Ashton happy with Hammers form
WHUFC.com
Former West Ham United striker Dean Ashton has been impressed with his old
club's recent performances
15.02.2014
Dean Ashton is backing West Ham United to maintain their recent run of form
and achieve Barclays Premier League safety. The former Hammers and England
striker was back at the Boleyn Ground to watch West Ham overcome another of
his former clubs, Norwich City, in midweek. During his visit, Ashton spoke
to West Ham TV about a wide range of subjects, including the relegation
battle, Andy Carroll's England chances and his own media career.
Dean, what have you made of West Ham's recent run of 13 points from 18 that
has lifted them away from the bottom three?
DA: "West Ham are on a very good run of form. Kevin Nolan has come back
into the goals with a couple of braces and it always helps when you have a
player like him in the team who can come into the team and get goals. A lot
has to be said about the defensive unit as well because they have been
absolutely outstanding. Adrian has come in and been outstanding, as have
James Collins and James Tomkins."
West Ham have been without Andy Carroll in their wins over Aston Villa and
Norwich, which shows they can win with or without him. That's encouraging?
DA: "After what happened with the red card and everything that went with it,
I think people probably thought that West Ham would have gone to Villa and
got beaten, but they went there and put in a great performance. Kevin Nolan
can score goals with or without Andy Carroll. It's easier when Andy is
playing, because he can feed off the knockdowns, but he showed he is a
quality finisher at this level with or without Andy."
Sam Allardyce said during our early-season injury crisis that he should only
be judged when he had his full squad available. Has the recent run proved
him right?
DA: "I have been saying in interviews that you could not really judge Sam
until he had his best players back. Any team, like Manchester United this
season, when they have been without Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, they
are not the same side. West Ham had four or five of their best players not
playing for quite a while. Anyone would miss that. It's been proven that now
they are back and results are starting to pick up and I could see why Sam
was complaining about the injury side of it. It was a fact that his best
players were injured."
Can West Ham stay away from the bottom three now?
DA: "I can see maybe two or three teams getting out of the relegation
battle, but I can see there being a good seven or eight teams being in it
right until the end. Obviously, for someone who isn't playing or a fan, it's
brilliant to watch. Obviously for the fans of those teams, it will be
difficult for them, and I think the next month or so will be really
important to see if any of those teams can get away from the pack and ease
their problems."
When he returns from suspension, can Andy Carroll force his way into
England's 2014 FIFA World Cup squad?
DA: "He's different to everyone else and that's what he's got in his favour.
He's unplayable at times. He's 6'5" but he's got a great leap as well and
he's competitive. I'd hate to play against him if I was a centre-half and I
know centre-halves hate playing against him. I'm gutted for him because,
after coming back from a long injury, all you want to do is play and now
he's out for three games but he's not injured. I'm sure he'll be champing at
the bit when he does get back. I'm pretty sure, if he can put a run of games
together, he can get in the England squad.
You may have retired in 2009, but you still get a great reception from West
Ham fans, don't you?
DA: "They have always ben superb with me. It's a real shame I didn't get to
show more of my talents, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Since I
have finished, I always get their support and it's unbelievable. It's the
same with the Norwich fans and I just want to see both teams stay up,
really."
Finally, how is your media career going? You appear to enjoy your role as a
commentator and summariser on TV and radio?
DA: "I mainly work in the media side of things now, commentating. I've tried
a bit of coaching but I'm not quite ready for that. I enjoy the commentating
and want to be as close to the action as I can be, without the same
pressures as playing. You're always looking for that edge and to give an
insight to people watching and listening into something they wouldn't know.
Being a player, I have the insight from inside the lines, which the likes of
Gary Neville are doing. You've got to be as honest as you can be, because
that's the nature of the job."
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U18s thrash Royals
WHUFC.com
West Ham United scored a comfortable 4-0 Barclays U18 Premier League win
over Reading at Little Heath
15.02.2014
West Ham United continued their excellent Barclays U18 Premier League South
form by overrunning Reading 4-0 at Little Heath on Saturday. Hammers
midfielder Moses Makasi popped up in the right place at the right time to
give the Hammers a one-goal lead at half-time, before second-half goals from
captain Kieran Bywater, striker Jaanai Gordon (pictured) and Amos Nasha
secured the points. U18 boss Steve Potts was without defenders Kyle Knoyle
and Lewis Page, along with midfielder Josh Cullen, who all featured in the
Hammers' Development Squad victory over Southampton U21s on Friday night.
Reece Burke covered in Page's absence at left-back, with former Peterborough
United striker Gordon returning from injury to be named on the substitutes'
bench. It was Reading who forced the ball into the back of the net first
early on, but visiting striker Harry Cardwell saw his headed goal ruled out
for a foul on West Ham goalkeeper Sam Howes. West Ham quickly responded to
the errors that almost saw them go behind and were soon ahead. Makasi was
allowed to wander into the Reading penalty area to finish after good team
play from Bywater, Djair Parfitt-Williams and Jordan Brown. After going
behind, Reading upped their performance and had several opportunities to
draw level, but neither Jake Sheppard, Nana Owusu nor Bogdan Vastsuk could
manage to finish past Howes.
The Hammers also had chances to double their lead, most noticeably when
Nathan Mavila had the ball at his feet in the penalty area late in the first
half, but he sliced it wide after rushing to take his shot. Into the second
half and it took the host's just ten minutes to double their advantage, when
Brown broke forward with pace, before sliding the ball into the path of
Bywater to finish for his 16th league goal of the season. Straight after
going 2-0 ahead, Potts decided to give Gordon a run out after a recent
injury and, just six minutes later, the powerful forward got on the end of
Mavila's right-wing cross to head in a third West Ham goal. West Ham
dominated the closing stages and, with just five minutes left on the clock,
Nasha scored a similar goal to Makasi's opener by strolling into the box and
finishing to rubberstamp the victory for West Ham. The victory keeps West
Ham in third place in the table, but they are now level on points with both
leaders Fulham, whose match on Saturday against West Bromwich Albion was
postponed, and second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Leicester City 3-0.
U18s: Howes, Pike (Amoo), Harney, Onariase (Pask), Burke, Makasi, Nasha,
Mavila, Brown, Bywater, Parfitt-Williams (Gordon)
Subs not used: Guzman, Bailey
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Potts delighted with 'deserved' win
WHUFC.com
Steve Potts felt the Development Squad fully deserved their win against
Southampton on Friday night
15.02.2014
Steve Potts hailed Danny Whitehead's wonder goal after the Development Squad
saw off torrid conditions to beat Southampton at Rush Green on Friday night.
The midfielder struck with 52 minutes on the clock, sending a long-range
thunderbolt flying into the top corner of the net, to earn his side their
first win of 2014. Whitehead's strike lit up a contest which was badly
affected by swirling winds and driving rain and his super strike left Potts
raving about his second goal of the season. He told West Ham TV: "It was a
very good goal. The set-up was good, the ball came across to Danny, he got
the ball out of his feet and he struck the ball really well into the corner.
"I was watching him in the warm-up and he was hitting the ball really well,
he's got a good strike on him and luckily enough he connected very well for
the goal. "I think we deserved to win. The ball didn't fall kindly enough
for us in the box, had it have done then I think we might have got another
goal or two but overall I was very happy with them."
The Hammers played with the wind behind them in the first half and were
lucky not to go behind when Jake Sinclair scuffed a shot wide from just
eight yards out. That effort was a rare threat from Saints who couldn't cope
with the Hammers after the break, and Potts was left wondering how his side
hadn't won by a greater margin. "We mixed the game up fairly well second
half. We played it short when we had to and we also looked a threat behind
which was important because we said at half-time that any balls down the
sides were going to hold up more for us in the second half. "We created good
opportunities but it didn't quite fall for us. There were one or two
scrambles where I don't know how it didn't end up in the back of the net but
luckily we kept a clean sheet and one was enough."
Former Hammers defender Potts was standing in for Nick Haycock whilst the
coach is away with the first team and he was left impressed with how some of
his Under-18 contingent had handled the Barclays Under-21 Premier League.
Kyle Knoyle, Lewis Page, Josh Cullen and Vit Nemrava all featured against
the Saints and Potts believed they all showed they could handle the step-up.
"I think they've coped very well. It's not easy for a young player to
step-up, they can get a little bit nervous but I thought they coped with it
very well. "That's what it's all about, can they move to the next level.
Josh Cullen came in tonight and I thought he was excellent. "I'd like to
mention Vit as well, who was in goal for the second half, because that
wasn't easy to come on at half-time. Against the wind you think 'Ah we could
be penned in' and that he might have to save a lot of shots but I think he
coped very well with what he had to deal with and his kicking was
excellent."
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'It's amazing how quickly it changes'
WHUFC.com
The experienced Matt Taylor has enjoyed West Ham United's recent upturn in
fortunes
14.02.2014
Matt Taylor has been around football long enough not to take a three-match
winning streak for granted - but the midfielder is certainly enjoying West
Ham United's recent renaissance. The 32-year-old has played an influential
role in West Ham's run of 13 points from the last six matches, a sequence
that has lifted the Club away from the relegation zone and into mid-table.
However, with just a handful of points separating the bottom ten teams,
Taylor knows West Ham cannot afford to lose focus ahead of their final 12
league fixtures. "It's amazing how quickly football changes and in the space
of six weeks we've managed to turn our fortunes around in our favour," said
the No14. "We're sitting in tenth as I speak, but it's still really tight.
"Tuesday was a really gritty performance, Adrian made some great saves when
he had to and we took our chances when we had to. It was a wonderful home
win."
Taylor has played his part as West Ham secured vital victories at Cardiff
City and Aston Villa and at home to Swansea City and Norwich City, as well
as an impressive draw at Chelsea. All five matches saw the Hammers take a
different approach to gaining an ultimately positive result, culminating in
a hard-fought success against the Canaries on Tuesday. "I think what we did
on Tuesday was stay in the game at vital times. Adrian made some really
vital saves at the right times, we had some good chances ourselves and Mo
forced Ruddy into a wonderful save, then Ginge popped up with a great header
from a short free-kick which we'd worked on. "It's all about trying to win
football games in different ways and we've done that again on Tuesday night.
It probably wasn't the most pretty of performances, but it was a fantastic
win for the Club."
Taylor and his midfield colleagues know they need to keep playing well, with
fit-again Mo Diame, new boy Antonio Nocerino and Jack Collison all pushing
for starts in the engine room. Diame was used as a substitute left winger
against Norwich and responded superbly, setting up James Collins'
84th-minute opener before scoring himself deep into added time. "Mo was
brilliant," said Taylor. "It also highlights the depth we have in the squad
now everybody is fit and we're playing ever so well. We can't really
complain. There are obviously lots of players champing at the bit to come in
because everyone wants to play, but that can only bode well for the Club and
for future results. "We've got 12 games left now until the end of the season
and we've got to pick up some vital points to finish as high up the league
as possible. "We've picked up some momentum but we shouldn't get carried
away. We've had four good results on the trot and that's definitely the
first time we've strung three Premier League wins together, so it's
fantastic for everybody concerned. We've now got another huge game to look
forward to against Southampton."
Before the visit of Southampton on Saturday 22 February, the squad will
recharge their batteries at a warm-weather training camp in Dubai. Having
enjoyed positive effects from similar trips in each of the last two seasons,
Taylor believes the players will come back from the Middle East physically
refreshed and ready to take on the in-form Saints. "It's nice to get the sun
on your back when you're training so it'll be a good session for us out
there. It'll be nice to get the t-shirt and shorts on with the boots, and no
doubt we'll be doing some work on the beach as well. "It's something that
the manager thinks is vitally important. He knows his statistics and if he
knows it works and it will work, he will continue doing it."
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Hammers youngster nets for England
WHUFC.com
Academy player Jahmal Hector-Ingram helped England U16 see off Belgium on
Friday
15.02.2014
West Ham United Academy player Jahmal Hector-Ingram notched his second goal
in as many games for England U16 as they saw off Belgium in the final game
of the UEFA Development Tournament at St George's Park. After bouncing back
from defeat to Spain by beating Denmark, the Young Lions ended their
campaign with a hard fought 3-2 victory over Belgium. Hector-Ingram made it
2-0 shortly before half time, before being withdrawn at the break and
watching on as the visitors halved the deficit through Ismail Azzaoui.
Kaylen Hinds, who opened the scoring for England, then restored the two-goal
buffer, before Belgium's Christophe Janssens ensured a nervy finale. England
held on to ensure they would end the tournament in encouraging fashion.
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Chadwell Chatter
WHUFC.com
Goalkeeper coach Martyn Margetson is proud of his impressive group of
goalkeepers
14.02.2014
Hello everyone,
I must say, the performances of Adrian in recent matches have been a source
of great pride for me. It is all about the team, but goalkeepers do pride
themselves on keeping clean sheets, as do the outfield players. To be fair,
he has been there week-in, week-out, when we've needed him to make important
saves, he has made them. As a goalkeeper, that's what you're judged on.
Obviously, you might not be doing a lot for most of the game, so when you're
called upon, you need to be switched on and ready and able to make saves.
Adrian's decisions tactically have pleased me - how he has defended the goal
and he's taken on board things that we've been speaking about and working
on. He's certainly a star performer at the moment and he's taken his chance
brilliantly.
A lot of the foreign goalkeepers have a different mentaility - they either
catch or their objective is to get the ball as far away from the goal as
they can. He does that very well. He works hard, when he doesn't catch, so
that the ball goes into 'safe' areas, as we call them. That's part and
parcel of his game and he does it super.
I went out to watch Adrian three times in Spain last season and the manager
came with me on the last occasion. A lot of people wouldn't realise that
there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to get a player like Adrian to
the Football Club. We put the groundwork in and we managed to bring him here
for nothing, which is a bonus from the Club's point of view. We knew he was
an outstanding talent and an outstanding young 'keeper and I think he's
proving that now of late. He's mentally really strong, beyond his years, and
he will get better and better. It's important as a goalkeeper and massively
helps you if the fans are behind you. It's a difficult position because the
crowd can give you stick, but he has policed that situation brilliantly. The
fans have responded to him magnificently, which helps him massively. With
the backing of the supporters and his team-mates, everyone can see he has
grown into the position game by game We've still got lots more to come from
Adrian.
I can't speak any higher of Jussi Jaaskelainen and his attitude - that's why
he is still in the game at the age of 39, nearly 40. Obviously he is
disappointed that he isn't playing, but to be fair to him, he's been
absolutely first-class. He has supported Adrian every step of the way and
tried to mentor him, also. My heart goes out to Jussi for not playing, but
his attitude and his application have been fantastic, as has his support of
Adrian. He deserves a lot of credit. Finally, Stephen Henderson has had a
difficult time with a serious injury - a dislocated shoulder - and he has
done well to come back a little bit ahead of schedule, which we're very
pleased about. As a goalkeeper coach, I'm thrilled with the goalkeepers we
have at senior level at this Football Club. We have Adrian and Jussi and, in
my opinion, Hendo is a top-class young goalkeeper too. He has a big future
ahead of him, then we have young Raphael Spiegel who people know about and
his potential is frightening.
From my point of view, I'm very excited!
Marge
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Redknapp: Morrison's a gamble
KUMB.com
Filed: Friday, 14th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
Harry Redknapp has admitted that taking Ravel Morrison to QPR on loan could
backfire. The former West Ham manager is set to sign the 20-year-old on loan
for the remainder of the season next week - meaning that were Rangers to
make the play-offs, Morrrison would be eligible to feature. However Redknapp
told the press this morning that the move represents a huge gamble. "He's
got fantastic ability, there's no doubt about that," he said. "If we get the
best out of him it could make a big difference. "He's got ability but he's
got to do it. People say how good he can be, but he's got to come here and
show just what he can do. I just hope he's not one of those kids you look
back on and say: 'He could have been a great player'. "I'm not saying it's
not a gamble. He is a gamble. If he didn't have a problem somewhere he
wouldn't be coming to QPR, would he? He'd be at Man United. But sometimes in
life you have to take a gamble. If you don't buy a ticket you're never going
to win the lottery. "All the reports are that he's a decent lad and he's
certainly a talented lad. I spoke to Lee Clark and he loved him – he
couldn't speak highly enough of him. Maybe at this stage we need a maverick
– someone who does their own thing at times."
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Chief executive Richard Scudamore confirms plans for a Premier League 'B'
league
By Graeme Bailey - Tweet me: @graemebailey | Last Updated: 14/02/14 10:50am
SSN
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore has confirmed that there
are plans for a 'B' league to come into existence. The new league would
replace the current Under-21 league format, and would be for Under-23
players with four over age players allowed. The league would involve the
same teams that are in the Under-21 league - which is those who are classed
as category one in the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). That would mean
that current Premier League sides Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton,
Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle, Norwich,
Southampton, Stoke, Sunderland, Tottenham, West Brom and West Ham would be
involved along with Football League clubs Bolton, Blackburn, Leicester,
Middlesbrough, Reading and Wolves. Other clubs such as Crystal Palace, who
aim to achieve category one status soon, would also be allowed to compete in
the competition - with the plan to broadcast the games played from the main
club stadiums. Scudamore outlined his hopes for what he believes will be a
much-needed component to youth development in English football. "We
understand the challenge of developing English talent good enough to play in
the Premier League first team is how do you get them to transition from
Under-18s into first-team squads? It is such a huge leap. You have to have
the transition phase, the 'professional development phase' we call it," he
explained to the Daily Telegraph.
"The Under-21 League is technically very good but not where it needs to be
in terms of meaningful competition for these youngsters. "The minute you
call it 'Under-21' people think it is no use. It needs a better name and a
better focus. All clubs recognise that. We need proper kick-off times, using
main stadiums, anything to create an experience that is more competitive and
more like the first team so it doesn't come as such a shock. And those
players in that group should be interchangeable with the first team. "They
should be category one clubs and we are happy for them to be in that league
with 16 of ours, and six of the Championship. If more cat one clubs come
along you structure it accordingly. "It should be in all our interests that
people have more cat one academies because that's the best it can be.''
Scudamore insisted that the new league would have no impact on the Football
League or its structure. "Having been chief executive of the Football
League, I believe in the pyramid. If you set up a club behind the Dog and
Duck, make your way up through those 44,000 others, and climb over enough to
get to us - brilliant, we'd love to have you," he continued. Scudamore
insists that the Premier League is firmly behind the Football Association's
drive to improve the youth development in England. "The night (in 2007) we
lost to Croatia 2-3, poor old Steve McClaren under the umbrella, I flipped.
I said: 'This can't go on, we aren't taking this reputational damage any
more.' It took a while to get this EPPP into place. "It is incongruous that
we have the (successful) league that we have and aren't seen to be doing
better on the international stage. The last eight of the World Cup is where
we naturally should be."
"It is incongruous that we have the (successful) league that we have and
aren't seen to be doing better on the international stage. The last eight of
the World Cup is where we naturally should be. The last four is bloody good.
To get to a final would be absolutely fantastic. It will happen in my
lifetime, that England will get to a final.''
Commission
FA chairman Greg Dyke has set up a Commission to look into the problems
within the English game and how they can build towards a successful England
side, and Scudamore feels that the Premier League will show they are doing
their bit.
"I know the Commission will be taking a very good look at EPPP and will be
pleasantly surprised as to what is in place already,'' said Scudamore.
"All our clubs are searching for that local boy who can make it, the Steven
Gerrard, the Jamie Carragher, born within the environs of that club. That's
the holy grail. Fans will love any player who is good for their club but
there is a special place that fans reserve for the local boy made good. "I
hope the Commission spend some considerable time in their report addressing
the biggest issue we've got which is the propensity of people to want to
play at grass-roots level. But it's fragile. "Grass roots is always fragile.
We mustn't kill the willing amateur. Are we sure that young people have
access to the facilities, to play regular football, in this winter of all
winters, when you hear of teams who haven't played since November? Put in a
decent 3G facility and you could play a whole league over the weekend.''
Scudamore believes Dyke needs to push the Government for better funding of
the game at grass roots level.
"The money we are putting into grass roots is never enough but it wouldn't
be beyond the wit of the FA to find some more of their resources and then
Government funding again,'' said Scudamore.
"The key objective for the FA chairman is to get that sorted. The urban
areas of Britain aren't well served. There are lots of young people living
in high density accommodation without an escape through football which is
why our clubs are trying to do their bit through their community schemes.
"We can only do so much. What we are doing could be scaled (up) with input
from the FA and more input from Government. It is happening. Sport England
have now come along part-funding Kickz programme; they see the power of
using our club brands and expertise to grow this engagement.
"Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha came through a Kickz programme in a
pretty challenging area in this country (London) and there must be loads of
kids like them. I can't believe there aren't some more kids of 13, 14, 15,
16, living in these huge tower blocks, who if they had the facilities and a
safe coaching environment would become footballers.''
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THE BLACK AND WHITE SEATED OLYMPIC STADIUM
By Sean Whetstone 15 Feb 2014 at 09:11
West Ham Till I Die
During recent conversations with fellow West Ham fans it became apparent to
me that many had an expectation that the seats in the transformed Olympic
Stadium would be Claret and Blue. This is not the case as the seats will
remain black and white as they did throughout the London Olympics of 2012 as
pictured below from the 2013 submitted planning documentation.
The official planning documentation makes it clear that the upper tier seats
will remain black and white and that any new seats procured for the lower
tier must be purchased to the same specification of the existing black and
white seat units, and must be arranged to blend into the existing Olympic
'fragment' pattern. There will actually be 60,000 permitted seats within the
transformed Olympic Stadium but 6,000 will be screened off in football mode
to comply with UEFA category 4 stadium standards.The maximum capacity for
concert events will grow to 80,000 people although this will vary depending
on stage size and positions.
