Hammers to tackle Tractor Boys
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will travel to Ipswich Town for a pre-season match on
Wednesday 16 July 2014
08.05.2014
West Ham United are pleased to announce that the first-team squad will
travel to Ipswich Town for a pre-season match on Wednesday 16 July 2014. The
7.45pm kick-off will see the Hammers take on a Tractor Boys side which
finished ninth in the Championship this term, just four points outside the
Play-Off places. The fixture will see West Ham return to Portman Road for
the first time since August 2012, when Matt Taylor's goal was not enough to
prevent the visitors falling to a 3-1 pre-season defeat. The Hammers have
fonder memories of previous trips to Suffolk, most notably the 2-0
Championship Play-Off semi-final second-leg victory in May 2005.
In all, the clubs have met 68 times in competitive fixtures since
kicking-off with West Ham's 5-1 FA Cup third-round win at the Boleyn Ground
in January 1950. The Hammers have won 27 and Ipswich 21, with 20 draws.
There are many historic links between West Ham and Ipswich, the most recent
being Hammer of the Year Mark Noble's productive loan spell in late 2006.
Legendary Hammers manager John Lyall spent four-and-a-half years in charge
at Portman Road between 1990 and 1994, winning the Division Two title in
1991/92. He was succeeded by caretaker manager Paul Goddard, who had
previously played under Lyall at both clubs.
Another successful former Ipswich boss, Alf Ramsey, managed England and
Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters to FIFA World Cup glory in 1966.
Five players also made their West Ham debuts against Ipswich - Keith Miller
(November 1968), Mervyn Day (August 1973), George Cowie (August 1982) and
Tony Gale (August 1984) all started their Hammers careers against the
Tractor Boys, while Matthew Kilgallon began his loan spell from Leeds United
against Ipswich in August 2003.
The Club can also announce a Development Squad pre-season match at
Conference National side Braintree Town on Saturday 19 July at 3pm.
Alan Devonshire's side enjoyed a fantastic 2013/14 season, finishing sixth
in the table and just missing out on the Play-Off places and a chance to
gain promotion to the Football League for the first time.
Ticket details for both of the above fixtures will be confirmed on whufc.com
in due course.
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Adrian blogs for whufc.com on his fantastic Awards night and Sunday's game
at Man City
08.05.2014
Hola everyone!
Tuesday was an fantastic night at the Player Awards and I was delighted to
receive three trophies - Signing of the Season, Best Individual Performance
and Best Save. To be voted for these awards by the fans is amazing,
especially in my first season here! I won the Individual Performance for the
game at Chelsea and while that was my best match, it was not just me because
all my team-mates made a really good match. That point was really important
for us in the league, on reflection. I think it was like the match I played
for Real Betis against Real Madrid last season when we beat them 1-0, but I
remember the Chelsea match well and it was better. The Save of the Season
came against Chelsea too and it was nice to keep that shot from Oscar out,
along with all the other shots they had that night! It was a hard one to
save. The ball was going towards the top corner, I touched it a little with
my fingertips, and I think it probably was my best one this season. Jussi
deserved that award too as he made some great saves this season. He's an
experienced goalkeeper, a really good person and team-mate. He's really
helped me. My relationship with the fans is unbelievable. In little time, it
has become a special relationship. I made a smile for everyone by taking a
selfie with them at the dinner too!
Now we have one game to go, and we hope we can get a good result at
Manchester City. I've had a good first season in English football, and I'm
sure next year will be better because I've adapted and I know the game here
now.
See you at the Etihad on Sunday.
Vamos West Ham!
Adrian
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Sir Trevor delighted with Award
WHUFC.com
Sir Trevor Brooking told of his pride at receiving West Ham United's
Lifetime Achievement Award
07.05.2014
Sir Trevor Brooking spoke with typical humility on becoming he second
recipient of West Ham United's Lifetime Achievement Award. Sir Trevor, who
was presented with the award by Joint-Chairman David Gold and Chairman of
sponsors ACL, Roger Abrahams, was moved by the tribute paid to him by the
Club he served with distinction as player and manager for more than two
decades. Speaking to West Ham TV, the five-time Hammer of the Year, two-time
FA Cup winner and England international midfielder said the reception he
received from supporters at the Player Awards had only strengthened his
affinity with his boyhood Club.
"I'm delighted," Sir Trevor confirmed after following in the footsteps of
fellow West Ham legend and close friend Billy Bonds, who was the first
recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award a year ago. "It's great when
you've got a lot of fans who really appreciate what you did in the past.
They know that I'm still very fond of the Club and after 19 years of playing
for them we've got some great memories. Nothing can take that away. "I spoke
to Bonzo, Billy Bonds, who got last year's award. Billy and I are good
mates, we played together a lot. He said it was a great evening and it makes
you realise how lucky you were to have had that career with a Club for so
long. Nowadays, players chop and change so often, but in our era it was that
much easier to stay. "I was chatting to quite a few of the fans and signing
photographs, which was quite strange because we now live in an era of mobile
phones and selfies, of course! That was good, particularly to see a few
familiar faces of people who were fans in my playing days. It's great. "We
have got a very loyal fanbase. They can be critical, but that's only because
they are so passionate about the Club. When things go against you, they
protect you as well. "I was lucky to have had a career in football as a
player, broadcaster, Director and now with the FA. West Ham have played
their part in my whole life."
Sir Trevor was not the only loyal West Ham favourite to be honoured at the
Player Awards, with Mark Noble being voted Hammer of the Year for a second
time. The 1980 FA Cup final hero was quick to praise Noble for his
consistency and ability during what has, at times, been a challenging
2013/14 campaign.
"Mark has been very consistent. He is a homegrown lad and is obviously very
passionate. He won Hammer of the Year a couple of years ago as well and this
year, at difficult times when not many had a good run in the team, he was
there as a rock. He is so dependable, it is not surprising he got Players'
Player of the Year too. That's always a fair indication. "The fans all
thought he was a key player who we couldn't afford to be injured. It's great
for him and for the Academy to have somebody like that because you can see
the affection the fans have for them when they come through."
In a wide-ranging West Ham TV interview, Sir Trevor also discussed a
challenging 2013/14 season, three victories over Tottenham Hotspur, the
importance of Andy Carroll, his optimism for 2014/15 and the move to the
Olympic Stadium.
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Howes set for Euro kick-off
WHUFC.com
Sam Howes will be in international action for England Under-17s against
Malta on Friday
08.05.2014
Young West Ham United goalkeeper Sam Howes will be hoping to play a part
when the England Under-17 squad begin their UEFA U17 European Championship
campaign against hosts Malta on Friday. The 16-year-old stopper has
impressed at both Club and international level this season and picked up the
Young Hammer of the Year award at the annual Player Awards evening on
Tuesday night. Howes couldn't be at the ceremony to collect the accolade as
he was travelling as part of John Peacock's 18-man squad for the tournament,
which begins when Holland take on Turkey at 11am on Friday. England kick-off
their campaign when they play Malta in the Ta' Qali National Stadium in
their first group match at 5pm on Friday, with the game being aired live on
British Eurosport 2. The West Ham 'keeper will by vying with Newcastle
United's Freddie Woodman for a start between the sticks with matches against
Turkey on Monday 12 May and Holland on Thursday 13 May rounding off the
Young Lions' group games. Should England progress from their group they will
meet one of Scotland, Portugal, Switzerland or Germany in the semi-finals,
which will take place on Sunday 18 May. If the Young Lions reach the final
they will again return to Malta's National Stadium on Wednesday 21 May to
try and reclaim the trophy which they won in 2010.
The call-up caps a fine season for Howes after he broke into both the Club's
U18 and Development Squad teams over the course of the 2013/14 season.
His fine form for the Hammers led to an England U17 debut in January 2014
when he featured in a defeat to Belgium at St George's Park.
The Hammers stopper clearly did enough to impress the national team coaches
as he was selected to represent his country at this year's prestigious
Algarve Cup, where he won his second cap in a 2-2 draw with hosts Portugal.
After earning the prestigious Young Hammer of the Year award on Tuesday,
Howes will now be looking to round off an excellent season by helping
England to win international honours.
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Bywater eyes Play-Off glory
WHUFC.com
Kieran Bywater has ambitions of helping the U18s to Play-Off victory against
Manchester City
08.05.2014
Kieran Bywater has his eyes firmly set on victory when the West Ham United
meet Manchester City in their Barclays U18 Premier League Play-Off
semi-final on Saturday.
The two clubs go head-to-head at Platt Lane, having finished in the top two
of their respective North and South divisions - Steve Potts' side finished
as runners-up to Tottenham Hotspur in their section while City topped their
table.
Midfielder Bywater, who has bagged a team-leading 19 goals this season, is
keen to overcome the Citizens to earn a crack at the overall league title.
The midfielder told West Ham TV: "We want to be successful as a team and as
individuals. We're all helping each other to try and push on to the next
level and hopefully win some silverware to go with it.
"We've all done really well this season to get into the Play-Offs, so I
think it will be a great credit to us if we do manage to win on Saturday."
A 1-1 draw in their last league match of the season at home to Arsenal last
weekend made absolutely sure of the Hammers participation in the end of
season Play-Offs.
Bywater netted the sixth-minute penalty that secured the point for his side
with a goal which also took his personal tally to 19 for the season - a
tremendous haul and one which the captain hopes to add to on Saturday.
"It's shown that I've added that to my game this season and I've been
pleased to get quite a few goals," he continued. "They've come from
free-kicks, penalties and open play, so all over really.
"I aimed for 20 goals at the beginning of the season and I'm not quite there
yet, but it would be nice to get there in these next couple of games and
hopefully we can beat Manchester City at the weekend.
"I'm on 19, so hopefully I can get another goal in the Play-Offs to add to
my total, but obviously the main focus is to do well for the team and get
through to the Play-Off final."
Saturday's opponents have enjoyed a strong season under the stewardship of
manager and former Blackburn Rovers and England winger Jason Wilcox,
finishing eight points clear of Everton in the North Division.
The Hammers suffered a 3-0 away defeat by the Citizens in April, but have
since been boosted by the return of players such as Josh Cullen, Jordan
Brown and Kyle Knoyle following the conclusion of Development Squad
fixtures.
With Potts able to name a strong starting XI, Bywater feels it stands them
in good stead to get a result on the weekend.
"The last time we went up there we had a younger team. We know that they're
a good side, but we have a full-strength side and we do fancy our chances
against them.
"Obviously we've been playing together all season and we went through quite
a lot of games together, so I think having our strongest eleven out will
benefit everyone in the squad.
"They like to have a lot of the ball and they like to play. They're a very
attacking side and they want to have possession of the ball and be quick
with it. We know what to expect from sides like that and I think we're
definitely capable of dealing with what they have going forward and we're
more than capable of scoring ourselves."
Kick-off at Platt Lane on Saturday is at 11am, with the winners facing
either Tottenham or Everton in the final.
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Allardyce ignoring sack rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 8th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce may have been tipped for the sack by at least one tabloid
today - but that wasn't stopping him from continuing to plan for the close
season.
Journalist Sami Mokbel claimed in the Mail this morning that Allardyce is
set to be removed from his position after West Ham face Manchester City in
the title-decider at the Etihad Stadium this coming weekend.
However Big Sam, who celebrates three years in the job later this month is
already making plans for next season, having previously decided who he wants
to move on and and in which positions he needs to strengthen this summer.
Several first team squad members - including fringe players such Joe Cole,
Jordan Spence, Jack Collison and Jussi Jaaskelainen - are out of contract
this summer whilst Alladyce has already said goodbye to Italian duo Antonio
Nocerino and Marco Borriello, both on loan at the club since January.
It is perhaps no surprise that the manager has identified a striker to
support Andy Carroll as his main target for pre-season but Allardyce is also
looking to improve his defensive options, with full backs close to the top
of the list of priorities.
With Alou Diarra also considered likely to leave the club this summer - if
West Ham can find anyone to take the former Franch international off their
hands, that is - Big Sam is seeking cover in midfield, with Stade de Reims'
24-year-old Grzegorz Krychowiak mooted as one possible target by Polish
media today.
Some of the other names the Hammers have been linked with during the past 48
hours include Chelsea's Demba Ba, Diafra Sakho of Metz, Portuguese striker
Hugo Almeida (currently with Besiktas) and Gabriel Obertan
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Another friendly announced
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 8th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham will face Championship side Ipswich Town in a pre-season friendly
this July.
The Hammers, who confirmed their first domestic pre-season friendly against
League Two Stevenage FC earlier in the week will tackle Mick McCarthy's side
at Portman Road four days after the trip to Broadhall Way.
The two teams last met in August 2012 when goals from Michael Chopra, Luke
Chambers and Jason Scotland gave Town an unexpected 3-1 win over their
Premier League rivals in what was James Collins' first start in a claret and
blue shirt since re-signing for the club from Aston Villa; Matt Taylor
grabbing West Ham's consolation on the night.
Prior to that, West Ham had been beaten 5-1 at Portman Road on their
previous visit for a Championship fixture seven months earlier - whilst a
goal from former Hammer Lee Bowyer gave the Tractor Boys a 1-0 win at the
Boleyn Ground in the corresponding fixture that season.
You have to go back four years to find West Ham's last win against the Blues
- that coming courtesy of a Carlton Cole goal in July 2010 that gave West
Ham a 1-0 win at Portman Road.
2014 Pre-Season: Confirmed Fixture List (First Team)
12th July: Stevenage FC (a)
16th July: Ipswich Town (a)
23rd July: Wellington Phoenix (a)
26th July: Sydney FC (n)
2nd August: Schalke 04 Cup (n)
3rd August: Schalke 04 Cup (n)
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WELL SAID MR SULLIVAN - ONE GOOD SEQUENCE OF RESULTS DOES NOT A SEASON MAKE!
By S J Chandos 8 May 2014 at 09:12
West Ham till I Die
I have to say that I am glad that David Sullivan has taken the opportunity
to publicly apologise to the fans for what has largely been a underwhelming
and troubled season. The fans pay their hard earned money to be entertained
and, apart from a few results, it really has not happened this season. What
were the overall highlights? Maximum points in February, three victories
over Spurs, a brave draw away to Chelsea and a good Capital One Cup run (up
till the semi-final massacre) just about sums it up. Take those elements out
of the season and a lot of the rest was pretty dire. We have played an
attractive style of football in a handful of matches, most notably the three
wins over Spurs, the 3-0 home defeat of Fulham, the 3-1 victory over
Southampton and the 1-2 home defeat to Liverpool. The worst moments for me
were the cup massacres to Notts Forrest and Man City and far too many abject
defeats to the likes of Hull City, Stoke City, Norwich City, Crystal Palace,
Fulham, Newcastle Utd and WBA.
Yes, we survived fairly comfortably in the end, but that is largely down to
an excellent sequence of results in February. If February had not gone so
well, then things may well have been far closer. Of course, all Hammers fans
are (rightly) overjoyed at defeating Spurs three times in a single season.
As well as that, it was great to see the team pass the ball and play with
style in winning the final home game, but that cannot eradicate the memory
of far too much dull and one-dimensional football during the course of the
season. The truth is that one good sequence of results, a season does not
make!
David Sullivan has, wisely, not allowed the Spurs results to detract
from/obscure the disappointing nature of the season. Some might criticise
him for striking a negative note at the awards ceremony, but I welcome the
honesty and, the expressed, determination to put things right next season.
Regardless of the context, it was something that needed to be said. The
management and individual players can start putting a gloss on the season if
they like, but the majority owner of the club has clearly not bought in to
that process. He did not publicly point fingers, but merely stated there was
a collective failure at the club and that there was also a collective
imperative to correct it. For his part, Mr Sullivan has undertaken to
provide the funds necessary to secure better quality additions this summer.
Personally, I am very encouraged that he has taken that line and hope that
it is indicative that changes are afoot.
The end of season review should be very interesting. Unfortunately, we fans
will not be privvy to the discussions. However, if Mr Allardyce's services
are retained, one hopes that it will be made clear that entertainment value
will be a major performance indicator next season, especially at home. The
team undoubtedly possess the ability to pass the ball and play neat
attacking football. Yet, as stated, we have probably only seen it in a
handful of matches this season. No one is saying that we cannot play a
direct style when it is advantageous to do so or that we should not play it
tight tactically against the top four teams. Of course not, but what is
necessary is a basic commitment to playing a passing game and showing
attacking ambition wherever possible. It also means showing greater tactical
flexibility. A genuine ability to change formations, including playing with
two strikers and fully utilising the resources of a strengthened squad. In
this respect, a lot will depend upon the club's success in bringing in the
quality of player that we need to move forward. If those efforts are
successful, then the management will have few excuses not to be more
flexible and expansive in their tactics.
