WHUFC.com
Scott Parker is on the shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year
award
08.04.2011
Scott Parker has been nominated for the prestigious Professional
Footballers' Association (PFA) Players' Player of the Year award. The West
Ham United and England star has been recognised by his fellow professionals
after enjoying a stellar 2010/11 campaign at the heart of the Hammers
midfield. The No8 has led by example all season long, missing just two of
West Ham's 31 Barclays Premier League matches, leading the club to the
Carling Cup semi-finals and FA Cup sponsored by E.ON quarter-finals and
scoring a career-high seven goals in all competitions. The 30-year-old's
outstanding form, commitment and consistency have also seen him earn a
deserved recall to the senior England squad, culminating in eye-catching
displays in the recent friendly victory in Denmark and 2012 UEFA European
Championship qualifying win in Wales. Parker is one of seven players
nominated alongside Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, Tottenham Hotspur
winger Gareth Bale and playmaker Rafael van der Vaart, Arsenal midfielder
Samir Nasri, Manchester City's former Hammer of the Year-winning forward
Carlos Tevez and Manchester United centre-back Nemanja Vidic. "I think it's
a great honour. Personally it's very pleasing for me and I'm absolutely
buzzing about being nominated. It's been a tough season but things have gone
quite well personally, so I'm really pleased with it," Parker told West Ham
TV. "It's very, very pleasing that my fellow professionals have voted for me
and is probably the best thing about being nominated - that they appreciate
me as a player. That's massive, really."
Parker also took the opportunity to thank the fans who have sent messages of
support since the death of his father Mick last month. "The only way I can
say it is on camera, so I would like to say a big 'Thank you' for all the
well wishes and support I've received over the last couple of weeks from the
fans," he added. "The support from everyone around me has helped me out
massively."
If he were to win the award, Parker would become the eighth player to win
both the Young Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards -
Andy Gray, Ian Rush, Mark Hughes, Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard, Cristiano
Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney being the previous seven. PFA chief executive
Gordon Taylor said Parker was a deserved nominee for the award, which was
first presented at the end of the 1973/74 season. "As a former PFA Young
Player of the Year, it is great to see Scott nominated by his fellow
professionals in the Players' Player of the Year category," said Taylor. "He
has been West Ham's outstanding performer in what has been a difficult
season and if the Hammers retain their Premier League status, he will be
very much responsible for that. "Scott leads by example and it was good to
see his performances recognised by Fabio Capello recently, with his England
recall, and he full deserves all the acclaim coming his way."
Should he be successful, Parker would be the first West Ham player to win
the award, which is voted for by members of the PFA, the trade union for
professional footballers. Two Hammers have won the PFA Young Player of the
Year award - Mervyn Day in 1974/75 and Tony Cottee in 1985/86. The nominees
for 2010/11 Young Player of the Year are Bale, Nasri, Everton midfielder
Seamus Coleman, Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart, Manchester United
winger Nani and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere. The winners of will be
announced on Sunday 17 April.
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Avram on Friday
WHUFC.com
The manager has a fully-fit squad to choose from and full confidence as he
headed to Bolton
08.04.2011
Avram Grant was in upbeat mood at a sunny Chadwell Heath on Friday
afternoon. The squad departed for the north-west with a full complement of
strikers, including Robbie Keane and Frederic Piquionne. PFA Player of the
Year nominee Scott Parker was also unsurprisingly part of the discussion at
the weekly press conference.
Avram on the players' morale after the Manchester United defeat...
"I think it is not just about the last performance. All our results in the
last matches have been good. The performance in the first half last week was
good. There is no use in looking to the past and we spoke to the players
about that. We have a big game on Saturday and that is what is important.
"It was not difficult to pick ourselves up. We played against a very good
team. We were on top of them and winning two-nil but they played well in the
second half. We are a team that doesn't want to focus on one game, we
analyse all our performances and we have been improving."
Avram on Bolton and having lost the last seven meetings with them...