What is not clear is what will happen to the other 8,000 seats in the upper
tier. The Olympic Stadium was built with a capacity of 80,000 made up of
25,000 in the lower tier and 55,000 in the upper tier. We know the lower
tier will reduce to 19,000 because of the design of retractable seating but
the upper tier will remain largely unchanged meaning it must reduce to
41,000 seats to make the 60,000 seats limit defined in the planning
permission. In reality this could mean up to 14,000 seats that need to be
removed or screened off in total in the upper tier. In the match segregation
section of the planning documentation it shows how West Ham must allocate
15% of the 54,000 seats to away fans if we remain in the Premier league
meaning we could see up to 8,100 away fans at our home matches. It indicates
that the away fans will have a vertical segregated section which includes
both the upper and lower retractable tiers. I was hoping the away fans would
be stuck up in the gods like Newcastle but this does not appear to be the
case. The 15% zone is clearly marked in the diagram at the bottom of this
article.
Although I know the colour of seats might bother some people, personally it
doesn't bother me as long as there is claret and blue and West Ham branding
elsewhere in the stadium. When I looked at my faded seat in the Sir Trevor
Brooking last Tuesday night it didn't look very claret in colour to me. Many
years ago the seats were wooden at the Boleyn. A fellow SAB member on the
Stadium Match Day experience group suggested the club told them that the
colour of the seats has yet to be determined. This planning documentation
approved last year appears to say otherwise and so appears wishful thinking
on the club's part.
I have shared this information in the spirit of transparency for our
impending Olympic Stadium move but remain firmly up for the move despite the
issues.
The sections below are straight from planning documents published in March
2013.
Seating Appearance
To achieve the transformed seating bowl, repositioning of the seats will be
required, particularly for the upper tier former press areas, as mentioned
above, and also to suit the revised allocations of hospitality and general
admission seating on the west side. It is intended that existing seat stocks
will be reused and repositioned, and some new seats will be procured to the
same specification of the existing black and white seat units, and be
arranged to blend into the existing 'fragment' pattern.
Seating Standards
The seating standards established for the Games mode stadium will be
retained, with 'best practice' 800 mm deep tread depths on the lower and
upper tiers and seats spaces at a minimum 480 mm centres. Seating
allocations for hospitality guests on the lower, mid and upper west stand
tiers will be set at a minimum of 600 mm centres, with some tread depths on
the mid-tier set at 850 mm.The new west stand mid-tier will have super-riser
platforms to the wheelchair accessible and amenity seating areas. Th e new
private suites will have two rows of seats in front of the glass enclosure,
raised to a super-riser condition above the three rows of hospitality seats
in front. For the Games mode scheme, all spectator seats were designed to
achieve a minimum C-60 sightline standard for the athletics event. This
sightline parameter will be maintained for all seats in the stadium
transformation in athletics mode; although there is a change in focal point
for rectangular pitch sports . The moving tier configurations maintain the
sightline to a minimum C-60, with approximately 90% of the 54,000 capacity
allocation exceeding aC-90 standard.It should be emphasised that the
sightline calculation is a diagrammatic abstraction of the view
characteristics, taken perpendicular to the FOP focal point, and that
diagonal views out across the arena generally improve as the head turns.The
accessible seating strategy for the transformed stadium is largely unchanged
from the Games mode, with wheelchair accessible viewing positions to the
back of the lower tier, back of the mid-tier, and front of the west stand
upper tier.Wheelchair user viewing platforms are inserted into the tiers,
and generally laid out as a pair of wheelchair spaces each with an adjacent
companion seat. The companion seats will match the design and quality of the
adjacent seating standard. Amenity seats, located close to vomitories will
also be provided and have a wider seat spacing than the standard seats.
Amenity seats are provided to all sides in the lower tier bowl, at the back
of the mid-tier, and at the front of the upper tier in the weststand. Where
there is lift access in the east stand, amenity seats are provided forward
of the adjacent tier vomitory positions. For further detail on the
provision, types and potential for accessible seating please refer section
9.4 of this document.
Match Segregation
If the stadium is used for football league, premier league or international
matches, then spectators may need to be physically separated into
segregation groups. Th e percentage of seating required for the away
supporters will vary from a minimum of 5% for football league, 15% for
premier league, and 50% for international matches. In order to allow for
away spectators to enter separately and have separate coach drop-off
facilities, a new set of stairs and lift are proposed to the southern edge
of the podium, connecting to the multi-purpose south parking area. This
allows for separate access to, and egress from, the podium in all match
modes. Should the venue be used for Champions League or similar
international events, then the segregation zones can be extended to a 50%
capacity division, by the introduction of a third segregation boundary to
the east side of the bowl. Segregation barriers will be used in the seating
bowl and internal concourses.
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RAVEL MORRISON CAN BE MY NEW DI CANIO SAYS REDKNAPP
By Sean Whetstone 14 Feb 2014 at 13:00
West Ham Till I Die
Harry Redknapp has been speaking at a press conference today about the
impending 93 day loan of West Ham's Ravel Morrison to QPR.
Harry said "We need someone who can unlock the door, I've always had someone
in my teams who can change a game. I had Di Canio and Merson at Portsmouth.
I've had someone special who can turn a game for you. Thought the other day
we dominated but Ravel may be one of those lads who can do that for us. It
is a gamble for us. He has got baggage or something else.If we didn't have a
problem somewhere he wouldn't be here, he would still be playing at
Manchester United. He has that talent. It's the chance you take. Somewhere
in life you have got to take a chance and take a gamble. Sometimes they come
off and sometimes they don't. Maybe we do need a little bit of a maverick on
the pitch. Someone who can do his own thing at time. Adel was the main
reason they got promoted. Talk to Clint he was the difference and the icing
on the cake that got them up. Hopefully Ravel can do the same.As far as I
know he is fit and ready to play. Hopefully he is ok."
The short term loan is not expected to include an automatic option to sign
the player permanently. It appears Ravel's long standing groin injury has
miraculously cleared up.
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Ravel Morrison's unravelling at West Ham United is a tremendous waste
Midfielder who gloriously waltzed through Tottenham Hotspur's defence is cut
loose by club and heading to QPR
Daniel Taylor
The Observer, Saturday 15 February 2014 22.37 GMT
West Ham United's Ravel Morrison is dropping down to the Championship in a
loan deal with QPR. Photograph: Stephen Pond/PA
There is a clip of Ravel Morrison, from an England Under-21s training
session, when a corner comes in from the right and no matter how many times
you watch it, even in slow motion, it is still almost implausible how he
creates that lovely sound of ball against net.
It is as if heading the ball, or going for the volley, is just too
straightforward and too bland for a player with his gifts. He twists his
body, his back leg flicks around and he is mid-air, facing away from goal,
when it connects. It is the kind of finish that would ordinarily be found
only on a computer game but Morrison saunters away as if it was the most
normal thing in the world.
Morrison had already had one round of applause on those blowy pitches in
Staffordshire, after chipping the goalkeeper with the delicacy of a champion
golfer pitching in and before anyone raises the obvious, nobody can say he
is just a training-ground player. His goal at Tottenham earlier this season,
waltzing past a couple of challenges and advancing from the halfway line,
was a demonstration of high skill and balance that suggested we were seeing
the flowering of the potential that once had Sir Alex Ferguson acclaiming
Morrison as the most talented youngster he had seen since the schoolboy Paul
Scholes.
The two he scored in his first full match for England's Under-21s were not
too shabby either and it does not feel too long ago since a group of us
journalists were breaking bread with Roy Hodgson in the Soho Hotel,
reflecting on the senior team qualifying for the World Cup after the
previous night's win against Poland, and the conversation turned to which
players could force their way into his squad. Morrison was one of the first
names the England manager mentioned and there was nothing at the time that
felt incongruous about it.
Hodgson met us for lunch again a few days ago but this time nobody brought
up Morrison. A player who was bewitching Premier League audiences before
Christmas will join QPR this week, dropping down into the Championship in a
three-month loan arrangement that pretty much takes a sledgehammer to any
chance of him being on the plane to Brazil. After that, it is unclear what
happens, other than to say it is amazing how quickly everything has
unravelled for him at West Ham. As it stands, it is difficult to imagine him
playing for the club again.
It is an unusual, complex story and, inevitably, football being the business
it is, there will be some who automatically assume he must have done
something wrong. In football, it has always been easier to get a bad name
than to lose one and Morrison's previous means there is an instinct,
sometimes, to apportion blame his way. It would be a lazy assumption.
Morrison has done some stupid things but it has been a few years now since
he knotted a tie for court. He is still paying the price for those juvenile
misdemeanours and he has had to get used to seeing his name prefaced in
print with words such as "wayward" and "bad boy". Yet everyone at West Ham
can confirm he has knuckled down and shown a level of dedication and
professionalism that was not always there. Morrison does not drink or go to
nightclubs. His diet is right. He has a steady girlfriend and better
influences outside the club than people realise. Of course, he still needs
guidance, but at 21 he is not the same impulsive kid of 17. Now, three
months after Sam Allardyce talked of Morrison reaching the very top of his
profession, he is being cut free. It is no wonder West Ham fans are feeling
confused.
The first thing to say is that it all feels like a tremendous waste, and
there is something deeply unsatisfactory about the chain of events that has
brought him to this point.
Towards the end of last year, Morrison was invited to a meeting with the
football agent Mark Curtis to see if he wanted to become one of his clients.
Curtis does this a fair bit with Allardyce's players. At West Ham, he either
represents or has links with Allardyce, Kevin Nolan, James Tomkins, Jack
Collison, Matt Jarvis, Andy Carroll, Jussi Jaaskelainen and Adrian. Look
through his history and there is a fairly astounding pattern of players
signing up to him from Allardyce teams. He also has a chequered past of his
own, with an official warning from the Football Association after the 2008
investigation into Luton Town's illegal transfer dealings.
Morrison was not keen but, since then, his complaint is that he has felt
under considerable pressure from Allardyce and Nolan to change his mind,
claiming it is brought up on an almost daily basis. His grievance is that he
wanted to go into training to learn and improve, not to have endless
conversations about an agent he did not want to employ.
West Ham have put this to the relevant people and they strenuously deny it.
Curtis says it is "nonsense", and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing.
But Morrison has become disillusioned with his manager and captain.
Allardyce has talked of Morrison complaining about a groin injury when the
medical staff could find no problem. Relationships have broken down. A few
months ago, Morrison appeared to have the keys to the football universe. Now
he cannot wait to get out of the club.
The issue has been discussed as high as it goes at Upton Park. Morrison was
advised by one senior figure to put in a transfer request but decided
against it. Fulham put in a £4m bid and West Ham reported them to the
Premier League for alleged tapping up because of René Meulensteen saying he
knew Morrison wanted to join them. The dispute may have put off Fulham from
making an improved offer – West Ham wanted £10m – but no one should be too
surprised if the complaint ultimately comes to nothing. The relevant people
at Craven Cottage believe they have hard evidence, in line with this
newspaper's information, that Morrison had been informed he should look for
another club. If that is proven, West Ham's complaint will look hollow, to
say the least. It will also leave their co-owners, David Sullivan and David
Gold, with some awkward questions to answer.
The really perplexing thing is that a club with West Ham's ambitions should,
surely, want to build their future around players of this refinement. It is
not going to be straightforward filling 54,000 seats when they move to the
Olympic Stadium in 2016. Morrison, playing as he was before Christmas, would
have helped the process enormously. Instead, if the paperwork goes through,
Morrison will not be at Upton Park when Allardyce's team play Southampton
next weekend. He will be a few miles across London, making his QPR debut at
Charlton Athletic, with a permanent deal possible in the summer.
His story is a reminder of how quickly everything can change in football.
Except Morrison's belief is that little of this is actually about football.
His emergence at West Ham was probably the most exciting since the early
years of Joe Cole and Michael Carrick. He was the club's leading scorer and
outstanding player. It seems strange, to say the least, for West Ham to
shuffle that player out of the back door, especially when they are a club
who normally pride themselves on looking after their own.
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Sunday, February 16
Friday, February 14
Daily WHUFC News - 14th February 2014
Hammers get down to work in Dubai
WHUFc.com
West Ham United's players went through a tough training session in Dubai on
Thursdsy
13.02.2014
West Ham United got down to work on their warm-weather training camp in
Dubai on Thursday. The Hammers have jetted out to the United Arab Emirate
for a four-day visit ahead of their return to Barclays Premier League action
against Southampton on Saturday 22 February. Sam Allardyce's squad are in
Dubai having won their last three fixtures and will look to use the benefits
of their warm weather training to good effect over the final 12 games of the
season. West Ham have travelled to the same location for the past two
seasons, before going on to clinch promotion from the Championship, and a
top-ten finish in the Premier League last season. This week, West Ham's
players will train twice daily at the state-of-the-art Dubai Sports City
without having to worry about disruptions and distractions caused by, among
other things, the weather and travel problems. After training, the players
and staff happily signed autographs and posed for photographs with
supporters, including members of the Dubai Hammers Supporters' Club. As well
as the psychological positives, the Hammers will benefit physiologically by
training under the bright sunshine, which contains vitamin D - a fat-soluble
vitamin produced by the body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the
sun. Vitamin D aids the absorption and metabolism of calcium and
phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of
healthy bones.
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Jarvis salutes Hammers' spirit
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis believes the Club's togetherness has paid dividends in the
Hammers' recent results
13.02.2014
Matt Jarvis saluted the spirit of his West Ham United teammates to come
through a testing period with flying colours. The Hammers found themselves
in the Barclays Premier League's bottom three prior to January's daunting
trip to Stamford Bridge, but have been on the road to recovery ever since.
Tuesday's 2-0 win over Norwich City was the Hammers' third in succession and
sees Sam Allardyce's men within touching distance of the top ten. The
27-year-old winger insists the dramatic upturn is just reward for the
squad's work ethic, not least the collective will to continue racking up the
clean sheets. "Tuesday was a fantastic result and hopefully this run can
continue," Jarvis told whufc.com. "It shows the commitment of everyone in
the squad and that everyone's fighting for each other, which has culminated
in the clean sheets and the wins that we've had recently.
"We've shown such commitment in defending our goal and we've been able to
attack and get the vital goals that have won us the games. "We've been
working so hard to push us right up the league and eleventh at the moment is
not too bad at all! "Tuesday really keeps the spirit high in the camp and
gives us a real confidence boost. We've got a fantastic squad and everyone
who plays is doing their utmost to make sure that they stay in the team."
Jarvis also joined the ever-growing queue to praise in-form goalkeeper
Adrian, whose saves paved the way for the Hammers' late show against the
Canaries.
He continued: "He was superb. He made a number of great saves that kept us
right in it and then obviously we were able to get the goals that won us the
game. "He showed patience at the start when he wasn't in the team and when
he got to play he did well. Ever since he's nailed down his spot he's been
outstanding. As you saw against Norwich, he kept us in the game a number of
times."
Adrian's heroics meant the Hammers were able to head off to warm-weather
training in fine fettle, with the focus firmly on bagging a fourth
successive league win upon their return. "With a break coming up you want
to leave that with a good result and not be itching to play the next game
having lost. Hopefully we'll keep the run going when we get back. "It's nice
to get a change from the rain, which has been so bad here, so hopefully it
will be nice to get a bit of warmth and the sun on your back. It's all about
the change of scenery and just staying positive."
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Could your band play the Boleyn?
WHUFC.com
We're on the lookout for bands to perform at forthcoming West Ham United
home matches
13.02.2014
Are you a Hammers fan and in a band? Then you could have the opportunity to
land your dream gig as the Club continues to improve the matchday experience
for supporters. We're looking for bands to perform before home matches as
part of our matchday entertainment - so send us a video clip of your band
and tell us your story to whufc.com@westhamunited.co.uk to give yourself an
opportunity of landing this rare opportunity.
We have slots to perform at the games against Southampton, Hull City and
Crystal Palace, so get in touch and you could follow in the footsteps of
Moore, Bonds and Di Canio by playing the Boleyn Ground!
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Collins delighted with rare goal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender James Collins scored his first league goal in two
years on Tuesday
13.02.2014
James Collins was delighted to end his long wait for a Barclays Premier
League goal when the Hammers defeated Norwich City on Tuesday night. Collins
notched twice in last season's 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the FA Cup
with Budweiser third round, but had not netted in his previous 54 Premier
League appearances. The Welshman was playing in Claret and Blue of a
different kind when he last scored a top-flight goal, beating Petr Cech in a
4-2 defeat for Aston Villa against Chelsea back in March 2012. The header
also represented Collins' first Premier League goal for West Ham United in
89 games dating back to his opener at Chelsea on 9 April 2006! So, he was
naturally thrilled to help the Hammers notch up a third straight victory as
they edged away from the relegation zone. He told whufc.com: "I was late up
for the free-kick because we played it short and I think I only got on the
end of it because I was late in the box.
"I heard the goalkeeper [John Ruddy] coming and as soon as I heard the shout
from him I thought 'If I get anything on this it's an open net'. Luckily for
me and the boys it went in. "It's two years since I had scored in the
league, which is not good enough for the amount of balls we put in the box,
and corners, so to get one at a vital stage was pleasing for myself and the
Club."
West Ham stuck two hammer blows to pick up the points on Tuesday, with Mo
Diame following up Collins' 84th-minute header with a deflected strike in
added time. To get to that point the home side had to ride their luck with
Gary Hooper, Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey all being denied and the No19
had praise for goalkeeper Adrian's Man of the Match display. He continued:
"Adrian was great. I said to the boys in the dressing room that we have to
thank him really. It was probably lazy defending from our point of view
[that Norwich had the chances], that we then got caught a couple of times
when they broke out. "We have got to thank him a lot because we could have
been two down quite easily. He's a goalkeeper and he's paid to make saves -
that's what he did on Tuesday.
"It's massive to keep four clean sheets in a row. That's what we base our
game on - if we keep a clean sheet we can't lose the game and that's what
the Gaffer drills into us. Everyone who is in the back four knows that's the
case - Norwich did have some chances on Tuesday, but the 'keeper was there
to dig us out and he was magnificent."
The three-point haul took the Hammers up to eleventh place, but the No19
says they cannot rest on their laurels yet.. He explained: "The pressure is
never off until you've got the sacred 40 points. We knew that, on Tuesday,
that we'd gone into it with three good results and it would have been quite
easy to think we'd done the job. "But it was a massive game, we realised
that, and to get the three points made it a big night for us."
Sam Allardyce has now taken his squad to Dubai for a warm-weather training
camp and Collins says it will help maintain their level of performance come
their return ahead of the home clash with Southampton on Saturday 22
February. He added: "You don't get the chance to do it [warm-weather
training] normally as a team, but the Gaffer does this all the time with
his teams, and a couple of weeks ago it didn't look like we'd be doing in
such a good mood, but with the wins and the way we're playing we'll be going
out there a lot happier. "It'll be good to get some nice training under our
belts and come back all refreshed. "It was a tough old game second half at
Villa on Saturday, when they put it right on us and we had to defend for
long periods, so there was a little tiredness in the legs for me on Tuesday,
but the crowd got right behind us again and we got the late goals which is
brilliant for the club. "The break between fixtures is helpful, there did
seem to be a few tired legs out there late on Tuesday. It's been tiring on
the brain too, because with the position we're in you're always thinking
about it. "That takes it's toll, and winning three in a row will lift a
weight off a lot of people's shoulders and allow us to go out there and
enjoy our football again. When you're down there you wake up in the morning
and that's all you're thinking about, so to lift that is a massive boost."
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Mascot dances to Nolan's tune
WHUFC.com
Mascot Brandon Stirman replicated Kevin Nolan's goal celebration during the
pre-match handshakes
12.02.2014
The sight of Kevin Nolan performing his trademark 'Chicken Dance' goal
celebration has been a familiar sight for Hammers fans of late, but on
Tuesday night the West Ham United skipper watched on as someone else
performed their version of his dance. Mascot for the Barclays Premier League
match against Norwich City, seven-year-old Brandon Stirman, strode out of
the tunnel alongside Nolan and took his place beside his heroes ahead of the
customary pre-match handshakes. As Nolan led the Hammers along the line of
the visiting Canaries, Stirman amused both sets of players by opting not to
shake hands and instead broke into the 'Chicken Dance' all the way along the
line. West Ham fans have seen Nolan's celebration four times in recent weeks
with the midfielder netting braces against Swansea City and Aston Villa, but
nobody inside the Boleyn Ground expected to see it performed by one of the
mascots, not least his Dad. Paul Stirman told whufc.com: "It was all his
idea and he didn't tell me he was going to do it! "As Kevin has been scoring
a few goals recently and obviously doing the dance, Brandon told Kevin in
the tunnel instead of shaking the Norwich players hands that he was going to
do the 'Chicken Dance'. "Kevin laughed at Brandon's idea so he decided to do
it! I was cracking up laughing when I saw it and he told me that he spoke to
Kevin before saying he was going to do it!"
While Club captain Nolan didn't find the net against Norwich, it didn't stop
his team from continuing their fine run with a 2-0 victory. Nolan will hope
to add to his six league goals in the coming weeks and one young fan will be
replicating his goal celebration once again when he scores for his own team.
"Kevin Nolan is his favourite player and he loves his 'Chicken Dance' goal
celebration, Brandon even does it when he scores for his team!"
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Keep it clean
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 13th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham require just one more clean sheet in order to match a Club record
last set back in December 1985.
Sam Allardyce's Class of 2014 have kept the highest number of clean sheets
in the Premier League this season, four of which have come in the last four
games - a Premier League record for the Hammers.
But John Lyall's team were well on their way to achieving the Club's
highest-ever top flight finish (3rd place) when they kept an amazing six
clean sheets in seven matches in the run-up to the New Year with a back four
of Ray Stewart, Steve Walford, Tony Gale and Alvin Martin.
That sequence began with a 1-0 win (courtesy of Frank McAvennie) at Coventry
on November 23, followed by a resounding 4-0 thrashing of West Brom at the
Boleyn seven days later where the goals were scored by Tony Cottee, George
Parris, Alan Devonshire and Neil Orr.
Lyall's side kept their third successive clean sheet when they beat QPR 1-0
at Loftus Road for the first time in over a decade the following weekend,
with McAvennie -having recently returned from international duty in
Australia - on target again. A 2-0 win over Birmingham on December 14
(McAvennie and a Ray Stewart penalty) extended the run to four games.