Ideally, what I would like to see is a more consistent attacking approach at
Upton Park, based upon a solid defence. Hopefully next season we will build
upon the 14 clean sheets (secured in this campaign) and this will underwrite
a more adventurous approach. Away from home that self-same defensive
solidarity could also facilitate a fast counter-attacking game. It is a
style that we have not really deployed since the days of Craig Bellamy and
to do it we must add more pace to the squad. It is a vital pre-requisite of
playing that way. Obviously, outside of the core members of the current
squad, there is likely to be a significant turnover of playing staff this
summer. We currently have technique, power and strength in the squad, now we
need to add more skill, vision and, crucially, pace.
The other major area where change is needed is with respect to the Academy.
In recent seasons, there does not appear to have been sufficient emphasis
upon developing the Academy's youngsters by gradually introducing them to
the first team. One hopes that the end of season review will reaffirm the
importance of developing our own youngsters and giving them first team
opportunities. As a minimum, the trio of Chambers, Potts and Elliott Lee
should be established in the squad and given greater PL match time next
season. Plus, although not an Academy product, there should also be an
expectation of seeing Ravel Morrison flourish in the first team in the
coming campaign. We had the vision to sign him from Man Utd, now we need to
ensure that he matures and reaches his full potential at Upton Park.
On this latter point about the Academy, I know that the youngsters have to
perform to merit their opportunities. That is obvious. But there is always
an element of risk in playing youngsters, and I just get the impression
that, inspite of the potential/ability (which is obviously there) we have
become far too 'risk averse' in this respect. Of course, it is far easier,
and less risky, to introduce them in to a successful team. And hopefully, if
we can push on next season, success will give greater latitude for blooding
youngsters in the planned way that we all want to see.
SJ. Chandos.
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Liverpool title-chasers hoping Kop old boy Andy Carroll will do them a
favour at Man City
May 08, 2014 22:30 By David Maddock
Striker the Reds took a £20m bath on last summer could pay them back with a
West Ham winner in Sunday's season finale - perhaps with a Downing assist
The Mirror
When Andy Carroll fired up his mobile on Thursday morning, he no doubt found
his in-box full to bursting.
The list of names would have been all too familiar... all from the same
Merseyside neck of the woods.
And the message from every single text would have followed a similar theme:
wishing him all the luck in the world in his quest to score the winner
against Manchester City.
There is, perhaps, a certain irony in the fact that an Anfield cast-off now
stands as the final hope for Liverpool in their journey towards a remarkable
title triumph.
But all his ex-teammates know how tricky an opponent he can be... and know
that in the mood he is capable of taking a suspect City defence apart, hence
the texts from his former colleagues.
Midfielder Lucas is one of those, and he admitted there would be plenty of
texts sent West Ham way - to Stewart Downing too, as well as Carroll - even
if Liverpool know they shouldn't in a position where they require outside
help.
When asked if they would be bombarded with texts, he replied: "Yeah. Of
course. They have been here with us, working with us and I'm sure they will
do their best to get points for West Ham first and if they can help us.
"But it's not in our hands anymore. Against Palace for eight or nine minutes
we just switched off and paid the price. We have to learn from that. We just
have to improve and see if we can get any luck now till the end of the
season, even if we know it is hard now."
The devastation Liverpool felt after their nightmare final 11 minutes at
Palace was evident for anyone to see, as their players endured the club's
inaugural awards dinner the following evening.
The faces on the red carpet were a picture of dismay, displaying the
frustration, the creeping anxiety of what might have been.
For Lucas, the pain is still there, but he knows the team can not wallow in
regret, but instead pick themselves up, to be ready to capitalise, should
West Ham deliver them an unlikely gift on Sunday.
"The day after (Palace), we still had not recovered. It was very quiet,
probably the quietest I have ever seen since I came here," the Brazilian
midfielder admitted.
"But it is not the end yet, we still have to believe that maybe something
good is coming on. We know it is not in our hands anymore but overall I
think it has been a fantastic season for us.
"It was very disappointing, but you have to be focused on the next game.
That is the way it is whether you win or lose. You have to change very
quickly and that's what we will do."
They will do so, too, in the knowledge that in the Premier League, no game
is certain, and no opponent will ever lie down, even if their season is
over.
Palace proved exactly that, with their incredible finale against the Reds
that came from nowhere in a game that should have been over.
And with West Ham's defensive resolve and set-piece expertise, Lucas knows
there is still that anything can happen on Sunday.
"You know, the Palace game is something that is hard to explain why it
happened. But it just shows how difficult the Premier League is," he added.
"It doesn't matter where you play or against which team you play, you have
to make sure the 90 minutes is full of concentration. You don't know what is
going to happen until the end."
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Friday, May 9
Thursday, May 8
Daily WHUFC News - 8th May 2014
The Big Interview - Mark Noble
WHUFC.com
Hammer of the Year Mark Noble reflects on a season he believes West Ham
United can be proud of
07.05.2014
Hammer of the Year Mark Noble says West Ham United can be proud of rising to
the challenge during a difficult 2013/14 season. The ever-present No16
collected his second Hammer of the Year award - as well as his first
Players' Player of the Year - at the Grosvenor House in London's Park Lane
on Tuesday evening. The popular midfielder was clearly moved to receive the
acclaim of team-mates and supporters alike, telling West Ham TV of his
happiness and stating his intention to lead the team to bigger and better
things next season.
Mark, it's been a tough season but you have ended it by being voted Hammer
of the Year - a proud moment for you and all the lads...
"Yes, it's been a tough season, but the problems we have had with the
injuries we've had and the bad luck we've had in games mean we've not quite
got what we deserved. I said how important it was to get the squad back
together and now we're 12th in the Premier League."
You have started all 37 Barclays Premier League matches, scored three goals
and assisted four more, so you have plenty to be proud of on an individual
level?
"I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's going to be nice now to go up to
Manchester City for the last game, give a good account of ourselves and then
go on holiday and have some fun and relax and spend some time with my
family. It's been a tough season and one that ultimately we've done well to
get out of the position we were in at Christmas, and that's credit to the
lads."
You have been so consistent this season. What do you put that down to?
"I put my own season down to hard work and belief and wanting to improve all
the time. I just love coming into work and I think it shows out on the
pitch."
Your family were at the game against Tottenham on Saturday and their support
clearly means a lot to you?
"It was amazing against Spurs on Saturday because my wife turned up late and
Lenny was supposed to come out on the pitch [before kick-off]. I took
Ginge's little boy out because he wasn't starting the game and, as we did
the handshakes, I saw Lenny run out of the tunnel and clap the crowd! He is
only three, so it was a proud moment and it was nice to see. "Lenny and my
little girl both walked round the pitch with me after the game which was
great and to top it off with a 2-0 victory over Spurs was a nice way to end
the season at home."
You must feel like you have 35,000 family members inside the Boleyn Ground
at every home game! Plus, to win Players' Player of the Year too was
special, wasn't it?
"Yeah, it was special to hear the lads talking about me like that [the way
they did in a video message played at the Player Awards]. I obviously don't
expect anything like that or any of these awards. I go into work every day
and enjoy training and love playing football. "When you have got a group of
boys like we have got, it makes life a lot easier."
You spoke very highly of the manager Sam Allardyce in your acceptance
speech. You have worked with him for three seasons now and they have been
very productive seasons, so why has he got the best out of you?
"In my own view, I support the Gaffer because I have played every single
game under Sam since he has come and I've won two Hammer of the Year awards
a lot of other accolades like Swedish and Scandinavian Hammer of the Year
and Legends Lounge Player of the Year because I'm enjoying my football.
"I've always said to anyone who has asked me about the Gaffer that he has
never asked me to boot it. I always try to get on the ball and make us play
as much as possible and that's what has been happening."
Talking of players who like to get on the ball, Sir Trevor Brooking was
honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award - a deserved accolade?
"Yes, it was nice to have Sir Trevor at the Player Awards, as it was to have
Billy Bonds there last year. The fans love the players they looked up to
years ago winning awards and it keeps the West Ham family together and
that's what you need at Clubs to keep the history going."
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Sullivan scotches Allegri rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has dismissed reports linking West
Ham with a move for former AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri. Sullivan,
who was present at the club's Player Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel
last night told fans that reports linking the club with the 46-year-old
Italian were "rubbish" and without foundation. Last week Italian website TMW
claimed - via RAI Sport's Alfredo Pedulla - that that West Ham were seeking
to steal a march on neighbours Tottenham by offering Allegri a two-year deal
to replace Sam Allardyce. However as suggested by KUMB on Monday, it seems
that West Ham's name may have only been used in an attempt to push through
the deal with Spurs, who are looking to replace current incumbent Tim
Sherwood this summer.
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Sullivan: I'm sorry
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
David Sullivan has apologised to supporters for West Ham's performance in in
the 2013/14 season. The club's co-owner took the unprecedented step of
saying sorry to fans at last night's Awards ceremony despite Sam Allardyce's
team reaching the Carling Cup semi finals, beating Tottenham three times and
going into the final game of the campaign 12th in the Premier League. "I
want to apologise to the supporters for this season," said Sullivan. "It's
not been good enough. We all take responsibility and we will work hard to
improve things in the future. We will sit down next week and look at what we
need to take things forward."
However Sullivan's apology didn't appear to go down well with everyone
present. Sam Allardyce, speaking after Sullivan argued that "I wouldn't be
as negative," whilst Hammer of the Year Mark Noble insisted that the manager
continues to have his full backing. "I support the gaffer because I have
played every game under Sam since he came here and I've won two of these
awards," he said during his acceptance speech. "It's been a tough season but
with the injuries we've had, we've not quite got what we've deserved."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham award for Sir Trevor Brooking
Last Updated: 07/05/14 12:16pm
SSN
Sir Trevor Brooking has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from
former club West Ham United. Brooking spent his entire playing career with
the east London club, scoring 102 goals in almost 650 appearances. The
former England midfielder helped the club win two FA Cups, was named 'Hammer
Of The Year' five times and briefly took charge when Glenn Roeder collapsed
due to a brain tumour in 2003. "I'm delighted," said Brooking following the
club's player awards ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on Tuesday night.
"It's great when you've got a lot of fans here, who really appreciate what
you did in the past. "They know that I'm still very fond of the club and
after 19 years of playing for them I've got some great memories. Nothing can
take that away."
Mark Noble landed the Hammer of the Year award for a second time and was
also named Players' Player of the Year. England Under-21 striker Ravel
Morrison collected the Goal of the Season award for his strike against
Tottenham last October.
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ROLL ON THE OLYMPIC STADIUM!
By Iain Dale 7 May 2014 at 11:24
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by Jack
The atmosphere at Saturday's treble winning match over Spurs was a reminder
of days gone by. Days that we don't get to enjoy as often as we used to.
Finally the team gave us something to cheer about, with a performance based
on desire, commitment and some decent passing & movement. We responded and
as "It's happening again" echoed around Upton Park and Spurs fans sloped off
early, it took me back to the great days in the 1970's when I first watched
the Hammers from the front of North Bank.
Those wonderful times when Bonds, Paddon, Jennings, Robson and Lampard (the
proper one) could do no wrong (even though they usually did!) and it seemed
Brooking gave the ball away as often as a visit by Halley's Comet. The
Eintracht Frankfurt game (which Sir Trev looked back on fondly during
Saturday's half-time) was the zenith of that period for me. We didn't have
to wait too long to witness the pleasure of Dev skinning full backs as the
Chicken Run roared him on, and 17 year old TC scoring that header against
Spurs on his debut, followed by the Class of '86 giving us that season to
remember (including the 8-1 drubbing of Newcastle when Alvin scored a hat
trick). The Ince inspired 4-1 League Cup hammering over that last great
Liverpool team in '89, was another night under the floodlights to savour.
Roll of a few years and we had Paolo scoring that goal of the season v the
Dons, and the amazing comeback against Bradford.
These are all fantastic memories (can't remember many since!), and they will
stay us till our dying days, helped by the wonder of YouTube. But however
much I long for them, and that style we used to play in, I won't be sad at
vacating the Boleyn Ground.
Not because of the ground itself, though it is well past its sell by date,
the East Stand is an embarrassment, and since it became an all-seater, it
has lost a lot of its intimidation factor. But because getting in and out of
there is a pain in the backside.
Upton Park (the area) has changed. It's no longer an area where the football
club is at the heart of the community. It is not even really a football
area, but a place where football has become an inconvenience. On match-days
us fans are about as welcome to the locals out doing their shopping as a
dose, even though we help prop up the local economy.
Sure, we still have a little support there, but we all know the bulk of our
support comes from the Essex heartlands and beyond, and most people,
especially a family with small children, just want to get in and out of the
area as quickly as possible. In a world where we have less time than ever
before, a pre or post match pint in The Queens or Boleyn, or the chance of a
pie with liquor at Nathan's, is a luxury for many.
The vast majority of us who have to get the tube to the game will know the
frustration at having to wait ten minutes on a rammed compartment at
Plaistow whilst they clear the small platform at Upton Park of people from
the previous train, and once you get there, it can take another ten minutes
to get out of the station, unless you are prepared to put up with an even
bigger squeeze in the first compartment. Try it with small kids. It takes
even longer to get out when someone with a pram is coming down the stairs
towards you. There's only one way in – and one way out.
Upton Park underground station has never been easy to navigate on a
match-day as it is not set up for footballs crowds, or any crowds for that
matter. But even when we were getting 40,000 attendances back in the '70's,
a time when fans clashed regularly, I don't ever recall the organisation
being as bad as it is now. The security outside treat us fans like sh*t,
herding young and old alike into potentially dangerous situations as they
did again on Saturday, and forcing people to have to walk down to the "next
barrier" whilst they get bumped about and separated, even when the nearest
gap is clearly still available and a safer option. I've seen plenty of
people get hurt over recent years. It's like something from the dark ages
and something you will never have to endure after a game in a newly built
stadium like The Emirates or even at Shite Hart Lane, which is served by
much better transport facilities. In fact, it's fair to say that we have
arguably the worst public transport links of all the London clubs.
I remember good old Harry Redknapp (when he wasn't getting his dog to sort
out 40 year old Titi Camara's contract) regularly saying he couldn't
understand why all the fans never stayed to the end of the game. Well it's
simple mate: You try getting home from Upton Park straight after a game!
Unless you are prepared to leave a few minutes before and sprint down Green
Street, you will end up being shoved 200 yards away from the tube and made
to queue for up to half an hour in Queen's Terrace with the smell of rotten
veg wafting from the market bins.
When thousands have to catch a connecting overland train at Liverpool
Street, King's Cross or Waterloo (as I did in the 70's and 80's) literally
every second makes a difference to your journey. Is it any wonder that with
so many televised games some people just can't be bothered to go through all
that?
Thankfully, the vast space outside the Olympic Stadium, and the facilities
at the modern Stratford station will see and end to all this and I for one
will bid a joyful farewell to Upton Park Tube, and I have to admit, the
chaotic Green Street, which is too small to accommodate match-day traffic,
local buses or serve the needs of the emergency services.
Let the locals do their shopping in peace, while we enjoy our football in an
environment fit for purpose. I know some die-hards will disagree but we need
to become a modern club, and that means playing in modern area. The Boleyn
Ground will always be in our hearts and memories – but let's not be sad when
we move on to better things. Let's look forward to better times on and off
the pitch.
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A NIGHT AT THE WEST HAM PLAYERS AWARDS
By Sean Whetstone 7 May 2014 at 16:32
West Ham Till I Die
Last night I attended the West ham Players awards at the Grosvenor House
Hotel, Park Lane, London. Initially I hadn't planned to attend the event
which costs up to £300 per head but I managed to buy a discounted ticket
from social media via someone who couldn't make it so I ended up sitting on
a table of West Ham stewards from the East stand.
The event was hosted by West Ham fan Ben Shepherd who tried his best to
mention the hat trick over Spurs as many times as possible to get a cheer.
Joint Chairman David Sullivan took to stage at the beginning of the evening
to apologise to 800 hammers fans for this season but promised we would do
better next season and we would invest in the right players over the summer
to make West ham stronger. Sullivan did add that one person was not to blame
for the disappointing season but collectively everyone had failed this
season.
Manager Sam Allardyce was next up on stage and while he admitted we have not
done as well as last season he emphasized survival had been achieved and
mentioned that we beat Spurs three times in a row with a smile on his face.
He played down the disappointing season suggested by Mr Sullivan saying he
wouldn't be as negative. When asked by Ben whether the Spurs result saved
him he replied his job he replied 'No, David Sullivan and Gold saved my
job'. His closing remarks were 'See you all next season' showing he fully
expects to remain in charge over the summer.
