finishing ninth in 1981/82, the Hammers avoided 'second season
syndrome' by finishing eighth the following season, 1982/83.
Similar improvement this time around would be more than welcomed by the
popular former No10, but how can it be achieved?
"I think the important thing is to keep it tight at the back and score
enough goals to win games. Sometimes you can play well but not score and
then you end up with draws instead of wins, whereas one win gets you three
points and they can be crucial. We need that attacking edge. "Andy Carroll
has done well but nobody knows what is going to happen with Andy. Carlton
Cole's contract is up, so the attacking area is an issue. "We also need to
get that support from midfield because, if you look, from the goalscoring
point of view we haven't had a couple of players who have got into double
figures, which gives you that opportunity to get the victories. "I'm sure
Sam will also look at how they can get more threatening and more of a
cutting edge away from home. They picked up a couple of results this season,
but they need to get more wins away from home to take the pressure off
needing to get the results at home."
While a number of other Barclays Premier League clubs have, for one reason
or another, changed their manager in recent weeks, West Ham have bucked the
trend by securing Sam Allardyce's future on a new contract.
Having witnessed periods of both tumult and stability during his long
association with the Hammers, Sir Trevor is delighted to see the Club in
such a stable position. "The Davids [Joint-Chairmen Sullivan and Gold] have
recognised the experience Sam has in this league and it is important this
coming year that he does what he wants to do. If you look at the track
record the two Davids have got, they have been pretty consistent with giving
opportunities to managers when they are leading a club. "Sam led the Club to
bounce back with promotion and we got the win on the final day of this
season to finish tenth."
*In Part 2 of his exclusive interview, to be published on Tuesday, Sir
Trevor Brooking discusses the Hammers' move to the Olympic Stadium.
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Season in Seconds: Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
Our latest player to go under the spotlight is Hammers midfielder Mark Noble
03.06.2013
Hammers Academy product Mark Noble is the latest player to be featured in
our Season in Seconds series.
How would you sum up the season Mark?
MN - "We finished tenth, so I don't think you can ask for much more than
that really."
What was the highlight for you?
MN - "Probably the 1-0 win against Aston Villa on the first day of the
season. Coming up from the Championship, having a home game first and
getting three points on the board was a massive kick start to the season."
What was the funniest moment of the season?
MN - "Probably when Macca [Neil McDonald] fell over on the touchline, doing
a sort of roly-poly backwards. It was quite funny because he takes himself
quite seriously!"
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A take no action over Millwall and West Ham abuse claims
BBC.co.uk
The Football Association will take no further action after investigations
into allegations of discriminatory abuse by West Ham and Millwall fans. Two
West Ham supporters were arrested for anti-Semitic gestures in a game
against Tottenham in November 2012. Sky Sports News also filmed Millwall
fans racially abusing Leeds player El-Hadji Diouf in the same month. An FA
statement said: "No charges are to be issued to either club in relation to
these isolated incidents."
However, it stated: "The FA advises that consideration will be given to
taking disciplinary action against both West Ham United and Millwall if
further reports of spectator misconduct are received." Some of West Ham's
fans are alleged to have mocked Tottenham supporters, who traditionally have
strong ties with London's Jewish community, during the game at White Hart
Lane. Following the game, West Ham said it would take the "strongest
possible action against any of their supporters, including enforcing life
bans from the club, that are found guilty of behaviour which is
categorically not condoned by West Ham".
The FA said it acknowledges "the work West Ham undertook in the immediate
aftermath of the match and the ongoing work the club, led by its owners,
undertakes to prevent all forms of discrimination and misconduct, as well as
the regular statements the club makes to supporters about the standards of
behaviour expected".
It also noted that the return fixture between the clubs in February 2013 at
Upton Park passed without incident. Millwall also acted swiftly, imposing
club bans for offenders who were arrested and charged for making offensive
or racist remarks. The FA statement added: "The FA notes the work the club
continues to do in partnership with its local community to educate
supporters and help tackle discriminatory language/behaviour."
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Gold dismisses Tomkins speculation
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
David Gold has told potential suitors that defender James Tomkins is not for
sale. The 24-year-old centre half emerged from the club's Academy and only
15 months ago signed a new four-year contract (with an option for a further
year). However having played second fiddle to James Collins and Winston Reid
for much of the 2012/13 campaign, claims that Tomkins - who has already made
in excess of 150 appearances for the Hammers - was not happy with the
situation began to emerge. Those rumours appear to have alerted Tomkins'
former manager Alan Pardew, who gave the Basildon-born defender his first
team debut in the 1-1 draw at Everton in March 2008. However Hammers
co-owner David Gold has moved to quash rumours of a potential departure for
Tomkins. "We are not selling James - he's on a long contract and is still
only a young man", Gold told Sports Direct News. "He's an absolutely top
prospect and were he to be available it would not be easy to buy him as we
have a very high valuation on him. "But this is no longer a selling club.
We are moving forward into a big future and we will therefore be keeping our
biggest players; James is one of them."
Basildon-born Tomkins started just 18 of West Ham's 38 Premier League
matches last season, with eight further appearances from the bench. His only
goal of the campaign came in the 2-1 defeat at Wigan last October.
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Smoke without fire
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
The FA have warned West Ham United over the future conduct of its fans -
whilst refraining from taking action against the club over an incident that
took place at White Hart Lane last year.
West Ham United were investigated by the Football Association after a small
pocket of supporters - estimated to be no more than 20 to 30 people - were
accused of anti-Semitic chanting during the Premier League clash at
Tottenham last November.
Despite widespread condemnation of West Ham United supporters - mostly from
people who weren't even present at White Hart Lane on the day including
journalists such as Mihir Bose and Matt Law of the Sunday Mirror - the FA
have refrained from sanctioning the club in any way.
In a statement released this lunchtime, the FA said: "Consideration will be
given to taking disciplinary action against West Ham United if further
reports of spectator misconduct are received, however, no charges are to be
issued in relation to this isolated incident.
"The FA continues to remind all clubs to address any form of discriminatory
behaviour with the strongest possible action."
West Ham United responded with a statement of their own, which said: "In a
written response to West Ham United, The FA praised the Club's reaction to
the reported incidents of inappropriate behaviour, which included issuing
immediate life bans to any supporter found to have acted in an unacceptable
way.
