Daily WHUFC News - 4th November 2016

Slaven Speaks - Stoke City
WHUFC.com

Hammers boss Slaven Bilic sat down with the media ahead of his side's
Premier League clash against Stoke City at the weekend. The Croatian
discussed Andy Carroll's recent incident and all the chances West Ham are
creating while also providing an update on any injuries in the squad.

Slaven, how is Andy Carroll after the incident yesterday?

It was scary, what happened, but he is OK. What can I say? I will treat it
as a one off accident that happened. He was probably targeted. I don't think
it was a coincidence. It was like a chase for 15 or 20 minutes and it was
probably planned. He was very brave to do what he did, and he came back to
the training ground and then it stopped. He is good and OK though, and he
acted like a really brave man.

If he needed it, is there someone who can provide counselling at the Club?

We can provide it if he needed it. But of course, there isn't someone in the
Club set up just for if that happened who provides it! But whatever Andy
needs, we will provide him with that service or whatever.

How is he getting on?

He is smiling, he is not scared. He is in a good environment now. He will
continue to do his rehab and he is progressing good now. He is back running
and there has been no negative reaction to that. If it continues like this,
in two weeks' time, we are expecting him to be training on the pitch with
us.

Will the extra segregation at the Stadium make a difference for the Stoke
game?

It might help, but that's the only thing we can do; the Club has done
everything. There was enough, obvious segregation between our fans and the
Chelsea fans. The Club is going to make an even bigger gap, and that's all
the Club can do.

Is your biggest concern at the moment trying to convert the number of
chances you're creating?

Yes, we are not scoring many goals and we are creating chances. But, I would
rather have us creating chances and waiting for a moment to convert them
than not create them at all. We are disappointed with the Everton result but
we are on a good path, we are there, and we are going to score goals.

Joe Allen is a player in prime form – are you most wary of him?

He is playing really good, scoring and creating goals. He scored for Wales
against Austria and a few for Stoke and he is the link between the midfield
and attack. He is very good in coming alive in the right moment and place.
Of course, he is one of their main players, especially now that Arnautovic
is suspsended and he is maybe their best player. But they have Bony, Shaqiri
– who is doubtful. Against Stoke last year, they were tough games, as you'd
expect. They were in trouble but they have ten points from the last four
games.

Do you have any fresh injuries?

No, except Winston Reid, who got a small one against Everton, but he is
suspended anyway. The rest of the guys are ready and fit.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
#ImagineBoleyn shortlisted for top award
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's stunning 360 degree Farewell Boleyn video could win a
2016 Football Business Award this evening!

The 360 degree video is one of six shortlisted in the Football Business
Awards 2016 Best/Most Innovative use of Technology by a Club category,
alongside submissions from Cardiff City, Chelsea, Manchester United,
Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Awards ceremony will take place at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium on
Thursday.

The Hammers' entry, entitled #ImagineBoleyn, was produced by Ricoh, West Ham
United's official Information Technology Partner, in collaboration with
virtual reality specialists Immersive VR.

Narrated by star of film and television Ray Winstone, a lifelong Hammers
fan, the three-minute long feature incorporates high quality visuals, while
capturing West Ham's historic home of 112 years in a way never before seen.

The Club was determined to say farewell to the Club's stadium in a fitting
way, giving supporters the chance to continue to connect with the Boleyn
Ground for years to come.

Alongside fans' stories, photographs and memories, West Ham and Ricoh
created a fitting tribute for not only the Claret and Blue Army, but for the
wider football world.

The footage captured took fans to key parts of the Boleyn Ground, including
behind-the-scenes areas that would normally be kept from public view,
including the dressing room and players' tunnel, moments before kick-off.

Supporters were able to follow Hammer of the Year Dimitri Payet out of the
tunnel one final time, all in all-encompassing 360 degree viewing.

To enable the maximum possible number of fans to enjoy the unique film, the
Club produced a trailer promoting it across the Club's website and social
media channels, before launching the full broadcast on the Hammers' and
Ricoh's official Facebook and YouTube channels.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collins - I cannot wait to get back involved
WHUFC.com

James Collins is hoping to witness another special atmosphere inside London
Stadium and would love to help his side record a big victory when the
Hammers host Stoke on Saturday.

With Winston Reid ruled out through suspension, Collins is in the frame to
win back his place in the starting line-up and says he is ready to get his
own season back on track.

The Wales international started the campaign in impressive fashion when he
got on the scoresheet against Chelsea in the opening game, but then lost his
place in the team.

Collins is now hoping to make amends and help the Hammers return to winning
ways as they look to move clear of the bottom three this weekend.

Collins said: "I cannot wait to get back involved. I obviously wasn't happy
with my form in the last couple of games that I played.

"Hopefully I can come in and play as good as the boys have in recent games
and we can get the right result.

"There has definitely been a major turnaround in the team and the
performances. There have been a number of things which have contributed
towards that. Some of the games we were not playing so bad and then one
thing went against us and you could see the confidence drain out of us.

"We have managed to keep a couple of clean sheets and the boys realised they
needed to knuckle down in training and we hope it will continue against
Stoke.

"We had a great win against Chelsea in the Cup. They are a world class team
with world class players so to beat them in any competition has got to be a
good performance, but it is certainly the best we have played this season.

"It was disappointing that we could not follow it up with a victory against
Everton last weekend.

"We didn't take our chances and the boys looked a bit tired after they had
put in so much effort against Chelsea on the Wednesday night. Everton had
not played in the week and that showed. But the boys have recovered and we
have now had a good weeks training. Hopefully we can get the right result on
Saturday."

Collins is looking forward to playing in front of nearly 57,000 West Ham
supporters once again and knows the special atmosphere that can be created
inside London Stadium.

The experienced defender says the victory over Chelsea was the best support
he had witnessed this season and knows the team can play a major role in
helping to re-create that noise if they get off to good start on Saturday.

Collins added: "That was the best atmosphere I have seen since we moved into
the new Stadium. The support through the night was top drawer.

"If we can get off to a good start on Saturday then the fans will get behind
us and we can really get the place rocking.

"It is a great Stadium to play in and this is a Club that is moving forward.
The Stadium and facilities that we now have are capable of seeing us push
for Champions League and European football.

"It is an exciting time. We have not been too happy with the results this
season but things are starting to turn around."

Collins is well aware of the threat that Stoke pose to his side, having won
their last three Premier League games.

Influential forward Marko Arnautovic is missing through suspension, but
Collins says one of the biggest threats could come from his Wales team-mate
Joe Allen who has been one of the star performers in the top flight in
recent weeks.

"Stoke have been playing well. I watched them on Monday night against
Swansea and they looked very good.

"My Welsh colleague Joe Allen has been getting among the goals and is
playing very well.

"He had a tremendous tournament at the Euros and I saw that first hand. I
see every day what he can do and thought it was a bit disappointing that he
had to leave Liverpool because I thought he could have done as good a job as
anyone they have got there.

"He has moved to Stoke and is now playing a bit further forward than I am
used to seeing. We will have to be on our toes to stop him at the weekend.

"Any time you play against Stoke it is always a tough game and they are well
drilled and know what they are doing. We know we need to be on top of our
game to get the right result."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sylvestre - Our confidence is building
WHUFC.com

West Ham United PL2 take on Nottingham Forest on Friday (7pm) at Alfreton
Town FC
The match is their second Premier League Cup Group E fixture this season
Noha Sylvestre says the team are growing in confidence after successive
victories

Noha Sylvestre thinks confidence is building within the Premier League 2
dressing room as the side looks for their third win in succession.

They take on Nottingham Forest on Friday evening (7pm) at Alfreton Town FC
in their second Premier League Cup fixture of the season.

The Hammers famously won the trophy last year and got their defence off to
the perfect start on October 1 when they utterly dominated their 2-0 victory
over Leicester City in Group E.

Sylvestre hopes the team can build on their recent good form and that
victory over the Foxes a month ago, a game where they completed over 700
passes.

"Leicester is the best game we've played this season so we need to take that
on and do it again against Forest," he said.

"Our confidence is definitely building up because of victories. You can see
it in training as well where the lads are more happy and if we win against
Nottingham Forest we'll have even more confidence."

Terry Westley's men battled to a deserved 2-1 victory over West Bromwich
Albion on Monday night - a result which saw them move up to third in Premier
League 2 Division 2.

It was their second win in a row after the triumph over Middlesbrough the
week previous, and Sylvestre thinks sticking with their playing style has
been key in their upturn in fortunes.

"We always go into games with the same thing in mind. So far it's been going
well for us," he added.

"Now we need to make sure that we do the same as we did against Leicester
when everyone worked hard to get on the ball and everyone worked hard off
the ball so we just need to repeat that again."

Sylvestre has appeared in all but one league match this season and was an
unused substitute in their first Premier League Cup fixture, but he hopes he
can continue his sustained run in the side.

"I've been in and out of the team recently but I'm working hard to stay in
it. That's my objective and I've got to chance to start on Friday so I'll
take the opportunity if it comes.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll's generous gesture for avid Hammers
WHUFC.com

Andy Carroll welcomed three avid West Ham United fans from Arc in the Park,
a local inclusive centre for young adults with learning difficulties, to
Rush Green for a special training ground visit.

The striker was in good spirits as he posed for photos with the trio and he
capped off a hugely successful visit by donating a pair of his match-worn
boots to all three of the visitors.

Alex, Darryl and Champ, all huge Hammers, enjoyed a hugely exciting day out
as they got the opportunity to meet Carroll and their other heroes, while
also collecting gifts donated by the squad for local youngsters on behalf of
the Newham Recorder's Christmas Toy Appeal.

For more than 30 years, the Recorder has run a Christmas Toy Appeal, which
helps collect thousands of toys to give out to 3,000 underprivileged
children from across Newham.

Darryl, 17, who suffers from Global Development Delay and learning
difficulties, was ecstatic to meet his idol Dimitri Payet, neatly surmising:
"It was really good!"

Darryl's day was made even better when he received a surprise phone call
from The Moose, Talksport's esteemed presenter, the pair chatting away
happily about all things Claret and Blue.

Similarly, Alex, 16, who has autism, was equally delighted: "It was
fantastic to meet Manuel Lanzini because he's my favourite player. It was
lovely seeing them all today."

After meeting the trio, Carroll reflected: "It was fantastic to meet Alex,
Champ and Darryl, you can see how passionate they are about West Ham and how
excited they were to meet the lads.

"Alex told me I needed a haircut, and he's probably right!