"There is no easy game for any team between now and the end of the season,
especially when you are playing at Bolton. They are very good, especially at
home. They are a good team but we have showed that we are difficult to play
against. Everyone is fit to play. "It is a challenge [to end a run of seven
defeats against Bolton]. It is a good challenge. The game will start at
zero-zero and we will come to the game looking to take the points. "I don't
know if they will be thinking about the [FA Cup] semi-final next week. They
are at home and will want to get a good result. Apart from tactics, we are
focused on what we need to do, not on the other team. In every game, our
first priority is ourselves but we also look at the strengths and weaknesses
of the other team."
Avram on points targets and staying up...
"Three months ago everyone thought 36 points [would be enough to survive]
but I don't think there is even one manager that thinks that now. Then, we
spoke about 38...I think it will be around 40 points not less. "I see in our
players what everyone sees. Our play is much better, we won many games, we
took points. In every aspect of the game we have improved. We have scored
more goals, we conceding less than before. Our fighting spirit is better and
we are playing intelligently. We have seen a lot of positive things. If we
continue like we did lately we will be OK."
Avram on the PFA nominating Scott Parker for Player of the Year...
"He is absolutely my choice. There is no doubt after what he has done for
this team. If you look at the second half of the season we have played well
and if you make a table we would be in the top half. We had difficult days
in the first half of the season and he was there for us. He played well and
scored goals, he kept us in a position that we could stay in contention."
"Scott Parker is the best. What he has done this season he is better than
any other English midfielder."
Avram on warning his players about swearing...
"My players are very nice, sometimes too nice on the pitch. I don't think I
need to say anything to them."
Avram on Robbie Keane...
"Robbie has done well for us. He is part of the squad, an important part. As
you know the first half of the season we had a lot of injuries, maybe half
the squad. Now everybody is fit and we have good competition. I am very
happy he is with us."
Avram on Freddie Piquionne...
"Freddie has done well for us and we want to wait to the end of the season
to consider his contribution. Until now he has done well. He has played
since the beginning of the season and we are happy with him. There are seven
games to go and we can see what he will do for the team after that."
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Bolton Wanderers match preview
WHUFC.com
All the early team news and background for Saturday big awayday at the
Reebok Stadium
08.04.2011
BOLTON WANDERERS V WEST HAM UNITED
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SATURDAY 9 APRIL 2011
REEBOK STADIUM
KICK-OFF: 3PM
Introduction
• West Ham United travel to the Reebok Stadium looking to make it five
successive away matches unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League for the
first time since the 2008/09 season. In fact, during that campaign, the
Hammers went seven matches unbeaten on the road in one run before losing 2-1
at Bolton Wanderers on 21 February 2009.
• The Hammers are eager to keep the new away streak going as they enter the
weekend back in the bottom three, with seven matches left to play this
season. Bolton are in eighth place on 40 points, eight ahead of their
18th-ranked visitors.
• West Ham have lost just one of their last five league matches, the 4-2
defeat last weekend at the hands of leaders Manchester United.
• The Hammers have lost their last seven matches against Bolton Wanderers,
with six of those coming in the Barclays Premier League.
• In all, the Hammers have failed to beat Bolton in eight matches - a run
stretching back to the 3-1 home league win at the Boleyn Ground on 5 May
2007, when Carlos Tevez netted twice and Mark Noble once. Wales manager Gary
Speed scored Bolton's goal.
• Bolton have won their last three home matches, the most recent being a 3-2
success against Aston Villa. They are also preparing for next week's FA Cup
semi-final against Stoke City at Wembley.
• Bolton beat West Ham three times last season, winning 3-1 on the first two
occasions. The first came in the Carling Cup third round on 22 September
2009, followed by a Premier League success on 15 December 2009. That was
followed by a 2-1 home defeat on 6 March 2010. Bolton also triumphed 3-1 at
the Boleyn Ground this season on 21 August 2010.