During the awards Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll and Hammer of the year Mark
Noble backed up the manager to make everyone in no doubt that Sam has not
lost the dressing room and they publicly backed him. During Mark Noble
acceptance speech for Hammer of the year Mark said 'I know Mr Sullivan came
up her and spoke quite negatively about us all but I am sure he is going to
put his hand in his pocket over the summer'
In a lighter moment Andy Carroll out bid his pal Kevin Nolan in an auction
in aid of the Academy to play FIFA computer game on the big screen at the
Boleyn Ground. The auction host Jonny Gould quipped that could mean Andy
Carroll will finally score at Upton Park this year.
The life achievement award went to West Ham Legend Sir Trevor Brooking who
as always was very humble. In his acceptance speech which can viewed below
he spoke more about others than himself and the crowd burst into a
spontaneous chant of 'There's only one Trevor Brooking' as he lifted his
award.
A big mention must go to double award winner (Hammer of the year and Players
player of the year) Mark Noble who spent over an hour after the awards
finished making sure every fan who wanted an autograph and/or photo got one!
Several fans also called up mates on their mobiles only to hand it over to
Mark who insisted this he was the real Mark Noble to disbelieving mates. A
prime example why he won these awards. He remains the fans favourite and the
main reason why they call him 'Mr West Ham'.
A special mention must also go to Roger the relegator Johnson who was also
another hit with the fans on the night posing for hundreds of photos. He
showed he is a good sport and got a great sense of humour.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing could hand the title to Liverpool if West
Ham can win against Manchester City
By GRAEME YORKE
PUBLISHED: 23:13, 7 May 2014 | UPDATED: 23:14, 7 May 2014
Daily mail
Brendan Rodgers has already conceded the title and Manchester City hammered
another nail in Liverpool's coffin on Wednesday night. But it's not over
yet. Not if a couple of Liverpool rejects have anything to say about it.
Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing - who cost the Anfield club a combined
£55million before being sold to West Ham at a huge loss - will be aiming to
have the final say in the title race on Sunday as the Hammers head to the
Etihad Stadium for the final game of the season. True, judging by City's 4-0
demolition of Aston Villa it is highly unlikely that West Ham will be able
to win at the Etihad (they're 18/1 to do so with Coral), but who could have
predicted Manchester United would finish seventh this season? Or Crystal
Palace 11th? The England internationals, deemed not good enough by Rodgers
for his Reds revolution, will be looking to expose City's defensive
frailties on Sunday. Carroll's battering-ram style forward play is likely to
unsettle City's weak link Martin Demichelis - especially if Downing can
provide the sort of quality from out wide that he is capable of. QPR came
tantalisingly close to raining on City's title parade two years ago. Could
West Ham go one better and - with the help of two ex-Liverpool men - ensure
the Premier League trophy heads to Anfield after all? Stranger things have
happened.
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AC pays £10K to play FIFA on Boleyn big screen
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret&hugh.info
Hammers striker Andy Carroll has outbid his mate Kevin Nolan for the right
to play the FIFA 14 computer game on the big screen at Upton park. Bidding
in the auction at the West Ham players awards in Park Lane, London last
night reached £5,000 with Nolan leading the pack before Carroll doubled it
to £10,000 to win the auction. Auctioneer Jonny Gould poked fun at Carroll
claiming it was the only way he would get to score at Upton Park this
season. Proceeds of the auction go towards to the West Ham Academy
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonds: "DS 'I'm sorry' comment very strange"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 7, 2014 in Whispers
Billy Bonzo
EXCLUSIVE
By Hugh Southon
Claretandhugh.info
West Ham legend Billy Bonds has admitted that co-chairman David Sullivan's
apology to the fans for a disappointing season "is very strange." And he
found it even "odder" that he should have chosen the club's upbeat annual
awards dinner to admit that at times "it made me cry." Sullivan had guests
choking on their starters when making his since well publicised comments at
the Grosvenor House on Tuesday evening. And in an exclusive interview with
ClaretandHugh 'Bonzo' said: "It's a funny thing to say at any time never
mind at an evening like that. "You would have to say that if you were the
manager you'd have to be a bit worried. You would hardly expect something
like that to be said publicly. "Yes, I think it's strange and quite worrying
from the manager's point of view. It's not the most positive thing to hear
is it?" Bonds added that he was delighted the Hammers had retained their
Premier League status and said: "Sam Allardyce has done what he was brought
in to do – get promotion and keep them up. "But to be honest the football is
often dull to watch and the fans have the right to react as they please.
"They are paying huge amounts of money for the privilege of watching and
they made their feelings known in my day so they have as much right to do
so now don't they."
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http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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WHUFC.com
Hammer of the Year Mark Noble reflects on a season he believes West Ham
United can be proud of
07.05.2014
Hammer of the Year Mark Noble says West Ham United can be proud of rising to
the challenge during a difficult 2013/14 season. The ever-present No16
collected his second Hammer of the Year award - as well as his first
Players' Player of the Year - at the Grosvenor House in London's Park Lane
on Tuesday evening. The popular midfielder was clearly moved to receive the
acclaim of team-mates and supporters alike, telling West Ham TV of his
happiness and stating his intention to lead the team to bigger and better
things next season.
Mark, it's been a tough season but you have ended it by being voted Hammer
of the Year - a proud moment for you and all the lads...
"Yes, it's been a tough season, but the problems we have had with the
injuries we've had and the bad luck we've had in games mean we've not quite
got what we deserved. I said how important it was to get the squad back
together and now we're 12th in the Premier League."
You have started all 37 Barclays Premier League matches, scored three goals
and assisted four more, so you have plenty to be proud of on an individual
level?
"I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's going to be nice now to go up to
Manchester City for the last game, give a good account of ourselves and then
go on holiday and have some fun and relax and spend some time with my
family. It's been a tough season and one that ultimately we've done well to
get out of the position we were in at Christmas, and that's credit to the
lads."
You have been so consistent this season. What do you put that down to?
"I put my own season down to hard work and belief and wanting to improve all
the time. I just love coming into work and I think it shows out on the
pitch."
Your family were at the game against Tottenham on Saturday and their support
clearly means a lot to you?
"It was amazing against Spurs on Saturday because my wife turned up late and
Lenny was supposed to come out on the pitch [before kick-off]. I took
Ginge's little boy out because he wasn't starting the game and, as we did
the handshakes, I saw Lenny run out of the tunnel and clap the crowd! He is
only three, so it was a proud moment and it was nice to see. "Lenny and my
little girl both walked round the pitch with me after the game which was
great and to top it off with a 2-0 victory over Spurs was a nice way to end
the season at home."
You must feel like you have 35,000 family members inside the Boleyn Ground
at every home game! Plus, to win Players' Player of the Year too was
special, wasn't it?
"Yeah, it was special to hear the lads talking about me like that [the way
they did in a video message played at the Player Awards]. I obviously don't
expect anything like that or any of these awards. I go into work every day
and enjoy training and love playing football. "When you have got a group of
boys like we have got, it makes life a lot easier."
You spoke very highly of the manager Sam Allardyce in your acceptance
speech. You have worked with him for three seasons now and they have been
very productive seasons, so why has he got the best out of you?
"In my own view, I support the Gaffer because I have played every single
game under Sam since he has come and I've won two Hammer of the Year awards
a lot of other accolades like Swedish and Scandinavian Hammer of the Year
and Legends Lounge Player of the Year because I'm enjoying my football.
"I've always said to anyone who has asked me about the Gaffer that he has
never asked me to boot it. I always try to get on the ball and make us play
as much as possible and that's what has been happening."
Talking of players who like to get on the ball, Sir Trevor Brooking was
honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award - a deserved accolade?
"Yes, it was nice to have Sir Trevor at the Player Awards, as it was to have
Billy Bonds there last year. The fans love the players they looked up to
years ago winning awards and it keeps the West Ham family together and
that's what you need at Clubs to keep the history going."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sullivan scotches Allegri rumours
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has dismissed reports linking West
Ham with a move for former AC Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri. Sullivan,
who was present at the club's Player Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel
last night told fans that reports linking the club with the 46-year-old
Italian were "rubbish" and without foundation. Last week Italian website TMW
claimed - via RAI Sport's Alfredo Pedulla - that that West Ham were seeking
to steal a march on neighbours Tottenham by offering Allegri a two-year deal
to replace Sam Allardyce. However as suggested by KUMB on Monday, it seems
that West Ham's name may have only been used in an attempt to push through
the deal with Spurs, who are looking to replace current incumbent Tim
Sherwood this summer.
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Sullivan: I'm sorry
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 7th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
David Sullivan has apologised to supporters for West Ham's performance in in
the 2013/14 season. The club's co-owner took the unprecedented step of
saying sorry to fans at last night's Awards ceremony despite Sam Allardyce's
team reaching the Carling Cup semi finals, beating Tottenham three times and
going into the final game of the campaign 12th in the Premier League. "I
want to apologise to the supporters for this season," said Sullivan. "It's
not been good enough. We all take responsibility and we will work hard to
improve things in the future. We will sit down next week and look at what we
need to take things forward."
However Sullivan's apology didn't appear to go down well with everyone
present. Sam Allardyce, speaking after Sullivan argued that "I wouldn't be
as negative," whilst Hammer of the Year Mark Noble insisted that the manager
continues to have his full backing. "I support the gaffer because I have
played every game under Sam since he came here and I've won two of these
awards," he said during his acceptance speech. "It's been a tough season but
with the injuries we've had, we've not quite got what we've deserved."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham award for Sir Trevor Brooking
Last Updated: 07/05/14 12:16pm
SSN
Sir Trevor Brooking has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from
former club West Ham United. Brooking spent his entire playing career with
the east London club, scoring 102 goals in almost 650 appearances. The
former England midfielder helped the club win two FA Cups, was named 'Hammer
Of The Year' five times and briefly took charge when Glenn Roeder collapsed
due to a brain tumour in 2003. "I'm delighted," said Brooking following the
club's player awards ceremony at Grosvenor House in London on Tuesday night.
"It's great when you've got a lot of fans here, who really appreciate what
you did in the past. "They know that I'm still very fond of the club and
after 19 years of playing for them I've got some great memories. Nothing can
take that away."
Mark Noble landed the Hammer of the Year award for a second time and was
also named Players' Player of the Year. England Under-21 striker Ravel
Morrison collected the Goal of the Season award for his strike against
Tottenham last October.
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ROLL ON THE OLYMPIC STADIUM!
By Iain Dale 7 May 2014 at 11:24
West Ham Till I Die
Guest Post by Jack
The atmosphere at Saturday's treble winning match over Spurs was a reminder
of days gone by. Days that we don't get to enjoy as often as we used to.
Finally the team gave us something to cheer about, with a performance based
on desire, commitment and some decent passing & movement. We responded and
as "It's happening again" echoed around Upton Park and Spurs fans sloped off
early, it took me back to the great days in the 1970's when I first watched
the Hammers from the front of North Bank.
Those wonderful times when Bonds, Paddon, Jennings, Robson and Lampard (the
proper one) could do no wrong (even though they usually did!) and it seemed
Brooking gave the ball away as often as a visit by Halley's Comet. The
Eintracht Frankfurt game (which Sir Trev looked back on fondly during
Saturday's half-time) was the zenith of that period for me. We didn't have
to wait too long to witness the pleasure of Dev skinning full backs as the
Chicken Run roared him on, and 17 year old TC scoring that header against
Spurs on his debut, followed by the Class of '86 giving us that season to
remember (including the 8-1 drubbing of Newcastle when Alvin scored a hat
trick). The Ince inspired 4-1 League Cup hammering over that last great
Liverpool team in '89, was another night under the floodlights to savour.
Roll of a few years and we had Paolo scoring that goal of the season v the
Dons, and the amazing comeback against Bradford.
These are all fantastic memories (can't remember many since!), and they will
stay us till our dying days, helped by the wonder of YouTube. But however
much I long for them, and that style we used to play in, I won't be sad at
vacating the Boleyn Ground.
Not because of the ground itself, though it is well past its sell by date,
the East Stand is an embarrassment, and since it became an all-seater, it
has lost a lot of its intimidation factor. But because getting in and out of
there is a pain in the backside.
Upton Park (the area) has changed. It's no longer an area where the football
club is at the heart of the community. It is not even really a football
area, but a place where football has become an inconvenience. On match-days
us fans are about as welcome to the locals out doing their shopping as a
dose, even though we help prop up the local economy.
Sure, we still have a little support there, but we all know the bulk of our
support comes from the Essex heartlands and beyond, and most people,
especially a family with small children, just want to get in and out of the
area as quickly as possible. In a world where we have less time than ever
before, a pre or post match pint in The Queens or Boleyn, or the chance of a
pie with liquor at Nathan's, is a luxury for many.
The vast majority of us who have to get the tube to the game will know the
frustration at having to wait ten minutes on a rammed compartment at
Plaistow whilst they clear the small platform at Upton Park of people from
the previous train, and once you get there, it can take another ten minutes
to get out of the station, unless you are prepared to put up with an even
bigger squeeze in the first compartment. Try it with small kids. It takes
even longer to get out when someone with a pram is coming down the stairs
towards you. There's only one way in – and one way out.
Upton Park underground station has never been easy to navigate on a
match-day as it is not set up for footballs crowds, or any crowds for that
matter. But even when we were getting 40,000 attendances back in the '70's,
a time when fans clashed regularly, I don't ever recall the organisation
being as bad as it is now. The security outside treat us fans like sh*t,
herding young and old alike into potentially dangerous situations as they
did again on Saturday, and forcing people to have to walk down to the "next
barrier" whilst they get bumped about and separated, even when the nearest
gap is clearly still available and a safer option. I've seen plenty of
people get hurt over recent years. It's like something from the dark ages
and something you will never have to endure after a game in a newly built
stadium like The Emirates or even at Shite Hart Lane, which is served by
much better transport facilities. In fact, it's fair to say that we have
arguably the worst public transport links of all the London clubs.
I remember good old Harry Redknapp (when he wasn't getting his dog to sort
out 40 year old Titi Camara's contract) regularly saying he couldn't
understand why all the fans never stayed to the end of the game. Well it's
simple mate: You try getting home from Upton Park straight after a game!
Unless you are prepared to leave a few minutes before and sprint down Green
Street, you will end up being shoved 200 yards away from the tube and made
to queue for up to half an hour in Queen's Terrace with the smell of rotten
veg wafting from the market bins.
When thousands have to catch a connecting overland train at Liverpool
Street, King's Cross or Waterloo (as I did in the 70's and 80's) literally
every second makes a difference to your journey. Is it any wonder that with
so many televised games some people just can't be bothered to go through all
that?
Thankfully, the vast space outside the Olympic Stadium, and the facilities
at the modern Stratford station will see and end to all this and I for one
will bid a joyful farewell to Upton Park Tube, and I have to admit, the
chaotic Green Street, which is too small to accommodate match-day traffic,
local buses or serve the needs of the emergency services.
Let the locals do their shopping in peace, while we enjoy our football in an
environment fit for purpose. I know some die-hards will disagree but we need
to become a modern club, and that means playing in modern area. The Boleyn
Ground will always be in our hearts and memories – but let's not be sad when
we move on to better things. Let's look forward to better times on and off
the pitch.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A NIGHT AT THE WEST HAM PLAYERS AWARDS
By Sean Whetstone 7 May 2014 at 16:32
West Ham Till I Die
Last night I attended the West ham Players awards at the Grosvenor House
Hotel, Park Lane, London. Initially I hadn't planned to attend the event
which costs up to £300 per head but I managed to buy a discounted ticket
from social media via someone who couldn't make it so I ended up sitting on
a table of West Ham stewards from the East stand.
The event was hosted by West Ham fan Ben Shepherd who tried his best to
mention the hat trick over Spurs as many times as possible to get a cheer.
Joint Chairman David Sullivan took to stage at the beginning of the evening
to apologise to 800 hammers fans for this season but promised we would do
better next season and we would invest in the right players over the summer
to make West ham stronger. Sullivan did add that one person was not to blame
for the disappointing season but collectively everyone had failed this
season.
Manager Sam Allardyce was next up on stage and while he admitted we have not
done as well as last season he emphasized survival had been achieved and
mentioned that we beat Spurs three times in a row with a smile on his face.
He played down the disappointing season suggested by Mr Sullivan saying he
wouldn't be as negative. When asked by Ben whether the Spurs result saved
him he replied his job he replied 'No, David Sullivan and Gold saved my
job'. His closing remarks were 'See you all next season' showing he fully
expects to remain in charge over the summer.