"It's always great to spend time with the younger fans and put a smile on
their faces. I was more than happy to give them each a pair of my boots,
it's such an easy thing for us to do, but it makes a big difference."

Click here for more information about how you can make a donation to the
Recorder's Christmas Toy Appeal.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ex-pro inspires Foundation students
WHUFC.com

West Ham United Foundation and University of East London Applied Community
Sport undergraduate degree students have benefitted from their first guest
lecturer of the year.

Terry Angus, Community Equalities Executive at the Professional Footballers
Association (PFA), spoke to students at UEL about the PFA and their role in
working with professional footballers around the issue of equality.

In his lecture, Angus tackled many thought provoking topics, such as the
Equality Act (2010) and its protected characteristics, which ignited debated
around sexual orientation, gender and race.

The session also challenged perspectives relating to 'banter' and the
dangers of social media.

As a player, Angus played made over 350 league appearances playing for
Northampton Town, Fulham, Slough Town and Nuneaton Borough.

His position at the PFA is further supported by a wealth of experience from
his time working within the Youth Justice System and the Connexions support
service for teenagers, which included advice and guidance to those at risk
of disaffection, and involvement in community diversity programmes.

Now 50, Angus works closely with football clubs, community departments and
Foundations to ensure players are supported and represented for social
responsibility projects and programmes which is a key part of PFA work.

He spoke highly of the degree students he met at the University of East
London, saying: "I really enjoyed the session and it is great to see how the
University of east London and West Ham United Foundation take the issues of
Equality and Diversity so seriously.

"The students' knowledge was good and some very thought provoking
discussions was had.

"The session highlighted how committed students are to E&D and their ability
to critique the session."

Emily Hayday, Higher Education Officer at West Ham United Foundation,
welcomed Angus's visit and said it had inspired the students to think more
deeply about the issues affecting young people.

"Having Terry from the PFA coming to speak to the students about equality
and inclusion epitomises the reason this degree was created," she said. "The
degree provides students with access to experts from within the football
field, allowing them to network and think critically around current issues
such as equality."

For more information about the FdSc Applied Community Sport (West Ham United
Foundation) undergraduate degree course, click here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympic Stadium: 'From a symbol of celebration to a symbol of anger'
BBC.co.uk
By Dan Roan
BBC sports editor

The resignation of David Edmonds, chairman of the London Legacy Development
Corporation (LLDC), is just the latest episode in what has now become one of
the longest-running, vexing and expensive controversies in British sport.

And with the city's mayor ordering an inquiry into the former Olympic
Stadium's finances after the vast cost of converting it into West Ham's new
home continued to spiral by another £50m, and mounting questions over its
suitability as a football venue after recent fan disorder, the danger now is
that the iconic centrepiece of 2012's 'Golden Games', rather than being an
enduring symbol of inspiration, sporting glory, and legacy, instead becomes
one of chronic waste, poor planning, and mismanagement. A symbol not of
celebration, but of anger.

Anger - from London taxpayers who look set to foot the bill for extra costs
that appear out of control, and who now read that the stadium's board
members were warned this year that the venue may never make a profit,
despite original pledges to the contrary.

From freedom of information campaigners, who had to fight for years before
winning a battle to have details of the secret deal with West Ham made
public.
From the fans of other clubs - who feel threatened by what they see as an
over-generous deal that has enabled West Ham to offer significantly cheaper
tickets, and attract new fans towards Stratford.
From the LLDC itself - whose attempts at regeneration have been
overshadowed. Jobs have been created, affordable homes built, and a polluted
corner of East London cleaned up. The velodrome and aquatics centre are in
use and the kind of white elephants that blight Olympic parks in former host
cities have been avoided. But right now, few are thinking about the
positives.
From West Ham, whose plans for their historic first season in their
impressive new home had already been tarnished by the violent scenes at
recent matches. And who will now find themselves under growing pressure to
pay more to help bail the LLDC out, exacerbating rising tensions between
tenant and landlord.
And from many others, of course, who cannot understand why the stadium was
not designed for football in the very beginning, therefore saving some of
the £750m that has now been lavished on a venue that was originally intended
to cost just £280m, but which effectively, has had to be built twice.

So what happens next?

Mo Farah runs in the men's 5,000m final at London 2012
Briton Mo Farah (second from the left) runs in the men's 5,000m final at
London 2012
To start, there is West Ham's next game against Stoke City this weekend. The
stakes are high. The match is one of just a handful each season rated as
'Category C' - or high risk, and security has been beefed up with police on
the segregation line inside the stadium for the first time, a clear show of
strength. Despite the scenes of disorder during the League Cup match against
Chelsea, I understand the authorities were actually relatively pleased with
the stewarding, and relieved how few arrests had to be made for a game they
had been very concerned about.

Nonetheless, while the threat of being forced to play behind closed doors is
understood to be a long way off, West Ham are now desperate to avoid any
repeat, and are highly frustrated that permission to gradually expand their
capacity has been delayed as a result of the trouble. West Ham reject the
suggestion from some that the design of the stadium has in some way
contributed to the trouble, and were pleased with the atmosphere against
Chelsea until things turned nasty, but the costs of the enhanced security -
paid for by the taxpayer - are also now soaring.

And talking of money, there is the inquiry, which is expected to focus on
the LLDC's choice of contractor responsible for installing and operating the
crucial retractable seating that brings fans closer to the action in a venue
originally designed for athletics.

My understanding is that a desire to stage Rugby World Cup matches at the
stadium in 2015 placed unforeseen pressure on the LLDC, requiring them to
have the seating in place several months earlier than they had originally
anticipated. This in turn influenced the fateful decision to hire contractor
Alto Seating. The company went bust shortly before the tournament and an
alternative provider then had to be sought, the LLDC since discovering to
its horror, that rather than the £300,000 originally quoted for manually
moving thousands of seats on wheels, costs could rise to £8m a year.

Supporters confront one another during last month's EFL Cup match between
West Ham United and Chelsea at the London Stadium
Supporters confront one another during last month's EFL Cup match between
West Ham United and Chelsea at the London Stadium
Privately, the LLDC accept this amount is unsustainable, and say they are
committed to finding a cheaper solution. The installation of a more
efficient hydraulic system will be looked at, along with a review of other
running costs. Revenue from a naming-rights sponsor would help of course,
but talks with Indian company Mahindra recently collapsed, and after trying
for years without success to find a partner, there seems little prospect
right now of an alternative.

West Ham - who paid £15m towards the cost of converting the stadium (which
now amounts to £323m), could be asked to help of course. After all, last
year a BBC London documentary revealed that while paying £2.5m a year in
rent, the club would have all of its running costs covered. However, there
is nothing in the tenancy agreement to force West Ham to pay any more than
they currently do. This fiasco is not their responsibility. Many say the
riches of the Premier League easily enable West Ham to step in. This year
the club recorded a profit of £8m on record revenues of £120m. But others do
not see why the club should be punished for doing its job, and for striking
such a good deal for itself.

Either way, with the retractable seats taking much longer to move than
originally thought, (15 days rather than five) the fear is that the staging
of summer concerts and events - crucial to the stadium's finances - and the
start of the football season - could be affected.

How did it come to this?

It was fascinating listening to Ken Livingstone, who was London mayor when
the right to stage the London Games was won in 2005, and part of the 2012
bid team, on BBC 5live this week.

Livingstone said that he would have tried to keep the stadium purely for
athletics as originally intended, and blamed what he called a "screw up" on
his successor Boris Johnson. Once elected in 2008, Johnson decided that
instead of the scaled-back 25,000-seater athletics facility that had been
planned, the Olympic Stadium needed a football tenant to be financially
viable.

Karen Brady and the Mayor of London Boris Johnson talks to the press during
the press conference to announce the future of the Olympic Stadium
Karren Brady and the mayor of London Boris Johnson talk to the press during
the news conference to announce the future of the Olympic Stadium
But when asked if there had been any stadium legacy plan in the original bid
put forward by himself, London 2012 chairman Lord Coe and former Prime
Minister Tony Blair, his answer was stark.

"No" he admitted. "Because nobody assumed we were going to win. Seb Coe, and
me and Tony Blair, we knew it was going to be very close, it had already
cost us millions to put together a bid… you weren't going to spend millions
more planning what to do afterwards."

Sadly, it now appears that lack of legacy planning at the start of this saga
has ended up costing many more hundreds millions, years down the line.

With Coe having promised the IOC - and Lamine Diack, the man he hoped to
replace as IAAF president, that a running track would be retained
post-Games, and no obvious football option on the table, work on an
athletics venue carried on.

By the time Johnson then made his decision, it was too late, with the
options always likely to be limited. With potential tenant Spurs wanting to
remove the running track, rival bidder West Ham was seen as the only
politically acceptable option, and left them in a phenomenally strong
bargaining position. Naturally, they took full advantage, while their new
home had to be converted for dual-use, amid concerns over its suitability
for football.

Walk through the vast landscaped acres of the Olympic Park, as I did this
week, and it is hard not to be impressed by what has been achieved since the
Games. Visit the 12,000 sq ft West Ham megastore, take a look up at the
enormous new roof, and the stadium's hospitality facilities, complete with
various tributes to the club's heritage, and it is easy to see why - despite
such controversy - the club saw such potential in the move away from Upton
Park, and is proud of its new home.

Earlier this year, when announcing the club's financial results, vice
chairman Karren Brady hailed "a platform to transform the future of our
great club". The objective of ensuring fans enjoyed "a seamless transition
into their new home", however, is proving a challenging task.

Last year, the LLDC's chief executive David Goldstone, told me that the
stadium would help transform an area of London, desperately in need of
development, and help generate billions for the local economy.

He went on to say that it would "really pay its own way without requiring
on-going subsidy from the taxpayer" and that he was "confident it will cover
its own costs… I'm confident we've got good value for money out of the deals
we've done."

Sadly, such a forecast now appears more uncertain than ever.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OS to introduce snatch squads?
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd November 2016
By: Staff Writer

A security firm charged with supplying stewards for this weekend's Premier
League clash between West Ham and Stoke at the Olympic Stadium has allegedly
asked for '10 good lads' to join their team.

A text message, understood to have been issued by a Heathrow-based security
firm earlier today was forwarded to KUMB.com by a concerned season ticket
holder, who had themselves been forwarded the missive by a club doorman who
was one of the original recipients.

And rather than seeking standard security staff, when pressed the sender of
the text is understood to have told the doorman in question that they were
looking for individuals with "cage-fighting backgrounds, or similar".

"Guys, as you might of seen on the news lately West Ham have been having
problems with trouble," read the text. "I've been asked to take 10 GOOD lads
in there this Saturday start 11.30-18.30.

