West Ham United statement
WHUFC.com
West Ham United have issued a statement in response to the outcome of the
Independent Arbitration Tribunal
07.02.2014
Whilst West Ham United are obviously disappointed at the decision, as we
have made clear throughout, we respect the rules of football and shall abide
by them. Andy Carroll will now serve a three-match suspension, which will
rule him out of the Barclays Premier League fixtures at Aston Villa tomorrow
and at home to Norwich City and Southampton. He will be available for
selection again for the trip to Everton on Saturday 1 March.
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Friday, February 7
Daily WHUFC News - 7th February 2014
'We have to dig in'
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble is backing the Hammers to get over the loss of Andy Carroll at
Aston Villa
06.02.2014
Mark Noble has backed the Hammers to overcome the suspension of Andy Carroll
by claiming their first back-to-back league wins since 2012 this weekend.
Carroll will sit out Saturday's game at Aston Villa after the Club's appeal
against his red card in the Swansea match was dismissed. The No9 linked up
effectively with Kevin Nolan against the Swans, but his absence could give
another chance to Carlton Cole, who has notched four goals in his last ten
appearances. Victory at Villa Park could lift the Hammers as high as
eleventh in the table and Noble is focused on helping propelling them to the
relative safety of mid-table. He said: "Andy being suspended is obviously a
massive miss for us. For him to be back the way he was and then to miss him
for another three games is going to be tough, but we have to dig in and get
results without him. "Everyone will have to play their part to try and get
us three points away from home. "We're three points off eleventh, so getting
ourselves back in that pack with the win against Swansea was important. "It
would be good to go to Aston Villa and get the three points before another
winnable home game against Norwich. We're looking up rather than down at the
moment, and even though we're in the bottom three, I'm sure we can claw our
way back."
Noble has been delighted with the performances in West Ham's last two
fixtures, which not only yielded clean sheets against Chelsea and Swansea,
but also four points. The No16 believes that haul was fully deserved and
points to better times ahead in the coming months. He continued: "We've got
what we deserved from the last two games, which hasn't been the case all
season. "We've had a bit of bad luck with injuries, but to get four points
from the games against Chelsea and Swansea has been good for the camp. "It's
now eleven clean sheets which, along with Arsenal, is the joint-most in the
league. Our downfall was that we couldn't score goals and that's why we're
not in mid table or pushing higher. "We just need to work hard from now
until the end of the season and dig in - all the way from the bottom to
tenth nobody is safe and if we keep winning we'll drag more and more teams
into it."
Looking ahead to Saturday's trip to Aston Villa, Noble says the key could be
keeping their lively strike duo quiet. He explained: "Villa are a good team
at home, they counter well and they've had good results lately. But we know
we've got enough to go there and get a result. "Paul Lambert has had to
restructure the wage bill there, so he's done a good job with that. He has a
lot of young players who are working hard for each other and for the team.
"Then obviously they've got Benteke up front. We need to keep him and Gabby
Agbonlahor quiet and hopefully go there and get some points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll: West Ham may 'create monster' - Paul Lambert
BBC.co.uk
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert is concerned that a "monster" could be
created if West Ham succeed in getting Andy Carroll's red card overturned.
The Hammers are to take legal action after failing in their appeal to the
Football Association over the striker's red card against Swansea last
Saturday.
Carroll is banned for three games, including Saturday's trip to Villa. "If
it is overruled then you create a monster of everybody wanting to do the
same," said Lambert. West Ham co-chairman David Gold said that he was only
taking the legal option because his side are third from bottom in the
Premier League and involved in a relegation battle. When asked if he would
go down a similar route if his side was facing the same situation, Lambert
replied: "It's hard to say. You can understand West Ham trying. "You'd have
to judge the incident on its merit. Everybody is going to be different,
whether they think something is dangerous or not. That is their own
perception."
The FA is refusing to comment, but the rules allow for clubs to take
disputes to arbitration and if necessary to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport. It is not clear if the ban would be placed on hold until the case has
been dealt with. Carroll, 25, was sent off after clashing with Swans
defender Chico Flores during his side's 2-0 victory.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold set for legal battle
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
Co-chairman David Gold has indicated that West Ham United are prepared to
seek legal redress as a result of the FA's decision to uphold Andy Carroll's
red card against Swansea. The FA have rarely been swayed by public opinion,
as Brian Clough found out to his chagrin all those years ago. And so it was
the case again this week when a three-man quango decided to uphold Howard
Webb's decision to dismiss Carroll for violent conduct despite the Hammers
enjoying widespread public support - a rarity itself in recent times. Now
Gold says that the Hammers are prepared to go all the way to court in an
effort to have Carroll's appeal re-heard - an appeal against an appeal, if
you will. Talking earlier, he said: "We are hugely disappointed at the
outcome of the process. The last thing I want to do is go to some kind of
legal issue because I think it is a footballing issue. But we are fighting
for our lives. "If we were mid-table we would probably get on with it, but
we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premier League status and we owe
it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves. We are upset, we feel we have been
badly treated. "Most judgements are not made by three people, they are made
by 12 - that's why they are called juries. I believe if you had gone to the
FA Council and asked the 100 members, 75 per cent would have said it was not
a sending off. "If you just take three people, it may not be
representative."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ashton slams 'pathetic' Chico
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers striker Dean Ashton has labelled Chico Flores "pathetic"
after he contrived to get Andy Carroll sent off - but believes that the
striker's red card was warranted. Ashton, speaking exclusively to the KUMB
Podcast - which you may download here - hit out at the Spanish defender who
feigned injury in order to get Carroll sent off, a situation that referee
Howard Webb bought hook, line and sinker. "The actions of Chico Flores were
pathetic and it's good to hear even the Swansea fans come out and say how
they're disgraced by it," said Ashton. "It's a real shame that it's not been
overturned but I think it was a sending off, you just can't do that any
more. "I think Andy will admit he probably shouldn't have swung his arm
round. We all know that it's pretty pathetic and we all know that a few
years ago nothing would have happened, but nowadays you just can't do that."
And whilst Ashton - who was forced to retire from professional football at
the age of just 26 - believes that West Ham will avoid the drop, he
maintains their best chance of doing so is with a fit Andy Carroll in the
team. "With Andy in the side the team seems to gel and there's more of a
confidence when he plays," he added. "They look totally different and are
just too strong for some teams, as they showed at the weekend. "I'm
slightly worried for the next few games as everyone could tell what a
difference Andy made. In the last couple of games he's looked more like his
old self and that'll be a massive blow for Sam. But it gives the player/s
coming in a chance to step in and perform. "I said a few weeks ago, when
things looked a lot more bleak, that as soon as they get their better
players back they'd start to climb the league. I think that's already
showing now they have their best players in the team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham seeking "legal redress" over Andy Carroll's red card
Last Updated: 06/02/14 5:15pm
SSN
West Ham's co-owner David Gold says the club are seeking "legal redress"
over Andy Carroll's red card because they have no alternative. The Hammers
want the Football Association to take the case to an arbitration panel after
referee Howard Webb's decision to send off the striker after a clash with
Swansea's Chico Flores was upheld by a three-man FA appeal's body. Carroll
is now facing a three-match ban which will see him miss West Ham's away game
with Aston Villa on Saturday, as well as home fixtures with Norwich and
Southampton. Gold believes Carroll's suspension could mean the difference
between relegation and top-flight survival. "We are hugely disappointed at
the outcome of the process," said Gold. "There is nowhere to go other than
to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal, the last thing I want to
do is going to some kind of legal issue because I think it is a footballing
issue. "we are fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would
probably get on with it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our
Premiership status and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves." "But
we are fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would probably get on
with it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premiership status
and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves."
The FA is refusing to comment on the unprecedented case, but the rules do
allow for clubs to take disputes to arbitration and if necessary to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is not clear however whether the player's
ban would be placed on hold until the case was dealt with. Gold claimed most
people would view the red card as wrong and that Carroll had been trying to
shrug off Flores. He added: "We are a club that understands there are rules
and we abide by them. But you have every commentator and 80 per cent of the
media saying it wasn't a sending off. "Yet Howard Webb reviews the situation
afterwards and says he stands by his judgement and when it goes to appeal
and three guys stand by Howard Webb you feel 'how can this be right'. "We
are upset, we feel we have been badly treated. "Most judgements are not made
by three people, they are made by 12 - that's why they are called juries. "I
believe if you had gone to the FA Council and asked the 100 members 75 per
cent would have said it was not a sending off, but if you just take three
people it may not be representative."
Gold said Carroll's presence could be crucial for the rest of West Ham's
season. He said: "Of course it could. You can see the impact he has on our
football club. I feel sorry for him as well - he was absolutely mortified.
"He was shrugging the guy off, okay he has messed his hair up but I don't
think you should get sent off for messing somebody's hair up. "There was a
lovely tweet about Chico Flores saying he went to Vidal Sassoon and is now
in intensive hair."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble backs West Ham to cope without Andy Carroll
Last Updated: 06/02/14 5:10pm
SSN
Midfielder Mark Noble believes that West Ham can still get positive results
without Andy Carroll. The Hammers will be without star forward Carroll as he
serves a three-match ban for violent conduct, and is set to miss the
upcoming games against Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton. But Noble is
still confident that West Ham will be able to build on last Saturday's 2-0
victory over Swansea City. The 26-year-old told the London Evening Standard:
"Andy being suspended is obviously a massive miss for us. "For him to be
back the way he was and then to miss him for another three games is going to
be tough but we have to dig in and get results without him. "Everyone will
have to play their part to try and get us three points away from home.
"We're three points off eleventh, so getting ourselves back in that pack
with the win against Swansea was important. "It would be good to go to Aston
Villa and get the three points before another winnable home game against
Norwich City. "We're looking up rather than down at the moment and even
though we're in the bottom three, I'm sure we can claw our way back."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has some concerns on West Ham appealing Andy
Carroll's red card
Last Updated: 06/02/14 11:23pm
SSN
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert reckons a successful West Ham appeal on Andy
Carroll's red card against Swansea may lead to chaos in the game. The
Hammers are trying to seek an arbitration panel hearing into Carroll's
sending off during their 2-0 win over Swansea last weekend. This week a
three-man Football Association appeal's body upheld the decision of referee
Howard Webb to dismiss Carroll following a clash with Chico Flores. Speaking
ahead of Villa's Premier League clash with West Ham, Lambert insists he
understands West Ham's reasoning. But the Scot also feels a dangerous
precedent could be set the case goes before an arbitration panel as that
would give other clubs the opportunity to ignore future FA decisions. "I
don't get involved in somebody else's business. It's up to West Ham and what
they want to do," said Lambert. "I don't know the ins and outs. All I know
is they're debating trying to get him off. It's not my remit, it's for West
Ham. "But if is overruled then you create a monster of everybody wanting to
do the same. That's what could happen."
Asked whether he would go down a similar route if the circumstances were the
same and Villa striker Christian Benteke was in the dock, Lambert added:
"It's hard to say. You can understand West Ham trying. "You'd have to judge
the incident on its merit. Everybody is going to be different, whether they
think something is dangerous or not. That is their own perception. "Whether
West Ham see they've a chance to get it rescinded, I don't know."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA CAVE INTO WEST HAM DEMANDS FOR ARBITRATION PANEL AT 11AM TODAY
By Sean Whetstone 7 Feb 2014 at 00:14
West Ham Till I Die
Darren Lewis broke the news in the Daily Mirror just before midnight that
the FA have caved in to West Ham's demands for arbitration. A three-person
panel will consist of one from each side and a mutually agreed third It is
claimed The FA have only agreed to arbitration in the Andy Carroll case to
prevent West Ham going to the High Court on Friday morning over the 3 match
ban. The hearing has been scheduled under the FA's Rule K for 11am Friday at
a venue to be arranged. Both parties will choose one person each to sit on a
three-man panel. A third will have to be agreed upon. West Ham have stood by
a number of points made in a letter put to the FA by top barrister Lord
David Pannick QC They insisted that Andy Carroll should have had a personal
hearing and that although the Commission maintains an "obvious error" has to
have been made such wording doesn't exist in the rules.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM DEMAND AN ARBITRATION HEARING OR WILL SEEK HIGH COURT INJUNCTION
By Sean Whetstone 6 Feb 2014 at 09:00
West Ham Till I Die
Details have emerged in the papers this morning of the letter to the FA and
the grounds West Ham are allegedly demanding an arbitration appeal panel is
convened under rule K of the handbook.
West Ham could demand the FA bring arbitration proceedings under rule K of
their rules. Such an arbitration would be limited to a challenge to the
validity of the decision on the grounds of ultra vires ( Latin: 'beyond
powers') including error of law, irrationality or procedural unfairness. An
arbitration would probably take place behind closed doors before a new FA
three-person tribunal. The process could take weeks rather than days, and it
is likely that the 3 match ban would be suspended pending the result of the
arbitration if permitted by the FA.
West Ham's first argument appears to be it is against normal justice that
Andy Carroll was not allowed to appear in person in front of the panel. The
second and main claim is said to be around the FA's claim there has to be an
'obvious error' in Howard Webb's decision for the red card to be overturned.
West Ham claim this statement is fundamentally flawed as it is not in the FA
or Premier League rule book. The letter is believed to have been written by
Lord David Pannick QC on behalf of the club says the structure of the FA
appeal process is legally flawed. If the FA refuse an arbitration hearing it
is claimed West ham will seek a high court injunction to allow Andy Carroll
to play on Saturday. There are claims it could bring the whole current
appeal panel system down if successful.
West ham could also attempt to bring judicial review proceedings in the high
court, but our chances of getting this type of action are very unlikely. In
a previous challenge to the setting up of the Premier League in 1992, the
high court decided that the FA was not subject to judicial review. Another
option is the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Update
David Gold has broken his silence over the recent events and said "We are
hugely disappointed at the outcome of the process.There is nowhere to go
other than to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal, the last
thing I want to do is going to some kind of legal issue because I think it
is a footballing issue.But we are fighting for our lives. If we were
mid-table we would probably get on with it but we are fighting for our lives
to retain our Premiership status and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to
ourselves.The FA is refusing to comment on the unprecedented case, but the
rules do allow for clubs to take disputes to arbitration and if necessary to
the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is not clear however whether the
player's ban would be placed on hold until the case was dealt with. We are a
club that understands there are rules and we abide by them. But you have
every commentator and 80 per cent of the media saying it wasn't a sending
off. Yet Howard Webb reviews the situation afterwards and says he stands by
his judgement and when it goes to appeal and three guys stand by Howard Webb
you feel 'how can this be right. We are upset, we feel we have been badly
treated. Most judgements are not made by three people, they are made by 12 -
that's why they are called juries.I believe if you had gone to the FA
Council and asked the 100 members 75 per cent would have said it was not a
sending off, but if you just take three people it may not be
representative."
Gold was also asked whether Andy Carroll missing 3 games would have an
impact. He replied "Of course it could. You can see the impact he has on our
football club. I feel sorry for him as well - he was absolutely mortified.
He was shrugging the guy off, okay he has messed his hair up but I don't
think you should get sent off for messing somebody's hair up.There was a
lovely tweet about Chico Flores saying he went to Vidal Sassoon and is now
in intensive hair."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll row: FA bow to West Ham's arbitration demands to keep
sending-off saga out of High Court
Feb 06, 2014 23:43 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
The FA have sensationally agreed to arbitration in the Andy Carroll case to
prevent West Ham going to the High Court on Friday morning over the
striker's red card. A hearing has been scheduled - under the FA's Rule K -
for 11am Friday at a venue to be arranged. Both parties will choose one
person each to sit on a three-man panel. A third will have to be agreed
upon. The FA have declined to comment, but this fresh twist comes after
hours of talks on Thursday between the FA's lawyers and West Ham's legal
team in a desperate bid to prevent the club shattering the disciplinary
system. The Hammers had remained hell-bent on heading for the High Court
after the FA initially refused arbitration over the failed appeal against
Carroll's sending off last Saturday. Co-chairman David Gold confirmed their
intention to follow through with their threat to take out an injunction
blocking the red card and freeing up Carroll to play in their massive
relegation scraps away to Aston Villa on Saturday and at home against
Norwich on Tuesday. That would have caused pandemonium as every club has
signed up to an agreement that the decision of an Independent Commission is
final. But Gold said before Thursday night's fresh development: "We are
hugely disappointed at the outcome of the process. "There is nowhere to go
other than to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal, the last
thing I want to do is going to some kind of legal issue, because I think it
is a footballing issue. But we are fighting for our lives. "If we were
mid-table we would probably get on with it but we are fighting for our lives
to retain our Premier League status and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to
ourselves."
West Ham, however, had stood by a number of points made in a letter put to
the FA after consultation with highly-respected QC Lord David Pannick. They
insisted that Carroll should have had a personal hearing and that although
the Commission maintains an "obvious error" has to have been made such
wording doesn't exist in the rules. Mirror Sport understands the Hammers
were actually ready to stand down if the queries in their letter had been
answered to their satisfaction. They were unhappy with the response on
Thursday, however, and decided on their controversial course of action soon
afterwards. Carroll was sent off by World Cup Final referee Howard Webb for
appearing to strike Swansea defender Chico Flores in the Hammers' win at
Upton Park. Replays showed minimal contact and that Flores had exaggerated
his reaction but a three-man Independent Panel threw out the Hammers' appeal
on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA in talks with West Ham lawyers to keep Andy Carroll red-card row out of
the High Court
Feb 06, 2014 22:31 By Darren Lewis 2
The Mirror
The FA's lawyers are locked in talks with West Ham's legal team in a
desperate bid to prevent the club shattering the disciplinary system over
Andy Carroll in the next 24 hours. At the time of writing, the Hammers
remained hell-bent on heading for the High Court after the governing body
refused to go to arbitration over the club's failed appeal against Carroll's
sending off last Saturday. The east Londoners are now set to go through with
their threat to take out an injunction blocking the red card and freeing up
Carroll to play in their massive relegation scraps away to Aston Villa on
Saturday and at home to Norwich on Tuesday night. A move to the law courts
on Friday morning would cause pandemonium as every club has signed up to an
agreement that the decision of an Independent Commission is final. The FA
were understood to be sticking by that position. West Ham, however, are
standing by a number of points made in a letter put to the FA after
consultation with highly-respected QC Lord David Pannick. They maintain
Carroll should have had a personal hearing and that although the Commission
maintains an "obvious error" has to have been made, such wording doesn't
exist in the rules. Mirror Sport understands the Hammers were ready to stand
down if the queries in their letter had been answered to their satisfaction.
They were unhappy with the response on Thursday, however, and decided on
their controversial course of action soon afterwards. Co-owner David Gold
said: "We are hugely disappointed at the outcome of the process. "There is
nowhere to go other than to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal,
the last thing I want to do is going to some kind of legal issue because I
think it is a footballing issue. But we are fighting for our lives. "If we
were mid-table we would probably get on with it but we are fighting for our
lives to retain our Premier League status and we owe it to our fans, we owe
it to ourselves."
Carroll was sent off by World Cup referee Howard Webb for appearing to
strike Swansea's Chico Flores in the head with a swinging arm at Upton Park.
Replays showed contact to be minimal and that Flores had exaggerated his
reaction to it. A three-man Independent Panel, however, threw out the
Hammers' appeal on Tuesday.
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WHUFC.com
Mark Noble is backing the Hammers to get over the loss of Andy Carroll at
Aston Villa
06.02.2014
Mark Noble has backed the Hammers to overcome the suspension of Andy Carroll
by claiming their first back-to-back league wins since 2012 this weekend.