"The Club works extremely hard to address all forms of discriminatory
behaviour, wherever they occur, and operates a strict zero tolerance policy
towards anyone who behaves inappropriately when following the team.
"West Ham United actively promotes events and campaigns that highlight and
combat prejudice towards individuals and groups because of disability, race,
sex, sexual orientation and religion."
West Ham United are undestood to have banned just one supporter as a result
of the above incident.
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FA clears West Ham and Millwall after investigating discrimatory behaviour
Last Updated: June 3, 2013 3:55pm
SSN
The Football Association will take no action against West Ham and Millwall
over instances of alleged discriminatory behaviour among their fans last
season.
The two London clubs were the subject of separate FA investigations - West
Ham in relation to their game at Tottenham on November 25, and Millwall over
abuse caught on camera by Sky Sports News' Special Report team.
Police arrested several West Ham fans following allegations of anti-semitic
abuse at White Hart Lane, while two Millwall supporters featured in
February's Special Report were subsequently issued with club banning orders.
And FA investigators are satisfied with both clubs' continuing efforts to
deal with abusive behaviour.
Among the conclusions drawn in a statement on its website, the FA noted West
Ham's work ahead of a return fixture with Tottenham which passed off without
incident.
And, with reference to Millwall, the statement highlighted "the work the
club continues to do in partnership with its local community to educate
supporters and help tackle discriminatory language/behaviour".
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Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo's agent hints at Napoli move
By Simone Bargellini. Last Updated: June 3, 2013 9:47pm
SSN
Alvaro Negredo's agent has confirmed the player may leave Sevilla for
England or Italy this summer, with Napoli emerging as frontrunners for his
signature.
The 27-year-old scored 25 goals this season, including all four in Sevilla's
dramatic final day 4-3 win over Valencia last weekend. The Spanish club are
prepared to let the forward go this summer, but only to a side that matches
the £20million release clause in his contract. Everton were linked with a
move for Negredo in January but baulked at the £20million fee while Premier
League rivals West Ham have also been mentioned in recent weeks. His agent
Juanma Lopez has confirmed there is interest from the Premier League for the
player but hinted that Rafael Benitez's Napoli may be his preferred option.
Negredo is keen to test himself in the Champions League and Napoli's
automatic qualification for Europe's premier competition next season has
shot them to the head of the queue. "Alavaro has played a very important
season and many clubs are coming forward for him," Lopez told
tuttomercatoweb. "I think he can go either to England or Italy. "Napoli is a
possibility given that [Rafa] Benitez likes the player and the team will
play in next season's Champions League, a competition that Negredo would
like to take part in. "The final decision is up to Seville, whoever wants
Negredo has to find an agreement with them."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
Monday, June 3
Daily WHUFC News - 3rd June 2013
Cottee welcomes Big Sam stay
WHUFC.com
Former West Ham United striker Tony Cottee says Sam Allardyce is the man to
deliver more success
02.06.2013
Hammers legend Tony Cottee was delighted to see manager Sam Allardyce pen a
new contract with the Club before the end of the 2012/13 campaign. The West
Ham United boss has enjoyed great success in his two years at the Boleyn
Ground, winning promotion to the Barclays Premier League in the first
campaign before guiding his team to a top half finish this term. Cottee, who
notched 146 goals for the Club in 336 games across two spells, has been
mightily impressed with West Ham's achievements over the past couple of
seasons, and is backing Allardyce to deliver more success. He told West Ham
TV: "I'm delighted that Sam has signed a new contract. Above all else, the
Club needs stability - we can't keep getting rid of managers, firing
managers and appointing someone else. "We need it to be like the good old
days and for somebody to be here for four, five, six, seven years, and I
think that's what we'll get with Sam, we'll get the stability. "I was always
confident that we would finish between tenth and 15th this season. To
actually be in the top part of that scale is a great achievement. "To be in
the top ten of the Premier League in any season is a good achievement by any
club, so it's great that we did it at the first attempt back.
"But I think it's important to keep our feet on the floor - I remember when
Alan Pardew's team came up, we finished ninth and reached the FA Cup final,
but then the next season was a real struggle. "The second season can often
be harder than the first season back, because you've got the momentum for
getting promotion. "I'm not telling Sam or Macca anything new, they know
that anyway. There's a good bunch of players in the squad, I'm sure they'll
be given a bit of money and perhaps most importantly of all if we can sign
Andy Carroll we've got a real chance of giving it a big go next season."
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Season in Seconds: Dan Potts
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United youngster reviews his 2012/13 campaign
02.06.2013
Young defender Dan Potts is the latest West Ham United player to be featured
in our Season in Seconds series.
How would you sum up the season?
DP - "On a personal note, I've developed and progressed well in the season
just gone. Obviously it's a step up for the whole club in the Premier
League, the objective for me was to play in the Premier League. I did that
this year and next year I'll be hoping to try and get more minutes under my
belt."
What was the highlight?
DP - "The Man United game here. That stands out for all sorts of reasons,
not only personally but for the game itself. For a neutral it was
entertaining, and I felt if we had gone through nobody could have denied
that we deserved it."
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Former player tours to begin
WHUFC.com
Hammers greats Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Boleyn Ground
Tours this summer
02.06.2013
West Ham United legends Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Former
Player Tours of the Boleyn Ground this summer. Goalkeeper Parkes signed for
West Ham for a world-record fee in 1979, lifted the FA Cup in 1980 and
helped the Hammers to finish third in Division One in 1985/86. Striker
Taylor joined West Ham from Rochdale in January 1975 before scoring the
goals that carried the Club to FA Cup glory at Wembley five months later.
Parkes and Taylor will lead the unique Tours, which will be held between
26-28 July. Fans will be led on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Boleyn
Ground by one of the two greats, visiting the tunnel, dugouts, dressing
rooms, Chairmen's Suite and Directors Box before sitting down for a
traditional East End feast of pie, mash and liquor*.
Participants will also be invited to take part in a West Ham United quiz,
with signed prizes available to the winners, while photographs taken
pitchside will be emailed to those taking part in the Tour.
Former Player Tours will take place on the following dates:
*Friday 26 July - 9am and 1pm
*Saturday 27 July - 9am and 1pm
*Sunday 28 July - 9am and 1pm
To book your unique Former Player Tour now, call the Ticket Office on 0871
529 1966 (calls 10p/minute plus network extras) and select Option 3 or visit
the Alpari Stand Ticket Office in person. Alternatively, you can book online
here.