"I'd like you to join me if your free? We will be going in and taking people
out of there seats and handing them over to the police. These are people
that are being band from the stadium."

KUMB understands that West Ham United were unaware of the text and the
decision to request additional security staff. The stewarding at the stadium
is largely handled by security firm OCS.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Banned? I wasn't even in the stadium!
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd November 2016
By: Staff Writer

A West Ham supporter who had his season ticket revoked after he was accused
of persistent standing has received an apology from stadium operators LS185.

Ben Scott was one of three members of the same family to have their season
tickets revoked after a steward registered a complaint against them
following the home defeat against Watford back in September.

However the stadium operators were forced to return Ben's ticket after the
family requested a viewing of the CCTV footage - which subsequently
confirmed that Mr Scott was visiting one of the concourse bars when the
incident took place.

Speaking to KUMB, Ben's father Glenn - who was first approached by stewards
at the ground and ordered to sit down - revealed that he was delighted that
his son had been allowed to return to the stadium.

However both he and Ben's brother Connor, remain excluded from the stadium
whilst the investigation - which is currently in the hands of the CPS -
continues.

The incident took place during the home defeat aginst Watford back in
September


"We have never caused trouble and we feel we are being victimised," said
Glenn. "The stewards were bullies. My oldest boy, Ben, wasn't even in the
stand at the time as he was in the bar - so we still don't understand why he
got banned.

"When I was told to sit [by the steward] I explained that I had just had a
heart op and needed to stand now and again. The steward said it's not his
problem.

"My other son Connor told the steward to stop pushing and pulling me as it
was hurting. But once again they said it was not their problem. My friends
even told other stewards what was happening but no one give a damn.

"I later discovered that a steward had accused me of racism, which is far
from the truth. The police officer we spoke to told my solicitor that if it
was up to him, he would throw it out."

Ben discovered that his season ticket was being returned earlier this week
when he received an email from Graham Harris, LS185's Deputy Safety Officer.

"I have asked West Ham to reactivate your season ticket so yes you can now
attend," it read. "I can only apologise to you for the mishap - I believe
you have two members of your family involved and I think that your name was
dragged into it."

Mr Scott pointed out that he had been told it could take up to three months
for the CPS to respond. Meanwhile son Ben has attempted to contact West Ham
in order to request a refund for the games he has been forced to miss.

* Have you experienced similar problems with stewards at the Olympic
Stadium? Let us know your story by contacting us here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham make Keye appointment
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd November 2016
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United have appointed a former Aston Villa employee as their new
Head of Ticketing. Nicola Keye, who worked for the Midlands club for 13
years has made the transition from Championship to Premier League by joining
West Ham. She succeeds (the popular) Gavin Stanley, who will concentrate on
his new role in Retail.

Earlier this year it was revealed that Keye - who is still llsted on Villa's
website as Head of Sales - was one of a number of Villa staff members who
were given bodyguards by the club to protect them from angry fans prior to
the club's relegation from the Premier League in May.

Prior to that she had been praised by a Villa fan who had been liaising with
her via email regarding the team. "Within five minutes of pressing the send
button I also had non other than Miss Keye on the phone," wrote Villa fan
Stuart Young back in 2012. "She is an absolute credit to the football club
and they should be proud of her. "

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Wrath of Khan could do us all a favour
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 3rd November 2016
By: Paul Walker

So somebody wants answers, frankly it's about time because we should all be
seriously fed up with the way West Ham is getting the blame for everything
from the black death to the great train robbery.

To say I am a little surprised at the near-hysterical reaction to the
intervention of new London Mayor Sadiq Khan into the Olympic Stadium fiasco
is putting it mildly. Blimey, if I was following in the dodgy footsteps of
Boris the buffoon, I would want to look very carefully into anything he
touched involving money.

Khan wants to know why there is a £51million overspend on the restructuring
of our new home into a place fit for football, and yes, I know there is a
lot who have seriously angry opinions on that already!

Now I see many are upset that he is jumping onto a bandwagon that is already
weighed down with critics. But in everything that he, his advisers and the
new administration at County Hall have said so far, they have been careful
not to blame us for anything. And rightly so.

They are after bigger fish than us. This, as must now be very obvious, has
turned political. It has, in fact, been political since day one of the
planning for the Olympics, and now Boris and his Tory mates have left office
and Labour are back in control of London, this is only going to get worse.

And you know what, I believe that it will start to see the spotlight lifted
from us, our board and Lady Brady, and onto the real villains - namely the
bureaucrats, politicians, faceless quangos, the athletics elite and the
stadium designers and planners who have left everyone with this dog's
dinner.

Can't everyone see that Khan wants Boris on a wire, something the blonde
bungler made pretty famous during the Olympics? If Khan and the new regime
have their way, Boris will be strung out for some time.

Up until now, everything that has gone wrong at the now London Stadium has
been laid at our door. Be it the crowd problems against Chelsea, all that
coin throwing and 'aggressive pointing' as one newspaper called it.

It doesn't seem to matter to anyone that so little of the stadium issues are
of our making, certainly not any of the recriminations surrounding the
stadium's design, construction and funding. And certainly not the initial
nonsense over segregation, stewarding and the lack of police.

If I was Khan, I would want to know where the money has gone, who has been
paid what, who decided what and when, and just how desperate Boris Johnson
was to get the stadium's future off his CV.

Don't forget, he was our Prime Minister in waiting. A Olympic Stadium white
elephant, unused and hugely expensive to maintain and mothball would have
ruined all that glad-handing and picture opportunities that our
pontificating rulers went through as they took the acclaim for a wonderfully
successful Olympics.

And crucially, the much-peddled theory that the legacy and the financial
aftermath would not further bother the tax payers.

Even the rightly much-maligned Dan Roan, the BBC man with his knife into us
ever since the Tevez saga, managed to switch his wrath (just) away from our
club and towards the people who made the catastrophic decisions
pre-Olympics.

In one of his worthy pieces for the BBC website, he managed to talk about
"those originally responsible", and "who agreed West Ham's remarkable deal"
as well as finding out "why the stadium was not designed for duel use from
the beginning. "Hallelujah, it's what we have been beating on about for
years with nobody listening.

Even the new London bosses were talking about "how we should stop worrying
about how West Ham acquired such a wonderful deal, to rather, who agreed to
it in the first place".

Grudgingly, people are starting to stop worrying about Karren Brady's
negotiation techniques, and are now wondering how desperate Boris was to
distance himself from the whole unseeingly wrangling, while he was
concentrating on trying to stab David Cameron in the back and riding around
the country in that bus covered in lies.

Brady couldn't believe her luck. Here was a regime who would agree to
virtually anything just to get rid of the problem. That she took full
advantage is only to be expected. Why not? It's only business.

And I don't believe for a second that Khan's inquiry will uncover anything
untoward about West Ham's involvement. Surely nobody believes that Brady and
our board would have done anything at all in anyway underhanded. They may be
a lot of things, but stupid in business. Not a chance.

This, from their point of view was surely going to be as straight as a dye,
let's face it, they were not really struggling to get what they wanted.

Khan has every right to look into the nuts and bolts of what was done before
he reached County Hall, and as I have said, I bet he is not looking at us,
but the people who mismanaged the whole thing from the start. And Boris.

Our club is absolutely right not to be making any statements on the
situation, it's nothing to do with us who made decisions and why before we
were ever involved. And it is being pointed out the stadium was three-parts
completed before they eventually started to talk to West Ham. We had no
input.

I hope he soon sees that none of the construction work, the companies
contracted and the costs agreed has anything to do with us. I hope, and
believe, he will agree that we should have been involved in the initial
planning from the start because it would have saved the taxpayers a fortune.

We all know that the pompous middle-class athletics mafia would not have
anything to do with that nasty, money-making football industry. They were
horrified at the obscene wealth of young men and their threesomes, gambling
and wild behaviour.

All this while they have been defending, or turning a blind eye, to the most
industrial drug taking scandal ever seen in sport, anywhere. Hypocrites.

And that brings me to the people who have really annoyed me of late, the
rent-a-quote, gobby MPs and supposed experts. No, the stadium is not going
to be pulled down. (Who would pay for a new one anyway, and where would we
go for a couple of years?) Sheer nonsense.

No, the stadium is not going to be shut down because of a few incidents of
coin throwing and a lot of pushing and shoving. And no, I am not trying to
belittle what happened against Chelsea, anyone found guilty of pointing at
rival fans should be banned, and seriously, anyone found to have thrown
coins, plastic bottles and the odd seat , should hunted down and banned.

Brady is good at that, it seems. I just hope Chelsea are searching through
CCTV footage to punish their lot. But don't hold your breath.

Firstly, two ill-informed opportunist MPs are on our case. First up, Mark
Field, (Tory, cities of London and Westminster, 9,671 majority). A job for
life, you might say, must be hard to hang onto that seat?

But here he was talking about us playing behind closed doors and having to
produce a detailed new plan inside 14 days on the stadium problems. Hang on
there pal, Bury supporter and vice-chair of the Commons football committee.

Should he not have been aiming his attention on the people who have failed
to handle the segregation, stewarding and policing at the LS? Talk about
rent-a-quote, those MPs who find themselves on TV on Sundays dressed in
cashmere cardigans, pressed cords and loafers sitting in pretty. walled
Surrey gardens and spouting about whatever the TV people want.

It took me a while to remember where I last heard of Field, then the fact
that he was all over the papers for shagging soon-to-be Tory MP, Liz Truss
came up on my Google search (Don't worry Ed, it's all common knowledge,
now).He clearly needed some new publicity.

Then there was his committee chairman, Damien Collins (Tory, Folkestone and
Hythe, 13,797 majority) another with a job for life and the annoying habit
of only getting half the story.

He wants to know why the conversion costs are so much more than for
Manchester City's Etihad stadium after the Commonwealth Games. Good grief,
do keep up. It's because City were involved from the start, the stadium was
planned for football and the transition was easy and cheap.

Cheap though is not the performance of City this week I experienced from the
newly built extension to the stadium as they smashed Barcelona.

A fantastic evening in a great stadium, seeing a team who have blossomed
from mid-table also-rans to what they are now, and all due to big money, a
stunning stadium and joined up planning. Think about it gents.

How come Collins didn't know all that? Half cock, half the information. And
this guy has form. He was the guy who, using the disgraceful 'parliamentary
privilege' was able to get away with bad-mouthing Neil Warnock of late in a
committee discussing bent managers. Slander and actionable outside of
Westminster.

