WHUFC.com
Valon Behrami is facing an extended spell on the sidelines after requiring
surgery on his knee injury
10.03.2009
West Ham United can confirm that Valon Behrami is expected to be out for six
months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee.
The 23-year-old midfielder was hurt during the 1-0 visit of Manchester City
on 1 March and underwent keyhole surgery in Italy to assess and then repair
the damage on Tuesday after two previous MRI scans. Behrami is due back in
London next week, where he will begin his rehabilitation with the club's
medical staff as soon as possible.
Behrami was injured in the 38th minute against City, bringing to an end a
tremendous run in the West Ham United side since his high-profile arrival
from Lazio last summer. The Swiss international has made 27 appearances in
all competitions, scoring two goals. The club are still waiting for more
news on fellow midfielder Jack Collison, who injured his right knee against
Wigan Athletic on 4 March.
Meanwhile, Luis Boa Morte is back in full training after a groin injury and
Kieron Dyer is taking part in some sessions with the rest of the squad after
overcoming his calf trouble. James Collins (hamstring) and Diego Tristan
(groin) are both running and are thought to be close to joining in fully as
well. Long-termers Danny Gabbidon (abdomen/back) and Dean Ashton (ankle)
continue to work on their rehabilitation.
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Hines signs new contract
WHUFC.com
Young forward Zavon Hines is aiming to repay manager Gianfranco Zola's faith
in him for the future
10.03.2009
West Ham United striker Zavon Hines has committed his future to the club
until summer 2010 after signing a new contract.
The 20-year-old has had a season to remember, despite being frustrated by
injury, having made his first-team bow and also earned an international
call. Hines began the 2008/09 campaign on a high after scoring six times in
a tremendous pre-season and then struck on his debut for the club in the
League Cup tie with Macclesfield Town on 27 August.
Hines has come through the same youth team as James Tomkins, Jack Collison
and Freddie Sears and, although a knee problem has frustrated his progress,
he said his new deal had given him extra confidence for the future. "I am
really happy to sign the contract. I didn't know if I was going to get one
but it is good to know the club has a bit of faith in you.
"I just want to show the manager what I can do and repay all the support he
has given me. I have got to prove to him that I am worth this contract. He
has seen a little bit of what I can do in training but I have just got to
try and do my best. Next season has to be the one for me to push on."
Hines has had a couple of reserve games since the turn of the year and is
closing on full fitness. He would like to make an impression before the end
of the campaign and then surpass what he achieved last summer. "I was doing
well in pre-season and I came back last season with the mentality that this
is my season and I am going to show what I can do."
Those aspirations were knocked by his training ground injury, although he
can at least point to the memory of his senior Boleyn Ground bow. "It is
kind of a blur. I was on the bench but I didn't think I was going to get on.
I had a few bad touches but I got the goal. My goal now is to get fully fit.
There are exciting times ahead and I have just got to keep my head down and
focus on what I have got to do."
Hines can also look to international ambitions, having been on the bench for
Jamaica in last month's friendly against Nigeria. Manager John Barnes heard
he was eligible as he had been born on the island before being raised in
east London. "It was a surprise call up. I hadn't been thinking about it. I
got the call after training. It was funny to work under him, very different
but very professional and it was a good experience. I want to get another
chance."
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Miller enjoys his time
WHUFC.com
Ashley Miller was delighted - if not slightly surprised - after scoring a
dramatic winner against Arsenal on Monday
10.03.2009
Ashley Miller was beaming after scoring West Ham United's Barclays Premier
Reserve League South winner against Arsenal on Monday night, but admitted
afterwards that registering winning goals is not something he is too
familiar with.
The full-back was in the perfect place to prod home the ball home after
Christian Montano's 72nd-minute cross had been parried by Arsenal goalkeeper
John Shea. The 19-year-old then played his part in a superb rearguard
showing in the final 18 minutes that kept the Gunners and ensured the win
that moved Dyer's side up to third in the standings.