Carroll will sit out Saturday's game at Aston Villa after the Club's appeal
against his red card in the Swansea match was dismissed. The No9 linked up
effectively with Kevin Nolan against the Swans, but his absence could give
another chance to Carlton Cole, who has notched four goals in his last ten
appearances. Victory at Villa Park could lift the Hammers as high as
eleventh in the table and Noble is focused on helping propelling them to the
relative safety of mid-table. He said: "Andy being suspended is obviously a
massive miss for us. For him to be back the way he was and then to miss him
for another three games is going to be tough, but we have to dig in and get
results without him. "Everyone will have to play their part to try and get
us three points away from home. "We're three points off eleventh, so getting
ourselves back in that pack with the win against Swansea was important. "It
would be good to go to Aston Villa and get the three points before another
winnable home game against Norwich. We're looking up rather than down at the
moment, and even though we're in the bottom three, I'm sure we can claw our
way back."
Noble has been delighted with the performances in West Ham's last two
fixtures, which not only yielded clean sheets against Chelsea and Swansea,
but also four points. The No16 believes that haul was fully deserved and
points to better times ahead in the coming months. He continued: "We've got
what we deserved from the last two games, which hasn't been the case all
season. "We've had a bit of bad luck with injuries, but to get four points
from the games against Chelsea and Swansea has been good for the camp. "It's
now eleven clean sheets which, along with Arsenal, is the joint-most in the
league. Our downfall was that we couldn't score goals and that's why we're
not in mid table or pushing higher. "We just need to work hard from now
until the end of the season and dig in - all the way from the bottom to
tenth nobody is safe and if we keep winning we'll drag more and more teams
into it."
Looking ahead to Saturday's trip to Aston Villa, Noble says the key could be
keeping their lively strike duo quiet. He explained: "Villa are a good team
at home, they counter well and they've had good results lately. But we know
we've got enough to go there and get a result. "Paul Lambert has had to
restructure the wage bill there, so he's done a good job with that. He has a
lot of young players who are working hard for each other and for the team.
"Then obviously they've got Benteke up front. We need to keep him and Gabby
Agbonlahor quiet and hopefully go there and get some points."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll: West Ham may 'create monster' - Paul Lambert
BBC.co.uk
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert is concerned that a "monster" could be
created if West Ham succeed in getting Andy Carroll's red card overturned.
The Hammers are to take legal action after failing in their appeal to the
Football Association over the striker's red card against Swansea last
Saturday.
Carroll is banned for three games, including Saturday's trip to Villa. "If
it is overruled then you create a monster of everybody wanting to do the
same," said Lambert. West Ham co-chairman David Gold said that he was only
taking the legal option because his side are third from bottom in the
Premier League and involved in a relegation battle. When asked if he would
go down a similar route if his side was facing the same situation, Lambert
replied: "It's hard to say. You can understand West Ham trying. "You'd have
to judge the incident on its merit. Everybody is going to be different,
whether they think something is dangerous or not. That is their own
perception."
The FA is refusing to comment, but the rules allow for clubs to take
disputes to arbitration and if necessary to the Court of Arbitration for
Sport. It is not clear if the ban would be placed on hold until the case has
been dealt with. Carroll, 25, was sent off after clashing with Swans
defender Chico Flores during his side's 2-0 victory.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold set for legal battle
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
Co-chairman David Gold has indicated that West Ham United are prepared to
seek legal redress as a result of the FA's decision to uphold Andy Carroll's
red card against Swansea. The FA have rarely been swayed by public opinion,
as Brian Clough found out to his chagrin all those years ago. And so it was
the case again this week when a three-man quango decided to uphold Howard
Webb's decision to dismiss Carroll for violent conduct despite the Hammers
enjoying widespread public support - a rarity itself in recent times. Now
Gold says that the Hammers are prepared to go all the way to court in an
effort to have Carroll's appeal re-heard - an appeal against an appeal, if
you will. Talking earlier, he said: "We are hugely disappointed at the
outcome of the process. The last thing I want to do is go to some kind of
legal issue because I think it is a footballing issue. But we are fighting
for our lives. "If we were mid-table we would probably get on with it, but
we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premier League status and we owe
it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves. We are upset, we feel we have been
badly treated. "Most judgements are not made by three people, they are made
by 12 - that's why they are called juries. I believe if you had gone to the
FA Council and asked the 100 members, 75 per cent would have said it was not
a sending off. "If you just take three people, it may not be
representative."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ashton slams 'pathetic' Chico
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 6th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
Former Hammers striker Dean Ashton has labelled Chico Flores "pathetic"
after he contrived to get Andy Carroll sent off - but believes that the
striker's red card was warranted. Ashton, speaking exclusively to the KUMB
Podcast - which you may download here - hit out at the Spanish defender who
feigned injury in order to get Carroll sent off, a situation that referee
Howard Webb bought hook, line and sinker. "The actions of Chico Flores were
pathetic and it's good to hear even the Swansea fans come out and say how
they're disgraced by it," said Ashton. "It's a real shame that it's not been
overturned but I think it was a sending off, you just can't do that any
more. "I think Andy will admit he probably shouldn't have swung his arm
round. We all know that it's pretty pathetic and we all know that a few
years ago nothing would have happened, but nowadays you just can't do that."
And whilst Ashton - who was forced to retire from professional football at
the age of just 26 - believes that West Ham will avoid the drop, he
maintains their best chance of doing so is with a fit Andy Carroll in the
team. "With Andy in the side the team seems to gel and there's more of a
confidence when he plays," he added. "They look totally different and are
just too strong for some teams, as they showed at the weekend. "I'm
slightly worried for the next few games as everyone could tell what a
difference Andy made. In the last couple of games he's looked more like his
old self and that'll be a massive blow for Sam. But it gives the player/s
coming in a chance to step in and perform. "I said a few weeks ago, when
things looked a lot more bleak, that as soon as they get their better
players back they'd start to climb the league. I think that's already
showing now they have their best players in the team."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham seeking "legal redress" over Andy Carroll's red card
Last Updated: 06/02/14 5:15pm
SSN
West Ham's co-owner David Gold says the club are seeking "legal redress"
over Andy Carroll's red card because they have no alternative. The Hammers
want the Football Association to take the case to an arbitration panel after
referee Howard Webb's decision to send off the striker after a clash with
Swansea's Chico Flores was upheld by a three-man FA appeal's body. Carroll
is now facing a three-match ban which will see him miss West Ham's away game
with Aston Villa on Saturday, as well as home fixtures with Norwich and
Southampton. Gold believes Carroll's suspension could mean the difference
between relegation and top-flight survival. "We are hugely disappointed at
the outcome of the process," said Gold. "There is nowhere to go other than
to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal, the last thing I want to
do is going to some kind of legal issue because I think it is a footballing
issue. "we are fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would
probably get on with it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our
Premiership status and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves." "But
we are fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would probably get on
with it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premiership status
and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves."
The FA is refusing to comment on the unprecedented case, but the rules do
allow for clubs to take disputes to arbitration and if necessary to the
Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is not clear however whether the player's
ban would be placed on hold until the case was dealt with. Gold claimed most
people would view the red card as wrong and that Carroll had been trying to
shrug off Flores. He added: "We are a club that understands there are rules
and we abide by them. But you have every commentator and 80 per cent of the
media saying it wasn't a sending off. "Yet Howard Webb reviews the situation
afterwards and says he stands by his judgement and when it goes to appeal
and three guys stand by Howard Webb you feel 'how can this be right'. "We
are upset, we feel we have been badly treated. "Most judgements are not made
by three people, they are made by 12 - that's why they are called juries. "I
believe if you had gone to the FA Council and asked the 100 members 75 per
cent would have said it was not a sending off, but if you just take three
people it may not be representative."
Gold said Carroll's presence could be crucial for the rest of West Ham's
season. He said: "Of course it could. You can see the impact he has on our
football club. I feel sorry for him as well - he was absolutely mortified.
"He was shrugging the guy off, okay he has messed his hair up but I don't
think you should get sent off for messing somebody's hair up. "There was a
lovely tweet about Chico Flores saying he went to Vidal Sassoon and is now
in intensive hair."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mark Noble backs West Ham to cope without Andy Carroll
Last Updated: 06/02/14 5:10pm
SSN
Midfielder Mark Noble believes that West Ham can still get positive results
without Andy Carroll. The Hammers will be without star forward Carroll as he
serves a three-match ban for violent conduct, and is set to miss the
upcoming games against Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton. But Noble is
still confident that West Ham will be able to build on last Saturday's 2-0
victory over Swansea City. The 26-year-old told the London Evening Standard:
"Andy being suspended is obviously a massive miss for us. "For him to be
back the way he was and then to miss him for another three games is going to
be tough but we have to dig in and get results without him. "Everyone will
have to play their part to try and get us three points away from home.
"We're three points off eleventh, so getting ourselves back in that pack
with the win against Swansea was important. "It would be good to go to Aston
Villa and get the three points before another winnable home game against
Norwich City. "We're looking up rather than down at the moment and even
though we're in the bottom three, I'm sure we can claw our way back."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has some concerns on West Ham appealing Andy
Carroll's red card
Last Updated: 06/02/14 11:23pm
SSN
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert reckons a successful West Ham appeal on Andy
Carroll's red card against Swansea may lead to chaos in the game. The
Hammers are trying to seek an arbitration panel hearing into Carroll's
sending off during their 2-0 win over Swansea last weekend. This week a
three-man Football Association appeal's body upheld the decision of referee
Howard Webb to dismiss Carroll following a clash with Chico Flores. Speaking
ahead of Villa's Premier League clash with West Ham, Lambert insists he
understands West Ham's reasoning. But the Scot also feels a dangerous
precedent could be set the case goes before an arbitration panel as that
would give other clubs the opportunity to ignore future FA decisions. "I
don't get involved in somebody else's business. It's up to West Ham and what
they want to do," said Lambert. "I don't know the ins and outs. All I know
is they're debating trying to get him off. It's not my remit, it's for West
Ham. "But if is overruled then you create a monster of everybody wanting to
do the same. That's what could happen."
Asked whether he would go down a similar route if the circumstances were the
same and Villa striker Christian Benteke was in the dock, Lambert added:
"It's hard to say. You can understand West Ham trying. "You'd have to judge
the incident on its merit. Everybody is going to be different, whether they
think something is dangerous or not. That is their own perception. "Whether
West Ham see they've a chance to get it rescinded, I don't know."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA CAVE INTO WEST HAM DEMANDS FOR ARBITRATION PANEL AT 11AM TODAY
By Sean Whetstone 7 Feb 2014 at 00:14
West Ham Till I Die
Darren Lewis broke the news in the Daily Mirror just before midnight that
the FA have caved in to West Ham's demands for arbitration. A three-person
panel will consist of one from each side and a mutually agreed third It is
claimed The FA have only agreed to arbitration in the Andy Carroll case to
prevent West Ham going to the High Court on Friday morning over the 3 match
ban. The hearing has been scheduled under the FA's Rule K for 11am Friday at
a venue to be arranged. Both parties will choose one person each to sit on a
three-man panel. A third will have to be agreed upon. West Ham have stood by
a number of points made in a letter put to the FA by top barrister Lord
David Pannick QC They insisted that Andy Carroll should have had a personal
hearing and that although the Commission maintains an "obvious error" has to
have been made such wording doesn't exist in the rules.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM DEMAND AN ARBITRATION HEARING OR WILL SEEK HIGH COURT INJUNCTION
By Sean Whetstone 6 Feb 2014 at 09:00
West Ham Till I Die
Details have emerged in the papers this morning of the letter to the FA and
the grounds West Ham are allegedly demanding an arbitration appeal panel is
convened under rule K of the handbook.
West Ham could demand the FA bring arbitration proceedings under rule K of
their rules. Such an arbitration would be limited to a challenge to the
validity of the decision on the grounds of ultra vires ( Latin: 'beyond
powers') including error of law, irrationality or procedural unfairness. An
arbitration would probably take place behind closed doors before a new FA
three-person tribunal. The process could take weeks rather than days, and it
is likely that the 3 match ban would be suspended pending the result of the
arbitration if permitted by the FA.
West Ham's first argument appears to be it is against normal justice that
Andy Carroll was not allowed to appear in person in front of the panel. The
second and main claim is said to be around the FA's claim there has to be an
'obvious error' in Howard Webb's decision for the red card to be overturned.
West Ham claim this statement is fundamentally flawed as it is not in the FA
or Premier League rule book. The letter is believed to have been written by
Lord David Pannick QC on behalf of the club says the structure of the FA
appeal process is legally flawed. If the FA refuse an arbitration hearing it
is claimed West ham will seek a high court injunction to allow Andy Carroll
to play on Saturday. There are claims it could bring the whole current
appeal panel system down if successful.
West ham could also attempt to bring judicial review proceedings in the high
court, but our chances of getting this type of action are very unlikely. In
a previous challenge to the setting up of the Premier League in 1992, the
high court decided that the FA was not subject to judicial review. Another
option is the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Update
David Gold has broken his silence over the recent events and said "We are
hugely disappointed at the outcome of the process.There is nowhere to go
other than to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal, the last
thing I want to do is going to some kind of legal issue because I think it
is a footballing issue.But we are fighting for our lives. If we were
mid-table we would probably get on with it but we are fighting for our lives
to retain our Premiership status and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to
ourselves.The FA is refusing to comment on the unprecedented case, but the
rules do allow for clubs to take disputes to arbitration and if necessary to
the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is not clear however whether the
player's ban would be placed on hold until the case was dealt with. We are a
club that understands there are rules and we abide by them. But you have
every commentator and 80 per cent of the media saying it wasn't a sending
off. Yet Howard Webb reviews the situation afterwards and says he stands by
his judgement and when it goes to appeal and three guys stand by Howard Webb
you feel 'how can this be right. We are upset, we feel we have been badly
treated. Most judgements are not made by three people, they are made by 12 -
that's why they are called juries.I believe if you had gone to the FA
Council and asked the 100 members 75 per cent would have said it was not a
sending off, but if you just take three people it may not be
representative."
Gold was also asked whether Andy Carroll missing 3 games would have an
impact. He replied "Of course it could. You can see the impact he has on our
football club. I feel sorry for him as well - he was absolutely mortified.
He was shrugging the guy off, okay he has messed his hair up but I don't
think you should get sent off for messing somebody's hair up.There was a
lovely tweet about Chico Flores saying he went to Vidal Sassoon and is now
in intensive hair."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll row: FA bow to West Ham's arbitration demands to keep
sending-off saga out of High Court
Feb 06, 2014 23:43 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
The FA have sensationally agreed to arbitration in the Andy Carroll case to
prevent West Ham going to the High Court on Friday morning over the
striker's red card. A hearing has been scheduled - under the FA's Rule K -
for 11am Friday at a venue to be arranged. Both parties will choose one
person each to sit on a three-man panel. A third will have to be agreed
upon. The FA have declined to comment, but this fresh twist comes after
hours of talks on Thursday between the FA's lawyers and West Ham's legal
team in a desperate bid to prevent the club shattering the disciplinary
system. The Hammers had remained hell-bent on heading for the High Court
after the FA initially refused arbitration over the failed appeal against
Carroll's sending off last Saturday. Co-chairman David Gold confirmed their
intention to follow through with their threat to take out an injunction
blocking the red card and freeing up Carroll to play in their massive
relegation scraps away to Aston Villa on Saturday and at home against
Norwich on Tuesday. That would have caused pandemonium as every club has
signed up to an agreement that the decision of an Independent Commission is
final. But Gold said before Thursday night's fresh development: "We are
hugely disappointed at the outcome of the process. "There is nowhere to go
other than to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal, the last
thing I want to do is going to some kind of legal issue, because I think it
is a footballing issue. But we are fighting for our lives. "If we were
mid-table we would probably get on with it but we are fighting for our lives
to retain our Premier League status and we owe it to our fans, we owe it to
ourselves."
West Ham, however, had stood by a number of points made in a letter put to
the FA after consultation with highly-respected QC Lord David Pannick. They
insisted that Carroll should have had a personal hearing and that although
the Commission maintains an "obvious error" has to have been made such
wording doesn't exist in the rules. Mirror Sport understands the Hammers
were actually ready to stand down if the queries in their letter had been
answered to their satisfaction. They were unhappy with the response on
Thursday, however, and decided on their controversial course of action soon
afterwards. Carroll was sent off by World Cup Final referee Howard Webb for
appearing to strike Swansea defender Chico Flores in the Hammers' win at
Upton Park. Replays showed minimal contact and that Flores had exaggerated
his reaction but a three-man Independent Panel threw out the Hammers' appeal
on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
FA in talks with West Ham lawyers to keep Andy Carroll red-card row out of
the High Court
Feb 06, 2014 22:31 By Darren Lewis 2
The Mirror
The FA's lawyers are locked in talks with West Ham's legal team in a
desperate bid to prevent the club shattering the disciplinary system over
Andy Carroll in the next 24 hours. At the time of writing, the Hammers
remained hell-bent on heading for the High Court after the governing body
refused to go to arbitration over the club's failed appeal against Carroll's
sending off last Saturday. The east Londoners are now set to go through with
their threat to take out an injunction blocking the red card and freeing up
Carroll to play in their massive relegation scraps away to Aston Villa on
Saturday and at home to Norwich on Tuesday night. A move to the law courts
on Friday morning would cause pandemonium as every club has signed up to an
agreement that the decision of an Independent Commission is final. The FA
were understood to be sticking by that position. West Ham, however, are
standing by a number of points made in a letter put to the FA after
consultation with highly-respected QC Lord David Pannick. They maintain
Carroll should have had a personal hearing and that although the Commission
maintains an "obvious error" has to have been made, such wording doesn't
exist in the rules. Mirror Sport understands the Hammers were ready to stand
down if the queries in their letter had been answered to their satisfaction.
They were unhappy with the response on Thursday, however, and decided on
their controversial course of action soon afterwards. Co-owner David Gold
said: "We are hugely disappointed at the outcome of the process. "There is
nowhere to go other than to seek some kind of legal redress. It's not ideal,
the last thing I want to do is going to some kind of legal issue because I
think it is a footballing issue. But we are fighting for our lives. "If we
were mid-table we would probably get on with it but we are fighting for our
lives to retain our Premier League status and we owe it to our fans, we owe
it to ourselves."
Carroll was sent off by World Cup referee Howard Webb for appearing to
strike Swansea's Chico Flores in the head with a swinging arm at Upton Park.
Replays showed contact to be minimal and that Flores had exaggerated his
reaction to it. A three-man Independent Panel, however, threw out the
Hammers' appeal on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Thursday, February 6
Daily WHUFC News - Carroll
West Ham seek legal route over red card
BBC.co.uk
West Ham are to take legal action after failing in their appeal to overturn
the red card shown to Andy Carroll during the 1 February win against
Swansea.
The Football Association upheld the decision which means the England striker
is now banned for three games. "There is nowhere to go other than to seek
some kind of legal redress," said West Ham co-chairman David Gold. Rules
allow clubs to take disputes to arbitration and if necessary to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport. In the 12 months from the start of March 2013 to the
end of February 2014, Andy Carroll will have played only 15 games, scoring
four goals (if the club do not overturn the ban). The FA has refused to
comment on the latest development. Carroll, 25, was sent off after clashing
with Swans defender Chico Flores during his side's 2-0 victory. He will now
miss the Premier League games against Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton.
In apparent reaction to the decision, Carroll, who set up both goals
tweeted: "Disgraceful."
According to the FA, West Ham failed to prove to a three-man panel that
referee Howard Webb had made "an obvious error" in dismissing Carroll after
the forward's arm hit Flores's forehead. However, West Ham manager Sam
Allardyce was certain that Webb made a mistake. "There has to be somebody to
look at that in the cold light of day and say that is certainly not a red
card," he said after the win. Gold added: "We are hugely disappointed at the
outcome of the process. "The last thing I want to do is going to some kind
of legal issue because I think it is a footballing issue. "But we are
fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would probably get on with
it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premier League status and
we owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves. "We are upset, we feel we
have been badly treated. "Most judgements are not made by three people, they
are made by 12 - that's why they are called juries. "I believe if you had
gone to the FA Council and asked the 100 members 75% would have said it was
not a sending off, but if you just take three people it may not be
representative."
