An excellent run of form in pre-season has left Robert Green relishing the
return to serious action
11.08.2008
Robert Green is looking forward to the new season with West Ham United after
the final pre-season friendly this summer helped fuel the optimism.
The England No1 produced some good stops in a 1-1 draw against elite Spanish
side Villarreal on a day that saw more than 20,000 fans acknowledge the
lasting legacy of Bobby Moore and the charitable fund in his name. "It was
good to be back at Upton Park," Green said. "It was a positive exercise, a
healthy crowd and a worthwhile cause. It was a good game and, as pre-season
friendlies go, it was an evenly matched game of two different styles.
"It was Spanish style against English style but it was enjoyable to play in.
You can see the quality they have got and we managed to put in a decent
enough performance." Green could do nothing about Santi Cazorla's equaliser
that cancelled out Carlton Cole's first-minute strike and also said the wet
weather did not have an impact on his game. "They didn't really have many
shots that were difficult to handle," he said. "The conditions made it
easier for the players and it wasn't too hard on anyone."
Green expects the visit of Wigan Athletic next Saturday to be a different
test altogether. He said: "I am really looking forward to the start. It is a
big game because it is one you look at during the course of the season,
whether it is the first game or the last game, and say it is a game you
definitely want to try and win. Wigan are going to come here and make it
difficult. They will play very differently to how Villarreal did."
The England goalkeeper, who will be among a number of West Ham United
players who could be in the frame for Fabio Capello's squad to face the
Czech Republic in a 20 August friendly, has featured in all but one of the
first-team pre-season games this summer and despite a lot of football has
enjoyed the experience. "The start of the season is here now and we have had
long enough to get ready. It is going to be good to get back playing again
and make a good fist of the season."
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Tilbury test for youngsters - WHUFC
Young players should again get the chance to shine on Monday night with the
final pre-season friendly
11.08.2008
Kevin Keen will take his youngsters to Tilbury on Monday night for their
last official pre-season friendly of the summer.
The reserve-team manager will be in charge of the West Ham United XI and
once again it will be a chance for the club's crop of talented youngsters to
shine. The previous outing was at Bishop's Stortford last Tuesday when six
first-teamers helped pave the way for a 2-0 victory but it was the
youngsters, who are still very much of Tony Carr's Under-18 set-up, who saw
the game out and gave Keen plenty of food for thought.
"We got some good passing movements going at the end," he said. "I was
pleased with my lot. There were a few too many changes in the second half
but that is how it is in these friendlies. We probably lacked a little bit
more bite up front but certainly some of the passing and movement was good."
Luis Boa Morte finished off the scoring last week but it was Jack Collison
who had set the side on their way. Keen is not certain whether he will see
too much of his captain from the last campaign this time around. "We are
going to have to see what happens with Jack," he said. "Hopefully he won't
end up playing as many games in the reserves. Not because I don't want him -
because I do - but simply because I think he needs to further his
experience. Either by going on loan or breaking into the first team."
Along with last year's breakthrough trio of James Tomkins, Freddie Sears and
Collison, the likes of Jordan Spence, Joe Widdowson, Ashley Miller, Bondz
N'Gala, Junior Stanislas and Zavon Hines have also shown some of their
potential this summer. They could figure heavily for the reserves this
season while there are a few others looking to show what they can do such as
midfielders Tom Harvey and Daniel Kearns and the versatile Josh Payne.
Last week's game saw full-back Ryan O'Neill get a chance alongside some
senior pros and Keen was more than happy with his display. "He has got good
talent," he said. "He sees things and I have been waiting for him to perform
like that for me and he has got to keep that going through the year. There
are a few who will be looking to get more involved with the reserves this
year."
After the Tilbury test, Keen will be looking to set up a few friendlies at
Chadwell Heath this summer as the reserve campaign does not get going until
15 September and a trip to Chelsea. The 2007/08 campaign saw his team
challenge for the Barclays Premier Reserve League South title all season and
they were only pipped by Aston Villa by four points, having only narrowly
lost by late goals to the champions home and away.
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The power of eight - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 11th August 2008
By: Staff Writer
Alan Curbishley had revealed he wants his team to get off to a flyer this
season - and to continue to do so for the first eight games. The fixture
list - which kicks off next week, in the eighth month of the eighth year -
has been kind to West Ham with a string of games which must be considered
winnable opening the campaign. And manager Curbishley is under no illusion
that for his side to have a good season, they need to perform in the opening
two months of the campaign. "It's important is that we get a good start -
and when I say start I mean the first eight games," he said. However he was
less than happy at being named by some bookies as favourite to be first
Premier League manager for the chop this season. "I am a bit miffed by it
really," he added. "The bookies make their predictions and we will have to
see what happens. But it doesn't concern me. It will only only concern me if
it comes true!"
Despite the bookies odds Matthew Upson revealed that Curbishley has the full
backing of his squad; talking to The Sun, the English international said:
"Curbs most definitely has the backing of the players. I can understand why
he is under criticism. He's taken a job at a football club who had a huge
financial injection. "People expected big things and, so far, those massive
things have not been delivered. But people need to be aware that it is a
process and no matter how much money you throw in, there has to be a
foundation."
