Daily WHUFC News - 2nd November 2013

Aston Villa match preview
WHUFC.com
All the information you need to know ahead of Saturday's match
01.11.2013

WEST HAM UNITED v ASTON VILLA
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 3PM
REFEREE: HOWARD WEBB
FULL AUDIO COMMENTARY - WEST HAM TV

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West Ham United v Aston Villa
Introduction
• West Ham United return to action in the Barclays Premier League at the
Boleyn Ground after progressing to the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup
with a 2-0 victory over Burnley on Tuesday night.
• The Hammers will hope to transfer their cup form into the league where
they have lost their last three home matches to Stoke City , Everton and
Manchester City.
• Last time out in the top-flight on Sunday 27 October, Sam Allardyce's team
secured a solid point away to Swansea City, where they earned a fifth clean
sheet in nine league matches. In their last outing at the Boleyn Ground the
Hammers suffered a 3-1 defeat by Manchester City.
• West Ham currently occupy 15th place on nine points from nine matches
played - two positions and one point worse off than Saturday's visitors
Aston VIlla.
• Aston Villa have struggled for consistency so far this season, winning
three, drawing one and losing five of their first nine league fixtures.
• The Villans have struggled in front of goal of late and failed to find the
net during three Barclays Premier League matches over the course of October,
drawing 0-0 at Hull City and losing 2-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur and
Everton.
• Paul Lambert's side have been beaten just once on their league travels
thus far, a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea representing the only loss in four away
games.
• In their last away outing, the Villans drew 0-0 at the KC Satdium against
Hull City, the scene of West Ham's only away defeat this season.

Team news
West Ham United
• Matt Taylor (calf), Alou Diarra (knee), James Collins (hamstring), Andy
Carroll (foot), Ricardo Vaz Te and Stephen Henderson (both shoulder) are all
unavailable.
• James Tomkins looks set to play after overcoming a slight hamstring twinge
suffered in mid-week.
• Mladen Petric could also be available after recovering from a knock.

Aston Villa
• Gabriel Agbonlahor (ankle), Joe Bennett (back) and Antonio Luna
(hamstring) are all doubts for the Villans.

Background
• West Ham United and Aston Villa have met 107 times in total in competitive
fixtures. Each club has tasted victory on 38 occasions, with 31 draws.
• The first-ever meeting between the two clubs proved to be a forgettable
one for West Ham United, who were beaten 5-0 at Villa Park in the FA Cup
second round on 1 February 1913.
• West Ham United's largest victory over Aston Villa came in Division One on
30 August 1958, when the newly-promoted Hammers won 7-2 at the Boleyn
Ground. A 30,506-strong crowd saw John Dick, Vic Keeble and Malcolm Musgrove
scored twice apiece and Bill Lansdowne once.
• Sam Allardyce faced Aston Villa five times as a manager during the 2009/10
season, when his Blackburn Rovers side were eliminated from the FA Cup and
League Cup by the Villans.
• West Ham United's all-time record goalscorer Vic Watson netted 18 goals in
15 appearances against Aston Villa, including three hat-tricks in November
1926, December 1929 and April 1930.
• Marlon Harewood scored West Ham United's most-recent Premier League
hat-trick when he bagged three times in a 4-0 home win over Aston Villa on
12 September 2005. He later went on to play for Villa.
• A total of 13 West Ham United players have made their debuts against
today's opponents Aston Villa - Alfred Earl, Ernest England, Alvin Martin,
Carlos Tevez, Winston Reid, Pablo Barrera, Frederic Piquionne, Archibald
Macauley, Ian Crawford, Bill Green, Craig Forrest, Paulo Alves and Matthew
Upson.

Last time out
Burnley 0-2 West Ham United
Capital One Cup fourth round
29 October 2013
West Ham United: Adrian, Potts, Ruddock, Tomkins (Nolan 71), O'Brien,
Chambers, Taylor, Diame (Collison 45), J Cole (Downing 60), C Cole, Maiga
Subs not used: Morrison, Spiegel, Fanimo, Tombides
Goals: Taylor 76 (pen), Collison 90 (pen)

Aston Villa 0-2 Everton
Barclays Premier League
26 October 2013
Aston Villa: Guzan, Bacuna, Luna (Clark 46), Westwood, Vlaar, Baker,
Weimann, Delph, Benteke, Tonev (Helenius 77), Agbonlahor
Subs not used: El Ahmadi, Steer, Kozak, Lowton, Sylla

Previous meeting
In a tight match it was Aston Villa who eventually prevailed on a damp day
at Villa Park. Christian Benteke converted a penalty after 74 minutes and
Charles N'Zogbia doubled the lead with a superb free-kick five minutes later
before Ashley Westwood put through his own net to set-up a grand stand
finish with three minutes left.
Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League
10 February 2013
Aston Villa: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Baker, Weimann (Dawkins 64),
Westwood, Delph, Bowery (Bent 63), N'Zogbia (Sylla 85), Benteke
Subs not used: Given, Holman, Bannan, Bennett
Goals: Benteke 74, N'Zogbia 79
West Ham United: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien (Demel 24), Reid, Tomkins, Pogatetz,
Noble (C Cole 76), Diame, Nolan, Taylor, J Cole (Vaz Te 67), Carroll
Subs not used: Spiegel, Jarvis, Chamakh, O'Neil
Goals: Westwood 87 (og)

Last six meetings
(Premier League unless stated)
10 February 2013 - Aston Villa 2-1 West Ham United
18 August 2012 - West Ham United 1-0 Aston Villa
16 April 2011 - West Ham United 1-2 Aston Villa
14 August 2010 - Aston Villa 3-0 West Ham United
17 January 2010 - Aston Villa 0-0 West Ham United
4 November 2009 - West Ham United 2-1 Aston Villa
Overall record v Aston Villa (all competitions) W 38 D 31 L 38

Ten-year record
West Ham United
2012/13 Premier League 10th (46 points)
2011/12 Championship 3rd (86 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2010/11 Premier League 20th (33 points)
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via Play-Offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)

Aston Villa
2012/13 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2011/12 Premier League 16th (38 points)
2010/11 Premier League 9th (48 points)
2009/10 Premier League 6th (64 points)
2008/09 Premier League 6th (62 points)
2007/08 Premier League 6th (60 points)
2006/07 Premier League 11th (50 points)
2005/06 Premier League 16th (42 points)
2004/05 Premier League 10th (47 points)
2003/04 Premier League 6th (56 points)

Old boys
• James Collins swapped east London for Birmingham on 1 September 2009 for
an undisclosed fee after making 65 appearances in all competitions for West
Ham United, scoring two goals. The Wales centre-back returned to West Ham on
1 August 2012, having scored six goals in 109 games for the Villans.
• Carlton Cole would be playing against the team where he spent the 2004/05
season on loan. Cole scored three goals in 30 league and cup appearances for
Aston Villa.
• Stewart Downing spent two years with Aston Villa between 2009 and 2011,
scoring eleven times in 82 matches
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Billy Askew,
John Carew, Alan Curbishley, Mervyn Day, Marlon Harewood, Thomas
Hitzlsperger, Ray Houghton, David James, Robbie Keane, Fred Norris, Nigel
Reo-Coker, Tony Scott, Les Sealey, Nolberto Solano, Tommy Southren, David
Unsworth and Phil Woosnam.

Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Howard Webb. Webb began officiating in
Yorkshire in 1989. He took charge of his first Barclays Premier League match
as a referee in October 2003 and has since been the man-in-the-middle for a
host of high-profile fixtures, including the 2010 FIFA World Cup final
between Spain and Holland in South Africa.
• He also refereed the 2012 npower Championship Play-Off final at Wembley,
when West Ham United beat Blackpool 2-1 at Wembley to secure promotion.
• Previously, Webb also refereed the 2005 FA Community Shield, 2006 FA
Trophy final and 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, as well as taking
charge of his first UEFA Champions League match in 2006. The former police
officer was referee for the 2007 Carling Cup final and was selected as
England's representative at Euro 2008, taking charge of the first match of
the tournament between Austria and Poland and the Group D fixture between
Greece and eventual champions Spain.
• This season, Webb officiated the Hammers' opening Barclays Premier League
match against Cardiff City.
• In all, Webb has refereed West Ham on 28 occasions. He will be assisted on
Saturday by Sian Massey and Darren Cann, while the fourth official will be
Keith Hill.

General information
• A limited amount of tickets are still on sale for Saturday's match. For
full details, click here.
• The weather forecast for Saturday is for a cloudy day with a chance of
rain and highs of 13C (56F).
• The London Underground District line will be closed between Dagenham East
and Upminster. Replacement buses operate. This is while line improvement
work is carried out at Upminster and drainage replacement work at Elm Park.
• The London Underground Cental line will be closed between Bethnal Green
and Loughton/Woodford (via Hainault). Replacement buses operate. This is
while TfL replace track and points in the Leytonstone area and carry out
station improvement work at Buckhurst Hill.
• The London Overground will be closed between Highbury & Islington and
Stratford due to engineering works. Valid tickets will be accpeted on rail
replacement buses S and Q.
• Greater Anglia rail services will be affected by engineering works between
Liverpool Street and Seven Kings. Liverpool Street to Shenfield Metro
services will run at a reduced frequency of four trains per hour, calling at
all stations, while Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria and Southminster
services will run to a revised timetable. For Liverpool Street to
Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Norwich and branche services, journey times
to and from Liverpool Street and Stratford will be extended by between ten
and 15 minutes. For full details, click here.
• c2c rail services will run as normal on Saturday.

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Demel seeks home comforts
WHUFC.com
Hammers full-back Guy Demel is determined to rediscover the winning touch in
E13
02.11.2013

Guy Demel is eyeing Saturday's Boleyn Ground clash with Aston Villa as a
chance for West Ham United to get back on track in E13. So far this season,
Sam Allardyce's men have been unable to live up to their awesome home form
of last season, and are searching for their first success on their own turf
since the opening day of the campaign. But having secured two clean sheets
on their travels in the last week, full-back Demel is certain the Hammers
have what it takes to gain a positive result against Villa. "It's nice to
see the fans are right behind us and now we need a win at home," he
admitted. "Last season we really strong at home so it would be nice to get
back to that. "We need to put some more points on the board and we're
looking forward to playing in front of our home fans. "We have a huge
support and we want to start an unbeaten series at home now, It wasn't easy
for other teams to come to the Boleyn Ground before and that is what we need
again. "We know we can do that, we just need to repeat the good performances
and we will be able to get a result against Aston Villa."

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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Dan Potts reflects on his first-team return and looks forward to an
important weekend
01.11.2013

Hello everyone,

It has been a good week for me and for the Club. I was really happy to make
my first appearance of the season for the first team at Burnley on Tuesday,
and it was all the better because we won the game and got through to the
Capital One Cup quarter-finals. It's always good to play in the first team -
that's where you want to be. I'm just pleased we got the right result and as
part of the back four or five during the game I'm happy we got a clean sheet
too. It was also a big night for Leo Chambers and Pelly Ruddock, who I know
well and have been playing alongside regularly at Under-18 and Development
Squad levels for the past few years. Leo and Pelly did really well. Leo is
only 18 and Pelly was making his debut, so they could have felt nervous, but
they certainly didn't let the pressure get to them.

All three of us have been pretty much ever-present in the Under 21s this
season, playing well and keeping clean sheets which have bought about some
very good results. To go to Burnley, get the win and the clean sheet was a
fantastic feeling. As I mentioned, it was my first first-team appearance of
the season and first since I was knocked out playing at Arsenal in January!
From my point of view I've just kept pushing and pushing and tried to stay
fit. I've now got to keep training hard and training well waiting for the
opportunities to come. When they do come my way I like to think I will be
able to take them. I was pleased with my performance against Burnley in a
team performance that was very good in the end.

There's no equivalent to first-team football and if you can't get it here
then the next best thing is for you to move on loan and help you develop. It
has to be the right move for yourself however. You don't want to be in a
situation where you're out on loan and not playing games. The idea is to go
out and get games under your belt and if that opportunity comes then we'll
see but for now I'm just taking each game as it comes.

I went to Colchester United on loan last season - a club where my good
friend Elliot Lee has recently gone on loan - and enjoyed the experience,
even if I didn't win a game while I was there! For now, I'm very happy with
the way the Burnley game went and now I can move on to the next one, which
is likely to be tonight's Barclays U21 Premier League match at Chelsea.
We've been going really well this season and go into the match top of the
table, so we want to win and stay there. I remember losing on penalties to
Chelsea a couple of seasons ago, so that will give me and some of the other
lads plenty of added motivation to beat them this time around. I should also
mention the Under-18s, who are on a five-match unbeaten run at the moment
and are also doing well. My Dad would not forgive me if I didn't mention
them too!