"I was quite surprised when the ball came to me but I was confident that I
was going to score," Miller said of his goal. "I always pop up with one goal
a season for the lads but this was a great game to score in. Hopefully I can
get another one later on this year. It's a great feeling to score and to do
so against Arsenal was even better. We were just counting down the seconds
at the end as we didn't want to concede but scoring the winner was a great
feeling."
Miller had the unenviable task of marking England Under-19 international
Jack Wilshere, who has played eight times for the Gunners' first team over
the past two seasons. But it was a job the Hornchurch-based defender proved
to be more than capable of doing as he helped the Hammers complete a league
'double' over the north London side.
"Jack is a good player, but we didn't let him get in and around the ball as
much as he wanted to. The boys dug in well and he didn't get much on an
impact on us. We also created some chances and could have nicked two or
three but it wasn't to be so in the end we had to settle for one."
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Dyer delighted with win
WHUFC.com
Reserve-team manager Alex Dyer praised his young side's effort after a
superb 1-0 victory away at Arsenal
10.03.2009
An excellent team display saw a youthful reserve side triumph over an
Arsenal side boasting several players with first-team experience.
Ashley Miller scored the only goal of the game with 18 minutes remaining
when he pounced on a rebound after Arsenal goalkeeper James Shea could only
parry Christian Montano's shot. A dogged defensive showing saw out the
remaining time to leave West Ham celebrating a Barclays Reserve League South
double over the Gunners following the 1-0 win back in October.
"It was great result and the boys were brilliant and worked hard and put in
a good performance," Dyer said. "I know some people thought that before we
came here that we wouldn't stand a chance because we were very young but
they were very young as well. But it is still Arsenal and they are in the FA
Youth Cup quarter-final. It was great win and the boys are chuffed with it."
17-year-old winger Danny Kearns had almost given the Hammers the lead at the
end of the first half when he fired against the underside of the crossbar
after a jinking run, while goalkeeper Marek Stech also played a key role by
making several crucial saves.
At the back, captain Bondz N'Gala, who like Stech has featured on the bench
for the first team this season, played alongside 18-year-old Icelandic youth
international Holmar Eyjolfsson in central defence. The pair, along with
full-backs Miller and Matt Fry, both received particular praise from Dyer
after the game.
"The defenders were brilliant. Bondz has worked hard over the weekend and he
put in a great performance. It was Holmar's first game back from injury and
he was great as well. Ashley Miller showed some great character on the right
and on the other side we had Matt Fry, who has played centre half for the
reserves and has played centre half for the youth team and was quality at
left-back.
"Overall the back for were outstanding so the midfield boys could go on and
express themselves, which they did do."
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Behrami ruled out for six months
BBC.co.uk
West Ham midfielder Valon Behrami has been ruled out for six months with an
anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 23-year-old midfielder was injured
during the 1-0 victory over Manchester City on 1 March at Upton Park.
Behrami had surgery in Italy on Tuesday and is expected back in London next
week to complete his rehabilitation.
The Swiss international has made 27 appearances for West Ham since his
arrival from Lazio in the summer, scoring two goals for the Hammers.
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It might as well rain until September
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th March 2009
By: Staff Writer
Valon Behrami will almost certainly miss the start of next season as a
result of the knee injury sustained against Manchester City recently.
According to West Ham United this evening, Behrami has injured the anterior
cruciate ligament in his left knee and is not expected to return to action
until September - meaning he will miss not only the remainder of this season
but also the opening month of the 2009/2010 campaign.
The club confirmed the bad news in a brief statement on whufc.com tonight;
it read: "The 23-year-old midfielder underwent keyhole surgery in Italy to
assess and then repair the damage on Tuesday after two previous MRI scans.
Behrami is due back in London next week, where he will begin his
rehabilitation with the club's medical staff as soon as possible."