Eight to go
16 August: Wigan Athletic (h)
24 August: Manchester City (a)
30 August: Blackburn Rovers (h)
13 September: West Bromwich Albion (a)
20 September: Newcastle United (h)
27 September: Fulham (a)
5 October: Bolton (h)
19 October: Hull City (a)
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The song remains the same - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 11th August 2008
By: John Simkin
When John Lyall was dismissed at start of the 1988/89 season he became the
first West Ham manager to be sacked because of the performance of the team.
This amazing fact tells us a great deal about what has been wrong with the
West Ham set-up over the years.
Syd King was appointed secretary/manager of the club in September 1901. He
had been on the playing staff since 1899. King held the job until he was
suspended in November 1932 for being drunk at a West Ham board meeting. At
another board meeting on 3rd January, 1933, doubts were expressed about
King's honesty in the day-to-day business of running the club. It was
decided that King should be sacked from the post of manager.
King was replaced as manager by the trainer Charlie Paynter. He had joined
the playing staff in the 1900-01 season and after retiring because of a
serious leg injury he was appointed to the coaching staff and eventually
became trainer in 1911.
Paynter, who was a teetotaler, did not get into any "moral" problems and
despite his lack of success as a manager he was allowed to continue in the
job until he decided it was time to retire at the age of 71 in 1950. He was
even allowed to select the man to replace him as manager. His choice was Ted
Fenton who had played under him at West Ham between 1932 and 1946.
Fenton managed the club until 1961. Officially, he retired for "health
reasons". However, according to West Ham players who were interviewed for
Brian Belton's book, Days of Iron: The Story of West Ham United in the
Fifties (1999), Fenton was sacked for similar reasons to Syd King. Malcolm
Allison later claimed that "Ted Fenton got the sack. They were rebuilding
the stand and he was pinching some bricks and paint. Putting it in the back
of the car. One of the directors caught him." Ken Tucker thought he had been
dismissed because he had negotiated a reduction in the price of equipment,
but was only passing on a percentage of the savings to the club.
Ron Greenwood replaced Fenton and held the position until 1977 when he
decided it was right for John Lyall should takeover the day to day
activities of managing the club. Lyall was sacked in 1989.
Why is it that over a 88 year period no West Ham manager was sacked for
football reasons? It is clearly a record that no other club gets anywhere
close to equaling. The reason why Syd King, Charlie Paynter and Ted Fenton
survived even though they were unable to bring football success to the club
was because this was not the main objective of the exercise. As Charles Korr
points out in his excellent book based on the minutes of the West Ham board
meetings, the mangers were under instructions to make a profit. The main way
they did this was to buy cheap and sell dear. West Ham became a club that
made money from selling players. King, Paynter and Fenton had one thing in
common, they could spot talented young players. These were then groomed to
be sold to the more ambitious clubs.
The 1905 edition of Association Football included the following passage: "It
is the proud boast of the West Ham club that they turn out more local
players than any other team in the South. The district has been described as
a hot-bed of football and it is so. The raw material is found on the
marshlands and open spaces round about; and after a season or so, the
finished player leaves the East End workshop to better himself, as most
ambitious young men will do. In the ranks of other organizations many old
West Ham boys have distinguished themselves."
For example, in the 1912-13 it seemed that West Ham would win the Southern
League championship for the first time. Danny Shea was the star of the side
but after scoring 15 goals in 22 games he was sold to Blackburn Rovers in
January 1913. Blackburn had won the First Division of the Football League
title in the 1911-12 season. They struggled for goals the following season
and decided to pay a British record transfer fee of £2,000 for Shea, who had
scored 103 goals in a 166 games for West Ham.
West Ham was elected to the Second Division of the Football League in the
1919-20 season. In the first season they finished a promising 7th. They
followed this with a 5th place in the 1920-21 season. West Ham fans thought
that 1921-22 season would be their year. This seemed to be the case as they
were challenging for the title until the board decided to sell Syd
Puddefoot, the star striker, who had scored 107 goals in 194 games for the
club. The team relied heavily on Puddefoot's goals and it was great shock to
the fans when King sold him to Falkirk for the British record fee of £5,000
in February 1922. Poor old Puddefoot did not want to go. He was a local lad
who wanted to remain at the club he supported, but in those days, players
had no control over their destiny.
West Ham had a bad run of results after the loss of Puddefoot and the club
finished in 4th place. However, the important thing was the club made a
profit that year.
King was allowed to keep the rest of his young local players such as Vic
Watson, Jimmy Ruffell, Syd Bishop, Jack Tresadern and Ted Hufton and the
players rewarded them by getting promoted to the First Division in 1924 -
not to mention reaching the Cup Final in 1923. The question remains, would
they have won the Cup that year if they had retained the services of Syd
Puddefoot?
However, King was given no money to buy in new players and eventually the
board of directors resorted to selling off their best assets and relegation
became inevitable.
In April 1936 Bert Davis, one of West Ham directors, told a reporter of the
Evening News that he "preferred to have West Ham near the top of the second
division rather than in the first division… because it is a better paying
proposition". The West Ham fans had suspected this attitude for sometime but
even they were surprised that the board would admit to such a strategy. As a
result of this controversy the West Ham board was forced to make a statement
claiming that Davis had been misquoted. However, we know from the board
minutes that Davis had been expressing the views of the club.
As long as West Ham managers could continue to develop young players for
sale, the club could continue to fulfill its major objective, to make a
profit. Davis was right, the gate receipts in the Second Division were not
so different from those in the First Division. It made financial sense to
sell your best players and to stay in the Second Division than gain
promotion to the First Division. It was recognised by the board that West
Ham fans would still go to matches as long as the team played "good
football".