The first team welcome Aston Villa tomorrow and I know the boys are
determined to finish off a good week with a victory on home turf. I am sure
we can do that with a full stadium behind us.
Come on you Irons!
Dan

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Chelsea 3-3 Development Squad - FT
WHUFC.com
Minute-by-minute coverage of the Dev Squad's match against Chelsea
01.11.2013

CHELSEA v DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
BARCLAYS UNDER-21 PREMIER LEAGUE
EBB STADIUM
FRIDAY 1 NOVEMBER 2013
KICK-OFF: 7.05PM
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Full-time: Well I'm exhausted, what a match. It had it all, six goals,
bookings and drama a plenty. A late Ake goal denied the Hammers, who can
feel very hard done by. Ruddock, Fanimo and Turgott scored for the Hammers
in a game in which they were never behind. They can feel proud of their
efforts with only a last minute goal denying them victory. Great game but a
twinge of disappointment that it's one point instead of three.
90+4 mins GOAL: Disaster strikes as the clock ticks down into the last few
seconds. Ake pounces on a loose ball after Clifford's shot rebounds off the
crossbar.
90+2 mins: Ruddock clears as the Hammers counter. Tombides races clear and
should be awarded a penalty as he's bought down but the referee says no.
Poor decision.
90 mins: Four minutes added on here.
89 mins: What a save! Spiegel acrobatically tips Loftus Cheek's header over
the bar. Nasha is on for Driver who is currently receiving treatment off the
pitch.
88 mins: Loftus Cheek hangs his head in shame as he somehow misses the
target from eight yards after a Swift cut-back. Phew.
86 mins: Driver is just unable to connect with a super cross whipped in by
Sadlier.
85 mins: The ref brandishes a yellow to Clifford and about time too. Another
reckless tackle this time on Cullen is finally punished.
84 mins: Corner to Chelsea. Baker whips it in and Ake gets his head to it
but nods it straight at Spiegel.
82 mins: What a hectic last few minutes! Fanimo has now gone down and will
have to be replaced by Josh Cullen. He's done his work for the night and has
a brilliant goal to show for it.
80 mins GOAL: How long did that last! A matter of sixty seconds before
Turgott sends a low shot past the keeper to regain the lead!
79 mins GOAL: Swift equalises for the hosts after turning home Brown's
cross.
78 mins: Turgott jinks his way to the edge of the box before hitting a shot
straight at Beeney.
76 mins: Just under 15 minutes left and the match could still harbour a few
twists and turns yet.
74 mins: Whitehead goes close! He tries his luck from distance and his shot
takes a deflection before making its way out for a corner. The set piece
comes to nothing however.
73 mins: Ruddock, as he likes to do, rampages forward from centre-back and
wins himself a free-kick. Fanimo delivers but Swift is there to clear.
71 mins: Chelsea win a corner after Baker's shot is deflected out. It's put
high into the box but well cleared by the Hammers.
70 mins: What a block! Driver dives in front of Brown as he looks to have a
tap-in! Great defending!
68 mins: Fanimo's free-kick bounces just in front of the keeper but luckily
for him rebounds to his defender who is able to clear.
68 mins: Makasi is ready to come on for Miles as Haycock makes his first
change.
67 mins: Big chance for Chelsea as Loftus Cheek prods just wide after an
excellent through ball from Clifford.
65 mins: A break is on for the away side but Tombides has his pass cut out.
Davey on for Omeruo as Chelsea make their final change.
63 mins: Surface is starting to cut-up as the rain keeps coming down. Making
life a little harder for the players as things stand.
61 mins: Clifford heads over as Baker delivers a free-kick.
59 mins: The tackles are starting to fly in as things get a little tasty.
57 mins: Boga replaced by Loftus Cheek as Chelsea make their second change.
56 mins: Turgott leaves Wright for dead and tries to cross but ball
ricochets back off Ake and flicks Turgott on it's way out.
54 mins: Neat move from Chelsea with Baker slipping a through ball to Feruz
who loses his footing as he goes to shoot and the ball rolls wide of the
goal.
52 mins: Pass after pass from the home side. They finally go forward but
lose it when Swift slides in and fouls Burke.
50 mins: Much the same pattern to the second half like there was the first.
Chelsea keeping possession and West Ham looking to counter-attack at speed.
48 mins: Swift involved again as he picks the ball up and unleashes a
wayward shot which doesn't pose any threat to the goal.
47 mins: Swift lives up to his name and breezes past Shaw but Burke
intercepts his cut-back and clears.
46 mins: Chelsea have brought on Brown at half-time to replace Kiwomya as
they kick us off for the second half. The Hammers are unchanged.
Half-time: The whistle goes on a brilliant half of football which has
thoroughly entertained the fans. After a strong start from the home side the
Hammers went in front thanks to a goal from Pelly Ruddock as he smashed home
from eight yards after 25 minutes. Just three minutes later and Fanimo
doubled the lead with a rocket from the edge of the box. Chelsea pulled one
back on 38 minutes and had chances to be level but overall the Hammers are
good value for their lead.
45 mins: Burke goes into the book after a cynical foul as Chelsea broke.
44 mins: Just as I say that Turgott sparks a counter-attack and has a shot
deflected past the post off Ake. The resulting corner goes across the face
of goal and somehow no one manages to touch it.
43 mins: Now a question of whether the Hammers can hold out until half-time
as Chelsea push for an equaliser.
40 mins: The home side are almost level! Spiegel does brilliantly to stop
Swift's shot before Kiwomya puts the rebound just wide.
38 mins GOAL: Chelsea pull one back. Baker is in the right place to tap home
after Clifford's shot hits the post.
36 mins: Chelsea haven't quite recovered from the Hammers quick-fire double
and have been reduced to wayward shots from distance.
34 mins: It's nearly three! Tombides flicks the ball just over the bar after
good work from Turgott.
32 mins: Each Hammers goal has been met with a roar from the crowd. This is
supposed to be a home match for Chelsea, doesn't feel like that at the
moment.
30 mins: The Hammers are on the attack again and have a free-kick just
outside the area. Sadlier takes and we think he's scored again but alas it
hits the side netting! What a five minutes for the visitors.
28 mins GOAL: You're not stopping that! Fanimo is played through by Tombides
and he blasts the ball past the keeper from the edge of the box. What a
goal!
27 mins: That goal was against the run of play but just goes to show the
clinical nature of Haycock's side this season.
25 mins GOAL: Ruddock smashes home from eight yards after the ball falls to
him in the box.
24 mins: Sadlier has the Hammers first real opportunity after he's found by
a lovely pass from Fanimo. The winger is going away from goal and fires
straight at the keeper.
23 mins: Pressure builds as Kiwomya forces a good save from Spiegel at his
near post. It goes out for a corner but doesn't threaten and Burke clears.
22 mins: Baker takes control on the edge of the box and strikes one. His
shot is weak and straight at Spiegel.
20 mins: Chelsea piling on the pressure but seem reluctant to pull the
trigger when in with a sight of goal. When Kiwomya does decide to shoot he
misses the ball completely and allows Driver to clear.
18 mins: He's back on his feet and after being waved back onto the pitch he
rejoins the action.
17 mins: Omeruo is down and in need of the magic sponge after Sadlier's shot
hits him where it hurts.
16 mins: Sadlier nicks the ball in Chelsea's half and drives down the left
before firing in a low cross. It's straight to a Blues defender however.
14 mins: Burke knocks a long ball forward looking for Tombides. His effort
is over hit and drifts out for a throw-in.
12 mins: Reece Burke has made a couple of nice interceptions early on which
will no doubt help ease any nerves he had.
10 mins: Chelsea are confident on the ball and have controlled the tempo so
far with the visitors still looking to have a prolonged period of
possession.
8 mins: Swift picks the ball up 30 yards out and decides to have a pop. His
low effort is well saved by Spiegel however.
6 mins: Ruddock and Sadlier collide on the edge of the box and the ball
falls to Feruz who side foots it just wide.
5 mins: Driver looks to slip a through ball to Tombides but the defender is
just able to get across and cut it out.
4 mins: Kiwomya is flagged for offside, straying just past the last defender
down the left-hand side as Chelsea go on the offensive early on.
3 mins: A good spell of possession for the home side comes to nothing as
they work it neatly before Driver steps in to clear.
1 min: Turgott is penalised for a free-kick after a mistimed tackle on
Chelsea captain, Ake.
Kick-off: We're ready to go in this one and West Ham kick us off!
7:03pm: The players make their way out onto the pitch with both sides being
warmly welcomed by a large crowd. The Hammers will sport their usual Claret
and Blue Shirts whilst Chelsea will also don their home strip.
6:56pm: Just under ten minutes until the players take to the field for this
one. All four stands of the ground have fans in and the atmosphere is
building nicely.
6:50pm: 15 minutes left to go until kick-off and the ref has arrived! A
rather sprightly jog out of the tunnel straight into his warm-up. Must have
been caught in the traffic too!
6:45pm: Both teams might be well into their warm-up but as yet no match
officials have been seen...anyone fancy it?
6:40pm: The main stand is already filling up nicely with a strong display of
West Ham support on show. Good to see.
6:30pm: After being held-up by heavy traffic on the way to the EBB Stadium
the West Ham United players are now out on the pitch preparing for this
Barclays Under-21 Premier League match. The pitch looks in fine condition
and so far there is no torrential rain to contend with, unlike the last away
trip!
The Development Squad continue their Barclays Under-21 Premier League
campaign against Chelsea at Aldershot's EBB Stadium. Nick Haycock's men have
been brilliant so far this season winning six of their first eight games
including a 100 per cent record in their away games. Last time out goals
from Kieran Sadlier and Dan Potts guided them to a win over Wolverhampton
Wanderers to put them two points clear at the top of the table.
The side will have to do without the services of top-scorer Elliot Lee who
missed the win over Wolves and is not due to return until the 23rd November
whilst he undertakes a loan spell at Colchester United. Paul McCallum was
loaned out on the same day as Lee as he headed for Torquay United. Several
of Steve Potts' Under-18s have been drafted into the squad with Reece Burke
starting at centre-back whilst Amos Nasha, Josh Cullen and Moses Makasi are
among the substitutes.
West Ham United: Spiegel, Shaw, Ruddock, Burke, Driver, Turgott, Sadlier,
Miles, Whitehead, Tombides Fanimo
Subs: Howes, Nasha, Makasi, Maguire, Cullen
Chelsea: Beeney, Dabo, Omeruo, Ake, Wright, Baker, Swift, Clifford, Feruz,
Boga, Kiwomya
Subs: Davey, Beeney, Loftus Cheek, Brown, Aina

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U18s prepare for Magpies' visit
WHUFC.com
West Ham United host Newcastle United in the Barclays U18 Premier League on
Saturday morning
01.11.2013

West Ham United will seek to extend their Barclays U18 Premier League
unbeaten run to six matches when they welcome Newcastle United to Little
Heath on Saturday. The Hammers won four straight games before being held to
a goalless draw at Middlesbrough last weekend. Now, they fact a Magpies side
which has lost eight of their ten league games and come into the match on
the back of a 2-1 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur. U18s assistant manager
Mark Phillips knows previous results are irrelevant, but insists his players
are in confident mood ahead of the clash. "Undoubtedly we want to keep our
unbeaten run going against Newcastle," said Phillips. "They'll be travelling
down from the North East and hopefully they won't have as bad a trip as we
did up to Middlesbrough last week, when we left at one o'clock and got there
at half-past-eight! It was a horrendous journey. "Myself and Steve Potts
don't tend to look at the opposition's recent results, but we will get DVDs
of their previous matches to have an idea of their personnel and how they
might line up. "We've got two home games on the trot now against Newcastle
and Aston Villa and hopefully the run can continue."

Phillips said the U18s' recent improvement in results was based on two main
factors - being more clinical in front of goal and players winning indvidual
battles all over the pitch. "We've been more clinical and when we look at
the stats of the games we've played, we've been winning a very high
percentage of our challenges, so I don't think it's been a coincidence that
this has combined with us winning games."

One player who has been more clinical than most is captain Kieran Bywater,
who has scored ten goals in eleven Barclays U18 Premier League matches this
term - many of them vital equalisers or winners. "Kieran has had a little
bit of luck, but he keeps going until the end and he does love scoring and
many of his goals have come in the last five minutes of games or in injury
time. "He has scored some penalties and free-kicks and he always spends an
extra 20 minutes practising his free-kicks after training on Tuesdays and
Thursdays. It's no coincidence that he has scored three or four goals from
free-kicks."

Phillips may be without a number of regular starters, with Reece Burke, Amos
Nasha, Josh Cullen and Moses Makasi involved in Friday evening's Barclays
U21 Premier League fixture at Chelsea. "That's good, even if it weakens us
as an U18s, because players moving up is what it is all about. We will bring
some U16s up and it's all about the U18s moving up to the U21s and the U21s
moving up to the first team. "Leo Chambers, Pelly Ruddock and Dan Potts all
played for the first team against Burnley this week and played the whole
game, which was excellent for them and good for the Academy."

West Ham and Newcastle kick-off at 11am at Little Heath on Saturday.
Admission and parking are both free of charge.

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West Ham v Aston Villa
KO 15:00
1 November 2013
Last updated at 11:58
By John Motson
BBC Match of the Day commentator
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Upton Park Date: Saturday, 2 November

West Ham's injury problems have worsened, with Matthew Taylor and Mladen
Petric the latest casualties this week. The re-signed Carlton Cole is not
yet ready for a Premier League start, according to manager Sam Allardyce.
Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor is unlikely to recover in time from
the ankle injury he suffered during last weekend's defeat by Everton.
Left-backs Antonio Luna (hamstring) and Joe Bennett (back) are both
sidelined.

MATCH PREVIEW

What a curious start to the season it has been for these two sides. Both
have recorded eye-catching wins - West Ham at Spurs, Villa against Arsenal
and Manchester City - but neither can find any consistency, particularly at
home. From that point of view, Aston Villa may feel the more comfortable of
the two teams going into this fixture. Paul Lambert has won more away games
with Villa than at home, with their counter-attacking style better suited on
the road.
Villa will maintain they have had a tough run of fixtures - having faced six
of last season's top seven teams in their first nine games - but you feel
that, until their young side has played together for longer, they will
continue to be looking over their shoulder.

"Aston Villa have lost their last two home games but they are a team set up
to play on the counter-attack and they are more comfortable away from home.
"I expect West Ham will try to keep things tight, which might restrict Villa
on the break. Put it this way: I don't see there being many chances."
The same might be said for West Ham, who will be hard pressed to improve on
last season's tenth-place finish. The story of their current campaign
revolves around the absence of forward Andy Carroll. The resulting lack of a
focal point has really hindered the Hammers. Carlton Cole has been re-signed
but is still building up his fitness, and Ricardo Vaz Te is now out for a
while. Sam Allardyce's side rely a lot on the midfield axis of Mark Noble
and Kevin Nolan, and we have yet to see the best of the wingers brought in
by Allardyce, Matt Jarvis and ex-Villa man Stewart Downing. Villa's cause is
helped by the fact they have just got their main striker - Christian Benteke
- back from injury, although Gabby Agbonlahor is likely to miss out. This is
a fixture that's produced few goals in recent times and I'm not expecting
this occasion to be any different. One thing's for sure, the losers will be
looking downwards.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
Eight of the 17 Premier League meetings at Upton Park have ended in draws.
West Ham beat Villa for only the third time in their last 12 attempts at
home on the opening day of last season. Kevin Nolan scored the only goal.

West Ham
The Hammers have lost their last three home matches. They have not suffered
four consecutive home defeats since the 2005-06 season.
West Ham have never lost four of their first five top-flight home matches.
They have failed to score in five of their nine fixtures, the joint-worst
record in the division.
However, only three clubs (Southampton, Tottenham and Chelsea) have conceded
fewer goals than West Ham's tally of eight.
A third of their nine league games have ended 0-0 this season.
Stewart Downing and Carlton Cole have both previously played for Aston
Villa.