For further information - not for booking - email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk
*Vegetarian option is available, but participants must email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk with the name and address the Tour was
booked under at least 72 hours prior to the Tour.
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More silverware for youngsters
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham Ladies Under 16s recently secured their second trophy of the season
with a 2-0 win against Eastern Avenue in the League Cup Final. The West Ham
girls were calm and collected ahead of the game but took nothing for granted
as EA had shown their physical style of play in previous meetings. As the
game unfolded, Eastern tried to disrupt West Ham's flow of well-constructed
and penetrating moves with exuberant challenges. The series of free kicks
that followed only served to benefit the Hammers, giving them the great
spells of possession and forcing Eastern to defend deep. The match enjoyed
spells of high-quality counter-attacking football by both squads. The
majority of Eastern's first half chances were however well dealt with by
West Ham's dominating back four of Morgan Difalco, Courtney Peverill,
Danielle Sillitoe and Natalie Strange. As the second half began, the Hammers
showed terrific quality as they forced their way past Eastern's defences
with fleet-of-foot runs down both wings by Shellie Sumpter and Sarah Wilson
- whilst Ciara Bland and Aleah Headley demonstrated both textbook tackles
and pinpoint dissecting passes to feed the formidable strike force of
Rafaela Cavahlo and Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
A free kick at the edge of the Avenue box proved their undoing as the rising
ball caused frantic jostling in the area, leaving Wilson open at the far
post for a determined header into the net. Eastern replied with a committed
attack and a breaking run that put their striker one-on-one with the West
Ham 'keeper. Hodges came flying out to close the angle, and with a heroic
save threw her body onto the ball. The loose ball rolled teasingly close to
the goal line as Peverill swooped it away to safety. Ten minutes later West
Ham doubled their lead with a well-crafted, individual goal. Cutting in from
the left side, Headley struck a superb effort from 20 yards that tucked in
under the bar. Eastern came close to clawing one back only to see their
effort pushed wide by Hodges. West Ham rejuvenated their attacking power
with Nicole Witham and Sarah Dick, who continued to create further chances
for the Hammers right up to the final whistle.
Manager Ray Wood was extremely proud of the girls' performance both today
and throughout 2012/13. With a lack of pre-season friendlies and only a
handful of last season's players remaining in the squad, his young team have
exceeded his expectations - and finished the season on a real high.
West Ham Utd: Ciara Bland, Rafaela Cavahlo, Morgan Difalco, Aleah Headley,
Georgie Hodges, Courtney Peverill, Danielle Sillitoe, Natalie Strange,
Shellie Sumpter, Sarah Wilson, Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
Goals: Aleah Headley, Sarah Wilson.
Subs: Nicole Witham, Sarah Dick.
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'Keeper to sign three-year contract?
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Reports emanating from Spain this afternoon suggest that Real Betis
goalkeeper Adrian has agreed a three-year deal with West Ham. KUMB.com
revealed a fortnight ago that West Ham had been keeping tabs on the
26-year-old stopper. Now unconfirmed reports claim that a deal worth in the
region of £20,000-per-week has been struck, with Adrian poised to complete a
move to the Premier League upon the expiry of his current deal which ends
later this month. Adrian was missing from the Betis squad that drew 1-1 with
Levante in last night's La Liga clash at Ciutat de València - a result that
guaranteed the Andalusia-based club a seventh-place finish and European
football next season. It is understood that all parties agreed an official
announcement on Adrian's future would be delayed until Betis ended their
2012/13 La Liga campaign. The 6'2" goalkeeper is a home-grown player who
emerged from the Betis youth ranks before turning pro in 2006. He played
more than 30 times for Verdiblancos in 2012/13 and was recently voted Man of
the Match in their 1-0 win over Real Madrid.
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Why Sam Allardyce deserves more credit
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Raymond Doyle
What a different two years makes at a football club. On 15th May 2011 Wigan
Athletic came from 2-0 down at half time to beat West Ham United and confirm
the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League.
The board decided to sack then-manager Avram Grant and appoint former
Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager Sam
Allardyce. The 58-year-old quickly went about rebuilding a side capable of
not only getting promoted back to the Premier League but also staying there.
The signing of Kevin Nolan proved to be a masterstroke for Allardyce as the
former Bolton captain scored 13 goals for the club in his first season from
midfield.
The Hammers finished third in the 2011–12 Football League Championship with
86 points, missing out on automatic promotion by two points. However the
Hammers put that disappointment behind them when they beat Blackpool in the
play-off final thanks to a late winner from Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz
Te.
In the summer of 2012, Allardyce was once again busy in the transfer market
bringing to the club 11 new players including on-loan striker Andy Carroll
from Liverpool. Although Allardyce has often spoke of his plan to play
attractive football, with the addition of Carroll and club record signing
Matt Jarvis from Wolves, West Ham have played a direct style of football
which saw them finish in the top half of the Premier League table this
season.
Highlights for the Hammers this season were their 3-1 win over Chelsea,
their 0-0 draw with Manchester City (in which they were denied victory by a
bad call from the assistant referee) and a 2-2 draw with champions
Manchester United.
Big Sam was rewarded following West Ham's fine performance in the Premier
League this season with a new two-year deal. David Gold, the West Ham
co-owner, announced that the 58-year-old would stay on at Upton Park on his
personal Twitter account.
"I am delighted to announce that our manager Sam Allardyce has signed a new
two year contract," Gold said.
Allardyce himself said: "There were processes we had to go through and put
it together in the right way, which it has now. I never thought there would
be any problem – and there hasn't. There has been some issue with the legal
jargon in the contract which I couldn't understand so that has to go to both
sides' lawyers to agree and then it gets signed. The size of a manager's
contract is pretty substantial in terms of responsibilities."
Say what you like about the playing style of West Ham, results this season
have shown it to be effective. Many pundits applaud the likes of Roberto
Martinez and Wigan for their "easy on the eye" football style but many Wigan
fans may well swap positions with West Ham despite their FA Cup success.
This summer will no doubt be another busy one for West Ham as Allardyce
looks to secure the permanent signing of Carroll along with a number of new
faces. The Hammers will look to push on next season to try and compete with
the likes of Swansea and West Brom and try and snatch a European place but
credit must go to Allardyce for the turnaround at Upton Park since that dark
day against Wigan two years ago!