The question remains. Does West Ham still follow the same agenda as in the
past? Do we still sell our best young players? Are we willing to invest in
top quality players to support our home grown talent? It seems that recent
managers like Harry Redknapp and Alan Pardew were willing to play by these
rules in an attempt to make the club profitable. It is also worth noting
that both men were sacked for 'moral' reasons rather than 'football'
reasons.
Will the current regime allow the club to keep players like Mark Noble? Will
Curbishley be allowed to keep his star striker, Dean Ashton? The following
months will show if the West Ham strategy has changed since 1901.
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A chorus of disapproval - KUMB
Filed: Sunday, 10th August 2008
By: Staff Writer
Triallist Ben Thatcher was heavily booed on his first appearance for West
Ham at the Boleyn Ground yesterday afternoon. The decision to offer a trial
to the 32-year-old former Millwall and Tottenham player had been roundly
condemned by supporters this week, with many questioning the wisdom of
offering an opportunity to a player not considered good enough for
Championship outfit Charlton, who released him at the end of last season.
Hammers fans let both Alan Curbishley and the board know their feelings in
no uncertain terms by booing Thatcher's name when read out ahead of
Saturday's 1-1 draw with Villarreal and during the game. The player had a
quiet game and was substituted after just 45 minutes to be replaced by
youngster Joe Widdowson. Alan Curbishley, talking after the game revealed
why he had brought Thatcher in. We've a few injury niggles at the back and I
am looking for some experienced cover," he said "Ben is steady but he has a
couple of clubs interested in him and I will have to have a think about it."
Thatcher, who has a history of being involved in violent incidents has been
offered the chance to ressurrect his carrer as United's first-choice
full-back, George McCartney, is still recovering from injury. The Irishman's
return date is currently unknown; the last communication from the club at
the end of July insisted that he was back in full training along with Lee
Bowyer, who has since made two appearances.
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Up for it - KUMB
Filed: Monday, 11th August 2008
By: Staff Writer
Matthew Upson says he can't wait for the new season to start. The United
defender was an ever-present last season until sustaining an injury back in
March which kept him out for the rest of the campaign. However with a full
pre-season behind him, the England international says that he is raring to
go - good news the Hammers who are still woefully short in terms of numbers
at centre-half. "I'm feeling very good," Upson told whufc.tv. "I'm looking
forward to a good week's training, sharpen myself up a little bit and
hopefully push on for Saturday's game."
Upson's partner for the visit of Wigan next week remains unknown; Calum
Davenport has been filling in in the last few games and with Danny Gabbidon,
Jonathan Spector, Anton Ferdinand and James Collins all out the former
Coventry defender, who suffered a broken neck just six months ago could
continue to deputise. The pair had a fairly comfortable afternoon against
Villarreal at the weekend; a game on which Upson added: "We had a difficult
task, they're a very good side. It's a different type of football to what
we'll have here next Saturday but all the same, it was a good workout for
the players. "Hopefully it makes the manager's mind a little bit clearer as
to what team and what shape he wants to play next week."
Upson also waved goodbye to the number six shirt that he had worn for the
last 18 months after the club decided to retire it in honour of Bobby Moore.
A brief ceremony at half-time saw him hand his shirt over to Moore's second
wife Stephanie. "I'll miss wearing the number, it's a great honour," added
Upson. "I've enjoyed it but we're moving on, we've retired the shirt in
honour of Bobby and I'll make sure number 15 is a good number for me."
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Upson support for Curbs - SSN
Players right behind under-fire Hammers boss
Last updated: 11th August 2008
Matthew Upson insists manager Alan Curbishley has the full backing of the
West Ham United squad. Curbishley has come in for criticism regarding his
transfer dealings after big-money flop Freddie Ljungberg was released last
week. There have been suggestions that Curbishley is fighting for his job
and that there is a split in the Hammers' dressing room. But, ahead of the
opening game of the season against Wigan on Saturday, Upson confirmed
Curbishley has the support of the players. "Curbs seems a bit more relaxed
and he most definitely has the backing of the players," said Upson in The
Sun. "I can understand why he is under criticism. He's taken a job at a
football club who had a huge financial injection. "People expected big
things at this place and, so far, those massive things have not been
delivered. "But people need to be aware that it is a process and no matter
how much money you throw in, there has to be a foundation."
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Green targets winning start - SNN
Hammers shot-stopper eyes three points against Latics
Last updated: 11th August 2008
West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green is eager to make a winning start to the new
Premier League season. The Hammers host Wigan on Saturday in their first
game of the competitive 2008/09 campaign and Green is targeting three
points. Green - who has been involved in a contract dispute with his club
this summer - is looking forward to the new season, but insists he and his
team-mates must be fully focused when the Latics arrive at Upton Park. West
Ham finished 10th last season, four places and nine points above Wigan, and
Green is eager to maintain that superiority. "I am really looking forward to
the start," Green told West Ham's official website. "It is a big game
because it is one you look at during the course of the season, whether it is
the first game or the last game, and say it is a game you definitely want to
try and win."
Alan Curbishley's side have been tipped by some to struggle, but Green is
confident that a positive season is on the horizon. "The start of the season
is here now and we have had long enough to get ready," he added. "It is
going to be good to get back playing again and make a good fist of the
season."