Four days before Christmas, West Ham achieved their fifth consecutive clean
sheet with a goalless draw at Kenilworth Road against Luton Town - a
sequence finally broken when an 85th-minute Steve Perryman strike gave Spurs
a 1-0 Boxing Day win at Upton Park. But the Hammers' defence was as mean as
ever in their next outing, another 1-0 away win - this time at Leicester.
The feat was also achieved in the 1923/24 season when West Ham kept five
consecutive clean sheets between September and October.
This season, West Ham have kept out Chelsea, Swansea City, Aston Villa and
Norwich City in consecutive matches. Next to test that remarkable defensive
record are Southampton, who face West Ham at the Boleyn Ground on February
22.
However the Hammers still have some considerable way to go if they are to
match Chelsea's record of 25 clean sheets in a season, a feat achieved by
the Blues back in 2004/05. The individual record for clean sheets in a
single season is held by Petr Cech, who was responsible for 21 of Chelsea's
25 in 2004/05 and former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwni Van der Sar, who
also kept 21 in the 2008/09 season.
Clean Sheets Table: 2013/14 Season
1. West Ham United (13)
2. Arsenal (12)
3. Tottenham, Chelsea (11)
5. Southampton (10)
6. Everton, Manchester City, Norwich City (9)
9. Manchester United (8)
10. Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Hull City, Liverpool, Newcastle Utd,
Sunderland, Swansea City
Goals Conceded Table: 2013/14 Season
1. Chelsea (21)
2. Arsenal, Everton (26)
4. Manchester City (27)
5. Southampton (29)
6. Hull City, Manchester Utd (31)
8. Liverpool, Tottenham (32)
10. West Ham Utd (33)
Club Record Consecutive Clean Sheets
Six in total (from 1980/81):
August 23: Preston (a) 0-0
August 26: Burnley (a) 2-0 (League Cup 2nd Round, 1st Leg)
August 30: Notts County (h) 4-0
September 2: Burnley (h) 4-0 (League Cup 2nd Round, 2nd Leg)
September 6: Chelsea (a) 1-0
September 13: Shrewsbury (h) 3-0
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Blair ditched
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 13th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United youngster Blair Turgott has been recalled from his loan
spell at Rotherham. The 19-year-old winger joined the Millers on January 17
on a month's loan, but has returned to London having failed to make an
appearance for the League One promotion candidates since making his debut in
a 3-0 win at Shrewsbury just 24 hours after arriving at the New York
Stadium. Turgott, a current England Under 19 international had already
enjoyed a profitable spell with fellow League One side Colchester United
earlier in the season but failed to make an impression at Rotherham. A
statement on the club's website this morning confirmed that the youngster
was being let go early. "Turgott, who appeared just once for the Millers as
a second-half substitute in the victory over Shrewsbury Town will return to
the Hammers with immediate effect," it read. "We would like to thank Blair
for his efforts at New York Stadium and wish him well for the rest of the
season."
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QPR to sign Ravel Morrison on loan from West Ham, say Sky sources
Last Updated: 13/02/14 8:35pm
SSN
Queens Park Rangers are to sign Ravel Morrison on loan from West Ham next
Friday, according to Sky sources. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has become
frustrated with Morrison, who he feels could have played through his recent
groin injury and a move to QPR is now set to happen on Friday, February 21.
QPR have delayed the 93-day loan for the midfielder so that he would be
eligible to play in the Championship play-off final if they get there. The
21-year-old was a key performer for Allardyce earlier in the season, and his
form led to England Under-21 recognition, but injuries and a slump in form
have seen his first-team chances restricted. The former Manchester United
player has only played three games since the start of the year for West Ham
and has not started a game in the Premier League since December. QPR manager
Harry Redknapp revealed his interest in signing Morrison following his
side's loss to Derby on Monday night. Redknapp told Sky Sports News: "If he
does want to come and they want to loan him out, we'd be interested, for
sure. He's a talent, (and) can open doors and make the difference."
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West Ham's Mohamed Diame says confidence is high after winning run
Last Updated: 13/02/14 12:50pm
SSN
West Ham's Mohamed Diame believes the side can keep their confidence high if
they continue playing well. The Hammers are currently on a run of three
consecutive wins, without conceding a goal, and Diame feels the side can
continue their rise up the table with positive performances. The 26-year-old
had a significant influence in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Norwich City,
after coming on just after the hour as substitute, setting up James Collins'
goal and then converting one for himself in the final minute of the game.
Speaking to the club's official website, the Senegalese international said:
"It's great for our confidence. If you want to win games you have to make
sure you are strong in defence and not concede goals. "If you don't concede
you can't lose, so the team is doing well. We need to keep going and stay
focused on what we're doing to make sure this break before our next game
doesn't stop the momentum."
Diame also praised goalkeeper Adrian, who has kept four clean sheets in a
row, saying: "I think he was unbelievable on Tuesday, Adrian is a very good
goalkeeper and good with his feet as well. "He made a lot of saves on
Tuesday, and he's done that since he started to play for West Ham. I hope he
continues like that."
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Winston Reid must fight for a recall at West Ham
Last Updated: 13/02/14 9:57am
SSN
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has warned Winston Reid that he will
have to prove that he is deserving of a recall into a winning team. A key
figure for the Hammers at the start of the season, Reid is back in
contention after undergoing ankle surgery. He has made two appearances off
the bench since returning to fitness, but remained stuck on the sidelines in
midweek as West Ham claimed a crucial 2-0 victory over Norwich City.
Allardyce's men have now taken maximum points from their last three outings
to pull four points clear of the relegation zone. Having found a system that
works, sticking with it is now the intention at Upton Park. That means
commanding centre-half Reid, who is currently away on warm-weather training
with the rest of the Hammers squad, will have to be patient as he attempts
to force his way back into the starting XI. Allardyce said in The Sun: "I've
got so many lovely problems. Winston Reid is chomping at the bit on the
bench but there's nothing you can do when the team is winning. "Take Joe
Cole, an excellent player who did not even make the squad for the Norwich
game. It's great for me, disappointing for them, but you can't really argue
with a team that's winning can you? And my two centre-halves are playing
ever so well."
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RUNNING TRACK TO REMAIN BETWEEN FANS AND PITCH AT THE OS
By Sean Whetstone 13 Feb 2014 at 09:00
West Ham Till I Die
In March 2013 West Ham Joint Chairman David Gold was quoted as saying about
the Olympic Stadium bidding "We will only go there if it is fit for use. I
won't go there if I have to look over a running track"
A new image has emerged showing the majority of the running track at the
transformed Olympic Stadium will remain between the crowd and the football
pitch even with retractable seating fully deployed.The image below was
uncovered by Ali Worth after she reviewed thousands of pages publicly
available planning permission documents.
Although the retractable seating will bring fans closer to the action it
clearly shows much of the running track (shown as white lines) remains
between the fans and the pitch on the east and west sides of the stadium. It
appears many fans on both sides will in fact be looking over a running track
after all although the visible parts of the running track shown as white
lines on the diagram below will be hidden by a green artificial grass carpet
on the 25 days it is in football mode. As we know the running track is 9
metres wide so we know the gap between the front row and the the pitch will
be in excess of 9 metres at the half way line.
Although I have been openly pro Olympic Stadium from day one I thought I
would share this information in the spirit of transparency to all fans
regardless of your views on the impending move to the Olympic Stadium. It
could probably be equally argued that you could squeeze in a running track
between the current East stand and the pitch at the Boleyn ground. Whether
this actual means anything or is just a technicality is up to you to decide.
It does highlight we will not be on top of the pitch which has been claimed
by some over eager marketing people in the run up to the decision to move.
This is what the final plannings documents published March 2013 say about
the running track and the pitch.
The Stadium field of play is proposed to be retained in its athletics
capability with the ability to host the IAAF Category 1 Athletics Events and
the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships..The layout of the running track
will be similar, but has been designed to enable a multi-purpose use of the
Stadium.The field of play has been reduced in length by approximately 2.5m,
(192.5m long) but remains at the same width (138.5m wide). There is no
change to the track size (400m track is 180m long by 9m wide). The grassed
infield area is proposed to be 120m long by 72.3m wide. The size of the
athletics field of play allows the possibility to overlay the track and jump
pits with a
temporary grass and artificial turf surfacing for other sports. The field of
play layout is designed with the flexibility (using overlay where required)
to host a number of different sports including football, rugby, American
football, baseball and cricket, as well as the ability to hold concerts and
other community and cultural events. Only minor and
temporary changes to the field of play would be required for these events.
The seating bowl design has been amended to incorporate a retractable and
re-locatable seating solution to the lower tier which gives better proximity
to the Field of Play for pitch sports. This will be the first retractable
seating tiers in the UK, and it will allow for a fast transformation between
athletics and pitch sports. It will also provide for excellent viewing
during pitch sports. When in pitch sport mode the lower seating tiers will
be moved away from the existing podium and concourse area that will contain
the spectator facilities and bridges will be installed to connect the
seating tiers to the concourse.
A new permanent mid-tier is proposed on the West Stand in order for
spectators to gain a view over the pitch-sport position of the western lower
tier, as the sightlines from the existing midtier are obscured by it.
Additional demountable seating is proposed behind the lower tier on the
eastern side of the Stadium.In reconfiguring the seating arrangement in the
lower tiers and in the new mid tier on the West Stand, existing seats will
be reused and repositioned, and some new seats will be procured to the same
specification.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham starlet Ravel Morrison set for loan move across London to join
Harry Redknapp at QPR
Feb 13, 2014 17:03 By Alan Wilson
The Mirror
Ravel Morrison is set to join QPR on loan from West Ham. The mercurial
England Under-21 star has been plagued by injuries in recent weeks that have
limited his chances with the Premier League side. The talented but troubled
midfielder started the season in great form, but his performances have
suffered in recent months But now Morrison is set to move to drop down
division in a bid to regain his fitness. As Mirror Sport revealed last week,
QPR, Derby and Leicester were all interested on taking the Morrison on a
short-term deal. And the 21-year-old is ready complete an emergency loan
move to QPR in a bid to get some much needed game time under his belt.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Ravel Morrison subject of loan interest from QPR, Derby AND
Leicester
Feb 10, 2014 12:22 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Ravel Morrison is at the centre of a three-way tug of war between Leicester,
QPR and Derby who all want him on loan within the next 24 hours. The England
Under-21 midfielder is desperate to keep his World Cup hopes alive by
gaining some regular first-team action. Rangers boss Harry Redknapp made the
first move to land him but both Championship leaders Leicester and
fourth-placed Derby remain hot on their heels. A decision on the riding
star, who has been battling a groin problem, is set to be made on Tuesday as
Rangers play on Monday night, ironically against Derby. Morrison has not
played since featuring in West Ham's 3-1 defeat at old club Manchester
United. Talks over a new contract broke down early last month and saw Fulham
make a bid for him. The offer fell way below West Ham's valuation, however,
and he has remained at Upton Park. Even then, he has been kept out of the
side by a return to form for former Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan, who
has scored in the club's last two wins. Now Morrison is set to go out on
loan to a 'top Championship club' within the next 48 hours.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com
WHUFc.com
West Ham United's players went through a tough training session in Dubai on
Thursdsy
13.02.2014
West Ham United got down to work on their warm-weather training camp in
Dubai on Thursday. The Hammers have jetted out to the United Arab Emirate
for a four-day visit ahead of their return to Barclays Premier League action
against Southampton on Saturday 22 February. Sam Allardyce's squad are in
Dubai having won their last three fixtures and will look to use the benefits
of their warm weather training to good effect over the final 12 games of the
season. West Ham have travelled to the same location for the past two
seasons, before going on to clinch promotion from the Championship, and a
top-ten finish in the Premier League last season. This week, West Ham's
players will train twice daily at the state-of-the-art Dubai Sports City
without having to worry about disruptions and distractions caused by, among
other things, the weather and travel problems. After training, the players
and staff happily signed autographs and posed for photographs with
supporters, including members of the Dubai Hammers Supporters' Club. As well
as the psychological positives, the Hammers will benefit physiologically by
training under the bright sunshine, which contains vitamin D - a fat-soluble
vitamin produced by the body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the
sun. Vitamin D aids the absorption and metabolism of calcium and
phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of
healthy bones.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Jarvis salutes Hammers' spirit
WHUFC.com
Matt Jarvis believes the Club's togetherness has paid dividends in the
Hammers' recent results
13.02.2014
Matt Jarvis saluted the spirit of his West Ham United teammates to come
through a testing period with flying colours. The Hammers found themselves
in the Barclays Premier League's bottom three prior to January's daunting
trip to Stamford Bridge, but have been on the road to recovery ever since.
Tuesday's 2-0 win over Norwich City was the Hammers' third in succession and
sees Sam Allardyce's men within touching distance of the top ten. The
27-year-old winger insists the dramatic upturn is just reward for the
squad's work ethic, not least the collective will to continue racking up the
clean sheets. "Tuesday was a fantastic result and hopefully this run can
continue," Jarvis told whufc.com. "It shows the commitment of everyone in
the squad and that everyone's fighting for each other, which has culminated
in the clean sheets and the wins that we've had recently.
"We've shown such commitment in defending our goal and we've been able to
attack and get the vital goals that have won us the games. "We've been
working so hard to push us right up the league and eleventh at the moment is
not too bad at all! "Tuesday really keeps the spirit high in the camp and
gives us a real confidence boost. We've got a fantastic squad and everyone
who plays is doing their utmost to make sure that they stay in the team."
Jarvis also joined the ever-growing queue to praise in-form goalkeeper
Adrian, whose saves paved the way for the Hammers' late show against the
Canaries.
He continued: "He was superb. He made a number of great saves that kept us
right in it and then obviously we were able to get the goals that won us the
game. "He showed patience at the start when he wasn't in the team and when
he got to play he did well. Ever since he's nailed down his spot he's been
outstanding. As you saw against Norwich, he kept us in the game a number of
times."
Adrian's heroics meant the Hammers were able to head off to warm-weather
training in fine fettle, with the focus firmly on bagging a fourth
successive league win upon their return. "With a break coming up you want
to leave that with a good result and not be itching to play the next game
having lost. Hopefully we'll keep the run going when we get back. "It's nice
to get a change from the rain, which has been so bad here, so hopefully it
will be nice to get a bit of warmth and the sun on your back. It's all about
the change of scenery and just staying positive."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Could your band play the Boleyn?
WHUFC.com
We're on the lookout for bands to perform at forthcoming West Ham United
home matches
13.02.2014
Are you a Hammers fan and in a band? Then you could have the opportunity to
land your dream gig as the Club continues to improve the matchday experience
for supporters. We're looking for bands to perform before home matches as
part of our matchday entertainment - so send us a video clip of your band
and tell us your story to whufc.com@westhamunited.co.uk to give yourself an
opportunity of landing this rare opportunity.
We have slots to perform at the games against Southampton, Hull City and
Crystal Palace, so get in touch and you could follow in the footsteps of
Moore, Bonds and Di Canio by playing the Boleyn Ground!
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Collins delighted with rare goal
WHUFC.com
West Ham United defender James Collins scored his first league goal in two
years on Tuesday
13.02.2014
James Collins was delighted to end his long wait for a Barclays Premier
League goal when the Hammers defeated Norwich City on Tuesday night. Collins
notched twice in last season's 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the FA Cup
with Budweiser third round, but had not netted in his previous 54 Premier
League appearances. The Welshman was playing in Claret and Blue of a
different kind when he last scored a top-flight goal, beating Petr Cech in a
4-2 defeat for Aston Villa against Chelsea back in March 2012. The header
also represented Collins' first Premier League goal for West Ham United in
89 games dating back to his opener at Chelsea on 9 April 2006! So, he was
naturally thrilled to help the Hammers notch up a third straight victory as
they edged away from the relegation zone. He told whufc.com: "I was late up
for the free-kick because we played it short and I think I only got on the
end of it because I was late in the box.
"I heard the goalkeeper [John Ruddy] coming and as soon as I heard the shout
from him I thought 'If I get anything on this it's an open net'. Luckily for
me and the boys it went in. "It's two years since I had scored in the
league, which is not good enough for the amount of balls we put in the box,
and corners, so to get one at a vital stage was pleasing for myself and the
Club."
West Ham stuck two hammer blows to pick up the points on Tuesday, with Mo
Diame following up Collins' 84th-minute header with a deflected strike in
added time. To get to that point the home side had to ride their luck with
Gary Hooper, Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey all being denied and the No19
had praise for goalkeeper Adrian's Man of the Match display. He continued:
"Adrian was great. I said to the boys in the dressing room that we have to
thank him really. It was probably lazy defending from our point of view
[that Norwich had the chances], that we then got caught a couple of times
when they broke out. "We have got to thank him a lot because we could have
been two down quite easily. He's a goalkeeper and he's paid to make saves -
that's what he did on Tuesday.
"It's massive to keep four clean sheets in a row. That's what we base our
game on - if we keep a clean sheet we can't lose the game and that's what
the Gaffer drills into us. Everyone who is in the back four knows that's the
case - Norwich did have some chances on Tuesday, but the 'keeper was there
to dig us out and he was magnificent."
The three-point haul took the Hammers up to eleventh place, but the No19
says they cannot rest on their laurels yet.. He explained: "The pressure is
never off until you've got the sacred 40 points. We knew that, on Tuesday,
that we'd gone into it with three good results and it would have been quite
easy to think we'd done the job. "But it was a massive game, we realised
that, and to get the three points made it a big night for us."
Sam Allardyce has now taken his squad to Dubai for a warm-weather training
camp and Collins says it will help maintain their level of performance come
their return ahead of the home clash with Southampton on Saturday 22
February. He added: "You don't get the chance to do it [warm-weather
training] normally as a team, but the Gaffer does this all the time with
his teams, and a couple of weeks ago it didn't look like we'd be doing in
such a good mood, but with the wins and the way we're playing we'll be going
out there a lot happier. "It'll be good to get some nice training under our
belts and come back all refreshed. "It was a tough old game second half at
Villa on Saturday, when they put it right on us and we had to defend for
long periods, so there was a little tiredness in the legs for me on Tuesday,
but the crowd got right behind us again and we got the late goals which is
brilliant for the club. "The break between fixtures is helpful, there did
seem to be a few tired legs out there late on Tuesday. It's been tiring on
the brain too, because with the position we're in you're always thinking
about it. "That takes it's toll, and winning three in a row will lift a
weight off a lot of people's shoulders and allow us to go out there and
enjoy our football again. When you're down there you wake up in the morning
and that's all you're thinking about, so to lift that is a massive boost."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mascot dances to Nolan's tune
WHUFC.com
Mascot Brandon Stirman replicated Kevin Nolan's goal celebration during the
pre-match handshakes
12.02.2014
The sight of Kevin Nolan performing his trademark 'Chicken Dance' goal
celebration has been a familiar sight for Hammers fans of late, but on
Tuesday night the West Ham United skipper watched on as someone else
performed their version of his dance. Mascot for the Barclays Premier League
match against Norwich City, seven-year-old Brandon Stirman, strode out of
the tunnel alongside Nolan and took his place beside his heroes ahead of the
customary pre-match handshakes. As Nolan led the Hammers along the line of
the visiting Canaries, Stirman amused both sets of players by opting not to
shake hands and instead broke into the 'Chicken Dance' all the way along the
line. West Ham fans have seen Nolan's celebration four times in recent weeks
with the midfielder netting braces against Swansea City and Aston Villa, but
nobody inside the Boleyn Ground expected to see it performed by one of the
mascots, not least his Dad. Paul Stirman told whufc.com: "It was all his
idea and he didn't tell me he was going to do it! "As Kevin has been scoring
a few goals recently and obviously doing the dance, Brandon told Kevin in
the tunnel instead of shaking the Norwich players hands that he was going to
do the 'Chicken Dance'. "Kevin laughed at Brandon's idea so he decided to do
it! I was cracking up laughing when I saw it and he told me that he spoke to
Kevin before saying he was going to do it!"
While Club captain Nolan didn't find the net against Norwich, it didn't stop
his team from continuing their fine run with a 2-0 victory. Nolan will hope
to add to his six league goals in the coming weeks and one young fan will be
replicating his goal celebration once again when he scores for his own team.
"Kevin Nolan is his favourite player and he loves his 'Chicken Dance' goal
celebration, Brandon even does it when he scores for his team!"
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Keep it clean
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 13th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham require just one more clean sheet in order to match a Club record
last set back in December 1985.
Sam Allardyce's Class of 2014 have kept the highest number of clean sheets
in the Premier League this season, four of which have come in the last four
games - a Premier League record for the Hammers.
But John Lyall's team were well on their way to achieving the Club's
highest-ever top flight finish (3rd place) when they kept an amazing six
clean sheets in seven matches in the run-up to the New Year with a back four
of Ray Stewart, Steve Walford, Tony Gale and Alvin Martin.
That sequence began with a 1-0 win (courtesy of Frank McAvennie) at Coventry
on November 23, followed by a resounding 4-0 thrashing of West Brom at the
Boleyn seven days later where the goals were scored by Tony Cottee, George
Parris, Alan Devonshire and Neil Orr.
Lyall's side kept their third successive clean sheet when they beat QPR 1-0
at Loftus Road for the first time in over a decade the following weekend,
with McAvennie -having recently returned from international duty in
Australia - on target again. A 2-0 win over Birmingham on December 14
(McAvennie and a Ray Stewart penalty) extended the run to four games.
Four days before Christmas, West Ham achieved their fifth consecutive clean
sheet with a goalless draw at Kenilworth Road against Luton Town - a
sequence finally broken when an 85th-minute Steve Perryman strike gave Spurs
a 1-0 Boxing Day win at Upton Park. But the Hammers' defence was as mean as
ever in their next outing, another 1-0 away win - this time at Leicester.
The feat was also achieved in the 1923/24 season when West Ham kept five
consecutive clean sheets between September and October.
This season, West Ham have kept out Chelsea, Swansea City, Aston Villa and
Norwich City in consecutive matches. Next to test that remarkable defensive
record are Southampton, who face West Ham at the Boleyn Ground on February
22.