During the awards Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll and Hammer of the year Mark
Noble backed up the manager to make everyone in no doubt that Sam has not
lost the dressing room and they publicly backed him. During Mark Noble
acceptance speech for Hammer of the year Mark said 'I know Mr Sullivan came
up her and spoke quite negatively about us all but I am sure he is going to
put his hand in his pocket over the summer'
In a lighter moment Andy Carroll out bid his pal Kevin Nolan in an auction
in aid of the Academy to play FIFA computer game on the big screen at the
Boleyn Ground. The auction host Jonny Gould quipped that could mean Andy
Carroll will finally score at Upton Park this year.
The life achievement award went to West Ham Legend Sir Trevor Brooking who
as always was very humble. In his acceptance speech which can viewed below
he spoke more about others than himself and the crowd burst into a
spontaneous chant of 'There's only one Trevor Brooking' as he lifted his
award.
A big mention must go to double award winner (Hammer of the year and Players
player of the year) Mark Noble who spent over an hour after the awards
finished making sure every fan who wanted an autograph and/or photo got one!
Several fans also called up mates on their mobiles only to hand it over to
Mark who insisted this he was the real Mark Noble to disbelieving mates. A
prime example why he won these awards. He remains the fans favourite and the
main reason why they call him 'Mr West Ham'.
A special mention must also go to Roger the relegator Johnson who was also
another hit with the fans on the night posing for hundreds of photos. He
showed he is a good sport and got a great sense of humour.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing could hand the title to Liverpool if West
Ham can win against Manchester City
By GRAEME YORKE
PUBLISHED: 23:13, 7 May 2014 | UPDATED: 23:14, 7 May 2014
Daily mail
Brendan Rodgers has already conceded the title and Manchester City hammered
another nail in Liverpool's coffin on Wednesday night. But it's not over
yet. Not if a couple of Liverpool rejects have anything to say about it.
Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing - who cost the Anfield club a combined
£55million before being sold to West Ham at a huge loss - will be aiming to
have the final say in the title race on Sunday as the Hammers head to the
Etihad Stadium for the final game of the season. True, judging by City's 4-0
demolition of Aston Villa it is highly unlikely that West Ham will be able
to win at the Etihad (they're 18/1 to do so with Coral), but who could have
predicted Manchester United would finish seventh this season? Or Crystal
Palace 11th? The England internationals, deemed not good enough by Rodgers
for his Reds revolution, will be looking to expose City's defensive
frailties on Sunday. Carroll's battering-ram style forward play is likely to
unsettle City's weak link Martin Demichelis - especially if Downing can
provide the sort of quality from out wide that he is capable of. QPR came
tantalisingly close to raining on City's title parade two years ago. Could
West Ham go one better and - with the help of two ex-Liverpool men - ensure
the Premier League trophy heads to Anfield after all? Stranger things have
happened.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AC pays £10K to play FIFA on Boleyn big screen
Posted by Sean Whetstone on May 7, 2014 in Whispers
Claret&hugh.info
Hammers striker Andy Carroll has outbid his mate Kevin Nolan for the right
to play the FIFA 14 computer game on the big screen at Upton park. Bidding
in the auction at the West Ham players awards in Park Lane, London last
night reached £5,000 with Nolan leading the pack before Carroll doubled it
to £10,000 to win the auction. Auctioneer Jonny Gould poked fun at Carroll
claiming it was the only way he would get to score at Upton Park this
season. Proceeds of the auction go towards to the West Ham Academy
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonds: "DS 'I'm sorry' comment very strange"
Posted by Hugh5outhon1895 on May 7, 2014 in Whispers
Billy Bonzo
EXCLUSIVE
By Hugh Southon
Claretandhugh.info
West Ham legend Billy Bonds has admitted that co-chairman David Sullivan's
apology to the fans for a disappointing season "is very strange." And he
found it even "odder" that he should have chosen the club's upbeat annual
awards dinner to admit that at times "it made me cry." Sullivan had guests
choking on their starters when making his since well publicised comments at
the Grosvenor House on Tuesday evening. And in an exclusive interview with
ClaretandHugh 'Bonzo' said: "It's a funny thing to say at any time never
mind at an evening like that. "You would have to say that if you were the
manager you'd have to be a bit worried. You would hardly expect something
like that to be said publicly. "Yes, I think it's strange and quite worrying
from the manager's point of view. It's not the most positive thing to hear
is it?" Bonds added that he was delighted the Hammers had retained their
Premier League status and said: "Sam Allardyce has done what he was brought
in to do – get promotion and keep them up. "But to be honest the football is
often dull to watch and the fans have the right to react as they please.
"They are paying huge amounts of money for the privilege of watching and
they made their feelings known in my day so they have as much right to do
so now don't they."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Wednesday, May 7
Daily WHUFC News - 7th May 2014
Noble is Hammer of the Year
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble takes the Hammer of the Year prize for the second time
06.05.2014
WEST HAM UNITED 2013/14 PLAYER AWARDS
IN AID OF THE ACADEMY
TUESDAY 6 MAY 2014
GROSVENOR HOUSE, A JW MARRIOTT HOTEL
West Ham United 2013/14 Player Awards
11.35pm - The Club's second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Sir
Trevor Brooking, reacts to his accolade:
Sir Trevor: "I'm delighted. It's great when you've got a lot of fans here,
who really appreciate what you did in the past. They know that I'm still
very fond of the Club and after 19 years of playing for them I've got some
great memories. Nothing can take that away. "I spoke to Bonzo, Billy Bonds,
who got last year's award. Billy and I are good mates, we played together a
lot. He said it was a great evening and it makes you realise how lucky you
are to have had that career with a Club for so long."
11.20pm - We're back! This time with some quotes from Hammer of the Year
Mark Noble! Noble: "It's been a tough season, but with the injuries we've
had, we've not quite got what we deserved, but now we're 12th in the league.
I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's going to be nice to go up to Manchester
City, give a good account of ourselves and then go on holiday. We've done
well to get out of the position we were in at Christmas, and that's credit
to the lads. "I put my own season down to hard work and wanting to improve
all the time. I just love coming into work and I think it shows. "I support
the Gaffer because I have played every single game under Sam since he has
come and I've won two Hammer of the Year awards. The Gaffer has never asked
me to boot it. I try to get on the ball and make us play as much as possible
and that's what has happened."
11.05pm - Host Ben Shephard brings the event to a close. Thanks for joining
us and congratulations to all our winners!
Here's a recap of who won what...
Hammer of the Year sponsored by Alpari FX Mark Noble
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by ACL Sir Trevor Brooking
Signing of the Season sponsored by S14 VIP Ltd Adrian
Players' Player of the Year sponsored by Asmatt Mark Noble
Best Team Performance sponsored by Call Print 3-0 v Tottenham Hotspur (a),
Barclays Premier League
Best Individual Performance sponsored by Ark Build Adrian v Chelsea (a),
Barclays Premier League
Top Goalscorer sponsored by Mulalley Kevin Nolan
Save of the Season sponsored by Higgins Adrian from Oscar v Chelsea (a),
Barclays Premier League
Young Hammer of the Year Sam Howes
Dylan Tombides Award Josh Cullen
Goal of the Season sponsored by Lookers Range Rover Essex Ravel Morrison
10.54pm - Now it's time for the big one - Hammer of the Year sponsored by
Alpari...
Mark Noble is your Hammer of the Year, sponsored by Alpari FX, for the
second time!
Noble follows in the footsteps of tonight's Lifetime Achievement Award
recipient Sir Trevor Brooking, Sir Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore OBE, Billy Bonds
MBE, Alvin Martin, Scott Parker, Julian Dicks and Steve Potts in becoming a
multiple-time Hammer of the Year. The 26-year-old midfielder has started all
37 of West Ham's Barclays Premier League games, scoring three goals and
recording four assists. Undoubtedly the engine room of Sam Allardyce's side,
Noble has attempted 1,926 passes in the league this season, directly
creating more than 60 chances for his team-mates.
Playing in a more withdrawn role, most commonly alongside Kevin Nolan and
Mohamed Diame, Noble has also put in 107 tackles, made 70 interceptions and
blocked 16 opposition shots. A tireless worker, the No16 has run further
than any other West Ham player this season.
Runner-up to Noble is goalkeeper Adrian, who burst into the Hammers side on
a regular basis just before Christmas and has hardly looked back since.
The agile Spaniard has conceded just 25 goals in 19 Barclays Premier League
matches since making his league debut at Manchester United on 21 December,
keeping six clean sheets and producing a highlight-reel of splendid saves. A
summer capture from Real Betis, Adrian also helped West Ham to reach the
semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, playing in wins over Cheltenham Town,
Cardiff City, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur before producing another fine
display in the semi-final first-leg defeat at Manchester City.
Third place in the voting went to centre-back James Tomkins, who took full
advantage of injuries to his team-mates to enjoy a fine season at the heart
of the Hammers back four. The 25-year-old started eleven of West Ham's 14
Barclays Premier League clean sheets, forging strong partnerships with
Winston Reid, James Collins and Roger Johnson.
10.44pm - That is the live auction completed for the evening. We
congratulate all the winners and hope they enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime
experiences they have secured tonight! Thank you one and all - the funds
raised will go towards producing the next great players to emerge from the
West Ham United Academy.
To complete what has been a memorable night, the final two awards will now
be presented - Hammer of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Trevor Brooking is a true West Ham United great and he is recognised
tonight for a career that spanned more than 600 games, 102 goals and 47
England caps.
It does not need me to tell you all that Sir Trevor is a more than worthy
winner of the second annual Lifetime Achievement Award. The gifted attacking
midfielder spent virtually his entire professional career at the Boleyn
Ground, making 647 first-team appearances and scoring 102 goals, including
the winner in the 1980 FA Cup final. Sir Trevor was also voted Hammer of the
Year an unrivalled five times. Sir Trevor, who made his West Ham debut at 18
in 1967 and also won the FA Cup in 1975, earned 47 England caps, scoring for
his country at Euro 1980 and appearing at the 1982 FIFA World Cup finals. In
April 2003, Sir Trevor took over for a brief but successful spell as
caretaker manager, winning nine and losing just one of the 14 matches of
which he took charge. In August 2009, the Boleyn Ground's Centenary Stand
was renamed the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand in his honour. An outstanding
footballer and a true gentleman, Sir Trevor has contributed hugely to
English football in recent years, holding a variety of roles within the
Football Association and Sport England, among others.
He becomes the second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, following
in the footsteps of his long-time team-mate and two-times FA Cup winning
captain Billy Bonds MBE, who was presented with the trophy in 2013.
10.35pm - We've been talking to Adrian after he picked up a hat-trick of
awards at the end of his first season with West Ham United. It's fair to say
he's quite happy, particularly after taking a selfie with host Ben Shephard
and the guests after picking up the Individual Performance of the Season
award! Adrian: "It's amazing for me. It's my first season here and the fans
have voted for me for these awards. Chelsea was my best match but was not
just me because all my team-mates made a really good match. That point was
really important for us in the league, on reflection. "I think this was like
the match I played for Real Betis against Real Madrid last season, but I
remember the Chelsea match well and it was better. "My relationship with the
fans is unbelievable. In a little time, it has become a special
relationship. I made a smile for everyone by taking selfie with them!"
10.27pm - Next we conclude our live auction, then it's time for the final
two awards!
10.22pm - The 2013/14 Signing of the Season, sponsored by S14 VIP Limited,
is Adrian! The agile Spaniard has conceded just 25 goals in 19 Barclays
Premier League matches since making his league debut at Manchester United on
21 December, keeping six clean sheets and producing a highlight-reel of
splendid saves. A summer capture from Real Betis, Adrian also helped West
Ham to reach the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, playing in wins over
Cheltenham Town, Cardiff City, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur before
producing another fine display in the semi-final first-leg defeat at
Manchester City.
A fans' favourite, the 27-year-old has also built up a close rapport with
the Claret and Blue Army for his positive attitude, never-say-die approach
and entertaining and engaging use of social media.
Second to Adrian came England winger Stewart Downing, who capped a decent
season with his first goal for the Club in Saturday's 2-0 win over Tottenham
Hotspur, while third went to Andy Carroll.
10.15pm - The 2013/14 Players' Player of the Year, sponsored by Asmatt, is
Mark Noble! The Club's longest servant takes the crown from Winston Reid,
who topped last term's player vote.
Noble has started each and every Barclays Premier League clash this season,
consistently producing the calibre of performance that helps the Hammers
tick.
Here is what some of his team-mates had to say about the Canning Town-born
midfielder.
Stewart Downing: "He's had a consistently good season. He's played well,
week in, week out. He passes me the ball a lot. That helps! He's good to
have around. Very vocal, obviously he can be serious when he needs to be
and, on top of that, he's a very good player.
Winston Reid: "You know what you're going to get from him when he goes out
onto the pitch and performs. He's a leader and the team can rely on him."
James Collins: "I think he's just been spot on, every game this year and
probably for the last four or five years to be honest. He's probably the
most consistent player we've had over the last couple of years and I think
he deserves it.
"He's got a lot of experience and that shows in and around the training
ground and on a Saturday. He's always one of our top performers. Good
banter, good lad, he gets on with everyone. He is Mr West Ham, so it's
probably deserved. He's a great lad and a terrific footballer."
10.11pm - West Ham produced a number of memorable displays through the
course of the 2013/14 season, including three unforgettable victories over
local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that one of those successes has
been voted Best Team Performance, sponsored by Call Print.
The 3-0 Barclays Premier League win at White Hart Lane last October had
absolutely everything. After a resilient first-half display, West Ham
maintained their clean sheet when Jussi Jaaskelainen made a fine save from
former Hammer Jermain Defoe just after half-time. The Hammers then took
control, when first Winston Reid converted after his initial effort had been
inadvertently blocked by Kevin Nolan. Ricardo Vaz Te then latched onto Mark
Noble's through ball before beating Hugo Lloris at the second attempt to
make it 2-0. To complete an amazing afternoon, Ravel Morrison collected
Mohamed Diame's pass before streaking past Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen
and clipping a finish over Lloris and into the net to send the Claret and
Blue Army into a state of rapture.
The goalless draw at Chelsea in late January took second place in the
voting, while third went to the 2-1 Capital One Cup quarter-final success
over Spurs at White Hart Lane in December.
10.05pm - We're back with our next batch of awards...
The winner of the Best Individual Performance of the 2013/14 season,
sponsored by Ark Build, was goalkeeper Adrian's unbeatable display in the
vital goalless Barclays Premier League draw at Chelsea on 29 January this
year. At Stamford Bridge, the Spanish stopper helped the Hammers grab an
unlikely point at Stamford Bridge with saves from Samuel Eto'o, Oscar, Frank
Lampard and Eden Hazard, among others. In all, Jose Mourinho's men unleashed
39 shots on Adrian's goal, but the goalkeeper, his team-mates and West Ham's
19th century football ensured a share of the spoils and set the platform for
a perfect February.
Mark Noble took second place in the voting for his outstanding midfield
display in the 2-0 win at Cardiff City in January, when he capped an
all-action performance by scoring ten-man West Ham's late second goal.
Third was taken by Kevin Nolan for his two-goal show in the 2-0 home victory
over Swansea City in February.
9.15pm - Kevin Nolan has given his reaction to winning the Top Goalscorer
award for the second season in succession. Nolan is also determined that we
will enjoy a better season in 2013/14. He bagged five vital goals in
February and netted seven in total to lead the way.
Nolan: "I always say that the most pleasing aspect is that I have scored
goals that contributed to massive wins and got us the three points. That's
all that matters to me. I don't want double figures every year, I want
figures that mean we get points on the board and I think all my goals have
been really important this year, so I'm really happy.
"I think it was important in February. I went away and worked hard. Eamon
Swift the fitness coach got hold of me and he just went to town, working me
hard and when I came back I hit it. It just came together as it does
sometimes and I was delighted if I'm honest. It was a great month and I'm
delighted we got the points on the board as we did.
"I like to think I'm the best finisher in the Club, but that's my game. I
give 110 per cent to the Club and have done since I've been here. We've got
a great squad and great staff and, no matter what anyone has said over this
past year and everything that's been thrown at us, I don't think any other
Club would have been able to deal with it and stay up, but we have. It's a
credit to the lads, a credit to the Gaffer and a credit to everyone who has
been involved with us.
"It's a nice relief knowing we have another year to look forward to in the
Premier League."
9pm - Wrapping up the first batch of awards is Top Goalscorer sponsored by
Mulalley.
Sponsored by Mulalley, skipper Kevin Nolan is the Hammers' top marksman for
the second successive season.