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The curious case of Joe Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Jason Eves
'Boomerang players', as they are known, are a curious topic; some regard
these players returning to their former clubs as a homecoming, a triumphant
return as you will.
But usually the case with a returning player they have reached the ends of
their playing career and want to see it out in a comfortable environment,
none more so than a club they have previously turned out for.
Even our famous ground has had its fair share of players leaving, to only
return again to grace the Boleyn Ground. From former players such as Frank
McAvennie, Pop Robson, Julian Dicks and Tony Cottee to more recent cases
such as James Collins and George McCartney. Collins, I believe didn't want
to leave West Ham in the first place, with much rumours circulating he was
sold to Aston Villa (a notable West Ham graveyard) to free up funds to pay
SBOBet for the transfer of the flop turned Italian International Alessandro
Diamanti.
The 'Ginger Pele' has excelled this season, forming a formidable partnership
with the resurgent Winston Reid, keeping out homegrown (Russell Brand
lookalike) James Tomkins who has been left kicking his heels on the fringes
of the first team.
Although Collins has been suspect with a few notable blunders (look no
further than the Swansea away game) he more than redeemed himself by
shutting out the rampant Luis Suarez during West Ham's visit to Anfield,
where Luis was left chomping at the bit to add to his impressive tally.
McCartney left the club on personal terms allegedly with his girlfriend
seeking a return up north for family issues. His departure also left a
bitter taste, with then West Ham manager Alan Curbishley admitting that
George was sold without his permission.
Following a decent two year spell with the Hammers, his move to Sunderland
didn't bear as much fruit as he had hoped and he was then subsequently
loaned to Leeds for a year, before linking back up to his familiar
surroundings. Brought initially on loan he helped us claim promotion to the
Premier League, where he earned himself a permanent return.
But it seems he has now become a squad player, with Joey O'Brien preferred
on the left for the majority of this campaign and with news of our latest
signing, Romanian captain and Champions League-experienced left back Razvan
(Roland) Rat joining our ranks, George's days at the Boleyn may be numbered.
Now this brings me to Joe Cole, the last of the trio brought in for his
second spell at West Ham. He ticks all the boxes fans look for in a player:
a) He was brought up through the academy,
b) He got the crowd out of their seats with his electric performances and
c) He is an East End boy through and through.
You could almost see the faithful swelling with pride whenever Joe graced
the pitch, knowing he was one of their own. Unfortunately, the powers that
be love to toy with our emotions. With that ill-fated 'too good to go down'
season that condemned us to be stripped of all our finest talent, with Joe
being plucked up by the newly installed Soviet regime at Chelsea.
We all wished him well and hoped his move worked out for him, but alas he
never fulfilled his early potential at Chelsea, making a meagre 180
appearances over the course of seven years at the club. Injuries and manager
preferences plagued his time at Chelsea and obviously knocked the confidence
and halted his nurturing through reserve games and sitting on the bench for
long periods.
He was offered pastures new at Liverpool, a move he later regretted in light
of moving to us. This was his last crack at the big time (before Liverpool
became the faltering giants they are today). Again it was another move that
just didn't work out for him, he started brightly but once again the
injuries took hold and he couldn't force his way back into the fold.
Following a successful spell with French club Lille (where he played
alongside Chelsea star Eden Hazard) Cole returned to Liverpool for one last
roll of the dice. Again with a bright start to the season, he suffered a
reoccurring hamstring problem was left on the sidelines, allowing talent
like Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling a chance to break into the Liverpool
side. Though as we all remember earlier this season Joe came on against West
Ham and showed us what we were lacking by scoring at Upton Park earning
Liverpool a 3-2 win.
Joe finally made a return to claret and blue during this year's January
transfer window, drafted in on a free transfer with Liverpool keen to get
his relatively high wages off their bill. He has showed flashed of his early
brilliance with a masterclass performance in his debut in the FA Cup match
with Manchester United, putting them to the sword with two assists to his
name.
Following this dream debut, renewed optimism was conjured up at the Boleyn
of the prodigal son returning to take us to the next level, with another
impressive performance against doomed relegation candidates QPR. With
questions once again raised over his fitness Cole was left to sit on the
bench for the duration of the campaign, fulfilling a role as an impact sub
to try and change the game for us in the dying minutes.
His return in general has brought mixed reviews, I for one am happy to see a
player of his calibre join our ranks, even if he is on the wrong side of
thirty I believe with the right approach employed at Manchester United to
prolong legends such as Giggs and Scholes, I think Joe can always offer
something with his vision, passing and other qualities.
I can't help but think he was more of a board signing than an Allardyce
signing as he just doesn't fit Sam's brief when it comes to players. But Sam
has a known reputation for rejuvenating seemingly doomed players (look no
further than Jay-Jay Okocha, Ricardo Gardner etc.) so we may have got a coup
from Liverpool. Of course I'm sure when Joe hangs up his boots he will be
promoted to an ambassadorial role similar to one taken up by Tony Cottee,
where we can use Joe's wisdom to bring the new youth to the famous academy.
But for the short-term, I would take an injury free season for Joe Cole any
day; only time will tell if he is the second coming we all hope he will be.
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Adrian In, Tomkins Out?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There is a report this evening that Betis Keeper, Adrian San Miguel, is due
in London this week to undertake a medical ahead of a move to West Ham.
Apparently, the Betis No1 has been in fine form this season and has
attracted significant interest from La Liga rivals Espanyol and Getafe. If
the report is true then Sam Allardyce has stolen a march on them to sign
Adrian to a three year deal. Even sweeter for the West Ham hierarchy is the
fact that they are likely to have secured the player on very reasonable
terms, given Betis current financial issues. It is anticipated that Adrian
will start as No. 2 to Jussi and be given time to acclimatise to the more
frenetic pace of the Premier League. Following on from Ravzan Rat's signing,
this could prove to be yet another good deal for the club.
While, in the Sunday People, it was reported that Sam Allardyce may be
prepared to sell James Tomkins to Newcastle Utd to finance his summer
transfer deals. The rationale underpinning this old, recycled report is that
money is tight for West Ham's transfer dealings and the majority of what is
available has been hear marked for the signing of Andy Carroll. Therefore,
West Ham may have to sell to buy players to strengthen the squad in other
positions. I personally do not believe that there is a basis to the report.
If they sell Tomkins they will still have to sign a replacement.