West Ham are 18th in the Premier League, one point from safety.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold says West Ham have 'no alternative' but to fight Carroll red card in
the courts
By MARTYN ZIEGLER, PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHED: 17:03, 6 February 2014 | UPDATED: 17:03, 6 February 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham's co-owner David Gold has claimed the club has been forced to take
legal action over Andy Carroll's red card because they have no alternative.
The Hammers want the Football Association to take the case to an arbitration
panel after referee Howard Webb's decision to send off the striker after a
clash with Swansea's Chico Flores was upheld by a three-man FA appeal's
body. Carroll is now facing a three-match ban and Gold said that could mean
the difference between relegation and top-flight survival. Gold told Press
Association Sport: 'We are hugely disappointed at the outcome of the
process. 'There is nowhere to go other than to seek some kind of legal
redress. It's not ideal, the last thing I want to do is going to some kind
of legal issue because I think it is a footballing issue. 'But we are
fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would probably get on with
it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premiership status and we
owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves.' The FA is refusing to comment
on the unprecedented case, but the rules do allow for clubs to take disputes
to arbitration and if necessary to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is
not clear however whether the player's ban would be placed on hold until the
case was dealt with. Gold claimed most people would view the red card as
wrong and that Carroll had been trying to shrug off Flores. He added: 'We
are a club that understands there are rules and we abide by them. But you
have every commentator and 80 per cent of the media saying it wasn't a
sending off. 'Yet Howard Webb reviews the situation afterwards and says he
stands by his judgement and when it goes to appeal and three guys stand by
Howard Webb you feel 'how can this be right'. 'We are upset, we feel we have
been badly treated. 'Most judgements are not made by three people, they are
made by 12 - that's why they are called juries. 'I believe if you had gone
to the FA Council and asked the 100 members 75 per cent would have said it
was not a sending off, but if you just take three people it may not be
representative.' Gold said Carroll's presence could be crucial for the rest
of West Ham's season.
He said: 'Of course it could. You can see the impact he has on our football
club. I feel sorry for him as well - he was absolutely mortified. 'He was
shrugging the guy off, okay he has messed his hair up but I don't think you
should get sent off for messing somebody's hair up. 'There was a lovely
tweet about Chico Flores saying he went to Vidal Sassoon and is now in
intensive hair.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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BBC.co.uk
West Ham are to take legal action after failing in their appeal to overturn
the red card shown to Andy Carroll during the 1 February win against
Swansea.
The Football Association upheld the decision which means the England striker
is now banned for three games. "There is nowhere to go other than to seek
some kind of legal redress," said West Ham co-chairman David Gold. Rules
allow clubs to take disputes to arbitration and if necessary to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport. In the 12 months from the start of March 2013 to the
end of February 2014, Andy Carroll will have played only 15 games, scoring
four goals (if the club do not overturn the ban). The FA has refused to
comment on the latest development. Carroll, 25, was sent off after clashing
with Swans defender Chico Flores during his side's 2-0 victory. He will now
miss the Premier League games against Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton.
In apparent reaction to the decision, Carroll, who set up both goals
tweeted: "Disgraceful."
According to the FA, West Ham failed to prove to a three-man panel that
referee Howard Webb had made "an obvious error" in dismissing Carroll after
the forward's arm hit Flores's forehead. However, West Ham manager Sam
Allardyce was certain that Webb made a mistake. "There has to be somebody to
look at that in the cold light of day and say that is certainly not a red
card," he said after the win. Gold added: "We are hugely disappointed at the
outcome of the process. "The last thing I want to do is going to some kind
of legal issue because I think it is a footballing issue. "But we are
fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would probably get on with
it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premier League status and
we owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves. "We are upset, we feel we
have been badly treated. "Most judgements are not made by three people, they
are made by 12 - that's why they are called juries. "I believe if you had
gone to the FA Council and asked the 100 members 75% would have said it was
not a sending off, but if you just take three people it may not be
representative."
West Ham are 18th in the Premier League, one point from safety.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Gold says West Ham have 'no alternative' but to fight Carroll red card in
the courts
By MARTYN ZIEGLER, PRESS ASSOCIATION
PUBLISHED: 17:03, 6 February 2014 | UPDATED: 17:03, 6 February 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham's co-owner David Gold has claimed the club has been forced to take
legal action over Andy Carroll's red card because they have no alternative.
The Hammers want the Football Association to take the case to an arbitration
panel after referee Howard Webb's decision to send off the striker after a
clash with Swansea's Chico Flores was upheld by a three-man FA appeal's
body. Carroll is now facing a three-match ban and Gold said that could mean
the difference between relegation and top-flight survival. Gold told Press
Association Sport: 'We are hugely disappointed at the outcome of the
process. 'There is nowhere to go other than to seek some kind of legal
redress. It's not ideal, the last thing I want to do is going to some kind
of legal issue because I think it is a footballing issue. 'But we are
fighting for our lives. If we were mid-table we would probably get on with
it but we are fighting for our lives to retain our Premiership status and we
owe it to our fans, we owe it to ourselves.' The FA is refusing to comment
on the unprecedented case, but the rules do allow for clubs to take disputes
to arbitration and if necessary to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is
not clear however whether the player's ban would be placed on hold until the
case was dealt with. Gold claimed most people would view the red card as
wrong and that Carroll had been trying to shrug off Flores. He added: 'We
are a club that understands there are rules and we abide by them. But you
have every commentator and 80 per cent of the media saying it wasn't a
sending off. 'Yet Howard Webb reviews the situation afterwards and says he
stands by his judgement and when it goes to appeal and three guys stand by
Howard Webb you feel 'how can this be right'. 'We are upset, we feel we have
been badly treated. 'Most judgements are not made by three people, they are
made by 12 - that's why they are called juries. 'I believe if you had gone
to the FA Council and asked the 100 members 75 per cent would have said it
was not a sending off, but if you just take three people it may not be
representative.' Gold said Carroll's presence could be crucial for the rest
of West Ham's season.
He said: 'Of course it could. You can see the impact he has on our football
club. I feel sorry for him as well - he was absolutely mortified. 'He was
shrugging the guy off, okay he has messed his hair up but I don't think you
should get sent off for messing somebody's hair up. 'There was a lovely
tweet about Chico Flores saying he went to Vidal Sassoon and is now in
intensive hair.'
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Daily WHUFC News - 6th February 2014
The Big Interview - Carlton Cole
WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is keen for the Hammers to capitalise on their recent results
and move up the table
05.02.2014
Carlton Cole says West Ham United are focused on staying in the Barclays
Premier League after picking up two great results last week. Two different,
but equally committed, performances against Chelsea and then Swansea City
earned the Hammers a total of four points in the space of four days,
including a first home win of 2014. As Sam Allardyce's side prepare to play
Aston Villa on Saturday, Carlton Cole is hoping the team can put together a
run of good results.
Carlton, how have two great results, a draw against Chelsea and then three
points against Swansea City, lifted morale around the Club?
CC: "Obviously the boys have been buzzing but it's important that we focus
on the next game now. We had a team meeting and the gaffer knows that we
have to do more if we want to stay in this league. We've set our targets now
and all the boys know what we need to do to stay in it."
Have the two results lifted a bit of pressure off the players?
CC: "Wins will take a lot of pressure off in any situation. Now that we
almost have a fully fit squad, apart from Joey O'Brien who has to have an
operation, we've got more options available and players coming back so it's
all positive for the Club."
The 2-0 win against Swansea on Saturday was the Club's first home win of
2014, how important was it to get that first win in front of the home fans?
CC: "It was brilliant. The crowd were amazing that day and it was just an
unfortunate situation that led to Andy Carroll getting sent-off at the end
of the day. By the end of the match we pulled through and deserved to win
the match."
How good is it for you to see an almost fully fit squad and only one or two
still in the treatment room?
CC: "When you see injured players in the treatment room and in the gym when
they can't come out with you, you're always asking them 'When are you coming
back?' and it's obviously frustrating for them so you stop asking them after
a while. It's good for morale when players come back and it gives everyone a
boost when you see your colleagues coming back to fitness. When they get
back into the squad it's good because you know what they can bring to the
team."
The Club signed a couple of new players in the January transfer window, how
have they fitted in so far?
CC: "Their English is not quite up to scratch but their English is better
than my Italian so I can't complain about that! We've got a few other young
signings as well who are going to be looking to push for first team places,
coming off the bench or starting. We've got competition for places all round
now."
Have the new signings freshened things up and helped provide more
competition for places?
CC: "Yeah, definitely. When you've got competition for places you want to go
out there and keep your place if you're starting. That's what football's
about and that's what will get us the results that we need."
Aston Villa are the opposition on Saturday and you spent a season on loan
there earlier in your career, how do you remember your time with the
Villans?
CC: "I've got fond memories. I made good friends, the kit-man over there has
always been a pal of mine but that was when I was much younger! Ten years
ago now I think! Things have changed since then. They've done really well
and maintained their Premier League status since I left there so they've
done exceptionally well and they have some good young players coming
through."
The bottom half of the table is so tight that if we beat them on Saturday we
can drag them towards the relegation battle, is that the aim?
CC: "No one seems to be safe from 12th downwards. We're just focusing on
trying to get to that tenth spot, that's our aim. If we can get there then
we've had a successful season."
A good result against Aston Villa would set us up nicely for two crucial
home games later in the month wouldn't it?
CC: "We've got two crucial home games coming up against Norwich City and
Southampton but we have to take it one game at a time. Hopefully we can go
into every game feeling positive and knowing that we can get the result that
our work-rate deserves. We'll try and bag a few goals and hopefully we can
carry on keeping clean sheets."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Take them to the cleaners
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are set to call upon the expertise of a leading QC to
investigate the FA's decision to uphold Howard Webb's decision to dismiss
Andy Carroll against Swansea. Carroll, 25 last month, was set off last
weekend after the theatrical antics of Swansea's Chico Flores led Webb to
issue the England striker with a red card, despite having barely made
contact with the Spaniard who fell to the ground clutching his face in mock
agony.
As a result Carroll was handed a three-match ban for violent conduct - a
decision that was upheld to the dismay of the vast majority of football
followers - by a three-man FA adjudicating panel yesterday. But far from
accepting the decision, West Ham are now reported to be seeking the advice
of a leading barrister - Lord David Pannick, according to today's Telegraph
- in order to examine the possibility of challenging a decision that left
most pundits and commentators incredulous.
With just 14 games of the Premier League season left to play - and with the
Hammers still stuck in the relegation zone - losing Carroll for circa 20 per
cent of those matches could prove catastrophic. Very much in West Ham's
thoughts is the abominable 2008 decision by Lord Griffiths to award
Sheffield United in excess of £25million damages following the Tevez debacle
- a sum that the club only finished paying off last year.
West Ham feel that Swansea, who like West Ham are involved in the relegation
battle, have gained an unfair advantage as the result of blatant cheating by
Flores - which even Swans manager Michael Laudrup, who parted company with
the club last night, admitted. Having lost an appeal that it appears they
were confident of winning, the Hammers will now investigate the FA's legal
procedure in order to ascertain whether it is possible to achieve justice by
alternative means - just as Sheffield United did six years ago.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM APPOINT TOP BARRISTER IN A BID TO CHALLENGE THE FA
By Sean Whetstone 5 Feb 2014 at 11:18
West Ham Till I Die
According to the Telegraph and the Sun West Ham are appointing a top
barrister in a bid to challenge the FA after their appeal against Andy
Carroll's red card was rejected.
It is claimed West ham are appointing Lord David Pannick, one of the
country's leading barristers, to explore every possible legal avenue to
judge whether they can challenge the procedure. Lord David Pannick is a
non-party-political member of the House of Lords.
Lord David Pannick QC was chosen by Sheffield United to sit on an
arbitration hearing panel on June 18th 2007 in an attempt to reinstate them
in the Premier League over the Tevez affair. It was that panel who ruled in
favor of Sheffield United which led to the out of court settlement believed
to be £18.1million which we only finished paying last year.
His past clients include a well known West Ham fan -The Queen after winning
an injunction in the High Court to restrain The Daily Mirror from publishing
further allegations about her home life by a reporter who had gained
employment as a footman. He also represented the Football Association's
appeal against Wayne Rooney's three-match Euro 2012 ban.
The last sentence of the FA statement yesterday makes it clear "The decision
of an Independent Regulatory Commission in relation to a claim of wrongful
dismissal is final and binding on all parties and is not subject to appeal."
Evening Update: The Telegraph say West Ham have threatened to take legal
action against the Football Association unless they agree to grant Andy
Carroll a formal hearing over his three-match suspension. West Ham have
stepped up their row with the FA after Carroll's controversial ban by
demanding a resolution by Friday, insisting they are prepared to take their
case to the High Court if the request is rejected. With the assistance of
Lord David Pannick QC West Ham sent a letter to the FA on Wednesday
outlining their frustration at the procedure which has resulted in their
record signing being ruled out for three games.West Ham are ready to take
unprecedented legal action against the governing body if they refuse to
allow Carroll another chance to pursue wrongful dismissal.
..
The Daily Mail claim "Were the governing body to show unwillingness then
West Ham will go to the High Court seeking an injunction ordering Carroll's
suspension be lifted until an arbitration panel can be set up, freeing him
for the match."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SO HOW HAS 2014 BEEN SO FAR?!
By Tony Hanna 5 Feb 2014 at 07:55
West Ham Till I Die
It's been a big couple of weeks for our beloved Hammers and fellow
supporters. In what has been a very disappointing season so far, the past
fortnight has seen some glimmers of hope. On the pitch we saw a valiant
effort to deny Chelsea and to steal a point, much to the disgust of the
theatrical Jose Mourinho. The team followed that up with a gutsy win against
Swansea in a match we were comfortably in control of until Andy Carroll's
red card. Another half hour of backs to the wall defence from Collins,
Tomkins and Co ensured our lead stayed in tact, despite the numerical
disadvantage. If you were asked two weeks ago whether you thought we would
take four points from those two games I think most would have replied "very
probably not!"
On the injury front things seem to be improving. Andy was firing on all
cylinders against Swansea but of course will now be sorely missed for the
next three games due to his suspension. James Collins and James Tomkins are
both back to their best after recent injuries and suspensions, and of course
Winston Reid is now back in the fold and ready to go. That in itself will
give Big Sam a nice headache – Collins and Tomkins have been excellent in
the past two games since their return, which poses the question as to
whether Winston will break straight back into the line up? I guess he will,
but it will be a tough call after two clean sheets in a row.
Then of course we have finally seen the back of the fiasco that is the
January transfer window. There are a lot of things wrong in the professional
game today, and the transfer window would certainly make my list of "changes
required!" Agents have caused enough problems in the game without giving
them a "deadline" to further their money grabbing antics. For us the window
saw several players come to Upton Park in loan deals. Most notably were the
two Italians Antonio Nocerino and Marco Borriello and then of course
Columbian fullback Pablo Armero. How much we see of any of these three is
anyone's guess? At the moment it would seem hard for Sam to make any
unforced changes to a side with four points and two clean sheets from the
past two games. Who would have thought a few weeks ago that Matt Taylor
would be doing such a good job in central midfield? And on another positive
note, the emergence of Adrian as first choice goalkeeper is a real plus. For
a player with only seven first team appearances to his name, he has
certainly already built a great rapport with the fans.
The month of February loomed large for many Hammer fans as games against
Swansea, Villa, Norwich and Southampton would surely give a true indicator
as to whether we will be playing Premier League football next season or not?
Andy Carroll's 3 match suspension will be a big blow for our hopes – you
only have to see how he brought our misfiring captain Kevin Nolan into the
game against Swansea. Luck and good management on further injuries and
suspensions will play a pivotal part for the remainder of the season, as
will what impact the new loan players will make when given the chance.
Whilst the fixture list after this month does look tough, in my view there
are only two games that we will go into expecting nothing – away to Arsenal
and City. But there again, who would have thought a point at Chelsea was on
the cards?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Neil Warnock blasts FA over Andy Carroll red card decision saying they are
protecting Howard Webb
Feb 05, 2014 12:20 By Eliot Rothwell
The Mirror
Former Leeds manager Neil Warnock has said the FA are determined to protect
Howard Webb by allowing West Ham striker Andy Carroll's recent red card to
stand. Carroll was sent off in West Ham's victory over Swansea, following a
tussle with Swans defender Chico Flores. Warnock has suggested that the FA
are keen to protect the foremost English official due to his selection for
the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "Deep down Howard Webb will know he got it
wrong," Warnock told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT. "They've
upheld it because he's our top referee and he's going to the World Cup and
they don't want to embarrass him."
The 65-year-old criticised the FA committee charged with making the final
decision on the red card, questioning their knowledge of the game. "I think
it's totally wrong," he said. "Everyone on that FA committee – and no-one
knows who they are – has got away with murder. They obviously don't know the
game of football." Warnock also took exception to Chico Flores' reaction to
the tussle with Carroll, suggesting that the Swansea defender should face a
ban instead of the West Ham striker.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chico Flores slates West Ham in Twitter rant
Hers Is The City
The Swansea City defender hit out at West Ham supporters after he received a
series of abusive tweets in relation to Andy Carroll's dismissal on
Saturday.
Swansea City defender Chico Flores came out on the front foot after verbal
abuse from West Ham United supporters for his role in Andy Carroll's
dismissal last weekend. Flores was hit around the head by Carroll's flailing
arm, before theatrically rolling around on the floor. Carroll was shown a
red card for the incident.
West Ham United appealed Andy Carroll's suspension, but an independent
commission acting on The FA's behalf concluded that there were no grounds
for appeal and rejected the club's claim that referee Howard Webb had made
"an obvious error". Carroll will now be unavailable for selection in West
Ham's upcoming Premier League fixtures with Aston Villa, Norwich City and
Southampton.
Following public criticism from pundits and supporters via social media
website Twitter, the Spaniard opted to issue a reply of his own to the
critics. In three tweets on Wednesday night, he hit back at West Ham United
fans, telling them that they should be worrying more about "the ugly way"
that their team play football. Flores also posted a short video of the
incident using mobile video app Vine.
Tweeting from his personal account - @ChicoFlores12, the defender commented:
"I'm a bit tired of the strong insults from the west Ham fans. Whoever
doesn't see the aggression in that action is blind."
"They should be more preoccupied with the ugly way their team play football:
always making very long passes and never quick short passing."
"They should be worried about that before caring about such evident things."
"Ok West Ham 2 - 0 Swansea ... Swansea 24 Points West Ham 22 Points Hahaha
Smart !! Good luck ."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham refuse to give up fight for Carroll to play at Villa, claiming
suspension should be overturned due to FA's alleged appeal bungle
By LAURIE WHITWELL
PUBLISHED: 20:00, 5 February 2014 | UPDATED: 20:01, 5 February 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham United are refusing to concede defeat over Andy Carroll's red card
and have launched a bid to get him reinstated for their match at Aston
Villa on Saturday. A letter has been sent by the club to the Football
Association requesting they reconsider their decision to uphold the England
striker's red card for flailing an arm at Chico Flores. West Ham chiefs
believe the FA failed to follow the rules of their appeals process on two
specific counts and insist the red card handed out by Howard Webb should be
overturned on that basis. If the FA continue to back Webb's decision, and
Carroll's three-match ban, then West Ham will take their battle a step
further and push for an arbitration panel to hear their case tomorrow, in
time for the crunch game at Villa Park. Were the governing body to show
unwillingness then West Ham will go to the High Court seeking an injunction
ordering Carroll's suspension be lifted until an arbitration panel can be
set up, freeing him for the match. Renowned barrister Lord Pannick QC, who
has in the past represented the Queen in a privacy case as well as Wayne
Rooney and the British Olympic Committee in sporting contexts, has been
enlisted by the club for expert guidance. The lengths West Ham are prepared
to go to see Carroll's ban quashed illustrate the importance of the
25-year-old to their survival chances and the strength of feeling against
what Sam Allardyce called an 'injustice'. Flores was roundly criticised for
rolling on the floor holding his face even though Carroll's arm clipped the
top of his head. The FA are understood to stand by their process to date and
their statement on Tuesday which read: 'As stated in the Rules and
Regulations of The FA, an Independent Regulatory Commission must apply the
test of whether the decision to dismiss a player was 'an obvious error'.