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West Ham 2008-09 preview - SSN
Pressure on Curbishley at Upton Park
By Tony Curtis Last updated: 11th August 2008
FACTBOX
Star Man: Dean Ashton - Back from injury and raring to go, Ashton has had an
impressive pre-season and will be looking to make up for lost time.
Determined to win a place in the England side, Ashton is a man on a mission.
One to Watch: Freddie Sears - A lot is expected of the talented forward,
especially after his match-winning debut. He has been scoring goals for fun
in the reserves and youth team and will add an extra dimension to the West
Ham attack.
Manager: Alan Curbishley - Cool, calm exterior - however will remain under
pressure if results and performances don't meet the expectations of the home
fans.
INS: Valon Behrami (Lazio), Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson (Kopavogur), Jan Lastuvka
(Shakhtar Donetsk, loan).
OUTS: Bobby Zamora, John Pantsil (both Fulham), Richard Wright (Ipswich),
Freddie Ljungberg (released)
Best signing: Valon Behrami
Sky Bet Odds: 1000/1
Likely top scorer: Dean Ashton
Possible best XI (Green, Neill, Upson, Ferdinand, McCartney, Faubert, Noble,
Parker, Behrami, Bellamy, Ashton)
Predicted finish: 11th
West Ham Alan Curbishley may dismiss any fears over his future - but when
the bookies turn against you, you know that there is trouble ahead. Despite
leading the Hammers to 10th last season with a squad ravaged by injuries,
Curbishley will need his side to hit the ground running to ease the pressure
- and see the odds on him getting the chop lengthened. Slaven Bilic, the
Croatia manager, has been strongly tipped to be appointed by Christmas
should the Hammers get off to a poor start, with the Upton Park faithful
growing impatient. In Curbishley's defence, his past sides have had the
habit of getting off to promising starts only to tail off in the second half
of the season. However, West Ham's performances at the end of the last
campaign were particularly turgid - giving little hope for the fans. And a
lack of activity in the transfer market means that even the most die-hard of
Hammers fans are struggling to get excited about the new campaign. Only two
players have so far arrived in the summer. Swiss international defender
Valon Behrami has joined in a £5million deal from Lazio, while highly-rated
Icelandic midfielder Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson has also signed.
Behrami has impressed in pre-season and offers versatility as he is as
comfortable at full-back as he is on the wing. Eyjolfsson can also play in
midfield, but is likely to offer cover at the back to the likes of Anton
Ferdinand, Matt Upson, James Collins and Danny Gabbidon. Ferdinand had been
linked to a move away from the Hammers - with Aston Villa and Spurs rumoured
to be waiting in the wings. However he now looks set to stay. West Ham have
parted company, though, with Freddie Ljungberg, Bobby Zamora and John
Pantsil, while Nobby Solano left the club at the end of the season.
The key to West Ham's hopes could lay in the return of a number of their
big-name players; the likes of Dean Ashton, Upson, Kieron Dyer and Julien
Faubert are all pushing for returns in time for the start of the season.
However the loss of Craig Bellamy for the start of the campaign - with a
hamstring injury - is a blow. The fiery frontman has made a promising start
to pre-season alongside Ashton and looked set to terrorise defences again
this campaign - although the latest setback looks to be temporary. The lack
of new faces could mean good news for the new talented crop of players to
come through the junior ranks at Upton Park. Young striker Freddie Sears has
won rave reviews after scoring on his debut against Blackburn in March,
while James Tonkins, Jack Collison, Zavon Hones and Lee Halls will all be
staking claims for places in the first team. Ultimately, though, the lack of
new signings are likely to count against West Ham, particularly as the
majority of rivals have been busy in the transfer market.
At best West Ham can expect a cup run or two, however they face a battle if
they are to force their way into Europe; at worst they could end up
following Reading into the Championship. Curbishley might not be worried
about the future - however the Hammers faithful will be, especially if they
fail to get off to a positive start.
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Curbishley "doesn't understand" Thatcher jeers - Echo News
2:36pm Monday 11th August 2008
By Rob Pritchard »
WEST Ham United manager Alan Curbishley has called on the club's fans to
stop booing trialist Ben Thatcher. The former Millwall, Wimbledon and
Tottenham Hotspur left-back has played twice for the Irons in pre-season
after being released by Charlton Athletic. However, the decision to take
Thatcher on as a possible back-up to injured first-choice George McCartney
has not sat well with many Irons supporters, who are unhappy with the
player's career history. Not only has he played for two of the Hammers'
biggest rivals, but Thatcher has also been in trouble following a number of
high-profile disciplinary problems. However, despite the jeering that
Thatcher received during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Villarreal at Upton Park,
Curbishley believes the 32-year-old Wales international could be a
worthwhile acquisition. "I didn't quite understand it," he said. "I don't
think George will be too far away so we're looking for some experienced
cover and we took the opportunity to give Ben half a game. "Perhaps the fans
don't understand what the situation is. I'll have to think about it."
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West Ham to lose out on Givet By - UptonSparks.com
Posted on Monday 11 Aug 2008 14:34:00
Gael Givet looks likely to shun a move to East London after Panathinaikos
made an official offer for the stopper. Believed to be in the region of
£1.75m, the Greek club can offer Givet UEFA Cup football this year, and has
a pedigree of wandering around the group stages of the Champion's League
once in a while too. However, could the club pay the same wages? Word is the
offer is the same as the one West Ham have thrown in, and has been accepted
by Pape Diouf.