The fact that Collins decided to drag up the Jason Puncheon incident again,
and the twitter claims made about Warnock's management style, was a
disgrace. Collins was prattling away at another of those parliamentary
committees, this one about football's governance. But he should have known
that the FA fined Puncheon, the twitter stuff was taken down and Warnock was
exonerated, something Collins somehow forgot. These are the sort of people
taking pot shots at us.

Then we have Paul Fletcher, ex-Burnley and a stadium 'expert'. He wants the
stadium knocked down. What rubbish. I last encountered him when he was doing
after-dinner speaking, and he does like the sound of his own voice.

But he did, pointedly, insist that he advised the stadium planners to
involved West Ham and build a football style stadium right from the start.
That fell on deaf ears…not surprised, are we?

So, let's see what Khan's lot come up with before jumping to conclusions. I
bet he will have enough to do sorting out the planners, designers, policy
makers and stadium admin to worry to much about Brady's coup.

Please note that the opinions expressed in this article are those of the
author and do not necessarily represent the views of, nor should be
attributed to, KUMB.com.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham v Stoke: Metropolitan police presence inside London Stadium
By Sky Sports News HQ
Last Updated: 03/11/16 6:14pm
SSN

Metropolitan Police Officers will be stationed between West Ham and Stoke
fans inside the London Stadium for the first time this weekend, as
authorities work to avoid further outbreaks of violence, Sky Sport News HQ
understands. To date, officers have been based outside the former Olympic
Stadium, entering only when violence has broken out. However on Saturday, it
is believed that lines of officers will supplement stewards for the first
time, keeping Stoke's 2,900 visiting fans segregated from the home fans on
either side. And, in a new development, on Thursday around 150 West Ham
season ticket holders have been relocated within the London Stadium as part
of the club's new segregation policies. Last week's violent scenes during
the EFL Cup match against Chelsea prompted West Ham to bring in a series of
measures, including an increase in the size of the segregation areas,
keeping rival fans apart. Yesterday Sky Sports News HQ reported that Stoke
City were trying to contact 85 of the 2,900 fans heading for East London,
after West Ham informed them they were re-issuing tickets to allow the
segregation areas to grow. This week, West Ham have been forced into a
similar move, with around 150 season ticket holders seated in Block 114
being removed from their chosen season-ticketed seats.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympic Stadium chief David Edmonds resigns
By Paul Vinnell
Last Updated: 03/11/16 9:43am
SSN

The chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation, owners of the
Olympic Stadium, has resigned. David Edmonds, who has been a director of the
company that controls the Olympic Park since 2009, offered his resignation
to the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, on Wednesday night. It follows Sky's
revelation of the soaring cost of converting the stadium, which prompted an
investigation by the Mayor. Mayor Khan announced his investigation after Sky
News learned that the estimated annual cost of moving "retractable" seats,
installed to improve the view for football, has risen to £8m, and that
moving the seats back and forth for summer events including athletics could
take a month.
David Goldstone, Chief Executive of the London Legacy Development
Corporation, said: "David has made an enormous contribution to the legacy of
the London 2012 Games and he has helped to steer the organisation through
some extremely challenging issues. We thank him for all his hard work and
wish him well in the future."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Motorbike 'gunmen' try to rob West Ham footballer Andy Carroll
The suspects tried to block Andy Carroll's car at a junction, and chased him
through the streets after he managed to drive away.
03:08, UK,
Thursday 03 November 2016
SKY News

West Ham striker Andy Carroll was threatened by two men on motorbikes who
claimed to be armed with guns in an attempted robbery. The Premier League
footballer was driving home from a training session when the suspects
demanded him to stop at a junction and gestured they had weapons. Both men
attempted to block his Mercedes G-Wagon when he tried to get away. They then
pursued the 27-year-old as he returned to the team's training ground for
help from security staff. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed they were
called to reports of an attempted robbery at gunpoint in nearby northeast
London at 12.45pm on Wednesday. However, the two men rode off before
officers arrived. Detectives from Redbridge CID are investigating but are
yet to make any arrests.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jordan Spence has started training with Rotherham United over a potential
move according to a report from HITC Sport.
The72.co.uk

The 26-year-old defender, who can play right back and centre back, is
currently a free agent after he was released by MK Dons following their
relegation from the Sky Bet Championship last season. He has been looking
around for a new club ever since and he may have finally found a new home
after he begun training with Rotherham.

New Millers manager Kenny Jackett is looking to improve his defensive
options and with Spence having plenty of experience at this level having
played for the aforementioned Dons and having a loan spell with Sheffield
Wednesday previously, he could end up being the perfect addition to the
squad.

However if Spence wants to get a deal with Rotherham, much like Peter
Odemwingie has got after he signed a short-term deal last week, he will have
to impress during his trial. Not only that, he will be able to use this time
with a club to get back to full match fitness so if he fails to get a
contract with Rotherham, he will be in a better place to get a deal with
another club.

Rotherham are currently struggling in the Championship and have already
sacked on manager, Alan Stubbs, after they were left at the bottom of the
league. Now with Jackett in charge of the club, they will hope to move up
the table and avoid being relegated to Sky Bet League One.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Agent: 'Zaza could leave West Ham'
By Football Italia staff

Simone Zaza's father and agent "can't guarantee" that the striker will stay
at West Ham United. The Italian international has struggled since moving to
the Premier League, and it has been suggested that he could return to Italy
in January, with Napoli said to be interested. "I honestly don't know, I
think we'll analyse the various situations," Antonio Zaza admitted in an
interview with Calciomercato.com. "Either tomorrow or the day after I'll be
in London to take stock of the situation with Simone and West Ham. "The
situation isn't very clear, I can't guarantee that he'll stay in London
until the end of the season or that he'll definitely leave.
"Firstly it will be important to analyse everything with my son."

Has there been any contact with Napoli?
"No, no-one from Napoli has called me recently. As you know, there was a
concrete deal last summer but no-one has called me again. "Milan? Not for
the moment, no. These two destinations would be very welcome, if they called
me I'd talk to them willingly."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
LLDC chairman Dave Edmonds resigns amid inquiry into West Ham London Stadium
costs
JAMES BENGE
Evening Standard

The chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) – the
owners of West Ham's London Stadium – has resigned after Sadiq Khan ordered
an inquiry into the cost of the ground. David Edmonds, who was appointed
chairman just over a year ago in September 2015, has ended his tenure after
it emerged that the cost of converting the arena for West Ham had risen to
£51million. Mayor of London Khan demanded an investigation after being told
that the conversion cost, to which West Ham contributed £15m, had increased
to £323m. That took the total cost to the taxpayer of the London Stadium to
£752m. David Goldstone, chief executive of the LLDC, said: "David has made
an enormous contribution to the legacy of the London 2012 Games and he has
helped to steer the organisation through some extremely challenging issues.
We thank him for all his hard work and wish him well in the future."

Edmonds has been a board member of the LLDC and its predecessor, the Olympic
Park Legacy Company, since 2010 and chaired E20 LLP, the joint venture
between Newham Borough and the LLDC that is responsible for the stadium. The
price of retractable seating has been a key issue, rising from a predicted
£300,000 to £8m, with the company behind the original proposal, Alto Seating
Solutions, having gone into liquidation. The 15 days required to change the
stadium from an athletics to football mode also means that West Ham are
unlikely to be able to play a home game at their new ground until September
next season, with the World Athletics Championships taking place in
Stratford until August 13. Deputy Mayor Jules Pipe said earlier this week
that the investigation into the costs of the former Olympic Stadium would
consider all aspect of the ground's management to understand why its cost
had skyrocketed. However he conceded that there was little possibility of
renegotiating the original deal with West Ham, which commits the ground's
tenants to paying £2.5m per annum in rent.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham news: Blame Seb Coe and Boris Johnson, not the club, for the
scandalous waste of £752m stadium
Is this the legacy Coe envisaged 11 years ago?
The Independent
Ian Herbert Chief Sportswriter @ianherbs 44 minutes ago1 comment

There are many reasons for rage about £752m being casually tossed away on a
stadium to accommodate a London football team currently larging it in the
£5bn Premier League, though the contribution which that club is stumping up
for the privilege tops the lot.

West Ham United have paid £15m – the cost of an average midfield player –
towards the £323m alteration costs to their new ground and are finding about
£2.5m a year – the annual salary of an average midfield player – to help
with the running costs. And that's their lot. The exchequer is picking up
the vast remainder of the tab, at a time when 8 per cent of 16-24-year-olds
in the capital report recently being homeless and the number of people
sleeping rough there is double what it was five years ago. 'Football -
bloody hell,' as a manager once said. Out there in the real world, what must
they think of this game we love and the parallel plain it occupies?

Well, the game cannot take the kicking on this occasion. We must turn to an
old friend of this column to understand how this nation, which the
Conservative Government have been telling us for six years requires a long
dose of austerity, is blowing three quarters of a billion to accommodate
Slaven Bilic and his merry men.

He is one Sebastian Coe, who was talking in a very loud way about 'legacy'
in 2005, when insisting that a 20,000-seat unroofed athletics stadium must
form the centrepiece of 2012 London's Olympic Bid. They told him at the time
that he should bring a football club in from the start for the Olympic
Stadium, because you count on the fingers of one hand the number of days
athletics needs 20,000 seats.

Coe was not having it. I mean, he really was not having it. It takes a hell
of a lot to fluster this man but one of those occasions arrived when, under
questioning by the Greater London Authority, it was put to him that
Tottenham Hotspur may be the stadium's future occupants. "I didn't make a
promise to Tottenham Hotspur season ticket holders," he fulminated. Football
would not be in the 2012 Bid document, diluting London's appeal with to IOC.
Safe to say it also helped Coe's bid for the presidency of athletics'
governing body, the IAAF, to make a "permanent home for athletics" one of
the Bid's articles of faith.

Enter, stage left, Boris Johnson, an individual who loves nothing more than
a spectacular project. It was he who pushed for an additional £300m or so
more to be spent bringing some Premier League razzle to the stadium and
making it dual use after all. Except £300m wasn't enough. The original
canopy only covered two-third of the seats, so £160m would be needed for a
new cantilevered roof – the largest cantilevered roof in the world, no less
– and to install 21,000 retractable seats, bringing the lower tiers closer
to the pitch.

By the time it came to adapting the stadium for the only sport which could
consistently fill it, West Ham were the only show in town. And since
everyone who has sold a house knows what a lack of willing buyers does to
the price, Karren Brady & Co can hardly be blamed for driving as good a deal
for their shareholders as they could.