Furthermore, James Tomkins is rightly seen as a future star at the club and
I would be amazed if they were prepared to sell. He did not have a great
campaign last season, but there is every expectation that he will get back
on track next season. I know it is fashionable to write players off when
they have a loss of fitness and/or form. You only have to look at Winston
Reid's case to see how impatient and wrong fan opinion can be about players.
If it had been down to the majority fan opinion, the current Hammer of the
Year would have been out the door after our relegation.Thankfully, Sam
Allardyce knew better on that one! And it is a similar situation with
Tomkins.
Well done to the England players who secured an encouraging 2-2 draw with
Brazil this evening. The two England goals were outstanding and, although
they were under the cosh in the first half, their organisational discipline,
hard work and Hart's goal keeping kept them in the game. Actually, it is
funny how black and white our football press see issues pertaining to
England, either jingoistic nationalism or deep pessimism. I had the occasion
to read the Sports Section of the Daily Mail today and it was full of dark
pessimism about England and English football. Particularly Sir Trevor
Brooking's alleged comment about England needing another 10 years to emulate
the recent resurgence of German football. But there was also an article in
which the author stated that the England Team had never had a golden age!!
Funny that, I could have sworn that England were the premier footballing
power from the late 19th century, right through to the early 1950s? Was not
the 3-6 defeat to the Hungarians in 1953 the first time that a team from
outside the British Isles had beaten England on home soil? The first England
away defeat to a foreign side was Spain's 4-3 victory in Madrid in 1929.
England's win record in the period 1930-1949 (even allowing for WW2) was
excellent, suffering only 9 overseas defeats. Today it often forgotten that
until 1968, a German national side had never beaten England home or away.
While Italy's first victory over us was as recently as 1973, Argentina's in
1964 and and Holland in 1977.
To say that England never had a golden age is contrary to historical record
and an insult to great English players such as Lofthouse, Finney, Matthews,
Lawton and, our very own, Len Goulden. In truth the author is not looking at
the issue in terms of the overall historical record, but rather only in
terms of our more recent World Cup/post 1950 record. We did not contest the
first three World Cup competitions in the 1930s due to England's
disaffiliation from FIFA in 1926. It is a virtual certainty that had England
participated they would have won those competitions comfortably, such was
our dominance in that period. However apart from 1966, 1970 and 1990, our
modern World Cup record has been a disappointment. While, our overall win
record since 1970 has declined significantly. So, it would be more accurate
to state that yes there was a golden age for the English national football
team, but (apart from the Oasis of 1966) it was a very long time ago. And in
the modern period a number of other footballing nations have consistently
out- performed us. That is the true position.
Hopefully, the new National Football Centre at Burton and the newly
introduced EPPP Scheme will pay dividends for English youth development. It
will take time to have an impact, but in the meantime we must continue to
compete and make the best use of the talent currently at our disposal. Much
as we did this evening against Brazil. So far from being totally gloomy, we
should be glad that the FA have now made the type of changes that increase
the chances of our national side getting back to the pinnacle of
international football once again. It is long overdue!
Finally, back to West Ham, there are reports this evening that Andy Carroll
will accept West Ham's offer and sign from Liverpool, this coming week, for
a fee of £15m. Lets see what transpires? If he does, that is a major boost
to the club. But we must still be mindful that recent reports have stated
that Carroll is unlikely to be available for selection for at least the
first month or so of the new season. As we saw last season, getting off to a
good start is usually key to having a successful season. So, the emphasis
will then switch to who else will be brought in to give us greater
strength-in-depth up front and see us through Carroll's initial period of
absence?
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Miguel
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM are set to nab Real Betis keeper Adrian San Miguel on a free
transfer this week. The out-of-contract stopper, 26, is expected to travel
to the capital to sign a three-year contract. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has
tracked the Spaniard, who wants out of Betis, for some time.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel on free transfer
2 Jun 2013 22:30
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel
on a free transfer from Real Betis. Allardyce spotted the highly-rated
26-year-old who will sign for three seasons if he passes a 'test' with the
Hammers. The West Ham chief wants competition for veteran Jussi Jaaskelainen
and San Miguel fits the bill perfectly as his contract is up. San Miguel
will not be coming to settle for life in the reserves. He played 32 times
for the Seville-based outfit.
His arrival puts Jaaskelainen under pressure, but the Finn will fight to
keep his place - although the younger keeper looks set to eventually be
number one.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
WHUFC.com
Former West Ham United striker Tony Cottee says Sam Allardyce is the man to
deliver more success
02.06.2013
Hammers legend Tony Cottee was delighted to see manager Sam Allardyce pen a
new contract with the Club before the end of the 2012/13 campaign. The West
Ham United boss has enjoyed great success in his two years at the Boleyn
Ground, winning promotion to the Barclays Premier League in the first
campaign before guiding his team to a top half finish this term. Cottee, who
notched 146 goals for the Club in 336 games across two spells, has been
mightily impressed with West Ham's achievements over the past couple of
seasons, and is backing Allardyce to deliver more success. He told West Ham
TV: "I'm delighted that Sam has signed a new contract. Above all else, the
Club needs stability - we can't keep getting rid of managers, firing
managers and appointing someone else. "We need it to be like the good old
days and for somebody to be here for four, five, six, seven years, and I
think that's what we'll get with Sam, we'll get the stability. "I was always
confident that we would finish between tenth and 15th this season. To
actually be in the top part of that scale is a great achievement. "To be in
the top ten of the Premier League in any season is a good achievement by any
club, so it's great that we did it at the first attempt back.
"But I think it's important to keep our feet on the floor - I remember when
Alan Pardew's team came up, we finished ninth and reached the FA Cup final,
but then the next season was a real struggle. "The second season can often
be harder than the first season back, because you've got the momentum for
getting promotion. "I'm not telling Sam or Macca anything new, they know
that anyway. There's a good bunch of players in the squad, I'm sure they'll
be given a bit of money and perhaps most importantly of all if we can sign
Andy Carroll we've got a real chance of giving it a big go next season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Season in Seconds: Dan Potts
WHUFC.com
The West Ham United youngster reviews his 2012/13 campaign
02.06.2013
Young defender Dan Potts is the latest West Ham United player to be featured
in our Season in Seconds series.
How would you sum up the season?
DP - "On a personal note, I've developed and progressed well in the season
just gone. Obviously it's a step up for the whole club in the Premier
League, the objective for me was to play in the Premier League. I did that
this year and next year I'll be hoping to try and get more minutes under my
belt."