Aston Villa
Villa have conceded the opening goal in seven of their Premier League
fixtures this season, more than any other side.
They have only taken one point from the last three matches and failed to
score in that time. Villa last went four successive league games without a
goal between December 2009 and January 2010.
Paul Lambert has won more away league games (seven) as manager of Aston
Villa than he has at Villa Park (six).
Lambert's side have won five, drawn two and lost just two of their last nine
league away games.
Christian Benteke has missed two penalties this season. There have only been
six penalties missed in total in the top flight this term.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WHISA, WHISA baby
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 1st November 2013
By: Staff Writer

A group of supporters disillusioned with the way in which West Ham is being
run have established a new fans' action group. The group, known as the West
Ham Independent Supporters' Association have issued a press release
announcing details of a meeting planned for later this month, to which all
fellow fans are invited to attend. WHISA's long term strategy involves
forming a representative body to act on behalf of all West Ham supporters -
"to unite all WHU fans" - and crucially, one that is independent of the Club
unlike the much-criticised Supporter Advisory Board. "From its inception,
West Ham United FC was known as a 'family owned' Club with our owners and
Chairmen always perceived as having the best interests of the Club, and by
extension the fans, at heart," read the group's statement. " However, since
the controversial Hammers Bond Scheme the relationship and communication
between fans and the owners has become increasingly uneasy, fractious and
confrontational. "The current owners set up the Supporter Advisory Board
but as this body is not independent of the Club, many fans feel that this
hinders the workings and ultimate effectiveness of the group. "With the
recent multitude of off-field own goals by the Club and growing
disillusionment with the Board, many fans believe that it is now time for an
independent supporter association to be established that gets its strength
from its membership and who will be able to best represent our views and
opinions. "To this end, an inaugural meeting has been called for Thursday
28th November 2013 at the Supporters Club, Castle Street, E6; 7pm for a
7:30pm start."

For those interested in attending, a copy of the group's draft constitution
may be obtained from whisa@btinternet.com.

Haven't we been here before?

The most notable fans' protest group in recent years went under the banner
of Brown Out! - with the group's sole motivation being the removal of
then-Chairman Terry Brown from his position. A figure ill at ease with
publicity, Brown was blamed for selling the Club's crown jewels - the likes
of Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Glenn Johnson - and failing
to invest in either the Club or playing squad. The first Brown Out!
protests took place in late 2002 - on the same night the long-dormant West
Ham United Supporters Trust was formed - and continued for more than a year.
In 2003 another fans' group - WHISTLE, who sought investors from the City in
order to raise sufficient funds to prise control of the Club away from Brown
- was inaugurated. Like Brown Out! and the WHUST, they were to prove
short-lived although all three could feasibly claim to have achieved their
aim when the Chairman sold the Club lock, stock and barrel to the Icelandic
consortium in 2007. Brown, who borrowed the £2million stake required to
wrestle control of West Ham in the early 1990s eventually sold the Club for
circa £85million - and once the Magnusson/Gudmundsson empire had collapsed,
bought a small stake back and was awarded an Honourary Life Presidency (for
the second time, having previously been stripped of the title).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United v Aston Villa
KUMb.com
Filed: Friday, 1st November 2013
By: Preview Percy

He's a bit late tonight. This is because he's spent the past few hours
trying to convince a Crystal Palace fan that they are in fact playing West
BROM tomorrow. Preview Percy may be daft but he usually gets the names of
our opponents right. Well "occasionally" anyway...

Next we are at home where we will play host to our guests from Birmingham in
the form of Aston Villa. Kick-off is the sacred hour of 3pm. Tfl?
Engineering works? Of course. No District line twixt Dagenham East &
Upminster is the order of the day. The C2C will still be open though, which
will be some consolation as you sit on your replacement bus. And don't think
you Central Line johnnies are going to escape. Nothing east of Bethnal Green
– well nothing that's of any use anyway . Usual rules apply – check before
you leave.
A quick word about our visitors. Now don't get me wrong, I'm quite a fan of
royalty. Why, only last week at the annual Avram Grant Olympic Rest Home for
the Bewildered's annual trip to the cinema I berated the spotty oik of a
cinema manager for a) not playing the national anthem at the conclusion of
the programme; and b) letting me stand waiting for 35 minutes in a dark and
empty auditorium in the vain hope that said anthem would be played. I was
also quite friendly with Princess Margaret you know, so I will defer to no
one in my respect for the House Of Windsor. However, if Prince William
insists on bringing up the newest member of the "firm" as a Vila supporter
then I'm afraid Social Services will have to become involved. I mean poor
George is going to end up having to go to Birmingham every now and then to
open some day care centre or another quite enough without inflicting
unnecessary trips up to Villa Park on him.
The Villains currently sit in 13th place with 10 points from their 9 matches
so far – 1 point and 2 places above our good selves. They kicked off the
season with a win at the library, much to everyone's amusement. Since then
their form has been a bit up and down and they've actually been on the
losing end five times this season. Their most recent reverse was last
weekend's 2-0 reverse at home to Everton. This appeared (from such
highlights as I was able to view) to be not a half bad game of football.
Certainly the home side had a decent share of the game and they ought to
have taken the lead with Tim Howard (note to Villas-Boas: THAT's what a
beard looks like) making a rather good save from a first half penalty.
They are managed by Paul Lambert, a shrewd chap who elected to do his
coaching exams in Germany. In truth it wasn't the greatest of first seasons
though. They spent much of 2012/13 with one eye over their shoulder thanking
their lucky stars that Wigan, QPR and Reading were so bloody awful. Even a
run to the League Cup semi-final was scant consolation, with Bradford adding
their scalps to the list of giants slain. Their form picked up at the end of
the season and they eventually finished up in 15th spot with the two North
Eastern clubs and 5 points sitting between them and the trapdoor, a position
helped in no small measure by a 6-1 win over the Mackems.
Clearly changes were required so Randl Lerner's pocketbook (wallet) saw
daylight. In defence they brought in left-back Antonio Luna for from
Seville. Luna immediately endeared himself to Villa fans by popping up up
front on the right hand side to net the third in the win at Arsenal.
They picked up a couple of strikers. Czech international Libor Kozak came in
for a few bob over £6m from Lazio. He had a mixed time in Rome, failing to
score in any of his last 19 league matches, though he was their top scorer
in the Thursday Night Cup, finishing with 8 to his name as they progressed
to the quarter finals.
The other striker they picked up was Dane Niklas Helenius who arrived from
Aalborg for £1.2m. The most notable thing about Helenius was the chant that
the Aalborg support had for him. Based on the old standard "Eviva Espana"
the lyrics loosely transate as: "we like violence, cocaine and Niklas
Helenius". Those wacky Danes eh? Though I'm not sure Difford and Tilbrook
have too much to be worried about in the songwriting stakes.

Kozak and Helenius have been brought in to provide back-up and competition
for the likes of Christian Benteke and Gabriel Agbonglahor. Benteke looked
like he'd be on his way during the summer having handed in a transfer
request. Sums upward of £25m were being bandied about but the Belgian
eventually changed his mind and signed a new four year deal. He's had a
spell out with a hip injury but returned a couple of weeks ago.

Agbonglahor made himself a bit of a hero to music fans everywhere a few
weeks back by kicking lumps out of one of the mime artists from One
Direction during a charity match. Agbonglahor received death threats from
hundreds of One Direction fans, who presumably thought that they could beat
him to death with their school pencil cases. I'm guessing that the player
didn't lose an awful lot of sleep over the whole thing.

All those forwards mean that there is no room for Darren Bent. Somehow
transferred for fees of £40m+ over the years he's been put safely out of
harm's way for the season – I had been concerned that someone at the Boleyn
might consider him to be the answer to our striker shortage. Thankfully,
Fulham took that particular bullet for us.

Which brings us to our good selves. That wasn't a bad result in midweek.
Especially when you look at the fact tat we had the kids out against the
team that sits at the top of the league. Interesting draw too. You have to
laugh at Spurs whose players now appear to be as cerebrally-challenged as
their fans are. Andros Townsend described their League Cup victory over Hull
as a "great win". That's right, a 2-2 draw with an 8-7 scrape-through on
penalties is a "great win". Over Hull. Mind you his vision is still probably
bit impaired – it must be dazzling coming into daylight after so long in
Razvan Rat's pocket.

The efforts of the last few weeks have come at a cost – latest reports
suggest that James Tomkins has a slight hamstring problem, though James
Collins may be set for a return from his own hamstring issue.

We're still in an apparent quandary over the front position(s). Mr Allardyce
has been quoted as saying that Carlton Cole is still a while away from
starting a League game. Petric may be struggling with a thigh problem which
leaves us looking at good 'ole 4-6-0 again. The problem being that Ricardo
Vaz Te, whose improving form was pretty much integral to that system
working, is also out for the foreseeable, those dislocated shoulders take
forever to heal. That might mean that Joe Cole, whose involvement has been
mainly from the bench in recent weeks, gets more time on pitch than of late.

The home form is something of a concern at the moment. I say form, it's less
the form than the results. With the exception of the Man City game – no
shame in losing that one with the form they were in that day - many of our
results have come from circumstances outside our control. We're due a break
in that respect so, for this week's prediction, I'll be staking the Avram
Grant Olympic Rest Home For The Bewildered's fund to buy a proper claret &
blue scarf for Prince George (£2.50) on us to win a tight one 1-0.

Enjoy the game!

When Last We Met At The Boleyn – Won 1-0 Sweltering heat greeted us for our
return to the top flight. A Kevin Nolan first half goal was enough to give
us all three points against the combined might of Vila and Mike Dean.

Howard Webb One of the fireproof ones. Has become rather erratic over the
past four years but nobody seems to have the bottle to say so. Last seen at
the Boleyn on opening day aginst Cardiff.

Danger Man: Christian Benteke. Much better than his near-nameske, despite
his new deal there are a few big clubs sniffing around waiting for the
window to open. Ans Spurs.

Daft Fact Of The Week: Twattish fiddle player Nigel Kennedy of "accent more
fake than Dick Van Dyke" and "Last Night Of The Proms ruining" fame supports
Villa. Just saying, Prince George, you might want to have a think about that
when you're old enough.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ladies round-up
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 1st November 2013
By: Dave Maslen

A comfortable win, a narrow defeat and an encouraging tournament performance
for West Ham Ladies last weekend. Dave Maslen brings us the latest from the
camp...

Under 11s: Tournament Report

The Under 11s faced a tough test as they travelled to Chigwell to play in a
round robin festival with Charlton Under 12s, Watford Under 12s and two
teams from Colebrook Royals Under 11s.

The format required eight very short matches and the girls performed
admirably, especially in the games against older opposition.

West Ham finished the day with a record of three wins, four draws and just
one defeat from their eight matches. Also, the girls conceded only two goals
and can be very proud of their efforts.


East Bergholt FC 0-13 Under 13s

The Ladies' Under 13s travelled to Suffolk to play in their first round
League Cup tie against East Bergholt FC. With the Hammers going into the
game unbeaten so far this season confidence within the team was high, but as
with all cup ties the opposition wanted to prove a point.

And so they did with Bergholt starting at pace, out-passing a slow and
rather lacklustre Hammers team. It took a Kelly Wealthall goal, which came
via a counter-attack to kickstart West Ham into life after a poor opening
ten minutes.

The Hammers managed to take control of the game, creating chance after
chance, but some fine saves from the Bergholt keeper kept her determined
side in the game. By half time, the West Ham girls had managed to score four
more goals; another from Kelly Wealthall plus two from Poppy Binding and one
from Mia Seeley.

The Hammers continued their good form after the break and an outstanding
performance from Player of the Match Tessa O'Connor, who was involved with
most of the goals scored on the day thanks to some good link up play with
the forward line and United's attacking midfielders.

The second half also saw some great goals scored by Molly Bowness, Sophie
Kelly, Maddie O'Connor, Kelly Wealthall (2) and three more from Poppy
Binding, sending the Hammers through to the next round with a resounding
13-0 win.

Under 13s: Kelly, Smith, Harris, Adams, Bowness, Binding, Denton, Seeley, M
O'Conner, T O'Conner, Wealthall.

Goals: Wealthall (4),Binding (5), Seeley, Bowness, Kelly, M O'Connor.


Eastern Avenue 4-3 Under 17s

West Ham Ladies' Under 17s were involved in a top-of-the-table clash with
Eastern Avenue. The Hammers started the game uncharacteristically slow and
allowed the opposition to take the lead. Worse followed, as by half time the
Hammers were trailing 4-1.

However the second half saw the West Ham girls rediscover the form that has
kept them at the top end of the table this season and with a more determined
attitude they battled their way back into the game, pulling it back to 4-3
before the final whistle.

Goals: Shellie Sumpter (2), Aldana Zenka.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham lite
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 1st November 2013
By: Staff Writer

Colchester United have signed a third player to learn their trade at West
Ham United's famous Academy. Last season the Us signed former striker
Freddie Sears on a permanent basis, before taking first team fringe striker
Elliot Lee on a short-term loan last month. And earlier today the Essex club
announced the capture of Dominic Vose - another product of Tony Carr's
Chadwell Heath centre of excellence and a free agent since being released by
Barnet in August - on a short-term trial basis. "We are pleased to have him
on board," Us manager Joe Dunne's told the club's website. "He's had a
successful trial and fits the bill of someone who has lost his way in the
game a bit, but has the drive and hunger to get back into it again. That
desire and hungry is really important to me."

Dominic Vose

One of a highly-rated batch of youngsters to emerge from Tony Carr's Academy
along with players such as Cristian Montano and the aforementioned Freddie
Sears, Vose failed to make a single first team appearance during his three
years at the Club. There were high hopes for the Lambeth-born midfielder,
who began his career at Fulham before defecting to West Ham, but he failed
to live up to his early promise. Since leaving West Ham he enjoyed short
spells with Tooting & Mitcham United and Barnet, before joining Colchester.

Elliot Lee

The son of former Hammer Rob, Elliot Lee made his Premier League debut as a
late replacement for Mo Diame in the 1-0 home defeat to Stoke back in
August. He joined Colchester on a month's loan last month and has started
both of their fixtures - against Shrewsbury and Peterborough - since.

Freddie Sears

Since leaving West Ham 'by mutual consent' in June 2012, Sears - who was
twice voted Young Player of the Year by readers of KUMB.com - has made more
than 50 appearances for Colchester, for whom he has scored 14 goals (four
from 12 this season). The Hornchurch-born forward made a total of 58
appearances for the Hammers, scoring three times - including a memorable
strike on his debut against Blackburn in March 2008.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Wally returns
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 1st November 2013
By: Staff Writer

Former first team coach Wally Downes is back in football after joining
Championship club Queens Park Rangers. The 52-year-old, who departed the
Boleyn Ground last December in mysterious circumstances that have never been
fully explained, has been out of work since parting company with West Ham.
However the former Wimbledon defender started work today for the first time
in ten months, telling QPR's website that he was It's a great time to be
coming to the Rangers," he said. "We've made an excellent start to the
season and are having a real go at trying to get back in the Premier League,
which is what I'm sure all the fans, staff and players want. "I was born
only five minutes away from QPR. I was a fan growing up and was at Loftus
Road most weeks, so it's special for me to be here now. "Harry [Redknapp],
Kevin [Bond] and Joe [Jordan] have worked tremendously well together for a
long period of time. Hopefully I can come in, be a different pair of eyes
and add something fresh on the training ground. "We're in a very good
position and hopefully we can push on between now and the end of the
season."