A little spirit of inquiry and curiosity would have told Coe that he was not
breaking new ground, here. When Manchester staged the Commonwealth Games in
2002, an expensive new stadium was also built. But in that city they happen
to have effective administrators, who worked out exactly what the legacy
would look like. It was agreed, ahead of construction, that the Commonwealth
Stadium would be converted for use by Manchester City and the original
design took account of that. The conversion only cost around £42 million,
with the tax payer and Manchester City each footing half the bill.

Prime Minister Theresa May dipped into the world of football for an easy hit
in the popularity stakes on Wednesday, when she appropriated the poppy for
political ends and damned Fifa's refusal to allow England and Scotland to
wear one on their jerseys when they play each other, next week. Everyone
loves some feel-good Fifa-kicking. An intelligent head of government would
have looked at this scandalous £752m waste and demanded that Coe and Johnson
answer to the DCMS select committee for their actions.

West Ham coincidentally revealed that they are unlikely to play any home
games before September next season because it will take 15 days for the
seats to be put back in place after next summer's World Athletics
Championships. The seats are actually not retractable at all. They must be
entirely dismantled. It was thought that the process would only take five
days but not so. The firm who promised to do so, Alto Seating Solutions, has
gone into liquidation.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Andy Carroll left 'shaken' after attempted armed robbery
Telegraph Sport
3 NOVEMBER 2016 • 12:09AM

Police are investigating an incident in which Andy Carroll, the West Ham
United and England forward, was threatened at gunpoint while he was
returning from training on Wednesday. The 27-year-old was ambushed in his
£100,000 Mercedes G-Wagon by two motorcyclists as he approached a road
junction in Essex. They ordered him to stop his car, but the 6ft 4in Carroll
accelerated and drove at speed to try to shake them off. According to the
Daily Mail, Carroll decided his safest option was to return to West Ham's
training ground in Rush Green, which lies between Barking and Dageham and
Havering, but in near-panic was in collision with a number of vehicles.
He managed to finally throw off the attackers and summoned help once he
arrived at the training ground, where he was said to be "shaken and
stunned".

Fellow players offered him support until police were able to arrive on the
scene. He later was allowed to return to his home to be reunited with his
fiancée Billi Mucklow, the reality TV star, and their son Arlo, aged one. A
spokesman for West Ham said last night: "West Ham United can confirm an
incident targeting one of our players on Wednesday 2 November. The matter is
now being handled by the police."

The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers were called to reports of an
attempted robbery at gunpoint in nearby Chigwell, north-east London. A
Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "Police were called at around 12.45 on
Wednesday, November 2, to reports of two males on motorcycles attempting to
rob the driver of a car in Romford Road. "The two men threatened the driver
and intimated through gesture that they were in possession of a gun. The
motorcyclists attempted to block the car as the driver sought to get away.
"The driver of the car - a man aged in his 20s - was able to manoeuvre away
and he called police for assistance. The suspects rode off prior to the
arrival of police. "The driver of the car was spoken to and an allegation of
attempted robbery was recorded."

Officers from Redbridge CID are investigating and are yet to make any
arrests, the Met said. It has been a difficult few months for Carroll, who
has not played this season apart from the opening day when he suffered knee
damage – the latest in a long line of injuries – and he is still some way
from a return to full fitness.
It has also been a challenging time for his club, whose move away from Upton
Park to the London Stadium has been dogged by incidents of crowd violence,
the worst of which occurred during last week's 2-1 EFL Cup win over Chelsea,
when rival supporters threw coins and broken-off parts of seats at each
other. West Ham, meanwhile, are struggling at the wrong end of the Premier
League table. Their 2-0 defeat away to Everton last Sunday leaves them in
17th place, just three points above the relegation places. They have a
crucial match at home to Stoke on Saturday.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Halfway to £25 million obligation to buy, Zaza admits he is struggling to
adapt to English football
HITC
Damien Lucas

Simone Zaza is halfway to triggering West Ham United's whopping £25 million
obligation to buy him from Juventus but the player has admitted he's
struggling. If Simone Zaza can't get into a West Ham side that is not
scoring freely and where his three rivals for a starting spot are injured or
not fully fit then it doesn't bode well. The Italian striker was a
substitute yet again in the 2-0 defeat to Everton last time out with winger
Michail Antonio preferred up front. But coming on as a sub Zaza clocked up
another appearance as he reached seven games, halfway to activating the
14-game obligation to buy clause for an eye-watering £25 million from Serie
A giants Juventus. While pundits and fans alike have seen for themselves
that Zaza is struggling to adapt to life in the Premier League, now the
player himself has admitted as much in an interview with the club's official
website. "Well, the game is much more physical here and there is less
emphasis on tactics," Zaza told whufc.com. "The game is non-stop for the
whole 90 minutes. "I knew that when I arrived it would be hard, because it's
a completely different league, but I didn't think it would be this
different."
While Zaza went on to say he felt more comfortable in recent weeks, his lack
of game time in the club's two games since suggests that manager Slaven
Bilic does not trust the player. And it is understandable, after all Zaza
has not even come close to a goal with over a quarter of the season gone.
Reports in the likes of the Express emerged this week that West Ham were
sounding out AC Milan to potentially take on the 25-year-old's loan deal so
they could pursue other targets in January.
Perhaps that would be best for all parties as it would be inconceivable that
the Hammers could potentially pay out a club record £25m to sign a striker
who has already proved a flop.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Paper round-up: Hammers linked with Kone
By London Football News 03/11/2016
Embed from Getty Images

West Ham are monitoring Sunderland centre-back Lamine Kone, according to the
Daily Mirror. Hammers boss Slaven Bilic is reportedly keen to strengthen his
defence in January and is said to be interested in the Ivory Coast
international. Kone, 27, was previously tipped to join Everton and the
Mirror say the Merseyside club could make another attempt to sign him.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com

Daily WHUFC News - 3rd November 2016

Pair receive call-ups
WHUFC.com

West Ham United's band of internationals have a busy period ahead in the
final break from domestic football of 2016. The 2018 FIFA World Cup
qualifiers continue, with no fewer than a dozen senior Hammers hoping to
feature.

Starting in European Group A, Dimitri Payet's France welcome Sweden to Paris
on Friday 11 November, having picked up four points from their opening two
fixtures.

In Group B, Edimilson Fernandes will hope to be included in the unbeaten
Switzerland squad for their home game with the Faroe Islands in Lucerne on
13 November.

Group C is where Havard Nordtveit and goalscorer Martin Samuelsen will hope
Norway can build on their 4-1 win over San Marino when they head to the
Czech Republic on 11 November.

Darren Randolph and James Collins could both be in action in Group D, where
Republic of Ireland travel to Austria and Wales host Serbia respectively.
Both have already received call-ups from their respective nations and will
hope to get some game-time.

In Group F, Michail Antonio will be hopeful of another call-up for England's
mouth-watering qualifier with Scotland at Wembley on Remembrance Day – and
friendly with Spain at the same venue the following Tuesday.

Finally in Europe, Group G is where Angelo Ogbonna's Italy travel to Vaduz
to face Liechtenstein.

Cheikhou Kouyate's Senegal travel to Polokwane to face South Africa in
African Round 3 Group D on 12 November, looking to build on their 2-0
victory over Cape Verde in their opening fixture.

In Group B, Sofiane Feghouli's Algeria travel to Nigeria on the same date,
having drawn 1-1 at home with Cameroon in their opening match.

In Group E, Andre Ayew will hope to make a triumphant return to the national
team when Ghana travel to Egypt. The Black Stars – managed by former Hammers
boss Avram Grant – were held goalless at home by Uganda last time out.

Winston Reid is set for the longest trip, with New Zealand facing New
Caledonia home and away in their opening Oceania Round 3 Group A fixtures.
The home leg will take place in Auckland on 12 November, with the return in
Kone three days later.

Away from the competitive fixtures, Doneil Henry's Canada travel to South
Korea for a friendly.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble backs Penguin Waddle
WHUFC.com

Patron Mark Noble has given his support to Richard House Children's
Hospice's annual fundraising 2016 Penguin Waddle.

The event will see participants embark on a scenic walk through central
London from 6.30pm on Tuesday 15 November, raising funds for the
Beckton-based hospice, which supports children and young people with
life-limiting conditions.

The Singology choir and our fashionista host Josh Newis-Smith will warm up
participants in the shadow of St Pauls Cathedral in Paternoster Square,
before the walk weaves its way through the capital to end at a fantastic
Penguin Party with DJ at the Scoop by Tower Bridge.

The event is ideal for all the family and for just a £25 registration fee
plus £50 minimum sponsorship, supporters will get their own penguin outfit,
and will join hundreds of other penguins in this festive 1.3-mile waddle.
Family and group discounts are available.

Sign up using the code 'West Ham' to receive a £5 discount on the standard
registration fee. Minimum sponsorship applies.

Contact Tom on 020 7540 0228 or email tommu@richardhouse.org.uk for more
information.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Noble pleased to be back at London Stadium
WHUFC.com

West Ham United captain Mark Noble is looking forward to playing at London
Stadium once again and hopes the fans will generate another special
atmosphere against Stoke.

Noble believes the team produced one of their best performances of the
season in the last home game to record a memorable win over Chelsea in the
EFL Cup.

The Hammers fans turned out in their thousands once again and saw Cheikhou
Kouyate and Edimilson Fernandes score the goals to help them set up a
quarter final showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Despite the disappointing defeat against Everton last weekend which ended
the Hammers four match unbeaten run, Noble is convinced the team can get
straight back on the winning trail and build on recent home victories
against Sunderland and Chelsea.

Noble said: "We have made the big move into London Stadium and it was going
to take time to get used to our new surroundings, but the victory over
Chelsea has really made it feel like home and I am really pleased about
that.

"We have beaten Bournemouth, Sunderland and Chelsea at home and have not
really struggled despite what some reports have said. We have to deal with
that and hopefully get another victory against Stoke.

"We were getting hammered a month ago for the way we were defending and
should other things change.

"We then produced a fantastic performance against Chelsea and it was a
fantastic evening with great support. We didn't really get recognised for
that.

"Hopefully that will change against Stoke, but we know it will be another
tough encounter as Stoke have won their last three Premier League games."

Noble has enjoyed playing in a new wing-back system and feels it has played
a major part in helping the team turn their season around.

Noble added: "Slaven has changed the system in recent games and I am really
enjoying it.

"Changing to three at the back and players like Pedro and Edimilson coming
into the team has been a major bonus and the teams looks better for it.