What was the highlight?
DP - "The Man United game here. That stands out for all sorts of reasons,
not only personally but for the game itself. For a neutral it was
entertaining, and I felt if we had gone through nobody could have denied
that we deserved it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Former player tours to begin
WHUFC.com
Hammers greats Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Boleyn Ground
Tours this summer
02.06.2013
West Ham United legends Phil Parkes and Alan Taylor will lead special Former
Player Tours of the Boleyn Ground this summer. Goalkeeper Parkes signed for
West Ham for a world-record fee in 1979, lifted the FA Cup in 1980 and
helped the Hammers to finish third in Division One in 1985/86. Striker
Taylor joined West Ham from Rochdale in January 1975 before scoring the
goals that carried the Club to FA Cup glory at Wembley five months later.
Parkes and Taylor will lead the unique Tours, which will be held between
26-28 July. Fans will be led on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Boleyn
Ground by one of the two greats, visiting the tunnel, dugouts, dressing
rooms, Chairmen's Suite and Directors Box before sitting down for a
traditional East End feast of pie, mash and liquor*.
Participants will also be invited to take part in a West Ham United quiz,
with signed prizes available to the winners, while photographs taken
pitchside will be emailed to those taking part in the Tour.
Former Player Tours will take place on the following dates:
*Friday 26 July - 9am and 1pm
*Saturday 27 July - 9am and 1pm
*Sunday 28 July - 9am and 1pm
To book your unique Former Player Tour now, call the Ticket Office on 0871
529 1966 (calls 10p/minute plus network extras) and select Option 3 or visit
the Alpari Stand Ticket Office in person. Alternatively, you can book online
here.
For further information - not for booking - email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk
*Vegetarian option is available, but participants must email
stadiumtours@westhamunited.co.uk with the name and address the Tour was
booked under at least 72 hours prior to the Tour.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
More silverware for youngsters
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
West Ham Ladies Under 16s recently secured their second trophy of the season
with a 2-0 win against Eastern Avenue in the League Cup Final. The West Ham
girls were calm and collected ahead of the game but took nothing for granted
as EA had shown their physical style of play in previous meetings. As the
game unfolded, Eastern tried to disrupt West Ham's flow of well-constructed
and penetrating moves with exuberant challenges. The series of free kicks
that followed only served to benefit the Hammers, giving them the great
spells of possession and forcing Eastern to defend deep. The match enjoyed
spells of high-quality counter-attacking football by both squads. The
majority of Eastern's first half chances were however well dealt with by
West Ham's dominating back four of Morgan Difalco, Courtney Peverill,
Danielle Sillitoe and Natalie Strange. As the second half began, the Hammers
showed terrific quality as they forced their way past Eastern's defences
with fleet-of-foot runs down both wings by Shellie Sumpter and Sarah Wilson
- whilst Ciara Bland and Aleah Headley demonstrated both textbook tackles
and pinpoint dissecting passes to feed the formidable strike force of
Rafaela Cavahlo and Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
A free kick at the edge of the Avenue box proved their undoing as the rising
ball caused frantic jostling in the area, leaving Wilson open at the far
post for a determined header into the net. Eastern replied with a committed
attack and a breaking run that put their striker one-on-one with the West
Ham 'keeper. Hodges came flying out to close the angle, and with a heroic
save threw her body onto the ball. The loose ball rolled teasingly close to
the goal line as Peverill swooped it away to safety. Ten minutes later West
Ham doubled their lead with a well-crafted, individual goal. Cutting in from
the left side, Headley struck a superb effort from 20 yards that tucked in
under the bar. Eastern came close to clawing one back only to see their
effort pushed wide by Hodges. West Ham rejuvenated their attacking power
with Nicole Witham and Sarah Dick, who continued to create further chances
for the Hammers right up to the final whistle.
Manager Ray Wood was extremely proud of the girls' performance both today
and throughout 2012/13. With a lack of pre-season friendlies and only a
handful of last season's players remaining in the squad, his young team have
exceeded his expectations - and finished the season on a real high.
West Ham Utd: Ciara Bland, Rafaela Cavahlo, Morgan Difalco, Aleah Headley,
Georgie Hodges, Courtney Peverill, Danielle Sillitoe, Natalie Strange,
Shellie Sumpter, Sarah Wilson, Kacie Winsor-Claydon.
Goals: Aleah Headley, Sarah Wilson.
Subs: Nicole Witham, Sarah Dick.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Keeper to sign three-year contract?
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Staff Writer
Reports emanating from Spain this afternoon suggest that Real Betis
goalkeeper Adrian has agreed a three-year deal with West Ham. KUMB.com
revealed a fortnight ago that West Ham had been keeping tabs on the
26-year-old stopper. Now unconfirmed reports claim that a deal worth in the
region of £20,000-per-week has been struck, with Adrian poised to complete a
move to the Premier League upon the expiry of his current deal which ends
later this month. Adrian was missing from the Betis squad that drew 1-1 with
Levante in last night's La Liga clash at Ciutat de València - a result that
guaranteed the Andalusia-based club a seventh-place finish and European
football next season. It is understood that all parties agreed an official
announcement on Adrian's future would be delayed until Betis ended their
2012/13 La Liga campaign. The 6'2" goalkeeper is a home-grown player who
emerged from the Betis youth ranks before turning pro in 2006. He played
more than 30 times for Verdiblancos in 2012/13 and was recently voted Man of
the Match in their 1-0 win over Real Madrid.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Why Sam Allardyce deserves more credit
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Raymond Doyle
What a different two years makes at a football club. On 15th May 2011 Wigan
Athletic came from 2-0 down at half time to beat West Ham United and confirm
the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League.
The board decided to sack then-manager Avram Grant and appoint former
Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager Sam
Allardyce. The 58-year-old quickly went about rebuilding a side capable of
not only getting promoted back to the Premier League but also staying there.
The signing of Kevin Nolan proved to be a masterstroke for Allardyce as the
former Bolton captain scored 13 goals for the club in his first season from
midfield.
The Hammers finished third in the 2011–12 Football League Championship with
86 points, missing out on automatic promotion by two points. However the
Hammers put that disappointment behind them when they beat Blackpool in the
play-off final thanks to a late winner from Portuguese striker Ricardo Vaz
Te.