Carlton Cole should play in Carroll's absence if West Ham's bid fails, while
Marco Borriello, on loan from Roma, is likely to feature after playing a
behind-closed-doors friendly against Southend on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marco Borriello set to make West Ham debut at Aston Villa as club consider
legal challenge over Andy Carroll red card
Evening Standard
KEN DYER
Published: 05 February 2014 Updated: 12:01, 05 February 2014
Marco Borriello looks likely to figure in West Ham's team at Aston Villa on
Saturday, after it was confirmed that Andy Carroll will serve a three-match
ban following his red card against Swansea. Carroll, who described the
Independent Tribunal's decision to uphold referee Howard Webb's decision to
dismiss the striker following an incident with Swansea's Chico Flores, as
'disgraceful' on Twitter, will miss the Villa match plus home games against
Norwich and Southampton. Borriello, on loan from Roma until the end of the
season, played in a behind-closed-doors match against Southend United
yesterday at the club's training ground, along with fellow Italian Antonio
Nocerino, who is on loan from AC Milan, plus Ricardo Vaz Te and Winston Reid
who are returning from injury. Carlton Cole is more likely to start at Villa
Park this weekend but Borriello could figure at some stage. West Ham manager
Sam Allardyce meanwhile, said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the
decision. "I'm going to have to talk to my chairmen before I say anything –
I'm that angry," he added. The Upton Park club are so incensed by the
rejection of their appeal against Carroll's red card that they are
considering appointing a top QC, crossbench peer Lord Pannick, to explore
the possibility of legally challenging the decision.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFC.com
Carlton Cole is keen for the Hammers to capitalise on their recent results
and move up the table
05.02.2014
Carlton Cole says West Ham United are focused on staying in the Barclays
Premier League after picking up two great results last week. Two different,
but equally committed, performances against Chelsea and then Swansea City
earned the Hammers a total of four points in the space of four days,
including a first home win of 2014. As Sam Allardyce's side prepare to play
Aston Villa on Saturday, Carlton Cole is hoping the team can put together a
run of good results.
Carlton, how have two great results, a draw against Chelsea and then three
points against Swansea City, lifted morale around the Club?
CC: "Obviously the boys have been buzzing but it's important that we focus
on the next game now. We had a team meeting and the gaffer knows that we
have to do more if we want to stay in this league. We've set our targets now
and all the boys know what we need to do to stay in it."
Have the two results lifted a bit of pressure off the players?
CC: "Wins will take a lot of pressure off in any situation. Now that we
almost have a fully fit squad, apart from Joey O'Brien who has to have an
operation, we've got more options available and players coming back so it's
all positive for the Club."
The 2-0 win against Swansea on Saturday was the Club's first home win of
2014, how important was it to get that first win in front of the home fans?
CC: "It was brilliant. The crowd were amazing that day and it was just an
unfortunate situation that led to Andy Carroll getting sent-off at the end
of the day. By the end of the match we pulled through and deserved to win
the match."
How good is it for you to see an almost fully fit squad and only one or two
still in the treatment room?
CC: "When you see injured players in the treatment room and in the gym when
they can't come out with you, you're always asking them 'When are you coming
back?' and it's obviously frustrating for them so you stop asking them after
a while. It's good for morale when players come back and it gives everyone a
boost when you see your colleagues coming back to fitness. When they get
back into the squad it's good because you know what they can bring to the
team."
The Club signed a couple of new players in the January transfer window, how
have they fitted in so far?
CC: "Their English is not quite up to scratch but their English is better
than my Italian so I can't complain about that! We've got a few other young
signings as well who are going to be looking to push for first team places,
coming off the bench or starting. We've got competition for places all round
now."
Have the new signings freshened things up and helped provide more
competition for places?
CC: "Yeah, definitely. When you've got competition for places you want to go
out there and keep your place if you're starting. That's what football's
about and that's what will get us the results that we need."
Aston Villa are the opposition on Saturday and you spent a season on loan
there earlier in your career, how do you remember your time with the
Villans?
CC: "I've got fond memories. I made good friends, the kit-man over there has
always been a pal of mine but that was when I was much younger! Ten years
ago now I think! Things have changed since then. They've done really well
and maintained their Premier League status since I left there so they've
done exceptionally well and they have some good young players coming
through."
The bottom half of the table is so tight that if we beat them on Saturday we
can drag them towards the relegation battle, is that the aim?
CC: "No one seems to be safe from 12th downwards. We're just focusing on
trying to get to that tenth spot, that's our aim. If we can get there then
we've had a successful season."
A good result against Aston Villa would set us up nicely for two crucial
home games later in the month wouldn't it?
CC: "We've got two crucial home games coming up against Norwich City and
Southampton but we have to take it one game at a time. Hopefully we can go
into every game feeling positive and knowing that we can get the result that
our work-rate deserves. We'll try and bag a few goals and hopefully we can
carry on keeping clean sheets."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Take them to the cleaners
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United are set to call upon the expertise of a leading QC to
investigate the FA's decision to uphold Howard Webb's decision to dismiss
Andy Carroll against Swansea. Carroll, 25 last month, was set off last
weekend after the theatrical antics of Swansea's Chico Flores led Webb to
issue the England striker with a red card, despite having barely made
contact with the Spaniard who fell to the ground clutching his face in mock
agony.
As a result Carroll was handed a three-match ban for violent conduct - a
decision that was upheld to the dismay of the vast majority of football
followers - by a three-man FA adjudicating panel yesterday. But far from
accepting the decision, West Ham are now reported to be seeking the advice
of a leading barrister - Lord David Pannick, according to today's Telegraph
- in order to examine the possibility of challenging a decision that left
most pundits and commentators incredulous.
With just 14 games of the Premier League season left to play - and with the
Hammers still stuck in the relegation zone - losing Carroll for circa 20 per
cent of those matches could prove catastrophic. Very much in West Ham's
thoughts is the abominable 2008 decision by Lord Griffiths to award
Sheffield United in excess of £25million damages following the Tevez debacle
- a sum that the club only finished paying off last year.
West Ham feel that Swansea, who like West Ham are involved in the relegation
battle, have gained an unfair advantage as the result of blatant cheating by
Flores - which even Swans manager Michael Laudrup, who parted company with
the club last night, admitted. Having lost an appeal that it appears they
were confident of winning, the Hammers will now investigate the FA's legal
procedure in order to ascertain whether it is possible to achieve justice by
alternative means - just as Sheffield United did six years ago.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
WEST HAM APPOINT TOP BARRISTER IN A BID TO CHALLENGE THE FA
By Sean Whetstone 5 Feb 2014 at 11:18
West Ham Till I Die
According to the Telegraph and the Sun West Ham are appointing a top
barrister in a bid to challenge the FA after their appeal against Andy
Carroll's red card was rejected.
It is claimed West ham are appointing Lord David Pannick, one of the
country's leading barristers, to explore every possible legal avenue to
judge whether they can challenge the procedure. Lord David Pannick is a
non-party-political member of the House of Lords.
Lord David Pannick QC was chosen by Sheffield United to sit on an
arbitration hearing panel on June 18th 2007 in an attempt to reinstate them
in the Premier League over the Tevez affair. It was that panel who ruled in
favor of Sheffield United which led to the out of court settlement believed
to be £18.1million which we only finished paying last year.
His past clients include a well known West Ham fan -The Queen after winning
an injunction in the High Court to restrain The Daily Mirror from publishing
further allegations about her home life by a reporter who had gained
employment as a footman. He also represented the Football Association's
appeal against Wayne Rooney's three-match Euro 2012 ban.
The last sentence of the FA statement yesterday makes it clear "The decision
of an Independent Regulatory Commission in relation to a claim of wrongful
dismissal is final and binding on all parties and is not subject to appeal."
Evening Update: The Telegraph say West Ham have threatened to take legal
action against the Football Association unless they agree to grant Andy
Carroll a formal hearing over his three-match suspension. West Ham have
stepped up their row with the FA after Carroll's controversial ban by
demanding a resolution by Friday, insisting they are prepared to take their
case to the High Court if the request is rejected. With the assistance of
Lord David Pannick QC West Ham sent a letter to the FA on Wednesday
outlining their frustration at the procedure which has resulted in their
record signing being ruled out for three games.West Ham are ready to take
unprecedented legal action against the governing body if they refuse to
allow Carroll another chance to pursue wrongful dismissal.
..
The Daily Mail claim "Were the governing body to show unwillingness then
West Ham will go to the High Court seeking an injunction ordering Carroll's
suspension be lifted until an arbitration panel can be set up, freeing him
for the match."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SO HOW HAS 2014 BEEN SO FAR?!
By Tony Hanna 5 Feb 2014 at 07:55
West Ham Till I Die
It's been a big couple of weeks for our beloved Hammers and fellow
supporters. In what has been a very disappointing season so far, the past
fortnight has seen some glimmers of hope. On the pitch we saw a valiant
effort to deny Chelsea and to steal a point, much to the disgust of the
theatrical Jose Mourinho. The team followed that up with a gutsy win against
Swansea in a match we were comfortably in control of until Andy Carroll's
red card. Another half hour of backs to the wall defence from Collins,
Tomkins and Co ensured our lead stayed in tact, despite the numerical
disadvantage. If you were asked two weeks ago whether you thought we would
take four points from those two games I think most would have replied "very
probably not!"
On the injury front things seem to be improving. Andy was firing on all
cylinders against Swansea but of course will now be sorely missed for the
next three games due to his suspension. James Collins and James Tomkins are
both back to their best after recent injuries and suspensions, and of course
Winston Reid is now back in the fold and ready to go. That in itself will
give Big Sam a nice headache – Collins and Tomkins have been excellent in
the past two games since their return, which poses the question as to
whether Winston will break straight back into the line up? I guess he will,
but it will be a tough call after two clean sheets in a row.
Then of course we have finally seen the back of the fiasco that is the
January transfer window. There are a lot of things wrong in the professional
game today, and the transfer window would certainly make my list of "changes
required!" Agents have caused enough problems in the game without giving
them a "deadline" to further their money grabbing antics. For us the window
saw several players come to Upton Park in loan deals. Most notably were the
two Italians Antonio Nocerino and Marco Borriello and then of course
Columbian fullback Pablo Armero. How much we see of any of these three is
anyone's guess? At the moment it would seem hard for Sam to make any
unforced changes to a side with four points and two clean sheets from the
past two games. Who would have thought a few weeks ago that Matt Taylor
would be doing such a good job in central midfield? And on another positive
note, the emergence of Adrian as first choice goalkeeper is a real plus. For
a player with only seven first team appearances to his name, he has
certainly already built a great rapport with the fans.
The month of February loomed large for many Hammer fans as games against
Swansea, Villa, Norwich and Southampton would surely give a true indicator
as to whether we will be playing Premier League football next season or not?
Andy Carroll's 3 match suspension will be a big blow for our hopes – you
only have to see how he brought our misfiring captain Kevin Nolan into the
game against Swansea. Luck and good management on further injuries and
suspensions will play a pivotal part for the remainder of the season, as
will what impact the new loan players will make when given the chance.
Whilst the fixture list after this month does look tough, in my view there
are only two games that we will go into expecting nothing – away to Arsenal
and City. But there again, who would have thought a point at Chelsea was on
the cards?
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Neil Warnock blasts FA over Andy Carroll red card decision saying they are
protecting Howard Webb
Feb 05, 2014 12:20 By Eliot Rothwell
The Mirror
Former Leeds manager Neil Warnock has said the FA are determined to protect
Howard Webb by allowing West Ham striker Andy Carroll's recent red card to
stand. Carroll was sent off in West Ham's victory over Swansea, following a
tussle with Swans defender Chico Flores. Warnock has suggested that the FA
are keen to protect the foremost English official due to his selection for
the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. "Deep down Howard Webb will know he got it
wrong," Warnock told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on talkSPORT. "They've
upheld it because he's our top referee and he's going to the World Cup and
they don't want to embarrass him."
The 65-year-old criticised the FA committee charged with making the final
decision on the red card, questioning their knowledge of the game. "I think
it's totally wrong," he said. "Everyone on that FA committee – and no-one
knows who they are – has got away with murder. They obviously don't know the
game of football." Warnock also took exception to Chico Flores' reaction to
the tussle with Carroll, suggesting that the Swansea defender should face a
ban instead of the West Ham striker.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chico Flores slates West Ham in Twitter rant
Hers Is The City
The Swansea City defender hit out at West Ham supporters after he received a
series of abusive tweets in relation to Andy Carroll's dismissal on
Saturday.
Swansea City defender Chico Flores came out on the front foot after verbal
abuse from West Ham United supporters for his role in Andy Carroll's
dismissal last weekend. Flores was hit around the head by Carroll's flailing
arm, before theatrically rolling around on the floor. Carroll was shown a
red card for the incident.
West Ham United appealed Andy Carroll's suspension, but an independent
commission acting on The FA's behalf concluded that there were no grounds
for appeal and rejected the club's claim that referee Howard Webb had made
"an obvious error". Carroll will now be unavailable for selection in West
Ham's upcoming Premier League fixtures with Aston Villa, Norwich City and
Southampton.
Following public criticism from pundits and supporters via social media
website Twitter, the Spaniard opted to issue a reply of his own to the
critics. In three tweets on Wednesday night, he hit back at West Ham United
fans, telling them that they should be worrying more about "the ugly way"
that their team play football. Flores also posted a short video of the
incident using mobile video app Vine.
Tweeting from his personal account - @ChicoFlores12, the defender commented:
"I'm a bit tired of the strong insults from the west Ham fans. Whoever
doesn't see the aggression in that action is blind."
"They should be more preoccupied with the ugly way their team play football:
always making very long passes and never quick short passing."
"They should be worried about that before caring about such evident things."
"Ok West Ham 2 - 0 Swansea ... Swansea 24 Points West Ham 22 Points Hahaha
Smart !! Good luck ."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham refuse to give up fight for Carroll to play at Villa, claiming
suspension should be overturned due to FA's alleged appeal bungle
By LAURIE WHITWELL
PUBLISHED: 20:00, 5 February 2014 | UPDATED: 20:01, 5 February 2014
Daily Mail
West Ham United are refusing to concede defeat over Andy Carroll's red card
and have launched a bid to get him reinstated for their match at Aston
Villa on Saturday. A letter has been sent by the club to the Football
Association requesting they reconsider their decision to uphold the England
striker's red card for flailing an arm at Chico Flores. West Ham chiefs
believe the FA failed to follow the rules of their appeals process on two
specific counts and insist the red card handed out by Howard Webb should be
overturned on that basis. If the FA continue to back Webb's decision, and
Carroll's three-match ban, then West Ham will take their battle a step
further and push for an arbitration panel to hear their case tomorrow, in
time for the crunch game at Villa Park. Were the governing body to show
unwillingness then West Ham will go to the High Court seeking an injunction
ordering Carroll's suspension be lifted until an arbitration panel can be
set up, freeing him for the match. Renowned barrister Lord Pannick QC, who
has in the past represented the Queen in a privacy case as well as Wayne
Rooney and the British Olympic Committee in sporting contexts, has been
enlisted by the club for expert guidance. The lengths West Ham are prepared
to go to see Carroll's ban quashed illustrate the importance of the
25-year-old to their survival chances and the strength of feeling against
what Sam Allardyce called an 'injustice'. Flores was roundly criticised for
rolling on the floor holding his face even though Carroll's arm clipped the
top of his head. The FA are understood to stand by their process to date and
their statement on Tuesday which read: 'As stated in the Rules and
Regulations of The FA, an Independent Regulatory Commission must apply the
test of whether the decision to dismiss a player was 'an obvious error'.
Carlton Cole should play in Carroll's absence if West Ham's bid fails, while
Marco Borriello, on loan from Roma, is likely to feature after playing a
behind-closed-doors friendly against Southend on Tuesday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Marco Borriello set to make West Ham debut at Aston Villa as club consider
legal challenge over Andy Carroll red card
Evening Standard
KEN DYER
Published: 05 February 2014 Updated: 12:01, 05 February 2014
Marco Borriello looks likely to figure in West Ham's team at Aston Villa on
Saturday, after it was confirmed that Andy Carroll will serve a three-match
ban following his red card against Swansea. Carroll, who described the
Independent Tribunal's decision to uphold referee Howard Webb's decision to
dismiss the striker following an incident with Swansea's Chico Flores, as
'disgraceful' on Twitter, will miss the Villa match plus home games against
Norwich and Southampton. Borriello, on loan from Roma until the end of the
season, played in a behind-closed-doors match against Southend United
yesterday at the club's training ground, along with fellow Italian Antonio
Nocerino, who is on loan from AC Milan, plus Ricardo Vaz Te and Winston Reid
who are returning from injury. Carlton Cole is more likely to start at Villa
Park this weekend but Borriello could figure at some stage. West Ham manager
Sam Allardyce meanwhile, said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the
decision. "I'm going to have to talk to my chairmen before I say anything –
I'm that angry," he added. The Upton Park club are so incensed by the
rejection of their appeal against Carroll's red card that they are
considering appointing a top QC, crossbench peer Lord Pannick, to explore
the possibility of legally challenging the decision.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Wednesday, February 5
Daily WHUFC News - 5th February 2014
Hendon happy with run-out
WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon was pleased to see the Club's new recruits get minutes under
their belts against Southend
04.02.2014
First team coach Ian Hendon believes West Ham United squad members were
given valuable game time during Tuesday's behind-closed-doors friendly
against Southend United. A trio of new signings made appearances at Chadwell
Heath, while there were run-outs too for Ricardo Vaz Te and Winston Reid to
aid them on their comeback trails. Italian duo Antonio Nocerino and Marco
Boriello both played 77 minutes, while Abdul Razak lasted the full 90,
pleasing Hendon and his fellow coaches. Hendon told West Ham TV: "It was a
very worthwhile game. The two Italian lads who've come in have been a bit
short on games and minutes so it was nice to get them a good bit of time on
the pitch and get them used to the other lads. "The Italians are technically
very good and I think we saw that a little bit in today's game. Abdul Razak
played, albeit out of position at right-back, but he fitted in well and
looked very comfortable. "It was a good run-out and the manager was there to
cast his eye over them for the weeks ahead."
The first team coach is also happy with how the new recruits are settling
into life at the Club and expects they will likely need more games to adjust
to life in English football. "It's always going to be difficult in the first
few games or so. It was a bit of a mixture out there and later in the game
we had a few of the younger ones come on so it was a bit of an adjustment
for everybody. "We've seen already that Antonio has come on in two games and
not looked out of place, so they'll be fine."
The game was also notable for the appearance of last year's Hammer of the
Year Reid, who followed up his eleven-minute cameo against Swansea City in
the Barclays Premier League on Saturday with another 70 minutes here. Hendon
was pleased to see the centre-back make it through the match unscathed and
believes it is now just a matter of building up his match fitness. "Reidy
was fine," he said. "Like I said before, it's just about getting minutes on
the pitch for Reidy. We'll get his fitness up, his match-fitness up and he
came through the game with no problems. We gave him 70 minutes and he was
fine, so he'll be back in training tomorrow."
As for the result, West Ham were defeated 1-0 through Jack Payne's
first-half goal. The Hammers went closest through Borriello, who hit the
base of the post with a free-kick and saw another shot deflected narrowly
over. The Italy striker was also denied a penalty despite appearing to be
tripped inside the box in the second half, while Ravel Morrison curled a
free-kick inches wide of the post.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll appeal dismissed
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll has been banned for three matches following his sending-off
against Swansea
04.02.2014
West Ham United can confirm that forward Andy Carroll will serve a
three-match suspension following his sending-off against Swansea City on
Saturday.