The Hammers captain is approaching 100 career league goals after another
impressive campaign in front of the opposition net.
After netting in the opening-day win over Cardiff City and then in a 3-3
December draw with West Bromwich Albion, Nolan's seven goals came largely in
a bunch this season.
The Hammers' No4 bagged five in just four matches in February - two against
Swansea City, two at Aston Villa and another single strike in the home win
over Southampton.
The 31-year-old has held off competition from Carlton Cole and Ravel
Morrison, who bagged six and five goals respectively.
Having seen the first five awards being presented, we are now going to take
a short break for the silent auction winners to collect their prizes and
guests to enjoy their dessert, tea and coffee.
After that, we will see four more awards presented.
After a short hiatus for the second part of the live auction, it will be
time for the main events of the night - the presentation of the second
Lifetime Achievement Award and the crowning of the 2013/14 Hammer of the
Year.
8.55pm - The awards are coming thick and fast, next is Best Save of the
Season sponsored by Higgins...
It would come as no surprise to supporters that just two men were in the
running this award - Jussi Jaaskelainen and Adrian!
Between them, the two goalkeepers have kept 14 Barclays Premier League clean
sheets, setting the base on which Sam Allardyce's team have achieved safety
for the second season in succession.
Aside from doing the basics well, both stoppers have, at times, been called
upon to make truly spectacular saves to keep their goal intact - but which
was the very best?
Well, you have voted your Save of the Season for 2013/14, sponsored by
Higgins, to be Adrian's flying fingertip stop to divert a curling shot from
Chelsea's Oscar onto the crossbar during the goalless Barclays Premier
League draw at Stamford Bridge on 29 January!
Adrian also took second and third place in the voting for his outstanding
stops from Norwich City winger Robert Snodgrass and Manchester City striker
Edin Dzeko.
8.52pm - Tony Carr remains on stage to present the Young Hammer of the Year
award...
The 2013/14 Young Hammer of the Year, as named by Academy Director Tony Carr
MBE, is promising goalkeeper Sam Howes.
Despite still being a schoolboy, 16-year-old Howes has this season become
the U18s' first-choice stopper.
Tall, confident and blessed with outstanding handling ability, Howes helped
the youth team to secure a place in Barclays U18 Premier League Play-Offs,
while he has also played five times for Nick Haycock's Development Squad.
Capped by England at age-group level, the 16-year-old is currently with the
England squad at the UEFA U17 European Championship finals in Malta.
First-year scholar and first-choice frontman Jordan Brown was a strong
contender too, with schoolboy and centre-half Josh Pask the other man to
narrowly miss out.
Again, Academy Director Carr is invited to share his reasons for picking
Howes as the winner.
8.50pm - Next is the Dylan Tombides Award...
This season, the Academy Player of the Year award has been renamed in honour
of the late Dylan Tombides.
A graduate who won the award himself in 2011, Dylan sadly passed away on
Friday 18 April 2014 following a courageous three-year battle with cancer.
This year's winner, as selected by Academy Director Tony Carr MBE, is
midfield dynamo Josh Cullen.
In the Mark Noble mould, Republic of Ireland U18 international Cullen has
long been considered one of the brightest stars of the West Ham United
Academy.
The 18-year-old was a virtual ever-present for Steve Potts' U18s prior to
his promotion to the Development Squad, featuring 21 times at that level.
Cullen has also managed nine Development Squad appearances, scoring in the
vital 2-1 Barclays U21 Premier League victory at Sunderland on the final day
of the season.
He edges out fellow midfielder and skipper Kieran Bywater, who has bagged 19
goals in all competitions this term, as well as attacking full-back and
second-year scholar Lewis Page.
Academy Director Tony Carr MBE is invited onto the stage to help present the
award to Cullen and explain his decision.
8.45pm - It is now time for the first five of this year's Player Awards to
be presented, starting with the Goal of the Season award…
The Goal of the Season award, sponsored by Lookers, goes to Ravel Morrison
for his amazing individual strike at Tottenham Hotspur in October 2013.
The youngster embarked on an unstoppable run through the heart of the Spurs
defence, showing incredible pace, balance and poise to speed past Michael
Dawson and Jan Vertonghen before clipping a neat finish over Hugo Lloris.
Morrison's goal, of course, completed an unforgettable 3-0 Barclays Premier
League victory at White Hart Lane - the first of three successes against the
Lillywhites from north London this season!
Second to Morrison came Kevin Nolan for his expertly controlled finish
against Swansea City to set West Ham on their way to a 2-0 home win in
February, while third in the voting was taken by Mark Noble for his clincher
at Cardiff City in January.
8.30pm - The guests have enjoyed their seafood tart and some lovely-looking
steak, so we will be announcing the first of tonight's awards very shortly!
8.05pm - It's now time for a bit of tucker. We'll be back shortly with
coverage of the first five awards of the evening! In the meantime, please
enjoy the photos and more from tonight's Player Awards so far on our social
media channels!
Sam Allardyce
8pm - Sam Allardyce is in positive mood and is looking forward to next
season following a challenging but ultimately fruitful second campaign back
in the Barclays Premier League.
Big Sam: "I think we're doing a good job and we're progressing. It has been
a difficult season, but there are lots of positives to be taken from it.
Yes, we don't want to do it again, but we have survived and kept our Premier
League status, which is very important going into the new stadium.
"We have to, as a Club, sit down and plan where we're going, what we're
doing and how we're going to build the squad. I think that the most
important thing is to build on the highlights we have had this season and
not dwell on the negativity. We've got to remember that we've beaten
Tottenham three times in a row! My best times this season were those games.
"We also went to the semi-final of the Capital One Cup and hit Manchester
City at the top of their form when we weren't so good. Yes, we did get
beaten 6-0, but we got to the semi-final, which wasn't an easy task - and we
beat Tottenham away again!
"I did say that Tottenham kept me in a job at the time, but in all
seriousness it was David Sullivan and David Gold who kept me in a job,
nobody else."
7.45pm - You can view exclusive images and video from tonight's Player
Awards on our social media channels. To access them, simply click on the
links above!
7.40pm - Host Ben Shephard gets the Player Awards underway by welcoming Big
Sam and his squad to the event. The staff and players receive a warm round
of applause as they make their way down the stairs and take their seats with
the guests. Shephard gets an even bigger cheer when he opens by mentioning
that the highlights of a 'rollercoaster' season were undoubtedly beating
Spurs three times!
7pm - Kevin Nolan has been speaking to us ahead of tonight's game. His
interview looking forward to tonight's Player Awards and Sunday's game at
Manchester City will appear on our YouTube channel very soon!
"I'm looking forward to it," said the captain. "It always makes it easier
when you know that everything is going to be fine. This weekend we've
obviously got a great game to look forward to with Man City and them going
for the title! It's going to be a great evening again, and it'll be nice to
see the lads enjoy themselves which is thoroughly deserved after a hard
season.
"It's always nice when you win on the weekend, especially when it's over
your local rivals in Tottenham Hotspur. It's been a hard season, but
Saturday means the lads can enjoy it, and we will enjoy it and beating your
local rivals three times makes it even more special!"
6.45pm - The players, management and Board have all arrived at the Grosvenor
House and we will soon be sitting down to a night of entertainment. Many of
the squad have stopped for a chat with West Ham TV on the way in and we will
be publishing those videos over the coming weeks. In the meantime, we will
also be publishing instant reaction video interviews following the
presentation of a number of tonight's awards. To watch those, please click
on the YouTube link above later in the evening!
Good evening and welcome to the sixth annual West Ham United Player Awards
in Aid of the Academy.
The players are expected here at Grosvenor House in London's Park Lane
within the next 15 minutes or so. We will be grabbing as many of them as
possible for interviews, photos and much more on what promises to be a
memorable evening.
Tonight's climax will be the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award,
sponsored by ACL, to Hammers and England great Sir Trevor Brooking.
Sir Trevor follows in the footsteps of Billy Bonds by being presented with
the prestigious award in honour of his long, illustrious and loyal 18-year
career with the Club, during which time he won two FA Cups, the Second
Division title, reached the European Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup finals
and earned 47 England caps.
Fast forward to the near-present and the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League
season has been something of a rollercoaster, but Saturday's 2-0 home win
over Tottenham Hotspur secured safety and means that we can all enjoy this
evening's festivities with a smile on our faces!
On New Year's Day, West Ham looked in grave danger of slipping out of the
top flight after just two seasons, with an injury-ravaged opening period
garnering just 15 points from 20 matches.
Indeed, two memorable victories at Tottenham Hotspur - in the Barclays
Premier League and then Capital One Cup quarter-final - were among the few
highlights before Christmas.
Defensively, West Ham had started well, keeping clean sheet after clean
sheet, but missed chances cost the Hammers dear when it came to scoring
goals and collecting points.
While Sam Allardyce's side may have slipped out of the knockout competitions
in January, their league form has picked up massively, with 25 points
accrued in the 17 matches since a New Year's Day defeat at Fulham.
In all, West Ham have recorded 14 clean sheets in the league - one shy of
the 1998/99 season record they could equal at Manchester City on Sunday.
Individually, the likes of Mark Noble, new signings Adrian and Stewart
Downing, James Tomkins, Matt Jarvis and Guy Demel have shown consistency,
while captain Kevin Nolan and attacking talisman Andy Carroll have returned
from suspension and injury respectively to enjoy productive ends to the
campaign.
All of the above, as well as the likes of James Collins, Winston Reid,
Mohamed Diame, Matt Taylor, Jussi Jaaskelainen, George McCartney and Carlton
Cole, will be in the running for the awards being handed out tonight.
At the junior levels, the Development Squad has produced a number of
first-team players - 14 Academy graduates have featured for Big Sam this
term - and finished safely inside the top half of the Barclays U21 Premier
League table.
Steve Potts has enjoyed a fantastic first full season in charge of the U18s,
guiding the youth team to the Barclays U18 Premier League Play-Offs, where
they face a semi-final clash with Manchester City later this week.
Tonight's Player Awards will raise thousands for the Academy, ensuring the
conveyor belt that has produced so many of the players who have raised the
Hammer of the Year award in years gone by, continues to roll smoothly.
We will have all the award winners as they are announced, complete with
exclusive reaction, video and photographs on this page, YouTube, West Ham TV
and on our official Facebook and Twitter pages.
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Nolan eyes future Hammers success
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan believes West Ham United are in a good position to build for
next season
06.05.2014
Kevin Nolan is eyeing a brighter future for his West Ham United side after
they ended their home programme for 2013/14 with a bang. The Hammers forgot
their recent disappointments with a commanding display in defeating local
rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a third time this season. But for an
outstanding display in goal from Hugo Lloris, West Ham would have won by an
even greater margin than the 2-0 the scorebook showed, with Nolan himself
being denied in breathtaking fashion by the Frenchman. The three points were
all that mattered to the No4 though, and he was delighted to sign off at the
Boleyn Ground in some style. "We had it all on Saturday," he said. "Everyone
to a man was fantastic and it just shows that if we were all fighting fit
for the majority of the season we would have seen a different West Ham. "I
couldn't believe it that he saved that chance from me in the second half,
and I wanted to end at home with a goal. The ones which mean something are
the goals that matter to me, and when I look back at the goals I've scored,
every one has been in good circumstances to take us on to the win or make it
safe. "Not making it to ten doesn't matter, it's about goals which make a
difference to the team. Hopefully I can nick one next week, but I was just
delighted with the win and the performance on Saturday. "Sometimes we
haven't been good enough this season, and we're an honest enough bunch of
lads to hold our hands up to that. "With the quality we've built here, we
were able to hang on in there. We hung on in there until January, and then
went on that fantastic run which we knew we could do. "Losing four games on
the trot twice this season is disappointing and it's something we'll be
working to avoid next year. "That's for next season now, this year has been
tough but we've come through it and I'm proud to lead those boys in the
dressing room."
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Hammers confirm Stevenage friendly
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will travel to Stevenage FC for a pre-season match on
Saturday 12 July
06.05.2014
West Ham United will travel to Sky Bet League Two side Stevenage for a
pre-season match on Saturday 12 July (kick-off 3pm) as Sam Allardyce's men
gear up for the 2014/15 campaign. In the first of their domestic summer 2014
friendlies to be confirmed, the Hammers will make the short journey to
Hertfordshire to take on a Boro team who reached the fourth round of the FA
Cup this term. Stevenage could not match those heights in their league
campaign and were relegated from League One following their defeat to
Bristol City on Easter Monday, although they will be looking to bounce
straight back next term. The Hammers have never faced Stevenage in
competitive action, although young striker Tony Stokes did score once in
three Conference Premier appearances for the Lamex Stadium club whilst on
loan from West Ham in the 2007/08 season. More recently, Kevin Nolan, Mark
Noble, Joe Cole, Andy Carroll, James Collins and Matt Jarvis all took part
in the Mitchell Cole Benefit Game at Stevenage last May.
Later in pre-season, West Ham will travel to New Zealand for fixtures
against Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC as part of a tournament also
featuring Newcastle United. Big Sam's side will then take part in the
Schalke 04 Cup in Germany, alongside hosts Schalke, Newcastle United and La
Liga outfit Malaga CF. The tournament, which will be played at Schalke's
Veltins-Arena on 2 & 3 August, sees the Hammers face two of the three other
competing teams.
Ticketing details for the trip to Stevenage will be announced on whufc.com
in due course.
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Tomkins targets title twist
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins believes West Ham will have a part to play in the destination
of this year's title
06.05.2014
James Tomkins is in the mood to make sure West Ham United have their say in
the Barclays Premier League title race when they take on Manchester City in
the final game of the Barclays Premier League on Sunday. The Hammers have
the power to change the destination of the title should they manage to pull
off a win at the Etihad Stadium coupled with a victory for Liverpool. With
the Club having secured their top flight safety following a 2-0 home win
against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, Tomkins is now keen to help the
Hammers have a say in the destination of the Premier League trophy. "We'll
approach it in the same sort of manner as we approached the game against
Tottenham. We know we can have a say in the title race which is good. "It's
obviously a televised game now, which is great. We're going to be up for it
and hopefully we can have a say in who wins the league. "At their place it's
always a hard place to play. Anything can happen on the day, look what
happened a couple of years ago at QPR and what they did. They nearly caused
an upset and hopefully we can have our say."
The Hammers head to Manchester with renewed confidence after a fine team
performance which saw off Spurs for the third time this season in the Club's
last home match of the campaign. Victory against the north Londoners came on
the back of four straight defeats and the defender felt getting off to a
fast start helped put the match to bed by half-time. "It feels like it's
been a long time coming now with the four defeats, but to end it at home to
Spurs with a victory - the third one over them this year - is great and it
means the fans have got something to be happy about this season. "We started
well, we started well in the last few games I think, but one bit of skill
from Stewy has drawn the defender in for a tackle and he's been sent-off.
"From then on in you're thinking that we can win. It's always hard against
ten men but we managed to do our best and scoring two goals in the first
half killed them off."
The whole team played their part against Spurs, with Tomkins and the back
four laying the foundations for victory with a solid defensive display which
restricted the visitors to just three shots on target. The clean sheet added
to the team's already impressive defensive record this season, which now
tallies 14 shut-outs after denying Tottenham. Tomkins believes that the
hosts could have won by a greater margin, but was pleased to attain another
clean sheet. "It could have been five or six, their keeper played really
well. At the other end it's nice to keep a clean sheet which makes 14 this
year, so that's a positive to come from this season. "When they went down to
ten men they took a striker off, so for us it's less work to do which is
always nice. You don't mind that, but all in all we defended well as a
team."
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New pre-season friendly confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United will face League Two side Stevenage FC on Saturday, 12th
July. The Hammers, who have already confirmed details of trips to Germany
and New Zealand this summer will be facing the Boro at The Lamex Stadium in
what is currently their first fixture of pre-season. Tickets for the match
are priced at £15 for adults, £12 concessions, £10 for under 18s and a fiver
for those under 12 and may be purchased from www.borotickets.co.uk.
Stevenage, who were relegated from League One this season having finished
bottom of the table have never previously met West Ham United in a
competitive fixture.
2014 Pre-Season: Confirmed Fixture List (First Team)
12th July: Stevenage FC (a)
23rd July: Wellington Phoenix (a)
26th July: Sydney FC (n)
2nd August: Schalke 04 Cup (n)
3rd August: Schalke 04 Cup (n)
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West Ham eye Benfica's Rodrigo Lima
By Omar HamoudaPosted on May 6, 2014
Sqwaka.com
West Ham are reportedly planning a move for Benfica attacking duo Oscar
Cardozo and Rodrigo Lima, as Sam Allardyce looks to bolster his misfiring
front-line in the summer transfer window.