The nephew of former boxing champion Terry Downes, Wally joined West Ham in
November 2010 when he joined the doomed Avram Grant's backroom squad as
defensive coach. Having survived the cull which followed relegation to the
Championship, Downes became part of Sam Allardyce's backroom team and
appeared to have become a valued member of the team. That was until a
fateful trip to Dublin led to his departure. Prior to joining West Ham,
Downes - who was voted by KUMB Readers as the Most Missed person in our
2012/13 season awards - had worked in a coaching capacity for Reading,
Southampton and Gillingham.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham welcome Aston Villa to Upton Park
Last Updated: November 1, 2013 12:48pm
SSN

West Ham United and Aston Villa will be looking to get back to winning ways
when they lock horns at Upton Park. The 2013/14 campaign has been something
of a struggle for the Hammers, with luck very much against them. Injuries
have hit hard at times, while Sam Allardyce will argue that performances
have deserved more than they have delivered. Just two wins from nine is not
the kind of return the capital outfit had been hoping for at the start of
the season, but a defensive unit which has only shipped eight goals so far
suggests there is cause for optimism. Villa are just a point better off at
present, having taken 10 from the 27 available. They have, however, suffered
back-to-back defeats to slip back towards the drop zone and need to find
momentum from somewhere if they are to avoid being dragged into another
basement battle.

Paul Merson's prediction

Aston Villa can't seem to win at home and they really should have last week.
They dominated Everton for the first 20 minutes and if they'd scored their
penalty and their good chances then they would have won. Instead they went
1-0 down and ended up collapsing. West Ham will have to come at Villa
because their fans will think they should win the game and that will play
into the hands of the away team. For that reason I'm going for an away win.

PAUL PREDICTS: 0-2

West Ham Badge West Ham
Last 6
Burnley (a)0-2
Swansea (a)0-0
Man City (h)1-3
Tottenham (a)0-3
Hull City (a)1-0
3-2

Winger Matthew Taylor will be missing for West Ham after suffering a knock
against Burnley in the midweek Capital One Cup victory. Mladen Petric is
also out for a couple of weeks after aggravating an injury in an U21 run-out
and fellow striker Ricardo Vaz Te is absent after dislocating a shoulder
against Swansea on Sunday. The re-signed Carlton Cole is not yet ready for a
Premier League start, according to Hammers manager Allardyce, but the
striker could feature from the bench.

A Villa Badge A Villa
Last 6
Everton (h)0-2
Tottenham (h)0-2
Hull City (a)0-0
Man City (h)3-2
Tottenham (h)0-4
Norwich (a)0-1

Lambert has revealed that Gabriel Agbonlahor is unlikely to make the trip to
east London, with the game coming too soon for a man who continues to nurse
an ankle complaint. Joe Bennett (back) is also set to be unavailable, while
Antonio Luna has been ruled out for a couple of weeks with a hamstring
injury. Jores Okore (knee ligaments), Charles N'Zogbia (Achilles) and Gary
Gardner (back) remain on the treatment table and some way off a first-team
return.

Opta stats

West Ham United have lost only two of their last 13 Premier League home
games against Aston Villa (W4 D7).
The Villans have lost just one of their last six away games, winning three
and drawing two.
West Ham will be trying to avoid a fourth successive top-flight home defeat.
This last happened in January 2006.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce says rivals also guilty of parking the bus
Last Updated: November 1, 2013 6:02pm
SSN

Sam Allardyce suggests some of the Premier League's top managers are being
hypocritical when it comes to complaining about teams who shut up shop
against them. Tottenham's Andre Villas-Boas became the latest manager to
voice his discontent after criticising White Hart Lane fans last weekend for
not getting behind the team against a Hull side intent on getting men behind
the ball. But Allardyce insists the Premier League's big teams often play
the same way, particularly away from home in European competition. "They
(Tottenham) do the same when they play in Europe," the West Ham manager
said. "Chelsea will go away and play the same way at Schalke and play on the
break. Manchester United will go away and play the same way. "They all know
that they play that way themselves so they can't really criticise the team
that comes to them and sits behind the ball because they do the same in the
bigger games, especially in the Champions League. "So when you hear a
manager moaning about that, he should really watch what he is saying because
when it comes around and he does it he wants to get some praise for what he
does, particularly if he ends up with a result or winning. "We all have to
tactically set out how to nullify the opposition."

Allardyce's men lie in 15th position in the Premier League table ahead of
this weekend's visit of Aston Villa with nine points from their opening nine
matches.
The 59-year-old will be hoping his side can add to their "bitterly
disappointing" tally of two league victories so far this season. "We are one
of those teams who are struggling with points on the board. All that matters
at the end is winning matches. Last season at home was a fantastic ride for
us. This season it has been bitterly disappointing. "The players are bound
to feel extra pressure and feel more anxious but they have to remind
themselves of the good performances they've given and continue in that vein
from a confidence point of view. "We have been severely punished for not
taking chances."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE OLYMPIC STADIUM RENTAL DEAL
By Sean Whetstone 1 Nov 2013 at 14:26
West Ham Till I Die

In this article I am exploring the Olympic Stadium rental deal and the
comparison to the one negotiated by Manchester City.

It has been widely speculated in the press that West ham will be paying
between £2m and £2.5m per season for 99 years to rent the Olympic Stadium
from 2016.

At the upper £2.5m rent estimate it works out as £247.5m over 99 years. It
is claimed that the rental annual sum is also linked to the Retail price
Index (RPI). Based on the past 50 years of RPI this would mean the £2.5m per
season rental would rise to around £10.7m per season in 99 years time so the
final rental total bill could be much higher. But what would be £10.7m
between friends in 102 years? probably just the average annual wage of a
Premier League player.

Barry Hearn in a recent London Standard interview said West Ham have the
"the deal of the century"

He was quoted as saying: "West Ham are paying £2 million a year rent but the
stadium owners, LLDC, are paying for all the security, police, stewarding
and ground maintenance. That comes to more than £2m a year. So effectively
they are getting the stadium rent free. West Ham also get all the normal
match day revenue and part of the catering income"

In front of the House of Lords select committee Barry Hearn said "In my
view, commercially, the occupation of this stadium will increase West Ham's
value by around £100 million. Yet they are paying £2 million a year rent and
the stadium is responsible for policing, stewarding, and so on. If you add
up those costs, it is rent-free. I think they are paying a £15 million
contribution to the reorganisation cost but are being allowed to sell and
develop Upton Park. This is state sponsorship beyond my wildest dreams."

At the time of the October interview West ham responded saying "The figures
quoted here are entirely inaccurate and in no way reflect the financial
commitment West Ham has made to the Stadium. West Ham United will deliver a
profit to the taxpayer. We will bring over 1 million people to the Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park each year and create in excess of 750 jobs for the
local workforce"

It has also been claimed West ham current running costs at the Boleyn Ground
for match day stewarding and security, police costs, ambulance costs, rates,
utilities and ground maintenance for currently around the £2m mark. A mere
coincidence?

It remains to be clarified who exactly will be funding match day stewarding,
police costs, ambulance costs, rates, utilities and ground maintenance for
the Olympic Stadium.

In Karren Brady's Select Committee interview in front of the House of Lords
she said:

"A significant amount of money is being invested by West Ham into the
stadium, into the retractable seating and the reconfiguration to make it a
sporting arena. That could not be done without West Ham, without our rent,
without the money that we generate naming rights, catering and pouring
income. All those things that amass to many, many
millions of pounds will be going into the stadium, and not into West Ham's
pocket."

Baroness King of Bow asked "When do you think that taxpayers might be able
to see a return on their investment?"

Karren Brady answered "I do not know what the running costs of the stadium
are" "We made the best bid we could, based on many factors: lump sums,
generated guaranteed rent that is RPI'd every year, a commitment to the
naming rights income, the catering income, and various other source of
income, that made us partners in that process" She went on to say "In terms
of the finances, by the end of the 100-year lease, the taxpayer will be able
to afford to build two new Olympic stadiums, for the commitment that West
Ham has made. The money that West Ham will generate from the stadium runs
into many, many hundreds and hundreds of millions of pounds over
its lifetime"

This last quote from Karren seems to suggest that West Ham will 'generate'
twice the original construction which was £486m. A eye watering £972m over
99 years!

It also confirms the RPI element of the rental deal and suggests West Ham do
not know what the running costs of the stadium are so to me we wouldn't
agree to pay for something we don't know.

Manchester City Rental deal as a comparison:

Manchester City FC originally agreed to pay rent for their new stadium to
Manchester council derived from match day income, specifically ticket sales.
Under their agreement no money was due if the attendance did not top the
32,000 capacity of Maine Road, while half the price of tickets sold above
that level would be paid over, after associated costs had been factored in.

Now Man City have new found wealth from their billionaire owner they have
renegotiated the terms of their 250 year lease.

The new agreement in place now switches from the match day revenue model to
a flat £3m yearly charge.

This is still an increase on the £2M per year generated on average from the
ticket sales model used previously.

In a master stroke they bought the naming rights in a separate agreement
paying £2M per year for them which they then sold on to their main sponsor
Etihad for an estimated £10m per year. The rental model certainly appears to
work for them by making a £5M per year profit of a stadium they don't own!
Not bad business for the richest club in the world.

Hopefully the terms of our rental deal will be announced before the start of
the 2016 season so we can find out whether this is a good deal for West Ham,
the Tax Payer or both.

Karren Brady confirmed in front of the house of Lords that "In the event
that West Ham could not pay any rent or fulfil any commitments that it had
made to the LLDC, the two owners of the football club have guaranteed
personally to meet those commitments, so the stadium will never fail to
fulfil its business plan. If they sell up, they sell that commitment to the
next potential buyer"

As always the devil is in the detail with these rental agreements.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Winston Reid wants the Double.. the League Cup and a World Cup
place with New Zealand
1 Nov 2013 22:30
The Mirror

Winston Reid has set his sights on a dream cup double at Wembley in March
and in Brazil next summer. Reid has enjoyed a memorable few years with West
Ham after helping them gain promotion to the Premier League and has become
one of the star performers at the heart of the defence. He was instrumental
as the Hammers beat Blackpool at Wembley last year in the Championship
playoff final. Now, he is targeting a return under the Arch for the Capital
One Cup Final in the spring, with a quarter-final against Spurs next month
already secured following victory over Burnley this week. And he is also
focused on helping his New Zealand side prepare for a crucial two-legged
World Cup play-off tie against Mexico in two weeks' time, and hopes to make
it a summer to remember.
Reid's performances against some of Europe's best forwards have started to
catch the eye - reports this week have suggested Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
is considering a move for him in January. The 25-year-old is refusing to get
carried away with all the speculation and insists his main priority is to
ensure West Ham enjoy another successful season. He said: "I think a good
season for West Ham would be having a good cup run and getting to the final.
"It would be nice to get back to Wembley. We've played there once in the
playoff finals and it was a good day out. We are getting closer and closer
but we know it is going to be difficult. "Obviously, as captain of the New
Zealand side, I would love to take them back to another World Cup and it
would be brilliant for me personally.
"I would love to play in Brazil and the weather will not be so bad. World
Cups are a massive experience. I have been fortunate enough to play at one
and would love the chance to do it again. "When we were playing in South
Africa (in 2010) the streets were absolutely packed - and it was three in
the morning. The stadium sold out in a week and it will be a really good
atmosphere. "We are just going to make sure that we get the guys ready. It
is going to be a big task but I am confident we are going to be okay."

Reid is aware that the biggest threat from Mexico will come from Manchester
United forward Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez and former Tottenham winger
Giovani Dos Santos. But he is confident he can help keep the talented duo at
bay. Reid added: "They have got Hernandez and Dos Santos who will probably
be their biggest threats. Luckily I am at the back so I will do my best to
stop them. "I have faced Hernandez a couple of times and I am not sure if he
has scored against me. I need to make sure he doesn't again. "It is going to
be tough. We are playing a good side. [But] I have watched lot of their
games and it is not the same Mexico team from four years ago. They have lost
a lot of players and if we can do things right and prepare ourselves well I
think we have got a really good chance."

Before jetting out to prepare for the away leg in Mexico City's iconic
100,000-capacity Azteca Stadium on November 13, Reid faces Saturday's
crucial West Ham home game against Aston Villa. Sam Allardyce's side have a
dismal home record this season, having lost their last three matches at
Upton Park to Stoke, Everton and Manchester City. But it has been a
different story on their travels, with an impressive 3-0 victory over
Tottenham and a well-earned point at Swansea last Sunday. West Ham boast the
fourth-best defensive record in the Premier League and Reid is hoping they
can replicate their away record against Villa and give the fans something to
shout about. He said: "We have had a couple of good away performances and
have then been let down by a home performance. It is tough sometimes. "We
have had a good start to the season but I still think we can do better.
Hopefully from November we will push on and move up the league. "We need to
get our home form back on track and we will be alright."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce says he is collecting too many injuries after
Vaz Te and Taylor setbacks
1 Nov 2013 23:22
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce says West Ham are "collecting too many injuries". The Hammers
boss has just 17 fit players to choose from for tomorrow's match against
Aston Villa, prompting him to admit: "We need a few back." Among those
injured are Ricardo Vaz Te, who could be out for three months with a
dislocated shoulder, and Matt Taylor, who has a calf injury which could take
six weeks to heal. Writing in the Evening Standard, Big Sam said: "We're
collecting too many injuries.
"We need a few back, especially by the time we get into next month and move
towards a hectic part of the season, which includes the Capital One Cup tie
at Tottenham. "When we come back after the international break, we will have
played just 11 Premier League games yet already we have a clutch of
injuries.
"We're going to have to do our best to keep the rest of the squad fit
because we can do nothing about adding to it until the transfer window opens
on January 1."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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Daily WHUFC News - 1st November 2013

Date set for Spurs tie
WHUFC.com
The fixture details for the Hammers' Capital One Cup quarter-final have been
announced
31.10.2013

West Ham United's Capital One Cup quarter-final tie at Tottenham Hotspur
will be played on Wednesday 18 December with a 7.45pm kick-off. The Hammers
were handed the White Hart Lane match in Wednesday's draw, after the pair
both progressed in the competition this week. Sam Allardyce's men added
Burnley to their list of cup victims this season, while Tottenham saw off
fellow Barclays Premier League opposition in the shape of Hull City, but
only after a penalty shootout. The tie will be the Hammers' second visit to
White Hart Lane this season, following the memorable 3-0 league success, in
which Winston Reid, Ricardo Vaz Te and Ravel Morrison netted.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam on: Aston Villa
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce faced the media ahead of Aston Villa's visit to the Boleyn
Ground
31.10.2013

Sam Allardyce has faced the media ahead of Saturday's match against Aston
Villa at the Boleyn Ground. Big Sam answered questions on the latest team
news, Carlton Cole's fitness and the club's recent home record.

Morning Sam, what's the team news ahead of Saturday?