Last time out
Saturday 2 April 2011
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United 2-4 Manchester United
West Ham United: Green, Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Bridge, Noble (Keane 83),
Parker, Hitzlsperger, O'Neil (Obinna 83), Cole (Piquionne 68), Ba
Subs not used: Boffin, Reid, Tomkins, Spector
Goals: Noble 11 pen, 25 pen
Saturday 2 April 2011
Barclays Premier League
Birmingham City 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Wheater, Alonso, Cohen
(Lee 64), Muamba (Taylor 79), Petrov (Klasnic 73), Elmander, K Davies,
Sturridge
Subs not used: Bogdan, Robinson, Moreno, Blake
Goal: Elmander 70
Previous meeting
West Ham entertained Bolton on Saturday 21 August for Avram Grant's first
home match in charge of the Hammers. The Hammers began brightly but paid the
price for their first-half profligacy, mainly a missed Carlton Cole penalty
and a Kieron Dyer effort that hit the post. A Matthew Upson own goal and
Johan Elmander put the visitors in front and Elmander later dashed any hopes
of a home revival through Mark Noble's late spot-kick.
West Ham United: Green, Faubert, Gabbidon, Upson (Reid 54), Ilunga, Dyer
(McCarthy 77), Noble, Parker, Barrera, Cole (Sears 86), Piquionne
Subs not used: Stech, Tomkins, Boa Morte, Kovac
Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Holden,
Muamba, Lee (Taylor 81), Petrov (Blake 88), Elmander (M Davies 86), K Davies
Subs not used: Bogdan, Ricketts, O'Brien, Klasnic
Background
• West Ham have been caught offside (102) more times than any other Barclays
Premier League team this season.
• Bolton have conceded more fouls (408) than any other Barclays Premier
League team this season.
• This is the 56th league meeting between the two sides. Bolton have won 29,
West Ham have won 18 and there have been eight draws.
• Johan Elmander is Bolton's top scorer with 12 goals, ten of which have
come in the top flight. Carlton Cole has eleven for West Ham, but just five
have been in the league.
• Cole was West Ham's leading scorer last season with ten top-flight goals.
• Kevin Davies has scored on four of his last six starts against West Ham.
• West Ham's biggest win at Bolton was a 3-0 success on 18 November 1995
while the Trotters' best showing at home in this fixture was a 5-0 triumph
on 29 November 1924 - two seasons after their 2-0 victory over the Hammers
in the first Wembley FA Cup final.
Head to head
Last six meetings: (Premier League unless stated)
21 August 2010 - West Ham United 1-3 Bolton Wanderers
6 March 2010 - West Ham United 1-2 Bolton Wanderers
15 December 2009 - Bolton Wanderers 3-1 West Ham United
22 September 2009 - Bolton Wanderers 3-1 West Ham United (League Cup third
round)
21 February 2009 - Bolton Wanderers 2-1 West Ham United
5 October 2008 - West Ham United 1-3 Bolton Wanderers
Overall record v Bolton Wanderers (all competitions) W 22 D 10 L 34
Team news
• Avram Grant has a virtually fully-fit squad to choose from.
• Jack Collison is due to start for the reserves in Tuesday evening's home
match with Aston Villa at Bishop's Stortford FC.
• Grant is still without long-term absentee Peter Kurucz (knee) and Junior
Stanislas (groin), while Kieron Dyer (Ipswich Town), Jordan Spence (Bristol
City), Frank Nouble (Charlton Athletic) and Olly Lee (Dagenham and
Redbridge) are out on loan at present.
• Bolton have Ricardo Gardner back from his loan at Preston North End but
are still without Stuart Holden, who is out for at least another five months
with a serious knee ligament injury.
• Sam Ricketts (achilles) is also not expected to return until next season
but Mark Davies is closer to a return from a foot problem.
• Zat Knight has returned to reserve-team action, having been out with a
knee problem and could replace David Wheater, should Bolton choose to rest
him with an eye on next week's FA Cup semi-final against Stoke City.
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Bolton Wanderers
2009/10 Premier League 14th (39 points)
2008/09 Premier League 13th (41 points)
2007/09 Premier League 16th (37 points)
2006/07 Premier League 7th (56 points)
2005/06 Premier League 8th (56 points)
2004/05 Premier League 6th (58 points)
2003/04 Premier League 8th (53 points)
2002/03 Premier League 17th (44 points)
2001/02 Premier League 16th (40 points)
2000/01 Championship 3rd (87 points - promoted via play-offs)
Referee
• Saturday's referee will be Lee Probert.