But surely coming to rainy England is a better move for Givet than sunny
Greece? SURE, the team is challenging for all the honours, and is good in
Europe. SO WHAT if he WANTS to go there...a player in the World Cup squad
for France when the country finished second should be in ENGLAND. That's
right...and given West Ham provided the team for the World Cup 1966 Final,
surely this is the place to come? Surely? Now all the Hammers need is to
bid...that would help a bit.
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Greeno puts contract issues to the side... - BubblesInTheAir.com
Monday 11 Aug 2008 12:11:38 by Tony Watson
Contract talks seem to have been put to the back of the mind of Hammers
keeper Robert Green. The England hopeful was critical of the club for making
him feel de-valued after they failed to offer him a contract that was on par
with the likes of Freddie Ljungerg and Lucas Neill. However, the Hammer of
the Year has turned his attentions away from the contract issues and seems
geared up and ready for the season ahead ''I am really looking forward to
the start'' He told the clubs offical site. "It is a big game because it is
one you look at during the course of the season, whether it is the first
game or the last game, and say it is a game you definitely want to try and
win." "The start of the season is here now and we have had long enough to
get ready," "It is going to be good to get back playing again and make a
good fist of the season."Greeno will be watched on Saturday by Upton Park's
guest of honour Fabio Capello when the Hammers take on Wigan.
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Cole keen to make improvement - Echo News
12:20pm Monday 11th August 2008
By Rob Pritchard »
CARLTON Cole believes he has hit goal-scoring form at just the right time
after hitting his first pre-season strike in Saturday's 1-1 draw with
Spanish side Villarreal CF. The former England Under-21 man opened his
account after just 53 seconds at Upton Park, converting Matty Etherington's
low cross. Cole could start Saturday's Premier League opener against Wigan
Athletic alongside Dean Ashton at Upton Park, as Craig Bellamy is out for a
month with a hamstring strain. And the forward, who has scored just nine
times in 56 appearances since joining the Irons in July 2006, is hoping to
make the most of his opportunity. "I hadn't actually got any goals until
Saturday, so hopefully I've saved it until the start of the season and
during the season," said the 24-year-old, who admitted he was unsure of his
starting place for Wigan's visit. "We're just going with the flow. "If you
get called upon, you've just got to go out there and do a professional job
and that's what we'll do. We're professional players."
Cole is desperate to build on an encouraging 2007/08 campaign in which he
won over Hammers' supporters with a series of whole-hearted displays.
And, both individually and collectively, the Surrey-born player is eyeing an
improvement on last term's 10th-place Premier League finish. "The ambition
has always got to be to finish higher than 10th," he admitted. "We set
ourselves a good base really. We weren't in the dogfight at the bottom and
we've got to build on what we've started and achieve more."
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Milan Enter Race For Freddie - Goal.com
According to reports in Italy, AC Milan have entered the race to sign former
Arsenal midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg. The 31-year-old is currently a free
agent after being released from his four year contract at West Ham last
week. Ljungberg struggled badly after signing for The Hammers from Arsenal
last year, making 30 appearances, and scoring just four goals. The East
London outfit were keen to get the Swede's reported £80,000 salary off their
wage bill, and Ljungberg is now searching for a club ahead of the new
season. The midfielder is still admired in Italy following his outstanding
nine years with Arsenal between 1998 and 2007, where he was instrumental in
winning two Premier Leagues and three FA Cups. Ljungberg is already a
reported target for Lazio, but sources in Italy claim that Milan are also
ready to offer the veteran a contract. The Rossoneri are looking to sign an
alternative in the attacking midfield role given the injury troubles to
Kaka, and Ljungberg could be the man for the job. The former Halmstads man,
who has won 80 caps for Sweden, is said to be tempted by a move to Milan,
given the fact that the city is known as one of the fashion center's of
Europe. Ljungberg is a male model, and is known for his love of fashion.
Roberto Rossi
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West Ham draw with Spain's second best team Villarreal whilst the No.6 shirt
of Bobby Moore is retired - 4sportsake.com
.......but is it all completely meaningless?
West Ham held La Liga runners up, Villarreal, to a 1-1 draw in the Booby
Moore Cup. In honour of the only English man to lift the World Cup and to
Upton Park's most hallowed hero, the club officially retired the famous No.6
shirt of Booby Moore.
Never again will a Hammer step out in the legend's famous shirt after it was
handed over to his second wife, Stephanie, during half-time on the 50th
anniversary since his debut for the club.
It is the second time in a week that the Upton Park board have shelved one
of their squad numbers, having paid off Freddie Ljungberg. The difference
being that any Hammers fan would have crawled over broken glass to just get
close enough to shake Moore's hand whereas Ljungberg is more likely to get a
kiss - Glasgow style. His No.7 shirt cost the club about £5million, which is
money Alan Curbishley could do with to fund a dabble into the transfer
market before the season kicks off next week.
Curbishley's side have been stripped this summer to cut back on the wage
bill, with few new names coming in to strengthen a team that needs quality.
A 10th-place finish was the end to a yo-yo year last season, but to push on
to the next level and try to challenge for a European place looks a long way
off.