However the Hammers still have some considerable way to go if they are to
match Chelsea's record of 25 clean sheets in a season, a feat achieved by
the Blues back in 2004/05. The individual record for clean sheets in a
single season is held by Petr Cech, who was responsible for 21 of Chelsea's
25 in 2004/05 and former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwni Van der Sar, who
also kept 21 in the 2008/09 season.
Clean Sheets Table: 2013/14 Season
1. West Ham United (13)
2. Arsenal (12)
3. Tottenham, Chelsea (11)
5. Southampton (10)
6. Everton, Manchester City, Norwich City (9)
9. Manchester United (8)
10. Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Hull City, Liverpool, Newcastle Utd,
Sunderland, Swansea City
Goals Conceded Table: 2013/14 Season
1. Chelsea (21)
2. Arsenal, Everton (26)
4. Manchester City (27)
5. Southampton (29)
6. Hull City, Manchester Utd (31)
8. Liverpool, Tottenham (32)
10. West Ham Utd (33)
Club Record Consecutive Clean Sheets
Six in total (from 1980/81):
August 23: Preston (a) 0-0
August 26: Burnley (a) 2-0 (League Cup 2nd Round, 1st Leg)
August 30: Notts County (h) 4-0
September 2: Burnley (h) 4-0 (League Cup 2nd Round, 2nd Leg)
September 6: Chelsea (a) 1-0
September 13: Shrewsbury (h) 3-0
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Blair ditched
KUMB.com
Filed: Thursday, 13th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United youngster Blair Turgott has been recalled from his loan
spell at Rotherham. The 19-year-old winger joined the Millers on January 17
on a month's loan, but has returned to London having failed to make an
appearance for the League One promotion candidates since making his debut in
a 3-0 win at Shrewsbury just 24 hours after arriving at the New York
Stadium. Turgott, a current England Under 19 international had already
enjoyed a profitable spell with fellow League One side Colchester United
earlier in the season but failed to make an impression at Rotherham. A
statement on the club's website this morning confirmed that the youngster
was being let go early. "Turgott, who appeared just once for the Millers as
a second-half substitute in the victory over Shrewsbury Town will return to
the Hammers with immediate effect," it read. "We would like to thank Blair
for his efforts at New York Stadium and wish him well for the rest of the
season."
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QPR to sign Ravel Morrison on loan from West Ham, say Sky sources
Last Updated: 13/02/14 8:35pm
SSN
Queens Park Rangers are to sign Ravel Morrison on loan from West Ham next
Friday, according to Sky sources. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has become
frustrated with Morrison, who he feels could have played through his recent
groin injury and a move to QPR is now set to happen on Friday, February 21.
QPR have delayed the 93-day loan for the midfielder so that he would be
eligible to play in the Championship play-off final if they get there. The
21-year-old was a key performer for Allardyce earlier in the season, and his
form led to England Under-21 recognition, but injuries and a slump in form
have seen his first-team chances restricted. The former Manchester United
player has only played three games since the start of the year for West Ham
and has not started a game in the Premier League since December. QPR manager
Harry Redknapp revealed his interest in signing Morrison following his
side's loss to Derby on Monday night. Redknapp told Sky Sports News: "If he
does want to come and they want to loan him out, we'd be interested, for
sure. He's a talent, (and) can open doors and make the difference."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Mohamed Diame says confidence is high after winning run
Last Updated: 13/02/14 12:50pm
SSN
West Ham's Mohamed Diame believes the side can keep their confidence high if
they continue playing well. The Hammers are currently on a run of three
consecutive wins, without conceding a goal, and Diame feels the side can
continue their rise up the table with positive performances. The 26-year-old
had a significant influence in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Norwich City,
after coming on just after the hour as substitute, setting up James Collins'
goal and then converting one for himself in the final minute of the game.
Speaking to the club's official website, the Senegalese international said:
"It's great for our confidence. If you want to win games you have to make
sure you are strong in defence and not concede goals. "If you don't concede
you can't lose, so the team is doing well. We need to keep going and stay
focused on what we're doing to make sure this break before our next game
doesn't stop the momentum."
Diame also praised goalkeeper Adrian, who has kept four clean sheets in a
row, saying: "I think he was unbelievable on Tuesday, Adrian is a very good
goalkeeper and good with his feet as well. "He made a lot of saves on
Tuesday, and he's done that since he started to play for West Ham. I hope he
continues like that."
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Winston Reid must fight for a recall at West Ham
Last Updated: 13/02/14 9:57am
SSN
West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce has warned Winston Reid that he will
have to prove that he is deserving of a recall into a winning team. A key
figure for the Hammers at the start of the season, Reid is back in
contention after undergoing ankle surgery. He has made two appearances off
the bench since returning to fitness, but remained stuck on the sidelines in
midweek as West Ham claimed a crucial 2-0 victory over Norwich City.
Allardyce's men have now taken maximum points from their last three outings
to pull four points clear of the relegation zone. Having found a system that
works, sticking with it is now the intention at Upton Park. That means
commanding centre-half Reid, who is currently away on warm-weather training
with the rest of the Hammers squad, will have to be patient as he attempts
to force his way back into the starting XI. Allardyce said in The Sun: "I've
got so many lovely problems. Winston Reid is chomping at the bit on the
bench but there's nothing you can do when the team is winning. "Take Joe
Cole, an excellent player who did not even make the squad for the Norwich
game. It's great for me, disappointing for them, but you can't really argue
with a team that's winning can you? And my two centre-halves are playing
ever so well."
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RUNNING TRACK TO REMAIN BETWEEN FANS AND PITCH AT THE OS
By Sean Whetstone 13 Feb 2014 at 09:00
West Ham Till I Die
In March 2013 West Ham Joint Chairman David Gold was quoted as saying about
the Olympic Stadium bidding "We will only go there if it is fit for use. I
won't go there if I have to look over a running track"
A new image has emerged showing the majority of the running track at the
transformed Olympic Stadium will remain between the crowd and the football
pitch even with retractable seating fully deployed.The image below was
uncovered by Ali Worth after she reviewed thousands of pages publicly
available planning permission documents.
Although the retractable seating will bring fans closer to the action it
clearly shows much of the running track (shown as white lines) remains
between the fans and the pitch on the east and west sides of the stadium. It
appears many fans on both sides will in fact be looking over a running track
after all although the visible parts of the running track shown as white
lines on the diagram below will be hidden by a green artificial grass carpet
on the 25 days it is in football mode. As we know the running track is 9
metres wide so we know the gap between the front row and the the pitch will
be in excess of 9 metres at the half way line.
Although I have been openly pro Olympic Stadium from day one I thought I
would share this information in the spirit of transparency to all fans
regardless of your views on the impending move to the Olympic Stadium. It
could probably be equally argued that you could squeeze in a running track
between the current East stand and the pitch at the Boleyn ground. Whether
this actual means anything or is just a technicality is up to you to decide.
It does highlight we will not be on top of the pitch which has been claimed
by some over eager marketing people in the run up to the decision to move.
This is what the final plannings documents published March 2013 say about
the running track and the pitch.
The Stadium field of play is proposed to be retained in its athletics
capability with the ability to host the IAAF Category 1 Athletics Events and
the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships..The layout of the running track
will be similar, but has been designed to enable a multi-purpose use of the
Stadium.The field of play has been reduced in length by approximately 2.5m,
(192.5m long) but remains at the same width (138.5m wide). There is no
change to the track size (400m track is 180m long by 9m wide). The grassed
infield area is proposed to be 120m long by 72.3m wide. The size of the
athletics field of play allows the possibility to overlay the track and jump
pits with a
temporary grass and artificial turf surfacing for other sports. The field of
play layout is designed with the flexibility (using overlay where required)
to host a number of different sports including football, rugby, American
football, baseball and cricket, as well as the ability to hold concerts and
other community and cultural events. Only minor and
temporary changes to the field of play would be required for these events.
The seating bowl design has been amended to incorporate a retractable and
re-locatable seating solution to the lower tier which gives better proximity
to the Field of Play for pitch sports. This will be the first retractable
seating tiers in the UK, and it will allow for a fast transformation between
athletics and pitch sports. It will also provide for excellent viewing
during pitch sports. When in pitch sport mode the lower seating tiers will
be moved away from the existing podium and concourse area that will contain
the spectator facilities and bridges will be installed to connect the
seating tiers to the concourse.
A new permanent mid-tier is proposed on the West Stand in order for
spectators to gain a view over the pitch-sport position of the western lower
tier, as the sightlines from the existing midtier are obscured by it.
Additional demountable seating is proposed behind the lower tier on the
eastern side of the Stadium.In reconfiguring the seating arrangement in the
lower tiers and in the new mid tier on the West Stand, existing seats will
be reused and repositioned, and some new seats will be procured to the same
specification.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham starlet Ravel Morrison set for loan move across London to join
Harry Redknapp at QPR
Feb 13, 2014 17:03 By Alan Wilson
The Mirror
Ravel Morrison is set to join QPR on loan from West Ham. The mercurial
England Under-21 star has been plagued by injuries in recent weeks that have
limited his chances with the Premier League side. The talented but troubled
midfielder started the season in great form, but his performances have
suffered in recent months But now Morrison is set to move to drop down
division in a bid to regain his fitness. As Mirror Sport revealed last week,
QPR, Derby and Leicester were all interested on taking the Morrison on a
short-term deal. And the 21-year-old is ready complete an emergency loan
move to QPR in a bid to get some much needed game time under his belt.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham's Ravel Morrison subject of loan interest from QPR, Derby AND
Leicester
Feb 10, 2014 12:22 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Ravel Morrison is at the centre of a three-way tug of war between Leicester,
QPR and Derby who all want him on loan within the next 24 hours. The England
Under-21 midfielder is desperate to keep his World Cup hopes alive by
gaining some regular first-team action. Rangers boss Harry Redknapp made the
first move to land him but both Championship leaders Leicester and
fourth-placed Derby remain hot on their heels. A decision on the riding
star, who has been battling a groin problem, is set to be made on Tuesday as
Rangers play on Monday night, ironically against Derby. Morrison has not
played since featuring in West Ham's 3-1 defeat at old club Manchester
United. Talks over a new contract broke down early last month and saw Fulham
make a bid for him. The offer fell way below West Ham's valuation, however,
and he has remained at Upton Park. Even then, he has been kept out of the
side by a return to form for former Newcastle midfielder Kevin Nolan, who
has scored in the club's last two wins. Now Morrison is set to go out on
loan to a 'top Championship club' within the next 48 hours.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Thursday, February 13
Daily WHUFC News - 13th February 2014
Young Hammer nets for England
WHUFC.com
Jahmal Hector-Ingram played his part as England U16 defeated Denmark on
Tuesday
12.02.2014
West Ham United Academy player Jahmal Hector-Ingram was on target as England
U16s defeated Denmark 4-1 in the UEFA Development Tournament on Tuesday.
Hector-Ingram notched the home side's third, when he raced clear to blast
past goalkeeper Viktor Anker just minutes into the second half. England held
a two-goal advantage at the break thanks to strikes from Yan Dhanda and
Zachary Dearnley. Hector-Ingram's goal increased the Young Lions' advantage,
and although Mark Brink Christensen pulled one back for the Danes, Dhanda's
second of the game soon re-established England's three-goal advantage. The
victory saw Kenny Swain's side bounce back from defeat to Spain in the
opening game of the tournament, which is being held at St George's Park.
They conclude their campaign with a game against Belgium on Friday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We've got to continue like this'
WHUFC.com
Adrian has his sights set on yet more shutouts, after recording a fourth
clean sheet on the spin
12.02.2014
Prior to Tuesday evening, Phil Parkes was the last West Ham United
goalkeeper to keep four successive clean sheets in the top flight. Adrian is
in esteemed company. It has been little more than seven months since the
27-year-old signed for the Hammers and yet the Spanish stopper is already
making waves, not to mention saves, in Claret and Blue. The former Betis man
was at his instinctive and reliable best in the Barclays Premier League
against Norwich City, as Gary Hooper, Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey were
each denied by the Hammers' No13. Having not had a solitary save to make
against Swansea City last time out at the Boleyn Ground, this was a
well-earned clean sheet and one that rightly fetched a man-of-the-match
award too. Speaking exclusively to whufc.com after the 2-0 success, Adrian
explained that his faith in those around him, both on the pitch and the
training ground, is largely responsible for his fine performances of late.
He said: "It's only my job! It's my job to stop everything and Tuesday was a
great day, because that's another clean sheet. Four in a row is really,
really difficult in the Premier League and I am really happy. We have to
keep going in this direction. "As a goalkeeper, when you have confidence,
confidence in the manager and in the other players, you are happy on the
pitch. Sometimes I have to help my teammates and other times, not too much,
but on Tuesday I made three or four saves to help the team. "It's really,
really amazing. The clean sheets are important for the team and it's even
more important for me, because I'm the goalkeeper. "I work every day with
Marge [Martyn Margetson, goalkeeping coach], Jussi [Jaaskelainen], with Rafa
[Raphael Spiegel], with Hendo [Stephen Henderson] on the training ground for
that and this is my job."
Adrian is now determined to ensure that the Hammers consolidate upon their
return from warm-weather training in Dubai, with Southampton the visitors to
the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 22 February. The Hammers custodian is
confident that he and his colleagues will return refreshed from their stint
in the sun and primed to attack the season's final 12 fixtures. "We've got
to continue like this," he added. "Now we've got a week off, with no game
this weekend, and then it's Southampton. This is a great win because all the
teams are really tight together and three more points are really important.
"It's really important to get some rest because every so often you need to
relax, switch off and come back stronger. "For me, the heat's not a problem,
because in Seville, it's really, really hot. It's nice, because we have some
training, but it will be more relaxed. "We have another 12 matches to play
and we need to stay in this position and away from the relegation places."
Meanwhile, Adrian's stock continues to rise among the Hammers faithful, with
the 'keeper very much in awe of the fans too. He explained: "I gave my
gloves to a couple of young fans, because I think the fans are the most
important people in football. The West Ham fans, for me, they're the best in
the country, because every time, at home and away, they support us very,
very much."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Mohamed Diame
WHUFC.com
Mohamed Diame returned to action in style on Tuesday with a goal and assist
against Norwich
12.02.2014
Mohamed Diame returned to action with a bang on Tuesday night, coming off
the bench in the second half to lay on James Collins' opener against Norwich
City before sealing the points with a last-gasp goal of his own. The Senegal
international was delighted to be back to fitness after suffering a nasty
gash to the knee in the 0-0 draw at Chelsea at the end of last month, and
even happier to play his part in a winning cause. West Ham moved into the
top half of the table with victory over the Canaries, but as the No21
explained, the Hammers will not be resting on their laurels.
Mo, fantastic to see you back after the injury at Chelsea. You made an
impact against Norwich, setting one up then scoring the other.
MD: "It was great for me. I wanted to return well as I'd seen every game on
TV and that the team were doing well. I was happy to be back in the team and
I was determined to do my best for them."
Everyone is playing pretty well at the moment. It's going to be tough to get
back into the starting line-up but you certainly gave yourself a good chance
with your performance on Tuesday.
MD: "It's good that we've got a bigger squad now, and that players are
coming back from injury. Everybody has to give their best and work hard to
be in the eleven and that is only good for the team."
Let's talk about the goals tonight. The first one - just talk us through
your role for that goal.
MD: "It's one that we work on in training. Mark Noble has the first
intention to play it quick to the wingers, so I was ready for that. He gave
me the ball and I just crossed it for Ginge, who put his head in there. "For
the second one I got a bit lucky [with the deflection], but it's a goal so
I'll take it!"
That's three wins and four clean sheets on the trot. Confidence must be very
high at the moment?
MD: "It's great for our confidence. If you want to win games you have to
make sure you are strong in defence and not concede goals. If you don't
concede you can't lose, so the team is doing well. We need to keep going and
stay focused on what we're doing to make sure this break before our next
game doesn't stop the momentum."
Adrian in goal has been some player since he came into the side. His saves
tonight were very important.
MD: "Yes, I think he was unbelievable on Tuesday, Adrian is a very good
goalkeeper and good with his feet as well. He made a lot of saves on
Tuesday, and he's done that since he started to play for West Ham. I hope he
continues like that.
Just lastly, you're off to Dubai for a few days. There'll be some light
training over there and the chance to freshen up a little bit, which is
probably important at
the moment because it's been an intense month.
MD: "It is good to have the break, but as I said it is important to stay
focused on the next match and ensure the gap between matches doesn't affect
us. We are doing well and we have to jeep going until the end of the
season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carr hails U18s form
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Tony Carr MBE has been delighted by West Ham United U18s'
recent winning form
12.02.2014
Academy Director Tony Carr MBE has hailed the form of West Ham United's
U18s. The Hammers made it seven wins in their last eight Barclays U18
Premier League matches by scoring a dramatic 2-1 success at a stormy Aston
Villa on Saturday. That victory left West Ham third in the table, just three
points behind leaders Fulham and level with second-place Tottenham Hotspur.
Striker Jordan Brown and goalkeeper Sam Howes were the heroes at Bodymoor
Heath, with the former scoring two goals and the latter saving a penalty
with the scores level at 1-1. "On the morning of the game, we were at
Villa's training ground and I have to say the game was spoilt by the wind,
which made it a bit farcical at times," Carr admitted. "It was very
difficult to get the ball down and play and, every time it went in the air,
it could end up anywhere. "At one time, Sam drop-kicked the ball out of his
penalty area but it caught the wind and flew back into his penalty area and
he caught it! I'd never seen that before, and it showed how strong the wind
was. "It was a game of two halves, with them having the wind in the first
half and us having it at our backs in the second half. In some respects, it
did spoil the game, but we did score a goal in each half and won the match.
"Jordan scored one in each half and we went a goal up at half-time before
they equalised. Villa then got a penalty and Sam saved it. That proved to be
the turning point in the game, because we broke forward in the last few
minutes and Jordan beat the last defender, dribbled around the goalkeeper
and finished from an acute angle. "It is a great three points for us because
it keeps our superb run going."
Carr praised the performances of both Howes and Brown. While still a
schoolboy, Howes has played Development Squad football this season and also
been capped by England at U17 level. First-year scholar forward Brown,
meanwhile, has gradually improved since making a summer switch from Arsenal
and now has eight goals to his name. Certainly, we feel Sam is one for the
future. He is very mature for his age and has done very, very well. It's
like everything else, he needs to keep it going, keep maturing and see where
he is between the ages of 18 and 20 and we'll see how far we can take him.
He certainly has the potential to be a top goalkeeper. "It's worth
mentioning that we had lots of schoolboys playing at Villa at the weekend -
probably our youngest team of the season. All in all, it was a good result.
"Jordan is up there with our leading goalscorers now and is leading the line
well as a lone striker. He has taken a bit of time to settle in, but now
he's starting to get on a little run of form and starting to score goals on
a regular basis. Hopefully that can continue and he can get a run-out in the
U21s before the end of the season. Jordan just needs to concentrate on
continuing to play well and scoring goals and I'm sure that will happen."
West Ham return to Barclays U18 Premier League action on Saturday 15
February, when they welcome Reading to Little Heath for an 11am kick-off.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian hoping for more clean sheets
Last Updated: 12/02/14 4:22pm
SSN
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian is hoping to build on a run of four
consecutive clean sheets and help to maintain his side's good form. The
27-year-old, who joined from Real Betis last summer, has recently dislodged
Jussi Jaaskelainen as the Hammers' first choice following a string of fine
displays. Adrian starred in the recent 2-0 wins against Norwich City and
Aston Villa, while he claimed the Man of the Match award after successfully
shutting out Chelsea in last month's 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge. Sam
Allardyce's side have the most clean sheets in the Premier League and Adrian
is optimistic of holding onto that record on the back of their recent form.
"It's only my job! It's my job to stop everything and Tuesday was a great
day, because that's another clean sheet," he told West Ham's official
website. "Four in a row is really, really difficult in the Premier League
and I am really happy. We have to keep going in this direction.
"As a goalkeeper, when you have confidence, confidence in the manager and in
the other players, you are happy on the pitch. "Sometimes I have to help my
team-mates and other times, not too much, but on Tuesday I made three or
four saves to help the team. "It's really, really amazing. The clean sheets
are important for the team and it's even more important for me, because I'm
the goalkeeper. "I work every day with Marge [Martyn Margetson, goalkeeping
coach], Jussi [Jaaskelainen], with Rafa [Raphael Spiegel], with Hendo
[Stephen Henderson] on the training ground for that and this is my job."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham are reaping the benefits of their patience with Sam, and now
Norwich must do the same
Feb 12, 2014 11:440
The Mirror
They may not be every West Ham fan's cup of tea, but credit to the Upton
Park hierarchy of David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady. When the dark
days descended at the turn of the year, they publicly stood by manager Sam
Allardyce in the wake of the FA Cup humiliation at Nottingham Forest and the
tepid surrender at Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. Two cup ties
played, two defeats and eleven goals conceded. It could have been P45 time
for the manager at some clubs. Phone-ins and message boards poured scorn on
Allardyce and the easy decision would have been to submit. But they didn't.
They acknowledged the passion of the fans, they took on board their concerns
but stayed faithful to the manager. And they went public with their support.
Rather than the proverbial " vote of confidence " that often translates into
"kiss of death ", the board were genuine in their support. It has paid off -
and paid off handsomely. In their last four Premier League games, they have
drawn at Chelsea, won at Aston Villa and beaten Swansea and now Norwich at
home. Lose your head and you lose the game, is the old adage. The powers at
West Ham kept their cool and they are now tenth. Yes, tenth. Contrast that
to the bizarre utterances of Norwich Chief Executive David McNally who, in
all probability, is a sensible and educated individual if he holds a
position of such authority at a top flight club.
But for some reason, common sense goes out the window when football is
debated. It was always going to be an achievement to steal the limelight of
Norwich's delightful Delia Smith whose " Let's be 'aving you " tirade on the
Carrow Road pitch at half-time is part of football folklore. Enter Mr
McNally.