The only positive to come from today's news is that interest in the Swiss
international - which had seen the likes of Seville, Chelsea and Juventus
queuing up in order lure Behrami away from East London this summer - is
almost certainly over.
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Di Michele planning extended stay
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th March 2009
By: Staff Writer
David Di Michele has expressed his desire to remain at West Ham United
beyond the end of the current season. The 33-year-old Italian striker was
employed sparingly during his first few months at the club, but since Craig
Bellamy left for Manchester City in January Di Michele has become an
integral part of Gianfranco Zola's first team.
As a result his form has improved hugely, and as a result the former Palermo
striker says he would like to extend his stay in London. "I'm good here," Di
Michele told Melito Online. "I am doing well andI would like to extend my
stay here beyond the end of the season." Questioned as to whether he would
like to return to Italy - and possibly to Palermo - he added: "I'm at West
Ham and it is right not to speak of the market. Return to Palermo? Never say
never, we will see in the future - but for now I'm happy here."
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Praise for youngsters
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 9th March 2009
By: Staff Writer
Alex Dyer's reserves moved up to third place in the Barclays Reserve League
South thanks to an impressive 1-0 win at Arsenal tonight. Ashley Miller
scored the only goal of the game for a young United side with 20 minutes
remaining to secure all three points against a strong Gunners outfit,
featuring several young players that have tasted first team experience -
including Jack Wilshere, a player once linked with a move to West Ham. A
delighted Dyer, talking to whufc.com called the unexpected victory ' a great
result', adding: "The boys were brilliant, worked hard and put in a good
performance. I know some people thought that before we came here that we
wouldn't stand a chance because we were very young but they were very young
as well. "But it is still Arsenal and they are in the FA Youth Cup
quarter-final. It was great win and the boys are chuffed with it."
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Behrami out for six months
Hammers confirm midfielder injury blow
Last updated: 10th March 2009
SSN
West Ham United have confirmed midfielder Valon Behrami is expected to be
out for six months with an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left
knee. Switzerland international Behrami was stretchered off in the recent
1-0 win over Manchester City after twisting his ankle and knee. Speaking
after sustaining the injury, Behrami said that he expected to miss the rest
of the season. A statement on the club's official website read: "Behrami
underwent keyhole surgery in Italy to assess and then repair the damage on
Tuesday after two previous MRI scans. "Behrami is due back in London next
week, where he will begin his rehabilitation with the club's medical staff
as soon as possible." The news is a blow to the Hammers after Behrami had
impressed since signing at Upton Park from Lazio last summer.
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Hines pens Hammers deal
Youngster extends Upton Park stay
Last updated: 10th March 2009
SSN
Zavon Hines has seen his continued progression rewarded with a new contract
at West Ham. The youngster is now committed to the Upton Park outfit until
the summer of 2010. The 20-year-old has enjoyed a memorable 2008/09
campaign, breaking into the Hammers' first team fold and earning a shock
international call-up for Jamaica.
He scored on his senior debut, against Macclesfield in the Carling Cup, and
looks set to be another fine product of West Ham's famed academy system.
Hines has seen much of his season blighted by a knee injury since making
such a promising start, but is delighted to have extended his time at the
club. "I am really happy to sign the contract," he told the club's official
website. "I didn't know if I was going to get one but it is good to know the
club has a bit of faith in you. "I just want to show the manager (Gianfranco
Zola) what I can do and repay all the support he has given me. I have got to
prove to him that I am worth this contract. "He has seen a little bit of
what I can do in training but I have just got to try and do my best. Next
season has to be the one for me to push on."
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Di Michele reiterates Hammers desire
Experienced Italian keen to remain at Upton Park
Last updated: 10th March 2009
SSN
West Ham's on-loan Italian striker David Di Michele has reiterated his
desire to stay with The Hammers next season. The 33-year-old marksman, who
has four Premier League goals this term, is currently on loan from Serie A
outfit Torino. West Ham reportedly have an option to retain Di Michele and
he says it is his desire to remain with the East Londoners next season. "Now
I'm at West Ham it is right not to speak of the market," Di Michele told
Melito Online. "I am doing well and it is certainly the will for me to stay
here at the end of the season." Di Michele has been suggested as a possible
target for his former club Palermo, and he added: "Never say never, we will
see in the future, but I'm good here."