• Probert will take charge of West Ham United for the third time this
season, having previously refereed the Barclays Premier League fixtures at
Liverpool (0-3) on 20 November and at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers (2-0)
on New Year's Day.
• The 38-year-old official was born in Gloucestershire and began refereeing
in 1986. He was promoted to the Football League assistant referees' list in
1998, and made the step up to referee in the league five years later.
• Probert was promoted to the Select Group of Premier League referees in
summer 2007.
• In 27 domestic matches refereed in 2010/11, Probert has issued 67 yellow
cards and sent-off six players.
Old boys
• Among those players who have represented both clubs are Tal Ben Haim,
Frank Costello, George Eccles, Thomas Kinsell and William Yenson. Anthony
Barness was loaned to West Ham in January 2004 but returned without playing
a game inside 24 hours.
General information
• For ticket information, click here.
• Saturday afternoon's forecast in Bolton is for a sunny day with maximum
daytime temperature of 19C (67F).
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Nouble extends at Charlton
WHUFC.com
Young striker Frank Nouble is to get longer to shine at Charlton Athletic
after increasing his loan stay
08.04.2011
Frank Nouble has extended his stay with League 1 side Charlton Athletic
until 7 May. The 19-year-old has scored once in three appearance during his
first month on loan at the south London club. Nouble is not the only Hammer
out on loan with Olly Lee at fellow League One outfit Dagenham and Redbridge
and Jordan Spence with Championship club Bristol City. Kieron Dyer is due
back at West Ham United on Monday after his month-long stay with Ipswich
Town.
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Bolton v West Ham
BBC.co.uk
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Reebok Stadium Date: Saturday, 9 April Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage: Watch highlights on Match of the Day; listen on BBC Radio 5 live
and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles
TEAM NEWS
Bolton defender Zat Knight is poised to feature following seven weeks out
with knee ligament damage. Mark Davies also returns having overcome an ankle
problem, while Ricardo Gardner is included after the completion of a loan
spell at Preston.
West Ham manager Avram Grant has a virtually fully-fit squad to choose from
with the exception of Junior Stanislas and Peter Kurucz. Midfielder Jack
Collison is back in training but will not be risked.
Bolton
Injured: Davis & Holden (both knee), Ricketts (Achilles)
West Ham
Injured: Collison & Kurucz (both knee), Stanislas (hernia)
MATCH PREVIEW
West Ham's second-half capitulation last weekend made it seven straight
league defeats against Manchester United. That exact same statistic awaits
the Hammers if they lose to Bolton, another of their bogey sides. In fact
the Trotters have won their last seven Premier League home games in this
fixture, and scored 16 goals in the process. Not the sort of facts that will
fill West Ham fans with much confidence. Their team head to the Reebok
Stadium back in the bottom three, and without the touchline presence of
manager Avram Grant, who will watch from the stands as he starts a two-game
dugout ban. The onus will therefore once again be on West Ham captain Scott
Parker to orchestrate his team-mates with another one of his inspirational
displays. His impressive form this season saw him rewarded with a PFA Player
of the Year nomination earlier this week. Despite striving for a top-10
finish, Bolton manager Owen Coyle's team selection may well be influenced by
the impending FA Cup semi-final meeting with Stoke at Wembley next Sunday.
Defenders David Wheater and Paul Robinson will both miss Bolton's next two
fixtures should they be booked against the Hammers, having accrued nine
bookings for the season. A yellow card amnesty takes effect after this
weekend so Coyle might protect both men with Wembley in mind.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
• Bolton are unbeaten in their last eight matches against West Ham in all
competitions. Four of the last six encounters have ended with the Trotters
winning 3-1.
• Kevin Davies has scored eight goals in his last 11 appearances against the
Hammers in all competitions.
• West Ham have never won on 11 previous trips to the Reebok Stadium in all
competitions.
Bolton
• The Trotters are in danger of losing three successive league games for the
first time this season.
• Only Chelsea and Liverpool have left the Reebok Stadium with all three
points so far this season.
• Bolton are looking to complete just their second double of the season,
after beating Wolves both home and away.