"We look a lot more solid and it has given us the foundation to go on and
win games."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
From the Terraces
WHUFC.com

Fan blogger Joe Difford returns with his latest look at the Hammers…

After last season's phenomenal comeback at Goodison Park that saw Dimitri
Payet poke home a last minute winner, fans were optimistic about Sunday's
game with Everton. What raised expectations even more was the fact that we
had confidently beaten a strong Chelsea side last Wednesday in the EFL Cup
and made it four games unbeaten.

Unfortunately for us, Romelu Lukaku continued his remarkable goal scoring
record against the Hammers, and we were unable to pick up the three points
that would have taken us almost into the top half of the Premier League
table.

Michail Antonio, who was playing as a striker once again, was lively from
the off, beating anyone who tried to stand in his way, but unfortunately his
instinct to run out to the flanks combined with our lack of a fit and firing
striker meant that his efforts were in vein.

Manuel Lanzini and Payet did what everyone expected, and dazzled with their
interplay and neat one touch passing, carving the Everton defence open on a
number of occasions.

Up the other end of the field, Adrian was back to his best, making a number
of world class saves, including one special stop where he managed to extend
an arm mid-dive to keep out an effort from close range.

But just as it seemed we could push for an opener, Lukaku did what he does
best, slotting home against Slaven Bilic and Co. after some fast and
impressive build up play.

1-0 would have been a tough result to take but one that wouldn't hurt too
much considering our form at Goodison Park over the years, but the second
goal was frustrating as we were in their half and looking to snatch an
equaliser.

Everton broke on the counter and moved the ball out wide, before crossing to
the back post where Ross Barkley was waiting to volley home an impressive
effort into the bottom corner.

After three fantastic wins on the trot, a loss away isn't the worst result,
but with a tough run of fixtures coming up in November and December that
include Spurs, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, we must take all
three points when Stoke City visit next week.

Unfortunately, Winston Reid picked up a yellow card and will miss the game,
but it could be a great opportunity for James Collins or Reece Oxford to
step up and impress alongside the experienced Angelo Ogbonna and Cheikhou
Kouyate.

Fans will also be hoping to see more of Edimilson Fernandes who has been
excellent in his first two Premier League appearances for the club.

The start to the season hasn't been perfect, and the loss to Everton
undoubtedly hurt our momentum, but if we can get Simone Zaza or perhaps
Ashley Fletcher to open their goal scoring accounts, we could turn this
great football into great results.

For more West Ham fan views or to join the conversation visit www.90min.com

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those
of West Ham United

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Loan stars make brief return to Chadwell Heath
WHUFC.com

The Academy of Football's loan stars returned to Chadwell Heath last week as
they took a break from their busy schedules to catch up with fellow players
and staff.

In total, seven players made the trips back from their respective loan clubs
to East London, including Josh Cullen, Reece Burke and Martin Samuelsen.

The day started with a talk from Academy Director Terry Westley who went
through each player's development plans as well as watching through some
highlights from the individual's performances during their loan spells.

The players then headed outside for a brief and very light training session
before coming back inside for a full Sunday roast, as they caught up with
each other over lunch.

Westley was keen to stress the importance of the day and said he hoped the
players would take a huge amount for the experience.

"The purpose of this day is to get everyone back together and remind them
that they're West Ham players," he said.

"Sometimes, these days remind us of the quality we have at the Club who are
out on loan.

"Our U23s and U18s are doing very well this season and we're holding our own
here but you cannot forget about the quality we have out there."

The Academy of Football puts in a lot of hard work to make sure they are up
to date on the progress of the players they have out on loan.

Their continuous graft and commitment to developing young players has paid
off, as the appearance numbers of Academy players in the West Ham United
First Team and at other clubs on loan has massively increased over the past
few seasons.

"The Club has been brilliant. Everyone at the Academy has been in constant
contact with us, making sure everything is alright," said Josh Cullen,
currently on loan at Bradford City.

"We had the meeting this morning and you can see how in-depth they go into
match reports. There is someone at every game watching us so they're keeping
close tabs on us and that's good to know."

"Terry, Liam, everyone at West Ham are doing a great job following the
progress of the loan players," added Martin Samuelsen, currently on loan at
Blackburn Rovers.

"Today, getting all the players in together is really good and beneficial. I
couldn't praise them (the Academy) enough."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Cole - It is great to be back
WHUFC.com

Hello everyone,

It is nice to be back at West Ham and I am just trying to keep myself fit.
It is the end of the season in the America and I want to keep ticking over
and plan to be here for a couple of months. The gaffer has allowed me to
stay over and use the facilities and train with the team until January. It
has been unbelievable since I went to the States and I have really enjoyed
myself playing for Sacramento Republic. It is very different culture wise
and the fans are a lot different. It is a bit of a contrast to what we
experience in England. It has been a great experience for me.

London Stadium is unbelievable and a bit different to what I am used to in
America! It is a great Stadium and I have the experience of playing in front
of so many West Ham fans when we played at Wembley in the Play-Off Final. I
cannot imagine what that must be like every week. It must be unbelievable
for the players because I will never forget the atmosphere that was created
by the Hammers fans at Wembley that day and that will always be in my mind.

I still take a lot of pride for being part of the team that got us back into
the Premier League and scoring one of the goals, but a lot has happened
since then.
The owners have done really well for the Club and changed things around. The
only way is up now. The fans turned out in their thousands for us that day
and having that every home game in the Premier League and other competitions
must be a dream for the players to play in front of. I came back for the EFL
Cup game against Chelsea and although it was two of my former Clubs in
action, it was nice to see West Ham come away with the victory. I had a
feeling they were going to win because every time I have come back they have
always beaten a big team so I was very happy to see that happen. I was happy
to see Cheikhou get on the scoresheet and to see his confidence come back
and show the level of performance he was producing last season. It was nice
to see the boys enjoying their game.

Nobes and Ginge are still going strong – they are going as strong as Ginge's
beard at the moment! The gaffer is a great manager to play under and you can
see they are still enjoying themselves. I think we will have another strong
season. The confidence has come back now and the players are all pulling in
the same direction.
We obviously had to get used to playing in the new Stadium and it would have
taken a bit of time to adjust but the last two home wins have made a big
difference. I can see it getting better from now on. I would have loved the
chance to play alongside Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet and it is all
about timing in life! I always loved to play with great players and I was
fortunate enough that I had the chance to do that at West Ham. But you look
at someone like Payet who has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or and that is
a great achievement. That just shows you what he has done since he arrived
at West Ham and how the Club has grown as well.

I hope to see everyone soon.

Coley

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Get your Stoke tickets on the Ticket Exchange
WHUFC.com

Tickets available on Ticket Exchange for 5 November game against Stoke City
Stoke game is a sell-out but some Season Ticket Holders have made their
seats available to purchase
Earn money back to redeem against your Season Ticket renewal

You don't have to miss out on the sold-out visit of Stoke City on Saturday -
as tickets are available on the Ticket Exchange! With over 55,000 supporters
on the Waiting List, demand to watch the Hammers live in action has never
been greater. The visit of Stoke City on 5 November sold out to Claret
Members in the Ticket Ballot - as all Premier League games at London Stadium
have. Our Ticket Exhange allows Season Ticket Holders the fantastic
opportunity to earn money back if they cannot attend a game, while making a
fellow Hammers supportet happy.
Relist your ticket for this - or any - league fixture and if it purchased
you will receive ticket credit, which you can use towards future ticket
purchases, including your Season Ticket renewal. Once a Season Ticket
Holder's ticket has been exchanged, his or her Season Card will be disabled
for the game, while the buyer's Claret Membership Card will be activated. If
you are not a Claret Member, you will be able to print your ticket at home.
The credit for the ticket sale will be made available in the seller's Season
Ticket Holder account, minus a 10% administrative charge.

For full details of how to release your seat to the Ticket Exchange, and for
terms and conditions, please click here to view our helpful User Guide.

Season Ticket Holder seats which become available on the Ticket Exchange
will be available to purchase online here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
London Stadium: Campaigners welcome investigation into rising costs
BBC.co.uk

Campaigners have welcomed the start of an investigation by London Mayor
Sadiq Khan into a £50m rise in the cost of converting West Ham's London
Stadium. The outlay to modify the Olympic venue has risen from £272m to
£323m. The investigation will look into inherited issues, including the cost
of moving retractable seating. "This is a breakthrough in our long campaign
to highlight the intolerable burden on taxpayers," read a statement from the
Olympic Stadium Coalition. "We have never objected to the idea of West Ham
playing at the stadium; the question is simply one of how much the club
should pay, and how much the taxpayer should be expected to fund."

West Ham, having won the right to be anchor tenants for the Olympic Stadium
in 2013, played their first game there in August, after 112 years at Upton
Park. The Premier League club contributes £2.5m a year in rent, after paying
a one-off £15m towards the conversion cost. The Olympic Stadium Coalition,
which is comprised of 14 supporters' trusts and groups, said taxpayers
deserved to be made "fully aware" of how much they are paying. It added: "We
hope to be able to meet the mayor to present him with the significant
information that we have gathered about the operational costs of the
stadium. "The mayor's investigation is good new starting point, but it is
only a start."

The investigation is "fully supported" by Mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales,
whose borough co-owns the stadium after investing £40m. And John O'Connell,
chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "For too long the details
of this shabby deal were kept in secret and lacked proper scrutiny, so Sadiq
Khan is absolutely right to look again at the case. "It's now down to those
in charge of the inquiry to get to the bottom of how West Ham were gifted
the deal of the century while ensuring their investigation doesn't end up
costing the taxpayer as much as the stadium."

West Ham's move to the London Stadium has been marred by fan violence,
leading the club to issue a five-point security plan to prevent further
disorder.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM'S FIRST – AND WORST – FOREIGN STRIKERS
BY EXWHUEMPLOYEE ON 1 NOVEMBER 2016 AT 10:43PM
TheWestHamWay.co.uk

West Ham's first – and worst – foreign strikers by @sid_lambert

Another season, another West Ham striker crisis. As Simone Zaza continues to
disappoint – and Andy Carroll continues to disappear – we're all wondering
when we're finally going to get a reliable frontman. Zaza is the latest in a
long line of foreign forwards who've flattered to deceive in claret and
blue. Historically our continental shopping trips haven't always provided
value for money. This week, we look back to when Harry Redknapp first
plundered foreign markets – with very mixed results.