SA: "Matt Taylor is definitely out, James Tomkins I think will be ok and the
rest of the injured players will not figure in Saturday's squad against
Villa. It leaves us with quite a big problem in terms of numbers. We're very
short of first team squad players available for Saturday so it's about
getting on with the job and using the players we've got available and making
sure they try and bring us the three points at home that we're looking for.
We've been hugely disappointed with our points total, not our performances,
and that must be the key factor in what we want to achieve on Saturday. When
we've come off the field we must have accumulated more points to our total
because continuing to lose at home is now not acceptable, well it's never
acceptable and we must stop it on Saturday."

As a manager, how do you make the most of this situation where you're
missing a lot of first team players?

SA: "We've got to continue playing like we're playing. Certainly at Swansea,
Tottenham away and the home games we've played, we have to remind ourselves
how good we've been even though at home we haven't got much out of the game.
We have to continue to be more resilient out of possession, I mean we have
the best defensive record away from home in the Barclays Premier League but
we haven't got the best defensive record in the Premier League at home. Get
back to that and make sure we come off with a zero because I believe that we
will score at home with better chances of scoring there. We have scored a
few goals at home and we only need one goal to win us the game. We obviously
want to win by more and score more but at the moment goals have been hard
for us to come by so keep that clean sheet like we do away from home, score
one goal, win the game and let's move on. If we get the injured players fit
and get a bigger squad to choose from we'll get better as time goes on."

Is Carlton Cole in contention for a Premier League start this weekend?

SA: "He's not quite ready for a Premier League start. He played on Tuesday
night and that's the equivalent of game three of his pre-season, game three
of pre-season for us was Boreham Wood not Burnley away."

What have you made of Aston Villa's start to the season?

SA: "I think they've had a very difficult start so I think the points
they've gained was a bonus for them, particularly winning at Arsenal away. I
think Paul will probably be a bit disappointed recently with the points that
he's gained from the teams they've played and he has our problem of failing
to secure enough points at home. It looks like it's the case for a few teams
at the moment, Swansea have only won one in ten at home and Sunderland,
before beating Newcastle, have struggled to win at home. There's quite a few
teams in the Barclays Premier League who are suffering similarly to
ourselves and finding it difficult to get the points at home so it shows
that tactically teams are setting out a defensive wall and it becomes very
difficult to find open spaces that can be exploited. Away teams are picking
up results that way and it's a difficult scenario for us to contend with and
make sure it doesn't happen to us anymore."

Andre Villas-Boas touched on teams putting so many men behind the ball after
the Hull City game, how do you get past that?

SA: "They do the same, whatever they might say, when they play in the
Champions League or Europa League when they go away. Chelsea played the same
way away at Schalke 04 and played on the break, Manchester United will do it
when they go and play a Bayern Munich away. We all know that they play that
way themselves so they can't really criticise a team that comes to them and
sits behind the ball because they do it when they play their bigger games,
particularly in the Champions League. When you hear a manager moaning about
that then he should really watch what he's saying, because when he does it
he wants to get some praise for what he does, particularly if he ends up
winning. We all have to tactically set out how to break down the opposition
and how to nullify the opposition. We all have to make sure that we make our
players aware of what they have to do on that particular day to try and win
the game."

Four of your next five games are against sides in the bottom seven, is this
an opportunity to pick up points and climb the table?

SA: "No not really. Yes it's a better chance but at the moment we are one of
those teams that are struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League, not
the performances but the points on the board and that's all that matters at
the end of the day. From our point of view last season at home was an
absolutely fantastic ride and all of a sudden this season we were expecting
it to carry on but it's been bitterly disappointing. Having only lost four
at home last year, we've lost three already. Everyone said we had to improve
our away form and we've done that but it's no good unless you continue your
home results, so we'll have to start picking up home results as quickly as
possible.
"We're all in a similar position at the minute; we're all desperate for
three points to move forward into what will be the hardest period of the
season. We've all had international breaks one after the other and we're
three months into the season and have only played nine matches. When we get
into the back end of November the games come thick and fast and the points
are then chalked up on the board pretty quickly so the league starts taking
shape. If we continue with our injuries as they are, and that's with not
such a heavy schedule, that's my concern at the moment."

Do the players now feel extra pressure at home after recent results?

SA: "They're bound to feel extra pressure, more anxious, but they've got to
remind themselves of the good performances that they've given and try to
continue in that vein from a confidence point of view. We create chances,
don't take them and we get punished. You look back and Leighton Baines
hasn't scored another free-kick like that all season but scored two against
us. Jermaine Pennant's hardly played for Stoke since and probably never
scored one like that in his life but scored one against us. I can't
criticise too much the way we've defended but what I can criticise is the
way we haven't finished teams off when we've had the opportunity. We were
2-1 up against Everton and we didn't finish off with a victory, we should
have got a 0-0 with Stoke but we didn't. I'm not so sure we should have got
anything against City because they were better than us the whole way
through.
"We play Aston Villa and there's only one thing on the players' minds and
that's to win the football match. We always set out how they should win it.
They never get a piece of detail which is extra to the fact that they know
exactly what they've got to do to beat them, because we give them the lot.
They know how to expose their weaknesses, they know how to nullify their
strengths, we can talk about systems all day long but it means nothing
unless the individual plays to his best. I can pick any system I want but if
the players don't play well the system will fail. If the individuals play
well in that system then the system works. As always we continue to tell the
players they must convert their chances. We've got the worst conversion rate
in the Premier League at the moment according to our statisticians, so we've
got to make that better."

With the injuries you have at the moment, is the extended run in the Capital
One Cup testing the squad even more?

SA: "I think at this moment in time yes, there's no doubt about that. I
would hope by the time that the Capital One Cup quarter-final comes round
against Tottenham that a lot of the players that are injured will be fit.
Trauma injuries like Ricardo Vaz Te and Stephen Henderson, who was on loan
at Bournemouth, there's not a lot we can do for that type of injury. When it
comes to muscle injuries, we've got to do all we can and make sure we limit
those as much as we can. Mladen Petric felt a tight calf in the warm-up for
the Under-21s at Wolves and that's turned into a couple of weeks when he
would have been playing at Burnley, which would have been great match
practice for him.
"George McCartney keeps coming back and getting another injury in a
different area. Alou Diarra's had an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament),
little we can do about that. Andy Carroll with his planta fascia, little we
can do about that. James Collins does a hamstring playing for Wales, not our
fault. When November and December roll around and suspensions kick in where
players pick-up five bookings and get a one game suspension is another
problem. At this moment in time my focus to the medical staff is to get them
fit and make sure you keep them fit otherwise it will be a long, hard winter
for us. Villa is my only focus at the minute, trying to get three points and
make sure the lads play their best."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Pelly pleased with debut
WHUFC.com
Pelly Ruddock was proud to make his West Ham United debut at Burnley this
week
31.10.2013

Pelly Ruddock was proud and delighted to make his West Ham United in the 2-0
Capital One Cup fourth-round win at Burnley on Tuesday evening. Two years
ago, the 19-year-old was playing in central midfield for non-league side
Boreham Wood, where he was part of the club's successul Programme for
Academic and Sporting Excellence (PASE) training and education scheme.
Having signed for West Ham in December 2011, the teenager has been converted
into a centre-back and become an important part of the Hammers'
table-topping Barclays U21 Premier League side this term. This week, Ruddock
was rewarded for his hard work and improvement by being handed a debut at
Turf Moor, where he helped to quiet Burnley's 23-goal strike-force of Danny
Ings and Sam Vokes.
"It was a good 2-0 win," said Ruddock. "I obviously made my debut and it
went well, so hopefully I can make more appearances for the first team and
carry on going. "I knew I'd be playing on the Monday, so I tried to play it
cool and wasn't that nervous by the start of the game. I thought I played
well, so it's time to move on to the next one. "It was good and we kept a
clean sheet, so the defence played well and I enjoyed it."

Ruddock was one of six Academy graduates to feature at Turf Moor - fellow
youngsters Dan Potts and Leo Chambers started at the back alongside captain
James Tomkins, with Joe Cole in midfield and substitute Jack Collison coming
on and scoring from the penalty spot. For the young defender, it is all a
far cry from his days at Boreham Wood - in terms of both surroundings and
his playing position. "All the hard work has been worthwhile," he revealed.
"I was in the first team at Boreham Wood for two seasons and thankfully West
Ham came in for me and signed me and I've made my debut this week. "My debut
has vindicated my change of position. I did want to play in midfield but the
Gaffer has decided that I'd be able to play at centre-back and I got my
chance there.
"I'd like to keep my place for the next round, but if I don't, I'll keep on
working and be ready when I'm called upon."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Townsend looking for revenge
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 31st October 2013
By: Staff Writer

Tottenham winger Andros Townsend insists that his team will exact revenge
for their 3-0 drubbing at the hands of West Ham last month. Spurs have been
drawn at home to West Ham in the quarter final of the Capital One Cup,
having seen off the challenge of Hull in their fourth round meeting last
night (following a penalty shoot out). And the 22-year-old England winger
took to Twitter upon hearing the draw, where he said: "Great win!! And the
perfect draw in the next round #revenge" Townsend was part of the team
humiliated by the Hammers last month, when goals from Winston Reid, Ricardo
Vaz Te and Ravel Morrison gave United an unexpected win in north London.

The tie is scheduled to take place in the week commencing 16th December. The
full quarter final draw is as follows:

Leicester City v Manchester City
Stoke City v Manchester United
Sunderland or Southampton v Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce hits back at Tottenham's Andre Villas-Boas
Last Updated: October 31, 2013 9:11pm
SSN

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has hit out at Tottenham counterpart Andre
Villas-Boas following the Spurs boss' criticism of Hull City's style of
play. Allardyce has defended clubs using a defensive approach and says all
teams play like that at times - including Spurs themselves. "They do the
same - you might say - when they play away in Europe, they'll play the same
way," Allardyce told Sky Sports News. "Chelsea will go to Schalke and play
on the break, Manchester United will go to Bayern Munich and play the same
way. "They all play that way themselves, so they can't really criticise a
team that comes to them and sits behind the ball. "To hear a manager moaning
about that! He should really watch what he's saying because when he does it
he wants to get some praise for it if he ends up winning."

Allardyce, whose side have been drawn against Tottenham in the Capital One
Cup quarter-finals, is facing an injury crisis ahead of Saturday's home game
against Aston Villa. Matthew Taylor is the latest player to be ruled out
after suffering a knock against Burnley on Tuesday and joins Mladen Petric,
Ricardo Vaz Te and Andy Carroll on the sidelines. "It leaves us with a
problem in terms of numbers," he added. "We're very short of first-team
squad players available for Saturday. "But it's about getting on with the
job and using the players available and trying to bring the three points at
home that we are looking for. "I would hope by the time the Capital One Cup
quarter-final against Tottenham comes around (in December) a lot of the
players who are injured will be fit and we won't sustain any more injuries.
"At the moment it is a concern for us, especially when November and December
comes and suspensions kick in. "My focus to the medical staff is to get them
fit and keep them fit otherwise it will be a long, hard winter for us."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Life goes on
SSN
By Peter Fraser - Follow me on Twitter @SkySportsPeteF | Last Updated:
October 31, 2013 10:31am

The story of Dean Ashton's premature retirement has been much told but what
does the future now hold? After the painful early years of the end of his
playing days, the former striker tells Sky Sports about how he is attempting
to move onWhen Dean Ashton last spoke in depth to the media at the end of
January about his career since he was prematurely forced to retire in 2009
at the age of just 26, the former Crewe Alexandra, Norwich City and West Ham
United striker enthusiastically described his plans to return to football in
a coaching capacity. He was preparing to begin work towards the necessary
qualifications. After years of despair spent shutting himself away from the
game, he was ready. Unfortunately for Ashton, the reality was far more
painful.

"I stopped doing the coaching after a few months, because it just did not
feel right," he told Sky Sports in an exclusive interview. "I did not have
the passion for the coaching and I was coming away feeling a little bit down
again having been on the training pitch and getting the feeling again that I
should be playing.
"There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about my retirement,
mainly because it was everything for me to play football. Playing football
was basically all I grew up thinking about and it was all I wanted to do.
So, to have that taken away is hard to take and I wish I could still be
playing"

"It was a little bit of a shock that those feelings were still there. After
five years, I thought it would be okay to be in that football environment
again and be around a football club, especially, having the chance to almost
join in a little bit. But it just did not feel right. I do not know whether
it is because I am still young and perhaps could still be player or what it
is. But I just thought it would be better to step away and concentrate on
other things."

It was infamously a tackle by Shaun Wright-Phillips while training with
England ahead of Steve McClaren's first game in charge against Greece in the
August of 2006 which ultimately led to Ashton's retirement. He suffered an
ankle medial ligament injury. He eventually managed to regain some fitness
in order to make his England debut against Trinidad & Tobago in the summer
of 2008 but he then played what proved to be his last professional game for
club or county that following September.

Crewe Academy product Ashton, who had joined West Ham in a £7.25million deal
in January 2006 having starred in a calendar year with Norwich, would
undergo more than a year of rehabilitation in an attempt to overcome the
injury. But he finally called time on his career in December 2009. It was a
nightmare for a man who had earlier been suggested as an England partner for
Wayne Rooney at the 2006 World Cup having tormented Liverpool in West Ham's
ultimate defeat by Rafa Benitez's side in the FA Cup final of that year.

What followed his retirement was a period of attempting to claim some
closure and it saw a miserable Ashton shut himself away from football,
removing any memorabilia from his home and attempting to concentrate on
family life with his wife and children while also playing golf.

Burnley 0 West Ham 2
That story has been much-told but, now, what does the future hold? Speaking
to Ashton, in association with Aviva's Financial Planning Week, it is
impossible to ignore the fact that he comes across as a genuinely nice guy
and it is therefore difficult not to feel sorry for the way his playing days
were cut short. However, at the same time, it is only football and far worse
things could have happened. For example, Ashton has admitted in previous
interviews: "My best friends who were at the Crewe Academy with me but who
never quite made it soon remind me, 'Hang on, we did not make it and we have
got nine-to-five jobs. You have got to be grateful for what you had'."

For Ashton, who still does not turn 30 until the end of November, coaching,
and being back at the coalface of football, was a bridge too far, too soon.
But life goes on. He is now concentrating on the future and not dwelling too
much on his retirement. Living in Norwich, he has been doing some commentary
and punditry work in the media and is also working on a golfing company with
his brothers-in-law. While his retirement understandably still hurts, he is
looking forward.

"There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about my retirement,
mainly because it was everything for me to play football," he said. "Playing
football was basically all I grew up thinking about and it was all I wanted
to do. So, to have that taken away is hard to take and I wish I could still
be playing. But there comes a point when you move on. I have got kids of my
own so I like to look at their futures."