• Owen Coyle's men are unbeaten against any of the sides currently
entrenched in the bottom five (W4, D4).
West Ham
• Avram Grant's side are unbeaten in their last four away Premier League
fixtures.
• The Hammers have scored two or more goals in six of their last eight
league matches.
• West Ham have been caught offside a Premier League-high 102 times.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Bolton
Elmander: 12 goals (10 league); K Davies: 9 goals (7 league)
West Ham
Cole: 11 goals (5 league); Piquionne: 9 goals (6 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Lee Probert
Assistant referees: Dean Mohareb & Glenn Turner
Fourth official: Andre Marriner
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Bolton (L1-2 v Birmingham, a): Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Wheater,
Alonso, Cohen (Lee 64), Muamba (Taylor 79), Petrov (Klasnic 73), Elmander, K
Davies, Sturridge. Subs not used: Bogdan, Robinson, Moreno, Blake.
West Ham (L2-4 v Man Utd, h): Green; Jacobsen, da Costa, Upson, Bridge,
O'Neil (Obinna 83), Parker, Noble (Keane 83), Hitzlsperger, Cole (Piquionne
68), Ba. Subs not used: Boffin, Reid, Tomkins, Spector.
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Carlton Cole charged for Ghana fans comments on Twitter
BBc.co.uk
Page last updated at 20:00 GMT, Friday, 8 April 2011 21:00 UK
Carlton Cole has been charged with improper conduct by the Football
Association for his comments on Twitter during England's friendly with
Ghana. The West Ham striker referred to the large numbers of Ghana fans at
Wembley Stadium in comments he later deleted. Cole, 27, tweeted:
"Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap!
Hahahaha. "The only way to get out safely is to wear an England jersey and
paint your face w/ the St. George's flag!" The England international, who
won his last cap in March 2010, claimed his comments on the social
networking site were a joke and has until 1600 BST on 13 April to respond to
the charge. Lord Ouseley, head of Kick It Out, football's equality and
inclusion campaign, said: "We continually urge the responsible use of
mediums such as Twitter, particularly due to their increasing accessibility
and popularity. "What can seem like harmless comments can be deemed
offensive by others and lead to unwittingly reinforcing negative
stereotyping, including racist ones. "We will work with all our partners to
ensure that education on what is and isn't unacceptable behaviour is
ongoing."
Cole's reprimand is the latest in a number of incidents regarding Twitter
that the FA has felt the need to investigate. In January, Dutch winger Ryan
Babel was fined £10,000 and warned about his future conduct by the FA over a
post he made on Twitter. Babel, who was a Liverpool player at the time,
linked to a mocked-up picture of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United
shirt in reference to the official awarding a penalty to the home side and
sending off visiting captain Steven Gerrard in Liverpool's 1-0 FA Cup defeat
at Old Trafford. The following month, Arsenal's Jack Wilshere escaped
punishment after tweeting about referee Phil Dowd following his side's 4-4
draw with Newcastle. The FA looked into the matter but stopped short of
punishing the midfielder. During last year's World Cup in South Africa,
England's players were banned from posting comments on Twitter or Facebook
or writing articles for newspapers for the duration of the tournament.
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FArce
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 8th April 2011
By: Staff Writer
Carlton Cole has been charged with 'improper conduct' following comments
made on social network Twitter during the recent England v Ghana friendly.
In the latest of a series of farcical decisions from the game's ruling body,
the West Ham striker has been charged following a tweet posted during the
recent Wembley friendly, which ended 1-1. "Immigration has surrounded the
Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha," read the apparently
offensive post - which was swiftly followed by another reading: "The only
way to get our safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face with
the St George's flag!"
Having received replies stating that his light-hearted comments could be
misconstrued, Cole - whose mother hails from Sierra Leone and father from
Nigeria - then tweeted: "To my Ghanaian brothers don't take it so seriously,
it's just jokes! You've played well! Done Africa proud!"
However the FA have failed to see the funny side and a statement on their
website tonight read: "The FA has today charged West Ham United's Carlton
Cole with Improper Conduct relating to media comments. "The charge relates
to comments made on Twitter during the England v Ghana fixture on Tuesday 29
March 2011. Cole has until 4pm on 13 April to respond to the charge."