In many respects, West Ham's progress during the Nineties was summed up by
our strikers. We started with Clive Allen and Trevor Morley, and ended with
the mercurial talents of Paolo Di Canio and Fredi Kanoute leading the line.
In the space of a decade we'd transformed from a perennial yo-yo club to an
established top tier outfit. Much of that progress was due to the transfer
policy of Harry Redknapp. The deal-maker supreme was unafraid to shop
abroad. Defensive reinforcements Marc Rieper and Slaven Bilic, both signed
for a pittance, justified his strategy. However, before the arrival of Di
Canio, Redknapp had a decidedly mixed record when it came to foreign
strikers. Here are some of those whose time in claret and blue didn't quite
hit the same heights.

Paolo Futre

In the late Eighties Paolo Futre was in the conversation as the greatest
footballer on earth. As a teenager, he was compared to Maradona. However, by
1995 the Atletico Madrid and Porto hero was set for the scrapheap. Injuries
meant he'd barely played in four seasons. Quite how he passed the medical at
Upton Park is a mystery. It was common knowledge that his knee was held
together by little more than chewing gum and a piece of string. Nonetheless,
Redknapp took a punt on the maestro. Whilst Futre's limbs struggled to stay
intact, there were no such concerns about his volcanic temperament. His
intended debut, away at Arsenal, was marred by an outburst that has since
become the stuff of legend. The Portuguese was furious to learn that his
preferred squad number, 10, had been allocated to John Moncur. The dressing
room stood in shock as Futre promptly dressed back into his civvies and
marched out of Highbury in disgust. Later in the game, Redknapp was forced
to field madcap keeper Les Sealey as an emergency striker. Within a week
Futre's legal team had negotiated the return of his favoured squad number,
in exchange for a cash sum and letting Moncur holiday at his villa in the
Algarve. When he did finally play, there were brief flashes of Futre's
former genius. An exciting cameo against Coventry was followed by a virtuoso
showing against Southampton. His fourth – and final – start for the club
came on a sunny September afternoon at home to Wimbledon. After a typically
robust encounter with the Dons' midfield, Futre was left prone on the turf.
His game, and effectively his career, was over. West Ham went on to lose
2-0, and one of the most gifted players of his generation was upstaged by
Efan Ekoku.

Marco Boogers

Arguably Redknapp's most high-profile failure, the Dutch target man arrived
from Sparta Rotterdam for £1m in the summer of 1995. His scoring record in
the Eredivisie did little to excite and it was later revealed that Redknapp
had never actually seen him play. The striker was red-carded in only his
second appearance off for a horrific tackle on Gary Neville, just moments
after coming on as substitute. Struggling with a pre-existing knee injury,
Boogers returned home for treatment. Within weeks The Sun reported, falsely,
that "Barmy Boogers" was hiding away in a caravan, shielding himself from
the pressure of the Premier League. Despite the club's denial, it remains
the epitaph to Boogers' career in England. Four forgettable substitute
appearances (all of which ended in defeat), no goals, one red card and
labelled a madman by the country's most popular paper. In some ways, perhaps
it's better than the truth. Boogers was ultimately replaced by the goal-shy
Iain Dowie.
By that stage his humiliation was complete.

Paulo Wanchope

According to Redknapp, Paulo Wanchope could pose a problem to any defence in
the Premier League. The Costa Rican burst onto the scene at Derby, scoring a
wonderful solo goal at Old Trafford. The rangy forward was a mixture of
muscle and madness, capable of fancy footwork that belied a man of his
stature. However, for all his flicks and tricks, Wanchope's scoring record
was distinctly average. Having scored only nine goals the previous season,
there were a few eyebrows raised when Redknapp parted with £3.5m for his
services in 1999. His debut against Heerenveen in the Intertoto Cup did
little to bolster confidence as the striker missed two absolute sitters. He
got off the mark in the return leg in what was a microcosm of his career at
Upton Park. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes utterly inept, he was a source of
consistent frustration. A two-month goal drought at the turn of the year
didn't silence the doubters. He did return to form slightly towards the end
of the season, though by then many supporters had their sights set on a more
reliable target man. How do you solve a problem like Paulo Wanchope? Buy
Fredi Kanoute.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Olympic Stadium deal explained: from Water City to the London
Stadium
Owen Gibson
Wednesday 2 November 2016 13.30 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 2 November
2016 14.11 GMT
The Guardian

The total cost of converting the Olympic Stadium from an athletics stadium
into a multi-use venue has soared to £323m, taking the overall cost of West
Ham United's new home to £752m – largely borne by taxpayers. How did we get
here?

How long have you got? The story begins in 2003 when Lord Rogers wrote to
Tony Blair suggesting a stadium in Stratford built for football with interim
use for athletics as the centrepiece of any Olympics bid, to be funded by
joint tenancy between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham. The so-called Water
City scheme foundered over land issues. Once the bid was won in 2005, with
Sebastian Coe's promise to retain the running track as a legacy for
athletics one factor in swinging votes, there was a determination to get on
with building – issues with spiralling costs and delays at Wembley and the
embarrassing Picketts Lock fiasco (where plans to host the 2005 World
Athletics Championships had to be abandoned) were weighing heavy on the
minds of Olympic officials and ministers. Tentative talks with football
clubs, including West Ham, had proved inconclusive. As such, at a fateful
meeting of the Olympic board in February 2007, it was decided to press on
with building an athletics stadium that could easily be "demounted" to
become a community facility with a 25,000-seat capacity but was harder to
convert to a football stadium. In effect, discussions over the future use of
the stadium were parked.

When did football re-enter the equation?

With Boris Johnson, and his love of eye-catching projects, replacing Ken
Livingstone in 2008 and the coalition government coming to power in 2010 the
idea of finding a solution that would enable the stadium to be retained as a
larger, dual use facility gained momentum. In order to make the finances
work, a Premier League football club was considered a prerequisite. The then
Olympic Park Legacy Company launched a contest for the stadium. Encouraged
to provide West Ham with some competition by Johnson, Spurs proposed to
knock down the stadium and rebuild it for football, upgrading Crystal Palace
as an athletics venue. That idea met a furious backlash from Coe and others
involved in the Olympic bid who said it would be a betrayal of the promised
athletics legacy. Following a bitter, controversial battle - including
allegations of spying, phone hacking and industrial espionage – West Ham
were awarded the stadium in February 2011.

Why did they did not move in sooner?

The plan for West Ham to take over the stadium was challenged in the courts
by Spurs and Leyton Orient and the whole plan had to be scrapped amid "legal
paralysis" when a complaint was made to the European Commission on state aid
grounds. The contest was relaunched, with West Ham – effectively by now the
only game in town – this time emerging as tenants rather than leaseholders
following a long and bruising negotiation. The 99-year agreement was finally
confirmed in March 2013 and work began in earnest to convert the stadium so
it could become West Ham's home ground in the winter and used for athletics,
concerts and other events in the summer.

What was the bill for the conversion?

Because the original canopy only covered two-third of the seats, the initial
estimated cost was £160m to build a new cantilevered roof, the largest of
its kind in the world – using technology developed for use on North Sea oil
rigs – and to install 21,000 state of the art retractable seats that would
bring the lower tiers closer to the action and assuage fears of fans who
worried it would not be suitable for football. Permanent toilets, catering
facilities, executive boxes and so on also had to be built. In essence, the
stadium had to be almost rebuilt from scratch from the inside out as a
54,000 capacity dual-use arena.

Who paid what?

The largest chunk of funding for the transformation comes from a one-off
settlement of £148.8m from the exchequer in 2010. On top of that Newham
council provided £40m through a loan (in return for a 35% stake), almost
£40m came from the original £9.3bn budget for the Olympics and a further
£25m from the government. UK Athletics invested £1m and the London Marathon
Charitable Trust provided £3.5m.

West Ham agreed to pay £15m towards the overall conversion costs, plus a
basic £2.5m a year in rent. The rest of the conversion budget is funded by
LLDC. Following a long freedom of information battle, campaigners eventually
uncovered the detailed terms of the contract – including extra payments by
West Ham if they succeeded on the pitch but reductions in the annual rent if
they were relegated. In return the joint venture between London Legacy
Development Corporation (LLDC) and Newham council that owns the stadium
meets all the running costs. Under various formulae, West Ham also share in
profits from hospitality and catering.

Critics said West Ham had secured "the deal of the century" at the expense
of the taxpayer. The club, who hoped to use the move from Upton Park as a
springboard to boost revenues, attendance and their status (as signified by
adding the word London to their badge), contended that only they could offer
the stadium a sustainable future free of subsidy and that the deal was fair
for all parties.

Why did costs rise?

It quickly became clear that the £160m budgeted would not be enough. First,
the costs rose to £193.3m as a result of difficulties that the constructors
Balfour Beatty experienced building the cantilevered roof and in the face of
challenging weather conditions. Then in June last year the price tag rose to
£272m. This was presented as a final budget, although with the caveat that
costs could yet rise further. As the blame game intensified, Johnson turned
on the pre-Games planners. "A very bad call was made when those in charge at
the time backed a stadium construction plan that would leave the Olympic
Park with a much smaller, mouldering and tumbleweed ridden arena following
the Games," he said. "Following that plan would have literally torn the
heart out of the park and put at risk the incredible economic regeneration
we are now seeing in east London."

And now the cost has risen even further?

Yes. It is now estimated that the total bill for the conversion will be at
least £323m - more than twice the original estimate. Added to the final cost
of building the Olympic Stadium (put at £429m by the Olympic Delivery
Authority) the final bill for the rebuilt, renamed London Stadium now stands
at £752m.

Why has the bill risen again?

One issue is the fact that the retractable seats – supposed to be the jewel
in the crown of the design – have encountered issues that have pushed costs
from £300,000 to an estimated £8m. It has also emerged that they will take
longer to shift from "football mode" to "athletics mode" than anticipated,
threatening the revenue-generating potential for the French operators,
Vinci, employed on a 20-year contract. Another factor is the cost of the
ambitious wrap and huge digital screen that will soon greet fans when they
arrive at the stadium. Following typically intensive negotiations with West
Ham, the E20 Stadium Partnership (the special purpose vehicle formed by
Newham and LLDC that owns the stadium) is meeting most of the costs.

Why has the London mayor Sadiq Khan launched an inquiry now?

Partly to get to the bottom of what has gone wrong. But also because,
politically, it makes sense for an incoming Labour mayor to pin the blame
for the problems on Johnson's administration. It may not be a coincidence
that the new inquiry, which will report jointly to Newham council, comes as
Khan also questions his spending on everything from the regeneration project
at Old Oak Common in the north-west of the city – like the stadium, this
week branded "a mess" – to plans for the Garden Bridge over the Thames.