Carroll was shown the red card by referee Howard Webb following a challenge
with Chico Flores just before the hour-mark in West Ham's 2-0 Barclays
Premier League win at the Boleyn Ground. The Club launched an appeal against
the decision, but a three-man Football Association regulatory commission
decided to reject the claim for wrongful dismissal after assessing written
evidence from the match officials and the Hammers, as well as video footage
of the incident. The No9's three-match suspension will rule the forward out
for the Barclays Premier League matches at Aston Villa and at home to
Norwich City and Southampton.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We defended so well'
WHUFC.com
Clean sheet number eleven of the season thrills Hammers defender James
Collins
04.02.2014
James Collins says West Ham United will be battling as much as ever as they
go in search of more vital points over the next few weeks. The Hammers
defender was once again in the thick of the action to help his team win 2-0
against Swansea City on Saturday, and his efforts were rewarded as he was
voted Man of the Match by the match sponsors Bureaulogic Recruitment, an
award that West Ham fans inside the ground readily applauded when it was
announced.
Collins, along with his team-mates, defended strongly again for the second
time in three days after preventing Chelsea from getting on the scoresheet
last week and then against Swansea. Captain Kevin Nolan notched a brace for
the victory but such was the solid nature of the Hammers at both ends, that
a home win, in spite of Andy Carroll's dismissal, rarely looked in doubt. "I
know we went down to 10 men late on, but we never felt that Swansea was
going to score as we defended so well," explained the No19. "The way we
defended again was a lot to do with the confidence we got from the 0-0 draw
at Chelsea earlier in the week. We knew we are good enough to get the goals
and thankfully Kev came up with the goods on that. "Kev linking up again
with Andy is great to see, we all know what they can do and how they work
together, so if we keep going strong at the back as well and now scoring
more goals, we know we can get ourselves in a better position in the league
sooner rather than later."
The Welsh international is now looking forward to facing his old club Aston
Villa this Saturday, but his focus is on making sure the Hammers pick up
another good result on the road and he says the victory over Swansea will
stand them in good stead. He added: "We went into the game with Swansea with
a lot of confidence, which we gained from the match at Chelsea and can now
take this win into our next one again. The more we defend as we do and
hopefully nick those chances if we can at the other end, then we can look to
get even stronger."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers confirm 25-man squad
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's 25-man squad has been confirmed for the rest of the season
04.02.2014
West Ham United have confirmed the make-up of their 25-man squad for the
closing four months of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season. The
January arrivals of Pablo Armero, Marco Borriello, Roger Johnson and Antonio
Nocerino have bolstered the Hammers' options for the crucial run-in to the
campaign.
Under-21 players are eligible over and above the limit of 25 players per
squad, so the likes of Ravel Morrison and Abdul Razak are not required to be
listed yet are available for selection. No more than 17 players who do not
fulfil the Home Grown Player criteria can be named in the squad. A Home
Grown Player is defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age,
has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or
the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three
entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the
season during which he turns 21).
With only nine players defined as non-Home Grown in the Hammers squad, Sam
Allardyce's men comfortably meet the criteria.
West Ham United 25-man squad
Pablo Armero
Marco Borriello
Andy Carroll
Carlton Cole
Joe Cole,
James Collins
Jack Collison
Guy Demel
Mohamed Diame
Alou Diarra
Stewart Downing
Stephen Henderson
Jussi Jaaskelainen
Matt Jarvis
Roger Johnson
George McCartney
Mark Noble
Antonio Nocerino
Kevin Nolan
Joey O'Brien
Winston Reid
Adrian San Miguel del Castillo
Matt Taylor
James Tomkins
Ricardo Vaz Te
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Charlie completes her Big Challenge
WHUFC.com
TV presenter Charlie Webster ended her marathon run at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday
04.02.2014
Television presenter and Women's Aid ambassador Charlie Webster completed
her epic Big Challenge at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday - after running to
40 football clubs over seven days to raise vital funds for Women's Aid. The
final leg of her challenge ended at the Hammers, where Charlie finished her
marathon feat of endurance on the pitch during half-time as West Ham United
played Swansea City. Charlie's finish on the centre circle marked the end of
a tough week, during which she experienced a virus at the beginning of the
week, and a serious foot injury midway through it - but being a true fighter
Charlie made it to the end. Since beginning her Challenge at Burton Albion
FC on Sunday 26 January, Charlie visited 40 football grounds, gaining
support from clubs, players and fans across the leagues and uniting the
beautiful game in taking a stand against domestic violence. Finishing at
West Ham United is particularly pertinent for Charlie, as the club and
players have been hugely supportive of her endeavour.
Upon completing the challenge, Webster said: "I entered the stadium just as
West Ham scored their first goal, which was amazing. West Ham Joint-Chairman
David Gold and his wife greeted me and gave me some flowers before I went on
to the pitch at half time and kissed the centre circle to signify my
completing the challenge. I had finished! "They played a 90 second video of
what I've been doing and the fans were incredible, they all stood up and got
the phones out to donate. West Ham also presented me a cheque from the
first-team players, which was so kind and meant so much to me. As the second
half kicked off I went inside to use their plunge pool to try to get some
circulation back in my leg. "I just can't believe that I have done it. It is
really crazy because I thought I'd never make it with so many up and downs
along the way.
Kevin Nolan, West Ham United captain said: "Everyone here at West Ham United
is more than happy to support Charlie's Big Challenge in raising awareness
and money for such a good cause. We hope that as many people and
organisations as possible back Charlie and we can get the message out
there."
The Challenge sponsor, Alpari FX Trading, is also principal sponsor of West
Ham United FC. Alpari UK Sponsorship and Events Manager Elizabeth Bacon
commented: "Having partnered with West Ham United since 2011, we have strong
ties to football and a commitment to sporting excellence. Charlie has
completed an incredible test of physical endurance this week, raising
valuable funds for a very worthy cause. We are proud to have supported her
on this inspirational journey."
Karren Brady, Vice-Chairman of West Ham United added: "Charlie has shown an
incredible determination to unite football players, clubs, and fans against
domestic violence around England. Domestic violence increases around big
football matches, and that it will only stop if everyone who loves football
comes together to make that unacceptable."
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women's Aid said: "We are incredibly pleased
that West Ham United FC and the football community are working with Women's
Aid to raise awareness and put a stop to domestic violence. We are
encouraging all footballers and fans to speak out publicly against domestic
violence, making football a place where perpetrators of domestic abuse are
not welcome.
"Charlie has really pushed herself to the limit over the last seven days to
raise an amazing £100,000, this will enable Women's Aid to support thousands
of survivors of domestic violence over the coming year and we are incredibly
grateful to Charlie for working so hard to complete this astounding
challenge."
The Challenge will now kick-start Football United against Domestic Violence,
a Women's Aid campaign launching in June which aims to encourage the
football community to give domestic abuse a red card once and for all.
Support Charlie at www.justgiving.com/charliesbigchallenge
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U18s duo receive England call
WHUFC.com
Kyle Knoyle and Reece Burke have been called up to the England U18 squad to
play Belgium later this month
04.02.2014
West Ham United Under-18 duo Reece Burke and Kyle Knoyle have been selected
to represent their country once again when they play Belgium later this
month. The pair have been selected in Neil Dewsnip's England U18 squad,
having previously appeared in a 4-0 win against Hungary at St George's Park
back on 14 October 2013. Knoyle played the full 90 minutes at right-back
against the Hungarians with Burke making his entrance from the bench into
central defence. Ahead of the game against the Belgians, the squad will meet
up on Saturday 15 February and have three days of training before the match
takes place at St. George's Park on Tuesday 18 February. The call-up is just
reward for the Hammers pair, who have been mainstays in Steve Potts' U18
team this season. The young Hammers are currently second in the Barclays
Under-18 Premier League, having lost just once in their last 13 matches.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll: West Ham striker's red card appeal rejected
BBC.co.uk
West Ham striker Andy Carroll has failed to overturn his red card against
Swansea on Saturday after the Football Association dismissed his appeal. The
25-year-old was sent off after clashing with Swans defender Chico Flores
during his side's 2-0 win. He will now miss the Hammers' Premier League
games against Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton.
In apparent reaction to the decision, Carroll, who set up both goals on
Saturday, tweeted: "Disgraceful."
A year to forget
In the 12 months from the start of March 2013 to the end of February 2014,
Andy Carroll will have played only 15 games, scoring four goals. According
to the FA, West Ham failed to prove to a three-man panel that referee Howard
Webb had made "an obvious error" in dismissing Carroll after the forward's
arm hit Flores's forehead. However, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was
certain that Webb made a mistake. "There has to be somebody to look at that
in the cold light of day and say that is certainly not a red card," he said
on Saturday. Allardyce refused to comment on Flores's reaction to the
challenge, although several of his players protested at the time that the
Spaniard had exaggerated the contact made by Carroll. Swansea manager Brian
Laudrup said the decision had been "a bit harsh". Carroll, who has made only
five appearances this season and is yet to score after a lengthy recovery
from injury, will next be available for the trip to Everton on 1 March. With
Modibo Maiga loaned out to QPR, the Hammers' striking options are limited to
on-loan Italian Marco Borriello and Carlton Cole. West Ham are 18th in the
Premier League, one point from safety, with 14 games remaining.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll: FA decision 'disgraceful'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's appeal against Andy Carroll's dismissal last weekend has
been dismissed by the Football Association. Carroll - who described the
decision as "digraceful" in a brief Tweet this afternoon - saw red for the
first time since joining West Ham after becoming involved in a tangle with
Swansea's Chico Flores during Saturday's 2-0 win, in which Carroll had
already provided two assists. The Spanish defender threw himself to the
floor theatrically, clutching his face as the two tangled following an
aerial challenge - despite Carroll's flailing hand having only made contact
with the Spaniard's forehead. That was enough for experienced referee Howard
Webb to dismiss the England international for violent conduct - a sanction
upheld by a three-man panel hearing West Ham's appeal earlier today. All of
which means that Carroll - who has only just returned to first team action
following a lengthy injury that prevented him from playing previously this
season - now faces three matches on the sideline; the crucial fixtures
against Aston Villa (a), Norwich (h) and Southampton (h).
The news was confirmed this afternoon by the FA who said via a statement:
"Andy Carroll will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect
after his claim of wrongful dismissal was rejected by an Independent
Regulatory Commission." As of yet, there have been no sanctions announced
regarding Flores, whose disgraceful actions have led to Carroll's subsequent
ban.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Swansea shirts up for grabs
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
The shirts of nine West Ham players who featured in last weekend's 2-0 win
over Swansea have gone up for auction to raise funds for a children's
charity.
KUMB.com member Iain Page almost lost his baby daughter Willow when she
suffered a stroke and three heart attacks last year. He and wife Denise were
warned that should she survive, she would face being left brain damaged as a
result. However following months of hospital care, little Willow has made an
amazing, unexpected recovery and is now a healthy one-year-old.
Caring for Willow has meant that Iain and Denise have had very little time
for themselves or the rest of the family, which is where West Ham captain
Kevin Nolan stepped in. Having been made aware of the family's plight
previously, the skipper arranged for the couple to be guests of honour at
last weekend's clash with Swansea - the first time they'd had a day out
together since Willow was taken ill.
And immediately following the game, Nolan kindly delivered nine match-worn
shirts from the match to be auctioned for Heartlink Children's Charity,
which is seeking to raise £40,000 in order to purchase a new ECMO machine -
the same as that which saved Willow's life.
Bidding for the nine shirts - belonging to Adrian, Andy Carroll, Stewart
Downing, Matt Jarvis, George McCartney, Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Matt Taylor
and James Tomkins - began on the KUMB Forum this morning. To place a bid for
any of the above worn shirts, simply reply to the thread stating your bid;
please note that only registered KUMB.com members may bid.
For Willow: Current Highest Bids
Adrian - £250
Andy Carroll - £300
Stuart Downing - £250
Matt Jarvis - £200
George McCartney - £100
Kevin Nolan - £300
Mark Noble - £225
Matt Taylor - £100
James Tomkins - £160
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Andy Carroll loses appeal and will serve three-match ban
Last Updated: 04/02/14 6:11pm
SSN
West Ham striker Andy Carroll has lost his appeal against the red card shown
to him in their 2-0 victory over Swansea on Saturday. Carroll was dismissed
after he was adjudged to have deliberately caught Swansea defender Chico
Flores with a flailing arm. But the Football Association has rejected the
appeal and Carroll will now be unavailable to manager Sam Allardyce as he
serves a three-match ban. "West Ham United's Andy Carroll will serve a
three-match suspension with immediate effect after his claim of wrongful
dismissal was rejected by an Independent Regulatory Commission," read an FA
statement. "Carroll was dismissed for violent conduct during West Ham's game
against Swansea City on Saturday (February 1, 2014). "As stated in the Rules
and Regulations of The FA, an Independent Regulatory Commission must apply
the test of whether the decision to dismiss a player was 'an obvious error'.
"The decision of an Independent Regulatory Commission in relation to a claim
of wrongful dismissal is final and binding on all parties and is not subject
to appeal."
Carroll will miss West Ham's away game with Aston Villa on Saturday, as well
as home fixtures with Norwich and Southampton. The West Ham striker was
quick to vent his apparent disappointment at the verdict on Twitter, with a
post on the social media site which simply read: "DISGRACEFUL!!!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham confirm 25-man squad for remainder of season
Last Updated: 04/02/14 7:16pm
SSN
West Ham's January signings Marco Borriello, Antonio Nocerino, Roger Johnson
and Pablo Armero have been included in their 25-man Premier League squad.
The Hammers have confirmed the players who will be available to Sam
Allardyce for the final four months of the campaign as the club battles
against relegation. The likes of Ravel Morrison and Abdul Razak are
available but do not need to be listed as Under-21 players can be selected
on top of the original 25-man party. Allardyce's party has nine players who
are not regarded as Home Grown, which is comfortably within the Premier
League's parameters of 17.
West Ham are currently 18th in the table after 24 games of the season, but
are just one point from a position of safety and only three adrift of Stoke
in 11th place.
West Ham squad
Pablo Armero, Marco Borriello, Andy Carroll, Carlton Cole, Joe Cole, James
Collins, Jack Collison, Guy Demel, Mohamed Diame, Alou Diarra, Stewart
Downing, Stephen Henderson, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Matt Jarvis, Roger Johnson,
George McCartney, Mark Noble, Antonio Nocerino, Kevin Nolan, Joey O'Brien,
Winston Reid, Adrian, Matt Taylor, James Tomkins, Ricardo Vaz Te.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE FA CAN FO
By Iain Dale 4 Feb 2014 at 17:34
West Ham Till I Die
Three game ban for Andy Carroll. Licence to divers everywhere. Travesty. I
am sure Chico Flores is proud of himself. That is all.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE £40 MILLION DECISION
By Sean Whetstone 4 Feb 2014 at 13:45
West Ham Till I Die
The deadline for West Ham United to present all evidence on the Andy Carroll
sending off to the appeal panel passed at 1pm today with the decision
expected this afternoon via a joint statement by the FA and West Ham United.
This might sound melodramatic but the consequences could be massive for West
Ham if we lose the appeal, it could be the difference between survival and
relegation this season. On Saturday, Andy showed us he can make the
difference and the the next three games and nine points are both crucial and
winnable . Relegation could cost West Ham as much £40 million in lost
revenue next season as the gulf between the two divisions becomes larger.
The Daily Mail are reporting today that "World Cup referee Howard Webb is
standing by his decision to show a red card to West Ham's Andy Carroll"
Howard Webb is supposed to be the FA's best referee and was recently chosen
to officiate at the World Cup Finals. I find it difficult to believe he
would be unprofessional enough to brief the Daily Mail and potentially
prejudice the independent appeal panel hearing. His official match report is
the only evidence which should count during the appeal.
A three-person independent regulatory commission will be convened to assess
written evidence from the match officials and West Ham, as well as video
footage of the incident. The so called 'FA three wise man' usually include a
former football man often a former player/manager, a former member of a FA
association sometimes a previous chairman and a person with a legal
background who understands the rules of football. It is these men who will
decide our fate behind closed doors.
Sam Allardyce has said on the matter: "We will hope that the appeal will
work. Hopefully we don't lose Andy for three games. He's gutted. He's
absolutely beside himself. We'll just have to go through the process and see
what happens in midweek. All I can hope is that the panel, in the cold light
of day, see it for what it is.He [ Howard Webb] can't be absolutely certain
of what's happened, except that Chico Flores is over-exaggerating, which is
generally the norm for him unfortunately."
After the watching the video a number of times myself I firmly believe the
panel should downgrade the incident to the yellow card for reckless use of
an arm rather then any real intent to strike Chico Flores. Flores should
also be awarded a yellow card too for unsporting behavior as his act was
simulation intended to deceive the referee, although I understand these kind
of booking cannot be issued retrospectively.
Yesterday the Daily Mail claimed "[West Ham United] Club officials believe
the FA's appeals procedure is flawed under European law" suggesting the club
could take the argument to the law courts if they fail in their appeal. I
see this as unlikely as the FA will be reluctant to suspend the ban while it
takes months if not years to go through the European courts.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll labels FA's decision to uphold his three-match ban as
'disgraceful'
Feb 04, 2014 16:53 By Alex Richards
The Mirror
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll will miss the Hammers next three
matches after losing his appeal against his sending off against Swansea.
The England striker, making his first start of the season at Upton Park, was
sent off by referee Howard Webb in the 59th minute of his side's 2-0 win
over Michael Laudrup's Swans, after appearing to swing an arm at defender
Chico Flores. The Spanish defender, who earlier this season was publicly
laughed at by West Ham boss Sam Allardyce for embellishing a challenge from
Carlton Cole, appeared to be caught on the head by Carroll's flailing arm
and stayed down.
Carroll himself tweeted what he thought of the decision not to overturn his
ban with one word: "DISGRACEFUL!!!"
West Ham decided to appeal Webb's decision, and had been hopeful of having
Carroll's ban overturned - having slammed Chico for 'squealing'.
DISGRACEFUL!!! — Andy Carroll (@AndyTCarroll) February 4, 2014
Allardyce said: "We will hope that the appeal will work. Hopefully we don't
lose Andy for three games. "He's gutted. He's absolutely beside himself.
We'll just have to go through the process and see what happens." Carroll,
West Ham's record purchase, will now miss the Premier League matches against
Aston Villa (a), Norwich City (h) and Southampton (h). He'll next be
available for the away fixture against Everton on March 1. The ban came just
weeks after Andy Carroll returned to full match fitness after a lengthy
spell out of action.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ban both Chico and Webb
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd February 2014
By: Gary Portugal
I'm not sure who is worse - they deserve each other.
Both Chico Flores and Howard Webb have form with West Ham, and without West
Ham, of substandard behaviour and judgement respectively. Enough is enough.
It is time that these inept losers be held accountable.
Let's start with Webb. You cannot give a red card unless you are absolutely
certain of what the offence was and if indeed it was actually even
committed. Not dissimilar to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
It cannot be done on the basis of hearsay, pressure from opposition players
or fans, or merely the say-so of another official.
A red card should be reserved for the most grievous offences, not 50/50
situations. The impact of red cards goes well beyond the match in which it
occurs. It could potentially have contributed to our relegation if we lost
the match - and still could, if the card is not rescinded.
And a referee with World Cup pedigree should, if anything, be held to a
higher standard of accountability, not be given a get out of jail card based
on reputation.
As for Chico, where do I start? Rolling around the pitch like an infant? Is
that what the Premier League wants to promote and broadcast worldwide? An
image of not only a cheat, but a coward. It is shameful and embarrasses the
player, his club, the league and the sport in general. It is outright
dishonest, period. Video evidence CONCLUSIVELY shows that Carroll did NOT
hit Chico's face or forehead. He grazed the TOP of his hairbun, no more no
less.