Cole's charge follows that of manager Avram Grant, who was charged with the
same offence in February after he (rightly) criticised referee Mike Jones
for his appalling performance in the Stoke FA Cup quarter final.
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Grant hits back at FA
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 8th April 2011
By: Staff Writer
Avram Grant has hit back at the FA after he was given a two-match touchline
ban for comments made regarding referee Mike Jones. Grant - who denied the
charge before being hit with the ban - said: "I don't like it, I don't agree
with it. I think it is wrong even from the FA to charge me but this is life.
"Not everybody is right about what they are doing and I will continue. It is
not such a problem because I am in contact with the staff and I have very
good people that will be on the bench. The players know what we are going to
do, it will be okay."
The Hammers boss - who has travelled with his team to the North West for
tomorrow's Premier League clash with Bolton - added: "I don't think even
one manager will now speak honestly in front of the cameras knowing that
maybe he will be charged. "I spoke with managers and lot of them have
decided not to do it."
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Bolton v West Ham preview
Trotters go in search of eighth straight victory over the Hammers
Last updated: 8th April 2011
SSN
Form guide:
Bolton: WDWLL
West Ham: DWWDL
Injuries:
Bolton: Holden, Davis, Ricketts
West Ham: Stanislas, Collison, Kurucz
Sky Bet odds: Bolton 23/20 Draw 23/10 West Ham 12/5
Opta stat: Bolton have not won any of the five Premier League games that
Stuart Holden has not played in this season, drawing two and losing three.
Bolton have enjoyed their meetings with West Ham in the recent past and will
be hoping for more of the same this weekend. The Trotters have suffered
back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, but know their record against
the Hammers suggests they will return to winning ways on Saturday. Owen
Coyle's side have come out on top in the last seven meetings between the two
sides in all competitions. They have won four of the last six 3-1, while the
other two games have ended in 2-1 successes for the North West outfit. In
Kevin Davies, the Trotters also boast a striker who likes testing himself
against the Hammers. The England international has scored eight Premier
League goals against West Ham in the past, making them his favourite top
flight opponent. Bolton can also take heart from the fact that they have
lost only one of their last 10 games on home soil, while they remain
unbeaten against the sides currently occupying the bottom five places in the
table. Unfortunately for West Ham, that includes them. Avram Grant has got
his side pulling in the right direction, though, with last weekend's 4-2
defeat to Manchester United ending a four-match unbeaten run. That run of
form has helped to ensure that the capital club remain within one point of
safety with seven games of the season remaining.
Team news
Zat Knight and Mark Davies are set to return to the Bolton squad at a
crucial stage of the season. Knight has been troubled by a knee injury and
Davies an ankle problem. Ricardo Gardner is also in contention after
returning from a loan spell at Championship side Preston. Stuart Holden,
Sean Davis and Sam Ricketts remain sidelined through injury.
West Ham boss Grant finds himself in the enviable position of being able to
select from a virtually fully-fit squad. Jack Collison will not be risked,
but he is set to step up his recovery from a long-term knee injury with a
reserve run-out next week. Junior Stanislas (groin) and Peter Kurucz (knee)
are long-term injury victims and remain out of action.
Possible starting XIs
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Elmander, Muamba,
Cohen, Petrov, Sturridge, K Davies.
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Da Costa, Upson, Bridge, O'Neil, Parker, Noble,
Hitzlsperger, Cole, Ba.
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Cole hit with FA charge
West Ham striker in hot water over Twitter post during Ghana game
Last Updated: April 8, 2011 7:19pm
SSN
The Football Association has charged Carlton Cole with improper conduct over
comments he made on Twitter during England's friendly against Ghana. The
West Ham striker, who was not involved in the match at Wembley on 29th
March, posted remarks referring to the large number of Ghana fans present at
the stadium. He later deleted the comments and claimed they were a joke, but
has now been hit with an FA charge after the matter was looked into. Cole
had tweeted: "Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was
a trap! Hahahaha. "The only way to get out safely is to wear an England
jersey and paint your face w/ the St. George's flag!"