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Why I am a West Ham fan
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 10th March 2009
By: John Simkin
My father took me to my first football game when I was about six years old.
He was born in North Landon and was a passionate Sp*rs fan. The game was
against Arsenal. I stood on a stool at the front and I watched the game
through the curved railings that was on the top of the wall.
I only have a few visual memories of the game. I remember Ron Burgess coming
up very close to me in order to collect the ball to take a throw-in. He was
bald headed and looked very old. This was a time when young men did not
shave their heads and few suffered from premature hair loss.
The second image I recall was of the long shorts worn by Jimmy Logie. It
must have been a huge disappointment for my father when I told him that I
preferred Arsenal's red shirts to the boring white of his team. He must have
been a tolerant dad because I received an Arsenal shirt as a birthday
present that year.
It was another couple of years before he took me to White Hart Lane on a
regular basis. When they were playing away from home he took me fishing. My
older sister still feels angry about how my father took me out every
Saturday. However, in those days, it was vitally important for sons to be
trained to have the same interests as their fathers. His father would have
done the same for him if he had not been killed in the First World War when
he was just a child. All three of us, as first born sons, all had the same
Christian name.
If you are to believe the theory of "filial imprinting", or what John Money
has accurately called "the lovemap", I should have become a fan of the
Sp*rs. But it never happened. I suspect the main reason was that as we were
living in Chingford at the time, most of my mates supported West Ham.
The second factor was that my father was killed in a road accident in 1956.
My father's brother and my mother's brother took it in turns to take me to
White Hart Lane. However, if my father could not turn me into a fan, my
uncles definitely couldn't.
After the death of my father when I was eleven we moved to Dagenham. This
was a place where it was extremely unusual to find a non-Hammers fan. It was
the largest council estate in Europe and every boy wanted to play for West
Ham. It was seen as our main route to success. It was either playing
professional football or working at Fords. The teachers, who had no chance
of controlling our behaviour by dangling the possibility of academic success
in front of our noses, resorted to using the prospect of fame and success on
the football field. I remember on one occasion John O'Rourke being paraded
around the school in the kit he wore on his debut for England schoolboys. He
also appeared on stage during one school assembly. He followed three boys
who were caned in front of the whole school. That sums up the moral message
of the school. The choice was between public humiliation or mass adoration.
For those without the necessary football skills, this was no choice at all
and for most working-class children, schooling was about the lowering of
aspirations and the production of factory fodder.
John O'Rourke wanted to play for the Hammers but unfortunately for him he
never caught the attention of the West Ham scouts and he was forced to sign
for Arsenal. He then moved onto Chelsea but it was not until he reached
Luton Town that his career took off (64 goals in 84 games). Then came
Middlesbrough, Ipswich Town, Coventry City, Queens Park Rangers and finally
Bournemouth, but he never made it to the Hammers.
As soon as I was old enough I used to go to Upton Park on my own. This was a
very different experience from attending matches at White Hart Lane. I had
found my cultural home. One of the first games I saw was against Manchester
United on 8th September 1958. I still remember the pre-match announcement
over the tannoy that Bobby Moore would be playing his first game for the
club. We were not aware of the drama that had been going on behind the
scenes. Billy Lansdowne and Andy Nelson were both injured and the obvious
replacement was Malcolm Allison, who had been the club captain until he had
been taken ill after a game against Sheffield United in September 1957.
Doctors discovered he was suffering from tuberculosis and he had to have a
lung removed. Allison returned to the club and played several games for the
reserves but with only one lung he struggled with his fitness. The other
possibility was a 17 year-old Bobby Moore.