During the Bobby Moore Cup yesterday at Upton Park against Villarreal there
was signs of flowing football, but it quickly reverted to the scrapping seen
last season.
Carlton Cole had the 20,000-odd fans expecting a great game with a
well-taken goal in the first minute from a Matthew Etherington cross. There
were other chances for Curbishley's side, but they came mostly from a lucky
break rather than a moment of brilliance.
Villarreal were the better side and deserved their goal from Santi Cazorla
before half-time. The Spanish international finished in style before the
game descended into handbags at 10 paces. Lee Bowyer was in the thick of
most altercations, with the only real positive in the second half being the
introduction of Freddie Sears. The boy looks sharp and ready to shine.
(SUNDAY PEOPLE)
Although seemingly a great result against genuinely top opposition, can
anything be read into this result regarding West Ham's progress? And what of
retiring Bobby Moore's No.6 shirt? What exactly is the point and benefit of
it other than nostalgia? Surely it would be better to keep the number,
giving budding centre-backs at the club the inspiration and dream of one day
wearing the famous number for West Ham? And just how good is Freddie Sears?
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Lastuvka set for Hammers debut - Echo news
12:06pm Monday 11th August 2008
By Rob Pritchard »
JAN Lastuvka should make his West Ham United debut in tonight's pre-season
friendly at Ryman Division One North side Tilbury tonight (7.45pm). The
Czech Republic-born goalkeeper, who has joined the Irons on a season-long
loan deal from Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, looks set to feature at
Chadfields. Kevin Keen will bring a Irons' reserve team to south Essex, with
Icelandic defender Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson among the talented youngsters on
show. The Under-21 international has looked impressive since arriving from
Kopavogur earlier this summer. But while the 17-year-old looks comfortable
in handling English attackers, Eyjolfsson admitted he was having trouble
getting used to driving on English roads. "The biggest difference is having
to drive on the left-hand side of the road. I'm never going to get used to
that!" he joked. Aside from his motoring problems, Eyjolfsson is enjoying
life in England. "I'm settling in well. Every day is better than the one
before," said the teenager, who is living in digs with fellow Irons Academy
players Ryan O'Neill and Marek Stech. "One of the main reasons I chose to
come to England is because I can speak the language, added to the fact that
there are a lot of good young players here. "West Ham has got a good
reputation for producing youngsters. It's a big club. "I don't know how
quickly I can move on to the first team. I'm just going to train well, do my
best and see what happens."
While Lastuvka and Eyjolfsson should both feature from the start tonight,
Keen will be without injured Basildon-based centre-back James Tomkins, who
is still recovering from a leg injury suffered while on England Under-19
duty last month. Striker Freddie Sears will also be absent after playing for
the first team against Villarreal on Saturday.
West Ham United: (from) Lastuvka, Stech, Street, Spence, Widdowson, N'Gala,
Eyjolfsson, O'Neill, Lee, Payne, Blackwell, Edgar, Miller, Collison,
Stanislas, Reid, Hines, Jeffrey, Bajner.
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Upson "honoured" to wear number six shirt - Echo News
11:49am Monday 11th August 2008
By Rob Pritchard »
WEST Ham United defender Matthew Upson has told the Echo of his pride at
being the last player ever to wear the Irons' famous number six shirt. The
England defender presented the shirt to former Hammers legend Bobby Moore's
widow Stephanie at half-time during Saturday's pre-season clash with Spanish
La Liga runners-up Villarreal CF. The ceremony marked the centrepiece of a
day dedicated to the memory of England's 1966 World Cup-winning captain, who
made his West Ham debut 50 years ago in September 1958 but tragically died
from prostate cancer at the age of 51 in 1993. Afterwards, Upson said he was
honoured to have worn the same shirt as the man who made well over 500
matches during an illustrious career at Upton Park. "It was a big, massive
honour. Just to actually be given the shirt when I came here," said the
29-year-old, who will now wear the number 15 shirt. "I'll miss playing in it
but it's been retired in the right way and in honour of somebody who is a
legend at the club and for football in general. "It's a big honour for me."
While Moore's number has been retired, Saturday's match also marked the
start of a new three-year partnership between the club and the Bobby Moore
Fund for Cancer Research, which was set up by Stephanie following her
husband's untimely death. A £1 donation was made to the Fund from every
ticket sold for Saturday's match, which ended in a 1-1 draw and saw the
teams share the inaugural Bobby Moore Cup.
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Upson - Hammers boss has our backing - Guardian Series
11:06am Monday 11th August 2008
WEST Ham defender Matthew Upson claims manager Alan Curbishley has the full
backing of the Hammers squad. After most of The Irons' big money signings
failed to perform in the League, coupled with the recent decision to pay off
Freddie Ljunberg, has lead to rumours that Curbishley's job has been put on
the line. Despite this, Upson remains insistent that all of the squad are
remaining fully supportive of their manager, and that no rift exists at the
club.
"Curbs seems a bit more relaxed and he most definitely has the backing of
the players," said Upson in The Sun. "I can understand why he is under
criticism. He's taken a job at a football club who had a huge financial
injection. "People expected big things at this place and, so far, those
massive things have not been delivered. "But people need to be aware that it
is a process and no matter how much money you throw in, there has to be a
foundation."