Given a public platform, he could have adopted the Gold-Sullivan-Brady
approach and given under-pressure manager Chris Hughton the support of the
club's power-brokers. Instead, he said in a radio interview he would take
"death over relegation". Think about that. Even if it was said in flippant
fashion, it is a ridiculous statement. Let's hope he is alive and well come
May. And that he will publicly thank Hughton - one the most decent guys in
football - the credit that is due to him if he is still breathing the
Norfolk air.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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WHUFC.com
Jahmal Hector-Ingram played his part as England U16 defeated Denmark on
Tuesday
12.02.2014
West Ham United Academy player Jahmal Hector-Ingram was on target as England
U16s defeated Denmark 4-1 in the UEFA Development Tournament on Tuesday.
Hector-Ingram notched the home side's third, when he raced clear to blast
past goalkeeper Viktor Anker just minutes into the second half. England held
a two-goal advantage at the break thanks to strikes from Yan Dhanda and
Zachary Dearnley. Hector-Ingram's goal increased the Young Lions' advantage,
and although Mark Brink Christensen pulled one back for the Danes, Dhanda's
second of the game soon re-established England's three-goal advantage. The
victory saw Kenny Swain's side bounce back from defeat to Spain in the
opening game of the tournament, which is being held at St George's Park.
They conclude their campaign with a game against Belgium on Friday.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We've got to continue like this'
WHUFC.com
Adrian has his sights set on yet more shutouts, after recording a fourth
clean sheet on the spin
12.02.2014
Prior to Tuesday evening, Phil Parkes was the last West Ham United
goalkeeper to keep four successive clean sheets in the top flight. Adrian is
in esteemed company. It has been little more than seven months since the
27-year-old signed for the Hammers and yet the Spanish stopper is already
making waves, not to mention saves, in Claret and Blue. The former Betis man
was at his instinctive and reliable best in the Barclays Premier League
against Norwich City, as Gary Hooper, Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey were
each denied by the Hammers' No13. Having not had a solitary save to make
against Swansea City last time out at the Boleyn Ground, this was a
well-earned clean sheet and one that rightly fetched a man-of-the-match
award too. Speaking exclusively to whufc.com after the 2-0 success, Adrian
explained that his faith in those around him, both on the pitch and the
training ground, is largely responsible for his fine performances of late.
He said: "It's only my job! It's my job to stop everything and Tuesday was a
great day, because that's another clean sheet. Four in a row is really,
really difficult in the Premier League and I am really happy. We have to
keep going in this direction. "As a goalkeeper, when you have confidence,
confidence in the manager and in the other players, you are happy on the
pitch. Sometimes I have to help my teammates and other times, not too much,
but on Tuesday I made three or four saves to help the team. "It's really,
really amazing. The clean sheets are important for the team and it's even
more important for me, because I'm the goalkeeper. "I work every day with
Marge [Martyn Margetson, goalkeeping coach], Jussi [Jaaskelainen], with Rafa
[Raphael Spiegel], with Hendo [Stephen Henderson] on the training ground for
that and this is my job."
Adrian is now determined to ensure that the Hammers consolidate upon their
return from warm-weather training in Dubai, with Southampton the visitors to
the Boleyn Ground on Saturday 22 February. The Hammers custodian is
confident that he and his colleagues will return refreshed from their stint
in the sun and primed to attack the season's final 12 fixtures. "We've got
to continue like this," he added. "Now we've got a week off, with no game
this weekend, and then it's Southampton. This is a great win because all the
teams are really tight together and three more points are really important.
"It's really important to get some rest because every so often you need to
relax, switch off and come back stronger. "For me, the heat's not a problem,
because in Seville, it's really, really hot. It's nice, because we have some
training, but it will be more relaxed. "We have another 12 matches to play
and we need to stay in this position and away from the relegation places."
Meanwhile, Adrian's stock continues to rise among the Hammers faithful, with
the 'keeper very much in awe of the fans too. He explained: "I gave my
gloves to a couple of young fans, because I think the fans are the most
important people in football. The West Ham fans, for me, they're the best in
the country, because every time, at home and away, they support us very,
very much."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Big Interview - Mohamed Diame
WHUFC.com
Mohamed Diame returned to action in style on Tuesday with a goal and assist
against Norwich
12.02.2014
Mohamed Diame returned to action with a bang on Tuesday night, coming off
the bench in the second half to lay on James Collins' opener against Norwich
City before sealing the points with a last-gasp goal of his own. The Senegal
international was delighted to be back to fitness after suffering a nasty
gash to the knee in the 0-0 draw at Chelsea at the end of last month, and
even happier to play his part in a winning cause. West Ham moved into the
top half of the table with victory over the Canaries, but as the No21
explained, the Hammers will not be resting on their laurels.
Mo, fantastic to see you back after the injury at Chelsea. You made an
impact against Norwich, setting one up then scoring the other.
MD: "It was great for me. I wanted to return well as I'd seen every game on
TV and that the team were doing well. I was happy to be back in the team and
I was determined to do my best for them."
Everyone is playing pretty well at the moment. It's going to be tough to get
back into the starting line-up but you certainly gave yourself a good chance
with your performance on Tuesday.
MD: "It's good that we've got a bigger squad now, and that players are
coming back from injury. Everybody has to give their best and work hard to
be in the eleven and that is only good for the team."
Let's talk about the goals tonight. The first one - just talk us through
your role for that goal.
MD: "It's one that we work on in training. Mark Noble has the first
intention to play it quick to the wingers, so I was ready for that. He gave
me the ball and I just crossed it for Ginge, who put his head in there. "For
the second one I got a bit lucky [with the deflection], but it's a goal so
I'll take it!"
That's three wins and four clean sheets on the trot. Confidence must be very
high at the moment?
MD: "It's great for our confidence. If you want to win games you have to
make sure you are strong in defence and not concede goals. If you don't
concede you can't lose, so the team is doing well. We need to keep going and
stay focused on what we're doing to make sure this break before our next
game doesn't stop the momentum."
Adrian in goal has been some player since he came into the side. His saves
tonight were very important.
MD: "Yes, I think he was unbelievable on Tuesday, Adrian is a very good
goalkeeper and good with his feet as well. He made a lot of saves on
Tuesday, and he's done that since he started to play for West Ham. I hope he
continues like that.
Just lastly, you're off to Dubai for a few days. There'll be some light
training over there and the chance to freshen up a little bit, which is
probably important at
the moment because it's been an intense month.
MD: "It is good to have the break, but as I said it is important to stay
focused on the next match and ensure the gap between matches doesn't affect
us. We are doing well and we have to jeep going until the end of the
season."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Carr hails U18s form
WHUFC.com
Academy Director Tony Carr MBE has been delighted by West Ham United U18s'
recent winning form
12.02.2014
Academy Director Tony Carr MBE has hailed the form of West Ham United's
U18s. The Hammers made it seven wins in their last eight Barclays U18
Premier League matches by scoring a dramatic 2-1 success at a stormy Aston
Villa on Saturday. That victory left West Ham third in the table, just three
points behind leaders Fulham and level with second-place Tottenham Hotspur.
Striker Jordan Brown and goalkeeper Sam Howes were the heroes at Bodymoor
Heath, with the former scoring two goals and the latter saving a penalty
with the scores level at 1-1. "On the morning of the game, we were at
Villa's training ground and I have to say the game was spoilt by the wind,
which made it a bit farcical at times," Carr admitted. "It was very
difficult to get the ball down and play and, every time it went in the air,
it could end up anywhere. "At one time, Sam drop-kicked the ball out of his
penalty area but it caught the wind and flew back into his penalty area and
he caught it! I'd never seen that before, and it showed how strong the wind
was. "It was a game of two halves, with them having the wind in the first
half and us having it at our backs in the second half. In some respects, it
did spoil the game, but we did score a goal in each half and won the match.
"Jordan scored one in each half and we went a goal up at half-time before
they equalised. Villa then got a penalty and Sam saved it. That proved to be
the turning point in the game, because we broke forward in the last few
minutes and Jordan beat the last defender, dribbled around the goalkeeper
and finished from an acute angle. "It is a great three points for us because
it keeps our superb run going."
Carr praised the performances of both Howes and Brown. While still a
schoolboy, Howes has played Development Squad football this season and also
been capped by England at U17 level. First-year scholar forward Brown,
meanwhile, has gradually improved since making a summer switch from Arsenal
and now has eight goals to his name. Certainly, we feel Sam is one for the
future. He is very mature for his age and has done very, very well. It's
like everything else, he needs to keep it going, keep maturing and see where
he is between the ages of 18 and 20 and we'll see how far we can take him.
He certainly has the potential to be a top goalkeeper. "It's worth
mentioning that we had lots of schoolboys playing at Villa at the weekend -
probably our youngest team of the season. All in all, it was a good result.
"Jordan is up there with our leading goalscorers now and is leading the line
well as a lone striker. He has taken a bit of time to settle in, but now
he's starting to get on a little run of form and starting to score goals on
a regular basis. Hopefully that can continue and he can get a run-out in the
U21s before the end of the season. Jordan just needs to concentrate on
continuing to play well and scoring goals and I'm sure that will happen."
West Ham return to Barclays U18 Premier League action on Saturday 15
February, when they welcome Reading to Little Heath for an 11am kick-off.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham goalkeeper Adrian hoping for more clean sheets
Last Updated: 12/02/14 4:22pm
SSN
West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian is hoping to build on a run of four
consecutive clean sheets and help to maintain his side's good form. The
27-year-old, who joined from Real Betis last summer, has recently dislodged
Jussi Jaaskelainen as the Hammers' first choice following a string of fine
displays. Adrian starred in the recent 2-0 wins against Norwich City and
Aston Villa, while he claimed the Man of the Match award after successfully
shutting out Chelsea in last month's 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge. Sam
Allardyce's side have the most clean sheets in the Premier League and Adrian
is optimistic of holding onto that record on the back of their recent form.
"It's only my job! It's my job to stop everything and Tuesday was a great
day, because that's another clean sheet," he told West Ham's official
website. "Four in a row is really, really difficult in the Premier League
and I am really happy. We have to keep going in this direction.
"As a goalkeeper, when you have confidence, confidence in the manager and in
the other players, you are happy on the pitch. "Sometimes I have to help my
team-mates and other times, not too much, but on Tuesday I made three or
four saves to help the team. "It's really, really amazing. The clean sheets
are important for the team and it's even more important for me, because I'm
the goalkeeper. "I work every day with Marge [Martyn Margetson, goalkeeping
coach], Jussi [Jaaskelainen], with Rafa [Raphael Spiegel], with Hendo
[Stephen Henderson] on the training ground for that and this is my job."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham are reaping the benefits of their patience with Sam, and now
Norwich must do the same
Feb 12, 2014 11:440
The Mirror
They may not be every West Ham fan's cup of tea, but credit to the Upton
Park hierarchy of David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady. When the dark
days descended at the turn of the year, they publicly stood by manager Sam
Allardyce in the wake of the FA Cup humiliation at Nottingham Forest and the
tepid surrender at Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. Two cup ties
played, two defeats and eleven goals conceded. It could have been P45 time
for the manager at some clubs. Phone-ins and message boards poured scorn on
Allardyce and the easy decision would have been to submit. But they didn't.
They acknowledged the passion of the fans, they took on board their concerns
but stayed faithful to the manager. And they went public with their support.
Rather than the proverbial " vote of confidence " that often translates into
"kiss of death ", the board were genuine in their support. It has paid off -
and paid off handsomely. In their last four Premier League games, they have
drawn at Chelsea, won at Aston Villa and beaten Swansea and now Norwich at
home. Lose your head and you lose the game, is the old adage. The powers at
West Ham kept their cool and they are now tenth. Yes, tenth. Contrast that
to the bizarre utterances of Norwich Chief Executive David McNally who, in
all probability, is a sensible and educated individual if he holds a
position of such authority at a top flight club.
But for some reason, common sense goes out the window when football is
debated. It was always going to be an achievement to steal the limelight of
Norwich's delightful Delia Smith whose " Let's be 'aving you " tirade on the
Carrow Road pitch at half-time is part of football folklore. Enter Mr
McNally.
Given a public platform, he could have adopted the Gold-Sullivan-Brady
approach and given under-pressure manager Chris Hughton the support of the
club's power-brokers. Instead, he said in a radio interview he would take
"death over relegation". Think about that. Even if it was said in flippant
fashion, it is a ridiculous statement. Let's hope he is alive and well come
May. And that he will publicly thank Hughton - one the most decent guys in
football - the credit that is due to him if he is still breathing the
Norfolk air.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
http://vyperz.blogspot.com
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Wednesday, February 12
Daily WHUFC News - 12th February 2014
Late blast fires Hammers to victory
WHUFC.com
West Ham United scored twice in the final six minutes to defeat Norwich City
on Tuesday night
11.02.2014
West Ham United 2-0 Norwich City
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United moved up to tenth in the Barclays Premier League as two late
goals fired them to a third straight win on Tuesday night. James Collins and
Mohamed Diame struck to see off a determined Norwich City side and secure
another vital three points. The clean sheet was West Ham's fourth in a row -
the first time they have achieved such a feat in the Premier League era -
and this one owed much to goalkeeper Adrian. The Spaniard denied Gary Hooper
three times en route to victory, as the Hammers punished the visitors for
their profligacy. Sam Allardyce named an unchanged side from the eleven who
defeated Aston Villa on Saturday, but it was the visitors who were quickest
out of the blocks on a chilly Boleyn Ground night. Hooper had a ninth minute
chance to strike when Nathan Redmond tricked his way past Guy Demel and
stood up a cross for the former Celtic striker, who headed downwards and
towards the corner, forcing a sprawling stop from Adrian. Hooper spurned an
even better opportunity nine minutes later, shooting at Adrian after Robert
Snodgrass' fine pass fed him through on goal. Norwich were forcing all of
the early chances and they broke quickly from a Hammers corner on 23
minutes, with only a superb saving tackle from James Tomkins denying Bradley
Johnson after Robert Snodgrass played the ball square. Three minutes later
Mark Noble looked to bend a shot goalwards, but could not direct it far away
enough from John Ruddy in the Norwich goal. West Ham grew in strength as the
half wore on and began to force the Canaries onto the back foot, but it was
Norwich who had the final chance before the break, as Alex Tettey committed
Collins to a block when opting to pass out wide rather than shoot, allowing
him a free run into the box to collect the return ball from Hooper and shoot
first time. Adrian reacted well to push the ball behind for a corner.
Just as at Villa, the Hammers introduced Marco Borriello for Carlton Cole at
the break as they looked to up the ante. They were reliant on another fine
save from Adrian midway through the half though, as Johnson's lovely pass
took Hooper beyond George McCartney, but once again the No13 stood firm to
prevent Hooper from opening the scoring. Redmond then tried his luck from
outside the area with 73 minutes on the clock, but dragged his right-footed
effort wide of the mark. For all Norwich's chances, the Hammers had a great
opportunity to open the scoring themselves 13 minutes from the end when
Kevin Nolan prodded through to Diame, and the No21 looked for the opposite
corner, only for Ruddy to pull off a fine save. The breakthrough finally
arrived with only six minutes left to play, and it went the Hammers' way
after they won a free kick down the left hand side. Mark Noble played the
ball short to Diame on the touchline, and he took a touch before delivering
a wickedly inswinging cross which Collins beat Ruddy to, glancing the ball
into the unguarded net. As Norwich left gaps as they looked for a route back
into the contest, Diame sealed it at the death when he picked up possession
inside his own half, drove clear of the Norwich defence, and netted with the
help of a deflection off Russell Martin.
West Ham United: Adrian; Demel, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney; Nolan, Noble,
Taylor (Nocerino 77); Jarvis (Diame 61), C.Cole (Borriello 46), Downing
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Reid, Armero, Collison
Goals: Collins 84, Diame 90+4
Booked: Nocerino
Norwich City: Ruddy; Martin, Yobo, Bassong, Olsson; Tettey (van Wolfswinkel
86), Johnson; Redmond (Pilkington 81), Fer, Snodgrass; Hooper (Elmander 76)
Subs: Bunn, Whittaker, van Wolfswinkel, Hoolahan, Garrido
Booked: Olsson, Johnson, Pilkington
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 31,153
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We seem to be turning the corner'
WHUFC.com
James Collins believes West Ham United are on the right track ahead of
Norwich City's visit
11.02.2014
James Collins believes West Ham United are 'turning the corner' as they
prepare to tackle Norwich City on Tuesday evening. The Hammers sat 19th
following their New Year's Day defeat at Fulham, but a run of three wins and
a draw in five matches have lifted Sam Allardyce's side out of the bottom
three. A heroic goalless draw at Chelsea was followed by successive 2-0 wins
over Swansea City and at Aston Villa. Those results mean West Ham kick-off
their clash with the Canaries 15th and with a near full squad available,
save for the absence of Andy Carroll through suspension and Ricardo Vaz Te,
Joey O'Brien and Ravel Morrison through injury. "We were always confident
things would improve," said Collins. "You try not to make excuses about
things like injuries and decisions, but they were going against us. "We seem
to be turning the corner. We've got three massive results on the bounce,
which has turned our season."
Collins was at his best again in Saturday's victory at former club Aston
Villa, making a team-high 22 clearances and two interceptions as West Ham
recorded their 12th clean sheet of the season. While Carroll missed that
match and will serve the second match of his three-game ban against Norwich,
Collins said the likes of Carlton Cole, Marco Borriello and Kevin Nolan have
made up for his absence in the attacking third. Captain Nolan, in
particular, has been in fantastic form, scoring four goals in the recent
wins over Swansea and Villa. "We were confident we could win at Villa Park,"
Collins confirmed. "We got a good draw at Chelsea and beat Swansea. Losing
Andy was a bit of a blow, but Carlton did well and Marco came on at
half-time and also did well, so we're delighted.
"We knew if we could get Kev scoring, he will be massive for us. He got two
against Swansea and two again on Saturday, so if he can carry on scoring
until the end of the season, I'm sure we'll be fine."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonds 'looking forward' to OS move
WHUFC.com
Billy Bonds MBE says West Ham United's Olympic Stadium move is a big moment'
in Hammers history
11.02.2014
West Ham United legend Billy Bonds MBE has hailed the move to the Olympic
Stadium as a 'massive landmark' in the Club's history. Bonds, who made a
record 793 appearances for West Ham between 1967 and 1988, said the
announcement of the sale of the Boleyn Ground took the Club a step closer to
their new home in Stratford. Speaking to www.claretandhugh.info, the
two-times FA Cup winning captain pointed to the success other big Barclays
Premier League clubs had enjoyed since moving to their own new stadia. "This
is a big moment in the Club's history," said the four-times Hammer of the
Year, who was the inaugural recipient of the Club's Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2013. "We are moving into a great new stadium and, although I know
some older fans are upset and hurting, I think this is a time to look
forward and get on with it. "The younger ones will be relishing it and so
they should - it's a massive landmark in the Club's history."
Bonds played nearly 400 competitive matches at the Boleyn Ground before
taking charge of more than 100 more as West Ham manager between 1990 and
1994. During his 25 year-plus association with the famous stadium, the
67-year-old celebrated four promotions, endured three relegations, scored a
memorable hat-trick against Chelsea, thundered into hundreds of tackles and
rampaged up and down the pitch on thousands of occasions. While he will
always cherish his memories of West Ham's home of 110 years, Bonds says the
Club has to take the opportunities offered by a move to the 54,000-capacity
Olympic Stadium. "I had the greatest days of my life at the Boleyn - all my
great memories are there - I had wonderful days there but we all have to
move on," he insisted. "Many of the grounds I played on - Manchester City
and Arsenal for example - are not there anymore. It's called progress. We
have to move on now and trust the people in charge with our future."
While he is looking forward to a bright future for the Club he loves, Bonds
was also reassured by the decision to sell the Boleyn Ground to
award-winning local London developer Galliard Group. The Club was impressed
with Galliard Group's links to the local community and their commitment to
honouring the history of the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground as part of their
proposed development. Among the proposals are one for a beautiful central
landscaped garden, which would be named the Bobby Moore Memorial Garden,
providing a fitting tribute to Bonds' long-time team-mate and friend. "We
should always honour the past - we must never forget it - and I understand
there will be a centrepiece called the Bobby Moore Garden, plus a statue.
"That's nice, but for me personally I don't need a statue to remember Bob. I
was fortunate to know him as a friend and player at a very young age and
those memories will be in my mind forever.
"All those memories are upstairs in my head and that is good enough for me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympic Stadium time-lapse
WHUFC.com
whufc.com brings supporters the very latest footage of the Olympic Stadium's
redevelopment
11.02.2014
As the Hammers' future home continues to take shape, West Ham United are
delighted to unveil previously unseen time-lapse footage of the Olympic
Stadium's conversion. With the very latest pictures from the ArcelorMittal
Orbit and inside the Stadium bowl, supporters can watch as lead contractor
Balfour Beatty make preparations for the arena's magnificent new roof.*
With the existing roof to be dismantled over a period of four months, the
process, which began in November, firstly saw the lighting panels come down.
Temporary cables were strung across the field of play, thereby linking
opposite towers to one another. Those cables form a spider's web-like
structure to maintain the stability of the towers once the circumferential
cables are disconnected. Following the installation of this cable net, the
floodlights were removed in pairs. Each pair of lighting towers was lifted
and lowered to the ground using crawler cranes with 600 tonnes lifting
capacity. The lamps were then removed and the towers dismantled. Balfour
Beatty is carrying out the work using specialist company Pfeifer. A team of
around 20 abseilers erected all the temporary cables and removed the
floodlights. With the lighting towers down, attention has since turned to
the ceremonies' tripods, which are fixed on to the compression ring - the
outer circle of steel that runs around the top. They supported cables which
connect across the venue to allow scenery and staging for the opening
ceremony to 'fly' across the 'skyzone'. Balfour Beatty are now to embark on
taking down the fabric of the roof and gradually lower the existing
cable-net structure, which will mark the completion of the roof's
dismantling. Thereafter, construction of the new roof, twice the size of the
original, can begin in earnest in spring of this year. Measuring 84 metres
at its deepest point, the world's longest cantilevered roof will cover every
single seat. This will be the first of many time-lapse videos featured here
on whufc.com over the coming months, enabling West Ham United supporters to
keep right up to date with the Stadium's exciting transition.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam happy with three in a row
WHUFC.com
The manager was delighted to see his West Ham United side make it a
hat-trick of important victories
12.02.2014
Sam Allardyce was all smiles as West Ham United chalked up a third straight
Barclays Premier League win by beating Norwich City on Tuesday. The Hammers
rode their luck and were saved by goalkeeper Adrian on at least three
occasions before two late goals from James Collins and Mohamed Diame secured
victory over the Canaries at the Boleyn Ground - lifting Big Sam's side into
the top half of the table. Speaking to West Ham TV, Big Sam hailed his team
for achieving a hat-trick of top-flight wins for the first time since spring
2007 and their fourth top division clean sheet in succession for the first
time since 1985! "It's a massive turnaround for us all," he said. "This was
a really hard-fought game between two teams going at it head-to-head, both
wanting to win to try and ease that pressure on them being close to the
bottom. "In the end, as you always need to do, if you can take a chance then
you can win it, and Ginge did that for us. Apart from his really good
performance at the back again, with James Tomkins, he has got the winner for
us in terms of starting the process of a win. I think Ginge would stick his
head in a fire if he thought he could get us a few points or a clean sheet!