West Ham are mid-table, but there have been several questions asked of
Allardyce's approach this season. The Hammers won on the weekend against
Tottenham, but the former Bolton boss is already planning reinforcements.
Allardyce has struggled to get Andy Carroll firing on all cylinders since he
since on a permanent deal at the club, with the former Liverpool man
struggling with several injuries throughout his time at the club. Carlton
Cole has struggled to deliver consistently, Marco Borriello is expected to
return to Roma at the end of his loan spell and Modibo Maiga is currently at
QPR, leaving Alladyce short of options up-front.
Allardyce is ready to launch an audacious move for both Oscar Cardozo and
Rodrigo Lima, with talkSPORT suggesting the club had scouts in attendance
for Benfica's game against Vitoria de Setubal on Sunday night.
Cardozo is a fans favourite at Benfica and the 30-year-old is rated one of
the best forwards in Portugal, scoring 68 goals in 116 games since his move
to the Lisbon in 2007. Cardozo's strike partner, Brazilian hit-man Rodrigo
Lima, has already scored 14 goals in 29 games and is also on Allardyce's
shortlist for the summer transfer window. Both strikers have propelled
Benfica to their second successive Europa League final which is in a few
weeks.
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West Ham Line Up Ambitious Double Swoop For Benfica Attacking Pair
by Steven Green May 6th, 2014
caughtoffside.com
Hammers keen on bolstering front line with exciting Portuguese champions.
West Ham United are hoping to bring Benfica strikers Oscar Cardozo and
Rodrigo in a shocking swoop this summer as they look to increase their
firepower ahead of the new season, according to talkSPORT. Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce has made no secret about his desire to add more attacking options
to his side after being accused on several occasions of being goal shy.
Club-record signing Andy Carroll missed the first half of the season with a
heel injury and Allardyce was forced to play some games without a striker.
However, with the side securing their Premier League status for another
year, Allardyce has made the Benfica pair his prime transfer targets after
sending club scouts to see them in action against Vitoria Setubal this
weekend. Paraguay international Cardozo, 30, is rated one of the best
forwards in Portugal and has scored 68 goals in 116 games since his move to
the Lisbon giants back in 2007. Rodrigo, who has already scored 14 goals in
29 games this season, has been on the radar of several clubs this summer
after an impressive season of his own.
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Karren Brady doesn't do rest and relaxation
Published on the 06 May 2014
YorkShireEveningPosdt
She is one of the UK's hardest working women BUT love for the job and
precious weekends with her family are all Karren Brady NEEDS
Karren Brady's to-do list must be epic. In fact, it's probably been epic
since the late Eighties, when the ambitious teenager kicked off her career
at Saatchi & Saatchi, rapidly moving onwards and upwards before becoming
managing director of Birmingham City Football Club in 1993, at the tender
age of 23.
Most people that age are still figuring things out. Brady however was on a
fast-track to making history; under her, Birmingham City FC began recording
profits for the first time ever and when she floated the club on the stock
market a few years later, she became the youngest ever managing director of
a UK PLC.
Since then, her fingers have been in many pies - multimillion pound
businesses (the company she sold in 2009 was valued at over £82million),
writing (she's published four books and writes columns for The Sun and Woman
& Home), TV work (most famously as one of Alan Sugar's sidekicks on The
Apprentice), and she took over as vice-chairman of West Ham United FC in
2010.
One of the most important deals she's negotiating these days though, is a
deal many up and down the country will relate to - parenting a teenage
daughter.
"Any parent of a teenage daughter will tell you there are some difficult
times," she says, laughing.
"I still look at my daughter and see her as six," she adds of her
18-year-old. "She sees herself as an independent, feisty woman who can do
what she wants. It's getting that balance between adult and child, it's
really difficult."
It's difficult to imagine Brady, 45, as anything but mega bright, but she's
convinced that her achievements are more about hard work, good attitude and
good fortune.
"When I left school at 18, all I really had were my core values," by which
she means, "things like determination, enthusiasm, the ability to work hard,
the ability to mix".
Her immense drive is put down to a childhood spent at boarding school, where
"nothing's your own".
"Someone tells you when to get up, when to go to bed, when to eat, what to
eat; it can be very oppressive. When I was younger, the only ambition I had
was to be independent, so that I would be deciding what I ate, when I took a
bath..."
Of course, she's put a lot of hours in over the years; still does. She stays
in London four nights a week and will work long hours, often "into the
night", so that she can be at home - in the village of Knowle near
Birmingham - on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays.
If she's not at the football, these weekends are "all about spending time
with the family, relaxing, cooking - I love to cook".
She famously returned to work just two days after having her daughter, but
there isn't a hint of guilt or side-stepping when she admits that she never
switches her phone off ("Never - I mean literally never") and answering
emails at 2am is normal for her.
Neither is there any hint of exhaustion; in fact she sounds calm, grounded
and very happy.
"Well I don't have to take calls I don't want to take," she reasons. "I
think when you run a business and employ 800 people you have to be
accessible, that's just the way it is."
She insists that she's never felt a need to sacrifice elements of motherhood
or her career in order to make things work - it's just a question of making
judgement calls. "Sometimes what's happening at work is more important, and
sometimes what's happening at home is more important; you have to be your
own judge of your balance."
So does she balance out all that hard work with relaxation regimes? Regular
spa visits, perhaps?
"I can't stand stuff like that!" she responds.
In fact, her only "indulgence" is having her hair dyed. "I used to do it
myself, because I'm a fidget and it takes so long [in the salon]," she says.
"I don't work out either; naughty, but I don't. I don't have time and I
absolutely hate it."
She also enjoys a glass of wine (she's refraining at the moment because
she's "on a diet"), but the regular medicals she has for her TV work keep
things in check.
That's pretty much the extent of Brady's relaxation or wellbeing regime.
But, while she may be a workaholic, she certainly isn't a blinkered one,
blindly ignoring crazy stress levels, for instance, as she forges on.
In 2006, a routine MRI scan revealed a potentially fatal aneurysm in Brady's
brain and she underwent urgent neurosurgery to prevent it rupturing. She was
36 and, yes, it did make her reassess - though it simply reaffirmed how much
she loves her life and her work.
"It made he realise that life's short. All the things you put off doing
because you think you can do them another time, there may not be another
time," she says. "And it helped put things into perspective, you know,
what's important, what isn't important."
At the time, it didn't make her overly anxious about her health, though now
she's getting older she finds herself thinking more and more about how "very
fragile" health is.
She is also a judge of the Nectar Business Small Business Awards.
"When you set up a business as I did, you're the managing director, the
marketing director, you answer the phone, make the tea, clean the office...
You're busy promoting your business and you realise that there's not that
many people behind you."
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Man City tracking nine-year-old West Ham prodigy Omari Forson
POSTED BY ROB PARKER - MAY 6, 2014 - ALL NEWS, MANCHESTER CITY, TRANSFER
NEWS AND GOSSIP, WEST HAM
OffThePost
Manchester City's summer transfer activity is set to include a swoop for a
nine-year-old. West Ham kid Omari Forson has caught the eye of scouts from
the Etihad and City will attempt to lure the youngster away from Upton Park.
The Hammers have very high hopes for Forson, who has been with them since
the age of five. He is a skilful left-footed forward who, ridiculously given
he doesn't turn 10 until July, has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His
performances for the club's under-10 and under-11 sides have attracted
interest from Manuel Pellegrini's scouting team. The Daily Mail reports that
City will sell their new £100m training complex, including state-of-the-art
youth training facilities, to Forson's family in the hope of convincing them
to make the switch. City's youth football infrastructure has proved very
enticing, with Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie and coach Phil
Neville both choosing to send their children to train there.
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Nocerino confirms West Ham departure
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Talksport
Antonio Nocerino has confirmed he will definitely be leaving West Ham at the
end of the season to return to AC Milan following his loan spell at Upton
Park.
Nocerino, 29, has started only two games for the club and has been forced to
settle for a place on the substitutes' bench for the majority of the time
during his brief stint in the Premier League. The Italy international joined
the club back in January and was hoping to show Sam Allardyce that he could
earn a permanent move to England. But following the club's 2-0 win over
Tottenham on Saturday, which secured their Premier League status for another
season, Nocerino confirmed on his Instagram account that he will be leaving
east London for good. Nocerino said: "It's back to Italy and thank you
Hammers for the experience."
It remains to be seen if Nocerino will stay at the San Siro as he failed to
secure a first-team place before he joined the Hammers and could leave Milan
during the summer.
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Ravel wins Goal of the Season and promises 'I'll be back'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
Ravel Morrison has told fans that he is looking forward to returning to West
Ham United next season. The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Championship
club Queens Park Rangers, for whom he will feature in the play-offs that
commence this weekend. But just minutes after he was confirmed as the winner
of West Ham United's Goal of the Season award at tonight's black tie bash at
the Grosvenor House Hotel, Morrison revealed that he is looking forward to
returning to the Boleyn Ground. "Very happy to win Goal of the Season for
West Ham," he tweeted. "Thanks for everyone that voted for the goal. Be back
next season to score more."
Only last week Morrison spoke out tonight to dismiss a tabloid newspaper's
claim that he would only consider a return to West Ham if Sam Allardyce was
no longer the manager. "Papers talk a lot of rubbish," he wrote on his
Twitter timeline. "I don't care what manager I play under, all I want to do
is play football," he added - before signing off with a West Ham hashtag.
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Mark Noble is named Hammer of the Year
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
Midfielder Mark Noble has won the Hammer of the Year award for the second
time in three years. The home-grown Hammer took the award for the second
time at a packed Grosvenor House hotel this evening to the approval of all
present. 26-year-old Noble was just one of a string of winners on a busy
night in Mayfair at which the entire first team - minus Ravel Morrison, who
is preparing for QPR's impending play-off semi final against Wigan Athletic
- were present.
Noble was also named Player's Player of the Year, whilst goalkeeper Adrian
took three awards home with him. You may see the results of all the
categories below.
Hammer of the Year
Mark Noble
Players' Player of the Year
Mark Noble
Goal of the Season
Ravel Morrison v Tottenham, 6th October 2013
Best Team Performance
v Tottenham, 6th October 2013
Best Individual Performance
Adrian v Chelsea, 29th January 2014
Best Signing
Adrian
Save of the Season
Adrian v Chelsea, 29th January 2014
Top Goalscorer
Kevin Nolan (7)
Dylan Tombides Award (formerly Academy Player of the Year)
Josh Cullen
Young Hammer of the Year
Sam Howes
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Trevor Brooking
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WHUFC.com
Mark Noble takes the Hammer of the Year prize for the second time
06.05.2014
WEST HAM UNITED 2013/14 PLAYER AWARDS
IN AID OF THE ACADEMY
TUESDAY 6 MAY 2014
GROSVENOR HOUSE, A JW MARRIOTT HOTEL
West Ham United 2013/14 Player Awards
11.35pm - The Club's second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Sir
Trevor Brooking, reacts to his accolade:
Sir Trevor: "I'm delighted. It's great when you've got a lot of fans here,
who really appreciate what you did in the past. They know that I'm still
very fond of the Club and after 19 years of playing for them I've got some
great memories. Nothing can take that away. "I spoke to Bonzo, Billy Bonds,
who got last year's award. Billy and I are good mates, we played together a
lot. He said it was a great evening and it makes you realise how lucky you
are to have had that career with a Club for so long."
11.20pm - We're back! This time with some quotes from Hammer of the Year
Mark Noble! Noble: "It's been a tough season, but with the injuries we've
had, we've not quite got what we deserved, but now we're 12th in the league.
I've thoroughly enjoyed it. It's going to be nice to go up to Manchester
City, give a good account of ourselves and then go on holiday. We've done
well to get out of the position we were in at Christmas, and that's credit
to the lads. "I put my own season down to hard work and wanting to improve
all the time. I just love coming into work and I think it shows. "I support
the Gaffer because I have played every single game under Sam since he has
come and I've won two Hammer of the Year awards. The Gaffer has never asked
me to boot it. I try to get on the ball and make us play as much as possible
and that's what has happened."
11.05pm - Host Ben Shephard brings the event to a close. Thanks for joining
us and congratulations to all our winners!
Here's a recap of who won what...
Hammer of the Year sponsored by Alpari FX Mark Noble
Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by ACL Sir Trevor Brooking
Signing of the Season sponsored by S14 VIP Ltd Adrian
Players' Player of the Year sponsored by Asmatt Mark Noble
Best Team Performance sponsored by Call Print 3-0 v Tottenham Hotspur (a),
Barclays Premier League
Best Individual Performance sponsored by Ark Build Adrian v Chelsea (a),
Barclays Premier League
Top Goalscorer sponsored by Mulalley Kevin Nolan
Save of the Season sponsored by Higgins Adrian from Oscar v Chelsea (a),
Barclays Premier League
Young Hammer of the Year Sam Howes
Dylan Tombides Award Josh Cullen
Goal of the Season sponsored by Lookers Range Rover Essex Ravel Morrison
10.54pm - Now it's time for the big one - Hammer of the Year sponsored by
Alpari...
Mark Noble is your Hammer of the Year, sponsored by Alpari FX, for the
second time!
Noble follows in the footsteps of tonight's Lifetime Achievement Award
recipient Sir Trevor Brooking, Sir Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore OBE, Billy Bonds
MBE, Alvin Martin, Scott Parker, Julian Dicks and Steve Potts in becoming a
multiple-time Hammer of the Year. The 26-year-old midfielder has started all
37 of West Ham's Barclays Premier League games, scoring three goals and
recording four assists. Undoubtedly the engine room of Sam Allardyce's side,
Noble has attempted 1,926 passes in the league this season, directly
creating more than 60 chances for his team-mates.
Playing in a more withdrawn role, most commonly alongside Kevin Nolan and
Mohamed Diame, Noble has also put in 107 tackles, made 70 interceptions and
blocked 16 opposition shots. A tireless worker, the No16 has run further
than any other West Ham player this season.
Runner-up to Noble is goalkeeper Adrian, who burst into the Hammers side on
a regular basis just before Christmas and has hardly looked back since.
The agile Spaniard has conceded just 25 goals in 19 Barclays Premier League
matches since making his league debut at Manchester United on 21 December,
keeping six clean sheets and producing a highlight-reel of splendid saves. A
summer capture from Real Betis, Adrian also helped West Ham to reach the
semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, playing in wins over Cheltenham Town,
Cardiff City, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur before producing another fine
display in the semi-final first-leg defeat at Manchester City.
Third place in the voting went to centre-back James Tomkins, who took full
advantage of injuries to his team-mates to enjoy a fine season at the heart
of the Hammers back four. The 25-year-old started eleven of West Ham's 14
Barclays Premier League clean sheets, forging strong partnerships with
Winston Reid, James Collins and Roger Johnson.
10.44pm - That is the live auction completed for the evening. We
congratulate all the winners and hope they enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime
experiences they have secured tonight! Thank you one and all - the funds
raised will go towards producing the next great players to emerge from the
West Ham United Academy.
To complete what has been a memorable night, the final two awards will now
be presented - Hammer of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Trevor Brooking is a true West Ham United great and he is recognised
tonight for a career that spanned more than 600 games, 102 goals and 47
England caps.
It does not need me to tell you all that Sir Trevor is a more than worthy
winner of the second annual Lifetime Achievement Award. The gifted attacking
midfielder spent virtually his entire professional career at the Boleyn
Ground, making 647 first-team appearances and scoring 102 goals, including
the winner in the 1980 FA Cup final. Sir Trevor was also voted Hammer of the
Year an unrivalled five times. Sir Trevor, who made his West Ham debut at 18
in 1967 and also won the FA Cup in 1975, earned 47 England caps, scoring for
his country at Euro 1980 and appearing at the 1982 FIFA World Cup finals. In
April 2003, Sir Trevor took over for a brief but successful spell as
caretaker manager, winning nine and losing just one of the 14 matches of
which he took charge. In August 2009, the Boleyn Ground's Centenary Stand
was renamed the Sir Trevor Brooking Stand in his honour. An outstanding
footballer and a true gentleman, Sir Trevor has contributed hugely to
English football in recent years, holding a variety of roles within the
Football Association and Sport England, among others.
He becomes the second recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, following
in the footsteps of his long-time team-mate and two-times FA Cup winning
captain Billy Bonds MBE, who was presented with the trophy in 2013.