However, as was seen by Ashton's tender attempt to return to football in
that coaching position, which had seen him back at former club Norwich,
there is still too much aggravation under the surface. It is this which has
also seen him remain distanced from his last professional club, West Ham.

"I do not keep in contact with the West Ham lads," he said, admitting there
is a little bit of regret at this self-enforced decision. "Again, that was
partly down to me. I just forgot about anything West Ham related and perhaps
did not speak to certain people at the club whether that be friends or staff
or anything. That might sound a bit harsh but that was just the way I coped
with having to finish. Football moves on so quickly, as well. Yesterday's
news is today's chip paper in football. They move on to the next player and
players are very focused in what they are doing."

Ashton, though, does have some happy memories of his playing days. His time
at Crewe's famous Academy, which also produced the likes of former
Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham star and England international Danny
Murphy, are fondly remembered. A major factor in this was the presence of
legendary coach/manager Dario Gradi. Now aged 72, Gradi's ability to nurture
young talent is undisputed and that skill has recently seen him added to the
Football Association's Commission - which is tasked with improving the
future of English football.

"It is better late than never," said Ashton regarding Gradi's appointment.
"I think he probably should have been part of the FA a long, long time ago.
He has obviously proven he knows how to bring young kids through Academies
and what it takes to produce players. For me, it was a great experience
coming through Crewe's Academy. Dario was involved a hell of a lot. He was
my Under 14 manager for the whole season, which is very unique. But I think
one of the main things about Crewe, and Dario especially, is that he gives
players a chance. As a player, you felt like if you got in the first team,
he would give you games. If you had a bad performance, it would not be to
the detriment of your career. He would give you 10, 15 or 20 games, whatever
it took, to get to where you wanted to be. That was one of the main things,
Crewe and Dario encouraged players to play and cope with the first team."

Perhaps in the future there could even be a role for Ashton on the FA
Commission to give a perspective on players who have been forced to retire
through injury? It is a big issue in football and something the FA might be
advised to consider. Ashton would "possibly" be interested but believes the
FA will be concentrating on players who can represent England for a long
time.

That is obviously the main focus for the Commission. Much is made of
England's perceived lack of talent and Ashton's potential was denied in the
long term as a result of his injury. His is a slightly unusual case of the
country missing out but he agrees work does need to take place in order to
improve England's international success and homegrown products.

"It is certainly something we need to look at," he explained. "Countries
like Spain and Germany went through a few years of being unsuccessful to
look at their structure and bring groups of players through like they have
done now. That is the first starting point. What will come of it, only time
will tell."

Time will tell. The same can be said of Ashton's future. Whether he is able
to return to the day-to-day life of a football club or the inside of the
game remains to be seen. But he is at least looking forward.

Dean Ashton is talking on behalf of Aviva ahead of Financial Planning Week
in November. To find out more about savings and investments, visit
www.aviva.co.uk/savings-and-investments.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Sam Allardyce will put Capital One Cup glory before their league
position
31 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce admits he would sacrifice a lofty Premier League position with
West Ham for a place in the Capital One Cup Final. The Hammers have set up a
mouthwatering December quarter-final at Tottenham - where they sensationally
won for the first time since 1999 before the last international break. That
3-0 victory is West Ham's only success in the league in their last four
matches, though - and Big Sam is aiming to put that right at home to Aston
Villa on Saturday.
But he admits to being seduced by the thought of creating another very
special memory for himself and the club at Wembley on March 2. Allardyce,
who steered the Hammers to Championship play-off final triumph at the
national stadium last year, said: "I'd trade a decent league position for a
final. Not for a semi or a quarter - only a final place. "Finals are at
Wembley, aren't they? That is the one place that every manager - every
player - wants to go and try to play. "Having experienced a play-off final
with West Ham against Blackpool at Wembley, it was 100 per cent better than
[playing at] the Millennium Stadium.
"So as long as we stay as the Premier League I would take a final [at the
expense of league position] all day long. "I'm a man that played
professional football; that wants to reach the highest level and wants to
have memories - everlasting memories and everlasting photos or videos. "So
having got to one final before and having been in the play-offs, we would
like to get to another one."

Allardyce, who fielded a striker-less team in the win at Tottenham, has also
taken a swipe at Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas, who moaned about teams
parking the bus against his side following Sunday's league victory over
Hull. Big Sam has warned AVB those words could come back to haunt him as he
pushes for silverware with the big-spending White Hart Lane club. He said:
"They do the same, whatever they might say. We all know that they play that
way themselves, so they can't really criticise a team that comes to them and
sits behind the ball because they do it when they play their bigger games,
particularly in the Champions League. "When you hear a manager moaning about
that, then he should really watch what he's saying, because when he does it,
he wants to get some praise for what he does - particularly if he ends up
winning. "We all have to tactically set out how to break down the opposition
and how to nullify the opposition."

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http://vyperz.blogspot.com



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Daily WHUFC News - 31st October 2013

Tottenham away in Capital One Cup
WHUFC.com
Quarter-Final draw pits London rivals together at White Hart Lane
30.10.2013

West Ham United will travel to Tottenham Hotspur for a Capital One Cup
quarter-final tie in the week commencing 16 December. The London rivals were
drawn together on Wednesday after both sides made progress in the
competition this week. The Hammers saw off Burnley 2-0 thanks to penalties
from Matt Taylor and Jack Collison, while Tottenham were spot on themselves
in defeating Hull City 8-7 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. West Ham travelled
to White Hart Lane for a league fixture earlier this month and recorded an
unforgettable 3-0 victory with goals from Winston Reid, Ricardo Vaz Te and
Ravel Morrison. Full fixture and ticketing details will be arranged in due
course and announced on whufc.com

Capital One Cup quarter-final draw
Leicester City v Manchester City
Stoke City v Manchester United
Sunderland or Southampton v Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United

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Jack's feeling good
WHUFC.com
Jack Collison's penalty in the 2-0 win at Burnley capped a fine month for
the Wales international
30.10.2013

Jack Collison feels he has been given a new lease of life after his
successful loan spell at Bournemouth led into a goalscoring return for West
Ham United in Tuesday night's 2-0 Capital One Cup win at Burnley The Wales
international scored a crucial late penalty to seal the Hammers' place in
the quarter-finals of the competition and finally see off a determined
Burnley side, who had already gone behind to a Matt Tayor spot kick. The
visitors had not been at their best in the first half, but Collison's
introduction as a half-time substitute for Mo Diame helped change the course
of the game in Big Sam's side's favour. "It was nice to get a bit of game
time and to be in the hat for the next round." Collison said. "If you've
been through what I've been through injury-wise then you appreciate any time
on the pitch. It's a bonus to get the result and a bonus to pop up with a
goal. "I enjoy trying to get on the ball, drive us forward and to try and
make things happen. Thankfully I managed to do that on Tuesday. I won the
penalty and probably should have done better with a couple of other chances.
"The loan move was a great experience and it was invaluable getting game
time. I played four 90 minutes back-to-back in a month, which I haven't done
in a long time. I'm back now and I feel fitter and sharper. "You could say
I've got a new lease of life and I feel ready to go again and to fight for
my place. Nights like Tuesday will obviously go in my favour and hopefully
I've given the gaffer a few headaches and see where we are in a few weeks."

With usual penalty taker Mark Noble rested for the game, spot-kick duties
were first passed to Taylor following a foul on Kevin Nolan and then
Collison after he was fouled by Keith Tracey in added time. Both spot kicks
were expertly converted, with Tracey sent off for bringing Collison down as
the the last man, and the West Ham No10 admitted he felt a few nerves before
taking his kick. "I nearly made a hash of my chance and I can imagine what
the gaffer was saying on the bench," Collison joked. "I was confident I was
going to stick it away and Tracey caught me. If he hadn't caught me I think
I was going to roll it in. Obviously I was a bit nervous but it was great to
stick in the back of the net. "Nobes is a fantastic penalty taker and he
must have scored nearly 20 penalties in big games but when he's not playing
I'm going to try to get on them. It was great to be out there in a West Ham
shirt again."

As has happened in every Capital One Cup game this season, James Tomkins
captained the side and he and Collison assumed the rare mantle of being
experienced heads among a team boasting several promising Acadmeny
graduates. Pelly Ruddock, Leo Chambers and Dan Potts all stood out as part
of a resolute defence and Collison confessed it was pleasing to see the next
wave of talented youngsters show how quickly they are progressing. "Me and
Tonks were having a bit of a laugh and joke on the way down saying we're
like veterans now getting the young boys to make tea for us at the back of
the bus! But seriously, it gives you an extra buzz looking round the pitch
seeing all the youngsters that have come through the Academy on the pitch.
"It's great experience for them to come to a place like Burnley. It's a
tough place, Ings and Vokes are on fire in the Championship and the boys at
the back were magnificent. Fair play to them and the gaffer said that he
might well stick to the team in the next round so it's a great opportunity."

Collison will be hoping he has done enough to retain his starting place for
Saturday's Barclays Premier League meeting with Aston Villa at the Boleyn
Ground. The Hammers have registered some impressive away results thus far,
conceding just one goal in five away games, but have found the going tougher
at home with three defeats in a row. "The boys have been magnificent away.
It was a fantastic result at Swansea at the weekend [a 0-0 draw] and a great
result at Spurs [a 3-0 win] so it's down to us to return to the home form of
last season as that's what got us in the top half. "It's a great opportunity
against Aston Villa in front of our own fans. The boys are going to get a
massive boost from Tuesday and the gaffer is going to get us ready and the
crowd are going to be fantastic so it's going to be a great game on
Saturday."

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Hammers stars meet fans
WHUFC.com
Joey O'Brien and Mo Diame met Hammers supporters at a special event at the
Romford store on Wednesday
30.10.2013

After arriving back in the early hours following the Capital One Cup victory
at Burnley, West Ham United players Joey O'Brien and Mohamed Diame were
straight out after a warm-down to meet jubilant supporters at a special
half-term event. The Hammers pair were at the club's Liberty Romford store
on Wednesday afternoon to meet and chat with fans, sign autographs and pose
for photographs as youngsters across Essex enjoy their week off from school.
Both O'Brien and Diame played in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Sky Bet Championship
leaders Burnley - which saw two spot-kicks from Matt Taylor and Jack
Collison win the tie for the Hammers - and were greeted with lots of praise
following the cup win. Fans young and old queued patiently to see the
players, clutching shirts, footballs, calendars, autograph books and many
other items bought in the shop.

Meeting the fans is certainly a pleasure for O'Brien, who said it was an
enjoyable event. "It was great. Everyone was talking about the cup win the
night before and just wishing us luck again for the weekend match against
Aston Villa. "It is a chance for us to meet fans personally like this and
all the lads are very appreciative of their support, they were there again
for us in high numbers on Tuesday night at Burnley. So for us to come along
to chat with them and sign for them, spend that bit of time, it's great."

Both players were in good spirits themselves and were more than amused at
the amount of West Ham 2014 calendars they had to sign - both are featured
in it for next year, O'Brien for the month of October and Diame for January.
O'Brien said: "I am not sure if it will be sold out because Mo and I are in
it! But it certainly seemed a popular thing for the fans to purchase!" Diame
also praised the supporters and said that their backing would be key in
trying to get three points this Saturday against Villa at the Boleyn Ground.
"I know how much our fans get behind us and we are very grateful for that
support always. I come out after games and even if it is late, fans are
still there waiting to just say hello. So it was good to meet the supporters
here and I am sure they will be cheering us on again this weekend, hopefully
we can match that with a good result."

Following O'Brien and Diame at the Liberty Romford store, team-mates Winston
Reid and Guy Demel will visited the Lakeside Thurrock on Thursday to meet
with fans as they look to start their Christmas shopping for the upcoming
festive season.

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Taylor glad to book quarter-final spot
WHUFC.com
Matt Taylor's penalty helped West Ham United see off Burnley in the Capital
One Cup on Tuesday
30.10.2013

Matt Taylor's emphatic 76th minute penalty sent West Ham on their way to a
2-0 victory over Burnley in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup on
Tuesday night. The Hammers were made to work hard for their victory by the
top-of-the-table Championship side but eventually made their class tell in
the second period. Jack Collison made the game safe with a second penalty at
the death and Taylor, an ever present in the Hammers' cup run, was delighted
to book a quarter-final slot. He told whufc.com: "We didn't have a
particularly great first half, but the manager came in and changed the
formation and personnel at half time, and we went out in the second half and
put them on the back foot. "I know we've won it with two penalties but I
still thought that we were the better team and that it was a fully deserved
win. "It was a very difficult game tonight, they're doing exceptionally well
in the league and it was one in which we had to grind it out and work hard.
They're a good team and judging by what we've seen tonight they have a good
chance of getting promoted to the Premier League."
Burnley started strongly as the Hammers took their time adapting to a
new-look 3-5-2 system, but Sam Allardyce's side, which included a number of
homegrown youngsters, improved after the break to see off the hosts. Taylor
added: "We did our homework and had a lot of information about Burnley and
we knew they would pressure us high up the pitch. Their gameplan worked in
the first half and ours did in the second half. It was really pleasing to
get the result and get in the hat for the next round. "Jack [Collison] came
on and did exceptionally well in the second half. It was nice for the lads
who haven't played a lot of football, especially the young boys, to
experience a good, competitive game in a good, competitive arena. "They
realise that if they want to make a career in the game, then these are the
nights they need to learn from. I think they did do that, the young lads
played exceptionally well and they'll grow in stature and hopefully get more
chances in the future."

Taylor's penalty conversion was his first goal since September last year, so
he was delighted to play his part - although disappointed that he had to sit
out the final few minutes after picking up a knock to his calf. He added:
"It's been a while since I've taken a penalty, but I'm confident in my own
ability that I can put it in a decent area. The goalkeeper went the right
way, but it had enough power on it to go in. "It was a very good penalty
from Jack too and I'm really happy for him. Had I been on the pitch I might
have tried to take it off him, but I wasn't and I'm really happy for him.
"It's nice to score and hopefully look towards a positive rest of the
season."

The Hammers were backed by a 2,000-strong travelling army and the
31-year-old finished with special praise for them. He said: "It's a great
reault for the Club and we have to thank the 2,000 fans who have made the
long journey up on a Tuesday night for making that journey. It was very good
to see them here and nice to send them home happy."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Making the big decisions
KUMb.com
Filed: Wednesday, 30th October 2013
By: Tim Keen

West Ham United are through to the quarter finals of the Capital One Cup. We
qualified with the help of three Academy graduates in the infancy of their
careers all playing in defence.

The remainder of the starting eleven was a blend of fringe players and two
first team starters.

When the side was announced pre kick-off, I along with many others was
sceptical. This is a big game for the club, a chance to get one step closer
to Wembley, a quarter final awaits, thousands have travelled to Burnley on a
Tuesday night and Allardyce decides to play a severely weakened team against
a form side from the Championship.