Ted Fenton asked Noel Cantwell who he should select for the game, Allison or
Moore. Cantwell, who was very close to Allison, surprisingly, opted for the
young untried player. Allison was never to forgive Cantwell for what he
considered a betrayal of friendship. Moore recalled in his autobiography:
"I'd been a professional for two and a half months and Malcolm had taught me
everything I know.... When Malcolm was coaching schoolboys he took a liking
to me when I don't think anyone else at West Ham saw anything special in
me... I looked up to the man. It's not too strong to say I loved him."
Moore added: "It somehow had to be that when I walked into the dressing room
and found out I was playing, Malcolm was the first person I saw. I was
embarrassed to look at him… For a moment I wanted to push the shirt to him
and say 'Go on, Malcolm. It's yours. Have your game. I can't stop you. Go
on, Malcolm. My time will come'." But he didn't, and the beginning of his
career brought an end to that of his mentor. Allison was never to play
another first-team game for the club.
Moore later confessed: "I went out and played the way Malcolm had always
told me to play… Be in control of yourself. Take control of everything
around you. Look big. Tell people what to do." West Ham won the game 3-2
(John Dick, John Smith and Malcolm Musgrave got the goals) and although
Moore did not have an outstanding game, he became my first football idol.
Partly because of the immaculate way he played but also because he looked
like the way we wanted to look, whereas most of the players reminded us of
our dads and uncles. I suppose he was like an older brother who was tuned
into our teenage culture.
West Ham had just won promotion to the First Division. They had been a
Second Division club since the 1931-32 season. Fans were apprehensive about
how we would cope as Ted Fenton had constructed a team that played very
direct football. This included two fast wingers (Mike Grice and Malcolm
Musgrove) and three goalscoring inside forwards (Vic Keeble, John Dick and
Billy Dare). The Hammers scored 101 goals in the 1957-58 season with 40%
coming from Keeble and Dick.
The only change Ted Fenton made to the format in the First Division was to
bring in Phil Woosnam, a creative inside-forward from Leyton Orient, to
replace Billy Dare. West Ham had a great season finishing in 6th place. An
amazing achievement considering that it was their first season in the top
division for over 25 years. Keeble and Dick were once again in great form
scoring 47 of the club's 85 goals.
I was only 14 years old but I was in love for the first-time. In the words
of Nick Hornby: "I fell in love with football as I was later to fall in love
with women: suddenly, inexplicably, uncritically, giving no thought to the
pain or disruption it would bring with it."
In his 1929 novel, The Good Companions, J. B. Priestley explained what it
was like to be a football supporter in a working-class area: "It turned you
into a member of a new community, all brothers together for an hour and a
half, for not only had you escaped from the clanking machinery of this
lesser life, from work, wages, rent, doles, sick pay, insurance cards,
nagging wives, ailing children, bad bosses, idle workmen, but you had
escaped with most of your mates, and your neighbours, with half the town,
and there you were, cheering together, thumping one another on the
shoulders, swopping judgments, like lords of the earth, having pushed your
way through a turnstile into another and altogether more splendid kind of
life, hurtling with conflict and yet passionate and beautiful in its Art."
West Ham good form was not to last. In the 1959-60 season they finished in
14th place. Ted Fenton's time was coming to an end. After another poor
season, Ron Greenwood was brought in as manager. His first signing was
Johnny Byrne from Crystal Palace. This was a statement of intent and it
heralded the beginning of the West Ham way of playing. The pinnacle of this
was winning the European Cup Winners' Cup on 19th May 1965. I was lucky
enough to be in the crowd at Wembley that day. However, for younger members,
I would urge you to watch the DVD of the match.