And it was Carroll's whole ARM that grazed, NOT a bent ELBOW. In short,
there was NO intent whatsoever. If he had wanted, or intended to hit Chico,
Carroll would have bent his elbow or hit him squarely in the face as opposed
to grazing his hairbun. This was simulation of the highest order. As bad as
diving to try to win a penalty. Yet on his Twitter page, Chico still has the
nerve to deny his guilt. Totally unethical, dishonest and cowardly
behaviour.
Yesterday's events point to the need for firm action to be taken. For a
start, the Premier League should make all simulation a straight red card
offence with a minimum, but not maximum, of a three-match ban. That includes
feigning injury, not just diving to try to win a penalty or free kick. And
such bans should be given retrospectively if referees fail to spot it at the
time.
The integrity of the game is at stake. There is no place for simulation in
the game and the only way to stamp it out is through heavy penalties.
Hundreds of millions of pounds are at stake with relegation and European
places etc. The cost of such injustices is too high. Referees should also be
subject to three-match bans for such bone-headed, erroneous decisions that
get overturned.
Webb should have to face the music for his woeful judgement which could have
materially affected the outcome of the match and still could affect West
Ham's survival hopes. Referees must be shown that they are not God, and that
they should be held accountable, as everyone else in the sport is. In Webb's
case, should Carroll's card be overturned, his qualifications as a World Cup
referee should be scrutinised. As an aside, Webb allowed Bony to back into
our defenders all day long without penalising him. Double standards.
A major solution to yesterday's travesty would be the introduction of an
in-game review process which already exists in most sports now. Give each
team the ability to challenge one refereeing decision per half. This would
have no adverse impact on the flow of the game but it would help avoid
farces like yesterday.
Goal-line technology is not enough. An on-the-spot review process,
applicable anywhere on the pitch is required, involving video technology
that can be used to assess any contentious decision. This would force both
players and referees to be more accountable and to avoid being humiliated
for inane behaviour or terrible judgement
Any rational person reviewing footage of the incident would admit that
Carroll didn't deserve to go. Even Michael Laudrup, to his credit, admitted
it - as did Match of the Day's Alan Hansen, Steve McManaman and other
pundits. One can only hope that this will help sway the FA to do the right
thing.
But what will really prevent this circus from happening again? The threat of
lawsuits against a player for simulating and referees who allow themselves
to be conned? In a general sense there are precedents for players taking
legal action in response to matters on the pitch. Players have sued in
response to blatant attempts to cause them injury. And although a totally
different issue, we don't need to be reminded about Tevezgate.
If a a club or player were to sue for wrongful dismissal from a match, it
would put the fear of God into simulators and referees. It is entirely
possible, with hundreds of millions of pounds at stake, that we could see
lawsuits in the future in response to blatant acts of cheating. Human beings
don't tend to change their behaviour unless hit with a heavy legal stick.
Leopards not changing their spots comes to mind.
Observe Chico, for example. How many times has he pulled this charade
before? Numerous times.
Finally, on a different note, if managers can be brought to book for
insulting referees and bringing the game into disrepute in press
conferences, then surely the same should apply to slagging off an opponent's
tactics , a la Jose Mourinho with his weak-breasted "19th century" garbage.
Who is Mourinho to be passing judgement on how we choose to play?
If he doesn't like it, he can lump it and go manage somewhere on the
continent again. He should be given a touchline ban for putting his two
penneth in where it wasn't required. Press conferences needn't be bland or
humourless, but nor should they be juvenile slagfests either. When Mourinho
returned, I thought that it would add spice to the League. Now I'm sick of
the sight of him already. A whinging, sore loser.
Sadly, although West Ham picked up four huge points this week these fixtures
displayed so much of what is wrong with the game today. Cheating players;
inept, gullible, arrogant referees; whinging managers; not a pretty sight.
Especially given how much that these primadonnas get paid, It's an absolute
disgrace.
Now is the time for the Premier League and the FA to get off their rear ends
and take decisive action to exterminate this substandard behaviour from the
game.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll caught in the FA's Webb
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th February 2014
By: Paul Walker
You sensed it was only going to end one way, however much we all hoped and
prayed that Andy Carroll was going to have his red card overturned.
So much of the opinion and anger revolving around Chico Flores' disgraceful
behaviour on Saturday was irrelevant to the issue.
It boiled down in the end to whether the FA were going to accept the
evidence and word of their very best referee Howard Webb, or tell him that
he got it very, very wrong from a matter of 20 yards away when Carroll's
flaying arm caught Flores in the pony-tail.
Webb could have handled it very differently. He could have penalised the
Swansea man for his challenge on Carroll in the first place, the clattering
from behind and the arm round the neck as the pair fell in a heap.
But would that have stopped Carroll bringing his arm round the way he did a
split second later? All that mattered in the end was Webb's interpretation
of intent, his opinion as to whether Carroll meant to clip the Spaniard or
whether it was an accident.
He could have booked Flores for ungentlemanly conduct once the half dozen
forward rolls had stopped, but he didn't. And although the FA have rules
that govern diving, I am not sure they have any that covers such theatrical
nonsense.
Maybe they should look at Flores' conduct in isolation, and charge him for
blatant cheating. But they probably won't.
The player should be hounded out of the game as a cheat, pilloried by every
fan in the country and have it made very clear to him that he is not wanted
in our game. The PFA can condemn him, if they dare. Swansea can sack him,
which they won't.
But nothing will help Carroll at this moment. He misses three crucial games
we must win to build on the good result against Swansea, a result that
Carroll had much to do with achieving.
Flores, though, should be booed on every ground in the country. But none of
that will have any impact on the fact that Webb thought Carroll intended to
clip the defender in the way he did.
Once Webb has decided that in his view Carroll meant it, it is very hard to
prove he made a mistake. It is his view alone that matters to the FA. That
is what they trust him to do, what he is there for.
The wording of the law that covers such a red card says 'strike or attempt
to strike an opponent.' You do not have to connect in anyway. It does not
matter whether Carroll made contact or not. If you throw a punch at a player
and miss, it is still a red card offence.
Now Carroll may not have intended anything of the sort. Opinion is divided.
But what does not matter at all is what Flores did, however distasteful.
His behaviour was appalling. Rolling around, clutching his face when no
contact was made at all with that part of his body is as distasteful as
anything I have seen on a pitch for a very long time. His fellow
professionals should condemn him.
But I actually doubt that all of that blatant cheating had any impact on
Webb's deliberations. He took advice from the fourth office, that was
obvious, but you can bet your life that all the officials were interested in
was Carroll's intent, or not.
Only Carroll knows whether he was trying to make contact. We can all have an
opinion, mine was that his action was one of frustration, sheer annoyance at
the initial challenge. I have wanted to believe that ever since, but deep in
my stomach I knew how the FA would react, despite all the uproar and twitter
frenzy.
What has surprised me is how many players, current and past, do not
understand the wording of the law.
But my opinion and theirs is as irrelevant as anyone else. Only Webb's view
is of interest to the FA.
And did we really expect that they were going to tell Webb, the World Cup
Final referee and our only official going to Brazil, that his opinion was
wrong. I doubt it, this was not one of the new mickey mouse referees on the
Premier League list, it was Webb, their very best.
He is just like the policeman in court that the magistrates always believe.
I have seen suggestions that West Ham could take the case to court. We have
also had Carroll's own "disgraceful" reaction on Twitter.
Frankly I hope we don't further antagonise the FA with any more action, and
I wish Carroll could have just held his silence. No good will come of any of
that.
What we must do is regroup, find a way to play without Carroll and not use
it as an excuse for failure over the next three matches. We have an
admittedly short of match fitness Italian in Marco Borriello to play up
front, that is unless big Sam reverts to type and plays Carlton Cole. But
Ricardo Vaz Te can also play as a striker, and I am sure like me, you are
not too bothered about Mo Maiga being at QPR, fat lot of good he has been
for us this season anyway.
I am gutted with the decision by Webb and the FA but if I am really honest I
am more gutted that Carroll allowed himself to be put in such a position in
the first place. It really would be nice is we could keep 11 players on the
pitch for a change.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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WHUFC.com
Ian Hendon was pleased to see the Club's new recruits get minutes under
their belts against Southend
04.02.2014
First team coach Ian Hendon believes West Ham United squad members were
given valuable game time during Tuesday's behind-closed-doors friendly
against Southend United. A trio of new signings made appearances at Chadwell
Heath, while there were run-outs too for Ricardo Vaz Te and Winston Reid to
aid them on their comeback trails. Italian duo Antonio Nocerino and Marco
Boriello both played 77 minutes, while Abdul Razak lasted the full 90,
pleasing Hendon and his fellow coaches. Hendon told West Ham TV: "It was a
very worthwhile game. The two Italian lads who've come in have been a bit
short on games and minutes so it was nice to get them a good bit of time on
the pitch and get them used to the other lads. "The Italians are technically
very good and I think we saw that a little bit in today's game. Abdul Razak
played, albeit out of position at right-back, but he fitted in well and
looked very comfortable. "It was a good run-out and the manager was there to
cast his eye over them for the weeks ahead."
The first team coach is also happy with how the new recruits are settling
into life at the Club and expects they will likely need more games to adjust
to life in English football. "It's always going to be difficult in the first
few games or so. It was a bit of a mixture out there and later in the game
we had a few of the younger ones come on so it was a bit of an adjustment
for everybody. "We've seen already that Antonio has come on in two games and
not looked out of place, so they'll be fine."
The game was also notable for the appearance of last year's Hammer of the
Year Reid, who followed up his eleven-minute cameo against Swansea City in
the Barclays Premier League on Saturday with another 70 minutes here. Hendon
was pleased to see the centre-back make it through the match unscathed and
believes it is now just a matter of building up his match fitness. "Reidy
was fine," he said. "Like I said before, it's just about getting minutes on
the pitch for Reidy. We'll get his fitness up, his match-fitness up and he
came through the game with no problems. We gave him 70 minutes and he was
fine, so he'll be back in training tomorrow."
As for the result, West Ham were defeated 1-0 through Jack Payne's
first-half goal. The Hammers went closest through Borriello, who hit the
base of the post with a free-kick and saw another shot deflected narrowly
over. The Italy striker was also denied a penalty despite appearing to be
tripped inside the box in the second half, while Ravel Morrison curled a
free-kick inches wide of the post.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll appeal dismissed
WHUFC.com
Andy Carroll has been banned for three matches following his sending-off
against Swansea
04.02.2014
West Ham United can confirm that forward Andy Carroll will serve a
three-match suspension following his sending-off against Swansea City on
Saturday.
Carroll was shown the red card by referee Howard Webb following a challenge
with Chico Flores just before the hour-mark in West Ham's 2-0 Barclays
Premier League win at the Boleyn Ground. The Club launched an appeal against
the decision, but a three-man Football Association regulatory commission
decided to reject the claim for wrongful dismissal after assessing written
evidence from the match officials and the Hammers, as well as video footage
of the incident. The No9's three-match suspension will rule the forward out
for the Barclays Premier League matches at Aston Villa and at home to
Norwich City and Southampton.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We defended so well'
WHUFC.com
Clean sheet number eleven of the season thrills Hammers defender James
Collins
04.02.2014
James Collins says West Ham United will be battling as much as ever as they
go in search of more vital points over the next few weeks. The Hammers
defender was once again in the thick of the action to help his team win 2-0
against Swansea City on Saturday, and his efforts were rewarded as he was
voted Man of the Match by the match sponsors Bureaulogic Recruitment, an
award that West Ham fans inside the ground readily applauded when it was
announced.
Collins, along with his team-mates, defended strongly again for the second
time in three days after preventing Chelsea from getting on the scoresheet
last week and then against Swansea. Captain Kevin Nolan notched a brace for
the victory but such was the solid nature of the Hammers at both ends, that
a home win, in spite of Andy Carroll's dismissal, rarely looked in doubt. "I
know we went down to 10 men late on, but we never felt that Swansea was
going to score as we defended so well," explained the No19. "The way we
defended again was a lot to do with the confidence we got from the 0-0 draw
at Chelsea earlier in the week. We knew we are good enough to get the goals
and thankfully Kev came up with the goods on that. "Kev linking up again
with Andy is great to see, we all know what they can do and how they work
together, so if we keep going strong at the back as well and now scoring
more goals, we know we can get ourselves in a better position in the league
sooner rather than later."
The Welsh international is now looking forward to facing his old club Aston
Villa this Saturday, but his focus is on making sure the Hammers pick up
another good result on the road and he says the victory over Swansea will
stand them in good stead. He added: "We went into the game with Swansea with
a lot of confidence, which we gained from the match at Chelsea and can now
take this win into our next one again. The more we defend as we do and
hopefully nick those chances if we can at the other end, then we can look to
get even stronger."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Hammers confirm 25-man squad
WHUFC.com
West Ham United's 25-man squad has been confirmed for the rest of the season
04.02.2014
West Ham United have confirmed the make-up of their 25-man squad for the
closing four months of the 2013/14 Barclays Premier League season. The
January arrivals of Pablo Armero, Marco Borriello, Roger Johnson and Antonio
Nocerino have bolstered the Hammers' options for the crucial run-in to the
campaign.
Under-21 players are eligible over and above the limit of 25 players per
squad, so the likes of Ravel Morrison and Abdul Razak are not required to be
listed yet are available for selection. No more than 17 players who do not
fulfil the Home Grown Player criteria can be named in the squad. A Home
Grown Player is defined as one who, irrespective of his nationality or age,
has been registered with any club affiliated to the Football Association or
the Football Association of Wales for a period, continuous or not, of three
entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday (or the end of the
season during which he turns 21).
With only nine players defined as non-Home Grown in the Hammers squad, Sam
Allardyce's men comfortably meet the criteria.
West Ham United 25-man squad
Pablo Armero
Marco Borriello
Andy Carroll
Carlton Cole
Joe Cole,
James Collins
Jack Collison
Guy Demel
Mohamed Diame
Alou Diarra
Stewart Downing
Stephen Henderson
Jussi Jaaskelainen
Matt Jarvis
Roger Johnson
George McCartney
Mark Noble
Antonio Nocerino
Kevin Nolan
Joey O'Brien
Winston Reid
Adrian San Miguel del Castillo
Matt Taylor
James Tomkins
Ricardo Vaz Te
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Charlie completes her Big Challenge
WHUFC.com
TV presenter Charlie Webster ended her marathon run at the Boleyn Ground on
Saturday
04.02.2014
Television presenter and Women's Aid ambassador Charlie Webster completed
her epic Big Challenge at the Boleyn Ground on Saturday - after running to
40 football clubs over seven days to raise vital funds for Women's Aid. The
final leg of her challenge ended at the Hammers, where Charlie finished her
marathon feat of endurance on the pitch during half-time as West Ham United
played Swansea City. Charlie's finish on the centre circle marked the end of
a tough week, during which she experienced a virus at the beginning of the
week, and a serious foot injury midway through it - but being a true fighter
Charlie made it to the end. Since beginning her Challenge at Burton Albion
FC on Sunday 26 January, Charlie visited 40 football grounds, gaining
support from clubs, players and fans across the leagues and uniting the
beautiful game in taking a stand against domestic violence. Finishing at
West Ham United is particularly pertinent for Charlie, as the club and
players have been hugely supportive of her endeavour.
Upon completing the challenge, Webster said: "I entered the stadium just as
West Ham scored their first goal, which was amazing. West Ham Joint-Chairman
David Gold and his wife greeted me and gave me some flowers before I went on
to the pitch at half time and kissed the centre circle to signify my
completing the challenge. I had finished! "They played a 90 second video of
what I've been doing and the fans were incredible, they all stood up and got
the phones out to donate. West Ham also presented me a cheque from the
first-team players, which was so kind and meant so much to me. As the second
half kicked off I went inside to use their plunge pool to try to get some
circulation back in my leg. "I just can't believe that I have done it. It is
really crazy because I thought I'd never make it with so many up and downs
along the way.
Kevin Nolan, West Ham United captain said: "Everyone here at West Ham United
is more than happy to support Charlie's Big Challenge in raising awareness
and money for such a good cause. We hope that as many people and
organisations as possible back Charlie and we can get the message out
there."
The Challenge sponsor, Alpari FX Trading, is also principal sponsor of West
Ham United FC. Alpari UK Sponsorship and Events Manager Elizabeth Bacon
commented: "Having partnered with West Ham United since 2011, we have strong
ties to football and a commitment to sporting excellence. Charlie has
completed an incredible test of physical endurance this week, raising
valuable funds for a very worthy cause. We are proud to have supported her
on this inspirational journey."
Karren Brady, Vice-Chairman of West Ham United added: "Charlie has shown an
incredible determination to unite football players, clubs, and fans against
domestic violence around England. Domestic violence increases around big
football matches, and that it will only stop if everyone who loves football
comes together to make that unacceptable."
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women's Aid said: "We are incredibly pleased
that West Ham United FC and the football community are working with Women's
Aid to raise awareness and put a stop to domestic violence. We are
encouraging all footballers and fans to speak out publicly against domestic
violence, making football a place where perpetrators of domestic abuse are
not welcome.
"Charlie has really pushed herself to the limit over the last seven days to
raise an amazing £100,000, this will enable Women's Aid to support thousands
of survivors of domestic violence over the coming year and we are incredibly
grateful to Charlie for working so hard to complete this astounding
challenge."
The Challenge will now kick-start Football United against Domestic Violence,
a Women's Aid campaign launching in June which aims to encourage the
football community to give domestic abuse a red card once and for all.
Support Charlie at www.justgiving.com/charliesbigchallenge
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
U18s duo receive England call
WHUFC.com
Kyle Knoyle and Reece Burke have been called up to the England U18 squad to
play Belgium later this month
04.02.2014
West Ham United Under-18 duo Reece Burke and Kyle Knoyle have been selected
to represent their country once again when they play Belgium later this
month. The pair have been selected in Neil Dewsnip's England U18 squad,
having previously appeared in a 4-0 win against Hungary at St George's Park
back on 14 October 2013. Knoyle played the full 90 minutes at right-back
against the Hungarians with Burke making his entrance from the bench into
central defence. Ahead of the game against the Belgians, the squad will meet
up on Saturday 15 February and have three days of training before the match
takes place at St. George's Park on Tuesday 18 February. The call-up is just
reward for the Hammers pair, who have been mainstays in Steve Potts' U18
team this season. The young Hammers are currently second in the Barclays
Under-18 Premier League, having lost just once in their last 13 matches.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll: West Ham striker's red card appeal rejected
BBC.co.uk
West Ham striker Andy Carroll has failed to overturn his red card against
Swansea on Saturday after the Football Association dismissed his appeal. The
25-year-old was sent off after clashing with Swans defender Chico Flores
during his side's 2-0 win. He will now miss the Hammers' Premier League
games against Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton.
In apparent reaction to the decision, Carroll, who set up both goals on
Saturday, tweeted: "Disgraceful."
A year to forget
In the 12 months from the start of March 2013 to the end of February 2014,
Andy Carroll will have played only 15 games, scoring four goals. According
to the FA, West Ham failed to prove to a three-man panel that referee Howard
Webb had made "an obvious error" in dismissing Carroll after the forward's
arm hit Flores's forehead. However, West Ham manager Sam Allardyce was
certain that Webb made a mistake. "There has to be somebody to look at that
in the cold light of day and say that is certainly not a red card," he said
on Saturday. Allardyce refused to comment on Flores's reaction to the
challenge, although several of his players protested at the time that the
Spaniard had exaggerated the contact made by Carroll. Swansea manager Brian
Laudrup said the decision had been "a bit harsh". Carroll, who has made only
five appearances this season and is yet to score after a lengthy recovery
from injury, will next be available for the trip to Everton on 1 March. With
Modibo Maiga loaned out to QPR, the Hammers' striking options are limited to
on-loan Italian Marco Borriello and Carlton Cole. West Ham are 18th in the
Premier League, one point from safety, with 14 games remaining.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll: FA decision 'disgraceful'
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United's appeal against Andy Carroll's dismissal last weekend has
been dismissed by the Football Association. Carroll - who described the
decision as "digraceful" in a brief Tweet this afternoon - saw red for the
first time since joining West Ham after becoming involved in a tangle with
Swansea's Chico Flores during Saturday's 2-0 win, in which Carroll had
already provided two assists. The Spanish defender threw himself to the
floor theatrically, clutching his face as the two tangled following an
aerial challenge - despite Carroll's flailing hand having only made contact
with the Spaniard's forehead. That was enough for experienced referee Howard
Webb to dismiss the England international for violent conduct - a sanction
upheld by a three-man panel hearing West Ham's appeal earlier today. All of
which means that Carroll - who has only just returned to first team action
following a lengthy injury that prevented him from playing previously this
season - now faces three matches on the sideline; the crucial fixtures
against Aston Villa (a), Norwich (h) and Southampton (h).