How are these kids going to cope? This is not the time to blood the
youngsters, another chance at winning a Cup has been lost, the manager has
got this wrong. These are all thoughts that flashed through my head. I
wondered what Sam Allardyce was thinking both in the immediate sense about
the tie and his all-round approach to management.

However, 90 minutes later, we were through. A decidedly dodgy first half
survived and then the introduction of several first team players and we made
it in to the hat for the next round. We can now celebrate victory and be
proud of the achievement.

We have won a tough away tie, we're in the quarter finals, just two rounds
from Wembley, the thousands that travelled have been rewarded with victory.
Allardyce's bold selections have paid off. The young players have handled
the situation well and are now that much more ready for further first-team
games. We are going to win the Cup, Allardyce has got it right!

In 90 minutes everything can change, opinions can switch from one end of the
scale to the other. As supporters we have that luxury, we can bemoan the
selections pre-game and then laugh it off afterwards if we are proved wrong.
Allardyce went for youth and squad rotation, some agreed - some disagreed.
Many wanted experience and a full first team.

These are the quandaries faced by a manager. How did he balance his
selection against Burnley (off the back of a tough away game on Sunday)
whilst also considering the crucial game against Aston Villa on Saturday?

Defeat against Burnley would have led to severe criticism, even in victory
he may face some harsh words. Defeat against Villa off the back of a loss v
Burnley would have seen pressure on his employment. Even defeat after the
win will increase the nerves around Upton Park.

Just a few weeks ago West Ham beat Tottenham 3-0 at White Hart Lane playing
a 4-6-0 formation. Allardyce is a tactical genius, he out-thought AVB and
master-minded victory. In truth it was part tactical innovation, part forced
due to a lack of striking options. Allardyce made the call to play without a
striker and it worked.

The manager made the big decision and reaped the rewards. But had Jermain
Defoe tucked away one of several chances created and the Hammers lost 1-0,
then Allardyce is a cretin, an imbecile. How can you expect to get results
in football playing without a striker? The manager is clueless.

On such decisions are manager's jobs held or lost.

The remit of managers, including Sam Allardyce, is to make decisions, the
crucial decisions. They are faced with difficult, almost impossible choices,
but they are paid handsomely to make those calls. We as fans make the
decisions hypothetically, we have the get out clause of not actually being
responsible.

We can discount our wrong decisions, underplay them. Sam Allardyce is not
afforded such forgiveness from the fans or the board. If he gets it wrong,
then it hurts the team and it hurts the fans and he gets the sack. Allardyce
is rewarded if he consistently gets it right.

David Sullivan and David Gold have similar responsibilities, they have
similar decisions to make on the future and the smooth running of the
football club. The significant difference being they do not have anyone
judging them that have the power to remove them from their positions.

Debate continues to rage between fans about the stadium move to Stratford.
Is it good for the club? Some say we must leave to improve our future
chances, that we will be able to compete at the big table if we take this
opportunity and get it right. Others say it will rip the soul out of the
club and success can be achieved in other ways. It does not have to come
from moving grounds, trying to compete with the big boys is not what
supporting West Ham is about.

Arguments are polarised and Sullivan and Gold have to find the balance, or
make the call on what they think is best for the club. Not all fans'
opinions can be accommodated (though it would help to be consulted more).
However, the difficulties arise in that if no consensus can be found amongst
the supporters, then what is the option for Gold and Sullivan? No action?
They paid the big money, they have the responsibility and the final say.

When the club made the questionable decision to sell highly discounted
tickets to various community groups for the game vs Manchester City, they
enraged a number of supporters. Why should anyone get a cheap ticket to a
game that has been increased in price to the top category and as a result
seen hundreds, more likely thousands unable to afford to go to the match?

They almost certainly shouldn't have offered the discounted tickets, but
there is still a flip-side to the debate. As a club, we are trying to
expand, engage with local community groups and charities around London. We
are trying to increase the fan-base and improve the atmosphere and the
diversity within the ground. That should be applauded and seen as a sign of
progress, but there is little doubt that the board chose the wrong way and
the wrong time to do this against Manchester City.

The board are faced with the quandary of trying to build a new fan base
whilst also maintaining the old one. Prices are rising despite the huge
influx of TV money this season. Ticket rises are justified by the argument
that we are in debt and need to keep money coming in whilst also trying to
compete in the Premier League. The board, like the manager, are expected to
make decisions, big choices, and are judged by how many of those they get
right on a consistent basis.

Sam Allardyce has been given several major tasks in his time as manager at
West Ham. Get the club in the Premier League, keep the club in the Premier
League and do both whilst also completely overhauling the squad and
eradicating the negativity that surrounded the club.

He has achieved all that and has had some mini-victories in his second
season in the Premier League, including the blooding of youngsters in a
winning League cup tie at Burnley. Success at Turf Moor, with a team of
youngsters was the reward for our manager getting a big decision right, just
as it was when we celebrated the success against Tottenham.

Signing Andy Carroll and getting the Olympic Stadium were seen as
achievements by the board by many, but they got it wrong against Manchester
City and have hurt a core of supporters with the continued increases in
ticket prices.

As a supporter you can look at the tough decisions made by both the board
and the manager, you can judge those decisions in the heat of the moment and
then in a more sober light. Forums are a place to vent those feelings and
see the debate played out.

Whether they are getting it right or wrong, or somewhere in the middle, it
is key for us as fans to understand that the choices being made are tough
ones and that the self-righteous judgement from us as supporters -
particularly the fickle ones who don't admit when they call it wrong - does
not always make it easier.

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A Noble statement
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 30th October 2013
By: Jason Eves

With Ravel Morrison's performances earning rave reviews from footballing
alumni across the UK, people have been tipping him to make the jump from
Under 21s to the full England fold even though he only made his Under 21s
debut a few weeks ago.

But, another West Ham player who believes he is ready for the international
stage is Mark Noble. When speaking to the Evening Standard recently, he
declared he is good enough to make the England squad. I know neutral (and
even rival) fans seeing this interview on Sky would be scoffed at it, but I
believe Mark has a point.

I'll be the first to say Ravel has been brilliant since coming back from the
loan at Birmingham, but I want to allow his talent to blossom and for us not
to heap too much pressure on him. But to avoid what Liverpool had with
Raheem Sterling we need to rest and rotate him every now and again; his
performances could suffer from the backlog of Premier League and Cup
fixtures if we aren't too careful.

While Ravel may have the nation's curiosity, Mark wants Hodgson's attention
and has happily gone about his work, with his all-round play and gutsy
performances reminiscent of former West Ham hero Scott Parker. (Good luck
with the Fulham move by the way… I think you'll need it.)

It's easy to forget that Mark has international experience at youth level,
having captained the England Under 18s and Under 21s side respectively at
various European championships. Whether he can make the transition to the
full squad begs the question, but Roy has so far been reluctant to welcome
him into the fold.

When you look at the England squad in its present state, especially in the
midfield department - we're looking at a veteran centre of Gerrard and
Lampard. Lest we forget even Michael Carrick is on the wrong side of thirty!


Coupling that with the inexperienced Ross Barkley, the electric Andros
Townsend, the struggling Jack Wilshere and Manchester City forgotten man
James Milner. You can't help but feel Noble has a good point.

Noble is approaching his prime now he is hitting his mid-twenties. He is
playing every week in the Premier League, which is the perfect platform to
hone your talent and also to gain national attention.

On paper, the England line-up features just six out of 23 players who
feature for non-Champions League teams. But these players are mainly squad
players for these teams, or have just been a part of the England set-up for
so long they have become part of the furniture.

Jermain Defoe does not feature for Tottenham on a regular basis after they
splurged 26 million on top-scorer Roberto Soldado. Chris Smalling is not
considered a Man Utd regular with Rio Ferdinand and company in the way.

I think Noble's best shot at dislodging someone in the England fold is James
Milner, who I regard more as an England player than a Manchester City
player. He's been phased out of the first team by the abundance of quality
in the midfield department that Manuel Pellegrini and his predecessors have
brought to Manchester in recent times.

Not to mention that his form for England has been poor. I don't think I've
seen him have a good game in an England shirt, with his lack of appearances
surely having an effect on him.

In City's opening ten games, Milner has only started three - whereas Noble
has been ever present, missing all but two games this season, one through
suspension and the other in the Carling Cup (for which he was rested).

West Ham's English core have all impressed this season. James Tomkins forced
his way back into the first team after losing his place to James Collins
last season. He has taken the bull by the horns and put in some assured
performances that might make him an outside shot.

Sadly defence may be England's strongest department, with Roy using the
familiar faces of Ashley Cole, Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill and the
underwhelming Kyle Walker along the back four. All Tomkins can really do is
keep his head down and keep up the good work, and with a bit of luck and
avoiding injury he might be clutching a ticket to Rio.

Stewart Downing also has every chance of making the England line-up. Getting
away from the pressure-cooker environment of Anfield and a hefty price tag
hanging above his head, he has grown in confidence and looks a bargain at
£6million. With a lack of left-sided wingers in England, Downing may be in
with a shout too… Unlikely but you never know!

Oh and don't forget to mention Andy Carroll, who I wish makes a speedy
recovery from his plantar fascia injury. If he can make his comeback before
the turn of the year, he will have plenty enough time to find match fitness
to force his way back into the England fold (hopefully reinvigorating our
ailing front line in the process).

Although a part of me always worries whenever a West Ham striker gets called
up to the international fold, it might just be me being superstitious and
sore over what happened to Dean Ashton...

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WEST HAM OLYMPIC STADIUM PRICING MODELS
By Sean Whetstone 30 Oct 2013 at 10:35
West Ham Till I Die

In this new series of financial related articles I will cover aspects of our
planned move to the Olympic Stadium.

Today's article is about the future West ham Olympic Stadium ticketing
revenue and what it could mean for us.

One of the primary goals of us moving to Olympic Stadium was to increase our
capacity from 35,000 to 54,000 and ultimately using that extra ticket
revenue to complete with the top six clubs.

Although West Ham have not formally published their ticketing strategy for
the Olympic Stadium yet they have made various statements on the Olympic
Stadium micro site

They say "As a Board we have always been committed to offering affordable
family football and the increased capacity opens up many new opportunities
to support this initiative. There will be more affordable seats and more
entry-level pricing but we will also be able to offer the more premium
products that our current stadium cannot offer at present.The move will
ensure the Club is more accessible to our existing supporters, plus it will
be more attractive to key groups – families and female supporters in
particular – to name a few. We are offering up to 100,000 free tickets per
season that will ensure some of the most deprived children in the country
will gain access to elite sport and drive an increase in sports
participation"

In the past two financial years 2010/2011 & 2011/2012 West Ham have revealed
that match day ticket income has totaled £18,808,000 in 2010/2011 (Premier
League) and £13,596,000 in 2011/2012 (Championship). Figures for 2012/2013
have yet to be published in February next year.

As a crude calculation if you divide the £18.8m of tickets we sold in the
2010/2011 season by the 35,016 seats at the Boleyn ground you get average
revenue of £537.12 per seat. If you then multiple this by the 54,000 seats
at the Olympic Stadium you get just an estimated £29m per season in ticket
sales.

Although I am sure the extra £10m would be welcome I struggle to see how it
will help us compete with the top six clubs on its own.

As a comparison:

Arsenal earns £95m per season from match day receipts valuing each one of
their 60,362 seats at the Emirates at £1,573. If we could achieve the same
pricing model as Arsenal we would bring in nearly £85m in ticket sales.
Spurs got £43.3m last season in match day tickets valuing their 36,240 seats
at White Hart Lane at just under £1195 per seat on average. They plan to
move in to their 56,000 seat new Stadium around the same time as our move so
could earn around £67m at that valuation per seat.
Both of these clubs earn ticketing revenue from home European games

Looking at the other end both Newcastle and Sunderland have big Stadia. St
James Park with it's 52,405 seats brings in Newcastle £24m per season while
the Stadium of Light with 48,707 seats brings in just £14m for Sunderland.

This means the average value per seat for Newcastle is £458 and Sunderland
is just £287 per seat. With the Sunderland pricing model we would earn less
then we earn already at the Boleyn Ground bringing in £15.5m compared to
£19m in 2011.

When it is finally published the West Ham ticketing strategy for the Olympic
Stadium will be a fine balancing act between affordable family football, our
commitment to the local community and big ambition for European football
even Champions league one day.

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West Ham starlets Danny Potts, Pelly Ruddock and Leo Chambers have boss Sam
Allardyce purring
30 Oct 2013 22:30
The Mirror

Sam Allardyce claims West Ham's fabled Academy of Football has produced
three more gems. Allardyce was delighted by the displays of rookie defenders
Danny Potts, Pelly Ruddock and Leo Chambers in the Capital One Cup win over
Burnley. Ruddock, 20, made his debut for the Hammers' first-team, while it
was only 18-year-old Chambers' third appearance and 19-year-old Potts' first
of the season. Now, Allardyce intends to keep faith with them for the
quarter-finals: "The Capital One Cup is a good competition for us [in terms
of] playing players who are desperate to get in the first team. "They are
top of the Under-21 league, winning every week, so I have to do something
about it. "I have to give them a chance and this was their big chance. Three
players, all defenders - Pelly Ruddock, Leo Chambers and Danny Potts - can
feel very proud of what they have done. "They were three of our back four in
the last 20 minutes or so, when we had to take James Tomkins off with a
slight hamstring - so all credit to them."

Matt Taylor, who scored West Ham's first goal to put them on their way to
victory, was also impressed. "They realise that if they want to make a
career in the game, then these are the nights they need to learn from," he
said. "I think they did that. "The young lads played exceptionally well and
they'll grow in stature and hopefully get more chances in the future."

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Daily WHUFC News - 30th October 2013

Two penalties see West Ham through
WHUFC.com
Matt Taylor and Jack Collison both scored spot kicks to defeat Burnley 2-0
on Tuesday
29.10.2013

Burnley 0-2 West Ham United
Capital One Cup fourth round

West Ham United notched a brace of penalties to move into the Capital One
Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 win at Burnley on Tuesday night. Coming just
52 hours after Sunday's draw at Swansea, the Hammers made nine changes to
their starting line-up for the Turf Moor tie and had to withstand a strong
first half from the hosts. The Hammers improved after the break and
eventually saw off the Championship leaders with two spot kicks in the final
14 minutes. Matt Taylor scored the first before Jack Collison, just back
from his loan at AFC Bournemouth, made the game safe in stoppage time. It
was the hosts who were first out of the traps, and former Hammer Junior
Stanislas tested Adrian in the visitors' goal, with a low drive which was
headed for the Spaniard's bottom left-hand corner until his intervention.
The hosts went close in the aftermath of the resulting corner too, as Danny
Ings swivelled and fired in a rising shot which Adrian got fingertips to on
its way over.