That's the attitude you need to have in this league - tough and brave and
with ability and desire. You need all of those aspects to deliver at this
level. "You may think Mo Diame's [94th-minute] goal was irrelevant but it
wasn't, because as everybody says it only takes a second to score a goal.
When Mo went from one end of the field to the other with the ability that
he's got and got a deserved deflection, anything could have happened if we
didn't score. Norwich had got six players up and if John Ruddy had knocked
the ball down the middle, anything could have happened. "It was a really
hard-earned victory for us and another magnificent clean sheet. To get that
clean sheet, our goalkeeper Adrian made three outstanding saves, which he
hadn't had to do recently because he hasn't been stretched in terms of
making those type of saves. He made them at critical times for us and that
gave us the opportunity to get the win. "When you win as late as we did, it
sends everybody home happy and relieved and very grateful that we've got
another three points. "Tenth in the league now, but it doesn't mean an awful
lot because there aren't many points between tenth and third from bottom, so
hopefully we'll continue onwards and upwards with Southampton in ten or
eleven days time."
West Ham have found different ways to win in recent weeks, stifling
possession-hungry Swansea City, dominating Aston Villa and now sneaking past
Norwich in a game that could have gone either way. "It's very important to
have a strong squad. We had Mo Diame back and he has contributed by making
and scoring a goal and he could even have got one earlier but for an
unbelievable save from Ruddy. "Having the options to come on, like the two
Italians [Antonio Nocerino and Marco Borriello] and Pablo Armero, who we
haven't seen yet, is brilliant. It's difficult for me to change the team
because we keep winning, so they have to be more patient. "I'm pleased for
everybody and the squad of players we have, seeing smiles on their faces
instead of the heads between their knees as we saw over Christmas. It's
great to see their heads up and smiling and really enjoying their football
again. "At the moment we're the team in form, picking up points left, right
and centre. It's really pleasing because the games are starting to run out
now. Our form at this stage is very important, and even more important are
the results we're getting as well."
Big Sam and his squad will now pack their bags for a four-day warm-weather
training camp at the Dubai Sports City in the United Arab Emirates. The
manager has taken his players away in each of the last two years at around
this time of year - both times resulting in improved physical and mental
fitness levels on their return to action. "It's already benefited us now,
because once the lads knew the trip was booked four or five weeks ago, it
has been part of our turnaround. It was something for them to look forward
to, to strive for and to know that they are going to do what I've done every
year for the last 14 years.
"The critical need for it for every player we have is there for them to get
a bit of sun on their back, do a little bit of light training and ease the
pressure on the mind, soul and body. They will come back refreshed. "We've
already had a massive response because they've been looking forward to it so
much, and now they can look forward to it even more because of what they've
just achieved. When we get back, we'll be ready to go again. "It's about the
data, rather than results. You judge it on whether they are re-energised and
doing more than before they went, and all my data has proven over the last
14 years that the answer to that is 'Yes'."
Finally, the manager was delighted to welcome former undisputed world
heavyweight boxing champion and lifelong Hammers fan Lennox Lewis to the
dressing room prior to kick-off against Norwich. "I could hardly get my arm
round him when I was having a photo taken! I got my own photo taken as
meeting a world champion is something a bit special. He seemed a nice guy,
was only born down the road and is a big West Ham fan, so it is always great
to see him."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Norwich 0
11 February 2014
Last updated at 22:07
By Marc Higginson
BBC Sport
West Ham moved four points clear of the relegation zone thanks to late goals
from James Collins and Mohamed Diame against Norwich. Collins headed home
Diame's left-wing cross in the 84th minute, before the midfielder sealed a
third successive win with a late breakaway goal. Norwich trio Gary Hooper,
Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey were all denied by Adrian in the first
half. And the Hammers made them pay with two goals which lifted them up to
10th. After starting last weekend's round of fixtures 18th in the Premier
League, the result continues a rapid but deserved rise up the table for Sam
Allardyce's vastly-improved side, who have kept 13 clean sheets in the top
flight this season. Since holding Chelsea to a draw at Stamford Bridge on 29
January, they have beaten Swansea, Aston Villa and Norwich - all by a 2-0
scoreline. West Ham have kept four consecutive clean sheets in the top
flight for the first time since December 1985. They enjoyed some good
fortune against the Canaries, with Adrian their hero for the first 80
minutes of the contest. The Spanish goalkeeper made a fine save low to his
left from Hooper's header, before denying Snodgrass when the Norwich
midfielder was put clean through on goal. Both chances were created by
19-year-old winger Nathan Redmond, who was causing problems with his pace on
the counter. James Tomkins made a superb tackle to deny Bradley Johnson
while, at the other end, John Ruddy dealt easily with straightforward
efforts on goal from Matt Jarvis, Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan. As the first
half drew to a close, Adrian made arguably his best save of the match when
he turned away Tettey's shot following Hooper's pass. West Ham improved
after the break, slowly winning the midfield battle as Norwich's raids down
the flanks became less frequent - Hooper spurning another good chance to
open the scoring. Substitute Diame should have done better when played in by
Nolan but Ruddy made a fine save, while Joseph Yobo lifted a shot over the
bar after Adrian had failed to collect a corner. As the game opened up in
the final 10 minutes, West Ham took the lead when Collins evaded his marker
and beat Ruddy to Diame's high ball from a short free-kick to bury a header
into the back of the net. With Norwich pushing forward for an equaliser,
Diame ensured a flattering margin of victory by breaking away from his own
half before beating Ruddy with the aid of a deflection.
Norwich manager Chris Hughton: "I am very, very frustrated. When you come
here, you know you'll be up against a direct and physical game and you have
to match them. "For nearly all the game we were able to do that but you rely
on getting a little release by scoring goals. "It is a bit too familiar,
creating chances and not putting them away. We put more pressure on
ourselves."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: West Ham boss praises defensive solidity
BBC.co.uk
Sam Allardyce praised West Ham's defensive solidity as his side recorded
their 13th clean sheet of the season - the most in the Premier League - in
their 2-0 victory over Norwich. A fourth shut-out in a row helped the
Hammers move up to 10th in the table. "To keep clean sheets in 50% of our
games is the sort of record you normally get when you are going to finish in
the top six," said Allardyce. "We had 11 clean sheets last year and finished
10th and we've got 13 now."
Late goals from James Collins and Mohamed Diame helped West Ham pick up
their third successive 2-0 victory, but the Londoners were made to work hard
for their victory by the Canaries. Goalkeeper Adrian made fine saves from
Gary Hooper, Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey to keep his side in the
contest and ultimately help move them four points clear of the relegation
zone. "There was nothing between the teams today apart from the fact we were
the ones who took our chances when they came our way," said Allardyce. "Our
goalkeeper made some outstanding saves when needed to keep it at 0-0 and our
patience paid off. "Three wins on the trot is a brilliant ask from the
players and a brilliant response to what we wanted to do and what we knew we
were capable of."
West Ham now have an 11-day break until they return to action with the visit
of Southampton to Upton Park on 22 February.
Keeping it tight
West Ham have kept four consecutive clean sheets in the top flight for the
first time since December 1985. And Allardyce, 59. says he will be taking
his players away for a short break ahead of that clash against the Saints.
"We're going to go away for some warm-weather training, which is important
at this stage of the season," said the former Bolton, Newcastle and
Blackburn manager. "Players feel good with a bit of sunshine on their backs
and they can get their minds rested and become physically rested. "I've been
doing it for the last 13-14 years now and I know by the data I have
collected over that time how important it is to get these players away.
"That's why we've been fighting for many years for us to have a break like
the rest of Europe. "I always religiously fit one in because it's the right
thing to do irrespective of where you are in the league and what you are
doing in terms of form."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 2-0 Norwich City
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are back in the top half of the Premier League after an amazing
couple of weeks culminated with a 2-0 win against fellow strugglers Norwich
at the Boleyn Ground tonight. Late goals from James Collins and substitute
Mo Diame gave United their third successive win in the Premier League for
the first time in seven years as they weathered a Canaries storm before
striking at the death in this evening's vital encounter. And a third
successive 2-0 win - following those against Swansea and Aston Villa - has
catapulted West Ham away from the danger zone and into the upper half of the
Premier League for the first time since last September. Although it was
smiles all round at the final whistle for Sam Allardyce and his squad, they
had goalkeeper Adrian to thank - again - for keeping them in the game with a
string of top-class saves prior to scoring the two late goals. The Spanish
'keeper, who has only been considered first choice ahead of Jussi
Jasskelainen since Christmas foiled Norwich time and time again as West
Ham's defence was frequently breached by clever, incisive passing from the
visitors.
Robert Snodgrass was the first to falter in front of goal when his 18th
minute strike was smothered by the advancing stopper. Team mate Alex Tettey
was left frustrated in first half injury time by an equally-superb stop.
Gary Hooper was next to be denied, twice, after the break; firstly when
shooting straight at the 'keeper with the goal at his mercy and then by
Adrian's feet as the Spaniard spread himself as the Loughton-born striker
found himself clean through on goal.
Adrian could do little when he watched Joseph Yobo volley onto the roof of
the net with the goal gaping after West Ham had failed to deal with a corner
with just 12 minutes of normal time left. Perhaps sensing their chance of
winning had gone, Norwich boss Chris Hughton hauled off their best
performer, the dangerous Nathan Redmond - and West Ham took full advantage.
Without the threat of the former Birmingham winger to worry about, West Ham
were able to push higher up and jeers of frustration from the crowd soon
turned to cheers of joy when James Collins rose highest to meet a Mo Diame
cross from the left wing and open the scoring with six minutes left to play.
Though joy was soon replaced by nail-biting tension as the Hammers sat back
in order to defend their slender advantage, all concern was finally
dispelled in the fourth minute of injury time when Diame - who'd previously
missed a far easier chance, forcing a great save out of John Ruddy - pounced
on a loose ball deep in West Ham territory.
Running the entire length of the Norwich half unopposed, the midfielder - a
61st-minute replacement for Matt Jarvis - found the back of the net via a
wicked deflection that left Ruddy completely wrong-footed. 2-0, game over.
That two goal winning margin was perhaps more than the Hammers deserved and
more than a little harsh on a Norwich side who, on this showing, should have
enough to beat the drop, but it gives Allardyce and his squad breathing
space at the bottom for the first time in some considerable time. West Ham's
tally of 28 points - 10 of which have come from the last four fixtures, a
run that began with the goalless draw at Chelsea - takes them four points
clear of the relegation zone with Southampton next up. The two meet here at
the Boleyn 11 days from now, before which Allardyce will take his squad for
some warm-weather training in Dubai. Which will no doubt prove far more
enjoyable than it would just a fortnight ago, when the Hammers were
languishing in the bottom three with just 18 points on the board.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam unconvinced by Morrison injury
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has finally broken his silence over the Ravel Morrison affair.
Rumours regarding the youngster's fitness and availability have been filling
the pages of the KUMB Forum for several months - since when Allardyce has
refused to comment on the situation bar to stress that Morrison has been
carrying an injury. However Allardyce, for one, is far from convinced that
the midfielder is genuinely carrying an injury. "Listening to our medical
staff, there is no problem that he can carry on - not at all," Allardyce
said. "He says he feels it occasionally. Instead of gritting your teeth and
getting on with it, he's not the type. Lots and lots of players throughout
the country will be playing with a similar type of injury that the medical
team say 'you can carry on, it's not a problem'. "Some come, rise to the
occasion and then don't realise how far they have risen, then all of a
sudden when they start realising where they have gone that can be a little
bit of a problem". "You have a lot of other players that are challenging his
position and doing a better job than him. I'm always disappointed if no one
gives me selection problems. I like the fact that you have to see how
players deal with being left out - are they going to be professional or
unprofessional about it?" Morrison, who is still West Ham's top goalscorer
this season looks set to complete a move to Championship Club QPR on loan
within the next 48 hours.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A new home
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have released a time-lapse video detailing Phase One of the
project to convert the Olympic Stadium into a home fit for football.
In little more than two years from now West Ham will move across the Borough
of Newham from Upton Park to Stratford, ending a 109-year association with
the former. Meanwhile work on the £430million construction that hosted the
2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is already well under way.
As the video - shot from the top of the nearly Orbit structure -
illustrates, the first significant change in the stadium's appearance was
the removal of the 14 huge lighting towers, each of which hovered 230ft
above ground level before being lowered. A team of 20 abseilers were drafted
in to assist with the removal, which was overseen by lead contractor Balfour
Beatty and Pfeifer.
The next phase in the conversion is the removal of the existing roof in
order to make way for a £41million replacement twice its size. Work on the
new structure, said to be the longest example of its kind (cantilevered) is
set to commence in Spring of this year.
Once the roof has been fitted, Balfour Beatty - who were recently awarded
the entire £154million contract to convert the 80,000-capacity stadium into
a 54,000-capacity UEFA Category 4 venue - will oversee the remaining
upgrades to the arena including spectator and hospitality facilities plus
additional, external enhancements.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United beat Norwich City 2-0 at Upton Park
By Ben Hampshire | @BH92. Last Updated: 11/02/14 11:26pm
SSN
West Ham scored twice in the final six minutes as they picked up a crucial
2-0 victory over Norwich City at Upton Park on Tuesday evening. The Hammers
recorded a third successive top flight win for the first time in seven years
as they beat their fellow strugglers to move into 10th after a fiercely
contested affair.
Best of the Match
Man of the Match: Mohamed Diame. Provided West Ham with the added impetus
and creativity before setting up the first goal and scoring the second.
Goal of the Match: A quickly taken set-piece allowed Mohamed Diame to
provide James Collins with an inch-perfect pass
Save of the Match: Three fine first half efforts from Adrian. Kept West Ham
in the game when Norwich were in the ascendancy.
Talking Point: Are Norwich heading deep into the relegation mire? Is this
run enough to save West Ham?
Mohamed Diame created the first goal of the match with a precision flat
cross from the left wing, which found centre-back James Collins in the
middle of the box and he bravely headed beyond John Ruddy. With Norwich
committing all their men to attack, Diame sealed victory for the Hammers
when he raced through the Norwich half unchallenged before sliding beyond
Ruddy for the second.
After a sedate start it was Norwich, and striker Gary Hooper, who passed up
a number of gilt-edged chances to secure the three points, with Hammers
goalkeeper Adrian again in top form. Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey also
found the Spaniard in the way as they looked to secure a third away league
win of the campaign, with West Ham rarely able to trouble Ruddy in the
Canaries' goal.
Sam Allardyce's side were lacking the spearhead of Andy Carroll and only
Diame truly tested Ruddy before the England goalkeeper went missing for
Collins' late show. Hooper, whose first league goal for Norwich came in
their 3-1 win over the Hammers back in November, came close to opening the
scoring on nine minutes as his header from Nathan Redmond's cross forced
Adrian to push the ball away and it was cleared behind for a corner to the
visitors.
Allardyce praises Adrian
It was Adrian who once again came to West Ham's rescue as Snodgrass timed a
forward run to perfection and was found by the busy Redmond. But the
Scotland winger took a heavy touch, giving the goalkeeper time to narrow the
angle and keep out the resulting shot. The Norwich defence then almost paid
for their collective inability to clear the ball as Matt Jarvis curled an
effort towards goal but it proved simple for Ruddy to collect. The
slow-starting Hammers were reduced to looking for spectacular ways to beat
Ruddy and it was Mark Noble who was next to send a long-range effort
straight at the England man.
As the half wore on the hosts started to enjoy more sustained pressure on
the Norwich goal as Stewart Downing fired over before delivering a teasing
cross that was well cleared by Norwich skipper Sebastien Bassong. Adrian was
again on hand to keep the scores level, this time pushing Tettey's shot
behind for a corner as the visitors worked their way through the West Ham
backline. Hooper spurned another chance to open the scoring early in the
second half, this time collecting Tettey's speculative effort but only
managing to roll a tame effort into the gloves of Adrian when free on the
edge of the penalty area. The former Celtic striker was the man who looked
most likely to provide a winning goal for the visitors but he was thwarted
by Adrian yet again as he shot from an acute angle after being picked out by
Johnson. Ruddy made a great save moments later as Kevin Nolan slipped the
ball through to substitute Diame, whose low effort was turned behind by the
Norwich goalkeeper.
West Ham, on the ropes for much of the contest, then came out fighting at
the death as a short free-kick to Diame was crossed towards Collins and,
with Ruddy rushing out and getting nowhere near the ball, the Wales defender
steered the ball home to put West Ham ahead. As Chris Hughton's side
searched in vain for a dramatic, and deserved, equaliser, Diame was freed
into a barren Norwich half and turned the ball home courtesy of a heavy
deflection to send the home fans into raptures at the final whistle.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce delighted with West Ham's rich vein of form
By Ben Hampshire | @BH92 | Last Updated: 11/02/14 11:17pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce is delighted with West Ham United's form as they recorded a
third successive Premier League win for the first time in seven years,
beating Norwich 2-0 on Tuesday night. West Ham were teetering on the brink
of the relegation zone going into the game, level on points with their
opponents, but victory sees them rocket up to 10th in the top flight
standings. Allardyce was made to sweat for the three points as West Ham left
it until the final six minutes to break the deadlock. Substitute Mohamed
Diame provided a precision cross for James Collins to head home his first
Premier League goal in six years. With Norwich committing all their men to
attack, Diame doubled the tally in added time, racing the length of the
field before slotting beyond John Ruddy, with the aid of a deflection. "We
are delighted in the end because it was a hell of a game Norwich gave us
tonight," Allardyce told Sky Sports. "It was a really hard fought game but I
think in the end our goalkeeper has kept us in the game and then the set
pieces have put us on the right track. "Obviously when you score that late
on it's difficult for the opposition to come back and when they throw
everybody forward, Mo Diame was able to finish it off for us." West Ham are
now unbeaten in four and Allardyce admits the mood in the dressing room is
one of elation.
Great mood
"It was a great end to a great run of fixtures for us," he added. "We have a
few days now where we can regroup, there is a lot of tired legs but not so
many tired minds. "We are in a great mood at the moment and this is a really
big and hard-earned three points for us." Another clean sheet for Adrian in
the West Ham goal further underlined their defensive authority, which has
seen them keep sides goalless in half of their fixtures this term. Goals
have been hard to come by for the Hammers, but their recent upturn in form
has impressed Allardyce as both defence and attack click into place.
"Thirteen is an unbelievable figure when you've been struggling in the
league," he said. "It's all been about not enough goals but now we've
started to score and for us it's about getting both ends right now. "We've
always had it defensively right apart from when we had a group of injuries
to the central defenders and full-backs but now the defenders are back." He
added: "We are defending extremely well and we are starting to take our
chances. "We didn't have many tonight so it's nice to see us taking them
when we don't have many."
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James Collins believes West Ham have turned corner after Norwich win
By Ben Hampshire | @BH92 | Last Updated: 11/02/14 11:43pm
SSN
Goalscorer James Collins claims the West Ham dressing room is over the moon
after beating Norwich 2-0 in the Premier League on Tuesday. The talismanic
centre-back latched onto the end of precision cross from Mohamed Diame to
head beyond a helpless John Ruddy in the 84th minute. Minutes later Diame
added a goal of his own as West Ham sealed a crucial victory which saw them
elevated to 10th in the Premier League table. Victory over Norwich leaves
West Ham unbeaten in their last four top flight outings and with 13 clean
sheets, records which Collins believes have boosted team morale. "I couldn't
tell you how long it's been since I scored," he told Sky Sports. "It's been
a tough three quarters of the season and we've turned a corner now, it's a
good place to be." "We are delighted, obviously, it takes us up the league
and with teams taking points off each other, the dressing room is over the
moon. "It's been a tough three quarters of the season and we've turned a
corner now, it's a good place to be."
Collins' header, which came deep into the second half, was his first Premier
League goal in six years the defender was relieved to see the deadlock
broken.
"It was about time to be honest," he said. "It didn't look like it was going
to happen. It seemed like one of those games where nothing quite went right
for both teams. "They had a lot of chances, Adrian kept us in the game on
three occasions and to pop up with the header is always nice." With the game
goalless and the clock edging towards full time, the Upton Park crowd made
sure their voices were heard and Collins claims the tension was clearly felt
on the field. "We were confident it would come but you are a little bit
nervous," he admitted. "I think we get a few moans off the crowd for taking
the quick free kick but then [Mohamed] Diame puts the cross in. "I think
that [the quick free kick] is why I scored because I wasn't quite ready to
take it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rene Meulensteen gives up pursuit of West Ham's Ravel Morrison
Last Updated: 11/02/14 4:19pm
SSN
Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen has admitted defeat in his bid to lure West
Ham's Ravel Morrison to Craven Cottage. The Hammers striker appears surplus
to requirements under Sam Allardyce following the return of Andy Carroll,
and Morrison is widely expected to be loaned to Championship
promotion-chasers QPR. Rangers boss Harry Redknapp revealed he is hoping to
recruit the former Manchester United forward for the remainder of the
season, and QPR would be favourites to sign Morrison outright if they return
to the Premier League. The Hammers rejected a bid for Morrison from Fulham
in January and then accused the west London club of making an illegal
approach. Meulensteen insisted Morrison wanted to join Fulham when speaking
after his side's 3-0 FA Cup replay victory over Norwich on January 15,
sparking West Ham's grievance. "There's not very much we can do at this
time, and what other clubs do we can't affect," said Meulensteen. "The only
thing I can affect is what we're doing at Fulham." Fulham host Liverpool on
Wednesday night with confidence substantially higher after snatching a 2-2
draw at Manchester United on Sunday. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have
been in devastating form this season, and Meulensteen believes trying to
shut down the Reds strikers will be one of the biggest challenges of the
season. He said: "How do you stop them? They've had an incredible season,
the pace and the penetration, the variety and the unpredictability in the
way they can all score goals. "So it has to be all hands on deck for us to
make sure that we defend in a good, compact manner, that we keep
communicating, don't leave gaps for them to get through and play through.