The news was confirmed this afternoon by the FA who said via a statement:
"Andy Carroll will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect
after his claim of wrongful dismissal was rejected by an Independent
Regulatory Commission." As of yet, there have been no sanctions announced
regarding Flores, whose disgraceful actions have led to Carroll's subsequent
ban.
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Swansea shirts up for grabs
KUMb.com
Filed: Tuesday, 4th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
The shirts of nine West Ham players who featured in last weekend's 2-0 win
over Swansea have gone up for auction to raise funds for a children's
charity.
KUMB.com member Iain Page almost lost his baby daughter Willow when she
suffered a stroke and three heart attacks last year. He and wife Denise were
warned that should she survive, she would face being left brain damaged as a
result. However following months of hospital care, little Willow has made an
amazing, unexpected recovery and is now a healthy one-year-old.
Caring for Willow has meant that Iain and Denise have had very little time
for themselves or the rest of the family, which is where West Ham captain
Kevin Nolan stepped in. Having been made aware of the family's plight
previously, the skipper arranged for the couple to be guests of honour at
last weekend's clash with Swansea - the first time they'd had a day out
together since Willow was taken ill.
And immediately following the game, Nolan kindly delivered nine match-worn
shirts from the match to be auctioned for Heartlink Children's Charity,
which is seeking to raise £40,000 in order to purchase a new ECMO machine -
the same as that which saved Willow's life.
Bidding for the nine shirts - belonging to Adrian, Andy Carroll, Stewart
Downing, Matt Jarvis, George McCartney, Kevin Nolan, Mark Noble, Matt Taylor
and James Tomkins - began on the KUMB Forum this morning. To place a bid for
any of the above worn shirts, simply reply to the thread stating your bid;
please note that only registered KUMB.com members may bid.
For Willow: Current Highest Bids
Adrian - £250
Andy Carroll - £300
Stuart Downing - £250
Matt Jarvis - £200
George McCartney - £100
Kevin Nolan - £300
Mark Noble - £225
Matt Taylor - £100
James Tomkins - £160
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Andy Carroll loses appeal and will serve three-match ban
Last Updated: 04/02/14 6:11pm
SSN
West Ham striker Andy Carroll has lost his appeal against the red card shown
to him in their 2-0 victory over Swansea on Saturday. Carroll was dismissed
after he was adjudged to have deliberately caught Swansea defender Chico
Flores with a flailing arm. But the Football Association has rejected the
appeal and Carroll will now be unavailable to manager Sam Allardyce as he
serves a three-match ban. "West Ham United's Andy Carroll will serve a
three-match suspension with immediate effect after his claim of wrongful
dismissal was rejected by an Independent Regulatory Commission," read an FA
statement. "Carroll was dismissed for violent conduct during West Ham's game
against Swansea City on Saturday (February 1, 2014). "As stated in the Rules
and Regulations of The FA, an Independent Regulatory Commission must apply
the test of whether the decision to dismiss a player was 'an obvious error'.
"The decision of an Independent Regulatory Commission in relation to a claim
of wrongful dismissal is final and binding on all parties and is not subject
to appeal."
Carroll will miss West Ham's away game with Aston Villa on Saturday, as well
as home fixtures with Norwich and Southampton. The West Ham striker was
quick to vent his apparent disappointment at the verdict on Twitter, with a
post on the social media site which simply read: "DISGRACEFUL!!!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham confirm 25-man squad for remainder of season
Last Updated: 04/02/14 7:16pm
SSN
West Ham's January signings Marco Borriello, Antonio Nocerino, Roger Johnson
and Pablo Armero have been included in their 25-man Premier League squad.
The Hammers have confirmed the players who will be available to Sam
Allardyce for the final four months of the campaign as the club battles
against relegation. The likes of Ravel Morrison and Abdul Razak are
available but do not need to be listed as Under-21 players can be selected
on top of the original 25-man party. Allardyce's party has nine players who
are not regarded as Home Grown, which is comfortably within the Premier
League's parameters of 17.
West Ham are currently 18th in the table after 24 games of the season, but
are just one point from a position of safety and only three adrift of Stoke
in 11th place.
West Ham squad
Pablo Armero, Marco Borriello, Andy Carroll, Carlton Cole, Joe Cole, James
Collins, Jack Collison, Guy Demel, Mohamed Diame, Alou Diarra, Stewart
Downing, Stephen Henderson, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Matt Jarvis, Roger Johnson,
George McCartney, Mark Noble, Antonio Nocerino, Kevin Nolan, Joey O'Brien,
Winston Reid, Adrian, Matt Taylor, James Tomkins, Ricardo Vaz Te.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
THE FA CAN FO
By Iain Dale 4 Feb 2014 at 17:34
West Ham Till I Die
Three game ban for Andy Carroll. Licence to divers everywhere. Travesty. I
am sure Chico Flores is proud of himself. That is all.
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THE £40 MILLION DECISION
By Sean Whetstone 4 Feb 2014 at 13:45
West Ham Till I Die
The deadline for West Ham United to present all evidence on the Andy Carroll
sending off to the appeal panel passed at 1pm today with the decision
expected this afternoon via a joint statement by the FA and West Ham United.
This might sound melodramatic but the consequences could be massive for West
Ham if we lose the appeal, it could be the difference between survival and
relegation this season. On Saturday, Andy showed us he can make the
difference and the the next three games and nine points are both crucial and
winnable . Relegation could cost West Ham as much £40 million in lost
revenue next season as the gulf between the two divisions becomes larger.
The Daily Mail are reporting today that "World Cup referee Howard Webb is
standing by his decision to show a red card to West Ham's Andy Carroll"
Howard Webb is supposed to be the FA's best referee and was recently chosen
to officiate at the World Cup Finals. I find it difficult to believe he
would be unprofessional enough to brief the Daily Mail and potentially
prejudice the independent appeal panel hearing. His official match report is
the only evidence which should count during the appeal.
A three-person independent regulatory commission will be convened to assess
written evidence from the match officials and West Ham, as well as video
footage of the incident. The so called 'FA three wise man' usually include a
former football man often a former player/manager, a former member of a FA
association sometimes a previous chairman and a person with a legal
background who understands the rules of football. It is these men who will
decide our fate behind closed doors.
Sam Allardyce has said on the matter: "We will hope that the appeal will
work. Hopefully we don't lose Andy for three games. He's gutted. He's
absolutely beside himself. We'll just have to go through the process and see
what happens in midweek. All I can hope is that the panel, in the cold light
of day, see it for what it is.He [ Howard Webb] can't be absolutely certain
of what's happened, except that Chico Flores is over-exaggerating, which is
generally the norm for him unfortunately."
After the watching the video a number of times myself I firmly believe the
panel should downgrade the incident to the yellow card for reckless use of
an arm rather then any real intent to strike Chico Flores. Flores should
also be awarded a yellow card too for unsporting behavior as his act was
simulation intended to deceive the referee, although I understand these kind
of booking cannot be issued retrospectively.
Yesterday the Daily Mail claimed "[West Ham United] Club officials believe
the FA's appeals procedure is flawed under European law" suggesting the club
could take the argument to the law courts if they fail in their appeal. I
see this as unlikely as the FA will be reluctant to suspend the ban while it
takes months if not years to go through the European courts.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Andy Carroll labels FA's decision to uphold his three-match ban as
'disgraceful'
Feb 04, 2014 16:53 By Alex Richards
The Mirror
West Ham United striker Andy Carroll will miss the Hammers next three
matches after losing his appeal against his sending off against Swansea.
The England striker, making his first start of the season at Upton Park, was
sent off by referee Howard Webb in the 59th minute of his side's 2-0 win
over Michael Laudrup's Swans, after appearing to swing an arm at defender
Chico Flores. The Spanish defender, who earlier this season was publicly
laughed at by West Ham boss Sam Allardyce for embellishing a challenge from
Carlton Cole, appeared to be caught on the head by Carroll's flailing arm
and stayed down.
Carroll himself tweeted what he thought of the decision not to overturn his
ban with one word: "DISGRACEFUL!!!"
West Ham decided to appeal Webb's decision, and had been hopeful of having
Carroll's ban overturned - having slammed Chico for 'squealing'.
DISGRACEFUL!!! — Andy Carroll (@AndyTCarroll) February 4, 2014
Allardyce said: "We will hope that the appeal will work. Hopefully we don't
lose Andy for three games. "He's gutted. He's absolutely beside himself.
We'll just have to go through the process and see what happens." Carroll,
West Ham's record purchase, will now miss the Premier League matches against
Aston Villa (a), Norwich City (h) and Southampton (h). He'll next be
available for the away fixture against Everton on March 1. The ban came just
weeks after Andy Carroll returned to full match fitness after a lengthy
spell out of action.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Ban both Chico and Webb
KUMb.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd February 2014
By: Gary Portugal
I'm not sure who is worse - they deserve each other.
Both Chico Flores and Howard Webb have form with West Ham, and without West
Ham, of substandard behaviour and judgement respectively. Enough is enough.
It is time that these inept losers be held accountable.
Let's start with Webb. You cannot give a red card unless you are absolutely
certain of what the offence was and if indeed it was actually even
committed. Not dissimilar to innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
It cannot be done on the basis of hearsay, pressure from opposition players
or fans, or merely the say-so of another official.
A red card should be reserved for the most grievous offences, not 50/50
situations. The impact of red cards goes well beyond the match in which it
occurs. It could potentially have contributed to our relegation if we lost
the match - and still could, if the card is not rescinded.
And a referee with World Cup pedigree should, if anything, be held to a
higher standard of accountability, not be given a get out of jail card based
on reputation.
As for Chico, where do I start? Rolling around the pitch like an infant? Is
that what the Premier League wants to promote and broadcast worldwide? An
image of not only a cheat, but a coward. It is shameful and embarrasses the
player, his club, the league and the sport in general. It is outright
dishonest, period. Video evidence CONCLUSIVELY shows that Carroll did NOT
hit Chico's face or forehead. He grazed the TOP of his hairbun, no more no
less.
And it was Carroll's whole ARM that grazed, NOT a bent ELBOW. In short,
there was NO intent whatsoever. If he had wanted, or intended to hit Chico,
Carroll would have bent his elbow or hit him squarely in the face as opposed
to grazing his hairbun. This was simulation of the highest order. As bad as
diving to try to win a penalty. Yet on his Twitter page, Chico still has the
nerve to deny his guilt. Totally unethical, dishonest and cowardly
behaviour.
Yesterday's events point to the need for firm action to be taken. For a
start, the Premier League should make all simulation a straight red card
offence with a minimum, but not maximum, of a three-match ban. That includes
feigning injury, not just diving to try to win a penalty or free kick. And
such bans should be given retrospectively if referees fail to spot it at the
time.
The integrity of the game is at stake. There is no place for simulation in
the game and the only way to stamp it out is through heavy penalties.
Hundreds of millions of pounds are at stake with relegation and European
places etc. The cost of such injustices is too high. Referees should also be
subject to three-match bans for such bone-headed, erroneous decisions that
get overturned.
Webb should have to face the music for his woeful judgement which could have
materially affected the outcome of the match and still could affect West
Ham's survival hopes. Referees must be shown that they are not God, and that
they should be held accountable, as everyone else in the sport is. In Webb's
case, should Carroll's card be overturned, his qualifications as a World Cup
referee should be scrutinised. As an aside, Webb allowed Bony to back into
our defenders all day long without penalising him. Double standards.
A major solution to yesterday's travesty would be the introduction of an
in-game review process which already exists in most sports now. Give each
team the ability to challenge one refereeing decision per half. This would
have no adverse impact on the flow of the game but it would help avoid
farces like yesterday.
Goal-line technology is not enough. An on-the-spot review process,
applicable anywhere on the pitch is required, involving video technology
that can be used to assess any contentious decision. This would force both
players and referees to be more accountable and to avoid being humiliated
for inane behaviour or terrible judgement
Any rational person reviewing footage of the incident would admit that
Carroll didn't deserve to go. Even Michael Laudrup, to his credit, admitted
it - as did Match of the Day's Alan Hansen, Steve McManaman and other
pundits. One can only hope that this will help sway the FA to do the right
thing.
But what will really prevent this circus from happening again? The threat of
lawsuits against a player for simulating and referees who allow themselves
to be conned? In a general sense there are precedents for players taking
legal action in response to matters on the pitch. Players have sued in
response to blatant attempts to cause them injury. And although a totally
different issue, we don't need to be reminded about Tevezgate.
If a a club or player were to sue for wrongful dismissal from a match, it
would put the fear of God into simulators and referees. It is entirely
possible, with hundreds of millions of pounds at stake, that we could see
lawsuits in the future in response to blatant acts of cheating. Human beings
don't tend to change their behaviour unless hit with a heavy legal stick.
Leopards not changing their spots comes to mind.
Observe Chico, for example. How many times has he pulled this charade
before? Numerous times.
Finally, on a different note, if managers can be brought to book for
insulting referees and bringing the game into disrepute in press
conferences, then surely the same should apply to slagging off an opponent's
tactics , a la Jose Mourinho with his weak-breasted "19th century" garbage.
Who is Mourinho to be passing judgement on how we choose to play?
If he doesn't like it, he can lump it and go manage somewhere on the
continent again. He should be given a touchline ban for putting his two
penneth in where it wasn't required. Press conferences needn't be bland or
humourless, but nor should they be juvenile slagfests either. When Mourinho
returned, I thought that it would add spice to the League. Now I'm sick of
the sight of him already. A whinging, sore loser.
Sadly, although West Ham picked up four huge points this week these fixtures
displayed so much of what is wrong with the game today. Cheating players;
inept, gullible, arrogant referees; whinging managers; not a pretty sight.
Especially given how much that these primadonnas get paid, It's an absolute
disgrace.
Now is the time for the Premier League and the FA to get off their rear ends
and take decisive action to exterminate this substandard behaviour from the
game.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carroll caught in the FA's Webb
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 5th February 2014
By: Paul Walker
You sensed it was only going to end one way, however much we all hoped and
prayed that Andy Carroll was going to have his red card overturned.
So much of the opinion and anger revolving around Chico Flores' disgraceful
behaviour on Saturday was irrelevant to the issue.
It boiled down in the end to whether the FA were going to accept the
evidence and word of their very best referee Howard Webb, or tell him that
he got it very, very wrong from a matter of 20 yards away when Carroll's
flaying arm caught Flores in the pony-tail.
Webb could have handled it very differently. He could have penalised the
Swansea man for his challenge on Carroll in the first place, the clattering
from behind and the arm round the neck as the pair fell in a heap.
But would that have stopped Carroll bringing his arm round the way he did a
split second later? All that mattered in the end was Webb's interpretation
of intent, his opinion as to whether Carroll meant to clip the Spaniard or
whether it was an accident.
He could have booked Flores for ungentlemanly conduct once the half dozen
forward rolls had stopped, but he didn't. And although the FA have rules
that govern diving, I am not sure they have any that covers such theatrical
nonsense.
Maybe they should look at Flores' conduct in isolation, and charge him for
blatant cheating. But they probably won't.
The player should be hounded out of the game as a cheat, pilloried by every
fan in the country and have it made very clear to him that he is not wanted
in our game. The PFA can condemn him, if they dare. Swansea can sack him,
which they won't.
But nothing will help Carroll at this moment. He misses three crucial games
we must win to build on the good result against Swansea, a result that
Carroll had much to do with achieving.
Flores, though, should be booed on every ground in the country. But none of
that will have any impact on the fact that Webb thought Carroll intended to
clip the defender in the way he did.
Once Webb has decided that in his view Carroll meant it, it is very hard to
prove he made a mistake. It is his view alone that matters to the FA. That
is what they trust him to do, what he is there for.
The wording of the law that covers such a red card says 'strike or attempt
to strike an opponent.' You do not have to connect in anyway. It does not
matter whether Carroll made contact or not. If you throw a punch at a player
and miss, it is still a red card offence.
Now Carroll may not have intended anything of the sort. Opinion is divided.
But what does not matter at all is what Flores did, however distasteful.
His behaviour was appalling. Rolling around, clutching his face when no
contact was made at all with that part of his body is as distasteful as
anything I have seen on a pitch for a very long time. His fellow
professionals should condemn him.
But I actually doubt that all of that blatant cheating had any impact on
Webb's deliberations. He took advice from the fourth office, that was
obvious, but you can bet your life that all the officials were interested in
was Carroll's intent, or not.
Only Carroll knows whether he was trying to make contact. We can all have an
opinion, mine was that his action was one of frustration, sheer annoyance at
the initial challenge. I have wanted to believe that ever since, but deep in
my stomach I knew how the FA would react, despite all the uproar and twitter
frenzy.
What has surprised me is how many players, current and past, do not
understand the wording of the law.
But my opinion and theirs is as irrelevant as anyone else. Only Webb's view
is of interest to the FA.
And did we really expect that they were going to tell Webb, the World Cup
Final referee and our only official going to Brazil, that his opinion was
wrong. I doubt it, this was not one of the new mickey mouse referees on the
Premier League list, it was Webb, their very best.
He is just like the policeman in court that the magistrates always believe.
I have seen suggestions that West Ham could take the case to court. We have
also had Carroll's own "disgraceful" reaction on Twitter.
Frankly I hope we don't further antagonise the FA with any more action, and
I wish Carroll could have just held his silence. No good will come of any of
that.
What we must do is regroup, find a way to play without Carroll and not use
it as an excuse for failure over the next three matches. We have an
admittedly short of match fitness Italian in Marco Borriello to play up
front, that is unless big Sam reverts to type and plays Carlton Cole. But
Ricardo Vaz Te can also play as a striker, and I am sure like me, you are
not too bothered about Mo Maiga being at QPR, fat lot of good he has been
for us this season anyway.
I am gutted with the decision by Webb and the FA but if I am really honest I
am more gutted that Carroll allowed himself to be put in such a position in
the first place. It really would be nice is we could keep 11 players on the
pitch for a change.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Tuesday, February 4
Daily WHUFC News - 4th February 2014
Noble wants more of the same
WHUFC.com
Mark Noble wants West Ham to keep up the momentum after taking four points
in four days
03.02.2014
Mark Noble believes West Ham United are beginning to rediscover the form
that propelled them to tenth spot upon their return to the Barclays Premier
League.
Wednesday's battling stalemate at Stamford Bridge, coupled with a convincing
2-0 win over Swansea City sees the Hammers back within just a point of
safety and 26-year-old Noble is convinced that things are looking up. Though
Saturday's victory was only the third of the league campaign at the Boleyn
Ground, the Canning Town-born midfielder felt the display was reminiscent of
last season's dominance in front of their own fans. He told West Ham TV:
"Confidence wasn't a problem before, we knew were getting chances and
playing well, we just weren't finishing them. Saturday was a West Ham
performance of last year, you could say, a 2-0 win, great defending and we
came away with three points. "It has been a tough four days. Obviously the
result against Chelsea was massive and gave us the confidence to come here
[and win] against a good team in Swansea. They won last week as well and
picked up a bit of confidence themselves. "We did well on Saturday and with
Kevin [Nolan] supporting off Andy, it works, it worked in the past and it's
good to finally get them back together."