10.35pm - We've been talking to Adrian after he picked up a hat-trick of
awards at the end of his first season with West Ham United. It's fair to say
he's quite happy, particularly after taking a selfie with host Ben Shephard
and the guests after picking up the Individual Performance of the Season
award! Adrian: "It's amazing for me. It's my first season here and the fans
have voted for me for these awards. Chelsea was my best match but was not
just me because all my team-mates made a really good match. That point was
really important for us in the league, on reflection. "I think this was like
the match I played for Real Betis against Real Madrid last season, but I
remember the Chelsea match well and it was better. "My relationship with the
fans is unbelievable. In a little time, it has become a special
relationship. I made a smile for everyone by taking selfie with them!"
10.27pm - Next we conclude our live auction, then it's time for the final
two awards!
10.22pm - The 2013/14 Signing of the Season, sponsored by S14 VIP Limited,
is Adrian! The agile Spaniard has conceded just 25 goals in 19 Barclays
Premier League matches since making his league debut at Manchester United on
21 December, keeping six clean sheets and producing a highlight-reel of
splendid saves. A summer capture from Real Betis, Adrian also helped West
Ham to reach the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup, playing in wins over
Cheltenham Town, Cardiff City, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur before
producing another fine display in the semi-final first-leg defeat at
Manchester City.
A fans' favourite, the 27-year-old has also built up a close rapport with
the Claret and Blue Army for his positive attitude, never-say-die approach
and entertaining and engaging use of social media.
Second to Adrian came England winger Stewart Downing, who capped a decent
season with his first goal for the Club in Saturday's 2-0 win over Tottenham
Hotspur, while third went to Andy Carroll.
10.15pm - The 2013/14 Players' Player of the Year, sponsored by Asmatt, is
Mark Noble! The Club's longest servant takes the crown from Winston Reid,
who topped last term's player vote.
Noble has started each and every Barclays Premier League clash this season,
consistently producing the calibre of performance that helps the Hammers
tick.
Here is what some of his team-mates had to say about the Canning Town-born
midfielder.
Stewart Downing: "He's had a consistently good season. He's played well,
week in, week out. He passes me the ball a lot. That helps! He's good to
have around. Very vocal, obviously he can be serious when he needs to be
and, on top of that, he's a very good player.
Winston Reid: "You know what you're going to get from him when he goes out
onto the pitch and performs. He's a leader and the team can rely on him."
James Collins: "I think he's just been spot on, every game this year and
probably for the last four or five years to be honest. He's probably the
most consistent player we've had over the last couple of years and I think
he deserves it.
"He's got a lot of experience and that shows in and around the training
ground and on a Saturday. He's always one of our top performers. Good
banter, good lad, he gets on with everyone. He is Mr West Ham, so it's
probably deserved. He's a great lad and a terrific footballer."
10.11pm - West Ham produced a number of memorable displays through the
course of the 2013/14 season, including three unforgettable victories over
local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise that one of those successes has
been voted Best Team Performance, sponsored by Call Print.
The 3-0 Barclays Premier League win at White Hart Lane last October had
absolutely everything. After a resilient first-half display, West Ham
maintained their clean sheet when Jussi Jaaskelainen made a fine save from
former Hammer Jermain Defoe just after half-time. The Hammers then took
control, when first Winston Reid converted after his initial effort had been
inadvertently blocked by Kevin Nolan. Ricardo Vaz Te then latched onto Mark
Noble's through ball before beating Hugo Lloris at the second attempt to
make it 2-0. To complete an amazing afternoon, Ravel Morrison collected
Mohamed Diame's pass before streaking past Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen
and clipping a finish over Lloris and into the net to send the Claret and
Blue Army into a state of rapture.
The goalless draw at Chelsea in late January took second place in the
voting, while third went to the 2-1 Capital One Cup quarter-final success
over Spurs at White Hart Lane in December.
10.05pm - We're back with our next batch of awards...
The winner of the Best Individual Performance of the 2013/14 season,
sponsored by Ark Build, was goalkeeper Adrian's unbeatable display in the
vital goalless Barclays Premier League draw at Chelsea on 29 January this
year. At Stamford Bridge, the Spanish stopper helped the Hammers grab an
unlikely point at Stamford Bridge with saves from Samuel Eto'o, Oscar, Frank
Lampard and Eden Hazard, among others. In all, Jose Mourinho's men unleashed
39 shots on Adrian's goal, but the goalkeeper, his team-mates and West Ham's
19th century football ensured a share of the spoils and set the platform for
a perfect February.
Mark Noble took second place in the voting for his outstanding midfield
display in the 2-0 win at Cardiff City in January, when he capped an
all-action performance by scoring ten-man West Ham's late second goal.
Third was taken by Kevin Nolan for his two-goal show in the 2-0 home victory
over Swansea City in February.
9.15pm - Kevin Nolan has given his reaction to winning the Top Goalscorer
award for the second season in succession. Nolan is also determined that we
will enjoy a better season in 2013/14. He bagged five vital goals in
February and netted seven in total to lead the way.
Nolan: "I always say that the most pleasing aspect is that I have scored
goals that contributed to massive wins and got us the three points. That's
all that matters to me. I don't want double figures every year, I want
figures that mean we get points on the board and I think all my goals have
been really important this year, so I'm really happy.
"I think it was important in February. I went away and worked hard. Eamon
Swift the fitness coach got hold of me and he just went to town, working me
hard and when I came back I hit it. It just came together as it does
sometimes and I was delighted if I'm honest. It was a great month and I'm
delighted we got the points on the board as we did.
"I like to think I'm the best finisher in the Club, but that's my game. I
give 110 per cent to the Club and have done since I've been here. We've got
a great squad and great staff and, no matter what anyone has said over this
past year and everything that's been thrown at us, I don't think any other
Club would have been able to deal with it and stay up, but we have. It's a
credit to the lads, a credit to the Gaffer and a credit to everyone who has
been involved with us.
"It's a nice relief knowing we have another year to look forward to in the
Premier League."
9pm - Wrapping up the first batch of awards is Top Goalscorer sponsored by
Mulalley.
Sponsored by Mulalley, skipper Kevin Nolan is the Hammers' top marksman for
the second successive season.
The Hammers captain is approaching 100 career league goals after another
impressive campaign in front of the opposition net.
After netting in the opening-day win over Cardiff City and then in a 3-3
December draw with West Bromwich Albion, Nolan's seven goals came largely in
a bunch this season.
The Hammers' No4 bagged five in just four matches in February - two against
Swansea City, two at Aston Villa and another single strike in the home win
over Southampton.
The 31-year-old has held off competition from Carlton Cole and Ravel
Morrison, who bagged six and five goals respectively.
Having seen the first five awards being presented, we are now going to take
a short break for the silent auction winners to collect their prizes and
guests to enjoy their dessert, tea and coffee.
After that, we will see four more awards presented.
After a short hiatus for the second part of the live auction, it will be
time for the main events of the night - the presentation of the second
Lifetime Achievement Award and the crowning of the 2013/14 Hammer of the
Year.
8.55pm - The awards are coming thick and fast, next is Best Save of the
Season sponsored by Higgins...
It would come as no surprise to supporters that just two men were in the
running this award - Jussi Jaaskelainen and Adrian!
Between them, the two goalkeepers have kept 14 Barclays Premier League clean
sheets, setting the base on which Sam Allardyce's team have achieved safety
for the second season in succession.
Aside from doing the basics well, both stoppers have, at times, been called
upon to make truly spectacular saves to keep their goal intact - but which
was the very best?
Well, you have voted your Save of the Season for 2013/14, sponsored by
Higgins, to be Adrian's flying fingertip stop to divert a curling shot from
Chelsea's Oscar onto the crossbar during the goalless Barclays Premier
League draw at Stamford Bridge on 29 January!
Adrian also took second and third place in the voting for his outstanding
stops from Norwich City winger Robert Snodgrass and Manchester City striker
Edin Dzeko.
8.52pm - Tony Carr remains on stage to present the Young Hammer of the Year
award...
The 2013/14 Young Hammer of the Year, as named by Academy Director Tony Carr
MBE, is promising goalkeeper Sam Howes.
Despite still being a schoolboy, 16-year-old Howes has this season become
the U18s' first-choice stopper.
Tall, confident and blessed with outstanding handling ability, Howes helped
the youth team to secure a place in Barclays U18 Premier League Play-Offs,
while he has also played five times for Nick Haycock's Development Squad.
Capped by England at age-group level, the 16-year-old is currently with the
England squad at the UEFA U17 European Championship finals in Malta.
First-year scholar and first-choice frontman Jordan Brown was a strong
contender too, with schoolboy and centre-half Josh Pask the other man to
narrowly miss out.
Again, Academy Director Carr is invited to share his reasons for picking
Howes as the winner.
8.50pm - Next is the Dylan Tombides Award...
This season, the Academy Player of the Year award has been renamed in honour
of the late Dylan Tombides.
A graduate who won the award himself in 2011, Dylan sadly passed away on
Friday 18 April 2014 following a courageous three-year battle with cancer.
This year's winner, as selected by Academy Director Tony Carr MBE, is
midfield dynamo Josh Cullen.
In the Mark Noble mould, Republic of Ireland U18 international Cullen has
long been considered one of the brightest stars of the West Ham United
Academy.
The 18-year-old was a virtual ever-present for Steve Potts' U18s prior to
his promotion to the Development Squad, featuring 21 times at that level.
Cullen has also managed nine Development Squad appearances, scoring in the
vital 2-1 Barclays U21 Premier League victory at Sunderland on the final day
of the season.
He edges out fellow midfielder and skipper Kieran Bywater, who has bagged 19
goals in all competitions this term, as well as attacking full-back and
second-year scholar Lewis Page.
Academy Director Tony Carr MBE is invited onto the stage to help present the
award to Cullen and explain his decision.
8.45pm - It is now time for the first five of this year's Player Awards to
be presented, starting with the Goal of the Season award…
The Goal of the Season award, sponsored by Lookers, goes to Ravel Morrison
for his amazing individual strike at Tottenham Hotspur in October 2013.
The youngster embarked on an unstoppable run through the heart of the Spurs
defence, showing incredible pace, balance and poise to speed past Michael
Dawson and Jan Vertonghen before clipping a neat finish over Hugo Lloris.
Morrison's goal, of course, completed an unforgettable 3-0 Barclays Premier
League victory at White Hart Lane - the first of three successes against the
Lillywhites from north London this season!
Second to Morrison came Kevin Nolan for his expertly controlled finish
against Swansea City to set West Ham on their way to a 2-0 home win in
February, while third in the voting was taken by Mark Noble for his clincher
at Cardiff City in January.
8.30pm - The guests have enjoyed their seafood tart and some lovely-looking
steak, so we will be announcing the first of tonight's awards very shortly!
8.05pm - It's now time for a bit of tucker. We'll be back shortly with
coverage of the first five awards of the evening! In the meantime, please
enjoy the photos and more from tonight's Player Awards so far on our social
media channels!
Sam Allardyce
8pm - Sam Allardyce is in positive mood and is looking forward to next
season following a challenging but ultimately fruitful second campaign back
in the Barclays Premier League.
Big Sam: "I think we're doing a good job and we're progressing. It has been
a difficult season, but there are lots of positives to be taken from it.
Yes, we don't want to do it again, but we have survived and kept our Premier
League status, which is very important going into the new stadium.
"We have to, as a Club, sit down and plan where we're going, what we're
doing and how we're going to build the squad. I think that the most
important thing is to build on the highlights we have had this season and
not dwell on the negativity. We've got to remember that we've beaten
Tottenham three times in a row! My best times this season were those games.
"We also went to the semi-final of the Capital One Cup and hit Manchester
City at the top of their form when we weren't so good. Yes, we did get
beaten 6-0, but we got to the semi-final, which wasn't an easy task - and we
beat Tottenham away again!
"I did say that Tottenham kept me in a job at the time, but in all
seriousness it was David Sullivan and David Gold who kept me in a job,
nobody else."
7.45pm - You can view exclusive images and video from tonight's Player
Awards on our social media channels. To access them, simply click on the
links above!
7.40pm - Host Ben Shephard gets the Player Awards underway by welcoming Big
Sam and his squad to the event. The staff and players receive a warm round
of applause as they make their way down the stairs and take their seats with
the guests. Shephard gets an even bigger cheer when he opens by mentioning
that the highlights of a 'rollercoaster' season were undoubtedly beating
Spurs three times!
7pm - Kevin Nolan has been speaking to us ahead of tonight's game. His
interview looking forward to tonight's Player Awards and Sunday's game at
Manchester City will appear on our YouTube channel very soon!
"I'm looking forward to it," said the captain. "It always makes it easier
when you know that everything is going to be fine. This weekend we've
obviously got a great game to look forward to with Man City and them going
for the title! It's going to be a great evening again, and it'll be nice to
see the lads enjoy themselves which is thoroughly deserved after a hard
season.
"It's always nice when you win on the weekend, especially when it's over
your local rivals in Tottenham Hotspur. It's been a hard season, but
Saturday means the lads can enjoy it, and we will enjoy it and beating your
local rivals three times makes it even more special!"
6.45pm - The players, management and Board have all arrived at the Grosvenor
House and we will soon be sitting down to a night of entertainment. Many of
the squad have stopped for a chat with West Ham TV on the way in and we will
be publishing those videos over the coming weeks. In the meantime, we will
also be publishing instant reaction video interviews following the
presentation of a number of tonight's awards. To watch those, please click
on the YouTube link above later in the evening!
Good evening and welcome to the sixth annual West Ham United Player Awards
in Aid of the Academy.
The players are expected here at Grosvenor House in London's Park Lane
within the next 15 minutes or so. We will be grabbing as many of them as
possible for interviews, photos and much more on what promises to be a
memorable evening.
Tonight's climax will be the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award,
sponsored by ACL, to Hammers and England great Sir Trevor Brooking.
Sir Trevor follows in the footsteps of Billy Bonds by being presented with
the prestigious award in honour of his long, illustrious and loyal 18-year
career with the Club, during which time he won two FA Cups, the Second
Division title, reached the European Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup finals
and earned 47 England caps.
Fast forward to the near-present and the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League
season has been something of a rollercoaster, but Saturday's 2-0 home win
over Tottenham Hotspur secured safety and means that we can all enjoy this
evening's festivities with a smile on our faces!
On New Year's Day, West Ham looked in grave danger of slipping out of the
top flight after just two seasons, with an injury-ravaged opening period
garnering just 15 points from 20 matches.
Indeed, two memorable victories at Tottenham Hotspur - in the Barclays
Premier League and then Capital One Cup quarter-final - were among the few
highlights before Christmas.
Defensively, West Ham had started well, keeping clean sheet after clean
sheet, but missed chances cost the Hammers dear when it came to scoring
goals and collecting points.
While Sam Allardyce's side may have slipped out of the knockout competitions
in January, their league form has picked up massively, with 25 points
accrued in the 17 matches since a New Year's Day defeat at Fulham.
In all, West Ham have recorded 14 clean sheets in the league - one shy of
the 1998/99 season record they could equal at Manchester City on Sunday.
Individually, the likes of Mark Noble, new signings Adrian and Stewart
Downing, James Tomkins, Matt Jarvis and Guy Demel have shown consistency,
while captain Kevin Nolan and attacking talisman Andy Carroll have returned
from suspension and injury respectively to enjoy productive ends to the
campaign.
All of the above, as well as the likes of James Collins, Winston Reid,
Mohamed Diame, Matt Taylor, Jussi Jaaskelainen, George McCartney and Carlton
Cole, will be in the running for the awards being handed out tonight.
At the junior levels, the Development Squad has produced a number of
first-team players - 14 Academy graduates have featured for Big Sam this
term - and finished safely inside the top half of the Barclays U21 Premier
League table.
Steve Potts has enjoyed a fantastic first full season in charge of the U18s,
guiding the youth team to the Barclays U18 Premier League Play-Offs, where
they face a semi-final clash with Manchester City later this week.
Tonight's Player Awards will raise thousands for the Academy, ensuring the
conveyor belt that has produced so many of the players who have raised the
Hammer of the Year award in years gone by, continues to roll smoothly.
We will have all the award winners as they are announced, complete with
exclusive reaction, video and photographs on this page, YouTube, West Ham TV
and on our official Facebook and Twitter pages.