"But the defensive performance from Sunday was definitely a massive
improvement, and we can build on that."
Meulensteen still holds veteran Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in high
esteem and added: "In my opinion he is a top player, definitely. Brendan is
looking at the players available and where he will best slot in as well. "If
Lucas would be fit, then probably Lucas would play a bit deeper and Gerrard
a bit freer.
"But he probably thinks Gerrard is the best to play the deeper role now, it
suits him, he's got the range of passing to do it, so he's still a very
important player for Liverpool."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-0 Norwich: James Collins and Mo Diame send Hammers flying up the
table
Feb 11, 2014 22:08 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Even Sam Allardyce must still be wondering how he has pulled this off. Think
daylight robbery or smash and grab. Even Dick Turpin used to wear a mask.
Norwich should have been home and hosed by the time West Ham scored their
two late goals to pinch all three points. They had a string of sitters
saved, however, as the Hammers' keeper Adrian produced an outstanding
display to mark his fourth clean sheet in a row. Then, with fomer
heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis looking on, James Collins and Mo Diame
produced the sucker punch to leave Chris Hughton and his Canaries crushed.
Never mind a bottle of the Man of the Match champagne, West Ham should send
Adrian a crate of the stuff. They have now racked up three Premier League
wins in a row for the first time since 2007. Their winter of discontent
looks to be drawing to an end with the club now up to tenth in the Premier
League. And all this of course is taking place with Andy Carroll suspended.
Suddenly all that talk about the Hammers' owners being clueless to stick
with Big Sam looks a world away. With the sale of Upton Park agreed and the
Olympic Stadium beckoning it is now an increasingly safe bet that West Ham
will have Premier League football to take there. Allardyce said afterwards:
"I'm delighted. It was a hell of a game Norwich gave us and a hard-earned
win - 13 points from six games is a terrific run of form considering where
we were and the troule we were in. "Even tenth might not be out of trouble -
we have to continue and get more results. "Our goalkeeper kept us in the
game and we scored late, when it is hard for anybody to come back into it.
But its a great end to an important run of fixtures. If Norwich continue
like that, they will have no problems."
Hughton will take little comfort from Allardyce's words. The Canaries sit
16th, one point off the relegation places because their players could not
finish. The powers that be at Carrow Road can moan in private all they like
and put their manager under pressure but what on earth is he supposed to do
when men like Gary Hooper and Robert Snodgrass couldn't finish their dinner
right now? Hooper should have buried his ninth-minute header from Nathan
Redmond's cross.
Instead, Adrian was able to get down low to his left to push it to safety.
Snodgrass raced clear in the 19th minute, but was worried out of it by
Adrian, who then produced a one-handed save when the Scot looked certain to
score. In the dying minutes of the first half, the Spaniard was at it again,
flinging himself to his right to keep out a close-range drive from
midfielder Alexander Tettey. And in the second half there was even more. The
Seville-born stopper first kept out Hooper's low shot that had been heading
for the bottom right corner. He then saved Sebastien Bassong's late header.
It was a wastefulness that Norwich would come to regret as, with six minutes
left, Diame crossed from the left and Collins headed home. Then, as the
visitors poured forward in search of a equaliser, Diame raced away to send a
low shot - deflected off midfielder Bradley Johnson - into the bottom
corner. Hughton was furious. And rightly so. "I am very, very frustrated."
he said afterwards, "It is a bit too familiar, creating chances and not
putting them away. "Their first goal is a ball we dealt with all game and on
that one occasion we didn't. When you don't get the lead you think you
deserve you are always under pressure. "It's the first goal that hurt us and
the missed chances."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We are in a scoring mood', says Sam Allardyce after West Ham see off Norwich
for third straight win
Feb 11, 2014 23:32 By Darren Lewis The Mirror
Sam Allardyce saw his West Ham side surge into the top half of the table
with a win over Norwich - then warned: "We are in a scoring mood". James
Collins and Mo Diame struck late to give the east Londoners their second win
in a row without suspended star striker Andy Carroll, who watched from a
private box.
The victory was also the first time in seven years that the Hammers have won
three on the spin in the Premier League. They have also kept 13 clean sheets
- the highest number in the top flight. Big Sam said afterwards: "We are in
a scoring mood. And because we are so good at keeping clean sheets our
scoring mood is producing win after win. "Our destiny has always been in our
own hands. There have always been enough points for us to keep out of
trouble. The patient way for us had been to wait for our injured players to
come back. "Then obviously you've got our new additions. They may not have
played that much but they are good characters. "The lads have been lifted by
them and there is a confident squad of players now that believes each time
we go out we are going to get the victory."
Allardyce will now take his players on a sunshine break in Dubai later this
week ahead of their next game against Southampton on February 22. Norwich
boss Chris Hughton, meanwhile, was annoyed after Collins' opener - from a
routine cross - left the Canaries chasing the game. Hughton said: "I'm never
one to apportion blame but it's the type of ball we dealt with very well all
game. When you play West Ham you have to deal with a lot of them and we did
it well.
"No doubt the better chances fell to us. There was so much good about our
performance."
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WHUFC.com
West Ham United scored twice in the final six minutes to defeat Norwich City
on Tuesday night
11.02.2014
West Ham United 2-0 Norwich City
Barclays Premier League
West Ham United moved up to tenth in the Barclays Premier League as two late
goals fired them to a third straight win on Tuesday night. James Collins and
Mohamed Diame struck to see off a determined Norwich City side and secure
another vital three points. The clean sheet was West Ham's fourth in a row -
the first time they have achieved such a feat in the Premier League era -
and this one owed much to goalkeeper Adrian. The Spaniard denied Gary Hooper
three times en route to victory, as the Hammers punished the visitors for
their profligacy. Sam Allardyce named an unchanged side from the eleven who
defeated Aston Villa on Saturday, but it was the visitors who were quickest
out of the blocks on a chilly Boleyn Ground night. Hooper had a ninth minute
chance to strike when Nathan Redmond tricked his way past Guy Demel and
stood up a cross for the former Celtic striker, who headed downwards and
towards the corner, forcing a sprawling stop from Adrian. Hooper spurned an
even better opportunity nine minutes later, shooting at Adrian after Robert
Snodgrass' fine pass fed him through on goal. Norwich were forcing all of
the early chances and they broke quickly from a Hammers corner on 23
minutes, with only a superb saving tackle from James Tomkins denying Bradley
Johnson after Robert Snodgrass played the ball square. Three minutes later
Mark Noble looked to bend a shot goalwards, but could not direct it far away
enough from John Ruddy in the Norwich goal. West Ham grew in strength as the
half wore on and began to force the Canaries onto the back foot, but it was
Norwich who had the final chance before the break, as Alex Tettey committed
Collins to a block when opting to pass out wide rather than shoot, allowing
him a free run into the box to collect the return ball from Hooper and shoot
first time. Adrian reacted well to push the ball behind for a corner.
Just as at Villa, the Hammers introduced Marco Borriello for Carlton Cole at
the break as they looked to up the ante. They were reliant on another fine
save from Adrian midway through the half though, as Johnson's lovely pass
took Hooper beyond George McCartney, but once again the No13 stood firm to
prevent Hooper from opening the scoring. Redmond then tried his luck from
outside the area with 73 minutes on the clock, but dragged his right-footed
effort wide of the mark. For all Norwich's chances, the Hammers had a great
opportunity to open the scoring themselves 13 minutes from the end when
Kevin Nolan prodded through to Diame, and the No21 looked for the opposite
corner, only for Ruddy to pull off a fine save. The breakthrough finally
arrived with only six minutes left to play, and it went the Hammers' way
after they won a free kick down the left hand side. Mark Noble played the
ball short to Diame on the touchline, and he took a touch before delivering
a wickedly inswinging cross which Collins beat Ruddy to, glancing the ball
into the unguarded net. As Norwich left gaps as they looked for a route back
into the contest, Diame sealed it at the death when he picked up possession
inside his own half, drove clear of the Norwich defence, and netted with the
help of a deflection off Russell Martin.
West Ham United: Adrian; Demel, Collins, Tomkins, McCartney; Nolan, Noble,
Taylor (Nocerino 77); Jarvis (Diame 61), C.Cole (Borriello 46), Downing
Subs: Jaaskelainen, Reid, Armero, Collison
Goals: Collins 84, Diame 90+4
Booked: Nocerino
Norwich City: Ruddy; Martin, Yobo, Bassong, Olsson; Tettey (van Wolfswinkel
86), Johnson; Redmond (Pilkington 81), Fer, Snodgrass; Hooper (Elmander 76)
Subs: Bunn, Whittaker, van Wolfswinkel, Hoolahan, Garrido
Booked: Olsson, Johnson, Pilkington
Referee: Michael Oliver
Attendance: 31,153
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
'We seem to be turning the corner'
WHUFC.com
James Collins believes West Ham United are on the right track ahead of
Norwich City's visit
11.02.2014
James Collins believes West Ham United are 'turning the corner' as they
prepare to tackle Norwich City on Tuesday evening. The Hammers sat 19th
following their New Year's Day defeat at Fulham, but a run of three wins and
a draw in five matches have lifted Sam Allardyce's side out of the bottom
three. A heroic goalless draw at Chelsea was followed by successive 2-0 wins
over Swansea City and at Aston Villa. Those results mean West Ham kick-off
their clash with the Canaries 15th and with a near full squad available,
save for the absence of Andy Carroll through suspension and Ricardo Vaz Te,
Joey O'Brien and Ravel Morrison through injury. "We were always confident
things would improve," said Collins. "You try not to make excuses about
things like injuries and decisions, but they were going against us. "We seem
to be turning the corner. We've got three massive results on the bounce,
which has turned our season."
Collins was at his best again in Saturday's victory at former club Aston
Villa, making a team-high 22 clearances and two interceptions as West Ham
recorded their 12th clean sheet of the season. While Carroll missed that
match and will serve the second match of his three-game ban against Norwich,
Collins said the likes of Carlton Cole, Marco Borriello and Kevin Nolan have
made up for his absence in the attacking third. Captain Nolan, in
particular, has been in fantastic form, scoring four goals in the recent
wins over Swansea and Villa. "We were confident we could win at Villa Park,"
Collins confirmed. "We got a good draw at Chelsea and beat Swansea. Losing
Andy was a bit of a blow, but Carlton did well and Marco came on at
half-time and also did well, so we're delighted.
"We knew if we could get Kev scoring, he will be massive for us. He got two
against Swansea and two again on Saturday, so if he can carry on scoring
until the end of the season, I'm sure we'll be fine."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Bonds 'looking forward' to OS move
WHUFC.com
Billy Bonds MBE says West Ham United's Olympic Stadium move is a big moment'
in Hammers history
11.02.2014
West Ham United legend Billy Bonds MBE has hailed the move to the Olympic
Stadium as a 'massive landmark' in the Club's history. Bonds, who made a
record 793 appearances for West Ham between 1967 and 1988, said the
announcement of the sale of the Boleyn Ground took the Club a step closer to
their new home in Stratford. Speaking to www.claretandhugh.info, the
two-times FA Cup winning captain pointed to the success other big Barclays
Premier League clubs had enjoyed since moving to their own new stadia. "This
is a big moment in the Club's history," said the four-times Hammer of the
Year, who was the inaugural recipient of the Club's Lifetime Achievement
Award in 2013. "We are moving into a great new stadium and, although I know
some older fans are upset and hurting, I think this is a time to look
forward and get on with it. "The younger ones will be relishing it and so
they should - it's a massive landmark in the Club's history."
Bonds played nearly 400 competitive matches at the Boleyn Ground before
taking charge of more than 100 more as West Ham manager between 1990 and
1994. During his 25 year-plus association with the famous stadium, the
67-year-old celebrated four promotions, endured three relegations, scored a
memorable hat-trick against Chelsea, thundered into hundreds of tackles and
rampaged up and down the pitch on thousands of occasions. While he will
always cherish his memories of West Ham's home of 110 years, Bonds says the
Club has to take the opportunities offered by a move to the 54,000-capacity
Olympic Stadium. "I had the greatest days of my life at the Boleyn - all my
great memories are there - I had wonderful days there but we all have to
move on," he insisted. "Many of the grounds I played on - Manchester City
and Arsenal for example - are not there anymore. It's called progress. We
have to move on now and trust the people in charge with our future."
While he is looking forward to a bright future for the Club he loves, Bonds
was also reassured by the decision to sell the Boleyn Ground to
award-winning local London developer Galliard Group. The Club was impressed
with Galliard Group's links to the local community and their commitment to
honouring the history of the Hammers at the Boleyn Ground as part of their
proposed development. Among the proposals are one for a beautiful central
landscaped garden, which would be named the Bobby Moore Memorial Garden,
providing a fitting tribute to Bonds' long-time team-mate and friend. "We
should always honour the past - we must never forget it - and I understand
there will be a centrepiece called the Bobby Moore Garden, plus a statue.
"That's nice, but for me personally I don't need a statue to remember Bob. I
was fortunate to know him as a friend and player at a very young age and
those memories will be in my mind forever.
"All those memories are upstairs in my head and that is good enough for me."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Olympic Stadium time-lapse
WHUFC.com
whufc.com brings supporters the very latest footage of the Olympic Stadium's
redevelopment
11.02.2014
As the Hammers' future home continues to take shape, West Ham United are
delighted to unveil previously unseen time-lapse footage of the Olympic
Stadium's conversion. With the very latest pictures from the ArcelorMittal
Orbit and inside the Stadium bowl, supporters can watch as lead contractor
Balfour Beatty make preparations for the arena's magnificent new roof.*
With the existing roof to be dismantled over a period of four months, the
process, which began in November, firstly saw the lighting panels come down.
Temporary cables were strung across the field of play, thereby linking
opposite towers to one another. Those cables form a spider's web-like
structure to maintain the stability of the towers once the circumferential
cables are disconnected. Following the installation of this cable net, the
floodlights were removed in pairs. Each pair of lighting towers was lifted
and lowered to the ground using crawler cranes with 600 tonnes lifting
capacity. The lamps were then removed and the towers dismantled. Balfour
Beatty is carrying out the work using specialist company Pfeifer. A team of
around 20 abseilers erected all the temporary cables and removed the
floodlights. With the lighting towers down, attention has since turned to
the ceremonies' tripods, which are fixed on to the compression ring - the
outer circle of steel that runs around the top. They supported cables which
connect across the venue to allow scenery and staging for the opening
ceremony to 'fly' across the 'skyzone'. Balfour Beatty are now to embark on
taking down the fabric of the roof and gradually lower the existing
cable-net structure, which will mark the completion of the roof's
dismantling. Thereafter, construction of the new roof, twice the size of the
original, can begin in earnest in spring of this year. Measuring 84 metres
at its deepest point, the world's longest cantilevered roof will cover every
single seat. This will be the first of many time-lapse videos featured here
on whufc.com over the coming months, enabling West Ham United supporters to
keep right up to date with the Stadium's exciting transition.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Big Sam happy with three in a row
WHUFC.com
The manager was delighted to see his West Ham United side make it a
hat-trick of important victories
12.02.2014
Sam Allardyce was all smiles as West Ham United chalked up a third straight
Barclays Premier League win by beating Norwich City on Tuesday. The Hammers
rode their luck and were saved by goalkeeper Adrian on at least three
occasions before two late goals from James Collins and Mohamed Diame secured
victory over the Canaries at the Boleyn Ground - lifting Big Sam's side into
the top half of the table. Speaking to West Ham TV, Big Sam hailed his team
for achieving a hat-trick of top-flight wins for the first time since spring
2007 and their fourth top division clean sheet in succession for the first
time since 1985! "It's a massive turnaround for us all," he said. "This was
a really hard-fought game between two teams going at it head-to-head, both
wanting to win to try and ease that pressure on them being close to the
bottom. "In the end, as you always need to do, if you can take a chance then
you can win it, and Ginge did that for us. Apart from his really good
performance at the back again, with James Tomkins, he has got the winner for
us in terms of starting the process of a win. I think Ginge would stick his
head in a fire if he thought he could get us a few points or a clean sheet!
That's the attitude you need to have in this league - tough and brave and
with ability and desire. You need all of those aspects to deliver at this
level. "You may think Mo Diame's [94th-minute] goal was irrelevant but it
wasn't, because as everybody says it only takes a second to score a goal.
When Mo went from one end of the field to the other with the ability that
he's got and got a deserved deflection, anything could have happened if we
didn't score. Norwich had got six players up and if John Ruddy had knocked
the ball down the middle, anything could have happened. "It was a really
hard-earned victory for us and another magnificent clean sheet. To get that
clean sheet, our goalkeeper Adrian made three outstanding saves, which he
hadn't had to do recently because he hasn't been stretched in terms of
making those type of saves. He made them at critical times for us and that
gave us the opportunity to get the win. "When you win as late as we did, it
sends everybody home happy and relieved and very grateful that we've got
another three points. "Tenth in the league now, but it doesn't mean an awful
lot because there aren't many points between tenth and third from bottom, so
hopefully we'll continue onwards and upwards with Southampton in ten or
eleven days time."
West Ham have found different ways to win in recent weeks, stifling
possession-hungry Swansea City, dominating Aston Villa and now sneaking past
Norwich in a game that could have gone either way. "It's very important to
have a strong squad. We had Mo Diame back and he has contributed by making
and scoring a goal and he could even have got one earlier but for an
unbelievable save from Ruddy. "Having the options to come on, like the two
Italians [Antonio Nocerino and Marco Borriello] and Pablo Armero, who we
haven't seen yet, is brilliant. It's difficult for me to change the team
because we keep winning, so they have to be more patient. "I'm pleased for
everybody and the squad of players we have, seeing smiles on their faces
instead of the heads between their knees as we saw over Christmas. It's
great to see their heads up and smiling and really enjoying their football
again. "At the moment we're the team in form, picking up points left, right
and centre. It's really pleasing because the games are starting to run out
now. Our form at this stage is very important, and even more important are
the results we're getting as well."
Big Sam and his squad will now pack their bags for a four-day warm-weather
training camp at the Dubai Sports City in the United Arab Emirates. The
manager has taken his players away in each of the last two years at around
this time of year - both times resulting in improved physical and mental
fitness levels on their return to action. "It's already benefited us now,
because once the lads knew the trip was booked four or five weeks ago, it
has been part of our turnaround. It was something for them to look forward
to, to strive for and to know that they are going to do what I've done every
year for the last 14 years.
"The critical need for it for every player we have is there for them to get
a bit of sun on their back, do a little bit of light training and ease the
pressure on the mind, soul and body. They will come back refreshed. "We've
already had a massive response because they've been looking forward to it so
much, and now they can look forward to it even more because of what they've
just achieved. When we get back, we'll be ready to go again. "It's about the
data, rather than results. You judge it on whether they are re-energised and
doing more than before they went, and all my data has proven over the last
14 years that the answer to that is 'Yes'."
Finally, the manager was delighted to welcome former undisputed world
heavyweight boxing champion and lifelong Hammers fan Lennox Lewis to the
dressing room prior to kick-off against Norwich. "I could hardly get my arm
round him when I was having a photo taken! I got my own photo taken as
meeting a world champion is something a bit special. He seemed a nice guy,
was only born down the road and is a big West Ham fan, so it is always great
to see him."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2 Norwich 0
11 February 2014
Last updated at 22:07
By Marc Higginson
BBC Sport
West Ham moved four points clear of the relegation zone thanks to late goals
from James Collins and Mohamed Diame against Norwich. Collins headed home
Diame's left-wing cross in the 84th minute, before the midfielder sealed a
third successive win with a late breakaway goal. Norwich trio Gary Hooper,
Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey were all denied by Adrian in the first
half. And the Hammers made them pay with two goals which lifted them up to
10th. After starting last weekend's round of fixtures 18th in the Premier
League, the result continues a rapid but deserved rise up the table for Sam
Allardyce's vastly-improved side, who have kept 13 clean sheets in the top
flight this season. Since holding Chelsea to a draw at Stamford Bridge on 29
January, they have beaten Swansea, Aston Villa and Norwich - all by a 2-0
scoreline. West Ham have kept four consecutive clean sheets in the top
flight for the first time since December 1985. They enjoyed some good
fortune against the Canaries, with Adrian their hero for the first 80
minutes of the contest. The Spanish goalkeeper made a fine save low to his
left from Hooper's header, before denying Snodgrass when the Norwich
midfielder was put clean through on goal. Both chances were created by
19-year-old winger Nathan Redmond, who was causing problems with his pace on
the counter. James Tomkins made a superb tackle to deny Bradley Johnson
while, at the other end, John Ruddy dealt easily with straightforward
efforts on goal from Matt Jarvis, Mark Noble and Kevin Nolan. As the first
half drew to a close, Adrian made arguably his best save of the match when
he turned away Tettey's shot following Hooper's pass. West Ham improved
after the break, slowly winning the midfield battle as Norwich's raids down
the flanks became less frequent - Hooper spurning another good chance to
open the scoring. Substitute Diame should have done better when played in by
Nolan but Ruddy made a fine save, while Joseph Yobo lifted a shot over the
bar after Adrian had failed to collect a corner. As the game opened up in
the final 10 minutes, West Ham took the lead when Collins evaded his marker
and beat Ruddy to Diame's high ball from a short free-kick to bury a header
into the back of the net. With Norwich pushing forward for an equaliser,
Diame ensured a flattering margin of victory by breaking away from his own
half before beating Ruddy with the aid of a deflection.