In the summer of 2012, Allardyce was once again busy in the transfer market
bringing to the club 11 new players including on-loan striker Andy Carroll
from Liverpool. Although Allardyce has often spoke of his plan to play
attractive football, with the addition of Carroll and club record signing
Matt Jarvis from Wolves, West Ham have played a direct style of football
which saw them finish in the top half of the Premier League table this
season.
Highlights for the Hammers this season were their 3-1 win over Chelsea,
their 0-0 draw with Manchester City (in which they were denied victory by a
bad call from the assistant referee) and a 2-2 draw with champions
Manchester United.
Big Sam was rewarded following West Ham's fine performance in the Premier
League this season with a new two-year deal. David Gold, the West Ham
co-owner, announced that the 58-year-old would stay on at Upton Park on his
personal Twitter account.
"I am delighted to announce that our manager Sam Allardyce has signed a new
two year contract," Gold said.
Allardyce himself said: "There were processes we had to go through and put
it together in the right way, which it has now. I never thought there would
be any problem – and there hasn't. There has been some issue with the legal
jargon in the contract which I couldn't understand so that has to go to both
sides' lawyers to agree and then it gets signed. The size of a manager's
contract is pretty substantial in terms of responsibilities."
Say what you like about the playing style of West Ham, results this season
have shown it to be effective. Many pundits applaud the likes of Roberto
Martinez and Wigan for their "easy on the eye" football style but many Wigan
fans may well swap positions with West Ham despite their FA Cup success.
This summer will no doubt be another busy one for West Ham as Allardyce
looks to secure the permanent signing of Carroll along with a number of new
faces. The Hammers will look to push on next season to try and compete with
the likes of Swansea and West Brom and try and snatch a European place but
credit must go to Allardyce for the turnaround at Upton Park since that dark
day against Wigan two years ago!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The curious case of Joe Cole
KUMB.com
Filed: Sunday, 2nd June 2013
By: Jason Eves
'Boomerang players', as they are known, are a curious topic; some regard
these players returning to their former clubs as a homecoming, a triumphant
return as you will.
But usually the case with a returning player they have reached the ends of
their playing career and want to see it out in a comfortable environment,
none more so than a club they have previously turned out for.
Even our famous ground has had its fair share of players leaving, to only
return again to grace the Boleyn Ground. From former players such as Frank
McAvennie, Pop Robson, Julian Dicks and Tony Cottee to more recent cases
such as James Collins and George McCartney. Collins, I believe didn't want
to leave West Ham in the first place, with much rumours circulating he was
sold to Aston Villa (a notable West Ham graveyard) to free up funds to pay
SBOBet for the transfer of the flop turned Italian International Alessandro
Diamanti.
The 'Ginger Pele' has excelled this season, forming a formidable partnership
with the resurgent Winston Reid, keeping out homegrown (Russell Brand
lookalike) James Tomkins who has been left kicking his heels on the fringes
of the first team.
Although Collins has been suspect with a few notable blunders (look no
further than the Swansea away game) he more than redeemed himself by
shutting out the rampant Luis Suarez during West Ham's visit to Anfield,
where Luis was left chomping at the bit to add to his impressive tally.
McCartney left the club on personal terms allegedly with his girlfriend
seeking a return up north for family issues. His departure also left a
bitter taste, with then West Ham manager Alan Curbishley admitting that
George was sold without his permission.
Following a decent two year spell with the Hammers, his move to Sunderland
didn't bear as much fruit as he had hoped and he was then subsequently
loaned to Leeds for a year, before linking back up to his familiar
surroundings. Brought initially on loan he helped us claim promotion to the
Premier League, where he earned himself a permanent return.
But it seems he has now become a squad player, with Joey O'Brien preferred
on the left for the majority of this campaign and with news of our latest
signing, Romanian captain and Champions League-experienced left back Razvan
(Roland) Rat joining our ranks, George's days at the Boleyn may be numbered.
Now this brings me to Joe Cole, the last of the trio brought in for his
second spell at West Ham. He ticks all the boxes fans look for in a player:
a) He was brought up through the academy,
b) He got the crowd out of their seats with his electric performances and
c) He is an East End boy through and through.
You could almost see the faithful swelling with pride whenever Joe graced
the pitch, knowing he was one of their own. Unfortunately, the powers that
be love to toy with our emotions. With that ill-fated 'too good to go down'
season that condemned us to be stripped of all our finest talent, with Joe
being plucked up by the newly installed Soviet regime at Chelsea.
We all wished him well and hoped his move worked out for him, but alas he
never fulfilled his early potential at Chelsea, making a meagre 180
appearances over the course of seven years at the club. Injuries and manager
preferences plagued his time at Chelsea and obviously knocked the confidence
and halted his nurturing through reserve games and sitting on the bench for
long periods.
He was offered pastures new at Liverpool, a move he later regretted in light
of moving to us. This was his last crack at the big time (before Liverpool
became the faltering giants they are today). Again it was another move that
just didn't work out for him, he started brightly but once again the
injuries took hold and he couldn't force his way back into the fold.
Following a successful spell with French club Lille (where he played
alongside Chelsea star Eden Hazard) Cole returned to Liverpool for one last
roll of the dice. Again with a bright start to the season, he suffered a
reoccurring hamstring problem was left on the sidelines, allowing talent
like Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling a chance to break into the Liverpool
side. Though as we all remember earlier this season Joe came on against West
Ham and showed us what we were lacking by scoring at Upton Park earning
Liverpool a 3-2 win.
Joe finally made a return to claret and blue during this year's January
transfer window, drafted in on a free transfer with Liverpool keen to get
his relatively high wages off their bill. He has showed flashed of his early
brilliance with a masterclass performance in his debut in the FA Cup match
with Manchester United, putting them to the sword with two assists to his
name.
Following this dream debut, renewed optimism was conjured up at the Boleyn
of the prodigal son returning to take us to the next level, with another
impressive performance against doomed relegation candidates QPR. With
questions once again raised over his fitness Cole was left to sit on the
bench for the duration of the campaign, fulfilling a role as an impact sub
to try and change the game for us in the dying minutes.
His return in general has brought mixed reviews, I for one am happy to see a
player of his calibre join our ranks, even if he is on the wrong side of
thirty I believe with the right approach employed at Manchester United to
prolong legends such as Giggs and Scholes, I think Joe can always offer
something with his vision, passing and other qualities.