It was one of those occasions where my football pleasure was in the
"present". For most football fans the excitement comes from thoughts of the
future. As with gambling, the punter needs the odd success to feed the
addiction. In his fascinating book "Those Feet: An Intimate History of
English Football", David Winner helps explain the motivation of a passionate
football supporter. "One doesn't instinctively think of football as a
narrative form, but that's a large part of the game's appeal: it's a vast,
never-ending unscripted drama. As spectators, we yearn to know what happens
next. Every free-kick, corner and penalty has dramatic tensions. To fans,
the progress of their team is more involving than any TV soap, and much less
predictable."
David Winner misses out one important aspect of being a football fan. The
true fan is far from being a passive observer of the soap opera that we call
football. We desperately desire to be the scriptwriter of this drama. We
want in some way to shape these events. That is why we are so keen to show
our opinions by cheering or booing the manager's decisions. It is our way of
selecting the team. We also try to influence the tactics employed by the
manager by posting on this forum. Deep down we hope that Zola and Clarke
visit the forum to find out what they need to do to bring success to the
club.
However, being a West Ham fan is not just about winning cups or titles. If
it was the passion would decline during the long periods of failure. The
real pleasure of being a West Ham fan is those moments of beauty you see on
the pitch. It was a West Ham fan, Alf Garnett, who once said: "football is a
working class ballet." It was meant to make us laugh but like the best
jokes, it reveals a kernel of truth. Football, when played the right way, is
a visual treat, a thing of beauty.
Like ballet, the beauty of football is in the movement. This takes many
forms. Bobby Moore gracefully moving across the pitch to intercept a pass or
Trevor Brooking floating across the Upton Park grass with the ball at his
feet and with his head held high looking for an unmarked comrade.
Probably the most wondrous sight of all is when several players combine to
create beautiful patterns. That is what happened when Carlton Cole scored
the goal at Wigan last Wednesday. It was as good as anything I saw under Ron
Greenwood and John Lyall. It has taken an Italian, himself a master of the
beautiful game, to give us the kind of football that we have so long craved.
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West Ham should take the hint and not contemplate such a DEAL!
Posted by: GUEST BLOGGER , on Tue 10 Mar 2009
West Ham Football Fancast
Football FanCast guest columnist Dan Myers feels that West Ham should get
the hint and not waste their time with Stephen Appiah. Stephen Appiah is
becoming one of football's great enigmas and one that I find hard to work
out.
A browse of his CV and various footage of the player, you witness a top
quality midfielder who was Captain of Ghana ahead of the likes of Sulley
Muntari and Michael Essien; the guy has pedigree, but why at the age of 27
and approaching his prime is he still failing to land a contract at a
football club?
I appreciate the guy has had his injury problems in his time, but he clearly
is over them as he is continually having trials at football club's and in
Spurs' case spent around a month with them and yet despite their glaring
need for a holding midfielder decided against signing him. We know from
signing Terry Dixon that the North Londoners judgment on injuries isn't the
greatest, but given that he is on a free transfer and arguably the club
could negotiate a pay as you play yet they still decided to turn him down as
did the Russian side he went to next. Something isn't right and that is why
for the life of me I cannot understand why Zola is looking to take him on
trial ahead of potentially offering some sort of deal.
The player has come out today and refuted all suggestions that money wasn't
a contributing factor, but let's be honest something ain't right here. 27yrs
old and with a background like his you would expect a plethora of European
clubs all sniffing around and trying to sign him up, especially as he is on
a free. If it is nothing to do with wages then there is clearly a question
mark over his long term fitness - maybe it is a combination of both, but one
thing is for sure we shouldn't contemplate making a move, I mean, haven't we
had enough of injury prone players on high wages?
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West Ham set to win three months' grace before sale
Club's Icelandic parent company avoids bankruptcy
Creditors' agreement should allow until summer for sale
Owen Gibson guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 11 March 2009 00.39 GMT
West Ham United's Icelandic owners are on the verge of securing a vital
court victory providing a further three months' protection from bankruptcy,
giving them until the summer to negotiate the club's sale.