Norwich manager Chris Hughton: "I am very, very frustrated. When you come
here, you know you'll be up against a direct and physical game and you have
to match them. "For nearly all the game we were able to do that but you rely
on getting a little release by scoring goals. "It is a bit too familiar,
creating chances and not putting them away. We put more pressure on
ourselves."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce: West Ham boss praises defensive solidity
BBC.co.uk
Sam Allardyce praised West Ham's defensive solidity as his side recorded
their 13th clean sheet of the season - the most in the Premier League - in
their 2-0 victory over Norwich. A fourth shut-out in a row helped the
Hammers move up to 10th in the table. "To keep clean sheets in 50% of our
games is the sort of record you normally get when you are going to finish in
the top six," said Allardyce. "We had 11 clean sheets last year and finished
10th and we've got 13 now."
Late goals from James Collins and Mohamed Diame helped West Ham pick up
their third successive 2-0 victory, but the Londoners were made to work hard
for their victory by the Canaries. Goalkeeper Adrian made fine saves from
Gary Hooper, Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey to keep his side in the
contest and ultimately help move them four points clear of the relegation
zone. "There was nothing between the teams today apart from the fact we were
the ones who took our chances when they came our way," said Allardyce. "Our
goalkeeper made some outstanding saves when needed to keep it at 0-0 and our
patience paid off. "Three wins on the trot is a brilliant ask from the
players and a brilliant response to what we wanted to do and what we knew we
were capable of."
West Ham now have an 11-day break until they return to action with the visit
of Southampton to Upton Park on 22 February.
Keeping it tight
West Ham have kept four consecutive clean sheets in the top flight for the
first time since December 1985. And Allardyce, 59. says he will be taking
his players away for a short break ahead of that clash against the Saints.
"We're going to go away for some warm-weather training, which is important
at this stage of the season," said the former Bolton, Newcastle and
Blackburn manager. "Players feel good with a bit of sunshine on their backs
and they can get their minds rested and become physically rested. "I've been
doing it for the last 13-14 years now and I know by the data I have
collected over that time how important it is to get these players away.
"That's why we've been fighting for many years for us to have a break like
the rest of Europe. "I always religiously fit one in because it's the right
thing to do irrespective of where you are in the league and what you are
doing in terms of form."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham Utd 2-0 Norwich City
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham are back in the top half of the Premier League after an amazing
couple of weeks culminated with a 2-0 win against fellow strugglers Norwich
at the Boleyn Ground tonight. Late goals from James Collins and substitute
Mo Diame gave United their third successive win in the Premier League for
the first time in seven years as they weathered a Canaries storm before
striking at the death in this evening's vital encounter. And a third
successive 2-0 win - following those against Swansea and Aston Villa - has
catapulted West Ham away from the danger zone and into the upper half of the
Premier League for the first time since last September. Although it was
smiles all round at the final whistle for Sam Allardyce and his squad, they
had goalkeeper Adrian to thank - again - for keeping them in the game with a
string of top-class saves prior to scoring the two late goals. The Spanish
'keeper, who has only been considered first choice ahead of Jussi
Jasskelainen since Christmas foiled Norwich time and time again as West
Ham's defence was frequently breached by clever, incisive passing from the
visitors.
Robert Snodgrass was the first to falter in front of goal when his 18th
minute strike was smothered by the advancing stopper. Team mate Alex Tettey
was left frustrated in first half injury time by an equally-superb stop.
Gary Hooper was next to be denied, twice, after the break; firstly when
shooting straight at the 'keeper with the goal at his mercy and then by
Adrian's feet as the Spaniard spread himself as the Loughton-born striker
found himself clean through on goal.
Adrian could do little when he watched Joseph Yobo volley onto the roof of
the net with the goal gaping after West Ham had failed to deal with a corner
with just 12 minutes of normal time left. Perhaps sensing their chance of
winning had gone, Norwich boss Chris Hughton hauled off their best
performer, the dangerous Nathan Redmond - and West Ham took full advantage.
Without the threat of the former Birmingham winger to worry about, West Ham
were able to push higher up and jeers of frustration from the crowd soon
turned to cheers of joy when James Collins rose highest to meet a Mo Diame
cross from the left wing and open the scoring with six minutes left to play.
Though joy was soon replaced by nail-biting tension as the Hammers sat back
in order to defend their slender advantage, all concern was finally
dispelled in the fourth minute of injury time when Diame - who'd previously
missed a far easier chance, forcing a great save out of John Ruddy - pounced
on a loose ball deep in West Ham territory.
Running the entire length of the Norwich half unopposed, the midfielder - a
61st-minute replacement for Matt Jarvis - found the back of the net via a
wicked deflection that left Ruddy completely wrong-footed. 2-0, game over.
That two goal winning margin was perhaps more than the Hammers deserved and
more than a little harsh on a Norwich side who, on this showing, should have
enough to beat the drop, but it gives Allardyce and his squad breathing
space at the bottom for the first time in some considerable time. West Ham's
tally of 28 points - 10 of which have come from the last four fixtures, a
run that began with the goalless draw at Chelsea - takes them four points
clear of the relegation zone with Southampton next up. The two meet here at
the Boleyn 11 days from now, before which Allardyce will take his squad for
some warm-weather training in Dubai. Which will no doubt prove far more
enjoyable than it would just a fortnight ago, when the Hammers were
languishing in the bottom three with just 18 points on the board.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam unconvinced by Morrison injury
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
Sam Allardyce has finally broken his silence over the Ravel Morrison affair.
Rumours regarding the youngster's fitness and availability have been filling
the pages of the KUMB Forum for several months - since when Allardyce has
refused to comment on the situation bar to stress that Morrison has been
carrying an injury. However Allardyce, for one, is far from convinced that
the midfielder is genuinely carrying an injury. "Listening to our medical
staff, there is no problem that he can carry on - not at all," Allardyce
said. "He says he feels it occasionally. Instead of gritting your teeth and
getting on with it, he's not the type. Lots and lots of players throughout
the country will be playing with a similar type of injury that the medical
team say 'you can carry on, it's not a problem'. "Some come, rise to the
occasion and then don't realise how far they have risen, then all of a
sudden when they start realising where they have gone that can be a little
bit of a problem". "You have a lot of other players that are challenging his
position and doing a better job than him. I'm always disappointed if no one
gives me selection problems. I like the fact that you have to see how
players deal with being left out - are they going to be professional or
unprofessional about it?" Morrison, who is still West Ham's top goalscorer
this season looks set to complete a move to Championship Club QPR on loan
within the next 48 hours.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A new home
KUMB.com
Filed: Tuesday, 11th February 2014
By: Staff Writer
West Ham United have released a time-lapse video detailing Phase One of the
project to convert the Olympic Stadium into a home fit for football.
In little more than two years from now West Ham will move across the Borough
of Newham from Upton Park to Stratford, ending a 109-year association with
the former. Meanwhile work on the £430million construction that hosted the
2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is already well under way.
As the video - shot from the top of the nearly Orbit structure -
illustrates, the first significant change in the stadium's appearance was
the removal of the 14 huge lighting towers, each of which hovered 230ft
above ground level before being lowered. A team of 20 abseilers were drafted
in to assist with the removal, which was overseen by lead contractor Balfour
Beatty and Pfeifer.
The next phase in the conversion is the removal of the existing roof in
order to make way for a £41million replacement twice its size. Work on the
new structure, said to be the longest example of its kind (cantilevered) is
set to commence in Spring of this year.
Once the roof has been fitted, Balfour Beatty - who were recently awarded
the entire £154million contract to convert the 80,000-capacity stadium into
a 54,000-capacity UEFA Category 4 venue - will oversee the remaining
upgrades to the arena including spectator and hospitality facilities plus
additional, external enhancements.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham United beat Norwich City 2-0 at Upton Park
By Ben Hampshire | @BH92. Last Updated: 11/02/14 11:26pm
SSN
West Ham scored twice in the final six minutes as they picked up a crucial
2-0 victory over Norwich City at Upton Park on Tuesday evening. The Hammers
recorded a third successive top flight win for the first time in seven years
as they beat their fellow strugglers to move into 10th after a fiercely
contested affair.
Best of the Match
Man of the Match: Mohamed Diame. Provided West Ham with the added impetus
and creativity before setting up the first goal and scoring the second.
Goal of the Match: A quickly taken set-piece allowed Mohamed Diame to
provide James Collins with an inch-perfect pass
Save of the Match: Three fine first half efforts from Adrian. Kept West Ham
in the game when Norwich were in the ascendancy.
Talking Point: Are Norwich heading deep into the relegation mire? Is this
run enough to save West Ham?
Mohamed Diame created the first goal of the match with a precision flat
cross from the left wing, which found centre-back James Collins in the
middle of the box and he bravely headed beyond John Ruddy. With Norwich
committing all their men to attack, Diame sealed victory for the Hammers
when he raced through the Norwich half unchallenged before sliding beyond
Ruddy for the second.
After a sedate start it was Norwich, and striker Gary Hooper, who passed up
a number of gilt-edged chances to secure the three points, with Hammers
goalkeeper Adrian again in top form. Robert Snodgrass and Alex Tettey also
found the Spaniard in the way as they looked to secure a third away league
win of the campaign, with West Ham rarely able to trouble Ruddy in the
Canaries' goal.
Sam Allardyce's side were lacking the spearhead of Andy Carroll and only
Diame truly tested Ruddy before the England goalkeeper went missing for
Collins' late show. Hooper, whose first league goal for Norwich came in
their 3-1 win over the Hammers back in November, came close to opening the
scoring on nine minutes as his header from Nathan Redmond's cross forced
Adrian to push the ball away and it was cleared behind for a corner to the
visitors.
Allardyce praises Adrian
It was Adrian who once again came to West Ham's rescue as Snodgrass timed a
forward run to perfection and was found by the busy Redmond. But the
Scotland winger took a heavy touch, giving the goalkeeper time to narrow the
angle and keep out the resulting shot. The Norwich defence then almost paid
for their collective inability to clear the ball as Matt Jarvis curled an
effort towards goal but it proved simple for Ruddy to collect. The
slow-starting Hammers were reduced to looking for spectacular ways to beat
Ruddy and it was Mark Noble who was next to send a long-range effort
straight at the England man.
As the half wore on the hosts started to enjoy more sustained pressure on
the Norwich goal as Stewart Downing fired over before delivering a teasing
cross that was well cleared by Norwich skipper Sebastien Bassong. Adrian was
again on hand to keep the scores level, this time pushing Tettey's shot
behind for a corner as the visitors worked their way through the West Ham
backline. Hooper spurned another chance to open the scoring early in the
second half, this time collecting Tettey's speculative effort but only
managing to roll a tame effort into the gloves of Adrian when free on the
edge of the penalty area. The former Celtic striker was the man who looked
most likely to provide a winning goal for the visitors but he was thwarted
by Adrian yet again as he shot from an acute angle after being picked out by
Johnson. Ruddy made a great save moments later as Kevin Nolan slipped the
ball through to substitute Diame, whose low effort was turned behind by the
Norwich goalkeeper.
West Ham, on the ropes for much of the contest, then came out fighting at
the death as a short free-kick to Diame was crossed towards Collins and,
with Ruddy rushing out and getting nowhere near the ball, the Wales defender
steered the ball home to put West Ham ahead. As Chris Hughton's side
searched in vain for a dramatic, and deserved, equaliser, Diame was freed
into a barren Norwich half and turned the ball home courtesy of a heavy
deflection to send the home fans into raptures at the final whistle.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sam Allardyce delighted with West Ham's rich vein of form
By Ben Hampshire | @BH92 | Last Updated: 11/02/14 11:17pm
SSN
Sam Allardyce is delighted with West Ham United's form as they recorded a
third successive Premier League win for the first time in seven years,
beating Norwich 2-0 on Tuesday night. West Ham were teetering on the brink
of the relegation zone going into the game, level on points with their
opponents, but victory sees them rocket up to 10th in the top flight
standings. Allardyce was made to sweat for the three points as West Ham left
it until the final six minutes to break the deadlock. Substitute Mohamed
Diame provided a precision cross for James Collins to head home his first
Premier League goal in six years. With Norwich committing all their men to
attack, Diame doubled the tally in added time, racing the length of the
field before slotting beyond John Ruddy, with the aid of a deflection. "We
are delighted in the end because it was a hell of a game Norwich gave us
tonight," Allardyce told Sky Sports. "It was a really hard fought game but I
think in the end our goalkeeper has kept us in the game and then the set
pieces have put us on the right track. "Obviously when you score that late
on it's difficult for the opposition to come back and when they throw
everybody forward, Mo Diame was able to finish it off for us." West Ham are
now unbeaten in four and Allardyce admits the mood in the dressing room is
one of elation.
Great mood
"It was a great end to a great run of fixtures for us," he added. "We have a
few days now where we can regroup, there is a lot of tired legs but not so
many tired minds. "We are in a great mood at the moment and this is a really
big and hard-earned three points for us." Another clean sheet for Adrian in
the West Ham goal further underlined their defensive authority, which has
seen them keep sides goalless in half of their fixtures this term. Goals
have been hard to come by for the Hammers, but their recent upturn in form
has impressed Allardyce as both defence and attack click into place.
"Thirteen is an unbelievable figure when you've been struggling in the
league," he said. "It's all been about not enough goals but now we've
started to score and for us it's about getting both ends right now. "We've
always had it defensively right apart from when we had a group of injuries
to the central defenders and full-backs but now the defenders are back." He
added: "We are defending extremely well and we are starting to take our
chances. "We didn't have many tonight so it's nice to see us taking them
when we don't have many."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
James Collins believes West Ham have turned corner after Norwich win
By Ben Hampshire | @BH92 | Last Updated: 11/02/14 11:43pm
SSN
Goalscorer James Collins claims the West Ham dressing room is over the moon
after beating Norwich 2-0 in the Premier League on Tuesday. The talismanic
centre-back latched onto the end of precision cross from Mohamed Diame to
head beyond a helpless John Ruddy in the 84th minute. Minutes later Diame
added a goal of his own as West Ham sealed a crucial victory which saw them
elevated to 10th in the Premier League table. Victory over Norwich leaves
West Ham unbeaten in their last four top flight outings and with 13 clean
sheets, records which Collins believes have boosted team morale. "I couldn't
tell you how long it's been since I scored," he told Sky Sports. "It's been
a tough three quarters of the season and we've turned a corner now, it's a
good place to be." "We are delighted, obviously, it takes us up the league
and with teams taking points off each other, the dressing room is over the
moon. "It's been a tough three quarters of the season and we've turned a
corner now, it's a good place to be."
Collins' header, which came deep into the second half, was his first Premier
League goal in six years the defender was relieved to see the deadlock
broken.
"It was about time to be honest," he said. "It didn't look like it was going
to happen. It seemed like one of those games where nothing quite went right
for both teams. "They had a lot of chances, Adrian kept us in the game on
three occasions and to pop up with the header is always nice." With the game
goalless and the clock edging towards full time, the Upton Park crowd made
sure their voices were heard and Collins claims the tension was clearly felt
on the field. "We were confident it would come but you are a little bit
nervous," he admitted. "I think we get a few moans off the crowd for taking
the quick free kick but then [Mohamed] Diame puts the cross in. "I think
that [the quick free kick] is why I scored because I wasn't quite ready to
take it."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rene Meulensteen gives up pursuit of West Ham's Ravel Morrison
Last Updated: 11/02/14 4:19pm
SSN
Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen has admitted defeat in his bid to lure West
Ham's Ravel Morrison to Craven Cottage. The Hammers striker appears surplus
to requirements under Sam Allardyce following the return of Andy Carroll,
and Morrison is widely expected to be loaned to Championship
promotion-chasers QPR. Rangers boss Harry Redknapp revealed he is hoping to
recruit the former Manchester United forward for the remainder of the
season, and QPR would be favourites to sign Morrison outright if they return
to the Premier League. The Hammers rejected a bid for Morrison from Fulham
in January and then accused the west London club of making an illegal
approach. Meulensteen insisted Morrison wanted to join Fulham when speaking
after his side's 3-0 FA Cup replay victory over Norwich on January 15,
sparking West Ham's grievance. "There's not very much we can do at this
time, and what other clubs do we can't affect," said Meulensteen. "The only
thing I can affect is what we're doing at Fulham." Fulham host Liverpool on
Wednesday night with confidence substantially higher after snatching a 2-2
draw at Manchester United on Sunday. Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge have
been in devastating form this season, and Meulensteen believes trying to
shut down the Reds strikers will be one of the biggest challenges of the
season. He said: "How do you stop them? They've had an incredible season,
the pace and the penetration, the variety and the unpredictability in the
way they can all score goals. "So it has to be all hands on deck for us to
make sure that we defend in a good, compact manner, that we keep
communicating, don't leave gaps for them to get through and play through.
"But the defensive performance from Sunday was definitely a massive
improvement, and we can build on that."
Meulensteen still holds veteran Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in high
esteem and added: "In my opinion he is a top player, definitely. Brendan is
looking at the players available and where he will best slot in as well. "If
Lucas would be fit, then probably Lucas would play a bit deeper and Gerrard
a bit freer.
"But he probably thinks Gerrard is the best to play the deeper role now, it
suits him, he's got the range of passing to do it, so he's still a very
important player for Liverpool."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham 2-0 Norwich: James Collins and Mo Diame send Hammers flying up the
table
Feb 11, 2014 22:08 By Darren Lewis
The Mirror
Even Sam Allardyce must still be wondering how he has pulled this off. Think
daylight robbery or smash and grab. Even Dick Turpin used to wear a mask.
Norwich should have been home and hosed by the time West Ham scored their
two late goals to pinch all three points. They had a string of sitters
saved, however, as the Hammers' keeper Adrian produced an outstanding
display to mark his fourth clean sheet in a row. Then, with fomer
heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis looking on, James Collins and Mo Diame
produced the sucker punch to leave Chris Hughton and his Canaries crushed.
Never mind a bottle of the Man of the Match champagne, West Ham should send
Adrian a crate of the stuff. They have now racked up three Premier League
wins in a row for the first time since 2007. Their winter of discontent
looks to be drawing to an end with the club now up to tenth in the Premier
League. And all this of course is taking place with Andy Carroll suspended.
Suddenly all that talk about the Hammers' owners being clueless to stick
with Big Sam looks a world away. With the sale of Upton Park agreed and the
Olympic Stadium beckoning it is now an increasingly safe bet that West Ham
will have Premier League football to take there. Allardyce said afterwards:
"I'm delighted. It was a hell of a game Norwich gave us and a hard-earned
win - 13 points from six games is a terrific run of form considering where
we were and the troule we were in. "Even tenth might not be out of trouble -
we have to continue and get more results. "Our goalkeeper kept us in the
game and we scored late, when it is hard for anybody to come back into it.
But its a great end to an important run of fixtures. If Norwich continue
like that, they will have no problems."
Hughton will take little comfort from Allardyce's words. The Canaries sit
16th, one point off the relegation places because their players could not
finish. The powers that be at Carrow Road can moan in private all they like
and put their manager under pressure but what on earth is he supposed to do
when men like Gary Hooper and Robert Snodgrass couldn't finish their dinner
right now? Hooper should have buried his ninth-minute header from Nathan
Redmond's cross.
Instead, Adrian was able to get down low to his left to push it to safety.
Snodgrass raced clear in the 19th minute, but was worried out of it by
Adrian, who then produced a one-handed save when the Scot looked certain to
score. In the dying minutes of the first half, the Spaniard was at it again,
flinging himself to his right to keep out a close-range drive from
midfielder Alexander Tettey. And in the second half there was even more. The
Seville-born stopper first kept out Hooper's low shot that had been heading
for the bottom right corner. He then saved Sebastien Bassong's late header.
It was a wastefulness that Norwich would come to regret as, with six minutes
left, Diame crossed from the left and Collins headed home. Then, as the
visitors poured forward in search of a equaliser, Diame raced away to send a
low shot - deflected off midfielder Bradley Johnson - into the bottom
corner. Hughton was furious. And rightly so. "I am very, very frustrated."
he said afterwards, "It is a bit too familiar, creating chances and not
putting them away. "Their first goal is a ball we dealt with all game and on
that one occasion we didn't. When you don't get the lead you think you
deserve you are always under pressure. "It's the first goal that hurt us and
the missed chances."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
We are in a scoring mood', says Sam Allardyce after West Ham see off Norwich
for third straight win
Feb 11, 2014 23:32 By Darren Lewis The Mirror
Sam Allardyce saw his West Ham side surge into the top half of the table
with a win over Norwich - then warned: "We are in a scoring mood". James
Collins and Mo Diame struck late to give the east Londoners their second win
in a row without suspended star striker Andy Carroll, who watched from a
private box.
The victory was also the first time in seven years that the Hammers have won
three on the spin in the Premier League. They have also kept 13 clean sheets
- the highest number in the top flight. Big Sam said afterwards: "We are in
a scoring mood. And because we are so good at keeping clean sheets our
scoring mood is producing win after win. "Our destiny has always been in our
own hands. There have always been enough points for us to keep out of
trouble. The patient way for us had been to wait for our injured players to
come back. "Then obviously you've got our new additions. They may not have
played that much but they are good characters. "The lads have been lifted by
them and there is a confident squad of players now that believes each time
we go out we are going to get the victory."
Allardyce will now take his players on a sunshine break in Dubai later this
week ahead of their next game against Southampton on February 22. Norwich
boss Chris Hughton, meanwhile, was annoyed after Collins' opener - from a
routine cross - left the Canaries chasing the game. Hughton said: "I'm never
one to apportion blame but it's the type of ball we dealt with very well all
game. When you play West Ham you have to deal with a lot of them and we did
it well.
"No doubt the better chances fell to us. There was so much good about our
performance."
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