I can't help but think he was more of a board signing than an Allardyce
signing as he just doesn't fit Sam's brief when it comes to players. But Sam
has a known reputation for rejuvenating seemingly doomed players (look no
further than Jay-Jay Okocha, Ricardo Gardner etc.) so we may have got a coup
from Liverpool. Of course I'm sure when Joe hangs up his boots he will be
promoted to an ambassadorial role similar to one taken up by Tony Cottee,
where we can use Joe's wisdom to bring the new youth to the famous academy.
But for the short-term, I would take an injury free season for Joe Cole any
day; only time will tell if he is the second coming we all hope he will be.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Adrian In, Tomkins Out?
By S J Chandos
West Ham Till I Die
There is a report this evening that Betis Keeper, Adrian San Miguel, is due
in London this week to undertake a medical ahead of a move to West Ham.
Apparently, the Betis No1 has been in fine form this season and has
attracted significant interest from La Liga rivals Espanyol and Getafe. If
the report is true then Sam Allardyce has stolen a march on them to sign
Adrian to a three year deal. Even sweeter for the West Ham hierarchy is the
fact that they are likely to have secured the player on very reasonable
terms, given Betis current financial issues. It is anticipated that Adrian
will start as No. 2 to Jussi and be given time to acclimatise to the more
frenetic pace of the Premier League. Following on from Ravzan Rat's signing,
this could prove to be yet another good deal for the club.
While, in the Sunday People, it was reported that Sam Allardyce may be
prepared to sell James Tomkins to Newcastle Utd to finance his summer
transfer deals. The rationale underpinning this old, recycled report is that
money is tight for West Ham's transfer dealings and the majority of what is
available has been hear marked for the signing of Andy Carroll. Therefore,
West Ham may have to sell to buy players to strengthen the squad in other
positions. I personally do not believe that there is a basis to the report.
If they sell Tomkins they will still have to sign a replacement.
Furthermore, James Tomkins is rightly seen as a future star at the club and
I would be amazed if they were prepared to sell. He did not have a great
campaign last season, but there is every expectation that he will get back
on track next season. I know it is fashionable to write players off when
they have a loss of fitness and/or form. You only have to look at Winston
Reid's case to see how impatient and wrong fan opinion can be about players.
If it had been down to the majority fan opinion, the current Hammer of the
Year would have been out the door after our relegation.Thankfully, Sam
Allardyce knew better on that one! And it is a similar situation with
Tomkins.
Well done to the England players who secured an encouraging 2-2 draw with
Brazil this evening. The two England goals were outstanding and, although
they were under the cosh in the first half, their organisational discipline,
hard work and Hart's goal keeping kept them in the game. Actually, it is
funny how black and white our football press see issues pertaining to
England, either jingoistic nationalism or deep pessimism. I had the occasion
to read the Sports Section of the Daily Mail today and it was full of dark
pessimism about England and English football. Particularly Sir Trevor
Brooking's alleged comment about England needing another 10 years to emulate
the recent resurgence of German football. But there was also an article in
which the author stated that the England Team had never had a golden age!!
Funny that, I could have sworn that England were the premier footballing
power from the late 19th century, right through to the early 1950s? Was not
the 3-6 defeat to the Hungarians in 1953 the first time that a team from
outside the British Isles had beaten England on home soil? The first England
away defeat to a foreign side was Spain's 4-3 victory in Madrid in 1929.
England's win record in the period 1930-1949 (even allowing for WW2) was
excellent, suffering only 9 overseas defeats. Today it often forgotten that
until 1968, a German national side had never beaten England home or away.
While Italy's first victory over us was as recently as 1973, Argentina's in
1964 and and Holland in 1977.
To say that England never had a golden age is contrary to historical record
and an insult to great English players such as Lofthouse, Finney, Matthews,
Lawton and, our very own, Len Goulden. In truth the author is not looking at
the issue in terms of the overall historical record, but rather only in
terms of our more recent World Cup/post 1950 record. We did not contest the
first three World Cup competitions in the 1930s due to England's
disaffiliation from FIFA in 1926. It is a virtual certainty that had England
participated they would have won those competitions comfortably, such was
our dominance in that period. However apart from 1966, 1970 and 1990, our
modern World Cup record has been a disappointment. While, our overall win
record since 1970 has declined significantly. So, it would be more accurate
to state that yes there was a golden age for the English national football
team, but (apart from the Oasis of 1966) it was a very long time ago. And in
the modern period a number of other footballing nations have consistently
out- performed us. That is the true position.
Hopefully, the new National Football Centre at Burton and the newly
introduced EPPP Scheme will pay dividends for English youth development. It
will take time to have an impact, but in the meantime we must continue to
compete and make the best use of the talent currently at our disposal. Much
as we did this evening against Brazil. So far from being totally gloomy, we
should be glad that the FA have now made the type of changes that increase
the chances of our national side getting back to the pinnacle of
international football once again. It is long overdue!
Finally, back to West Ham, there are reports this evening that Andy Carroll
will accept West Ham's offer and sign from Liverpool, this coming week, for
a fee of £15m. Lets see what transpires? If he does, that is a major boost
to the club. But we must still be mindful that recent reports have stated
that Carroll is unlikely to be available for selection for at least the
first month or so of the new season. As we saw last season, getting off to a
good start is usually key to having a successful season. So, the emphasis
will then switch to who else will be brought in to give us greater
strength-in-depth up front and see us through Carroll's initial period of
absence?
SJ. Chandos.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Miguel
Published: 6 hrs ago
The Sun
WEST HAM are set to nab Real Betis keeper Adrian San Miguel on a free
transfer this week. The out-of-contract stopper, 26, is expected to travel
to the capital to sign a three-year contract. Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has
tracked the Spaniard, who wants out of Betis, for some time.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel on free transfer
2 Jun 2013 22:30
The Mirror
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is swooping for Spanish keeper Adrian San Miguel
on a free transfer from Real Betis. Allardyce spotted the highly-rated
26-year-old who will sign for three seasons if he passes a 'test' with the
Hammers. The West Ham chief wants competition for veteran Jussi Jaaskelainen
and San Miguel fits the bill perfectly as his contract is up. San Miguel
will not be coming to settle for life in the reserves. He played 32 times
for the Seville-based outfit.
His arrival puts Jaaskelainen under pressure, but the Finn will fight to
keep his place - although the younger keeper looks set to eventually be
number one.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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