The new inquiry also comes at a particularly sensitive time for LLDC and for
West Ham. Already under pressure, rightly or wrongly, over the perception
that West Ham were gifted the stadium at the expense of taxpayers, the first
few months in their new home have been far from smooth for the east London
club. Serious problems with the "migration" of fans from Upton Park to the
London Stadium and issues with stewarding have cast a pall.

Last week, the negative publicity continued with television pictures of fans
posturing and hurling seats and coins inside the stadium during the EFL Cup
tie against Chelsea. The various relationships between West Ham, the stadium
operators LS185, LLDC and Newham have remained strained. The new questions
over rising costs and how they are met will only increase that tension.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham unlikely to play at London Stadium until September next season due
to World Athletics Championships seating delay
MATT MAJENDIE, MARCO GIACOMELLI
Evening Standard

West Ham are confident they can handle any disruption caused by issues over
the retractable seating at the London Stadium. The Hammers are unlikely to
play at home next term until September because of the delay in converting
the stadium back to football following a summer of athletics there. Standard
Sport understands it could take up to 15 days for seating to be moved back
into place but the World Athletics Championships end on August 13, which is
likely to be the day after the Premier League season kicks off. In the
original plans for the multi-use stadium it was thought it would take only
five days but the company behind that proposal, Alto Seating Solutions, has
gone into liquidation. Under the original proposal it was going to cost
£300,000 to move the seating but the process is now being put out to tender
and it is thought it could cost up to £8million. No date has been set for
the start of the next Premier League season but it is likely to be August
12. Given the World Athletics Championships finish the next day, West Ham
will ask the Premier League to be away on the opening day of the season and
the following week too when they shoud be at home. They would then be away
in the third round of League matches, meaning they would not play at the
London Stadium until mid-September.
This arrangement would mirror the one Liverpool had this year when they
moved their second match of the campaign — against Burnley — to Turf Moor as
Anfield was still being redeveloped. As well as the World Athletics
Championships, which start on August 4, the stadium will also host a round
of the Diamond League on July 9 with the World ParaAthletics Championships
beginning five days later. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced an inquiry
into the cost of converting the stadium, which has risen from £272m to
£323m.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Tory MP slams 'astronomical' cost of West Ham Olympic Stadium deal
JOE MURPHY
Evening Standard

A senior Conservative MP today hit out at the "incredibly generous" deal
given to West Ham to take over the former Olympic Stadium. Damian Collins,
chairman of the Commons culture committee, backed an inquiry into the
"astronomical" cost to taxpayers approved by ex-Mayor Boris Johnson. He said
the probe, announced by new Mayor Sadiq Khan, should ask whether Mr Johnson
"was determined to get Premier League football to the stadium at almost any
cost". Mr Collins told BBC Radio 4: "These costs seem to be out of control.
I think most people would say West Ham have got an unbelievably good deal.
Lessons should be learned from this saga."

Mr Khan has expressed "deep concern" at the £50 million hike in the cost of
turning the Olympic Stadium — now the London Stadium — from an athletics
venue into a multi-purpose 60,000-seat venue fit for top-flight football. Mr
Collins said Manchester City paid half of a £40 million bill for converting
the former Commonwealth Games stadium, while West Ham paid £15 million and a
low rent for a transformation costing over £300 million.

West Ham have a 99-year lease and pay an annual rent of £2.5 million. Mr
Khan said: "I am deeply concerned by the serious financial issues with the
Olympic Stadium.
"It has emerged that my predecessor oversaw a dramatic increase in costs as
well as a series of poor decisions. In short, he left a complete financial
mess." The inquiry will look for savings and improvements. There has been
widespread criticism of the deal from politicians and supporters of rival
clubs. Recent West Ham games at the stadium have also been marred by
violence among fans. The chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, John
O'Connell said: "For too long the details of this shabby deal were kept
secret so Sadiq Khan is right to look again at the case.

Instead of focusing anger on West Ham for taking advantage of this
ludicrously generous taxpayer-funded subsidy, we should be demanding
explanations from those that signed off on this agreement." The probe will
look into the retractable seating that gets football fans closer to the
pitch. It is understood the seats are not as "retractable" as the Greater
London Authority — the Stratford venue's owner — was led to believe, and
takes 15 days to remove or replace. This undermines plans for concerts and
other events. Depeche Mode are set to play on June 3. The GLA says the
"final comparable cost" for converting the stadium is now £309 million with
a further £14 million set aside for "essential enhancements". That produces
a conversion bill of £323 million and final cost for the stadium of £752
million. Allies of Mr Johnson accused Mr Khan of "whingeing". One said:
"Sadiq Khan has done nothing for the Olympic Park. "He has done nothing
for any regeneration sites. He criticises spending on the Olympic Stadium
when his own deputy mayor Jules Pipe was on the London Legacy Development
Corporation and approved the whole package.
"He needs to stop whingeing and come up with ideas of his own. The Olympic
Park is the greatest regeneration site in Europe." The site is being
transformed into the "Olympicopolis" arts quarter, featuring the V&A,
university campuses and Sadler's Wells. A former official involved in the
stadium talks warned that "talking down the stadium will destroy any chance
of a naming rights deal", potentially costing the GLA some £5 million a
year.

West Ham declined to comment.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Anger over massive cost of converting Olympic stadium for West Ham
Ashitha Nagesh for Metro.co.uk
Wednesday 2 Nov 2016 9:59 am

Sadiq Khan is launching an probe into the soaring costs of converting the
Olympic Stadium for use by West Ham football club. The Premier League club
moved to the stadium this season, but there have already been several
incidents of crowd trouble and complaints about a lack of atmosphere. Khan,
however, is more concerned about a £51million hike in the cost of converting
the stadium from its Olympic configuration into a 60,000-seat multi-purpose
venue. 'The mayor is deeply concerned about the finances of the Olympic
Stadium, which have clearly been left in a total and utter mess by the
previous administration at City Hall,' a spokesperson for Khan said.
'The former mayor announced just last year that the total cost for
transforming the stadium was £272million. In reality, this is £323million –
a difference of more than £50million.'

Estimated cost of converting the stadium
New estimate £323,000,000
Original estimate £272,000,000
Cost of moving the 'retractable' seats
Current estimate £8,000,000
Original estimate £300,000

When contacted for a response, West Ham chose not to comment.

The club has a 99-year lease on the venue and pays an annual rent of
£2.5million, which covers almost all of their costs. It has also contributed
£15million towards the conversion costs, but the public is covering the
rest. John O'Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told
PA: 'For too long the details of this shabby deal were kept in secret and
lacked proper scrutiny, so Sadiq Khan is absolutely right to look again at
the case. 'But instead of focusing our anger on West Ham for taking
advantage of this ludicrously generous taxpayer-funded subsidy, we should
instead be demanding explanations from those that signed off on this
agreement and ask how they ever thought that this offered value to those of
us footing the bill. 'It's now down the those in charge of the inquiry to
get to the bottom of how West Ham were gifted the deal of the century while
ensuring their investigation doesn't end up costing the taxpayer as much as
the stadium.'

What's the big issue?

The main problem with the stadium is the 'retractable' seats, which aren't
so retractable after all. Apparently the Greater London Authority (which
owns the venue) was led to believe the seats were retractable, when in fact
they take 15 days to remove or replace. This means there are now extra costs
and delays – which is a major concern given that the stadium's business plan
depends on concerts and other events being held there during the off-season.


For example, Depeche Mode are supposed to be performing at the stadium on
June 3. The original estimate for moving the retractable seats was around
£300,000 – a figure that is now believed to have been wildly optimistic. Sky
News has suggested that the cost is closer to £8million.

London Assembly member Andrew Dismore said: 'This is a staggering burden to
place on taxpayers. It's only a year ago that Boris Johnson promised both
full transparency and that no more public money would be spent on this
project. 'Londoners must now add the stupendous costs of retracting the
seating to the other numerous poor deals for the taxpayer the West Ham
contract contains. 'Boris even went so far as boasting about the rental
income from West Ham, which at £2.5m per season can now be seen to be a drop
in the ocean when compared with the cost of retracting the seats. 'Londoners
will rightly want to know how they ended up bearing the costs of the former
mayor's disastrous negotiations.'

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sadiq Khan orders inquiry into Olympic Stadium as cost of converting it for
West Ham soars by £51m
HATTY COLLIER
Evening Standard

Sadiq Khan today ordered an inquiry into the finances of the Olympic Stadium
after it emerged that the total cost of converting the arena for West Ham's
use has soared by £51m. The Mayor announced the investigation after learning
that the conversion cost had increased from £272m to £323m. The price of
retractable seating, installed to improve the view for football, was one of
the main factors behind the cost rise, which triggered Mr Khan's decision,
Sky News reported. The cost of the seats is said to have risen from an
estimated £300,000 to £8m. Deputy mayor Jules Pipe told Sky News: "Last
year the previous administration told the public that the costs had risen in
total to around £270m. "The new Mayor has now been told that cost will be
over £320m. "Understandably, Sadiq has ordered an investigation as to why
those two figures are so wildly different. "As the new administration at
City Hall clearing up the mess of the previous administration, we need to
make sure that the stadium runs on a sustainable basis and it is affordable
to London."
The stadium has been beset by problems in recent months after violent
clashes broke out between fans at the football venue. Engineers have said
work to move the retractable seating could take 30 days each season – three
times as long as the five days initially predicted. The extra days' work
could threaten planned events, including athletics and concerts, or even
delay West Ham's return for the start of the new football season. Former
mayor Boris Johnson had agreed to West Ham's request to install the seating
as a quick and cost-effective way for the stadium to be converted for
athletics and other events. Mr Pipe said the investigation would look at all
aspects of the stadium. He added that renegotiating the deal with West Ham
would be difficult. The total cost of the stadium is now £752m, which is
taxpayer funded besides a £15m contribution from West Ham. A spokesperson
for the Mayor of London said: "The Mayor is deeply concerned about the
finances of the Olympic Stadium, which have clearly been left in a total and
utter mess by the previous administration at City Hall. "The former Mayor
announced just last year that the total cost for transforming the stadium
was £272 million. In reality this is £323 million – a difference of more
than £50 million. "Sadiq has ordered a detailed investigation into the full
range of financial issues surrounding the stadium. "We remain committed to
the future of the stadium as a venue for football and other sporting and
cultural activities. "We are confident that London will host a fantastic
World Athletics and Para Athletics Championships in 2017."

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

http://vyperz.blogspot.com