Hansa, the club's parent company, is now almost certain to secure another
three-month cessation period after the only major creditor seeking to plunge
it into bankruptcy and force a fire sale of its assets changed its position
to allow for sale of the club in orderly fashion.
Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, who owns 95% of West Ham through Hansa, saw his
network of business interests decimated by the collapse of Landbanksi, the
Icelandic bank in which he had a 41% stake.
MP Bank, which will be owed 5.4% of the total debt after a proposed share
swap, had argued that Hansa should be wound up and its main assets sold to
clear its estimated £238m debts, but shifted its stance after a recent
meeting of creditors including the new government owners of the Icelandic
investment bank Straumur-Burdaras that was nationalised this week, will come
as a relief to West Ham executives.
They believed that even if Hansa was forced into bankruptcy, the subsidiary
that houses West Ham Ltd would have been protected. But the fact that all of
Hansa's creditors are now agreed that it should be given time to sell the
club in an orderly fashion will remove one of the main complications
surrounding the process.
MP Bank dropped its opposition because Straumur, which was chaired by
Gudmundsson's son Bjorgolfur Thor Bjorgolfsson, dropped its claim to have
first refusal on the proceeds of any sale.
The about-turn was a result of it this week being seized by Iceland's
Financial Supervisory Authority under new laws introduced last year by the
government when its banking system collapsed.
It is understood that MP Bank will now be treated equally with all other
creditors when it comes to dividing up the proceeds of the sale of West Ham.
The additional three-month cessation, which is yet to be approved by the
Reykjavik court but which sources say is highly likely to now be
rubber-stamped this week, will give Gudmundsson until June to sell the club.
He was originally hoping to raise up to £250m for West Ham, which he bought
for £85m plus £22m in debt in 2006. But that figure is now considered wholly
unrealistic by City sources and he may have to settle for less than £100m.
The club will hope that a recent upturn in fortunes on the pitch under
Gianfranco Zola, plus the fact that that it owns its own ground in London,
has taken steps to rationalise its wage bill and is relatively debt free
will encourage potential bidders despite the fact that several clubs of a
similar size are also open to offers.
Since particulars were sent out by Standard Bank in December, it is
understood that five non-disclosure agreements have been signed but that
none have yet progressed to full due diligence.
The ongoing Carlos Tevez affair should also be substantially settled by the
end of this month. Lord Griffiths will reconvene his arbitration panel on 16
March to decide on the level of compensation due to Sheffield United.
Meanwhile, a joint investigation by the Premier League and the Football
Association into the conduct of West Ham executives in the wake of the
original verdict is continuing.
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West Ham owners to be handed Icelandic reprieve
11.03.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United's owners are set for a boost from the Icelandic courts. The
Guardian says the Hammers owners are on the verge of securing a vital court
victory providing a further three months' protection from bankruptcy, giving
them until the summer to negotiate the club's sale. Hansa, the club's parent
company, is now almost certain to secure another three-month cessation
period after the only major creditor seeking to plunge it into bankruptcy
and force a fire sale of its assets changed its position to allow for sale
of the club in orderly fashion. West Ham will hope that a recent upturn in
fortunes on the pitch under Gianfranco Zola, plus the fact that that it owns
its own ground in London, has taken steps to rationalise its wage bill and
is relatively debt free will encourage potential bidders despite the fact
that several clubs of a similar size are also open to offers. Since
particulars were sent out by Standard Bank in December, it is understood
that five non-disclosure agreements have been signed but that none have yet
progressed to full due diligence.
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West Ham striker Hines surprised by Jamaica call
11.03.09 | tribalfootball.com
West Ham United striker Zavon Hines admits he was surprised by his call-up
to the Jamaica squad by coach John Barnes. Hines was on the bench for
Jamaica in last month's friendly against Nigeria and told whufc.com: "It was
a surprise call up. "I hadn't been thinking about it. I got the call after
training. It was funny to work under him, very different but very
professional and it was a good experience. I want to get another chance."
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