Having now spent the best part of three seasons alongside Nolan, Noble
expects the net to bulge more often than not when the Hammers' skipper is in
front of goal. And so it proved on Saturday, not that Nolan was the only
star of the show, with yet another superlative rear-guard action to admire.
"That's what Kevin has got, that's what he has done his whole career, I
don't know why everyone is so surprised. I know he hasn't got that many this
year, but when he gets the chance he normally finishes it. You can see what
effect Andy coming back had on him on Saturday. "Wednesday obviously was a
tough one, we didn't get that many chances, we just defended for our lives
and had to do that again on Saturday for the last 40 minutes or so and
deserved the three points. "I think we're top of the league now in clean
sheets, but obviously at the beginning of the season we didn't score enough
goals and that was the problem. But two clean sheets in a week and a 2-0 win
on Saturday, which was fantastic and the lads deserved it."
Fantastic though it was, joy was at least partially tempered by the
second-half dismissal of Andy Carroll. Noble believes the big man was
unfortunate to see red and hopes that he will still play a full part in the
coming weeks. On that same note, Noble was delighted to see the fit-again
Winston Reid back in the fold, with the squad now looking a whole lot
stronger. "Hopefully we get justice in Andy's decision being overturned.
Michael Laudrup has come out on TV and said it wasn't a sending off, so
that's good honesty from the man. If we can keep him and Kev firing
together, with Jarvo [Matt Jarvis] and Stewart Downing producing crosses,
hopefully we can stay solid and push up the table. "It was lovely to get
Winston back out there. We all know what a good player he is, we've missed
him this year and to have him back, Kev back from suspension and big AC
back, the full squad's back together now and hopefully we can keep them fit
and produce more wins like that. "You need that [competition] in the team,
otherwise you can get sloppy. We brought the two Italians in, we've got a
left-back in from Napoli. It's good to have competition and we're going to
need it over the next couple of months."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Everyone's fighting for each other'
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis believes the character of the squad has been evident in their
last two performances
03.02.2014
Matt Jarvis has praised the commitment of his West Ham United teammates
following a haul of four points from their last two Barclays Premier League
fixtures.
A superb rear-guard display earned a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge last
Wednesday night before the Hammers saw out the final half hour of Saturday's
2-0 win over Swansea City with ten men. Claret and Blue shirts flying in the
line of goal-bound shots was a noticeable feature in both games and Jarvis
felt the performances showed the determined nature of the squad. Speaking
after Saturday's game the winger said: "It was a fantastic performance from
us defensively against Chelsea. Everyone worked extremely hard to earn the
point that we always wanted. "On Saturday, when we went down to ten men
everyone had to do exactly the same and I think we defended absolutely
fantastically and that's what we have to keep doing. "It shows the character
of the squad. Everyone's fighting for each other and I think it's showed in
the last two games that we're digging in and throwing bodies in front of the
ball. "We're doing everything we can to stop a cross or a shot, everyone's
doing it and it's paying off."
Victory against the Swans came courtesy of two first half goals from captain
Kevin Nolan, who profited from two assists by the returning Andy Carroll.
Whilst the No9 later saw red after an aerial tussle with Chico Flores,
Jarvis was delighted to have the frontman back on the pitch and revealed
Carroll's frustration at his dismissal. "We came back into the changing room
and everyone's delighted that we've got the win but he was sat there fuming.
It's one of those things, I haven't seen it back yet but obviously I'm
disappointed for him. "Sometimes you know that you don't even have to look,
because if you put it in a certain area he's going to run through anything
to try and get on the end of it. "It's great to have someone like that in
the box. If he's not going to get a header at goal himself then he'll always
try and set someone else up and that's what he did against Swansea."
Saturday's victory was the Hammers' first at the Boleyn Ground in 2014 and
comes at the start of a month in which Sam Allardyce's side play fellow
bottom half of the table sides Aston Villa and Norwich City before a home
encounter with Southampton. It is a run of games which Jarvis believes the
Hammers can look forward to with confidence as they look to capitalise on
victory over Swansea and push themselves out of the bottom three. "It was a
massive win for us, especially after the great performance and result which
we got against Chelsea in midweek. It's a big win and hopefully it will be
pivotal. "It was big lift for everyone to get that point and we came here
today in front of the home crowd and get a good win which was smashing for
everyone. "We have to get as many points as we can, no matter what the
situation is. We've got a run of games against teams that are in and around
us and we need to pick points up."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Spence: I'm not done yet
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United full-back Jordan Spence says he still harbours hopes of
becoming a first team regular. The 23-year-old, currently on loan at MK Dons
has been at the Club since he was just 15 years old but has made just a
handful of first team appearances in the intervening eight years. Once
tipped as a potential future England star, Spence's stock has fallen since
having failed to impress a succession of West Ham managers. However he
remains positive about his future which, he hopes, can still be at West Ham.
"I'm not where I thought I would be, doing the things I thought I'd be
doing, at this stage in my career. But I know that everything happens for a
reason," he told Wine & Bow Ties. "I have a great desire to play for West
Ham regularly and up until now I've been unable to do so. So at the moment
I'm trying to show how good I am to whoever wants to see. If that fashions
into playing regularly for West Ham, then great. If not, we'll cross that
bridge when we get there. "I've been at West Ham since I was 15 so there's
definitely an affiliation and love I have for the team and a certain rapport
I have with the supporters of the club. I'm on loan at the moment, so it's
all about performing well and if I do well, West Ham will do well and I'm
contracted to them. "Being on loan has strengthened me and has helped shape
me as a player. It has been frustrating in the sense that a couple years
ago, I felt that I was on the cusp of really breaking out as an athlete,
having played for the England U21 team, and it looked as if I was really
going to get a chance to play regularly for West Ham. "
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham appeal to FA over Andy Carroll red card
Last Updated: 03/02/14 3:37pm
SSN
West Ham have notified the Football Association that they wish to appeal
against the sending off of striker Andy Carroll in Saturday's win over
Swansea.
Carroll was shown a straight red card by referee Howard Webb following an
altercation with Swansea defender Chico Flores. The Upton Park club had
until 1pm on Monday to inform the FA of their intention to challenge the
dismissal and now have a further 24 hours to collate and submit their
evidence. Sam Allardyce accused Chico Flores of getting Andy Carroll sent
off and says they will appeal against his red card. A three-person
independent panel will be convened to assess written evidence from the match
officials and the Hammers, as well as footage of the incident. A three-match
suspension would rule Carroll out for the rest of February and would see him
miss matches with Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton. The 25-year-old made
just his third start of the season following a heel injury and set up both
goals for Kevin Nolan in the 2-0 victory. Hammers manager Sam Allardyce
declared his intention to contest Carroll's dismissal after the match and
was critical of Flores. Allardyce said: "We will hope that the appeal will
work. Hopefully we don't lose Andy for three games. "He's gutted. He's
absolutely beside himself. We'll just have to go through the process and see
what happens."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OLDHAM REPORT WEST HAM TO THE FA
By Sean Whetstone 3 Feb 2014 at 16:05
West Ham Till I Die
Oldham Athletic have reported West Ham United to the Football Association
amid claims they sold them winger Cristian Montano despite knowing he had
been arrested on suspicion of a serious offence. It is understood that
League One side Oldham paid around £50,000 for the Columbian, who has also
been arrested on suspicion of spot fixing. The winger, 22, was one of six
people arrested and bailed as part of an investigation into spot-fixing by
the National Crime Agency, which was acting on information from the Sun on
Sunday newspaper. Montano made 48 appearances for Oldham, scoring four
goals.
Oldham are believed to have witheld handing over the final installment of
that sum to West Ham after it was revealed he had been charged with an
offence and was due in court in March. Oldham officials have launched their
own investigation and it is thought they believe West Ham knew about the
arrest but failed to tell them before they signed the player.The transfer
went through in August 2012. Montano was arrested the previous month amid
claims a serious offence had taken place. West Ham and The FA have made no
comment so far.
An Official statement on Oldham's website says "Oldham Athletic (2004) AFC
Limited can confirm that they have reported West Ham United Football Club to
the Football Association with regard to the transfer of the registration of
Cristian Montano between the two clubs in August 2012. Whilst this is the
subject of an enquiry by the authorities Oldham Athletic will not be making
any further comment on the matter"
Montano, 22, was arrested in December last year after a sting by the Sun on
Sunday newspaper which appeared to catch him at the centre of a betting
scam. In a video obtained by the paper he was seen talking about his
apparent attempts to get booked on purpose in the first half of a match
Oldham lost 2-0 at Wolves in October.The former hammer is seen in a covert
video saying "From minute one I was hacking people down. People running past
me and I would go clip.I run against one player and barged him"
Cristian Montano "vehemently denies" any involvement in spot-fixing after
being sacked by Oldham and attended an Oldham appeal hearing last month
against his dismissal for gross misconduct. A statement by Montano's lawyers
says "he vehemently denies being involved in spot-fixing and welcomes the
criminal investigation, with which he will fully co-operate."
The Colombia-born 20-year-old joined the Hammers as an Under-12 and was
named Academy Player of the Year for 2008/09. Montano spent time on loan at
Notts County, Swindon Town, Dagenham and Redbridge and Oxford United during
his time at West Ham.
The Romford Recorder reported that Cristian Montano, of Caspian Road,
Greater Manchester and two other men were charged with one count of raping a
woman at Axiom Apartments, Mercury Gardens, on July 8, 2012, all three
pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to stand trial in Snaresbrook crown
court next month.
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WHUFC.com
Mark Noble wants West Ham to keep up the momentum after taking four points
in four days
03.02.2014
Mark Noble believes West Ham United are beginning to rediscover the form
that propelled them to tenth spot upon their return to the Barclays Premier
League.
Wednesday's battling stalemate at Stamford Bridge, coupled with a convincing
2-0 win over Swansea City sees the Hammers back within just a point of
safety and 26-year-old Noble is convinced that things are looking up. Though
Saturday's victory was only the third of the league campaign at the Boleyn
Ground, the Canning Town-born midfielder felt the display was reminiscent of
last season's dominance in front of their own fans. He told West Ham TV:
"Confidence wasn't a problem before, we knew were getting chances and
playing well, we just weren't finishing them. Saturday was a West Ham
performance of last year, you could say, a 2-0 win, great defending and we
came away with three points. "It has been a tough four days. Obviously the
result against Chelsea was massive and gave us the confidence to come here
[and win] against a good team in Swansea. They won last week as well and
picked up a bit of confidence themselves. "We did well on Saturday and with
Kevin [Nolan] supporting off Andy, it works, it worked in the past and it's
good to finally get them back together."
Having now spent the best part of three seasons alongside Nolan, Noble
expects the net to bulge more often than not when the Hammers' skipper is in
front of goal. And so it proved on Saturday, not that Nolan was the only
star of the show, with yet another superlative rear-guard action to admire.
"That's what Kevin has got, that's what he has done his whole career, I
don't know why everyone is so surprised. I know he hasn't got that many this
year, but when he gets the chance he normally finishes it. You can see what
effect Andy coming back had on him on Saturday. "Wednesday obviously was a
tough one, we didn't get that many chances, we just defended for our lives
and had to do that again on Saturday for the last 40 minutes or so and
deserved the three points. "I think we're top of the league now in clean
sheets, but obviously at the beginning of the season we didn't score enough
goals and that was the problem. But two clean sheets in a week and a 2-0 win
on Saturday, which was fantastic and the lads deserved it."
Fantastic though it was, joy was at least partially tempered by the
second-half dismissal of Andy Carroll. Noble believes the big man was
unfortunate to see red and hopes that he will still play a full part in the
coming weeks. On that same note, Noble was delighted to see the fit-again
Winston Reid back in the fold, with the squad now looking a whole lot
stronger. "Hopefully we get justice in Andy's decision being overturned.
Michael Laudrup has come out on TV and said it wasn't a sending off, so
that's good honesty from the man. If we can keep him and Kev firing
together, with Jarvo [Matt Jarvis] and Stewart Downing producing crosses,
hopefully we can stay solid and push up the table. "It was lovely to get
Winston back out there. We all know what a good player he is, we've missed
him this year and to have him back, Kev back from suspension and big AC
back, the full squad's back together now and hopefully we can keep them fit
and produce more wins like that. "You need that [competition] in the team,
otherwise you can get sloppy. We brought the two Italians in, we've got a
left-back in from Napoli. It's good to have competition and we're going to
need it over the next couple of months."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'Everyone's fighting for each other'
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis believes the character of the squad has been evident in their
last two performances
03.02.2014
Matt Jarvis has praised the commitment of his West Ham United teammates
following a haul of four points from their last two Barclays Premier League
fixtures.
A superb rear-guard display earned a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge last
Wednesday night before the Hammers saw out the final half hour of Saturday's
2-0 win over Swansea City with ten men. Claret and Blue shirts flying in the
line of goal-bound shots was a noticeable feature in both games and Jarvis
felt the performances showed the determined nature of the squad. Speaking
after Saturday's game the winger said: "It was a fantastic performance from
us defensively against Chelsea. Everyone worked extremely hard to earn the
point that we always wanted. "On Saturday, when we went down to ten men
everyone had to do exactly the same and I think we defended absolutely
fantastically and that's what we have to keep doing. "It shows the character
of the squad. Everyone's fighting for each other and I think it's showed in
the last two games that we're digging in and throwing bodies in front of the
ball. "We're doing everything we can to stop a cross or a shot, everyone's
doing it and it's paying off."
Victory against the Swans came courtesy of two first half goals from captain
Kevin Nolan, who profited from two assists by the returning Andy Carroll.
Whilst the No9 later saw red after an aerial tussle with Chico Flores,
Jarvis was delighted to have the frontman back on the pitch and revealed
Carroll's frustration at his dismissal. "We came back into the changing room
and everyone's delighted that we've got the win but he was sat there fuming.
It's one of those things, I haven't seen it back yet but obviously I'm
disappointed for him. "Sometimes you know that you don't even have to look,
because if you put it in a certain area he's going to run through anything
to try and get on the end of it. "It's great to have someone like that in
the box. If he's not going to get a header at goal himself then he'll always
try and set someone else up and that's what he did against Swansea."
Saturday's victory was the Hammers' first at the Boleyn Ground in 2014 and
comes at the start of a month in which Sam Allardyce's side play fellow
bottom half of the table sides Aston Villa and Norwich City before a home
encounter with Southampton. It is a run of games which Jarvis believes the
Hammers can look forward to with confidence as they look to capitalise on
victory over Swansea and push themselves out of the bottom three. "It was a
massive win for us, especially after the great performance and result which
we got against Chelsea in midweek. It's a big win and hopefully it will be
pivotal. "It was big lift for everyone to get that point and we came here
today in front of the home crowd and get a good win which was smashing for
everyone. "We have to get as many points as we can, no matter what the
situation is. We've got a run of games against teams that are in and around
us and we need to pick points up."
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Spence: I'm not done yet
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 3rd February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United full-back Jordan Spence says he still harbours hopes of
becoming a first team regular. The 23-year-old, currently on loan at MK Dons
has been at the Club since he was just 15 years old but has made just a
handful of first team appearances in the intervening eight years. Once
tipped as a potential future England star, Spence's stock has fallen since
having failed to impress a succession of West Ham managers. However he
remains positive about his future which, he hopes, can still be at West Ham.
"I'm not where I thought I would be, doing the things I thought I'd be
doing, at this stage in my career. But I know that everything happens for a
reason," he told Wine & Bow Ties. "I have a great desire to play for West
Ham regularly and up until now I've been unable to do so. So at the moment
I'm trying to show how good I am to whoever wants to see. If that fashions
into playing regularly for West Ham, then great. If not, we'll cross that
bridge when we get there. "I've been at West Ham since I was 15 so there's
definitely an affiliation and love I have for the team and a certain rapport
I have with the supporters of the club. I'm on loan at the moment, so it's
all about performing well and if I do well, West Ham will do well and I'm
contracted to them. "Being on loan has strengthened me and has helped shape
me as a player. It has been frustrating in the sense that a couple years
ago, I felt that I was on the cusp of really breaking out as an athlete,
having played for the England U21 team, and it looked as if I was really
going to get a chance to play regularly for West Ham. "
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West Ham appeal to FA over Andy Carroll red card
Last Updated: 03/02/14 3:37pm
SSN
West Ham have notified the Football Association that they wish to appeal
against the sending off of striker Andy Carroll in Saturday's win over
Swansea.
Carroll was shown a straight red card by referee Howard Webb following an
altercation with Swansea defender Chico Flores. The Upton Park club had
until 1pm on Monday to inform the FA of their intention to challenge the
dismissal and now have a further 24 hours to collate and submit their
evidence. Sam Allardyce accused Chico Flores of getting Andy Carroll sent
off and says they will appeal against his red card. A three-person
independent panel will be convened to assess written evidence from the match
officials and the Hammers, as well as footage of the incident. A three-match
suspension would rule Carroll out for the rest of February and would see him
miss matches with Aston Villa, Norwich and Southampton. The 25-year-old made
just his third start of the season following a heel injury and set up both
goals for Kevin Nolan in the 2-0 victory. Hammers manager Sam Allardyce
declared his intention to contest Carroll's dismissal after the match and
was critical of Flores. Allardyce said: "We will hope that the appeal will
work. Hopefully we don't lose Andy for three games. "He's gutted. He's
absolutely beside himself. We'll just have to go through the process and see
what happens."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
OLDHAM REPORT WEST HAM TO THE FA
By Sean Whetstone 3 Feb 2014 at 16:05
West Ham Till I Die
Oldham Athletic have reported West Ham United to the Football Association
amid claims they sold them winger Cristian Montano despite knowing he had
been arrested on suspicion of a serious offence. It is understood that
League One side Oldham paid around £50,000 for the Columbian, who has also
been arrested on suspicion of spot fixing. The winger, 22, was one of six
people arrested and bailed as part of an investigation into spot-fixing by
the National Crime Agency, which was acting on information from the Sun on
Sunday newspaper. Montano made 48 appearances for Oldham, scoring four
goals.
Oldham are believed to have witheld handing over the final installment of
that sum to West Ham after it was revealed he had been charged with an
offence and was due in court in March. Oldham officials have launched their
own investigation and it is thought they believe West Ham knew about the
arrest but failed to tell them before they signed the player.The transfer
went through in August 2012. Montano was arrested the previous month amid
claims a serious offence had taken place. West Ham and The FA have made no
comment so far.
An Official statement on Oldham's website says "Oldham Athletic (2004) AFC
Limited can confirm that they have reported West Ham United Football Club to
the Football Association with regard to the transfer of the registration of
Cristian Montano between the two clubs in August 2012. Whilst this is the
subject of an enquiry by the authorities Oldham Athletic will not be making
any further comment on the matter"
Montano, 22, was arrested in December last year after a sting by the Sun on
Sunday newspaper which appeared to catch him at the centre of a betting
scam. In a video obtained by the paper he was seen talking about his
apparent attempts to get booked on purpose in the first half of a match
Oldham lost 2-0 at Wolves in October.The former hammer is seen in a covert
video saying "From minute one I was hacking people down. People running past
me and I would go clip.I run against one player and barged him"
Cristian Montano "vehemently denies" any involvement in spot-fixing after
being sacked by Oldham and attended an Oldham appeal hearing last month
against his dismissal for gross misconduct. A statement by Montano's lawyers
says "he vehemently denies being involved in spot-fixing and welcomes the
criminal investigation, with which he will fully co-operate."
The Colombia-born 20-year-old joined the Hammers as an Under-12 and was
named Academy Player of the Year for 2008/09. Montano spent time on loan at
Notts County, Swindon Town, Dagenham and Redbridge and Oxford United during
his time at West Ham.
The Romford Recorder reported that Cristian Montano, of Caspian Road,
Greater Manchester and two other men were charged with one count of raping a
woman at Axiom Apartments, Mercury Gardens, on July 8, 2012, all three
pleaded not guilty and are scheduled to stand trial in Snaresbrook crown
court next month.
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