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HAMMERS TALK: Green not going to Arsenal - Guardian Series
8:27am Monday 11th August 2008
WEST Ham boss Alan Curbishley claims linking Arsenal with a move for Robert
Green are wide of the mark. Media reports have suggested recently that the
Gunners were set to move for the former Norwich keeper. But while Green has
hinted he is unhappy not to be offered a new contract at Upton Park, Arsenal
boss Arsene Wenger is unlikely to sign him according to Curbishley. He said:
"I was with Arsene Wenger at a meeting on Wednesday and nothing was said."
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'Life as a WAG is lonely and horrible - even if I spent £8,000 a week on
clothes and bags,' Suzanne Franklin reveals - Daily Mail
By Antonia Hoyle
Last updated at 8:09 AM on 11th August 2008
There is a metallic gold leather Jimmy Choo handbag at the back of Suzanne
Franklin's wardrobe. It is called a Riki, it costs £1,000 and is the
ultimate in sartorial status symbols. Yet Suzanne hasn't so much as admired
its silk lining for six months because for her, it is no longer an item of
beauty but a stark reminder of a life she has left behind. It was a life
that, on the surface, screamed glamour and excess. Dating a £25,000-a-week
Premier League footballer, she was sucked into a heady whirlwind of designer
clothes, expensive restaurants and celebrity-laden nightclubs. Yet behind
the glittering facade lay a different, and somewhat more squalid, reality –
one she found out the full extent of only when her two-year relationship
with divorced West Ham midfielder Nigel Quashie came to a sudden, and
devastating, end. Far from being the devoted boyfriend he masqueraded as, he
had been two-timing her all along with a woman who had even borne him a
child.
And while his infidelity may not come as a surprise to those familiar with
sordid tabloid tales of footballers' sexual antics, to Suzanne, then a naive
and impressionable young student, it signalled the end of her world. Slowly,
she realised that the life she had been leading was little more than a sham,
fuelled by insatiable egos, false promises, treacherous friends and
unashamed decadence.
Now she is a trainee teacher, working as an assistant at a school for
disadvantaged children – funding her own way and making her own living. And
it is only now that she has distanced herself from the man who broke her
heart that she is talking to The Mail on Sunday in the hope that her story
will serve as a cautionary tale to other young women seduced by the
increasingly prevalent 'WAG' culture permeating our society.
The term WAG – Wives And Girlfriends – was coined during the 2006 World Cup
in reference to the players' partners, whose stick-thin figures and savvy
fashion sense eclipsed their men's endeavours on the pitch. Epitomised by
celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Cheryl Cole, it has become the
pinnacle of ambition for thousands of young women seeking a fast track to
fame and fortune. Yet away from the glossy paparazzi pictures of Victoria
et al, there is a distinctly murkier side to the WAG dream. One that, as
Suzanne reveals, has degrading and hollow undertones. 'I fell for Nigel
instantly,' she says. 'But he betrayed me. He picked me because I was
innocent and removed from his industry. He manipulated and moulded me into
somebody different. I became obsessed with money and the way I looked. I
felt like a doll – an accessoryto look good on his arm. 'I got caught up in
a shallow world where everyone backstabs and bitches. The women hate each
other and the men just want to sleep around. I'd say 95 per cent of them
were unfaithful, from the household names to the lesser-known players like
Nigel. 'They get it into their heads that they're gods and have no idea how
to treat women with respect. I want to warn other girls that going out with
a footballer is a horrible, lonely experience.'
Sitting in her two-bedroom flat in South-East London, Suzanne, 20, is softly
spoken, surprisingly eloquent and devoid of the false eyelashes and fake tan
that were once her hallmark. She was living with her parents – her father is
a policeman and her mother a medical counsellor – in Birmingham and studying
for her Art A-level in February 2006 when she met Quashie in a club. 'He was
with a group of friends who bought my friend and me a vodka and tonic,' she
recalls. 'He had a gorgeous smile and cute little ears. We kissed and
swapped numbers.' Quashie, now 30, had just signed for West Bromwich Albion
in a £1.2million deal. At Nottingham Forest and Southampton he was known for
his deft left foot and was given the nickname 'Quashie-modo'.
Those in the know describe him as a 'journeyman' who is a useful, dependable
player but has never managed to set the pitch alight in the style of David
Beckham. However, even his modest status was sufficient to attract the
envious glances of other women as they frequented the top nightspots.
'They'd give me evil stares,' says Suzanne. 'One woman poured a glass of red
wine over my trousers. Some would kiss him. But Nigel would politely turn
them away and say he only had eyes for me.'
Sitting in cordoned-off VIP areas with other team-mates, they'd plough
through ten bottles of champagne at a time, running up tabs of thousands of
pounds. 'The players loved the attention,' she says. 'The more girls they
slept with, the more respect they got from the guys. Most were having
affairs.
'There was a code of silence between the players but I knew it went on and
that sometimes they paid girls to keep quiet.' But Suzanne thought her
boyfriend was different – despite rumours that continued to surround his
behaviour and a 'kiss and tell' that appeared in a Scottish newspaper last
year.
'He dismissed it as nonsense. We read about girls being "roasted" by several
footballers. He said it was disgusting, he was nothing like that and not all
footballers were the same. 'He was tender and conventional in bed. After
three months he said he loved me. He said he was still hurting after his
recent divorce from his wife Joanna and begged me not to hurt him.'