The FA confirmed its ruling in a statement, leaving Cole until 4pm next
Wednesday to respond to the charge. The statement read: "The FA has charged
West Ham United'sCarlton Cole with improper conduct relating to media
comments. "The charge relates to comments made on Twitter during the England
v Ghana fixture on Tuesday 29 March 2011."
Responsible
Lord Herman Ouseley, head of Kick It Out, football's equality and inclusion
campaign, said apparently harmless comments could cause offence. Ouseley
said: "We continually urge the responsible use of mediums such as Twitter,
particularly due to their increasing accessibility and popularity. "What can
seem like harmless comments can be deemed offensive by others and lead to
unwittingly reinforcing negative stereotyping, including racist ones. "We
will work with all our partners to ensure that education on what is and
isn't unacceptable behaviour, is ongoing."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers offer Spence new deal
Spence in talks with Hammers
By Pete O'Rourke
Last Updated: April 8, 2011 3:03pm
SSN
Skysports.com understands West Ham have offered highly-rated defender Jordan
Spence a new deal. The full-back, who is currently on loan at Bristol City,
is out of contract at the end of the season and could leave Upton Park on a
free transfer. A number of Premier League clubs are thought to be monitoring
Spence's situation with the defender impressing during his spell on loan in
the Championship. The 20-year-old has made only one substitute appearance in
the West Ham side, but he is highly-regarded by the club's coaching team and
he has recently broken into the England Under 21 set-up West Ham are hopeful
of agreeing a new deal with Spence as they see him as a key part of their
future.
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Addicks prolong Nouble stay
Last Updated: April 8, 2011 5:10pm
SSN
The 19-year-old England youth international was due to return to Upton Park
after his initial month-long spell at The Valley expired following Tuesday's
loss to Southampton. However, Nouble, who has made six appearances for the
Addicks so far scoring once in the 2-1 defeat at Dagenham on March 19, will
now remain with Chris Powell's side until May 7.
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Grant aims to reward owners
West Ham boss ready to deliver survival
Last Updated: April 8, 2011 10:51am
SSN
Avram Grant has described the speculation around his future as West Ham boss
in January as a very difficult period. The Hammers have endured a turbulent
campaign that has seen them in the bottom three for the majority of the
season. This has led to constant speculation about Grant's position which
came to a head in January following a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal. In what
appeared to be a gesture of farewell, Grant threw a scarf into the crowd as
the result left them adrift at the foot of the table with Martin O'Neill
tipped for the post. However, the Hammers board eventually kept faith with
the former Portsmouth manager who has now led them to within a point of
safety. "It was a dark time and I wasn't happy. But we have stuck together,
the players have responded and it is much better now." "Faced with
something like that, you can either give up or continue and I've never given
up in my life," Grant told The Times.
Dark time
"It was a dark time and I wasn't happy. But we have stuck together, the
players have responded and it is much better now." Having dealt with the
pressure of the executioner's axe over his head with supreme dignity, Grant
could be forgiven for bearing a grudge against his employers. But the
Israeli appears to have little time for such things and his only focus is
preserving his team's top-flight status. "The club didn't want to be in
last, they weren't happy with our situation," he added. "But in the end our
owners had faith in me and I will reward them. We knew it wasn't going to be
an easy season. Our target was to stay in the Premier League and I believe
we will achieve that. "I came here for four years and I believe in the
vision we have for the club. I told the owners that only by having faith in
the manager can they have success. They understand that now."
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Cole charged for Twitter 'joke'
Published: Today
The SUn
THE FA have charged West Ham's Carlton Cole with improper conduct relating
to comments he made on Twitter. Following England's 1-1 draw with Ghana last
month, Cole tweeted: "Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I
knew it was a trap! Hahaha." He added: "The only way to get out safely is to
wear an England jersey and paint your face with the St George's flag!"
Cole's comments led to an online backlash from some of his followers and the
27-year-old subsequently removed them. However, English football's governing
body have taken a dim view of his outburst and he has until 4pm on April 13
to respond to the charge.
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