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Nolan eyes future Hammers success
WHUFC.com
Kevin Nolan believes West Ham United are in a good position to build for
next season
06.05.2014
Kevin Nolan is eyeing a brighter future for his West Ham United side after
they ended their home programme for 2013/14 with a bang. The Hammers forgot
their recent disappointments with a commanding display in defeating local
rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a third time this season. But for an
outstanding display in goal from Hugo Lloris, West Ham would have won by an
even greater margin than the 2-0 the scorebook showed, with Nolan himself
being denied in breathtaking fashion by the Frenchman. The three points were
all that mattered to the No4 though, and he was delighted to sign off at the
Boleyn Ground in some style. "We had it all on Saturday," he said. "Everyone
to a man was fantastic and it just shows that if we were all fighting fit
for the majority of the season we would have seen a different West Ham. "I
couldn't believe it that he saved that chance from me in the second half,
and I wanted to end at home with a goal. The ones which mean something are
the goals that matter to me, and when I look back at the goals I've scored,
every one has been in good circumstances to take us on to the win or make it
safe. "Not making it to ten doesn't matter, it's about goals which make a
difference to the team. Hopefully I can nick one next week, but I was just
delighted with the win and the performance on Saturday. "Sometimes we
haven't been good enough this season, and we're an honest enough bunch of
lads to hold our hands up to that. "With the quality we've built here, we
were able to hang on in there. We hung on in there until January, and then
went on that fantastic run which we knew we could do. "Losing four games on
the trot twice this season is disappointing and it's something we'll be
working to avoid next year. "That's for next season now, this year has been
tough but we've come through it and I'm proud to lead those boys in the
dressing room."
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Hammers confirm Stevenage friendly
WHUFC.com
West Ham United will travel to Stevenage FC for a pre-season match on
Saturday 12 July
06.05.2014
West Ham United will travel to Sky Bet League Two side Stevenage for a
pre-season match on Saturday 12 July (kick-off 3pm) as Sam Allardyce's men
gear up for the 2014/15 campaign. In the first of their domestic summer 2014
friendlies to be confirmed, the Hammers will make the short journey to
Hertfordshire to take on a Boro team who reached the fourth round of the FA
Cup this term. Stevenage could not match those heights in their league
campaign and were relegated from League One following their defeat to
Bristol City on Easter Monday, although they will be looking to bounce
straight back next term. The Hammers have never faced Stevenage in
competitive action, although young striker Tony Stokes did score once in
three Conference Premier appearances for the Lamex Stadium club whilst on
loan from West Ham in the 2007/08 season. More recently, Kevin Nolan, Mark
Noble, Joe Cole, Andy Carroll, James Collins and Matt Jarvis all took part
in the Mitchell Cole Benefit Game at Stevenage last May.
Later in pre-season, West Ham will travel to New Zealand for fixtures
against Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC as part of a tournament also
featuring Newcastle United. Big Sam's side will then take part in the
Schalke 04 Cup in Germany, alongside hosts Schalke, Newcastle United and La
Liga outfit Malaga CF. The tournament, which will be played at Schalke's
Veltins-Arena on 2 & 3 August, sees the Hammers face two of the three other
competing teams.
Ticketing details for the trip to Stevenage will be announced on whufc.com
in due course.
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Tomkins targets title twist
WHUFC.com
James Tomkins believes West Ham will have a part to play in the destination
of this year's title
06.05.2014
James Tomkins is in the mood to make sure West Ham United have their say in
the Barclays Premier League title race when they take on Manchester City in
the final game of the Barclays Premier League on Sunday. The Hammers have
the power to change the destination of the title should they manage to pull
off a win at the Etihad Stadium coupled with a victory for Liverpool. With
the Club having secured their top flight safety following a 2-0 home win
against Tottenham Hotspur last time out, Tomkins is now keen to help the
Hammers have a say in the destination of the Premier League trophy. "We'll
approach it in the same sort of manner as we approached the game against
Tottenham. We know we can have a say in the title race which is good. "It's
obviously a televised game now, which is great. We're going to be up for it
and hopefully we can have a say in who wins the league. "At their place it's
always a hard place to play. Anything can happen on the day, look what
happened a couple of years ago at QPR and what they did. They nearly caused
an upset and hopefully we can have our say."
The Hammers head to Manchester with renewed confidence after a fine team
performance which saw off Spurs for the third time this season in the Club's
last home match of the campaign. Victory against the north Londoners came on
the back of four straight defeats and the defender felt getting off to a
fast start helped put the match to bed by half-time. "It feels like it's
been a long time coming now with the four defeats, but to end it at home to
Spurs with a victory - the third one over them this year - is great and it
means the fans have got something to be happy about this season. "We started
well, we started well in the last few games I think, but one bit of skill
from Stewy has drawn the defender in for a tackle and he's been sent-off.
"From then on in you're thinking that we can win. It's always hard against
ten men but we managed to do our best and scoring two goals in the first
half killed them off."
The whole team played their part against Spurs, with Tomkins and the back
four laying the foundations for victory with a solid defensive display which
restricted the visitors to just three shots on target. The clean sheet added
to the team's already impressive defensive record this season, which now
tallies 14 shut-outs after denying Tottenham. Tomkins believes that the
hosts could have won by a greater margin, but was pleased to attain another
clean sheet. "It could have been five or six, their keeper played really
well. At the other end it's nice to keep a clean sheet which makes 14 this
year, so that's a positive to come from this season. "When they went down to
ten men they took a striker off, so for us it's less work to do which is
always nice. You don't mind that, but all in all we defended well as a
team."
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New pre-season friendly confirmed
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United will face League Two side Stevenage FC on Saturday, 12th
July. The Hammers, who have already confirmed details of trips to Germany
and New Zealand this summer will be facing the Boro at The Lamex Stadium in
what is currently their first fixture of pre-season. Tickets for the match
are priced at £15 for adults, £12 concessions, £10 for under 18s and a fiver
for those under 12 and may be purchased from www.borotickets.co.uk.
Stevenage, who were relegated from League One this season having finished
bottom of the table have never previously met West Ham United in a
competitive fixture.
2014 Pre-Season: Confirmed Fixture List (First Team)
12th July: Stevenage FC (a)
23rd July: Wellington Phoenix (a)
26th July: Sydney FC (n)
2nd August: Schalke 04 Cup (n)
3rd August: Schalke 04 Cup (n)
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West Ham eye Benfica's Rodrigo Lima
By Omar HamoudaPosted on May 6, 2014
Sqwaka.com
West Ham are reportedly planning a move for Benfica attacking duo Oscar
Cardozo and Rodrigo Lima, as Sam Allardyce looks to bolster his misfiring
front-line in the summer transfer window.
West Ham are mid-table, but there have been several questions asked of
Allardyce's approach this season. The Hammers won on the weekend against
Tottenham, but the former Bolton boss is already planning reinforcements.
Allardyce has struggled to get Andy Carroll firing on all cylinders since he
since on a permanent deal at the club, with the former Liverpool man
struggling with several injuries throughout his time at the club. Carlton
Cole has struggled to deliver consistently, Marco Borriello is expected to
return to Roma at the end of his loan spell and Modibo Maiga is currently at
QPR, leaving Alladyce short of options up-front.
Allardyce is ready to launch an audacious move for both Oscar Cardozo and
Rodrigo Lima, with talkSPORT suggesting the club had scouts in attendance
for Benfica's game against Vitoria de Setubal on Sunday night.
Cardozo is a fans favourite at Benfica and the 30-year-old is rated one of
the best forwards in Portugal, scoring 68 goals in 116 games since his move
to the Lisbon in 2007. Cardozo's strike partner, Brazilian hit-man Rodrigo
Lima, has already scored 14 goals in 29 games and is also on Allardyce's
shortlist for the summer transfer window. Both strikers have propelled
Benfica to their second successive Europa League final which is in a few
weeks.
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West Ham Line Up Ambitious Double Swoop For Benfica Attacking Pair
by Steven Green May 6th, 2014
caughtoffside.com
Hammers keen on bolstering front line with exciting Portuguese champions.
West Ham United are hoping to bring Benfica strikers Oscar Cardozo and
Rodrigo in a shocking swoop this summer as they look to increase their
firepower ahead of the new season, according to talkSPORT. Hammers boss Sam
Allardyce has made no secret about his desire to add more attacking options
to his side after being accused on several occasions of being goal shy.
Club-record signing Andy Carroll missed the first half of the season with a
heel injury and Allardyce was forced to play some games without a striker.
However, with the side securing their Premier League status for another
year, Allardyce has made the Benfica pair his prime transfer targets after
sending club scouts to see them in action against Vitoria Setubal this
weekend. Paraguay international Cardozo, 30, is rated one of the best
forwards in Portugal and has scored 68 goals in 116 games since his move to
the Lisbon giants back in 2007. Rodrigo, who has already scored 14 goals in
29 games this season, has been on the radar of several clubs this summer
after an impressive season of his own.
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Karren Brady doesn't do rest and relaxation
Published on the 06 May 2014
YorkShireEveningPosdt
She is one of the UK's hardest working women BUT love for the job and
precious weekends with her family are all Karren Brady NEEDS
Karren Brady's to-do list must be epic. In fact, it's probably been epic
since the late Eighties, when the ambitious teenager kicked off her career
at Saatchi & Saatchi, rapidly moving onwards and upwards before becoming
managing director of Birmingham City Football Club in 1993, at the tender
age of 23.
Most people that age are still figuring things out. Brady however was on a
fast-track to making history; under her, Birmingham City FC began recording
profits for the first time ever and when she floated the club on the stock
market a few years later, she became the youngest ever managing director of
a UK PLC.
Since then, her fingers have been in many pies - multimillion pound
businesses (the company she sold in 2009 was valued at over £82million),
writing (she's published four books and writes columns for The Sun and Woman
& Home), TV work (most famously as one of Alan Sugar's sidekicks on The
Apprentice), and she took over as vice-chairman of West Ham United FC in
2010.
One of the most important deals she's negotiating these days though, is a
deal many up and down the country will relate to - parenting a teenage
daughter.
"Any parent of a teenage daughter will tell you there are some difficult
times," she says, laughing.
"I still look at my daughter and see her as six," she adds of her
18-year-old. "She sees herself as an independent, feisty woman who can do
what she wants. It's getting that balance between adult and child, it's
really difficult."
It's difficult to imagine Brady, 45, as anything but mega bright, but she's
convinced that her achievements are more about hard work, good attitude and
good fortune.
"When I left school at 18, all I really had were my core values," by which
she means, "things like determination, enthusiasm, the ability to work hard,
the ability to mix".
Her immense drive is put down to a childhood spent at boarding school, where
"nothing's your own".
"Someone tells you when to get up, when to go to bed, when to eat, what to
eat; it can be very oppressive. When I was younger, the only ambition I had
was to be independent, so that I would be deciding what I ate, when I took a
bath..."
Of course, she's put a lot of hours in over the years; still does. She stays
in London four nights a week and will work long hours, often "into the
night", so that she can be at home - in the village of Knowle near
Birmingham - on Friday, Saturdays and Sundays.
If she's not at the football, these weekends are "all about spending time
with the family, relaxing, cooking - I love to cook".
She famously returned to work just two days after having her daughter, but
there isn't a hint of guilt or side-stepping when she admits that she never
switches her phone off ("Never - I mean literally never") and answering
emails at 2am is normal for her.
Neither is there any hint of exhaustion; in fact she sounds calm, grounded
and very happy.
"Well I don't have to take calls I don't want to take," she reasons. "I
think when you run a business and employ 800 people you have to be
accessible, that's just the way it is."
She insists that she's never felt a need to sacrifice elements of motherhood
or her career in order to make things work - it's just a question of making
judgement calls. "Sometimes what's happening at work is more important, and
sometimes what's happening at home is more important; you have to be your
own judge of your balance."
So does she balance out all that hard work with relaxation regimes? Regular
spa visits, perhaps?
"I can't stand stuff like that!" she responds.
In fact, her only "indulgence" is having her hair dyed. "I used to do it
myself, because I'm a fidget and it takes so long [in the salon]," she says.
"I don't work out either; naughty, but I don't. I don't have time and I
absolutely hate it."
She also enjoys a glass of wine (she's refraining at the moment because
she's "on a diet"), but the regular medicals she has for her TV work keep
things in check.
That's pretty much the extent of Brady's relaxation or wellbeing regime.
But, while she may be a workaholic, she certainly isn't a blinkered one,
blindly ignoring crazy stress levels, for instance, as she forges on.
In 2006, a routine MRI scan revealed a potentially fatal aneurysm in Brady's
brain and she underwent urgent neurosurgery to prevent it rupturing. She was
36 and, yes, it did make her reassess - though it simply reaffirmed how much
she loves her life and her work.
"It made he realise that life's short. All the things you put off doing
because you think you can do them another time, there may not be another
time," she says. "And it helped put things into perspective, you know,
what's important, what isn't important."
At the time, it didn't make her overly anxious about her health, though now
she's getting older she finds herself thinking more and more about how "very
fragile" health is.
She is also a judge of the Nectar Business Small Business Awards.
"When you set up a business as I did, you're the managing director, the
marketing director, you answer the phone, make the tea, clean the office...
You're busy promoting your business and you realise that there's not that
many people behind you."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Man City tracking nine-year-old West Ham prodigy Omari Forson
POSTED BY ROB PARKER - MAY 6, 2014 - ALL NEWS, MANCHESTER CITY, TRANSFER
NEWS AND GOSSIP, WEST HAM
OffThePost
Manchester City's summer transfer activity is set to include a swoop for a
nine-year-old. West Ham kid Omari Forson has caught the eye of scouts from
the Etihad and City will attempt to lure the youngster away from Upton Park.
The Hammers have very high hopes for Forson, who has been with them since
the age of five. He is a skilful left-footed forward who, ridiculously given
he doesn't turn 10 until July, has been compared to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His
performances for the club's under-10 and under-11 sides have attracted
interest from Manuel Pellegrini's scouting team. The Daily Mail reports that
City will sell their new £100m training complex, including state-of-the-art
youth training facilities, to Forson's family in the hope of convincing them
to make the switch. City's youth football infrastructure has proved very
enticing, with Manchester United striker Robin Van Persie and coach Phil
Neville both choosing to send their children to train there.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Nocerino confirms West Ham departure
By talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) | Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Talksport
Antonio Nocerino has confirmed he will definitely be leaving West Ham at the
end of the season to return to AC Milan following his loan spell at Upton
Park.
Nocerino, 29, has started only two games for the club and has been forced to
settle for a place on the substitutes' bench for the majority of the time
during his brief stint in the Premier League. The Italy international joined
the club back in January and was hoping to show Sam Allardyce that he could
earn a permanent move to England. But following the club's 2-0 win over
Tottenham on Saturday, which secured their Premier League status for another
season, Nocerino confirmed on his Instagram account that he will be leaving
east London for good. Nocerino said: "It's back to Italy and thank you
Hammers for the experience."
It remains to be seen if Nocerino will stay at the San Siro as he failed to
secure a first-team place before he joined the Hammers and could leave Milan
during the summer.
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Ravel wins Goal of the Season and promises 'I'll be back'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
Ravel Morrison has told fans that he is looking forward to returning to West
Ham United next season. The 21-year-old is currently on loan at Championship
club Queens Park Rangers, for whom he will feature in the play-offs that
commence this weekend. But just minutes after he was confirmed as the winner
of West Ham United's Goal of the Season award at tonight's black tie bash at
the Grosvenor House Hotel, Morrison revealed that he is looking forward to
returning to the Boleyn Ground. "Very happy to win Goal of the Season for
West Ham," he tweeted. "Thanks for everyone that voted for the goal. Be back
next season to score more."
Only last week Morrison spoke out tonight to dismiss a tabloid newspaper's
claim that he would only consider a return to West Ham if Sam Allardyce was
no longer the manager. "Papers talk a lot of rubbish," he wrote on his
Twitter timeline. "I don't care what manager I play under, all I want to do
is play football," he added - before signing off with a West Ham hashtag.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble is named Hammer of the Year
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 6th May 2014
By: Staff Writer
Midfielder Mark Noble has won the Hammer of the Year award for the second
time in three years. The home-grown Hammer took the award for the second
time at a packed Grosvenor House hotel this evening to the approval of all
present. 26-year-old Noble was just one of a string of winners on a busy
night in Mayfair at which the entire first team - minus Ravel Morrison, who
is preparing for QPR's impending play-off semi final against Wigan Athletic
- were present.
Noble was also named Player's Player of the Year, whilst goalkeeper Adrian
took three awards home with him. You may see the results of all the
categories below.
Hammer of the Year
Mark Noble
Players' Player of the Year
Mark Noble
Goal of the Season
Ravel Morrison v Tottenham, 6th October 2013
Best Team Performance
v Tottenham, 6th October 2013
Best Individual Performance
Adrian v Chelsea, 29th January 2014
Best Signing
Adrian
Save of the Season
Adrian v Chelsea, 29th January 2014
Top Goalscorer
Kevin Nolan (7)
Dylan Tombides Award (formerly Academy Player of the Year)
Josh Cullen
Young Hammer of the Year
Sam Howes
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sir Trevor Brooking
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