Quashie, who has a daughter from the ten-year marriage, had reason to be
vulnerable. The couple's son had died just hours after he was born in 1999
and the footballer's mother is ill. In the players' box and lounge after
Quashie's matches, Suzanne became acquainted with his team-mates' partners.
'They wore designer jeans and sunglasses even when it was raining,' she
says. 'They weren't interested in football, only fashion. 'They'd look me up
and down and I dreaded seeing them. They couldn't have been more different
from my student friends. Most of them didn't work and their biggest priority
was shopping. 'I remember meeting an Aston Villa player's girlfriend who
told me he was cheating on her but she didn't mind as she had grown
accustomed to the lifestyle. I was saddened but no longer surprised.'
In January 2007 Quashie transferred to West Ham and in September, after
months of commuting, she moved to London, partly staying at her own flat and
partly at his home. Their lives became ever more glamorous. They went out
every night to exclusive restaurants and celebrity-laden clubs such as Funky
Buddha and Pangea. When they weren't socialising and Quashie wasn't
training, they were shopping. Quashie told Suzanne to put whatever she
wanted on his credit card and she estimates she spent up to £8,000 a week on
handbags, dresses and jeans from Gucci, Prada and Dolce & Gabbana. 'Of
course, I loved it,' she says. 'What girl wouldn't? But it made me feel
guilty – as if I was pretending to be someone else. 'But Nigel wanted me to
wear designer clothes. He even told me to turn my Prada handbag around so
everyone could see the label. 'For my birthday last year he bought me a
Tiffany bracelet and the Jimmy Choo handbag. 'I told him I'd rather spend
£50 on a bag from Topshop. It was as if I had to fulfil a certain
stereotype. 'He liked me to get a French manicure and spray-on St Tropez tan
once a week. When we went out he asked me to wear pencil skirts, not
miniskirts. I was torn between wanting to look good and wanting to feel like
myself.'
But in private, she says, Quashie became more and more depressed. 'I think
he was lonely. His friends were DJs and hangers-on who only seemed to want
him for his money or car.' Last year, confined to the substitutes' bench
through injury for a long period, he grew increasingly introverted. 'He took
out his frustrations on me and snapped. He said I didn't understand what it
was like to have a mother who was so ill and would take off to her home in
Kent to see her for days on end. I felt powerless.'
It was during an increasingly rare night out last November that Suzanne took
a picture of the two of them together on her mobile phone and later emailed
it to Quashie as a memento. The following month, she received a text from a
Birmingham woman called Kerry Clarke, asking why she was emailing her
boyfriend.
Suzanne called the mobile number and learned, to her horror, that
22-year-old Kerry had given birth to Quashie's son five months before
Suzanne and Quashie had met, and he had been sleeping with Kerry the whole
time they were together. The two women swapped notes and even met up to
discuss their lover's betrayal of them both. Suzanne learned he had been
taking Kerry to football matches when she wasn't available and buying her
designer clothes. On some of the days he'd said he was visiting his sick
mother, he had been in Birmingham with Kerry. Kerry said there was a string
of flirtatious emails from other women as well. When Suzanne confronted
Quashie, he cried. 'He said Kerry was a one-night stand and a fat slag,'
she remembers. 'I told him I didn't believe him. Then he swore at me. He
told me I had to move out.'
She went home to her parents and an increasingly irrational Quashie begged
her to take him back. 'He said he'd made a mistake,' she recalls. 'After a
week I stupidly agreed to give him another chance.' When Quashie found out
that Suzanne had stayed in contact with Kerry, however, he lost his temper
again. 'I knew I didn't want anything more to do with him.' she says. 'He
sent me a couple of text messages after that but I didn't reply.'
Distraught, she spent the next couple of months at her parents' home. Unable
to sleep or eat, she lost two stone, until, coaxed by her friends and
family, she finally felt able to look to the future. This spring, she moved
back to London where she found a job and love in the form of a 25-year-old
maths teacher, a colleague at the school where she now works. She has
swapped fancy restaurants for fast food and expensive labels for High Street
brands.
Her bitten nails are unpainted and her blonde hair is sporting dark roots.
But she is infinitely more fulfilled and says she is slowly learning to
trust men again. 'My boyfriend understands why I get paranoid,' she says. 'I
have a very different life to the one I led with Nigel but I much prefer it.
I don't speak to anyone from the football world any more.
The other WAGs must have known he was cheating but didn't tell me. 'Although
Nigel won't admit to sleeping with anyone else but Kerry while he was with
me, it wouldn't surprise me if he was getting up to any number of the sordid
sex games that he told me appalled him. 'He told me he'd had eight sexual
partners. Now I think adding two zeros on the end would make that figure
more accurate. 'It makes me so sad to read about these girls who are
desperate to sleep with a footballer. It's not a fast track to fame and
fortune – just a quick way to lose your self-respect.'
Quashie last night admitted having a relationship with Suzanne but denied it
was serious. He said: 'I am in a relationship with Kerry. I did have a fling
with Suzanne, I can't remember when. 'I haven't spoken to her for a year.
It was during a break in my relationship with Kerry, who is the mother of my
child.
'Suzanne tried to interfere with our relationship and cause trouble. I am
not unfaithful to Kerry. 'I met different people on different [internet]
sites but have never been intimate. 'I was generous in terms of the normal
places you go to but I wouldn't say I bought her anything. She had her own
money. I'm getting old and I am not like those 21-year-olds who are single.'
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