West Ham were operating in an new-look 3-5-2 formation and it took them a
while to find their feet. In the meantime, Ings flicked a header wide of the
mark after Kieran Trippier slung in a cross from deep on the right hand
side. Burnley were the more lively side in the first half, although they
were restricted in their goalscoring opportunities. There was a scare for
the Hammers five minutes before the break when Sam Vokes crashed a header
against the post, although the fright was shortlived as a flag raised for
offside would have ruled the Welshman's header out in any case.

Sam Allardyce made a change at the interval, introducing Collison for
Mohamed Diame, and the Hammers began the second period is much brighter
fashion.
Carlton Cole's deflected shot in the 51st minute led to a run of three
consecutive corners, all of which had Burnley under pressure, before Taylor
fizzed in a low cross from the left with 55 minutes played that only just
evaded Carlton Cole and Modibo Maiga in the centre. Carlton Cole was making
his first start since rejoining the Club earlier this month and he was
withdrawn on the hour for Stewart Downing, but it was Burnley who threatened
next as Trippier's 67th minute free kick wobbled as it moved through the
area and smashed against the top of the bar. Nine minutes later the Hammers
were given the opportunity to edge in front when Maiga flicked Dan Potts'
long free kick on and Kevin Nolan was bundled over by Jason Shackell. Taylor
took responsibility from the spot and the result was never in doubt as he
smashed high into the top right corner, giving Heaton no chance.

Adrian stopped a Vokes header following a Kightly corner five minutes from
the end, but the Hammers won a second penalty in stoppage time to seal their
place in the last eight. Keith Treacy was the guilty party this time,
bringing down Collison as he bore down on an open goal after collecting
Heaton's poor kick.
Treacy was given his marching orders and Collison dispatched the penalty
into the same top corner as Taylor.

Burnley: Heaton; Trippier, Long, Shackell, Mee; Treacy, Stock, Edgar (Noble
90), Stanislas (Kightly 83); Vokes, Ings
Subs: Liversedge, Lafferty, Duff, Howieson, Hewitt
Booked: Shackell
Sent off: Treacy

West Ham United: Adrian; Ruddock, Tomkins (Nolan 71), O'Brien; Chambers,
J.Cole, Taylor, Diame (Collison 46), Potts; C.Cole (Downing 59), Maiga
Subs: Spiegel, Morrison, Tombides, Fanimo
Goals: Taylor pen 76, Collison pen 90+3
Referee: Robert Madley

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Big Sam happy with Burnley victory
WHUFC.com
Sam Allardyce was pleased with the Hammers' 2-0 Capital One Cup fourth-round
victory at Burnley
29.10.2013

Sam Allardyce was pleased to see his West Ham United side recover from a
slow start to speed past Burnley into the Capital One Cup quarter-finals.
The Hammers took to the Turf Moor pitch just 52 hours after gaining a
goalless Barclays Premier League draw at Swansea City, with Big Sam making
nine changes to the team that started at the Liberty Stadium. Just captain
James Tomkins and Mohamed Diame kept their places in a 3-5-2 formation that
also included Development Squad regulars Leo Chambers, Pelly Ruddock and Dan
Potts. After an indifferent first-half display, Big Sam changed his system
and brought on Jack Collison, Stewart Downing and Kevin Nolan. The
alterations paid-off as Nolan won a penalty converted by Matt Taylor before
Collison was fouled and scored himself from the spot in added time to secure
a 2-0 win. "I told everybody after the Swansea match that we would change
the team in terms of the players we would need to use to make sure we had
enough fresh legs to cope with a very difficult game," said Big Sam.
"Burnley are top of the Championship and they beat QPR comfortably 2-0 on
Saturday. We played on Sunday afternoon at four o'clock and got back late on
Sunday night, so it would have been ridiculous of me not to use the players
who were fit, eager and raring to go and remiss of me not to play some of
the Under-21s who are top of their league and test them at this level.
"Getting the result means I've done my job the right way and that's what I'm
paid to do and have to do, irrespective of what everybody from outside West
Ham says in terms of what needs to be done. "The players have paid me back
in terms of what needs to be done because the first half wasn't very clever.
We had to reshuffle and the defence was there again. We've now played six
games away from home and conceded just one goal, and even that was from a
penalty that wasn't a penalty. "We had a back four for the last 20 minutes
that included Leo Chambers, Pelly Ruddock and Dan Potts and had Joey
O'Brien, a full-back, at centre-half. They defended against Sam Vokes and
Danny Ings, who have scored nearly 20 Championship goals between them. "Jack
Collison, Stewart Downing and Kevin Nolan all lifted the team in terms of
possession when they came on and we started passing the ball properly in the
right areas, getting in and around Burnley and showing their defensive
weaknesses. "Eventually, we got two penalties and they clinched it. It was a
well-deserved victory in the end and a really good performance that has got
us into the quarter-finals."

While Big Sam did lament the loss of Taylor to a calf injury that will keep
him out for a 'few weeks' and a slight hamstring twinge suffered by Tomkins,
the manager was happy with the performance of his younger players at Turf
Moor. "After the Aldershot game two years ago, I showed that if they weren't
good enough that they wouldn't be here for much longer. "Now we have a group
of youngsters who are top of the U21 Premier League, so they deserved a
chance on the basis that they have been winning every week and we needed to
test them at this level. "I need to rotate my squad because I can't keep
playing the same eleven all the time, because they will get injured. "With
such a young team out there against a team that is top of the Championship,
it was a massive bonus for me to see us win and keep a clean sheet."

In closing, Big Sam said the 2,000-plus fans who had made the long journey
to Lancashire had been rewarded for their outstanding loyalty and passionate
support. "I didn't really tell the players to go out and play they way they
played in the first half, but the fans gave me a bit of stick walking off
and rightly so because they hadn't seen their players play the way they
can," said the manager. "I told them at half-time that our 2,000 fans had
paid 80 or 90 quid to get to the game and they were giving them stick so
'What are you doing? You've got a West Ham shirt on and I don't care old or
young you are, go out there and give them some entertainment and value for
money'. "I told them 'I'm going to change the system to help you because the
current one isn't working, then you go out and play like you can'. "Systems
only work when the individuals play to their best and our individuals did a
magnificent job in the second half and gave the fans a lot of entertaining,
attacking play at their end. They wanted to see us win and we did."

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U21s made to wait for cup opposition
WHUFC.com
The Development Squad will have to wait to discover their U21 Premier League
Cup opponents
29.10.2013

Nick Haycock's Development Squad will have to wait a little longer to
discover who they will face in the U21 Premier League Cup Round of 32. The
Hammers have been drawn against the winners of the Bristol City-Peterborough
United Second Qualifiying Round tie, which was due to be played on Monday.
But heavy rain in Bristol led to the match being postponed with a
waterlogged pitch and a new date will have to be found for the meeting
between the Robins and the Posh.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Burnley 0-2 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 29th October 2013
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are through to the next round of the Capital One Cup - but were
made to work for the win by a hard-working Burnley side. Two second half
penalties were enough to see the Hammers through to the next stage of the
competition, as Sam Allardyce's side weathered a Burnley storm before seeing
off the Championship leaders. The home side, unbeaten at home in their
previous 13 outings controlled the first half but were ultimately made to
pay for failing to make the most of their dominance against a West Ham team
featuring nine changes from that which drew at Swansea just 48 hours
earlier. Having survived a scare in the 67th minute when Kieran Trippier's
20-yard free kick crashed off the crossbar, the Hammers finally broke the
deadlock with just 14 minutes of normal time remaining. Kevin Nolan, one of
three first team players introduced in the second period was awarded a spot
kick after he was felled by Claret's defender Jason Shackell. The defender's
furious protests were rewarded with a yellow card before Matt Taylor smashed
the ball into the left-hand corner of Tom Heaton's net.

Passage into the quarter finals of the competition was finally assured when
the Hammers were awarded another penalty in the second minute of added-on
time. A United counter attack drew a mistake from 'keeper Heaton which left
Hammers sub Jack Collison with a clear run on goal. As the Welsh
international prepared to pull the trigger he was taken down by a rash
challenge from Keith Treacy, who was subsequently issued with a red card.
Collison - making his first appearance for West Ham since returning from a
month-long loan spell at Bournemouth - dusted himself off before putting his
spot kick into the same area as team mate Taylor had before him to secure a
2-0 win; a comfortable win on the face of it, but one for which United had
to work hard to secure. * The draw for the quarter finals of the Capital One
Cup will be made live on Sky Sports tomorrow [Wednesday] night, following
the fourth round tie between Newcastle and Man City.

West Ham's opponents will be one of the following:
Chelsea; Stoke City; Leicester City; Manchester Utd; Newcastle Utd or
Manchester City; Tottenham or Hull City; Sunderland or Southampton.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Late penalties gift West Ham 2-0 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor
Last Updated: October 29, 2013 9:59pm
SSN

A pair of second-half penalties from Matt Taylor and Jack Collison sent West
Ham into the Capital One Cup's quarter-finals as they ended 10-man Burnley's
run of eight successive victories. This was always likely to be a tricky tie
for the Hammers with their opponents, leading the Sky Bet Championship, in
such buoyant mood after recent results and bidding to win an 11th straight
League Cup tie at Turf Moor. Yet, in a much-improved second-half showing,
Sam Allardyce's substitutions helped turn the tide in the visitors' favour
with Kevin Nolan, one of those replacements, winning the all-important first
spot-kick and Collison earning and converting the second. The hosts had
shaded the first half but found stubborn resistance in the form of Hammers
goalkeeper Adrian, who twice repelled efforts from Junior Stanislas, while a
stop from Danny Ings sandwiched in-between was the pick of the bunch.
Allardyce's men were struggling to ask questions at the other end despite
fans' favourite Carlton Cole and Modibo Maiga both deployed as strikers. In
the second half the contest began to open up but it was still the Clarets
who looked more threatening, full-back Kieran Trippier hitting the crossbar
with a wicked free-kick after the hour mark. Nolan was brought down by Jason
Shackell in the area and, although the centre-back looked to have won the
ball, referee Robert Madley pointed to the spot with Taylor making no
mistake. As the visitors tried to force extra-time, Collison sprung on the
break and was hauled down by Keith Treacy, with the winger being sent off,
before the Welsh midfielder himself stroked home the penalty to hand Sean
Dyche's men their first defeat since August.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Burnley's Danny Ings praises West Ham's Ravel Morrison ahead of Capital One
Cup clash
Last Updated: October 29, 2013 8:47am
SSN

Burnley striker Danny Ings knows all about the mercurial talents of England
Under-21 team-mate Ravel Morrison, but he will hope to get the better of the
West Ham forward when their respective clubs meet in the Capital One Cup.
Morrison and the free-scoring Ings will be reunited at Turf Moor on the
domestic scene after becoming acquainted as a part of Gareth Southgate's
set-up earlier this month. The enigmatic Morrison, touted as a future star
during his time with Manchester United, has earned wide-spread praise of
late after showing considerable signs of maturation at Upton Park. Ings was
certainly impressed with what he saw during training at St George's Park and
is fully aware of the threat he is likely to pose his Clarets team-mates.
"He's got all the ability in the world; he's a great player," said the
21-year-old. "On the ball he's incredible. He was really good in training,
he scored some ridiculous goals as well, he's a good player."

The admiration clearly extends both ways, with Morrison praising Ings after
his two goals saw Burnley past QPR as they extended their advantage at the
top of the Sky Bet Championship table on Saturday. "Danny ings is a very
very good player," Morrison said on Twitter at the weekend. The
ex-Bournemouth man's brace against Rangers took his tally for the season to
13 goals in just 16 games and he continues to reap rewards in tandem with
Wales international Sam Vokes. Certainly Hammers boss Sam Allardyce, shorn
of attacking options himself since Andy Carroll's injury earlier in the
year, could look at Burnley's duo with envy as he presides over whether to
persist with his much-debated 4-6-0 formation. The form of the Clarets'
front two has inspired them to eight straight wins in all competitions and
Sean Dyche's men have extra reason to feel buoyant about booking a
quarter-final spot on home soil. Burnley have progressed in each of the
previous 10 League Cup ties at Turf Moor and Ings expects the Hammers to be
the 11th straight visitor to exit in East Lancashire. "I'm sure we're going
to beat them," he said. "I'm really confident about that game. I'm sure with
the confidence we've got at the moment we can turn anyone over. The crowd
have been great getting behind us and it seems to be getting louder and
louder."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Burnley 0-2 West Ham: Taylor and Collison penalties seal Capital One Cup
progress
29 Oct 2013 22:10
The Mirror

Sean Dyche felt Burnley were victims of a refereeing injustice after seeing
their eight-game winning streak ended. Referee Robert Madley gave West Ham a
controversial penalty for Jason Shackell's challenge on Kevin Nolan and
Dyche claimed the official did not have a proper view of the incident. Matt
Taylor dispatched the 76th-minute penalty before Keith Treacy was red carded
for a professional foul on Jack Collison, who converted the Hammers' second
spot-kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time. "It was a big decision
which changed it," said the Burnley manager. "I have asked the referee about
it and he said he was happy with his view but I wasn't happy with his view.
"It is a very difficult place to see a penalty from, behind the play,
through three or four players.
"Whether or not it was a penalty is debatable and Shacks got a tiny touch on
it. "I'm more interested in his viewpoint. And it's very difficult from
behind the play, wrong side of the incident, with two or three players in
front of him. It's very difficult for a referee to be 100 per cent sure.
"But I always respect the referee's decision and that's the way it is."

Sam Allardyce admitted West Ham might have been fortunate, but insisted they
deserved to win. "I had too many bodies in front of me and I haven't had a
look at it on my laptop yet," said the Hammers boss. "But the second one was
absolutely stonewall. It was in front of me and I could see it. It was
cynical. But, if we have had a bit of luck, we have had a bit of luck.
Pictures from Burnley vs West Ham and more of the night's ties: "Really,
there was no doubt that when we started to play in the second half, which we
didn't in the first half, we got through the Burnley defence and got the
victory we deserved."

Defeat was hard on Dyche's men and they played well, hitting the bar through
Kieran Trippier. Even Allardyce admitted they were the better side in the
first half and former Hammers midfielder Junior Stanislas unleashed a low
drive, which Adrian touched around his right-hand post. They maintained the
pressure and 13-goal top scorer Danny Ings hit a fierce shot, which the
Hammers' Spanish goalkeeper pushed over. West Ham, who ditched their 4-6-0
formation to play with two strikers, improved in the second half and skipper
James Tomkins had a header hoofed clear before Joe Cole put the ball in the
net, only for it to be disallowed for offside. Trippier then hit a 25-yard
free-kick against the bar before Madley's contentious call when Shackell
tackled Nolan decided the tie.

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